Chapter 61: “good News”
Hearing the incessant chatter from behind, Lin Zhao’s mood was as calm as a lake under the night sky.
Until they rode out of the village entrance.
She finally couldn’t hold back, “Er Zai, you’ve said so much, isn’t your mouth dry?”
“Not dry.” Er Zai hugged his mom’s waist, his expression delighted, happily swinging his legs.
“Er Zai, don’t keep moving.” Da Zai patted his younger brother’s thigh.
Er Zai settled down, pressing his face against Lin Zhao’s back, his chubby little mouth moving, “I’m happy.”
He muttered softly.
Even though scolded by his older brother, it didn’t affect his good mood.
“If you’re thirsty, hold on for now! I filled the military water kettle with soda, you can drink it when we get to your elder aunt’s house.” Lin Zhao carefully avoided the pebbles on the ground, lest she bump the two cubs’ buttocks into eight pieces.
Er Zai hadn’t had soda for a while, he was a bit craving it, rubbing his little face happily against his mom’s back, his clear voice muffled like it was in a jar.
“Okay.”
Da Zai also happily agreed.
“Mom’s going to speed up, if you two have any issues, speak up loudly.” Lin Zhao turned her head to glance at the two cubs, reminding them.
“Got it! I’m watching brother!” Er Zai laughed.
Da Zai was unconvinced, “Not at all, it’s me holding you with my arm.”
Bad younger brother, always competing with him for mom’s attention.
Er Zai knew his brother was telling the truth, hehe smiled, “Brother is the best.”
The younger brother’s smile was both sweet and soft, full of closeness and dependence, Da Zai couldn’t get angry, choosing not to argue with him.
Not long after, the two brothers were chatting intimately again.
Lin Zhao’s long slender legs pedaled quickly, wind coming from the front, but it was still muggy, a layer of fine sweat on her body.
In less than half an hour, the mother and sons arrived at the brigade where Gu Chan was.
Lin Zhao had never been there, let alone Da Zai and Er Zai.
A brand-new bicycle appeared at the village entrance, several snotty-nosed kids gathered over, standing a meter away, their eyes sweeping over the bicycle, full of excitement.
“Who are you?” The boy who spoke was about the same age as Da Zai and Er Zai, skinnier than those not cared for by their mom, thin body, big head on a slender neck, he slurped up the snot about to reach his mouth, his eyes bright with confusion.
Lin Zhao’s thoughts raced, planning to give each of the two cubs a small handkerchief that evening, for wiping mouth and nose.
“Do you know the way to the Stone family’s place?”
“Of course I do!” The boy said confidently, then added: “Who are you, what do you want with the two stones?”
The little guy was quite vigilant.
Lin Zhao smiled and said: “I’m the aunt of the two stones, looking for their mom for something.”
Hearing this, the little boy’s expression became subtle.
He looked Lin Zhao up and down, his gaze extremely strange.
“…You’re that lazy wife’s aunt of Xiao Shitou?”
Lin Zhao’s mouth twitched.
Her bad reputation had spread here too?!
Was this bad news travels fast?
Da Zai heard someone cursing mom, his little face instantly darkened, his pitch-black bright eyes blazing with fury, charging forward to fight him desperately.
Er Zai was even like a little calf, raising his sandbag-sized fist to beat him.
His breathing grew heavy with anger, a fierce glint like a little wolf cub flashing in his eyes.
“You dare curse my mom, I’ll beat you to death.”
Just as the two cubs’ little fists were two centimeters from the other little friend’s nose, Lin Zhao grabbed their collars.
“Da Zai.”
“Er Zai.”
Er Zai turned his head to look at Lin Zhao, the whites of his eyes red from burning anger, the ruthlessness almost overflowing inside, startling to the heart.
Lin Zhao’s heart jolted.
Suddenly recalling the Er Zai from the book.
In the original book, how the four cubs in their childhood survived hardships was glossed over in less than three chapters, but there was more writing about Da Zai and Er Zai after growing up—
Er Zai’s business grew very large, his empire spanning the nation, his business acumen beyond reproach.
The only criticized thing was his extreme and ruthless actions, making him an extremely dangerous figure.
At this moment.
Lin Zhao seemed to see, on the over-five-year-old Er Zai, that pale young man with a cigarette in his mouth, slender strong fingers repeatedly flicking the lighter, eyes gloomy cold and thin, smiling faintly as he tells someone to go die.
Her heart felt gripped tightly by a hand.
Er Zai, grabbed by mom at the back of his collar, couldn’t advance, yet still flailed his arms shouting.
“You dare curse Gu Er Zai’s mom, come here you bastard! I’ll beat you to death!!”
Lin Zhao bent down to pick up Er Zai, pressing his head to her long white neck, stroking his back of the head to soothe him nonstop.
“Good boy.”
