Chapter 57: Wait for me

Lin Zhao was amused by the Fourth Cub's little expression.

The Hearing Hearing Erzai stretched out his arms, making a gesture to grab the little one, deliberately teasing his sister. "Dare to be disgusted by me? You're done for, take my claw!"

He bared his teeth and claws as he closed in on his sister.

The Fourth Cub panicked and burrowed into Lin Zhao's arms, saying repeatedly: "Mother, Mother, save Cub, save Cub."

While shouting about saving the cubs, the smile on her face was overly bright, her crystal-like eyes curved into crescent moons, and she was having a great time playing.

The Hearing Hearing Erzai dared to be smelly toward his younger sister, but he didn't dare be smelly toward his mother, so he didn't dare get too close and sensibly went to wash his face and hands.

"Mom, you woke up so late. My brother and I have already played a whole round and come back."

Before Lin Zhao could speak, the Seeing Seeing Dazai looked at his younger brother with a serious expression, his tone full of disapproval. "Hearing Hearing Erzai, Mom works hard to earn money; it's not easy for her to rest for a day."

Knowing that the Hearing Hearing Erzai had piled up several dirty outfits without washing them, he took on the demeanor of an older brother and said in an unrefusable tone: "Hearing Hearing Erzai, let's go wash the clothes this afternoon."

He spoke with full confidence.

Every move he made had become confident!

Lin Zhao gave a thumbs up.

The Seeing Seeing Dazai quietly blushed, the little person inside his heart jumping for joy, unable to calm down for a long time.

"Alright," the Hearing Hearing Erzai agreed immediately.

Then he looked at Lin Zhao: "Mom, do you have any clothes that need washing? I'll wash them for you."

He raised his arms, showing off his non-existent muscles, smiling like a little sun. "I can eat my fill every meal now, and I have so much strength; I can do any work for Mom."

Not wanting the Hearing Hearing Erzai to steal all the limelight, the Seeing Seeing Dazai hurriedly tried to show off. "Mom, I can do it too; I wash them clean."

"I wash them clean too!" the Hearing Hearing Erzai said super loudly.

The Seeing Seeing Dazai's brow furrowed into a small knot, his fleshy cheeks puffed up, and he said righteously: "I'm the older brother; I wash them cleaner."

Lin Zhao covered her face.

Cub, this issue doesn't seem to have anything to do with being an older brother, does it?

She thought the Hearing Hearing Erzai would fiercely refute his brother.

As it turned out.

The Hearing Hearing Erzai's complexion turned dark at a speed visible to the naked eye.

Yet he looked at Lin Zhao with resentment.

"Mom, why didn't you give birth to me first? I want to be the older brother too."

Realizing that this statement was ambiguous, he added: "I want to be the older brother's older brother."

Lin Zhao didn't know whether to laugh or cry. "You're speaking in tongue-twisters, 'older brother's older brother.' You want to be an older brother; don't the Third Cub and Fourth Cub already call you brother? You have two younger siblings and you're still not satisfied; children shouldn't be greedy."

The Hearing Hearing Erzai felt aggrieved.

He reached out and held up three fingers. "But my brother has three younger siblings, and I only have two."

He looked at Lin Zhao expectantly.

Huh?

Why is he staring at her like that?!

A question mark appeared over Lin Zhao's head.

"?!"

Seeing that his mother didn't take the bait, the Hearing Hearing Erzai sighed in resignation and asked politely: "Mom, can you give birth to another younger brother for me?"

"..."

Huh?

What an unreasonable request!!

Lin Zhao's eyes were calm and waveless as she lightly pinched the Hearing Hearing Erzai's little mouth, manually closing it for him. "How did you use such a warm mouth to say such cold words?"

"Can't you?" The Hearing Hearing Erzai pulled his mother's hand down and pursued the question relentlessly, his eyes radiating a strange color, as if they would instantly dim if he were rejected.

Lin Zhao raised her lips, and before the child could be happy, three gentle yet firm words spilled from her mouth: "No, I can't!"

"But why?" The Hearing Hearing Erzai let his head droop like an eggplant hit by frost.

"Are children that easy to give birth to? Your father and I have enough with the four of you." Lin Zhao felt that the child's ideas were one after another, sometimes giving people a headache.

She continued: "Besides, even if I gave birth to another one, your brother would still have one more younger brother or sister than you."

"... Alright. Then I don't want one." The Hearing Hearing Erzai thought that was true, and changed his mind.

