enjoyebooks Chapter 1330 - 1202: Such a Small Circle
Chapter 1330 - 1202: Such a Small Circle
When Zhang Guoqing came out of the study, more than an hour had already passed. Even his mother-in-law had come back from outside; right now he saw her chatting away happily with the two girls.Look at that, listen to that... his mother-in-law was already starting to sound out the little miss.
Zhang Guoqing couldn’t help laughing when he heard. Who said his mother-in-law was simple? See, she reacted fast as soon as she saw an opening; she was still very sharp about the outside world.
Zhou Jiao heard the movement, turned her head and shot him a questioning look.
"Someone from the Zheng Family came just now. I didn’t let them in." Zhang Guoqing smiled at her, then looked at Miao Lishan. "Mom, you’re back. Didn’t you run into anyone at the gate?"
"I did. On my way back I ran into a mother and daughter. The older one’s in her forties, said she was one of the Bai Family’s girls. Turns out her husband’s family is the Zheng Family.
That one was wrapping up and at the same time smacking the younger one, saying something about the little sisters at home quarrelling, that our kid misunderstood, so she’d brought the little one back."
Miao Lishan said this and gave a disdainful little laugh. "What a joke! My grandson would ’misunderstand’? If it wasn’t too much, our Liu Yi and May 1st wouldn’t have lifted a hand."
Zhang Guoqing nodded in agreement. "Mom still has piercing eyes. You think this little trick could get past you?"
"Wrong. I didn’t know that mother and daughter were that outrageous. If I’d known, I’d have had Xiao Zhu and the others toss them out. Tell me, what’s the difference between that black-hearted pair and the Old Zhou Family?"
Miao Lishan said this, then patted Little Jiu. "Don’t be scared, they can’t get in. Xiao Wu, this girl happens to be studying in the same country as our May 1st. You’d better keep an eye out, don’t let that Zheng Family girl sniff out a chance. With a scourge like that around, what’s our May 1st supposed to do?"
Zhang Guoqing understood. His mother-in-law, after circling around, her main point was: absolutely don’t let that Zheng Family’s little girl latch onto their own kid.
"Bai Family?" Off to the side, Zhou Jiao shook her head to herself. "Mom, are you sure she said she was from the Bai Family? Impossible! Xiao Hui’s mom is the only daughter in the Bai Family."
Zhang Guoqing reminded her: "She’s got a maternal cousin—Hu Xiaohui’s second aunt by marriage—that happens to have the surname Bai. Every New Year and festival she goes over to the Bai Family, and after a few times she just calls herself one of the Bai Family."
With a "pfft," Zhou Jiao couldn’t help a little laugh. "You can play it like that?"
Miao Lishan didn’t doubt at all how her son-in-law knew; she hurriedly nudged her daughter. "Jiao Jiao, hurry and call that girl Xiao Hui. See what her attitude is?"
Zhou Jiao looked at her mom, amused, then deliberately swept her gaze over the expressions of the two girls beside her. Something stirred in her heart; she quickly looked at Zhang Guoqing. Whether she could make this call still depended on his say-so.
He’d been in the study for so long just now; he must have already started digging. If it had already touched the Bai Family, one phone call from her would count as abetting.
Zhang Guoqing narrowed his eyes slightly and gave a small nod.
Zhou Jiao pressed her lips into a smile. "Okay, I’ll just happen to ask if the Little White Dragon business is settled."
There was an extension phone in the living room too; usually the family preferred to take calls in the study. Right now, Zhou Jiao turned around, picked up the receiver and dialed.
Miao Lishan comfortingly patted the nervous Little Jiu. What’s there to be scared of? Not snatching someone else’s quota was already gracious. With her Jiao Jiao here, anyone whose guts are big enough to try and snatch a slot?
"It’s me, Zhou Jiao. I was worried you might not be at the office this weekend."
"Didn’t I say last week, I still have to work overtime this weekend? What’s got into you today, calling me? I thought you’d forgotten your old girlfriend."
"Tsk~ making it sound like I never call you. Are you busy? Almost off work, right?"
"Spit it out. You never climb the Three Treasures Hall without something. What is it this time?"
"You see me that way?" Zhou Jiao chuckled. "I was calling to congratulate you, actually."
