Rebirth in the 50s: The Couple with the Hidden Space-Chapter 355 - 270: Moving House

In the early morning, in a daze, Jiao Jiao habitually reached out to the side and found that Zhang Guoqing had already gotten up. With a start, she immediately became clear-headed—they were separating, and they should move.

A few days ago, the second Zhang Guoqiang took advantage of his Sunday break from work to simply hold a housewarming ceremony and moved into the new yard. The whole process made Zhou Jiao envious. Simplicity, how convenient!

Today finally it was Zhou Jiao’s family’s turn to move. Speaking of the family, it was just Zhang Guoqing, Zhou Jiao, and a baby.

Yesterday, Mr. Zhang agreed with the couple that they must move in by noon. Zhou Jiao guessed that Zhang Guoqing must have already run to the adjacent yard to prepare.

Successive banquets made them recall the chaos when Zhang Meili moved. This time Zhang Guoqing and Jiao Jiao refused to let Mr. Zhang inform the relatives.

For the couple, it was enough to have a meal together as a family. If relatives came, it would turn into socializing and persuading to drink, and in the end, the family would still be hungry. Isn’t that silly?

By 8 o’clock in the morning, Zhang Meili and her husband, along with Zhang Meihao and her husband, still showed up. Despite Zhang Guoqing repeatedly instructing the family not to reveal the moving news, his two sisters had been keeping an eye on it. How could they not know?

Zhang Guoqing was actually very happy to see his two sisters. His sisters were still considered family in his heart. The reason for not informing the parents was to avoid disrupting their work.

By 10 o’clock in the morning, after Mr. Zhang and Mother Zhang held a ceremony with Zhang Guoqing and his wife, they stood in the front yard again, and Zhou Jiao couldn’t help but laugh out loud.

Three main rooms, east and west wings, and apart from the flat ground in the front yard, there was nothing else. It was really simple.

A spontaneous Zhang Guoqing decorated under the eaves with crops of different colors intersecting, hanging strings of corncobs, chilies, and garlic. The walls were hung with brand new raincoats and bamboo hats, and red paper cuttings adorned every window—almost turning it into a wedding house. It looked like a quaint folk courtyard now.

Zhang Guoqing once joked that if this were placed in the future, he could charge admission fees.

After several days of hard work and careful decoration by the couple, the new yard was ready. The three main rooms, except for Zhang Guoqing moving all the old furniture from the original bedroom into the west room, the east room was the most eye-catching.

The east room was Mr. Zhang and Mother Zhang’s bedroom. This time, they added brand new wardrobes, two large wooden boxes, a kang piano at the head of the bed, and the couple also prepared new bedding for them.

The central hall followed local customs where Zhang Guoqing set up a kang. A large red Chinese Knot (brought over from the old yard) was hung on the wall by the bed. A new kang mat was spread on the kang, with a large kang table on top, and a tea set was placed on it. Three red plaid pillows were casually piled inside, with Zhang Meihao currently hugging a pillow and not letting go.

Near the back door, there was a table for eight immortals and four benches.

The west room, serving as their bedroom, kept the same furniture and decorations as before, making it the only place that felt unchanged.

The furniture from the living room in the old yard was moved to the east wing next to the kitchen and turned into a study. The opposite two west wing rooms, due to fewer people, became storage rooms for the household.

After moving in, Uncle Zhang, with all three families of Old Zhang’s, gathered in the new house. Zhou Jiao followed Mother Zhang and the others to the kitchen to prepare warming wine, leaving Zhang Guoqing to chat with the Zhang Family men in the hall.

Today, Mr. Zhang was very excited, taking Uncle Zhang and Uncle Zhang into the east room. Without saying a word, with a smile on his face, he gestured to the room. Returning from the east room, Uncle Zhang patted Zhang Guoqing. For this nephew, he had nothing to say at the moment. This was beautifully done.

Uncle Zhang took off his shoes, got on the kang, and said with a grin, "Xiao Wu, you’ve done well, better than your older brothers. Learn from him, all of you!"

