Chapter 262

"If you don't need to pee, sleep a bit more; it's still early." Lin Zhao patted her son's shoulder. As she patted, the third cub didn't fall asleep, but she herself fell into a deep sleep.

Qian Bao looked at his mother, pulled the quilt up for her, lay down obediently, closed his eyes, and fell asleep shortly after.

In the village.

After the first family finished setting off firecrackers, the crackling sounds echoed one after another.

Fortunately, these sounds weren't too close, so those who wanted to sleep in could still sleep.

But how many people could sleep in? As soon as it was dawn, every household had people getting up.

Lin Lin Lin Shisheng felt he couldn't breathe and opened his eyes—two huge faces!

It was Xiang Yubao and Gu Hangbao. The two were hovering above him, their eyes wide open, looking down at him from above.

Lin Lin Lin Shisheng: "..."

"What are you doing?" He let out a long sigh and draped his arm over his eyes.

"It's still early, keep sleeping."

Gu Hangbao tugged at his second uncle's arm, "Don't sleep! Gu Gu Ershu, you promised to take us to pick up firecrackers."

Lin Lin Lin Shisheng wanted to slap his own mouth.

"Your mother will beat me to death." He felt a huge headache; you shouldn't talk big, and now these two little ones remembered.

"I don't want to." Gu Hangbao pulled his second uncle's arm, shaking it with a serious little face, and said, "You promised us last night, Uncle, good Gu Gu Ershu~~!"

Drawing out the tone, the voice had little waves, revealing the softness unique to a child.

Lin Lin Lin Shisheng wanted to cover his ears, but he couldn't ignore the sincere gaze his nephews were giving him.

A moment later, he sat up.

"Get up." Lin Lin Lin Shisheng quickly put on his cotton-padded jacket, helped his two big nephews put on their new clothes, and instructed, "You two must listen to me. If you blow a hole in your new clothes, I guarantee your mother will hang you two on a tree and beat you."

Of course, the possibility of her beating him, this second brother, was even greater.

Xiang Yubao touched the new cotton-padded jacket his father had sent them with care, his expression serious and his tone solemn, "We won't; we'll stay far away."

When Gu Hangbao was mischievous, he had really been slapped by his mother. He wasn't even six yet, but his childhood was already quite complete, so he believed his second uncle's words without a doubt.

He hurriedly said, "I'll definitely be careful."

A bit worried about himself, he looked at Xiang Yubao, "Brother, remind me."

"Mm-hmm."

Lin Lin Lin Shisheng squatted down to help the twins put on their shoes.

After leaving the room, a cold wind hit, and the little brothers shrank their necks.

"So cold," Gu Hangbao said.

Xiang Yubao comforted his younger brother, "After we wash our faces and put on our hats and scarves, we won't be cold anymore."

"Mm." Gu Hangbao rushed into the kitchen.

The fire in the stove had been burning all night, and the water in the iron pot was hot; it was just right for washing faces and brushing teeth.

Lin Lin Lin Shisheng took his two nephews to wash up, added water to the pot, added firewood to the stove, and made a bowl of egg drop soup. The one big and two small shared it, and after their limbs were warm, he stuffed two handfuls of fruit candies into his pockets, called Xiang Yubao and Gu Hangbao, and went out to pick up firecrackers.

"Gu family twins, you're up too?" The village children greeted Xiang Yubao and Gu Hangbao.

Lin Zhao was diligent about returning to her parents' home, so the children in the village all knew her and the four cubs.

"Yeah," Xiang Yubao responded. Seeing the firecrackers in the hands of the children opposite, he said generously, "You're out picking up firecrackers too."

"Do you want some?" The child reached out to him, his expression slightly constrained.

Looking at the new clothes on the twins, that little black hand curled up uncomfortably.

"For us?" Xiang Yubao was surprised, "But you picked these up yourself."

A smile appeared on the child's dark little face, "It's okay, I can pick up more."

Xiang Yubao shook his head and politely refused: "We can't take what you worked hard to pick up. My brother and I will pick up our own; thank you."

