Chapter 50: You Think Your Father is Dead

Gu Chan brought back so many good things that Wei Eldest Sister-in-law felt as sour as if she had eaten wild hawthorn.

A flash of shrewdness appeared in her eyes, and she took the initiative to attack. "The family hasn't divided the property yet; the things Second Sister-in-law brought back should belong to the public."

Although it was a question, her tone was very certain.

Wei Xiangdong sneered, his sweeping gaze full of attack.

"The things Eldest Sister-in-law brings back from her maiden home don't belong to the public, but what my wife brings back does? Where do you get such a thick face!"

"Eldest Sister-in-law, you're so skilled at taking advantage of others; were your ancestors in the logistics department of the Eight-Nation Alliance?"

"Bullying my wife in front of me—you think your father is dead."

Wei Eldest Sister-in-law had only said one sentence before being bombarded. She was so angry her mouth twitched. She had never been able to win an argument against him, so she angrily returned to her room, slamming the door with a *clang* that even shook the house.

"Pah!" Wei Xiangdong snorted disdainfully.

*What kind of thing, daring to bully his wife. *

Wei Mother had a headache and said to Gu Chan: "A-Chan, ignore them; go back to your room and rest."

After saying this, she turned and returned to her room.

"It's right to ignore Eldest Sister-in-law, but you can't ignore me; I'm your man." Wei Xiangdong took the cloth bag from Gu Chan's hand and led her into the room.

After entering, he closed the door behind him.

Feeling resistance, a hint of surprise appeared in his pitch-black eyes, and his arm exerted a little force.

Big Stone's helpless voice sounded from outside the door.

"Dad, my brother and I haven't entered the room yet."

Wei Xiangdong loosened his hand, the wooden door was pushed open, and the Stone brothers took a step forward, standing on the threshold.

Land in the countryside wasn't precious, and every household circled large homesteads. Wei Father and Wei Mother had worked hard for half their lives to build these five yellow mud rooms for their sons to marry wives.

The five rooms weren't small, but the simple wooden lattice windows were narrow, and the doors were double-narrow doors that two people couldn't walk through side-by-side.

The most eye-catching thing was the knee-high camphor wood threshold at the bottom of the door, which stood there solidly and could prevent rats from scurrying into the room, polished oily and black over the years.

"Aren't you two going to catch cicada monkeys?" his own father asked with disgust.

Gu Chan patted her man's arm.

Wei Xiangdong had worked for many years, and his arms were strong, making her hand hurt.

She said: "Catch what cicada monkeys? It's time to prepare for sleep."

With their own mother backing them up, the two Stones passed by Wei Xiangdong with proud expressions.

"Mom, I want to see what the canned meat looks like," Big Stone said directly.

Wei Xiangdong lit the lamp.

A family of four sat around the bed, the warm yellow light spreading, their shadows of different lengths cast on the window, exuding a different kind of warmth.

Gu Chan took out the things she had brought back.

"Look. These were all asked to be brought back by your Third Aunt-in-law, saying they are for you to eat."

"Gu Da Cai and Ercai also said, welcome you two to go to the Fengshou Brigade to play."

She knew Big Stone had a grudge against her third brother's family and tried her best to open up her son.

Big Stone turned his face away, his tone hard. "I'm not that easy to bribe."

Immediately after, he muttered another sentence: "No one can bully Big Stone's mother!"

This was heard by Wei Xiangdong, who patted his son's shoulder heavily. "Your awareness is very good. If you're a man, you have to protect your mother well."

Big Stone curled his lips, not wanting to pay attention to his dad.

Seeing this, Wei Xiangdong pinched his son's mouth, pinching his mouth into a duck-bill shape.

The teenager was furious, pushing his hand hard, glaring at him fiercely with his eyes.

"Little brat, pretending to be an adult." Wei Xiangdong teased his son.

Big Stone saved his mouth and didn't want to pay attention to his dad.

He moved his stool further away from Wei Xiangdong.

He asked Gu Chan: "Mom, why did you take a fancy to my dad? So childish, besides being able to work, looking okay, and protecting his wife, he has no other advantages."

Gu Chan was between laughing and crying.

"What you said are already amazing advantages; what other advantages do you want."

She didn't ask for anything else, just that he was diligent, clear-headed, and protected the family; that was enough.

