Chapter 160: “no Conflict”
The Gu family’s big and little friends also received gifts, and no matter what they got, they grinned happily.
Today they are really happy!
At night, they dreamt of smiling.
Lin Zhao’s family didn’t stay long; after delivering the gifts, they returned to their new house.
On the way, Da Huang and Amber led the way.
Heng Bao skipped forward, humming a song in a clear voice. Those who heard it couldn’t help but smile.
What a lively Gu Er Zai.
Extreme joy turned to sorrow; Heng Bao stepped on a small pebble, and his small body, which had grown flesh, tilted to one side, almost falling to the ground.
Gu Chenghuai quickly pulled him up and sternly reprimanded, “Walk properly.”
His voice was a little louder, and Heng Bao’s little head was stunned for a moment. He quickly reacted, his little face tightening, “…Talk properly, why are you so fierce.”
Gu Chenghuai raised an eyebrow and looked down at him, “I’m talking properly, did you listen?”
Heng Bao felt guilty, his eyes darting around.
“Even so, you shouldn’t be fierce to little friends.”
He added righteously, “Mom said that if little friends are treated fiercely, their temperaments will become timid and withdrawn. Dad, do you know what timid and withdrawn means? It means not being generous.”
Gu Chenghuai was speechless.
He was also a scholar and knew what timid and withdrawn meant; he didn’t need such a thoughtful explanation.
Gu Zhiheng was truly his nemesis, angering him eight hundred times a day.
He ignored the chatterbox cub and led Lin Zhao forward.
Yu Bao and Li Bao covered their mouths and laughed. The dragon-phoenix twins toddled after the family’s two dogs.
Listening to the father and son’s conversation, Lin Zhao held back laughter until her stomach hurt.
She didn’t intervene.
Gu Chenghuai thought of the smiling faces of his family just now, turned to his wife, his eyes exceptionally gentle, “Zhaozhao, thank you.”
“Hmm?” Lin Zhao stopped smiling, her eyes confused.
Gu Chenghuai’s broad, calloused hand tightened slightly, and his deep voice was soft, “Dad and Mom were very happy.”
Lin Zhao understood what he was saying and smiled at him, “It was your money that was spent.”
Gu Chenghuai said nothing more.
It was different.
Zhaozhao was thoughtful.
He had seen calculating people before. Although their son earned a lot, he handed over all his salary to his wife, letting her manage the household. But that wife only took and never gave, never even sent a single egg to her in-laws. Even when her mother-in-law sent a telegram asking for help, she pretended not to know.
…
While eating, the twins discovered that the rice in their mother’s bowl was different from theirs. Hers seemed to be noodles with an egg on top. The two little children, their mouths full of cold skin noodles, looked confused.
Sensing the two cubs’ gazes, Lin Zhao smiled at them.
“Today is my birthday. This is the longevity noodles your dad made for the birthday star. There’s none for you.”
Heng Bao, quick to speak, immediately asked, “Mom, when is my birthday?”
“In two months.” Lin Zhao’s birthday is in August, and the twins’ is in November.
“Then what about Qian Bao and Yao Bao?” Heng Bao snatched Yu Bao’s words. The big brother cub puffed out his cheeks, not blaming his brother for speaking too quickly, only feeling that he himself was too slow.
“Theirs is in February.”
Heng Bao’s mouth was smeared with sauce, making him look like a little old man. “Mom, did we have longevity noodles for our birthdays before?”
He smiled foolishly, “I don’t even remember.”
Lin Zhao looked at her son’s smiling face and suddenly felt a pang of sadness.
It wasn’t that he didn’t remember; it was… they never had one!
She felt a familiar ache in her heart.
Her eyes softened, and she promised, “From now on, when you have birthdays, Mom will make you lots and lots of delicious food, prepare the birthday gifts you want, and invite your good friends over to celebrate together, a lively celebration.”
*Shoom.*
The two little children looked up, their eyes suddenly lit up.
They were as bright as stars at night.
