Chapter 248: “let Heng Bao Have A Complete Childhood”
Xiao Jin’s voice was tender as he called out, his big tail sweeping Lin Zhao’s hand.
As usual, Yu Baoheng Bao couldn’t help but want to rub the little monkey.
Today the two of them weren’t in the mood.
Heng Bao puffed out his cheeks, “Mom, why is Lai Mei’s grandfather so bad? He even pushed him! He doesn’t care that he hurt Lai Mei, he’s too bad!”
Yu Bao was a child living in love, and he couldn’t understand Zhao Old Man’s actions either. His grandfather and grandmother were very good to them, giving them all the good things. If someone bullied them, grandfather and grandmother would protect them.
“Lai Mei’s grandfather is not good at all.” Yu Bao said sullenly.
Lin Zhao rubbed the two little brothers’ heads.
Tie Chui spoke up in a silly way: “My grandfather is good, Lai Mei’s grandfather is bad to him, he shouldn’t want that grandfather anymore. I can share half of my grandfather with him.”
“I can also share half of my grandfather with Brother Lai Mei.” Heng Bao got excited and followed up.
Yu Bao showed a hesitant expression, “This, we need to ask grandfather’s opinion, we can’t decide on our own.”
He even knew how to use idioms, and used them well. If the timing wasn’t wrong, Lin Zhao would praise her son again.
Heng Bao was full of confidence, “Grandfather and grandmother like me the most. If I beg them, grandfather and grandmother will definitely agree.”
“No way.” Yu Bao looked serious, “Grandfather and grandmother like mom the most. Mom is grandfather and grandmother’s daughter, they like us only because we were born to mom. If we weren’t mom’s children, they wouldn’t like us either.”
After saying that, he concluded, “Heng Bao, you have to distinguish primary from secondary.”
Hearing this, Lin Zhao knew right away that he had learned this from Gu Fu.
So cute, my Da Zai.
Heng Bao was a bit discouraged, but perked up in an instant, “Brother’s hypothesis doesn’t hold, we were born to mom, right? Grandfather and grandmother will like us forever, right mom?” He looked up, expectantly at Lin Zhao.
Lin Zhao kneaded Er Zai’s cheeks, her voice gentle, “Yes.”
“Mom, why doesn’t Lai Mei’s grandfather like him?” Yu Bao couldn’t figure it out.
“What’s so strange about that? People with brain problems are like that. Don’t think too much, just stay away from that kind of person.” Lin Zhao said.
The children were still young, their little hearts full of fairy tales, and she didn’t want a rotten person like Zhao Old Man to ruin their childlike innocence.
“Does Lai Mei’s grandfather have a big problem with his brain?” Heng Bao asked, “Why doesn’t he go to the hospital to see a doctor? Is it because he has no money?”
Yu Bao: “That bad grandfather has money. Brother Bang Bang said it, his grandfather often goes to his married daughter’s home to mooch, robbing things every time and demanding money. Whoever doesn’t give… he throws a tantrum.”
He wrinkled his smiling face and added: “The kind of tantrum where he rolls on the ground.”
Heng Bao opened his mouth wide, his facial expression too complex to describe in words.
“There’s such a way to get rich?” He had the stunned look of someone who had opened the door to a new world.
Lin Zhao saw his eyes light up and reminded him, “Don’t think about unearned gain, there’s no such thing as a free lunch in the world.”
Heng Bao looked at her.
Suddenly he covered his mouth and laughed, “Mom got unearned gain.”
Lin Zhao: “?”
“Gu Zhiheng, if you can’t explain yourself, I’m going to hit the child, so you can have a complete childhood.”
Heng Bao instinctively covered his buttocks.
He said: “I saw grandfather give you money. Isn’t that unearned gain?”
Lin Zhao: “…”
“How is that the same?” Lin Zhao glared at him, “Your grandfather gives me money because a father loves his daughter. He has money and is willing to give it to me, how is that unearned gain?”
“I’ll reincarnate with a super good pair of parents, there’s no way around it.” She said modestly.
