The sun was setting in the west, and a group of people boarded the train, escorted by local officials.
They stayed at the military guesthouse that night.
As soon as Zhou Jiao entered the room, she felt an overwhelming fatigue settle in. After a simple wash, she took the child and imdiately went to sleep.
She slept until dawn and when she woke up in the morning, she was still a bit groggy. It wasn’t until her son’s voice sounded in her ear that she fully woke up.
"Little rascal, where’s your dad?" Zhou Jiao, holding her son to help him urinate, noticed Zhang Guoqing was not in the room and asked the child with a smile.
After settling the child, half an hour had already passed. Curious, she opened the door to find that all the rooms on the sides and opposite were closed, realizing they had left her here.
After changing clothes, Zhou Jiao carried the child to the lobby. Before she could inquire, the receptionist, smiling, already handed her a note.
After thanking, she saw Zhang Guoqing’s ssage: he went out with her dad and them; the old lady and her daughter visited old friends. He advised her to stay in the guesthouse and wait for her mom, elder aunt, and Zhao Chuan Guang’s couple to co over in the afternoon.
Zhou Jiao widened her eyes in disbelief. She hadn’t misread it. Everyone indeed ca over. Was this a group tour? Does nobody need to work anymore? No wonder her mom and the old lady had whispered several tis before they ca, only to stop speaking when they saw her. She had pitied her mom so many tis. What a waste of expression!
After having breakfast with her son, Zhou Jiao didn’t return to her room. She wandered off to the service club to see if the military district service club’s goods were the sa everywhere.
"Jiao Jiao, is that really you? What are you doing here? I heard from the kids that you’d return to Beijing on May 1st. Weren’t you supposed to be in Beijing? How co I didn’t get any news?"
Zhou Jiao’s shoulder was patted, startling her.
Before she could turn around, she heard a burst of chatter. It was, without a doubt, Ye Lin, Xiao Linzi in the big courtyard, just like Zhao Yuanyuan. The big Linzi was her annoying elder cousin sister.
"Take your ti. I only arrived last night with dad and them. Why didn’t you go ho on May 1st? Are you staying here for a few days?" Zhou Jiao quickly countered, otherwise she would have faced an interrogation from the other party.
Upon hearing this, Ye Lin’s smile turned into a mournful look imdiately. Shaking her head, she pulled Zhou Jiao into a secluded corner.
Seeing this, Zhou Jiao hesitated. She didn’t really want to hear about others’ secrets, especially about Ye’s family’s troubling matters. But the weak voice had already reached her ears.
"My mom told to co over to accompany my grandparents. My grandma was infuriated by my big aunt and collapsed. All of my uncles and aunts ca over. What a ss. I probably can’t go back ho. My uncle even asked to take good care of the old folks. What a ss, what’s my grandfather doing."
Zhou Jiao couldn’t help but laugh before she spoke, "Where did you learn those ’what a ss’ words? Be careful, your mom hears, and you’ll get scolded."
Ye Lin laughed heartily, "My big aunt always says ’what a ss’ first thing. I’ve gotten used to it these days. Don’t ntion my mom; even my grandma would scold if she heard. You know, she most dislikes the big house."
Zhou Jiao admired this optimistic girl whose frustration disappeared just like that. If it were her, she wouldn’t want to deal with these elder’s ssy affairs.
"How’s your grandma’s health? I’ll visit her in the evening."
Ye Lin quickly waved her hand, "Don’t go, please don’t go. My grandma cares about face. If you go and see my big aunt, she’ll scold to death. Just pretend you don’t know about it."
Zhou Jiao patted the child in her arms who was making gestures, frowning in hesitation.
The original wife and the succeeding wife were natural enemies, especially if the latter was a third party. Plus, all of the original wife’s children were here. It was definitely infighting. She was most afraid of such complex family relationships. If a visiting eting turned into a face-off, wouldn’t it be more awkward?
