Chapter 29: “so Arrogant”
Lin Zhao placed water next to Da Huang again. Da Huang glanced at it, paused its meal, and nudged her leg with its big head, sniffing her scent. The emotion in its eyes made one’s nose ache.
It continued eating, its tail wagging rapidly.
“Da Zai, where did you find Da Huang?”
Da Zai was squatting and watching Da Huang eat. Hearing his mother’s words, he looked up and said, “Right by the entrance. It was hiding behind a tree.”
As he mentioned the tree, Lin Zhao realized where it was, at the house diagonally opposite, very close to hers.
“Da Huang was worried about its cub, such a smart Da Huang.”
Upon hearing this, Er Zai came over, a strange competitive spirit rising within him. He asked casually, “Who is smarter, me or Da Huang?”
Comparing yourself to a dog?
You’re something else!
Lin Zhao’s mouth twitched imperceptibly, “…Both are smart.”
Er Zai didn’t get angry. He patted Da Huang’s head, smiling brightly, “Da Huang, you’re as smart as me. You belong to the Gu family’s dog.”
The latter half of the sentence clearly mimicked his grandmother’s words, even the tone was the same.
Lin Zhao had nothing to say.
“Mom, should we make a doghouse for Da Huang and Amber?” Da Zai asked.
“We can make one, but I don’t know how,” Lin Zhao agreed with his suggestion but felt powerless.
Da Zai’s eyes darted, and he said, “I’ll ask Grandpa to make it!”
“Brother, I’ll go to the old house with you. I need to return Grandma’s comb,” Er Zai got up, holding Amber in his arms. He had previously disliked the dog for being ugly, but now he genuinely liked it.
Lin Zhao reminded him, “Don’t forget to tell your Grandma that you used her comb to brush Amber’s fur.”
“My Grandma definitely won’t blame me,” Er Zai waved his hand and left the house with his brother.
Look at the smug expression of this favored human child. How arrogant!
Lin Zhao no longer paid attention to the two brothers. She played with the dragon-phoenix twins with sandbags for a while, then let the two little ones play by themselves while she watched.
With free time, she summoned the Lucky Draw Turntable and saw that several tasks on the right-hand task bar were checked off.
Points increased rapidly.
【You adopted the most loyal Da Huang, allowing Da Huang to taste fullness for the first time in its life. You also gently helped it get rid of odor and kill pests. You are the most loving pet owner! Congratulations, family member +1, reward points 100. 】
【You adopted Little Yellow, who is full of curiosity about the world, and gave it the warmest and most pleasant name, saving it from hunger, cold, and wandering. You believe that such a carefully treated little one will also repay you with loyalty and trust. Family member +1, reward points 100. Keep up the good work! 】
【You are teaching the children to read and helping them become successors of socialism. This is a great deed, reward points 100. 】
…
A series of task completion reminders.
After that.
In the top right corner, the total points became 580.
Lin Zhao’s eyes lit up, and without hesitation, she used 500 points for one draw.
The pointer spun rapidly, then gradually slowed down.
Her heart spun with the pointer, beating faster and faster.
She wondered what she would draw.
She hoped it would be something that could keep things from spoiling like a refrigerator!!
These few seconds suddenly seemed to stretch out.
Finally.
The pointer stopped.
The name of the prize slowly appeared, like thermochromic ink reacting to heat.
Four words:
「Storage Ring」
“!!!”
Lin Zhao was full of surprise.
Her dream had come true!
Carrying the dragon-phoenix twins, she took out the Storage Ring and put it on her ring finger. The ring instantly became invisible, and nothing could be seen.
However, Lin Zhao could feel its existence.
It was… very magical.
With the mysterious Lucky Draw Turntable, it wasn’t that surprising for a Storage Ring to appear.
Lin Zhao returned to the room and put all the prizes she had won, such as pork ribs and watermelon, which spoil easily, as well as the gold bars and jewelry her father had given her, into the ring.
She could see the items stored inside, neatly arranged in large and small compartments, a sight that was very soothing for Er Zai’s obsessive-compulsive tendencies.
Er Zai, holding the scruffy little yellow dog, entered the Gu Family Old House.
Upon entering and seeing Gu Mu, he excitedly ran over, his voice rising, “Grandma! Look at my Amber!!”
Da Zai and Da Huang followed behind him.
Gu Mu was taken aback, “You got a dog?”
Then she quickly asked, “Does your mother agree to keep it?!”
“She agrees. My mother said we could keep it,” Er Zai’s voice was clear.
Gu Mu was full of doubts. The third son’s wife was unwilling to even raise a chicken, yet she was willing to raise a dog.
“It’s good to keep a dog. Da Huang is loyal and can understand people, and can guard the house. It’s a good thing, just too wasteful of grain.”
How much grain would such a big dog eat?
She was extremely worried.
“Er Zai, do you still have grain at home? If not, can I give you some?”
Er Zai said, “My mother didn’t say we were short on grain.”
Not saying it meant they weren’t short yet.
Gu Mu felt relieved. She glanced at Da Huang, who was as thin as a skeleton, and reminded him, “If you’re not enough, come to me.”