Wei Xiangdong glanced at his son, leaned against the cabinet, and said lazily: "You don't understand a thing. Your mother and I are a match made in heaven. Otherwise, with so many people in the county, why did I take a fancy to her at first glance?"

"What nonsense are you talking about." Gu Chan hit him, her face burning, and said to her two sons: "Don't listen to your dad's nonsense."

Little Stone pursed his lips and smiled. "But Dad already told us."

Gu Chan looked at Big Stone.

Big Stone nodded. "I could almost recite it. Dad and Mom met in the county, the two of them looked at each other, then started dating, talked for half a year, got married, and after that, they had me."

"..."

Gu Chan looked at Wei Xiangdong with a subtle expression. "Is that what you said?"

"A condensed version; I didn't say anything wrong," Wei Xiangdong said calmly.

Just after saying this, he was spat on by his wife.

"Shameless." Gu Chan scolded with a smile. "Why don't you say that at first I thought you were a hooligan and a second-rate punk, and when I saw you, I wished I had eight legs to run away."

Wei Xiangdong laughed: "I just omitted the process."

"..." Gu Chan gave him face and didn't refute him again.

She was in a very good mood, the corners of her mouth curling even when wiping the mat.

This was the first time she had returned from the Fengshou Brigade so happy.

Wei Xiangdong hoped that family would behave themselves and stop tossing his A-Chan around.

Gu family's third branch.

Ercai hadn't slept yet, avoiding his sleeping younger brother and sister, rolling back and forth on the bed.

"Are you not planning to sleep?" Lin Zhao asked with a smile.

Ercai did a somersault and sat up. "Mom, the bed is fragrant; it's the smell of Grandpa Sun."

"... You can smell it through the mat; then your nose is really sharp," Lin Zhao teased.

Ercai was used to climbing up the pole. "Right, my nose is as sharp as Da Huang's."

Lin Zhao found him exceptionally excited today, so excited that it was almost ten o'clock and he still had no sleepiness.

*This won't do. *

She still wanted to draw a prize.

"Ercai, if you still have energy, why don't you go practice two pages of characters?" The mother suggested with a straight face.

The invisible tail behind Ercai exploded *whoosh*. His eyes, still stained with laughter, instantly became vigilant. He lay down without hesitation, turned over, hugged Quiet Quiet San Zai, hooked his index finger into the thin blanket, and covered his and his brother's little bellies.

The next second, he started snoring.

Lin Zhao laughed. "Sleeping already?"

No one answered.

She sighed lightly as if regretful. "Sleeping, then it can only be forgotten. Ercai's writing isn't as good as Gu Da Cai's; he needs to practice more."

*Clatter*, whose heart was broken?

Ercai, who was pretending to sleep, stiffened, his little eyebrows knitting together. He didn't like writing!

Gu Da Cai knew Mom was teasing his brother and stole a smile, putting the pillow in place.

Seeing this, Lin Zhao blew out the lamp, lay down at the edge of the bed, and gently shook the palm-leaf fan.

As the wind blew, the twins slept more soundly, and Gu Da Cai and Ercai also fell asleep unconsciously.

After hanging the mosquito-repellent sachet she had drawn on the wardrobe handle, there were many fewer mosquitoes in the room. At night, she couldn't even hear the annoying buzzing sound.

She didn't know if it had an expiration date. If not, she wouldn't even need a mosquito net!

With the children all asleep, Lin Zhao put down the palm-leaf fan and summoned the lucky draw wheel.

Last time she drew the little red rope and put it on the children's wrists, she could feel much more at ease when going to work.

Because of this, she confirmed that this lucky draw wheel, which didn't know where it came from, wasn't a beautiful piece of trash but had great use.

On the task bar on the right side of the wheel, a series of tasks were checked off and then disappeared. At the same time, the points rose, rose, and rose.

【Entertaining the best Big Sister in the whole commune and gaining Big Stone's understanding, reward 100 points.】

Seeing this task completion reminder, Lin Zhao realized Big Stone had a grudge against her.

It wasn't strange.

She really hadn't acted like a human these past few years.

【Treating the best Big Sister to meat, reward 20 points.】

【Using the platform of the supply and marketing cooperative to buy defective coarse porcelain bowls and helping the husband's family solve problems, reward 60 points.】

There were also the small rewards from before when Gu Mother was hurt and Lin Zhao let Gu Da Cai and Ercai send supplements to the old house.

Plus some other miscellaneous small rewards.

A total of 568 points.