Lin Lin Lin Shisheng saw that the children were getting along well and didn't rush forward; he only approached when his nephews looked back at him.

Picking up firecrackers wasn't a good thing after all, and seeing an adult approach, the village children, whose faces were red from the cold from picking up firecrackers early in the morning, all hid their hands like they were trying to cover their ears while stealing a bell.

Lin Lin Lin Shisheng didn't say anything, just took out the candy from his pocket.

"... Come here, two candies each."

The village children's eyes lit up, and they stood frozen in place; no one dared to think this was real.

"Come on," Lin Lin Lin Shisheng called again.

Now some children stepped forward.

He looked up at Gu Gu Ershu Lin and asked uncertainly: "Really giving them to us?"

"Two each, that many?!"

Lin Lin Lin Shisheng put two in his palm, "See if it's real or fake?"

The little black kid squeezed them and subconsciously clenched his hand into a fist, "It's real, real candy, thank you Gu Gu Ershu Lin, Happy New Year Gu Gu Ershu Lin, I wish you success in your career."

Lin Lin Lin Shisheng ruffled the child's hair, "Why did your mouth suddenly become so sweet, who did you learn that from?"

The little black kid chuckled, "Learned it from my grandma. I remembered it for a long time last night, but forgot when I woke up this morning, so I went and asked my grandma again."

What he didn't say was that his grandma looked at him complexly; he knew that was the look one gives rotten wood.

This kid was the grandson of the Lin family's neighbor, mischievous since he was little. Lin Lin Lin Shisheng understood the temperament of his family members, guessed what happened, and a smile he couldn't suppress appeared in his eyes, but he held it back for fear of embarrassing the kid.

Pretending nothing had happened, he distributed candy to the other children.

"Thank you Gu Gu Ershu Lin," the polite children said.

The clever ones learned from the first kid and said auspicious words, "I wish Gu Gu Ershu Lin's whole family good health."

The blessings one after another made Lin Lin Lin Shisheng feel physically and mentally happy.

"Gu Gu Ershu, my brother and I are going over there to pick some up," Gu Hangbao couldn't stay still and spoke up.

The village children said: "We're going too, twins, we can help you look."

"Dad also said, whatever we like, he'll make." He added.

"The candy is really sweet."

The children chattered and followed along without feeling like outsiders.

All the unexploded firecrackers they picked up were given to the two cubs.

"There's one here that didn't go off, Xiang Yubao, here you go."

"I have one here too, for Gu Hangbao!"

The twins were as happy as in previous years to spend the New Year at their grandparents' house, it was just a pity that Li Bao and their cousins weren't there.

"Xiang Yubao, Gu Hangbao, you didn't call me when you came out!!"

A crisp shout came from afar.

Xiang Yubao and Gu Hangbao were squatting on the ground and turned their heads.

It was Da Dan and the others running over, and it was Lin Xibao who was shouting.

Lin Xibao pulled Sister Sister Xuanxuan and Zheng Zheng and ran in front of them.

"You didn't call us when you came out!!" she said accusingly.

The Sister Sister Xuanxuan sisters looked at their father with resentment.

"Dad, did you forget you have two daughters?" Zheng Zheng complained in a low voice.

"How could I?" Lin Lin Lin Shisheng denied, "I brought them out to pick up firecrackers; you are girls, why play with this? Better to sleep a bit more."

Da Dan was dissatisfied, "What about Er Dan and me? We aren't little girls, Gu Gu Ershu, why didn't you call us?!"

Er Dan said: "Yeah."

Lin Lin Lin Shisheng looked them over, "How old are you, how old are Xiang Yubao and Gu Hangbao, how can you be embarrassed to compare yourselves to them?"

"Why wouldn't I be embarrassed, Grandpa said we are the youngest in the family even when we grow to be a hundred," Da Dan said unconvinced.

Lin Lin Lin Shisheng was speechless; this was indeed something his father would say.

"I'll call you when I go to poop from now on, okay?" he said helplessly.

Look, Mo Mo and Meng Meng Xiaobai didn't make a sound, it was just these two who talked so much.

