Chapter 43: “you’ll Be Jinxed, Yo”
“Mom～～” Er Zai hugged Lin Zhao all at once, the sudden movement almost making the things in her hands drop to the ground.
“Slow down, if it drops on the ground, you pick it up yourself.” Lin Zhao scolded with a smile.
Hearing the amusement in her words, Er Zai knew Mom wasn’t angry, his tension eased, and he came closer to proactively help Mom take it, “Mom, let me take it.”
His little eyes glanced at the familiar small bamboo basket, bending into crescents.
Da Zai wanted to take the rice bag from Lin Zhao’s hand, but she refused, “This is heavy, don’t touch it, be careful not to smash your foot.”
“Then Mom, go slow.” Worry showed on Da Zai’s face as he used his hand to support the bottom of the rice bag.
“Mom’s fine, Mom’s an adult, she can carry this bit of rice.” Lin Zhao lifted the rice bag with one hand and pinched Da Zai’s little face with the other, pinching until his brows relaxed.
“So many things.” Er Zai poked at the things in the bamboo basket and exclaimed upon seeing something novel.
One cry louder than the last.
“Mom, what’s this?” He raised a yellow little fruit in his right hand, not even as big as his hand, bright yellow, emitting fragrance.
Er Zai couldn’t describe the fragrance.
“Small tangerine, peel the skin and you can eat it.” Lin Zhao’s voice was gentle.
Er Zai half-understood and unceremoniously dug in with his hand, golden juice splashing into his eyes, and he instinctively rubbed them with his hand, but Lin Zhao grabbed him.
“Your hand’s all tangerine juice, don’t touch your eyes with it, I’ll wash them for you.” She casually took the small tangerine from Er Zai’s hand, put it aside, and pulled him to wash his face.
Er Zai’s eyes watered from the sting, but he said, “Just wash the eyes, don’t wash my face, I just applied fragrant stuff.”
If applied again, he’d feel heartbroken.
“It’s fine, when it’s used up Mom will buy more for you.” Or maybe the lucky draw in a bit would get it.
Er Zai’s face was full of heartache.
“It costs money.” He said, “Don’t we still need to buy a bicycle? Grandpa said bicycles are super expensive, over a hundred bucks.”
“It’s enough, didn’t I say, your dad remitted money, that money’s enough for a bicycle and a watch.” Lin Zhao said to her two sons who were so young yet worrying about livelihood.
“We won’t go hungry?” Er Zai’s eyes asked.
“……No.”
He looked down at his new shoes and asked again, “Will we still have new shoes to wear?”
“Yes, not only new shoes, when you start school, I’ll give each of you a green schoolbag with a red star.” Lin Zhao thought of the two children’s shoulder bags from before and made the promise.
“Is it the schoolbag Brother Bang Bang carries?” Er Zai, who hadn’t suffered school hardships yet, had his tone rise.
Lin Zhao knew what Bang Bang’s schoolbag looked like, pieced together from rags.
“No.” Seeing time was still early, she said, “Want to see?”
Er Zai nodded vigorously like pounding garlic.
Da Zai also said, “Want to see.”
“Wait.” Lin Zhao wiped his face dry and went back inside to get the shoulder bags.
Soon, she held two rectangular green schoolbags with a red star on the surface.
Er Zai trotted over, took it, compared it to himself, smiling like a flower.
“Bro, look at me, good-looking?”
Da Zai nodded obligingly, “Good-looking.”
Lin Zhao ignored the two super excited little ones, first fed Da Huang and Amber, then took out the newly drawn Swiss rolls, and three boxes of milk, as breakfast.
“Don’t play with the schoolbags anymore, you two got up so early, eat something with me.”
Er Zai walked over with the schoolbag on his back, chest out and head high, looking very proud.
“Mom, do I look good?”
Lin Zhao was defeated by this show-off kid, helplessness flashing in her eyes, “Good-looking.”
Seeing a bit of expectation on Da Zai’s face, she praised next, “Da Zai looks good too.”
The two little friends sat down, happily swinging their feet.
“Mom, can you not take the small schoolbag back? I want to carry it today.” Er Zai boldly expressed his request.
