"...It's all because of poverty, otherwise why would he beat his wife? He said the two kilograms of flour were for his parents' health. His wife had it tough, too. Their newborn son weighed just over four kilograms, and after several months of nursing, he still weighed less than ten kilograms. If it weren't for the help from the team's clinic, the child would have died long ago..."
"... His wife wouldn't even eat a single bite herself, so her three sons swallowed it all. His eldest sister-in-law is also a piece of shit. When she returned to her parents' home today, she heard what her niece said and ran off to scold the big-necked man for being heartless and disregarding his parents. She even kept instigating her brothers to beat up his wife.
Big Neck was a filial son. He thought his wife was cheating on him, and when he found out, he held his head and cried. A grown man, he almost died from crying. Alas..."
Zhou Jiao asked curiously, "Niece? Big Neck's daughter? I remember that his brothers' daughters all got married."
"She's not his biological daughter. This child is resentful of her mother for giving special treatment to her brothers. This treacherous girl doesn't even care if her mother has eaten."
Zhou Jiao really didn't know how to comment on this matter.
"When I was there, after being beaten, the wife of Big Neck realized it was her daughter who was at fault, so she went and beat the child. The child was fourteen or fifteen years old, but she still confronted her mother. She was like that, what kind of daughter? She was worse than an enemy. She grabbed the broom her mother was hitting her with, and with a fierce look on her face, she said, "If you hit me again, she'll fight back..."
At that time, we old people couldn't bear to watch it anymore, but your aunt said a few words, and the child sat on the ground crying so sadly, saying that she had never had enough to eat since she was a child, and had never even touched a book in a day. She begged your aunt to take her home, otherwise her mother would sell her to an old bachelor..."
Zhou Jiao's mouth widened when she heard this. Was this the rhythm of relying on me?
Seeing this, Zhang's mother smiled and patted her. "Your aunt was really scared. She quickly found an excuse to drag me away with your aunt. How could she be interested in a girl like this?"
"Won't the big neck couple be furious?"
Mother Zhang said angrily, "They're just waiting for it. Your aunt has been obsessed with finding someone for Tiedan these days, so who wouldn't know that? It's a shame they dared to think about it!"
Zhang Guoqing frowned and shook his head. "Grandpa told me a long time ago to let the children choose for themselves. Tiedan is still in school, why is she so anxious? Didn't the cousins find their own sons before?"
"That's the problem. She's not satisfied with your eldest cousin's wife, so she's planning to find a few families for Tiedan to be engaged to first. She's worried that the boy will fall in love with a girl and then find a grandson's wife who looks like her mother."
"So, she and uncle are planning to let Tiedan stay in the team?"
Mother Zhang smiled and shook her head. "What else? Years ago, your uncle approached your father, planning to let Tiedan go to the factory after he graduated from junior high school. But now the policy has changed, and he knows it's impossible. Tiedan is not good at studying, so if he doesn't go back to the team, he can arrange for some easy work."
At this point, Zhang's mother suddenly remembered something and slapped her thigh. "Oh, right, Ziwen enrolled in a technical secondary school this year. You should know about this, right?"
Zhang Guoqing smiled and nodded. The child had written to him specifically about his concerns. He'd really grown up, knowing how to lighten his parents' burden.
"I don't know if I can pass the exam. I heard from Xizi that technical secondary school is harder than high school, right? This kid is silent, but he has a good chance of success. It's up to your brother-in-law. He told your father that he should start working first, and if he does well, he will have the opportunity to study further."
Zhang Guoqing had originally planned to wait until his mother's birthday to share the good news. Now that it had been brought up, he had no intention of hiding it. He had inquired about it the day he returned.
"He's been accepted into the provincial college, and the acceptance letter should be on the way. He did well in the exams and is studying accounting, taking over his grandfather's job. Don't tell them about this yet. When the acceptance letter arrives, let my sister be happy."
Zhang's mother laughed heartily and nodded repeatedly. Her eldest daughter had finally made it.
As soon as Father Zhang entered the yard, he heard his wife's laughter. He laughed too, and after entering, he jokingly said, "Is your son so happy?"
Zhang's mother ignored her husband's teasing and quickly told him the good news. This meant he would have a stable job in three years. How capable her eldest grandson was!
