Chapter 299: “better Not Set Up A Persona”
Wei Xiangdong secretly stirring up trouble was something Gu Chan kept tightly under wraps, not even revealing a word to her biological mother.
The matter of raising pigs in the deep mountains was known to only three people in total, and everything was proceeding covertly.
Lin Zhao only learned about this matter after New Year.
That said, Su Yuxian had taken a big slap, which almost became her nightmare.
At night, she dreamed of Lin Zhao grabbing her collar, making her apologize to her fourth brother.
Su Yuxian was furious inside and vented her anger on Lu Baozhen, who was recovering from her injuries.
“I see you’re in good spirits. Once your injury heals, hurry back home. Don’t stay here every day wasting money. Earning money at home is so hard, and you don’t appreciate the elders’ hardship at all…” She pinched Lu Baozhen’s arms a few times while scolding her verbally.
At that moment, the nurse came in, glanced at her indifferently, then shifted her gaze to the frail girl on the hospital bed. “Time for the injection.”
Lu Baozhen trembled in fear.
Su Yuxian showed an expression of enjoying the show and pulled out a small handful of sunflower seeds from her pocket to crack.
The nurse glanced at her and said irritably, “What sunflower seeds? Hold your daughter.”
“It’s not the first time, no need to hold her. Just give the shot as usual.” Su Yuxian said.
Lu Baozhen’s eyes welled up with tears, looking at her aggrievedly.
The nurse said angrily, “Are you the nurse or am I? Hold her if I tell you to. Why so much nonsense!”
Su Yuxian didn’t dare say more, put the sunflower seeds back, plopped down on the hospital bed, roughly grabbed Lu Baozhen, pulled down her pants, exposing half of her skinny, bony buttocks.
“Go ahead and inject.”
Lu Baozhen shook with fear.
Smack.
Su Yuxian patted her back.
“Don’t shake! How can she give the shot if you keep shaking!”
The nurse saw her rough movements and frowned even more tightly. “Don’t hit the child. She’s still injured.”
She was dissatisfied with Su Yuxian because this woman had harmed the gentle-as-jade Doctor Meng.
But she had no issue with Lu Baozhen.
She was just so young, what did she understand.
“What injury? I see she’s fine.” Su Yuxian said indifferently, feeling her arms tired, and urged again, “Can you hurry up? Why so slow? I still need to go back and cook.”
The nurse ignored her and skillfully inserted the needle into Lu Baozhen’s buttocks.
“Wah…” Lu Baozhen’s body suddenly straightened in pain, bursting into loud cries that were shockingly loud.
Lin Zhao had impulsively come to bring food to her fourth brother and stopped upon hearing the crying.
She spotted Lu Baozhen wiping tears in the hospital room at a glance.
Seeing Lin Zhao, Lu Baozhen’s crying stopped abruptly. She wiped away her tears, and her childish, frail little face showed a resolute expression.
“Aunt Lin.”
Lin Zhao had complex feelings toward Lu Baozhen. She didn’t like her either, but she wouldn’t stoop to quarreling with an ignorant little girl.
“Mm.”
She responded distantly and then left.
The nurse chased after her, smiling and greeting Lin Zhao. “Comrade Lin, bringing food to Doctor Meng?”
Lin Zhao slowed her steps and replied to her brother’s colleague, “Yeah, you haven’t eaten yet?”
“I’ll eat once I put my things down.”
The voices faded away.
Su Yuxian pinched Lu Baozhen hard, her words vicious. “Aunt Lin… I call you Aunt Lin, but she ignores you. You’re so eager to humiliate yourself, you embarrassing brat. Why are you even alive? Better off dead…”
Lu Baozhen didn’t dare resist, her neck shrinking repeatedly, and she started crying again.
Not knowing which of Su Yuxian’s words stung her, the little girl suddenly looked up. “I won’t die. Mom said to live well. Mom said I’ll be rich and noble! Once that house becomes mine, I’ll leave home so you can never bully me again, wuwu…”
Su Yuxian’s expression paused slightly. She gripped Lu Baozhen’s shoulders, staring at her with burning eyes.
She subconsciously glanced at the door, walked over, and closed it.
Lu Baozhen thought she was about to get beaten again and fearfully burrowed into the quilt, ignoring the stinging pain in her buttocks.
Su Yuxian yanked open the quilt. “What house? Which house?!”
Her expression was too terrifying. Now without any backing, Lu Baozhen didn’t dare hide it and said softly, “It’s… the house Aunt Lin and them went to.”
“That house will end up in your hands? How will it become yours?” Greed flashed in Su Yuxian’s eyes, her tone urgent.
In her mind, though Lu Baozhen had lost her good fortune, she was still one of those heaven-favored types. Whenever she ran into trouble, this stepdaughter always turned danger into safety. It was strange.
So she somewhat believed Lu Baozhen’s words.
“Speak quickly, you wretched child. Believe it or not, I’ll beat you…” Su Yuxian raised her right arm, looking fierce.
Lu Baozhen closed her eyes in fear. “I dreamed it. It’s mine. I’ll have a house and lots and lots of money.”
She could buy whatever she wanted.
