In less than fifteen minutes, he had pulled out from his four trouser legs a dozen or so gold rings, some heavy and some light, six gold bracelets, and several gold chains of varying thicknesses. Many of them were inlaid with gemstones of various kinds, clearly acquired through rummaging.
Mother Zhang took out a handkerchief from her pocket, and without waiting for Zhou Jiao to speak, she quickly wrapped it up and stuffed it under the drawer of the kangqin, then covered it and closed it again.
"mother?"
"What's so strange about 'mother'? These are what your father and I bought at the black markets in the provincial capital over the past two years. No one knows about it except your father. This time, I took advantage of your pregnancy to ask your father for them and give them to you, so that Xizi and the others won't be grown up in two years and your father will be confused and divide them up."
Zhou Jiao didn’t care. These things might be rare to others, but there were countless of them in her space.
She said nonchalantly, "It's fine if we split up. You and my father are elders, so you'll have face in the future."
Hearing this, Zhang's mother frowned worriedly and rolled her eyes at her. "This is what you gave us in exchange for the money and food. Why are you giving it to outsiders? Your daughter-in-law is just so-so, and you still expect your granddaughter-in-law to be filial to us?"
Zhou Jiao, with red eyes, burst out laughing.
Zhang's mother also realized what she had said and laughed out loud: "I forgot you are my daughter-in-law."
Zhou Jiao looked at her with emotion. Her mother-in-law really treated her as her own daughter, otherwise she would have given the child to her eldest son Zhang Guoqing instead of her.
"Don't look at me like that. I've still got the gold bracelets you gave me as a token of your filial piety." Mother Zhang hesitated for a moment and whispered, "Jiaojiao, I have my own selfish motives. You have to remember that the bulk of these things will go to Ping An."
Zhou Jiao understood what she meant, and dared not complain. The adopted child had the surname Zhou, and although he was said to be her grandson, there was still a difference.
"Thank you, mother."
Mother Zhang sighed, "I'm not partial to any of my grandsons. Even if the child takes your surname, he's still my biological grandson. According to the rules, we won't have any share of your mother's family's things in the future. You should save more for the child, and don't let the differences between the children be too big in the future."
Zhou Jiao didn't explain that her father wasn't partial or anything like that. It hadn't happened yet, so it would be false to tell anyone about it. She also didn't say that Zhang Guoqing wouldn't mistreat Ping An given his personality.
She said solemnly, "Mom, don't worry, they are all my sons. I will definitely find a way to make it right."
Mother Zhang rolled her eyes at her and said, "Are you saying that Mother is partial?"
Zhou Jiao laughed when she heard this.
Is there any need to say more? Her mother-in-law favored Xiaowu, then Ping'an. Well, she would keep it a secret and collect some more, dividing it equally between her sons, so that the children would be filial to their grandparents.
Lin Juhua's voice came from outside.
Zhang's mother immediately stepped forward and pulled open the door behind her. She opened the door and replied, "Inside the room."
Upon hearing this, Zhou Jiao, who was standing by, quickly took out a needle and thread basket and a bag of cotton from the kangqin cabinet, and lowered her head to put Zhang's mother's two pairs of trousers on her knees.
Seeing this, Zhang's mother smiled with satisfaction - she said that her daughter Jiaojiao was smart.
When Lin Juhua came in, she saw Zhou Jiao quilting cotton and complained, "Mom, why don't you let me do it? Jiaojiao must be so tired holding her body up."
"Second sister-in-law, come and sit down. Where is my eldest sister-in-law?"
"She's chatting with the old lady and busy learning." Lin Juhua glanced at the pants and said, "Give it to me. I'm used to doing it quickly."
Mother Zhang pulled her to sit aside and said, "No need. You usually do the housework for us. Now Jiaojiao wants to show her filial piety, so let her do it slowly."
Zhou Jiao smiled and nodded. Some places had been dented by the jewelry, and a careful eye would definitely notice something fishy. It would be strange if her mother-in-law could let them fix it.
