Rebirth in the 50s: The Couple with the Hidden Space novel Chapter 245

Chapter 245: Chapter 179: The Saint

Zhou Jiao reluctantly watched Zhou Xiaozheng and the others leave. Only when they were out of sight did she turn back to the stove to start cooking.

Stewing a pot of wild chicken soup—so that her two sisters-in-law could feel somewhat better, and to delight Mother Zhang. After all, every child is dear to their own parent. It wouldn’t make sense for her, as the daughter-in-law, to enjoy a feast every day while her grandson watches on in silence.

Lately, whenever she saw her nieces and nephews at home occasionally glance at the stove, she was filled with guilt. With the family not yet separated, they had to be even more meticulous about many things. She didn’t expect others to be grateful, as long as there was no conflict and everything remained quiet. The children being well-behaved and not making demands made her even more reluctant to let them feel wronged.

Remembering her own childhood, the feeling when she saw her younger brother enjoying chicken drumsticks, she couldn’t turn a blind eye to indulging herself under the pretense of postpartum recovery while the kids might only have cornbread with porridge.

Thinking of her son Ping’an and considering the other children at home, she couldn’t bear to keep things hidden. Although the time wasn’t ripe, money could still buy some things. She resolved to be selfless for now.

Zhang Guoqing entered and saw her lost in thought, unresponsive even when he came in, and furrowed his brows. Had someone said something behind his back while he was away?

He closed the door and approached her, holding her gently as he asked in a soft voice, "What’s wrong, do you have something on your mind?"

Upon hearing this, Zhou Jiao realized he misunderstood. She shook her head with a smile and said, "Tomorrow, you bring it to Mom, let the kids have a little extra. Tonight, seeing them look on eagerly but behave so well without fussing, which child doesn’t crave a taste?"

Zhang Guoqing looked at her, speaking while secretly pondering whether someone had wronged her during his absence.

"Okay. I’ll go up the mountain after I eat. Tonight, Xi Zi and the others were clamoring for clothes, I stopped my two brothers. When I was young, I always looked forward to new clothes and good food during the New Year. As a father, I told them not to scold the kids. If it were our Ping’an, I’d rack my brain to find a way, there’s no way I’d yell. It’s the poverty that makes things difficult. But seeing their joyous shouts later made me quite happy. I’ll get the fabric for them at the market. We have good material at home saved for our son."

"Alright, it’s up to you." Zhou Jiao didn’t care much about the quality of the cloth. As long as he was willing, she was fine with whatever.

After chatting idly for a while, Zhou Jiao saw that there was nothing much to tidy up, pulled Zhang Guoqing to wash up, and then they returned to the inner room.

Zhou Jiao couldn’t help but urge again, "Do you have anything tomorrow? Be careful not to go deep into the mountains, or I won’t be at ease at home."

"Haha, Mom told me privately that if it’s difficult, don’t seek help. She said that Huang Yaoguo sought many connections and hasn’t managed to get your elder brother a job for years, advising me to look after myself. She’s thrilled that my second brother can go to the county, but doesn’t want me to owe people, saying never mind your elder brother, that it’s not a burden on us alone. I guess she wouldn’t be happy with the idea of finding work for my sister-in-law, afraid her youngest son would owe a huge favor." Finished speaking, the couple held each other, laughing quietly, both bittersweet and joyous. Having parents and harmonious relatives was a dream unattainable in their past life.

After a while, Zhang Guoqing sighed, "Luckily it’s only half an hour’s bike ride to the county if you pedal fast, plus there’s a dorm at work. If it were any farther, I wouldn’t dare to send them to the county. Housing in the county is hard to find, waiting for the unit to allocate housing is even tougher. All I can help with is arranging their jobs, and Mom’s advice rings true. One should stomach only as much as one can manage. As a younger brother, I’ve done what’s expected. From here, it’s up to them, but Mom and Dad are our responsibility. Once they’re settled, Mom and Dad will be at ease."

Zhou Jiao silently thought, you’ve already become a saint, what more do you need to do?

Seeing he had the awareness, she could only comfort him gently, "You’ve done marvelously enough. Take it slow, as long as we have a clear conscience, we’ve done right. It’s only because my parents are back, or people wouldn’t give you face and comply with your wishes, their opportunity has really arrived."

"Yes, let’s sleep, there’s much to do early tomorrow." Zhang Guoqing gently patted her, coaxing her to sleep. Watching her drift off with a smile, he chuckled softly. Don’t think he didn’t notice her relaxation at the mention of Mr. Zhang’s decision. He wasn’t foolish, knowing that securing family stability meant they’d carry less burden in the future, leading to a smoother life.

It wouldn’t be long, once the child’s first month celebration is over, they would accelerate the separation. That way, they could live their own peaceful lives. The sooner the separation, the better; seeing as he was about to start working, he couldn’t bear for Zhou Jiao to suffer. Handling family affairs before starting work would be a significant load off their minds.