Zhang's father was grinning from ear to ear. He'd been worried about this all along, but he wasn't anxious. If he didn't pass, he could just go on to high school. But if he did, that would be a different story.
"Dad, wait until Xizi gets into college next year. The two eldest children have made a good start, so you don't have to worry about the future."
"No worries, no worries..."
Zhang Guoqing and Zhou Jiao looked at each other. Alas... the children below might not be able to catch up with the good times. We can only talk about the future later.
The family chatted for a while, and when it was time to rest, a group of children, big and small, ran into the yard, shouting and yelling.
As soon as Ping'an saw his mother, he immediately got off Xizi, ran towards her with his little legs, and rushed into her arms happily.
Zhou Jiao hugged him and looked him over inconspicuously. She breathed a sigh of relief when she found that he was not injured.
"Mom, the roasted wheat we eat is so delicious. Try it." As he said that, Ping'an carefully took out a dozen black wheat grains from the big pocket in front of him.
Zhou Jiao laughed, quickly took it, rubbed it, blew up the outer layer, stuffed a few into his mouth, tasted it herself, and nodded to her smiling son.
"Mom, is it delicious? Wait a few days until they finish harvesting the wheat and I'll go pick up some wheat ears. I'll roast them for you."
Mai Sui, who was standing by, immediately turned around and asked, "Fifth brother, what's wrong?"
Ping An chuckled, "Second sister, I said picking up wheat ears."
"Oh, I'll pick some for you in a couple of days and bring them back for you to eat as much as you want."
Ping An smiled and nodded. He had to bring some to his grandparents to try, but he wouldn't need too much. He knew the children here didn't have a good life.
"Mom, I'm sleepy."
Seeing this, Zhang Guoqing stood up, took him in, and said goodbye to his parents.
On the way back, Zhang Guoqing couldn't help but ask, "Why don't you want to sleep with your brothers?"
"I want you to take me up the mountain tomorrow. There are so many of them and so noisy that all the animals on the mountain have fled."
Zhang Guoqing didn't agree immediately after hearing this. He looked at Zhou Jiao and asked, "What do you think?"
"Other things come second, my son comes first."
Ping An blinked his eyes, "Mom and Dad, is there something important? You guys go ahead and do your business first. It's fine with me."
"Whose son is this? How can he be so sweet and sensible? Come, give daddy a kiss."
Ping An giggled at the kiss. He had said so himself, he was a good child. He was so smart and filial, how could he not be the best child?
"Mom, I'm careful. Look, my clothes are clean."
Zhou Jiao ignored the black handprint on his belly pocket and smiled, praising him, "Ping'an is your good son. Don't worry if your clothes get dirty, I'll wash them for you. If they get broken, I'll embroider a little tiger on them for you. Just be careful, it's okay if your clothes get torn or dirty."
When they got home, Ping An shook his head in distress and whispered, "Mom, please make me wear ragged clothes tomorrow. A lot of people call me a city kid. Those adults not only touch my clothes, but also try to pinch my face. If I don't run fast enough, my face will be swollen from all that pinching."
How can this be?
Hearing this, Zhang Guoqing and Zhou Jiao quickly lowered their heads to check the child's face.
"I didn't let them get close to me. Some of the adults in the next team were mean and thought I didn't understand. They were adults, but they were mean enough to let their children come home with me for free food and drinks."
Zhang Guoqing asked expressionlessly, "Where are your brother Xizi and the others? Didn't they take you with them?"
Ping An's face darkened immediately after hearing this. "They were so foolish as to let me play with those snotty-nosed kids. Who am I? If I hadn't given them face, I would have turned around and left."
Zhang Guoqing and Zhou Jiao looked at each other in bewilderment. It was hard to blame Xizi and the others. A five-year-old boy wouldn't play with other kids. They probably couldn't understand such a strange thought.
"So what happened next? Who did you play with?"
Xiao Ping'an smiled. "My grandfather once said, 'Since I'm young and can't gain an advantage, I should just use my intelligence to crush others. If they still can't understand, I'll just cut the crap and conquer them with force.'"
He raised his chin proudly, "Tonight I'll split those babies into two teams and let them fight hard. The winner will get a candy. Humph, let their parents plot against me! Xizi and the others are scared. As soon as I give them candy, they'll try to carry me away. Humph, I'll make them abandon me next time."
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