Chapter 289: Beautiful bald child

If the sister's expression was so obvious, unless Meng Jiusi was blind, he couldn't see it.

He looked over helplessly, but saw Lin Zhao move her gaze away one step ahead of him, and said seriously to the salesperson, "Comrade, please take that schoolbag for me."

Meng Jiusi's mouth twitched slightly.

Withdrew his gaze nonchalantly.

Nodded to the several interns.

"Came out to stroll." Answered concisely, without seeing emotional fluctuations.

Li Can saw that Doctor Meng didn't have any difference in treating herself and others, lowered her eyes, and a flash of disappointment flashed in her eyes.

Meng Jiusi nodded to the several intern comrades, and said politely and elegantly: "You guys stroll."

Then called Lin Zhao and others to leave.

After walking a few steps, Lin Zhao tugged on Meng Jiusi's sleeve, quite a bit of teasing.

Her Little Brother's eyes flashed with helplessness, and he patted his sister's hair lightly. "Don't make trouble."

"Didn't make trouble." Lin Zhao denied it, but the smile in her eyes revealed her true thoughts. "My Little Brother's market is quite good."

The helplessness in Meng Jiusi's eyes deepened.

"No big, no small." His tone was doting, and he didn't care much.

Catching a glimpse of a beautiful yellow bubble-sleeve long dress hanging in front of the counter, his eyes brightened, and he politely asked the salesperson to take it down.

He was handsome, and the clothes he wore were made by Lin Heling, not only without patches but also very consistent with his clear, noble, and gentle temperament. At a glance, he was a glorious worker comrade.

The salesperson took down what he wanted without a word, secretly glanced at Lin Zhao, and her expression was indescribably envious.

"What size is this?" Meng Jiusi asked.

"It's the size that the female comrade next to you can wear." The salesperson said.

Their eyes are sharp, they don't need the customer to say much, they all know what they are thinking.

Meng Jiusi smiled and looked at Lin Zhao. "Do you like this dress? Change and wear it."

Lin Zhao felt her Little Brother's vision was really good, and this style and color were indeed what she liked.

"Like." She took the dress without being polite.

Gesturing in front of her body, "It's a pity I didn't bring small leather shoes."

Gu Chenghuai found an opportunity to interject, "What's the pity, buy another pair."

Lin Zhao smiled brightly. "Want white ones, I have too many black small leather shoes." 【

"That's fine, any color you want is okay," Gu Chenghuai agreed immediately.

He turned his head to look at the sales clerk, "Do you have women's leather shoes?"

"There are two styles, over here," the sales clerk guided Lin Zhao and the others.

"See which pair you like?" Gu Chenghuai, fearing his fourth brother-in-law would compete with him again, spoke before him.

Meng Jiusi glanced at his brother-in-law, satisfied in his heart; he wasn't jealous at all, he just loved how his brother-in-law's heart and eyes were entirely filled with his sister.

He trailed behind, silently paid for the dress, and then leisurely caught up.

This scene was spotted by an intern from the military hospital.

A female comrade cupped her face, her eyes filled with admiration, "Dr. Meng is so great, he's so good to his sister, I really wish I had a brother like that."

Thinking of her own brother, her eyes cleared, and she ground her teeth, saying angrily, "Unlike my brother, he's so stingy and even cheated me out of my money!"

"Dr. Meng's sister is so pretty! Their whole family is good-looking!" another female comrade said.

The only male comrade: "..."

He couldn't help but say irritably, "Have you finished buying your things? If you have, we should head back. Learning opportunities are precious, and I don't want to stand here wasting time!"

This person was the "grind" of the intern group, studying so hard there was nothing more to say; he carried books or notebooks everywhere, and if it weren't for their leader fearing the girls might have an accident and telling him to come out and watch them, he wouldn't have come out at all.

"What's the rush? It's rare to come out once, we have to shop properly! If you're in a hurry, you go back first, I'm not going back," said a female intern with a firecracker temper.

