Chapter 134: Treating the foot

"Look, the mosquito-repellent herbs Fourth Brother gave!" Lin Zhao raised the leaves in her hand, "He said putting them in small cloth bags can prevent mosquito bites, I plan to make a few more, and give one to everyone who attracts mosquitoes."

Gu Chenghuai nodded, "Okay."

"Fourth Brother has nothing to do besides raising pigs and working in the fields, I feel if this continues, it will be hard for his medical skills to improve, I plan to find him some medical books, what do you think?" Lin Zhao asked with a smile.

Gu Chenghuai's cold eyes paused, "Medical books?"

His voice was calm, "They aren't easy to find now."

"I'm not in a rush, I'll try my luck at the recycling station from time to time, it's better if I can find a bargain, if not, it doesn't matter," Lin Zhao was very Buddhist, indicating she wouldn't force it.

Gu Chenghuai knew he couldn't stop her and didn't try, only saying: "Be careful."

"Mm."

When the couple arrived at the Gu home, the people listening to the radio had dispersed, and a group of children were playing at the entrance, running around from time to time, their shouting voices almost flipping the roof.

They had a lot of energy.

Xiang Yubao saw his mom and dad and said to his little friends: "My mom and dad are back, I have to go back to bathe and sleep, let's play again tomorrow."

After speaking, he took his younger brother and sister and walked toward Lin Zhao.

"Mom, did you go up the mountain?" Xiang Yubao's clear eyes were full of suspicion.

Lin Zhao denied it, "No, I just strolled around the foot of the mountain."

Xiang Yubao's face was full of disbelief.

But he had no evidence.

Just as he wanted to say something, Lin Zhao wiped the sweat from the four cubs' foreheads, "Sweaty all over from running, so stinky!"

The children's attention was diverted, they took half a step back, shyly picking at their hands, and whispered: "We won't be stinky after bathing."

Lin Zhao took the children home, stood in the courtyard, and said: "Xiang Yubao, Gu Hangbao, Seeing Qian Bao, let your dad bathe you, I'll bathe Seeing Yaobao."

Gu Hangbao wasn't happy, grabbed her hem, his face full of unhappiness, "No, I want Mom to help me bathe."

He glanced resentfully at Gu Chenghuai, "Dad's strength is so great, my skin is almost being rubbed off, Mom, you take care of me, let Dad bathe sister."

"Gu Chenghuai, teach your son!" Lin Zhao left this sentence, scooped up Seeing Yaobao, and returned to the room.

There was only one public bathroom in the house, so she took her daughter back to the room to bathe.

Gu Hangbao was terrified of his dad's scrubbing and hurriedly wanted to run, but was scooped up by Gu Chenghuai and given a light slap on his bottom.

"Delicate." The man's brows furrowed.

Gu Hangbao's body stiffened like a stick, full of defiance, "I'm not delicate, I'm a man, I'm not delicate!"

He said it several times.

Before Gu Chenghuai could answer, the child bristled and shouted at his father, his face toward the room where the third branch lived: "Mom, save me, your cub is being beaten by a bad guy."

In the room, Seeing Yaobao grabbed Lin Zhao's hand, wanting to walk out, "Brother, brother..."

"Your brother is just playing, Mom is giving you a bath, it's time to sleep after the bath," Lin Zhao coaxed gently.

Seeing Yaobao yawned, stopped making a fuss, and opened her arms, letting Mom take off her clothes.

"Good baby," Lin Zhao praised.

The little bun revealed a milky, cute smile, hugged Mom, and snuggled with her, extremely happy.

In the courtyard, Gu Hangbao's shouting didn't call Mom, but did call Gu Laoyezi, Grandma, and Tie Chui and the others.

Tie Chui's pants were already off, and he was about to get into bed when he heard his good brother's cry for help and rushed out of the room, shouting, "Gu Hangbao, I'm coming, don't be afraid, I'm here to protect you!"

After bumping into Third Uncle's calm, waveless eyes, the child braked urgently, as if someone had pinched his throat, and couldn't say another word.

"Li Bao, help me, step on my dad's foot, let him put me down, I don't want him to bathe me," Gu Hangbao shouted while struggling.