A soft “good boy” came to his ear, the Er Zai who wanted to beat someone to death gradually quieted, the little friend who never knew shyness had his ears turn pink.
He hugged mom’s neck, his little heart conveying indescribable joy.
Mom was coaxing him.
“Er Zai, everyone has the right to express their thoughts, we can’t plug other people’s mouths.” Lin Zhao gently patted Er Zai’s back, her voice tender.
Er Zai was a smart little friend, he understood mom’s words, just…
That pair of bright clear eyes flashed with stubbornness, he said hatefully: “No one can speak ill of my mom!”
“Besides ourselves, we can’t control anyone. Mom isn’t money, how could everyone like me?” Lin Zhao rubbed the little friend’s head, her smile growing softer, “As long as you four like mom, I’m very satisfied.”
Er Zai’s mouth corners curved slightly, then he suppressed it, pouting unhappily, “I’m still angry.”
“Then how can Er Zai not be angry?” Lin Zhao asked good-naturedly.
As soon as the words fell, she kissed her filial son’s cheek.
Instantly.
Er Zai’s face turned red as a monkey’s buttocks, the little person in his heart started flailing both hands and feet, colorful lights exploding around him.
“…Okay, okay.” The little friend stammered, trying to keep a straight face, “Whatever mom says.”
Lin Zhao was very pleased.
The cubs listened to her this mom, she absolutely couldn’t let him become the gloomy ruthless dangerous man from the book in this lifetime.
“Mom has such obedient cubs like Er Zai and brother, I’m so happy, so what if others gossip, it doesn’t affect my good mood at all.”
Er Zai secretly glanced at mom’s expression, mom was looking at him smiling, her eyes full of smiles, this smile was so beautiful.
He hoped mom would always smile like this.
“I’ll listen to mom, if mom doesn’t like me fighting, I won’t fight.”
Though coaxed by mom, Er Zai still hadn’t forgiven the one who cursed his mom in his heart, he huffed heavily at the little friend scared shrunk by his little wolf cub glare, striding into the village with steps that recognized no kin.
Da Zai felt this village was unfriendly to mom, his originally happy mood instantly doused with cold water, the whole person sullen unhappy.
“Da Zai, mom doesn’t mind what others say.” Lin Zhao softly soothed her eldest son again.
“Back when I was studying in the county, living at your great uncle’s house, many people talked behind my back, so what, it didn’t affect me finishing junior and senior high, getting my diploma.”
Da Zai knew to focus on the key point, immediately saying: “Mom, great uncle is really great.”
He clenched his fist, remembering great uncle’s kindness to mom, deciding that when he grew up and succeeded, he must repay great uncle.
“Yeah. What mom means is, we just need to focus on family, ignore how others are.” Besides going to work, the villagers’ only entertainment and pastime was gossip about this family and that, if you minded, you’d never stop.
“Mm.” Da Zai said, but still cared in his heart.
Mom was so good, why did people always talk, they were all bad guys.
If only he could grow up tomorrow!
Also.
What should he do to make people afraid to gossip about mom?
The little friend wrinkled his little face, like pondering some life problem.
After entering the village, finding Gu Chan’s family became very simple.
Er Zai had a bad impression of this village, but didn’t show it, raising his innocent cute little face, shouting “aunt” at every old woman he saw, using childish words to ask for directions, charming them into even telling him where Wei Xiangdong was.
“Mom, up ahead, the house with peppers planted at the door.” He turned to say to Lin Zhao.
“Baby is so capable.” Lin Zhao knew what her son wanted to hear, praising immediately.
Er Zai was delighted, swinging his brother’s hand back and forth, hopping toward the Wei family.
Lin Zhao pushed the bicycle following behind.
The two little friends stopped at the Wei family door, Er Zai’s eyes peering straight inside, remembering mom’s words, didn’t rush in, shouting loudly: “Elder Aunt!”
“Elder Aunt, are you there? I’m Er Zai, I came with mom and brother to see you, there’s super good news yo.”
Lin Zhao held her forehead.
Cub, can we be low-key, no need for the last sentence.
Thinking the little guy got angry just at the village entrance, now just wanting to show off, too much?
Not too much.
As mom, she decided to let them be.
Gu Chan was busy in the kitchen, a somewhat familiar voice came to her ears, like Er Zai?
She wasn’t sure.
She came out to look.
Meeting a pair of bright clear eyes.
The four cubs’ features vaguely showed traces of their handsome dad and pretty mom, extremely good-looking, unforgettable upon seeing.
Not to mention she was their own aunt, even by toes she could recognize him.
“Er Zai?!” Gu Chan wiped her wet hands on her clothes, her face showing surprised delight.
She hurried to the door.
Opened it, bent to remove the long wooden threshold from the door frame.
Lin Zhao pushed the bike into the yard, looking around, very ordinary countryside adobe house, the yard quite spacious, cleaned neatly.
