Chapter 12: Little Leaf Birthmark

"Zhao Zhao, you have to be more attentive to the children. Don't rely on your mother-in-law for everything. The Gu family has so many children, Chenghuai's mother has limited energy. The children are yours; you can't hand everything over to others. That's not how Mother taught you," Lin Mu advised earnestly.

She knew her daughter's situation over the past few years and thought her daughter had it hard, so she didn't have the heart to say much more. Time flew by, and a few years passed. Lin Mu worried that her grandchildren would grow distant from her daughter, so she would advise her a few times every time they met.

"I know, I..." Lin Zhao wanted to explain, but her words were interrupted by Gu Dacai and Ercai rushing through the door.

"Grandmother!!" Ercai shouted enthusiastically like a little sun.

Following that was Gu Da Cai's voice, equally filled with joy, "Grandmother."

Lin Mother was full of smiles, beckoning to her two grandsons: "Oh my, Grandmother's Gu Dacai and Ercai, hurry and let Grandmother see if you've grown taller."

Gu Dacai and Ercai stood before their grandmother, standing as straight as little white poplars.

Ercai's expression was vivid, "Grandmother, look at me first. I ate a big bowl yesterday, a full eight meat dumplings. I must have grown taller."

"You ate dumplings yesterday?" Lin Mu was surprised.

"Yeah, my mother made them. Lots of meat, especially delicious," Ercai showed off again.

Lin Mu was even more shocked, "Your mother made them?"

"My mother is also going to make us clothes," Gu Da Cai added.

"Zhao Zhao, have you figured it out?" Lin Mu looked at Lin Zhao suddenly, her tone somewhat excited.

Lin Zhao didn't explain much, nodding, "Yes, I've figured it out. All four cubs were born through my hard work; I can't just ignore them."

The corners of the two little children's mouths curled into fishhooks.

"You're right to think that way," Lin Mu's eyes were full of relief, "You've become sensible."

Over the past few years, she and Zhao Zhao's father always felt regret, feeling... that agreeing to their daughter's marriage so easily back then was too rash. Zhao Zhao was still a child who hadn't grown up; getting married, having children, the man she married wasn't around, life wasn't going well, and her temperament had become twisted...

Her father always advised her that she would be fine once she grew up, and it was true.

Look.

Her daughter had suddenly become sensible.

"I'll go back and tell your father; your father will definitely be happy too."

Lin Mu and Lin Father were a young couple, hadn't turned red-faced at each other in decades, and hadn't been separated, their feelings were very good, always thinking of each other.

Lin Zhao was used to it.

However.

Looking at the joy on her mother's face, she added, "I will go back often in the future."

"Good," Lin Mu responded with full energy.

Her words had just fallen when Lin Shisheng entered.

"Second Brother." Lin Zhao's tone was light.

"Zhao Zhao, don't let Gu Dacai and Ercai go to the Gu family's old house often in the future," Lin Shisheng said.

Lin Zhao was puzzled.

"What's wrong?" Lin Mother's face turned cold, her sharp eyes landing on Lin Shisheng's face as she asked him: "Did someone in the Gu family give our Gu Dacai and Ercai sour faces?"

"They didn't give them sour faces, but Gu Dacai and Ercai were almost hurt by their little aunt." Lin Shisheng remembered the scene he had encountered earlier, his expression not looking good.

"What?" Lin Mother hurriedly checked Gu Dacai and Ercai, fearing that her two grandsons had suffered some harm while she wasn't paying attention.

Gu Dacai hurriedly said: "Grandmother, Ercai and I are fine. When Little Aunt's firewood was about to be thrown at us, Second Uncle appeared and helped us kick the firewood away."

Ercai nodded vigorously beside him.

Lin Mu set her heart at ease, but she was furious and stood up, intending to go to the Gu family's old house.

She was pulled back by Lin Shisheng.

"Mother, I've already taught her a lesson."

Lin Mu's steps paused, asking: "How did you teach her a lesson?"

