Chapter 124

After the six members of the Lin family's third branch finished eating, Lin Zhao and her husband took the four cubs to the county.

There were too many people in the family, and the bicycles couldn't carry them even if overloaded, so they didn't ride bikes.

Yubao held Seeing Qian Bao's hand, Hengbao held Yaobao's hand, Gu Chenghuai carried large and small bags, and Lin Zhao followed behind the cubs with a small satchel on her back and a wide-brimmed hat on, the family traveling slowly.

Seeing Gu Chenghuai carrying large and small bundles and even a live chicken, the villagers were stunned and asked curiously, "Chenghuai, are you going back to your wife's maiden home again?"

While asking, they couldn't help but mutter to themselves: didn't they just visit not long ago a few days ago? And didn't the Lin family's parents just come yesterday? Why are they going again?

Lin Zhao replied, "Not going to my maiden home, we're going to see my uncle."

The villager suddenly realized. "Oh, oh, seeing your uncle, that's something you should do. Go ahead, we won't delay you."

Less than half an hour after the Lin Zhao family left, the news that their family had gone into the city to see Uncle Song spread to every household.

Even the educated youth, who were becoming numb from farm work, knew about it.

Female educated youth Meng Xiaoying said regretfully, "I forgot to ask Comrade Lin to bring things! Sigh, if I had known, I should have found her yesterday afternoon! I've run out of toothpaste."

Another female educated youth said, "You can use mine first; return it to me when you buy some."

Meng Xiaoying said she had no toothpaste in front of everyone, wanting to borrow some—the kind that didn't need to be returned. Who knew that the one responding was the most direct and calculating female educated youth. She lowered her eyes, a flash of annoyance in them.

"... Okay." She forced a smile. "Thank you."

That female educated youth waved her hand. "No need to thank me. Everyone comes from all corners of the country; we are all good comrades, and helping each other is what we should do."

You should be stingy and make me return it.

Meng Xiaoying muttered in her heart but didn't respond.

The thick-nerved male educated youth didn't notice the situation here.

Wen Huaiyuan's gaze was dim. "I want a pair of labor protection gloves; I've wanted them for a long time. Doing rough work every day, my hands have become rough."

Song Qian looked at him. "Big man... don't be so delicate."

"Of course you say I'm delicate since you have gloves." Wen Huaiyuan grumbled in rebuttal and added, "I don't care. When Comrade Lin's family returns, I'll definitely find her and ask her to help me buy some things."

Things to use, things to eat, he wanted them all.

At this time, Su Yi reminded, "The supply and marketing cooperative isn't open today."

The educated youth had really forgotten.

Several people slapped their heads, and Wen Huaiyuan said, "... Then never mind."

Meng Xiaoying and the others stopped dwelling on it.

Lin Zhao didn't know about this yet.

Not long after they left the brigade, they saw Song Yuncheng riding a 28-inch bicycle from afar.

Song Yuncheng also saw his sister's family, accelerated, and rode over. He jumped off the bike suddenly, a bright smile on his face. "Sister, Brother-in-law."

"Why are you here?"

Meeting his sister's puzzled gaze, Song Yuncheng felt stuffed for two seconds. "Didn't I say I'd come to pick you up? Did you forget, Sister?"

Could Lin Zhao say she really had forgotten? She denied it flatly. "How could I forget? It's just that you came too early, and my brain didn't react in time."

Song Yuncheng almost believed it.

He curled his lips in secret.

Seeing the third and fourth cubs, his face bloomed with smiles.

"Quiet Quiet San Zai, Fourth Cub, do you want to ride the bike? Uncle will take you!" He patted the front beam of the bicycle, which was wrapped in a circle of sponge padding, and reached out to the two little dumplings.

They were so cute, his Quiet Quiet San Zai and Fourth Cub.

Seeing Qian Bao raised his little head and corrected his uncle's words clearly, his voice milky and cute. "It's Seeing Qian Bao, not Quiet Quiet San Zai."

Yaobao stood in front of her brother, her little face fair and tender, her eyes dark and bright, her little milky voice very sweet. "Yaobao."

Song Yuncheng immediately realized something. "You have new names?"

Hengbao, the lively and conspicuous one, jumped out and spoke quickly. "That's right, Grandpa gave them to us. I'm called Gu Zhiheng, and the family calls me Hengbao. My brother is called Gu Zhiyu, and the family calls him..."

