Chapter 264: “someone Wants To Blow Up Your Grandson”
“No pee, then sleep a bit longer. It’s still early.” Lin Zhao lightly patted her son’s shoulder. As she patted, San Zai didn’t fall asleep, but she did, snoring away.
Qian Bao glanced at his mother, pulled the quilt over for her, obediently lay down, closed his eyes, and soon fell asleep too.
In the village.
The first household set off firecrackers, with crackling sounds rising and falling one after another.
Fortunately, these sounds weren’t too close together, so those wanting to sleep in could still do so.
But how many people could really sleep in? As soon as it got light, people in every household were up.
Lin Shisheng felt like he couldn’t breathe and opened his eyes—two big faces right there!
It was Yu Bao and Heng Bao. The two hovered over him, eyes wide round, looking down at him.
Lin Shisheng: “…”
“What?” He let out a long breath, draping his arm over his eyes.
“It’s still early. Keep sleeping.”
Heng Bao tugged at his second uncle’s arm. “Don’t sleep! Second Uncle, you promised to take us to pick up firecrackers.”
Lin Shisheng wanted to slap his own mouth.
“Your mother will beat me to death.” He felt a huge headache—talking big was no good; these two little ones remembered it.
“No way.” Heng Bao shook his second uncle’s arm, face serious, saying: “You promised us last night, Uncle, good Second Uncle~~!”
He drew out the tone, voice wavy like a little ripple, full of that special softness kids have.
Lin Shisheng wanted to cover his ears, but he couldn’t ignore his nephew’s earnest gaze.
A moment later, he sat up.
“Get up.” Lin Shisheng quickly put on his cotton-padded clothes, then helped his two big nephews into their new clothes, instructing: “You two have to listen to me. If you blow a hole in the new clothes, I guarantee your mother will hang you two from a tree and beat you.”
Of course, the chance of her beating him, the second brother, was even higher.
Yu Bao cherishingly touched the new cotton-padded clothes their dad had mailed them, looking serious, tone solemn: “No, we’ll stay far away.”
When Heng Bao was naughty, he’d really been smacked by his mother. He wasn’t even six yet, and his childhood was already quite complete, so he fully believed his second uncle’s words.
He hurriedly said: “I’ll definitely be careful.”
Not entirely trusting himself, he looked at Yu Bao: “Bro, remind me.”
“Mm-hmm.”
Lin Shisheng squatted down to put shoes on the twins.
After leaving the room, cold wind hit them, and the two little brothers shrank their necks.
“So cold.” Heng Bao said.
Yu Bao comforted his younger brother: “After washing our faces, we’ll put on hats and scarves and won’t be cold.”
“Mm.” Heng Bao rushed into the kitchen.
The fire in the stove had been burning all night, the water in the iron pot was hot—perfect for washing faces and brushing teeth.
After Lin Shisheng took his two nephews to wash up, he added water to the pot, put more firewood under the stove, made a bowl of egg drop soup, and they drank it—one big, two small portions—until their limbs warmed up. He stuffed two handfuls of fruit candy into his pocket, called Yu Bao and Heng Bao, and they went out to pick up firecrackers.
“Gu Family’s Twins, you’re up too?” Village kids greeted Yu Bao and Heng Bao.
Lin Zhao went back to her maternal family often and diligently, so the village kids all knew her and her four kids.
“Yeah.” Yu Bao responded, seeing the firecrackers in the opposite kid’s hand, and said generously: “You guys are out picking firecrackers too.”
“Want some?” The kid reached out to him, expression a bit awkward.
Seeing the new clothes on the twins, that little black hand curled up uncomfortably.
“Give them to us?” Yu Bao was surprised. “But you picked them yourself.”
The kid’s dark little face showed a smile. “It’s fine, I can pick more.”
Yu Bao shook his head, politely refusing: “We can’t take what you worked hard to pick. My brother and I will pick our own, thanks.”
Lin Shisheng saw the little friends getting along well and didn’t hurry over. His nephew glanced back at him, and then he approached.
Picking up firecrackers wasn’t exactly a good thing. Seeing an adult approach, the village kids—whose faces were red from the cold early morning hunt for firecrackers—all hid their hands like ostriches.
Lin Shisheng didn’t say anything, just pulled out candy from his pocket.
“… Come here, two candies each.”
The village kids’ eyes lit up, stunned in place—no one dared believe it was real.
“Come on.” Lin Shisheng called again.
This time, a kid stepped forward.
He looked up at Second Uncle Lin, uncertainly asking: “Really for us?”
“Two each?!”
Lin Shisheng put two in his palm. “See if they’re real?”
The little black kid pinched them, instinctively clenching his fist. “They’re real, real candy. Thanks, Second Uncle Lin. Happy New Year, Second Uncle Lin. Wish you success in your career.”
