Rebirth in the 50s: The Couple with the Hidden Space

Chapter 1130: Chapter 1003: Never Forgotten?

"In a few days, they’ll be back home." After comforting her, Zhang Guoqing asked with concern, "Did you only have a bun and a bowl of soup at work for lunch?"

Zhou Jiao glanced at him with amusement, thinking he was concerned, but couldn’t help feeling underestimated. She had already changed her meal, hadn’t she?

While driving, Zhang Guoqing kept an eye on his wife’s expression and chuckled, "Let me guess... is it cabbage stewed with shredded meat again this time?"

The couple laughed together.

Speaking of the cafeteria’s meat dishes, other than braised pork and stewed pork with preserved vegetables, whenever they stir-fry white radish or cook cabbage, you could barely see any traces of meat, just a few bits of oil.

The current meals were vastly different from when Zhou Jiao first started at the workplace. The elderly director in charge of logistics, who’s still there, certainly wouldn’t dare change anything recklessly now.

The human heart is a scary thing. Initially, he improved the meals for the benefit of coworkers, but a negative trend blew through, and some colleagues accused him of using public resources for personal gain and pursuing hedonism.

It’s a real injustice; he didn’t take a single green onion for himself nor benefited from alleged favoritism by getting a promotion. When someone wants to accuse you, they’ll find a reason.

If it weren’t for Zhou Jiao and colleagues from the finance department demanding a thorough audit of accounts, presenting evidence to prove the director’s innocence,

the old man might just have died wronged. So how could he dare now? Why would he feed those ingrates who only attack when one’s down?

While laughing, the couple thought about this and sighed quietly to themselves. Circumstances were more overwhelming than people; this was the reality now.

After asking about his wife’s lunch and what she had for the main meal and dishes, Zhang Guoqing casually inquired whether she’d encountered any trouble at work today.

Zhou Jiao didn’t hide anything and detailed two things that happened before clocking out: one was naturally the issue of business trips, which depended on the final confirmation from above. Sometimes the announcement of internal quotas wasn’t enough; unexpected occurrences could happen anytime.

And there was a little episode before leaving.

It’s not that she’s making a big deal out of it. When women play tricks ruthlessly, they can be more varied than men. How many heroes and champions in history have often fallen at the hands of women?

Hearing it, Zhang Guoqing immediately understood that the business trip would have to wait a bit longer, at least until after the children returned home. This wasn’t urgent, but they should pay more attention to Jin Lijuan.

He would rather believe there’s no smoke without fire, but wouldn’t want any seed of insecurity around her. Especially when the surrounding environment changes, many people might have a change of heart.

What underhanded tricks wouldn’t be used to achieve certain goals?

In the vehicle, after hearing Zhang Guoqing’s thoughts, Zhou Jiao shook her head disapprovingly. It’s not that she disagreed with his thoughts, but she didn’t want him distracted by her during such a crucial time.

"Do you really not need it? Or is it unnecessary?"

"It’s really unnecessary. At worst, she’ll make some snide remarks. The workplace environment is very complex, and I suspect someone wants to use me to stir up trouble."

Zhang Guoqing still wasn’t at ease, "Could any accidents happen?"

"Accidents?" Zhou Jiao looked at him with amusement, "You also think I got to this position through my background? Shen Zhao also has a university degree and a good family background, right?"

"Of course not. My wife has both looks and talents, and isn’t short of skills, but as your big brother, I’m just worried. If only I could shrink you down to pocket size and carry you with me anytime."

Zhou Jiao rolled her eyes playfully and teased, "And turn back to normal size at night, right?"

Zhang Guoqing instantly burst into laughter... deliberately winking at her. How could it be said that he didn’t know his wife best?

"Shameless!"

"With you, if I still kept my face, where would the nightly festivities come from?"

The flirtatious Zhang Guoqing, noticing his wife’s blushing face, swiftly changed the topic, becoming so serious that he seemed like a different person.

"Judging by your godfather’s words, I suspect our son is being wronged back home."

Zhou Jiao remembered Zhao Chuan Guang’s phone call discussing how Brother Ping’an and his siblings were handling things back home—both using decisive measures and subtly visiting elders to remind them to separate public and private matters.

She smiled reassuringly, "No, a hard stick followed by a sweet candy is second nature to them. You should have confidence in them."

"Parents might have concerns about our three boys. Sigh... these silly kids, why leave the bad guy role to me as their dad to avoid being disliked?"

Zhou Jiao looked at him speechlessly, playing with her fingernail, while secretly mulling: can you really bear it? If your mother shed a tear pitifully, she couldn’t remain unmoved, let alone you who have longed for maternal love for two lifetimes?

"Now Ziwen’s wedding should be over. I wonder if there will be more trouble. Those sisters-in-law in his wife’s family aren’t easy to deal with; hopefully, the kids can turn a blind eye."

"And Ziwu should be discharged soon too. I wonder if he’s already met with the kids. Unlike Xiao You, if it weren’t for the halt in college entrance exams, with his scores, he’d definitely be our junior in elementary school.

I originally thought, with his frail health from a young age, after graduating high school, he could work in a factory for a few years, then either take the college entrance exams or try for a college recommendation, taking the technical path most suited him. But this silly kid got roped into the military by Xiao You, and now that he’s discharged, he’ll have to start over again."

......

On the way, listening to Zhang Guoqing’s words about the nephews, Zhou Jiao knew he genuinely cared for them. But as the saying goes, children grow up and have their own thoughts.

No matter how many plans you have, if they don’t align with the children’s wishes, what can you do? Even with personal children, when they choose their own paths, parents can’t pressure them, let alone relatives.

"I always remember those years we spent at home; those kids were truly good, both filial and well-behaved. Jiao Jiao, you must remember too.

Back then, how old was Xi Zi? Every day, if he wasn’t carrying his wobbly siblings to gather pig grass, he would help us watch Little Ping’an. When you gave milk powder or barley extract to the younger ones, they would first swallow a mouthful secretly and always wave it off, saying to save it for their brother.

Mai Miao was only a few years old, and while sewing a small bib, her fingers were pricked until they bled, yet she insisted on finishing it for Ping’an to wipe his drool. Little Zuo You saw this and protested, saying the cloth was too rough and would hurt their brother’s little mouth, and ended up cutting their little vests.

Haha... they got spanked by mom several times, but kept crying and arguing that their vests were soft and wouldn’t harm the little brother’s mouth and face at all...

Sigh... now that we’re far apart, we’ve grown distant..."

How could Zhou Jiao forget?

She spent the most time with those kids after all. Compared to the little tyrants or little princesses of later generations, they were so obedient they broke her heart.

If only it weren’t said that children growing up is really hard.

While it hasn’t happened yet, in the future when each forms their own family and has their children, it will be another kind of experience.