Looking at this point count, Lin Zhao directly drew a 500-point one.

Same as before.

The pointer turned and turned, as if challenging one's patience.

Finally.

It stopped slowly and leisurely.

"Camera"

Three words, an extremely concise introduction.

Lin Zhao had been taken to take pictures by Gu Chenghuai, so she knew this thing.

She was quite satisfied with drawing this thing.

She had originally planned to take the four cubs to the county to take pictures in a while.

Now that she had a camera, couldn't she take them herself? She could take them however she wanted, and as many as she wanted.

Lin Zhao became happier the more she thought about it.

When the lucky draw wheel flashed the four words "Extract or not," she naturally chose yes.

A black Seagull brand camera would cost 180 to buy outside, and one would also have to save up tickets.

It was said that cameras needed film, and the money spent on a roll of film could buy dozens of meals, which showed how expensive it was.

Extracted along with the camera was a roll of film and an instruction manual.

Lin Zhao couldn't sleep at all.

She got up, walked lightly to the desk, turned on the light, adjusted the lighting, sat down, and read the instruction manual.

After reading it at a glance, she took the camera and started researching.

Her strong learning ability wasn't just talk.

In less than half an hour, she understood the camera in her hand clearly.

It was just that she lacked practical experience.

The charm of electronic products was self-evident.

Lin Zhao turned her head to look at the four cubs sleeping soundly on the bed, her eyes bright.

*Aren't these ready-made ones? *

She readjusted the lighting to let the warm yellow light shine on the whole room.

She took the camera and walked over.

On the wooden bed.

Ercai was hugging Gu Da Cai, his right leg domineeringly draped over his brother's stomach. Gu Da Cai's sleeping posture was well-behaved, lying straight with his arms on his chest. He didn't know if he was dreaming or being pressed by his brother, but his little eyebrows were slightly furrowed.

Her gaze moved upward, to the twins' side.

Quiet Quiet San Zai was hugging Fourth Cub from behind. Their two white, tender faces were flushed red, and their cheeks, which had grown flesh, were bulging, making one want to kiss them twice.

Lin Zhao's heart was melted, and the arc of the corners of her mouth grew higher and higher.

She grabbed the camera, found a good angle, and took two shots *click-click*.

She wasn't satisfied after taking them, found a new angle, and took several more.

A group photo of the twins.

A group photo of the other twins.

From every angle.

When she came back to her senses, she raised her wrist to check the time.

23:30.

"?"

Lin Zhao woke up from the previous mood.

She put away the camera.

Returned to the bed and closed her eyes.

Having had such a high time at night, it could be predicted how difficult it would be to leave her beloved bed the next morning.

The next day.

Gu Da Cai opened his eyes. Turning his head to the side, he saw Lin Zhao's figure. He was stunned for a moment, calmly moved Ercai's foot off his neck, sat up, and took the watch Lin Zhao had placed on the big cabinet.

On the night Lin Zhao bought the watch, she taught the two cubs how to tell time.

At this time, the watch showed the time: 7:10.

Gu Da Cai's eyes widened. He returned to the bedside, shook Lin Zhao's arm, and shouted anxiously: "Mom, you're going to be late for work! Wake up quickly."

Lin Zhao opened her eyes in a daze. "What time is it?"

"It's past seven."

"!!" Lin Zhao woke up with a start, took the watch, and looked—she was about to be late!

She hurriedly got up, went to the next room to change clothes, quickly washed her face and brushed her teeth, spent only half a minute applying moisturizing cream, combed her braids, instructed Gu Da Cai to feed Da Huang, and pushed the bike out in a hurry.

As soon as she went out, her legs almost pedaled into afterimages, heading straight for the county.

35 minutes later, she stopped at the entrance of the supply and marketing cooperative. Lin Zhao looked at her watch—she wasn't late!

After locking the bike, she walked into the supply and marketing cooperative.

"Sister Fen, morning."

"Comrade Wang Ju, morning."

Lin Zhao greeted the two.

Li Fen saw the blue-black covering under her eyes and teased: "Did you go be a thief last night?"

She pointed to her own lower eyelid.

"My big sister came home yesterday, and the cubs couldn't sleep, so it was late," Lin Zhao said casually.

Fengshou Brigade, Gu Da Cai, who had just put on his clothes, rubbed his itchy nose and sneezed.

Li Fen seemed to have a lot of feelings. "The children in your family are just at the age where they are hard to manage; it will be fine after a few years."