The straight-male intern frowned and said pointedly, "You don't have coupons anyway, what's the point of shopping until dark?"

The few newly graduated girls: "..."

How did this person grow such a mouth? He's annoying to death.

"Hmph!"

The girls ignored him and continued shopping arm-in-arm.

They certainly couldn't afford to buy, but looking didn't cost money.

Li Can glanced in the direction of Meng Jiusi, withdrew her gaze reluctantly, and went to the second floor with her companions.

"Little Brother, that female comrade was looking at you," Lin Zhao tugged at Meng Jiusi's sleeve.

Meng Jiusi didn't look back, his smiling eyes fixed on his sister, unmoved.

"... Alright, I know you're not in the mood," Lin Zhao saw that her little brother really wasn't interested in that delicate female comrade, withdrew her thoughts, and paid no more attention.

"Little Brother, if there's a girl you like, you must tell me, okay? I'm a good judge of character and will help you vet her, if you don't mind," she added.

A smile instantly climbed to the corners of Meng Jiusi's eyes, "Definitely, anyone you don't like... won't be able to enter our family's door."

Lin Zhao waved her hands hurriedly, "There's no need for that, Little Brother, as long as you like her, my opinion isn't important. Besides..."

She paused, her eyes curving, and said earnestly, "Whoever Little Brother likes, I like too."

When a young couple lives their lives, how important is it whether she, a sister-in-law, likes her or not?

As long as that person treats her brother wholeheartedly, that's enough.

A warm current surged in Meng Jiusi's heart.

"We'll see," he said.

That matter depends on fate, and perhaps he won't meet someone to his heart's content in this lifetime.

This topic just passed by like that.

"Zhaozhao, which style of leather shoes do you want?" Gu Chenghuai called out to Lin Zhao, seeking his wife's opinion.

Lin Zhao pointed to a pair without buckles on the instep, "This pair, it's different from the ones I have at home."

It was rice-white, considered a bright color.

In this era, more people bought black ones, as they looked good with anything; for ordinary people, buying one pair was a big deal, so someone like Lin Zhao, who had several pairs of leather shoes and collected various colors, was truly rare.

Gu Chenghuai said to the sales clerk, "Comrade, I want size 36."

While speaking, he paid the money and coupons.

The sales clerk found the shoe size Lin Zhao needed.

Gu Chenghuai took them casually and stuffed them into the burlap sack he had brought.

In the current social environment, there were no shopping bags; those who came to the city to shop brought burlap sacks by the masses, and no one mocked anyone else—those with poor family conditions didn't even have burlap sacks.

"Comrade, do you have mosquito nets?" Lin Zhao asked.

"Yes!"

Lin Zhao's eyes lit up, "I want five."

The sales clerk was stunned for a moment, then took out five white mosquito nets.

Gu Chenghuai paid the money and coupons behind her.

"Why buy so many?" Meng Jiusi couldn't help but ask.

"My family needs two, yours, Mo-Mo and Xiao-Bai's, and Grandpa Meng's—five is just right," Lin Zhao explained.

Seeing Mao-Dan'er, she thoughtfully added, "Mao-Dan'er, you have one, so there isn't one for you."

Mao-Dan'er knew Auntie Lin had him in her heart, and a brilliant smile bloomed on his face, "Okay."

He didn't mind, but he was even happier that Auntie Lin had explained it.

"Good boy," Lin Zhao coaxed him habitually, and the young boy's face turned beet red.

"Mao-Dan'er, you're blushing!" Heng-Bao poked Mao-Dan'er's arm with his own, giggling.

Jing-Mo covered his mouth and laughed.

He had known Mao-Dan'er for so long, and he had always been calm and serious; this was the first time he had seen Mao-Dan'er shy.

It was so funny.

"It's hot," Mao-Dan'er fanned himself with his hand.

