Chapter 138: Distorting Right and Wrong

Zhang Guoqing rushed ahead to greet Zhou Xiaozheng, barely able to catch his breath, and called out excitedly, “Dad, it’s me, Zhang Guoqing—your son-in-law! I’m so happy to see you back. Come on, let’s go inside.”

He reached out to take the bundle from Lin Lishan’s hands, but suddenly sensed something was off. His face instantly turned pale. He glanced at Zhou Jiao, then quickly looked at Zhou Xiaozheng and Lin Lishan—neither of them had anything in their hands. “Jiaojiao, where’s our son?”

Zhou Jiao gripped her parents’ hands tightly, signaling to him with her eyes that their son was inside the house. Zhang Guoqing let out a huge sigh of relief. Clearly, she’d forgotten about their son for a moment—he was worried she might have gotten so excited that she’d accidentally carried him out like a bundle and left him somewhere.

“Dad, Mom, you two go in first. Jiaojiao, take it slow and walk with your parents. I’ll go check on our son.” With that, Zhang Guoqing turned and dashed inside.

He muttered to himself, Jiaojiao really is carefree, just leaving their son alone inside. There’s no one else at home today, and with so many people coming and going in the new house, if someone with bad intentions took the child, it would be too late for regrets. He resolved to remind her three times a day from now on: never let their son out of sight. He’d have to think of a way to ensure their child’s safety.

Zhou Jiao hurried in, pulling her parents along. She really had forgotten about her son. “Dad, my heart was pounding just now, like something was calling me to come out. And as soon as I did, I saw you. Hehe, Dad, I never expected it would be you coming home.”

Zhou Xiaozheng chatted with some old acquaintances as he walked, patting Zhou Jiao on the shoulder and nodding. “Brother Gouzi, let’s get together for a drink later. I’ll talk to my in-laws and see the child first.”

A small crowd had gathered at Zhang Guoqing’s door. After exchanging a few words with Zhou Xiaozheng, they didn’t want to interrupt the family reunion, so they all left, laughing and joking, happy that Zhou Xiaozheng was still alive.

Zhang Guoqing rushed into the room and saw his son lying there quietly, wide-eyed and looking around, playing by himself without a fuss. Over the past few days, the baby had started reacting to sounds—Zhang Guoqing was convinced his son could hear them, and compared to other kids, his son was definitely a genius, a high-IQ baby.

After checking on his son, Zhang Guoqing felt at ease. He quickly tidied up the kang in the small sitting room, opened the doors wide, and waited at the entrance for his father- and mother-in-law. As Zhou Xiaozheng came in, Zhang Guoqing took a closer look, rubbing his head—why did he seem so familiar?

Zhou Xiaozheng was over 1.8 meters tall, with an imposing build. Dressed in a military coat, he exuded an unspoken sense of authority. Though over forty, he looked no older than thirty. His eyes were red with emotion, but his face was stern, and when he looked at you, his gaze seemed to see right through you.

His demeanor was solemn and reserved, his every move graceful and composed—he was the very picture of a scholar-general. Someone like that, Zhang Guoqing couldn’t possibly forget meeting. Why did he seem so familiar? His father-in-law didn’t look like Zhou Jiao’s grandparents at all. He glanced at Jiaojiao again—their features were similar, especially the eyes and eyebrows. Their temperaments, too, were alike, especially when they smiled. Still, he couldn’t shake the strange feeling that he’d met him before.

Zhou Xiaozheng entered the inner room and, upon seeing his little grandson on the kang, his expression softened immediately. He cheerfully patted the child’s head, looked around the room, and nodded in approval.

He turned to see Zhang Guoqing’s puzzled expression. Watching him glance back and forth between himself and Zhou Jiao, still confused, Zhou Xiaozheng chuckled to himself. This kid had a good memory—he’d recognized him even after all these years, despite the disguise back then. He remembered how wary Zhang Guoqing had been at the time.

Zhou Xiaozheng curled his lips into a slight smile. “Stop racking your brains. You think I look familiar, don’t you?”

Zhang Guoqing smiled, “Yes, Dad, you do look familiar. I’m sure I’ve seen you before, but I just can’t remember where.”

Both Zhou Jiao and Lin Lishan were curious. After all, Zhou Xiaozheng had been declared a martyr before Zhou Jiao was even a month old.

