Chapter 34: Observations in the County Town

Zhang’s father let out a sigh. His wife didn’t catch the underlying meaning—this young couple was actually coming to him for advice. When Jiaojiao’s father returns, he’ll surely want to take their family of three with him. In the capital, there’s a big house, the whole family’s household registration would be in Beijing, and the work would be easy. But he was reluctant. If there was a way to stay in the city, that would be good too—close enough that he could see them whenever he wanted.

“What are your thoughts? They probably want your whole family to go to Beijing. Housing and jobs wouldn’t be a problem. Life in the countryside is never as good as in the city—working the fields is exhausting, and you can’t save much money in a year. No matter how much your mother and I hate to let you go, for your sake, we’d have to.”

Zhang Guoqing thought for a moment. He’d considered this before; getting into the city wasn’t hard, but he was worried about the future.

“Dad, I haven’t discussed this with Jiaojiao yet. Let me share my own thoughts first, but mainly, I want to see how the Lin family acts. Right now, I’m preparing for the worst when it comes to them—you never really know people until you see them in person. I’ll wait until my father-in-law comes back before making any decisions. For now, I don’t want to go to Beijing. I’d rather wait a few years and see how things develop. There are too many political movements these days—who knows what it’s like in the capital? If we move to a city, the county or the municipal city would be fine—no need to go that far. I don’t want to rely on the Lin family. If you lean on a mountain and it collapses, what then? It’s best to ride the wave when you can, but not depend on it.

I’ve never told you this before—mainly because without connections, it was impossible—but I actually want to work in a government office. Money can be earned slowly, but power is what really protects a family. Factories seem good now, but workers have no power. Just look at those in the county public security bureau—their pay and benefits are great, haha.”

“That’s fine, there’s no rush. Let’s wait until we meet them and discuss it. When the time comes, see what’s best. What you said today, I’ll keep in mind. Your mother, don’t mention this to anyone else.”

Taking advantage of the fact that his mother and Jiaojiao weren’t looking, Zhang Guoqing winked at his father—a signal that some things would be discussed privately, a secret code between father and son. Zhang’s father smiled. He knew his youngest was telling him this for a reason—if he hadn’t made up his mind, that would be strange. Probably just worried the women would talk too much.

Zhang Guoqing urged his parents to drink their water before the brown sugar water got cold. In the afternoon, he planned to go into town to buy more malted milk powder—this stuff was still untainted and could be stored. He’d also pick up some adult milk powder for the family. “Dad, Mom, I went to big sister’s house today—her place is so cramped. Last time Jiaojiao and I went together, we could barely move. There’s a family in front of second sister’s place moving to the provincial capital. Big sister went to check out their courtyard—it’s much bigger than second sister’s, nearly 1,000 yuan. Second sister said she could lend her 200, but it’s not enough. Big sister only has a little over 400, not quite 500, so she’s still short about 300 yuan. She wanted to borrow from the family, but brother-in-law disagreed, saying it wouldn’t be right with the family about to split up. Second sister was upset about it for a long time. Heh, I went to see the place—big sister’s three kids could all live there, even after they get married. Second sister wanted to borrow from her mother-in-law but got scolded by big sister. Heh heh…”

Zhou Jiao immediately understood his intention—he wanted her to speak up and earn some points with his parents. “Then take the money over and have big sister buy it quickly. Bring a bit extra in case she’s still short. Houses over there are in high demand. Big sister’s outer room is both the dining and living room during the day, and at night, the three kids sleep on folding beds. When they’re older, it’ll be even harder. Winter’s coming soon—better to buy it early, and being close to second sister, they can help each other. Tell big sister there’s no rush to pay us back—we don’t need the money right now. She can pay us back when she has it.”

“It won’t take that long. Second sister said her and brother-in-law’s salaries are 58 yuan, plus the 15 yuan a month they get from renting out their current place. They’ll pay it back within a year. I was going to agree right away, but since you’re the household manager now, I had to discuss it with you first. Right, Dad, Mom? Husband and wife should discuss things, can’t keep secrets from you.”

Mother Zhang patted Zhang Guoqing, “You little rascal, always putting on a show. Jiaojiao, I was going to use the money for the family split next spring—can’t have your two brothers living in an empty house. But you can lend it to your big sister. Don’t worry, she’ll pay it back. If her mother-in-law hadn’t been hospitalized last year, she’d have more money now.”

Zhou Jiao nodded. She had no objection to Zhang Guoqing lending the money to his big sister—she trusted his judgment completely. She wasn’t worried about them not paying it back, either. He was making a point of being open about it in front of his parents for this very reason—if they didn’t pay, even Mother Zhang would scold them to tears.

Father Zhang picked up the child and handed him to Jiaojiao. “Alright, you two go into town when you have time and give the money directly to your brother-in-law. Our little Ping’an is awake—his mother and Jiaojiao, tidy up a bit. Since there’s no work this afternoon, I’m going to see the old master and ask him to pick a few more people. The sooner we get the house built, the better. If it snows, it’ll be too late.”

He said this as he walked out—he never felt comfortable lingering in his daughter-in-law’s room. Now that everything was settled, there was nothing more to say. He changed clothes in the main room, sat for a while, and smiled to himself. His son really was sharp. Too bad he hadn’t enjoyed much good fortune himself. This boy was truly lucky—when he got married, he never imagined his father-in-law would still be alive.

With a father-in-law like that, things were different. No matter how good the Lin family was, there was still a generational gap, and too many descendants. As for how sincere the Lin family was, who could say? Jiaojiao was her father’s only daughter—that was real sincerity.

Luckily, the boy was smart and steady. If it were anyone else, they’d have already shown their emotions. The way he gave instructions to Jiaojiao was amusing to recall.

It was a psychological game. He remembered what the old clan leader used to say: “Those who achieve great things rarely show their emotions. Skilled people are always good at reading others and adjusting how they interact based on what they observe.”

From today’s conversation, he could see his son had really grown up—more capable than his own father. Just a few blank envelopes, and he’d thought of so much. Old Master Zhou wasn’t half as sharp as this kid—truly, it’s easy to get confused when you’re in the thick of things.

And Jiaojiao, without hesitation, decided to give up those valuables—she knew how to weigh her options and act decisively. As soon as he finished speaking, she immediately made a decision. Most men would have hesitated, and with 28 parcels, it was enough to make the Zhou family mourn. All the talent in the Zhou family seemed to be in the second branch. The old man wasted his efforts on the eldest son—no wonder he joined the army early but never made general. Just focus on the immediate, most important interests—he could hear the contempt in his son’s words.

When Xiao Wu winked at him just now, he figured there was more to discuss. He was waiting to go out together—every time Xiao Wu winked, it meant he had something to talk over.

“Dad, you there? I see you—let’s go together.” Zhang Guoqing glanced at his father and rubbed his forehead, realizing it was just a subconscious gesture.

Father Zhang put down his pipe, straightened his clothes, and walked out with his hands behind his back. “Tell me, you don’t want to go to Beijing and would rather stay in the county—do you have a plan, or have you noticed something? Tell me everything, so when your father-in-law comes, we’ll be prepared.”

Zhang Guoqing walked along the west wing’s wall to the window, faintly hearing voices inside—the walls were surprisingly soundproof. “Mom, I’m going out with Dad.” Hearing a muffled response from inside, he quickly pushed his bicycle and followed his father."