Chapter 290

"What does the sister-in-law do? She's truly a warrior," Lin Zhao was a bit impressed; to dare to be with a man involved in the underworld, how strong must her heart be?

"She makes clothes," Gu Chenghuai said, "Qipao and various formal dresses."

Lin Zhao: "??"

"How did two people like this get together?" she asked with interest.

"A hero saving a beauty," Gu Chenghuai told his wife everything; besides, he knew Old Han didn't mind and instead liked telling people about his past.

"Tell me in detail," Lin Zhao clung to Gu Chenghuai's arm.

"Old Han's wife had a good family background and could have married someone of equal status, but her reputation was damaged because of some things, and she was sent away by her parents. Who knew she would encounter bandits on the road and happen to be met by Old Han..." Gu Chenghuai said slowly.

Lin Zhao's eyes brightened; it sounded good, she loved listening.

"And then?" she asked eagerly.

Gu Chenghuai laughed, "Later, they developed feelings while getting along, and the two got married."

Of course, they also went through all kinds of hardships in between.

Old Han looked like a big brother, but in fact, he was very talkative, especially when facing people he trusted; he was very talkative and didn't guard against them at all.

In recent years, he inherited his ancestors' culinary skills and occasionally entertained an acquaintance; his life was very comfortable, not at all like a dangerous person involved in killing.

Lin Zhao scanned the surroundings and asked curiously, "Where is the hostess of this house? Why haven't I seen her?!"

"Sister-in-law's health isn't good, even I have only seen her twice," Gu Chenghuai said, "I'll introduce you when there's a chance."

Lin Zhao was very expectant, "Great."

She was very interested in the turbulent life of this hostess; she would know when they got closer.

Heng-Bao moved his stool closer to Gu Chenghuai, "Dad, why is that kid's hair shaved so clean?"

"Why are you asking so much? What does it have to do with you?" Gu Chenghuai couldn't be bothered to deal with his son's overly exuberant curiosity, "Go drink your water."

Heng-Bao puffed out his cheeks, hummed softly, and looked at Lin Zhao, "Mom, I want to drink your tea."

"Don't you have your own?" Lin Zhao poked her son's head with a finger.

"It's different from yours," Heng-Bao giggled, his little hand reaching for Lin Zhao's teacup.

His hand was gently swatted away by Lin Zhao.

"Go drink your red date water, children can't drink tea."

Lin Zhao tasted the water the children were drinking, and it was also delicious, with a faint date fragrance; let's call it red date water.

Heng-Bao argued, "Mom tasted my water, I have to taste yours too."

Before his mother could speak, Gu Chenghuai sneered, "Settling accounts with my wife?"

Once he met his father's half-smiling eyes, the alarm bells in Heng-Bao's mind rang; the child's brain turned quickly, and he hurriedly said, "No, how could I? I'm the cub born by my mom, I wouldn't settle accounts with my mom, not even in a lifetime."

Yu-Bao put down his teacup, his eyes earnest, "We really should settle them, we can never finish repaying what we owe Mom, because Mom spent a huge amount of effort to give birth to us."

That he could say these words was Gu Mu's masterpiece; when the twins were only one or two years old, she would say in their ears... your mother didn't have it easy giving birth to you; she looked so thin, carrying such a big belly through ten months of pregnancy, it was truly suffering.

So the twins knew from a very young age that it wasn't easy for their mother to give birth to them, and they had to be filial to their mother.

It must be said that Gu Mu's brainwashing was very successful.

It was also fortunate that she didn't have bad intentions; everything she said and did was for the harmony of her son's family.

Lin Zhao heard Yu-Bao express such views for the first time; she was slightly surprised, called Yu-Bao forward, and placed her hands on his tender little shoulders.

"Why would you think that?" Her tone rose, and the astonishment in her eyes couldn't be hidden, "Whether it's you or Heng-Bao, or Qian-Bao and Yao-Bao, none of you owe me anything. You are my children, the crystallization of the love between your father and me. With you, this family of ours is complete. Your father and I made full preparations for your arrival and were full of expectations, so there's no such thing as owing or not owing, understand, cubs?"

She said these words patiently and gently, guiding him step by step, wanting to straighten out her son's skewed cognition.

Before the twins could react, Gu Chenghuai's heart trembled, the corners of his mouth lifted involuntarily, and he was hooked by Lin Zhao's phrase "crystallization of love."

The arc of his mouth couldn't fall for a long time.

Yu-Bao met his mother's gentle eyes, his face hot, his eyes as bright as the stars in a summer night; he couldn't hear clearly what she was saying at all.

"Mm-hmm," he was dazed, nodding blindly.

Mao-Dan'er knew Yu-Bao was stunned as soon as he saw him and couldn't help but laugh.

Reflecting on what Lin Zhao said, the young boy lowered his head, actually thinking of his mother.

