As soon as the car stopped not far from the Zhang Family’s door, National Day and his brother heard the sound of the car outside. They hurriedly grabbed kerosene lamps and ran out.
Zhang Guoqing got out of the car and helped his mother out. Just as he turned around, he saw two black figures darting out quickly from the gate, with a bit of light in the middle, which startled him enough to quickly shield his mother behind him. When he heard his second brother shouting for their parents, he imdiately breathed a sigh of relief.
Mother Zhang craned her neck to look towards the light source where the brothers approached, discovering two figures. She realized what was happening and felt a mix of amusent and exasperation.
Zhang Guoqing followed them into the courtyard and dragged his mother into their house.
Inside the room, he took his mother’s hand and whispered to her where everything was kept. Afterward, he loaded several storytelling and Peking opera cassette tapes onto the phonograph, and with arms full, entered his parents’ bedroom.
Just as Mr. Zhang was about to undress for bed, he was startled upon seeing his son and complained, "Why have you moved it here? Quickly take it back to the county."
Zhang Guoqing laughed, "Why take it back? We’ll be back in a few days anyway. Dad, I’m putting the phonograph in your room, and I have quite a few tapes and records in my room. Mom knows where everything is, so listen to it whenever you’re free. Even if it breaks, I can fix it."
"You can’t use things too often, or they’ll wear out easily. Quickly take it back, I have no ti to listen," Mr. Zhang hurriedly waved his hands, urging his youngest son to take it back.
Zhang Guoqing laughed happily, "If you don’t use what you bought, that’s a waste. The coal stove in my room is always burning; if you want to use it, just help yourself. Don’t worry about wasting coal—it’s enough with the coal tickets I have.
The wine is stored in the bottom of the cabinet. If Mom won’t give you a drink, sneak up with my elder brothers to my room to drink it; there are peanuts inside. If you’re free, go check my room for anything useful and use it quickly."
Mr. Zhang quickly pushed him out. If the conversation continued, there would be nothing left in the house. He urged him to leave quickly and to drive carefully on the road.
Mother Zhang saw off her youngest son and closed the main door tightly. Returning to the room, she saw her husband fiddling with the phonograph and approached with a smile, "Do you know how to use it? Do you need to teach you?"
Mr. Zhang hesitated for a mont and shook his head. The sound was too loud at night, disturbing the children’s sleep. He decided to listen in the morning and maybe call on his elder and younger brothers, the three brothers could listen together.
The old couple cozied up under the covers as Mr. Zhang listened to his wife mumble about minor household matters, occasionally responding. Before falling asleep, he was still thinking about his own father.
Late at night, Zhang Family Village was silent. The sound of cars starting and stopping woke up many residents at the North Mountain Foot. So cursed quietly behind closed doors, while others envied and praised.
The closest neighbors, Uncle Zhang’s family, were the most disturbed. At the mont, Uncle Zhang and his wife had not yet gone to sleep and were pondering over their eldest son’s election as an accountant.
Upon hearing the car, Aunt Zhang remarked softly, "Your second brother’s family really seems to have made it big. Today I saw from a distance your second brother and his sister-in-law getting into a car. Xiao Wu must be bringing them back now. It’s so late, I wonder where they went?"
Aunt Zhang waited for a while and, finding her husband unresponsive, sighed.
After a while, seeing the car leave, she nudged her husband and curiously asked, "Do you think this back-and-forth could an soone is leaving late at night? Why didn’t the sister-in-law keep them overnight and let them leave tomorrow?"
Uncle Zhang saw her wide eyes and realized he couldn’t remain silent any longer, "It should be Xiao Wu returning to the county. Zhou Xiaozheng bought a house in the county for his daughter. Today he took Jiao Jiao and them to the county, surely the second brother and his wife wouldn’t stay; Xiao Wu must have brought them back."
Aunt Zhang pinched her husband hard. Uncle Zhang felt wronged enough to cry; how did he offend his own wife? Even in the dark, Aunt Zhang sensed her husband’s resentnt.