Ercai's eyes were as bright as lamps, vividly recounting the scene where their second uncle stood up for them.

He was a child with a strong talent for language, clear thinking, and a good memory, using a performance to tell the previous scene.

Lin Zhao watched her second son play his little aunt, then himself and Gu Da Cai, then his second uncle, busy but not chaotic.

Perfectly restoring that scene.

The imagery was very strong.

It gave people the feeling of being on the scene.

Her expression softened slightly.

She deeply felt that Gu Dacai and Ercai had big hearts; despite almost being hurt, the two children had forgotten it in less than an hour.

"Thank you, Second Brother, for protecting Gu Dacai and Ercai," Lin Zhao thanked Lin Shisheng with a smile.

Lin Shisheng was slightly startled, saying somewhat unexpectedly: "Being so polite with Second Brother?"

He raised his eyebrows and smiled, "Is this still my sister?"

A flash of helplessness crossed Lin Zhao's eyes.

She had been spoiled rotten by her family before and had never said a single thank you, so it was no wonder her second brother felt it was strange.

"Second Brother, are you and Mother hungry?"

Seeing her change the subject, Lin Shisheng didn't deliberately expose her, saying in a joking tone: "Are you going to treat Mother and me to a meal?"

"Do you want to eat dumplings?" Lin Zhao asked directly.

The Lin family didn't eat commercial grain and relied entirely on digging food from the ground. Fortunately, Lin Shisheng knew how to catch fish and hunt, so they could occasionally taste meat, which was better than other families.

Hunting and fishing relied on luck, and the Lin family hadn't eaten meat for over a month.

Not to mention refined food like dumplings.

"Sure," Lin Shisheng didn't stand on ceremony with his own sister.

No sooner had he finished speaking than he was slapped on the back by Lin Mu, making him wince in pain.

"Mother." The young man, who already had two children, spoke in a resentful tone.

His clowning appearance made Gu Dacai and Ercai laugh out loud, and the twins didn't understand, but they also giggled.

"Sure what sure? Is the family lacking food or drink? Running here to Zhao Zhao's to sponge off a meal." Lin Mu lectured with a straight face.

Looking at her daughter, her expression softened again, "Mother and your second brother ate before coming. We just came to see you because we were worried, and we'll be going back soon."

She touched her grandson's thin face, "You take good care of my grandchildren, and Mother will be satisfied."

Lin Zhao hugged Gu Da Cai's shoulder and said seriously: "I've had water in my brain for the past few years, not knowing how to cherish the four cubs. I've awakened now, and I'm treating them very well."

Gu Da Cai turned his head to meet his mother's gentle eyes, his eyes slightly curved, "Yeah, my mother treats us very well, Grandmother, don't worry."

"Mother, I want to tidy up the vegetable garden in the backyard. You and Second Brother help me fix it," Lin Zhao said unceremoniously.

Lin Shisheng had protected his sister since childhood, the kind who did whatever Zhao Zhao said, a total sister-con.

He said without thinking: "Tell me how you want to fix it, and I'll handle it."

"Let's go to the backyard and talk."

Several people came to the backyard.

Lin Zhao glanced at the messy backyard and said with disgust: "The backyard is so messy. Second Brother, help me make a fence around the vegetable garden. The fence should be bamboo, the height should be the same, I don't care about the style, but it must be neat, it must..."

"Make people feel refreshed, right?" Lin Shisheng took over the words.

"I understand, just like at our house, right? Don't worry, leave it to Brother."

Their Zhao Zhao had been a little girl with requirements for life since she was a child.

Lin Zhao made another request to Lin Mu, "Mother, help me plant some other vegetables. There are too few vegetable seeds, Gu Da Cai and the others are tired of Chinese cabbage."

"?"

Gu Da Cai had a head full of question marks.

But he didn't expose his mother.

"Delicate." Lin Mu said to Lin Zhao, but she didn't refuse her daughter, "I'll go to the Gu family's old house and see if there are any vegetable seeds."

She straightened her clothes, stomped off the dust on the soles of her feet, and walked toward the Gu family's old house.