His mother had said similar things before; she said... between her and his father, there was no such thing as who owed whom.

She had long known that the man she married had great ambitions, with the righteousness of the country in his eyes and heart; marrying him was her choice, and bearing his children and taking care of his parents was also her choice. She didn't regret it and would wait for his return forever, until she couldn't wait anymore.

The reason Mao-Dan'er forgave his father, who hadn't been home for years, so quickly was because he had an open-minded and kind mother.

When he was too young to understand, she taught him a crucial lesson.

Hearing Lin Zhao's words, the image and voice of Mao-Dan'er's mother appeared in his mind, and the young boy's eyes, looking down, gradually became moist.

He missed his mother.

Heng-Bao finally drank Lin Zhao's tea; not only did he drink it himself, but he also let his brother and Jing-Mo and the others taste it. Each person took a sip, and the children were satisfied.

"Happy now? Don't bother me again," Lin Zhao patted Heng-Bao's little head.

"Mom is so good," Heng-Bao snuggled up to her and acted like a spoiled child.

"Sit down quickly, didn't you say your legs hurt from walking earlier? Don't your legs hurt from standing?" Lin Zhao asked back.

"They hurt," Heng-Bao sat back and pounded his legs with his fists.

"Mom, are you tired? I'll pound them for you..." He leaned toward Lin Zhao, his little fists landing on her legs with just the right amount of force.

Gu Chenghuai gave his son an appreciative look.

And praised, "Not bad."

The child's eyes suddenly lit up, and he became even more energetic, "I can pound with both hands together."

Yu-Bao walked behind Lin Zhao, pounded her shoulders, and said in the clear voice unique to little boys, "Mom, if it's too heavy, tell me, I'll be lighter."

"Okay," Lin Zhao said softly.

She secretly gave Gu Chenghuai a thumbs-up; amazing, two words made both sons compete!

Gu Chenghuai smiled; filial sons must be cultivated from a young age.

As for his sons, he wouldn't allow them to be disrespectful to his wife.

Watching Yu-Bao and Heng-Bao, Xiao-Bai followed suit, while Jing-Mo's expression was awkward, a bit at a loss.

Mao-Dan'er: Should he be standing at the door?

"Going to the latrine?" Mao-Dan'er asked Jing-Mo in a low voice.

Jing-Mo nodded several times, "Go, go, go."

The two children held hands and used the bathroom as an excuse to leave.

Heng-Bao was busy with his hands, but his gossiping heart hadn't died, and he asked, "Dad, what about that little brother?"

"... Little brother?" Gu Chenghuai used a breathy voice, his expression unreadable.

"That's a little sister, not a little brother," he said.

Lin Zhao's eyes widened slightly, "It's a girl? I was just saying... it felt weird."

Her personality was straightforward and generous, but she looked exceptionally delicate and pretty, like a little girl; she didn't expect she was a girl to begin with.

"The little girl's personality is quite good, I like it."

Gu Chenghuai: "With a father like that, it's normal to raise a girl with that kind of personality."

Lin Zhao thought to herself, that's true.

Heng-Bao widened his eyes and said loudly, "That's a little brother, not a little sister. Little sisters have hair, little brothers don't have hair, Dad is lying."

Gu Chenghuai wanted to laugh speechlessly, "..."

For a moment, he didn't know what to say.

How do you prove to a six-year-old child that a child without hair could also be a girl?

He looked at his wife, indicating he had no tricks left.

Lin Zhao gave the man a "watch me" look and said to her son, "Boys can also have long hair, and girls can also have short hair. If I cut my hair short one day, would I not be your mother anymore?"

She threw the question to her son.

Heng-Bao shook his head hurriedly, "Of course not! Mom is Mom! Even without hair, you're Mom!"

Lin Zhao felt inexplicably stifled.

You're the one without hair!

Her hair was very thick.

"So, you have to call that child Juan-Er sister, not brother."

Yu-Bao said first, "Got it, Juan-Er sister, not Juan-Er brother."

Lin Zhao praised him for being a good boy.

The oil paper behind the wooden shelf to the left moved, and a small figure disappeared.

The delicate-featured bald little girl came to the backyard and entered an antique-style room.

"Mother."

The woman was sitting on the bed looking at the sky through the window; she only came back to her senses when she heard her daughter call her. She lowered her eyes, her gaze cold, but when it fell on the little girl, it revealed a bit of tenderness.

This was a beauty with an outstanding temperament and a belly full of poetry and books.

"Why did you come? Didn't you say you were going to entertain guests?"

Juan-Er sat on the edge of the bed, her hands on her knees, "I poured the tea, I was afraid Mother would be bored, so I came to keep you company. There are so many people in the front yard, they don't need me."

The woman looked at her daughter with heartache, "Didn't you say there were peers like you? Why don't you play with them? Go play, I don't need anyone to keep me company."

