It was late at night, and the radio next door had stopped working. Zhang Guoqing didn't dare to bother his wife anymore. If he went home any later, his father-in-law would probably come looking for him.
The couple took a break, cleaned up the mess, and left the yard hand in hand.
Walking out of the alley under the moonlight, I found myself on the street, where many people were enjoying the cool air. If this were back home, the entire village would be completely dark. I wondered if my parents were doing just as well as the letter said.
Zhang Guoqing had no intention of lingering on the street. He felt sorry for his wife who must have been very tired. He glanced at her legs under her long skirt and patted the back seat of the car.
Zhou Jiao glanced at him, but didn't refuse. She climbed into the back seat, looked around, and seeing no one was paying attention, she gently hugged his waist and closed her eyes. "Alas... they're a real couple, how come it feels like they're having an affair?" Thinking of this, Zhou Jiao smiled helplessly.
When I got home, unexpectedly, there were still a lot of people sitting in the yard. Even Ping'an, who was used to going to bed on time, was in high spirits and talking and gesturing with his friends.
When Old Lady Cheng saw the two people come in, she smiled cheerfully and said, "I have two more hairy crabs left for you. Go wash your hands and come over to eat."
Zhang Guoqing asked curiously, "Where did it come from?"
"Xiaoyu's grandfather had a friend give it to him. When your aunt brought it over in the evening, you weren't at home."
Zhou Jiao complained, "My aunt is really something. She sends us some good things as soon as she gets them. She's not afraid that others will say she's moving things back to her parents' home. Aunt, why didn't you keep her here until we came back?"
Before the old lady could reply, Cheng family's eldest daughter-in-law Liu Ting smiled and said, "It seems your aunt loves you well. She said she has guests at home and will come to see you in a couple of days."
Here, Zhang Guoqing took out two lunch boxes from the black bag, handed a roast duck inside to Aunt Chen, and asked her to cut it up and serve it to the men as a snack.
Old Cheng joked, "Your dad said you two would definitely bring back some midnight snacks. He's right. Is your salary enough for you this month?"
Zhang Guoqing replied with a smile: "Not bad, if it's not enough, ask my dad for more."
Everyone laughed when they heard it.
Cheng Sijin nudged Zhou Xiaozheng and said with a smile, "Brother, be careful with your wallet."
Zhou Xiaozheng raised the corner of his lips, "I can't be careful, Xiaowu is so familiar with the logistics department that he can even get my salary."
Everyone burst into laughter again after hearing this.
Aunt Chen brought out the roast duck and placed it on the stone table. Old Cheng and the other men began a new round of drinking and chatting, stuffing pieces of meat into the mouths of the little ones. Tomorrow was the weekend, and with good wine and good food, the men were happy to get together.
Old Mrs. Cheng patted Zhou Jiao's hand and said softly, "You've been waiting in line for a long time, right?" She didn't regret how much money she spent. It was already very difficult to buy meat nowadays, so money was nothing.
Zhou Jiao nodded with a smile. "I made an appointment a few days ago, and I was worried about whether it would be available before I went." Then, she changed the subject. Lies become more and more vulnerable if you tell them too many times.
"How are things with my second cousin and his family? Did you go over and see if anything was wrong?"
The old lady had gone to her eldest son's house a few days ago and hadn't said anything about Cheng Siyu's family since she came back. Zhou Jiao's question attracted the attention of Lin Lishan and Liu Ting.
Old Mrs. Cheng didn't know what to say. She smiled and sighed, which scared the women so much that they held their breath and stared at her, fearing that something bad would happen.
Old Mrs. Cheng laughed and said, "Don't worry. They're fine in the barracks." Seeing that they were still looking at her with suspicion, she explained, "I went for a walk in the village below, and my mood was affected."
Zhou Jiao asked thoughtfully, "Aunt, are you going to see old friends? Are they doing well?"
"This child really can't hide anything from you." The old lady clapped her hands and sighed, "You're sure she'll have a hard time from now on."
Zhou Jiao was speechless for a moment. With the prevailing trend, she couldn't say anything against her will, especially after seeing how people in other countries lived. She could only console herself that things would get better.
Besides deceiving herself, can she still save the world?
"Mom, didn't we say last year that we'd give farmers private plots? A few days ago, many of my colleagues even exchanged eggs and vegetables from the suburbs."
Old Lady Cheng was silent for a moment, then said softly, "The situation varies from place to place. In many places, except during the busy farming season, they only have three meals a day. On other days, they only have two meals a day, and wild vegetables are the staple food."
Lin Lishan continued, "That's true. It's pretty much the same in the suburbs. A new girl in my group is from the southern suburbs. She told me that the situation in each production team is different. Her grandmother's home is only a few miles away from hers, and she can get by with three meals a day of whole grains, while her grandmother's family only has two meals of porridge."
Liu Ting frowned, glanced at Zhou Jiao, and prepared to give her some private instructions. She was considerate, considering the child had been away for the past few months and wondering if she had written to her parents-in-law upon her return. Sometimes, it's important to express your feelings, otherwise even the best couple will feel a pang of resentment.
Obviously, she had considered it, and the old lady had weighed it in her heart. So, she said, "Jiaojiao, have you written a letter to Xiaowu's parents since you came back?"
Zhou Jiao was as worldly-wise as her mother, and without giving it much thought, she simply said, "Not yet."
The old lady just opened her mouth to remind her.
Zhou Jiao continued, "My dad's going on a business trip in a few days, and my mom's working at the grassroots level, so we're planning to take the kids back. I'm not planning on writing a letter, because maybe the letter won't even arrive by the time we get there."
The old lady read with her mouth open, then pursed her lips. "Why doesn't this child finish speaking in one breath?" She glanced at the cheerful Lin Lishan and the relieved daughter-in-law, and nodded silently.
Then she looked at Zhang Guoqing who was not far away and said softly, "Write more letters to your parents-in-law. No matter how many things you send, a few nice words will not be enough."
Now Zhou Jiao understood and nodded repeatedly with a smile.
"Xiaowu's filial piety to his parents is different from your filial piety to your parents-in-law. You can't think that since he has written a letter, you don't have to do anything extra. Invite them over to play when you have nothing to do and ask them if they need anything. Do you understand what I mean? Especially since you are not at home during this period, you should come back and write a few more letters." After saying this, Old Mrs. Cheng stared at her to express her opinion.
Zhou Jiao nodded obediently.
Lin Lishan on the side quickly said: "Aunt, Brother Zheng asked me to write a letter to my in-laws before, and I also sent a package."
Mrs. Cheng was delighted to hear this and said, "Well done. Even if Xiaowu's parents aren't reliable, we should still take good care of him for his sake. Besides, Xiaozhang and his wife are really decent people. They're a perfect match. More frequent contact between the two families will only strengthen our relationship."
Even though Zhang Guoqing was accompanying his father-in-law and the others, he still kept his attention on his wife, fearing that she would be tired. Even though the old lady and the others were talking quietly, he could still hear everything clearly.
It seems the Cheng family's harmonious family life is all thanks to their wise old lady. No wonder the ancients often said that marrying a virtuous wife brings blessings to three generations.
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