The train continued northward, without Old Lady Cheng and the others accompanying them. The two of them didn't dare to relax during the journey, keeping a close eye on the child.
I don't know what method Zhou Xiaozheng used, but this time we went back in a soft sleeper, so the two of them tried to leave the carriage as little as possible. When they got bored, they started sorting out gifts for people.
After passing through countless stations, big and small, we finally arrived at the provincial capital at around six in the morning without being late.
Zhang Guoqing and his wife did not get out of the car immediately, but waited for Zhao Chuangguang to come and pick them up.
This time, Zhang Guoqing was still holding his son.
The couple couldn't help laughing when they saw their child woke up early, opened his eyes wide, and started crying along with the sound on the radio.
Zhang Guoqing patted the child gently and said with a smile, "Son, we're going back to our hometown. It'll be cold soon, so you have to stay in Daddy's arms, okay?"
When Ping'an saw him and talked to him, he babbled happily.
Seeing a bunch of red strings hanging from his body, Zhou Jiao couldn't help but ask, "Should we take these things off? It shouldn't be a problem when we get home. Otherwise, when we go to godmother's house later, she'll put them back on, and we'll be asking for red envelopes, right?"
Zhang Guoqing quickly shook his head. His father-in-law had instructed that the child must wear it close to his body all the way to the county town. Old Mrs. Cheng had consulted numerous people regarding these red envelope customs.
When it comes to his son, he would rather believe in superstition than do anything rash for the sake of face.
"Xiaowu, Jiaojiao?" Zhao Chuangguang's voice came from outside.
Zhou Jiao quickly ran to the door and waved at him, "Godfather, we are here."
Zhao Chuangguang carried two quilts into the car and handed them to Zhang Guoqing. He looked at the child and immediately smiled and said, "This little guy is saying hello to me?"
"Godfather, you're here very early, right? Will it delay your work?" Zhang Guoqing said worriedly.
Zhao Chuangguang smiled and shook his head. "Why are you going to work today? Your father called the day before yesterday, so your godmother and I took a leave of absence. Let's go home first. Why do you have so much luggage? Did you empty your father's house?"
After saying this, he didn't wait for their response. He quickly ran to the door and waved to Huang Huimin in the distance. Seeing her running over, he asked the staff to help him use a cart to carry her to the military vehicle.
He helped Zhang Guoqing get out of the car and then ran to the car with a quilt in his arms, holding the father and son.
Seeing this, Zhou Jiao quickly caught up with Huang Huimin, "Godmother, why are you here too? It would be nice if you could wait for us at home in such a cold day."
"How can I feel at ease with just the two of you taking care of the children? Let's go back quickly. Your two younger brothers won't go to school today and will wait for you to come home. They heard that you went to S City and they were very worried. They said they will definitely go to Beijing with you next time." Huang Huimin pulled her and ran desperately.
"The weather is getting warmer now, so it's good to let them go out for a walk. Let's talk about it when we get back. I'm tired of running." Zhou Jiao said breathlessly.
Huang Huimin burst into laughter when she heard this.
After moving the luggage, Zhou Jiao took out a box of pastries from her bag and handed it to the other party, thanking him again and again.
After getting on the car and feeling the heat, everyone breathed a sigh of relief.
Zhang Guoqing quickly lifted a corner of the quilt over Ping'an's head, revealing his face. He saw that Ping'an had been so quiet just now, but now he screamed when he saw him.
He quickly smiled and said, "Don't worry, we'll be there soon, and you'll be able to see your uncles soon. Just be safe and behave yourself."
Huang Huimin looked at the child in surprise. "Did he start barking because he knew we were in the car? I thought he was asleep just now."
"During this period, I always wrap myself in a blanket when I go out. As soon as the blanket is on, he knows it's time to go out. He's used to it now. When I lift the blanket, it means I've arrived, and he starts crying."
Zhang Guoqing began to talk about the interesting things his son had experienced in the restaurant when he went to S City. However, considering what Mrs. Cheng had instructed, he did not dare to go into details.
When we arrived at Zhao's house and before we got out of the car, two boys rushed up to us.
"Sister, why did you come back just now? It must be fun outside, right?..."
"Sister, are you and your brother-in-law really going south? Why didn't you tell me in advance? I just happened to be going to my eldest aunt's house with you. Sister, you're screwed. You went to S City and didn't even go to see my eldest aunt. If she finds out, she'll definitely scold you."
Zhou Jiao laughed heartily. "I'll take you guys out to play during the summer holidays. Aren't you cold? Come on in! I've brought you some stuff."
"Sisters, you guys go in first, I'll move the things." The eldest sister was older after all, so she quickly pushed her in.
The youngest ran after Zhang Guoqing, shouting, "Brother-in-law, is Xiao An'an asleep?"
"No. Come in first." Zhang Guoqing ran into the living room and put the child in the crib and handed him to him. "Little brother, please take care of him. I'll go move the things."
Seeing Ping An babbling, the old man waved at him happily, "Go and do your own thing. Little An An, your uncle misses you so much. You are such a heartless little fellow that you don't even take your uncle with you to play."
When Zhou Jiao came in, she saw the two of them talking at cross purposes, having a great time chatting, which made her laugh.
"Eat something quick to fill your stomach. Leave the food there and open it later." Huang Huimin started serving breakfast as soon as she entered the house. Seeing Zhou Jiao unpacking the package, she hurriedly said.
Zhou Jiao said without even looking up: "Godmother, you guys eat, I'm not hungry."
"If you're not hungry, have some porridge. Go wash your hands and eat with us." After Huang Huimin finished speaking, she saw her daughter stand up with a smile and run to wash her hands. She said happily that her daughter was good and very obedient.
The eldest brother winked at Zhang Guoqing and whispered, "Brother-in-law, look how much our parents dislike us."