Zhang's mother wasn't happy about her second daughter-in-law staring at Zhou Jiao's work, so she immediately changed the subject: "As soon as Xiaomi comes over tomorrow night, we'll leave. Second family, where else do you two sisters-in-law want to go? While we still have time, let's go shopping again."
Lin Juhua exhaled happily and waved her hands quickly: "No more, no more. I'm finally going home. I've been here for a long time, and I don't know what's going on at home."
Zhou Jiao glanced at her disapprovingly: "You've only been here a few days? Why are you in such a hurry to go back?"
"Jingcheng Jingcheng, everyone said it was so great before I came, but it's just a name. Jiaojiao, it's not that your second sister-in-law doesn't want to accompany you, but you'll have to go to school in a few days, and the children at home will also have to go to school. I really don't feel at ease leaving it to your second brother. Taozi is still too young, I don't know if he's making trouble?"
Zhou Jiao was just joking, and said jokingly: "Then stay with your mother, otherwise you all should not go out."
Lin Juhua looked at Zhang's mother with a smile. She didn't dare to reply. If she told her mother-in-law to stay, who knew if she would be suspicious? If she told her not to stay, it would seem unkind.
"Don't listen to Jiaojiao. This time, I brought you out and I will definitely take you back. When Jiaojiao is about to give birth, I will come back. Not only you, but I am also worried about home. I don't know how the three of them are doing."
Lin Juhua sighed, "It's still too far. It would be nice if Jiaojiao was in the provincial capital. Jiaojiao, I definitely won't be able to come over while you're in confinement. If you want to eat something, please write it in the letter and I'll prepare it for you."
Zhou Jiao didn't delay, she looked up and said "OK" with a smile.
"Remember to eat more walnut powder. Don't worry about not having enough. I'll pickle some more walnuts and grind them into powder and send them to you when I get back this time. When spring comes, I'll pickle some duck eggs for you to eat with your rice. Now that we have millet, we don't have to worry about the packages getting squashed when we send them."
Zhou Jiao quickly refused: "Second sister-in-law, no need, you see, it doesn't matter what I eat."
Hearing this, Lin Juhua and Zhang's mother looked at each other and burst into laughter.
Zhou Jiao knew that her mother-in-law had been worried about her morning sickness and had specially prepared a lot of spicy and sour food for her. Since she didn't have any special preferences, she didn't blame them for making fun of her.
At night, when they all went to bed, Zhou Jiao took out the things given by Zhang's mother in the bedroom and showed them to Zhang Guoqing, and then told him what her mother-in-law had said during the day.
Zhang Guoqing was speechless for a long time after hearing this. Before he went to sleep, he hugged his wife and said in a low voice, "I feel guilty."
Zhou Jiao understood what he meant by guilt?
She sighed secretly, thinking that many of the problems were caused by herself. If her father hadn't appeared, perhaps they would have stayed in the provincial capital and wouldn't have come all the way to Beijing.
In her previous life, Zhang Guoqing always indulged her biased parents for her sake, and in this life, he gave up the family affection he had always dreamed of for her.
Zhou Jiao asked herself, she loved this man, but what had she given him? If loving him meant simply enjoying his deep affection and friendship, how much of that love could be squandered?
Zhang Guoqing regretted his words as soon as he opened his mouth. He knew too well how sensitive Zhou Jiao was. Sure enough, he looked down and saw a pair of guilty eyes. He gently kissed her eyes.
He really wanted to say that having her was enough for him. He really wanted to say so much more...
But in the end, all the words came together into one sentence: "Wife, you have to love me more."
Zhou Jiao listened to the man's coquettish tone and smiled. She looked at him affectionately and spoke with unquestionable determination: "Okay, we'll be old and leave this world together on the same day."
What is the most beautiful oath? Not to be born on the same day, but to die on the same day.
Zhou Jiao couldn't bear to say such unlucky words. But she understood better than anyone that without Zhang Guoqing in this world, no amount of worry could stop her.
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