Chapter 144: Dad’s Gift

Inside the house, Zhang Yan was already sitting beside the old lady, her hand tightly held by Zhou Yimin’s grandmother, who was showering her with praise.

She was clearly pleased with Zhang Yan.

Not only was she pretty, but she also looked healthy and fertile—and she was a university student, no less! A perfect match for their Yimin, truly a couple made in heaven!

Most importantly, from the moment she entered, Zhang Yan had shown impeccable manners, especially toward the elderly.

That was what satisfied them the most.

Some city folks tend to look down on rural people. Even if they’re dealing with their partner’s family or relatives, there would still be a faint look of disdain. They might not say anything, but the attitude would leak out in subtle ways.

Zhang Yan, however, had none of that. There wasn’t a trace of contempt in her demeanor toward the elderly.

The other grannies and grandpas around joined in the praise, making Zhang Yan so embarrassed she didn’t know where to put herself.

“Alright now, you young ones go have fun!” Zhou Yimin’s grandmother could tell that Zhang Yan was starting to feel awkward, surrounded by so many old ladies and unable to relax.

After all, she was a girl, with thin skin. These old women didn’t know how to hold back when they talked and just went on and on without a filter—who could take that?

So she let her future granddaughter-in-law go off with Yimin and told her she didn’t need to keep her company.

Just then, Zhou Yimin led Zhang Yan’s parents inside.

“Auntie, I’m Zhang Yan’s father, Zhang Jianshe. This is my wife, Meiqin. The two of us wish you a long life and boundless blessings,” Zhang Jianshe said warmly.

“Wonderful! Wonderful! Jianshe, Meiqin, this old lady has heard Yimin mention you often.”

Zhang Yan’s mother sat where Zhang Yan had been and started chatting with the old lady. Her ability to socialize was far beyond that of a young university girl—she was soon deep in conversation with the grannies.

The couple also took the opportunity to present their birthday gift.

A set of Dacron clothes—just slightly big, but that didn’t matter much.

Along with them were well-wishes from coworkers.

The old lady soon found out that all these gifts had come from her son’s coworkers. Yet her son himself had sent nothing, which left her feeling somewhat disappointed.

At that moment, Zhang Jianshe also realized something, but there were things he couldn’t say aloud.

The old man didn’t hold back: “Hmph! That rascal Xuhua—his mother’s 60th birthday and he didn’t come back, not even a gesture! Yet his coworkers were so thoughtful. Really—”

Zhou Yimin quickly said, “Grandpa! Don’t blame him yet. My dad didn’t forget Grandma’s birthday. He sent the gift to the Siheyuan. I brought it back with me!”

Then he turned to the old lady: “Grandma, wait a moment. My dad probably had other matters and couldn’t make it back.”

He thought to himself: Dad, this is as much as I can help you cover for.

When they returned to the village, besides Zhang Yan, he had a big bag in the backseat. Everyone saw it.

He quickly returned to his room and brought out the pair of cloth shoes he’d had Granny Xu make, along with a set of winter wear—cotton coat, pants, and shoes—bought from the shop in his mind.

“Here, Grandma. These are the thousand-layer cloth shoes I had made for you. And these are from my dad—cotton coat, pants, and shoes, just for winter,” Zhou Yimin said, laying each item out.

The cotton set looked thick and warm, clearly high-quality and great for winter.

Everyone started praising them immediately.

When the old lady saw the clothes and shoes, any lingering complaints about her son disappeared. Honestly, she didn’t care what her son gave. The fact that he remembered her birthday was enough to make her happy.

She tried on the cloth shoes her grandson gave her—they fit perfectly—and smiled. “Mm! They fit just right.”

Out of all the gifts, Zhou Yimin’s seemed the least expensive, but she liked his the most.

After all, he had organized the entire banquet. What gift could compare to that kind of heartfelt effort?

Outside, Zhou Yimin accompanied Zhang Jianshe for a chat.

Zhang Jianshe had a solid academic background. In this village, there probably weren’t many people who could have an in-depth conversation with him—there was a knowledge gap that naturally created a topic gap.

Meanwhile, Zhang Yan and her two younger sisters had retreated into Zhou Yimin’s room.

It was nicely decorated, much better than the rooms in their own home. The bed was a huge two-meter-wide one—none of them had seen a bed that big before! There was a thick mattress underneath, a little bouncy, very comfortable.

The wardrobe was a sliding-door style—visually pleasing and clearly the kind young people liked.

“Jie, look at this wardrobe—it slides sideways. Amazing,” Zhang Yu said enviously. She really wanted a wardrobe like that.

When she opened the wardrobe, the clothes inside were neatly folded, some hung up on hangers, everything organized and tidy. It made you reluctant to disturb it even a little.

“Zhang Yu, Zhang Lu, I’m warning you—don’t mess anything up. Don’t touch things randomly. Do you have any manners?” Zhang Yan snapped at her sisters.

Zhang Lu protested, “It was Yimin-ge who told us to come in and find snacks!”

She opened a nearby cabinet—and sure enough, there were all kinds of treats: candies, sunflower seeds, peanuts, rice cakes, dried fruits, and more.

“Here they are.”

Zhang Yu brought over a tray and took a portion of each item out.

Zhou Yimin had told them to share the snacks with everyone.

Zhang Yan sat on the edge of the bed, her hand stroking the nightstand. She really liked this room. Suddenly, she had an urge—a strong desire to marry Zhou Yimin as soon as possible.

She touched this and that, smiling to herself at the thought that this place might one day be hers too.

Then she noticed the desk—there were quite a few books and notebooks on top.

Just a glance at the notes, and she could tell they involved some of Zhou Yimin’s inventions. She hurried to tidy them up. If there had been a lock, she would’ve locked them up right away.

How could such important things be left out so casually?

Then she picked up a book and sat at the desk to read.

Right in front of the desk was a window overlooking farmland and distant mountains—a stunning view.

Zhang Yu and Zhang Lu weren’t interested in books!

Once they got the snacks, they rushed out to share them with the elders first.

The old folks were reluctant to eat, just tasting a little, then putting the rest in their pockets to take home for their grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

Outside, Zhang Jianshe had walked over to the little chick incubator, listening to Zhou Yimin explain.

“Artificially hatching chicks takes about 21 days,” Zhou Yimin said.

Though Zhang Jianshe was a researcher, this wasn’t his field. From a theoretical standpoint, Zhou Yimin’s method seemed valid. And he could already see the potential—if successful, it could significantly impact China’s poultry industry.

Eventually, poultry could be hatched on a large scale.

“Artificial incubation has existed in China for a long time, with regional differences. In the north, we have the kang method. In the south, it’s common to use barrels. In the Yangtze River area, they use vats.

“But the success rate has never been reliable, mainly because we can’t precisely control temperature, humidity, and oxygen levels,” Zhou Yimin continued.

(End of Chapter)