"I'm not going. That twin brother asked me why I don't have hair, it's so annoying." Juan-Er pouted unhappily.

She didn't show it in front of the guests, but in front of her own mother, she didn't hide her little temper at all.

"Children don't have bad intentions, he's just curious. If you don't want to talk about it, don't, don't sulk." The woman patiently persuaded her daughter.

She touched Juan-Er's bald head with her fingertips, her heart filled with unspeakable guilt.

"Alright, I won't be angry anymore." Juan-Er scratched her scalp and was immediately coaxed.

"Mother, do you need me to help you with anything?"

Upon hearing this, the woman on the bed immediately knew her daughter's thoughts.

She smiled, "No need, go play."

Juan-Er restrained the excitement in her eyes, pretended to be calm, and put on the posture of a little hostess, "I'm not playing, I'm going to help Father entertain the guests."

"Fine, fine, fine, you're entertaining the guests," the woman followed her words, "You have a good impression of the children who came today?"

Juan-Er stood silently on her tiptoes for a long while before saying, "They aren't annoying."

Asking about her hair was because of curiosity, not because of mockery.

"Your Uncle Gu's children, their personalities can't be that bad," the woman said.

Gu Chenghuai was also her savior, and she kept it in her heart.

"Juan-Er, help Mother bring the vanity case over."

Juan-Er picked up the vanity wooden box, which was taller and heavier than her, without a word and walked to the bed.

Although she was small, her strength followed her father's; it was great.

Mrs. Han took several things out of the wooden box and handed them to her daughter, "Take this to your Uncle Gu's wife for me. You know what to say, right?"

The little girl took the things, "I know, Mother, don't worry."

Juan-Er brought the things to the front yard and handed them to Lin Zhao with a generous demeanor.

"Auntie Lin, this is a meeting gift my mother asked me to bring you, please accept it. My mother can't be exposed to the wind and can't leave the house, I hope you'll forgive her. I'll entertain you well on behalf of my mother and father."

The little girl spoke in a very formal manner, revealing good upbringing.

Lin Zhao was slightly startled; she didn't expect the hostess of this house to be so particular—she was worthy of being from a wealthy family.

"... It's okay, we understand, thank your mother for me."

She took a beautiful agate bracelet from her bag—actually from her storage ring—and put it on the little girl's wrist.

"Your mother gave us a gift, so I'll give you one too."

Juan-Er's eyes revealed surprise, "A gift from an elder cannot be refused, I'll accept it, thank you Auntie Lin, you are a good person just like Uncle Gu, I like you."

This "good person" card.

Looking at the little girl's sincere eyes, Lin Zhao accepted her affection.

Juan-Er loved the bracelet Lin Zhao gave her and ran into the kitchen happily to show it off.

"Father, look at my bracelet."

The bright red bracelet was worn on the little girl's fair wrist, making her arm look even whiter.

Chef Han glanced at it and said, "If you like it, wear it."

Juan-Er curled her lips, "Forget it. If someone sees it, then I'll really be like mud falling into the crotch of my pants—if it's not shit, it's still shit."

Chef Han's expression changed slightly, "Daughter, you can't say that in front of your mother, otherwise your father will be in big trouble."

His wife was a fairy-like figure; if those words fell into her ears, he would feel it was blasphemy.

"If you don't want me to say it, fine, I want to eat lychee meat." The little girl made a request.

Chef Han: "... We'll talk about it another day."

A little bad egg who doesn't throw the hawk until she sees the rabbit.

Juan-Er hummed a song and left the kitchen.

After walking a few steps, she bumped into the twins.

"What are you doing here? The kitchen is a restricted area, unauthorized personnel keep out." The little girl crossed her arms, her chin held high.

Heng-Bao babbled, "We aren't unauthorized personnel, we're guests, Uncle Han said we can go anywhere."

Juan-Er thought that was true, so she didn't stop them anymore, but said nicely, "My father doesn't like people watching him cook, let's wait outside."

"Okay," Yu-Bao didn't like forcing people and agreed.

Heng-Bao sniffed his nose, "Juan-Er sister, your father's cooking smells so good."

Juan-Er was extremely proud, "My grandfather's cooking smells even better."

"What have you eaten?" Heng-Bao asked greedily, wanting to ask clearly so he could go back and have Lin Zhao make it for them.

Juan-Er was speechless, touched her smooth head, and said sheepishly, "I haven't eaten it, my father told me."

Before Heng-Bao could say something unpleasant, Yu-Bao said, "Juan-Er sister, is the handkerchief you gave us made by your mother? It has flowers on it, it's really pretty."

Hearing this, the girl was so happy her eyebrows and eyes smiled, "This is nothing, my mother can make anything."

Thinking that she couldn't even wear her beautiful dresses out, little Juan-Er felt it was such a pity.