Chapter 8: The Long-Lost Bond of Family

Seeing her eldest son return, she couldn't help but eye him up and down, grumbling, "You child, why didn't you tell me in advance you were coming back? I could've made something for you. It's so late—where am I supposed to buy groceries now?"

"Don't worry, Mom. I've already eaten on the way, I'm quite full," Zhao Guoyang replied with a smile.

"That's good, as long as you've eaten. By the way, how are things at the factory? Are you getting used to the work?" As she spoke, Zhao Jingzhong had already sat down and began asking about Zhao Guoyang's job.

Zhao Guoyang glanced at the clock on the wall—it was nearly nine o'clock. He coughed lightly and said, "Dad, Mom, I've been on the road all day and I'm a bit tired. Let's not chat tonight. I'll be home tomorrow, so we can talk then if anything comes up."

Zhao Jingzhong had always been especially caring toward his most promising son. Hearing this, he nodded repeatedly, "Alright, then get some rest. Tomorrow, your mother will make you something good to eat."

He Huifen smiled warmly at her son and said, "Guoyang, take this chance to rest well. And while you're home, ask after your sister's and brother's studies too."

"Your sister is doing all right; her results in the last mock exam were decent. But your brother... Why can't he be as sensible as you?"

"Mom, don't worry about all that," Zhao Xiaojing interjected. "Brother's busy with work and rarely gets to come home. Let him rest. I'll look after Xiaoyong's studies."

As the family talked, a boy of about fourteen or fifteen emerged from the east room, rubbing his eyes. At the sight of Zhao Guoyang, his eyes lit up with delight. "Brother, you're back! This is great! I made plans to go fishing with Er Gouzi tomorrow and was just wondering how to fix the old fishing rod!"

This slightly thin boy was, of course, Zhao Guoyang's younger brother, Zhao Xiaoyong. Fourteen years old and just starting his second year of middle school, he was at his most mischievous age.

"Play, play, play. That's all you ever think about!" He Huifen reached out and poked Zhao Xiaoyong on the head, scolding him with no little annoyance. "Your brother hardly ever comes home, and you want to go fishing tomorrow? You're not going!"

"Mom, I'm just trying to improve the family's meals..." Zhao Xiaoyong retorted, not backing down.

"Oh, so now you have an excuse, do you? You've been fishing for a month and I haven't seen a single fish, but you've used up plenty of our millet instead. When will you finally grow up?" She glared at him.

Hearing his wife, Zhao Jingzhong frowned slightly. "Enough, Huifen. Xiaoyong isn't just messing around. Let's not scold him. Every child has their own path, and not everyone has to go to college like Guoyang."

"I don't expect him to be as outstanding as his brother," He Huifen said, a little helplessly, "but he should at least finish high school, shouldn't he?"

"Don't worry, Mom. It's just high school—I promise I'll get in, all right? If I can't even get into high school, wouldn't I be embarrassing my brother?" Zhao Xiaoyong declared, unconcerned.

"And you'd be embarrassing me too!" Zhao Xiaojing added pointedly.

"Got it, sis." Zhao Xiaoyong seemed a little intimidated by his sister and hung his head, falling silent.

Listening to his family, a warm feeling rose in Zhao Guoyang's heart. It was clear that their household was harmonious and full of affection.

Unlike most families, in his own, the father was kind and the mother was strict. Yet, in the grand scheme, his father was the more farsighted one, giving his children the freedom to develop in their own ways. This, he thought, was likely a key reason the original Zhao Guoyang had managed to get into university.

"All right, all right, everyone to bed," his father announced with a wave of his hand. After draining a large glass of cool boiled water, Zhao Guoyang led Zhao Xiaoyong off to their room to rest.

The east wing was quite spacious, containing two beds, an old desk, a wooden chair, and a vintage double-door wardrobe—nothing more.

Zhao Guoyang casually picked up some of Xiaoyong's homework from the desk and looked it over, nodding to himself. From the mistakes, he could tell Xiaoyong had a decent foundation; the errors were due to carelessness, which meant improvement would be easy.

The original owner of this body, though an excellent student himself, wasn't much good at teaching others, so his younger siblings hadn't really benefited from having a college student in the family. But things were different now. Zhao Guoyang's own knowledge base surpassed even many top teachers, and he had advanced teaching methods of his own.

He felt that, under these circumstances, it would be strange if his siblings didn't get into college.

After chatting with them for a while, Zhao Guoyang urged them to go to bed. They were still growing, after all, and staying up too late wasn't good for them.

...

The next morning, before seven, Zhao Guoyang was up. When he went out to brush his teeth and wash his face, he found his father already feeding the chickens in the yard.

"Guoyang, why are you up so early? It's your day off—why not sleep a bit more?" Zhao Jingzhong asked in surprise.

"It's nothing, Dad. I'm used to it from my school days," Zhao Guoyang answered with a smile.

"Lao Zhao, the pancakes are ready. Take them with you to work. Leave the things in the yard to me," He Huifen hurried out from the kitchen, wrapping two fresh pancakes in paper for him.

"All right, then I'll head off. Guoyang, you have a good rest at home!" Without further delay, Zhao Jingzhong tucked the pancakes into his pocket, greeted Zhao Guoyang, and left.

"Take care, Dad!"

From his memories, Zhao Guoyang didn't recall all the family details, but he knew the basics.

His father, Zhao Jingzhong, worked as an ordinary laborer at a food factory in Jianghai County. Thanks to the factory's decent performance and his status as a regular employee, he earned a stable monthly wage of about 120 yuan.

By comparison, his mother was less fortunate. She worked as a temporary worker at a textile mill in the county, a job she could lose at any time, earning just 80 yuan a month.

At that time, families like Zhao Guoyang's were quite common—everyone lived frugally, especially when there were three children to put through school.

Fortunately, his mother was resourceful and thrifty. She not only managed the household carefully but also kept a few old hens, which solved the family's nutritional needs and sometimes allowed her to barter eggs for oil, salt, or vinegar at the small shop by their door—a win-win situation.

Watching Zhao Jingzhong pedal away on his battered bicycle, He Huifen chatted briefly with Zhao Guoyang. After feeding the chickens, she returned to the kitchen to prepare his breakfast.

Seeing his mother's back, already beginning to stoop, Zhao Guoyang couldn't help but feel a pang of sorrow.

Before coming to this world, though he was respected everywhere, he had never truly felt the warmth of family affection. Now, fate had given him a second chance, and with it, the long-lost love of kin. Zhao Guoyang quietly resolved to make life better for his family.