Chapter 22: The Way of Filial Piety

Zhang Guoqing was also hurrying along, riding his bicycle toward Zhou Family Village. It was about seven o’clock now, and everyone in the village had already gone to work. There weren’t many people on the road—just a few elderly folks and some little kids.

The gate to the Zhou family compound 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 and invited him in. “I heard Jiao Jiao gave birth to a big, healthy boy last night, is that true? How is she doing? We’ll have to trouble your mother to 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 the city and wanted to buy some pig’s trotters for Jiao Jiao to help her recover. I came straight here after shopping and haven’t even gone home yet. My mother asked me to invite you and Grandma to come over for the ‘three-day wash’ celebration.”

Grandpa Zhou nodded. “Good. 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 anything else you need. Make sure she rests well this month, and thank your mother for all her hard work. 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? Is the baby well-behaved? Jiao Jiao was such a good child—never cried at night.”

Seeing the two elders looking so expectant, Zhang Guoqing explained in detail, “Jiao Jiao went into labor yesterday afternoon and gave birth after four hours. She fainted right after. It was past eight in the evening when she woke up, and she ate a big bowl of chicken noodle soup and two eggs. The baby weighed over six jin. At first, he just had some warm water and slept. Around eight or nine, Jiao Jiao’s milk came in, and after the baby ate, he slept again. He only woke up once at two in the morning to nurse. When I left at five, both mother and child were still sleeping, and my mother took over caring for them.”

Grandpa and Grandma Zhou were delighted to hear this. Grandma Zhou reminisced about how well-behaved Jiao Jiao had been as a child.

The two elders then asked in detail what preparations had been made for the confinement period, whether the baby had enough winter clothes, and so on—things that traditionally the maternal family would prepare. Now, Grandma Zhou seemed a bit embarrassed. Zhang Guoqing understood—it wasn’t that Jiao Jiao’s mother hadn’t prepared anything, but that someone else had intercepted it. The two elders probably didn’t know the whole story.

But he didn’t plan to bring it up. After all, this would be the last time. If anyone thought they could keep sending things for his son, they were dreaming. Only then did he remember the main reason for his visit.

Zhang Guoqing looked 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 addresses. I’d like to send them some gifts as a token of appreciation. Also, Jiao Jiao’s household registration isn’t with us yet, and without it, she doesn’t get a food ration. Plus, we haven’t gotten our marriage certificate. I wanted to ask what Grandpa thinks we should do.”

Before Grandpa Zhou could respond, Grandma Zhou quickly said she’d go get the addresses. Zhang Guoqing watched Grandpa Zhou’s reaction out of the corner of his eye. As expected, 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 just sighed and went back to smoking his pipe.

Luckily, Grandma Zhou was quick and soon came back with several envelopes, stuffing them into Zhang Guoqing’s hands. Zhang Guoqing found it amusing—Grandma Zhou clearly understood Grandpa Zhou’s intentions and didn’t give him a chance to object.

He slipped the envelopes into his inner pocket. They were empty—what did that mean? Was there something in the letters they didn’t want others to see, or did Jiao Jiao know the truth and Grandpa Zhou was being deliberate?

After a long pause, Grandpa Zhou finally said, “Xiao Wu, when you send the package, bring it here first. I’ll see what we can add before sending it. If you don’t have time, let your eldest uncle take care of it—he knows people at the post office.”

Zhang Guoqing chuckled to himself. Grandpa Zhou really was getting old—didn’t even trust the younger generation. As for his eldest uncle, Zhang Guoqing didn’t want to comment—it was hard to tell if he was truly clever or just pretending to be clueless. The Zhou family came from a scholarly background; it was unlikely they’d raise a fool. And if he really was a fool, they wouldn’t be so biased toward him.

Zhang Guoqing quickly nodded and smiled. “Alright, I’ll go up the mountain in the next few days and see if I can find some wild game to send along—it’ll look more impressive.” Agreeing was one thing; 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 is worried about you and Grandma. And Grandma, how are you feeling? Did your last cold leave any aftereffects? Jiao Jiao says you get rheumatism in the winter and have trouble sleeping. 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, child. These are old people’s ailments—our bodies just get weaker with age. I know how to check my own pulse. With the wolf pelts you gave me last time, I’m much better this winter. Tell Jiao Jiao not to worry—her grandma isn’t so 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 by bike. You can chat with her and keep her company. Once her confinement is over, I’ll bring her to visit you.”

Grandma Zhou laughed. “Silly child, it’s not far—I can walk over myself. The baby is still small, so help Jiao Jiao take care of him. Make sure she rests well during her confinement. She’s still so young—having a baby too early can be hard on the body. In the past, 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 wondered if Jiao Jiao’s medical training was good enough to know how to use them.

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

Grandma Zhou shook her head. “Bird’s nest is so rare now—not only is it impossible to buy, even if you could, it would be too expensive. Only wealthy families with deep roots ever had it, and after the revolution, no one dared sell it. As for donkey-hide gelatin, you might find it on the black market, but not around here. If someone goes to Shandong, they could buy good quality gelatin—it’s made there. If you get some, Jiao Jiao will know how to prepare it.”

The more Zhang Guoqing listened, the more his eyes lit up. Even Grandpa Zhou looked at him with curiosity—this young man really had some tricks up his sleeve. Luckily, he was sincere toward Jiao Jiao.

“Grandma, you forgot—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 can bring some back from Shandong.”

Grandma Zhou nodded. “That’s a good idea. I’m happy for Jiao Jiao. It’s good for her to have these things—tell her not to be picky about the taste. The money her mother sends each month is enough for her to eat well.”

“No need—I’ve sold some wild game and have some savings. My mother told me to keep it for Jiao Jiao. I actually want to tell my mother-in-law to stop sending money—we’re married and independent now. If she keeps sending money, I’ll feel useless. Anyway, I’ll go to town this afternoon to 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 life too.”"