"Do you have no regard for your mother's reputation?" Yu Xiaohua asked, a hint of anger in her voice as her eldest son spoke ill of her family.
Even if it was true, it shouldn't be said aloud. How could she, a woman of the Yu family, face her husband and sons if she did?
Seeing his mother's displeasure, Zhang Liushui immediately buried his head in his rice and remained silent.
Zhang Liunian found the situation amusing.
Yu Xiaohua worried that her younger son might develop a rift with her family and began to speak in their defense, "Third, your maternal grandmother is a bit... well, but she's not entirely unfeeling as your elder brother claims. Otherwise, she wouldn't be looking forward to your New Year's visit every year.
However, if you can't make it, it's fine. Mom can just let your grandmother know."
Yu Xiaohua dared not force her children to do anything anymore. After all, she had offended many of them over these matters. If she alienated them all, who would take care of her in her old age?
Zhang Liunian remained silent. His maternal grandparents' home was a rather unfamiliar concept to him. In his previous life, he had only visited twice. Once when he was very young, leaving him with no memories, and the second time was when his maternal grandmother passed away, and he rushed over after receiving the notification.
Therefore, he didn't feel much affection for his maternal relatives.
However, he did have time. His plan was to stay home for four or five days, and he would certainly be free on the second day of the Lunar New Year.
Moreover, his maternal grandmother was nearing eighty. It was rare for her to express a desire to see her grandsons. If he didn't go, he might be accused of disrespecting his elders.
Of course, Zhang Liunian didn't care about such rumors, but since he had the time, there was no reason not to go.
Having made up his mind, Zhang Liunian looked up at his anxious mother. He suddenly remembered that his mother also only returned home once every few years, mainly because the journey between Yujia Village and Zhangjia Village was quite long. He thought it would be a good opportunity to drive his mother to visit as well.
"Alright, I'll drive on the second day. Parents, do you want to bring some of the nephews along to visit?" Zhang Liunian recalled that these nephews had never visited their maternal grandmother's home.
Zhang Wenxue and his wife paused, exchanging a glance, their faces lighting up with joy.
"Okay, then Mom will tag along with you on the second day and visit my family in your car. Minghua and the others will go too, so they can recognize the family." Yu Xiaohua felt a bit embarrassed thinking that none of her grandchildren knew her family members.
With the matter settled, Zhang Liunian rose and, with his wife and Uncle Zhao, headed home. He then turned and went to Zhang Shan's house alone.
He had come to ask if the matter of delivering pickled vegetables for the entire village that he had arranged that afternoon had been handled.
Receiving a satisfactory reply, Zhang Liunian returned home.
The next day, New Year's Eve, red lanterns hung in every household in Zhangjia Village, red couplets were pasted on doors, laughter filled the air, and the aroma of chicken, duck, and fish wafted through the streets.
After finishing the chores at home, Zhang Liunian first took his wife to see his younger sister. Seeing that the sisters-in-law seemed to have something to discuss, he left his wife behind and went out for a walk with Uncle Zhao.
As soon as they left, Zhang Xiaomei continued to chat while holding her nephew, "Third sister-in-law, Shaohua is so handsome at only two or three months old. When he grows up, he'll be irresistible and break many young girls' hearts!"
Jiang Qingqing agreed heartily upon hearing this. Her son was indeed more handsome than daughters were in their childhood. Perhaps it was because she and her husband were good-looking, so their son was also handsome.
Jiang Qingqing thought this to herself but didn't voice it. Instead, she said something else, "Whether he's good-looking isn't important. It's more important that he's obedient and sensible."
Zhang Xiaomei, being straightforward, felt her sister-in-law was right. "Third sister-in-law is correct. Children who are obedient and sensible save a lot of trouble."
"Yes, Hua Bao has been sensible since he was little and never gave me much trouble."
"Hua Bao is indeed well-behaved and sensible. It would be wonderful if I could have a child as well-behaved as Hua Bao."
"You will, you will."
"..."
Meanwhile, Zhang Liunian and Zhao Zhijie walked until they reached Daming Lake.
"Is this your aquaculture base?" Zhao Zhijie looked at Daming Lake before him and finally understood why Zhang Liunian's crayfish were larger than others. It turned out he was using this large lake to raise them.
"These crayfish don't need us to raise them. As long as we don't catch them all, they'll reproduce on their own. Their reproductive capacity is very strong. Look at the dense population of crayfish underwater, and you'll understand." Zhang Liunian squatted by the lake with Zhao Zhijie and looked down.
Zhao Zhijie leaned over and indeed saw many crayfish. However, there were very few fish.
"What are you doing?"
The lake keeper, Old Guotou, from the opposite side, saw someone squatting by the lake from afar and stretched his neck to shout, then got on his bicycle and rushed over. To his surprise, upon recognizing the person, he exclaimed with joy, "It's Liunian!"
Zhang Liunian hadn't heard what Old Guotou called out clearly, but seeing him rush over so eagerly, he was very pleased with his diligence.
"It's me," Zhang Liunian replied with a smile.
"I haven't seen you in a long time. I heard your individual business is growing bigger and bigger, and even the South City Department Store is yours. Is that true?" Old Guotou, being the lake keeper, could only learn about Zhang Liunian through hearsay.
Now that he saw him in person, he wanted to clarify the rumors he had heard.
Zhang Liunian didn't hide anything from him and nodded with a smile. "It's true. If anyone in your family is looking for work, you can come to me. I can offer you two jobs as a way to repay your hard work in watching the lake during the New Year."
Being a lake keeper was a job that offered no freedom. They couldn't even go home during the New Year. It wasn't something most people could accept, especially since Old Guotou looked like he had been there for more than a decade, dedicating his life to it.
Zhang Liunian greatly admired people like Old Guotou, who stayed in one place their entire lives and, more importantly, remained true to their original intentions.
"Really? That's great! I have two good-for-nothing sons at home. If you don't mind, I'll have them come see you later. See if they're useful. If not, it's fine. I don't expect much from them." Old Guotou was no longer young. Judging by his appearance, he was over fifty, so his sons must be at least in their twenties.
Zhang Liunian had no impression of Old Guotou's sons. This was mainly because Old Guotou was not from Zhangjia Village but from the neighboring Guojia Village.
"Go get them on your bike now. We'll be here for a while. You can bring them directly here." Although he needed to hire people, Zhang Liunian couldn't just hire anyone without a proper interview.
"Okay, okay, I'll go get them right away." Hearing this, Old Guotou couldn't bother with anything else. He got on his bicycle and sped away.
After Old Guotou left, Zhao Zhijie finally spoke, "He's the lake keeper?"
This job was not for just anyone. It was not only lonely but also lacked company. It truly was a difficult task.
Moreover, the salary and benefits were not very high, probably only a little over ten yuan a month. In the past, it might have been enough to get by, but now, it really wasn't much.
Take Zhang Liunian's food factory in South City, for example. Zhao Zhijie had offered a salary of 150 yuan.