NABC Chapter 1068 - 941: She’s Just That Headstrong, So What?
Chapter 1068 - 941: She’s Just That Headstrong, So What?
The late-night call indeed affected Mother Zhang’s mood. She tossed and turned and couldn’t sleep well. Finally, when she heard the rooster crow from the village, she got up all of a sudden.Mr. Zhang, lying by her side, groggily heard the commotion and thought his wife was going to the toilet. It wasn’t until she lit the oil lamp and reached under the pillow for her watch that he woke up fully.
"It’s not daylight yet. Go back to sleep."
"You sleep. I’m going to find my son."
"Find our son..." Mr. Zhang shivered, and now he was awake. "You, this old lady, didn’t I tell you that Xiao Wu is busy teaching our grandson?"
Mother Zhang rolled her eyes, "I know. I’m hungry and going to have breakfast." Saying so, she changed into her outside clothes and left. She was just this headstrong, so what?
Mr. Zhang looked at the pitch-dark outside and had no mind to sleep anymore. A companion in old age is just that—a companion. What if she trips and falls? He was much smarter than Mother Zhang, directly picking up the flashlight and putting on his pants, walking while pulling on his clothes.
In the dead of night, he couldn’t very well shout for his wife to slow down, so he could only quicken his pace to catch up with her, muttering to himself how silly he was. At her speed, what tripping?
Meanwhile, Zhang Guoqing was about to get ready as he heard footsteps outside, and all four father and son turned their heads to the front door.
Zhou Jiao, unable to hear clearly, but able to read faces, said, "Is someone there? Brother, go and check."
Ping’an, seeing his dad leave, smiled assuringly at her, "The noise should be from my grandma. It’s okay, Mom."
Liu Yi blinked his big eyes, "Later there was also my grandpa’s footsteps."
"My grandpa was even muttering, what medicine did this old lady take to walk so fast," May 1 impeccably mimicked Mr. Zhang’s tone.
Zhou Jiao raised her eyebrows at these words. Their hearing had improved again.
"I’ll go take a look. You protect Mom."
"Yes, ma’am, officer."
Zhou Jiao looked at her three sons’ salutes and chuckled, "Alright, stop playing. I’ll go in and get breakfast. Your grandpa and grandma didn’t eat much last night and must be starving."
"My poor mom, should’ve let Aunt Chen follow you."
"...You said to be self-reliant outside."
"Fool, I’m worried grandpa and grandma won’t have food to eat."
"You’re the fool. We have a canteen."
"I’ll tell Mom you called me a fool again. She said that’s disrespectful and must be punished."
"Are we real brothers?"
"Being real brothers means supervising you."
"You didn’t call me second brother, always calling Liu Yi Liu Yi."
"You just weighed one more pound than me, pushed me away first, and ran. I didn’t even blame you, yet you expect me to call you second brother? Dream on!"
"No matter how you imagine, facts are more eloquent than words. I was born first and rank ahead of you."
"Second grandpa and the others don’t rank according to age."
"Hmph, talking more doesn’t matter. You’re just the youngest in our family."
Zhou Jiao smiled as she listened to her two youngest sons debate. After setting the bowls and chopsticks, she stopped them, "Okay, your grandpa and grandma are coming over."
"Mom, can we still go up the mountain today?"
"Should be fine, maybe a bit later."
"That’s fine. I guess a few more mountain trips and we brothers can complete this basic task. Liu Yi, don’t you think?"
"Yes, too bad it’s far away."
"We can go to the enclosure."
Liu Yi furrowed his little brows, "That’s the best arrangement for now. Dad said once brother learns enough, he can take him to the southern forest."
May 1 looked plaintively at Zhou Jiao, "Why didn’t mom let us come out earlier?"
Liu Yi rolled his little eyes. Coming out earlier would make them premature babies, just like silly Erzi. Sigh... He also wanted to grow up fast and explore the world.
The small people have their own troubles, but the elders’ worries dissipated upon seeing their old son, happily holding his hand.
"Why come out? Still..." The words suddenly got stuck in Mother Zhang’s throat, but her eyes couldn’t deceive. She even looked up at the sky.
"It’s too early. Mom, didn’t eat enough last night, right? Jiao Jiao prepared breakfast early, with your favorite thick rice porridge..."
Ping’an, once he saw his mom and dad had connected, quickly walked towards Mr. Zhang who was behind, "Grandpa, did grandma wake you? Eat up and take a rest after. Isn’t it work in the city tomorrow? No need to rush to the fields today. Later, Dad and I will do half a day’s work."
Mr. Zhang took his hand, walked, and laughed, "Alright. You don’t have to go either. There are plenty of people in the team, and they didn’t plan to include us."
Ping’an nodded with a smile. Of course, they’re purely helping without asking for any work points. If they really counted on him and his dad, he’s not like his dad who cares about clan relationships.
"Once the team finishes the busy work in a few days, life will be easier. Your grandpa won’t come then, but after the October harvest, I’ll come once more. Not too hard."
Really, is fieldwork ever easy?
They’ve been busy for thirteen or fourteen days, crops have been moved to the team’s warehouse, still need to plant some corn, sweet potatoes, various beans.
However, Ping’an couldn’t say this, "Grandpa, when we’re not around, take care of your health, don’t overwork, or else we’ll worry outside."
Mr. Zhang, seeing the child concerned for him, happily explained, "Okay, okay. Our roots are here. We exert ourselves for our family, not outsiders. It all belongs to one ancestor.
After the harvest, help more. Everyone can store the grains earlier. Otherwise, if it suddenly rains, the work of a year is wasted."
Ping’an thought the old captain chose the wrong person, should’ve let his grandpa be the vice-captain. Such an honest person, much better than that granduncle.
The little guy still didn’t understand his grandfather. What’s Mr. Zhang’s principle? Not standing out. Otherwise, how could he have saved nearly a thousand yuan at the time of separation for his sons?
Over the years, given Old Zhang’s family’s connections in the county, he was proud and content inside, but said little in public, claimed himself as a country farmer, an old man who liked to trade fine grains for coarse ones.
The elders of their generation valued stability. They had seen bandits, experienced the turmoil, and learned not to draw attention, hoping everyone saw them as honest people.
While sipping on white rice porridge, Mr. Zhang and Mother Zhang repeatedly urged their family, if planning to go up the mountain, to set out early, or it would be inconvenient later.
"Dad, why not join us? Mom and Jiao Jiao can stay in the wooden nest safely, even pick wild fruits nearby. How about it? Just like a family mountain trip."
Look at what this child said. If Daqing Mountain were really that safe, everyone would be going in long ago. Mr. Zhang had been in the mountains, hunted before.
Not waiting for his wife to reply, he quickly decided, "Your mom and I walk slowly, don’t delay, go early."
Mother Zhang hurriedly waved her hand, "I’m busy, you all go play, be careful, protect the kids, if they lose a single hair, watch me hit you."
Zhang Guoqing nodded with a pleased smile, assuring repeatedly.
He indeed wanted to take them into the mountains, but even with his wife’s powerful potion, he couldn’t take care of so many people alone. He had to give up.