Heng-Bao didn't believe him and wanted to say something else, but his brother covered his mouth, "Don't talk too much."

"Oh."

Meng Jiusi felt that as a grown man, he didn't need a mosquito net, but he couldn't refuse his sister's intentions, so he didn't say the word "no."

"Install it when you get back."

Lin Zhao nodded with satisfaction, "That's right, your brother-in-law says the mosquitoes here are still quite venomous, so be prepared in advance."

If she wanted to buy them in half a month, they would likely be out of stock!

She was also a sales clerk, so she was clear about these situations.

"I'll listen to you," Meng Jiusi was open to advice.

He also knew that insect repellent had its limitations, and adding a mosquito net was safer. Adults had thick skin and could handle being bitten, but children had delicate skin and really needed protection.

Gu Chenghuai saw sun hats, bought them without a second thought, and also bought them for his two sons.

"They aren't as good-looking as the ones in the big city, just make do for now," the man lowered his head and whispered to his wife.

Lin Zhao took a look; they were light gray cotton hats, looking very plain, "They're fine."

Even if they gave her something stylish now, she wouldn't dare wear it; she didn't even dare wear the one she had at home anymore—being too fashionable wasn't good.

The department store's goods were surprisingly complete; Lin Zhao walked past counter after counter, not missing a single thing the family needed, while Gu Chenghuai just followed behind paying the money and coupons.

As for Meng Jiusi, he watched the children.

The children didn't spend their money recklessly even though they had it; they gathered in a circle whispering, and after ten minutes, they reached a result: they pooled their money together, using part for snacks and candy, part for toys, and the remaining part for stationery.

Meng Jiusi didn't interfere with the children's ideas, only ensuring they were under his nose.

In front of a counter, Lin Zhao was struggling with what to give her two nephews; she had promised to reward them yesterday and couldn't break her word.

Gu Chenghuai saw his wife was in a difficult position and suggested, "Buy two summer outfits?"

"No, I'll make them," Lin Zhao, based on various considerations, felt that making them herself was better than buying.

What was so rare about buying them? Her brother could buy them, and Jing-Mo and Guang-Bai probably wouldn't care for them anymore; if she made them herself, it would at least be the intention of her, their aunt. In the end, Lin Zhao felt sorry for the two nephews not having a mother by their side.

In a divorced marriage, the children are the most innocent and the most pitiful.

"That works too," Gu Chenghuai was a bit unhappy but didn't stop her, only saying, "Don't be in too much of a rush, take your time making them."

After thinking about it, he added, "Should we buy another sewing machine?"

Lin Zhao rolled her eyes at him, "The one at home hasn't been used much, and you want to buy another one to gather dust? That's not how you spend money even if you have a lot."

Compared to a second sewing machine, she wanted a washing machine more.

This was the most urgent, more urgent than a television!

Unfortunately, it wasn't the right time yet.

Gu Chenghuai said good-naturedly, "Then we won't buy one."

Lin Zhao said "mm," "What's hard about making children's clothes? Especially summer ones, I can finish them in one night, it's simple."

When it comes to handicrafts, we've never lost.

Gu Chenghuai's eyes were full of appreciation, "My wife is truly amazing."

Lin Zhao raised her chin proudly.

They bought some cloth, needles, thread, and buttons before stopping.

After staying in the department store for a full hour and getting a burlap sack full of supplies, Lin Zhao and the others left.

Gu Chenghuai carried the sack in one hand and walked out of the store's door, "Hungry, right? Let's find a place to eat first."

"Where is the state-run restaurant here?" Lin Zhao asked.

"We aren't going to the state-run restaurant, I'm taking you to a place," Gu Chenghuai said mysteriously.

Lin Zhao, who understood her man, knew there would be something delicious today, and her eyes immediately became bright and sparkling.

"Let's go, let's go, where is it..."

With the fourth brother-in-law there, Gu Chenghuai didn't need to worry about his sons and pulled his wife toward their destination.

