Chapter 32: “a Carefully Chosen Control Group”
How exactly is it creepy?
Those close to Lu Baozhen either have bad luck at best or die at worst.
What was even more chilling was that she seemed to have some inexplicable gravitational pull; anyone who saw her would involuntarily feel fondness for her and want to treat her well in every possible way.
This kindness had no purpose and sought no reward; even if they themselves were full of hardship, they still wanted to treat her well.
It was downright eerie.
Lin Zhao recalled certain offhand remarks in the book that decided a person’s fate, and goosebumps crawled all over her body.
Very unsettling.
Following the soft, sweet voice came Su Yuxian’s voice.
“Lin Zhao.” With that, she gently pushed open the door.
Su Yuxian stepped one foot inside and saw Lin Zhao in the yard, her tone gentle with a hint of barely perceptible resentment. “I called you, why didn’t you respond?”
“People sometimes don’t feel like talking.” Lin Zhao was in a bad mood, didn’t want to entertain guests, and didn’t want to exchange pleasantries with her.
Get lost.
Su Yuxian was taken aback. “What’s wrong with you?”
Before Lin Zhao could answer, she saw Lu Baozhen walking toward Da Zai and Er Zai.
Her brows furrowed slightly.
But she didn’t stop her.
She wanted to see what would happen.
Lu Baozhen stopped in front of the twins, her clear, grape-like big eyes staring at the bowls in their hands. She tilted her head with a smile, her two pigtails bobbing, and asked softly, “Older brother Da Zai, older brother Er Zai, what are you drinking?”
Er Zai said in a showy tone, “Watermelon lemon juice, my mom made it for us, said it can beat the heat.”
“Is it good?” Lu Baozhen asked eagerly.
“It has sugar in it, of course it’s good!” Er Zai said loudly.
“Older brother Er Zai, I’ve never had it.” Lu Baozhen pouted, looking aggrieved, her tone soft and glutinous.
She was a little over four, with flat features, single eyelids, eyes neither big nor small, a low nose bridge and big nose tip, full of dullness. Her face was fairer and a bit fleshier than village girls her age, looking round and cute when she was younger.
Speaking in a softened voice made her even more pitiable.
Er Zai didn’t take the bait and said, “I hadn’t had it at four either; you’ll get to drink it when you turn five.”
With that.
He opened his mouth wide and finished the last sip of juice.
Lin Zhao: …Pfft.
Well done.
Lin Zhao had been really afraid Da Zai and the others would be influenced and turn into little brain-dead idiots.
Now it seemed that as long as she wasn’t dead, the little ones wouldn’t be affected.
She tried hard to suppress her inner excitement, her eyes very bright, her mouth corners curved high.
Da Zai noticed the expression on his mom’s face, blinked, and seemed thoughtful.
Lu Baozhen looked at him aggrievedly and called out again, “Older brother Da Zai, older brother Er Zai is so stingy.”
Da Zai furrowed his little brows. “Er Zai isn’t stingy.”
Er Zai made a face at Lu Baozhen, sticking out his tongue with a few “nyah nyah nyah”s, and said, “My brother won’t listen to your stirring.”
Lin Zhao raised an eyebrow.
Oh ho, he even knew words like “stirring.”
Lu Baozhen looked bewildered, standing there stunned, unable to figure out why things weren’t going as she thought.
That’s not right; Da Zai and Er Zai should give her the sweet drink.
The little girl stared blankly at Da Zai and Er Zai, tears welling up in her eyes.
Su Yuxian displeasedly glanced at Gu Family’s two little ones. What was wrong with these two stinky boys, not going along with her family’s Baozhen? Be careful or they’ll break a leg, she thought viciously.
“Lin Zhao, your two little ones are too stingy and rude. I brought Baozhen to visit, and they don’t offer stools or water, and now they’ve made my little girl cry. You really need to discipline them properly; if this continues, what kind of future will they have?”
Su Yuxian said this with an expression and tone as if it was for her own good.
Hearing this, Da Zai’s body stiffened, looking nervously at Lin Zhao.
Er Zai’s face turned red with anger, about to retort, when Lin Zhao sneered coldly.
“Get out.” She directly told them to leave.
Su Yuxian didn’t react at first.
After a good while, she came back to herself in a daze. “…You’re telling me… to get out?” Her tone was full of disbelief.
“Take your new daughter and leave my house.” Lin Zhao repeated, her expression full of disgust.
She had always been willful and reckless, doing and saying things as she pleased, never thinking about how complicated it was to give people face.
Su Yuxian’s dazed eyes refocused, anger appearing on her well-disguised face, her voice rising sharply and piercingly. “Lin Zhao, do you know what you’re saying?”
“I’m the only person in Fengshou Brigade you can really talk to. Are you sure you want me to leave?” She gritted her teeth in threat.
“How my sons are is none of your business. On my turf, badmouthing my sons—you’re really not treating yourself like an outsider. We’re not friends to begin with, and we have no common topics. From now on, when we meet, we’ll pretend we don’t know each other.” Lin Zhao said unhurriedly.
Su Yuxian’s chest heaved dramatically as she demanded, “What do you mean by that?”
