Chapter 83: Thoughts

In the east wing, Zhang Guofu tucked the children into bed, covered them with quilts, and lay down himself. Huang Cuilan looked at the pile of things, sorted them as needed, and put them into a trunk. “So many things, the kids’ father! We won’t need to buy any fabric for New Year’s clothes this year. I saw Little Brother wearing one of those army coats—looked so warm. I’d been wanting to ask him to bring one for you, and now you’ve got one. You won’t be cold this winter. Look at all this stuff. Later, when you go to the village, see if anyone has mushrooms or other local specialties. Buy some as a return gift for Xiao Wu’s mother-in-law.”

Zhang Guofu nodded and urged her to get into bed. “I know. Besides mushrooms, that dried wild pheasant and rabbit meat is rare in the city. I’ll go check it out. This family seems honest—her grandpa and our dad really hit it off. Go to sleep, we’ve been busy all day and have to get up early tomorrow. The good liquor and cigarettes Xiao Wu gave us, give them all to your dad. If I want a drink, I’ll ask him for it.”

Huang Cuilan got into bed and, hearing this, playfully hit him and laughed. “You really are something. You already gave so much today. Xiao Wu doesn’t have much left either. One bottle for my dad is enough.”

“You didn’t see how much stuff there was. Us men had to move it twice to finish. Both cars were packed full. Everything was packed up tight in bags and boxes—didn’t even open them. He really is a lucky kid. Good thing no one in the village saw. There were two cases of liquor, probably forty bottles. You and Jiaojiao should get along well—we owe them a huge favor with all this.”

“I know. She’s always been well-behaved and good to us since she was little. She’s more likable than Second Brother’s wife. I’m not greedy; we’ll treat her as we should.”

In the second brother’s room, Zhang Guoqiang tried on the army coat—it really was warm. “Stop looking at the stuff, just pack it away. Wash the kids up and get them to bed first.”

Lin Juhua packed everything into a trunk, then, still uneasy, locked it with a key.

“Why lock it? No one in our family is eyeing your things. If anyone comes, they’ll be looking at Xiao Wu’s room,” Zhang Guoqiang said, amused by her fussing.

Lin Juhua shook her head and looked at him with a face full of grievance. “I’m not afraid of anyone except my mother. I bet now that she’s heard Jiaojiao’s grandpa is here, she’ll show up in a couple of days. If she sees this stuff, she’ll take it for sure. Shitou barely has a few pieces of clothing. Do you think I did something wrong in my past life, to not have any caring family?”

Zhang Guoqiang poured some water to soak his feet. “Who you’re born to is up to the heavens. Don’t worry. If my mom is here, your mom won’t feel comfortable. See if there’s anything you can give her.”

“There’s nothing I can give them. Everything here is rare—even if you have money, you can’t buy it. That fabric and cotton need all sorts of ration coupons, and the liquor is precious too. It’s for making connections, not for my mom. If you’d married a wife like my eldest sister-in-law or Jiaojiao, our family wouldn’t be the poorest. It’s all my bad luck—my family doesn’t help, and I can’t support you either.”

“The kids are already this big, why say that? I’ve never thought you were any worse than them. Don’t worry, I know what’s what. You’ll have good days ahead.” Zhang Guoqiang finished, thinking of what Xiao Wu had secretly told him today, and smiled to himself, keeping a low profile.

Looking at the way those officials treated Xiao Wu today, the kid had gathered all the younger generation of the county leaders. He’d only heard before that her grandpa’s family was powerful, but didn’t expect them to be so impressive. Seeing how those people acted today, no wonder every man wants to get ahead.

That silly kid really is blessed in his own way. Tomorrow, he’d ask him if he’d known all along that marrying Jiaojiao would lead to this day.

“Heh, I’m already living a good life now. No need to compare with them—I’m doing the best in the village.”

Zhang Guoqiang laughed heartily, hugged Lin Juhua, and kissed her. “That’s what I like about you—you know how to be content. We don’t compare with others, just live our own lives well.”