Lin Zhao hoped Da Zai would do the same and encouraged him with her gaze.
Da Zai tightened his grip on the schoolbag strap and boldly made his request, “Mom, I also want to carry it today, to put candy and the small tangerines Mom gave.”
“Of course.” Lin Zhao’s expression was gentle, “Since you both want it so much, it’s not impossible to give them to you early, so carry them!”
“Mom’s the best～～”
“Thanks Mom.”
They touched the small schoolbags, full of happiness all over.
Only then did they turn their attention to the table.
“Mom, what’s this again?” Quick-mouthed Er Zai pointed at the long cylindrical thing on the table and asked curiously.
Lin Zhao hadn’t seen it either, but there were words on the packaging, “Swiss roll and milk.”
“I’ve never heard of it.” Er Zai said frankly.
“Me too, first time seeing it, let’s try, the taste should be good, smells sweet and fragrant.” Lin Zhao gave each of the two little ones a Swiss roll and a box of milk.
She bit first, very soft texture, melted in the mouth, rich and sweet fragrance.
“So good, eat quick, you two will definitely like it!”
Fragrant and soft, the two little friends did like it, eating with crumbs all over their faces.
Why is there such delicious stuff ahhhhh!
The two little friends screamed inwardly.
Then drank a sip of milk, oh my, life is so beautiful.
After breakfast.
Lin Zhao was going to work, Da Zai and Er Zai called Da Huang and proactively escorted their mom to the village entrance.
Villagers seeing this scene showed kind smiles.
“Da Zai, Er Zai, you two going to work with your mom?”
“Even bringing Da Huang and Amber, your team…… is really lively.”
Everyone teased the Gu Family’s twins.
Er Zai held Amber in his bosom, walked forward a few steps with a straight back.
Lin Zhao was very familiar with this six-parent-not-recognizing walk, he was planning to show off.
Sure enough.
Er Zai turned sideways a bit, one hand holding Amber, the other patting his small shoulder bag, smiling at the speaker, “Uncle, look at my schoolbag, my bro and I both have one, Mom bought them for us.”
A villager carrying a hoe to work nodded, “Good-looking, really good-looking.”
His tone was emotional, “Dual-working families just have confidence, your mom works at the supply and marketing cooperative, convenient to buy things for you.”
Seeing Da Huang and Amber no longer had the pitiful look of stray dogs, but had become plump, his voice carried envy.
“Even Da Huang and her cub benefited.”
Da Huang seemed to understand, barked once.
Amber barked along.
The speaker’s mood grew more complicated.
Er Zai was very happy to be praised, and stretched his foot forward.
“Uncle, Mom also bought us sandals, the trendiest in the county, what do you think?”
While speaking, he looked up at the uncle who gave him plenty of emotional value, eyes expectant.
“Good-looking.” The man, whose face was full of his showing off, had a good temper, gentle to everyone.
Knowing what Er Zai wanted to hear, he cooperated, “Your mom must have spent this month’s salary all on you two, she really treats you well.”
Hearing what he wanted, Er Zai laughed gleefully, inflated like a hundred suns.
He took out a saved fruit hard candy and gave it to the person opposite, generously saying, “Uncle, have some candy.”
Da Zai instinctively looked at his mom.
Lin Zhao had no opinion, just like she said before, all the things she gave the little ones, they could handle themselves, eat it, save it, share with good friends, up to them.
The villager didn’t expect to get a candy from a little child, stunned in place.
When he came back to his senses, he found Er Zai and his mom and bro had long gone to the village entrance.
“Heh……” He laughed and hurried home to give the candy to his child.
The little boy’s eyes lit up, didn’t dare eat it, clutched the candy tightly, happily saying, “Dad, where’d this candy come from?”
“Er Zai gave it to Dad.” The man said.
“It’s the twins.” The little boy’s voice was cheerful.
Da Zai and Er Zai were inseparable, all the village kids called them twins.
“Since the twins’ mom manages them, they have endless candy. The twins shared one with us the day before yesterday, we melted it into sugar water, one sip each, super sweet! Today I actually have a whole candy, too happy!”
