"Old Man Zhou has passed away; he was just buried not long ago."
Not only was National Day incredulous, but even Mother Zhang and Mr. Zhang, who had just returned from visiting Sister Zhang, suspiciously eyed their second son, Zhang Guoqiang.
"The old man loved money so much, and yet he died because of it. They say it was on a dark and stormy night, when the sky was pouring rain..."
Mr. Zhang tapped Zhang the Second’s head with a long pipe, "Get to the point."
"Good hit, did you think you were storytelling?"
Zhang the Second rubbed his head and grinned at Lin Juhua, who was snickering beside him, then smiled at his parents, "Actually, it was a stormy night. Two hoodlums heard that Boss Zhou had gone on a long trip, and Zhou Linan was also visiting his aunt’s house that day, leaving only the old man at the Old Zhou Family. They had long heard that the old man was quite wealthy. With the rain, it was the perfect ti to steal so food stamps and money. They figured one old man wouldn’t dare fight back.
It turned out they sohow found two gold bars, got too excited, and were discovered by Old Man Zhou. The old man picked up a long knife and swung at them.
Wearing so little in sumr, one of the hoodlums got a bloody gash on his back and fought back. The two young n ended up beating Old Man Zhou, leaving him in a bloody ss.
Old Man Zhou cried for help for a long ti, but maybe it was the heavy rain or the large courtyard, the neighbors couldn’t understand. In short, by morning no one went over to help.
By the ti Zhou Linan returned ho, it was already the next evening, and Old Man Zhou was dead. But the old man was still of sound mind, even using his blood to write who did it before he passed. Zhou Linan saw the writing and imdiately asked the neighbors to report it.
Then ca the funny part: the two hoodlums couldn’t read. They thought no one would know what they did that night. After dividing the spoils, the one with the wound, worried about being found out, ran to his elder sister’s house nearby, while the other one went ho to sleep. Only after they were caught did they realize the old man left his na."
Mr. Zhang shook his head repeatedly, "He spent his life greedy for wealth, only to lose his life over it."
"Money is a good thing, but ill-gotten gains shouldn’t be taken; karma will get you, see?"
Mr. Zhang looked amused at his wife, who was about to seize the opportunity to lecture the children again.
"Mom, you see how dangerous it is living alone. Why don’t you and Dad co with us? Once sumr arrives, you have everything open except the courtyard gate, it’s quite dangerous."
Mother Zhang waved her hand dismissively, "Go, go... You’re not even old yet and already more nagging than your father."
Lin Juhua chuckled, glanced at her husband, and quickly changed the subject, "Mom, why did you and Dad go out for so long this ti? Is Sister Zhang doing well?"
Mother Zhang pointed at the package on the ground, "Open it and see. We didn’t stay even one night at your aunt’s place. We left for their county town that afternoon. We walked along the way toward the provincial city, seeing the sights. We stayed two nights at your elder brother’s place in the provincial city. He seed well, so we just got back today."
Zhang the Second exclaid in surprise, "Wow, you two really know how to enjoy yourselves. I was planning to go to Sister Zhang’s house this weekend if you didn’t co back. Everything went smoothly on the road?"
Mr. Zhang rolled his eyes at him, "Beijing, Mongolia, which places haven’t we been to? Trouble in the provincial city?"
"Right, right... What made you two decide to travel this ti?"
"You won’t let farm, and you even protested when your mother asked for a futon box. We have nothing to do staying ho all day. Thought we might check on how your elder brother is doing."
Mother Zhang nodded and continued, "Your sister-in-law’s concerns are the sa as ours. A faithful wife should not be discarded; we Zhang Family have no big rules, but one should have a conscience. I had to check on your elder brother at school, and give him a little reminder."
Zhang the Second chuckled at his parents. They were overthinking things; his elder brother wasn’t that kind of person. If he had a wandering mind, he’d be swayed away when he was still in the county.
Lin Juhua hastily defended her sister-in-law, "The sister-in-law now rushes ho right after work every day. She’s planted all kinds of vegetables in her yard and raised several chickens. Mai Miao said her cousin ca over wanting to eat chicken, but the sister-in-law persuaded her otherwise. I visited holding the child recently and saw her learning from Mai Miao."
Mother Zhang glanced at her husband, smiling, "The sisters-in-law really do get along like real sisters. Before, your eldest would always say good things for her in front of , and now it’s the other way around, the second family speaking up for the first family."
Mr. Zhang quipped, "That’s because you’re such an unkind mother-in-law."
The family chatted idly for a bit, then Lin Juhua took the children ho first, while Zhang the Second stayed behind to listen to his parents talk about what they saw and heard along the way.
As they talked, the conversation turned back to Zhang Guofu.
"Second, when your mother and I went to your elder brother’s place, we stayed for two nights and looked around. No wonder your sister-in-law was so worried. I used to wonder why she stopped visiting the school after just two trips, but now I understand a bit. It’s about feeling inferior. How can we born and bred farrs compare to big city folk?
Those won talked to your elder brother like it’s all routine. So of the girls even liked him. Luckily, your elder brother isn’t interested and avoids them, which puts at ease.
Let tell you, these won may be young, pretty, and knowledgeable, but they are useless and nowhere near as earnest as our village folks. Think about it, if we were still doing farm work, would they look at you?
I’ve had this talk with your elder brother, and you should rember it too. No one from Old Zhang’s family has ever divorced, so don’t let your father go through life with sha."
Zhang the Second laughed heartily. His father was really overthinking it. He would have to find ti to visit his elder brother in the provincial city and see what was causing such concern.
Mr. Zhang saw him laughing foolishly and wanted to knock him on the head but recalled how insistent he was on marrying his current wife and decided against it.
Mother Zhang cast a sideways glance at her husband. He was really imagining things. She knew her son well. The guy was deliberately being subservient to his wife now.
After all, it was the shock from the first family’s sudden change that frightened everyone. Now it was a deserved lesson!
Mother Zhang had no intention of reminding her eldest daughter-in-law. That woman was muddle-headed and needed to stay cautious with her heart in her throat. She had three grandsons and thought she had leverage. Now she realized her eldest was quite in demand, scared, huh?
Teach the son in front of them, teach the daughter-in-law behind the scenes. The elder one did well, knowing how to train his wife. It’s good this way, but I still have to watch over them, lest things go too far.
From start to finish, Mother Zhang never thought of giving up on this eldest daughter-in-law. Those who have been with the family, enduring the hardest tis, that was loyalty and righteousness.
Out of this feeling, Mother Zhang wouldn’t want to drive a wedge between her son and daughter-in-law. In these tis, life is especially hard for won, particularly those who are abandoned.
Even though she trusted her own son, what had to be said still needed to be said. She had lived a satisfying life and didn’t want her three sons to have any crooked thoughts.
Yes, later, she’d have the children’s father also write a letter to Xiao Wu to remind him. If he loses their Jiao Jiao, he shouldn’t bother coming ho!
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