Chapter 269: “the Arranged Childhood Betrothal Incident”
Song Xiwei shook her head. “Do you think avoiding it works? Just cover your ears then, cover them for a lifetime.”
Lin Jiazhaozhao pouted.
Lin Heling gave his wife a reproachful look. Why talk about this with the child? It made Zhaozhao unhappy.
Song Xiwei: “……”
Don’t spoil your daughter too much!
Lin Heling didn’t think so.
He wasn’t spoiling her either.
He rubbed Lin Zhao’s hair on top and said, “When you go to accompany the army, we’ll see you off.”
Lin Zhao’s eyes lit up. “Really?”
“Really. If we don’t keep an eye, your mom and I won’t feel at ease.” Lin Heling’s lips curved into a smile.
The Lin family valued their daughter, treating her like a precious treasure. His own aunt had been given an entire street by his grandfather right after birth.
Zhaozhao had grown this big, and he couldn’t even give her something for getting around.
She had to do everything herself. It was really hard.
Lin Heling looked at Lin Zhao, his eyes full of heartache.
Speaking of going to the troops with Zhaozhao, he and Song Xiwei had discussed it.
Ensuring Zhaozhao and the four kids’ safety was one thing, but they also wanted to see their daughter’s and grandsons’ living environment… Where did they live? What was the canteen like? The school? How far were Yu Bao and Heng Bao’s schools? How were Qian Bao and Yao Bao arranged…?
Everything, they just had to go see for themselves.
Lin Zhao hooked Song Xiwei’s arm and shook it hard a few times, naturally coquettish. “Mom, you’re deliberately teasing me!”
“I’m just teasing you.” Song Xiwei pulled her arm down, only for it to be hooked back. She sighed, then let her be. “Who let you always grumble impatiently? You just rely on your dad loving you the most.”
Lin Zhao was smug. “My mom loves me too, loves me the most.”
Song Xiwei: “……”
Thick skin like a city wall. She really didn’t know what to say.
“What’s your next plan? Going back to the village?”
Lin Zhao: “Yes, if I don’t go back, those four little ones will wait till dark. Sigh, no one told me raising kids is so exhausting. Otherwise, how would I have four? One would be enough.”
Song Xiwei was silent for a moment. “Given our family’s situation, wanting just one would be hard. At least two as a baseline.”
Heling said the Lin and Song families both had genes for twins. It was those two words? She didn’t understand and didn’t ask in detail.
Lin Zhao’s silence was deafening.
She was the most pitiful.
Song Xiwei saw through her daughter’s thoughts. “……You’re in bliss and don’t know it. How many people want the fortune of twins but can’t have them? You suffered twice and got four treasures. They’re all so well-behaved, one better than the next, and you’re full of complaints. If people knew, they’d beat you.”
“With you protecting me, who dares to beat your daughter?” Lin Heling’s voice was warm and clear.
“Yeah, yeah, I have mom and dad protecting me. I can walk sideways.” The girl protected by her dad was triumphant.
Lin Heling was amused and helpless.
A girl’s family, learning to walk like a crab? So inelegant.
But seeing the smile on Zhaozhao’s face, he couldn’t bear to say a single discouraging word.
“Dad, Mom, when are you planning to go to Haicheng?”
Song Xiwei answered, “Mid next month.”
“That’s soon. Need me to help buy berth tickets?” Lin Zhao asked.
She had no connections in the railway herself, but her husband did. Gu Commander would absolutely be happy to buy tickets for his father-in-law and mother-in-law.
“No need.” Song Xiwei said, “I’ve already made arrangements.”
“Your old friend?”
Song Xiwei glanced at Lin Zhao. “I’ll introduce you another day.”
“Eh?” Lin Zhao was surprised. “Mom, weren’t you unwilling? How come suddenly…?”
Song Xiwei didn’t say anything. Lin Heling spoke up. “Before, with our family’s situation, visiting wasn’t appropriate. Now things are very different. Your mom thinks the connections that should be built need to be built. You all work in the county, no one to look after you isn’t good.”
“Mom, is it for Eldest Brother to become permanent and get housing?” Yes, Big Brother Lin hadn’t become permanent yet.
He bought his job. By rights, he should become permanent by year’s end, but he was stuck as a temporary worker.
When she learned the permanent list didn’t include him, Chen Yu was almost angered into premature labor.
She thought, why? Her man was hardworking and smart, careful and efficient at work. Why wouldn’t the factory make her man permanent?
Lin Zhao had inquired. Eldest Brother’s permanent spot was taken by a cadre’s child.
When Song Xiwei learned of it, she said nothing on the spot. The next day, she took a wild chicken to the city.
No one knew whose house she went to.
When she returned, Lin Shichang got a transfer order. He entered the technical department. Though just doing odd jobs, he could learn real skills, with an old master to guide him. Lin Shichang got what he wished for.