“Okay,” Yu Bao said softly.
Heng Bao grinned broadly, “Okay! I have lots of good friends.”
He said, spreading his arms wide.
Every strand of his hair was filled with happiness.
Lin Zhao: “Invite them all.”
Heng Bao was about to say more when his dad interrupted, “You two, don’t ask so many questions. Let your mom eat her longevity noodles first.”
Gu Chenghuai looked at Lin Zhao, his smile open and bright, “Zhaozhao, eat your noodles quickly. Eat them in one go, don’t break them.”
He was a soldier with firm beliefs, his faith being the country and its people; he did not believe in gods.
When it came to Zhaozhao, Gu Chenghuai never took it lightly.
Lin Zhao’s eyes curved, “Didn’t you say… this is superstition and you don’t believe in it?”
Gu Chenghuai was very frank, his handsome face unchanged, “This does not conflict with my beliefs.”
“I seek peace of mind,” he emphasized.
After getting to know Zhaozhao, his birthday wish every year was to grow old together with his wife.
Lin Zhao took Gu Chenghuai’s hand, holding it in her soft palm, tracing the calluses on his fingers with her fingertips. She took a bite of the poached egg and picked up the noodles to eat.
Gu Chenghuai’s jaw tightened, but his expression remained calm and composed. “How does it taste? Do you like it?”
Lin Zhao chewed the noodles without answering, her eyes slightly bright, and nodded at the man.
It was delicious.
Her man was competent in everything he did; he could make a fortune even selling noodles.
Gu Chenghuai could tell her emotions from Zhaozhao’s eyes, and a faint smile flashed in his deep, dark eyes.
The noodle was not long, and Lin Zhao quickly finished it, taking a sip of the noodle soup, which was equally delicious.
“Not bad,” she praised, “as delicious as what I’ve been eating since I was a child.”
It filled the regret of not eating longevity noodles this year.
After dinner.
Yu Bao and the other little ones returned to the children’s room.
Li Bao played with the dragon-phoenix twins. Yu Bao opened his drawer, reached inside, and took out something red. He exchanged a look with Heng Bao, and the two brothers grinned, their eyes sparkling.
“Shh…” Yu Bao gestured for his brother to be quiet, also reminding himself to be stealthy.
Heng Bao covered his mouth.
He tiptoed to the door, lifted the clean bamboo curtain, and peeked outside the courtyard stealthily.
Seeing his parents talking in the kitchen, Heng Bao turned to his brother, “Brother, let’s go!”
As soon as he spoke.
He lifted the bamboo curtain and darted out like a little rabbit, slipping into Lin Zhao and Gu Chenghuai’s room.
Yu Bao didn’t hesitate and followed closely behind.
Li Bao pretended not to see this scene.
Outside the courtyard, the two small figures darted away too quickly, their backs full of guilt and panic. Lin Zhao didn’t turn around but saw them with her peripheral vision.
She nudged Gu Chenghuai with her elbow.
“What’s going on with Yu Bao and Heng Bao? They seem strange, are they secretly plotting something?”
Gu Chenghuai’s eyes were sharp; he knew exactly what those two cubs were up to.
His gaze was very gentle.
“You’ll know when you go back to the room.”
Lin Zhao sized up her husband, not seeing anything. “Mysterious.”
Unable to suppress her curiosity, she left the kitchen and went back to the room.
Gu Chenghuai let out a muffled chuckle.
They were so cute.
Lin Zhao tiptoed and stopped at the doorway, pulling open the bamboo curtain with two fingers.
The two similarly dressed children were facing away from the door, their heads close together, talking in hushed voices. Heng Bao had cried loudly since birth, and after learning to speak, his voice was clear, always giving a feeling of boundless energy.
At this moment, even though he deliberately lowered his voice, a few words flew to Lin Zhao’s ears.
“…hide…”
“…find…obtain…”
“…thing…”
Lin Zhao: What gibberish are they speaking? I can’t understand.