"Don’t even think about it. Really, no need to go. A few days ago, my cousin from my aunt’s family ca, and my mom didn’t even let him in. Sigh... they say family scandals shouldn’t be shared, but who doesn’t know our family’s stuff?"
Upon hearing this, Zhou Jiao nodded, unable to resist asking, though she regretted it afterward, "Then why doesn’t your grandpa send your big aunt back to her hotown?"
"My big aunt set conditions. She wants a job, and for her kids to live with my grandpa. Accept them and she’ll go back to her hotown, otherwise, no one can have a good life.
Now you get it? I really can’t go back. My elder brother and them don’t know when they’ll be on leave. Sigh... even if they’re on leave, so what. I’m the one with the most free ti. Why am I so unlucky? If I’d known, I wouldn’t have gotten on the train even if I died."
Zhou Jiao bit back a laugh and gave her a pat. It wasn’t sothing she could respond to.
Seeing Zhou Jiao’s child clamoring to leave, Ye Lin checked her watch, hurriedly patting her forehead and saying, "My big aunt is still waiting for to buy soy sauce. I’ll co to find you tonight, you’re at the guesthouse, right? I’ll head off first."
Zhou Jiao opened her mouth just as Ye Lin ran off. She thought to herself that next ti she ets her, she must hold onto her first, in case sothing happens and there’s no ti to say it.
At this mont, Zhou Jiao didn’t know that this beautiful, cheerful girl would never be seen again in her lifeti. Many things in the world are unexpected, and years later when she received the news of her death, she couldn’t forget the red dress she wore, couldn’t forget those few ’what a ss’ phrases, couldn’t understand what kind of humiliation behind that bright smile led to her choosing to end her life.
She returned to the guesthouse and t the returning Old Mrs. Cheng and Cheng Ruzhu. The three of them ate lunch, and it wasn’t until after one o’clock in the afternoon when Zhang Guoqing returned alone.
"Where’s dad? Where did he and Great Uncle go?"
Zhang Guoqing replied with a smile, "Dad and Great Uncle have a eting at 2 PM. Uncle went to take care of so matters. I still need to pick up my godfather and them."
Upon hearing this, Old Mrs. Cheng hurriedly sent him off.
"Aunty, I’d like to bring Jiao Jiao along. Is it alright to leave Ping’an with you?" Zhang Guoqing looked at the old lady pitifully.
"Don’t be silly! Just bring Jiao Jiao along. Rember to bring money."
As Zhang Guoqing and Zhou Jiao left, Cheng Ruzhu watched them walk away, smiling and shaking her head, "These two have such a good relationship. They never want to be apart. Mom, you rest first, I’ll take care of the child when he wakes up."
"Childhood sweethearts, no guesses between them," the old lady nodded in agreent.
Following Zhang Guoqing out, Zhou Jiao saw a couple of cars parked not far away and looked at him in surprise, seeing him smile affirmatively made her joyfully give a thumbs-up.
After getting in the car, Zhang Guoqing whispered, "Weren’t you upset yesterday for not gathering supplies? I specifically ntioned during lunch at a crowded place that I’d need to pick soone up from the station. Just like that, soone delivered a ladder. Godfather’s telegram said he’d arrive after 4 PM. Today we’re driving, no worries of being tailed. Think carefully about what you want to buy."
Zhou Jiao contemplated for a mont, deciding to drive around and take a look. She didn’t want to waste their private ti for so food. Moreover, before going back to Northeast, unless absolutely necessary, she wouldn’t use her space. Thus, there was no need to buy a lot and waste ti either.
Regarding Zhou Jiao’s vigilance, Zhang Guoqing smiled and did not object. Safety first, nothing is more important than his wife’s safety. Not to ntion, their family doesn’t lack the postal money.
Sitting in the car, looking at the streets and crowds seemingly unchanged after less than half a year, things actually were sowhat different. Most of the small bookstores were gone, there were fewer people queuing at the high-priced restaurants, and everything lacked the New Year’s joy of spring.
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