Chapter 16: “what Great Luck”
As soon as Gu Xing’er left, the atmosphere at the dinner table improved a lot.
Huang Xiulan took the initiative to speak up, breaking the stagnant atmosphere. “I didn’t expect sour cabbage fish to be so delicious. Third son’s wife really knows how to eat.”
“It’s pretty good.” Gu Mu said. “Next time we catch fish, ask third son’s wife how to make it, and we’ll make it too.”
As soon as the family head said this, the boys got excited and started yelling.
“Grandma, I’ll go fishing.” Skinny Monkey Tie Dan said quickly.
Gu Mu gave him a scolding. “Go where? You’re only a few years old. If you dare go into the river, I’ll beat you!”
She waved her palm-leaf fan-sized hand, scaring the troublesome stinky boy.
Tie Dan was so scared he almost choked on a fishbone, spat out the little fishbone, and wisely said, “I won’t go.”
Bang Bang patted his chest. Luckily he hadn’t spoken, or he would have been the one scolded. His grandma wouldn’t care if he was the eldest grandson; if he did wrong, she’d scold him just the same.
Afraid the boys would really go fishing, Gu Mu said to her two sons, “Eldest son, second son, you two go when you have time.”
Gu Yuanshan and Gu Yucheng agreed.
“Da Zai and Er Zai must have eaten their fill of sour cabbage fish.” Tie Dan’s voice was full of envy.
Sigh, why wasn’t he a child of the third branch?
Lai Mei took a delicious bite of sour cabbage. She used to hate this vegetable, but now it suited her taste perfectly. “Definitely. I heard their second uncle got them a big fish, and third aunt is generous, so they absolutely ate meat until full.”
Zhao Liuniang glared at her son irritably. “What, am I not generous?”
Lai Mei said straightforwardly, “Not generous, Mom is stingy!”
Zhao Liuniang ignored her bratty son who deserved a beating.
What a rotten kid.
The Gu family hadn’t eaten meat for over a month. Although the fish Lin Zhao brought wasn’t much, it was oily and barely satisfied the family’s cravings. Not a drop of fish soup was wasted. That night in bed, they were still savoring the taste of sour cabbage fish.
The old couple’s room.
Gu Mu was mending the worn cuffs for the old man and said, “Third son’s wife has changed a lot these past few days. I don’t hope for anything else, just that she’s good to Da Zai and the others. Even if she’s spendthrift, it doesn’t matter. What do you think?”
Gu Fu, lying in bed ready to snore and fall asleep at any moment: “…”
What could he say?
“Mm.” He mumbled vaguely.
Gu Mu wasn’t satisfied with the answer. “Go to sleep then.”
Gu Fu turned over, and within seconds, snoring filled the room.
That night.
Lin Zhao continued the lucky draw.
She completed quite a few tasks today—
Including entertaining maternal family, 10 points.
Making new clothes for the children, 10 points.
Sharing sour cabbage fish with husband’s family and getting good reviews, 10 points.
Tidying the backyard, 50 points.
A 10-point lucky draw could be done 8 times. The prizes drawn here were basically daily necessities.
To draw advanced ones, like various skills, it would take at least 500 points.
Lin Zhao thought about it and still drew the 10-point ones.
It seemed the previous two lucky draws had used up all her good luck. Tonight’s draws didn’t yield any super big gift packages.
The things drawn weren’t big, but they were very practical.
【Corduroy fabric×10 feet】
【Medical sanitary pads×5 packs】
【Fine wool yarn×5 jin】
【Soda×10 bottles】
【High-elasticity hair ties×3】
【Salted duck egg×1】
【Premium first-grade white sugar×1kg】
【Rice cakes×3 pieces】
Though not as good as the previous two times, Lin Zhao was still very satisfied. It was free after all.
After finishing the draws, Lin Zhao hugged her fragrant, soft little daughter and closed her eyes to sleep.
The next day.
Lin Heling learned his daughter was coming back. He looked at his wife and said warmly, “Why tell me only now?”
Song Xiwei, that is, Lin Mu, said, “If I told you, you wouldn’t sleep all night. Better not to say. Telling you now is the same.”
Lin Mu’s original name was Song Meihua. After being with her husband in her youth, she felt her name wasn’t nice-sounding and pestered Lin Heling to change it for her, later changing it to Song Xiwei.
Don’t let her current age fool you; when young, she was a flower, a domineering flower. She wielded a black whip fiercely, spicy and glamorous.
Lin Heling didn’t look old at all. He was handsome in youth and still a handsome little old man now, with no body odor, always clean and refreshed. Plus, he was tall and upright, outshining his peers in temperament. If not for the patches on his clothes, people would believe he was a high-ranking leader from the city.
He smiled. “Zhaozhao’s room needs tidying. She’s lazy and wants to lie down as soon as she gets home.”
“It’s tidied. I clean it every few days. Yesterday, when I heard she was coming back, I tidied it again. She can lie down as soon as she arrives.” Lin Mu looked at her husband and smiled. Her man was good-looking; looking at his face made her able to eat half a bowl more rice.
