Rebirth in the 50s: The Couple with the Hidden Space-Chapter 603 - 482: There’s No Place Like Home

Early the next morning, as soon as the bugle sounded, Zhang Guoqing got up, just as Zhou Jiao followed him, "Sleep a little longer, it’s still early now."

"No, today don’t go running, accompany Dad for a walk around the Big Courtyard."

"Alright. I’ll first check if the three little guys next door are awake."

In the study, as soon as Xi Zi saw him come in, he immediately got up and pointed at Ziwen and Ping’an, "Should I wake them up?"

Zhang Guoqing ruffled his short hair and laughed, "Let them sleep. Ping’an won’t wake up even if you call him now; when it’s time, he’ll come out on his own."

"Uncle, this place is really big. We drove for so long yesterday."

Zhang Guoqing picked up some clothes and tossed them to him, "This is just the beginning. This time, Uncle will take you all for a good tour around. If you need anything, just ask your Aunt."

After instructing the child, he left the room and found that everyone was already up. Even his mother-in-law, who always woke up late, was with his mother in the kitchen.

Seeing the two fathers walking out of the courtyard together, Zhang Guoqing quickly followed.

When the sky was barely lit, everyone gathered to eat breakfast not long after. Old Mrs. Cheng could be seen bringing her little grandson, Cheng Jingbo, over with a smile.

"Did you sleep well last night? If anything’s not right, let Jiao Jiao change it for you."

Mother Zhang shook her head with a smile, "It’s great. You should sleep a little more."

"Today, I’ll go shopping with you. Xiao Zheng, don’t worry and go to work, there’s your little aunt at home."

Zhou Xiaozheng nodded, "I have a meeting in the morning, and I will come to find you in the afternoon."

Mr. Zhang quickly refused, "Work is important. Go take care of your own business, don’t let it affect your official tasks."

"It won’t matter," Zhou Xiaozheng looked at his son-in-law, "Let’s meet for lunch at the same roast duck place we went last time."

Zhang Guoqing laughed, "Dad, you might as well just eat steamed buns. We should eat wherever is convenient, no need to go back specially, it’s too troublesome."

Old Mrs. Cheng followed up with a laugh, "Xiao Wu is right. You take care of your own business first; we are all family, no need to stand on ceremony. Your little aunt will bring you some roast duck."

Zhou Xiaozheng was both crying and laughing, as if he was the one who was gluttonous. Seeing that everyone agreed, he could only nod helplessly.

For two consecutive days, Old Mrs. Cheng took Mother Zhang and the others to visit various major attractions in Beijing, providing the elderly couple and Xi Zi a good look at the wonders.

By the third day, Mr. Zhang noticed that Old Mrs. Cheng was quite exhausted and was no longer willing to let her tire herself by going out. He used the excuse that he needed to rest and regain his energy.

The next day, Zhang Guoqing saw him stuck in the Big Courtyard with nowhere to go. The couple discussed for a while and decided to take them to the theater for some tea. High-intensity wandering was clearly not suitable for Mr. Zhang and his group.

After that, the couple accompanied their in-laws to stroll through hutongs and listen to operas, while Xi Zi and the others, since they befriended some kids from the Cheng family, were no longer willing to leave the Big Courtyard.

The days passed quietly, and in the blink of an eye, Mr. and Mrs. Zhang had been here for a week.

That evening, after dinner, Zhou Xiaozheng sat in the living room with Mr. Zhang, and they chatted casually. Unexpectedly, the in-laws suddenly mentioned returning home.

"Second Brother, you’ve only been here a few days. Is it inconvenient to get in and out of the Big Courtyard? Shouldn’t Xiao Wu and Jiao Jiao take you to the courtyard house for a while?"

Mr. Zhang laughed and shook his head, "It’s very safe here, nothing inconvenient. We’ve seen all the bustling spots in Beijing and tasted the good food. Xiao Wu and the others are doing well here; it puts my mind at ease. Now I’m thinking about home, not sure how things are there."

"It’s hard to come by, stay a little longer. Shanshan, take your sister-in-law out shopping these days. We’ll find a time to visit the school."

Mother Zhang shook her hand, "Forget it, it’s crowded everywhere. Little sister, don’t keep taking leave, it’s not good. We’ll stay a few more days, and after visiting Xiao Wu’s school, it will be time to go. We know the roads now, so we can come back whenever we have time in the future."