Lin Zhao shook her head, truly not understanding what the little guy was thinking about all day long.

The Seeing Seeing Dazai suddenly said: "I don't want Mom to give birth to any more younger brothers or sisters."

Sensing his mother's gaze on him, he pursed his lips lightly, his words clear: "Lu Baozhen's biological mother turned into a little mound of dirt after giving birth to Lu Baozhen. Grandma said giving birth to children is a very dangerous thing. I don't want Mom to be in danger."

The five-year-old child had his mother completely in his heart and eyes, viewing his mother's body as more important than anything else.

Lin Zhao's whole heart softened.

She touched the Seeing Seeing Dazai's little head, her brows and eyes soft.

The Hearing Hearing Erzai shook his head rapidly, terrified by his brother's words, and hugged Lin Zhao, his eyes full of panic.

"I don't want Mom to be in danger either! I don't want them anymore; I don't want any younger brothers or sisters."

The twins looked at the Second Brother blankly, their little faces innocent.

They didn't know what they had done wrong?

Lin Zhao turned her head and saw the facial expressions of the Third Cub and Fourth Cub—babies not even two years old, holding a small cloth ball tied with several short red threads, their mouths slightly open, blinking their long, curled eyelashes, their little eyes full of confusion.

The little clever-clogs understood the Second Brother's words and were pondering something.

A few breaths later.

The Fourth Cub held the cloth ball in her right hand, the soft flesh on her elbow rolled into cute folds, and she raised her left arm to touch her own head.

Seeing this, the Third Cub touched his sister's head with a solemn face, then touched his own head.

"What are you doing?" Lin Zhao asked with a smile. Was this some strange ritual between children?

The Fourth Cub retracted her hand, switched to holding the cloth ball with both hands, tilted her little head, and said in a milky voice: "Brother is sad, comforting cub."

Lin Zhao understood. "Comforting yourself?"

"Yeah," the Fourth Cub responded heavily.

The Third Cub also nodded along, the steady little guy nodding with a tiny range of motion.

Lin Zhao's heart was about to melt from the cuteness, so she touched the little brother and sister's heads and said softly: "Mom will comfort you too."

The twins smiled with curved brows and eyes, their eyes filled with starlight.

The Hearing Hearing Erzai squeezed over, put his head into his mother's hands, and pushed hard, acting spoiled. "The big child wants Mom to comfort him too."

The Seeing Seeing Dazai also moved a few steps toward Lin Zhao's side, didn't speak, and just looked at her with those dark, round eyes.

"Alright, alright, I'll comfort you." Lin Zhao didn't know whether to laugh or cry, and touched the Seeing Seeing Dazai and Hearing Hearing Erzai's heads again.

What was there to compare about this? Children's strange desire to win.

However, the joy of raising cubs reached its peak at this moment.

The twins grinned.

After comforting the four cubs, Lin Zhao took off the black hair tie and sat there combing her hair. Her hair was neither long nor short, hanging over her shoulders, and she braided it and placed it in front of her, just reaching her chest.

The Seeing Seeing Dazai sat on a small stool, chin propped up, watching his mother braid her hair.

The restless Hearing Hearing Erzai snatched his sister's little cloth ball, causing the twins to chase after him. Watching the little masters running, Amber chased after them, jumping and leaping, the children giggling, the sound like silver bells, accompanied by a few woofs from the little puppy, and even the grass on top of the courtyard wall was tinged with happiness.

Da Huang lay under the eaves, its eyes following the twins, as if it could rush over at the first sign of any accident.

Lin Zhao finished braiding her hair and used the new hair tie.

The hair tie was dotted with red; people with dark skin would look earthy wearing it, but her skin was fair, and the red made her look even fairer, as beautiful as a seventeen or eighteen-year-old high school student.

"Mom is beautiful." The Seeing Seeing Dazai's eyes were bright. "Mom, I like it when you dress up beautifully."

Lin Zhao pretended to be troubled. "Beauty comes at a price; people always say I'm wasteful."

The Seeing Seeing Dazai frowned, anger appearing on his face. "Mom isn't wasteful at all; Mom works so hard every day."

"Mom can't sleep in, she's so sleepy every day, Mom makes us delicious food, makes clothes for me and Hearing Hearing Erzai, makes bibs for Third Cub and Fourth Cub, and has to worry about building the house. Mom is the best mom."

He grabbed Lin Zhao's hem, his brows and eyes serious. "Mom, don't listen to their nonsense; Grandma said people who love to gossip about others are just jealous."