“What will end up in your hands?” Su Yuxian stared at her and asked.
Lu Baozhen said, “Didn’t dream that.”
Su Yuxian exploded and nearly slapped her again but held back. “If you dream it again, tell me. You’re just a little kid; even if that house is placed in front of you, you couldn’t pocket it.”
“…Got it.” Lu Baozhen said obediently.
Neither noticed that while they were whispering, several pairs of little ears had appeared outside the door.
After eavesdropping, the few boys at the door quietly left.
“…Grandma’s right. A dog can’t change its habit of eating shit! Lu Baozhen is a dog that can’t stop eating shit! She wants to harm people again.” Heng Bao clenched his little fists, saying huffily.
Yu Bao reminded him, “You said dirty words again. If Dad and Mom find out, you’ll really get beaten.”
Heng Bao shook his brother’s hand, pleading softly, “Bro, keep it secret for me, okay?”
Yu Bao sighed as if helpless, looked at his brother, and said seriously, “You need to be more careful too. If Dad and Mom were here, you’d get punished again. With Grandma gone, no one will care if you’re punished.”
“I’ll be careful. I definitely will.” Heng Bao agreed immediately to whatever his brother said.
Mao Dan’er spoke up, “…Isn’t that Lu Baozhen’s dream? Do we really need to take it seriously?”
Jing Mo was a little gentleman who knew not to eavesdrop. He had felt terribly uncomfortable just now while listening at the wall with them.
Now he finally felt at ease.
Hearing Mao Dan’er’s words, he nodded and said, “Lu Baozhen is talking nonsense. Why take it so seriously? Just treat her like air.”
Heng Bao had a good memory and remembered all of Lu Baozhen’s evils.
“No, I want to tell Mom.”
Yu Bao also said, “Right, tell Mom.”
He looked seriously at Mao Dan’er and the others. “We’re all little friends. When we encounter things we can’t handle, we should tell the adults.”
Mao Dan’er and Jing Mo saw their persistence and just thought of them as mama’s boys, so they didn’t persuade further.
The group arrived at Meng Jiusi’s office.
Lin Zhao had just finished talking with her brother. Following Meng Jiusi’s gaze, she saw several beaming smiling faces at the door.
“…”
After a slight daze, Lin Zhao frowned tightly. “Why are you kids here? I told you not to come to the hospital. Kids have weak resistance…”
Heng Bao stood up straight, walked in, sat on the stool against the wall, and spoke quickly, “Mom, we just heard a big secret. Lu Baozhen and her stepmother were talking about some big house. We heard it clearly. Do you want to hear?”
You’ve already said it all. No need to ask.
Lin Zhao looked helpless. “If you want to say it, just say it.”
“Little Uncle, you eat your food. Don’t mind us.” Seeing Meng Jiusi looking at them and forgetting to eat, Heng Bao reminded him and slid down from the stool himself.
He said to his brother, “Bro, shall we act it out? It’s been a while; my acting skills are getting rusty! You play Lu Baozhen’s stepmother, I’ll play Lu Baozhen. Okay?”
“Okay.” Yu Bao actually agreed.
They immediately got into character.
“What house? Which house?” His little face was stern, staring at Heng Bao as if wanting to grab his shoulders and shake.
“It’s…” Heng Bao shrank his neck, trying to minimize his presence, timid like a young wife. “The house Aunt Lin and them went to.”
…
The short script was quickly performed by the little brothers.
Lin Zhao looked at these two little drama kings and laughed until her cheeks hurt.
She rubbed her face, wearing an expression of not being able to look straight at them.
“Too bad I didn’t bring the camera. Otherwise, I’d take pictures of you two and play them at your weddings. It’d be hilarious.”
Playing at the wedding = lots of people would see.
The show-off-loving Heng Bao’s eyes lit up. He patted his chest. “No problem. We can shoot when we get back. Bro and I have good memories. We remember what they said, right Bro?”
Yu Bao felt something was off but saw his brother excited and his train of thought interrupted. “…Mm.”
“See, Mom? When we get back, Bro and I will perform it again. You have to take pictures for us.” Heng Bao reminded her, afraid she’d forget.
“Got it.” Lin Zhao replied, pityingly stroking her eldest son’s head. Poor Da Zai, always led astray by his brother.
Yu Bao’s eyes showed confusion. What’s wrong with Mom?
Lin Zhao smiled at him. The little friend was muddled and forgot what he wanted to ask, trying to stay calm and pulling the topic back.
“Mom, the house Lu Baozhen mentioned is Uncle Han and Juan’er’s home… We can’t let her take it.”
He was standing up for the little friend he’d known for just a couple of days.
Lin Zhao said, “I know. Us adults will handle this. Little friends shouldn’t worry so much, or you won’t grow tall.”
Mao Dan’er lowered his eyes, a smile flashing in them. Aunt Lin was coaxing Yu Bao and Heng Bao. His dad had told him height depends on parents’ genes and nutrition intake… Very complicated.
Jing Mo skillfully opened the snack box on the shelf, took out some candy, and distributed it to his little friends.
The five kids scampered off.