“Zhaozhao, how did you bring Da Zai and Er Zai, nothing happened at home, right?” Gu Chan deftly poured water for the three, the highest treatment brown sugar water.
“Nothing.” Lin Zhao soothed her elder sister-in-law’s emotions, then asked: “Where are Da Shitou and Xiao Shitou?”
Da Zai and Er Zai actually didn’t remember Stone bro and Stone di’s faces much, just because elder aunt was good to them, the brothers also had good feelings toward the Stone brothers.
“They went to gather firewood with nothing to do, it’s been a while, should be home soon.” Gu Chan explained.
Then used a chipped enamel basin to fetch water.
Waving to her sister-in-law and two nephews, “Must be hot, right? Wash up?”
Lin Zhao brought the two cubs to wash hands and faces, indeed much refreshed.
Er Zai just wanted to say, not at home, can’t apply baby cream.
Then saw his mom take out cold cream from her pocket, applied some to herself, then to the two brothers.
Gu Chan was dumbfounded.
Zhaozhao carried cold cream with her?
Lin Zhao was calm, her brows serene as she gave the cold cream to her.
“If eldest sister doesn’t mind we’ve used it, it’s for you.”
Gu Chan saw it, this box of cold cream was very new, except the bit just used by sister-in-law and two cubs, definitely unused before.
She hurriedly refused, “No, this won’t do, I heard a box of cold cream is expensive, keep it for yourself…”
Lin Zhao interrupted faintly, “Eldest sister minds we just used it?”
“Of course not!!” Gu Chan said quickly.
That little bit doesn’t count as used, even a thin layer left is valuable.
“Then keep it, I don’t lack cold cream.” Lin Zhao’s brows relaxed, “Was planning to give it to eldest sister, if you don’t take it, you’re minding me and the two cubs used it. If really, next time I’ll give you a new one.”
With sister-in-law saying this, Gu Chan couldn’t refuse anymore.
“Thanks Zhaozhao.” Her dark thin face filled with genuine smile.
No countryside girl or wife doesn’t want cold cream, before kids Stone dad bought her some, after kids she couldn’t bear to spend the money.
“Eldest sister deserves it.” Afraid elder sister-in-law would overthink, Lin Zhao added: “Eldest sister knows I’m at the supply and marketing cooperative, this isn’t expensive, I gave some to eldest brother’s wife and second sister-in-law too, as thanks for them helping watch the four cubs.”
Gu Chan nodded.
She didn’t mind taking a loss, but sisters-in-law might, Zhaozhao did right.
“Heard noble guests came…” A laughing voice sounded from outside, a figure approaching quickly from afar.
Sharp eyes swept over Lin Zhao and two cubs, Wei Dasao’s smile grew more sincere.
“Sister-in-law, you’re too stingy, noble guests at the door, how not even willing to bring out dried sweet potato.” She said boldly on the surface, but her feet didn’t move.
Er Zai was protective, couldn’t hear others badmouthing his elder aunt, took out two shrimp crisp candies from his bib, one stuffed to his elder aunt, one into his own mouth.
“Don’t blame my elder aunt, it’s me…” He paused, pretending annoyed, “Blame me spoiled by mom, only like eating candy, not dried sweet potato.”
In fact, except the first two days, after that Lin Zhao started controlling the two cubs’ candy intake.
The candy in Er Zai’s bib was saved by himself.
“Elder aunt eat quick, this candy is shrimp crisp candy, sweet and crispy, so delicious, brother and I both like it.”
Looking at her nephew’s sparkling eyes, Gu Chan couldn’t bear to disappoint him, could only give up saving it for Da Shitou and Er Shitou, and ate the candy.
This bite of sweetness really sweetened to the heart.
“Sweet, crunchy when bitten, with peanut bits.”
Wei Dasao saw this scene, her heart like pickled in a jar.
Wasn’t Gu Chan’s third sister-in-law supposed to be difficult? Didn’t see it, letting son randomly give candy to others without saying, not giving her one, stingy!
No one paid attention to her thoughts.
Lin Zhao knew Wei Dasao was a cheapskate gossip, didn’t give her a glance, turned to elder sister-in-law, “Eldest sister, I have something serious to discuss, let’s find a quiet place to talk.”
This clearly disliked Wei Dasao for being noisy and superfluous.
The person standing by gritted her teeth darkly.
Gu Chan held back a laugh, got up to take Lin Zhao and the two sons to their room to talk.
The room had small windows, felt dark even daytime, full of life, could tell the female owner was someone trying hard to live.
“Zhaozhao, what do you want to tell me?” Gu Chan didn’t know what sister-in-law wanted to say, somehow imagined Zhaozhao wanting to divorce Cheng Huai, scaring her face pale.
No way?!!
Lin Zhao said: “Eldest sister, I have a job here, from the match factory, gluing matchboxes, two fen per box, I took materials for 500, want to take it?”