“How is it not for you?” Lin Heling smiled and patted Lin Zhao’s head.
“Me?” Lin Zhao shook her head. “I don’t seek advancement. No expectations for promotion or raises. Mom wouldn’t bother with me.”
“You know that!” Song Xiwei gave her a sideways glance.
She had indeed hit the mark on her thoughts.
Zhaozhao had no ambitions, and her son-in-law was great. No need for them to worry.
The boys had to support their families. In the brigade, they were under their watch, no need for much management. Coming to the city to work was different—full of human relations and worldly affairs. Shichang and Shisheng needed backing, or they’d be “bullied.”
She had to protect her own sons. If those people bullied her sons for having no backing, she’d find some backings for her sons!
Lin Zhao didn’t feel embarrassed at all, beaming.
“Promotion and raises mean taking on responsibility. Doing the job well is already tiring enough.” She said righteously.
Song Xiwei didn’t bother saying more.
“Your eldest brother has to support the family, with so many kids. If he doesn’t work hard and suffer, how many Da Dan’s would there be? I don’t like meddling in the grandson generation’s affairs, but since there’s a method, of course I have to pull some strings.”
She thought three for the eldest was plenty. Who knew two more came—five!! She didn’t know if the couple could manage.
Headache.
“Mom, you want Eldest Brother to get housing soon, bring Eldest Sister-in-law and Da Dan and the others to live in the city, right?” Lin Zhao thought a bit and knew what her mom was pondering.
Song Xiwei didn’t hide her thoughts. “I’d love for your second brother to bring Xuanxuan and Zheng Zheng to the county too.”
“Then home would just have mom and dad left.” Lin Zhao’s brows lightly furrowed.
“We’d be thrilled.” Song Xiwei said. “Your dad and I raised you all this big. It’s time we rested.”
Thinking of the sons all moving out, home quieting down, the curve of her lips wouldn’t fade. She even planned connections to speed things up.
“Ahem…” Lin Heling cleared his throat to remind Xiwei. She was being too obvious.
Lin Zhao: “……”
The family of three walked together for a stretch, until it was time to part.
“Take it slow on the road. When free, bring the four kids home.” Lin Heling said.
“You too, Dad and Mom.” Lin Zhao waved to her parents and headed toward Fengshou Brigade.
She had just appeared at the village entrance when Da Huang barked a few times. Then Yu Bao and Heng Bao came running stomp-stomp-stomp.
“Mom, Mei Qiu is sick. Let’s quickly take him to the hospital.” Heng Bao said loudly.
Lin Zhao’s steps paused slightly, her head throbbing. Suddenly she wanted to turn back to the county.
It wasn’t lack of love, it was… Ever since raising the little black kitten, this scene with the twins had played out more than five times.
Perhaps pitying the kitten leaving its cat mom so young, the two kids were especially attentive to the little one. They even wanted it to sleep by the pillow, mixed milk powder for it to drink. When the kitten pooped, the two little brothers shoveled it and even wiped its butt…
More devoted than raising kids.
“…What’s wrong this time?” Lin Zhao tried to be patient.
Heng Bao sensitively noticed her tone was off. He looked up, saw her face, then said: “Again? Mom, are you impatient?”
“Am I?”
Heng Bao nodded. “Yes, I could tell.”
“Okay, I shouldn’t be impatient.” Lin Zhao said, then changed tone. “Shouldn’t you two reflect too? How many times is this?”
“I know you’re worried about Mei Qiu, but you can’t do this. Have I told you the boy who cried wolf story? You two are becoming that boy who shouts wolf came.”
The twins were kids who could self-reflect. After thinking, they immediately apologized to Lin Zhao.
“Mom, don’t be mad. We know we were wrong.” Yu Bao obediently admitted. “Heng Bao and I are raising a cat for the first time. We’re afraid it’ll die. It’s so small…”
The little friend gestured the kitten’s size, expression solemn. “It’s so small and left its cat mom. I’m afraid it’s unhappy. I can’t leave mom. Mei Qiu must miss its mom too. Heng Bao and I want to raise it really really well, so we’re nervous about it.”
Lin Zhao always softened at the children’s childlike innocence and kindness.
“I’ll check on Mei Qiu first.”
Since raising Mei Qiu, she had learned quite a bit of cat knowledge. Though no hands-on, she had a bellyful of theory.
She checked the kitten, then squinted at the twins.
“How much did you two feed Mei Qiu?”
Yu Bao: “Not much, just as mom said.”
His expression was natural, not guilty at all.
Lin Zhao shifted her gaze to Heng Bao’s face.
She saw the second son, overflowing with love, eyes darting away—looking at sky, trees, anything but his mom.
“Gu Zhiheng.” She called.
Heng Bao immediately raised both arms in a pleading pose, whispering: “…I saved milk powder for Mei Qiu.”