Lin Shisheng ruffled the kid’s head. “How’d your mouth suddenly get so sweet? Who’d you learn from?”
The little black kid grinned. “From my grandma. I memorized it last night for a long time, forgot it when I woke up, and asked her again.”
What he didn’t say was that his grandma had given him a complicated look—like looking at a hopeless case—and he knew it.
This kid was the Lin Family neighbor’s grandson, naughty since little. Lin Shisheng knew his family’s temperament, guessed something, and a suppressed laugh appeared in his eyes. Afraid to embarrass the kid, he held it back.
Pretending nothing happened, he distributed candy to the other kids.
“Thanks, Second Uncle Lin.” The polite kids thanked him.
The clever ones copied the first kid, saying auspicious words: “Wish Second Uncle Lin’s whole family good health.”
One blessing after another made Lin Shisheng feel great inside and out.
“Second Uncle, my bro and I are going over there to pick.” Heng Bao couldn’t wait and spoke up.
The village kids said: “We’ll go too. Twins, we can help you find them.”
“Yeah, your uncle gave us candy.”
“The candy’s so sweet.”
…
The little friends chattered away, following along naturally.
Any unexploded firecrackers they found went to the two kids.
“Here’s an unlit one, for Yu Bao.”
“I’ve got one here too, for Heng Bao!”
The twins were at Grandma and Grandpa’s for New Year, happy as always, just a bit regretting that Li Bao and their cousins weren’t there.
“Yu Bao, Heng Bao, you went out without calling me!!”
A crisp shout came from afar.
Yu Bao and Heng Bao were squatting on the ground and turned back.
Running over were Da Dan and the others, the shouter being Xi Bao.
Xi Bao pulled Xuanxuan and Zheng Zheng right up to them.
“You went out without calling us!!” she accused.
Xuanxuan and her sister looked at their biological father resentfully.
“Dad, did you forget you have two daughters?” Zheng Zheng muttered softly.
“How could I?” Lin Shisheng denied. “I took these two out to pick firecrackers. You’re girls—why play with this? Better sleep more.”
Da Dan was unhappy. “What about me and Er Dan? We’re not little girls. Second Uncle, why didn’t you call us?!”
Er Dan said: “Yeah.”
Lin Shisheng sized them up. “How old are you two? How old are Yu Bao and Heng Bao? How can you have the nerve compared to them?”
“What’s embarrassing? Grandpa says we’ll be the youngest in the family even at a hundred.” Da Dan said defiantly.
Lin Shisheng was speechless—that was exactly something his dad would say.
“I’ll call you two next time I even poop, okay?” he said helplessly.
See, Momo and Xiao Bai weren’t saying a word—just these two talkative ones.
The two eggs had expressions like “that’s enough.”
Ignoring their second uncle’s nonsense, the brothers rushed toward their two cousins.
“I’ll find for you two. Big Brother Da Dan is the best in the village at it—I’ll make sure you have enough to light from New Year’s Day to the fifth!” Da Dan said proudly.
Er Dan pursed his lips, thinking he was the best, but arguing with his big brother seemed childish, so he swallowed his words.
Lin Shisheng looked at Jing Mo and Guang Bai, who had a refined air totally unlike the village kids.
“Have you two picked up unlit firecrackers before?”
Jing Mo shook his head. “No.”
Yuan Qin thought it dirty and wouldn’t let them pick, nor play with kids who did.
“Childhood without this experience is incomplete. Go on, pick some together. Know what an unlit firecracker looks like?” Lin Shisheng raised his chin, signaling them to go play boldly.
Xiao Bai’s eyes sparkled—he wanted to but feared dirtying his new clothes. He said softly: “What if the clothes get dirty?”
“Dirty is dirty; they can be washed.” Lin Shisheng said.
The brothers immediately dropped their worries and headed toward Da Dan and Er Dan calling them.
Soon, feeling happy, they smiled brighter than usual.
Lin Shisheng: Tsk, boys should play wild in childhood!
Jing Mo and Xiao Bai were like two little stiffs led by Fourth Son, always seeming restrained. No way—that was at home; what was there to be uneasy about!
New Year’s Day, adults and kids alike took a day off.
Lin Shisheng had nothing to do, standing in a corner watching the kids pick unexploded firecrackers.
A naughty boy tossed one near a little girl, scaring her into shrieking. The boy laughed hard, then got thumped by her brother and sister.
“Scaring my sister, huh? Next time, I’ll toss one in your pants!”
The naughty boy went wide-eyed, then yelled: “Grandma, help! Someone wants to blow up your grandson’s eggs—!”
Lin Shisheng: “Pfft…”
What a wild kid. Looking closely, it was the village’s most honest dimwit.
“Hahahaha…” Laughter echoed far.