"..."

Actually, her cubs were all very sensible and not hard to manage at all.

Lin Zhao smiled and didn't speak.

Li Fen knew she was a respectable military wife, and both her husband's family and her maiden family were in the countryside, so life must not be easy. Remembering the news she heard last night, she leaned toward Lin Zhao and whispered: "I have a job here, pasting matchboxes. One is 2 cents. Does anyone in your family do it? If..."

Before she could finish speaking, Lin Zhao immediately said: "Yes! Someone!"

There were plenty of people in the city fighting for this job. With the opportunity in front of her, she would be a fool to miss it!

She happily held Li Fen's hand. "Sister, you really are my own sister. Thank you."

Li Fen said with a smile: "Revolutionary families are one family; mutual help is what should be done."

"My man is at the match factory; it's just a matter of a word."

Pasting matchboxes was hard-earned money. It required high concentration, was hard on the hands, and hard on the eyes. After pasting for a long time, one would see double at night. It was exhausting, and one couldn't even earn 50 cents in a night.

The family pressure wasn't very high, so no one wanted to do it.

"You in the afternoon..." Li Fen stopped halfway, saw Liu Chunhong coming, stopped the topic, gave Lin Zhao a look that meant "we'll talk later," and returned to her counter.

Lin Zhao smiled gratefully and got busy too.

Fengshou Brigade.

The twins were taken to the fields by Huang Xiulan, and Gu Da Cai and Ercai were happily playing hide-and-seek with the children in the village.

The little brothers hid behind the century-old camphor tree at the foot of the mountain.

They hid for a long time without being found.

Ercai scratched the mosquito bite on his neck, looked down, and saw a bulging mosquito landing on his arm. He slapped it to death without mercy and threw the corpse to the ground.

"Brother, let's go home; there are so many mosquitoes here."

Gu Da Cai hadn't agreed to hide here in the first place. Hearing his brother's words, he nodded. "Okay."

The brothers circled the thick tree and walked toward the main road.

The foot of the mountain wasn't cleaned by anyone, and thick branches and leaves were piled under the tree. Stones were hidden in the leaves, and some small stones were unwilling to be lonely and poked their heads out.

"Paj!"

Ercai's sandal toe was caught by something, and he fell on the carpet of fallen leaves, kneeling.

He was confused.

After coming back to his senses, he seriously wanted to see which sacred being dared to trip him, Gu Ercai.

Squatting there, he pushed aside the ginger-yellow leaves. No one had been here for a long time, and many insects were hidden under the leaves.

Ercai wasn't afraid at all, didn't take their lives, calmly pushed them aside, and continued to look for the culprit who tripped him.

Gu Da Cai didn't like insects. Seeing his brother busy, he sighed lightly and squatted down to help him.

"Found it! It must be this sharp stone that tripped me." Ercai found a stone that wasn't small and threw it away hatefully.

He stood up and patted the dirt off his hands.

Gu Da Cai didn't pay attention and was still digging for something with his hands.

"Brother, what are you digging?" Ercai squatted over curiously.

Gu Da Cai didn't stop his movements and said: "... It seems to be a box."

After saying this, he raised his head. "I feel like this is a good thing."

*A good thing! *

Ercai's face was full of surprise. He ran away *deng-deng-deng*, picked up the stone he had thrown away earlier, and ran back. "Brother, I'll help you. This sharp stone can dig a hole."

Gu Da Cai moved his body and let his brother do it.

Ercai raised his arm and chiseled down heavily, one after another.

Using tools was indeed faster.

Before long, a small pit appeared in place, and in the pit was a rectangular wooden box.

The brothers worked together to take the box out.

"So heavy," Ercai said, looking for a way to open the box, but to no avail.

"Can't open it."

The box was ochre-colored, about a foot long, and the box body was carved with delicate and exquisite patterns. Although the gaps in the patterns were filled with dirt, it didn't affect its beauty.

"Mom can open it," Gu Da Cai said. "We'll take it back. This box is pretty; Mom will definitely like it."

"Okay." Ercai had no opinion.

They didn't know what was in this wooden box, but it was heavy, and the two cubs had to carry it together to move forward.

Circling around the old camphor tree, they just saw the main road leading to the village when a person suddenly appeared in front.

Wearing a bright red round-neck shirt, two small braids, and smiling at them. ===== CHAPTER 51 =====