Chapter 20: Clues About the Zhou Family

Zhang Guoqing was also hurrying along, riding his bicycle toward Zhoujia Village. It was probably around seven o’clock now, and the whole village was already at work. There weren’t many people on the road—just a few elderly men and women, and some little kids running about.

The gate to the Zhou family’s courtyard was open. Zhang Guoqing pushed his bike inside and called out loudly, “Grandpa, Grandma, it’s Xiao Wu! Are you home?”

Grandma Zhou came out to greet him. “I heard Jiao Jiao gave birth to a big, healthy boy last night. Is that true? How’s she doing? Your mother will have to help take care of her during her confinement.”

Zhang Guoqing followed Grandma Zhou into the main hall. Grandpa Zhou was sitting there, puffing on his pipe. When he saw Zhang Guoqing, he nodded and motioned for him to sit down.

“Grandpa, I’m here today to bring you good news. Sorry I’m a bit late—I just got back from town and wanted to buy some pig’s trotters for Jiao Jiao to help her recover. I came straight here after shopping and haven’t been home yet. My mother asked me to invite you and Grandma to the ‘three-day celebration’ to join in the fun,” Zhang Guoqing explained.

Grandpa Zhou nodded. “Alright. When you go back, take two hens and some eggs with you. Your grandma raised them especially for Jiao Jiao’s confinement. We’ll help gather some other things too. Make sure she rests well this month—your mother will have to work hard. In the future, I’ll make sure Jiao Jiao is filial to your mother.”

Grandma Zhou chimed in, “How much did the baby weigh? Did Jiao Jiao’s milk come in last night? Was the baby well-behaved? Jiao Jiao was such a good child when she was little—never made a fuss at night.”

Seeing how eager the two elders were, Zhang Guoqing told them in detail, “Jiao Jiao went into labor yesterday afternoon and delivered after four hours. She passed out right after and didn’t wake up until after 8 p.m. When she woke up, she ate a big bowl of chicken noodle soup and two eggs. The baby weighed over six jin. At first, we gave him some warm water and he fell asleep. Around eight or nine, after Jiao Jiao’s milk came in, he ate and slept again. He only woke up once at 2 a.m. for another feed. When I left at five this morning, both mother and baby were still sleeping. My mother took over to look after them.”

Grandpa and Grandma Zhou were all smiles at this, and Grandma Zhou reminisced about how well-behaved Jiao Jiao was as a child.

The two elders asked in detail what preparations had been made for the confinement, and whether the baby had enough winter clothes—things that would normally be handled by the maternal family.

Grandma Zhou looked a little embarrassed as she spoke. Zhang Guoqing understood—it wasn’t that Jiao Jiao’s mother hadn’t prepared things, but that someone else had intercepted them. The two elders were probably still in the dark about it.

But he didn’t intend to bring it up. After all, this would be the last time. If they thought they could keep sending things to his son in the future, they were dreaming. At this point, he remembered the main reason for his visit.

Zhang Guoqing glanced at Grandpa Zhou, scratched his head, and said, “Grandpa, I want to send good news to Grandpa and Grandma, Mother-in-law, Second Uncle, and Little Aunt. But I don’t have their address. I’d like to send them some gifts to show my appreciation. Also, Jiao Jiao’s household registration isn’t with us—without it, she doesn’t get food rations, and we haven’t even gotten our marriage certificate yet. I wanted to see what Grandpa thinks.”

Before Grandpa Zhou could respond, Grandma Zhou told Zhang Guoqing to wait while she went to fetch something. Zhang Guoqing kept an eye on Grandpa Zhou’s reaction.

Sure enough, Grandpa Zhou looked like he wanted to say something but held back, probably not wanting to refuse in front of Zhang Guoqing. His face turned a bit purple, and he sighed, taking another puff on his pipe.

Luckily, Grandma Zhou was quick. She soon came back with a few envelopes and stuffed them into Zhang Guoqing’s hand. Zhang Guoqing found it amusing—Grandma Zhou clearly understood Grandpa Zhou’s intentions and left him no room to object.

He slipped the envelopes into his inner pocket. They were empty—what did that mean? Was there something in the contents they didn’t want seen, or did Jiao Jiao know the truth and Grandpa Zhou was doing this on purpose?

