As soon as sumr vacation began, the weather beca increasingly hot. Zhou Jiao felt sorry for her father; the ice blocks they bought monthly were never enough. Luckily, she was prepared and had stored quite a bit of ice during winter.
Every afternoon and evening, two large plates of ice were placed in both the study and the bedroom; sipping their own ho-made delightful drinks, Zhou Xiaozheng didn’t want to step outside at all.
This scorching sumr, Zhou Xiaozheng was in a good mood, and the occasional smile he showed surprisingly terrified his subordinates.
The unassuming Lin Lishan barely enjoyed a few days before a visit to a colleague’s ho, where the heat forced her to leave quickly after so idle chat and dash back ho.
As soon as she got ho, she quickly entered the East Wing, and indeed it was scorching. She was touched—how could her child be so filial? What if she got heatstroke?
"Mom, what’s wrong?"
In the living room, Zhou Jiao looked at Lin Lishan strangely as she ca in with a complex expression and hugged her tightly. In such hot weather, hugging to keep warm?
"You silly child, why do you only think about taking care of your parents? Have you been saving ice blocks these past few days?"
Well, as soon as Zhou Jiao heard that, she understood—just a misunderstanding.
"Haha... how much does ice cost anyway? Am I that stingy? It’s different for you guys; you don’t need to go out, it’s quite cool in the living room during the day, and adding ice at night before bed is just perfect."
"Really?"
Zhou Jiao nodded affirmatively, seeing her mother’s expression relax, she swiftly changed the topic, "Weren’t you going to your colleague’s house for a wedding gift? Why are you back so early?"
Lin Lishan shook her head and sighed, "A small room was stuffed with a crowd, and everyone was either lanting their children’s lack of achievents or how hard it was to buy goods every day. It was hot and stuffy, and I couldn’t find a topic to chat with them. ntioning you guys would just make them envious."
Zhou Jiao laughed aloud upon hearing this, stood up, and asked Aunt Chen to bring a bowl of mung bean soup for her mother.
"I heard that many things have gone up in price on the market, and even more so, prices in the Black Market have increased tenfold. Do we have enough money?"
Zhou Jiao honestly didn’t know what the current prices in the Black Market were. She hadn’t been there once this year, often using the Black Market as an excuse to obtain various items.
She shook her head after hearing this, "How much could prices really increase? Just a few cents or dis, considering your monthly salary, we don’t even spend everything in a month. We have not even touched our savings."
Upon saying this, she saw Aunt Chen bringing in the soup, gesturing to her mother to drop the subject, and mother and daughter didn’t bring it up again.
Zhang Guoqing, holding Ping’an in his arms, entered the courtyard with several people just as the sound of music filled the house. Listening to that lodious flute, it must have been Zhou Jiao playing, paired with Lin Lishan’s fine voice—it was truly pleasant!
Yi Jiefang exclaid, "Da Yong, go borrow the accordion, bring any instrunt you can find, and I’ll show you what I can do."
"Why ? You boy, hanging out in soone else’s courtyard eating and drinking, using our pool, and now bossing around, wondering if I should beat you up?"
"Not very brotherly, this is called sharing blessings and bearing difficulties together."
"You thick-skinned, there’re musical instrunts at Xiao Wujia’s place."
A group of people bickering entered the living room, and seeing this, the mother and daughter quickly stopped playing.
Lin Lishan glanced at the ti, "How co you’re back so early? Was the swimming pool crowded?"
Ping’an smiled and replied, "Dad said it was like dumplings in a pot."
"Did our Ping’an have fun?"
"Yeah, I love playing in the water, and Grandpa said if he’s not busy, he’d take to the beach to play."
Yi Jiefang, feeling a bit fearful, glanced at the study, "Aunt Lin, Uncle Zhou is working, right?"
The group laughed disdainfully at him.
Yi Jiefang didn’t care about their expressions. Seeing Lin Lishan nodding with a smile, he joyfully shouted, "Aunt Chen, whatever there is to drink, quickly give a bowl, I’m terribly thirsty."
Beside him, Zhou Jiao smiled at Aunt Chen, "Bring the pot out so they can serve themselves."
