Chapter Other People's Children

“Hahaha, you little rascal, always flattering me!” Zhao Dali laughed heartily, pointing a finger at Zhao Dongchuan.

“Grandpa, where’s Grandma?” Zhao Dongchuan looked around the room, not seeing his grandmother, and asked curiously.

“Your grandma is at your Uncle’s place next door, probably washing clothes together!” Zhao Dali said with a chuckle.

Guo Ping smiled and said, “Then let’s go see Mom and Auntie too!”

The group then went together to the room at Uncle’s house in the backyard.

As soon as they entered the courtyard, they saw a fashionably dressed woman with light makeup and an older woman chatting and washing clothes.

These two were none other than Zhao Dongchuan’s grandmother and his Uncle’s wife.

“Mom! Sister-in-law!” Guo Ping quickly greeted them.

“Grandma! Auntie!” Zhao Dongchuan also greeted them.

When the two women saw them approaching, they were clearly stunned and didn’t react immediately.

“Oh, it’s Dongchuan, you’re back!” Zhao Dongchuan’s grandmother stood up in surprise.

“Your grandpa was just telling me you’d be back soon, you’d be back soon, I didn’t expect it so quickly, that’s wonderful!” As she spoke, Zhao Dongchuan’s grandmother’s eyes reddened slightly.

“Oh, you’ve arrived, come in and sit for a while!” Uncle’s wife, seeing them, quickly got up to greet them, forgetting her surprise.

Then Uncle’s wife and Zhao Dongchuan’s grandmother put down the washing bats they were using and led them into the house.

“Here, have some tea!” Uncle’s wife took out several teacups and poured tea for Zhao Dongchuan, Guo Ping, and the others.

“Dongchuan, I really didn’t expect you to come back so quickly, you’ve really made something of yourself! Now, your parents can finally be completely at ease!” Uncle’s wife put down the teapot and said with a chuckle, looking at Zhao Dongchuan.

“Don’t even mention it to me, I’m still dizzy right now, feeling like I’m dreaming~~~” Guo Ping picked up her teacup, took a sip, and echoed.

“It’s good to be back, it’s good to be back!” Zhao Dongchuan’s grandmother said kindly, looking at Zhao Dongchuan with a chuckle.

“Let’s have dinner here today, I’ll go buy some groceries!” Uncle’s wife said with a chuckle, seeing them chatting happily.

“No, no, we just came to visit, we won’t be eating here!” Guo Ping quickly declined.

Uncle’s wife said, “How can that be? You’re already here, and it’s almost dinnertime. Just stay and have a simple meal before you leave!”

Zhao Dali and Zhao Dongchuan’s grandmother found it difficult to interject at this point, so they just chuckled and drank their tea.

Seeing Guo Ping and Uncle’s wife still bickering, Zhao Dali feigned anger and settled the matter with a decisive blow: “We’re eating here for lunch, otherwise, take back the things you brought! Seriously, what’s wrong with a family having a meal together! Our family isn’t short on this one meal!”

Seeing that Old Master Zhao had spoken, Guo Ping naturally stopped declining and agreed.

Seeing this, Uncle’s wife got up to prepare to take her basket to the market to buy some meat to add to the meal.

Guo Ping quickly stopped her: “Sister-in-law, no need to buy groceries. We’ll eat whatever you have at home, it’s just a simple meal! Even a bowl of noodles is fine!”

Seeing that Guo Ping was serious, Uncle’s wife no longer hesitated.

Then the group chatted idly at home, and Zhao Dongchuan also briefly introduced his work situation at the Huangyuan Cultural Center. By unspoken agreement, Guo Ping and Zhao Dongchuan did not mention the publication of his works.

They also didn’t plan to bring it up proactively; they would wait until the others discovered it.

Regarding the recruitment, Zhao Zhengguo had briefly mentioned it when he told them Zhao Dongchuan was coming back, with an expression of barely contained smugness. They naturally knew some of the situation and weren’t very surprised.

