Chapter 386: You Should Sleep Alone

"Don't go overboard, three jars at most," Gu Chenghuai said, "My wife spends time and effort making small pickles, can't give them all to you."

Sun Yeli nodded reluctantly, "Three jars will do."

Mail one jar home, and can even trade for some benefits, hehe.

Gu Chenghuai shook the watch ticket clamped between his fingertips, "Thanks, I'll treat you to a meal another day."

"Sure," Sun Yeli said expectantly, "As long as it's not the cafeteria."

Eating in the cafeteria for so many years was enough.

Gu Chenghuai: "..." Definitely.

After speaking, he strode home.

Just as his tall figure appeared at the entrance, Lin Zhao's voice rang out, "You came home quite late today. Was Li Bao's matter resolved?"

Gu Chenghuai walked to the sink to wash his hands, answering while doing so, "Resolved, it just cost my wife's small pickles."

Lin Zhao's eyes were puzzled, "What do you mean?"

"The comrade who went back to his hometown to visit relatives is going to attend his sister's wedding and wants to give her a watch as a wedding gift, but he doesn't have a ticket. He begged me, and I remembered Sun Yeli had a watch ticket he wasn't using for the time being, so I borrowed it first. That kid didn't want anything, just wanted our small pickles. I promised to give him three jars," Gu Chenghuai explained.

"Are three jars too few? It's a watch ticket after all, it would cost several tens outside. How much are homemade small pickles worth?" Lin Zhao chided him with a smile, "Don't cheat your own people."

Gu Chenghuai lowered his eyes, his long eyelashes casting a layer of faint black shadow under his eyes, and said slowly, "Not cheating anyone. Small pickles made by my wife are worth more than ten thousand gold."

He would rather give money, okay.

That kid Sun Yeli didn't want it.

Don't think he didn't know; Sun Yeli wanted an extra jar to cheat his family, tricking his grandpa, grandma, uncle, and aunt into mailing him things. This kid was full of schemes.

Lin Zhao covered her face.

She couldn't bear to look at Gu Chenghuai's thick face.

The small pickles made with the recipe from the lucky draw wheel were incredibly delicious, but they weren't worth more than ten thousand gold. She was happy to trade them!

"I'll go call the children."

Lin Zhao walked to the children's room and knocked on the door lightly a few times.

"Can I come in?"

Footsteps sounded from far to near. Xiang Yubao opened the door and took his mother's hand proactively, "You can come in. Mom, you don't need to knock when coming to our room."

"How can that be," Lin Zhao shook her head with a smile, "You're all grown up, you need your own space."

She beckoned Seeing Yaobao over, and the little girl's soft body nestled into her mother's arms.

"In a little while, Seeing Yaobao should sleep in her own room. Will you be afraid?"

Seeing Yaobao was a bit afraid. She didn't want to sleep alone; she wanted her brothers to accompany her.

In front of her brothers, the child blushed and didn't say the word "afraid," only saying, "I want to live with my brothers, I don't want to be alone."

She looked at Lin Zhao with watery black eyes, fear in the bottom of her eyes, looking pitiful.

"You and your brothers are grown up, so you can't sleep in the same room anymore," Lin Zhao said gently.

"Why?" Seeing Yaobao pouted, drooping her little head, like a little kitten drenched in a downpour, saying with a soft, crying voice, "Dad and Mom can sleep in the same room, why can't Seeing Yaobao sleep in the same room with my brothers? I'm a little person sleeping... I'm afraid."

A little person... what a cute way to refer to herself.

Lin Zhao was charmed to the point of wanting to cover her chest. Little cubs of this age were so fun.

"Your dad and I are married. We are husband and wife, so two people who become husband and wife can of course sleep in the same room," she answered patiently.

Seeing Yaobao's eyelashes were stained with water droplets, about to fall.

She was stunned for a moment, then said seriously, "Then I'll marry my brothers, and we'll be husband and wife too."

"That's not allowed. You can't marry Dad, Mom, or your brothers. We are a family, and family members aren't allowed to marry," Lin Zhao said.

The child didn't understand anything, saying what they thought was right without any taboos; there was nothing to make a fuss about.

"Ah?" Seeing Yaobao's exquisite, cute little face wrinkled into a ball, sniffing aggrievedly, "This isn't allowed, that isn't allowed, then I... what should I do if I'm afraid?"

"Dad and Mom will coax you to sleep," Lin Zhao said gently, "Besides, there's Da Huang and Xiao Hu Po to protect you. If you call out, they'll run to your bedside. Don't be afraid. If you're really afraid, I'll sleep with you for the first few days you live alone. Once you get used to it, you can sleep alone, okay?"

Being afraid was just because she was afraid of a strange environment; she would get used to it.

Seeing Yaobao's eyes lit up, "Okay."

"Where do I sleep?" she asked again.

"Let your dad think of a way," Lin Zhao said.

Seeing Yaobao ran out of the room to find her dad.

"Dad, Dad, Mom said I'm grown up and have to live alone. Where do I sleep?"

The crisp little milky voice reached into the room, making the corners of one's mouth lift involuntarily.