She withdrew her eyes, cleared her throat, and reminded the two cubs in the room that she was at the door, then knocked.
*Knock, knock.*
Lin Zhao didn’t notice that the twins’ bodies stiffened suddenly, and they turned around as if in slow motion.
Not seeing her, the two brothers patted their chests in unison.
Almost exposed!!
Yu Bao reacted first, walked to the door, lifted the bamboo curtain, and a flicker of guilt appeared in his eyes. The next moment, he smiled.
“Mom, my brother and I came to see this room.”
Hearing his brother say this, Heng Bao put his hands behind his back, looked around, and said, “Yes, my brother and I don’t know… what Dad and Mom’s room looks like, so we came to see.”
Lin Zhao looked at her two sons, who were trying to act nonchalant, and was about to burst with laughter internally, but she didn’t show it.
“Is that so? Have you finished looking? If not, shall I introduce it to you?” A hint of mischief flashed in her eyes.
Heng Bao was good at taking advantage of the situation and wasn’t in a hurry to leave. “Okay, okay.”
He sat comfortably on the stool, his clear eyes constantly scanning in one direction.
Lin Zhao followed her second son’s gaze. The drawer?
Did these two put something in the drawer?
Yu Bao took his mother’s hand and sat next to Lin Zhao, his posture well-behaved. He looked at the bright window, his eyes shining.
“Mom, our window is so bright!”
Lin Zhao chuckled.
Little friends know that big windows are good.
“It’s comfortable to live in a bright place.” She also liked this big window very much.
“Yu Bao can practice calligraphy in his room from now on. I’ll buy some cotton and make you a soft cushion to tie to the stool, so your bottom won’t hurt when you sit on it.”
Yu Bao asked, “Does Mom have one?”
“Yes, we each have one.” Lin Zhao was not someone who was sweet to her children while suffering herself. She was an extreme hedonist. She could barely make do without conditions, but with conditions, she would definitely make herself comfortable.
“Okay,” Yu Bao smiled happily.
Gu Chenghuai, who had been listening to the mother and son’s conversation outside the door, walked into the room, took off his towel, wiped his hands, and said casually, “Zhaozhao, the sewing machine will arrive tomorrow.”
Lin Zhao’s face showed surprise, “Really? So suddenly!”
“It’s not sudden,” Gu Chenghuai raised an eyebrow and smiled lightly, “It’s been over a week, it should be here.”
“Did you ask Comrade Yang for help?” Lin Zhao’s eyes moved slightly.
Gu Chenghuai shook his head, “I bought it.”
Lin Zhao didn’t ask how much it cost. A sewing machine was not cheap and was difficult to obtain. This person must have spent all his pocket money.
“You know where the money is, take it yourself if needed.”
Gu Chenghuai: “Okay.”
There would be a sewing machine tomorrow! The patterned fabric she bought could be put to use! Lin Zhao was very happy.
She hadn’t done needlework for a long time and really missed it.
She pinched Yu Bao’s cheek, “My dear, when the sewing machine arrives, I’ll sew a pencil case for each of you, with embroidery. What do you like? I’ll sew it for you. Small animals are also okay.”
She had originally planned to buy them directly. In the state-run store in the provincial capital, the pencil boxes were very ordinary, and the twins didn’t even stop. This money was not spent.
Yu Bao let his mother rub his face, his head tilted back, looking as well-behaved as could be.
“I want Amber, can I?”
Lin Zhao was curious, “Why not Xiao Jin?”
“Amber came to our house first,” Yu Bao said without thinking.
“I didn’t expect Yu Bao to be such an emotional little friend.” Lin Zhao hugged her son, her eyes full of smiles.
Yu Bao knew his mother was praising him and was very happy. After a moment, he blinked and asked, “What does it mean to be emotional?”
“Being emotional means…” Lin Zhao explained softly, “not liking the new and disliking the old. For example, even if there’s a cuter Xiao Jin, you still remember Da Huang and Amber.”
Gu Chenghuai: This is like him.