Time passed quickly as they chatted, and soon it was noon. Uncle’s wife began to cook noodles, and to entertain her guests, she even specially fried an egg for each person.

Guo Ping, Old Master Zhao, and Zhao Dongchuan’s grandmother were chatting when a young man in a military coat with a middle part walked in.

“Mom, I’m starving, what’s for lunch?!”

“Xiaofei, you’re back! Noodles for lunch!” Zhao Dongchuan’s grandmother said with a chuckle, seeing the newcomer.

“You scoundrel, always messing around outside all day, not knowing what you’re up to, but you’re certainly active when it comes to eating!” Uncle’s wife scolded furiously, seeing the newcomer.

Zhao Dongchuan looked at the newcomer and already knew his identity. This person was his Uncle’s eldest son, Zhao Xiaofei.

Zhao Xiaofei was about the same age as him, only a few months older, but they were a year apart in age.

As soon as Zhao Xiaofei entered the house, he noticed two extra people at home: one was his aunt, and the other looked a bit familiar… but he didn’t quite recognize him!

Suddenly, he stared blankly at Zhao Dongchuan, as if he had recognized him, and a hint of panic flashed in his eyes!

“Don’t you know how to greet people? This is your aunt, and this is your younger brother Dongchuan!” Uncle’s wife couldn’t help but scold, seeing Zhao Xiaofei’s stunned expression.

Hearing his mother’s scolding, Zhao Xiaofei quickly recovered and immediately put on a smile, saying, “Hello, Auntie… Younger Brother Dongchuan!”

Although he was only momentarily dazed, Zhao Dongchuan clearly noticed the strange look in Zhao Xiaofei’s eyes when he entered and saw him.

A hint of doubt arose in Zhao Dongchuan’s heart. Why did this cousin seem a bit off when he saw him?

He kept a calm expression, but inwardly, he began to ponder, constantly sifting through his memories about this cousin.

As far as he remembered, the original owner didn’t have much contact with this cousin. They just attended the same school; Zhao Xiaofei was one grade higher than him, graduated a year earlier, and was also someone who liked to mess around everywhere. He didn’t know much else.

“You just know how to mess around outside every day. Your younger brother Dongchuan, he went to the countryside to join the production team, and he even got recruited into a unit there. I don’t ask you to solve your own job, but you could at least honestly help out with some chores at home. But no, all you do is come home to eat and sleep; you can’t even be found most of the time!”

Perhaps with Zhao Dongchuan as a living example for comparison, Uncle’s wife grew angrier and angrier. She put down her spatula, picked up the feather duster nearby, and was about to teach this unfilial son a lesson.

Before she could act, Zhao Dongchuan’s grandmother immediately stepped forward to stop her: “His aunt is here today, and his younger brother has also come all this way. There’s no need for such a big fuss. At least give him some face! Let’s eat first!”

Seeing that Guo Ping and Zhao Dongchuan were present, Uncle’s wife couldn’t continue her outburst. She could only put down the feather duster in her hand, glared at Zhao Xiaofei, and said, “You’re lucky today, I’ll settle accounts with you later!”

Zhao Xiaofei hid behind Zhao Dongchuan’s grandmother. He was still a little afraid of his mother, but not much. Clearly, such scenes had occurred many times, and he was used to being scolded.

Before long, Uncle’s wife scooped all the noodles from the pot, giving each person a large bowl of noodles, each with a fried egg.

Although Uncle’s wife continued to scold him relentlessly, Zhao Xiaofei’s bowl also had a large poached egg, clearly prepared specially for him.

Then, the group crowded around the table at Uncle’s house to eat noodles. Zhao Dongchuan and Zhao Xiaofei, the two cousins, naturally sat next to each other.

Zhao Xiaofei ate his noodles, his eyes occasionally glancing at Zhao Dongchuan.