The phone rang. Before Zhang Guoqing could remind him, Ping An had already quickly jumped onto the sofa, picked up the receiver and put it to his ear. "Hello, who's calling?"
"I'm looking for you." Yi Jiefang's cheerful laughter came from the microphone.
"Uncle, what do you want from me?"
"Would you like to go fishing?"
"A few days ago, my dad and I went to Houhai and only caught small shrimps. Where were the fish? No fish!"
"So where are you going? Is your dad home?"
"I'm home, uncle, come over here, let's discuss this."
Yi Jiefang laughed and said, "Okay, I'll come over and discuss this with you after dinner."
Ping An hung up the phone and ran to Zhang Guoqing, looking at him with his big eyes blinking. His grandmother said he was the cutest like this, and she wanted to give him everything. His father should be similar.
Zhang Guoqing looked at him amusedly and said, "If you have something to say, just say it."
"Dad, can you take me with you wherever you go? I'm a good boy, very good."
Zhang Guoqing picked him up and said, "Good boy, give daddy a kiss..."
"itch……"
In the kitchen, Aunt Chen heard the laughter of the father and son coming from the living room, and she also laughed. This is really an older child taking care of the younger one. I don't know when Jiaojiao will come back.
When Zhou Xiaozheng came back from get off work, before he even entered the living room, he heard laughter inside. The corners of his lips immediately curled up high, and a smile appeared in his eyes.
"Dad, you're back? Son, go and serve your grandpa..."
Ping An: "Yes!" He ran happily to get the slippers.
Zhou Xiaozheng watched them with amusement as one fetched water while the other ran to get shoes, as if they were offering treasures. He said with a smile, "Why are you so happy today? Did you know Jiaojiao is back?"
Zhang Guoqing shouted "Ouch!" and the father and son rushed to Zhou Xiaozheng and stared at him closely.
"Latest news, I'll be home before dinner."
"ah……"
"Oh...my mom is back..."
Zhou Xiaozheng watched with amusement as the father and son twirled happily in each other's arms. His daughter had actually been home for three days, busy drawing and painting, unable even to see him. Now, the family was finally reunited!
Zhang Guoqing didn't think much about it, thinking that his wife was still on the plane.
"By the way, Dad, you guys eat first, I have to go out for a while."
Zhou Xiaozheng glared at him and said, "Eat first, then do whatever you want."
Zhang Guoqing hesitated for a moment, then nodded and said, "Okay. I'll go urge Aunt Chen, and Ping An will call your grandma to see if she's out yet."
Seeing him rushing to the kitchen anxiously, Zhou Xiaozheng smiled, shook his head, and waved at Ping'an, "Don't hit me, your grandma will be back soon. Do you know why your dad is going out?"
"Buy old hens! Every time he goes to the countryside, he asks who has old hens, but unfortunately no one wants to sell them and wants to keep them for eggs. My dad also wants to buy meat and asks if anyone has a wedding. He secretly told me that foreigners only eat bread and milk, so my mother must be as thin as a piece of paper."
After Ping'an finished speaking, he waved to his grandfather and asked him to squat down.
Zhou Xiaozheng played along with him, laughing. He whispered in his ear, "My dad said he's heard the government's travel budget is very low, so everyone needs an escort. And my mom is always so cautious, she wouldn't dare spend money recklessly or get special treatment. She must be angry and hungry if she can't spend the money, and she's still thinking about us. She's definitely suffering."
Zhou Xiaozheng rubbed his head. Why hadn't he considered this at the time? Given his daughter's temperament, she was capable of such a thing. Wasn't he trying to make his child suffer instead of enjoying a good life?
"Grandpa, don't worry! My mom is very smart."
Zhou Xiaozheng listened to his comfort and smiled. This child was smart, he could tell when his mood was changing.
"Grandpa, let me take a bath with you. I can rub your back."
Zhou Xiaozheng held his little hand, "Okay. No need to rub your back in the summer. Wait until winter to go to the bathhouse. Grandpa will take you there."
When Aunt Chen was setting up lunch, Lin Lishan finally came back late. When she heard that her daughter was back, she laughed happily and asked Aunt Chen what other food was in stock at home.
Zhang Guoqing quickly persuaded her, "Mom, you eat first. I've prepared everything. Come home early this afternoon so we can have a good dinner as a family tonight."
"I'll go over there this afternoon and take a look and be back soon. Brother Zheng, now that Jiaojiao is back, does that mean our family should leave too? It's too tiring for you to run back and forth like this."
"I may have to go on a business trip soon, let's talk about it later."
Zhang Guoqing saw that it was getting late, so he quickly took a few bites while listening. He also had to go out to buy some food as a cover, otherwise Zhou Jiao would not be able to take anything out casually when she came back.
"Dad, take your time eating. I'm going to go out for a while."
Zhou Xiaozheng nodded and said, "Be careful on the road."
"good."
Lin Lishan watched her son-in-law leave quickly and asked curiously, "Why are you going out now? Even if you're going to buy something, you don't have to go so early. The sun is so strong outside now."
“Young people have their own ideas.”
Seeing this, Lin Lishan didn't say anything else. Everyone had left, so it was useless to stop them.
Zhang Guoqing pushed the cart out and wandered to the vicinity of Shi Dashen's workplace. Having regained his composure during dinner, he quickly figured out that his wife was most likely coming home after finishing her business.
After observing the terrain, he found a small restaurant in a place he would definitely pass by, ordered a bowl of noodles, and sat there to slowly kill time.
This little restaurant wasn't doing very well. It was true that those who could use the company cafeteria nearby were reluctant to eat out. However, two elderly men, even at noon, stayed out drinking alcohol and chattering with relish about which important figures were in which alley and what they might be eating.
Zhang Guoqing laughed out loud when he heard this.
The young and old men in the capital were famous for their ability to talk and joke. Listening to the old man talk about ancient times and which alleys were the residences of high-ranking officials in the past really broadened his horizons.
The two old men drank, and with an audience, they spoke even more enthusiastically, discussing secrets from various Qing dynasties and the countless bundles of escaped palace maids and eunuchs that had appeared during their downfall.
Growing up near the Imperial City is truly different. They can easily recount allusions to nearby buildings, and even forgotten ones are easily reminded by old friends. They remember everything vividly. Considering their ages, they seem to have lived through three dynasties, as they say, and have truly kept pace with the times.
As time goes by, the ancient city remains the same ancient city, ruthlessly making people grow old. Reminiscing about the past is a common episode in the lives of the elderly in their later years.
As the sun sets, the alleys in the distance, half painted gold and half gray, are imbued with a sense of antiquity, imbued with the weight of history, adding a touch of charm and a touch of timelessness, just like the wonderful lives of these elderly people.
Seeing that it was getting late, Zhang Guoqing said goodbye to them leisurely and left, pushing the bicycle slowly towards the unit, trying to be the first to see Zhou Jiao coming out of the gate.
Time seemed to be slowing down, and his heart was pounding like the time he waited at the intersection for his first love. Thinking of the feeling of being separated for a long time, Zhang Guoqing had a silly smile on his face.
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