Zhang Guoqing was driving, constantly keeping an eye on the old lady. He saw the silent smile as she glanced at the bamboo basket and bags in the back. Seeing this scene, his nose tingled with emotion.
Seeing how old she was, what exactly was contained in that smile, such sadness? What else in the Zhou Family made Old Sir Zhou devise sches against his father-in-law? There are no father and son like this in the world, their relationship so distant that they are worse than strangers. Even Zhao Chuan Guang knew that Zhou Jiao would never return to the Zhou Family in the past. He wanted so much to ask the old lady if his father-in-law was really her son, but the words just couldn’t co out of his mouth.
He could see too many things clearly. Since his father-in-law returned, the only close elder sister didn’t co back to see him. His big uncle Zhou Xiaocun stayed at the police station, while that woman often went to the countryside to find people and make connections. It was only because Zhou Jiao is Zhou Xiaozheng’s daughter, with the Lin Family’s banner, otherwise, he really wouldn’t know how a woman could have the energy to find Zhang Zhifeng.
Zhang Guoqing sighed to himself and spoke, "Grandma, how is your health now? Let’s go to the county hospital for a check-up first, then I’ll take you to see my dad."
Mrs. Zhou waved her hand, "No need to bother, I’m fine. Xiao Wu, you should know by now. Your grandpa had fake an illness to force your dad to co back. Sigh... let’s not talk about it. Just ask your dad to finish his business and go back. You and your wife should persuade him; if there’s nothing, he shouldn’t co back. Even if I pass away, he doesn’t need to return. This heart is truly broken. He doesn’t owe the Zhou Family anything, the Zhou Family owes him, owes Jiao Jiao."
Zhang Guoqing watched the old lady as she spoke, and as she spoke, her thoughts drifted. He didn’t remind her, slowly driving the car, not knowing where to go.
In his courtyard, Zhao Dashan and his wife should be there. He didn’t intend to disturb their peace with the old lady’s worried face, nor did he plan to take her to see Jiao Jiao. If she wanted to see Zhou Jiao, she would have gone to his house long ago, probably nothing more to say. He could only wait for the old lady to co back to her senses and go see his father-in-law with joy.
Zhang Guoqing slowly drove towards Master Fatty’s place.
The old lady, after all, from a wealthy family, quickly controlled her emotions. Seeing him driving east of the county, she curiously asked, "Why are you heading this way? Which village is your dad in? There’s no one familiar here."
"Grandma, there’s an Imperial Chef descendant here, everyone calls him Master Fatty. I plan to ask him sothing. My dad drove to another province early in the morning and asked to deliver those things to you right after he returned. He should be at ho discussing matters with his comrades now, we’ll go back soon. I’ll just go in and co out quickly, and my mom is cooking at ho, so I won’t take you in for a al. I’ll bring you and Jiao Jiao next ti, Jiao Jiao hasn’t been here yet."
"Okay, just be careful yourself. No rush, take your ti talking to them, I’ll wait for you in the car."
The car stopped at the entrance of Master Fatty’s big courtyard, Zhang Guoqing asked Mrs. Zhou to wait a while, carrying the food box, he walked inside. There weren’t many custors during the day. Zhang Guoqing called out as he went straight to the kitchen, and Master Fatty happened to hear and ca out to greet him.
"Master Fatty, I’ll place the food box here. Do you have so ti now?"
Master Fatty nodded and said with a smile, "What’s the matter? Tell ."
"I want to ask you if there are any taboos on eating seafood during confinent. At ho, we have large yellow croaker and prawns, but I don’t know if my wife can eat them. All I know is that crabs are cold-natured and shouldn’t be eaten."
Master Fatty pulled him to sit down and handed him paper and pen, "I happen to have so spare ti during the day. I’ll tell you, and you take notes. Is your child or your wife breastfeeding on her own? Seafood doesn’t need to be expensive to be nutritious. The best choices are sea cucumber and fish maw. People who don’t understand tend to avoid these, but they are cost-effective and affordable. Cook the large yellow croaker with yellow wine into a soup, and add thin noodles. This is what fisher village won eat during confinent. They call it yellow croaker noodles. Usually, seafood is cooling, better not to eat if you can avoid it.
Don’t eat prawns yet. Children are prone to eczema and easier to have seafood allergies. Shrimps and crabs are triggering foods and can cause children diarrhea, only wait until the child is off breast milk. Generally, crabs and shellfish should not be eaten. No one knows if the child is allergic to seafood, especially since your child is still so small.
We don’t eat seafood often here, and the stomach is not accustod. If you really want to try it, just taste a little, this is also for the child’s sake. Besides fish maw and sea cucumber, once the child eats solid foods, you can boil so yellow croaker soup to feed them, which makes them smart. Our local walnuts, red dates can be eaten more; others I’ll tell you next ti I think of sothing, can’t recall everything right now."
Zhang Guoqing felt a chill down his spine after hearing this, anxiously looking at him, "My wife just ate so red crab roe; is that okay? Not much, just two spoonfuls. Will it affect my son?"
Master Fatty comforted him, "No problem, just a little doesn’t matter. If she really wants to eat, you can make crab roe buns for her, just let her eat two or three at a ti, and have so mutton soup with it. Mutton soup is warming; last night’s pigeon soup is also warming. If pig’s trotters or old hens are too greasy, during this cold winter, with a stove at ho, why not simr so bone soup? If there’s a blood deficiency or weak constitution, add so astragalus, angelica, codonopsis, red dates, wolfberries, and if possible, a few slices of ginseng for added energy. Make sure to alternate while stewing – today astragalus, tomorrow codonopsis, and ginseng the next day, don’t foolishly dump all in. Finally, consult an old Chinese dicine doctor, they’re more knowledgeable than a cook like ."
Zhang Guoqing laughed heartily, thanking him, "Don’t worry about . I’m not foolish, got what you ant. My wife knows a little about these things, but I dare not trust her completely. Thank you so much today; there’s a senior waiting in the car outside. I’ll head back first and co back in a few days to bother you."
"Alright, drop by if you encounter anything unfamiliar, chat with ; I’m free during the day. At night, unless you’re here for a al, don’t co as I won’t have ti then."
"Alright, I’m off, see you, Master Fatty." With that, Zhang Guoqing packed up the note, took his leave, refused his escort, and quickly walked out.
A little girl nearby curiously asked Master Fatty, "Master, this person only ca once, how co you told him everything, and he didn’t seem remarkable."
"Hehe, it’s rare for soone to care so much about and treasure his wife. No need to hide what little I know from him." Master Fatty chuckled to himself, the young girl said others were nothing notable, but most people couldn’t even reach Zhang Guoqing.
Here people co and go, all kinds from different walks of life. Recently, who hasn’t whispered about the golden baby and Zhou Guoqing as a couple at the dining table, who doesn’t know that couple isn’t just any regular folks. Not to ntion last night with Zuo Lin and Zhao Dashan from the county, even the few who ca in the back were extraordinary, their relationships are so close.
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