Tie Chui didn't dare.

He didn't dare to get close to Third Uncle.

However.

His good brother was asking for help, and the loyal little guy couldn't do something like turning a blind eye.

He clenched his little fists.

He gathered his courage to take a step forward.

His voice trembled as he negotiated with Third Uncle.

"Th, Third Uncle." He was so nervous he forgot to breathe, his face flushed red, "Gu Hangbao is afraid of pain, could, could you be a little lighter?"

Gu Chenghuai: "..."

He wasn't using force.

In front of him was his trembling nephew, and the cold military officer pinched his brow helplessly, opening his lips, "... Okay."

Xiang Yubao heard his words and quietly breathed a sigh of relief.

He also felt Dad's back scrubbing was painful, woo woo.

Seeing Qian Bao hadn't been scrubbed by Dad yet, quiet and ignorant.

"Go to sleep," Gu Chenghuai said to Tie Chui, taking the three cubs to the bathroom.

He prepared the water.

The man's gaze swept over his three sons.

"Who's first?"

Gu Hangbao took a step back, "I'm last."

Xiang Yubao felt he was the eldest brother, so he had to be brave and set a good example for his younger brothers, "I'll go first."

Soon he was stripped naked and thrown into the tub.

Gu Chenghuai started.

He was a soldier and was particular about efficiency in everything, grabbing his eldest son and scrubbing him.

Xiang Yubao's face turned red from the pain, but he bit his lip and didn't say anything.

"Brother, does it hurt?" Gu Hangbao asked.

"... No, it doesn't."

Gu Hangbao believed him.

When Xiang Yubao came out of the tub red all over, frowning and putting on pajamas, and he himself was scrubbed, it felt burning hot, and he dodged Gu Chenghuai's hands like a loach, howling non-stop, saying: "It hurts, Dad, be lighter! I'm not a cutting board, your hands are so heavy! Mom isn't like this!"

Gu Chenghuai found him too talkative, stopped, and looked at him unhappily, "Too much talk."

"Mom told us to speak up if we have requests!!" Gu Hangbao was full of unhappiness.

"..." He knew how to use his mom to pressure him.

"Still washing?" Gu Chenghuai asked indifferently.

He felt that raising children was the most tiring job in the world, bar none.

"Wash, Dad, can you be lighter, it really hurts, I'm all red from your scrubbing!" Gu Hangbao said, "I bathe every day, there's no mud on me, I'm clean!"

"So much trouble!" Gu Chenghuai frowned and complained, pulling him over and moving a bit lighter, "Your brother didn't say it was heavy."

Xiang Yubao: "..."

Gu Hangbao refused to accept it, "Brother was scrubbed by you like he was being boiled in a pot!"

"Shut up," Gu Chenghuai said.

Gu Hangbao was unconvinced, "Brother was rubbed by you as if he were being boiled in a pot!"

Feeling his arm burning again, he shouted his accusation, "Dad, your hands are heavy again!"

Gu Chenghuai withdrew his hand, "Fine, wash yourself."

Gu Hangbao retreated, staying far away from his dad, "Wash myself then, I'll wash myself."

Gu Chenghuai didn't care about the second son, scooped up Seeing Qian Bao, and bathed the youngest cub.

The twins looked at their younger brother with sympathy.

Xiang Yubao couldn't help it and said: "Dad, Seeing Qian Bao is even younger than us, you have to use even less strength, don't scrub him until he cries."

Seeing Qian Bao blinked his long eyelashes, his voice milky and cute, "I won't cry."

Gu Chenghuai rubbed the little son's head, "If it hurts, say so."

The little bun nodded gently.

The twins put on their t-shirts and shorts and gathered around, looking at their younger brother.

The child in the tub was white and tender, looking round and good-looking, like a large glutinous rice ball.

Gu Hangbao examined his younger brother, learning from Gu Fu's tone of gratification and satisfaction, and said: "Fatter."

Xiang Yubao pinched the meat on his own stomach, his lips curling up, "We're fatter too."

"Hehe." Gu Hangbao laughed carelessly, "Fatter is good."

