Free Web NovelChapter 1027: Chapter 900: Shi Tou Tells "Stories
On New Year’s Eve, with so many guests of all sizes accompanying the celebration, Zhou Xiaozheng waved his hand and naturally couldn’t go out personally. Secretary Chen somehow transported back two large boxes of fireworks and firecrackers.
With these young lads around, Zhang Guoqing was not worried about the inconvenience of the twins going out. He wrapped them in army coats and took his three sons along with several nephews and nieces out every day.
The Zhou Family has good genes, possibly producing a handsome guy like Zhang Guoqing, whose parents Mr. Zhang and Mother Zhang weren’t ugly like Juhua either. Especially in this era, a lineup of handsome boys, each with an impressive aura, their tall and long-legged stout physiques becoming a striking spectacle, capturing one’s attention.
Of course, besides these advantages, there’s also a fatal flaw: they have a great appetite and eat exceptionally well. Half-grown boys can eat a father to death. This isn’t just talk.
For the hotpot, Zhang Guoqing prided himself on being a good eater, cutting five pounds of lamb slices thinking it was enough. He figured the kids who had been out for a while would be craving meat. ƒrēewebnoѵёl.cσm
He purposely brought a big lamb leg, slicing and shaving about fifty pounds of lamb slices, also planning to cut more in case someone got hungry late at night.
A big plate of fish balls, a big plate of potato slices, a big plate of stewed meat bones, a big plate of frozen tofu, a big plate of cabbage slices, plus a big bundle of vermicelli.
Why say it’s a big plate?
The table couldn’t fit everything, so they set up an additional folding table. You can imagine how big the plates were.
After sending off Zhou Xiaozheng, who departed first, Zhang Guoqing turned around...
The result was, it was over; even the twins were stuffed, not to mention those few who drank and ate heartily, all still burping.
He and Zhou Jiao were so frightened that they boiled hawthorn and felt pulses, worried that they might have to go to the hospital before New Year’s Eve was even over. Then, each of them shook their heads, saying to their little uncle and aunt (old uncle and aunt), "At last, we’re full."
Right, they were really just full.
They went to the bathroom, took a pee, blew cold wind in the yard, and within half an hour, they were playing with firecrackers again. After an hour, they returned to the living room, grabbing sticky rice dumplings and buns to stuff their mouths.
Watching this made Zhou Jiao’s stomach ache, she worried for how full these kids were getting. It was only several days later that she learned during their time out all meals were free, and they had spent all their food vouchers, or they would’ve wanted to go to the South to play.
These kids are relatively sensible too; after New Year’s Eve, starting from the morning of the first day of the New Year, they controlled their food intake. But since Zhou Jiao had already grasped their appetite, how could she just let them taste tiny-sized dumplings and call it a day?
From that day on, the Zhou Family started buying buns from the cafeteria daily. Each solid bun weighing about four ounces, even Zhang Guoqing could only eat one to be full.
Yet kids, even with extra oil and water, needed three, the younger ones like Shi Tou and Zicong needed two each too. It left Zhang Guoqing worrying and fretting over his brother and sister’s kids.
Such would eaters, who could possibly raise them?
This year, without the temple fair, Zhang Guoqing could only pull his wife and take a group of kids to the city for sightseeing and photo-taking.
The experience was filled with joy and sorrow, often rendering one half-laughing and half-crying. Accompanying them until the Fifth Day of the New Year, Zhang Guoqing and even Zhou Jiao had to return to work.
For the next three days, it was Miao Lishan who took them out for eye-opening experiences.
Unlike her daughter and son-in-law, she paid more attention to taking the big and small kids to places like Old Mo’s for Western dining and to the theater to watch shows.
Old Mo was still around, but it lacked its former charm; theaters offered movies and model plays with nothing in shortfall. Such experiences were enough to leave half-grown boys reminiscing.
On the evening before parting and departure, Zhang Guoqing finally found time to care about his nephews’ and nieces’ inner thoughts. He didn’t say much, just asking them about their feelings and insights gained from the three months since stepping out of their home.
He agreed that children should go out more, broaden their horizons, but it didn’t mean he liked his nephews and nieces to just rush around and foolishly play and eat.
Of course, if they could feel and understand, he didn’t mind giving them guidance and direction; but if they were unintentionally irritated, he wouldn’t interfere much.
Fortunately, these kids shared a good relationship with their little uncle/old uncle and gradually shared their thoughts and aspirations with him.
Even if Zicong said he wanted to be a train conductor when he grew up, Zhang Guoqing encouraged him. As long as they could think, it was okay; surely they wouldn’t come back still obsessed with returning to the village to work in the fields?
The Ninth Day was the date for the train that Huang Xiaomi worked on.
With a whistle, the train took these kids away, along with the Ping An Brothers and their appointment.
The Northeast hometown received a telegram from Zhang Guoqing the next day, easing the worried hearts of Mr. Zhang and Mother Zhang halfway. Upon seeing their grandchildren and grandsons later, their hearts of the elders finally settled down completely.
Nonetheless, Mr. Zhang still kept a stern face, pointing a finger at them a few times. Without establishing some parental authority, these mischievous monkeys were fearless of heaven and earth.
Shi Tou didn’t just roam around without purpose, nor did he stay at the Zhou Family in vain. He quickly leaned over to Mr. Zhang, "Grandpa, I missed you and grandma."
"Go on, go on, you’re such a big boy now..." Mr. Zhang dismissed him with a tap on his forehead, guessing that if he kept a stern face without smiling, Shi Tou might believe him.
"Grandpa, let me tell you about our brothers’ travel stories. We went to Hai City first, just as my little uncle described it—bustling," Shi Tou continued, "we stayed there for a week before boarding a ship bound for Jiang City..."
Brothers Xiao Zuo, Xiao You, Zi Wu, and Zicong exchanged glances, immediately starting to move their luggage into the empty study room. They unanimously moved those worn cotton blankets and army coats first.
Huang Cuilan, Lin Juhua, and Zhang Meili, the two sisters, were busy cooking noodles in the kitchen, but Zhang Guofu and a few others were in the living room. They didn’t say much, thinking the kids wanted to stay with grandpa/grandma to chat. They simply smiled and helped move things.
A cheerful Mother Zhang listened to her grandson babbling on and, in the blink of an eye, saw them busy moving their luggage. She quickly said, "Don’t throw dirty blankets and clothes inside; we have blankets at home."
Hearing this, Mr. Zhang glanced at the grandsons, paused his hand holding the smoking pipe, then continued silently listening to Shi Tou’s "story."
He was not like his wife; their grandchildren and grandsons were mischievous indeed, but they did housework from a young age, lacking policies that boys shouldn’t cook or wash clothes.
Rushing to hide raggedy items in the room, if there wasn’t a secret, he wouldn’t believe it. Nor would he believe they were hiding a package sent by the old son.
In their family, they didn’t have rules that allowed rummaging through items without elders’ consent.
