RBCT Chapter 1071 - 944: Bought Broken Wood at the Scrap Depot
Chapter 1071 - 944: Bought Broken Wood at the Scrap Depot
It’s been over two hours since we left the Zhao Family. If we didn’t have to visit other elders, Zhang Guoqing estimated that Zhao Dashan could chat until dawn.The Zuo Family wasn’t much smaller in number than the Zhao Family, and more crucially, there were many neighbors cooling off around them...
On the way back, after passing Uncle Ye and a few others, it’s mission accomplished for the evening once we head out again. Seeing long-unseen elders still healthy is enough to reassure Zhang Guoqing.
"In a good mood?"
When Zhang Guoqing saw the Second at home, he wasn’t surprised at all, "Haha, just chatted a bit with the elders."
"Should I ruin it?" Zhang the Second rubbed his stubbled chin, staring at his younger brother.
Zhang Guoqing raised his eyebrows, looking at him with a puzzled expression.
"Xiao Wu, let me tell you something; someone’s got their eyes on you."
Zhang Guoqing glanced at Zhou Jiao beside him, giving him a glare as if asking, why can’t he say this without his wife present? Having eyes on him? Whether malicious or benign, there are plenty.
"Haha, didn’t our team have an abandoned baby a few days ago? Found the family, who supposedly plan to give him to you as a son..."
Zhang Guoqing smiled at the news, pushing Zhou Jiao into the yard.
Zhang the Second was taken aback at this, "Xiao Wu, don’t leave yet. You haven’t said what to do! What if Dad hears inside?"
"Wanting to be my son is just wanting to be your nephew, isn’t it?"
Zhang Guoqing stopped, turned around, "Just ignore them; they’re just fools. Second Brother, pass on this message from me saying, ’Zhang Guoqing said to handle it mercilessly.’
Zhang the Second looked at him in surprise, "Don’t you want to ask whose family it is first?"
Zhang Guoqing shook his head, "Not interested. You don’t need to tell me who it is either. If someone speaks to you asking for help making it difficult, I’ll talk to the village myself afterwards."
At this, Zhang the Second realized he misunderstood, he angrily glared at him, looking at Zhou Jiao, "Jiao Jiao, according to what the child’s mother says, her son was stolen, you see..."
Zhou Jiao amusedly glanced at him, "Before checking or after?"
"..." Zhang the Second immediately understood her meaning. If they change their story saying that after the police find them, then they truly deserve no sympathy for such actions.
Zhou Jiao smirked meaningfully, "Second Brother, Xiao Wu is the boss of our family. Whatever he says goes. Calculating against us? Such boldness indeed."
After hearing this, Zhang the Second immediately looked at his younger brother, seeing him nod proudly, ultimately shaking his head helplessly, "Alright, I understand."
Zhang Guoqing teased him, "No difficulties?"
"Difficulty my ass, his family relatives have been plotting against my brother; I’d have to be stupid to help them beg."
Zhang Guoqing patted his shoulder, hugging Zhou Jiao as they entered the main door.
Touching his head, Zhang the Second frowned. Have they already figured out whose family it is, or do they just think it’s a trivial matter to ignore? Or perhaps completely blind to identity, cutting ties?
Forget it, since even the sister-in-law said so, there’s no need to waste words lest the younger couple think he was angling for some benefit.
Inside, Zhou Jiao quietly asked, "Aren’t you curious who it is?"
Zhang Guoqing squeezed her palm, "Is it necessary? It’s just some clever idiots. I’ll give Lin Zi’s dad a heads-up tomorrow."
"The Second Brother doesn’t dare."
Zhang Guoqing naturally believes his Second Brother won’t make decisions on his own, but as his brothers achieve success in their respective roles, it’s time to teach his Second Brother a lesson.
For Zhang Guoqing, nothing more needs to be said; sometimes a hint or attitude is enough to have others act for him.
"Dad, Mom, you’re back? Help us figure out something."
Rarely does Zhang Guoqing get his eldest son asking for help, with interest, he quickened his pace towards them. When he got close, seeing the empty chicken pen, he helplessly looked at Zhou Jiao.
"Grandma wants to raise chickens, but the city doesn’t allow it, any ideas?"
Internally, Zhang Guoqing murmured: "Isn’t it troublesome? Nowadays, even in rural areas, there are so many rules and restrictions."
Business is not allowed, grain transportation is targeted for crackdown; raising livestock or poultry can’t be too much, more is deemed ’capitalist’...
Ordinary farm households just raise a few pigs and according to family size, a small number of chickens, ducks, and geese, but more than half a dozen is unacceptable, let alone in the city?
Zhou Jiao frowned. In front of children, she wouldn’t complain about dirtiness, knowing these livestock are farmers’ main economic source for trading oil, salt, getting household items, and daily expenses; also of great importance to a thrifty mother-in-law.
She thought in another direction, "With the elder brothers and sisters grown up, Grandma has to go out of town every day to collect wild greens to feed the chickens, and soon it’ll get cold, not suitable."
Ping’an looked at May 1st, "Did you hear that? Even Mom says so."
"Poor Grandma, without eggs to eat."
Liu Yi rolled his eyes, mumbled ’idiot,’ then jumped into Zhou Jiao’s arms. As if he didn’t understand, Grandma only lets the elder brothers and sisters eat the eggs from the chickens she raised.
Laughing, Zhou Jiao patted the child’s bottom, picking him up, "Don’t worry, we send Grandma money every month, she can trade at the village."
Zhang Guoqing looked around, only seeing the kitchen lights still on. His mother, eager to stretch every penny, evidently preparing a late-night snack otherwise she wouldn’t have left the lights on... this hot summer, sigh...
"Grandma told us to eat our late-night snack and sleep, we couldn’t stop her. She said it’s a pity there aren’t enough eggs, if there were hens it’d be better, we could have sugary egg soup."
"Mom, if this was our house courtyard, we could grow veggies in the village, why not allowed here?"
"Think for yourself, if you can’t answer, ask your dad."
Carrying Liu Yi, Zhou Jiao went ahead to avoid May 1st, the chatterbox, having a million questions waiting for answers; better pass it to her man.
Living a simple life moving to extravagance is easy, but extravagance to simplicity difficult, she thought once more of their gas cylinder, and Aunt Chen... back at home she returns to being a young wife.
Before sleep, Zhang Guoqing relayed the evening’s county happenings discussed by Zhao Dashan and the others to Zhou Jiao, afterwards blinking, "What? Doesn’t it interest you?"
Those troubles, what do they have to do with her?
——Some shackles, self-imposed, like him; some misfortunes, destined, like those people.
Zhou Jiao glanced at him sideways, "Don’t use your civilian tone to tell me gang stories. Dude, life is short, don’t be too emotional."
Zhang Guoqing chuckled, touching her head, "Fed up? I’ll take you out tomorrow for fun."
"Where to? Just me? You’ve been tired a few days, wouldn’t stay home to rest?"
"Such minor things won’t tire me yet." As for taking the kids to the mountains? Hastening yields no gains, too much urgency counterproductive, everything involves a bit of patience and accumulation, can’t be rushed.
"Mom doesn’t have much firewood; we’ll go buy some at the scrap yard."
Eyes gleaming, Zhou Jiao thought, this could work...