Chapter 184

Even if he didn't like the Lu family, for the sake of Lu Yizhou being his comrade-in-arms, Gu Chenghuai wouldn't just turn a blind eye.

He helped carry the luggage onto the train.

He sat back in his seat with an expressionless face.

Old Lady Lu eagerly came to his side, sat down with a thud, and with a face full of arrogant smiles, said, "I didn't expect you to be returning to the troop too. If we had known, it would have been so convenient to travel together."

Seeing Lin Zhao and the others on the platform, she continued to talk to herself: "You and your wife already have four children, why don't you let her follow the army? Following the army is so good; she wouldn't have to work in the fields, she could live in a building in the troop, and everything would be convenient..."

It was Old Lady Lu's first time on a train, yet she didn't feel nervous at all, looking around and touching things everywhere, even more at ease than she was in her own home.

"Auntie, the train is full of all sorts of people. Keep an eye on the children and be careful not to be targeted," Gu Chenghuai reminded her in a deep voice.

"No need." Old Lady Lu didn't care at all, not even shifting her bottom an inch, and didn't even glance at her granddaughter, "There are so many people on the train, and there are staff members too. Who would have nothing better to do than steal a little girl?"

After confirming that Lu Baozhen had lost her heaven-defying good fortune, Old Lady Lu's attitude underwent a 360-degree turn. She didn't mistreat her, but all of Lu Baozhen's good treatment was gone; she had no share of things like eggs, and her meals were now on the same level as Su Yuxian's.

In just over a month, Lu Baozhen seemed like a different person. Her former wilfulness and capriciousness had vanished, and she had become much more silent and gloomy.

She guarded the luggage, wearing oily, patched clothes, her complexion sallow and thin, no different from the little girls in the village.

"Chenghuai, our family has the old and the young; you'll have to look after us a lot on the road," Old Lady Lu said to Gu Chenghuai with a smile, her shrewd old eyes flickering.

Gu Chenghuai was a man who never suffered a loss. His expression was cold and stern, and he spoke without leaving any openings, "I can help with small things, but relying on me for everything... that won't work. I also have luggage that I need to keep an eye on at all times."

"Help us bring a portion when you buy food," Old Lady Lu revealed her purpose.

The Lu family had lost a large amount of wealth, and they hadn't eaten meat at home for over a month, so their stomachs were truly lacking in oil and water. Hearing that the food on the train was very good—the rice was white rice, and the dishes included both meat and vegetables, with even the vegetable dishes not lacking in oil—Old Lady Lu thought about it, and her saliva almost overflowed.

Gu Chenghuai looked toward his wife and children outside the platform, his gaze softening.

In an instant, he withdrew his gaze and said to Old Lady Lu, "My mother and my wife prepared food for me. I don't plan on buying from the train, so I'm afraid I can't help you, Auntie."

Old Lady Lu didn't believe him and raised her voice to scold, "How can the things you brought be enough to fill your stomach? You're probably just not wanting to help me, right? Chenghuai, you're being stingy. We're all from the same village, and you and Yizhou are comrades-in-arms. What's wrong with helping his family members while you're at it?"

"It's not 'while I'm at it'," Gu Chenghuai remained impervious.

A flash of impatience crossed his eyes, and his voice was slightly cold, "Auntie, the train is about to depart. You should go back to your seat quickly. I still want to say a few words to my wife."

A comrade soldier with a firm will—how could he be kidnapped by moral pressure?

Old Lady Lu bumped into his eyes, which seemed to be frozen with cold frost.

Knowing that the third Gu son was not someone to be easily manipulated, she didn't dare to go too far and left angrily, pulling Lu Baozhen along.

Seeing Su Yuxian standing there foolishly, smiling at the outside of the platform—smiling in a way that was both smug and asking for a beating—she reached out and pinched her.

"Smile, smile, smile, your gums are showing, and you're still not hurrying to find your seat. How did I end up with such a stupid daughter-in-law like you? You can't do anything right, yet you have such good luck to marry my son..." Old Lady Lu cursed and swore, her voice shrill and loud, causing everyone in the carriage to look over.

She didn't feel ashamed; instead, it was as if she had found amusement, and she cursed even more vigorously.