Gu Hangbao expressed his realization, "I don't want to live alone, I like living in the same room with my brother and Qian Bao."

"Your brother and Qian Bao might not like living in the same room with you," Lin Zhao said smilingly.

"Impossible," Gu Hangbao denied immediately.

He looked fiercely at Xiang Yubao and Qian Bao, "Brother, Younger Brother, you don't want to live in the same room with me?!"

The brothers hadn't spoken yet, but he was already acting hurt.

Xiang Yubao: "..."

Qian Bao: "..."

Is your acting too much?

"No," Xiang Yubao said.

Qian Bao liked quiet and really wanted a separate space, but meeting his brother's eyes, he swallowed the words at the tip of his tongue, "... I don't either."

This reluctance was only seen by Lin Zhao.

Her own Qian Bao still wanted to live alone.

She and Gu Chenghuai wouldn't satisfy him for the time being. Qian Bao was too quiet; living in the same room with his brothers would also make him say a few more words every day.

He was a cold, cute baby when he was little; hopefully, he wouldn't be an ice block when he grew up... it was worrying.

"Go out and eat," Lin Zhao urged.

The brothers didn't say more and walked out quickly.

Final exams were coming up, and the twins spent all their spare time reviewing. The elementary school curriculum wasn't difficult for them, and the brothers were determined to get double hundreds.

After winter break, a few days later, Li Bao was brought to the military district by a young officer. Coming to the military district for the first time, he was curious about everything, his bright eyes looking everywhere.

"Uncle, how much longer until I see Xiang Yubao and Gu Hangbao?"

Since getting off the train, the young man had heard this no less than five times. He looked at the little bean helplessly, "Soon, soon. We've already entered the military district; another twenty minutes or so and we'll be at the family building area."

Li Bao held his small bag, said "Oh," and followed obediently.

Suddenly, he saw a few familiar figures in front.

At the very front were Da Huang and Xiao Hu Po.

The dark, thin little boy's eyes lit up suddenly, and he ran forward, shouting as he ran:

"Da Huang..."

"Xiang Yubao! Gu Hangbao!! I'm here to find you."

Xiang Yubao and Gu Hangbao also saw their good brother, and the two children exclaimed, running toward Li Bao.

"Li Bao!"

"Li Bao!!"

"Li Bao, Li Bao, Li Bao, Li Bao..."

The two sides met and hugged into a ball.

Fireworks exploded in Li Bao's heart, his happy mouth almost reaching the back of his head.

"Xiang Yubao, you've grown taller."

"Gu Hangbao, you're a city kid now, you look so good, I almost didn't recognize you."

Listening to the little bean's words, the young officer who brought him twitched the corner of his mouth. Was this the child who only knew how to say "mm-mm" and didn't say a single word of nonsense along the way?

Turns out he was quite eloquent.

Lin Zhao rarely went out today, also coming to pick up Li Bao. She was worried Li Bao would be afraid after just arriving in a strange place.

Seeing the familiar cloth bag on the young officer, Lin Zhao stepped forward with a smile, "Give me Li Bao's luggage, I'll take it back."

She wore a warm yellow loose sweater, black straight-leg pants on her lower body, black leather shoes with heels on her feet, and her hair was loosely pinned behind her head. She looked gentle, delicate, and beautiful.

The sunlight hit her fair, lustrous face, looking like an exquisite oil painting.

The young man was startled. He had long heard people say Deputy Regiment Commander Gu's wife was as beautiful as a flower; seeing her now, it was indeed well-deserved.

He handed over Li Bao's luggage woodenly.

"It's a bit heavy."

Lin Zhao took it with one hand, "It's okay, I have quite a bit of strength."

While taking the luggage, she handed over a small cloth bag.

"This is a thank-you gift Deputy Regiment Commander Gu asked me to prepare. It's nothing valuable, just homemade, thank you for your help."

The young man hesitated for a moment, took it, and revealed a mouthful of white teeth, "Thank you, Sister-in-law."

He planned to give some of the local specialties he brought to a few superiors later.

The young man walked toward the dormitory with big strides, while Lin Zhao took the children home.

"Third Aunt, let me take the luggage," Li Bao followed obediently beside Lin Zhao, wanting to reach out and take the luggage.

Lin Zhao avoided his hand, "No need, it's not heavy."

Seeing the child's nervousness, she freed a hand and rubbed Li Bao's head, "After not seeing each other for a while, why are you so distant with me? I'm still your Third Aunt. Just treat it like your own home, act however you want, don't be embarrassed. In my heart, you are the same as Xiang Yubao and Gu Hangbao."

Li Bao let out a quiet breath and felt relieved.

He missed Xiang Yubao and Gu Hangbao, but he was also nervous, afraid of causing trouble for his Third Uncle and Third Aunt.

"Mm, I'll listen to Third Aunt," Li Bao grinned, finally looking like the Li Bao Lin Zhao was familiar with.

"So obedient. We haven't been back to the village for a long time, I still want to hear you tell me about the lively things that happened in the village," Lin Zhao said again.

Li Bao raised his eyes, his smile even more brilliant, and patted his chest, "Okay, I know all the lively things in the brigade, I'll tell Third Aunt all of them."

