Chapter 173: Chapter 129: Heart-to-Heart
Zhou Jiao watched as her dad sent her mom away. Curiously, she looked at him, and saw her dad carefully checking the window, then raising a finger to signal her to be quiet. Secretively, Zhou Jiao covered her mouth to stifle her laughter.
Zhou Xiaozheng took off his military coat, and somehow, he started to tear open the inner lining of the coat, feeling around left and right, before pulling out a stack of deposit slips. Then he felt inside the legs of the pants and took out a small handful of diamonds. Next, he removed his shoes and retrieved a small handful of diamonds from the heels. Zhou Jiao watched curiously; her dad was really used to working like a spy, hiding things everywhere.
"Quick, put it away first. Don’t let anyone know, not even Zhang Guoqing. Your mom can’t know either, even your uncle is unaware. Dad’s been saving it all for you, some targets are too big to hide otherwise."
Zhou Xiaozheng hurriedly had her put them away, still watching the door carefully as he finished speaking.
Zhou Jiao immediately put them into her bra pocket, pressing down with her hand. Whispering into his ear, she said, "Dad, does this count as your secret stash? Dad, you haven’t secretly had any brothers or sisters for me outside, have you? Dad, I’ll tell you a secret; my mom also gives me money when she sees me and tells me not to tell anyone. You both really are a couple with great chemistry. Hehe."
Zhou Xiaozheng gently tapped her forehead and said with amusement, "Your uncle is always around, how would I have time to find someone else? With you around, it’s impossible for Dad to find you a stepmom. Besides, your mom, that silly woman, she’s always looking for me, I know it well. Even when given hints, she doesn’t get it, just keeps searching, leaving your uncle so mad he only scolds his dad."
Zhou Jiao proudly smiled at him, turned around, and took out the wooden box given by her grandma from the drawer. She opened the box, pouring out its contents carelessly. Carefully opening the box, she reached the end and pulled out a bottom sheet revealing knife-carved "==" symbols.
"How about it, smart, right? Although it was Xiao Wu who discovered it. Did mom tell you how Xiao Wu found it? It’s just that I had it for a short time before grandma secretly gave it to me when we got married. At that time, I really wanted to go to Shanghai to find you, to try my luck, and look for clues, maybe even find you. Xiao Wu said you’d definitely be back by the end of the year, and even explained why, which made me feel at ease. Dad, I found you a smart son-in-law."
Zhou Xiaozheng nodded and said, "Indeed, pretty smart. Very observant. Your grandfather praised him many times, has a very good impression of him. Dad doesn’t really like him being a smart guy. You only need an honest one, someone who listens to you in everything, even better. Smart people are troublesome; if they are ambitious, it’s even harder on you. Dad originally planned to find an honest, not overly ambitious person for you when you grew up, to spoil you, with Dad backing you up. You’re smart too, have nothing to fear. But things happened for a reason, without Huang Zhaodi, he wouldn’t have married you. But a smart person, hehe."
Zhou Jiao quickly comforted him, "Dad, don’t worry. I thought it over carefully before deciding to marry him. I know him to some extent; he’s quite traditional and upright. You’ll see for yourself if you watch for a while."
"Hmm, today his gaze seemed righteous. Besides, no matter how much chaos there may be in the future, you won’t need to worry, Dad is here. Dad won’t leave anymore, you just need to be happy. You can access those deposit slips when you get a chance to go to Shanghai, keep the others for now and deal with them when the time is right. As long as you’re careful, that’s fine. Spend freely, no need to be humble."
"Dad, is the house in Shanghai still there? Did you buy me a floral dress for when I was 10 in it? I just want to see what kind of gifts there are."
"Hehe, Dad secretly prepared it. I bought you a two-story little house, it looks plain from the outside, but Dad opened up the top floor completely, making the rooms beautifully decorated. Inside there’s a piano bought by Father Tao, the white dress you wore when you were 10, red shoes, and some floral dresses. It’s a pity the dress won’t fit now. You should find some time to go see it. To be safe, Dad hid a lot of US Dollars and other things on the second floor in various places. The house is being watched over by a pair of elderly people I saved. I told them, when my daughter grows up and comes to see the house, listen to her."
Zhou Xiaozheng reminisced, thinking that his Jiao Jiao would look beautiful in it, like a princess.
"When you were five, I happened to be passing through the Northeast and wanted to see you. Disguised as a beggar to get a look at you, afraid familiar people might recognize me. Because time was tight, I waited at the bridge for you, finally saw you, but felt even more uneasy.