Su Yuxian was provocatively looking at Lin Zhao, with an arrogant posture of being superior, never expecting her mother-in-law to suddenly act up. Now, she had lost both face and dignity.

"Mother, keep your voice down," Su Yuxian said annoyedly.

Old Lady Lu glared, "What? Are you the mother-in-law or am I? You're raising your voice at me, aren't you? Don't forget that your train ticket was bought by me. Do you believe I'll make you roll off the train!"

"Did you earn it? The money was earned by my man," Su Yuxian retorted.

The mother-in-law and daughter-in-law began to argue in the carriage.

People on the train stood up to watch the commotion.

Until the conductor came over.

"What are you doing! What are you doing! Everyone sit down, the train is about to depart. What kind of behavior is this, arguing and shouting!"

Conductors in this day and age were also quite arrogant, with sharp tongues; they scolded whenever they wanted and wouldn't give anyone face.

Old Lady Lu was shrewish in front of her daughter-in-law, but she didn't dare to be so in front of someone arrogant, so she pulled Lu Baozhen and walked toward their seats.

In this short time, the train started moving.

People on the platform ran along with the train, shedding tears and calling out the names of their loved ones, their faces filled with reluctance.

Lin Zhao was infected by this emotion, and her eyes also had a stinging sensation.

This scene really makes it hard not to be affected.

The twins were even less able to bear it and chased after the train, wanting to cling to the window.

The little brothers' voices were filled with sobbing, "Daddy!"

Xiang Yubao and Gu Hangbao knew that after this separation, they wouldn't see their father for a long time, and they cried very sadly.

Seeing his sons wanting to climb the train, Gu Chenghuai's expression changed slightly, but seeing Lin Zhao hug the two sons, his brow relaxed.

He leaned out and said in a loud voice, "Call me if you miss me."

Seeing a passenger leaning out, the staff on the platform shouted, "Don't lean your head out, pull your head back!"

No matter who it was, anyone who dared to violate the rules would be scolded.

Gu Chenghuai withdrew his body, his eyes tightly watching his wife and children.

"Go back."

Lin Zhao took the two sons and walked forward along with the train.

Xiang Yubao wiped his tears with his little hands, too sad to speak, "Daddy..."

"Wuwuwuwu." Gu Hangbao also cried wuwuwu, his crying sound like a boiling kettle.

Lin Zhao was between laughter and tears.

"Don't follow anymore, go back quickly." Gu Chenghuai waved at his wife and children, reminding them worriedly, "Zhaozhao, pay attention to safety on the way back, and find the Gongan if anything happens."

"Don't worry about Fourth Brother's matter, I will keep an eye on it..."

The train gradually accelerated, clattering as it drove forward, leaving behind the people seeing them off on the platform.

The male voice filled with worry slowly became inaudible, and only the wind reached their ears.

The people on the platform didn't move until the train became a small dot, and only then did everyone come back to their senses.

Xiang Yubao and Gu Hangbao were incredibly sentimental, tears falling drop by drop, their eye sockets red. The older brother took out a handkerchief to wipe his nose, and after wiping his own, he wiped his younger brother's.

Lin Zhao spoke, "Let's go back, go to your Great Uncle's house."

The twins followed her, looking back every three steps.

"The train is already out of sight, and you're still looking." Lin Zhao said amusedly.

Gu Hangbao hung his little head, "I miss Daddy."

"Didn't you like to go against your daddy? I thought you didn't like him, and now you miss him? Why didn't you say that when your daddy was here?" Lin Zhao pinched the second cub's little mouth, "You arrogant little ghost who says one thing but means another."

"I don't dislike Daddy," Gu Hangbao said hurriedly.

Xiang Yubao explained for his younger brother, "Gu Hangbao was complaining that Daddy hasn't come back for a long time. Grandma used to say that Daddy likes us very much and went very far to buy us milk, and would even coax us to sleep. Neither Gu Hangbao nor I remember that. He hasn't been home for a long, long time, and he doesn't write letters either. Gu Hangbao thinks Grandma is lying, that Daddy doesn't like us at all. He's just having a tantrum with Daddy, he doesn't dislike Daddy."