Sheep milk was good for kittens, Lin Zhao had looked but temporarily couldn’t find any, so milk powder for now.
Hearing Heng Bao, Lin Zhao laughed in anger. “If you’ve had enough, starting tomorrow, no more nutrition milk for you.”
She was scaring Heng Bao.
“Nooo, Mom, the best mom in the world—” Heng Bao tried to joke his way out.
Lin Zhao wanted to teach the little friend with too many ideas a lesson, deliberately ignored him, stroked the kitten’s head in her arms, gave Yu Bao a look. Mother and sons plus two dogs headed into the village.
“Qian Bao and Yao Bao didn’t fuss to play with you two?” Lin Zhao asked the dragon-phoenix twins about the situation.
Yu Bao said: “No, milk steamed egg cakes for them. They’re eating.”
“Did you two eat?” Lin Zhao always prepared extra food for the four kids—flour, eggs, meat, changing it up now and then.
“We ate in the morning.” Yu Bao answered one by one.
When he grew up and recalled childhood, this short road back to the village was the deepest impression in his memory, the source of his inner strength and emotional stability.
He clearly felt mom’s love.
Heng Bao obediently followed, the whole person listless, not as cheerful as usual.
Lin Zhao didn’t ignore him long. Just entering the village, she addressed him. “Heng Bao, do you know what you did wrong?”
Heng Bao seriously reflected. “I know, I know. I made the eldest’s mistake. I shouldn’t have fed my milk powder to Mei Qiu.”
“Mom, I know I was wrong. Can you not be mad at me? Anger harms the body. If you hurt your body, we’ll all be heartbroken.” At times like this, his mouth was sweeter than usual.
“Knowing you were wrong is good.” Lin Zhao said. “Do you know what ‘overdo it’ means?”
“No.”
Lin Zhao: “Yu Bao, do you know?”
“Yes.”
“Teach your brother.”
“Okay.”
Mother and sons talking, they saw under the big banyan tree a lively crowd, someone surrounded, villagers chattering one after another.
“…So grand.”
“Looks like a city girl now.”
“A bit fat, went to enjoy good fortune.”
…
Lin Zhao heard snippets.
Who was it?
She stepped forward and met Su Yuxian’s smug face full of spring breeze.
“Comrade Lin just got off work? This cold day, really hard.” Su Yuxian stepped forward a few steps, puffed her chest, eyes showing a superior attitude.
Sarcastic?
Lin Zhao smiled. “Yeah, work is hard, but thinking of the salary makes it not so hard. Can buy new cold cream soon, and a few pairs of thick socks. Weather’s cold.”
After speaking, she didn’t look at Su Yuxian’s ashen face.
She looked at the twins. “Wrap your scarves well, careful of the wind.”
“Got it.” The two little brothers said in unison.
Su Yuxian glanced at Gu family’s twins, saw the scarves on their necks—that pattern, that style, better than any she’d seen at the state-run department store.
She remembered, about ten yuan each.
Inevitably, jealousy flared in Su Yuxian’s heart.
Her heart for showing off and superiority shattered to pieces.
Sure enough, she would always hate Lin Zhao.
This person could always easily shatter everything she was proud of.
“Yu Bao, Heng Bao, I’m back. Do you remember me?” Lu Baozhen saw the twins, trotted close, face beaming with brilliant smile.
Yu Bao and Heng Bao remembered her vividly, tacitly stepped back a few steps, each hugging a dog as shield.
Lin Zhao: Pfft.
She looked down at Lu Baozhen.
The little girl had grown a bit taller, face still the same, very thin, no different from village girls who didn’t have enough to eat.
Evidently, even in the troops, she hadn’t had it good.
Lu Baozhen didn’t come forward, standing aggrieved in place, looking like a bullied little package.
“Bao Zhen still loves clinging to Yu Bao and Heng Bao, huh? Why not have your families arrange a childhood engagement?” A spectator suddenly said this, then thought it made sense, continued: “It’s suitable for childhood engagement. Look, Cheng Huai is a soldier, Yi Zhou is a soldier too. Perfect match.”
“Yeah, I hadn’t thought of it, but seems like it.”
Lin Zhao smiled without her eyes. “Now we emphasize free love, free marriage. Childhood engagements are outdated stuff, doesn’t match our learning spirit.”
One sentence elevated the childhood engagement matter.
The speaker’s face changed slightly. “I didn’t say that! I was joking. Can’t take a joke from the same brigade… Taking it to that level is no fun!”
“If I find it funny, it’s a joke. If not, it’s an offense.” Lin Zhao said seriously, tone flat. “My four kids won’t have childhood engagements, not now, even less later. Don’t make that joke. I don’t like it!”
What childhood engagement, it’d be pitting the kids.
Back home, my spare keyboard unused for over a year, H key won’t type, seriously searched guides to fix, now J won’t type either╮(╯▽╰)╭（Typing on phone is so slow）