"Why didn’t you let give birth to a son like Xiao Wu? Father-in-law certainly saw who was promising, and now look, he even has a courtyard in the county."
Uncle Zhang sighed inwardly. Is this sothing he could be blad for?
He once again recalled what Accountant Zhang had privately ntioned to him, mulling over whether he should find an excuse to avoid his wife for a while. He feared next ti she wouldn’t just pinch him but might hit him with a stick.
"The children’s father, do you think Xiao Wu ets important officials every day, might he be going back to work in the city? Otherwise, why would Xiaozheng buy a house for Jiao Jiao? Second brother intends to build a house for Xiao Wu."
Oh dear, this woman finally thought of the key point—Uncle Zhang thought bitterly, "It’s possible. This place can’t hold Xiao Wu and his wife, sooner or later they’ll return to Beijing."
Aunt Zhang sighed deeply, "Guofu and Guoqiang’s brothers will surely follow him to the city, right? With Xiao Wu’s personality, he surely will help his two brothers and sisters along.
I’ve heard ili wanted to buy a big house but had no money. As soon as Xiao Wu heard, he rushed ho to get the money, without a day’s delay. Our children are good, but they don’t have that mindset towards their little sister. When ili was buying the house, even before Jiao Jiao’s mother arrived, Xiao Wu had already worked hard to help, let alone now."
Uncle Zhang had never heard of this matter and asked, "Who did you hear this from? Is this just a rumor?"
’Hah’," Aunt Zhang scoffed, emphasizing, "ili’s sister-in-law, the eldest daughter-in-law of the Zhang family, said it. It’s absolutely true. Xiao Wu even told his sister that the money wasn’t urgently needed, and it didn’t have to be repaid for a few years. At that ti, I ca back and told our daughters-in-law, guess what? They all shut their mouths and didn’t dare make a sound.
I’ve seen through them. Our Xiuli is truly pitiful; in the future, she might find it better to ask Xiao Wu and his wife for help rather than her real sisters-in-law."
Uncle Zhang quickly covered her mouth and instructed, "You can’t say these things out loud; it would hurt the children’s feelings. We’re old; we’ll need them to take care of our daughter."
"The children’s father, I understand; I’m just telling you. When I say Xiao Wu is better than our sons, I’m not just saying it casually.
Today Xiuli ca back and told Xiao Wu specially brought over three big yellow croakers and prawns, told her father-in-law he hadn’t seen his sister in a long ti, and was worried, so he ca over to see. He sweet-talked and flattered the in-laws until they were laughing, and then hurriedly left without even having a al.
The foolish child asked what to do, saying her in-laws had suggested she visit ho when possible. You see, this is brothers having their sister’s back, would any of our sons think of that?"
Uncle Zhang covered himself with the quilt, laughing heartily, "Say what you will, this kind of social finesse is only sothing Xiao Wu can pull off. Young Xiao often tells Xiao Wu frequently gives wild chickens and rabbits to Xiufang for the nieces and nephews. He was always shrewd but full of sentint. Nobody can emulate him."
"Oh, I truly envy second sister-in-law. Having a good son also requires a good daughter-in-law. Jiao Jiao is so good, very affectionate and gentle-spoken, always smiling at people, sensible and filial.
Even Juhua, who isn’t easy to please, says Jiao Jiao is good. Having one good daughter-in-law sets an example for all the children to be filial together. You look at Jiao Jiao before she married in, how Juhua was, now see, she smiles about everything."
Uncle Zhang shivered upon hearing that and chuckled, "Don’t, when you say Jiao Jiao speaks gently, I rember that day. Let’s not talk about them; let’s talk about our eldest, what do you think about stepping down and him stepping up?"
Aunt Zhang imdiately shook her head. After careful consideration, she concluded that the old man couldn’t step down yet.
But the Zhang Family Village cannot have a deputy captain father and an accountant son. Who would trust the accounts entirely in the hands of one father and son? The eldest daughter-in-law couldn’t foresee this and was happily thinking her husband would surely be elected.
She rather believed everyone would elect Xiao Dash, besides a few non-family households, the family wouldn’t allow all the benefits to go to their family.
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