Ercai hurriedly followed.

Lin Shisheng went to get the bamboo strips.

Lin Zhao looked at the twins sitting in the yard digging soil. The two little milk babies who couldn't even speak clearly seemed to be debating something, which was very fun.

"Gu Da Cai, you watch your younger brother and sister. Mother is going to cook. Your grandmother and uncle came to see us, so today we'll keep them for dumplings."

"Okay," Gu Da Cai said happily, "Mother, I will watch Third Cub and Fourth Cub, you go be busy."

He was happy to eat dumplings, and even happier to eat dumplings with his grandmother and second uncle.

"Having a son as well-behaved as you, I really don't have to worry," Lin Zhao said with emotion.

She walked toward the front yard.

Gu Da Cai, who remained in place, was almost coaxed into a placenta by his mother.

Lin Zhao had just arrived at the front yard when she heard a familiar voice from outside.

Someone was shouting outside that the barber had arrived.

She hurriedly shouted at the top of her lungs: "Gu Da Cai."

Hearing his mother's shout, Gu Da Cai led the dirty twins and walked over hurriedly.

"Mother?"

Lin Zhao stuffed two cents into Gu Dacai's hand and said: "The barber is here. You and Ercai go get your hair cut."

"Shave it bald," she reminded.

Gu Da Cai stayed in place.

Lin Zhao coaxed lightly: "Bald is cool. Besides, your and Ercai's hair grows fast, it will grow back soon."

Gu Da Cai felt his mother's words made sense, "Okay."

So he led his younger brother and sister away from home.

After walking a few steps, he ran into Ercai, who was following Lin Shisheng, and Gu Dacai hurriedly shouted: "Ercai, Mother told us to get a haircut, are you going?"

"I'm not going, I want to help Second Uncle," Ercai said.

"Mother said a haircut is cool, if you aren't going, I am," Gu Da Cai said, leading his younger brother and sister toward the entrance of the village.

Seeing this, Ercai changed his mind instantly, "I'm going too. We're brothers, we have to do everything together."

Lin Shisheng shook his head with a smile.

Tie Chui ran over from a distance, "Gu Dacai, Ercai, what are you going to do?"

"We're going to get a haircut, are you going?" Ercai said.

"Going."

The brothers went together.

Lin Zhao was busy in the kitchen. Lin Mu brought back vegetable seeds and shouted Zhao Zhao. She originally wanted to tell her what kind of vegetable seeds she had gotten, but when she glanced into the kitchen from the door, she saw her daughter kneading a lot of flour, and it was all refined grain. Her expression changed instantly.

She rushed in.

"Zhao Zhao, what are you doing? Why are you kneading so much flour, and it's all white flour? Are you not going to live anymore?"

Looking closer, the flour in the enamel basin was beyond saving, and her heart ached.

"I am living," Lin Zhao smiled.

Lin Mu said angrily: "Whose family lives like you? So much white flour, it could have let Gu Da Cai and the others eat noodles for a month."

"There's still flour, Mother, don't worry, your grandchildren won't starve," Lin Zhao's tone was calm, "You and Second Brother came to see me, and I didn't even cook a meal for you. What does that look like?"

Lin Mu was unmoved and still angry, "I've never seen you be so formal before."

Lin Zhao was still smiling, "I'm different now."

Lin Mu hadn't gone to school and didn't know what this or that was, so she said earnestly: "Zhao Zhao, your son-in-law doesn't earn money easily, spend it sparingly."

"And Gu Da Cai and the others need to be raised. When they get older, they have to go to school, right? They have to get married, right?"

"If you don't plan and calculate now, the days of crying are ahead."

"There's Gu Da Cai and the others' father," Lin Zhao didn't take it to heart. She was a casual person who never consumed herself internally. To her, living the present well was more important than anything else.

Lin Mu wanted to hit her, "Your son-in-law can earn, but he can't stand having a wife who is wide-fingered and blind."

"Mother raised me," Lin Zhao wasn't afraid. She had grown up, and her mother hadn't even said a few harsh words to her.