Zhang Guoqing rubbed his hair and said with a smile, "Brother-in-law loves you! Come and eat, and see what fun things your brother-in-law has brought you." This time when he came back, he and Zhou Jiao bought a lot of gifts that his two brothers-in-law liked.
Zhao Chuangguang looked at the children with a smile. He didn't rush them to the table. When Zhou Jiao brought him the porridge, he immediately said, "Jiaojiao, you have to make dumplings for your godfather this time. Your uncles always show off whenever they write or call me, so you must make more dumplings to make them ravenous."
"Great! Godfather, the uncles asked me to bring a letter to you, asking you to hurry up and come to Beijing for a reunion. By the way, Uncle Wang said that he hasn't seen you in a few years and asked you not to forget what you owe him." Zhou Jiao said with a smile.
"He didn't tell you what I owed him? That guy still thinks I owed him a meal. Sigh... after more than ten years, he was finally transferred back. Once your dad comes back, we brothers can be reunited. Your crazy uncle and his family will treat you to dinner tonight, remember to tell them and make them happy."
Huang Huimin swallowed her bun and continued, "The four families originally wanted to have separate dinners, but I told them to join together. Your aunts are going to pick you up today, so I told them not to take leave and come over at noon. If they come early, my mother and I won't have time to chat."
"Godmother, you really understand us. It's great that the four families are united. I'm scared of you inviting me to dinner every day during this period." Zhang Guoqing said quickly.
"I heard that you are doing very well in the compound in Beijing! You must have met a lot of important people this time, right?" Zhao Chuangguang said with a teasing smile.
Zhang Guoqing pointed upwards and said with a smile, "I've met the one at the top! Thanks to my dad, I've finally gotten to know the rest. Godfather, are you really not going to be transferred to Beijing?"
Zhao Chuangguang smiled and shook his head. He still had a say here, so what was the point of being transferred there? He could still stay here, and the brothers could help each other.
Zhang Guoqing nodded in understanding, "My dad said you've been wronged." Some things don't need to be said too much. From many aspects, it seems that it is indeed appropriate for him to stay here.
Zhao Chuangguang smiled and shook his head. He asked about the couple's feelings about their time in the capital and what they had been doing in the south. He learned that the Cheng family truly treated Zhou Xiaozheng with sincerity and truly cared for them. Seeing that Zhang Guoqing didn't mention the Lin family, he didn't ask, figuring some things were better discussed in private.
"It seems they really do treat each other sincerely. But you have to be careful, because things can go horribly wrong if you're not paying attention. I'm worried your dad will be too embarrassed to admit his loyalty and fall for it."
Zhang Guoqing smiled at him, pointed upward, and shook his head slightly. His father-in-law had told him to tell Zhao Chuangguang that he only had one leader. He probably anticipated the other party's concern.
Zhao Chuangguang understood, and he finally felt at ease. He wasn't worried about anything else about his brother, but he was worried that he had no relatives, and suddenly an aunt showed up, and he put all his trust in her and went in the wrong direction. Which of those people wasn't a shrewd person, without some calculations in mind?
After breakfast, Zhou Jiao helped Huang Huimin clean up, and the two of them ran into the room with the child to chat.
In the living room, Zhang Guoqing took out two packages and tossed them to the Zhao brothers, telling them to go back to their rooms. Everyone has preferences; he couldn't possibly treat his other uncles' children the same. He'd give them the gifts before anyone else arrived. These two kids were probably smarter than anyone else and wouldn't show off.
Zhao Chuangguang ignored his wife's laughter and his sons' cheers in the room. He led Zhang Guoqing back to the study.
"Zhao Dashan came to visit last week and mentioned that you were going to register soon. Zhao Yuanyuan at the school also paid for your registration. What are your plans for the future?"
"Report as soon as you get back tomorrow. Let's stick to the original plan."
"You guys can go back the day after tomorrow, and I'll take you to meet some people. Also, you have to go visit your godmother's uncles and pay New Year's greetings. Just remember to make friends with them, you don't have to confide in them."
Zhang Guoqing smiled and nodded. The two fathers-in-law were indeed close friends, their words were exactly the same.
He thought about Liu Zhang's identity, and finally he reminded: "Godfather, Liu Zhang of the Commerce Bureau is not a simple person. You have a clue in your heart, but don't show it."
Zhao Chuangguang patted his forehead lightly and said with a smile, "Did you uncover the secrets of many people this time? Wait a minute, I'll show you a notebook."
Zhang Guoqing took the notebook and looked through it. He knew most of the people in it. The interweaving of relationships was particularly complicated. There were all sorts of people like sisters-in-law, younger brothers-in-law, and so on.
"Before you started working, you didn't need to know these relationships, but now it's different. It's enough for you to have a general impression. They are still small figures and you don't need to worry about them. In the future, these people will come to you, and you will have a general idea of them." Zhao Chuangguang pointed to his secret and instructed.
Zhang Guoqing suddenly remembered the notes his friends had given him before he left. He had sorted them out on the train, so he pulled a piece of paper out of his pocket and searched for it.
"Godfather, this is the contact address my buddies from the compound gave me. They told me to find these people to solve any problems I have. Can you help me find out what connection they have with me?"
After half an hour, the two of them burst into laughter.
Who could have imagined that those few scraps of paper could have such a significant impact? Comparing the two, it's clear who's secretly close to whom.
Zhao Chuangguang realized that if Zhang Guoqing and his family returned to the county town the day after tomorrow and they had to visit the Huang family tomorrow, time would be tight, so he could only take his children to see his old friend today.
After discussing it, Zhao Chuangguang told his wife not to prepare lunch for them and agreed to be back before dinner. He and Zhang Guoqing changed their clothes and set out to visit friends.
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