Chapter 36: “a Match Made In Heaven”
Lin Zhao locked the cabinet and went to the kitchen to boil noodles.
After the noodles were cooked, she rinsed them in cold water, then cut some cucumber shreds and carrot shreds, boiled eggs in plain water and halved them, added seasoning and meat sauce and mixed them well; the taste was pretty good.
The two cubs ate without even lifting their heads.
“Mom, the cold noodles are delicious, the eggs are delicious too; can we have them again tomorrow?” Er Zai buried his face in the bowl and slurped fiercely, his cheeks all smeared with sauce.
Da Zai looked at his younger brother’s grubby little face and felt uncomfortable all over; he sighed like an old man, enduring disgust and wiped his brother’s face. “Er Zai, eat slower!”
The over-five-year-old big brother was terribly worried, his little brows furrowed together.
Er Zai lifted his chin, cooperating with his big brother’s movements, responding verbally but forgetting immediately as he turned away, still eating voraciously.
Seeing Da Zai wipe Er Zai’s face, the dragon-phoenix twins imitated their second brother, shoving their little faces in front of their big brother, their little appearances full of expectation.
Da Zai: “……”
Da Zai sighed heavily, but still wiped San Zai and Si Zai too.
“Thank you, big brother.” The dragon-phoenix twins, with their flushed little faces, thanked him in overlapping little milk voices.
The orange-yellow sunset sprinkled in the yard, casting a warm afterglow.
Lin Zhao smiled at the corners of her mouth; after dinner, she drew this scene, planning to mail it to Gu Chenghuai in a few days.
“Cubs.” She suddenly called.
“Yep!” Da Zai and Er Zai responded at the same time.
“……Yep!” The dragon-phoenix twins also responded belatedly, set down their small bowls, waddled over and bumped into mom’s bosom, giggling.
“Mom, you have four cubs; which one are you calling?” Er Zai leaned in, chuckling.
“You and your big brother.” Lin Zhao lightly patted his prickly little bald head. “I’m going to write a letter to your dad; do you two have anything to say?”
Er Zai shook his head without thinking. “No, I’m not familiar with my dad; I have nothing to say.”
Lin Zhao inhaled sharply and glared at him. “How are you not familiar? Everything you eat and use was earned by your dad. Your dad bleeds and sweats outside; it’s very hard work. You can’t say that, and you certainly can’t think that. We have to love daddy.”
To be fair, Gu Chenghuai was a very good husband and father, better than many others, especially the men in the village.
Steady, patient, diligent, with work in his eyes, the ability to support the family and the heart to care for it.
When he was home, she didn’t have to do anything or worry about anything.
Don’t mind the villagers gossiping about her behind her back; she knew they envied her.
Er Zai manually shut his mouth. “I was wrong.” He admitted fault immediately.
“Good that you know you were wrong.” Lin Zhao’s expression softened as she spoke of Gu Chenghuai. “Your dad is a soldier. What’s a soldier’s duty? Defend the home and country. The burdens and mission on his shoulders are heavy; he has to train every day—it’s especially hard.
Sometimes he goes on missions to catch bad guys, bleeding and sweating more than us. You can resent me if you want, but you’re not allowed to resent your dad. Comrade Gu is very good.”
Da Zai listened intently, knowing dad would bleed; his face was full of worry. “Mom, can I eat two bowls of rice from now on?”
Lin Zhao was puzzled. “Why, treasure?”
At that one “treasure,” Da Zai was nearly dazed; his already fair little face instantly turned bright red, forgetting entirely what he wanted to ask.
“Cubs?” Lin Zhao called softly.
Da Zai steadied himself, ears red, eyes misty; enduring the shyness of being called treasure by mom, he said: “I want to grow up fast and help dad catch bad guys.”
“I want to help dad catch bad guys too!!” Er Zai said.
“I……I.” The dragon-phoenix twins chimed in with “I” in unison, perfectly embodying “it’s all about participation.”
“Then you have to study hard. Your dad and I were both high school students; at least you all have to be university students, right?” Lin Zhao pumped up the cubs again.
Da Zai cleared the bowls and chopsticks, then suddenly lifted his head looking at his mom. “Mom, I’ve been studying hard. I remember all the ancient poems you taught me, and the characters too.”
He paused, a bit embarrassed. “I just can’t write them yet.”
The brush was nimble in mom’s hand but disobedient in his; he couldn’t write well.
“I remember the poems mom taught too, and the characters, but mine look ugly. Brother Bang Bang said my writing looks like ghost drawings.” Er Zai said loudly.
“Your Brother Bang Bang’s handwriting was ugly when he was little too. Writing takes practice; how can it look good without practicing?” Lin Zhao’s handwriting was practiced; she could even write with a brush.
Er Zai disliked writing; at the mention of practice, his smile vanished instantly, head drooping, face full of worry.
Da Zai asked Lin Zhao, “Mom practiced too?”
“Yes, I did. My handwriting looks good, right?” Lin Zhao said proudly.
This was just one of her countless strengths, a minor one not worth mentioning.
