Chapter 3

In the past, Lin Zhao truly only cared about giving birth and not raising them; she hadn't even washed the children's diapers more than a few times. By the time the eldest and the others could walk, she didn't even cook for them, sending them off to the old house to eat. The twins were also raised by their grandmother on rice paste.

"Gu Ercai," Lin Zhao called out.

When their mother's voice grew loud, Ercai couldn't stay angry anymore; he suddenly felt weak and, looking at Lin Zhao with awkwardness, asked, "Call, calling me for what?"

It was obvious he lacked confidence.

"I will take care of you from now on, but you must listen to me. Can you do that?" Lin Zhao didn't know how to teach children, but she felt her children were obedient. If she spoke to them properly, the eldest and Ercai would definitely listen.

When she asked, her gaze swept over the eldest and Ercai.

The Gu family twins were sensible early on. They knew their mother was different from others. Other children's mothers would hug them, but their mother never hugged them. Other people's mothers would make delicious food for them, but their mother never cared for them...

Thinking of these things, sadness flowed in the eldest's eyes. The people in the village all said their mother didn't like them.

Hearing their mother say she would take care of them from now on, the eldest's heart filled with anticipation. He asked, "Will Mother make delicious food for us?"

"I will!" Lin Zhao said.

"Will Mother make us new clothes?" the eldest asked again. Fearing that Mother would think raising them was expensive, he lowered his standards and said cautiously, "It doesn't have to be every year. One set every few years, is that okay?"

"No." Lin Zhao thought to herself that one set a year was already too little; making one every few years was certainly not okay.

The light in the eldest's eyes dimmed, and he felt an indescribable sense of grievance and sadness.

Lin Zhao said seriously, "How can one set every few years work? You are still growing; four sets a year is about right."

The eldest was stunned.

Four sets a year—not pieces, but sets. That would be eight pieces in total. That was for one person; it was so expensive.

"It's so expensive. Mother, I can take turns wearing them with my younger brothers." The eldest felt that Mother was willing to listen to him, so he boldly suggested it.

Ercai leaned over, pushed the eldest with his bottom, and looked up at Lin Zhao: "Will Mother buy us candy?"

Thinking of the sweet candy, the greedy little child swallowed his saliva.

The last time he ate candy was when his father came back!

Lin Zhao pretended to think and said deliberately, "What if I don't buy it?"

Ercai was dumbfounded. Mother had agreed to all the requests his brother made, but not his. The little guy had a fiery temper and said triumphantly, "If you don't buy it, then don't! When my father comes back, I'll tell him and let your man teach you a lesson!"

Lin Zhao choked, her face turned green, and she twisted Ercai's ear: "Who taught you 'let your man teach you a lesson'?"

Ercai stood on tiptoe, following his mother's force to ease the pain in his ear, his arrogant spirit instantly deflating by more than half.

"Nobody taught me, I heard the aunts in the village say it."

Lin Zhao pretended to be serious: "You are not allowed to learn how adults talk from now on!"

The eldest also pushed his brother with his bottom and said hurriedly, "Mother, I don't learn it. I never learn how adults talk."

"You are the most obedient." Lin Zhao touched the eldest's cheek, her voice soft.

Ercai raised his little hand, looking expectantly: "I'm obedient too, I'm obedient too. If Mother buys me candy, I will be even more obedient, and I'll do whatever Mother says." Look, he could even negotiate conditions now.

"Fine, now I'm giving you your first task: take a bath." Lin Zhao couldn't stand the dirty, black, smelly children. She had only endured it until now purely because these two were her own flesh and blood.

As for the two sleeping on the bed, they wouldn't be able to escape once they woke up.

Ercai didn't like taking baths, his face wrinkling like a bun: "Can we not wash?"

"Sure." Before Ercai's smile could widen, Lin Zhao changed her tone: "Then the meat buns I buy tomorrow won't have your share!"

Ercai's eyes lit up, he hugged his mother's arm, and asked excitedly, "Mother is going to buy meat buns? Really or fake?"

Lin Zhao deliberately went against the cubs: "Fake."

"Mother is smiling, it must be true. I'll go wash, I'll go wash right now. Brother, hurry up, let's go take a bath." Ercai urged the eldest hurriedly.

Lin Zhao held down the two little children: "Eat your sweet potatoes first, I'm going to boil hot water."

Ercai imitated his grandfather's manner, waving his hand in an old-fashioned way: "What's the use of that? Just make do with cold water. There's nothing to be picky about in the countryside."

Lin Zhao: "..."

She took a deep breath, looked at the eldest, pointed at Ercai, and told him to manage his younger brother, then went to the kitchen.

Once she left, the eldest leaned into Ercai's ear and whispered, "Ercai, I think Mother has changed."

Ercai was a carefree one, not as careful as his brother. He scratched his face and chuckled: "Mother paid attention to us today, hee hee!"

Lin Zhao boiled the water, took out the washbasin for the two children to use, and told the two little children to scrub each other's backs. With the meat buns for tomorrow hanging over them, the eldest and Ercai strictly followed her orders, scrubbing each other, huffing and puffing.

