Chapter 609

Zhou Andong smiled and said nothing, just as Ma Zhiyao's figure appeared at the alley entrance.

"Why are you only just back?"

Ma Zhiyao walked a few quick steps: "I called the beverage factory, but the factory director wasn't there. The person on duty went to find him, so I've only just been able to wait until now."

The four of them walked into the courtyard, with Comrade Xiao Yin walking behind, head lowered, wondering what he was pondering.

"He'll be here by car soon. It takes over three hours from Panhe Shuanggou County to here."

"Fine!" Zhou Andong nodded, "I'm going back to Tanghezi tonight. You bring him to the winery to find me tomorrow morning."

Ma Zhiyao said: "Then let him stay in the city for the night."

The four of them entered the courtyard, where the head chef was drinking with a few people helping out: "Son-in-law, where did you run off to? I've been looking for you for ages and couldn't find you. The wine is almost finished, hurry up and come over to have a drink with us."

Ma Zhiyao said with a smile: "You guys go ahead and drink, I still have something to do."

Zhou Andong said: "You go and have a bite with them; I'll be staying for a while before I leave."

"Alright then!" Ma Zhiyao hesitated for a moment, then walked toward the head chef's table and found a stool to sit down on.

Zhang Tao asked: "Great Uncle-in-law, are you drinking?"

"No!" Ma Zhiyao found a clean bowl and served himself some rice.

Zhou Andong entered the room and saw Cao Shuzhi reading a newspaper, occasionally wiping her eyes with her sleeve.

"What are you reading?"

Zhang Yueru said: "The report on your speech that day. It mentioned our Teacher Cao, and the old lady started crying as she read it."

In this era, very few people in rural areas subscribed to newspapers, and not many had televisions; even if they did, no one paid attention to the news. Therefore, most of what people knew about Zhou Andong's affairs was hearsay.

As for Cao Shuzhi, she was devoted to her teaching. Although she was very concerned about news of Zhou Andong, because there were few channels to obtain news, by the time she saw reports about Zhou Andong, it was often several days later.

And this newspaper was brought by Zhang Yueru. She knew the old lady would definitely be happy to read this report, but she hadn't expected it to make the old lady cry.

Cao Shuzhi put down the newspaper and folded it carefully: "I heard Principal Zhao mention it before, that you held a press conference and even mentioned me, but I didn't expect the product to have such a big problem, and he didn't tell me either."

"It's nothing major, just that the water source was contaminated. All problematic products have already been taken off the shelves, and those that were sold have been recalled, and compensation has been provided to the consumers."

Zhou Andong took off his shoes and got on the kang, sitting cross-legged beside his teacher, taking out a cigarette to light one for her: "I've come today, I'll light a cigarette for you, but you should quit smoking from now on."

Cao Shuzhi said: "At my age, why bother quitting smoking."

Zhou Andong smiled and didn't try to persuade her further.

Cao Shuzhi put the newspaper away: "Food safety issues concern people's livelihoods. You must strictly control it in the future; you must never make such mistakes again."

Zhou Andong nodded earnestly: "It definitely won't happen again."

Cao Shuzhi held Zhou Andong's hand, her eyes showing a sadness that was hard to hide: "In the blink of an eye, you've grown this big. How could I not be old?"

"You're not old!" Zhou Andong said with a smile: "Thirty or forty is still young, fifty or sixty is in one's prime. You're still a long way from that day of being old."

Cao Shuzhi laughed heartily, then shook her head: "Are you married? How old are the children? When you have time, bring them over for me to see."

Zhou Andong sighed: "Divorced. We divorced last New Year's Day. She yearns for the free life in America."

Cao Shuzhi was stunned for a moment, then patted Zhou Andong on the shoulder and comforted him: "It's alright, there are plenty of good girls. Since she's gone, we'll find another virtuous one."

Zhang Yueru's eyes lit up: "Dongzi, my sister-in-law doesn't have a partner yet. Her education isn't as high as yours, but she's pretty and works at the county government office."

"Too late, I already have a partner." Zhou Andong looked regretful: "If I had known earlier that you had a pretty sister-in-law, I would never have dated anyone else even if it killed me."

Zhang Yueru said with a smile: "Then break up with your current partner, and I'll introduce my sister-in-law to you."

"Don't even think about it!" Zhou Andong said righteously: "Am I the kind of person who abandons someone after starting a relationship? Even if your sister-in-law were a celestial being, I couldn't do something that would make people point fingers at me."

"Right!" Cao Shuzhi glared fiercely at Zhang Yueru: "Don't listen to her nonsense. Can beauty be eaten as a meal? As long as her character is good and she's virtuous, just date her properly. When you have a chance, bring her over for me to see."

Zhou Andong bared his teeth at Zhang Yueru, who rolled her eyes.

Zhou Andong chuckled: "When I have time, I'll bring her to see you."

Yao Jun helped out for a while, tidied up the table, and then also took off his shoes and got on the kang.

The teacher and her two students chatted about the past and the future, and time slipped away bit by bit as it gradually grew dark outside.

Zhou Andong checked the time: "Teacher, we should go. I'll come to see you again when I have time."

Cao Shuzhi nodded: "Go on, drive safely on the road."

Zhou Andong and Yao Jun got off the kang and put on their shoes. Cao Shuzhi, Zhang Yueru, Ma Zhiyao, Comrade Xiao Yin, and many others saw Zhou Andong and Yao Jun off to the main gate.

Cao Shuzhi hugged Zhou Andong reluctantly: "You have achieved today's harvest with your wisdom and knowledge, and you will accept tomorrow's challenges with wisdom and courage. Teacher wishes you to always maintain a spirit of forging ahead, wishes you to be a galloping thousand-mile horse forever, and wishes you to hold the future tightly in the palm of your hand."

Zhou Andong said: "I will always keep Teacher's teachings in my heart."

Cao Shuzhi hugged Yao Jun as well: "Go!"

Zhou Andong and Yao Jun got in the car and left. Cao Shuzhi stood at the main gate, and even after the two cars had disappeared for a long time, she remained motionless.

Zhang Yueru sighed: "Mom, it's a bit chilly at night, let's go in."

Cao Shuzhi came back to her senses: "Back inside!"

"In-law!" Yin Jisheng no longer had the arrogance he had when he arrived. At this moment, he very politely shook hands with Zhang Xiangmin to say goodbye: "We're going back too. Today was really too chaotic. When we have time, our families will gather again and have a good drink."

"Good!" Zhang Xiangmin was truly happy today. Zhou Andong came to pay his respects to his old mother for her birthday; how much face did that give him? "I have time whenever, it's just you who are too busy and hard to find time."

Yin Jisheng smiled: "Rest assured, in a few days, I might be bothering you every day."

"That would be great!" Zhang Xiangmin said: "If you come every day, I'll have wine here every day."

"Fine, then we're leaving." Yin Jisheng greeted Cao Shuzhi again, wanting to say something, but in the end, he didn't.

Meng Tianyu watched as her uncle and parents left, then looked at Zhang Tao and sighed.

Zhang Tao said helplessly: "He was chatting with Grandma the whole time, and I didn't have a chance to speak."

Meng Tianyu said: "I'm not blaming you, it's just a bit of a pity."

Zhang Tao thought for a moment: "Tomorrow, Great Uncle-in-law will go to the winery to find Zhou Andong, I'll follow along and see."

Meng Tianyu's eyes lit up: "Then you must seize the opportunity well, you can't miss it again."