“It means I don’t want to deal with you.” Lin Zhao said straightforwardly.
Her whole family were cannon fodder; she didn’t want to get too close to the female lead’s family.
Especially since the Lu Family had that eerie Lu Baozhen; she had to guard against her.
Breaking face with Su Yuxian was a necessary step.
While the two adults clashed, the children sensed something was off and didn’t speak. Da Zai and Er Zai stood behind Lin Zhao, while Lu Baozhen went to her new mom’s side and held her hand, her dark eyes staring fixedly at Lin Zhao.
On this scorching hot day, even the cicadas had been silenced by the heat. Lin Zhao felt a chill rising from the soles of her feet, quickly spreading through her whole body.
She felt like she was being stared at by something terrifying.
A mother’s first instinct was to shield her two sons.
Lin Zhao looked down at Lu Baozhen, about to say something, when Da Huang brought Amber in, followed by Gu Mu and the dragon-phoenix twins.
“Woof woof—” Da Huang rushed in and, without any warning, let out a low growl at Lu Baozhen.
It arched its back, its skinny body like a taut bowstring, sharp teeth glinting coldly in the slanting sunlight, as if in the next second it would pounce and bite through the prey’s neck.
Da Huang barked in front, Amber barked behind.
The yard was lively; Wang Chunhua’s naughty child climbed the wooden ladder against the wall, poking his head out to look.
After Da Huang appeared, the chill on Lin Zhao vanished instantly.
Right on time!!
She looked at Da Huang, her fondness for the big furball deepening.
Lu Baozhen was so scared by the dog that she burst into loud wails, hiding behind Su Yuxian and trembling.
“Wah wah wah, I want to go home, I don’t like dogs, they’re so scary, take me back quick!!” She tugged at Su Yuxian’s clothes and shouted, her eyes red-rimmed, looking pitiful, her eyes regaining a child’s pure innocence.
Lin Zhao had always been tolerant of children, but after this first clash with the little koi from the original book, she felt not a shred of fondness, only that this child was very eerie.
If Da Huang hadn’t come back, she really wouldn’t know what would happen next.
Gu Mu looked puzzled at Su Yuxian and Lu Baozhen, not understanding why these two were here.
“Baozhen is afraid of dogs? Never noticed before. Little Su, take her back quick, comfort the child, don’t let her cry her face all blotchy.”
“Got it.” Su Yuxian picked up her cheap daughter, took a few steps forward, then suddenly stopped and turned back to Lin Zhao. “From now on, we’ll pretend we don’t know each other.”
“I didn’t expect you to be this kind of person, turning your back on friends as soon as you have work. Guess I misjudged you.”
Then she strode away.
Lin Zhao’s words reached her ears.
“You’re wrong; we’re not the same kind of people, and definitely not friends.”
Su Yuxian’s body stiffened, her face darkening as she walked off briskly.
“Why did she come?” Gu Mu frowned, giving Da Huang a praising pat. Keeping a dog was useful after all; look, it solved a big trouble.
“No idea, she came but didn’t say what for.” Lin Zhao guessed it was about asking about her work.
At this moment, the long-tongued Er Zai complained to his grandma.
“Grandma, that Little Su cursed me and my brother!!”
What?
Gu Mu’s thick black brows twisted into an inverted eight. “What did she curse you with?”
Er Zai hung his head, constantly grinding a pebble on the ground with his toes, cheeks puffed out. “She said me and my brother are rude, and that me and my brother will amount to nothing our whole lives.”
“What kind of person is that, coming to someone else’s house to curse their kids? That’s how Liao Hongjuan taught her!” Gu Mu was furious. “Don’t listen to her nonsense! She’s the rude one!”
“Grandma’s Da Zai and Er Zai are both polite little ones; they’ll definitely have a bright future.” As a grandma, she thought her grandsons were the smartest and wouldn’t amount to nothing.
Er Zai lifted his head, no trace of dejection left, grinning like a flower.
“Hee hee, I think so too.”
Lin Zhao rubbed her forehead.
“Da Zai, go get your grandma two pieces of watermelon.”
“Got it!” Da Zai’s voice was clear and bright as he trotted into the kitchen and brought out two cut pieces of watermelon.
Countryside had lots of flies and mosquitoes; Lin Zhao was particular and had made several bamboo food covers; the cut watermelon was covered.
Gu Mu received the watermelon from Da Zai, green rind and red flesh, looking juicy and sweet.
“Such good watermelon; have you eaten any?”
Da Zai nodded. “We have; Er Zai and I each ate a piece. Mom also made us watermelon lemon juice, sour and sweet, with watermelon flavor and lemon flavor—super tasty.”
With that, he lowered his head, full of shame. “I forgot to save some for grandma.”
Gu Mu hadn’t drunk whatever juice he mentioned, but her heart was warming up bubbly.
“What’s there to be shy about? You drinking it is like grandma drinking it too.”
It’s not the same, Da Zai thought. “If Mom makes more for us, I’ll save some for grandma.”
“Good good good.” Gu Mu smiled in agreement.
“Grandma, eat the watermelon, it’s super sweet!!” Da Zai urged.
