In the VIP lounge of the train station waiting hall, the two guards, Xiao Zhu and Xiao Liu, were already waiting inside. Upon seeing him, they saluted and immediately slipped to the side.
Zhang Guoqing swept a glance at the two with a smile, but he wasn’t mad at his guards for keeping secrets from him. These two kids have been with him for a long time and have become cheeky.
May 1st leaned close to him and whispered, "Dad, aren’t you curious?"
Zhang Guoqing looked at him with a half-smile and patted his son’s head, "You don’t yet understand how important your mom is to me. Even if she goes to the ends of the earth, I’d follow."
May 1st quickly shook himself off, it was too mushy, it sure scared Grandpa.
"What nonsense are you saying?" Zhou Jiao heard and dared not look at him. This man’s face is getting thicker, what to do? She could only nudge him with her elbow to make him be proper.
Zhang Guoqing watched her face turn red and amusingly kicked his younger son, this silly boy really has no sense, "Go chat with your brothers."
May 1st decisively shook his head, "I’ll chat when we get on the train. Dad, let’s chat first."
Zhang Guoqing silently gave him a sideways glance.
"Dad, aren’t you going to say goodbye to Uncle Geng?"
"No," Zhang Guoqing refused straight, "He’s a traitor."
This brother can’t be worth keeping, his wife would certainly ask him to buy tickets, but yesterday when he saw this guy, he didn’t even give him the slightest hint.
—No wonder he was grinning mischievously, he thought the guy was being outwitted by US Dollar!
"Oh, even if you went, you wouldn’t find him. He’s on leave today as well." May 1st tugged at him, "Dad, make a guess, just sitting around is really boring."
"Did your stall selling couplets collapse?" Otherwise, how’d you have time to leave?
"Business is good, those younger kids have started helping the printing factory sell goods. But I can’t continue this business next year; this year all the printing factories are already following suit."
"Pretty smart."
"Of course, just see who’s my dad." May 1st quickly flattered him, "Dad, it’s been two winters since I last trained at the military camp."
Zhang Guoqing slyly glanced at Zhou Jiao and signaled May 1st with his eyes, "Missing your comrades? Occasionally visit, don’t get too rusty."
"That’s exactly what I mean. With my brothers being soldiers, I don’t have to treat it as a serious matter. It’s just a habit, stopping suddenly feels uncomfortable."
Zhou Jiao looked up, glancing sideways at the father and son pair, "If you want to go, then go." No need to beat around the bush! Anyway, she has her ways to handle him.
A train heading north slowly started, inside a soft sleeper car, the family of five took off their coats and settled their luggage.
Seeing only their family aboard, Zhou Jiao took out several document folders and two notebooks about an inch thick from her carry bag, placing them on the small tea table.
"Mom, you’re still working?" May 1st asked curiously, moving closer to her in the lower berth, "Take a break first, eat some fruit."
Zhou Jiao’s eyes flashed as she glanced at the two sons opposite her, who were also getting out their books, "You go ahead yourselves, I need to handle some personal matters while now there’s some free time.
This period has been too busy, and my younger uncle sent me a list that’s piled up quite a bit. Once this operation is finished, I have to sort it out, reply to him after the new year."
"Do you need my help?"
"Forget it?" Zhou Jiao hesitated, looking at him, then hesitantly said, "It’s quite tiring; you have to mark trends from these lists over the past two years and cross-reference these peripheral materials to analyze the upcoming situation..."
May 1st immediately picked a file bag from the tea table, emptied the files inside, "Hiss," he exclaimed, "For this alone there’s so much, quite a workload indeed."
Ping’an and Liu Yi exchanged a glance, simultaneously putting down their books and moving to sit beside Zhou Jiao, opening the remaining two file bags.


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