"Brother, your body is so dirty." Ercai, who had a mouth, said "yuck," his words straightforward and heart-piercing.

The eldest's face turned red.

He subconsciously glanced at Lin Zhao's bedroom door. There was no movement, and thinking Mother shouldn't have heard Ercai's words, he felt relieved.

"Your body is dirty too, it'll be fine once you wash it clean." The eldest carefully maintained his dignity as the big brother.

Ercai listened to his brother very well and nodded: "Right."

He said happily: "Once we finish washing, we'll be clean children!"

The eldest said "un."

Inside the room, Lin Zhao hadn't sat for long when Ercai's loud voice rang out: "Mother!"

"..." Lin Zhao really wanted to say don't call Mother, call your father, but there was no way, the children's father was protecting the country.

She walked out the door. The mysterious lucky draw wheel always followed her. Lin Zhao stopped, reached out to poke and prod to study it, and finally found the "invisible when not in use" setting in the corner.

After the setting was successful, she opened the door.

The two cubs were standing naked in the basin.

At only five years old, they were at the age of not knowing shame, and they didn't know how to be shy, still grinning and laughing.

"Mother, we're done washing, do you want to check?" Ercai said loudly.

He didn't like taking baths, but he felt quite comfortable after washing.

"No need to check, you two wait, I'll go get your clothes." Lin Zhao said as she walked toward the cubs' room. It was hot now, so it was fine to be shirtless.

She opened the small wardrobe. The clothes inside were pitifully few, piled up messily. No one taught them how to fold clothes, and the children didn't know how either. The clothes all had large patches, but fortunately, they were still clean; it must have been the eldest's grandmother who washed them.

Lin Zhao took out two undershirts and two pairs of small shorts. She didn't find any underwear, so she planned to exchange some cloth tomorrow to make a few pairs for the cubs. Clothes also needed to be made; it wasn't like the family didn't have money or coupons.

She took the clothes and came to the courtyard.

The two cubs had been able to dress themselves since they were three, so they didn't need Lin Zhao's help.

The eldest put on his clothes, pulled the hem straight, looked up at Lin Zhao, and revealed a shy, expectant smile.

"Mother, we're washed clean."

Lin Zhao praised him casually: "The eldest is a clean and pretty child now."

The Gu family's cubs, especially the few in the third branch, were indeed all pretty. There was no help for it; their parents were both outstanding, and they were conspicuous existences in a crowd.

Ercai stood beside his brother, stood on tiptoe, trying hard to make himself taller, blinked his big eyes and said: "Mother, what about me, what about me?"

Lin Zhao didn't understand Ercai's strange competitive spirit and smiled: "You are also a clean and pretty child."

Ercai was so proud he wanted to wag his tail, and said carelessly: "My brother and I look the same. My brother is clean and pretty, so of course I am clean and pretty too."

After saying that, he laughed: "We are all clean and pretty children."

Lin Zhao said casually: "Being clean and pretty for one day won't do. You must be clean and pretty every day from now on, understand?"

The eldest moved his mouth, wanting to ask if Mother would like them if they were clean and pretty, but he didn't dare ask.

Instead, Ercai leaned over, pressed against Lin Zhao, and cleverly made a request: "If Mother buys us meat buns every day, we will wash ourselves clean every day."

Lin Zhao thought to herself that you aren't washing for me. Before she could speak, the eldest educated his younger brother seriously: "Ercai, eating meat buns every day is very expensive. Once a month is enough."

After saying that, he looked at Lin Zhao worriedly: "Mother, can the money Father sent buy meat buns?" He was worried that the money Father sent wasn't enough.

Ercai also looked at his mother worriedly.

Lin Zhao felt that these two cubs thought too much, "Enough."

Fearing that the children would go out and talk nonsense, she didn't say that the family's money was enough for the family to eat and drink well.

The two cubs felt relieved, their eyes bright and sparkling, happy.

The whistle for the brigade to start work sounded.

"Woo—woo—!" From far to near, one sound higher than the next.

The eldest and Ercai were diligent children. Although they were still young, unlike their mother, they didn't like to be lazy. Picking firewood, digging wild vegetables, finding wild fruits... they were busy every day.

Before, Lin Zhao didn't care about the twins, so the little brothers would carry their younger brother and sister everywhere. The children in the Gu family's old house would also help look after the two youngest.

"Brother, I'll go call the third and fourth cubs, you go get the basket." Ercai said to the eldest, his footsteps rushing into the room quickly.

A moment later, only two small milky voices with crying tones could be heard coming out.

"Bad!"

"Bad... Brother."

Ercai laughed triumphantly: "Who told you two not to get up? Hurry up, or I'm leaving."

Just as he was speaking, he made a move to turn around.

The twins were still milk babies who could only just walk, speaking one word at a time. They couldn't understand good or bad words. Seeing their brother about to leave, they were anxious. They scrambled off the bed in a hurry, their two little heads bumping together. They seemed to be stunned by the bump, the two little ones looked at each other, touched the painful spots, and babbled something. Anyway, Ercai couldn't understand.