One candy was enough to make a little friend happy for days.
The man felt heartbroken, “Dad will definitely earn work points well, then go to the supply and marketing cooperative to buy you a jin of candy.”
“Good! Dad’s the best!”
In the child’s eyes, his own dad was incomparably great.
After Er Zai’s high-profile showing off, soon the matter of Lin Zhao buying them schoolbags and sandals spread throughout the entire brigade.
A few mothers-in-law specially ran to Gu Mu to gossip.
“Cheng Huai’s mom, heard your third son’s wife spent quite a bit on Da Zai and Er Zai, schoolbags and sandals, us countryside folk, schoolbags can be pieced from rag scraps, handmade cloth shoes are so comfortable, no need to buy, pure waste of money.”
“Yeah, Cheng Huai’s mom, you’re the mother-in-law, you gotta manage, if you don’t, your Cheng Huai’s hard-earned allowance will be squandered sooner or later.”
“Little kids buying what sandals, can’t pamper monkeys like that!”
Gu Mu prepared milk powder for the dragon-phoenix twins, full of loving affection as she cooed the little grandson and granddaughter to drink milk, planning to come back in two hours to steam them egg custard.
Just then, a few uninvited guests came to the house.
Before she could ask what was up, these people started chattering criticisms of the third son’s wife.
Gu Mu flicked a non-existent speck of dust off herself with a rag cloth, almost laughing in anger, but didn’t show it on her face.
“The third branch has separated households, the third son’s wife manages the house, Cheng Huai’s allowance, she can spend however she wants.”
“Besides, Da Zai’s mom is highly educated, can earn money herself, if she wants to buy things for the two little ones, I got nothing to say.”
“Though I haven’t seen them yet, the supply and marketing cooperative’s schoolbags and shoes are indeed different from homemade, I’ll still say the same, as long as the third son’s wife is happy.”
In front of outsiders, Gu Mu always distinguished inside from outside, always protected her own family.
Even if she had some grumbles inside.
The people who came specifically to stir trouble didn’t get the excitement, their faces looked bad.
“You with your reasons one after another, we don’t have malice.” The leading little old woman even resented Gu Mu.
After all, acquaintances of decades, Gu Mu gave her a way down.
“Yes yes yes, know you have no malice, my family has separated households after all, not good for me to manage third branch matters, children and grandchildren have their own blessings, let her be.”
With Cheng Huai as backing, the third branch won’t lack in the future.
One of the old women skillfully knits a shoe sole, saying, “Cheng Huai’s wife just left the four little ones to you like that? Didn’t give you any benefits?”
Gu Mu smiled, “How not, the third son’s wife gave fabric, said to make me an autumn clothing, top-quality corduroy material, feels very comfortable.”
Originally planned to wait till weather cools, wear it to show off.
Since they came asking, saying early wasn’t impossible.
The old woman knitting the shoe sole felt sour inside, she also had several daughters-in-law, none gave her even a needle.
“Just one autumn clothing.” She deliberately pretended not to care.
“Four little ones, just responsible for eating and drinking can worry one to death, heard salesperson work is 24 bucks a month, didn’t she say give you five or ten bucks?”
Five bucks, ten bucks?
Gu Mu drew a sharp breath.
Spouting off.
Good thing your daughters-in-law don’t have this job, or they’d work to death, be your oxen and horses.
“Taking care of own grandkids and granddaughters, what money talk.” Gu Mu said, “Cheng Huai’s out striving, I just want to take good care of the home front for him, let him work well in the troops, nothing else sought.”
Daughter-in-law becoming salesperson, such a face-gaining thing, how could drag her back!
One little old woman nodded, “You thinking that way isn’t wrong, I see your third son’s wife has improved some, more attentive to Da Zai and the others, will get better and better.”
Gu Mu laughed, fine lines stacking at her eye corners.
Aiya, she loved hearing this.
From outside the gate came the chirping cheerful voices of little children.
Immediately after, Da Zai and Er Zai trotted into the house.
“Grandma, look what I brought you!” Er Zai was still three or five meters away, but his crisp voice reached Gu Mu’s ears first.
