Zhou Xiaozheng was taking the children past the Lin Family’s home, not far from the Cheng Family. Just then, Li Jianjun was accompanying his wife, pushing a cart home in front of them.
Hearing Ping’an’s voice, Li Jianjun turned his head and saw their family, stopped, and greeted them with a smile. He didn’t ask where they were coming from—besides the Cheng Family, there was no other possibility.
Zhou Xiaozheng nodded at him and continued moving forward.
Zhou Jiao glanced at Lin Liyin, who was beside him with an unchanged expression, and smiled as she nodded at Li Jianjun. In the past, she would have greeted this aunt, but since the other gave no friendly face, she was even less inclined to speak.
Ping’an, such a smart kid, seeing that the adults didn’t prompt him to greet, pointed in the direction of the house, "Dad, I’m tired, let’s go home quickly."
Zhang Guoqing had a good impression of this uncle-in-law. Seeing everyone silent and the atmosphere slightly awkward, his son’s remark prompted him to say with a smile, "Okay, we’ll be home soon. Uncle-in-law, take care."
Zhou Jiao gave a playful smile. It seemed that when the Lin Family besieged Zhang Guoqing that day, this uncle-in-law didn’t get involved. Certainly, he didn’t side with him either, otherwise, Zhang Guoqing would have invited him over.
"Alright, you better hurry home with the kids. Come over and play when you have time, your two cousins always talk about you."
Zhang Guoqing smiled, nodded, and, holding his son, turned to follow his wife and the others. Due to the setting, he couldn’t ask aloud. He was still curious about what happened tonight, wasn’t he?
Entering the house, Lin Lishan was staring dazedly at the newspaper in her hand in the living room, and waking to the sound, she smiled and said, "You’re back. I was planning to go to Aunt’s house, but it got late, and I thought you had already returned."
Zhou Jiao saw that her father didn’t acknowledge her and certainly didn’t show a good face. She sighed quietly, hurriedly responding to her mother, "Why didn’t you rest first when you got back? Are you hungry? Would you like to eat something for supper?"
Lin Lishan stood up and hung their family’s coats, shaking her head, "I’m not hungry, let Aunt Chen make some dumplings for your dad. He didn’t eat much tonight."
Ping’an complained beside them, "Grandpa really loves mom’s shrimp dumplings. It’s all Uncle Yu’s fault for eating Grandpa’s share."
Zhou Xiaozheng was amused, showing a smile, and waved at him. Looking at the grandson in his embrace, he smiled and said, "Aren’t you the one who likes Uncle Yu the most? Does it hurt your heart?"
Ping’an hesitated for a moment, then shook his head, "I don’t like it when he eats and then takes away."
Zhou Jiao shook her head with a smile. Such pettiness!
"Don’t worry, your mom made plenty, enough for our whole family." Zhang Guoqing, the doting father, quickly comforted him, unable to stand his son pouting.
Ping’an mimicked Mother Zhang’s tone, "Oh my, Jiao Jiao again wasting things."
The child’s imitational baby voice amused the whole family.
Zhang Guoqing saw Zhou Jiao walking towards the kitchen and discreetly followed, refusing Aunt Chen’s offer to help. He had something to ask his wife, and couldn’t let outsiders linger.
In the kitchen, seeing Aunt Chen leave, Zhou Jiao smiled at Zhang Guoqing.
"The Lin Family is stirring things up again? Who’s sick this time, or who’s back in Beijing? Every time they return to the Big Courtyard, they have a lot of issues, why can’t they just stop?"
Zhou Jiao chuckled. It’s true, there are too many issues because someone spoils them. Let’s see if they’ll come again.
"Wife, tell me, what really happened?"
Zhou Jiao had no intention of hiding from him, as she boiled water while narrating.
Tonight, besides Zhang Guoqing, the whole family accompanied Old Mrs. Cheng and her grandchild after dinner, and then her Aunt Lin Liyin came first.
Later... haha... Zhou Jiao was reluctant to speak, if Zhang Guoqing hadn’t wanted to know, she wouldn’t have mentioned it again. Isn’t it good for two families to live their own lives separately, why keep bothering them?
Seeing that this silly younger sister was also against returning to her own home, Lin Aiguo couldn’t reprimand her in front of Zhou Xiaozheng, thus had to patiently invite Zhou Xiaozheng once more.
The scene at that time gave Zhou Jiao a headache. She asked, did the old man have something important to discuss, or was it just a casual gathering?
Lin Aiguo honestly replied, besides the family gathering, Mr. Lin wanted to discuss Lin Lao’er’s retirement.
Before Zhou Xiaozheng could express his opinion, Zhou Jiao straightforwardly told Lin Aiguo: such Lin family matters were inappropriate for the Zhou family to intervene in, especially when it involves one’s future.
Zhou Xiaozheng supported his daughter’s words, not forgetting to remind Lin Aiguo. Don’t keep doing unrewarding tasks, better to consult the subject’s opinion more.
With such back and forth between father and daughter, Lin Aiguo appeared somewhat lost.
In fact, apart from Ping’an and Wen Chengyu who were too young to understand, everyone present was clearly aware. Mr. Lin approached the Zhou Family, still hoping Zhou Xiaozheng would help Lin Lao’er.
How long haven’t they seen the family? Both the Zhou and Lin Families were only a few steps apart. How come they didn’t visit the son-in-law’s house to see the kids after returning from the retiree center previously?
Especially Old Mrs. Cheng, listening from the side, felt more disdain—talk is cheap. Why haven’t you personally come if you miss the kids, and instead press for her nephew’s family to go to the Lin Family? She never thought Old Lin would put up such airs, deliberately getting the kids to visit. Who would tolerate that!
Lin Aiguo didn’t leave, so Zhou Xiaozheng had to let his wife accompany him. After they left, bringing Zhou Jiao and the children, the old lady and her grandchildren went to the Cheng Family.
Zhang Guoqing laughed silently after hearing this. What a troublesome family! He actually suspected that this brainless idea came from that old witch in the Lin Family.
There was one thing he didn’t say aloud, that the threshold of the Lin Family was indeed too high, as his godfather Zhao Chuan Guang mentioned. After the last conflict where they tore off all pretenses, Zhang Guoqing had given up all thoughts of visiting.

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