Lin Heling was used to her staring gaze and said, “How long will Zhaozhao stay when she comes back? She rarely comes back, so she should stay a few more days.”
Lin Mu couldn’t help laughing. “You wish your daughter hadn’t married, huh?”
“As a father, who wants to see his own daughter marry?” Lin Heling retorted, then added, “Marrying off a daughter leaves a hole in a father’s heart.”
Lin Mu thought to herself, luckily Zhaozhao married nearby, making it easy to return to her maternal family, or her dad would worry even more.
–
Gu family.
Lin Zhao got up very early, made egg custard to fill the dragon-phoenix twins’ stomachs, sent the two little ones to the old house, and went home to cook dried noodles.
Soon, Da Zai and Er Zai were woken by the aroma.
The brothers wore new clothes and clung to the kitchen door, their eyes peering inside nonstop.
Er Zai said with a grin, “Mom, what are you making? It smells so good. I was dreaming, but the smell woke me right up.”
“Dried noodles this morning, with soda.” Lin Zhao smiled warmly.
“Soda?！！！” Da Zai’s eyes lit up, his tone rising. “The soda from the supply and marketing cooperative?!” he asked excitedly.
“Soda！！！” Er Zai exclaimed too, his voice as loud as his grandma’s.
“Yes.” Lin Zhao said gently.
She reminded the two little friends whose eyes were scanning the kitchen for the soda, “Go wash your faces and brush your teeth quickly. Use face soap, and don’t forget to apply baby cream.”
“Got it!” Da Zai pulled Er Zai to wash up.
The two little friends had never eaten dried noodles or drunk soda, and they were super excited.
Lin Zhao served three bowls of clear soup dried noodles, garnished with little green vegetables and finely chopped scallions, topped with oily fried eggs.
Just as she set them on the stone table in the yard, the two boys, fragrant with baby cream, ran out.
“Wow, eggs again！！” Er Zai said happily, pulling his brother to sit.
At that moment, Lin Zhao came out with three bottles of soda.
“Eat quickly, or the noodles will clump.”
Da Zai and Er Zai’s eyes lit up instantly, their faces beaming with joy.
The brothers sat down but didn’t rush to use their chopsticks. They waited for their mom to sit and pick up her chopsticks before they started.
Er Zai took a delicious bite of the fried egg, his face lighting up instantly. “Mom, this egg is so good.”
Da Zai nodded in agreement, his mouth oily.
Lin Zhao ate a bite of noodles first; the taste was just right. “This is a fried egg, fried in oil, of course it’s good.”
“Mom, I like fried eggs. Can you make them tomorrow too?” Er Zai said bluntly.
“Of course, just say if you want them.” There was no shortage of oil at home; it was easy to make.
These days, adults and kids alike lacked oil in their diets. The two boys had big appetites; they finished a bowl of noodles and even drank the soup.
“Full?” Lin Zhao asked. As the saying goes, half-grown boys eat up their dads, and it’s no exaggeration.
“Full.” Da Zai wiped the fine sweat from his forehead and smiled. Eating soup noodles in the hot summer was really heating.
The two little friends glanced at the soda on the table but didn’t rush to drink. They went to wash the bowls on their own.
After washing, they came out and looked at Lin Zhao eagerly.
Er Zai asked, “Mom, can we drink soda now?”
“Yes, as long as you don’t overstuff yourselves.” Lin Zhao said.
Da Zai was very thoughtful. He pondered and discussed with his brother, “Er Zai, let’s open one bottle first and share it. Drink the other when we get back from grandma’s in the afternoon, okay?”
Er Zai thought his brother’s idea was great and agreed without thinking. “Good!”
Lin Zhao respected the brothers’ decision, opened a bottle, and gave it to the two boys.
“Er Zai, you drink first.” Da Zai let his brother go first.
Er Zai took a tiny sip, his eyes curving into little crescent moons. “Brother, you drink too. Soda is so good, tingly on the tongue and sweet.”
After tasting it, he quickly passed the bottle to Da Zai, urging his brother to drink.
Da Zai took a sip too, his dark eyes sparkling with laughter. “So good!” He strongly agreed with his brother.
Lin Zhao saw the two little brothers yielding to each other, a smile tugging at her lips. What divine treasure kids were these, purely here to repay kindness? They didn’t need her to manage at all; the little brothers had their own ideas.
Da Zai saw the smile on his mom’s face and inexplicably felt shy. He asked softly, “Why is Mom smiling?”
“Smiling because I’m so lucky.”
Er Zai grinned. He was familiar with those words; villagers all said his mom was lucky.
He grinned wide. “Brother and I are lucky too!”
As he spoke, he took the soda Da Zai passed him, drank a delicious sip, and sighed deeply like an adult.
Lin Zhao chuckled; this mannerism was definitely copied from his grandpa.
“You two drink slowly. I’ll pack things, and we’ll head out soon!”
Er Zai thought of something and called after her. “Mom!”
Lin Zhao stopped and turned back to look at him. “What’s up?”
