NABC Chapter 1067 - 940: It’s Complicated
Chapter 1067 - 940: It’s Complicated
Mr. Zhang thought for a moment and laughed, "Don’t overthink it. Some things aren’t simply about helping or not, there’s complexity involved. Qing Shan said everyone pushed him to be the captain, but are there really no capable people in the village? Do you believe that?"Mother Zhang didn’t quite understand the complexity her husband mentioned, but she did know a bit about her nephew’s capabilities and decisively shook her head.
"And Qingfeng, the militia captain..."
Mr. Zhang lowered his voice instinctively, "This time, when Xiao Wu is back, he should first visit the clan leader, the clan elders, and Fifth Uncle. Just wait and see, it won’t be long before he’ll be bringing herbs to the clinic. If Xiao Wu didn’t know how to handle people, there’d be plenty who are envious and resentful."
Mother Zhang laughed cheerfully, "Of course, everyone has praises for my dear son when they see him."
Mr. Zhang chuckled and shook his head. What a silly woman!
"So you don’t need to worry, he has his plans. Haven’t you noticed he said his skills are rusty? That’s because he doesn’t want to get involved in the hometown matters anymore."
Oh wow, how right he is! Mother Zhang widened her eyes in surprise. She hadn’t yet mentioned her son’s plans not to involve himself in other matters in the future.
Mr. Zhang leaned against the stove, not noticing his wife’s expression, and murmured to himself, "Following Brother Zhou for so many years, this silly boy finally shows some progress..."
"Huh?"
Interrupted by his wife, Mr. Zhang snapped back and shook his head with a smile, "What ’huh’? Try to ensure that the matters of the eldest and second families don’t drag Xiao Wu down. Those two families are pretty much at their limits, any more would bring trouble, not fortune."
"I don’t understand what you are saying, the children’s father. How are they at their limits? Isn’t everyone saying that our sons and grandsons are all outstanding?"
"Capable enough to eat from a large bowl. Don’t I know my own sons? If they overreach, they won’t be able to handle it. Also, of the grandsons below, I’ve tested them one by one, still not promising. If there genuinely is one with a bright future, I’d even put aside my pride to seek advice from Brother Zhou."
No way was Mother Zhang going to allow anyone to say her sons and grandsons lack promise. Her sons and grandsons are united and devoted; can you find such kids in the county?
"You just don’t like to face the reality. Let alone anything else, did Xiao Wu say during the summer vacation to have them return to the village for farm work? They agreed, right? But in the end, Ping’an’s three brothers showed up. How old are the little twins anyway? Those days working at the far edge of the fields, in such heat, did they cry or fuss?
You must know the kind of life our three grandsons lead at home, yet they persevered. Even when called to leave, they wouldn’t, insisting that perseverance is victory.
Look at the others, barely worked for two days before running off, full of excuses. Liu Yi mocked them for being deserters, and he’s spot on. If they were my sons, I’d have kicked them long ago."
Left speechless by those words, Mother Zhang covered her mouth, giggling quietly.
"Nothing to say now, right? That’s not all; I’ve tested many times. There’s no shortage of intelligence, but they’re foolish to the core. With Brother Zhou as their maternal family, and parents like Xiao Wu and Jiao Jiao, I’m not bragging, but if no mishaps occur, the future of Ping’an’s three brothers will only surpass their father’s. Now, their uncle even laid out a path for them to befriend Ping’an’s three brothers, and they are squandering it."
Mother Zhang frowned worriedly, "Should I go advise them a bit?"
Mr. Zhang waved his hand, "As elders, we shouldn’t interfere with the children’s matters. Do you think the eldest and second haven’t advised their kids? The bottom line is, the kids aren’t listening.
That’s why I’m saying they’re unlikely to achieve much. Look at Xiao Wu; even without us, he knew what to do from a young age. When my father passed, he sought Mr. Wang’s help for hunting to earn money. Upon attending school in the county, he befriended Lin Zi, Taozi, and a few other boys.
Look again at Ping’an and his brothers; this aspect has followed Xiao Wu. You see them helping daily in the fields, but they’re constantly with the Old Captain or asking questions of the elderly."
Thinking of his three little geniuses, Mr. Zhang couldn’t help but smile. Finally, among a string of grandsons, there’s some usefulness.
"What kind of questions?"
"You’d never guess. Mr. Zhang smiled proudly, "Plenty of them, like when to sow seeds in spring, what’s mandated for planting by the commune? When to harvest, what to do when natural disasters strike, how to predict tomorrow’s weather by looking at the sky, and even when to fertilize best?
Clearly, they’re learning, learning what Xiao Wu and Xiao Wu’s wife have said about understanding basic farm work. They follow Xiao Wu, always purposeful in their actions. Moreover, these three kids have a keen sense. Why else would they ask the elderly? Besides their lifelong experience, they have some spare time during the farming season, willing to chat with them."
Mother Zhang showed a smile, tutting twice, murmuring softly.
Though Mr. Zhang couldn’t make out what his wife was saying, he could guess it aligned closely with his thoughts. He smiled, "So, don’t go advise those wild kids. Grandsons and sons are fundamentally different; they have their mothers. Although they’ll verbally agree when told, they might silently resent us for being overly interfering while working.
Parents have to let the kids learn things themselves, like with that Li kid who went to military school, and who’s studying with Xi Zi now. A mischievous kid whose father can’t handle him. But now, he’s more promising than Xi Zi, and Xiao Wu says the kid has kept in touch with him all these years.
And then there’s our Xi Zi. Before Xiao Wu and his wife went to Beijing, they taught him for quite some time. He said he wanted to apply for the provincial city university, but Xiao Wu wrote advising him to apply for Beijing, promising to help if his scores weren’t sufficient. But this kid said he was the eldest and couldn’t leave his home. When this reason comes out, what else can Xiao Wu say?
Finally graduating, Xiao Wu recommended the provincial city’s finance department as it’s good and can look after Brother Dashan’s family. But this kid replied that this mechanical factory’s advancement is quicker. What else can Xiao Wu say? Just a matter of time before he regrets not listening to his uncle.
Sigh... I’ve come to understand that some things can’t be forced. When the kids grow up, they each have their own ideas. If they’re receptive, say a bit more; if not, let them be. Good or bad, it’s their choice, and they can’t blame us elders in the end."
Seeing her husband sigh, Mother Zhang, filled with complaints, also let out a deep sigh. Had her husband not brought it up tonight, she wouldn’t have known about so many things.
Truly, her dear son is wronged! No wonder they say it’s not good to meddle too much as an uncle; he’s decided not to involve himself in the hometown affairs anymore. It’s really disheartening.
Had Zhang Guoqing known these words, he would indeed have explained for his nephew. He was never as grand as his father made him out to be, and merely mentioned in a letter, it’s not completely Xi Zi’s fault. The general situation is like this; these years, those in the administrative cadre have suffered, and indeed being a worker is more favorable than joining administrative departments.