Chapter 97: Starting Work (Two Chapters Combined)

After saying goodbye and leaving the family compound, Lin Lishan took a flashlight and led Xizi back to the guesthouse. At this hour, there was only one attendant in the lobby, sitting at the front desk knitting. When she saw Lin Lishan come in with Xizi, she immediately stood up and relayed the old master’s instructions: they were to go straight to his room.

Lin Lishan thanked her and took Xizi upstairs to the old master’s room.

The old master’s room was reserved for distinguished guests. Besides the bedroom, there was also a reception area outside.

In the reception room, only the old master and Zhang Guoqing were present, deep in conversation. The old master was quietly analyzing the military ranks and backgrounds of the leaders who had accompanied them today, recounting their rise to power, their personalities, methods, preferences, and weaknesses.

After he finished, he listened to Zhang Guoqing’s questions, his eyes occasionally flashing with appreciation. After the grandfather and grandson had discussed and commented, the old master, smiling broadly, carefully instructed Zhang Guoqing on how to handle relationships in the provincial capital over the next few days, who to pay special attention to, and the backgrounds of various families’ children.

Zhang Guoqing listened intently as the old master laid out the schedule for the coming days and the banquets he would attend, forming a general picture in his mind.

Once the old master finished explaining the situation in the provincial capital, he moved on to discuss the current major power factions, analyzing the difficulties Zhou Xiaozheng would face upon returning to his unit. He gave a general account of Zhou Xiaozheng’s experiences from the Northeast Military District to the capital, reminding Zhang Guoqing to pay attention to these matters in his interactions.

When it came to Zhou Xiaozheng, his son-in-law, the old master felt both fondness and frustration.

When Lin Lishan entered with Xizi, the two men stopped their conversation.

The old master laughed heartily and asked Lin Lishan, “What took you so long? I was about to send someone to look for you. I saw there were things in your room, so I figured you’d come back and not found us. Later, Xiaofei guessed you’d probably gone to his aunt’s. And seeing Xizi with that toy car, looks like he was right. So, how are they doing here?”

Lin Lishan sat down with Xizi, frowned slightly, glanced at the inner room, saw the door was closed and no one was outside, then spoke softly, “Xiao Meihua asked me to send her regards. She’s probably too shy to visit you herself, with so many people around.”

She paused, then continued, “As for how they’re doing—well, it’s definitely not as good as in the compound. The couple and their two sons are squeezed into two rooms; it’s pretty cramped. She doesn’t seem to be used to it, but she said the kids are too old not to follow their father. I hadn’t planned to visit her, since we’re just colleagues and not that close. But for Xiaofei’s sake, I thought I should at least stop by. Plus, I was almost out of remittance coupons, so I wanted to see if she had any tickets I could get for Jiaojiao. Turns out she didn’t have many coupons left, and not many regular tickets either. Fang Jianmei has been here for two years, but I don’t think she and her husband are coping well. Dad, what position does Xiaofei’s uncle hold?”

The old master pointed at Zhang Guoqing, who smiled and quietly told his mother-in-law, “Second Battalion Commander. He wasn’t in the welcoming crowd earlier. Xiaofei went out to accompany his uncle and hasn’t come back yet.”

Lin Lishan nodded thoughtfully. “Fang Jianmei mentioned our three girls tonight, hinting at something. I brushed it off, saying matters of the heart should be left to the young people. If you try to play matchmaker and get it wrong, it’ll just be awkward for everyone. That’s what I don’t like about her. She also asked me to look after her niece, said she’s already arranged for the girl to join the art troupe next year. See how clever she is? Without my agreement, it’s not a done deal. Now, with just a word from her, she thinks it’s settled. Dad, do you remember the Fang family’s eldest daughter? The one who works at the department store, always looking down her nose at people? That’s her daughter.”

The old master nodded. “I’ll talk to your mother about your niece and Xiaofei; you don’t need to get involved. As for her niece, since she’s brought it up and you’ve agreed, just wait for the official notice. You’re all going out together tomorrow, right? I have some tickets here—do you need them?”

