Rebirth in the 50s: The Couple with the Hidden Space-Chapter 747 - 622: Old Yougong Moves Out
Inside the ancestral hall, the Old Captain was surprised to see the two large vats, two stools, and four or five baskets stacked together, all scattered on a cart. He looked at Old Yougong and his wife in amazement.
Zhang Guoqing shook his head at him. He was already too tired to speak. Just now, Old You Po almost claimed that even the iron pot belonged to her. If it weren’t for the large and obvious cabinet, she would probably have claimed that too.
He couldn’t possibly let the old lady wail and cry in his home, bringing bad luck to his family! Earlier, his father had mentioned how fortunate it was that the whole family didn’t live at his place.
He wouldn’t mind having them all. Wont’t leave? He’d just grab and throw them out. If they played tricks, he could lock them up for a few days until they behaved. He really couldn’t afford to mess with these almost-dying elderly, or he might end up having to organize their funerals.
The Old Captain shook his head repeatedly at Old Yougong. Unbelievable! How could they even do such a thing? With no children, who were they stubbornly staying for?
This was what he thought, and Zhang Guoqing thought the same. He would just donate it to the ancestral hall as public property! He also felt that the things used by the old couple brought bad luck. Soon, he would knock down the kang in the west wing! This time, he would renovate it thoroughly. Let’s see who would dare to move in cluelessly.
On the way, the Old Captain asked, "When your family moves back, how will you arrange the empty yard?"
Zhang Guoqing glanced at his eldest cousin and smiled, "I’ll leave it to my brother-in-law. In our village, he doesn’t have a yard, so he can stay in the village during festivals."
The Old Captain nodded secretly upon hearing that Zhang Chunming would take care of it. It was a good idea. If Old Zhang wanted to stay at his hometown for a few days, he wouldn’t have to put up with his eldest son’s temper.
"Usually, Xi Zi and the others come back often, and Ziwen and the four siblings will have rooms, so you don’t have to worry about the yard being empty."
The Old Captain laughed, "With an uncle like you, the kids are lucky. Even though they can stay at your parents’ place, it’s not the same as having a yard all to themselves. Those kids are diligent, and planting something in the backyard is great." 𝘧𝓇𝑒𝑒𝑤ℯ𝑏𝓃𝘰𝑣ℯ𝘭.𝘤ℴ𝘮
Zhang Guoqing complimented, "That’s because you’re in the village. Otherwise, I wouldn’t be at ease in another village. You must live a long life; the village can’t do without you to oversee things."
The Old Captain’s smile stretched wide, "I’m just tinkering around. As long as everyone has enough to eat, I’ll be grateful to our ancestors. Xiao Wu, take some time to visit Old Man Wang in the mountains. After handing over the public grain, our team still relies on the mountain for income every year."
"No problem. I’ll definitely get the old man out of the mountain. Once I have news, I’ll inform you right away." Zhang Guoqing didn’t mention that he had already taken a stroll up the mountain. As Zhou Jiao said, if it comes too easily, others will take it for granted.
"Then I’ll head back first. Let me know as soon as there’s news."
"Alright, my brother and I won’t see you off."
"What’s there to see off, just a few steps away." After saying this, the Old Captain walked home with his hands behind his back, his steps relaxed. He was happy. With the response from this youngster, if things went smoothly, there would be plenty on the mountain this harvest season.
Zhang Guoqing watched him leave, draped an arm over Zhang Qingshan’s shoulder as they walked back, and chuckled, "Big brother, I heard you all found a match for Tie Dan? There’s no rush; he’s still in school. This is the first grandson of our Old Zhang family."
Zhang Qingshan laughed, "A while back, some matchmakers brought up a few good options, but we still need Tie Dan to take a look before making decisions. My mother wants to finalize the engagement first."
Upon hearing this reason, Zhang Guoqing didn’t persuade further. It might also be related to the kid’s poor grades. Rural areas often engaged kids young, as if not having an engagement would be embarrassing.
He laughed, "Congratulations on becoming a father-in-law. Among us brothers, you’re the first. We’ll gather a few brothers to celebrate together."
"Nonsense! Who congratulates someone for being a father-in-law?"
"Should we congratulate you on being the groom, then?" Zhang Guoqing joked, laughing out loud.
Zhang Qingshan playfully punched him a few times, laughing and cursing, "You’re so improper. Is this what you’re supposed to say as an uncle?"
The two cousins bantered and laughed as they returned to the foot of North Mountain. Seeing it was late, Zhang Qingshan left since nothing was pending, while Zhang Guoqing went into the yard, grabbed a hammer, and really started tearing down the bed.
With a series of clangs and bangs, the kang in the west wing was quickly dismantled and cleared out. Zhang Guoqing fetched several buckets of water and washed from the main room all the way to the kitchen.
Under the scorching sun, he borrowed a ladder and climbed up the roof to inspect and repair, cleaned the chimney, and worked busily for half a day. Standing in the yard observing, when he saw that all traces of prior use were gone, a smile finally appeared on his face.
But that wasn’t all. After taking a bath, he went shirtless, grabbed a hoe, and ran to the backyard to clear the vegetable garden. Fortunately, his father was reluctant to give up this acre of land; otherwise, if Old Yougong and his wife had planted here, they might not have moved out until harvest.
His dad was an excellent farmer, and aside from the fruit trees he planted years ago, the backyard was full of bountiful fruits. No wonder Old Yougong and his wife didn’t want to leave. With his father’s character, he wouldn’t bother quarreling with these elderly folks over missing things.
The dried fruits and vegetables his mother sent every year were probably from here. It must have been hard for the two of them to manage three yards. The workload was indeed not small!
Zhang Guoqing truly was his father’s capable son, working efficiently. Although he went to college, Zhang Guoqing thought it was just like farming. The endless support for agriculture, working on farms. Luckily, the tasks like fertilizing were taken over by classmates with poor backgrounds, otherwise, he doubted whether he could have persevered.
By the time the whistle signalled the end of work in the afternoon, Zhang Guoqing had already tidied up the backyard and picked several sacks of fruits. As for vegetables? The bamboo baskets and baskets at home were all taken by Old You Po, and he was worried that the bags couldn’t hold the weight.
After Zhou Jiao finished helping Mother Zhang at the old house, seeing it was getting late, she prepared to head back. At this time, there was no electricity in the village, and everyone ate a quick bite either during daylight or hastily under the night sky.
Upon leaving the old house and just stepping inside their door, Zhou Jiao realized how much work her husband had done today. Previously, because the two elders didn’t raise chickens or ducks, the entire yard appeared clean, but now it was a world of difference.
She specifically pushed open the west wing’s rooms to take a look. Seeing that one room even had the kang removed and both rooms were devoid of extra furniture, she wasn’t surprised. This matched her husband’s style of doing things.
After wandering around inside and outside the house, Zhou Jiao ran to the backyard with a big smile. Seeing the several bags he had filled, she laughed and gave him a thumbs up!
"Not a word of praise?"
Zhou Jiao laughed, "Well done!"
Zhang Guoqing moved closer to her, winked, "Actions speak louder than words! Let me see your moves tonight! Perform well, and brother has a reward for you."
Zhou Jiao rolled her eyes at him, "Stop thinking nonsense. Hurry up, we’re waiting to eat. You better go check on your son; he’s going overboard."
Zhang Guoqing nodded with a smile, carried the bags into the cellar for storage, and thinking about the unsold stock, the couple discussed some more in hushed voices.