Suddenly, a lightbulb went off in Zhou Jiao’s head. She blurted out, “Dad, you came to see me before, didn’t you?” She watched her father’s expression and saw a smile of approval flash across his face.

Zhou Xiaozheng said to her, “I saw you when you were five. I disguised myself as a beggar. This kid here didn’t even let me get close—he pulled you away and glared at me like a little guard dog.”

Zhou Jiao shot Zhang Guoqing a look, then turned to her father, tears in her eyes. “Why didn’t you call out to me? I never knew you came to see me. Dad, I always thought you were gone. My brother said you were still alive, but when I was little, he told me people go up to the sky when they die. I used to look up at the sky all the time, trying to find you, but I never could.”

“There, there, don’t cry, Jiaojiao. Good girls don’t cry during confinement, or you’ll end up with puffy ‘goldfish eyes.’ Do you know what goldfish eyes look like? All swollen. My lovely daughter can’t have that. Oh dear, look at your eyes, they’re not pretty when you cry. I promise you, I’ll never leave our little princess again. Be good, look at Daddy. Shanshan, hurry and get a towel to wipe Jiaojiao’s face.” Zhou Xiaozheng bent down, coaxing her gently and making funny faces to cheer her up.

Zhang Guoqing stared in shock. Was this a split personality? Some kind of dissociative disorder?

Zhou Xiaozheng took the warm towel and carefully wiped his daughter’s face. Seeing her break into a smile through her tears, he finally relaxed. He thought to himself, My girl is perfect in every way—just like me.

Lin Lishan watched the father and daughter, knowing she’d better ask now or lose her chance. “Jiaojiao, why did you go out? You left Ping’an behind. Didn’t you say you’d stay in for the whole month?”

Zhang Guoqing snapped out of it and complained, “Exactly! We agreed you wouldn’t go out until the time was up. Once it’s over, I’ll take you anywhere you want. Mom, you don’t know—she gets so bored at home, and I don’t even dare let her read, it’s bad for her eyes. She’s really been climbing the walls.”

Zhou Jiao was still overjoyed, clinging tightly to her father’s arm. She looked him up and down, satisfied to see he was whole and healthy. She studied him closely—he looked in great shape, not at all like someone who’d been injured.

She was beaming with joy, almost skipping like a child. She reached up and pinched her father’s face, then turned to Lin Lishan and boasted, “Mom, you always say I look like Grandma, but you’re wrong! Really wrong! Look at my face, then look at Dad’s. Don’t my eyes look just like his? And my eyebrows, my nose—everything! Brother, don’t you think I take after Dad?”

Before anyone could respond, Zhou Jiao raised her eyebrows and chin, showing off. “Do you know why I went out?”

“Hehe, it’s because Dad and I have a telepathic connection, you know? You should be jealous. I was changing Ping’an’s diaper when my heart suddenly started pounding, totally out of rhythm. No matter how I tried to calm down, I just couldn’t. I felt all sour inside and just had to go outside. I was afraid if I didn’t, my heart couldn’t take it. So I settled Ping’an, closed the door, and went out—and the moment I did, I saw you two. Dad, isn’t that amazing?”

Before Zhou Xiaozheng could answer, Zhang Guoqing anxiously circled her. “Is your heart still racing? Why didn’t you mention this before? Maybe we should go to the hospital.”

He looked at her with concern. Lately, she’d been on all sorts of tonics—chicken, pig’s feet, bird’s nest, donkey-hide gelatin. Her complexion was a little better, but she was still thin and pale. What if she really had a heart problem? That could be serious. Maybe they should go to a big hospital for a full check-up, just to be safe.

Zhou Jiao realized her joke had gone too far. She quickly waved her hands, worried they wouldn’t believe her, and showed off her skinny arms, then sheepishly put them down. She hurriedly grabbed her father’s hand, afraid they’d drag her to the hospital if she didn’t explain.

“No, really, my heart is fine. I can run and exercise with no problem. It was just a feeling, you know? Look, even though I’m skinny, I haven’t been sick in years. Don’t worry, I’m stronger than an ox.”

Lin Lishan burst out laughing and tapped her on the head. “You and your silver tongue! You’re only close to your dad, huh? You think your mom is just calm and unfeeling? Don’t you know your mom will hold a grudge? Bad girl!”

