Chapter 919: Chapter 792: Have You Figured Out the Follow-Up?

In September, the weather began to fluctuate, no longer featuring the sudden sun showers typical of summer, but becoming as capricious as a child’s mood with sudden changes from cold to hot.

Zhou Xiaozheng carefully observed the expressions of the twins, noticing that their cheeks were flushed red in their sleep, which shouldn’t be due to the heat. Uncertain, he reached out to touch the children’s faces...

Nearby, Lin Lishan covered her mouth and glanced at him, worried he might notice, quickly turning her head away. She finally saw an unknown side of her husband.

"Is the banquet supposed to start now?" Lin Lishan glanced at the wall clock; seeing it show twelve-thirty, a trace of worry appeared on her face.

Zhou Xiaozheng glanced outside and withdrew his gaze. To him, it wasn’t a matter of starting but should be ending. For such a small matter, just lay it out and leave; how much time could it take? Why stay idly and wait for the other party to find someone for backup?

Lin Lishan, who had been all smiles a moment ago, grew more anxious as she thought about it. She walked out of the living room, circled the row of diapers in the courtyard a few times, and stood at the gate for a while.

She was hesitating about whether to go to the Cheng Family for some comfort from Old Mrs. Cheng when there was a commotion at the intersection, and among the crowd was the unmistakable presence of her daughter Jiao Jiao and Xiao Wu.

Lin Lishan immediately turned back into the courtyard, quickly heading towards the living room, "Brother Zheng, the kids are back."

"You didn’t rush up to them?"

Seeing his teasing look, Lin Lishan thought about her earlier actions and laughed, "Just a little short. At a crucial moment, I can’t let the kids lose face. From the sound, they won!"

"They won?" Zhou Xiaozheng shook his head slightly at her words. The game had just started, and his daughter Jiao Jiao’s purpose wasn’t merely a battle of wits, or why else gather so many kids?

"Yes." Lin Lishan nodded repeatedly to confirm what she had seen, "Will the Liang Family come over next? Do I need to prepare anything?"

Seeing his wife itching to get involved, Zhou Xiaozheng smiled cheerfully and advised, "The children were bullied, and as parents, we are very angry, so we won’t meet them!"

"Huh?" Lin Lishan looked at him in surprise, "Their goal is to bring down our family, and I wanted to teach them a lesson."

Zhou Xiaozheng shook his head, "There’s not enough evidence, only public opinion to rely on. This matter can only be stirred by the younger generation; you shouldn’t and don’t need to get involved. The Liang Family isn’t worthy of being on par with our family."

"Exactly, which is why I’m angry. Won’t everyone think our family is easy to bully if we don’t fight back? Does anyone get a free pass with us?"

Zhou Xiaozheng gave her an unfathomable smile, not explaining further. Some things can only be understood without being explained. Their family was easy to bully? Those with even a bit of sense would dare to try?

Here it comes again... Lin Lishan felt a headache watching this expression, but it also reassured her. Whenever the father-daughter duo displayed this expression, it meant they had everything under control.

As Zhou Jiao and Zhang Guoqing entered the living room, Old Mrs. Cheng and her husband also arrived at the gate. Now, everyone was gathered together.

In the living room, everyone took their seats, and before anyone could speak, the twins in the small bed woke up in time, singing a duet of cries.

Aunt Sun and Aunt Chen came over to serve tea. Zhou Jiao left Zhang Guoqing to accompany the guests while she picked up May 1st and went to the western room with Aunt Sun to settle the children.

After feeding the twins milk, Zhou Jiao put down her clothes, looked at Aunt Sun carefully patting Liu Yi’s back, and was touched, "Auntie, thank you for your hard work."

Aunt Sun shook her head indifferently. Taking care of two children who were well-behaved and within the easygoing Zhou Family was no trouble. Whenever the couple could manage, they attended to the kids themselves.

Honestly, she was quite satisfied with such daily life.

"When school starts in a couple of days, I’ll rely on you to look after these two little ones."

"Sure, I’ll definitely take good care of them," Aunt Sun said, then hesitated, "There’s something I want to discuss with you, but please don’t take it to heart."

