After the Little New Year, every household sweeps the house, cleans the windows, washes clothes, scrubs pots and pans, and does a thorough cleaning in preparation for the Spring Festival.
Because of Zhou Jiao's previous trouble, the Zhou family didn't have to clean up anymore. After the father-in-law and his wife went to work, Zhang Guoqing took his son to see Dr. Hu.
The logistics department had just delivered this month's rations and Spring Festival benefits. Zhou Jiao thanked the soldiers and planned to steam some tofu buns or something as soon as they left.
With Aunt Chen, who knows everything about the family, at home, it is not convenient for her to take out the space inventory casually. She can only prepare a little more of each New Year's goods and secretly add some more when eating.
"Aunt, do you want to go home early this year?"
"No, you're pregnant, I'm worried about you leaving."
Zhou Jiao nodded with a smile: "Then we will make more, and when you go home for the New Year, you can bring some back and let your family taste it."
"It's better to keep it for your health. Jiaojiao, I see two families raising chickens in the yard out front. What do you think about us raising some in the spring? It'll be just in time for you to finish your confinement."
Zhou Jiao was startled when she heard this. Just thinking about the smell made her want to go hungry. Besides, after the New Year, restrictions would start to appear again, so why bother attracting attention?
She rolled her eyes and smiled, "You're the only one who's working hard at home, so forget it. When the time comes, exchange your confinement items with someone else for a few months."
Aunt Chen thought about it and nodded. However, she was planning to ask her sisters-in-law from her mother's family to help her get some eggs, as the ones she bought in the city were not fresh in the hot summer.
"Just sit there and I'll do it. There's no rush to make the dough now."
"It's okay, I'm just pregnant, not sick."
Aunt Chen turned around and spat on the ground several times: "I never said that, I never said that."
Zhou Jiao laughed happily. It seemed like last time it was just a child's innocent words.
"I heard the Qu family bought an electric fan the other day, and a lot of people went over to see it. Do you want to go take a look?"
Zhou Jiao blinked, confused. What is a dangzi?
"Let me think about what they said. It seemed like an electric... chicken or something. I heard there were men and women inside when it was plugged in. That was a New Year's gift the Qu family's daughter bought from the Friendship Store for her parents' home. It caused a sensation when they moved back. Almost everyone in the compound went to see it, but I didn't go."
Zhou Jiao realized that this seemed to be a TV.
"Don't you think it's a waste? It's better to keep some money in hand to feel at ease. If you want to watch a movie or something, there are many in the courtyard. Luckily her house is over there, otherwise it would be very noisy with people coming and going."
Zhou Jiao smiled but said nothing. The Qu family was simply courting death!
"This person, how much blessing God has arranged for him, he can't keep messing around. The girl from the Qu family is also stupid. She made a big fuss about being divorced by her husband's family before, and now she's doing it again. Why doesn't she know how to live a peaceful life? She doesn't even know how to keep her money in her own hands when she doesn't have any children."
"Why do you care about them? Money can't buy what you love. People might praise this family's daughter for being capable and filial. How can you buy such a precious item without some connections?" Zhou Jiao advised with a tone that didn't make sense.
Aunt Chen glanced at her and said, "Your mother will buy some later, so please hold on."
Zhou Jiao laughed when she heard this. It turned out this person had something else to say. She nodded quickly.
Aunt Chen followed her laughter and shook her head. "It's my fault for saying these things, but your mother dotes on her too much. If Ping An goes to the Qu family on such a cold day, she will definitely find a way to buy it."
"You treat us like family, so why are you complaining? We are grateful to you. Don't worry, I've taken away all of my mom's family fortune, so she has no money to buy it."
Aunt Chen laughed heartily. She knew the child understood her point and wouldn't mind her meddling. Yesterday, she'd been in line watching the conversations of the aunts. She was glad the Zhou family were shrewd and hadn't followed those families' lead in their pursuit of pomp and circumstance.
"What are you talking about so happily?" Old Mrs. Cheng walked into the kitchen with a smile.