Yubao didn't get to speak and stomped his feet in a hurry, feeling that this action wasn't very big-brotherly. The little guy looked at his parents nervously and felt relieved when he discovered they weren't paying attention, the whole little person becoming steady.

Lin Zhao was laughing like crazy and pursed her lips so she wouldn't burst out laughing.

Gu Chenghuai also noticed his eldest son's actions, a flash of a smile crossing his deep eyes.

Song Yuncheng called the four nephews by their new names one by one. "Yubao, Hengbao, Seeing Qian Bao, Yaobao."

The four cubs were very satisfied.

"Sister, how do you write the characters for their names?" Song Yuncheng put Yaobao on the front beam, picked up Seeing Qian Bao, placed him on the back seat which was also wrapped in padding, and asked Lin Zhao casually.

Lin Zhao smiled. "Zhi is the Zhi from knowledge, the Yu in Yubao is the right side of the character for law, Heng is..."

After hearing it, Song Yuncheng looked at the four children with sympathy. "Your names have quite a few strokes; you'll have to write them for a while when you take exams in the future."

He had had such trouble when he was young; he didn't expect Yubao and the others' to be even more complicated.

He didn't know how their grandfather had dug up such complicated characters.

Hengbao also felt they were hard to write, but the child never admitted defeat and showed off. "It's okay, I'll get used to it after writing them a few more times."

Song Yuncheng freed up a hand and patted his little head. "Awesome, you really are an optimistic Second... Hengbao."

He almost called him Second Cub again.

Hengbao heard it and looked at Uncle Yuncheng. "Uncle, you have to get used to my new name early; Mom and Dad have never called it wrong."

"Good, good, good, I'll get used to it," Song Yuncheng laughed. "Do you believe I can change it today?"

"I believe." Hengbao had a lot of face.

After finishing speaking, he added a sentence: "Awesome."

Song Yuncheng almost fell on the spot, feeling too guilty to look at his sister and brother-in-law.

"... Hengbao, children can't use bad language."

Hengbao stared at him. "Why? Didn't you just say it? Isn't 'awesome' a word to praise people?"

"I'm an adult, I can say anything. You're a child, you can't say it," Song Yuncheng sweated profusely.

Hengbao held hands with his brother and walked forward with big strides, saying with a giggle, "I'm not a child, I'm a big child, right Brother?"

Yubao nodded. "That's right!"

"..." Song Yuncheng looked at Lin Zhao for help, his tone bending. "Sister~~~!!!"

Look at your twins!

He was afraid the two brothers would talk nonsense when they got home. If his father knew he had corrupted Yubao and Hengbao, he would definitely take off his shoe and slap him, and then he would lose both his face and his dignity!

Lin Zhao couldn't help but laugh and patted the twins' heads. "Yubao, Hengbao, you aren't allowed to tease your uncle. Uncle is your elder; you must listen to him."

Yubao stood straight, his eyes curving into crescent moons, his voice light. "Got it, I know!"

"Hehe." Hengbao covered his mouth and laughed out loud.

Song Yuncheng couldn't tell they were teasing him and pretended to be angry. "You two did that on purpose, you two bad boys."

He freed up a hand to rub Yaobao's little face, his face full of smiles. "Still our Yaobao and Seeing Qian Bao are well-behaved."

Yubao and Hengbao didn't feel any internal friction at all; the two brothers were still happy.

Song Yuncheng: "..."

Lin Zhao smiled to ease her cousin's embarrassment. "Yuncheng, was the soft padding on the bicycle tied on by Auntie?"

This question didn't know where it amused Song Yuncheng, and he burst into laughter.

"Not my mom, it was my dad. My dad knew I was coming to pick you up, so he took apart the old cotton quilt at home early in the morning and asked someone in the family with a sewing machine to help make it."

His mom also had a sewing machine, but his dad thought it was too slow, so he took half a bag of brown sugar and entrusted someone else to sew it.

"Sorry to trouble Uncle," Lin Zhao said moved.

Song Yuncheng clicked his tongue. "Old Song doesn't feel troubled at all; he's happy. He's been looking forward to you coming since last night, specifically bought candy for the four cubs, entrusted someone to make them mung bean cakes, and even exchanged milk powder with an old friend, making people think he had a big grandson! I really..."

