Chapter 157: “moving To A New House”
“Okay.” Gu Chenghuai nodded.
He smiled, his stern face melting like ice and snow, “That was the plan originally. We’ll move as soon as we get back.”
“You don’t like how crowded the old house is. Let’s just move this afternoon.”
Zhaozhao liked living a simple life. Staying at the old house for a short time was fine, but after a long time she would feel uncomfortable.
Lin Zhao looked away, slightly uneasy, “It’s not that I don’t like it. At the old house… it’s pretty good.”
Gu Chenghuai bent down, lowering his head, his dark eyes locking onto hers, the smile in his eyes deepening, “It’s pretty good, but not as good as our own home, right?”
Lin Zhao reached out to push him, pretending to be annoyed, “…Hate you.”
Gu Chenghuai held her soft hand, clasping it in his palm, and said warmly: “Once we move over, I’ll make longevity noodles for you.”
He knew that in the past, on Zhaozhao’s birthday, Father-in-law made longevity noodles for her—a single long noodle, topped with scallions, a bit of green vegetables, and a poached egg on top.
This year Father-in-law wasn’t here, so he would do it.
Lin Zhao smiled, “You know how?”
“I asked Mother for the recipe.” Gu Chenghuai told the truth, “It might not be as good as Father’s. Make do with it, and later I’ll ask Father for tips.”
The Mother in the first half was his biological mother, and the Father in the second half was his father-in-law.
“Okay.” Lin Zhao’s heart warmed, and her smile was especially beautiful, “If it’s not tasty, feed it to your son.”
Gu Chenghuai’s low, pleasant laugh rumbled from his chest as he looked at his wife with exceptional tenderness, “Okay, if it’s not tasty, let the son eat it.”
Lin Zhao’s cheeks flushed under his gaze. It was strange—clearly they’d been married for several years, so why was she still shy?
It was all because this man smiled too handsomely.
She pushed Gu Chenghuai forward, chattering on, “Since we’re moving house, let’s move quickly. Don’t dawdle. We also need to move Da Huang and Amber’s beds.”
Gu Chenghuai used Lin Zhao’s push to walk outward.
Wang Chunhua came to the door to pick scallions and saw the affectionate young couple. Smiling, she said: “Yu Bao’s mother, I see your family’s yard is all built. When do you plan to move back?”
Lin Zhao’s brows and eyes lit with a smile, “This afternoon.”
“Oh my, so soon. Da Zhuang has been looking forward to Yu Baoheng Bao moving over every day. If you need help, just call me.” Wang Chunhua was full of enthusiasm. Countryside women loved gossiping, but most were kind-hearted. They never hesitated to help neighbors.
“Thanks, Wang Aunt. We have enough people.” Lin Zhao thanked the enthusiastic neighbor.
Wang Chunhua thought of how many people were at the Gu Family Old House, so not needing help made sense. She quickly said: “Good if you have enough.”
She pulled up two scallions, smiled at them, and turned back into the house.
Lin Zhao and Gu Chenghuai returned to the old Gu house and mentioned moving back to the new yard.
“When are you moving?” Gu Mu was reluctant. The two houses weren’t far apart, but seeing the four kids wouldn’t be as convenient as now.
The other Gu Family Members were even more reluctant.
Third Son’s Wife Third Aunt at the old house—home had meat every few days, refined rice and refined noodles could be eaten every few days. If Third Branch moved out, they’d only have sweet potato rice.
It hurt.
“The new house has no smell left. We plan to move today.” Gu Chenghuai’s handsome face was steady and composed.
“So soon.” Gu Mu blurted out.
It wasn’t the first time Third Branch had moved out of the old house. There was some reluctance, but it was much better than the separation of households a few years ago.
She quickly reacted and said: “You have a lot of things in your room. Whenever you start moving, just call out, and all the family will come help.”
Gu Chenghuai didn’t refuse. They were family—being too distant would make Mother feel they were growing apart from the old house.
“We’ll move after the meal.”
Gu Mu said: “Alright!”
The moving was just decided when Yu Baoheng Bao ran into the yard, back for the meal.
“Grandma, is the meal ready? Your treasure grandson is hungry!” The talkative Heng Bao shouted loudly.
Gu Mu’s face lit up with smiles, “Ready, ready.”
With that, she took Eldest Daughter-in-law and Second Son’s Wife into the kitchen to serve the meal.
Adults busy with adult things, the Gu Family’s younger generation cast envious looks at the twins.
“Yu Bao, Heng Bao, you’re going to have your own room now, and it’s a brick and tile house. Excited?” Xing Ye asked enviously, pinching the twins’ cousin’s cheeks playfully.
These past couple days had been so great!
“!”
Yu Baoheng Bao’s eyes lit up instantly.
What what? They were going to live in a brick and tile house?
The excitement in their hearts couldn’t be contained.
Yu Bao looked at Lin Zhao, his voice rising slightly with a little lilt, “Mommy, we’re moving back~?”
“Yes! We’re moving back. From now on, you four little friends will share a room—your own room. Happy?” Lin Zhao smiled with curved eyes.
Yu Bao’s childlike voice rang crisply, “Happy!”