Others envy it but can’t get it.
Yu Bao raised a smiling face, “We also have super good parents.”
Heng Bao put his hands on his hips, “I have super good dad and mom, grandpa and grandma, grandfather and grandmother, uncle and aunt…” He counted on his fingers.
Tie Chui followed: “I have a super good Third Aunt.”
The moment Lai Mei regained consciousness, he heard many “super good”s by his ear.
He blankly opened his eyes and saw an unfamiliar ceiling.
“Brother Lai Mei!” Tie Dan led the dragon-phoenix twins into the room and let out a cry of surprise when he saw Lai Mei open his eyes.
Lin Zhao looked over, “Lai Mei, how do you feel? Does your head hurt?!”
“Doesn’t hurt.” Lai Mei shook his head.
Lin Zhao reached out to hold his head steady, “Your head is broken, don’t shake, be careful not to get dizzy.”
So Lai Mei didn’t move.
Then he thought of his difficult grandfather coming to rob, and showed urgency on his face, “Third Aunt, is my mom okay? My grandfather is so fierce, he came again!”
“Your mom is fine, Bang Bang is fine, everyone is fine.” Lin Zhao reassured him, “Your eldest uncle threw your grandfather out. He didn’t get any benefits and didn’t hurt anyone else.”
Lai Mei let out a long breath of relief.
Feeling something wrapped on his head, he wanted to touch it a bit, but remembering what Third Aunt said, he straightened his body.
“Brother Lai Mei, your grandfather is really bad. Don’t call him grandfather anymore. I’ll give you half of my grandfather.” Tie Chui spoke up.
Lai Mei lowered his eyes and sighed.
“He bullies my mom, I don’t want to call him grandfather, but… if I don’t call him that, he’ll hit people, and it hurts so much when he hits!”
Before, when he didn’t call that bad person, Zhao Old Man slapped him, making his ears buzz and he couldn’t hear clearly for days.
Today when he was hit, Lai Mei didn’t find it surprising. Zhao Old Man had a bad temper and hit anyone when unhappy.
“When did he hit you? Didn’t your parents know?” Lin Zhao looked displeased.
She thought Zhao Old Man was just selfish, treating his daughters like blood bags, but she didn’t expect him to hit children too.
“…When I was five.” Lai Mei said.
He didn’t like holidays because holidays meant going to see grandfather.
“He wouldn’t let me tell dad and mom. He said if I dared to talk too much, he’d beat my mom. I didn’t want my mom to get beaten…”
Outside the door, Zhao Liuniang was in tears.
She didn’t know.
Zhao Liuniang rushed into the room, both heartbroken and resentful: “Why didn’t you tell me and your dad? If I had known earlier, how could I have taken you back again.”
Lai Mei anxiously tried to get up but was pressed down by his mom. Zhao Liuniang’s voice was slightly hoarse, “Don’t move, you have a head injury, be careful not to bleed again.”
The pale-faced youth lay back down.
“If I don’t go, my brother has to go. My brother has a bad temper, he’d get beaten even worse.” Lai Mei smiled, “As long as you don’t go against him and keep nodding and saying yes, my grandfather won’t hit anyone.”
He had summed up a set of survival rules, surprisingly the same as Zhao Liuniang’s.
Hearing this, Zhao Liuniang’s heart was whipped.
She had always thought she took good care of her children, but it turned out their storms were all brought by her.
Zhao Liuniang was very broken.
Lin Zhao looked at Lai Mei, serious, “Parents are your backbone. You should tell them everything that happens. If your dad and mom can’t handle it, there are other people in the family. Keeping it bottled up, is that smart?”
Lai Mei reached up to scratch his head, his finger touched the gauze and he quickly withdrew it, placing it on the fluffy blanket.
He said: “It’s nothing, I don’t see my grandfather often anyway, just endure it and it’s over.”
Zhao Old Man loved to hit people and wasn’t reasonable. He didn’t want to cause trouble for the family.
Bang Bang stood at the door, his face cold, eyes fierce.