Meng Jiusi and the five little boys followed.

Yu-Bao asked his little uncle, "Little Uncle, where are we going?"

"To eat," Meng Jiusi answered vaguely; he didn't know what trick his brother-in-law was playing.

Besides the state-run restaurant, were there other places to eat?

Just as he was wondering, he saw the two in front turn into an alley.

After a while, Gu Chenghuai stopped and knocked on the door, "dong, dong, dong." The wooden door, which had seen better days, opened a small crack, and a child with a smooth, bald head saw the person at the door and his eyes lit up, "Uncle Gu!"

He hurriedly opened the door and welcomed them in.

The group entered the courtyard.

This was a small courtyard that looked ordinary on the outside but was elegant on the inside; it was square, with several rooms, and a crabapple tree was planted in the yard.

"Comrade Gu is here." A dark-skinned, sturdy young man came out of the kitchen and greeted Gu Chenghuai with a smile.

"This is...?" He didn't glance at Lin Zhao, his gaze falling on the four children.

"My wife and my two twin sons..." Gu Chenghuai put down the sack, pulled his wife to sit down, as comfortable as if he were in his own home, and as the link, introduced both sides.

"This is my friend, surnamed Han." He didn't say the dark-faced young man's name, only saying, "His ancestors were imperial chefs, I brought you here to taste his craft."

The tacit understanding between husband and wife let Lin Zhao know that this Comrade Han's status was probably a bit delicate—which was normal, being a descendant of imperial chefs.

To be fair, this person didn't look like a chef; he looked more like someone involved in the underworld.

The young man surnamed Han laughed heartily, "You came at the right time, we just received a sheep today."

After a few pleasantries, he didn't waste words, turned around, and went into the kitchen, which was bigger than the place they slept.

"Juan-Er, pour tea for the guests!" Chef Han ordered the bald child.

"Got it!" The delicate-featured bald child came out with a tray, on which several teacups were placed; the small child carried it very steadily.

"Kid, your name is Juan-Er? Which character is it?" Heng-Bao, the little social butterfly, asked without standing on ceremony.

The bald child revealed a brilliant smile and said, "The 'juan' from curly hair, how about you, what's your name?"

"My name is Gu Zhiheng, this is my brother, my brother's name is Gu Zhiyu..." Heng-Bao was very talkative and introduced the people on his side to the little bald child.

After introducing them, he asked a curious question, "Juan-Er, where's your hair?"

The child touched his head and laughed, "Shaved it off, obviously."

"Why shave it?" Heng-Bao asked to the very end.

"I'm not your prisoner, why are you asking so much?" The bald child wasn't happy to talk more.

He cleverly changed the subject, "Drink your tea, it's fragrant when drunk hot."

Before the words faded, he scurried away.

Lin Zhao was indeed thirsty, picked up the teacup, and drank; with one sip, her mouth was filled with fragrance.

"What kind of tea is this? It's really good."

Gu Chenghuai shook his head, "I don't know, if you like it, I'll ask Old Han for some later."

"Can I buy it? I want to bring some for Uncle," Lin Zhao felt Uncle Song would like this tea.

"Sure," Gu Chenghuai said without thinking.

He had saved the lives of Old Han's whole family; they had a bond of life and death, and talking about money was superfluous.

He turned his head and told Lin Zhao about the process of how he and Old Han met.

The dark-faced young man's ancestors were indeed imperial chefs, but he wasn't.

Lin Zhao thought correctly; this person was indeed involved in the underworld when he was young. As the saying goes, when you drift in the world, where can you avoid getting cut? He was betrayed by someone close to him and fled in a sorry state with his wife and children, but fortunately, he met Gu Chenghuai and was saved by him.

He was also tired of that kind of killing life, chose to fake his death, hid his tracks, settled down here, and lived a peaceful life; although plain, his family was still there, and he was quite satisfied.