Zhou Jiao gave her an encouraging smile.

"Right now the kids stay with you at night; I’m concerned they won’t get used to it. Maybe in these few nights before your school starts, you should let me stay with them first?"

Zhou Jiao had the same thought, and she was glad that Aunt Sun shared the suggestion. It suited her perfectly. She enthusiastically replied, "If you are uncomfortable staying here alone, feel free to have Aunt Chen accompany you. And don’t hesitate to ask for anything you may need."

Aunt Sun smiled and nodded.

Privately she thought it would be better not to stay in the main house. She felt uneasy with Chief Zhou watching over. However, she understood that with the children being so young, the family would want to keep a close eye on them.

Of course, Zhou Jiao could read her mind, but it was inevitable. Otherwise, her father wouldn’t prefer to sacrifice his rest for the children to stay in the main house.

Human intentions are unpredictable, and the ocean is unfathomable. Although Aunt Sun seemed perfect in her demeanor and actions, the short amount of time they had spent together was insufficient. A single mistake could bring chaos to the family.

Thinking about leaving such young children to start school, Zhou Jiao felt a bit blue. Even though she could rush back every day, these two little ones would still be at a disadvantage compared to Ping’an.

Putting aside stray thoughts, Zhou Jiao, along with Aunt Sun, carried the children back.

By now, Zhang Guoqing should have finished recounting the events in the living room, and the conversation had reached a lull.

Seeing Zhou Jiao come out, Old Mrs. Cheng waved her over, "Aunt Chen has gone to make noodles, are you starving?"

"I had a few bites, so I’m okay." Zhou Jiao didn’t hide it; with about a dozen people at the table and limited food, she couldn’t very well be vying for food with everyone.

Mr. Cheng, smiling warmly, watched her sit down and teased, "You two sure made a stir, didn’t you?"

"Oh, nothing like that. We just talked it over internally. We had a drink to apologize, and that’s how the matter ended. After all, even if not for their sake, we must consider ours, right?"

Mr. Cheng burst into hearty laughter at her words, "An apology drink? Do you know how much today cost altogether?"

Zhou Jiao smiled nonchalantly, "No amount could be more than hiring five people to dig up our courtyard, could it? The Liang Family might not have much, but they sure have money."

"Indeed! I guess I was too lenient. What’s a mere thousand bucks?" Old Mrs. Cheng nodded in agreement. Just thinking about them secretly digging in her family’s land for a month, she pondered it’s already a concession she hadn’t knocked Old Liang out.

"Have you considered the aftermath?"

Zhou Jiao blinked at Mr. Cheng, understanding his meaning, though some words were difficult to say. She laughed, "There’s an aftermath? Isn’t it over? We drank, spoke openly, and they got their man back. Oh, should they wish to dig up our yard again..."

Pausing, she turned her eyes to Old Mrs. Cheng, "Aunt, that’s your family’s place, can you tell me where the Liang family’s ancestral grave is? I won’t need to hire anyone; I’ll dig it up myself."

"That guy dared to say he wasn’t interested in the wealth of the deceased. Fine! Their deceased wealth appeals to me. Isn’t Grandma Song short of money? I hear even foreign currency is tight."

Old Mrs. Cheng, hearing this, nudged her husband with a cheerful smile, "That’s the kind of talk that can spread to those who wish us well."

"Aunt, did they already approach you so quickly?"

Old Mrs. Cheng’s smile revealed a trace of worry, "The Liang Family will surely provide an explanation before nightfall. With many grandchildren, losing one is inconsequential, but your path might become a lot harder."

Of course, Zhou Jiao was aware of the outcome. She grasped Old Mrs. Cheng’s hand reassuringly, "I don’t seek fame or fortune, so it’s alright."

Mr. Cheng, observing Zhou Xiaozheng and Zhang Guoqing, noted their unperturbed faces, realizing they had already made a decision. Noting the crowd, he pointed toward the study room.

Zhou Xiaozheng promptly stood to invite him in, hinting for Zhang Guoqing to follow while leaving Zhou Jiao with Old Mrs. Cheng. He had no intention to reveal his daughter’s accounting in front of outsiders.