Not long after Zhang Guoqing and his family entered the house, less than half an hour later, a group of young men and women ran into the yard and cried with joy when they saw Xiao Ping'an.
Mr. and Mrs. Zhang looked at the group of grandchildren in front of them, and smiled so hard that their eyes narrowed and their mouths couldn't close.
Zhou Jiao looked at them gathered together laughing and talking, pulled Zhang Guoqing, and the two of them quietly left the west room and went to the kitchen to see if anything was missing.
There was not a single scrap of leftover rice in the two large pots in the kitchen. This did not surprise Zhou Jiao and the others at all. Given Zhang's mother's personality, she would never waste any food.
Zhang Guoqing opened the cellar door, leaving Zhou Jiao to watch outside. He went inside and saw only about ten pounds of flour and rice, with about two hundred pounds of coarse grains remaining. A few pitiful dried rabbits were hanging there. He went to a corner and opened the box. Not much of the original brown sugar was left, and he sighed.
Zhou Jiao saw him coming out, "How is it?"
“There aren’t many left.”
Zhou Jiao nodded. She wasn't worried about who her mother-in-law gave the subsidy to; it would probably just be converted into cash by the old couple. But as long as they were happy, she still had to make the necessary preparations.
"Don't worry, I'll find another chance to add it this time."
Zhang Guoqing smiled silently. He took out flour and rice from the bag and placed them in the rice jar in the kitchen. The couple didn't dare put too much in, so they secretly took a few things and put them in the open.
Zhang's mother stayed in the house for a while, then thought of her eldest son and came to the kitchen. When she saw the empty bag on the floor, she quickly opened the cabinet, lifted the lid of the rice jar, and glared at them with disappointment.
She looked out of the kitchen and said in a low voice, "Didn't Mom tell you not to bring anything back? Your father and I have never been hungry, and we're afraid of being looked down upon if we bring too much. Two years ago, when the grain-collecting team came to the village, I was so scared I couldn't sleep for several nights. Forget it this time, but don't go buy anything next time. You guys bought it, and your father went out to sell it. What a hassle!"
Zhang Guoqing nodded when he heard this.
"Be obedient. Mother still has a lot of food coupons and wants to send them to you. Your father can't sleep because of all the money he makes. Needless to say, the food in big cities like Beijing is even more expensive. Don't buy the high-priced food."
"Okay. I'm not buying it."
"Jiaojiao, keep an eye on him and don't give him any money."
Zhou Jiao quickly replied obediently: "Okay."
"The east room is clean. You go pack your clothes first, and leave this to me." Zhang's mother pushed Zhou Jiao and her husband out, and when she saw them walk away, she closed the kitchen door.
Zhang's mother was busy all of a sudden, moving everything Zhang Guoqing and his wife had put in the cellar one by one. These two silly kids were still extravagant. With so many things left out in the open, how could the two sisters-in-law not be surprised if they saw them, let alone outsiders?
After finishing her work, Zhang's mother quickly cooked two bowls of noodles, placing two eggs at the bottom. After covering them, she brought them to the east room and saw that only Zhang Guoqing was there. "Jiaojiao is taking a bath? You eat first."
"Mom, are you and Dad?"
"We just finished our meal. You guys can have some food first. Mom will prepare dinner soon."
Zhang Guoqing jokingly said, "Mom, you're not reluctant to eat it, are you?"
"Who said that? There's nothing at home." Zhang's mother wouldn't admit it. "I've already stewed eggs for Ping'an. He can eat them later."
Zhang Guoqing smiled and shook his head when he saw her leave. He picked up his chopsticks and found an egg on the ground, which made him chuckle secretly. His oldest son was still a picky eater.
When Zhou Jiao came out of the shower, he quickly handed her the chopsticks and said, "Eat quickly, full of love."
"What's wrong? They don't have any?"
"uh-huh."
Zhou Jiao turned over the egg and smiled at him.
Zhang Guoqing quickly finished his noodles and the soup, grabbed a change of clothes, and ran to the shower. He had a few visits to make to a few close elders, so he had a lot of work to do.
Zhou Jiao finished her meal and walked out of the room with her bowl. She heard her son giggling and it seemed that he was adapting well. Seeing this, she felt relieved and went to the kitchen.
Mother Zhang looked at her daughter-in-law with a smile, "Why don't you rest first?"
"I haven't chatted with my mother for a long time. I have to follow you."
Mother Zhang took the bowl from her hand and placed it on the table. "Then sit down. I have something to discuss with you."
"Whatever we want to discuss, just tell us what to do."
"Haha...your aunt and her family want to buy the yard in your village."
Zhou Jiao observed her expression and asked in a low voice, "Did they mention it to you? That's the family inheritance you and Dad left us. Besides, our family isn't short of money, so why would we sell it?"
Mother Zhang smiled. "I knew you wouldn't agree. Your uncle must have mentioned it to your father. Your father can't hide it from me. Your aunt and your eldest cousin's wife also echoed it in front of me, saying that they have many children and it's a pity to leave your yard empty. I didn't respond. If they brought it up in front of you, do you know how to deal with it?"
Zhou Jiao laughed and said, "Do the youngest grandfather and his two elders still live at home?"
"Yes. They live in the west wing. It's all thanks to your uncle that they were able to move in."
Zhou Jiao nodded. She knew about this. She smiled and said, "If my aunt brought it up, I'd tell her we can't lose our family business. Losing the yard is like losing our roots."
Mother Zhang thought about it and shook her head, thinking she couldn't have a grudge against her daughter-in-law. "Forget it, I'll just say a few words to them. She won't be embarrassed to mention it if you stay for a few nights."
"Mom, will this put you in a difficult position? How about you lend them some money?"
Zhang's mother glared at him and said, "Don't mention it. Where did you get the money? I told everyone that you don't have any income from school, so don't contradict me."
Zhou Jiao quickly smiled ingratiatingly.
Mother Zhang scolded her with a smile, "You silly child! You can't open this loophole. If one relative borrows, your uncle's family and your aunt's family will definitely be in trouble."
"As the saying goes, an old man in the family is like a treasure. I'll listen to you!"
Zhang's mother was so amused by her that she began to teach her how to get along with others in the village. The mother-in-law and daughter-in-law chatted excitedly for a long time.
When Lin Juhua's two sisters-in-law heard the news and came over, they saw this scene and smiled at each other.
"Sister-in-law and sister-in-law are here. Come and sit down." Zhou Jiao quickly pulled a bench forward and invited them to sit. If she were living in her own way, she would definitely not buy such a folk bench, but now she found it particularly harmonious in her home. Especially with the crowing of chickens in the yard, the whole courtyard became more and more lively.
"Jiaojiao, Ping An has been well taken care of by you two. He's fair, tender, and well-mannered."
Huang Cuilan also followed up with praise: "It's very clean, and it's so small, it looks like a little adult, and it can even keep up with Xizi and the others."
"How can it be so exaggerated? We are a family and we love our own children. Just praise them at home, otherwise people will laugh at us. It's been so long since I saw them grow up so fast."
Mother Zhang sighed, "That's right! Time flies by so fast. I used to complain that time passed so slowly, but now it goes by in the blink of an eye."
Lin Juhua smiled and said, "Mom, why are you worried? People say you are getting younger and younger."
Zhou Jiao looked at them with a smile. It was no wonder Zhang's mother was getting younger and younger. The two cousins from her uncle's family seemed to have taken after their aunt.
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