That afternoon, after Gu Chenghuai finished training and came home, Lin Zhao told him what the twins had said in the hospital room.
Gu Chenghuai smiled, thinking his wife was mistaking a bow’s reflection for a snake a bit.
While washing his face under the running faucet, he said casually, “Kids’ dreams can’t be taken seriously.”
It wasn’t that he didn’t take Zhaozhao’s words to heart. On the contrary, he valued what his wife said very much. After Lu Baozhen arrived, he’d paid some attention to that child and only found she had a big fate, nothing else.
“Gu Chenghuai.” Lin Zhao called his name seriously. “I’ve said it before. Lu Baozhen is not like ordinary kids.”
“Underestimating her will bring bad luck.”
The dream…
The original book’s female lead’s dream. Could it be the same as an ordinary person’s?
Facing Zhaozhao’s solemn, delicate little face, Gu Chenghuai softened inside and gentled his voice. “I’ll tell Old Han to keep a low profile for a while.”
Lin Zhao’s expression eased, dissatisfied with Gu Chenghuai’s earlier reaction. She snorted coldly and turned back to the room.
Realizing his wife was angry, Gu Chenghuai chased after her with a smile.
“How about you hit me a few times? Don’t stew in silence. It’s bad for your health.”
Lin Zhao slanted him a glance. “You don’t believe me.”
“I do! If I didn’t, how could I keep watching the Lu family’s little girl…” Gu Chenghuai quickly said. He was afraid of not being allowed in the room at night—that would be a huge punishment for him. Absolutely not.
“You’re watching Lu Baozhen?” Lin Zhao asked suspiciously. “What did you find?”
“That girl really has a big fate.” Gu Chenghuai answered straightforwardly.
Lin Zhao: “…”
“Nothing else?”
Gu Chenghuai: “Nope.”
Lin Zhao didn’t make things harder for him. “Eat first.”
As long as the Han family stayed vigilant, she believed no matter what plot Su Yuxian and Lu Baozhen had, they couldn’t succeed.
In fact, Lin Zhao had overestimated Su Yuxian. She had no real schemes, just hoping to pick up scraps.
Chef Han, tipped off by Gu Chenghuai, had already shaken off the little tail behind him, so naturally nothing happened.
Su Yuxian waited in vain for a house to fall from the sky and vented her anger on Lu Baozhen again. This time, unluckily, Lu Yizhou caught her.
“What are you doing?” Lu Yizhou’s face darkened visibly, looking at her gloomily.
“…The child isn’t learning well. I’m teaching her.” Su Yuxian defended.
Lu Yizhou had no intention of letting it slide lightly. He pulled his daughter over and questioned Su Yuxian. “How isn’t she learning well?”
Su Yuxian hemmed and hawed, unable to explain.
Bang!
Lu Yizhou kicked away the nearby stool, his tone calm but carrying a mad intensity like a storm brewing. “Go back to your hometown…”
Before he finished, Su Yuxian’s face changed drastically. “I’m not going back! I’m not going back! No one’s at home anyway. Why would I go back? I’m not!!”
“If you won’t go, I’ll submit my discharge report right now, and we’ll go back together!” Lu Yizhou’s expression was cold.
Su Yuxian was pinned down. She grabbed his sleeve, her tone intimate. “You can’t…”
“I can!” Lu Yizhou said deeply, his face full of desperate ruthlessness.
He couldn’t take it anymore!
After his family arrived, the leader’s impression of him plummeted. His reputation in the staff dormitory was rotten as dog shit, and he had no share in further training… His future prospects were ruined by his own family!
“Will you go or not?” Lu Yizhou pressed.
Su Yuxian didn’t dare provoke him further, thinking to stabilize him first. She said gently, “What about Dad, Mom, and Baozhen then?”
Lu Yizhou walked out expressionlessly.
“…I’ll go.” Su Yuxian blurted out.
She was scared.
If the man was discharged, she couldn’t be an officer’s wife anymore. She didn’t want that.
Lu Yizhou immediately bought tickets for the fastest train and the next morning early dragged Su Yuxian out of the military region, putting her on the train.
The train whistled and gradually departed.
Lu Yizhou let out a long breath of relief.
He had been mentally exhausted this time.
After sending away the biggest troublemaker, the remaining three were easy to deal with.
…
News of Su Yuxian being sent back to her hometown quickly spread through the family courtyard.
Lin Zhao: “???”
“What’s going on?” Spitting out the foam in her mouth, Lin Zhao quickly finished brushing her teeth and asked her man.
Gu Chenghuai said, “The official reason is that Lu Yizhou’s wife was beating and scolding Lu Baozhen.”
“There’s a deeper reason?” Lin Zhao wondered.
“Of course. Lu Yizhou never wanted his family to come. He’d long been fed up with them. Watch, in a few days, Uncle Lu, Aunt Lu, and his daughter will have to go back too.”
Lu Yizhou was a hypocrite, all sweet talk but selfish and arrogant. Not someone to befriend deeply.
Lin Zhao tsked. “So people shouldn’t set up personas. See, slapped in the face.”
“No more about that family.” Gu Chenghuai changed the topic. “Old Han says he wants to thank you…”