Seeing this, Zhang Guoqing hurriedly explained, "Uncle, don’t say that. Who among us brothers isn’t praised outside? Their situations are different from mine. I’m selfish, without my parents by our side, Jiao Jiao and I don’t know how to live."

"Good for you, Xiao Wu, you’ve made us all look like unfilial sons. Brothers, let’s teach him a lesson and let him be smug," Zhang Qingfeng said, and then a group of cousins piled onto Zhang Guoqing, playfully wrestling.

Uncle Zhang curiously asked Mr. Zhang, "Second brother, do you want to move in? The couple has prepared everything. It’s more spectacular than your room."

"Still, the old yard is comfortable; I’m used to it and don’t want to move. I told them a kang in any west room is fine, but they wouldn’t listen. Jiao Jiao said she didn’t agree to me staying in the east room in the county, and here it has to be the east room."

Uncle Zhang gave him a look and said grumpily, "It’s just a few steps from yours; you’re just fussing. I thought you were kidding when you said to leave a room for the kids when separating, didn’t expect you meant it."

Mr. Zhang smiled and said, "Big brother, I have my thoughts. Whether we live there or not, the children must leave it for us. Why? Heh, heh, to remind them they’ve formed their own little family, but parents are still parents. It’s not filial piety just to throw some money and food at them. Even if we live with the eldest, we’ll come back often. Moreover, what if we feel unhappy or get upset at the eldest’s place?"

Uncle Zhang, after listening, tapped him with his finger and shook his head with a smile. He understood his second brother’s point. If feeling unhappy or aggrieved, he wouldn’t stay but would go to another son’s home. The reasoning was right, but others didn’t have such confidence. Some village elders don’t stay with the eldest son, and they aren’t accepted by other sons. His second brother has the confidence with the youngest son. Xiao Wu, that mischievous boy, intentionally tidied up neatly to show his two sisters-in-law.

In the kitchen, Mother Zhang saw Zhou Jiao and her three sisters-in-law working well together. The older generation had nothing much to do, so she took her two sisters-in-law back to the east room. The three climbed onto the kang as Mother Zhang opened a drawer in the piano to check, and indeed, there were pastries inside. She internally called her daughter-in-law wasteful but felt happy inside.

"First sister-in-law, younger sister-in-law, have a bite to fill up. This pastry is quite good."

"Did Xiao Wu prepare this for you? Are you staying here tonight?" Aunt Zhang took a small bite and found it indeed tasty. Earlier, her little grandson was munching on it in his hand non-stop. If it wasn’t good, he’d have put it down.

"Yesterday, Jiao Jiao and her second sister-in-law brought it back from the market for me. Like the second son’s family, we all stay for three nights," Mother Zhang didn’t mention that her daughter-in-law also brought back a pair of sheepskin boots for her yesterday.

She never wore such good shoes in her life and didn’t expect to wear ones bought by her daughter-in-law when she was old. This daughter-in-law, there’s nothing to criticize. Not long after coming out of confinement, she washed and hung their old clothes in the hall. Once dry, she took them to add new cotton, all because she casually mentioned old clothes didn’t attract attention in the village, but were unfortunately thin.

After eating the warming wine, Zhang Guoqing and his wife sent everyone off, circling the front and back yard for a check before returning to their bedroom.

Zhou Jiao lay on the kang, staring blankly at the ceiling. She decided to honestly go buy supplies and let go of trying to tidy the backyard.

Seeing her expression, Zhang Guoqing burst into hearty laughter. Earlier, someone was speaking ambitiously, gesturing like pointing at the restoration of the nation while planning what to plant next year.

He had long known she would be greatly disappointed when she saw the backyard. No matter how much rubble was cleared, barren land was barren land; without a couple of years of nurturing the land, how could it be just like the backyard of the old yard?

"Jiao Jiao, let me take you to the mountains to find something nice," Zhang Guoqing said, and immediately saw her stand up with eyes shining brightly, looking at him. He pointed towards their son.

Zhou Jiao laughed softly, picked up the child, and said, "Then you quickly go find Mom to watch him. I’ll finish feeding and we can head out." Seeing Zhang Guoqing nod and head out, she excitedly kissed the child.