Zhang Guoqing went back to his room, quickly washed up, and got into bed. He gently tidied up, then climbed onto the kang and hugged his wife, finally feeling comfortable. As he slept, Zhou Jiao, smelling his familiar scent, nuzzled her face into his chest. Zhang Guoqing looked at her lazy appearance and smiled, carefully tucking the quilt around her. He glanced at his son, curled up on the right, and closed his eyes to sleep peacefully.

In the middle of the night, Zhang Guoqing was woken by little Ping’an’s sudden wail. Instinctively, he picked him up, got off the kang, grabbed the bottle, made some formula, and fed his son. Soon, seeing the baby full, he burped him and changed his diaper. The baby fell asleep contentedly. Zhang Guoqing suspected his son cried because his diaper was wet—he didn’t cry for milk during the day.

Now he had figured it out: his son needed to eat every four hours or so, or he’d start to fuss and look for food. If his diaper was wet, he’d cry, and if you delayed, he’d cry even louder. Truly his son—so clever.

Zhang Guoqing gently put him back on the kang and lay down next to him. He started worrying about what to do after he left tomorrow. His mother-in-law was no help. He’d have to talk to his own mother and make sure she stayed by Ping’an at night—he was really worried that if the two women slept too soundly, they wouldn’t hear the baby cry. Even with all his getting up and down, Zhou Jiao didn’t notice and just kept snuggling into his arms. Silly woman.

Before dawn, the sky was still dark and foggy, with frost covering the ground and a biting wind that made people shiver.

Someone was already up exercising in the yard. Zhang Guoqing heard the noise, got up, dressed, saw that Zhou Jiao and the baby were still sleeping soundly, grabbed his toiletries, and headed to the kitchen. As expected, many people were already up. He greeted a few quietly as they went out for a run, then went to the kitchen to get hot water and washed up by the well.

After washing and putting his things away, he went to the backyard and finally saw his mother. “Mom, isn’t it too early to be feeding the pigs?”

Mother Zhang poked the pigs with a stick and poured in the feed. “We have guests today. If the pigs don’t eat, they’ll make a racket. Better to feed them so they’re quiet and let Jiaojiao’s grandpa and the others sleep in.”

Zhang Guoqing picked up a big bucket and followed his mother. “Mom, I’m going out with the old man today. Tonight, don’t just leave the two women chatting and forget to look after the baby. You must keep an eye on Ping’an for me. I’m afraid if they fall asleep, they won’t hear him cry.”

Mother Zhang laughed quietly. “Silly boy, don’t worry. They won’t sleep so soundly they can’t hear him.”

Zhang Guoqing got anxious. “Mom, Ping’an only wakes up once at night—around two or three in the morning. Usually, he eats every three hours or so. If you’re not up, sleep on the kang in the outer room—it’s warm there. With three of you, someone will hear him.”

“Got it. I’ll sleep in your room tonight, don’t worry. You be careful outside and mind your temper,” Mother Zhang reassured him.

Zhang Guoqing nodded. “Eat whatever is at home, don’t save it. We’ll buy more at the end of the year. I’ve got plenty of ration coupons and money.”

“I’ve packed up all the dried wild pheasant and rabbit. Take some with you first. I’ll have your dad collect more, and when you get back, we’ll send some to Jiaojiao’s uncles and aunts. Once your mother-in-law leaves, things will be easier—no more big bags to carry.”

“Alright, you handle it. I’ll give you the money—buy more, we need to eat too. Get some dried mushrooms and black fungus. I haven’t had time to hunt lately.”

Mother Zhang washed her hands and walked out. “Doesn’t take much money. If it’s not enough, I’ll ask you for more. I also want to see if anyone has good furs—putting them on the bed in winter is warm. Her grandma isn’t well; it’d make a good return gift.”

The two of them chatted quietly as they went back to the front yard. The sky was starting to lighten, the rooster was crowing, and there were sounds of villagers outside.

Seeing nothing else needed doing, Zhang Guoqing returned to the west wing. Zhou Jiao was still half asleep, eyes closed, nursing the baby. When she saw him come in, she smiled at him sleepily."