Chapter 302 Don't be angry
After hanging up the phone, Zhang Yueran rushed home.
Seeing this, Zhang Yueran immediately rushed over, grabbed Feng Xuemei's arm, and began to complain: "Mom! My dear mom! I just talked to my sister on the phone, and she told me not to bring so much stuff. You're just making your daughter tired..."
"Pah! Pah! Pah! Children's words are innocent, let the wind blow them away!"
Before she could finish speaking, Feng Xuemei quickly covered her daughter's mouth with her hand, interrupting her repeatedly, "It's the New Year, you're not allowed to say that word!"
Zhang Yueran was forced to spit out a "pui" sound, then broke free from her mother's hand and insisted, "Mom! I'm serious! I really can't carry all of this; it'll be such a hassle on the way!"
Looking at her daughter's scrunched-up face, Feng Xuemei reluctantly agreed: "Alright, alright... Mom will take another look and see which ones are essential and which ones can wait... We'll decide how much to pack later."
But her gaze lingered on those things, making it clear that it would be difficult for her to give them up completely.
Zhang Yueran secretly breathed a sigh of relief, knowing that this was a partial victory, but she was still uncertain, fearing that her mother would eventually give her a mobile warehouse.
In the evening, Zhang Jianguo came home from get off work.
Seizing the opportunity, Zhang Yueran pulled her father aside and whispered, "Dad, you'd better keep an eye on your wife! She's going to stuff a ton of stuff into my bag again, and I, with my small frame, really can't carry it all!"
Upon hearing this, Zhang Jianguo shrank back, looking helpless: "My dear daughter, aren't you putting your father in a difficult position? Your mother is the boss in our family, and once she's made up her mind, how can I change it? I'll take you to the train station, and we... we'll figure out a way to streamline things..."
Zhang Yueran couldn't help but complain, "Dad, your status in the family is really worrying!"
Zhang Jianguo, however, was quite frank, chuckling, "Of course, I'm the lowest-ranking person in our family, even you can boss me around."
As he spoke, he took out two lunchboxes from the cloth bag he carried with him and stuffed them into his daughter's hands. "Here, take these. The braised food you were craving the other day, I specially asked Old Zhang in the kitchen to make it for you."
Zhang Yueran took the still-warm lunchbox with a beaming smile: "Dad is the best! I won't be able to eat this anymore when I go to Beijing!"
She took her father's arm and shouted into the house, "Mom! Dad brought back some delicious food!"
Feng Xuemei was busy in the kitchen, and her voice came through the curtain: "Old Zhang, wash your hands and come over to serve the dishes and rice."
Zhang Jianguo immediately responded, "Yes, I'm coming!" He obediently did as he was told and hurriedly went to the sink to wash his hands.
Zhang Yueran also put down what she was holding and went to the living room to tidy up the dining table.
At dinner, the family sat together. Feng Xuemei took a bite of rice and casually asked her daughter, "What did you say when you called your sister today? Gu Xiao is off on another mission. He didn't even have a peaceful New Year. There's no sure when he'll be back..."
She only felt sorry for Nan Zhiyi.
Zhang Jianguo's lips moved, as if he wanted to say that Gu Xiao's work was about serving the country and making great achievements, and how could he be confined to family reunions and romantic love?
But when he saw his wife's expression, he swallowed his words back, silently picked up a piece of food, and didn't dare to say a word.
Zhang Yueran spoke up, "Mom, Fifth Brother's work is important too. I think Sister and Xiaoman are quite comfortable at the Gu family home. With Fifth Brother not home, Sister can focus on her studies and spend time with Xiaoman. I think she's quite content."
"You don't know anything!" Feng Xuemei quickly spat again, correcting herself, "What do you know? Your sister just doesn't want people to worry. She looks relaxed on the surface, but who knows how much she's worried and suffering inside..."
Zhang Yueran muttered under her breath, unconvinced: "Really? I don't believe it... My sister has her own career to manage, and she's emotionally stable. She can handle herself..."
Feng Xuemei didn't respond to that, but her thoughts jumped to another matter.
She put down her chopsticks and looked intently at her daughter. "If you get into that research group this time, you'll have to go on to graduate school and keep studying. How long will that take? What will you do about finding a partner? When are you going to start thinking about it?"
Zhang Jianguo and his daughter Zhang Yueran couldn't help but spit out the soup they had just drunk and the rice they hadn't even chewed properly.
Looking at the father and daughter's synchronized disheveled appearance, Feng Xuemei frowned in disgust, picked up a rag to wipe the table, and said: "You two are really... alike!"
Zhang Jianguo was the first to react, trying to help his daughter out of the predicament: "Wife! What...what are you talking about! Yueran is only twenty-two, just past the New Year! You're thinking too far ahead! Of course, our daughter's focus right now is on her studies! In the future...in the future..."
As he spoke, he seemed to recall a scene, as if he could already see his daughter leaving home in her wedding dress. His eyes reddened slightly, and he almost burst into tears.
Zhang Yueran quickly added, "Mom! I really don't have time to think about those things right now! I just want to focus on learning radio! What if, what if I don't plan to get married in the future? You can't be angry!"
"Nonsense!"
Feng Xuemei's temper flared up instantly. "What nonsense are you spouting! If a girl doesn't get married, who will take care of her for the rest of her life? Who will support her?"
“I can take care of myself! I can work and earn money, why do I need someone else to take care of me!” Zhang Yueran retorted stubbornly.
Seeing that the mother and daughter were about to start arguing, Zhang Jianguo coughed violently, his face turning red, clutching his chest between coughs, "Xuemei...cough cough cough...it's the New Year...you...cough cough cough..."
He acted so convincingly that he looked like he was about to faint at any moment.
Seeing that he was coughing badly, Feng Xuemei forgot about arguing with her daughter and quickly got up to pour him some water, scolding him as she did so: "Look at you, what's the rush? Can't you eat slowly?"
The battle was temporarily quelled by Zhang Jianguo's skillful coughing.
Feng Xuemei didn't want to argue with her daughter at the dinner table before her daughter's departure, especially during the Spring Festival, so she swallowed her words.
But she was still worried about her daughter's statement about not wanting to get married...
She tossed and turned at night, unable to fall asleep.
She nudged Zhang Jianguo beside her with her elbow and began to speak: "Old Zhang, what about our daughter..."
But immediately, heavy snoring came from beside him, "Huff... huff..."
Feng Xuemei was so angry that she raised her hand and slapped his arm several times, not too hard, saying, "Are you pretending to be asleep here?"
But Zhang Jianguo remained completely still, his eyes tightly closed.
Feng Xuemei had no choice but to turn away angrily.
Once their daughter graduates from university and settles down in Beijing for work and studies, she and Lao Zhang will be close to retirement age, and then they can move to Beijing to live.
Thinking about it this way, the frustration in my heart immediately dissipated, and I began to look forward to it silently.
Then she will be able to see her daughter often and take care of Zhiyi and Xiaoman nearby, so that the whole family can look after each other.
By then, Xiaoman should be all grown up. Sigh... time waits for no one...
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