The sky was faintly white, and smoke rose from every household in Zhang Family Village, as though the entire place was waking up. The strong wind from last night had stopped. The early morning breeze was chilly and bone-piercing, yet it didn’t affect the villagers who were used to early bedtis and early risings. They began busying themselves with their private plots. On the road, n and won were seen hurrying back and forth with water buckets. At the village entrance, people were already queuing at the old well. Faintly, one could hear n speaking crudely, occasionally won bantering back, while bystanders laughed in amusent.
For decades, Old Captain, with his long tobacco pipe, had taken his usual stroll along the village’s fields. He looked at the barren, empty land without any crops. The temperature had suddenly dropped last night, and it would snow in a few days.
As he walked, Old Captain pondered the farming work arrangents before and after the snow, the harvest for next year, and the distribution of grains at the end of the year. Every ti he saw the younger generation in the village gradually grow up and start families, with every household adding more mbers, he felt a great sense of satisfaction seeing the Old Zhang’s family prosper. However, with the growing population, there was only so much fixed land. How to ensure everyone was well-fed and lived good lives had been a problem he pondered day and night for decades.
He could never forget the words said to him when the previous captain handed over the position. Indeed, as a mber of the Zhang Family, sitting in this position made him the head of the family, responsible for the hundreds and thousands of mouths in Old Zhang’s family.
He silently planned how to distribute more food rations to everyone before the end of the year, whether to develop more wasteland next year, and whether to organize the village’s old hunters and the n to go up the mountain several tis before the end of the year to prepare so at for the new year.
From afar, Old Captain saw Zhang Guoqing approaching from the village entrance. Finally, he caught this kid. Among the younger generation of Old Zhang’s family, he had the most hope for this child to take over his duties. What a pity, it was no longer possible, he couldn’t keep him here. There were excellent youth among the Qing generation of the Zhang Family, but they were too selfish. It worried him deeply what would happen when he retired from this position.
As soon as he saw Zhang Guoqing, Old Captain smiled broadly and quickly waved him over. When he reached him, he saw Zhang Guoqing’s beaming face.
He joked, "Xiao Wu, where are you heading so early? Is your father-in-law difficult to deal with? Did you get a beating? Zhou Xiao, that kid, is quite shrewd, but you’re still far behind him. Rember to learn a bit more from him, learning fifty to sixty percent will benefit you for a lifeti."
Zhang Guoqing walked slowly beside him, smiling, and said, "Third Grandpa, I actually ca specifically to find you. I was worried you would be busy later and not have ti. I need you to help get a certificate when you have ti in the next couple of days. My household registration needs your stamp to migrate to the city. Also, my son is going to move to the county town with us."
Old Captain stopped, patted his shoulder, and said with emotion, "Oh, what a pity, I knew I couldn’t keep you around. I was hoping you’d help carry this burden. No more of that talk, your affairs in the city are all sorted, right? Have you settled on a workplace?"
Zhang Guoqing nodded and respectfully replied, "Everything’s all set in the city. Once you stamp it, the household registration for my family of three can be moved. I’ve got a potential job, and after the New Year, I will start at the county’s Military Affairs Departnt. Please keep this confidential for now."
Upon hearing this, Old Captain cheerfully slapped his shoulder again and, after laughing heartily, said, "Good for you, kid! What a great place! Finally, soone from our Old Zhang’s family stands out. Rember to take care of our younger ones from Old Zhang’s family in the future. It’s a great unit, a good choice! If your grandpa saw you succeed so quickly, he’d drink ten jars of our strongest spirits. Too bad he left too early. As for the stamp, simple, just co over to my place anyti you’re not working. You’re probably cautious about too many eyes around, your third grandpa’s not muddled, I’ll keep it secret. And now your son will need household registration, make sure his na is ready."
Zhang Guoqing nodded eagerly and said, "Hehe, thank you, Third Grandpa, I’ll co back to you later. You co here every day so early, have you noticed any differences?"
Old Captain tapped his head with his long pipe and joked, "No need to thank with words, rember to bring a bottle of that wine from last ti. I’d love to share in your success and taste it, last ti the bottle was gone before I could drink. I’ve seen nothing different on my rounds, just seeing you, kid, ready to take flight. Finally, our Old Zhang family has produced a notable figure, I’m delighted!"
Zhang Guoqing shook his hand modestly, "Please don’t mock , I’m just a farm-born kid with a bit better luck. Flying? Don’t overpraise , I can’t handle it, I just don’t want to end up a laughingstock."
"This kid is shrewd, always was since little. Your Third Grandpa has lived long enough to be wise and won’t misjudge. Alright, off you go, I still need to check on the brigade." Old Captain knew clearly that even the county couldn’t keep him. Considering Zhou Jiao was Zhou Xiao’s only child, she’d return sooner or later. He believed having lived half his life, he could see through the fact that the girl followed her father. Currently, there must be a definite reason for not leaving, perhaps just waiting for the opportunity.
At that ti, the villagers were all talking about how Zhang the Second spent eight hundred yuan at a high price to marry this daughter-in-law for his youngest son. Don’t ntion eight hundred yuan, he even thought it was worth it if he had to spend eight thousand to marry such a young girl. A good daughter-in-law brings blessings for at least three generations, but unfortunately, none of his grandsons caught her eye. He realized during the wedding that with this couple, his family should thrive, but he didn’t expect things to surpass his expectations.
Zhang Guoqing watched as the old man turned away and left for ho. He admired Old Captain greatly. The reason Zhang Family Village beca the envy of nearby villages was not only because it was close to Daqing Mountain, with an abundance of mountain products and wild goods added to it, but also because of his tireless contributions over decades, personally planning and strategizing for the village. It was precious that he did so selflessly. Even his sons toiled in the fields like everyone else. Without him, there wouldn’t be today’s Zhang Family Village. Even if there were the occasional families that struggled for food and clothing, it was still the richest area, with many houses made of fine tiles.
Thanks to him, except for so families lacking manpower or being lazy and deceitful, every household could have grain. By being frugal and supplenting with spring wild vegetables, they could get by. This was the old man’s achievent and also Uncle Zhang’s worry that the village might fall into chaos once Old Captain retired.
Zhou Jiao woke up early, waiting for her parents to co in. They barely exchanged a few words, then even Zhang Guoqing followed them out for errands. She didn’t ask, assuming it was about the Zhou family and the small courtyard. Her father didn’t like her worrying about the Zhou family matters, so she didn’t ask to keep him at ease. Her mother taking care of the small courtyard gave her peace of mind, only that it would cost more money.
Holding her son, Zhou Jiao recited nursery rhys to him, occasionally teasing him, noticing that her son was indeed as quick to respond as Zhang Guoqing said. Whenever she was free, she’d chat with him, sing nursery rhys, and he seed to understand as his eyes followed her voice. She didn’t have a computer to check if such behavior belonged to an early developnt for a child not yet a month old.
As for asking other people, she decided against it. Her family already drew attention, and if they really had a prodigious child, she preferred to keep it hidden, not wanting her son to face pressure from an early age.
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