PCJ – Chapter 468 Going to the Capital?

“Delicious, delicious, really delicious.” Liu Jiaying wanted to take the fish skewers from Zhang Jiaohua’s hands, but Zhang Jiaohua placed the skewers behind his back.

“If you want to eat, grill it yourself.” Zhang Jiaohua didn’t like this person; right from the start, she tried to grab from his hands.

Originally, Zhao Jue and Wei Jun had also wanted to take some fish skewers from Zhang Jiaohua, but when they heard Zhang Jiaohua’s words, they froze in place. They suddenly remembered that they weren’t familiar with Zhang Jiaohua at all, and had no obligation to share his grilled fish. In fact, their group still owed him a favor.

“If you want to eat, grill it yourself. Don’t come stealing from my hands. I’ll let you use my seasonings.” Zhang Jiaohua noticed Zhao Jue and Wei Jun still standing there in a daze and added, he actually had a good impression of them.

Zhao Jue and Wei Jun immediately smiled. Zhao Jue skewered some fish and began grilling it on the fire, imitating Zhang Jiaohua. “Little brother, your seasoning smells really good.”

Wei Jun also smiled and said, “This seasoning is amazing, it’s making me drool just smelling it.”

Liu Jiaying felt a bit embarrassed. “Little friend, don’t be so stingy. It’s just one skewer of fish. How about this: once we leave Meishan, I’ll treat you to a big meal at a restaurant?”

“No need. I have money. Why should I let you treat me? We’re not familiar with each other,” Zhang Jiaohua responded, showing his dislike for Liu Jiaying and retorting a few times.

Liu Jiaying was fuming and wanted to argue back, but Fu Cha Hao Yue quickly pulled her aside. “Jiaying, stop talking. You’re being unreasonable. Even if you really like eating, you can’t just take from someone else. You should’ve asked for permission first.”

“I just thought it smelled good and wanted to try it. Didn’t he join our team? I thought we were all comrades, no need to be so picky. Who knew he was so stingy?” Liu Jiaying felt wronged.

“Jiaying, still, you shouldn’t have taken it from his hands. Don’t you know? If it weren’t for him, you and Xiaobin would’ve been in real danger this time. You should apologize,” Fu Cha Hao Yue said urgently.

“Okay, okay, I’ll apologize,” Liu Jiaying said.

Zhang Jiaohua ignored her, eating a few skewers of fish before walking off to one side.

“Zhang Jiaohua, why did you run away from home?” Fu Cha Hao Yue approached him after a while.

“I didn’t run away, I’m out here traveling,” Zhang Jiaohua said.

Fu Cha Hao Yue naturally didn’t believe him and smiled. Who would let their child run off alone?

“How about coming with us to the capital? Since you’re out here traveling, why not visit the capital? It’s a city with over three thousand years of history, many cultural sites to see. Plus, there’s the Badaling Great Wall. As the saying goes, ‘You’re not a true hero until you’ve been to the Great Wall.’ If you don’t go, that’s such a waste,” Fu Cha Hao Yue suggested.

“Is the capital far from Meishan?” Zhang Jiaohua asked.

“Far, of course. It’s thousands of miles away. What? Are you afraid it’s too far from home?” Fu Cha Hao Yue thought Zhang Jiaohua might be homesick and tried to scare him into going home.

Zhang Jiaohua shook his head. “I’m afraid it’s too close.”

Zhang Jiaohua had been wandering around Meishan for several days but found himself just going in circles. He decided to leave Meishan and see the world beyond the mountain.

“Huh?” Fu Cha Hao Yue scratched his head in surprise, not expecting this answer. “How about you use my phone to call home? Uh, do you have a phone?”

“I have one, but does your phone have any signal?” Zhang Jiaohua asked.

Fu Cha Hao Yue took out his phone and found there was no signal. Even near Meishan, the surrounding villages often had poor reception. Villages like Meizi’ao, where everyone had a phone, were quite rare.

“Do you have a phone at home?” Fu Cha Hao Yue knew that families with phones in rural areas weren’t ordinary.

“Every household in our village has a phone,” Zhang Jiaohua said, not thinking it was a big deal.

Though having phones and electricity were no longer luxuries, it was still uncommon in rural areas. But in Meizi’ao, it was normal, so Zhang Jiaohua didn’t think much of it.

“Where’s your home?” Fu Cha Hao Yue asked curiously.

“In Xintian County,” Zhang Jiaohua replied.

“Xintian County? That’s far from here! How many days have you been out?” Fu Cha Hao Yue asked, surprised.

“A few days,” Zhang Jiaohua answered.

“Aren’t you worried your parents will be worried about you? After a few days, my parents were already freaking out,” Fu Cha Hao Yue said.

“When I left, I told my parents about it. They’re not worried.” When he said this, Zhang Jiaohua’s voice grew softer. He didn’t have much confidence in this statement because he knew his mother was definitely worried about him.

In Xintian County, Gezhuping Town, Yidushui Village, Meizi’ao, the family of Zhang Youping and Liu Qiaoye were eating quietly at home. It was silent, with no children around, leaving the house cold and empty. Zhang Youping and Liu Qiaoye ate in silence, with the sound of their chewing echoing in the stillness.

After finishing their meal, Liu Qiaoye said, “This brat, doesn’t he know he could at least call home for a warm meal? Doesn’t he know to make a phone call?”

“Don’t worry about him. Once he’s suffered out there, he’ll come back,” Zhang Youping said bitterly. He was really upset about Zhang Jiaohua leaving without responsibility, leaving him with all the unwarranted complaints.

“You’re not worried about him? He’s still young, how would he know about the world? He needs his parents for everything. What if he’s out there in the wilderness and can’t find food?” Liu Qiaoye said worriedly.

“Don’t worry. He can easily hunt wild boars in the mountains for meat. He won’t go hungry. That’s the least of my concerns. What I worry about is that he’s out there having fun and doesn’t want to come back. And I’m also worried he might meet bad people and go astray,” Zhang Youping said.

“He won’t go astray. He’s always been helping the villagers get rich. He’s been doing good things. Plus, he’s smart; he’ll never suffer losses,” Liu Qiaoye said proudly.

“Well, if you have so much confidence, why are you still so worried?” Zhang Youping retorted.

“Zhang Youping! Are you trying to argue with me on purpose?” Liu Qiaoye shouted, glaring at him.