Chapter 426: Chapter 323: The Fleeing Old Man 2

“Old man, these fabrics aren’t easy to move.” Zhang Guoqing had no interest in those precious items. His family wasn’t lacking in imported cameras, phonographs, or large jade items.

With Cheng Ruzhu involved, even if the old man gave them to him for free, he had no interest. It’s not that he didn’t trust Cheng Ruzhu, but it’s wise to be cautious.

The old man glanced at him, signaling for him to follow outside.

Standing at the door, the old man pointed to the back of the house and said, “I’ll use a cart to take you out later. From there, you’ll have to move them yourself.”

Zhang Guoqing nodded. With Cheng Ruzhu on the matter, it shouldn’t be a problem. He looked around and whispered, “Old man, are you planning to travel far?”

The old man’s smile stiffened, then he said meaningfully, “It’s not certain yet. When the time comes, whether I want to or not, I’ll have to leave.”

Zhang Guoqing stared at him for a moment, then said softly, “How do you judge the timing? Please guide me, old man.” He understood that the old man was hinting at something. No wonder nobody stayed home alone; it looked like once they left, he’d leave too. The room’s items would have been thrown away if the old man weren’t short on resources.

The old man smiled, patted his shoulder, and said softly, “You’re still young. When someone’s got you by the throat, you have to go, whether you want to or not.” After speaking, he glanced at the kitchen, gave Zhang Guoqing a meaningful smile, and went back inside.

Zhang Guoqing squinted his eyes, watching his back. Those ambiguous words stirred waves in his heart, and at that moment, he wanted to take Zhou Jiao and their child far away, to follow in the old man’s footsteps.

Zhang Guoqing sighed long and hard and stomped on the ground. He was still reluctant to leave this land, to leave his parents in the snowy Northeast, to leave his father-in-law, who taught him diligently, and even more reluctant to abandon everything and start anew far from home.

The old man discreetly disguised the cart and, with Zhang Guoqing, pushed it from the back door to the road. After seeing them off at the road, the old man didn’t even care for the cart.

He said not a word more, waved, and left without looking back.

This left Zhang Guoqing and the others standing there. With Cheng Ruzhu, an official in the commerce bureau, present, they weren’t worried about others probing too much.

Following Cheng Ruzhu’s directions, Zhang Guoqing pulled the cart while the other three pushed from behind. They headed towards the nearby main road. Eventually, they hired a carriage on the road leading to the city, attaching the cart behind. Only then did the people in the carriage breathe a sigh of relief.

It had been over an hour since they left the old man’s rundown foreign-style house. Zhang Guoqing didn’t know if the old man had already left or if he had safely reached his sacred place. But he knew that wherever people gather, there’s conflict; there were no pure lands left.

Two small yellow fish had been traded for a cart piled high with fabric. He didn’t know what was special about this batch of cloth. Watching his overjoyed mother-in-law, the capable Cheng Ruzhu, and his consistently calm wife,

Zhang Guoqing chuckled at himself, still unable to stay calm.

The carriage reached a courtyard, and Cheng Ruzhu quickly found people to help unload. Once everything was arranged, hundreds of repackaged batches of fabrics happily set off with their mates.

Many times, Zhang Guoqing had to admit that family background was crucial. In his past life, if not for those secretly helping him and the old man’s protection in the shadows, he might have already been buried under the yellow earth.

This time, since the small yellow fish used for the purchase was paid by Zhou Jiao, Cheng Ruzhu stubbornly refused to split it evenly and only took five bolts in the end.

Zhou Jiao tugged on the anxious Lin Lishan, indicating that there was no need to divide everything so finely. Once back in Beijing, they could just gift the Cheng family some fabrics, right?

Except for the five bolts taken by Cheng Ruzhu, the rest belonged to their family. On the way back, they laughed heartily, wondering when their family would ever use up all this fabric.

Everyone worried as Zhou Jiao had not pumped breast milk before leaving that morning, so they rushed to the restaurant.

Back at the restaurant, without saying much, Zhou Jiao signaled to Zhang Guoqing, took the child, and smiled, “I’ll go freshen up; I’ll be back in five minutes. Make the most of the time.”

“No rush, take your time. We’ll wait for you.” Old Mrs. Cheng waved, letting her pass.

As soon as Zhou Jiao entered the room and saw Zhang Guoqing come in, she immediately closed the door.

Proudly raising her chin, she smiled at Zhang Guoqing, waving her hand in front of his eyes, then laid a pile on the bed. There, the precious items from the old man’s bed appeared before them.

“When did you make a deal with the old man? How much did it cost?” Zhang Guoqing asked in surprise. He thought back but couldn’t recall when the transaction occurred.

Holding the baby and feeding, Zhou Jiao smiled, whispering, “When he went out to pull the cart, I gestured two, and he nodded in agreement. While you and Mom were checking the batches of cloth, he was already moving things to the cart. I covered them with straw, and later on the road, I secretly packed them all up. Haha… smart, right?”

Zhang Guoqing quickly asked, “Did Little Aunt notice anything unusual?”

Zhou Jiao gave him a disdainful sidelong glance, “If she had noticed, do you think I’d have brought you back? I saw you liked my dad’s camera, so I took the risk for you. Otherwise, I wouldn’t be sneaky like this.”

Hearing this, Zhang Guoqing laughed heartily and quickly told her to put it away, “No wonder the old man left without the cart. So, there’s this twist. Don’t take risks in the future; better to inform me so I can cover for you. Did you forget what Dad told you this time?”

Zhou Jiao, patting her son’s small hand, shook her head, “Don’t worry, I won’t do anything I’m not confident about. The old man’s place even has dust-covered cutlery, showing signs of recent occupancy only in the bed. He should be on the run by now. I like dealing with smart people; it makes things easier! Plus, my mom was busy discussing fabrics and tailoring with Little Aunt, so they weren’t focusing on me.”

At this moment, Zhang Guoqing realized everyone liked a thrill. Had he fallen behind in keeping up with their thinking?

“What nonsense are you talking about? I’m not one to seek thrills; we’re definitely the same kind. Going back this time, we might not come again until next year. Think quickly if there’s anything we’ve forgotten to buy.”

Zhang Guoqing shook his head anxiously, fearing she might suddenly get an idea.

Seeing the child was full, he quickly took him and said, “Aunt Grandma’s waiting; we should hurry back. Later, we can walk around with her.”

Zhou Jiao nodded, following him to Old Mrs. Cheng’s room. In her mind, she calculated to buy Harry Oil at the department store; it’s a good, cheap gift suitable for the Northeast. Last night, she realized Huaihai Old Group’s items are great value and very popular.

If only she could go one more time.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep