Chapter 116: “that’s Right”
Looking at the little guy’s pale face, Lin Zhao couldn’t help but feel heartbroken.
“Nothing wrong?” she asked with concern.
Mao Dan’er coughed several times, smiled, and said toughly, “Nothing wrong.”
That face was so pale, it was obvious something was wrong.
Before Lin Zhao could speak, the twins rushed to her side, the two little friends looking very bad, their eyes red like rabbits, with some fear still in the depths of their eyes.
“Mom, touch, don’t be afraid, Mom and your dad are both here.” Lin Zhao hugged her two sons, her expression gentle.
Having seen their little friend pushed down with their own eyes, the two kids must have been terrified!
Mao Dan’er, nestled in his grandma’s bosom, flashed envy in his eyes and slightly lowered them.
He really missed his mom.
If mom were here, she would definitely hug him and coax him too.
Er Zai looked up at Lin Zhao, stamping his foot in anger.
“Mom, Wang Yaozu pushed Mao Dan’er, he pushed Mao Dan’er into the river! He wanted to kill Mao Dan’er, he’s a murderer!”
After telling on him, he spat towards Wang Yaozu.
Da Zai was filled with the same righteous indignation as his younger brother.
He glared fiercely at Wang Yaozu, who still didn’t know he was wrong, clenching his little hands in anger.
“Mom, Mao Dan’er was rescued but wouldn’t move, if Dad hadn’t blown air into his mouth, he would have become a little dirt mound! Mom, Wang Yaozu is a bad little friend, can you call the public security uncle to take him away?”
This was how Lin Zhao taught her two kids, that people who do wrong things would be punished by the public security uncles, so Da Zai said all this.
Hearing Da Zai’s words, the indifferent expression on Wang Yaozu’s face disappeared, he hid behind his grandma, shaking Wang Pozi’s arm desperately, shouting loudly: “Grandma, I don’t want to be taken away by public security!”
Wang Pozi was very angry, not at her grandson, but at the twins.
She looked at Lin Zhao and her three sons, saying righteously: “Such a small thing, why report to public security, my Yaozu is so young, how could he think of killing, he was just playing with Mao Dan’er, kids don’t know their strength, bumps and bruises are normal, reporting such a small thing to public security, they’d be busy to death.”
This was lucky it was the Gu family kids, otherwise she would definitely curse “none of your business.”
Lin Zhao was more annoyed by naughty parents than naughty kids, smiling insincerely: “Playing around almost killed someone, if your precious egg really had some malice, wouldn’t he slaughter the whole village.”
“Your Yaozu is several years older than my Da Zai and Er Zai, right? My kids know little friends should stay away from the riverbank, falling in could be deadly, could your Yaozu not know? If he really didn’t know, don’t blame me for speaking harshly, you should worry if his brain is normal.”
Scolding without a single dirty word.
Wang Pozi’s face turned red with anger, shouting: “Lin Zhao!”
Lin Zhao picked at her ears, “Don’t shout so loud, my ears are fine, I can hear.”
She didn’t look at the Wang family, turning to the brigade leader, saying: “Brigade Leader, you can’t just brush off this matter because Wang Yaozu is a child!”
“If he can’t realize he’s killing, when he grows up, he’ll be a tumor from our village, harming the whole society.”
“Moreover, I’ll worry too, if one day he pushes my child, you know he’s taller and stronger than my kids, my kids definitely aren’t his match, I’ll definitely make my children stay away from him.”
Almost openly saying to severely punish Wang Yaozu.
This was Lin Zhao’s attitude.
Being young isn’t an excuse for doing evil, she believed kids need education, especially when they do wrong.
While Lin Zhao spoke, Gu Chenghuai stood beside her, silently supporting his wife.
Wang Pozi glared at her, and the man looked back with those deep black eyes carrying a murderous aura, staring until the Wang family didn’t dare to make a scene.
After hearing Lin Zhao’s words, the villagers thought Da Zai’s mom made sense.
The Wang family’s Jin Dan was a bit domineering!
“Brigade Leader, Wang Yaozu needs to be taught properly! Today he didn’t like Mao Dan’er and pushed him into the river, tomorrow if he doesn’t like another kid, will he push that kid into the river too, this is too dangerous. With someone like him around, I won’t dare let my child run around anymore.” Yuan Bao’s Mother said full of worry.
“Yeah, yeah!” Da Zhuang’s mom followed, “Mao Dan’er was lucky, thanks to Er Zai seeing and shouting for adults in time, if no one was around, he would have lost his life.”
The brigade leader’s wife also feared for her own grandson, saying forcefully: “Wang Yaozu is older, taller than many kids in the village, if he bullies smaller kids, those kids have no way to fight back, he must be educated well!”
The brigade leader had a headache.
“Go go go, what business is it of yours, don’t make trouble.”
It was chaotic enough, his wife adding to it, the brigade leader had two heads that felt big.
The brigade leader’s wife was a fierce one, immediately unhappy, saying: “Where did I say wrong, you old man, you’re the brigade leader and won’t let the masses speak, look at you.”