Heng Bao was a clingy little friend and even bolder in expressing himself. Frowning his little brows, he said hesitantly: “Mommy, I want to sleep with you.”
Lin Zhao shook her head, smiling.
“You’re big friends now. You can’t sleep with adults anymore.”
Afraid the quick-witted twins would give her trouble, Mommy took a step back and said softly: “How about this? Every night I’ll go to your room and tell you stories. Once you’re asleep, I’ll go back to my own room. Okay?”
Heng Bao fiddled with his hands, head slightly lowered.
He still wanted Mommy to hold him to sleep.
Yu Bao’s mind turned fast and he bargained, “Mommy, every three days, can we sleep with you once?”
Lin Zhao thought the frequency a bit high and said with a squinting smile: “Once a week, on my day off.”
The four kids were well-behaved, but raising them was still tiring.
Gu Chenghuai didn’t want to tire out his wife and chimed in: “Normally your mommy has to go to work and needs good sleep. You four don’t sleep well—you kick, your arms flail around, someone even snores. It would affect your mommy…”
Heng Bao looked terrified and guilty.
Kicking, moving around, and snoring—was that him?
Before Daddy finished, Yu Bao straightened his little face and interrupted Gu Chenghuai: “Okay, once a week. We can do it.”
Can’t let Mommy not sleep well.
Hearing they could sleep with Mommy once a week, Heng Bao was very satisfied. His drooping brows and eyes instantly brightened.
So happy.
Tie Chui was reluctant to see the twins leave and hugged Yu Baoheng Bao, his eyes nearly spilling golden beans, “Yu Bao, Heng Bao, I can’t bear to see you go.” He said with a cry in his voice.
Yu Bao patted his good brother’s shoulder like a little adult, “It’s okay. You can sleep with us.”
Tie Chui’s teary expression froze. His eyes, clear as if washed, shone brightly, full of expectation, “Really?”
“Of course.” Yu Bao said, “You sleep in the same quilt with me, and we’ll cuddle Xiao Jin to sleep.”
Tie Chui was even more expectant and looked at Lin Zhao and Gu Chenghuai, clasping his hands, his palm-sized little black face full of sincere pleading, “Third Aunt, Third Uncle, can I?”
Lin Zhao nodded, “Of course, Li Bao can stay as long as he wants. Your Third Uncle and I welcome it. But there’s one condition—you need permission from your dad and mom.”
Hearing this, Little Tie Chui went to pester Gu Yuanshan and Huang Xiulan.
“Dad, Mom…”
Huang Xiulan laughed, “Go go go, if you want to go, go. You like Third Branch so much, why not just give you to your Third Uncle and Third Aunt!”
In an instant, Little Tie Chui’s eyes shone brighter than the sun, excitedly saying: “Really?”
“Give me to Third Uncle and Third Aunt!?”
Then he’d have endless candy.
(≧)
Huang Xiulan: “…”
Huang Xiulan angrily pinched her little son’s cheeks, “Heartless little brat.”
Little Tie Chui wailed from the pinch.
Mumbling unclearly: “…Okay, okay?”
He was asking if it was okay.
Huang Xiulan let go, gave her son a white-eyed look, “Don’t even think about it.”
Little Tie Chui’s eyes dimmed, accusingly looking at his biological mother, “Then why did you say give me to Third Uncle and Third Aunt? You’re an adult—how can you lie to little friends? You’re too mean!”
Heng Bao also hummed at Eldest Uncle’s Wife like a cute little pig, voicing his dissatisfaction: “Eldest Uncle’s Wife is too mean!”
Even the sensible Yu Bao gave Eldest Uncle’s Wife a resentful look, sighing like a little old man.
“Pfft—” Zhao Liuniang couldn’t hold back her laughter and looked at Eldest Brother’s Wife, “Eldest Brother’s Wife, you can’t make jokes like that anymore. The treasures take it seriously.”
The three treasures, the five-plus-year-old little friends, nodded their little heads solemnly.
Right.
They would take it seriously.
After the meal, Third Branch’s whole family went back to pack.
First roll up the bedding, then fold the clothes, putting the folded clothes into the wooden chest.
Books went into the bamboo basket.
In the snack cabinet, there was still quite a bit of malt extract, candy, biscuits, etc.
“Yu Bao, Heng Bao, there’s still quite a bit of candy here. Let’s leave half for the old house. When you finish it, I’ll buy more. How’s that?” Lin Zhao bargained with her sons, “Little friends can’t eat too much candy, or their teeth will go bad. If we leave the candy out too long, it’ll spoil and be wasted.”
Yu Bao had no objection, “Sure, leave half. Give it to Grandma, let Grandma distribute it.”
Lin Zhao thought her eldest son was so smart—giving it to Gu Mu was the most reasonable and very worry-free.
She gave Yu Bao an approving look.
“Okay, we’ll do as our Yu Bao says.”
Heng Bao tugged at Lin Zhao’s arm, eagerly showing, “I also agree to share.”
Lin Zhao rubbed her son’s soft little face, her eyes curving in a smile.
“Our Heng Bao is also a generous little friend.”
