In the cold days of December, the goose-feather snow in Beijing had been falling for a whole week, and each ti Zhou Jiao walked, the snow reached up to her calves, making it difficult for her to lift her feet.
Seeing Zhang Guoqing, she began to long eagerly for her father and son. But starting the next day, along with the snow mixed with rain, the final exams also comnced.
Helpless, Zhou Jiao could only call ho. Listening to her son sensibly ask her to co ho after finishing her exams, she couldn’t help but shed tears for a mont.
A week later, after finishing the final exams, her studies for this sester were also concluded. Zhou Jiao couldn’t care less about the experintal topics the professor ntioned, she let him fuss all he wanted, she was going to spend ti with her son first.
Escorted by Zhang Guoqing to the small train, after two months, she returned ho. She had left in the autumn, but now returned in the heart of winter.
A small figure at the gate of the Big Courtyard, upon seeing Zhou Jiao, excitedly rushed forward, "Mom, why did you stay away for so long?"
Zhou Jiao squatted down and gave him a hard kiss, "Missed mom so much. Every night when I couldn’t sleep, I’d read the letters from my baby. How did you co here alone?"
"Grandma Chen is buying soy sauce at the service store, I stayed with the uncle at the gate so I’m not worried about bad people."
Zhou Jiao obviously understood her son’s little thoughts and touched his face, which was cold. She showed her credentials to the young guard at the gate, thanked him, and then ran ho carrying her child.
"Mom, is it because dad didn’t study well and was kept at school?"
Zhou Jiao laughed heartily, "Yes! Ask him about it when he gets back."
"Mom, I’ll tell you a secret. Dad always ca ho even during his internship. I told him to read books, and he said he already read them."
"Oh, really?"
"Yes. Grandpa wrote a lot of letters, and uncle and others also wrote. Since you weren’t ho, dad took to send two packages to grandma and grandpa."
"Oh."
"Grandma prepared everything. Dad said before leaving he had arranged everything for grandma and grandpa, but grandma said it was her token of love, a different matter."
Zhou Jiao smiled and patted him, "You just watch, don’t worry about how adults arrange things. How’s grandpa’s health lately? Any colds?"
"No. I have Grandma Chen stew sothing for grandpa and them every day as a night snack. However, grandpa often disobeys and stays up late, he doesn’t listen even when I tell him."
"Oh, mom, grandma took to visit that great grandpa." Ping’an said, blinking his eyes towards her.
Zhou Jiao understood, "Grandpa Lin?"
"Mom, you’re so smart. Grandpa approved, and grandma took over, bringing along two cans of at, two jars of canned fruit, two bottles of liquor, and a big box of ox tongue. That great grandpa cried sadly when he saw grandma, and later grandma cried too."
"What did grandpa say?"
Ping’an furrowed his brows in confusion, "When I told grandpa after returning, he didn’t say anything, just sighed. Later, grandma never went again to see that great grandpa. I don’t understand what it ans."
Zhou Jiao nodded in agreent, "Yeah, it’s too complicated. I don’t understand it either."
Ping’an hugged his mother’s neck tightly, burying his head in her arms, giggling.
Approaching the house, Ping’an whispered in her ear, "That great grandpa also ntioned you, asking what you guys were busy with and if you could find ti to visit."
Zhou Jiao patted his butt, "Mom got it. We’ll talk about it when there’s ti. Now all of the ti is ours. I heard from your dad you still have a lot of snacks left, why not eat them? Don’t like them?"
"No, I’m saving them to eat slowly."
The mother and son chatted on their way back ho when they suddenly rembered they’d left Aunt Chen at the service store. Since she was ho, Zhou Jiao decided not to go out looking for her. She quickly asked Ping’an to watch the gate while she rushed into the kitchen to replenish supplies, then returned to her study room to put away a bag.
Seeing it was still early, Zhou Jiao sorted out fruits for the Cheng Family for Aunt Chen to take over. If it were the usual, she could take it over herself, but now she had her own body’s concerns. The rest could only wait for Zhang Guoqing to co back the next day to deliver to the old gentlen and uncles.
