Rebirth in the 50s: The Couple with the Hidden Space-Chapter 451 - 340: Precocious

Time passes day by day, the weather gradually warms up, and Zhou Jiao begins to take the child out on the street. A baby sling quickly becomes popular in the county town. Two letters a week, father and daughter stay in touch despite rain and wind. Knowing each other is safe and sound offers some comfort to the father and daughter.

Since Zhang Guoqing started work, he is getting into the rhythm of a busy life. Even the precious weekends are often occupied by Zhao Chuan Guang and his wife, who come to the county town frequently. After a few weekends at the provincial city, Zhou Jiao refuses to go. Shopping and socializing, she truly does not want such a boring life.

With Ping’an’s early wisdom, she spends more time on family and children. On good weather days, she takes the child for strolls on the street, listening to gossip.

She no longer likes going out, cooking delicious food to store, knitting, doing housework, playing chess with Zhang Guoqing, practicing calligraphy, and reviewing, allowing her to leisurely forget all troubles.

Mother Zhang mentions that the second uncle’s family has already moved into her small courtyard. She then remembers that since she returned from Beijing, she hasn’t visited the old home. She wonders how everyone is doing.

On the weekend, on a whim, she pulls Zhang Guoqing, and the family of three returns to Zhang Family Village.

Not having visited the old home for a long time, everything starts to feel different again. Family and friends gathering, laughter and happiness, harmony and warmth, everything seems so harmonious once again.

But Zhou Jiao knows that after the Huang family’s incident, Sister-in-law Huang Cuilan’s status in the Zhang Family has changed significantly. After separation, Lin Juhua’s changes are even more surprising; she’s become a model daughter-in-law in the village.

However, all this has nothing to do with her anymore. Sometimes, separation is just good; everyone leads their own lives. If they get along, they chat more; if not, they avoid each other.

The Huang family’s situation finally calms down after Huang Yaozong is transferred to a village. As for when Zhang Guofu will move into the warm house, he hasn’t mentioned it, and Zhou Jiao and Zhang Guoqing never inquire.

The village underwent careful planning by the Old Captain. The row of straw and earthen houses at the foot of Qing Mountain have been demolished and cleared. After blasting earth from the small hillock behind, a dirt road has been made, with some wild fruit trees transplanted along both sides. Besides the good ridges in the hillock, there are large patches of wasteland awaiting cultivation along the road.

It is said that the Old Captain walks the dirt road seven or eight times a day. The villagers are exceptionally excited about the increased land, their faces filled with anticipation and satisfaction.

Old farmers always have a natural love for the land. They do not care that the added land undoubtedly increases their burdens. Simple-mindedly, they just believe that having more land means they can eat well.

From North Mountain Foot leading towards the village entrance, each household demarcates their plot using stones, broken wood, and various miscellaneous items. Men from dozens of households start clearing the blasted blue stones, busy preparing for future house construction.

Zhou Jiao knows Zhang Guoqing’s suggestion is behind all this. The savvy Old Captain is eager to prepare for house-building now, fearing that changes might happen one day.

The village newly married brides and many daughters have been married off before the New Year. Zhou Jiao remembers the family hasn’t stopped gifting money. Though living elsewhere and not returning, Mother Zhang has been footing the bill. Seeing a few shy new brides now, she feels she too is a newcomer but cannot find those shy feelings anymore.

However, seeing sisters who married into Zhang Family Village around the same time as her, she chuckles to herself. Those bold women tease the new brides, already forgetting they themselves had only married a year or half-year earlier. Indeed, seniors are different, talking dirty without blushing or panting.

Mother Zhang keeps holding the little grandson, refusing to let go. Seeing Ping’an hug her tightly, babbling nonstop, pointing at Xi Zi and the others, adamantly wanting to join the fun with the brothers, making her even more reluctant to let go of the child.

She had overheard the eldest son saying the grandson is quick-witted and very strong, advising them to keep it from outsiders. But how can one hide such obvious changes in a child from women who have given birth? Faced with the villagers’ praises, she shifts topics, yet secretly she feels proud.

Every day after work, Zhang Guoqing spends time with his son, knowing the little one understands—walk, drink, pull, work, daddy, mommy. He tells his son they’re going to work with mom. Sure enough, he sees his son waving to him.

