After scanning swiftly over ten lines, it was indeed as she expected. The old man candidly mentioned that he's getting old, suggesting the younger generation discuss with their parents. But in the end, these are his grandchildren and grandsons, and he didn't feel comfortable sharing his worries with outsiders. Hence, he's just venting a little and wants to hear his son's thoughts.
As for Mr. Zhang, he's still the crafty old farmer, with a bit of harmless selfishness, and is a sensible and well-meaning father-in-law.
In the countryside, people work from sunrise to sunset, facing the earth with their backs to the sky, and despite this hard work, they still often struggle to have enough to eat and find clothes to wear. His eldest son took the family out of the countryside and squeezed into the city. This is something many people have been yearning for and dreaming about, undoubtedly making him more certain of how much effort his son invested.