“That’s for sure,” Er Zai said maturely.
Gu Mu rubbed his little bald head.
Er Zai took a comb out of his pocket and handed it over, “Grandma, here’s your comb, returning it to you…”
He paused at this point, his eyes subtly moving, gauging Gu Mu’s emotions, and said, “Grandma, I used your comb to brush Amber’s fur.”
“Amber?” Gu Mu asked, confused.
“It’s Little Yellow! Amber is the name Mom gave Little Yellow!” Seeing that his Grandma wasn’t angry, Er Zai perked up again.
“It’s fine, just brush it. I’ll wash it later,” Gu Mu said indifferently.
“Thank you, Grandma.” Er Zai smiled happily. Knowing his Grandma was good to him, he wanted to make Gu Mu happy too, and said, “Grandma, I’ll recite a poem for you, do you want to listen?”
Gu Mu suddenly looked at him, her eyes widening in surprise, “Oh, you can recite poetry too?”
Er Zai proudly raised his chin and began.
Reciting as he walked:
“The bright moon before the bed,
Suspected to be frost on the ground.
I raise my head to gaze at the bright moon,
And lower my head to think of home.”
After reciting, he looked at Gu Mu with his bright eyes, with a “praise me” expression.
“Good! It’s beautiful!” Gu Mu happily rubbed Er Zai’s face, doting on him, “Oh my, my precious grandson, how can you be so smart? You’re only a little over five years old and you can recite poetry, stronger than your father!”
Gu Chenghuai inexplicably felt his nose tickle.
Someone was thinking of him.
Zhaozhao?
Had she received the things he sent back?!
The young officer, maintaining a serious expression, thought of his wife and son, and a shallow smile appeared on his lips.
“Commander Gu, the Regiment Commander is looking for you,” a young soldier ran over with a message.
Gu Chenghuai’s smile faded. He brought his feet together, heels touching, his spine straightening like a pine tree, and raised his arm in a salute.
In the slanting sunlight, his figure disappeared.
At the Gu family’s home, Er Zai’s face was flushed with pride from Gu Mu’s praise, his eyes and brows full of smiles. “Grandma, I also learned five words!” He tried to spread out his palm.
“Five words? That’s more than I know! Did your uncle teach you?” Gu Mu asked.
“No! It was Mom! Mom taught my brother and me to read and count last night.” Er Zai didn’t plan to tell his Grandma that his mother wasn’t helping them find wives, because then Grandma would criticize Mom, and he didn’t want Mom to be unhappy.
Gu Mu was even more shocked, her voice rising, “Your mother taught you two to read and count?”
She thought it was his uncle who taught them before.
“Yes,” Er Zai nodded.
“Your mother is becoming more and more attentive to you,” Gu Mu said with emotion.
Er Zai said, “Mom is the best to us.”
Even if she doesn’t help them get wives, she’s still the best mom!
Da Zai finally found an opportunity to ask, “Grandma, where is Grandpa?”
“What do you need Grandpa for?”
“I want to ask Grandpa to help make a doghouse for Da Huang and Amber,” Da Zai said.
Gu Mu thought to herself that it wasn’t a big deal and could be done quickly. She pointed to the house, “Grandpa is resting in the room. Go call him.”
“Okay,” Da Zai ran off to bother his Grandpa.
Gu Fu knew some carpentry. Although not skilled, it was enough to make doghouses.
After hearing his grandson’s request, he found some boards and started working.
Er Zai squatted beside his Grandpa, watching, and made a request, “Grandpa, make it look nice.”
Mom doesn’t like ugly things.
Gu Fu smiled and agreed.
–
In the afternoon, Lin Zhao decided to visit her maternal family. When she told Da Zai and Er Zai, they immediately expressed their desire to go with her.
As a mother, she found taking two children troublesome, time-consuming, and energy-draining. She immediately painted two rosy pictures, saying that she would make them sweet and sour watermelon and lemon juice when they got back. The two children fell into a dilemma, and after a few seconds, they immediately declared they would wait for Mom to come back at home.
She had them figured out.
A sly smile flashed in Lin Zhao’s eyes. Slinging an empty basket over her arm, she lightly skipped her way back to her maternal home.
Not having to manage the children, she walked with a spring in her step.
As she neared her maternal home, Lin Zhao took out a watermelon, a can of green tea, and 2 jin of white flour from the Storage Ring and entered the Dongfeng Brigade.
The usually lively village entrance was surprisingly quiet, eerily so.
She felt a little puzzled.
After a few steps.
She saw her mother fighting with someone.
No, her mother was beating someone single-handedly.
The scene was chaotic, with shouting, crying, and heckling…
It was unclear what was happening.
Seeing Lin Zhao, one of the people trying to break up the fight called out to her, “Zhaozhao? Zhaozhao is back! Zhaozhao, quickly pull your mother away. Oh dear, her strength could kill someone in a fight. This is a new era, not like before. Killing someone will get you sent to jail…”
Lin Zhao walked through the crowd to her mother’s side and asked, “Mom, what’s going on?”