He really found it hard to comment.

Lin Zhao's smile was bright. "Uncle is still so good."

"That's right!" Song Yuncheng couldn't agree more. "My dad treats you as more important than me and Yunjin."

Lin Zhao never doubted it.

At this time, Yubao shook her hand. "Mom, Uncle said 'Dad'? What is 'Dad'?"

In every brigade under the commune, no one called them Mom and Dad; they all followed the village way of calling them 'Die' and 'Niang'. It was normal for the children not to know.

"City people don't call them 'Die'; they call them 'Baba'. Your Uncle Yuncheng's 'Baba' is his 'Die', understand?" Lin Zhao explained to the twins softly.

Yubao and Hengbao were both smart children and of course could understand.

"What do city people call 'Niang'?" Yubao tilted his head.

"Mama," Lin Zhao replied.

Yubao looked at her, his tone light. "Mama!?"

He interpreted the application of what he had learned to the fullest.

"Mm, good Yubao," Lin Zhao responded with a smile.

Hengbao followed and shouted loudly: "Mama!!"

Lin Zhao responded again.

Seeing their older brothers change their titles, the twins also called out "Mama" in a milky way. "Mama~!"

In unison, sweet and soft enough to make one dizzy.

Lin Zhao curved her eyes in a smile. "Mm."

The children accepted new things well, and Hengbao said with a giggle, "Mom, can we call you Mama from now on?"

"Sure!" Lin Zhao could be said to be a girl who grew up in the city, and she didn't feel awkward about her children calling her Mama.

Moreover, she would take the four cubs to follow the army in the future; calling her 'Niang' would make them be mocked by other children, so it was better to change it early.

"Mama!" Hengbao shouted.

"Mm."

Hengbao looked at Gu Chenghuai again and shouted: "Baba?"

Gu Chenghuai was mature for his age. If he didn't want to, no one could see emotions on his face. He said steadily: "Mm."

"Baba, why don't you talk?" Hengbao felt his father's words were too few and wanted to sigh.

Gu Chenghuai looked down at him. "Say what?"

Hengbao choked and puffed out his cheeks. "Participate in our topic."

That expression had quite a bit of the meaning of being disappointed that iron couldn't become steel.

Yubao also straightened his little face and said seriously: "Baba, you talk so little, it will make Mama feel bored!"

Lin Zhao: "?"

Huh?

Gu Chenghuai's footsteps paused slightly, his brows furrowed imperceptibly, his expression serious. He subconsciously reviewed things in his mind, confirming again and again whether his wife had ever shown even a hint of impatience or perfunctoriness toward him. The answer was no.

He looked at Lin Zhao, his steady and powerful voice ringing out. "I'm boring?"

Lin Zhao shook her head and laughed. "Of course not."

The cubs' father was a silent and steady person outside, but he responded to every word she said; he couldn't be more reliable.

Gu Chenghuai's gaze swept over the twins and then drifted away lightly.

Too talkative.

The twins didn't notice the disgust. Seeing that Mom didn't care, they didn't bother either.

Song Yuncheng was about to be laughed to death by this family.

Talking and laughing, time passed quite quickly. In the blink of an eye, they reached the county, and it wasn't that far from home.

Song Yuncheng couldn't hold back and said to Lin Zhao and Gu Chenghuai: "Sister, Brother-in-law, you walk slowly, I'll take Seeing Qian Bao and Yaobao home first?"

Lin Zhao thought of Uncle waiting at home and agreed. She looked at the twins and instructed softly: "Seeing Qian Bao, Yaobao, you go with Uncle first. It's the place where Mom lived when she was little. Don't be afraid; we are right behind you and will be there in a while, okay?"

Seeing Qian Bao remembered Song Yuncheng and knew this was family, so he wasn't afraid and agreed obediently. "Okay."

"How about Yaobao?" Lin Zhao asked her daughter again.

Yaobao originally didn't want to go, but seeing her brother being so brave, she followed and agreed. "Okay."

"What brave little cubs." Lin Zhao praised the little brother and sister, and the last bit of reluctance in the twins' hearts completely disappeared.

"Mom, hurry up." Seeing Qian Bao reached out his little hand to hold his mother's hand, his voice calm and milky.

Lin Zhao's lips raised involuntarily. "I know."

