Rebirth in the 50s: The Couple with the Hidden Space novel Chapter 180

Chapter 180: Chapter 133: A Heart-to-Heart Between Father-in-Law and Son-in-Law

Northeast Zhou Family Village, Zhou Xiaozheng walked out of the courtyard and waved goodbye to the old lady at the gate.

At this time, there weren’t many people walking in the village; those who needed to work had gone to work. Even the elderly and children were busy earning work points to supplement the household. This is also why the Zhou Family had poor relations in the village; there were both envious and disdainful feelings towards them, and coupled with the fact that the elder branch of the Zhou Family liked to show off everywhere, no one wanted to smile back at a cold face.

At the village entrance, looking at the fork in the road ahead, Zhou Xiaozheng glanced at his son-in-law who was following closely behind, "Accompany me to the town, we won’t need a bicycle. Just the two of us can have a chat."

Zhang Guoqing nodded and after thinking for a moment, asked, "Dad, are you planning to handle this impartially, or do you want to consider grandma again? I’m afraid she’ll be upset."

Zhou Xiaozheng said indifferently, "There’s nothing to feel bad about. Mistakes have consequences. Besides, you still need to stay here for two more years, to prevent them from causing trouble for my Jiao Jiao. This is the least of it. If not for the old lady still being around, even execution wouldn’t be unwarranted. They’ve been locked up for three to five years, and by then, my Jiao Jiao will have gone to Beijing. Once they’re out, they’re inconsequential. With a criminal record, Jiao Jiao can deal with them however she pleases in the future."

Zhang Guoqing looked amusedly at this daughter-concerned father, "Dad, thank you. You truly cherish Jiao Jiao. It’s for the best; handling them has always been tricky for us. Jiao Jiao is too soft-hearted, always wavering for fear of upsetting you or grandma, leaving decisions unmade."

At that time, we were each other’s only friends. She occasionally comforted me secretly, advising not to get angry with irrelevant people and just ignore them. When she grew up and went to school, in crowds, she’d keep smiling no matter what she heard, without the chatter of other girls or the wild running and jumping like other silly girls, just quietly listening, her eyes darting, not seriously listening to others. When asked, she’d reply with just a smile, offering no answers. If no one spoke to her, she’d walk alone quietly, not feeling excluded, her expression relaxed, smiling happily.

Her studies were easy, as she had an excellent memory, usually memorizing after one or two readings, yet she’d always claim she already knew it before when asked. She loved to keep things to herself and never boasted. Even when others praised her, she only smiled slightly.

After turning twelve, she had even fewer friends. Others didn’t seek her out, and she never sought them out either. She was simply absorbed in reading, reading anything, but her excellent memory left her in a daze afterward. Her world seemed entirely built on reading and solitary contemplation. As she grew up, she even stopped sharing things with me, keeping it all inside. When I pushed her, she’d reluctantly speak a few sentences, but pressing further, she’d keep quiet. She never talked about herself or others, very headstrong, with her ideas, rational and seldom swayed by emotions.