It was already late at night, and the radio next door had stopped working. Zhang Guoqing didn’t dare to bother his wife anymore; if he stayed out too late, his father-in-law might co looking for him.
The couple rested, cleaned up, and tidied the ss, then walked hand in hand out of the yard.
Under the moonlight, they left the alley and walked on the street, where quite a few people were still outside enjoying the cool air. If they were in their hotown, the village would be pitch black, and he wondered if his parents were really doing as well as they said in their letters, with everything going well?
Zhang Guoqing didn’t want to linger on the street too long, feeling sorry for his wife who was quite tired earlier. He glanced at her legs under the long dress and patted the rear seat of the bicycle.
Zhou Jiao gave him a sideways glance but did not refuse. She got onto the back seat, looked around to see that no one was watching, and gently embraced his waist, closing her eyes. Sigh... they were truly husband and wife; why did it feel like they were sneaking around like lovers? Thinking of this, Zhou Jiao helplessly smiled.
When they returned ho, unexpectedly, the courtyard was still full of people, even Ping’an, who usually went to sleep on ti, was energetically talking and gesturing with his little friends.
Old Mrs. Cheng, seeing the couple enter, laughed and said, "We saved two hairy crabs for you, go wash your hands and co eat."
Zhang Guoqing curiously asked, "Where did they co from?"
"Yu’s grandfather had a friend send them to him; your aunt brought them over tonight when you weren’t ho."
Zhou Jiao complained, "My aunt really doesn’t hold back, sending ho good things! Isn’t she afraid of people saying she’s bringing things back to her mother’s family? Auntie, why didn’t you keep her until we ca back?"
Before the old lady could reply, Liu Ting, the eldest daughter-in-law of the Cheng family, laughed and said, "Looks like your aunt truly cares for you. She said there are guests at ho, she’ll co see you in a few days."
Zhang Guoqing took two lunch boxes from the black bag and handed one with a roast duck inside to Aunt Chen, asking her to slice it for the n to enjoy with their drinks.
Mr. Cheng joked, "Your dad said you two would definitely bring a midnight snack back. Looks like he guessed right. Is this month’s salary enough?"
Zhang Guoqing replied, smiling brightly, "It’s alright, if it’s not enough I’ll just ask my dad."
Everyone laughed heartily.
Cheng Sijin nudged Zhou Xiaozheng and joked, "Big brother, better watch your wallet."
Zhou Xiaozheng smiled and said, "I can’t guard it well; Xiao Wu’s already mingled with logistics well enough to collect my salary."
Everyone laughed uproariously again.
Aunt Chen served the roast duck onto the stone table, and Mr. Cheng and the n began another round of drinks and talks, inserting slices of at into the mouths of the little ones. Tomorrow happens to be the weekend, with good wine and food, the n are happy to gather in celebration.
Old Mrs. Cheng lightly patted Zhou Jiao’s hand and softly said, "Was the queue long?" She wasn’t distressed about the money spent; it was already quite difficult to buy at these days, money was inconsequential.
Zhou Jiao nodded with a smile, "Made a reservation a few days ago, was worried there wouldn’t be any when I went." After saying this, she changed the subject. Tell too many lies, and there will be loopholes.
"How are Second Uncle’s family doing? Did you see them, anything amiss?"
A few days ago, the old lady visited her younger son’s place but hadn’t ntioned how Cheng Siyu’s family was doing. As Zhou Jiao asked, even Lin Lishan and Liu Ting’s attention was drawn.
Old Mrs. Cheng had been unsure how to put it, she smiled and sighed, causing the won to hold their breath, afraid sothing bad had happened.
Old Mrs. Cheng laughed and said, "Don’t worry. They’re fine at the military camp." Seeing they were still looking at her skeptically, she explained, "I took a walk around the villages below, and it affected my mood."
Zhou Jiao thoughtfully asked, "Auntie, did you visit old friends? Are they not doing well?"
"This child, nothing gets past you." The old lady patted her hand and sighed, "It’s certain that life below is hard."
Zhou Jiao remained silent. It was the prevailing trend; she couldn’t say anything untruthful, especially having seen how foreigners lived. She could only comfort herself by thinking life would just keep getting better.
Is self-deception the only way to save the world?
"Mom, didn’t they say last year they’re leaving so land for the farrs? Recently, many of my colleagues exchanged eggs and vegetables with the suburbs."
Old Mrs. Cheng was silent for a while and said softly, "The situation varies from place to place. In many areas, except for busy farming days, als are just twice a day, with wild vegetables as the staple."
Lin Lishan continued, "It’s true, it’s similar in the suburbs. A new girl in our group is from the southern suburb; she said every production team is different. Her grandma’s family is just a few miles from her; her family manages to fill up with coarse grains in three als, while her grandma’s family only drinks thin porridge twice a day."
Liu Ting frowned, glanced at Zhou Jiao, planning to advise her privately. She was ticulous, considering her child hadn’t been ho for a few months, and wasn’t sure if any letters were sent back to her in-laws. Sotis you need to show where you stand, or even good marriages will have underlying issues.
Obviously, she realized it, and the old lady weighed it in her heart too. So she said, "Jiao Jiao, have you written a letter to Xiao Wu’s parents since you ca back?"
Zhou Jiao, as indifferent to social conventions as her mother, did not consider much and replied directly, "Not yet."
The old lady was about to remind her.
Zhou Jiao continued, "My dad’ll be traveling in a few days, and my mom’s also going to the grassroots. We were planning to take the child back for a visit. I’m not going to write a letter; we might get there before the letter does."
The old lady watched her finish, pursed her lips; why didn’t this child say it all at once? She glanced at the happily smiling Lin Lishan and the relieved daughter-in-law, nodded tacitly.
Then she looked at Zhang Guoqing not far away and softly said, "Usually write more letters to your in-laws. No matter how much you send them, a few kind words go a long way."
At this point, Zhou Jiao understood, smiled, and nodded repeatedly.
"Xiao Wu’s filial devotion to his parents differs from yours to your in-laws. You shouldn’t think just because he writes letters, you don’t need to go out of your way. Invite them over often, ask if they need anything. Do you understand ? Especially during this period when you’re not ho, write more letters when you return." After saying this, Old Mrs. Cheng watched her for a response.
Zhou Jiao nodded obediently.
Nearby, Lin Lishan quickly said, "Aunt, Brother Zheng already asked to write to the in-laws earlier, and I sent a package."
Old Mrs. Cheng was pleased and said, "Good job. Even if Xiao Wu’s parents aren’t dependable, for Xiao Wu’s sake we should take better care. Besides, Xiao Zhang’s couple are genuine and upright. There’s nothing to say about being in-laws; more contact brings closer relations between the families."
Even though Zhang Guoqing was with his father-in-law and the others, his attention was always on his wife, fearing she might be tired. At this point, even if the old lady and the others spoke quietly, he heard everything clearly.
It seems the Cheng family maintains harmony due to an understanding old lady. No wonder the ancients said marrying a virtuous wife benefits three generations.
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