Chapter 80: Casual Conversation

Zhou Jiao and her mother listened to the children’s chatter with great interest. Zhou Jiao shifted Ping’an further inside and moved herself as well, tugging at her mother’s sleeve. “Mom, take off your shoes and come up here. It’s more comfortable if you lean back here. I can lean on you too.”

Lin Lishan took off her shoes and settled onto the kang. “It is more comfortable. I’m just afraid I’ll fall asleep. I wanted to wait until everyone’s gone to talk to your grandpa. He wants to take advantage of the meeting to check out the military district. If your father goes there, we need to figure out the best arrangement. If things are chaotic, we’ll need to come up with a plan.”

“What do you think? If Dad is transferred to the Northeast, will you transfer too? Is it easy to arrange work for you? You’ve been at your old job for so many years and you’re used to it. Have you thought about what it would be like here?”

Lin Lishan sighed. “I don’t know. I just want to be with your father and closer to you. I haven’t really thought about work. If your father stays in Beijing, then there’s no need for any transfers. But your grandpa says things are complicated in Beijing, and he’s not sure if your dad can adapt. There are downsides to coming back to the Northeast too—it’s too close to your grandparents. It’s only four or five hours to the military district, and just over two hours by car. I never thought about these issues before—I was just happy our family could finally be together. Now that things have calmed down, more problems have come up. I don’t know how your dad will handle it. What do you think he’ll do?”

Zhou Jiao thought for a moment. “I’ve never met Dad, so I don’t know him well. But if I were him, I’d use the fact that Uncle and his wife are in custody to push for splitting the family. I’d leave with nothing, just clean break. I’d give them a pension every month—they still have their salaries, so life wouldn’t be a problem—but we wouldn’t live together.

If you guys move to the Northeast, I think Grandpa will definitely want to follow you. In Beijing, he wouldn’t dare because he’s afraid of Grandpa on Mom’s side. That’s the downside of being in the Northeast. If you two are coming here just for me, there’s really no need. I’ll probably only stay in the Northeast for three years at most—my goal is Beijing. Going to college is my dream, and with a good degree, it’ll be easier to find work.”

Lin Lishan looked at Zhou Jiao and thought for a moment. “Are you sure your grandpa would want to follow us? With the way things are, how would he live with us?”

“Let me break it down for you. If Uncle and his wife don’t come back, then your parents don’t have a son by their side. Dad hasn’t taken care of them for over ten years, so it’s not unreasonable to bring them to live with you, right? If he comes to your place, would you mistreat them? Of course not—you’re not that kind of person. In the new military district, he’s Dad’s father, so he’d have a lot of authority. He’d definitely find a way to come.

Another scenario is if Uncle is still in custody when Dad comes back, and the family splits. Then Grandpa and Grandma would have to support them, and Grandpa would still want to follow you. Even if you don’t accept, he could say he’s sick and needs care, and you’d have to take care of him. Oh, you’re soldiers and don’t have time? No problem, he’d get the military hospital to take care of him, bringing along his son and daughter-in-law. Isn’t that the same thing?

You just don’t know him well. Unless Dad isn’t his biological son, he’s like sticky candy—you can’t shake him off. Sigh, I really don’t know what Dad will do or how he’ll handle it.”

Lin Lishan laughed. “Heh, Jiao Jiao, the way you put it, it really does sound like that. I thought just giving him money would be enough. If he needs to see a doctor, just give him money. I didn’t realize it could be so complicated. Let your dad handle it—he’ll know what to do.”

“Mom, let me analyze Grandpa for you. As for that couple, there’s no need—he’s just like Grandpa, and she’s shameless. If you threw her a thousand yuan and told her to strip in the street, she’d do it. It’s beneath me to even talk about her.

As for Grandpa, he’s not smart but thinks he’s the only wise person in the world. When there’s something to gain, he’s quicker than anyone, but he puts on a serious face and thinks no one knows what he’s up to—when in fact, everyone just can’t be bothered to call him out.

He cares way too much about money. For example, the money you sent over is probably all in his hands. If Huang Zhaodi took anything, it’s because he wouldn’t give her a cent. The two of them know exactly what’s going on. So when Huang Zhaodi made trouble for me, he didn’t want to get involved—as long as his own interests were protected, he didn’t care.

He’s also obsessed with saving face, always going on about being from a scholarly family and following rules. The funny thing is, the Zhou family is the least rule-abiding of all. He really likes Uncle, thinks he can rely on him in his old age, but deep down he knows he can’t. In the end, he only cares about himself, so he clings to money. Once the pretense is gone, he’s just another Huang Zhaodi—an old scoundrel, and that’s what’s so annoying.

So, to sum up, you should keep this in mind: he’s selfish, self-important, self-deceiving, short-sighted, and has a dark heart. Don’t listen to Dad sugarcoat him—unless Dad’s really clueless, he should know exactly what kind of person Grandpa is.

I’m just worried about you. You’ve never lived in the countryside, so you don’t know how people there will fight over a few cents. I’ve already thought it through—when Dad talks about splitting the family, Grandpa will definitely want to take Grandma’s courtyard house back. Luckily, you’re smart and have that bill of sale. When it’s time to split the family, make sure you bring it. Mom, don’t laugh—I’m just worried about you. If it were just me, I wouldn’t be afraid of him at all.”

Lin Lishan laughed, “It’s fine, don’t worry. Your dad already said when we got married that he wouldn’t support his parents in old age, just give them money.”

“Sigh, let’s talk about it when Dad gets here. I’ll have a good talk with him—I just hope he doesn’t get muddle-headed. By the way, Mom, do you have any definite news about when he’ll be back? Xiao Wu said it should be by the end of the month. I’m worried he’ll be right for once—can’t Dad come back a little sooner?”

“No news yet. Your aunt is waiting too. Half a year ago, they said it would be soon, but this time it really is. It’s already October 15th, so the end of the month isn’t far off. Let’s trust Xiao Wu,” Lin Lishan comforted her, though she was anxious herself but there was nothing she could do.

“Are you going back to Beijing to pick him up? Isn’t it a hassle going back and forth? Why not just stay here with me and wait for him? It takes days just to travel.”

“I want to see your dad as soon as possible, and I need to discuss work with him first. I can’t wait until he comes back and then start sorting out work. I also need to see your uncle.”

“Mom, how about I go with you to pick up Dad once I’ve finished my month of confinement? Look at the women in the countryside—they’re back working in the fields right after giving birth. I’ll wrap up warm.”

“No way. If you get hurt, that’s it. Besides, Ping’an will only be a month old—are you comfortable letting him go out? Don’t even think about it. As soon as your dad comes back, we’ll rush over here.”

Zhou Jiao looked at her mother with mock resentment. “Alright, I get it. I just miss Dad so much. I’ll stay home and be good. You two take care of things before coming back, don’t rush, make sure everything’s settled and come back safely. By the way, Mom, how long are you planning to stay here? Xiao Wu said you brought enough food to feed my mother-in-law’s family for a year.”

“It’s not that much—just 50 jin of rice, 50 jin of flour, and some other things. I’ll stay until Xiao Wu comes back from seeing your grandpa, then I’ll go. That’s five days—I’ll leave on the 20th, just in time for the end of the month. I’ve told your aunt to send me a telegram as soon as she gets the notice. The telegram will be addressed to Zhang Guoqing in Zhangjia Village. In these five days, I’ll help you get whatever you’re missing. No need to worry about clothes—I’ll have someone make them and bring them next time.”"