Free Web NovelChapter 1089: Chapter 962: As If She Deserves It
The setting sun was slanting in the west. After more than an hour of scavenging, the family of five finally contentedly pushed a cart full of rubbish back to their courtyard in the alley.
"Dad, I want a wooden stool."
"A rocking chair would be nice."
"Are you sure?"
"Hehe, let’s go with the wooden stool."
"No worries, let’s store the materials in the side room first. Once I have a long break, I’ll see if I can make a rocking chair. It doesn’t look too complicated to me."
"My dad can definitely handle it. I’ll give you a hand then."
"Forget it, let’s spend a bit of money to get a professional to do it. With that time, Dad, you might as well take us out. We can test our skills in the process."
"Hunting has to wait until autumn. It’s too hot now, and we can’t store the meat. In the fall, we can take your mom to gather wild fruits and make some snacks for you all."
"Mom, did you hear that? Dad promised to take us hunting."
Zhou Jiao nodded with a smile. It wouldn’t be long now. Some things needed to be resolved, and by autumn, her father should be back no matter what.
Ping’an patted May 1st, "Grandpa and Grandma might come over, so don’t get too excited yet."
"If they come, they come. We can take them out too. With Dad around, getting permits and all won’t be a problem. Right, Dad?"
Zhang Guoqing shook his head, "They won’t come. Your Brother Xi Zi and Cousin Ziwen are getting married at the end of the year. They’ll likely have us go back instead."
"How do you know if you haven’t replied to them?"
"Ask your older brother. You can figure it out."
"No need, I can guess too. Missing his wife, right?"
"You cheeky kid, you’re so young. What do you know about missing a wife?" Zhang Guoqing couldn’t help but laugh.
"I know a lot. Grandma said once our cousins get married, Old Zhang’s family will soon have a fourth generation. We will all be elders."
After Liu Yi finished speaking, he softly said, "They are already engaged. Grandpa asked in his letter when you and Mom will have a vacation. They want to arrange the time, right?"
Zhang Guoqing smiled approvingly at him, "Smart!"
"Do you and Mom have time off? Last time you mentioned to Mom that it would be busy at the end of the year and you might not be able to get away."
Zhang Guoqing looked at his youngest son in surprise, "You heard that?"
"Yes, I was lying in bed, not napping."
"If this time your mom and I don’t have a vacation, would you represent us to go?"
Ping’an frowned, "Must we go?"
"Last time when Yin Suo got married, no one from our family went. This time Xi Zi and them will likely arrange their weddings around the same time. If we don’t go back, your grandma will be sad."
"Alright, I can go alone then." Ping’an nodded, pensively asking, "How are we going to handle the wedding gift this time?"
Zhang Guoqing laughed and looked at him, "Wait for the hometown to notify us of the wedding date, then we’ll discuss with your second uncle. We’ll give the gift together. Your grandfather will also give a gift, which should be sufficient."
Ping’an hesitated and looked at Zhou Jiao before stepping closer to Zhang Guoqing, "It’s okay to give gifts like this to our aunt’s side, but won’t our big aunt be unhappy?"
"Do you mean I should give a bigger gift for her?"
Liu Yi and May 1st shouted in unison, "She wishes."
"Why should her feelings matter to us? Your mom and I have limited salaries, and besides taking care of your grandparents, we still have to raise the three of you. Where would the money come from?"
The Ping’an brothers laughed quietly, covering their mouths.
"Happy now? Dad has it all figured out. Don’t talk about these things outside, so you don’t lose face. Your grandma always told me to help in emergencies, not from poverty."
Ping’an nodded, "Grandma is sensible. From what I see, in our Big Courtyard, some families only make a show to save face when the hometown hosts a wedding...
Last year, Xiao Jie’s mom and dad had a fight because of a nephew’s wedding at home. His grandma even wrote to say that since their family has two people earning wages, now that the eldest nephew is getting married, they as uncle and aunt should buy a sewing machine."
Liu Yi sneered, "That’s what Mom calls moral blackmail."
"I know about that. Later, his dad secretly sent the newly bought sewing machine back home, and his mom, in her anger, bought a bicycle for her mother’s family. All of them are fools."
Zhou Jiao wasn’t particularly interested in these matters. It was just a case of one willing to beat, the other willing to endure.
Watching the four cheerful father and sons chatting gossipingly ahead, she shook her head wordlessly and hurried forward, "Alright, let’s get back to our courtyard quickly. We still need to go home."
Especially since leaving the recycling station, she wanted to immediately see the ’junk’ the children had selected. Perhaps it was time to secretly learn some artifact restoration skills in her spare time?
Those torn calligraphy and paintings, those smashed ceramics... these are the precious cultural heritages left by our ancestors, and if not preserved, they would really vanish in the river of history.
As they walked and pondered, Zhou Jiao’s reminder made them hasten their steps, and they quickly returned to the courtyard, weaving through alleys and lanes.
There were still quite a few groups of tourists and children swimming and fishing in the nearby park. The place was still good, but the street snack shops, the popcorn at the corner, the summer desserts... were nowhere to be seen.
Aunt set down her sewing work and stood up happily when she saw them return, gesturing towards the kitchen for the three kids.
Zhou Jiao smiled and asked, "Isn’t my master back yet?"
Aunt nodded and gestured that it would be dark.
Zhou Jiao didn’t need her to explain; she had a fair guess. The old man, once inspired, might even go to the countryside to play the role of a traveling doctor for a day. Not traveling this year must have made him restless.
Over there, Zhang Guoqing pushed the cart into the side room, storing all the wood they fancied inside, lifted two sacks and placed them at the entrance, and finally moved the ongoing garbage to the woodshed.
After a round of busyness, dinner was over, but Doctor Hu still hadn’t come back. Zhou Jiao had to say goodbye to Aunt first, and the family left.
The summer evenings arrived late. The family strolled through the alleys in the twilight of the sunset. If it weren’t for the two cumbersome sacks, Zhang Guoqing would have wanted to take his wife and kids shopping.
The public bus wobbled and stopped as it went, and before reaching the terminal, many familiar faces had boarded. They were all military relatives from the Big Courtyard.
Among them was Yi Shumin.
After nodding and greeting each other, Yi Shumin squeezed in between them, and upon seeing the two sacks beside her feet, she curiously gave them a light kick.
"What’s this? It’s all dirty."
Zhou Jiao wasn’t worried about being exposed since they could bring it into the Big Courtyard. Without waiting for her to speak, Liu Yi and May 1st, the twins, exchanged a look. Liu Yi said to her, "Bought some junk wood."
Then May 1st smiled and added, "We want Dad to teach us how to make small stools."
Yi Shumin teased, "Don’t want to be soldiers, want to be little carpenters instead?"
"We are still young, better to learn more skills so we won’t worry about not being able to find a wife in the future."
Yi Shumin was amused by May 1st, and laughed along with a few nearby people.
One of the female comrades laughed and said, "I have a little sister who’s quite cute. You don’t need to learn any skills, she could be your little wife. Interested?"
May 1st shook his head, "No, no, I’m still small. I have to wait until I grow up and get a job, earn a salary to get a good wife."
Yi Shumin nudged Zhou Jiao, "Your son’s something, understanding at such a young age."
Zhou Jiao: "..."
"By the way, why has Uncle Zhou been on a business trip for so long?"