“…”
The brigade leader glared at his wife, ignoring her.
Turning to Wang Pozi, he started scolding: “Wang family, what’s wrong with your Yaozu? Pushing someone into the river? Is that something to do? If not for Er Zai being clever and shouting for adults to rescue Mao Dan’er in time, and Cheng Huai knowing artificial respiration, your grandson would have killed today and faced the firing squad!”
Wang Yaozu was young, wouldn’t really face the firing squad, but it didn’t stop scaring people.
The brigade leader was the biggest in the entire brigade, few dared to confront him.
Wang Pozi didn’t make a scene, just thought they were making a fuss, arguing: “Kids don’t understand…”
Before she finished, the brigade leader interrupted sternly: “What kids!”
Seeing Wang Pozi didn’t know wrong, he was very angry, “Almost ten years old, in a few years he should marry a wife, how is he a kid!”
He was very stern, his voice loud.
It scared Wang Yaozu, plus all the villagers looking at him with dislike, so he clung to his grandma wanting to go home.
“Grandma, I want to go home.”
The brigade leader’s eyes widened, snapping at him: “Go home what! Who let you push people!”
Wang Yaozu had been pampered by the whole family since young, no one had been so fierce to him, angry and annoyed, “I’ll beat you to death!”
He rushed over to hit the brigade leader.
His son grabbed him by the back of the neck.
The young man sneered, “Hitting who, we’re all here, you dare be so arrogant, behind closed doors you must be lawless.”
“Dad, we can’t let this go.” he said.
Wang Pozi pounced to hit his hand, “Let go of my grandson, why are you grabbing him, if you hurt him can you compensate? This is our old Wang family’s only seedling.”
Before she pounced, the brigade leader’s son threw Wang Yaozu onto her, the grandma and grandson fell into a heap.
The brigade leader’s face was full of disapproval.
Sure enough.
Wang Pozi didn’t get up, sitting on the ground, slapping her thigh and wailing, “The brigade leader’s son is going to kill someone, is there anyone to stand up for our grandma and grandson…”
Like singing in an opera.
Zhao Liuniang let out a sarcastic sneer, “People who don’t know would think it was your family’s Wang Yaozu who was pushed into the river.”
Others also scolded the unreasonable Wang Pozi.
“Yaozu’s grandma, enough.”
“Your Yaozu even hits the brigade leader, he’s spoiled rotten.”
“If it were my kid, I’d have smacked his buttocks several times long ago, your family… still protecting him, not afraid that when you’re old, he’ll throw you into the river.” Uncle Chang Sheng, not minding the excitement, said loudly.
“Who’s the one really suffering!”
…
Lin Zhao gave her mother-in-law and sister-in-law each a small handful of cat ear cookies, kept one handful for herself, occasionally stuffing a piece to Gu Chenghuai, and gave the rest along with the bag to Da Zai for them to share.
She followed up: “Mao Dan’er is smaller than Wang Yaozu, suffered so much but didn’t cry or fuss. At three you see old age, Mao Dan’er will definitely turn out promising when grown.”
Mao Dan’er’s little face reddened, his pale face gained some color, his eyes bright too.
Wang Pozi’s wailing paused slightly, very angry.
What did that mean? Saying her Yaozu wouldn’t turn out promising?!
Wanting to make a fuss, but the brigade leader sternly announced the punishment for the Wang family.
She had no mind to tear into the Gu family daughter-in-law, wailing and crying.
“Heavens—it’s fatal—”
The twins’ ears were bothered by the noise, the two little brothers each stretched out a hand to cover the other’s ears. Movements synchronized, as expected from the same belly.
Er Zai gave Wang Pozi a disgusted look, turning his back.
Facing Lin Zhao, he ate a cat ear cookie, thought it tasted strangely good, asked: “Mom, what is this?”
“Cat ears.” Lin Zhao said.
Er Zai was a bit confused.
Lin Zhao looked at her son’s bewildered face, smilingly explained, “See if it looks like a kitten’s ears?”
Er Zai looked, “It does.”
There were many mice in the village, someone raised tabby cats. He’d seen cats.
“Mom, can we raise a cat at home?” Er Zai wanted to raise a cat, mainly because cats were soft and fluffy, hugging to sleep must be nice.
Lin Zhao looked down at her son, “Want to raise a cat?”
“Um.” Er Zai nodded heavily.
“Raising a cat is fine, but…” Lin Zhao paused slightly, before the kid could speak, seriously said: “You have to take care of the cat yourself. I won’t manage it.”
“Okay.” Er Zai said happily, “I’ll take good care of the cat like I do Da Huang and Amber.”
Lin Zhao also wanted to raise a cat, touching it was so healing, and it could catch mice.
“Alright, when we find a suitable one, we’ll raise it.”
Er Zai’s little wish was fulfilled, the little guy’s eyes shone amazingly bright.
It really made one happy.
Da Zai was also expectant, but he was thinking of something else now.
“Mom, can Mao Dan’er eat it?”