The two Dans had an "I've had enough of you" expression.

No longer paying attention to their second uncle who talked nonsense, the brothers rushed toward their two cousins.

"I'll help you two look, your Da Dan brother is the best at looking in the whole village, the number I pick up will definitely let you two light them from the first day of the New Year to the fifth!" Da Dan said proudly.

Er Dan curled his lips; he felt he was the best at looking, but felt it was too childish to argue with his own brother about this, so he swallowed the words that came to his mouth.

Lin Lin Lin Shisheng looked at Meng Jingmo and Guang Bai, who had a quiet temperament and were completely different from the village children.

"Have you two picked up unexploded firecrackers before?"

Meng Jingmo shook his head, "No."

Yuan Qin thought it was dirty and wouldn't let them pick them up, nor would she allow them to play with children who played with firecrackers.

"A childhood without this experience isn't complete. Go, go pick them up together, do you recognize what a firecracker that didn't go off looks like?" Lin Lin Lin Shisheng raised his chin, signaling them to play boldly.

Meng Meng Xiaobai's eyes lit up; he wanted to go but was afraid of getting his new clothes dirty, so he said in a low voice: "What if my clothes get dirty?"

"If they get dirty, they get dirty; it's not like they can't be washed," Lin Lin Lin Shisheng said.

The brothers immediately cast aside their psychological burden and walked toward Da Dan and Er Dan who were calling them.

Before long, after feeling the joy, they smiled much more brightly than usual.

Lin Lin Lin Shisheng: Tsk, boys, childhood should be about playing freely!

Meng Jingmo and Meng Meng Xiaobai were led by the little four, like two little old-fashioned people, always giving people a feeling of being restrained. How could that work? They were at their own home, what was there to be uncomfortable about!

On the first day of the New Year, adults and children all gave themselves a day off.

Lin Lin Lin Shisheng also had nothing to do and stood in the corner, watching the children pick up unexploded firecrackers.

A mischievous boy threw one not far from a little girl, scaring the little girl into howling. The boy laughed loudly and was beaten by the little girl's older brother and sister.

"Scaring my sister, huh? Next time, I'll throw one in your crotch!"

The mischievous boy was so scared his eyes went straight, and when he came to his senses, he shouted: "Grandma, help, someone wants to blow up your grandson's balls—!"

Lin Lin Lin Shisheng: "Pfft..."

Which family's tiger cub was this? Looking closely, it was the village's most honest and silly kid.

"Hahahaha..." The laughter echoed far away.

By this time, it was already bright.

The sounds of families calling their children to eat rang out.

"Time to eat, Donkey Egg, where are you, time to eat!"

"Time to eat, where did you all run off to, having to be called to eat, I'll feed it into your mouths!!"

It was Lin Zhao who came to call for the Lin family.

She stood at the door, made a gesture to Da Huang and Amber, and the two dogs rushed out, running straight toward where their little masters were.

After arriving, they first nudged Xiang Yubao and Gu Hangbao with their heads, and after getting close, they gently bit their pant legs and dragged them toward the direction of the Lin family.

"Time to eat?" Xiang Yubao asked.

"Awoo!" Da Huang made this sound.

Xiang Yubao put the firecrackers into a small cloth bag, tied the bag mouth, and called the family to eat.

Hearing that it was time to eat, Da Dan and the others couldn't stay still and called their younger siblings to walk home.

Meng Jingmo touched Da Huang's head, his face full of uncontrollable love, "Da Huang is really smart."

Amber circled around him, its fluffy tail wagging happily.

"Xiang Yubao, Gu Hangbao...?" Meng Jingmo didn't understand and looked to the twins for help.

Gu Hangbao said loudly: "Amber also wants to hear you praise it!"

Meng Jingmo seemed to believe it and tentatively praised: "Amber is also smart."

Amber jumped a few times on the spot and hopped forward; anyone could see that joy.

"It really wants to hear me praise it," Meng Jingmo said, his face full of astonishment.

