Chapter 334: Your Idea is Very Criminal

The boy who rolled his eyes paused, snorted in his heart, and shifted his gaze.

Silly, don't wait until you're defeated too miserably and cry.

Imagining the brothers who looked exactly the same crying, with tears and snot flying everywhere, the boy frowned.

He asked his brother for two candies.

"??" His brother was full of question marks, "What do you want candy for? You're nervous?! Can't be."

The boy was annoyed by shame, "Who's nervous! Little kid brother's business, you worry less!"

Pretending to be impatient, he looked at his brother, "Stop the nonsense, do you have candy or not?"

"... Have it, ancestor." His brother wrote eight "endure" characters in his heart in one second.

This is a contestant! Contestant is the biggest! Endure!!

He took out candy from his pocket and gave it to his brother who didn't do human things and didn't say human words.

Just at this time, the staff pulled out a red rope, isolating the spectators, leaving a large piece of ground, with a row of judges in front, and a row after row of neatly placed desks not far away.

This was a provincial-level competition. The provincial level issued competition notices, schools in various cities and counties organized preliminary competitions, and those with excellent results went up to participate in higher-level competitions.

The school where Yubao and Hengbao were, according to the teaching level and the number of students, counted as city-level. Those who passed the school competition could continue to come to the provincial capital to participate in the competition, which met the requirements of the notice.

Many schools in the lower counties gave up their final qualifications, fearing the battle before fighting, or perhaps because coming and going was troublesome, so the number of participants wasn't as many as Lin Zhao thought.

Although it wasn't crowded with people, it was a provincial competition after all, and there were several dozen people.

All the students sat down on the left and right according to their age, each with an abacus. Some were glowing, wishing they could compare immediately. A small part of the children came from small places, their expressions timid, and they didn't dare to raise their heads. If they heard a mockery about their clothing, the child would be so ashamed they would almost cry.

Yubao stiffened his little face and glared at people, full of disapproval, "You're bullying people!"

"Lue lue lue."

The audience was far away, and Lin Zhao couldn't hear what the children were arguing about. She stood up, walked forward a few steps, and waved at her two sons.

Catching her figure, Yubao's face improved. Afraid Mom would worry, he revealed a smile of holding the winning ticket.

He must defeat the bad kid next to him! Let him laugh at people again!!

Yubao, who wasn't old but had high spirits, was full of passion.

"All quiet, sit well. Next, I will distribute the test papers to all the big students and little students. After receiving the test papers, don't rush to answer. First, write your name and school on the header of the paper. After I notify that you can answer, students can answer. Do you all hear clearly? If you have questions, raise your hands and ask now."

The children in front of the desks shook their heads, saying in unison: "No problem."

"Good, then I'll distribute the test papers now." The person speaking started distributing the test papers, only giving them to the students in the first row, letting them pass them back. The children were very cooperative.

"You can't look left and right when answering, and even less can you whisper. Once discovered, you will be punished for violating discipline..."

He looked at his watch and issued an order: "Answer the questions."

The sound of turning test papers rang out.

Soon, the sound of abacus clicking rang out one after another.

The audience whispered.

"The one clicking the abacus first is my son. My son has always been first in school; this competition must be first too."

The woman not far from Lin Zhao said excitedly, her voice raised, and she was warned by the staff maintaining discipline.

The person with a work badge hanging on his neck saw the camera in Lin Zhao's hand, thinking she was from the newspaper office, tidied his collar slightly, pulled his sleeves straight, and stood upright.

A smile flashed in

The more she thought about it, the more she felt her little cousin's desire to join the newspaper was worth encouraging.

She would go back and give Yunjin a pep talk!

Lin Zhao aimed her camera lens at her two sons and Gu Lan, snapping a photo every now and then; the commotion was so great it startled the surrounding spectators.

"Are you from the newspaper?" an older woman scrutinized Lin Zhao.

"No." Lin Zhao adjusted the angle and snapped another photo. She had discovered another merit of her two cubs—superb concentration. The exam venue wasn't exactly quiet, yet they were so small and could still focus intently on their questions without being disturbed by the outside world; even adults couldn't manage that.

"If you're not, why are you holding a camera and snapping away?" The older woman's gaze was strange.

"Are photos not allowed by the competition rules?" Lin Zhao looked over, puzzled.

"That's not it." The older woman replied, then suddenly praised, "You're quite smart, girl, knowing to bring a camera. This way, after your younger brothers grow up, they can still see what they looked like participating in competitions when they were little. You have ideas; you young people really do have flexible minds."

Younger brothers?!

A huge misunderstanding.

"Those aren't my younger brothers; they are my sons." Lin Zhao smiled.

The older woman knitted her brows. "Stepmother?"

Lin Zhao smiled politely. "Biological."

Those who don't know are innocent; endure it.

"Ah?" The older woman looked skeptical. "Doesn't look like it. You look like you're only eighteen or nineteen; how could you be the mother of two boys that big? Don't try to fool me. I, this old woman, am getting on in years, but my eyes aren't blurry."

