Looking at the sky, Zhang Guoqing was also eager to go ho. The village hadn’t finished work in the morning, so if he rushed back now, he could still help. Pushing the door open, Zhang Guoqing shouted for his mom, and Mother Zhang responded loudly. After the two finished their ordinary shouts, they burst into laughter. Fortunately, apart from Zhou Jiao who was in postpartum confinent and their clueless son, no one was at ho.
"Mom, what are you doing? I bought a bunch of stuff; aren’t you going to take a look? Take a break first, I’ll handle it later."
Mother Zhang ca out from the backyard and rolled her eyes at Zhang Guoqing, "What’s up? Take the stuff to your own room so that those shallow-eyed ones won’t get tempted and sneak it away."
Zhang Guoqing understood that it was the second sister-in-law who made a mistake, making his mother uneasy. Quickly, he pulled Mother Zhang towards his own room and whispered in her ear, "Mom, co with . I’ll tell you about how I fought off a shrew. Where’s Dad? I need to talk to him about this too, so he doesn’t get scared later."
Mother Zhang imdiately looked worried, checking Zhang Guoqing over multiple tis before feeling relieved. She took his hand and said, "What’s going on? That shrew dares to bully you? I’ll rip her apart first."
Inside, Zhou Jiao was also worried. She heard the voices from afar but didn’t see anyone, and didn’t know where he was hurt. A woman and a shrew, again.
Zhou Jiao looked at her sleeping son, using both hands to cover his ears. In a hushed voice, she said, "Brother, co in with Mom and talk. I want to see too."
When Zhang Guoqing and his mother ca in, they saw Zhou Jiao covering the child’s ears weirdly, speaking in a low voice, watching them intently. It was only when they ca in that she breathed a sigh of relief.
"Mom, look at the stuff in the bag. Take what you need. Put those pig trotters and black-bone chickens in the kitchen. Leave the baby’s stuff here. I’m really exhausted today. Ran around a lot of places. Had buns at Second Sister’s in the morning. They’re all doing well and will co over on the third day of the washing ceremony. Oh, the Zhou Family also went, sothing happened there; I’ll talk about it when Dad cos back."
Mother Zhang opened the bag, taking things out and her eyes widened. This prodigal son. No matter how much family wealth there is, it’s not enough to squander. Just yesterday, she told his dad she wasn’t worried about him. Looks like she still needs to have a chat with the couple.
"Xiao Wu, this much stuff must have cost a lot of money, right? You can’t spend like this. Look at these white towels; why buy so many? Can you use them all?
I’ve already prepared brown sugar and red dates. There’s rice at ho too. This rice you bought might be special supply, right? Can you really finish all these pig trotters and black-bone chickens? Oh dear, you’re such a prodigal son. Did you spend all your secret savings?"
Zhang Guoqing and Zhou Jiao snickered, these diapers are better than the towels at ho. Next ti, they still need to buy so towels; otherwise, if soone visits, it might be embarrassing. The two dared not rebut and only lowered their heads pretending to admit their mistake. Mother Zhang knew her words were in vain, and no wonder the pack of diapers was taken by the second brother’s wife; it was preditated. Even with money, you can’t waste it like this. Luckily, it was Zhang Guoqing who brought it back, otherwise, if it were the other two sons, Mother Zhang would surely use her stick on them every few days. That pack of diapers took her more than half a year to prepare, asking many people to gather them. Sigh~ What to do with such a spendthrift child?
"Mom, don’t worry. These things aren’t expensive. I already made arrangents with a classmate a few days ago and only went to pick them up today. Oh, the white towels you ntioned are actually diapers. My classmate got them specially, said that they prevent diaper rash. They’re cheaper than towels.
The two pig trotters are for Jiao Jiao to produce more milk. The red date porridge with this rice is to nourish the blood. Brown sugar and red dates are great for won, so I bought more. They aren’t just for Jiao Jiao; you should have so daily too.
The two black-bone chickens, stew them for you and Jiao Jiao to eat however you like. It was rare to see black-bone chickens, so I bought them. There’s two packs of milk powder; take one to those two girls at ho."
Mother Zhang thought what her son said made sense and nodded along, but then she realized sothing was off, and angrily said, "Clever boy, you’re fooling your old mom, almost got into a pit. It’s your wife who is in confinent, not . Don’t touch those two black-bone chickens.
I’ll prepare them after the pig trotters are eaten to continue nourishing Jiao Jiao. Keep half of the rice, I’ll have your dad grind it into rice flour for the kids at ho to eat. The rice is so good, it’ll be nutritious as rice flour. I’ll make red date porridge with the rest for Jiao Jiao. At my age, there’s no need to eat so well."
Listening, Zhou Jiao shook Mother Zhang’s arm, pouting, "Mom, if you don’t even drink the red date porridge, how can I drink it? When I eat the pig trotters, I’ll see you gnawing on vegetable buns; when I eat the black-bone chicken, I’ll see you drinking vegetable porridge. It’ll make feel so guilty, I won’t have an appetite, and I won’t get through this confinent well.
Let’s drink together. Otherwise, if you don’t drink it, I won’t either. Look, Brother Xiao Wu is being filial to you, deliberately buying it for your usual consumption. If you don’t drink it, then whenever he sees sothing he originally wanted to buy for you, he’ll suddenly rember you don’t want it and won’t buy it. After this happens many tis, he’ll believe it’s only natural; in the future, when he sees sothing you like, he’ll think you don’t want it either, then who will rember you, really? Do you think what I say makes sense?
You should think, Xiao Wu bought this, I’ll eat it. Oh, Xiao Wu bought this, and I wore it. Xiao Wu will think his choice is great, and that his mom likes everything he buys. Then they’ll be of one heart with his mom. He’ll be happy then and very willing to be filial to you. Do you think that’s right?"
"Yes, listen to Jiao Jiao. If you always don’t like what I buy, I won’t know what you want, and I can only not buy anything. More purchases an more mistakes, no purchases an no mistakes. If that’s the case, why raise a son?" Zhang Guoqing echoed Zhou Jiao’s words enthusiastically. His mom was a typical virtuous wife and good mother, wanting to save anything tasty for the kids, working themselves to the bone hoping their luck holds out. If the son is filial, fine, but if he turns out to be ungrateful, he’ll take it for granted.
Listening to the young couple, Mother Zhang felt they had a point, but it turned her worldview upside down. She felt it necessary to talk with the children’s dad about whether this was reasonable.
The two kids were coaxing, acting spoiled, and even threatening, showing their filial piety. No matter what was decided, out of all the kids, only Xiao Wu truly satisfied her.
Watching the two kids stare at her nervously, Mother Zhang nodded to indicate agreent. As for what she really thought, only she knew. Zhang Guoqing and Zhou Jiao nudged each other’s shoulders, smiling sweetly.
Zhang Guoqing looked at his son; with such commotion, he hadn’t woken up, so there was still so ti before he would. With the family returning from work soon, it had been just a bowl of porridge and a pee since early morning.
Turning to Zhou Jiao, he instructed, "Jiao Jiao, while the baby is sleeping, you should get so rest too. I’ll go tidy up with Mom; Dad and they will be back soon."
Zhou Jiao nodded, watching Zhang Guoqing take out a pack of milk powder, a bottle, and diapers, then lifting the bag to leave with Mother Zhang. She also seized the mont to catch so sleep.
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