Zhou Jiao quickly grabbed her mother’s hand with her other hand, acting cute. “Of course I miss you, Mom. I think my heart was pounding because I was about to see both of you. You’re the moon, Dad’s the sun—there’s no comparison, so don’t be jealous of Dad.”

She turned to explain to Zhang Guoqing, “Brother, you too—don’t be jealous of Dad. I can sense you too, really. When Ping’an grows up, you’ll understand what it means to have that kind of family bond.”

Zhang Guoqing looked at his father-in-law with envy. Not that he was jealous—Jiaojiao could sense him too. Whenever he came home, she always knew he was downstairs.

It was almost noon, and it had taken them hours to get here from the provincial capital—they must have rushed over first thing in the morning without eating. He decided to check if his mother had prepared anything in the kitchen. If not, he’d cook some noodles with a couple of eggs to tide them over until lunch.

Zhang Guoqing smiled at Zhou Jiao, amused by how eager she was to explain, as if afraid he’d misunderstand. He quickly reassured her that he wasn’t jealous—he wasn’t that petty.

“I know, I know. Don’t worry. You sit down and chat with Dad and Mom. Now that Dad’s here, say whatever’s on your mind. You feel better now, right? You really do look like Dad—not just your features, but your temperament too. Dad, Mom, make yourselves comfortable on the kang. Jiaojiao’s been missing you, Dad, and now she can finally talk with you. I’ll go check on things outside. If you need anything, just call me.”

With that, Zhang Guoqing waited for their response, poured two cups of tea, brought them into the inner room, gave Zhou Jiao a meaningful look, and slipped out. He needed to check if his mother and sisters-in-law were back from the mill.

Zhou Jiao saw him casually shake his wrist and knew he was off to prepare food. Oh no, in her excitement, she’d forgotten her parents had gotten off the train early in the morning and probably hadn’t eaten before rushing over."

"**Chapter 139: Questioning**

After Zhang Guoqing left, Zhou Xiaozheng walked over to the kang bed. Seeing his grandson lying there quietly, not making a fuss, he bent down to take a closer look, then gently picked Ping’an up in his arms. He checked the little clothes the baby was wearing, felt the thickness of the small quilt, then wrapped him in his military coat. Only after carefully observing his grandson’s complexion and making sure he was comfortable in his arms did he finally relax.

“His nickname is Ping’an, right? Hmm, that’s a good name. When I left, Jiaojiao was about this big—actually, even prettier than little Ping’an. She used to purse her tiny lips, so delicate and sweet, never cried or made a fuss. Not like those kids in the military family compound, wailing every night and keeping their parents from resting. It was so annoying for those who lived nearby.

Before I left, holding her, I thought for sure I’d be back before she could talk, that I’d get to hear her call me ‘Dad.’ Who would’ve thought it would be a whole seventeen years—seventeen years without being there for her, seeing her learn to talk, to walk, never sending her off to school, never carrying her on my back, never helping her choose a husband. I missed so much. Shanshan, we really let our daughter down. Luckily, our Jiaojiao still managed to grow up, stumbling along the way.

Jiaojiao, you’ve suffered so much because of me. The person I owe the most is you. When you were born, I was so excited, I wanted to give you the best of everything, let you live like a little princess, happy and carefree. But in the end, you still suffered so much.”

“It wasn’t suffering, Dad. I’m just grateful you’re back and safe. I used to think, even if you came back missing an arm or a leg, as long as you came home, I’d have a complete family. Now, seeing you back safe and sound, all I feel is gratitude. Dad, don’t feel guilty. There are so many things in life we can’t control. It’s not like you left me on purpose. I’ve always remembered you’re a soldier, and I’ve always been proud of you.

But I still want to say, Dad, it’s so good to see you. I finally have a father.” Zhou Jiao grinned, unable to suppress her joy.

She told herself silently: I’m not a fatherless child anymore, not the jinx that Huang Zhaodi always said would bring disaster to her father. After two lifetimes, I finally have a father who loves me. That emptiness in my heart is finally filled.

Thinking of Huang Zhaodi reminded her of all the mess in the Zhou family. She snuck a glance at her mother, wondering if she’d told her father about Grandpa’s side of the family. She found it hard to bring up herself, and since her father hadn’t mentioned her grandparents, she knew she wasn’t a match for him in these matters.

