Chapter 864: Chapter 737: Why So Many Schemes? (Fourth Update)

On the morning of Little New Year’s Eve, the ground cracked with frost, the north wind howled like a knife, and goose feather snow filled the sky.

This winter was so cold, it made people’s noses tingle and heads ache, with feet feeling like blocks of ice. Yet that didn’t stop the women and children who had received the news in advance.

This was the day for slaughtering the New Year’s pig.

Unlike the pork bought with meat coupons from the supplementary food supply. This was the home-raised pigs under their courtyard, and they were two big fat pigs.

Early in the morning, the cooking team started bustling in the open space in front of the canteen. Whether watching or participating, everyone’s face was lit with excitement, and the little children, unafraid of the cold wind, eyed the pig to be slaughtered, constantly wiping drool from their mouths.

A pit had been dug in the open space, and quickly a stove was built, a big pot set up, firewood moved, and hot water boiled. Once everything was prepared, several cooks lifted a dirty old sow, tied up in five-flower style, onto a makeshift scaffold made of an old bed board and two benches to clean and prep it for slaughter.

The white knife went in and the red knife came out, and under the pathetic cries of the black pig, it was swiftly gutted and its entrails removed...

The pig blood in the wooden pan on the ground was quickly salted and taken into the canteen.

The remaining pig continued along the path of the former.

Stuffing blood sausages, cleaning pig offal, deboning—it was not long before large chunks of fresh pork were neatly arranged on the chopping board and gradually moved into the big kitchen.

Even though they couldn’t cook freshly slaughtered pig dishes like in the countryside, the children were still delighted. They crowded around the canteen, unwilling to disperse, just hoping noon would come quickly so they could eat meat sooner.

The women quietly calculated how much meat they could get today, gave instructions to their kids with joy, and hurriedly went home.

From today, following the annual tradition, after dividing each family’s share of pork, enticing aromas of meat started wafting from nearby canteens during meal times.

Stuffed pig liver, stir-fried pig intestines, stewed pig head meat, radish bone soup, braised beans with pork, and many other dishes began changing up the menu.

After three consecutive years of tightening belts, this New Year’s Eve they could finally eat dumplings filled with pork and green onion, chives and egg, oil residue and cabbage, pumpkin, sauerkraut, and various white flour dumplings. How could this not make people happy? Laughter and joy, long missed, returned to the Big Courtyard.

Zhou Xiaozheng came bustling into the courtyard and saw many children at his west wing home. Without needing to listen, he knew the topic was all about meat.

"Grandpa..."

Zhou Xiaozheng picked up Ping’an, who leaped forward, and stroked his little hand: "Cold?"

"Not cold. Grandpa, why did you just get back? I missed you so much it hurt. Are you tired? I’m older now; I’ll come down."

Though he said this, his arms around the neck didn’t move, and Zhou Xiaozheng tapped the child’s bottom: "Playing tricks? Not happy inside?"

Ping’an pouted: "I have a little brother."

Zhou Xiaozheng laughed. That’s right! How could a little child not want to compete for favor?

"Grandpa, I have a little brother!" Ping’an reminded him discontentedly again.

Zhou Xiaozheng glanced at him, "I heard."

"Aren’t you happy? Uncle Xiao Fei said adults always love the youngest."

"Don’t listen to others’ nonsense." Zhou Xiaozheng looked at the child’s bright eyes and said as he walked, "In Grandpa’s heart, Ping’an is always number one."

Ping’an giggled at that.

Zhou Jiao came out to greet her father and heard this. Seeing her joyfully smiling son, she said, "At ease now? Dad, how come he has so many little thoughts."

Zhou Xiaozheng touched the child’s head, smiled at her and said, "That’s normal. This time it doesn’t matter whether it’s a boy or a girl; it’s enough. Children should be quality over quantity. What did the doctor say? Can you handle it physically?"

"Look, I’ve gained a circle of weight, very well."

Zhou Xiaozheng followed her into the living room, checking her again with concern: "Still, you need to be careful. Did you find Doctor Lin? She’s an authoritative expert, a renowned obstetrics specialist. You must find her this time."

"Yes, my brother had already contacted her."

Regarding his son-in-law’s ability to handle things, Zhou Xiaozheng was very assured. He nodded approvingly: "Where’s Xiao Wu?"

Ping’an immediately replied: "I know, my dad went to the hospital to bring food to great-grandfather, he’s coming back soon."

Zhou Xiaozheng looked at his daughter upon hearing that.

"Dad, this matter has to be said from the beginning. Wipe your face first. Baby, come down."

"I’ll go with Grandpa. Grandpa, let me tell you, there’s an old grandfather who wants to take my mom as a student..."

Zhou Xiaozheng put down the child who wanted to come down and took his hand to the bathroom: "Tell me slowly."

Zhou Jiao listened to her son mimic, smiled, went to her father’s room, took out a set of clothes, came to the bathroom, and still heard the child’s childish voice mimicking the old man’s speaking tone.

Especially those few crude words, he didn’t miss a single one. She shook her head: "Dad, the clothes are on the stool by the door, come out early for dinner."

"Got it, go rest on the sofa."

In the bathroom, Zhou Xiaozheng listened to a live version of the performance, looked at his grandson: "Do you think you should learn it?"

"As long as my mom is happy."

Zhou Xiaozheng smiled: "Your dad said that?"

Ping’an nodded: "My dad said as long as mom doesn’t get tired, it’s fine. Grandpa, my dad also wants my mom to take a break from school. Mom got angry and hasn’t talked to him since."

"It should be a break from school. Wait until your brother or sister is born and then go back. Our family doesn’t need her to earn money."

"But I see that my mom won. She said she was in a bad mood, and dad didn’t dare mention it later."

Zhou Xiaozheng laughed heartily, truly one thing controls another.

"Dad said he wasn’t worried about mom’s studies, just afraid she might have to do farm work in the countryside. Worse still, unable to take leave. He plans to find a reliable doctor to write a proof. Today, he went over to give dumplings to the old grandfather to ask him to write the proof. Do you think dad can handle it?"

"You analyze it yourself."

"Dad analyzed it for me. He said it must succeed; if not, it must succeed."

Just as Zhang Guoqing predicted, things worked out. For Doctor Hu, who was nonchalant, his little disciple’s matter was trivial; if not teasing this kid, he would have issued a certificate long ago.

"Don’t get happy too soon! If I were to speak, that lousy school isn’t worth attending anyway." Doctor Hu shook his head and shouted, eyes darting.

"Don’t get any wild ideas, sir. During winter and summer vacation, my wife can still follow you to the hospital, and before the child is born, she can learn the basics."

Doctor Hu didn’t want to talk too much with this silly boy. Learning medicine isn’t so simple. There are countless medicinal materials, thousands of prescriptions, not to mention clinical practice.

Thinking of the invitation from the army hospital’s old guy last time, he stroked the nonexistent beard, coughed a bit nervously, and then loudly yelled at the skeptical-looking Zhang Guoqing: "You silly boy, what are you looking at? I wouldn’t harm my only successor. When can I meet your father-in-law?"

Zhang Guoqing sympathetically glanced at him. He thought to himself, you still miss meeting the father-in-law. If the Northeast Tiger doesn’t shake you to your bones, it’s not him.

He smiled and replied, "Before the New Year."

"Don’t half-heartedly ignore it, if I know, I’ll give you a bag of pills as a reward."

Zhang Guoqing smiled and bid farewell. In theory, his father-in-law just got back and has a pile of affairs waiting for him, but when it concerns Zhou Jiao, it’s a huge matter. If he’s not mistaken, there might be a meeting of both sides tomorrow night.