"I want to hear too, I want to hear too!" Gu Hangbao pestered Li Bao, almost dropping the small bag in his arms.

"I'll tell you too," Li Bao said hurriedly, hugging his arms tighter.

Gu Hangbao poked the small bag in his arms, "What's this, why are you holding it so tight?"

Li Bao smiled shyly, "The delicious things I saved for you."

There was also money and tickets inside; it was the food money his parents told him to bring.

He held it the whole way.

"Wow, Li Bao, you really are my good brother," Gu Hangbao said, moved.

The group returned home.

Li Bao walked into the twins' good brother's room, which was almost identical to the one in the brigade, and the discomfort in his heart vanished instantly.

"Xiang Yubao, Gu Hangbao, your room is the same as the one in the village!"

Xiang Yubao pursed his lips and smiled, saying reservedly, "Mom decorated it for us."

"Third Aunt is really good," Li Bao said.

Lin Zhao chuckled, opened the bundle she brought back, hung Li Bao's change of clothes in the wardrobe, and instructed the twins, "Xiang Yubao, Gu Hangbao, you two take Li Bao to take a bath. Sitting in the car for the whole way, he'll feel more comfortable after washing up."

"Okay," Xiang Yubao responded, pulling Li Bao out.

They found Qiao Hui and confirmed there was enough hot water in the bathroom. Li Bao was taken to the bathroom.

The bathroom was also very similar to the one in the brigade. The little kid who just arrived didn't feel strange, taking off his clothes without a word.

Just a little kid, with good brothers who wore the same pants in front of him, there was no such thing as shyness.

Xiang Yubao remembered Li Bao forgot to bring clean clothes, so he told Gu Hangbao to stay and scrub his back, while he went to get clothes for Li Bao.

The bathroom door opened a small crack, Xiang Yubao slipped out, and closed the door quickly.

After taking a few steps, he bumped into Lin Zhao.

"Xiang Yubao, these are Li Bao's change of clothes, send them in for him."

Xiang Yubao was happily surprised, "Hey, I was just about to go find them. Mom, you and I have a tacit understanding."

"Yes, a tacit understanding." Lin Zhao looked at her son's happy smile, rubbed his head, and walked out of the house.

She went to pick up the twins.

The brother and sister were at Mao Dan'er's house. During this period, Seeing Yaobao went to find Mao Dan'er every day without fail, and Qian Bao was used to being with his sister, flipping through books while watching his sister.

In Qian Bao's heart, his sister was a bit stupidly cute and had to be watched, otherwise, the bad guys outside would bully her.

Lu Baozhen, who was selling misery to the little male lead, sneezed, and snot sprayed onto Jiang Rong's face. The little male lead, who had a cleanliness obsession, turned green.

Ugh.

When Lin Zhao arrived at the Ning family's house, Old Lady Ning had just washed a plate of plums, intending to send them to her grandson and the twins.

"Grandma," Lin Zhao called out.

Old Lady Ning turned her head, saw Lin Zhao brought in by the live-in auntie, and immediately smiled like a flower, "It's Zhao Zhao, you picked up Li Bao."

"Picked him up, he's taking a bath at home. Qian Bao and Seeing Yaobao didn't cause you any trouble, right?" Lin Zhao stepped forward a few steps, took the plate from Old Lady Ning's hand, and supported her arm with her other hand.

"No, both children are very obedient. You know how to teach children; all four children in the family are likable," Old Lady Ning said.

"Mao Dan'er is also obedient. I've never seen such a self-disciplined child; he'll definitely have great achievements in the future," Lin Zhao praised back.

No elder didn't like hearing their own child being praised.

Old Lady Ning laughed heartily, "He takes after his father; his father has had a plan in his heart since he was little."

The two complimented each other and arrived at Mao Dan'er's room.

The room was very warm, and one big and two small were "playing" on the fluffy carpet.

Lin Zhao looked over. Qian Bao was lying on the carpet looking at a picture book, Mao Dan'er was sitting cross-legged flipping through a book, and Seeing Yaobao was sticking stickers on his face.

"Ahem..." Lin Zhao cleared her throat, "Seeing Yaobao, what are you doing?"

Seeing Mom, Seeing Yaobao laughed, ran toward her, and hugged her waist, "Playing," she said crisply.

"You must be doing something bad," Lin Zhao pinched her little nose and said crossly.

Only this little girl, who was full of dullness, dared to stick stickers on Mao Dan'er's face.

Before Seeing Yaobao could argue, Mao Dan'er closed the book, stood up, and said, "It's fine, Aunt Lin, don't scold Seeing Yaobao, I agreed to it."

Lin Zhao smiled helplessly, "Mao Dan'er, don't spoil her too much, if you spoil her anymore, she'll develop bad habits."

Mao Dan'er: "Won't."

Qian Bao climbed up, put the picture book back on the bookshelf against the wall, put on his shoes, and walked to Lin Zhao's side.

"Mom, I'm ready."

Seeing Yaobao was anxious, hurriedly put on her shoes, and took her mother's other hand. ===== CHAPTER 387 =====