Xiang Yubao explained: "Amber is a dog that just likes to hear praise."

Da Dan also just found out, "The two dogs Little Aunt raised have become spirits."

Knowing that Da Huang was Qian Bao's savior dog, the Lin family children had a very good impression of these two dogs, and seeing them so smart, they liked them even more.

"So good," Sister Sister Xuanxuan said softly.

Lin Lin Lin Shisheng asked: "Do you want one?"

"No," Sister Sister Xuanxuan refused, she was afraid she wouldn't be able to raise it well, and raising a dog cost grain; she didn't want to use the money her father worked hard to earn to satisfy her own selfish desires.

"Don't like dogs?" Lin Lin Lin Shisheng turned his head to look at his eldest daughter, "What about cats? Do you like cats? They are also fluffy, and they can catch mice, basically no need to worry about them."

There were mice in the countryside, so raising a cat was really quite convenient.

Xiang Yubao, who had sharp ears, heard these words, "Gu Gu Ershu, do you know where there are cats?"

"How about it? Do you want to raise one?" Lin Lin Lin Shisheng asked back.

"Mm-hmm, we want to raise one!" Gu Hangbao interjected.

"You two have two dogs and a monkey, and you still want to raise a cat, can you handle it?"

Xiang Yubao said: "My grandma said raising a cat isn't a hassle."

Gu Hangbao added: "Right, my grandma said she would help us find one, but she hasn't found one yet."

His tone was a bit regretful, "I heard someone say there was a big cat at the foot of the mountain before, but when my brother and I ran over, we didn't see it, sigh."

Lin Lin Lin Shisheng put his big palm on his head, "Don't sigh on New Year's."

"Whew..." Gu Hangbao took a breath and said with a grin: "I sucked the good fortune back in!"

"..." Lin Lin Lin Shisheng was speechless.

"If your mother agrees, I'll find one for you."

He knew many people, and finding a little pear-blossom cat was still possible.

While talking, the group returned to the Lin family.

Gu Hangbao rushed into the courtyard, saw Lin Zhao, and his voice was clear and bright, "Mom, you agree to let us raise a cat, right?"

"Why are you suddenly talking about cats?" Lin Zhao was puzzled.

"Gu Gu Ershu said he could find a cat for us, Mom, say it quickly, you agree to let us raise a cat, right?" Gu Hangbao's eyes were eager, afraid his mother would change her mind.

"Yes," Lin Zhao nodded.

"Gu Gu Ershu?" Gu Hangbao looked at Lin Lin Lin Shisheng expectantly again.

"Heard it, if I run into one, I'll send it to you." Knowing that Meng Jingmo and Meng Meng Xiaobai also wanted to raise something fluffy, Lin Lin Lin Shisheng looked at them, "Do you two want a cat?"

Meng Jingmo hesitated for a moment, but the thought of wanting one eventually took the upper hand, and he asked embarrassedly: "Is it a hassle?"

"Not a hassle, what's the hassle about that." Lin Lin Lin Shisheng felt these two nephews were really acting like strangers, but it wasn't strange, they grew up in that kind of environment, he said: "I'll try my best to get one before you return to the army."

This little thing called a cat, if you say it's easy to get, it's easy, if you say it's hard, it's hard, you have to run into one.

Just so happened, the big cat at a brother's house of his had just given birth to cubs.

If he went to ask for one, his brother would be happy to death, he was just worrying about not knowing how to deal with the kittens.

"Thank you Gu Gu Ershu," Meng Jingmo said happily.

Thinking he forgot to ask for his father's opinion, he hurriedly asked Meng Jiusi, "Dad, can we raise a cat at home?"

Having already refused to let his son adopt a military dog, Meng Jiusi couldn't refuse Meng Jingmo raising a cat again, so he nodded, "If you want to raise one, raise one."

Meng Jingmo's smile was bright, "Dad, I will take good care of the new member!"

Meng Meng Xiaobai was also very excited, his voice even louder than when he usually spoke, "I will too."

Lin Heling said warmly: "Stop talking about raising a cat for now, come over to eat..."