“Good-looking!” Da Zai nodded.
“Your grandfather taught me. Let me tell you, your grandfather’s handwriting is the really good-looking one.” Lin Zhao recalled her dad teaching her brush writing, her eyes full of laughter.
“Every New Year, lots of people brought things to our home asking for couplets and blessing characters, so I was the most popular little girl back then; everyone stuffed me with treats. I loved New Year the most at that time.”
“I like New Year too.” Er Zai cupped his face dreamily, eyes shining bright. “New Year is lively, with lots of good food.”
He counted on his fingers one by one. “We can eat dumplings, meat and sugar; couplets on the door, and fireworks going pop-pop-pop—so lively.”
“Mom, you never gave me and big brother lucky money before. Will you this year?” Er Zai grinned and leaned toward Lin Zhao, blinking expectantly.
“Of course.” Lin Zhao smiled in agreement. “And I’ll make up for all the past years you forgot.”
“Once the house is built, I’ll have the carpenter make you a piggy bank. You’ll save your own lucky money and decide how to spend it.”
What did this mean to little kids?
Financial freedom!
Da Zai and Er Zai were happier than finding ten bucks.
Having accepted their biological mom’s big pie, Da Zai went beaming to wash the dishes, and Er Zai went to help.
Lin Zhao bathed the dragon-phoenix twins, carried the two cubs to bed, and changed them into clean clothes.
San Zai and Si Zai were young and didn’t get much sun; their skin was white like tangyuan. With good eating these days, they’d gained some meat; faces chubby, even arms and legs sprouting tender little rolls of flesh, eyes clear and bright, looking clever and adorable.
“You two be good; mom’s going to dump the water.”
As she spoke, she walked outside.
The little brother and sister on the bed fussed anxiously, arms and legs flailing, trying to slide off the bed.
Lin Zhao heard the noise, turned back, strode to the bedside in three steps, scooped up the two cubs, and put them back on the bed.
Before she could speak, the dragon-phoenix twins hugged her neck tightly.
Lin Zhao felt like she couldn’t breathe, not knowing where these over-one-year-olds got such strength.
“Mom.”
“Mom.”
Two milky voices sounded by her ears.
“Mom’s not going.” Lin Zhao cooed softly.
The dragon-phoenix twins blinked, their meaty little arms slowly loosening, but hands still clutching Lin Zhao’s clothes, eyes on her: “Not……going?”
The little milk voice carried a hesitant tail.
“Right, not going.” Leaving tomorrow morning.
San Zai and Si Zai relaxed, grinned wide showing a few little milk teeth.
Da Zai and Er Zai finished washing the bowls and saw their little brother and sister’s bathwater not dumped, so they poured it out, washed hands and faces, then returned to the room.
Since that night sleeping with mom using the small pillow, Lin Zhao hadn’t told the two little brothers to go back to their own room; the little brothers took it as mom agreeing they could sleep with her, and hadn’t even pushed open their own room doors these days.
Da Zai tiptoed to get the baby cream from the cabinet, applied it to himself and Er Zai, then climbed onto the bed to play with his little brother and sister.
The sun had fully set, but the sky was still bright; the room was fumigated with mugwort against mosquitoes, no lamp lit, a bit dim but warm.
“Sigh.” Er Zai sprawled on the bed and suddenly sighed.
Lin Zhao found it amusing inside and looked at him. “Why the sigh?”
Er Zai rested his arms in front of him, head on his arms, right cheek squished with a bit of little milk pouch. “When can we get electricity?”
“Yeah.” Lin Zhao hoped for electricity soon too; so convenient with electricity.
She grabbed Si Zai who wanted to plop her butt on big brother’s head and lightly patted her buttocks. “Don’t mess with your second brother.”
Si Zai was small but feisty; her pink little mouth pouted, huffed, and went to find big brother.
Lin Zhao shook her head helplessly and said to Er Zai: “How about buying a flashlight? With a flashlight, it’s easier to go out at night.”
Er Zai bolted upright, tone rising. “What’s a flashlight?”
Anything new piqued his curiosity.
“About this big, cylindrical shape.” Lin Zhao gestured the size of the flashlight. “It has a switch on it; push the switch, and it lights up instantly for illumination.”
Er Zai’s eyes lit up. “Buy it!”
Just after saying that, he furrowed his little brows again. “Mom, is the money dad remitted enough for a flashlight?”
“What if it’s not enough?” Lin Zhao was curious how Er Zai would answer.
“Not enough?” Er Zai’s whole face scrunched up, then a brainwave hit; he grabbed her arm, expectant. “Mom, take me and big brother to the county again; we’ll call dad, and I’ll ask him for money!!”
Lin Zhao: “……”
“You’re really your dad’s good second son.”
Er Zai thought he was being praised, puffed his chest, bright big eyes curving, leaned in to nuzzle mom, mouth sweet as honey.
“Yeah yeah, I’m mom and dad’s good second son.”
“Mom, when’s dad coming back?” Even the usually carefree Er Zai started caring about his dad. “If dad doesn’t come back soon, I won’t recognize him if I see him on the road.”
