It was the first time a child heard something about their mother from their own mouth.
Although Cheng Xiang had been curious, Zhou Tianlei always avoided talking about it, making it difficult for Cheng Xiang to ask further.
She also felt that the children's loss of their mother was their greatest psychological pain, and she never dared to mention it in front of them.
Hearing Zhou Yang's words at this time, they seemed to be full of fear of their mother.
"Mom, do you always drink?" Cheng Xiang asked carefully.
Zhou Yang pouted, nodded, clasped his fingers and said, "Well, if mom is unhappy, she will drink, and then she will quarrel with dad. I remember one time, I scratched dad's face."
"But dad is not angry either, and he will cook porridge for her. If she doesn't get up, and I call her, she will beat me and drop the porridge when she gets angry."
Cheng wanted to hear what he said and asked softly: "Then Xiao Yang, does Xiao Yang know why mom and dad quarreled?"
Zhou Yang rolled his eyes and thought for a while: "My mother sometimes said that my father didn't like us, and sometimes she said that we were dragging him down. One time, she even asked my father why he wasn't the one who died."
What Zhou Yang said was confusing and illogical. After all, it happened three or four years ago. Zhou Yang didn't have much at that time, and he probably didn't remember many things.
Cheng Xiang rubbed his hair and comforted the child softly: "Xiao Yang must miss his mother very much, right? Mom must love you, and she must have no choice but to leave you."
Zhou Yang nodded heavily: "Well, I know my mother was sad. After that father died, we were kicked out. My sister was still a little bit young at that time. Later, when my mother left, she told me that this father would definitely take good care of her. Ours, when he comes, let us be filial to our father, and ask my sister and I not to look for her, and let us forget about her."
That dad, this dad? Cheng Xiang felt doubtful in his heart, and suddenly felt a thump in his heart.
"Who is the father that Xiaoyang said?" Cheng Xiang asked tentatively.
"It was our father in the family. He was a soldier. I only remember that he was tall and black and liked to put me on his neck. At that time, my mother did not drink and was always very happy. My father was not at home. When she was young, she would take me to work in the fields and weave little rabbits out of dogtail grass for me." Zhou Yang smiled as he recalled the past.
"The last time I saw that dad was when I celebrated my birthday. That dad and this dad celebrated my birthday together and cooked longevity noodles for me. At that time, I still called this dad uncle."
"Uncle?" The doubts in Cheng Xiang's heart seemed to become clearer little by little: "Then what?"
"Later, they all said that my father died in the war. My mother cried for a long time. Later, my mother gave birth to a younger sister. Not long after, my grandmother kicked us out. My mother had no place to go, so she came to this place. Dad, and then Mom left, and we lived with this dad." Zhou Yang summarized their life over the years. Although he didn't know the details, the basic sequence of events was clear.
"Zhou Yang and Zhou Qing are not Zhou Tianlei's biological children." Cheng Xiang had already made a judgment in his mind.
Seeing Cheng Xiang's solemn expression, Zhou Yang asked cautiously: "Mom, are you angry?"
Cheng Xiang came back to his senses and looked at Zhou Yang gently: "How could mom be angry?"
"My uncle said that women are stingy and cannot mention that mother in front of you." Zhou Yang pouted and said.
Cheng Xiang smiled brightly: "Your brother-in-law is a big kid and he knows a lot. Mom won't be angry. I also want to thank Xiao Yang for telling mom this. This is our secret. Let's protect it together, okay?"
Zhou Yang nodded vigorously: "Well, okay, although that mother is gone, but you are here, I think I like you as a mother more."
Zhou Yang cautiously stretched out his little hand, lowered his head and shyly took Cheng Xiang's hand.
Cheng Xiang felt soft and held Zhou Yang's hand: "Let's go and eat porridge."
When that woman came here with her children, Zhou Tianlei wanted to take them in as a comrade-in-arms.
He was always reticent and didn't like to explain, so people in the village thought he had given birth to a child outside.
But why did the woman leave the child to him and go away?
Cheng Xiang looked at the innocent faces of Zhou Yang and Zhou Qing, wondering if when they grow up and look back on the past, they will slowly understand that Zhou Tianlei is not their father.
Qing'er was so young that he had no memory, but Zhou Yang had memories, and he would slowly come to understand that he was actually an orphan without a father or a mother.
No wonder he had an extreme personality, was withdrawn, and eventually went astray.
Cheng Xiang thought to himself: Zhou Tianlei, is this man holding back and taking responsibility, or is he indifferent to others, even her opinions?
At noon, Cheng Xiang was having lunch with the children when Zhou Tianlei came back.
The moment Cheng Xiang saw him, his face turned red and he lowered his head and pretended to eat.
"Brother, have you eaten?" Zhou Tianxing glanced at his sister-in-law and raised his head to ask Zhou Tianlei.
Zhou Tianlei shook his head and kept staring at Cheng Xiang, with a smile flowing in his eyes.
Zhou Tianxing went to serve Zhou Tianlei a bowl of rice, and Zhou Tianlei sat next to Cheng Xiang and ate slowly.
After the children finished eating, they all went out to play.
Cheng Xiang lowered his head and took a bite of rice. Suddenly, a piece of braised pork appeared in the bowl.
Looking up, Zhou Tianlei was putting vegetables into her bowl: "Don't just eat, eat some vegetables."
Cheng Xiang nodded and muttered: "Oh."
"Does your head still hurt?" Zhou Tianlei asked in a deep voice.
Cheng wanted to nod, then shook his head.
Zhou Tianlei gave her a piece of green vegetables and said, "If you want to drink, come to me to accompany you."
Cheng thought for a moment: "I thought you would say don't drink anymore."
Zhou Tianlei said calmly: "Don't you want to practice drinking? I will practice with you."
Cheng Xiang looked up at him, pursed his lips and smiled.
**********
Cheng Wanshan received instructions from his father-in-law and mother-in-law.
He was asked to take the old couple to Zhoujia Village. Although they were very satisfied with Xiao Zhou, they still wanted to see Xiangxiang's life with their own eyes before they felt at ease.
Cheng Wanshan arranged to go to Zhoujiacun on Sunday with his father-in-law, mother-in-law, Su Qing and Cheng Ningning.
Since the last time Cheng Ningning saw Cheng Xiang's fiancé, the gap and unwillingness in her heart were like a hundred claws scratching her heart.
At the same time, he is worried that Cheng wants to dig out his old stories. That girl is so scheming. If she gets the handle, will he still have a good life?
To the point of panic, restlessness, and mental and physical exhaustion.
This time Cheng Wanshu was taking them back to the countryside, and she took this opportunity to meet Zhang Qingxiang and Old Man Zhang. She wanted to find a way to make them shut up.
A group of people drove a black car into Zhoujia Village.
In this era, anyone who owns a bicycle is very prestigious. A motorcycle is simply a symbol of wealth. A car is almost unthinkable and rarely seen.
The Zhou family's car swayed into the village, causing men, women, and children to exclaim.