"I'm already in my twenties; those two are indeed my biological children." This older woman had a kind face and didn't seem annoying. Lin Zhao had nothing to do and was willing to chat a bit more.

"Oh my, you really can't tell. You must live a comfortable life." The older woman said with emotion. "When life is comfortable, people look younger. Girl, cherish your good life."

"Mm." Lin Zhao responded with a smile.

"Girl, can you help me take a photo of my grandson later? I'll pay." The older woman lowered her voice. "The same price as a photo studio, even two extra mao is fine. Just make sure to include that red cloth in the shot."

Afraid Lin Zhao wouldn't believe her, she took out a few mao and stuffed them into Lin Zhao's hand when no one was looking.

"Daughter, I'm counting on you."

Lin Zhao: "..."

"Which one is your grandson?"

The older woman was overjoyed and pointed to a sturdy boy in the second row of the senior group. "That one, the fattest one."

She called him fat, but he was actually just slightly rounder than the other youths.

However, one could also tell his family's circumstances were quite good.

"Got it."

The older woman said sincerely, "Girl, thank you."

Lin Zhao waved her hand and changed positions to photograph the middle school group.

First, she aimed at Gu Lan and snapped a series of photos.

The little girl answering questions so seriously was truly quiet and lovely.

The total time for answering questions was only one hour. In a flash, people began handing in their papers one after another. Now, teachers were grading them, and the results were announced immediately.

"Kang Xin, 82 points."

"Chu Qing, 95 points."

The students who received their results quickly learned their scores.

Lin Zhao pricked up her ears and caught her two sons' scores.

Xiang Yubao got a perfect score, and Gu Hangbao had a small slip-up, getting 99 points.

Both were high scores.

She clapped excitedly, her beautiful face glowing, her expression proud.

When she met the eyes of her two cubs, she held her hands high, giving them a big thumbs-up.

Seeing this, the identical little boys puffed out their chests and raised their heads, revealing big, smiling faces.

Next was the senior group; Gu Lan also performed steadily and scored a perfect mark.

All were good; their arithmetic was excellent.

It seems that back when they were delivering the public grain, a group of children following behind Gu Father, quickly clicking their abacuses to help with the accounts, was very useful indeed.

After answering the test papers, according to the ranking of the results, most of the students were eliminated. Ten remained in both the primary and middle school groups. Several judges set questions, and the students gave answers on the spot.

It looked easy, but in reality, it was a dual test of arithmetic and psychological quality.

For children with social butterfly attributes, it was nothing; they were actually quite excited. For students with quiet and introverted personalities, looking at the surrounding audience, their heartbeats were like beating drums, their hands and feet went numb from panic, and their minds went blank.

The former were Lin Zhao's twins, and the latter was represented by Gu Lan.

"A-Lan, don't be afraid. After it ends, I'll take you all to the zoo." Lin Zhao leaned forward a few steps and said to Gu Lan.

Her voice was neither too loud nor too soft, just enough for Gu Lan to hear.

Gu Lan watched her Third Aunt's smiling face, and her heart slowly calmed down. It was nothing; she had already done very well to reach this step. Even if she lost, it didn't matter. Coming to the provincial capital this time, she had already gained plenty.

Thinking this way, Gu Lan seemed to possess endless courage, and her shoulders straightened unconsciously.

"Congratulations to all the students on stage for entering the finals. According to the competition rules, next is the final competition for the primary school group. Students in the middle school group who entered the finals, please go to the side to rest first." The host said.

Xiang Yubao and Gu Hangbao stood obediently in place, waiting for the next arrangement; the two identical faces were very eye-catching.

The brothers were talking in low voices when someone stopped in front of them.

The two looked up and saw it was a big brother with a grumpy and impatient expression.

"Does big brother need something?" Xiang Yubao asked politely.

He remembered; this was the big brother whose eyes twitched. Realizing this, he smiled cutely and engagingly.

The youth took his hand out of his pocket, palm up, revealing two round chocolates.

A question mark appeared over Xiang Yubao's head, and he looked over with a blank gaze, not understanding the meaning.

The youth showed impatience, thought to himself that they were silly, and said with a stern face, "For you, one each."

It was his own eyes that had looked down on people; children from city and county schools could also be impressive.

"Thank you, big brother." Gu Hangbao took them and took two White Rabbit creamy candies out of his little pocket. "For big brother."

Then he gave one of the chocolates to Xiang Yubao.

The youth stared at the White Rabbit creamy candy in his palm, slightly stunned.

It wasn't until he was driven away and got off the stage that he came back to his senses.

He had been fed by two little kids?!

His shoulder was patted, and the youth turned his head to meet his big brother's face, which was smiling with ill intent.

"Why would you give those two elementary school students candy?" His big brother stroked his chin and guessed, "You saw twins for the first time, so you found them rare, right?"

