In a rare bout of good weather, the wind stopped and the snow ceased, the winter sun piercing through layers of clouds brought threads of warmth. Ping’an couldn’t stay put and slipped out the door with his little friends.
With the children’s laughter gone, the yard beca quiet and cold. Watching Aunt Chen following closely behind, Zhang Guoqing leaned against the wall, basking in the sun, as his wife lazily snuggled in the chair next to him, he stood up.
"Where are you going?"
"Too bored, I’m going to tidy up the west room."
"Do you want to help?"
Zhang Guoqing quickly stopped her: "You just stay here and relax. I’ll just check the kang bed; Aunt Chen will tidy up the bedding later."
Zhou Jiao waved her hand half-sleepily.
In the three rooms of the west wing, Ping’an had taken one for a reading room, another was used by Zhang Guoqing for entertaining friends, leaving the middle one piled with clutter.
Standing at the door looking in, Zhang Guoqing resolutely gave up. He hadn’t reinforced the kang bed last year; he suspected soone might freeze to death at night. If the two sister-in-laws caught a severe cold, he’d have to worry about them passing it on to his wife and son.
Pulling aside the cotton curtain on the left room, inside was a ss, scattered with chess pieces and playing cards by his rowdy friends. This room hadn’t been without visitors since New Year.
Slling smoke and alcohol inside, Zhang Guoqing disdainfully lifted the curtain, then opened the door and windows wide. No wonder Aunt Chen said this room needed a thorough overhaul after New Year.
The children’s reading room was just next to it, truly inconsiderate!
"Brother, you’re really thoughtful! Quick, co over and lend a hand." In the west wing, Zhang Guoqing saw Yi Jiefang coming over, grinning ear to ear.
Yi Jiefang wasn’t buying it. He leaned against the door, arm slung across, pointing at the kang: "What are you ssing with again?"
"There’s not enough room to sleep."
Yi Jiefang dropped his arms in shock, incredulously pointing outside: "Even with your family, you don’t have enough room? Don’t tell so relatives are coming over again?"
Zhang Guoqing rolled his eyes at him: "What? Got an opinion? My mother is coming!"
Yi Jiefang quickly jumped forward: "Why didn’t you say earlier? You’ll have to clear out a room, she’s my dear aunt after all." Then, he shook his head: "No, no! Uncle Zhou will surely have aunt and uncle stay in the main room."
"My mother is bringing two sister-in-laws, she’ll stay with Ping’an, and the sister-in-laws in the main room wouldn’t be right."
Yi Jiefang nodded understandingly.
"What’s with that expression? Co on, help out, buddy."
Yi Jiefang reached out and straightened the kang cover, "Want to have my mom think of a way to move places? They’ve enjoyed that won’s federation place for so long, they should almost be moving. Once that four-section compound is back, family from your hotown won’t have to squeeze into the house here. Luckily it’s your own family; if it were so countryman, what would you do?"
"Just toss them into the guesthouse, why bother thinking?"
"Really not in a hurry to get that courtyard back?"
Zhang Guoqing shook his head: "Getting it back is useless, only a few people at ho, who’s going to run over there. It’s better the won’s federation keeps it, with your mom there, no one dares misbehave."
"Who says? Last ti, people at their unit said the back is empty and they wanted it as a dorm. I heard several couples got married last year without a place to live."
Zhang Guoqing frowned: "How co you never ntioned it before?"
"Bothered, right? Who wants to talk about this kind of crap during the New Year? According to my mom, once we move to West Mountain, their unit might also move. You should discuss it with my sister, best if you both move your household registration over."
Zhang Guoqing nodded. His family had already discussed the courtyard issue. Sohow, Old Hu and his father-in-law talked one evening; when they returned, they told him the old man was reliable and it would be okay to transfer the alley courtyard to Old Hu’s na.
Apparently, his father-in-law had prior notice about the won’s federation moving out; otherwise, he wouldn’t have ntioned moving their household registration over.
"And once you move this place, where will we gather when friends co over? I rember I still have clothes stored here, Da Yong and Dato have several bottles of wine hidden inside."