“I won’t forget Da Huang and Amber. They are also part of our family, and my brother, sister, and I will grow up with them,” Yu Bao said solemnly, his little face serious.
Lin Zhao patted his head, “That’s great.”
“Heng Bao, what pattern do you want?”
Heng Bao’s eyes darted around, “I want a photo of our whole family! Can I?”
Gu Chenghuai’s eyes were complicated.
What strange requests.
Lin Zhao also found it strange, “No, think of something else, this is too high-profile.”
Not wanting Heng Bao to be disappointed, she thought of an idea, “I can make a cushion with the whole family on it. You can play in the room and don’t take it out, is that okay?”
She wouldn’t really put their family on it, but little drawings were fine, as long as they resembled the family.
“…Like Yao Bao’s cloth doll?” Heng Bao frowned. He considered himself a little man now and didn’t want to play with his sister’s toys.
“They’re different. A cushion can be hugged or leaned on. For example, when you’re writing or reading… you can put it behind your waist, and it will be much more comfortable.” Lin Zhao gestured the size and explained carefully to her son.
Heng Bao had a preliminary idea in his mind and thought it was acceptable, “I want it.”
Lin Zhao agreed, “I’ll start making it when the weather cools down.”
This was very hedonistic and did not conform to the current mainstream. Gu Chenghuai was very thrifty himself but would not force his wife and children. Enduring hardship when there was no need was not good.
He didn’t believe anyone wouldn’t want a comfortable life.
If you have the conditions to live well, why not?
In her own home, Zhaozhao could do whatever she wanted.
Fengshou Brigade was home to the Gu surname. It was formerly Gu Village. There were often conflicts, but if someone came to cause trouble? They would definitely be carried out headfirst.
Heng Bao wanted his mother to see their small surprise soon, so he pulled his brother out. When they reached the door, he turned back, “Mom, are you washing your face? I’ll help you get water?”
He acted casual and calm, but his small body was tense.
Yu Bao also held his breath, a flicker of anticipation in his dark eyes.
It was too obvious, her darling.
Lin Zhao pretended not to see anything, “…Okay!”
After the two cubs left, she leaned into Gu Chenghuai’s arms, laughing, “Your sons’ acting skills are terrible. Teach them, they are too easy to read.”
Gu Chenghuai hugged his wife’s waist, his sharp black eyes narrowed, “They do need to be taught properly.”
Lin Zhao was joking, but she didn’t expect him to take it seriously.
She looked at her husband, “Are you serious?”
“Of course.” Gu Chenghuai thought five years old was not too young, and there were some things that should be taught. How could they protect their mother if they were so foolish?
He was the cubs’ biological father and wouldn’t harm the four cubs no matter what. Lin Zhao didn’t intervene, “You decide.”
Gu Chenghuai skipped the topic and glanced at the drawer’s position, “Aren’t you curious what your sons put in there?”
“No hurry, I’ll know sooner or later.” Lin Zhao said this, but in reality, she was curious. She was afraid that the two cubs would come in while she was looking, and what face would she have as a mother?
After a while, Lin Zhao went out to wash her face.
The smiles on Yu Bao and Heng Bao’s faces couldn’t be suppressed. They looked like little mice who had stolen oil, their expressions of mischief too obvious. Yet, they didn’t realize it and thought they had hidden it very well.
Lin Zhao: “…”
Such silly cubs.
She returned to the room and opened the drawer to get the face cream. She saw something unfamiliar on the lid of the face cream.
— A dark red camellia scarf.
“This…” Lin Zhao was surprised. She had guessed that her twin sons had prepared a small surprise for her, but she hadn’t expected this kind of surprise.
It wasn’t a few candies or a few small fruits, but a proper gift.
“Where did they get it from?” Lin Zhao covered her mouth in surprise, her eyes filled with light.
“They bought it in the provincial capital. They spent all the money they had and borrowed some from me,” Gu Chenghuai added, not mentioning that to buy this gift, his two sons signed unequal treaties, several of them.
