Chapter 255: “ready To Erupt Anytime”
Lin Zhao found it both absurd and amusing.
…She had four little bundles of joy!
She walked a few steps toward Yao Bao, half-crouched, her eyes smiling as she looked at her, “You’ll be even prettier if you cry more.”
Hearing this, Yao Bao burst into tears and pounced into her arms, crying with great grievance.
“Bad! Mommy’s bad, woo woo woo.”
While crying, her little arms tightly hugged Lin Zhao’s neck. Her small body kept burrowing into her embrace.
“Woo woo woo, hug! Hugs!!” Even while crying, she didn’t forget to ask for hugs.
A corner of Lin Zhao’s heart sank. She picked up Yao Bao, “It’s been a while, why have you become such a little crybaby? Mommy’s back, don’t cry anymore, your face will hurt if you keep crying.”
Yao Bao didn’t speak, just buried her little face in Lin Zhao’s neck. Her little legs flailed, trying to climb up, but she was too small, her arms and legs too short, she couldn’t even wrap around her mommy.
“I brought you a new hairpin, want to try it?” Lin Zhao’s hand rested on her daughter’s head, gently stroking it a few times.
Yao Bao immediately stopped crying, her bright, tear-filled eyes looking at her.
“…A butterfly?” she mumbled, as if she had candy in her mouth.
Lin Zhao wiped her daughter’s mouth and said with great patience, “Yes, a butterfly’s, and the butterfly’s wings can even flap. Our Yao Bao will definitely look good wearing it.”
Yao Bao’s eyes lit up, “The prettiest?”
“…The prettiest.” Such a little milk doll, why so many demands.
Lin Zhao’s gaze was indulgent. Perhaps feeling a sense of security, Yao Bao completely stopped crying, tilted her fair, tender little face, and made a request, “Wipe me~~”
Meaning to have her face wiped.
“So you all can order me around now.” Lin Zhao lightly pinched her daughter’s little nose, resignedly took out a handkerchief from her pocket, and wiped Yao Bao’s face.
Yao Bao wrinkled her nose. Seeing her mommy wiping her face, her expression returned to being obedient, and she showed a sweet smile.
“Mommy, did you buy me a gift?” Heng Bao asked.
Before Lin Zhao could answer, he asked with urgency, “What about the soccer ball for me and brother? Did you get it?!”
As soon as he finished speaking, he pouted his lips and muttered, “We’ve been waiting for a long time, almost a month. Neither my brother nor I have anything to play with.”
Gu Mu, who heard this, twitched the corner of her mouth.
Nonsense!
Who was frolicking around every day?!
This was her own grandson, and she had to coax him when he was beaten and cried by his mother. This was how it was.
Yu Bao looked at his brother disapprovingly, “Heng Bao, soccer balls are hard to get. Mommy also has to find a way, don’t rush her.”
After speaking, he raised his little face and said to Lin Zhao, “Mommy, we’re not in a hurry. It’s okay to buy it after the New Year.”
He was so happy that his mother had returned, he had no other concerns in his heart.
“I got it, it’s at home.” Lin Zhao felt a little guilty saying this.
In fact, the soccer ball had been in the storage ring all along, but she just hadn’t had time to give it to the twins.
“Wow!” Heng Bao jumped up with joy, half a foot off the ground, and pulled his brother, wanting to go home to see the soccer ball.
Yu Bao pushed his hand away, “Don’t pull me, I’ll go back and see later.”
He only wanted to be with his mother now.
Heng Bao’s eyes widened, his face filled with disbelief.
Did his brother not love him anymore, woo woo?
Yu Bao didn’t look at his brother; his eyes were all on Lin Zhao.
Lin Zhao saw that all four cubs were in good spirits and hadn’t lost any weight, so she knew the children hadn’t been neglected. She thanked her mother-in-law for her hard work.
Gu Mu waved her hand.
These were her own grandsons, of course, she should take care of them.
The third son’s wife was truly considerate.
But.
Her kind words made one feel so comfortable.