"Seeing Qian Bao, lift your legs up, be careful of getting them rolled into the wheel." She instructed her son.

Seeing Qian Bao's little feet wearing tiger-head shoes were lifted high, his expression serious, his little hands gripping the seat tightly, his appearance serious and cute to the point of breaking the rules.

After doing everything, he looked at his mother for praise.

Lin Zhao touched the little guy's soft hair and praised: "Great."

The little dumpling curled the corners of his mouth, his smile milky and cute.

"Yuncheng, go ahead, ride slowly on the way." Lin Zhao dismissed Song Yuncheng.

Song Yuncheng gave a salute. "Sister, Brother-in-law, don't worry, even if I fall myself, I won't let Seeing Qian Bao and Yaobao fall."

After speaking, his right leg flipped over the bicycle's front beam, he kicked hard, and the bike with three people slid out.

"Going home!" he shouted, steadily accelerating, and quickly disappeared from the spot.

Without stopping, Song Yuncheng took the twins to the textile factory family building.

Uncle Song was waiting downstairs, standing under a tree with his hands behind his back, looking up and talking to a neighbor on the second floor.

"Dad, hurry and see who I brought."

Hearing this, Uncle Song hurriedly looked in the direction the sound came from, seeing the little girl on the front beam of the bicycle at a glance.

A bob cut, half of her black, bright hair tied up, a pretty hair flower on top of her head, wearing a pink little skirt, her skin as white as a Tang Yuan, her eyes like stars, her cheeks flushed, cute enough to melt people.

Uncle Song walked over with quick strides, his eyes always looking at her. "Is this Fourth Cub?"

To Yaobao, he was a stranger. Yaobao was afraid, turned around to grab Song Yuncheng's clothes, calling for Uncle, her little milky voice showing panic. "Uncle! Uncle!!"

Song Yuncheng was showing off, but didn't dare to float. He used a clipped voice: "Don't be afraid, this dark uncle isn't a bad person, he's your mother's uncle, you have to call him Great-Uncle."

"Great-Uncle?" Yaobao's little milky voice was puzzled.

Uncle Song's brain flew away, and he happily replied: "Mm! It's Great-Uncle."

The fierce-looking Song Gong's voice also became clipped.

"Fourth Cub, look at what Great-Uncle prepared for you as a gift?" He took out a cloth tiger, happy to see his niece's child.

Yaobao turned her head back, saw the cloth tiger, and her eyes lit up.

Uncle Song saw the little girl liked it, his eyes proud. Sure enough, the method used to coax Zhaozhao was equally useful for coaxing the cubs she gave birth to.

He handed the cloth tiger to Yaobao.

Yaobao took it, her hands with little dimples holding the cloth tiger, cute to death.

"Not Fourth Cub, it's Yaobao!" The little dumpling corrected in a childish voice.

"Yaobao?"

Uncle Song looked at Song Yuncheng.

Song Yuncheng: "..." Good fellow, finally saw him!

He didn't dare to be arrogant and directly gave his own father an explanation.

"Yaobao, this name is good." Uncle Song only knew how to praise.

Song Yuncheng didn't get off the bicycle, his left foot supporting the ground, Seeing Qian Bao being blocked completely by him.

"Uncle." He poked his uncle with one finger, his equally childish voice showing a sense of calmness.

Uncle Song only then knew there was another cub, walked around the front of the bike, and saw a very exquisite little face.

"Seeing Qian Bao?"

Seeing Qian Bao curled his fingers slightly, nodded calmly. "Great-Uncle."

"?" This appearance of being calm enough made Uncle Song think he saw the twins. "Mm."

Uncle Song walked not far away, holding a small leather ball in his hand, walked toward Seeing Qian Bao, and gave him the ball. "Seeing Qian Bao, this is a gift from Great-Uncle, a leather ball, do you like it?"

Seeing Qian Bao remembered what his mother said, that one must say thank you when receiving a gift.

The child said thank you solemnly. "Thank you, Great-Uncle."

Uncle Song was surprised again. "No need to thank me."

"Great-Uncle will carry you down?" He asked for Seeing Qian Bao's opinion.

Seeing Qian Bao opened his arms toward Great-Uncle.

Uncle Song was all smiles and carried the little cub down.

"Let's go, go home with Great-Uncle."