Delighted, he pulls Zhou Jiao and heads out, sneaking a glance back at the child, who tilts his head, bewildered that Zhou Jiao is leaving with him, not crying or fussing, waving his small hands adorably.

Seeing this, Zhou Jiao pinches his palm, urging him to hurry. He’s just over four months and already knows to read expressions.

Several times he kicks hard on the kang bed, knocking her over, making him giggle foolishly. Once she deliberately faked a crying face, frowned, lying without getting up, he anxiously pats the quilt, ’a, a, yi’, babbling. After that, he no longer kicks her intentionally.

Now when she scolds him with a stern face and frowns, he obediently stays still. Even when holding toys, he doesn’t throw them randomly or cry loudly when unhappy.

Now switching to DHA milk powder stored in space, he doesn’t fuss. Zhou Jiao plans to start adding complementary foods after the beginning of the month. "At three months, lift head; four months, roll over; six months, sit up; seven months, crawl; eight months, pull up to stand;" he’s started learning how to roll over on his own, often imitating adults by sitting upright, holding onto things to try standing up, nutrition should thus increase.

At the corner, Zhang Guoqing stops and listens quietly. After a while without hearing any crying or fussing, he laughs with joy, pulling Zhou Jiao to walk up the mountain.

Two days ago, Zhou Jiao saw someone collecting fresh wild vegetables. She starts craving dumplings with wild celery filling, wild shallots mixed with tofu. The mention of wild vegetable dishes makes Zhang Guoqing salivate at midnight. Now he plans to bring Jiao Jiao to the old place to pack wild vegetables. So, if she wants to eat in the future, he won’t be losing sleep over it.

Nature is the most generous. The dense forest since their last visit has new growth after Zhang Qingshan and his cousins violently harvested. After a while, it’s lush again, filled with wild vegetables and grasses everywhere.

Zhang Guoqing, holding a machete from space, carrying a full bag of stones, protects Zhou Jiao as they walk forward. The couple firstly goes to the wild fruit tree they visited last time. This time he plans not to pick pears, but to pry up the whole tree with tools.

Yes, taking it roots and all. This husband infatuated with his wife heard Zhou Jiao yesterday wishing for fruit trees in the yard. He plans to take the whole tree, secretly planting it in the county courtyard at night.

The flowers and plants in the yard Mr. Liu asked him to care for, before returning to Beijing, he already returned them to Mr. Liu with a heap of soil, making Mr. Liu scold him, predicting he would be a brute someday. Ruining his plan to cover the flower bed with chrysanthemums, afraid the elder might angrily demand he return the books.

Accompanying Zhou Jiao in digging wild vegetables makes him ache terribly. Zhang Guoqing, reluctantly, pulls out the reserved program—hunting. His wife only becomes motivated to act on her hoarding tendencies with food collection.

As expected post-venting, besides a pile of wild animals, at last, Zhou Jiao hands him a fishing net she’s prepared. Shouldn’t he marvel at his wife’s foresight in preparing everything beforehand?

As he casts the net, he suddenly realizes her plan might be to have him use it by the sea next time.

Hearing his doubts, Zhou Jiao hits him jokingly, causing Zhang Guoqing to laugh heartily.

To save time, they don’t even prepare the wild animals. After pulling up a net of densely-packed various fish, looking at her hopeful eyes, he devotedly starts casting the net again. As for the depletion of fish species in the creek? Who cares when his wife enjoys scraping every inch of the creek bed, even more than his mother-in-law loves a full package.

Indeed, motherhood has changed her. By afternoon four o’clock as the weather changes, with temperature differing ten degrees from day to night, she needs to return early with the child to the county. Glancing at the time regretfully, she looks at the patch of wild vegetables ahead, hastily pulls Zhang Guoqing down the mountain. 𝘧𝓇ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝘣𝓃ℴ𝓋𝑒𝑙.𝑐𝘰𝑚

Cuddling the child, they bid farewell to Mr. Zhang and others reluctantly. The carriage quickly heads towards the city.

Inside the carriage, Zhou Jiao lets out a satisfied sigh. Fearing the coachman might overhear and joke, she softly lists out an array of dishes, seeking Zhang Guoqing’s opinion.

This causes the Ping’an in his arms to mistakenly think Zhou Jiao is playing with him, responding happily with babbles.

The coachman hears bursts of laughter from inside and joins in with hearty chuckles.