Gu Chenghuai: "..."

After bathing the four cubs and sending them out, the dad took a combat bath himself.

Returning to the room, the four cubs were surrounding Lin Zhao on the big bed, making a fuss about wanting their mom to tell them a story.

"Mom, I want to sleep with you tonight," Gu Hangbao acted coquettishly toward Lin Zhao.

Lin Zhao also missed the children and nodded in agreement, "Okay, go get your little pillows and tell your grandpa and grandma."

Xiang Yubao's eyes brightened, and he pulled Gu Hangbao off the bed, "We'll go get them."

The twins also wanted to get off the bed, but were hugged by Lin Zhao, "Let your brothers get them for you."

"Right, we'll go get them, Seeing Qian Bao, Seeing Yaobao, you guys don't get down!" Xiang Yubao said to his younger brother and sister.

Seeing Qian Bao curled his eyes, "Thank you, brother."

His younger sister loved to imitate her little brother and also followed suit to say thank you.

The twins laughed, and ran off to get the little pillows and small blankets.

That night.

The four cubs slept on the same bed as their mom and dad, rolling around before falling asleep, extremely happy.

Gu Chenghuai watched the children clinging to and making a fuss with Lin Zhao, wanting to hear her tell a story, his cold eyes swept toward them, and he said gently: "Your mom has to go to work tomorrow morning, I'll tell you."

Neither of the twins liked listening to their dad tell stories; he told them in a flat, plain way, with no interest at all, and he didn't interact with them, insisting they lie straight, not allowing them to open their eyes, he was so overbearing!

Seeing Qian Bao and Seeing Yaobao were young and didn't have so many requirements, especially Seeing Qian Bao, who lay down very obediently, his little hands on his stomach, his clear eyes looking at his dad.

Gu Chenghuai raised an eyebrow at the twins, "Any problems?"

Xiang Yubao and Gu Hangbao immediately lay flat and pulled the little blanket over their little stomachs.

Gu Chenghuai lay on the outermost side, blocking most of the light, and lowered his voice to tell the story, "Once upon a time in a small mountain village, there was a boy, he had several brothers and sisters in his family..."

Hearing this beginning, Lin Zhao's lips curled up.

Dying of laughter.

He told her this story before, and now he's telling the children the same story; the cubs' dad hasn't made any progress at all.

He said he couldn't tell stories, and it was true.

Gu Chenghuai saw the arc of his wife's lips curling up, his voice paused, causing Gu Hangbao to open his eyes and ask anxiously: "And then, what happened after that boy joined the army?"

"... Close your eyes," Gu Chenghuai said.

"Oh." Gu Hangbao closed his eyes obediently.

The deliberately lowered, deep male voice rang out again.

Lin Zhao listened to the familiar story and fell into a dream.

After his wife and children were asleep, Gu Chenghuai got up lightly, took a bag of things, and went to the foot of the mountain.

He knocked on the door gently, one long and two short knocks.

Meng Jiusi was sitting in the courtyard, heard the sound, and opened the door.

He looked behind Gu Chenghuai first, "Zhao Zhao didn't come?"

"She fell asleep first, she has to go to work tomorrow morning," Gu Chenghuai explained, handing the bundle he brought to his fourth brother-in-law.

"Fourth Brother, these are the things Zhao Zhao asked me to bring you."

"Thank you, sorry to trouble you," Meng Jiusi thanked him sincerely and took the bag.

Gu Chenghuai didn't delay and left first after delivering the things.

Meng Jiusi watched his back leave, bolted the courtyard door, and limped into the house.

He and Gu Laoyezi Meng lived in the same room, and with the Lin family helping secretly, there were two wooden beds in the room.

Gu Laoyezi Meng had already slept once and woke up immediately upon hearing the door open.

"You're back," he said.

Meng Jiusi was embarrassed, "Woke you up."

"Tired of sleeping, woke up to rest, will sleep again later," Gu Laoyezi Meng said with a smile.

"..."

Meng Jiusi sat down, opened the large bag, and first saw three red candles. He hesitated for a moment, used the kerosene lamp to light one, and lowered his head to blow out the kerosene lamp.

