CHAPTER 303: CHAPTER 233

Zhang Guoqing accompanied his mother to stroll slowly over to Meili’s house. He occasionally reminded her how to remember the landmarks. As they walked down the road, Mother Zhang slowly became lost in thought.

After a while, she couldn’t help but ask him, "Xiao Wu, how much did your father-in-law spend to buy the courtyard? I see it’s arranged so brightly inside. Your father-in-law is really willing to spend."

Zhang Guoqing laughed and said, "Mom, he has only one daughter, how could he not be willing? I heard that when Jiao Jiao was just born, he was over the moon. He hadn’t seen the child for so many years, and now seeing her suffer so much grievance, he feels terrible. Naturally, he wants to give her the best. He spent eight hundred yuan on this courtyard. But I’ve calculated, the things inside probably cost about the same to furnish. He replaced everything except the furniture with new ones."

"The Old Zhou Family must be regretting it terribly. At the time, how could I have imagined marrying Jiao Jiao would turn out so well. I originally appreciated her character, and she grew up with you. Thinking back, she’s truly a golden baby, even more valuable than that. I’m a bit uneasy at heart, just worried that the girl’s too strong and you might be wronged in the future."

Zhang Guoqing embraced her and continued to walk slowly forward, "Mom, you should trust Jiao Jiao’s character and also trust my judgment. How do you see my father-in-law and mother-in-law treat me?

My father-in-law treats me like a son. These days, he’s been secretly advising me on who’s reliable and what’s what. He’s given me all his connections. He even told others they must take good care of the three of us. So rest assured, they’re not those kinds of people. Jiao Jiao takes after her dad, you can tell just by looking at Jiao Jiao."

Mother Zhang slowly smiled, "Xiao Wu, are there any cheaper houses in the courtyard over there? I see your eldest and second sisters’ homes aren’t far from you, so your second brother could also buy in this area in the future."

"Yeah, that’s what I was thinking too. Not many houses here are for sale. You can ask eldest sister about this; she should know plenty of well-informed people."

The mother and son stood in front of Meili’s house door and knocked. A child ran out from inside, seeing them, and joyfully shouted, "Mom, Grandma, and Uncle Xiao are here."

Zhang Guoqing went forward to pick him up, "Ziwen, how come you brothers didn’t go back to the village to find Uncle Xiao?"

Zhang Ziwen hugged his neck, "We all have to go to school. Uncle Xiao, I haven’t seen you for so long, I missed you. My mom said we have to wait until you’re not busy to come to our house."

"Uncle Xiao is almost done with his work. Once your school vacation starts, come play at Uncle’s house. Did your mom buy snacks for you? What do you eat at home?"

"No snacks, my mom said since we bought the house, we need to save money. It’s been a long time since we had fried dough sticks or buns in the morning. We ate the seafood you sent over yesterday. My dad sent some to Grandpa, and we still have a lot at home. Uncle Xiao, I’m big now, let me down." With that, he vigorously slid to the ground.

Zhang Guoqing saw his mother already headed to the kitchen to find his sister. He directly followed his eldest nephew into the room and saw the three brothers doing homework. Seeing him come in, they all surrounded him, shouting excitedly.

Zhang Guoqing quickly signaled them to keep their voices down. He reached out to feel the quilt on the bed and the blanket, slightly frowning. After turning around, he relaxed his expression and, smiling, said, "Do you three brothers all sleep by yourselves? Is it cold at night?"

The third brother, Zhang Zicong, quickly replied, "Uncle Xiao, it’s hot below, cold above. My second brother keeps stealing my blanket."

Zhang Ziwen glared at him, "Uncle Xiao, it’s not cold at all. The three of us hug each other to sleep, it’s very warm. Sit down and rest a bit."

Zhang Guoqing glanced at him with amusement, "How did you do on this exam? There are rewards for good performance. Quickly report to Uncle Xiao."

"I got all hundreds this time, my second brother only got one hundred. It’s been a long time since my eldest brother got a hundred, all are in the nineties. My dad said my eldest brother’s learning deeply and still needs to work hard."

Zhang Guoqing took out a stack of money from his pocket and praised, "Wow, not bad, my nephews are really making us proud. Uncle Xiao rewards you all, keep it for yourselves. If you get good grades this semester, I’ll reward you again. Not just you, even Xi Zi and the others will get the same, so Ziwen, don’t push your brother away."

With that, he stuffed two yuan into each of their pockets. He also took out a pound of sugar tickets, handing three, each worth a pound, to Zhang Ziwen. Seeing him decline, he said, "You’re the eldest; keep these tickets safe. Remember to use them, they’ll expire otherwise. Buy sugar and keep it at home, eat it when you want. These grain tickets can be used at the restaurant across the street to buy buns. If anyone asks where they’re from, just say your uncle is Zhang Guoqing, and they won’t bother you. Understood?"