"I'm still small and can't earn money; let Dad earn money for Mom to spend first." Speaking of this, the Seeing Seeing Dazai secretly curled his lips, looking dissatisfied that his father was getting a bargain.

Gu Chenghuai, who had just boarded the train, sneezed, rubbed his nose with his distinct knuckles, and thought of his wife at home, a hint of a smile flashing in his cold, moon-like black eyes.

He looked out the train window at the trees, low houses, large stretches of overgrown wasteland... rapidly receding.

The train started moving.

—Wait for me.

Speaking of which.

After the Seeing Seeing Dazai finished being disdainful toward his biological father for not being able to protect his mother, he continued without a gap: "When I grow up, I can earn a lot of money and give it all to Mom; Mom can spend it however she wants."

The Hearing Hearing Erzai also said loudly: "I want to earn a lot of money too."

The child had even thought about how to earn money. "When I grow up, I want to drive a big truck to the city to buy thermoses, brown sugar, big red dates, cloth..." He counted the goods he wanted to stock on his fingers.

Immediately after, he said: "I also want to find Tie Chui, Tie Niu, and Yuan Bao to drive with me; if we buy more, we can earn more."

Lin Zhao looked at him in amazement.

Should she say he was worthy of being a future transportation tycoon!

He was only five and a half and was already thinking so far ahead!

"How did you think of that?"

The Hearing Hearing Erzai gave his mother a proud look, looking quite spirited, hands behind his back, his aura three meters five.

"Does this need thinking?"

"Grandpa said the city is full of good things, and the brigade lacks everything. Whoever has a truck, buys a truckload of good things, and goes to sell them in each brigade, will definitely earn a sack of money."

"By then..." He paused skillfully and added excitedly: "Mom, you can just enjoy the great fortune with your good second son!"

And there's more—

When Grandpa and Grandma lie in their little mound of dirt, he wants to use a coffin made of rosewood for them.

A rosewood coffin was something the Hearing Hearing Erzai had heard about from an old man in the village; that grandpa said every old person wanted one.

His grandpa and grandma must want one too!

Gu Fu & Gu Mother: "..."

No, they didn't want one at all.

"Where will the truck come from?" Lin Zhao saw the Hearing Hearing Erzai was too proud and gave him a small problem, which was why the child didn't have time to mention the rosewood coffin.

Hearing his mother's question, the Hearing Hearing Erzai wasn't flustered at all, tapping his right toe on the ground rhythmically, and said confidently: "I'm so smart, I can definitely get a truck; small problem."

"... Then I wish you success." Lin Zhao had nothing to say; with this kind of aura, what couldn't be accomplished.

Seeing that the Seeing Seeing Dazai also had something to say, she turned to ask her eldest son: "What does Seeing Seeing Dazai want to do in the future?"

The Seeing Seeing Dazai's eyelashes fluttered lightly, as if nervous, but he still bravely met her eyes. "I want to fly a big airplane."

"Can I?" He looked expectant, wanting to get his mother's affirmation.

"Of course you can." Lin Zhao responded immediately, her eyes encouraging. "Seeing Seeing Dazai's ideal is very great; Mom supports you. Maybe in the future, our whole family can sit on the airplane you fly. If that day really comes, how wonderful that would be."

The Seeing Seeing Dazai's tense little face bloomed with a happy smile. "I will work hard. I'll strive to let Mom sit on the airplane I fly as soon as possible."

"Good."

The Hearing Hearing Erzai hugged his brother's arm and shook it hard. "Brother, there's me, there's me too."

"Stupid, you're also part of the whole family Mom mentioned," the Seeing Seeing Dazai said.

"Stupid!" A crisp little child's voice sounded from the side.

It was actually the usually quiet Third Cub.

"Oh, you, daring to call your brother stupid without knowing your place; watch how I teach you a lesson." The Hearing Hearing Erzai wiped a non-existent sleeve and made a gesture to tickle the child.

The Third Cub was not like the Fourth Cub; seeing his second brother strike a pose... and wanting to rush into his mother's arms to ask for a hug, he looked at his second brother with calm brows and eyes.

Instantly dousing the Hearing Hearing Erzai's desire to play.

After retracting his hand, his face was full of self-doubt.

"...!?"

He, the Hearing Hearing Erzai, was afraid of nothing, and he was the older brother; why didn't he dare tickle the Third Cub? It was unreasonable.