Seeing the eggs she was carrying, Zhou Jiao advised unhappily, "Aunt, you only have a small supply. Don't stuff it all into my mouth. I really don't need any food. You're worried about me, but don't I want you to live a long life?"
"Here it comes again. This must be something your eldest cousin asked someone to bring back. It's not my supply."
Aunt Chen looked at Zhou Jiao, and she had to agree on whether to accept it or not.
Zhou Jiao smiled and nodded. After seeing her take it and put it away, she supported the old lady out of the kitchen and pulled her back to the bedroom in the east wing.
"You don't feel like vomiting, do you? How's your appetite? Is there anything you'd like to eat?"
"It's fine. Just like Huai Ping'an, I don't have any particular preferences for sour or spicy food. Aunt, you should make fewer dumplings this year. My brother made a lot of white flour a few days ago and will make some and send them home later. My uncle still likes the taste of seafood, right? Winter is great, unlike summer when you can't keep anything."
Old Madam Cheng patted her hands and said, "Good child, keep the delicious food for yourself. You are eating for yourself and it is a supplement for two people. Don't let yourself suffer a loss."
Zhou Jiao saw the bedroom and opened the cabinet door. "It's worth it. Take a look inside. My dad loves me so much. I'll eat anything from bird's nest to donkey-hide gelatin and red dates."
Old Mrs. Cheng glanced at it and shook her head in dissatisfaction: "It's still too little. It's unfair to our Jiaojiao. Nowadays, even if you have money, you can't buy good things. I wonder if those people can bring them back from abroad?"
Zhou Jiao was shocked when she heard this. "Aunt, please don't ask anyone to bring it to me. I won't eat it even if I have it. There are so many people watching our two families, and we can't let them have any handle. As soon as I found out I was pregnant, I sent a letter back to my hometown to buy walnuts and white fungus. Before I came here last time, I also bought a hundred-year-old ginseng. I really have no shortage of food, I have prepared everything I need."
"Don't worry! Your aunt knows what's going on." Old Mrs. Cheng patted her comfortingly.
Zhou Jiao was relieved. Worried that the old man might do something wrong, she hurried out of the bedroom and lifted the cotton curtain of the study door. Seeing that there was no one in the yard and no one hiding outside the window, she ran back to the bedroom.
"Don't be in a hurry, walk slowly and be careful."
Zhou Jiao shook her head, opened the wardrobe, unlatched the compartment, took out a wooden box and handed it to her: "Look, my family is very wealthy. This ginseng is five hundred years old."
Old Mrs. Cheng rolled her eyes at her, reluctant to blame her, and her eyes turned red. If her grandmother were here, she wouldn't have to hide such a small thing so carefully.
Thinking back to how much ginseng and bird's nest she had eaten in the past, the Gu family never bought ginseng unless it was a hundred years old. Anything from her eldest sister's room could sustain ordinary people for ten or eight years.
Zhou Jiao shook her arm nervously: "Aunt?"
Old Mrs. Cheng took a deep breath and slowly exhaled: "It's okay. When you're old, you can't stand seeing your children being well-behaved and sensible. Okay, Auntie won't ask anyone to do it for you."
"Yes, we just want everyone to be safe." Zhou Jiao observed her expression, "The meat of the bun is not in the skin, but in the filling. I've hidden it all."
Zhou Jiao saw the old lady staring at the quilts on her kang and looking at her cotton-padded jacket with disgust. She smiled bitterly and lifted up her coat to let her see the fur underneath.
"Sable! Most people only have a scarf. Look at me, I'm from a wealthy family. Even though the clothes outside are washed white, all the cotton-padded jackets and trousers in my house are made of new cotton."
Old Lady Cheng laughed heartily at Zhou Jiao, who was flaunting her clothes like a peacock. She squeezed her coat, finding it soft, and patted her head with satisfaction.
As the old man said, the child's early setbacks might be a good thing from another perspective. Being more cautious than her older sister is a good thing, and I should be happy about it.
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