Gu Mu took a bite; it really was juicy and sweet, washing away most of a whole day’s fatigue.
She had never eaten such sweet watermelon before.
The dragon-phoenix twins gnawed on the watermelon with their few teeth, grinding and sucking, their fair little faces dotted with watermelon juice. Noticing Lin Zhao’s gaze, they lifted their rouge-smeared-like faces and gave a pure, innocent smile.
Gu Mu ate one piece of watermelon and saved the other, planning to bring it to the old man.
She told the grandsons and was about to head back; she wanted to get home quick and give the watermelon to the kids’ grandpa, to make the old man happy too.
At this point, Lin Zhao came out of the kitchen, called to her, and after a few steps, shoved half a watermelon into her hands.
“Mom, take this watermelon home to eat.”
Gu Mu opened her mouth to refuse, but saw Lin Zhao turn and walk away, still with that aloof, don’t-bother-me attitude from before.
“…” Gu Mu fell silent. “Then I’ll take it.”
Only then did Lin Zhao look at her. “It was for you to begin with.”
Gu Chenghuai wasn’t home and gave her all his allowance; as his wife, she had a responsibility to care for his parents. These things were nothing compared to what the kids’ dad gave him.
Gu Mu hugged the watermelon as she left Third Son’s house, her back unconsciously straightening, her pace slowing, the watermelon in her arms especially eye-catching.
“Yuan Shan’s mother, why are you hugging a watermelon? How is this watermelon so big, so red—looks sweet.” Passersby said upon seeing it.
Honestly, no one in the whole brigade had seen such a big watermelon.
Gu Mu straightened her back, feeling refreshed. “Where else? Third Son’s Wife forced it on me, told me to take it home to quench thirst—I couldn’t even refuse.”
She sighed in feigned annoyance, but her mouth corners wouldn’t go down. “Aiya, I’d already eaten some at her place, but she insisted on giving me half more. Really, it would’ve been better to save it for Da Zai and them. We’ve already separated households, but she still thinks of me and her dad—doesn’t know how to handle it…”
People in Fengshou Brigade changed their view of Lin Zhao again.
“Da Zai’s mom is really filial.”
“Even after separating households, she’s willing to give watermelon to her parents-in-law; truly filial. Not like mine, won’t even give a roasted sweet potato.”
“Sigh.”
After showing it off high-profile all the way, Gu Mu finally got home, her ears full of envy—she had never felt so triumphant.
“Grandma, what’s that you’re holding!??”
“Grandma, did Third Aunt give it?!”
Chattering voices filled her ears; Gu Mu’s head was about to explode. She hurried to the kitchen to cut a corner for each child, finally sending them off.
Having many children had its perks for fights—no lack of people—but they were too noisy.
Gu Mu walked around the village hugging the watermelon, and Lin Zhao’s reputation was completely turned around.
Before, mentioning Chenghuai’s Wife, everyone shook their heads, reluctant to say more, their impression of her being lazy and gluttonous. Now it was different; talking about Lin Zhao, they all gave thumbs up, saying she was filial, educated, saying they’d seen long ago she would make something of herself.
Su Yuxian, who had just coaxed Lu Baozhen, heard the village gossip, her brows knitting tightly, displeasure in her eyes.
She wanted Lin Zhao to mess up; if Lin Zhao didn’t… how could it highlight her own rarity.
Su Yuxian had finally found Lin Zhao as a perfect foil. Clearly the biological mother yet unkind to her own children, while she, gossiped about as a stepmother, treated the children from the previous marriage as her own—what a great stepping stone.
Thinking of all the previous efforts wasted, Su Yuxian flushed red with anger.
Lu Baozhen saw her expression and got scared, her face full of terror, pushing her face away in panic.
“Go away, I don’t want you to hold me.”
Su Yuxian was scratched on the face, a red mark appearing instantly. She hissed, not daring to get angry, and coaxed gently, “Baozhen, don’t move, be careful or you’ll fall.”
Lu Baozhen didn’t hear clearly, thinking the stepmother was going to drop her. She froze, then wailed at the top of her lungs.
“Help! Bad stepmother is dropping the child—!”
The voice was shrill.
Villagers looked over one after another.
Looking at Su Yuxian, their gazes were as strange as could be.
The gossip-loving aunts exchanged looks, seeing a thousand emotions in each other’s eyes. Tsk tsk tsk, how could any stepmother be good? Especially this one throwing herself at it!
Su Yuxian cared a lot about the villagers’ gazes. Sensing the looks, her arms around Lu Baozhen tightened, her face unsightly.
Lu Baozhen’s body hurt, and she cried even harder.
“Wah— it hurts so much, Grandma save me, Dad save me, stepmother wants to eat me!!”
Lu Yizhou heard his daughter’s words from far away and hurried over.
He wore a military uniform, his figure straight as pine and cypress, square face, thick brows and big eyes, full of righteousness, upright and reliable.
“Baozhen.” Lu Yizhou went to Su Yuxian, took Lu Baozhen from her arms, wiped his daughter’s tears with his hand, and coaxed softly, “Why are you crying?”
He didn’t look at Su Yuxian the whole time.