Actually, Zhang Guoqing couldn’t wait till the next day to co back. Once the school matters were sorted, he hurried ho with Yi Jiefang who also couldn’t wait to return ho.
The classmates from before were considered freshn, the class leaders could still enthusiastically help around, but now they were old veterans, with many able to conveniently escort the junior fellows from the sa hotown back.
Upon getting ho, Zhang Guoqing first touched his wife’s hands, at least they weren’t frozen, "We must go to the outside hospital first thing in the morning, it can’t be delayed."
"Alright."
In the evening, the family had an early dinner, Lin Lishan and Zhang Guoqing each went out to deliver fruits.
In the study, Zhou Jiao thoroughly reported the details of her recent Southern trip from beginning to end. Just as she finished, Zhang Guoqing and the father-son duo’s conversation could be heard from outside.
Zhou Xiaozheng initially wanted to say sothing to his daughter, but he had to let it go. Listening to the conversation between father and son outside, it seed that several elders reciprocated gifts, he gestured to Zhou Jiao to see what was happening first.
Zhou Jiao thought for a mont. She hadn’t told her husband about these matters yet and indeed needed to say sothing first, otherwise, he might genuinely get angry.
Before leaving, she took out the wooden box that possibly contained the Zhou Family’s secrets, "Dad, this is the box, see what’s inside."
Zhou Xiaozheng kept a calm face, but his trembling hands couldn’t open the box. Taking a deep breath to calm his heart, he steadied his emotions before carefully opening it.
Just as Zhou Jiao anticipated, there were two letters and a genealogy book inside. The top letter should be from the ancestor who established the secret room, elaborately detailing the origins of the wealth.
The ancestor of the Zhou Family, who was promoted to Governor of Guangdong and Guangxi, had a lifelong passion for collecting books and traditional Chinese stationery. To support this particular hobby, he invested all the dividends obtained from the Gu Family into it.
Eventually, he realized many of these items were banned books at the ti. While it wasn’t much of a problem in Jiangnan, once his term ended, he had to return to Beijing. In Beijing, a misstep could lead to his enemies discovering them, which would undeniably result in confiscation and eradication of his entire clan. After careful consideration, he sought help from an outsider – his friend Dao Yuan.
With his friend’s assistance, he sealed so prohibited books of the previous dynasty inside a cave, and before returning to Beijing after his term, he entrusted the friend to watch over them.
The political climate at the ti was very delicate, with several princes fighting over the throne. His thoughts were discovered by a friend, unexpectedly, Dao Yuan predicted his fate.
The letter didn’t specify the prediction, the ancestor rely said he hesitated repeatedly and, even if he didn’t believe these things, to prevent the family’s downfall, he stored all the inco from his two terms into the secret room before returning to Beijing.
There, he advised the descendants fortunate enough to open the secret room that once the situation beca settled, apart from the gold and silver, the ancient books, paintings, and traditional Chinese stationery must not be sold.
Zhou Xiaozheng carefully folded this classical Chinese letter, took out another letter. Seeing the inscription, "To be opened by my son, Direct Lineage offspring of the Zhou Family, Zhou Jinyu," he understood it was penned by his father.
It was filled with classical expressions once again.
The gist: Ever since the Zhou family suffered misfortune, as the only direct bloodline, he had already avenged the family. He was passing by with his wife this ti to reattach the genealogy. First, to prevent unexpected events, and second, to ensure future heirs beco familiar with Zhou Family’s generational history.
Implied further was the wish to retire from the world.
Zhou Xiaozheng gently laid aside the letter, wiped the tears off his face. Seeing the date on it, he could imagine his father had grown tired of life and had thoughts of leaving for overseas with his wife, possibly planning to look at the ancestral property for one last ti before leaving the country.
Later there must have been accidents, he sacrificed himself, leaving a pregnant wife who never again entered the secret room, nor managed to leave the country.
After a long while, Zhou Xiaozheng used a handkerchief to clean his hands, held up that genealogy book, and turned to the last page, where his parents’ nas and words were unmistakably listed.
Although still not finding out the truth from back then, all this was already enough for Zhou Xiaozheng!
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