Rebirth in the 50s: The Couple with the Hidden Space-Chapter 431 - 327: Farewell to Beijing (Part 2)

Zhou Jiao saw the fierce look in his eyes as he spoke, and she believed he could truly follow through. She nodded seriously and said, "Dad, don’t worry. I can distinguish between seriousness and light-hearted matters. Besides you and Xiao Wu, I don’t even plan to tell the children we’ll have in the future. I didn’t want to tell you initially because I feared you’d worry. You see, you’re already anxious now. Rest assured, your daughter takes after you, she’s not foolish."

Zhou Xiaozheng looked at her carefully, and after considering that his child indeed resembles him, he nodded, squatted down to open the box, and quietly told her where everything came from and which items could be passed down as family heirlooms in the future.

Zhou Jiao smiled knowingly. She didn’t expect her father to have such a good eye, secretly amassing a family fortune early on. It seems apart from Beijing, there must be other places with considerable savings.

She packed the box, curiously looked around the house, and asked him why he decided to buy this place.

"A house for just a few dozen yuan with nearly half an acre of yard behind it. Wouldn’t you buy it? Most importantly, it’s in the same direction as our ancestral graves, and the villagers are all surnamed Zhou. When we become tired of living in Beijing, we can come here and build a big courtyard. Previously, I didn’t want your mother to know there were things inside, but now it’s fine."

Zhou Jiao was surprised at how cheap it was and nodded in agreement. As for building a courtyard, she’d pass on that. The big courtyard already has plenty of empty rooms for their family to live in.

"Don’t look anymore, we should leave now. This house is only worth the yard in the back. Leave it here for now and we’ll discuss it later," Zhou Xiaozheng said before heading out.

He took Zhou Jiao to a comrade’s house to let him see his own daughter. He had witnessed the foolish girl from the other family. With different thoughts in mind, Zhou Xiaozheng and his daughter visited the family of his comrade who was a team leader.

As night fell, the other party heavily praised his own Jiao Jiao. With a smile on his face, Zhou Xiaozheng bade farewell to them and took Zhou Jiao home.

With the train departing around midnight, it was already six or seven o’clock, and the Zhou family was filled with people.

Apart from the Cheng and Lin families, brothers and sisters they’d recently befriended in the big courtyard also gathered in the East Wing to chat with Zhang Guoqing and say their goodbyes.

Laughing and crying, Zhang Guoqing held a stack of small notes. According to them, these were contact details and he was reminded to write a letter every week, ensuring the responses weren’t repetitive for everyone. Among the notes stealthily slipped to him, a few had contact numbers for friends in the Northeast, which made him feel very touched.

This trip had brought him numerous friendships. The genuine brotherly bond made him reluctant to leave these young friends. Seeing them clamor to meet at Beihai River this summer, he nodded with a smile.

Seeing Zhou Xiaozheng and his daughter talking inside the courtyard, Fang Fei and Li Qianjin stood up again to confirm if it wasn’t necessary for them to escort them to the train, and they decided to leave.

With Zhang Guoqing seeing them off, the group left the Zhou family and headed to Li Qianjin’s house.

"Don’t be sad! I bet before summer, Xiao Wu and his family will come back. Don’t forget that there’s a precious baby here. Wouldn’t Mr. Zhou let Xiao Zhou come back and see if she’s lost weight?"

As Fang Fei finished speaking, everyone laughed heartily—who knows, it might actually be possible.

"Why doesn’t Xiao Wu stay? My grandfather even suggested he join the unit directly," a boy said amidst the group.

"Yeah, if he stayed, our life would be so much better."

Fang Fei found it odd, exchanged looks with a few others, and couldn’t help but ask the young friends who hadn’t started working yet, "You guys want him to stay after only a few times playing together?"

"Brother Fei, does it take time to make friends? It felt right, so he’s a good buddy."

"Exactly. Xiao Wu is so great! He’s such a true pal. Ask him for help and he’d step right up without hesitation. He’s never gone back on his word with us. Tonight when I came to say goodbye to Xiao Wu, my grandma even told me to pass a message."

.....

Listening to everyone discussing, Fang Fei was surprised to find Xiao Wu had unknowingly won over people’s hearts. No wonder his grandfather said within days of Xiao Wu’s arrival, everyone from the sentry at the front gate to the toddlers in the courtyard were talking with him.

Listen to what they’re saying? Loyal—Xiao Wu was truly loyal; generous—he certainly was; doesn’t hold grudges? Wrong, keep talking and he’s practically a saint? That kid’s cleverer than anyone.

As departure time approached, Zhou Xiaozheng declined others’ offers to follow and personally escorted the children into the train compartment with his wife.

Once everything was ready, Zhou Xiaozheng took Zhou Jiao’s hand and urged her to come home if there’s anything, to send a telegram if she wants to, and he would arrange everything. She should be cautious in all she does.

Lin Lishan held Ping’an in her arms and whispered to Zhang Guoqing, telling him to return home if he felt uncomfortable when they went back to the Northeast. She advised him not to foolishly hold onto pride and suffer. With her around, there’d be no shortage of good jobs at home. In the Northeast, if things can be solved with money, he shouldn’t be stingy. If money runs out, send a telegram, and she’ll send them more. She begged him never to hunt in the mountains.

Countless words, all speaking of a parent’s heart.

Zhang Guoqing took a deep breath and nodded with a smile, reassuring her and his father-in-law to take care of their health, not to focus excessively on work, and to spend more time with his father-in-law.

The couple didn’t expect their parents to hold high official positions; all they wished was for them to be safe and healthy. He assured her that he’d take good care of Jiao Jiao and if life outside became difficult, they’d return to Beijing.

As the whistle blew and the train was about to depart, the family’s eyes grew red.

Zhang Guoqing quickly laughed, saying that maybe in less than a month they’d be back again. He reminded Zhou Xiaozheng and his wife to ensure Aunt Chen aired the quilts.

Zhou Xiaozheng patted his daughter’s head, laughingly telling Zhou Jiao not to cry—if she shed tears, she wouldn’t be allowed to leave. Seeing her hold back tears, smiling and nodding, he steeled himself and immediately turned to leave.

At that moment, he again thought how wonderful it would be if his darling Jiao hadn’t married far away. He could come home from work every day to enjoy the meals she carefully prepared, and if he worked late, she’d bring him a midnight snack, refusing to let him procrastinate.

He could have his children with him for chess and chats, and exercise together. When he felt troubled, his little angel would comfort him; when happy, she’d laugh along, silly and carefree.

Zhou Xiaozheng walked to the window, watching the children behind the glass. He saw them holding back their sorrow and smiling at him, and his mood improved as he waved goodbye, silently mouthing the words as the train slowly began to move.

Watching his wife run alongside the moving train, Zhou Xiaozheng remained standing there, motionless for a long time.