After Zhou Jiayue had spent all the money she had on hand, she called her father, Zhou Lihua, to ask how things at home were going.
Zhou Lihua and Wang Yumei had already asked their workplaces for leave, saying that they were going to the countryside to pick up Grandpa Zhou Guoan and would immediately head to Fushi City afterward.
Zhou Jiayue nodded, but the moment she thought about her grandfather’s stubborn temper, she began to worry that things might not go smoothly.
After thinking it over, she decided to drive back to Xingshui County as well.
She could take the opportunity to bring along the things that had not yet been taken from the warehouse.
When Zhou Jiayue arrived in Xingshui County, she went home first, only to find that no one was there.
She called her parents and learned that they were still in the countryside.
After walking around the house, Zhou Jiayue discovered that apart from a few valuable items, almost nothing had been taken away.
With a wave of her hand, Zhou Jiayue stored everything in the house that could be moved into her storage space, including the tables, chairs, stools, pots, bowls, and other household items. The only things she could not remove were the floor, toilet, and other fixtures.
Even if they were not taken, they would only be ruined by the flood later, so there was no reason to waste them.
After that, Zhou Jiayue went to the warehouse she had rented previously and put everything that remained into her storage space, while also stuffing a small portion into the car.
Once everything was packed up, Zhou Jiayue headed for the countryside where her grandfather, Zhou Guoan, lived.
Grandpa Zhou Guoan was sixty nine years old that year and was still in fairly good health. He had lived alone in the countryside ever since Grandma passed away two years earlier.
Previously, Zhou Lihua and Wang Yumei had suggested that Zhou Guoan live with them, but he was accustomed to life in the countryside. After moving to the county town, he had nothing to do all day and did not even have anyone to talk to. As a result, he had stayed there for less than three days before running back to the countryside on his own.
Grandpa Zhou Guoan said that he had spent his entire life living in the countryside and farming the land. His roots had already grown deep into the soil there, so he was not going anywhere and would stay in the countryside.
If they were worried about him, they could simply come back to visit him during the New Year and other festivals. As for everything else, he did not ask for anything.
As for Wang Yumei’s parents, they had originally been city dwellers, so they did not have the same attachment to the countryside.
However, Wang Yumei had been born to her parents when they were already quite old. Her parents were an entire generation older than Zhou Guoan, and they had passed away several years ago.
She did still have an older brother, but the siblings had never been particularly close. After their parents died, the two of them stopped keeping in contact.
When Zhou Jiayue arrived at her grandfather Zhou Guoan’s countryside home, she discovered that he really was unwilling to leave with Zhou Lihua.
Zhou Jiajun, who had been standing nearby, had no idea how to persuade him. He was still completely confused.
“Sis!”
Zhou Jiajun called out, and the three people who had been locked in a stalemate immediately turned toward her.
“Jiayue? What are you doing here?”
Zhou Jiayue pushed aside the fence blocking the courtyard and quickly walked toward Zhou Lihua and the others.
“I knew Grandpa wouldn’t agree to leave with you.”
“Don’t try to persuade me. Why should I go to the city for no reason? If you want to go, then go yourselves. I’m not going.”
The little old man Zhou Guoan was extremely stubborn. Zhou Lihua could not explain the real reason to him, so Zhou Guoan had made up his mind that he would not leave.
Zhou Lihua gave a bitter smile.
“Dad.”
“Don’t call me that, you unfilial son!”
Zhou Guoan snatched the object Zhou Lihua was holding. Zhou Jiayue took one look and realized that it was Grandma’s memorial portrait.
Well, no wonder he was her father. He actually dared to use Grandma’s memorial portrait to threaten Grandpa.
“Ahem. Mom and Dad, if Grandpa doesn’t want to leave, then forget it.”
Zhou Jiayue gave Zhou Lihua and Wang Yumei a meaningful look, and the two immediately understood.
Zhou Lihua turned around and put on a smiling face as he spoke to his father.
“All right, all right. Dad, if you really don’t want to leave, we won’t force you. It’s just that it’s already so late today. You see, could you let us stay for one night so we can get some rest? We can leave tomorrow.”
It had already been eight in the evening when Zhou Jiayue arrived in Xingshui County, and by now, it was completely dark outside.
Zhou Guoan glanced at Zhou Lihua and gave a heavy snort through his nose before saying, “If you want to stay, then stay. But don’t get any ideas about this old man.”
“Of course not.”
The old Zhou family house in the countryside only had two rooms.
Zhou Guoan occupied one room, while Zhou Jiayue’s family of four squeezed into the remaining room.
“Jiayue, what are we going to do?”
In the pitch black room, Zhou Jiayue turned on her phone’s flashlight, and the family gathered around her.
“Dad, Mom, Sis, what exactly are you three talking about?”
Zhou Jiajun yawned as he looked at the other three with a completely confused expression.
Aside from Zhou Lihua and Zhou Jiayue, even Wang Yumei did not really understand why they suddenly had to go to Fushi City, let alone why they had to take her father along.
However, she was not an overly curious person. What she needed to know would naturally become clear when the time came, and she did not have a strong desire to know what she was not supposed to know. As long as her husband and daughter supported their decision, that was enough for her.
Zhou Jiayue glanced at Zhou Jiajun’s foolish expression, and a mischievous thought arose in her heart.
“Jiajun, we’re running for our lives.”
“Huh? Hahaha, Sis, what are you talking about? That’s such a terrible joke.”
Zhou Jiayue rolled her eyes and could not be bothered to answer him.
After the sound of thunderous snoring came from Zhou Guoan’s room, Zhou Jiayue quietly crept over to his door.
She took a long, thin tube from her pocket and slipped it through the gap beneath the door. Zhou Jiayue gently blew into the tube, and a cloud of white smoke emerged from the other end.
After more than ten seconds, Zhou Jiayue motioned behind her.
Zhou Lihua and Zhou Jiajun immediately put on their masks and slipped into Zhou Guoan’s room. Together, they carried him out along with his quilt and placed him in the car.
The little local dog in the courtyard, which was barely three months old, sensed that something was happening and immediately started barking.
Zhou Jiayue quickly soothed it.
“Good boy, Xiao Hei. Don’t bark, don’t bark.”
Zhou Jiayue picked up the puppy and thought for two seconds before deciding to take it with them as well. She placed it beside Zhou Guoan.
After catching the familiar scent of its owner, Xiao Hei’s round eyes moved slightly. Then it curled up beside Zhou Guoan, closed its eyes, and continued sleeping.
“Are we leaving now?”
Zhou Jiayue suddenly thought of something and returned to the old house.
“Wait for me!”
Five minutes later, Zhou Jiayue returned to the car carrying a large package.
“Let’s go.”
The two cars then drove out of the quiet little village one after another.
“Sis, what did you go back to get just now?”
Zhou Jiajun was sitting in Zhou Jiayue’s car, looking extremely excited.
“And what was that white smoke you blew just now? When we carried Grandpa out, he did not react at all!”
Zhou Jiayue gave a smug little snort.
“Did you forget what I studied?”
Zhou Jiajun’s eyes widened instantly, and then realization dawned on him.
“Sis, that’s amazing! It really is better not to offend someone who studied medicine.”
In reality, the smoke she had just used was merely an item Zhou Jiayue had purchased from the system shop for fifty points. It could only be used three times, and each use lasted for three hours.
Naturally, she could not tell them that.
For now, she could only use her supposed identity as an old Chinese doctor to bluff her way through.