“Can I bring my candy?” Er Zai asked seriously. “Brother and I want to give some to Da Dan Ge and them.”
Da Dan was Lin big brother’s son. Da Dan had a twin brother Er Dan, ten years old this year. The brothers had a little sister below them, eight years old, named Lin Xibao.
“So generous? If you give it all away, you won’t have any left.” Lin Zhao teased her two sons with a smile.
Da Zai said, “Da Dan Ge and them shared eggs with me and Er Zai, and candy during New Year.”
“Brother’s right, we want to share with them.” Er Zai added.
They were reluctant, of course, but the two boys were generous little friends, happy to share with family.
Lin Zhao said, “If you want to bring it, bring it. The candy for you two is yours to handle.”
“Thanks, Mom!” Er Zai said loudly.
Lin Zhao ruffled his head and went inside to pack.
One can of meat, two jin of meat, one can of oil, one pack of dried noodles, salted duck egg, three bottles of soda, one small pack of sugar. She thought and added the new box of cold cream.
Packed in a net bag, she came out of the room and locked the door.
“Da Zai, Er Zai, are you ready?”
Da Zai and Er Zai came out of their room, their pockets bulging.
“Ready.” Er Zai pressed his pocket with his hand, afraid the candy would fall out.
Lin Zhao glanced and knew right away; the boys had taken all their stash.
No wonder they were her sons, so generous.
“Let’s go!” Lin Zhao said.
Something tickled Er Zai’s funny bone, and the little boy giggled, his laughter crisp.
The mother and sons walked out the gate. Lin Zhao locked it and took her two sons back to her maternal family.
Half-grown boys had endless energy. They didn’t complain of tiredness once on the way, their backs like birds out of a cage.
“Mom, do you know songs?” Er Zai plucked some foxtail grass by the road and asked his mom, looking back.
“No.” Lin Zhao said.
“Do you?”
Er Zai shook his head. “I don’t either.”
“Does Da Zai?” Lin Zhao didn’t forget her eldest son.
Da Zai, holding his mom’s hand, said, “I don’t either.”
Lin Zhao remembered there was a movie theater in the county, and a new movie ‘Tunnel War’ was showing, so she asked, “Want to see a movie?”
The two little friends’ faces lit up with joy.
Er Zai tossed the foxtail grass, rushed toward Lin Zhao, stopped abruptly, his little body leaning forward then bouncing back, tone urgent and excited. “Mom’s taking me and brother to see a movie?”
“Yeah.” Lin Zhao painted a big pie, seeing her son’s full expectation.
Er Zai cheered, his laughter startling sparrows resting in the trees.
“See a movie! See a movie！！”
He muttered about seeing a movie the whole way, his mouth nonstop.
Lin Zhao watched the two little brothers’ happy looks, a smile spreading in her eyes.
Chatting and laughing along the way, the mother and sons arrived at the Dongfeng Brigade village entrance.
Lin Dadan was waiting at the village entrance with his younger brother and sister. Seeing their aunt, the group of kids ran over excitedly.
Da Dan and Er Dan were already ten. They ran fastest, stopping in front of Lin Zhao in an instant, shouting in unison, “Aunt!”
Lin Xibao ran after, her yellowish hair flying in the wind, grinning toothily like a little maniac. “Aunt！！”
Further back were the two girls from Lin Er Ge’s family, Lin Xuan and Lin Zheng, one 9, one
“Aunt, I missed you so much.” Xi Bao hugged Lin Zhao’s waist, her smile brighter than the sun.
Lin Zhao was carrying things and raised her hands quickly, afraid of bumping her niece. “Slow down, slow down.”
“Did your grandma tell you to wait at the village entrance?” she asked. “How long have you been waiting?”
“Not long, just after breakfast.” Lin Dadan answered his aunt, his eyes constantly glancing at the net bag in her hand.
He saw it; lots of good stuff.
Noticing her eldest nephew’s gaze, Lin Zhao shoved the things into his hands. “What are you staring at? Don’t you know to take them? My arms are sore.”
Lin Dadan took them happily, grinning. “I was afraid Aunt would dislike me.”
“What, treating Aunt like an outsider?” Lin Zhao pretended to be angry.
Lin Dadan panicked and shook his head quickly. “No, no, Aunt, let’s hurry home. Grandpa’s waiting at home. He’s always thinking about you.”
Hearing this, Lin Zhao quickened her pace.
Lin Dadan and Lin Erdan flanked their dear aunt like the Hum and Ha generals, one on each side, heading home.
On the way, they met brigade members. When big aunt casually asked, social butterfly Lin Dadan chatted smoothly with a radiant boyish smile. “Yeah, my aunt’s back at her maternal family.”
“What? You ask what my aunt brought? Look, this whole net bag full.”
“Is my aunt really filial? Of course. Grandma says my aunt is the most filial daughter in the villages around.”
Lin Zhao, who couldn’t get a word in the whole time: “…”
She elbowed Er Dan and whispered, “Haven’t seen you brothers for a bit, how’d your brother suddenly turn into a chatterbox?”
