Rebirth in the 50s: The Couple with the Hidden Space-Chapter 492 - 377: Failure

Aunt Wang was very angry!

Listening to the sound of gongs and drums announcing a happy event on the street, Aunt Wang was even angrier!

It had failed...

Repetitively failed...

Aunt Wang was at a loss and started seeking help everywhere.

At this time, Lin Juhua, who delivered the meal, seized the chance to whisper in Zhou Jiao’s ear: "Grandfather wants either of you to go back."

Zhou Jiao nodded.

Watching Lin Juhua leave, Zhou Jiao held a corn cake and sighed.

Lack of rain, and until now still no rain. The old captain sought them out, but they couldn’t make it rain. The furnace was burning, and she didn’t know when it would stop.

She took a bitter bite of the corn chip and swallowed it down with water.

After a while, Zhou Jiao immediately stood up and walked out.

Starting last week, Zhang Guoqing’s unit had already resumed work. The furnace was still burning, but it had turned into temporary work.

Zhou Jiao was truly envious. She really wanted to listen to her father and escape.

She hadn’t yet reached the place when she saw Zhang Guoqing coming out with their son.

"Oh, finally willing to come over? I was just about to find you, come home with me first."

Zhou Jiao shook her head, "Let’s talk here. I’m afraid if I go in, I won’t want to come out. Aunt Wang has been quite irritable these days; better not run into trouble. I came to tell you, the old captain wants us to go back once."

Zhang Guoqing whispered, "At most, we’ll bear it for another month, this activity will fall through. If you’re bored, just treat it like watching a show. As for the old captain, see if you have time tomorrow."

"Uh-huh. Why were you looking for me?"

Zhang Guoqing lifted Ping’an, "My son and I miss you. Corn cake and plain boiled cabbage again for lunch? We haven’t had the chance to make bean paste and pickles this year, mom must be worried sick."

Zhou Jiao thought for a moment, then gritted her teeth and said, "We’ll definitely return to the village tomorrow. If we don’t go back soon, everything in the yard will be ruined. And the chestnuts in the dense woods, just thinking about them keeps me awake."

Zhang Guoqing laughed heartily, "Alright. Then I’ll take you back."

The couple chatted idly on the way, teasing the child. Such scenes made Zhou Jiao even more nostalgic for the carefree days of the past.

Early the next morning, before dawn, Zhou Jiao sat on the back of Zhang Guoqing’s bicycle, holding the child, and returned to the village.

The couple first harvested their backyard, cleaned it up, and then went to find the old captain.

The always-smiling old captain now wore a worried frown. Seeing Zhang Guoqing and his family, he forced an awkward smile and grabbed him into the inner room.

"Xiao Wu, Grandfather won’t beat around the bush with you. Tell me the truth. When can this furnace be shut down? Now, no one is focused on farming. If nothing gets done in the fields, what will we eat next year? Plus, not a drop of rain has fallen since autumn began, Grandfather is so anxious he can’t sleep a wink."

Zhang Guoqing had discussed it with Zhou Jiao last night, so he said, "The furnace can’t be stopped for now. The higher-ups have requirements; who would dare? I think the county will only hold out until winter. No more firewood, chopping more trees isn’t an option in winter, right? You’ll have to drag them out slowly."

The old captain nodded, "I thought so too, but there was no one to discuss it with. Hearing you say this, I feel more reassured."

Zhang Guoqing thought for a moment and said, "Grandfather, how’s the food in the village canteen now? On our street, it’s already switched to corn cakes and plain boiled cabbage, with rations allocated per person."

"Good lad!" The old captain stood up, patted Zhang Guoqing’s shoulder, and laughed, "Several villages around us are also saving rations, with no rain, no one dares to take risks. Even the difficult ones are suppressed by their families. We old folks have been through those years and understand what’s going on."

Zhang Guoqing listened and nodded with a smile, "County management is tight these days, if nothing else, I’ll be heading off now."

"Nothing else. I won’t keep you from your business. Remember to notify me as soon as the county stops the furnace. Remember?"

Zhang Guoqing walked behind him, talking as he went. Not only notification, as soon as the furnace stops, his parents would rush back home immediately."

Standing at the foot of North Mountain, Zhang Guoqing looked at the barren land around him, feeling filled with sadness. He lifted his gaze towards the distant Daqing Mountain, feeling slightly better.

Luckily, he didn’t wipe out the wolf pack. If there were no howls of wolves, a few villages around would act, and Daqing Mountain would never be Daqing Mountain again.

Strapping the child to his chest, Zhang Guoqing carried Zhou Jiao and ran quickly. Weighing her weight again, he felt a sense of powerlessness in his heart.

Once again stepping into the thickets, in this familiar place, the couple finally felt the joy of freedom, allowing their family to laugh without worry, without needing to hide the child’s precociousness.

"Jiao Jiao, do you have any plans for our son’s birthday? Want to go for a walk?"

Zhou Jiao sighed, "Who knows what might happen by then. Let’s see."

Seeing his worried face, Zhou Jiao pulled on his hand, made a funny face to elicit laughter from father and son, finally easing her heart.

Autumn truly is a harvest season, the abundance in the mountains making Zhou Jiao lose track of time and forget her worries.

Zhang Guoqing wanted his son to see how hunting is done, so he adjusted the strap to face forward, holding Little Stone as they hunted wild chickens and hares around.

He was very proud of his son. If the kid weren’t so young, he would plan to teach his son all his hunting skills.

After having a barbecue feast to satisfy their cravings, by noon, the family didn’t return to the village and sneaked back to the town.

In town, Mother Zhang packed corn cakes in a lunchbox and took Mr. Zhang to the elder son’s house.

"Dear, us leaving like this is okay? Perhaps we should stay there, it’s not tiring just hammering stones after all."

Mother Zhang quietly said, "These days have just been about reheating metal scraps in the furnace, the piles of stones hammered out have been left unused. Aside from those tending the furnace, folks like us have started moving around, it doesn’t matter."

Opening the courtyard gate, Mr. Zhang and his wife entered the west room.

Mother Zhang instinctively opened the cabinet and, seeing its contents, smiled, "Dear, look at what your elder son has prepared for us, truly ample. He wasn’t worried we wouldn’t come and that things would go bad."

Mr. Zhang peeked in, seeing several bags of roasted nuts, dried bean curd, several packs of snacks in the drawer... then glanced at the small liquor urn on the ground.

He laughed happily, "He and Jiao Jiao are concerned about us not eating enough. Haven’t you noticed Jiao Jiao sneaking us food at every meal? Later, they’ll surely bring back some meat. Dear, let’s have a sip..."

"Dad, Mom, is that you at home?"

"Speak of the devil, and there he is." Mr. Zhang, hearing the call from outside, immediately shouted happily for Zhang Guoqing and his family to come in.

As soon as they came in, just as Mr. Zhang expected, Zhou Jiao took out two lunch boxes and placed them on the kang table, while a few big mud balls were tossed onto the floor.

Mother Zhang, unable to resist inspecting the lunch box with chicken legs, incredulously asked, "The few lumps on the floor wouldn’t happen to be chickens, right? Did you go up the mountain?"

Ping’an, in her arms, heard and immediately pointed at the mud balls on the floor, "Eat... eat meat meat..."

"Darling grandson, will you save some meat for grandma?"

Ping’an shook his head immediately, "No more... no more..."

Causing Mother Zhang and Mr. Zhang to burst into laughter.

Mr. Zhang, teasing his grandson, drinking the wine poured by his elder son, listened to the chatter between his wife and daughter-in-law. He felt that life was truly getting better day by day.