Da Zai, playing with the dragon-phoenix twins, also perked up his ears to listen.
“Don’t know. Your dad misses us too; if he has time, he’ll come back to see us.” Lin Zhao hugged Er Zai’s little shoulders in reply.
She missed the cubs’ dad too.
“Mom, I want to see dad’s photo.” Er Zai tugged Lin Zhao’s clothes, softening his clear voice to act cute toward his mom.
“Wait.” Lin Zhao got up and fetched their marriage certificate.
It was called a marriage certificate, really just a piece of paper; fearing it’d deteriorate over time, Gu Chenghuai had somehow gotten transparent plastic to seal it, so after years it still looked brand new.
Er Zai rubbed his hands on his trouser legs, made sure no sweat, then carefully took the paper.
The photo showed a young man and woman.
The young man wore military uniform, deep brow bone, sharp spirited eyes, extremely short hair accentuating his superior three-dimensional features, straight nose, lips perfectly thick, the soldier’s boldness and resolve coming right at you—one word—handsome.
That girl was none other than Lin Zhao, with a proper nose and eyes, fair skin tone, eyes bending into crescent moons; anyone could see she was a pretty girl.
“Mom is so pretty!!” Er Zai looked up at Lin Zhao, then down at the photo, repeating several times, nodding as he spoke.
Lin Zhao cupped his face and shifted his head aside. “Look at your dad.”
“Oh.” Er Zai then looked at his dad, staring intently for a long time, lost in thought, not saying a word for ages.
After a good while, he suddenly spoke. “Mom, did you marry my dad because he’s handsome?”
Da Zai leaned over to see mom and dad’s marriage photo too.
Hearing his brother’s question, he also looked at mom.
“Yeah.” Lin Zhao’s smile brimmed with sweetness; she declared righteously: “Who doesn’t like handsome?”
Her slender fair finger lightly tapped the photo on the marriage certificate. “Your dad’s handsome, and I’m not bad-looking either; that’s called a match made in heaven.”
“If it weren’t for your handsome dad and this good-looking mom of yours, could you all be this good-looking?”
Everyone in the Lin Family was good-looking; Lin Zhao’s standards for a partner were raised high—a match in looks and ability, neither dispensable.
Da Zai thought mom made sense and nodded solemnly, quietly repeating what his grandma often muttered. “Grandma says the first time she saw mom, she thought mom and dad were a perfect match.”
Lin Zhao smiled at him. “There’s a second half, right?”
Da Zai pursed his lips smiling, said nothing.
Quick-mouthed Er Zai imitated Gu Mu’s tone: “……Too bad she’s pampered and spoiled, doesn’t even care for her own kids, sigh.”
Lin Zhao hooked Er Zai’s neck, pulled him into her bosom, pretended to pinch his mouth, teasing laughingly. “Making you quick-mouthed, making you say it again.”
Er Zai hurriedly covered his mouth, face laughing bright as the sun. “Won’t say, won’t say.”
“Big brother, help me!”
Da Zai hadn’t done anything yet when Lin Zhao hugged him too.
“Hahahaha……” The room filled with two little friends’ cheerful laughter.
Seeing mom playing with the big brothers, the dragon-phoenix twins joined in too, looking at this one then that, giggling.
After playing with the children a bit, San Zai and Si Zai fell asleep kicking faces and gnawing buttocks.
As planned, Lin Zhao taught Da Zai and Er Zai to recite poems, practice writing, and learn mathematics, then helped them write a letter to Gu Chenghuai.
The two little brothers huddled heads whispering something, then insisted on including their ghost-drawing-like writing in the envelope to mail.
Lin Zhao happily agreed. “Your dad will be so happy to see it.”
The two cubs felt great inside; after seeing the photo, their unfamiliarity with dad lessened.
Lin Zhao put the letter and the two cubs’ writing paper in the envelope, took two pagoda sugars from the cabinet, and gave them to the little brothers.
“One each, eat up.”
Er Zai popped his in his mouth without hesitation, sweet. “Mom, this candy is delicious; never seen it before. More?”
“No more, only one each—for deworming.” Lin Zhao said.
Er Zai’s expression froze. “What bug?”
“……Roundworms in the belly.” In the countryside, little friends drank cold water all the time; everyone had roundworms in their bellies. The two cubs ground their teeth at night, got bellyaches and diarrhea; had to deworm.
Bugs?
Bugs in their bellies!?
Da Zai looked horrified, stared down at his belly, little voice tearful. “Mom, are Er Zai and I dying soon?”
Even the usually fearless Er Zai paled.
He threw himself at Lin Zhao, crying miserably.
“Mom waaah, I don’t want to die; if I die I won’t see mom, won’t eat mom’s dumplings, sour cabbage fish, and cold noodles. I haven’t gotten into university yet, haven’t helped dad catch bad guys; I don’t want to die……”
The more he said, the more aggrieved. “Which kid has to die at just five and a half? Why am I so unlucky waaah.”