"Gu Hangbao likes Daddy very much. He likes the gift Daddy gave him very, very much, and he touches it every day."

Hearing his older brother spill all his little secrets, Gu Hangbao didn't get angry, but his ears turned red, and his eyes focused intently on the ground, as if there were gold on the ground.

"I know." Lin Zhao pinched the twins' little hands, "You both like Daddy, I could tell at a glance."

Gu Hangbao raised his head, dissatisfied, "Mom is teasing me!"

"That's right, teasing you." Lin Zhao pinched the child's cheek and asked with a smile, "What? Can't I?"

Meeting his mother's beautiful smiling face, Gu Hangbao couldn't say a word of 'no', his little face filled with helplessness and compromise, "You can, who told you to be my mother. If anyone else teased me, I would give them a punch."

As he spoke, he waved his fist fiercely.

Lin Zhao felt her son was truly cute, and the smile on her face deepened.

The mother and her two sons left the train station.

Xiang Yubao raised his head, "Mom, are we going to Great Uncle's house?"

"That's right," Lin Zhao said, "The house at home is finished, and we invited your Uncle Yunjin to come live at our house."

Xiang Yubao was very happy, "Great, I like liveliness. When we have classes later, Uncle will teach Gu Hangbao, and Uncle will teach me, one teaching one."

"You've already arranged everything." Lin Zhao's tone was warm and calm.

"Mm-hmm, Uncle and Uncle will definitely agree." Xiang Yubao was convinced of this.

Lin Zhao nodded in agreement, "That's for sure, you are sensible and smart little children, adults all like you."

Praised by their mother, the two cubs were so happy that the curve of their mouths couldn't be retracted for a long time, and they couldn't remember their own father anymore.

Gu Chenghuai sat on the train, unable to recover for a long time, his heart feeling waves of sourness.

Catching a glimpse of the red string on his wrist, the ice in his eyes slowly melted.

Waking up early and getting hungry quickly, he took out the pancake his wife had made. When flipping the pancake, he saw a beautifully folded piece of paper. Thinking of something, those deep eyes showed a hint of anticipation.

He unfolded the paper.

On it was a simple sketch: a family of six, a loving young couple, a pair of five-year-old twins, and a pair of boy-girl twins sitting on a mat.

Below the drawing, words were written:

【A happy family, (??? °???)?. Just separated and already looking forward to the next reunion. The four cubs and I are waiting for you to come home, stay safe.】

Gu Chenghuai gently pinched the paper and revealed a very shallow, clear, and warm smile.

After a long while.

He took out a fountain pen, lowered his head, and wrote a sentence next to the line of text.

【Do not fail the motherland, do not fail the small family.】

The reluctance in his heart was healed, and the young officer's mouth corners curled up involuntarily, his gaze bright.

He carefully folded the paper and put it into his military uniform pocket.

He took out the pancake and started eating it in big mouthfuls.

On the other side.

Lin Zhao brought the twins to the Song family.

Seeing them come, Great Uncle Song and the others were all very surprised.

"Zhaozhao? Xiang Yubao and Gu Hangbao are here too." Great Uncle Song affectionately rubbed the two cubs' heads.

Lin Zhao entered the room, sat down on the sofa with a thud, and leaned back.

She hadn't woken up this early in a long time, so tired, so tired.

"Just went to see off your niece's husband," she said casually.

Great Uncle Song reacted immediately, "Chenghuai returned to the troop?"

"Yes, he used up all the leave he had saved up by coming back this time." Lin Zhao felt that being a soldier was truly not easy.

She took the enamel mug handed to her by Yunjin, drank two mouthfuls to quench her thirst, and then fed the twins.

"Great Uncle, your niece's husband asked me to express his apologies to you, saying he didn't have time to visit again and would come to see you next time he visits his relatives."

Great Uncle Song waved his hand, "What's this about? Chenghuai's work is special, and as a family member, I understand very well."

Lin Zhao smiled, "Great Uncle's awareness is extraordinary."

"Go, go, go." Great Uncle Song was amused by his niece's tone of coaxing a child, "Have you eaten?"