"Cut it out. What happy event do I have lately that I don’t even know about myself?"
"How would you not?" Zhou Jiao let out a helpless chuckle. "I heard you’ve gained a dear little aunt, and her husband’s one of our Big Courtyard people. You didn’t know?"
"Wait. Are you talking about that one named Bai something... oh right, Bai Dahua, one of my second aunt’s cousins or something, isn’t she?"
Zhou Jiao burst out laughing. "She’s really called Bai Dahua, not Bai ’Tall Tale’?"
"Hahahaha... Apparently she changed her name; what to, I forgot. I only ever hear my second aunt calling her Dahua, Dahua. Didn’t my Zhenzhen raise a cat? She went and named it Dahua too. I only noticed after hearing Lin Zi mention it. By the way, did that person offend you?"
"What are you talking about?"
"My second aunt just called me too, asked me to go over to her place. She didn’t say what it was, but nine times out of ten it has to do with that Dahua."
Zhou Jiao collected her smile and didn’t deny it. "Xiao Hui, what kind of person do you think I am?"
"We’ve been sisters for ages, do I need to say it? Either she wants to shove her daughter at your May 1st, or her man’s gotten himself into trouble. So my second aunt really does have something to ask me?"
"My son? Her family thinks they’re worthy?" Zhou Jiao’s eyes flickered; she snorted, then steered the topic aside. "Your cousin’s going abroad—did that get settled?"
"More or less. I haven’t been over to my eldest uncle’s these days, but I heard the fuss has died down. How come you switched topics mid-sentence? Jiao Jiao, just say it straight. My brain’s not keeping up."
"Heh~ you." Zhou Jiao said, "I remember your second uncle works in the education department, right? That Bai ’Tall Tale’ or whatever—her husband took in a martyr’s orphan a few years back.
The kid’s dad was the martyr who died for him back then. They call it adoption, but not really, seeing as all the pension money and whatnot are sitting in that big Tall Tale’s hands.
Let’s not even start on them harshing a martyr’s orphan. Just one thing: that Bai ’Tall Tale’ has a real daughter of her own, doesn’t she? Looks like she’s trying to snatch that kid’s exchange-student quota."
"You suspect my second uncle’s involved? Impossible. I know my second uncle. Even the Little White Dragon going abroad was all by his own real ability."
"I’m not exactly suspecting your second uncle. But one thing." Zhou Jiao smiled noncommittally. In this world, people with ’real ability’ are a dime a dozen.
"That Bai ’Tall Tale’s’ daughter is really arrogant, you know. She’s actually forcing the daughter of her family’s lifesaver to give up the exchange-student quota.
But I just don’t get it: does giving up the quota mean the higher-ups will approve? If you say they never tried to work your second uncle, do you believe that yourself?"
"Jiao Jiao, thanks."
"Saying thanks is too much. What’s our relationship? Xiao Hui, it’s best if the Bai Family hasn’t stuck its hand in this. Once there’s any violation of rules or discipline, no one will be able to save them."
There was not a drop of water in what Zhou Jiao said. If Little Jiu’s quota really got swapped out, and she didn’t pull out the knife, those people would truly think they could run wild.
Before, she had no authority, and it hadn’t happened right in front of her; she’d always disliked meddling. But that didn’t mean no one carried a sense of justice in their heart.
Are orphans born to be bullied?
Back then, Zhang Guoqing had slogged through bitter days like that all the way. She would absolutely not let anyone around her suffer that kind of grievance again.
The reason she notified Hu Xiaohui first was precisely that she didn’t want the Bai Family to get themselves into trouble and then come looking for her to clean it up.
As for why that Bai ’Tall Tale’s’ daughter was so arrogant about demanding Little Jiu’s quota, there’s no way she believed a little girl had that much gumption on her own. This was a public-expense quota.
The slot was already finalized, they were about to go abroad, and she still dared to hound the kid for the quota. Can ordinary people swap everything from top to bottom like that?
"Ai... Jiao Jiao, I get it. I’ll go see my second uncle right away."
"No need to get that nervous. Your second uncle’s not about to turn foolish over some peripheral relative. I’m just worried his fence isn’t tight enough."
On Hu Xiaohui’s end, the call was hurriedly cut off, and Zhou Jiao shook her head speechlessly.