Zuo Lin heard this and was secretly pleased. He thought Xiao Wu was a meticulous child, considering everything. If it were anyone else, they would be too excited to think about the implications and would have rushed off to find Old Ye. He knew that Old Ye was a retired soldier. Every time he saw Zhang Guoqing, he’d lament that he didn’t join the army and saw him in a different light. Privately, Old Ye had a very good relationship with Zhang Guoqing. If he asked, Old Ye would definitely find a way.
"Xiao Wu handles things so well, even worrying about his uncle. I usually don’t bring it up. This time, there are still two rooms empty in the bureau, let the second brother take one first. Once you settle in the city and encounter colleagues facing housing difficulties, you can relinquish it then. It’ll leave a good impression, and outsiders will see it favorably too."
Zhang Guoqing listened, gave a thumbs-up, and said with a smile, "Uncle, you’re as wise as always; we’ll follow your advice. I’ll go find Uncle Ye later. Uncle, is there anything else you want to instruct?" After finishing, he gestured for Zhang Guoqiang to sit down and picked up the kettle to refill Zuo Lin’s cup with hot water. Dıscover more novels at 𝓷𝓸𝓿𝓮𝓵✦𝓯𝓲𝓻𝓮✦𝓷𝓮𝓽
Zuo Lin observed his every move, nodding to himself. He truly admired Zhang Guoqing’s methods. Look at how he poured the water: respectful yet natural, without a trace of flattery. Completely treating him like family and not as an outsider.
Zuo Lin smiled and said, "Are you waiting for your second brother’s matter to be resolved before focusing on your eldest brother? I have two pieces of news from Aunt Zuo for you to consider. One is that a warehouse at the textile factory caught fire, and they’re currently dealing with the employees there, creating vacancies. This matter has been kept quiet by the factory. Another is that there’s a job opening at the supply and marketing cooperative, not publicly announced."
Zhang Guoqing remained silent for a moment after hearing this, then looked at Zuo Lin. "Uncle, thank you and Aunt Zuo. I have some reservations. Initially, I planned to address my eldest brother’s matter next year. The three brothers moving to the county town all at once would draw too much attention. It wouldn’t be good for you, Aunt Zuo, and Uncle Dashan. I can’t ignore your social statuses. Now that there’s an opportunity, I can’t think of a proper way to proceed. I should go back and discuss it with Jiao Jiao. Once we decide how to proceed, I’ll find Aunt Zuo later."
Zuo Lin nodded approvingly, "You thought it through well. Ponder thoroughly before acting. Opportunities will come, no need to rush. I’ve got nothing else; let the second brother take them to the county restaurant for a meal. Remember to observe more and speak less, pay attention to what they’re all saying, some information could be very useful. These clothes can be taken back by Xiao Wu."
Zhang Guoqiang stood up after hearing this and seriously said, "Uncle, I understand your intention. I’ll head downstairs first; call me if you need anything."
Once he went out and closed the door, only then did Zuo Lin say, "Your second brother is fine, you can rest assured. If you have nothing else, organize these things and go find Old Ye; he’s probably waiting for you to drop by. Everyone in the bureau knows you came early this morning, didn’t you see the women’s federation across the way watching intently?"
Zhang Guoqing, busy tying clothes into small bundles with thin ropes, chuckled, "No worries, those women just act when Aunt Cheng isn’t around. Later, I’ll report them to Aunt Cheng so we can watch their show."
"You’re full of mischief. Wait until they find out how they’ll deal with you. When do you plan to start work? I heard the documents have been issued."
Zhang Guoqing, having organized the clothes, sat down. "Yes, they’ve been issued. Discussed with Uncle Dashan to first relocate the household registration, report by year-end, and start work before the next recruitment in the coming year. I’ll relocate the household registration in the next few days, and in December, our family will return to Beijing for the New Year. After the lunar New Year, I’ll return to start work. Uncle, is there anything you need to bring? I’ll inform you before we leave so you can prepare in advance."
Zuo Lin shook his head, "Nothing you need to bring back, the elders are all in the South. I don’t need anything from Beijing."
Zhang Guoqing thought for a moment and added, "Uncle, if you plan to return in a few years, you’d better make early preparations for the brothers in the family. You can’t leave them here while you struggle alone. Even if the brothers are good, they have their own sons, nieces, and nephews. It’s best to take everyone to the South to meet the elders and accompany them for a good chat. Distance makes it harder to nurture the relationship."
Zuo Lin patted him and sighed, "You’re thoughtful indeed. Honestly, Aunt Zuo considered this. She plans to spend this New Year in the South, but the journey’s too long, and I’m still hesitating. What you say makes sense. It’s been years since I’ve seen them, it seems taking the kids to visit is a must."
"Ha ha, I’ve spoken too much; don’t mind, Uncle. If the elder returns to Beijing first, it would be good to have your younger brothers accompany the elder in Beijing. The salary is only a small amount; I heard the metropolis is quite nice."
Zuo Lin laughed heartily, "No offense taken, I’m happy you shared these thoughts with me. Speak up if there’s anything else in the future." He was secretly pleased. He knew Zhang Guoqing wasn’t one to meddle usually. But this time, he reminded him early to take the elder to Beijing to meet people, not relying solely on the brothers. The youngest son could accompany and meet more people and have more social interactions. When he eventually returned, these connections would be beneficial. And listen, isn’t the metropolis great? If you didn’t know him, you’d think this young man had never seen the world.
Seeing the conversation had reached this point, Zhang Guoqing dared not continue and quickly took his leave, "Uncle, then I’ll go find Uncle Ye now and not disturb your work. If there’s anything, you can tell my second brother to pass it on." Saying this, seeing Zuo Lin nodding, he picked up a large bag, waved, and left.
As he walked, he reflected on what he said earlier, finding nothing inappropriate. Regardless of when Zuo Lin returned to Beijing, being able to lay the groundwork ahead always works in his favor. Besides, their support had always been more valuable to him than mere well-wishing from others, especially when he was struggling.
From a distance, Zhang Guoqing spotted Uncle Ye outside the gate; it was evident he was waiting. A few days ago, Uncle Ye wasn’t in the bureau, and when he came to sort out matters, he asked others. Presumably, Uncle Ye thought he had something to discuss.
Old Ye appeared to be about fifty, tall, and had lost an arm in the war. He retired in ’49 but returned to work at the bureau, bearing numerous military honors. In reality, he could have stayed in a big city resort for retirement, but to avoid burdening the nation, he declined the top arrangements and returned to his hometown with his wife.
Old Mrs. Ye currently works at the county hospital, skilled with her unique bone-setting technique. It’s said that no matter how severe a patient’s fracture, her hands can restore it perfectly as if normal.
The couple had no children, but their relationship remained excellent, never seen quarreling. Their acquaintance with Zhang Guoqing was purely accidental. Once, Old Ye was buying cabbages on the streets during a harsh winter. The two elders were struggling with a cart full of cabbages when Zhang Guoqing happened to pass by. Without saying a word, he effortlessly helped push the cart, making their acquaintance that way.
Since that incident, Old Ye often remarked on Zhang Guoqing’s natural strength, saying he should have joined the army. Last year, when he refused military enlistment, Old Ye was visibly upset for a month, always scolding him.
The elderly couple treated Zhang Guoqing and Zhou Jiao like their own grandchildren. When Ping’an was born, they sent over lots of white fungus and brown sugar. In return, Zhang Guoqing often took some game to visit them.