"Not yet." Lin Zhao touched her empty stomach and made a request without being polite, "Great Uncle, I want to eat fried dough sticks and drink soy milk."

Great Uncle Song thought of the past for a moment. At that time, Zhaozhao was still in school, and whenever she wanted to eat or drink something, she would come to find him, this uncle. It was different after she got married; she hadn't made a request in years.

Hearing it again now, Great Uncle Song was overjoyed.

"Alright, I'll buy it for our Zhaozhao."

He looked at the twins again, "What do Xiang Yubao and Gu Hangbao want to eat?"

"The same as Mom." Xiang Yubao sat obediently, his little short legs a few millimeters from the ground. He took off his coat and wore a dark green short-sleeved shirt, looking gentle and delicate.

"Thank you, Great Uncle." He thanked them very politely.

Great Uncle Song felt that Zhaozhao really knew how to teach children. Look at his own children—how obedient and polite they were! Unlike some children in the family building who wouldn't even make a sound when you gave them candy, only knowing how to stuff it into their mouths.

"Xiang Yubao is so obedient."

Xiang Yubao blushed.

At this time, Gu Hangbao said loudly, "Great Uncle, I'm the same as Mom and Brother."

He slid off the sofa, looked up with his little face, and a brilliant smile bloomed on his face, "Great Uncle, I'll go buy it with you. I can help carry things, I have a lot of strength."

Great Uncle Song: "Alright, I'll take you to see. Is Xiang Yubao going?"

Xiang Yubao looked at Lin Zhao and shook his head, "I want to stay with Mom."

Great Uncle Song didn't force him and took Gu Hangbao out.

"Xiang Yubao is so clingy." Yunjin smiled and took Xiang Yubao into his arms.

Xiang Yubao smiled shyly.

Lin Zhao changed the subject and asked Yunjin, "Where is your brother?"

"Who knows, he went out early in the morning." Yunjin squeezed toward Lin Zhao and said mysteriously, "Sister, I think I'm going to have a sister-in-law soon."

"My brother is showing courtesy every day, going out early and coming back late every day. That's fine, but he also smiles inexplicably, smiling just like Brother-in-law when he sees you, really worthless."

Lin Zhao patted his arm, "How are you talking? Your brother-in-law didn't provoke you."

Yunjin patted his own mouth, smiled ingratiatingly, and decisively admitted his mistake, "Sister, I didn't mean to disrespect Brother-in-law, it's just, it's just you understand what I mean, right? That kind of smile is really creepy; seeing it late at night could scare someone to death."

I understand.

The smile of falling in love, I understand too well!

"According to what you say, your family should be having a happy event soon." Lin Zhao said.

"Right, right, I told my mom, and my mom scolded me, saying I'm a little brat who talks too much." Yunjin said aggrievedly.

"Why?" Lin Zhao was curious.

Great Aunt wouldn't scold people for no reason; scolding meant she was very annoyed.

"What else could it be, worrying about the 'three turns and one sound' (bicycle, watch, sewing machine, radio)." Even if Great Aunt Song didn't say it, Song Yunjin could guess a thing or two.

"The bride price is 'three turns and one sound'? Preparing everything?" Lin Zhao felt that preparing everything was too exaggerated.

She had no opinion about Yunjin's object, it was just that the tickets for the 'three turns and one sound' were hard to get, and it was very difficult to prepare them fully. Furthermore, Great Uncle's family still had Yunjin. If they prepared it for Yunjin, shouldn't they also prepare it for Yunjin? With two sons, it wouldn't be good to favor one over the other.

"Not that, preparing two items." Yunjin said.

He smiled embarrassedly, "My parents said that I'm the same as my brother, both preparing two items, buying whatever tickets we can get."

Lin Zhao: "Very reasonable. This way Great Uncle and Great Aunt's pressure isn't that great."

It was just that Great Uncle's family had a thick foundation; if it were another family, it would also be a major hemorrhage.

"I'm still a long way from getting married, maybe I'll have saved enough money by then!" Yunjin said full of confidence.

"Ambitious." Lin Zhao patted his shoulder.

"Hehe."

"Yunjin, didn't you say before that I should invite you to live in the village for a few days? Are you going?" Lin Zhao asked.

"Going!"