Lin Zhao smiled. It’s never wrong to be polite.
She pointed to the sack she was carrying and said in a soft voice, “Mom, the sack contains the New Year’s gifts I brought. Please put them away. I’ll take the four cubs back first.”
“Alright,” Gu Mu accepted without being polite.
They had separated households, so it was normal for a son and daughter-in-law to give gifts to the elders during the New Year. It would be strange if they didn’t.
Gu Fu was in the mushroom room in the backyard, completely unaware of what was happening in the front yard.
When it was time to eat, he didn’t see his grandsons and granddaughters, realized something was wrong, and looked at Gu Mu with questioning eyes, “Where are Yu Bao and the others? Did they go out? Aren’t you calling them for dinner?”
“The third son’s wife is on holiday, so she took the four cubs back,” Gu Mu explained.
Yao Bao’s wronged crying face reappeared in her mind. Gu Mu said with some heartache, “It’s not good for the little ones to be away from their mother for too long. Yao Bao was crying so aggrievedly…”
She had considered taking the four cubs to the supply and marketing cooperative to see the third son’s wife, but… she was afraid the two younger ones would cry and refuse to come back after seeing their mother.
So she had to give up.
“What?” Gu Fu stood up abruptly, “The third son’s wife is back?!”
As he was speaking, he rushed into the room.
“Sit down first. No matter what the matter is, let’s talk after we eat!” Gu Mu stopped him.
It wasn’t summer, and the food wouldn’t spoil quickly. She could reheat the meal.
Gu Fu glanced at his wife’s expression and found it to be quite stern. He didn’t dare to provoke his wife’s temper and sat back down.
“…Eat, eat first,” he said.
Gu Mu’s expression improved.
The old couple began to eat.
After they finished eating, Gu Fu put down his bowl and hurried into the room, took a newspaper, and quickly went to the third branch.
Gu Mu, peeking from the kitchen, saw his quickly passing figure and frowned slightly, not knowing what he was rushing about.
As he neared the third branch, Gu Fu bumped into the brigade leader.
When Brigade Leader Ye saw him, he remembered the newspaper that had been “borrowed” and couldn’t help but want to say a few sarcastic words. But thinking that the person who was likely to be reported was this guy’s daughter-in-law, he swallowed his anger.
“…Going to your third son’s room?”
Gu Fu saw the new newspaper in the brigade leader’s hand and guessed that they had the same intention.
“Isn’t that obvious? Let’s go together.”
He led the way.
Brigade Leader Ye: …
So arrogant.
If one didn’t know, they might think it was your own son who was in the newspaper.
He was envious from behind as Gu Fu strode into the third branch’s room.
The twins and Li Bao were playing ball in the small courtyard.
They were very excited and played carefully, afraid of breaking it.
Lin Zhao hadn’t been back for almost a month, and the house was still clean. The twins swept the floor every day, and Gu Lan also came over every few days to wipe the cabinets and air out the bedding.
The little girl was diligent and grateful, doing things very carefully, even the stove was wiped clean without a speck of dust.
“Third son’s wife…”
Hearing her father-in-law’s voice, Lin Zhao paused, wiped her hands, and walked out of the kitchen.
“Dad,” she called out, her expression puzzled.
Gu Fu walked closer, held up the newspaper in his hand, and asked, “Third son’s wife, did you submit this piece?”
Brigade Leader Ye, unable to contain his impatience, added, “This article is about our brigade’s mushroom cultivation. The byline is Lin Zhao from the county’s supply and marketing cooperative. Is that you?”
He asked nervously, “There isn’t another Lin Zhao in your supply and marketing cooperative, is there?!”
If their brigade produced someone who was published in the newspaper, he, the brigade leader, would also gain some glory. The brigade leader didn’t want to miss such a good opportunity.
His eyes shone brighter than ever, looking at Lin Zhao with expectation.
Lin Zhao took the newspaper, glanced at the article, raised an eyebrow, and then smiled.
“It was me.”