Over here, Wan Dayong and the other two were not shy; they rushed to the kitchen to get bowls and see if there were any side dishes, directing Ding Datou to run to the service agency to buy draft beer.
Ding Datou secretly decided that in this oppressively hot weather, since he had to go out, it must be counted on Wan Dayong’s tab.
Zhang Guoqing watched their greedy faces from the side, shook his head with a smile, and returned to the small study to fetch a spare harmonica and accordion for the living room.
In no ti, Ding Datou brought back a large tank of draft beer and, from who knows where in the Big Courtyard, a plate of pig head at. Adding Zhou Jiao’s prepared dried small fish, they were arranged on the coffee table.
"Mom, play ’Happy Festive Day’ and ’How Happy We Are.’" Ping’an asked, drooling as he was blowing a flute beside, reluctantly handing it to Zhou Jiao.
Zhou Jiao patted him, wiped it dry with a handkerchief, and played the tune for him. Seeing her son hum along, it was quite amusing—it seems the kindergarten had taught many nursery rhys.
Zhang Guoqing saw this, picked up the accordion, and joined in harmony.
Wan Dayong and the group, watching this family scene, said to Yi Jiefang and the others, "Looking at them, I want to get married. Next ti so guy doesn’t want to settle down, let him co and see, it’s bound to work like dicine."
Yi Jiefang laughed and said to Lin Lishan, who was keeping ti, "Aunt Lin, can Uncle Zhou play instrunts too? Can he keep up with you artsy folks?"
"You didn’t think he only knew how to use a gun, did you? Your Uncle Zhou is quite skilled in instrunts like the erhu and flute. In his younger days, the songs he played on the erhu could move people to tears."
Lin Lishan didn’t ntion that she was captivated by his song back in the day. Now, Zhou Jiao inherits her father’s talent, but unfortunately, her Brother Zheng excels in lancholic songs, often singing foreign songs that she can’t even understand.
Thinking about this, she looked at Zhou Jiao with so disappointnt. Her daughter inherited all her husband’s advantages, but alas, if only she had followed her path in music, how wonderful it would have been.
Yi Jiefang knowingly nodded—no wonder even his own mother kept referring to him as Brother Zheng.
Following Lin Lishan’s gaze towards Zhou Jiao, the words of his older cousin echoed in his mind, and suddenly a spark of understanding: could Brother Funiu’s inquiries about Zhang Guoqing actually be about wanting to understand Zhou Jiao?
Yi Jiefang again looked at Zhou Jiao, shaking his head inwardly. What was he thinking? Yi Funiu was as clueless as a monk when it ca to knowing won. Besides, Zhou Jiao—haha—not to put anyone down, but with soone as soft and ek as her, even tripping when walking, no soldier would fancy her.
Wan Dayong nudged him, "What are you daydreaming about? When is your family going to the beach? Want to join us?"
"My mom said we’d go after my cousin leaves."
"Their family hasn’t ntioned leaving yet? After staying so long, do they have the nerve?"
Yi Jiefang chuckled and shook his head; it’s hard for him to speak up.
The other side is smart enough to leave a little girl at his house with his mother, so occasionally, after a fortnight, she’d bring her other kids along. But it’s going to end soon, even his dad is getting impatient.
"You’re not skipping out this year, are you? We’ve all secretly agreed to have fun nearby for a few days. You have to co; I heard they are planning sothing big."
"Yeah, even a few of my brother’s friends have talked with Xiao Wu, and they’re just waiting to see what happens before deciding."
Hearing them say this, Yi Jiefang didn’t hesitate to agree to go with them. As for his courtyard’s buddies, he’d talk to them later.
This sumr, Zhou Jiao finally accompanied her parents to that magical beach. Happily following Zhang Guoqing and the others in pursuit of a fishing boat, scaling mountains, and crossing rivers, she finally experienced what recklessness and spontaneity ant.
And Little Ping’an, with no safety concerns, skillfully wandered through various sections. When the vacation ended, he carried a bag of gifts and reluctantly bid farewell to his cross-generational friends, leaving with a heavy heart.
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