Zhang Guoqing went back to his room and brought out a small box, smiling. “Jiaojiao asked me to bring money and tickets in case you needed them, Mom. We left in a hurry and didn’t have time to talk. Here, take them all. I won’t need them since I’m not going out these days.”

Lin Lishan shook her head and pushed the box back. “You two keep your savings for yourselves. I only went to Fang Jianmei to see if I could save some tickets for you. Besides, we’ve already bought everything we need. I’ll go into town again tomorrow, then head back to keep Jiaojiao company. No point in giving them to me. Put them away, and while you’re at it, check your mother’s room to see if there’s anything she still needs.”

Zhang Guoqing didn’t argue, taking the box and bringing Xizi along to check what had already been bought.

Xizi, smiling and hugging his toy car, was still wide awake even though it was his usual bedtime.

“So, was there a lot to see at the mall? Did you spot anything you wanted but were too shy to ask for? Tell your uncle, and I’ll bring it for you next time. Or write it down if you think of something.”

Xizi quickly pulled him aside, “Uncle, you should save your money for your mother-in-law. I don’t need anything. I really learned a lot today—never knew shopping could be like this. Every time I looked at something, she bought it. I didn’t even dare look anymore.”

“Well, think about it tonight—why is she so confident? Why can she buy so much without a care? If you want to be able to do that one day, what do you need to work on? Do you want to live like your grandma, or like the generations in the village—farming, hunting, drinking a little, marrying a local girl, and having a bunch of kids? Or do you want something else? Tomorrow, watch how people around you talk and act, and compare it to people in the village. The more you see, the more you’ll understand. Besides studying hard, what else should you learn?”

Zhang Guoqing took the opportunity to guide him, encouraging him to think for himself. At ten years old, Xizi already had his own ideas and should have goals. Zhang Guoqing himself had known what he wanted since he was five in the orphanage, and how to get it.

After speaking, he left Xizi there to ponder, nodding in satisfaction.

Looking at the pile of things on the floor and table, he sighed—his mother-in-law had good taste, but wasn’t great at managing household affairs.

Zhang Guoqing carefully wrapped up several pieces of fabric, bundled the remaining cloth and yarn into a big package, and packed up the rest of the obvious purchases. They’d spent quite a bit today, and everything they picked was high quality. With this kind of taste, it was no wonder his wife was so outstanding—her father must be even more remarkable.

Back in the old master’s room, he saw his daughter looking at him expectantly and couldn’t help but chuckle. Seeing she was getting impatient, he finally nodded.

Seeing her face light up with joy, he smiled and said, “Very good—better than our own Dingsheng. Some people are just born with advantages. Xiao Wu is an outstanding young man—capable, charismatic, generous, gentle, and polite, with excellent judgment. What’s rare is that he can pick up on the smallest details in conversation and daily life. Eighteen years old—so young. Zhou Xiaozheng was just like that back then. Don’t worry, you’ve got a good son-in-law. As for Old Zhou, let’s wait and see. With Zhou Jiao and her husband looking out for you, you’ll be fine even without Zhou Xiaozheng.”

Lin Lishan nodded happily, finally feeling at ease. She didn’t care what her daughter and son-in-law might achieve in the future—as long as they loved each other and Zhang Guoqing could protect Jiaojiao, that was enough. She kept telling the old master she was content.

“That’s all it takes to satisfy you? Your good days are still ahead!” The old master laughed heartily. Even if his granddaughter’s husband was better than his own grandson, he was pleased, secretly delighted at the thought of his old friends’ envy.

When Zhang Guoqing came back with the child, Lin Lishan reminded her father once again not to drink too much. She also told him to remember to use the prescription Jiaojiao had given, as per the doctor’s instructions, for her mother.

The old master nodded with a smile. “Alright, go to bed early. I need to rest too. Xiao Wu, you’ve seen everything, right? Then off to bed. You and Xizi share a room. Xiaofei will come back on his own—don’t worry about him. You all get some rest.” With that, he waited for Xiao Zhou to come in, then waved everyone out."