"Damn, you guys are sothing!"
Yi Jiefang knocked around inside the room, actually finding several stinky cotton socks, two bottles of wine, and a half-eaten snack.
Seeing this, Zhang Guoqing was speechless. If Aunt Chen saw this, it would be surprising if she didn’t go after them! No wonder she always said they couldn’t clean it up properly.
Yi Jiefang spread his hands: "Find another place?"
What could Zhang Guoqing do? This space was occupied by these shaless guys; he estimated there might be treasures hidden in so corner.
He suspiciously stared at Yi Jiefang: "You guys didn’t hide any of those adult magazines in here, did you? If Ping’an and the other little ones find them, it’d be a real embarrassnt!"
Yi Jiefang hesitated for a mont and shook his head: "Shouldn’t be. Other than Da Yong and Dato, who else is so perverted, right?"
For those young n who always wanted to see girls from the Art Troupe, Zhang Guoqing wasn’t confident. He decided to look thoroughly when everyone was gone.
Besides, one couldn’t predict people’s motives; apart from a few trustworthy buddies, during New Year’s, plenty of youngsters ca in a group, and who knows if soone left sothing inappropriate.
"Leave it as is, have them co help clean up later. No use tidying now; they’ll agree upon a celebration soon."
When Zhang Guoqing heard this, he imdiately sat on the kang bed: "What are you celebrating again this ti? I rember you celebrated my wife’s pregnancy nurous tis."
No wonder he asked. Since December twenty-eighth, whether celebrating Zhou Jiao having their nephew, or Zhang Guoqing becoming a dad again, or just New Year’s, any excuse for a celebration could be found.
Yi Jiefang burst into laughter: "This ti it’s a real celebration! Two have joined the army, shouldn’t we celebrate them? Don’t worry, probably just another celebration after New Year’s."
This talk wouldn’t fool his Ping’an; even the kids didn’t believe it!
It was all these guys’ antics spreading a bad influence, causing those young ones in the adjacent reading room to always imitate their celebrations.
The crooked beam sets the crooked rafters!
In the study at night, after Zhang Guoqing submitted his howork and waited for his father-in-law to finish reviewing it and asking questions, he couldn’t help but inquire about what was discussed that day.
Zhou Xiaozheng glanced at him: "He was once our military field doctor, still holds certification. To facilitate teaching Jiao Jiao, he plans to accept the offer to resu his original position at the Military General Hospital. For soone like him, going back into the cage—this alone is enough for us to trust him."
"The old man is really dedicated!"
Zhou Xiaozheng shook his head: "For him, having soone to inherit his legacy is paramount. Besides past kindness, he’s impressed by Jiao Jiao’s talent. He personally told he had long lost the inclination to take students but later confird over a year that Jiao Jiao is well-suited for dicine."
"Dad, you weren’t quickly swayed by a few complints about Jiao Jiao and heartily agreed, were you?"
Zhou Xiaozheng snorted indifferently, unwilling to reply. When it ca to his daughter, no matter how beneficial the praise was, even if it were the best in the world, he couldn’t be careless.
However, he refused to argue with this foolish son-in-law. If not for Old Hu repeatedly suggesting that learning dicine would add a layer of protection for his daughter, and with uncertain future circumstances, having dical skills to avoid harm, he wouldn’t have agreed.
Zhang Guoqing smiled cheerfully, observing his father-in-law imrsed in arranging howork. Their temperants were becoming more like his wife’s!
"Dad, should I go over in the next few days to handle the transfer?"
Zhou Xiaozheng thought for a mont then shook his head: "Better let your great-aunt handle it. If you get involved, it’ll draw too much attention. Dad is heading to lower levels in a few days, you just look after things at ho."
"Outside?"
"Stay prudent." Zhou Xiaozheng finished speaking, worriedly looked at him, "Show no softness, discuss more with Jiao Jiao if needed."
"Alright, Dad, be careful out there. If things really seem off, wherever we go as a family, it doesn’t matter, even farming would earn ten work points."
Zhou Xiaozheng felt a warmth in his heart upon hearing this, smiling and nodding.
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