“I just wrote it for fun and didn’t expect it to be published.”
This remark was overheard by a few educated youths who had just arrived.
The faces of the educated youths became contorted.
Just wrote it for fun?
Then what were they, who wrote seriously and submitted their work seriously, considered?
A joke.
Thus, pairs of eyes, filled with resentment and bitterness, looked at Lin Zhao.
“?”
Lin Zhao was quite surprised to see the educated youths arriving.
Her eyes were puzzled, “Why have you come?”
Song Qian’s distinguished face showed a smile, he raised his hand, pointed vaguely at the newspaper in her hand, and politely said, “Because of this.”
Their purpose was the same as the brigade leader’s.
Just an article published in the newspaper, did it have such great power?
The brigade leader, having received confirmation, smiled until his face was full of wrinkles.
His words were full of praise, “Good! Good!! Our brigade has produced a…”
He wanted to say a literary prodigy, but seeing the educated youths, he quickly swallowed his words, accidentally bit his tongue, and tears almost came out from the pain.
However, his expression remained composed.
“Our brigade has produced an incredibly impressive cultural person.”
The twins stopped playing ball and gathered to listen to the adults talk.
Heng Bao, who was talkative, stepped forward to pull, took the newspaper from Lin Zhao’s hand, and looked at it seriously, like an old cadre.
Yu Bao leaned in.
Upon seeing the name under the article’s title, his eyes lit up.
“Mommy, it’s really you. You’re amazing,” he said with admiration.
The little friend had heard from his grandfather before that getting published in a newspaper was a very difficult thing.
Heng Bao put his hands on his hips, “Mommy, you didn’t even tell us. When Grandpa asked me and brother, we didn’t know anything.”
“Put your hand down,” Lin Zhao said.
He didn’t learn anything good, only bad habits.
Heng Bao obediently put his hand down and gave an innocent smile, giggling, “I’m used to it.”
One could imagine how carefree and arrogant he had been during this period without his mother watching over him.
He had probably been acting like a king in the village quite a bit.
Sometimes, thinking about Heng Bao’s temperament, it wasn’t surprising that he might have gone down the wrong path in the original book without anyone watching him.
“…Go back to playing your ball,” Lin Zhao sent the children away.
Yu Bao pulled his brother and Li Bao away.
Wen Huaiyuan saw the soccer ball, his tone slightly raised, and said with some surprise, “Soccer ball?! Is that a soccer ball?!”
Good heavens, the country bumpkins even have a soccer ball, and at such a tender age.
He rubbed his eyes and opened them again; the soccer ball was still there.
Song Qian inexplicably wanted to cover his face.
His friend’s demeanor was too embarrassing.
“Watch your expression.”
Wen Huaiyuan felt a pain in his arm and his expression contorted.
He had some pride, so he restrained his contorted expression and gave the Gu family twins a stiff smile.
“Good, soccer ball, good, fun to play.”
The three “treasures” thought the educated youths from the city were really strange.
Having received confirmation, the brigade leader left contentedly. Before long, the village loudspeaker began to sound.
Gu Qingzhou’s voice rang out.
He read the article written by Lin Zhao in clear, standard Mandarin.
There were few educated people in the village, only a handful who could be called upon. The brigade leader looked for the most capable one.
Listening to the broadcast, Lin Zhao unconsciously scratched her toes.
That’s a story for another day.
Gu Fu’s heart was filled with pride, but he showed none on the surface. He seemed very calm and praised Lin Zhao dryly a few times before quickly leaving.
Upon returning home, he loudly called out to Gu Mu.
“Wife! There’s good news! The third son’s wife is in the newspaper—!”
Hearing this, Gu Mu quickly came out, shuffling her slippers.
She lifted the curtain and almost bumped into her old man.
She didn’t have time to get angry, and said urgently, “What about being in the newspaper? What happened to the third son’s wife?!”
Gu Fu went with the newspaper and came back with the newspaper.
“The article written by the third son’s wife is in the newspaper!”