The more he said it, the more he felt that was the case, and added, "Those two kids look good, and they are smart and polite; they are quite likable."

With his big brother saying so, the youth also found an answer for his own strange behavior.

"Brother, I also want a younger brother." He said.

The young man's expression froze.

"... What do you want?"

The youth answered seriously, "A younger brother."

He pointed to the stage. "Like that pair of twins."

His brother's mouth twitched. "You're even making demands. Why don't I just find a few sacks and kidnap them back for you."

The youth took it seriously and said solemnly, "Your idea is very criminal, criminal law criminal."

The young man: "..." His younger brother really had no sense of humor.

Grandpa said that smart people like his younger brother sometimes had different thought processes than ordinary people and needed to be treated with tolerance.

Mm, tolerance.

"Forget it." The youth changed his mind again. "Mom is so old now, she probably can't give birth anymore."

Changing the subject, "Brother, when do you plan to get married?"

"Why are you asking this?" The young man's nerves tightened. After a moment of thought, he said, "It wouldn't be that since you don't have a younger brother, you want to use a nephew or niece to make up for it."

"Mm."

"Don't even think about it." The young man didn't want to enter the grave of marriage so quickly. Knowing his younger brother had a new idea every minute, he didn't take it to heart.

The competition on stage began.

Xiang Yubao and Gu Hangbao performed very well; they were articulate, their quick answers were crisp, neat, and generous, and the answers they gave were correct, winning a burst of satisfaction from the judges. Every time the surrounding audience heard the host say "correct," they applauded.

The twins fought more fiercely as they went, and as time passed, they became even more at ease.

In the end, they won first place, and it was a tie. Even the host said this was an unprecedented first time; congratulations to students Gu Zhiyu and Gu Zhihang.

Thunderous applause erupted off the stage.

Lin Zhao and Gu Lan clapped especially hard.

It was just an abacus competition, but Lin Zhao had a feeling of being so excited she was on the verge of tears.

She picked up her camera and snapped a photo of her sons receiving their awards. The twins were also very understanding; they placed their certificates and prizes in front of their chests and looked at Lin Zhao with bright smiles.

The scene was frozen in time.

"A-Lan, do your best later. The result isn't important; just don't have any regrets." Lin Zhao put away her camera and said to Gu Lan.

Gu Lan nodded solemnly. "I will."

She was in the middle school group, and she knew the competition process. As long as she performed normally, she should be able to bring back a certificate.

The facts were indeed so.

Gu Lan also won an award, but it was a second-place prize. First place was snatched away by that relaxed and casual youth—the very same youth who had exchanged candy with Xiang Yubao and Gu Hangbao.

This youth had proud brows and eyes, wore a white shirt, and looked like a guy who looked at people through his nostrils. But once he reached the competition field, that arrogance vanished, and the whole person became at ease.

When the judges asked questions, he blurted out the answers, with a 100% accuracy rate.

It drew bursts of applause.

He was the most outstanding youth in the middle school group; it was no wonder he was proud; he truly had the capital to be proud.

After the awards were presented, Xiang Yubao and Gu Hangbao were in no hurry to leave, familiarly chatting with the other children who had come to participate in the competition.

In a short time, they even knew everyone's nicknames.

"Zhou Zhou, I've memorized your home address; I'll definitely write to you when I get back."

"You Yu, don't cry anymore. I think you performed very well; you were just a little nervous. Next time, you'll definitely get first place. Don't cry; I'll let you touch the medal."

"Miao Miao, temporary gains and losses are nothing; don't be discouraged, here's candy for you..."

Zhou Zhou, who had been protected by Xiang Yubao before the exam, said, "Xiang Yubao, I know a lot of characters now; I'll write back to you too."

Watching the twins get so busy, Lin Zhao's mouth twitched slightly.

They had already made friends; these two cubs had this ability from their Second Uncle.

Gu Lan covered her mouth and laughed; she admired this ability of Xiang Yubao and Gu Hangbao—they could talk to anyone.

When the two of them finished greeting the children, they walked toward Lin Zhao with light steps and delivered the "spoils of war" into her hands.

Their little expressions were extremely spirited.

"Mom, it's first place, oh."

Lin Zhao gave a thumbs-up. "Awesome."

This competition had prize money; first place was rewarded with fifty, second place with thirty, third place with ten...

This time in the competition, the two cubs had a full harvest.

Xiang Yubao: "The prize money is for Mom to buy a dress and little leather shoes. To buy meat for Grandpa and Grandma, and pastries for Grandma and Grandpa..."

Gu Hangbao: "To buy hair ties and hair clips for Yaobao, to buy little picture books for Seeing Qian Bao, and to buy candy for Little Li Bao!"

How to use the prize money was already planned.

At this moment, the youth who won first place in the middle school group passed by. His gaze lingered on the twins for a moment, then shifted to Gu Lan with inexplicable envy, and then he left with his brother.

Having a younger brother is really great.