Thinking of something, he spoke up, “That time you came back from Zhao Family, you said your ears hurt, was it because he hit your ears?”
Lai Mei looked at his brother’s serious face and said hesitantly: “…Yeah.”
He said it very quietly, not daring to look at Bang Bang.
“Bang!”
Bang Bang angrily punched the door frame.
“You idiot, you’re going to piss me off!”
Lai Mei stiffened his arms, blustering weakly, “I, how am I an idiot?”
“You’ve been mute for so long, aren’t you an idiot?” Bang Bang got even angrier.
He approached the bed, looking down at Lai Mei, “Am I not your brother? Why didn’t you tell me when you got hit?”
If Lai Mei had told him, he definitely would have stood up for him, no matter if that person was his grandfather.
Zhao Liuniang also said: “Your brother is right, you should have told us. Even if not me and your dad, you should have told your brother.”
No! Can’t tell brother.
Brother would definitely go argue with grandfather, and grandfather doesn’t reason, he’d beat brother.
Lai Mei thought to himself.
He lowered his head and didn’t speak.
What a stubborn kid.
Lin Zhao changed the subject, “Lai Mei, are you hungry? I stewed chicken soup, you drink some too. After drinking, go to the hospital with your dad and mom.”
Lai Mei: “Go to the hospital for what? My head doesn’t hurt, no need to go to the hospital. Going to the hospital costs money, my mom would feel heartbroken for a month.”
Zhao Liuniang said irritably: “I haven’t even said anything yet, and you’re babbling. Believe it or not, I’ll beat you?”
She raised her palm.
Lai Mei shut his mouth.
Lin Zhao raised the corner of her mouth, “So spirited, looks like nothing serious.”
Zhao Liuniang was both relieved and grateful, “Thanks to Third Sister-in-law’s healing medicine.”
After saying that, looking at Lai Mei, “Lai Mei, you hurt your head and lost a lot of blood. It was the healing medicine in your Third Aunt’s hand that stopped the bleeding. Your Third Aunt saved your life, you have to remember that.”
Lin Zhao waved her hands twice, “Why say that? We’re all family. I bought those medicines just in case. Whoever needs them, I won’t be stingy. As long as it helps Lai Mei, that’s good.”
“No matter what, you saved Lai Mei.” Zhao Liuniang insisted.
If not saved in time, how could Lai Mei wake up so soon?!
With such a heavy injury, if the blood kept flowing… she didn’t dare think.
Lai Mei’s head was wrapped in gauze, and he looked at Lin Zhao solemnly, thanking her: “Thank you, Third Aunt.”
“Rest well, I’ll go get you chicken soup.” Lin Zhao didn’t want to argue anymore and called Bang Bang to go to the kitchen.
Not long after.
Lai Mei drank the delicious chicken soup.
His eyes lit up, “So fragrant.”
Lin Zhao said: “There’s more after you finish. Drink the soup first, I’ll fish out a big chicken leg for you later.”
Being able to eat and drink means no big problem.
Although Gu Family’s children envied that Lai Mei could eat chicken meat and drink chicken soup, none of them made a fuss. Lai Mei lost so much blood, he needed to replenish. They could eat anything.
Lin Zhao didn’t shortchange the other children either, and called Gu Mu to go to the kitchen to steam buns.
The familiar fragrance wafted out.
Even Da Zhuang next door was saying: “Aunt Lin is making something delicious.”
Wang Chunhua rubbed her grandson’s head and said: “Wait until the next batch of mushrooms sells, our family will buy a pound of meat too.”
Wang Family people were overjoyed.
Smelling the fragrance from next door, they ate corn nests big mouthfuls, imagining they were eating meat.
Yu Baoheng Bao were also happy; it had been a long time since they ate buns steamed by mom.
The pot lid wasn’t lifted yet, but the two little brothers led the dragon-phoenix twins to huddle at the windowsill, looking expectant.
Gu Mu glanced at her grandsons and granddaughter, kindly, “Almost ready, don’t rush.”