Heng Bao grinned foolishly.
Gu Mu was in the room making cloth shoes for the family’s younger generation. Countryside people wore out shoes quickly—needing a new pair every few months. Every household’s women made shoes whenever they had time, and the Gu Family was no exception.
“Thump thump thump…”
A few knocks sounded.
Hearing this knock, Gu Mu knew it was Third Son’s Wife.
Eldest Daughter-in-law and Second Son’s Wife had no concept of knocking.
“The door’s not shut.” She called out.
Lin Zhao lifted the bamboo curtain and entered, placing the things she’d brought casually on the wooden cabinet, “Mother, take these candies.”
Gu Mu set down the half-finished insoles, got up, and came over.
Seeing various candies in the bamboo basket, she was surprised.
“What’s this for? Save it for the four kids.”
Lin Zhao smiled, “Saving it for them. These can’t be kept too long or they’ll spoil. You take them and distribute to the old house’s children.”
Since the daughter-in-law said so, Gu Mu didn’t stand on ceremony and smiled: “Alright, I’ll take them.”
After delivering the candy, Lin Zhao didn’t linger and returned to Third Branch to continue packing, finishing in a little over half an hour.
Then.
All the Gu Family Members mobilized.
“I’ll go borrow the handcart from Second Uncle’s!” Gu Qingzhou said and ran off to Gu Er Shu’s house.
The old house’s children didn’t wait for the handcart. Each one picked up what they could carry and headed to Third Branch’s new yard.
“Yu Bao, Heng Bao, take the things you’re moving now to your room, the one with the bed.” Lin Zhao, afraid the little friends would block the yard path, called out as she saw them heading out.
“Got it!” Heng Bao said loudly.
Carrying his own small shoulder bag, hugging small pillows for him, his brother, and the dragon-phoenix twins stacked high, his little short legs moved nimbly.
Under the attention of the whole village, a group of little friends arrived at the Gu Family’s new yard.
Yu Bao checked each room and in the left-side room saw… a bed?
This bed was strange.
Half had two layers, half was a low wooden bed, connected together, looking very novel.
No sharp corners anywhere—the wood was all polished smooth, all rounded arcs.
“Brother, this is a little ladder!” Heng Bao’s loud voice rang out, “Like the upper bunk on the train.”
He said happily: “Brother, I want the upper bunk.”
Under Mommy’s encouragement, Yu Bao no longer always yielded to his younger brother and sister and could express his own ideas.
The little friend looked at his brother and said: “Heng Bao, I also want the upper bunk. We’ll take turns, okay?”
Heng Bao wasn’t domineering, especially generous to his blood brother.
He smiled like a little sun.
“Sure.”
“We came out of Mommy’s belly together, so we like the same things. I knew Brother would like the upper bunk too.”
He acted coquettish toward his brother, “Brother, can I have it first?”
Yu Bao was happy to let his brother, “Mm, you first. I’ll take it tomorrow night.”
“Okay.”
At that moment, Xiao Jin jumped onto the wooden bed, climbed to the upper bunk, inspected every corner, and finally slid down the leftmost slide.
Seeing this, the little friends’ mouths gaped open.
“!!”
“Brother, this one slides!!” Heng Bao leaned his body toward the slide, eyes shining, exclaiming: “Brother, to get down you don’t need the little ladder—you can slide down here.”
Yu Bao knew too, his face flushing with excitement.
The twins’ brows danced.
Seeing this, the village’s little friends were green with envy.
Yu Baoheng Bao had such a fun bed—they didn’t have such fun beds.
The twins’ parents were so great!
Yuan Bao wanted such a bed too. He asked Yu Bao: “Yu Bao, did your dad make this bed for you?”
“No, my daddy only knows simple carpentry, not complex stuff.” Yu Bao smiled happily, “My daddy found Carpenter Grandpa to make it for us. The drawing was by my mommy.”
Yuan Bao asked puzzledly: “What’s a drawing?”
Yu Bao thought his little pal was a bit dumb, but he didn’t mind, touching his own little bed and explaining crisply: “A drawing is a picture. Mommy drew the bed’s look, marked the sizes, Carpenter Grandpa followed it, and just like that… we have a new bed.”
Little Yuan Bao didn’t fully get it.
He let out an admiring wow.
“Yu Bao, my mom can’t draw drawings. Can I borrow the drawing Lin Aunt drew? I want your bed too.”
Little friends don’t feel embarrassed—they say what they think, all innocent.
Yu Bao hesitated, “The drawing is Mommy’s. I need to ask her.”
Yuan Bao nodded emphatically, not forgetting to remind his little pal, “Don’t forget!”
“Mhm, I remember!”
After admiring the bed, the little friends looked at the wooden table by the window.
Original wood color.
Height suitable for little friends, very wide, with a few shelves against the left wall—who knew what they were for.
Tie Niu asked curiously: “Yu Bao, Heng Bao, what are these shelves for?”
Heng Bao said excitedly: “I know! For picture books and drawing books! And our calligraphy copybooks and notebooks, all can go there!”
Noise came from outside the yard.
The Gu Family men arrived, carrying the bed, and with one push entered the right-side room.