He carried the twins down, put small shoes on the third and fourth cubs, and led his younger brother and sister out of the room.

The eldest found the basket for him and his brother.

It was also at this time that Gu Mu came over. Seeing Lin Zhao in the courtyard, she asked with concern: "Is your head still hurting?"

"A little bit." Lin Zhao didn't lie; after all, there was a big bump on her head.

Gu Mu said: "If it hurts, lie down more, don't stand too much."

"Un." Lin Zhao responded.

Gu Mu didn't have much to say to her. After chatting a few simple words, she led the twins out of the house.

The third daughter-in-law bumped her head, and it was the time she needed to rest. She didn't dare let her look after the children.

Of course, Lin Zhao wouldn't pay attention to the children either, sigh.

Gu Mu regretted again taking a fancy to Lin Zhao's face and agreeing to let the third son marry her back. So what if they looked like a match standing together? Her character wasn't good, and she couldn't live a life.

Ercai saw his grandmother leave and urged the eldest: "Brother, let's go too."

The eldest was worried about Lin Zhao. After walking a few steps to the door, he stopped worriedly, looked at his mother and said: "Mother, if your head hurts badly, let someone call me and Ercai, we'll call a doctor for you."

Ercai thought of the meat buns and didn't forget to offer his services: "Right, right, call us if anything happens."

Lin Zhao's heart was gripped by the pure, precious love of the two cubs, and hot emotions welled up from the bottom of her heart.

She took a few steps forward and suddenly said: "Close your eyes!"

The eldest and Ercai were puzzled, but today's mother had a very good temper, and they were willing to listen to her, so the two children closed their eyes.

Ercai was still grinning: "Mother, I've closed them."

The eldest also said: "Mother, I've closed them too."

"Good." Lin Zhao took out two rock candies like a magic trick and stuffed them into the two cubs' mouths.

The eldest and Ercai only felt something slip into their mouths. They sucked with their little mouths, it was sweet, it was candy.

Ercai opened his eyes with a "whoosh," his eyes brighter than the stars on a summer night: "Mother, it's candy!!"

The children didn't care where the candy came from. To them, as long as there was something to eat, it was fine.

The eldest also opened his eyes in shock. Remembering that Mother didn't say he could open his eyes, he hurriedly covered his eyes with his two little claws: "Mother, I didn't open my eyes." Performing the act of covering his ears to steal a bell.

Lin Zhao laughed: "You can open them now."

The eldest lowered his hands and looked at her with bright eyes: "Mother, the candy is really sweet."

Mother is really good.

The aunts in the village were all wrong. His mother liked them. If adults didn't like children, they wouldn't give them candy.

His mother gave him and his brother candy, she must like them.

Thinking this way, the eldest felt very sweet in his heart, sweeter than eating a whole bag of candy.

"Does Mother have candy?" the eldest was afraid his mother didn't have candy to eat.

"I do." Lin Zhao also ate one, it was sweet.

Ercai's eyes turned, and he leaned over with a grin: "Mother, can you give me another one?"

Seeing him smile sweetly, Lin Zhao gave the brothers one more each.

"Brush your teeth at night."

Ercai put the candy into his little pocket and pressed it a few times worriedly to make sure the candy wouldn't fall out before he felt relieved. Hearing his mother's words, he said: "Brother and I don't have toothbrushes."

"Mother said children don't need to brush their teeth." The eldest also followed up.

Pfft...

The two little cotton-padded jackets had suddenly turned into leaky leather jackets.

"I'll buy them for you tomorrow!" Lin Zhao was helpless. What was wrong with her before?

The eldest remembered the twins and reminded his mother: "Third and fourth cubs need them too."

"..." I'm only twenty-three this year, okay? My memory isn't that bad.

Lin Zhao married Gu Chenghuai the year before she became an adult. At that time, she had just graduated from high school, had no connections and no money, and couldn't even find a job as a laborer, let alone that year when the harvest in the fields was bad and the family was about to run out of food at any time.

She had her own ideas since she was a child, planning to marry to change her fate.

Later, Lin Zhao met Gu Chenghuai, who had returned home to visit relatives, by mistake. She took the initiative to attack, Gu Chenghuai seemed unable to withstand the offensive and surrendered, and then they got married in front of the great man's statue.

Outside the big gate, there were faint footsteps passing by from time to time, as well as the sound of talking; it was the people going to work.

The eldest was in a hurry to go out. Before leaving, he didn't forget to say: "Mother, rest well, I'll bring you food when I come back."

Where to bring food from? Of course, the old house.

Lin Zhao sweated profusely.

"... Okay." It wasn't that she didn't want to cook, but first, her head hurt, and second, the family hadn't lit a fire for a long time and needed time to prepare.

"Don't go to the riverside, stay next to the adults, call someone if anything happens." Lin Zhao urged worriedly.

Before the eldest could speak, Ercai said with a loud voice: "Mother, we all know, Grandma taught us."

After saying that, he pulled the eldest's hand and ran out of the house.