He said with some pride, “The article even mentioned old man me…”
Gu Mu also knew a few characters, although not many.
She used to do a lot of needlework when she was young, and as she got older, her eyesight wasn’t as good.
“Oh my, I can’t see the words clearly, you read it to me,” Gu Mu urged impatiently.
Gu Fu looked helpless.
If you can’t see the words, can I?
Knowing his wife was anxious, he didn’t dare to argue and found a well-lit spot, squinted, and began to read.
《 Silver stars shine brightly, collective production creates a new chapter – Fengshou Brigade’s mushroom cultivation achieves a bountiful harvest 》
Just by hearing the title of the article, Gu Mu gave a thumbs up.
She really was a cultured person, her words were so eloquent.
Gu Fu looked at her and smiled.
Then he continued to read aloud.
As Gu Mu listened, a surge of pride welled up within her. She felt a pride in growing mushrooms and also a pride that her daughter-in-law’s article was published.
The article was less than a thousand characters, and Gu Fu finished reading it in a short time.
Gu Mu’s enthusiasm had nowhere to be vented, so she simply took the newspaper from him and rushed out in a hurry.
“My newspaper—” Gu Fu called out anxiously.
“I’ll give it back to you later,” Gu Mu replied perfunctorily, disappearing from the yard in a flash.
Gu Fu’s face fell. He also wanted to go out and chat.
He grumbled dejectedly, “Didn’t she say her back hurt? It doesn’t hurt now?”
Gu Mu’s back didn’t hurt indeed. Her waist and legs didn’t ache now, and she could plow two mu of land in one go.
She arrived under the big banyan tree in the village and saw many people gossiping. Her eyes lit up, and she walked over with a smile.
Her smile was too bright.
It immediately attracted the attention of Old Woman Li and others.
“Why are you smiling like that? Is your family expecting a new addition?” Old Woman Li couldn’t help but ask.
Gu Mu sat down next to her and, without beating around the bush, dropped a bombshell.
“My daughter-in-law is in the newspaper!!” she said gleefully.
Old Woman Li’s drooping eyelids suddenly shot up, “What? Your daughter-in-law is in the newspaper? Which newspaper? Did she cut ties with you again?”
It wasn’t her fault for thinking that way; it was due to the aftereffects of Gu Xing’er’s previous situation.
“…”
The atmosphere of laughter and chatting suddenly became stagnant.
Everyone looked at Gu Mu with stunned expressions.
As expected, Gu Mu’s face fell.
She could erupt at any moment.
Old Woman Li realized her words had struck a sore spot for her old friend, and a look of embarrassment appeared on her old face. She chuckled sheepishly and nudged Gu Mu with her elbow, “Are you okay?”
This question was a form of apology.
Gu Mu couldn’t be bothered to argue with her. “What do you think? You’re asking about what’s not going well!” she said disdainfully.
She was used to it.
She wouldn’t argue with this person.
Because of this incident, she calmed down.
She said in a calm tone, “My third son’s wife, the article she wrote is in the newspaper!”
Someone, realizing belatedly, saw the newspaper in her hand and asked, “Is that what you’re holding?”
“Otherwise?” Gu Mu said.
Old Woman Li was very supportive, slapping her thigh, “Oh my, Chenghuai’s wife is becoming more and more extraordinary! Even those educated youths don’t have this ability. The brigade leader will be overjoyed.”
Educated Youths: …They just worked honestly and didn’t provoke anyone.
“I haven’t heard of anyone in the surrounding villages having their articles published in the newspaper. Chenghuai’s wife is indeed extraordinary.”
“What is the article about? Read it to us.” Someone urged.
Gu Mu smiled and said, “It’s about our brigade’s mushroom cultivation.”
“Growing mushrooms? What’s so special about writing about that?” Someone asked with confusion.
Gu Mu became displeased and said, “To cultured people, what can’t be written about? Even a rotten weed can be written beautifully.”
She cleared her throat, squinted her eyes, and, imitating her old man, began to read the article.
Gu Fu: Can I see again?