Lin Mu was choked, too angry to pay attention to her, and went to the backyard.

Lin Shisheng, who had gotten the bamboo strips, saw his mother's angry back, poked his head into the kitchen, lowered his volume, and asked: "Zhao Zhao, how did you make Mother angry again?"

Lin Zhao covered the kneaded dough and started to season the filling. The small enamel basin was full of meat, "Mother thinks my fingers are too wide."

Lin Shisheng saw so much meat, his Adam's apple rolled like a bead, and he was a little greedy.

He agreed with Lin Mu, "Your fingers are wide. You actually made all this meat. How good it would be to save it and eat a meal every few days."

Lin Zhao raised her eyes to look at him, "Stop talking nonsense, do you want to eat or not?"

"You say that, who doesn't want to eat meat?" The Lin family's food was in short supply, and the family hadn't wrapped dumplings for two years.

"Wait until Second Brother finishes the work, and I'll let you eat dumplings until you're full." Lin Zhao walked forward two steps and said to Lin Shisheng: "Open your hand."

Lin Shisheng stretched out his arms and opened his hands.

Lin Zhao put two rock candies in and said with a smile: "Sweeten Second Brother's mouth."

"Rock candy?" Lin Shisheng's eyes were full of surprise. He had seen rock candy, but he had never seen rock candy that was so white and transparent, as if there wasn't a trace of impurity.

"Is it rock candy? It doesn't look like what I've seen."

Without waiting for Lin Zhao to answer, he threw the candy into his mouth, tasted the sweetness, and a thick smile flashed in his eyes.

"It's rock candy." Lin Zhao continued to be busy with her hands, "Second Brother, is an hour enough to make the fence for the vegetable garden? I'm calculating the time to cook the dumplings."

"Enough, enough." Lin Shisheng's expression was casual and confident. That little bit of work was nothing to someone who often did hard labor.

"Got it."

Lin Shisheng went to the backyard to work. As he guessed, he listened to Lin Mu's nagging for a while, all saying that Lin Zhao's fingers were wide and she didn't know how to live.

He said: "Zhao Zhao bumped her head, it's nothing to supplement it."

"Mother bringing eggs and fish to Zhao Zhao, isn't it also to let her supplement?..."

Lin Mu said while tidying up the vegetable garden: "Is that to supplement herself? That's wanting us to supplement. Your sister treats you well, you have to keep it in your heart and protect your sister more."

Lin Shisheng had long expected the topic to return here, "That's for sure, I only have this one sister, of course I will protect her."

"Remember your words."

The fragrance that came from the Gu family yesterday made the neighbors unable to eat. Today, at mealtime, the meat fragrance floated again.

The Wang family's children were all greedy and crying. Wang Chunhua saw her grandson and granddaughter crying pitifully, gritted her teeth, boiled two eggs, and let the children share them, only then coaxing them well.

On the other side, the neighbor's child couldn't be coaxed for a long time, and the boy's crying could simply shake the roof off.

The Lin family was eating one bowl of dumplings each.

Hearing the ghost crying and wolf howling next door, Lin Mu frowned, looked at Lin Zhao, and asked: "Has it always been like that over there?"

"Not before, it just started in the last two days, and there will be plenty of opportunities to cry in the future." Lin Zhao didn't care.

She couldn't possibly take care of the neighbors and not light the fire.

"Still beaten too little, your brothers didn't dare to be like this when they were young." Lin Mu said.

Lin Shisheng ate the dumplings one by one, and his expression paused when he heard the words, "With Mother's sandbag-sized fist, how dare we be presumptuous."

It was no exaggeration to say that the three Lin brothers grew up under their mother's armed suppression.

Lin Zhao had three brothers, no, to be precise, she should have had four brothers.

Her third brother and fourth brother were twins, and the twin younger brother was stolen when he was just born.

The Lin family only knew that the child had a small leaf-shaped birthmark on his ear, and knew nothing else. ===== CHAPTER 13 =====