He felt Mao Dan’er suffered a lot today, needed to eat something good, last time he fell, mom gave him a Big White Rabbit candy, and he wasn’t aggrieved anymore.
“No, Mao Dan’er just choked on water, the river water isn’t clean, he’s weak right now, best not to eat randomly.” Lin Zhao worried about dirty water in Mao Dan’er’s lungs, thinking to remind the brigade leader later to send the kid to the hospital for a checkup.
“Your grandma asked me to bring back a wild chicken, this afternoon we’ll kill it and stew chicken soup, then you two go send a bowl to Mao Dan’er.”
For a hero’s orphan, she thought no amount of care was too much.
Da Zai smiled brightly, “I’ll thank Mom for Mao Dan’er.”
Grandma was really good.
“I’ll help Mom kill the chicken!” Er Zai crunched the cat ear cookie in his mouth, saying fiercely.
“…” Lin Zhao was silent for a moment, expression serious, “How old are you, can’t even hold a knife steady, kill what chicken. Did you forget what I said?”
Er Zai quickly showed an obedient smile, “I remember, I remember, little friends can’t touch knives.”
Seeing his biological father watching the show nearby, his clear eyes turned, “I won’t kill the chicken, let Dad do it.”
Mother and sons stood in the corner whispering.
The matter of Wang Yaozu pushing Mao Dan’er finally had a punishment result amid the shouting—
The Wang family compensates the Ning family fifty yuan, one basket of eggs, and one old hen. Not only that, Wang Yaozu must accept brigade education, cut pig feed for a month, Wang family can’t help, the brigade will send someone to supervise.
Bad kids get punished, guardians too, Wang family members punished to carry manure for a month. This job is dirty and tiring and humiliating, no one wants it, Wang family punished to carry manure, villagers were quite happy.
“Tsk tsk, this punishment isn’t light, Wang family will feel the pain for a while.” Zhao Liuniang said quietly.
Fifty yuan isn’t a small amount, she and her husband didn’t have that much private money, saved for years to get over twenty.
Gu Mu wasn’t a wicked mother-in-law, wouldn’t allow her daughter-in-law not to have a penny, besides work points, money from weaving baskets etc. was left for them by default.
Lin Zhao said: “As long as there’s punishment, let that kid know hurting people is wrong. Wang family unwilling to educate, brigade can’t ignore.”
If later the village has another good-for-nothing, it won’t be good for the whole brigade.
Huang Xiulan thought her third sister-in-law made sense, “Kids need proper teaching, hurting people can’t be done, Wang Yaozu just needs more beatings!”
Is this loving the child? No, it’s harming the child.
Villagers in twos and threes, all complaining the Wang family can’t teach kids.
The brigade leader saw these people wouldn’t stop watching, and saw those educated youth hiding in the back watching nonstop, laughed angrily.
“Is the work I assigned too little? How about I add some tasks for you?!”
Everyone hearing this scattered running away.
Soon, many people by the river dispersed.
Ning Laotaitai’s health wasn’t good, couldn’t carry Mao Dan’er, brigade leader called his son to send the grandma and grandson home.
Seeing this, Lin Zhao walked a few quick steps, stopping by Ning Laotaitai.
“Aunt Ning, the river water isn’t clean, Mao Dan’er accidentally swallowed some into his belly, shouldn’t we send him to the hospital for a checkup?” she suggested with concern.
Ning Laotaitai smiled, saying: “Good girl, thank you, you thought the same as me.”
She knew a lot, knew the terror of lung contamination, had planned early to send her grandson for a hospital checkup.
“Da Zai and Er Zai are good children, thanks to them today, and thanks to Cheng Huai, if not for them…” Ning Laotaitai couldn’t continue, just thinking of hearing Mao Dan’er fell in the river without breath, she felt like stuffed in an airtight bag, suffocating and despairing.
Lin Zhao said nonchalantly: “It should be, Cheng Huai is a soldier, protecting the young is his duty, as for my two kids, no matter who they saw fall in the river, they’d shout, Aunt don’t take it to heart.”
The twins nodded like pounding garlic.
Right.
Ning Laotaitai felt a slight warmth in her heart.
“You’re all good.”
Ning family grandma and grandson left, people lingering by the river gradually left, Gu family members also headed to the village.
“Mom, go back to eat chicken?” Er Zai licked his lips, after watching the excitement, felt hungry.
“Yeah.” Lin Zhao responded.
Just answered Er Zai, then heard Da Zai ask: “Mom, will Mao Dan’er go to the hospital for shots?”
“Not necessarily shots, depends on the doctor’s diagnosis.” Lin Zhao said.
“Mao Dan’er is so pitiful.” Da Zai sighed, still a bit angry, “Wang Yaozu only dares bully Mao Dan’er because Mao Dan’er has no older brother, he doesn’t dare bully me and little brother and little sister because we have an older brother.”
Er Zai hugged his chest, concluding: “He bullies the weak and fears the strong!”
Lin Zhao had nothing to say.
This wasn’t wrong.
Otherwise every family wants more kids, more kids give confidence, never afraid in fights, families with few suffer a lot.