Zhou Xiaozheng was always paying attention to his daughter—how could he not notice her? He frowned slightly, noticing how she kept sneaking glances at him. She’d learned to read people’s expressions, probably had something she found hard to say. It was likely about her grandparents and uncle, and she was worried he’d blame her. But his Jiaojiao was steady—she didn’t rush to complain.

Right now, Zhou Xiaozheng was more concerned about her current life. As for what had happened before, there was plenty of time to deal with that. He didn’t want his daughter to worry about the Zhou family—he’d make sure those people stayed far away from her, so she wouldn’t have to see them and be haunted by bad memories or worry about them dragging her down.

“There’s no one else here now. Tell me, have your in-laws made things hard for you? Have Zhang Guoqing’s two sisters-in-law bossed you around or made things difficult? Have they not given you enough to eat? Made you work in the fields? Since your household registration isn’t in the village, you don’t get rations—have they been stingy on purpose? Why are you so thin, like a gust of wind could blow you away? Are you not eating, or afraid to eat? Is Zhang Guoqing good to you? Does he boss you around like a big man?

If you’ve suffered even a little, tell me. Now that I’m back, I’ll take you away myself. Don’t worry about your reputation or anything—however you want to live, no one can stop you. I can support you, and I’ll make sure you’re well-fed and healthy.” Zhou Xiaozheng rattled off his questions, staring at her intently, afraid his silly daughter would keep things to herself and not complain.

Even though he’d heard from his father-in-law and wife that the Zhang family were good people, and he knew Zhang Dayou and his wife were honest and straightforward, he still couldn’t relax.

He’d grown up in the countryside, in villages like this. He’d seen plenty of mothers-in-law bossing around their daughters-in-law, using all sorts of tricks, both open and hidden. Don’t be fooled by their lack of education—there was no shortage of schemes, all passed down through generations.

Even the most decent families still treated daughters-in-law as outsiders, always under the mother-in-law’s thumb. Only his own mother was different—so soft-hearted that Huang Zhaodi could push her around.

The thought of his precious daughter being bullied as a daughter-in-law made him want to pack up and leave with her. He knew his daughter was clever, but no one had taught her about the ways of the world—she’d had to figure it out herself by watching others. What if she got the wrong idea and thought it was normal for mothers-in-law to torment their daughters-in-law? He needed to plan carefully.

Zhou Jiao leaned against her father, smiling as she said, “Dad, you really underestimate your daughter. If I didn’t want to be bullied, who would dare to pick on me? Xiao Wu never bosses me around, either. Besides, I wouldn’t have married into the Zhang family if I hadn’t checked out what kind of people they were, how the women got along, their reputation, and whether I could handle Xiao Wu. No matter how much I liked him, if his family was a mess, I hate trouble the most—why would I bother? Also, except for the eldest son, the rest of the sons split off and set up their own households a year after getting married. I looked into all this. I grew up here, after all. I only married in after I was sure.

Look, the courtyard next door is almost finished. We’ll have our own place by spring. And I’ve known Xiao Wu since we were kids—I know him well, he’d never bully me.

Don’t worry, Dad. If anyone treats me badly, I have a father and mother now—I can always come home. Dad, thank you for coming back safe.” She stopped, not wanting to make her father sad or guilty with tears or sorrow.

Zhou Xiaozheng, holding Ping’an in one arm, reached out to pat her head. “Good. If you’re ever wronged, just come home. No one will dare bully you again. With me here, if anyone gives you a hard time, no matter who it is—even the emperor himself—you just steamroll right over them. With me backing you up, do whatever you want. Think about what you want to eat every day, go buy good things, don’t worry about what others think. My precious daughter isn’t someone those fools can compare to or bully.”

Zhou Jiao nodded enthusiastically, head bowed, but finally voiced her worry: “Dad, I’m sorry—I got Zhou Xiaocun and the others in trouble. Did Mom tell you? At first, I wanted to just let it go since I was already married. But after I saw your box and knew you were still alive, I decided to act. I couldn’t stand them anymore and wanted to separate from the main family, so you wouldn’t have to drag them along when you came back.