By now, it was fully bright.
Calls for kids to eat rose from each house.
“Meal time, Donkey Egg, where are you? Time to eat!”
“Meal time, where’d you all run off to? Gotta yell for you to eat—should I feed you myself!!”
…
For the Lin Family, it was Lin Zhao calling.
She stood at the door, signaled to Da Huang and Amber, and the two dogs rushed out straight to where their little masters were.
Once there, they first nuzzled Yu Bao and Heng Bao affectionately, then gently bit their trouser legs, dragging them toward the Lin house.
“Time to eat?” Yu Bao asked.
“Awoo!” Da Huang let out that sound.
Yu Bao put the firecrackers into a cloth bag, tied it shut, and called everyone home for the meal.
Hearing it was mealtime, Da Dan and the others couldn’t stay put and called their siblings home.
Jing Mo petted Da Huang’s head, face full of irrepressible fondness. “Da Huang is so smart.”
Amber circled him, fluffy tail wagging happily.
“Yu Bao, Heng Bao…?” Jing Mo didn’t get it and looked to the twins for help.
Heng Bao said loudly: “Amber wants you to praise her too!”
Jing Mo half-believed it, tentatively praising: “Amber is smart too.”
Amber bounced in place a few times, hopping forward happily—anyone could see her joy.
“It really wanted me to praise it.” Jing Mo was full of shock.
Yu Bao explained: “Amber is a dog who loves hearing praise.”
Da Dan had just learned this too. “Little Aunt’s two dogs are total spirits.”
Knowing Da Huang was Qian Bao’s lifesaver, the Lin Family kids were fond of these two dogs, and seeing how smart they were made them like them even more.
“So nice.” Xuanxuan said softly.
Lin Shisheng asked: “You want one?”
“No.” Xuanxuan refused. She was afraid she couldn’t raise it well, and dogs ate grain—she didn’t want to use Dad’s hard-earned money for her own selfish desire.
“Don’t like dogs?” Lin Shisheng tilted his head at his eldest daughter. “What about cats? Like cats? They’re fluffy too, catch mice, basically no effort.”
Countryside was full of mice; cats were really convenient.
Ears sharp, Yu Bao heard this. “Second Uncle, do you know where there’s a kitten?”
“What? You want to raise one?” Lin Shisheng asked back.
“Mm-hmm, we want to!” Heng Bao chimed in.
“You two already have two dogs and a monkey—can you handle a cat too?”
Yu Bao said: “Grandma says raising cats is no trouble.”
Heng Bao added: “Yeah, Grandma said she’d find one for us, but hasn’t yet.”
His tone was a bit regretful. “Heard there was a big cat at the foot of the mountain before. Bro and I ran over, but didn’t see it. Sigh.”
Lin Shisheng’s big hand clapped his head. “No sighing on New Year’s—bad luck.”
“Whoosh…” Heng Bao inhaled, grinning: “I sucked the good fortune back!”
“…” Lin Shisheng was amused.
“If your mother agrees, I’ll find one for you.”
He knew lots of people; a little pear-flower cat was findable.
As they talked, the group reached the Lin house.
Heng Bao rushed into the yard, saw Lin Zhao, and called brightly: “Mom, you agree to us raising a kitten, right?”
“Why suddenly talking about cats?” Lin Zhao wondered.
“Second Uncle said he’d find us one. Mom, say it—you agree to us raising a kitten, right?” Heng Bao’s eyes were eager, afraid she’d change her mind.
“Yes.” Lin Zhao nodded.
“Second Uncle?” Heng Bao looked expectantly at Lin Shisheng.
“Heard it. If I find one, I’ll send it over.” Knowing Jing Mo and Xiao Bai wanted a fluffy pet too, Lin Shisheng looked at them. “You two want a cat?”
Jing Mo hesitated a moment, desire winning out. He asked shyly: “Trouble?”
“No trouble, what’s the trouble?” Lin Shisheng thought these two nephews were too polite—not surprising, raised in that environment. He said: “I’ll try to get one before you head back to the troops.”
Cats were easy if lucky, hard if not—had to chance it.
Conveniently, a brother’s family cat had just had kittens.
If he went to ask, his brother would be thrilled—worried about what to do with them.
“Thanks, Second Uncle.” Jing Mo said happily.
Realizing he’d forgotten to ask Dad, he quickly asked Meng Jiusi: “Dad, can we raise a cat at home?”
Having already refused his son adopting a military dog, Meng Jiusi couldn’t refuse a cat. He nodded. “If you want, raise it.”
Jing Mo beamed. “Dad, I’ll take good care of the new member!”
Xiao Bai was excited too, voice louder than usual. “Me too.”
Lin Heling said warmly: “Don’t talk about cats now—come eat…”
