Rebirth in the 50s: The Couple with the Hidden Space-Chapter 688 - 563: Municipal Bureau Guesthouse

Two hours later, they finally reached the city from the suburban county. It was noon, and the scorching sun was directly overhead, with few pedestrians wandering the streets.

On the main road leading to the municipal guest house, the shade of the trees on both sides couldn’t block the intense sunlight. Sitting inside the car felt like being inside an oven, with waves of heat hitting them.

Even with the long-desired ice pop in his hand, Ping’an looked glum. "Dad, I want to go home. It’s hotter here than at our place."

Zhang Guoqing held a damp towel, repeatedly wiping his child’s sweat, comforting him, "Once we’re inside, it won’t be hot. Didn’t Great-Grandpa say it would rain today? It’ll be refreshing after the rain."

Yi Jiefang shook his head, thinking how the Northern people really couldn’t handle it. His nephew never spent a minute indoors during the peak summer heat; he was either swimming in the river or causing trouble up a tree.

Finally arriving at the municipal guest house, Zhang Guoqing opened the car door, picked up his son, and rushed inside.

At the reception desk, there was a young girl who widened her eyes at the sudden entry of the father and son duo, then craned her neck to look at the car outside, understandingly saying, "The lady in room 205 is out. I’ll open room 207 for you."

Zhang Guoqing nodded with a smile. He had heard from his buddies that one room was one yuan and fifty cents per night. His mother-in-law, with her generous gesture, booked two rooms at once, not considering they had already stayed for two nights in the village, which made him feel distressed.

If it weren’t for the somber atmosphere at the time, he would have laughed out loud. His mother-in-law must have been brainwashed by her daughter, or she would have gone to stay at a big hotel.

Before going out, his mother-in-law secretly told him she had taken all the two thousand yuan Jiao Jiao left at home, assuring him not to worry about money.

It made him anxious during the car ride, worried she might get robbed. Do you know how much two thousand yuan is? With only ten-yuan denominations, it was a thick stack of two hundred bills, even if they were all new. Where could she hide it in this hot summer? It puzzled him!

In room 207, Zhang Guoqing took out toiletries from the bag, carried the washbasin with Ping’an, and followed Yi Jiefang into the washroom, where there were already people inside.

"Oh my, the water is scorching. This weather is unbearable; have you completed your mission?"

"Definitely!"

"It wasn’t easy coming here, wanted to bring back something nice, but things were too expensive."

"That’s because you want high-end products."

"I can’t help it; my eldest daughter is getting married on the National Day. Radios and sewing machines don’t require tickets, but their prices have gone up substantially."

Zhang Guoqing and Yi Jiefang exchanged a smile. Visitors to Hai City seemed eager to bring back items; perhaps other big cities didn’t share the same manufacturers?

Ping’an stripped off his clothes, covering his privates, and hastily shouted, "Dad, pour water on me quickly, I’m on fire!"

As soon as he spoke, the few people in the washroom burst into laughter.

"This weather is indeed hot. Little guy, where are you from?"

Ping’an replied sweetly, "Hello, Grandpa. We are from Beijing."

"Oh, that’s a nice place. Why come out in such hot weather?"

Enjoying the rinse from his father, Ping’an happily answered, "No choice, too much work, heavy tasks, had to come out."

The old man, amused by him, chuckled and asked, "May I ask where you work?"

Ping’an replied with a grin, "Not worth mentioning."

Zhang Guoqing laughed, patting him, "Enough with the jokes." Then he looked at the other person, nodding in greeting. If not interrupted, his son could joke until nightfall.

"Your son is great, so fearless. In our line of work, kids usually run away scared when they see us."

Zhang Guoqing laughed, "Indeed. My son is very bold!"

Yi Jiefang rolled his eyes silently. Whenever this guy talks about his son, he becomes foolish, instead of being modest and saying ’not at all.’ He quickly sped up his actions, planning to leave early. This father and son duo were so outgoing, they might just spend the entire lunch hour in the washroom.

After having lunch, the three of them didn’t rush out to go shopping. With the windows and doors open, a gentle breeze blew in as they lay on two single beds, drowsy.