“What?” Gu Mu asked smiling.
As the grandson approached, she saw the sandals under Er Zai’s feet and the new schoolbag on him, really good-looking, so spirited, money well spent!
Er Zai saw there were others at home, his expression stunned, greeted them one by one, opened the shoulder bag, and took things out for his grandma.
“Grandma, hand out.” He said.
Gu Mu good-temperedly held out her hand.
Er Zai put a White Rabbit Toffee in her palm, then a small tangerine, followed by two Swiss rolls.
“Grandma, all for you.” He raised his smiling face.
Gu Mu knew these were what Lin Zhao prepared for the two brothers, the grandson was willing to give them to her, the old lady was moved to tears.
“Why give to Grandma, you eat them yourselves.”
Busy trying to put them back for Er Zai.
Er Zai dodged sideways, “Bro and I discussed, you’ve been working hard taking care of us these days, this is our filial respect, you take it.”
A little adult look.
Da Zai also said, “We ate that round roll this morning, those two are saved for Grandma, sweet and soft and fragrant, Grandma will definitely like.”
Round roll meant Swiss roll.
In front of the mothers-in-law, he didn’t forget to speak well of Mom, “Mom knows too.”
The old women coming to Gu house could no longer pick faults.
That called round roll, looked not cheap, could smell the sweet fragrance from afar.
Gu Mu accepted, laughing cheerfully, “Alright then, Grandma accepts, later one each for you and Grandpa.”
“After eating the snacks from Da Zai and Er Zai, have him give you the best-sounding names.”
The two little brothers laughed till their eyes curved.
A nearby little old woman asked curiously, “What do you mean? Cheng Huai’s dad naming Da Zai and Er Zai?”
“More than that.” Gu Mu laughed, “Naming all four little ones, and Tie Dan and theirs…… also Grandpa names.”
“The Cheng Huai family’s willing?”
Gu Mu raised her brows proudly, “Why not, it was the third son’s wife who said it proactively.”
This……
That Cheng Huai’s wife was like a changed person.
The old women muttered.
Seeing the smile on Gu Mu’s face, their hearts soured endlessly.
Who knew the lazy daughter-in-law would become a supply and marketing cooperative salesperson, Cheng Huai’s mom now walks with wind.
Not wanting to see her smug face, the little old woman who loved comparing most changed topic, “Lu Family’s wedding, when you planning to go?”
“Noon.” Gu Mu said.
“Not going to help in the morning? It’s to receive the bride.”
Gu Mu had long thought of an excuse, “No way, so many kids at home, I gotta watch them.”
While speaking, wiped the milk stains around the dragon-phoenix twins’ mouths.
Si Zai showed a sweet smile, milk-voiced saying, “Look, Bao.”
Gu Mu untied the bib around her neck, laughed, “Yes, watching you.”
Time flew, noon arrived.
Gu Mu went to Lu Family to help, didn’t bring the four little ones.
Her foot just stepped into the Lu Family door.
A little girl with two small pigtails, wearing a red jacket, rushed over, looked behind Gu Mu, found Da Zai and Er Zai not there, face instantly fell.
“Where are big brother Da Zai and big brother Er Zai?” Lu Baozhen looked up and asked.
Gu Mu casually found a reason, “They’re busy.”
“Can I go find big brother Da Zai and big brother Er Zai?” Lu Baozhen tilted her head, expression expectant.
Gu Mu was puzzled.
Never seen such a kid, does this need asking?
She was full of doubts but didn’t probe, refused for Da Zai and Er Zai.
“Da Zai and Er Zai are taking care of little brother and sister, no time to play with you, another day.”
Words done, went inside to help.
Lu Baozhen stood in place, eyes instantly becoming dark and deep, not blinking for a long time.
She stared at Gu Mu’s back, suddenly laughed, the laugh carrying malice not matching her age.
“Reject me, you’ll have bad luck yo.” Voice sweet and soft.
Next instant.
“Clang!!”
Stool overturned, water basin and bowls and plates on the table all fell to the ground, shattered, making a huge noise.
Ground full of water, then bang.
Someone shouted loudly, “Gu Aunt……!!”