She glanced at the person being beaten. That was the biggest gossip in the Dongfeng Brigade. She compared all the villagers her age, both openly and secretly. There was nothing she didn’t say, turning black into white. She had suffered many losses because of spreading gossip, but she never learned her lesson.
Lin Mu Song Xiwei impatiently pushed away the person she was beating, who was too choked up to speak. She patted her hands, tidied her slightly disheveled clothes, and said calmly, “It’s nothing, we were just playing.”
The long-tongued woman who was beaten glared, her expression humiliated, and she was very angry.
Who was playing with you?
This savage!
She cursed inwardly but didn’t dare to utter a sound.
She was in the wrong today. It was because she gossiped about Lin Zhao that Song Xiwei, this female bandit, caught her.
The woman angrily pushed away the person supporting her and left in a huff.
“What kind of person,” the person who was pushed grumbled unhappily, truly ungrateful.
Song Xiwei glanced at the bags in Lin Zhao’s hands. Her brows furrowed subtly, and with an unpleasant expression, she glared at her and said, “Let’s go home.”
Lin Zhao pretended not to see her mother’s glare and followed, handing the items to her mother who could take down bandits. She pretended to be tired and swung her arms, complaining, “I’m so tired, Mom, help me carry it. Ah, if only I had a bicycle.”
“…” Helplessness flashed in Song Xiwei’s eyes. She didn’t think her daughter was being spoiled. She said, “Money isn’t a problem, do you have the tickets?”
Lin Zhao shook her head and said, “No. I wrote to Gu Chenghuai to ask for one. Maybe he can get it.”
Song Xiwei looked at her sideways. Her daughter’s eyes were clear, and her whole being was bright and soft, much like she was when she first got married.
Full of confidence in the future, vibrantly loving this world.
“Still not angry with Cheng Huai?”
Lin Zhao responded with a confused “Mm,” and said, “I’m not angry with him.”
Song Xiwei shook her head inwardly.
If you weren’t angry, why didn’t you take care of the children? For those few years, you were like a different person, all because your husband wasn’t around when you had children, and you were sulking.
“Okay, you’re not angry.”
The items in her hands had some weight. Song Xiwei weighed them, “What did you bring this time?”
“Just a watermelon, a can of green tea, and two jin of white flour,” Lin Zhao sighed. “I originally wanted to bring my dad some meat sauce, but I was afraid you’d scold me, so I didn’t dare to take it. I’ll mail it to your son-in-law tomorrow in the county.”
“Mailing it to Chenghuai is good,” Song Xiwei agreed. “Your son-in-law is working hard alone outside, you should care for him more.”
“I do care. I write him a letter every three days, isn’t that frequent enough?”
Song Xiwei didn’t comment, only saying, “When you first got married, you wrote one every day.”
Lin Zhao had no argument, because it was the truth.
The mother and daughter left hand in hand. The place that had been crowded due to the fight instantly lost its fervor.
“Zhaozhao brought things to her parents again, is her family not doing well? A married daughter shouldn’t always be taking things from her in-laws’ home. It’s just that the Gu family has separated, otherwise, she’d be kicked out sooner or later.”
The woman speaking was about the same age as Song Xiwei. Her daughter-in-law always secretly took things from home and gave them to her maternal family. She hated daughters-in-law who didn’t care about their in-laws’ homes. Seeing Lin Zhao with her large bags reminded her of her own daughter-in-law, and she gritted her teeth in hatred.
The person next to the woman reminded her, “Their family matters have nothing to do with us. If you don’t want that ‘Song family’s female overlord’ to find you, don’t talk.”
Besides, their daughter married a capable man, and she’s willing to be filial to her parents. That shows her filial piety, so why be jealous?
“Fine, I won’t say anything…”
The group gossiping scattered like loose sand, and everyone went back home. However, they couldn’t help but wonder in their hearts, what else did Lin Zhao bring…
Lin Zhao could guess what the villagers would say. She could even recite it word for word. It was nothing more than idle gossip, similar to what the people in Fengshou Brigade said. They didn’t have malicious intent, they just liked to talk about people’s affairs. It was a way for rural people to pass the time, and she never took it to heart.
Back home.
Lin Zhao immediately saw Lin Die sunning himself in the yard.
“Dad!”
Lin Heling, who was resting with his eyes closed, heard the familiar voice and opened them. A smile immediately appeared on his face, and he beckoned her over.
“Zhaozhao is back. Are you thirsty?”
Lin Zhao unceremoniously sat next to her dad, “Thirsty! I’m dying of thirst. I walked so fast to tell Mom and Dad the good news quickly that my throat is almost smoking.”
At this moment, Lin Shisheng came out of the kitchen, holding a bowl of water.
“Drink,” he said, then glared at his sister, “You didn’t bring a water bottle yourself, don’t say you have none.”
Seeing that Lin Zhao wasn’t wearing a hat, he frowned, “You didn’t even wear a straw hat. You’ll cry again if you get tanned.”
Lin Zhao gulped down several mouthfuls of water, her eyes looking resentful, “I was just in a hurry to share the good news with you, and Second Brother is also scolding me.”
She only looked resentful for two seconds before quickly becoming enthusiastic again.
“Second Brother, guess what good news I brought?”