As she spoke, she lifted the pot lid, and the meat buns’ fragrance spread out.
Yao Bao fussed for it, cutely saying: “Want, want.”
Drool was about to drip.
Yu Bao skillfully pulled out a handkerchief and wiped his sister’s mouth, coaxing her: “Freshly steamed buns are hot, they’ll burn your little hands into blisters. Be good, sister, and I’ll give you half later.”
Heng Bao said in an exaggerated tone: “Yeah, yeah, if you get burns, your hands hurt a lot, it’ll hurt for days.”
Yao Bao looked at him in confusion, thinking brother was playing with her, and giggled.
“…”
Bang Bang, Tie Dan and the others were also excited, helping move the table, feed Da Huang and Amber, sweep the yard, busy like spinning tops.
Gu Mu called out that dinner was ready. The older ones led the younger to wash hands, rushing over with a clatter.
One bun each in hand.
No thoughts at all, just focused on eating big bites.
Tie Dan opened his mouth too wide, got burned, didn’t know to spit it out, huffed with his mouth open a few times, chewed and swallowed.
“Delicious! So delicious! Just as good as last time!”
Lin Zhao said: “If it’s good, eat a few more. Take some back later.”
Huang Xiulan had heard the news and come to see. She left after Lai Mei woke up. Yu Yu was left with the neighbor, couldn’t keep troubling people.
Tie Dan had oil around his mouth, nodding: “Good.”
Everyone had just filled their stomachs.
Gu Yucheng hurried over upon learning his son was injured, with Gu Fu following behind.
The father and son were panting.
“Liuniang, how is Lai Mei?” Gu Yucheng looked around, didn’t see his son, his face turned pale instantly.
Those eyes suppressed gloomy emotions, ready to erupt at any time. That was for Zhao Old Man.
Zhao Liuniang quickly said: “He’s lying in Yu Baoheng Bao’s room. Third Sister-in-law said not to move him yet. Lai Mei just ate and is sleeping now.”
Gu Fu breathed a sigh of relief. Good that he’s fine.
Gu Yucheng headed inside, “I’ll take Lai Mei to the hospital for a check.”
He wasn’t at ease without a doctor examining him.
Head injury isn’t a small matter.
He went in, wrapped his son in a blanket, picked up Lai Mei and walked out.
At this time, Lin Zhao had packed five buns and handed them to Zhao Liuniang, “Second Sister-in-law, Second Brother hasn’t eaten yet. Eat the buns on the way.”
Zhao Liuniang was deeply moved but took them without politeness.
Lin Zhao remembered the weather forecast said there would be heavy rain at dusk, so she told her to take the family’s rain gear.
The real-time updated weather forecast was drawn with a thousand points by her, unbelievably accurate. It said heavy rain today, definitely would rain.
Zhao Liuniang worshiped scholars and listened very much to Lin Zhao. Whatever she gave, she took.
Everything prepared properly, the second house couple took Lai Mei and left.
Yu Bao gnawed on a bun, muffled: “Mom, Brother Lai Mei is fine, right?”
“Yes, the wound was treated very promptly.” Lin Zhao patiently said, “Your Second Uncle and Second Aunt are taking him for a check to ease their minds. He’s fine.”
Hearing this, Gu Family adults and children all relaxed their brows.
At dusk, the rain came.
Starting with bean-sized raindrops.
Gu Yucheng and Zhao Liuniang were almost at the village when it started raining. The two quickly put raincoat on Lai Mei, then took care of themselves.
“Good thing your Third Aunt told us to bring raincoats, almost got drenched.” Zhao Liuniang was still scared.
Lai Mei had a head injury, if he got rained on…
Gu Yucheng also sighed in relief, “Yeah, thanks to Third Sister-in-law.”
This family of three had rain gear. Zhao Old Man, who had just raided his eldest daughter’s in-law’s home and was heading back, got drenched like a drowned rat.
He was furious, cursing under his breath, running hurriedly.
While running, his foot slipped, and the whole person along with the things he got fell into the ditch.