Dad, I was selfish. I was thinking too much about myself this time. I was afraid that after all you’d been through, you’d come back only to be dragged down by those fools. But now that it’s done, I don’t feel guilty or burdened. I just worry about Grandma—she must be having a hard time, or she would have come to see me by now.

Dad, are you mad that I made decisions on my own? Did I block your way? I had Xiao Wu tell the county and township officials to wait until the end of the month, just to leave you some leeway. If you want to let them off, I won’t object.”

Zhou Xiaozheng looked at her, head bowed and not daring to meet his eyes, and couldn’t help but laugh. “Well done! Just like your old man. If you hadn’t acted, I’d have loosened their bones myself. Eating your food, drinking your drinks, living off you and still scheming against my daughter, even dreaming of marrying you off to those scumbags—how could I let them off? If I didn’t shoot them, it’s only because we’re blood relatives. What’s with that look? You don’t believe your dad would come back and deal with them?”

Zhou Jiao looked up in shock, her face flushed with excitement, unable to speak for a moment. Her big eyes stared at him, hands rubbing together nervously. After a while, she finally said, “Dad, you know everything?”

Zhou Xiaozheng handed Ping’an to Lin Lishan and patted Zhou Jiao. “You did great that day. Your grandpa told me everything, and your mom told me all about it on the train, too. I figured out the rest. Leave your grandpa’s side of things to me—don’t worry. Just focus on your recovery.”

Zhou Jiao hugged him and asked seriously, “Dad, when you were little, was Grandpa bad to you? Is that why you joined the army? Are you sure you’re really his son?”

Zhou Xiaozheng smiled and sighed. “Does it matter if I am or not? Who would have the answer? Besides, your grandma was always good to us. If I wasn’t really their son, would she have protected you like that?”

He looked at Lin Lishan. “Shanshan, you stay here, no need to go over. They’re probably all waiting for me. I’ll go talk to my dad. You keep Jiaojiao company and get some rest.”

Zhou Jiao grabbed his arm. “Dad, wait a bit, I still have things to talk to you about. Xiao Wu is getting food ready for you all—you should eat before you go. There’s a tough battle waiting for you. You need to be prepared.”

Zhou Xiaozheng laughed heartily. “Don’t worry, he’s my dad—I know him well. What else do you want to know?”

Zhou Jiao pretended to glare at him, but couldn’t help smiling. “Dad, have you decided where you’ll be working?”

Zhou Xiaozheng looked at her, amused. “You little rascal, are you worried about your grandparents following the army? Don’t worry. The main reason I’m going back is to ask him why he just stood by and watched you suffer in that house, pretending not to see or hear anything. If you hadn’t been smart and avoided being tricked into marrying into the Huang family, who knows what would’ve happened? I have to settle that score with him.

As for them being locked up, what does that have to do with us? You just told the truth when they came to the door. If they’d been shot, it would’ve been their luck. Even if they died, it wouldn’t be a loss. The eldest is just heartless. It’s only the old man who’s muddle-headed.”

“So, have you decided where you’ll work?”

“I’ll be at my old unit, but promoted a few levels. I’m not going back to the Northeast. Your mom said you want to go to college in Beijing, so I’ll settle down there first. I’ll give you two years—if you don’t get in, you’ll all come to Beijing anyway. After all these years apart, you should come back to be with me as soon as you can, right?”

“Yeah, I want us to be together soon, too. What about Uncle? Where will he work? Same unit as you?”

Zhou Xiaozheng, with his back to his wife, winked at Zhou Jiao. “Your uncle and I are at the same unit. We reported back together and didn’t apply for a transfer.”

Zhou Jiao smiled and nodded. “That’s good. You can look out for each other. Dad, how many days off do you have this time? I can’t go out yet, otherwise I’d love to go out with you. People say I look like Grandma, but I think I look like you. I want to show everyone our family of three.”

“Silly girl, once your month is up, I’ll take you to Beijing. I only have a month’s leave, and I need to get back to the army to get settled in. I can’t stay here long,” Lin Lishan said, both amused and a little sad. They’d be leaving in a few days.

Zhou Xiaozheng didn’t argue, and said to his wife, “Shanshan, go see if Xiao Wu is ready. Just make something simple to eat. Say hello to the in-laws, and we’ll talk more tonight. Everyone, go take care of your own things for now.”"