Rebirth in the 50s: The Couple with the Hidden Space-Chapter 626 - 504: Little Tattletale

Ping’an flipped through the book, his eyes occasionally glancing at the clock. As soon as the hour, minute, and second hand all gathered at twelve, he immediately stood up, arranged his books neatly, and set off towards the living room.

Seeing this, Lin Lishan persuaded, "Wait inside. They won’t be back so soon."

Ping’an heard her steps, turned his head and smiled, "My mom and dad said they’d be back by half-past twelve, and they never lie to me."

"It’s not time yet, you know." Lin Lishan got up and followed behind him.

Ping’an was displeased. Don’t think he’s small; he knows that whenever his parents promise something, they’re always early, right? He wanted to go to the door to meet them.

Sure enough, before Ping’an even reached the gate, Zhang Guoqing and Zhou Jiao came in one after the other. Upon seeing their son, they quickly stepped forward and picked him up.

Ping’an proudly lifted his chin and smiled at his grandmother.

Lin Lishan shook her head with a smile and said to Zhang Guoqing and his wife, "Ping’an said you should be back, and he was right. The child missed you both and kept checking the time."

Zhang Guoqing hugged his son lovingly... they still spent too little time with the child.

"Want to go to school with Dad?" Even though the child might not agree, he couldn’t help but ask.

"No, I can see Mom and Dad every couple of days, and I need to stay with Grandma and Grandpa. Without me at home, they say they feel lonely."

"I also need to accompany Great Grandma and help Auntie manage the little ones; I’m really busy."

Lin Lishan laughed heartily, "Our Ping’an can give massages, chat with Grandma, and accompany Grandma shopping. You weren’t home, and Grandma was worried sick."

"My son is so capable, truly remarkable. Hmm, Dad will give you a reward, anything you want, just say it, and it will be yours."

Ping’an frowned and thought hard. 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝒆𝒘𝙚𝓫𝙣𝙤𝒗𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

Food? Mom has hidden so many things in the box; he hasn’t finished them yet. Toys? He has all the toys other kids have, and even those they don’t have, he has.

Zhou Jiao smoothed her son’s furrowed brow and smiled, "Alright, stop thinking. Today, Mom and Dad will play with you. You can think about it later, and when you have an idea, write it down. We’ll handle them one by one slowly."

Zhou Jiao saw her son listening and nodding happily, and she secretly breathed a sigh of relief. If the child really made a request and they couldn’t fulfill it, it would break his heart.

She didn’t want the two of them to owe the child time and break their promises, causing him disappointment.

Zhang Guoqing continued, "You can also write a note and stick it in Mom and Dad’s room. When we come back and don’t see you, we can see, oh, Ping’an left us a message."

"I know, it’s leaving a note."

"Yes, my son is really smart."

Lin Lishan saw them continuously chatting and reminded, "Don’t get hungry now; let’s eat first."

Mentioning eating, the little tattletale finally seized the opportunity.

Sitting on Zhang Guoqing’s lap, eating the meat in his mouth, his eyes were fixed on Lin Lishan and Aunt Chen moving back and forth.

Finally, the two were busy with their own things and left.

Seeing this, Ping’an’s mouth started babbling quietly, "Aunt Chen served two bowls of this for Great Grandma, Grandma watched and took one more bowl of this and ran. Great Grandma returned this fish, Grandma came back with an empty plate."

Zhang Guoqing had dared not put food in his mouth from the start of his snooping to avoid choking. At this point, he watched his chubby little hand pointing at the dishes on the table, speaking in a hushed voice, making him quite entertaining. He sighed inwardly that fortunately, he foresaw this.

Zhou Jiao heard but didn’t comment on adult matters; children shouldn’t be involved. It’s good to let the child observe more of the surroundings, as long as they don’t stop or harm others.

"Grandma told me that Great Grandpa likes to eat this the most. Mom, when you and Dad aren’t home, Great Grandpa often visits our house together with Mr. Cheng. He says he likes me but hasn’t given me a single candy."

Zhou Jiao replied softly, "Mom knows. Just observe and don’t let anyone see your thoughts."

Ping’an blinked his eyes and nodded.

The whole afternoon, the couple spent time with the child telling stories, taking naps, playing games, trying to make the child happy.

To keep the child’s laughter going, they didn’t return to school that evening, and the family of three cuddled together, with the child in the middle, listening to his innocent talks.

Waking up at dawn, Zhou Jiao stroked her son’s sweetly sleeping face, reluctantly following Zhang Guoqing as they left. The more mature the child became, the more guilty she felt.

Old Mrs. Cheng advised her yesterday to have more children while young, but Zhou Jiao truly didn’t want to. Having a child and not raising it, raising it and not teaching it, might as well not have one.

At that time, she just smiled, but she always had a plan in mind. She wanted to wait for at least two years until Ping’an grew up, then have another boy.

Too early, Zhou Jiao worried that the family’s attention would shift to the newborn, making Ping’an feel disappointed. She had tasted that overwhelming disappointment herself and wouldn’t let her son follow in her footsteps.

For the child, the couple was united in their decision that having a second child would be enough. It was only for her father-in-law; otherwise, even for having a child to inherit a Zhou surname, Zhang Guoqing wouldn’t want Zhou Jiao to take on the risks of childbirth again.

Having more sons is not always a blessing; nurturing them well is the key. One Ping’an already fulfilled all his expectations for a child, and having more would encroach on the couple’s private space.

He neither wanted nor hoped for more.

Zhang Guoqing was quite satisfied with his mother-in-law; compared to the previous life, she was a perfect mother-in-law, except for one point that dissatisfied him... why didn’t she have a brother-in-law?

Even if he had to raise him personally, he would willingly do it.

He admitted he was selfish, but for Zhou Jiao, he’d rather be selfish. He couldn’t bear the consequences of losing his wife; without Zhou Jiao, why would he live?

With this mindset, Zhang Guoqing kept calculating the time, closely observing the situation.

To obtain some information in advance, he approached Yang Qun, hoping to accurately gauge the strengths and capabilities of authoritative obstetricians.

This subtle thought, Zhang Guoqing never mentioned to Zhou Jiao, worrying it would create pressure for her. Hearing Zhou Jiao say after graduation, he contemplated if overturning his wife’s wishes would result in severe consequences?

Also, he didn’t know where Zhang Guoqing got the confidence that the second child would definitely be a son?

Walking on the avenue leading to the school, as the sky began to light up, the rural fields in the suburbs already had community members doing farming work; each with a sallow face, skinny from cold, while barefoot children helped beside them.

This scene reinforced his decision not to have too many children.

"Bang" sound, a weak little girl was slapped to the ground.

"Let you take care of your brother; where did you go? Useless good-for-nothing..." A skinny woman scolded while pinching the child who had fallen.

Zhang Guoqing paused, hesitating whether to step forward and stop it. Sometimes, well-intentioned actions could have adverse effects, possibly making adults vent their anger on the child after he leaves.

Zhou Jiao tugged him, "Let’s go."

This scene triggered unpleasant memories for her; Zhou Jiao’s face turned grim and tightly pursed her lips, hastening forward.

Once, such treatment often appeared in her childhood. The only difference was she would resist and struggle. That was the usual method of her mother in her previous life.

So she always had a special feeling for her mother, Lin Lishan. Even after learning from Ping’an that her mom secretly supported Mr. Lin multiple times, she still turned a blind eye.

As they walked, Zhou Jiao kept thinking about her father, Zhou Xiaozheng, remembering when leaving, he told her to wear more clothes, standing at the gate watching her leave. She gradually smiled.