Zhang Guoqing was worn out and exhausted after being busy for two or three days. In the municipal guest house, he didn’t worry about theft; no thief would dare to be so bold here.

After chatting for a while, all three of them fell into a sound sleep.

Lin Lishan returned with Aunt Chen from their outing. Learning from the staff that they had returned, she was secretly pleased. Shopping wasn’t as fun without her family around.

Going up to the second floor, she peeked through the open door to see the three kids fast asleep. Not wanting to disturb them, she quietly followed the staff into the adjacent room.

About an hour later, Zhang Guoqing woke up, looked at his son in his arms, who was again sweating heavily, and quickly grabbed a paper fan to fan him.

He examined where the two were sleeping on the bed, puzzled how his son ended up in his arms. He wondered whether he subconsciously pulled him over while asleep.

Ping’an’s furrowed brows gradually relaxed with the gentle breeze from the fan. This relieved Zhang Guoqing, who was sitting on the bed’s edge. Getting a rash in the summer would be no fun.

After a while, Zhang Guoqing got up, intending to go outside and wash his face with a towel, when he noticed Lin Lishan and Aunt Chen had returned, sitting there with the door wide open, resting.

"Mom, when did you and Aunt Chen get back? Have you eaten?"

Lin Lishan’s eyes lit up when she saw him, and she smiled, "We ate and then came back. Go wash your face, and then tell me how things went."

Zhang Guoqing wiped his face directly with the damp towel and sat down on the sofa, "Forget it, let me tell you first."

Lin Lishan gave him a look but didn’t stop him.

Aunt Chen, on the side, took the towel, "You two talk, I’ll go get some water."

Zhang Guoqing chuckled, "Auntie, don’t rush, sit down and listen too."

"Ping’an will probably wake up soon, and I need to cool the water for him," Aunt Chen said, waving her hand as she left. She hadn’t planned to listen to their family’s matters, understanding propriety.

Once alone, Zhang Guoqing laughed, "Mom, you have no idea how much the old man misses Jiao Jiao. When she returns, she’ll have to visit again before the end of the year to pay respects to the elderly lady and spend more time chatting with the old man."

Lin Lishan nodded, her face indicating she wanted an explanation.

"Last year, when the old man had Dad pass the house deed through someone else, I saw he had already arranged everything. Previously, he never mentioned family matters in his letters. Last night, he explained in detail and asked me to pass it on to Jiao Jiao.

At the end of last year, an old coworker of his approached him again, still interested in the house. I heard that his eldest grandson has been married for three years, yet his unit hasn’t provided housing. Grandpa relented this time, saying he wouldn’t take cash but gold, and mentioned publicly that the two families had good relations, taking just a few hundred yuan as a token.

Grandpa said they are old friends, aware that the other family has small yellow fish hidden. Transacting with small yellow fish meant his old friend wouldn’t dare to publicize it. If they used money, the sum would be large enough for his family to know, making it even less safe.

Grandpa also explained that he had no choice but to sell the small building. He and Grandma had another apartment under their names, allocated by their unit. There were still two empty rooms there, and with just the two elderly, occupying two places was too conspicuous."

Lin Lishan nodded as she listened.

Zhang Guoqing leaned close to her and whispered, "They sold the small building for eighteen hundred, took three hundred in cash, and converted the rest into small yellow fish at four yuan per gram. Grandpa wanted me to bring it back, but I declined.

Finally, Grandpa showed me where he hid the valuables, asking me to remember it was where the property deed and valuables were stored. The courtyard in the village is also under Jiao Jiao’s name. What should we do?"

After speaking, Zhang Guoqing sat upright, looking at his mother-in-law.

He felt somewhat embarrassed, a sense of being unworthy of such a gain. Honestly, aside from sending some food coupons and supplies to the old man over the years, he hadn’t visited them often.

Lin Lishan frowned, rubbed her head, looked at her son-in-law, and said uncertainly, "Why don’t we go back and tell your father and let him and his daughter handle it."

Zhang Guoqing chuckled silently, quickly nodding in agreement. That’s all that can be done; they’ll discuss it further when they return.