The room suddenly brightened.

Gu Laoyezi Meng got off the bed, walked over, and sat on another broken wooden stool.

He knew Jiusi was going to treat his foot tonight. He was old, and since last year, he couldn't hold the needles and couldn't treat his grandson himself, but he had a belly full of theoretical knowledge and could still teach Jiusi.

Meng Jiusi didn't know Gu Laoyezi's intentions and took out the things in the bag one by one.

A small iron pot with a chipped edge.

Two sets of bowls and chopsticks.

A can of malted milk.

Two cans, one meat, one fruit.

Two liang of brown sugar.

Toothbrush, toothpaste, towel, soap.

Two sets of summer clothes to change into, two pairs of cloth shoes.

Five jin of finely ground coarse grain, half a can of oil, and some cooking seasonings.

A stack of newspapers.

Five mung bean cakes.

Gu Laoyezi Meng looked at the 'good things' on the broken wooden table and was very shocked, "So many good things!"

How could they not be good things?

They didn't lack anything in the capital, but now things were different, they didn't even have towels to wipe their faces or bodies, they lacked everything.

Meng Jiusi's eyes were full of softness, "My sister and my uncle prepared them."

During the day, Lin Shichang had also come secretly and sent him some daily necessities.

Gu Laoyezi Meng was happy for his bitter-fated grandson, "Your family is very good."

"Mm, they are all very good," Meng Jiusi talked more in front of the grandfather who raised him, "My sister said my family will make thick cotton-padded jackets for us. Gu Laoyezi, we don't have to be afraid of not making it through this winter anymore."

Gu Laoyezi Meng smiled, "Gu Laoyezi is basking in your light."

He had so many children and grandchildren, but in the end, only this picked-up grandson was the most thoughtful.

"Gu Laoyezi, eat a mung bean cake," Meng Jiusi said, "This mung bean cake was made by someone my uncle found. After hearing the news of my return, he asked Zhao Zhao to bring me a few. Gu Laoyezi, Zhao Zhao said the mung bean cake is very crispy and soft, you eat, I'll go boil water."

After speaking, he went out to boil water.

The moon hung high, the courtyard wasn't dark, he boiled the water, washed his feet clean, changed into new cloth shoes, and entered the room again. He poured half a bowl of water for Gu Laoyezi first, sat on the edge of his own bed, and started treating his foot.

Gu Laoyezi Meng held the candle high to illuminate his grandson.

"Prick boldly, if there's a problem, I'll speak up."

"Okay," Meng Jiusi trusted him.

Gu Laoyezi started learning traditional Chinese medicine when he was sensible, became a master before twenty, and practiced medicine for decades, holding a high status in the medical field. Even if he couldn't prick needles anymore, his medical experience was a precious treasure.

Under the candlelight, Meng Jiusi's side profile was serious, and he pricked his foot decisively.

The injury on his foot looked serious, but it was actually far lighter than those people imagined. After a few needles, the toes that were twisted at an incredible angle slowly returned to normal.

Gu Laoyezi Meng stroked his messy gray beard, his cloudy eyes full of gratification.

"Pricked well," he praised.

Meng Jiusi wiped the sweat from his forehead, and the smile on his face was clearly exposed in the candlelight.

"The set of needles Zhao Zhao sent is very different."

Gu Laoyezi Meng smiled, "Use them well in the future."

He looked at these needles, they looked very much like the set that had long been lost.

Meng Jiusi nodded seriously, "I will."

Gu Laoyezi Meng was very gratified. He took in Jiusi at the beginning, one because he had talent, and two because he had an open-minded and benevolent heart. Now it seemed he hadn't misjudged him.

Only.

The ancestral needles of the Meng family, he didn't know if his grandson could hide them?

The grandson he thought of wasn't his biological grandson, but Jiusi's two sons.

Those needles, if they couldn't be hidden, it didn't matter, it just meant the fate between the Meng family and them had reached its end... ===== CHAPTER 135 =====

The grandson he thought of was not his biological grandson, but Jiu Si's two sons.

That needle, even if it couldn't be hidden, it didn't matter; it meant the Meng family's fate with it had arrived...