After a long pause, Grandpa Zhou finally said, “Xiao Wu, when you send the package, bring it here first. I’ll see if there’s anything else to send with it. If you don’t have time, let your uncle go—he knows people at the post office.”

Zhang Guoqing chuckled to himself. Grandpa Zhou was getting old—he didn’t trust even the kids. “Knows people at the post office”—more likely, he just wanted to intercept the mail.

As for Uncle Zhou, Zhang Guoqing, as a junior, didn’t want to comment. Who knew if he was really clever or just pretending to be clueless? He’d never thought badly of people. Grandpa and Grandma Zhou came from a big, well-educated family—how could they have raised a fool? If he really was a fool, they wouldn’t have been so biased toward him.

Zhang Guoqing nodded quickly and said with a smile, “Alright, I’ll go up the mountain in the next few days and see if I can find some wild game. That way, I’ll have something nice to send.” Agreeing was one thing, but how he’d actually do it was another.

“Grandpa, you really shouldn’t smoke that pipe anymore—it’s bad for your health. If you want to smoke, try using candy instead. Jiao Jiao worries about you and Grandma’s health. And Grandma, how are you feeling now? Did your last cold have any lingering effects? Jiao Jiao said your rheumatism acts up in winter and keeps you up at night. If you need anything, let me know and I’ll see if I can find it in the mountains.”

Grandma Zhou took Zhang Guoqing’s hands and patted them. “It’s no use, these are just old age ailments. When you get old, your body gets weak. I know how to check my own pulse. With that wolf pelt you gave me last time, I’m much better this winter. Good boy, tell Jiao Jiao not to worry—her grandma’s not that easy to knock down.”

“Alright, I’ll reassure her. When the weather gets better, if you want to visit Jiao Jiao, just send word and I’ll come pick you up on my bike. You can chat with her for a while. Once she’s done with her confinement, I’ll bring her to visit you.”

Grandma Zhou laughed, “Silly boy, it’s just a short walk—I can go myself. The baby’s still little, though. If you have time, help her take care of him. Make sure she rests well this month—she’s still so young, having a baby so early is hard on her body. In the old days, we could use bird’s nest and donkey-hide gelatin to help her recover.”

Zhang Guoqing was delighted to hear this. Others might not have such nourishing things, but he did! He just needed to ask the experts how to use them. He wondered if Jiao Jiao’s medical skills were good enough to know how to use them.

He thought for a moment, then asked curiously, “Grandma, where can I buy donkey-hide gelatin or bird’s nest these days? Can you get them on the black market?”

Grandma Zhou shook her head. “Bird’s nest? That’s so precious nowadays, you can’t even find it, let alone afford it. Only wealthy families with deep roots ever had it—ordinary people have never even seen it. After the revolution, when landlords and rich families were cleaned out, even if someone had it, they wouldn’t dare sell it. As for donkey-hide gelatin, maybe you can find it on the black market, but it’s hard to get around here. If someone goes to Shandong, they can buy good donkey-hide gelatin—that’s where the factories are. If you get some, Jiao Jiao will know how to use it.”

The more Zhang Guoqing listened, the brighter his eyes got. Even Grandpa Zhou looked at him with curiosity—this kid was really something, always full of surprises. Luckily, he was truly devoted to Jiao Jiao.

“Grandma, don’t forget, my sister-in-law’s second brother works as a driver at the textile factory. I’ll ask him—he travels a lot and must know other drivers. Maybe someone’s going to Shandong and can bring some back.”

Grandma Zhou nodded. “That’s a good idea. It’ll be good for Jiao Jiao’s health. Tell her not to be picky about the taste. The money her mother sends every month is enough for her to afford it.”

“No need, I’ve saved up some money from selling wild game. My mother told me to keep it for myself—it’s enough to support Jiao Jiao. I’m planning to ask my mother-in-law to stop sending money. We’re married now and starting our own family—if she keeps sending money, I’d feel useless. Anyway, I’ll go to town this afternoon and see if I can buy some donkey-hide gelatin.” Zhang Guoqing said this on purpose, so they wouldn’t blame his mother-in-law later.

“That’s fine. You’re all grown up now. Be sure to talk to your mother—she’s had a hard time too.”"