When it was time to get off work, Zhang Laoer and his wife, Zhang Meili, gathered in the courtyard. The Zhang family was reunited except for Zhang Guofu who lived in the provincial capital.
Today, Zhang's mother was in high spirits, and she and her three daughters-in-law steamed two large pots of white steamed buns. Of course, no matter how happy she was, there was no room for negotiation on mixing cornmeal into the white flour.
She also specially prepared a large pot of thick rice porridge, stir-fried four seasonal vegetables, stewed potatoes with dried hare, and stewed fish. Each of the six dishes was served on two plates, and two tables were squeezed into the living room. The aroma filled the air, causing the children to shout that today was the New Year's Day.
Before the meal started, Father Zhang called the relatives of his two sons-in-law. Everyone gathered together with laughter and joy. The atmosphere was as lively as that of the New Year.
Zhang Guoqing was still standing at the men's table pouring wine. He filled the glasses for the three elders and toasted them, wishing them an everlasting friendship and a close family.
Chen Bo laughed heartily, "Well said!"
Accountant Zhang sighed, "Who would have thought we'd become more delicious as we get older? Xiaowu, fill our glasses again. Laoer, I'd like to offer you a toast today, thanking you two for giving birth to such a wonderful daughter!"
Uncle Chen also raised his bowl. "Meihao is not only caring and filial, but she also gave birth to two grandchildren for my Chen family. Without further ado, thank you, Brother Zhang, for raising such a good daughter."
Father Zhang raised his bowl cheerfully and said with a smile, "Don't be so polite. I haven't even thanked you for raising a good son to be my son-in-law. Come on, let's drink this cup together, the three of us old fellows."
Zhang Guoqing glanced at his two sisters with a smile. Seeing their blushes, he felt happy for them. A woman's husband's love, the favor of her parents-in-law, and a happy family were all that mattered. He, as their younger brother, would help them with the rest. Especially his eldest sister, he was determined to ensure she lived a good life.
Zhang's mother happily helped her two mothers-in-law pick up some meat. "Eat more. I'm not very good at talking, but I want to thank my sisters-in-law for loving their daughters-in-law like they're their own daughters."
Liu's stroke is gradually recovering. She can walk occasionally, speaks fluently, and has no major problems using the toilet. Compared to Gu Ruyi, this elderly woman is lucky. She has a loving partner, a caring son, and a filial daughter-in-law.
"Beautiful and filial."
“Beauty is also close to my heart.”
Zhang's mother said modestly, "That's because you are sensible. We won't be polite. Let's just eat our food..."
Zhou Jiao watched from the side and laughed secretly. Her mother-in-law was really happy this time. She must have been in a very good mood these days.
While Zhang Meili and her sister were embarrassed, Huang Cuilan, standing nearby, felt somewhat uneasy. She watched the lively scene before her, feeling out of place and like an outsider.
Seeing that she didn't even eat the vegetables and even ate several bites of steamed buns, Lin Juhua poked Huang Cuilan's leg. She was worried about her sister-in-law and hoped that her mother-in-law would not lose face, otherwise she would be very angry.
Xiaowu is here now. If anyone makes his mother uncomfortable, this little ancestor will not be fooled by his smile all day long, because he will not hold back. The worst thing is that Jiaojiao will protect her man without asking any questions.
Others didn't know how sister-in-law Zhang Meili got transferred to the union, so how could her family not understand? Aunt Zuo simply gave Xiaowu a promotion and a raise without even saying hello, just for Xiaowu's sake.
Oh, what did my husband say? Don't offend anyone but his mother. His mother has three sons and three daughters. Yes, Jiaojiao is also a daughter. If I make his mother angry, any of them can tear me apart.
Oh my god, if the sister-in-law doesn’t improve her favorability and ask Xiaowu and his wife for help, there might be no one to help the uncle when he gets a divorce tomorrow.
Huang Cuilan smiled at Lin Juhua, raised her chopsticks, and saw Zhou Jiao had already helped her pick up a chopstick of food and put it in the bowl. Seeing her continue to pick up food for everyone to cover up, her heart warmed.
At this time, Uncle Chen at the men's table also mentioned Zhang Guofu. He asked Zhang Guoqing, "Have you been to see it?"
"I went to his school before coming back."
Huang Cuilan listened to their conversation attentively.
"...Does your eldest brother have any plans after returning from studying?"
Zhang Guoqing glanced at his second brother, and the two brothers looked at each other. He smiled and said, "I didn't ask. Given my eldest brother's personality, he must like to listen to the instructions of the superiors."
"Your eldest brother is quite successful now. I heard he won a big prize for some statistical work last time. Otherwise, he wouldn't have been able to attend this training program."
Zhang Guoqing smiled and said, "We three brothers each have our own strengths. My eldest brother is very good at arithmetic. He has a steady temperament and is patient, careful and meticulous in his work. This time he has found the right direction."
Accountant Zhang boasted, "That's true. I'd just finished calculating the abacus when he'd already figured it out without a word. Even if he hadn't come to the city to work, he would have taken over as the team's accountant."
Zhang Guoqing changed the subject and said with a smile, "Speaking of the village, I plan to go back to my hometown tomorrow. I always feel uncomfortable when I don't see Daqing Mountain outside."
Accountant Zhang sighed, "Daqing Mountain is no longer the same mountain it once was."
Zhang Guoqiang looked at his brother's puzzled expression and explained, "A lot of trees have been cut down in the surrounding area. From the foot of the mountain to the middle of the mountain, there's not even a single chicken feather to be seen now."
"Is grandpa's wooden hut still there?" Zhang Guoqing had long expected that when the food shortage reached a certain level, many people would naturally crowd into the mountains, but he didn't expect it to be so serious.
"This location is too far inside, so no one dares to demolish it. You can often hear wolves howling, and no one except experienced hunters dares to go there. Our area is relatively good. The mountains in Lin County are all bare. The dense forest there has also been completely cleared away."
Zhang Guoqing glanced at his father when he heard this.
Father Zhang nodded. "I heard from Old Man Wang that these wolves haven't been eradicated and have regrouped. Since last year, there haven't been any wild animals to hunt in the mountains. It's a good thing the weather has been good this year, otherwise your Third Grandfather would be terribly worried."
Lin Juhua nudged Zhou Jiao and whispered, "I heard Xiaowu say this afternoon that he was going to take Ping'an up the mountain. You must stop him this time and don't let him mess around."
Zhou Jiao smiled and nodded, jokingly saying, "Aren't you worried about not having meat to eat, second sister-in-law?"
Lin Juhua rolled her eyes at her and said, "You're just too careless." Then she chuckled to herself, "You know what, ever since you two haven't been home, I haven't had a good meal in a long time."
"It's like this all over the country. I haven't had roast pork in ages."
Lin Juhua looked at her regretful expression and laughed in amusement. She saw that Zhou Jiao didn't want to eat meat, but wanted to be lively.
She caught a glimpse of her eldest sister-in-law who was about to speak but hesitated, and immediately understood. She asked softly, "What is your eldest brother doing?"
Zhou Jiao glanced at the two of them thoughtfully and smiled, "What else can we do? He happened to be in class when we got there, and he waited outside for half an hour."
Lin Juhua glanced at her mother-in-law, who was sitting at the table above her. She wanted to ask a few questions, but then decided to keep her mouth shut. She decided to forget it and ask in private later. She wasn't sure if her sister-in-law's temper would elicit the truth.
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