Lin Zhao couldn't help but laugh.

When the cubs' father returned, the Hearing Hearing Erzai should know where that uncomfortable feeling he had at the moment came from.

The Third Cub was growing more and more like Gu Chenghuai; he was born with an aura that made people afraid to be presumptuous.

Especially his eyes, dark and calm, almost exactly the same as Gu Chenghuai's.

Even Gu Fu said that sometimes when he saw the Third Cub, he always felt like he was seeing his own third son when he was young.

His third son was also mature beyond his years; he was like a little adult when he was just over five, not letting people hold him, and never letting people intervene in things he could do himself.

Among the four cubs, the Third Cub was the most like his biological father.

He looked like him, and his temperament was like him too.

"Are you hungry? Have you two eaten anything since you got up?" Lin Zhao asked the Seeing Seeing Dazai and Hearing Hearing Erzai.

"Hearing Hearing Erzai and I shared an apple, and shared a twisted dough stick with Tie Chui; we're not hungry," the Seeing Seeing Dazai replied.

"That's good if you're not hungry," Lin Zhao said. "I noticed you two share whatever you have with Tie Chui, but didn't share with Lai Mei and the others?"

"We shared," the Hearing Hearing Erzai gestured with his fingers, his face full of heartache. "I shared this much with them."

He sighed melancholically. "Sigh, our Gu family has so many people; that half a twisted dough stick wasn't even enough for me to eat, and I still had to share. Sigh, it's bitter, too bitter!"

Lin Zhao held back her laughter until her cheeks hurt. "Tell me, where is it bitter for you?"

"Hehe, it's not bitter for me. I'm learning from Captain Grandpa," the Hearing Hearing Erzai said with a smile. "When the harvest in the fields isn't good, Captain Grandpa talks like this: 'Bitter, too bitter! Worked hard for a whole year, and only harvested this little grain, bitter.'"

"How come I've never heard of it?"

The Hearing Hearing Erzai's smile grew wider. "Mom doesn't go to the fields, so of course you don't know."

He covered his mouth halfway and said mysteriously: "Captain Grandpa didn't say it in front of everyone; he said it when he was alone."

"And then you heard it?" Lin Zhao laughed.

"Yeah." The Hearing Hearing Erzai didn't say that he had suddenly made a sound, scaring the captain into jumping.

"It is bitter, but it will get better," Lin Zhao said.

"... Will it get better?" The Hearing Hearing Erzai looked at her seriously.

"Yeah, you always love listening to your grandpa and grandma talk about the past; you've heard what your grandpa and grandma's childhood days were like, right? Compared to now, isn't it much better?" Lin Zhao intentionally or unintentionally guided her son to think for himself.

The Hearing Hearing Erzai pondered, and a moment later, nodded heavily.

Then he was confused again.

"Grandpa said..."

He imitated Gu Fu's tone: "These days are getting better and better."

Afterward, his tone returned to normal.

"Captain Grandpa said again, bitter, too bitter. Who is right?" The Hearing Hearing Erzai scratched his hair, which was growing in short stubble.

"What do you think?" Lin Zhao asked back.

The Seeing Seeing Dazai interrupted: "Both are right. Grandpa feels that not being bullied and not being a beast of burden for the landlords is getting better and better. Captain Grandpa feels heartache for the grain in the fields, heartache for the farmers working hard for a year, and the grain harvested isn't enough to fill everyone's stomachs, so he says it's bitter."

He looked at Lin Zhao. "Is that right, Mom?"

"That's right, you answered very well. You two are both children who can think; you're great." Lin Zhao praised.

Both children felt beautiful inside.

"Mom, you said it will get better; when will it get better? Tell me quickly, I want to tell Tie Chui and the others, so they can be happy too." The Hearing Hearing Erzai rubbed his hands excitedly.

"..." Do you think your mother is a prophet?

However.

The book said that in at most twenty or thirty years, this land and this country would undergo earth-shaking changes.

"Ten years, wait until you're almost in college." Lin Zhao was afraid that saying twenty or thirty years would make the cubs feel there was no hope, so she simply said ten years.

And she wasn't wrong; in ten years, the college entrance examination would be restored, and many people's lives would get better.

"Ten years, I..." The Hearing Hearing Erzai counted on his fingers, and soon figured it out, his eyes bright. "I'll be the same age as my uncle; by then, I'll definitely be a college student."

"A college student, I'll definitely be able to earn super lots of money."