Seeing Zhou Xiaozheng trying to persuade further, Mr. Zhang laughed, "We’ve been friends for a long time; do I need to be polite with you? Before coming to Beijing, I was looking forward to coming here every day, but after seeing around, home is still better."

"What the children’s father said is true. Nothing here can compare to our provincial city. That so-called mountain isn’t as high as a dirt mound, and a lake they rave about can be seen anywhere in our hometown. Beijing is just a name."

Zhou Xiaozheng and the others laughed at her words.

Lin Lishan advised, "Eldest Sister, stay a bit longer. I happen to be going on a business trip to the South, we can go together; the scenery there is pretty nice."

Mother Zhang was frightened by this and her face changed color, "Little sister, you shouldn’t go South. We heard a lot of rumors on our way here. Those places, if you can avoid going, avoid them. You won’t even have anything to eat there, can’t you skip the business trip?"

"It’s not that exaggerated. Okay, I won’t go. Rest assured, eldest sister, I’ll only visit big cities, not the countryside."

Mother Zhang’s expression finally eased a lot after hearing this.

"Better safe than sorry. You must listen to Brother Zhou, don’t wander around. I heard at the theater that there was a typhoon at the seaside a while ago, and quite a few hundred people went missing."

Zhou Jiao had been to many places with Mother Zhang during this time. Seeing her mother’s doubts, she nodded to her. In fact, it was more than just the typhoon; the North was facing a drought, and many places in the South were flooded, making the situation very bad.

Alas... this year is another year of crop failure, with nothing to harvest.

Zhang Guoqing didn’t want these issues to affect his family’s mood. He quickly changed the topic.

A few days later, Mr. Zhang and his family visited the university campus with Zhang Guoqing and his wife. Knowing that the younger son was about to start school, they were restless to return, unwilling to linger any longer. 𝘧𝓇ℯ𝑒𝓌𝑒𝑏𝓃𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘭.𝒸ℴ𝓂

As soon as Zhang the Second’s letter arrived, asking when his parents would return and when he should go to the provincial city to pick them up, Mr. Zhang quickly asked his younger son to book the tickets. Could he say he felt more at ease at home?

Zhou Jiao, being meticulous, knew that her in-laws missed home, and with their own school starting, they were not accustomed to staying in the Big Courtyard. With this in mind, she took them to the courtyard house the next day.

"Dad, I have it all tidied up here. The aunty who opened the door earlier, her husband works under my father, and they are staying here temporarily. Do you see anything that needs changing?"

Mr. Zhang listened to his daughter-in-law’s gentle words and smiled, "Silly child. Do you think your father can’t get used to the Big Courtyard and wants to go home? You’re overthinking. Seeing so many people squeeze onto the northbound trains during our trip, Dad is worried someone might head to our village."

After he finished speaking, Mr. Zhang patted the furniture, "Your mother and I really come over here, it’s not that easily. You should pack all these things up, don’t let them go to waste here."

"Jiao Jiao, you and Xiao Wu should stay in the Big Courtyard; don’t move out. Ping’an is safe inside, and the nursery food is good too. Others would pray for such luck. Remember, alright?"

Zhou Jiao listened to Mother Zhang and chuckled.

"Why are you laughing? I’ve stayed here quite a few days, and I’ve seen it clearly. Even if your living place is well-decorated, it’s useless; you have to queue for food and shopping. In the Big Courtyard, you don’t have to worry about anything. Don’t do anything silly for our sake."

"Mom, don’t worry. I’ll cling to Jiao Jiao and stay at my father-in-law’s home."

Mother Zhang was annoyed at her son’s unserious talk and slapped him, "Don’t be frivolous. Your mother has lived more than half her life, there’s nothing she doesn’t understand. If my grandson stays in the Big Courtyard, how could things go wrong in the future?"

Mr. Zhang nodded in agreement, "Be good to your father-in-law. Without him, even if you got into university, it wouldn’t matter. Dad came this time to see, and I feel relieved now. With us at home, don’t worry. Your second brother is getting more capable, no one can wrong your parents. Also, don’t send money home, keep more for yourself, don’t shortchange yourself.

And Jiao Jiao, don’t send packages. Your parents have enough clothes. Spend your time reading more books, don’t knit sweaters. If we need anything, we’ll have your eldest sister write to you."

Zhou Jiao nodded emotionally. The elderly had planned for them, how could she not reciprocate with all her heart?