Chapter 57: Wait for Me

Lin Zhao was amused by Xiao Sui’s little expression.

Er Zai stretched out his arm, pretending to grab the little girl, teasing her, “Dare you look down on me? You’re done for—catch this claw!”

He bared his teeth and lunged toward his sister.

Xiao Sui scrambled in panic, diving into Lin Zhao’s arms, babbling, “Mama, Mama, save me, save me!”

Though he cried for help, his face beamed with an overly bright smile, his crystal-clear eyes curled into crescents—he was having the time of his life.

Er Zai dared to tease his sister but never dared to tease his mama; he kept his distance and wisely went to wash his face and hands.

“Mama, you woke up so late—my brother and I already played a full round and came back.”

Before Lin Zhao could speak, Da Zai looked at his younger brother with a serious expression, his tone full of disapproval: “Er Zai, Mama works hard to earn money—she barely gets a day off.”

Knowing Er Zai had piled up several dirty clothes without washing them, he took on the role of an older brother and declared firmly: “Er Zai, this afternoon, you and I will wash the clothes.”

His voice carried full confidence.

His every gesture had grown more self-assured!

Lin Zhao gave him a thumbs-up.

Da Zai’s face flushed subtly; inside, his little self danced and jumped, unable to settle for a long while.

“Alright,” Er Zai agreed at once.

Then he turned to Lin Zhao: “Mama, do you have clothes to wash? I’ll help you.”

He raised his arm, flexing nonexistent muscles, grinning like a little sun: “I can eat full meals now—I’m strong! I can help you with any chore.”

Da Zai couldn’t let Er Zai steal all the spotlight—he rushed to prove himself: “Mama, I can too! I wash cleaner!”

“I wash cleaner too!” Er Zai shouted loudly.

Da Zai frowned, puffing out his cheeks now filled with flesh, speaking with righteous conviction: “I’m the older brother—I wash cleaner than you.”

Lin Zhao covered her face.

Oh, child, this has nothing to do with being the older brother.

She expected Er Zai to fiercely rebut his brother.

Instead.

Er Zai’s expression darkened visibly.

But he gazed at Lin Zhao with a look of wounded resentment.

“Mama, why didn’t you give birth to me first? I want to be the older brother too.”

Realizing his words were ambiguous, he quickly added: “I want to be the older brother’s older brother.”

Lin Zhao laughed and sighed: “Are you speaking tongue twisters now? ‘Older brother’s older brother’? You’re already called ‘Big Brother’ by San Zai and Si Zai—don’t you have enough younger siblings? Children shouldn’t be greedy.”

Er Zai looked pitifully downcast.

He held up three fingers: “But my big brother has three younger siblings—I only have two.”

He looked at Lin Zhao expectantly.

Huh?

Why is he staring at me like that?!

A question mark appeared above Lin Zhao’s head.

“?!”

Seeing his mama didn’t respond, Er Zai sighed resignedly and politely asked: “Mama, can you give me another little brother?”

“...”

Huh?

What an unreasonable request!!

Lin Zhao’s gaze remained calm and still; she gently pinched Er Zai’s little mouth, manually closing it: “How can you say such cold words with such a warm mouth?”

“Is it not allowed?” Er Zai pulled her hand away, pressing on, his eyes glowing with an odd light—as if they’d dim instantly if refused.

Lin Zhao smiled, and before the child could cheer, she softly but firmly said: “No way!”

“But why?” Er Zai drooped his head, like a wilted eggplant.

“Is having children so easy? Your father and I are perfectly happy with the four of you.” Lin Zhao found the child’s thoughts endless—sometimes they gave her a headache.

She continued: “Besides, even if I had another, your big brother would still have one more sibling than you.”

“...Alright then. I don’t want one anymore.” Er Zai conceded—it made sense, so he changed his mind.

Lin Zhao shook her head, utterly baffled by what the little one thought about all day.

Da Zai suddenly said: “I don’t want Mama to have another little brother or sister.”

Sensing his mama’s gaze on him, he softly pressed his lips together, speaking clearly: “Lu Bao’s real mother died and became a small mound of earth after giving birth to Lu Bao. Nai Nai says having children is very dangerous. I don’t want Mama to be in danger.”

The five-year-old child’s whole heart and eyes were filled with his mama—he valued her body more than anything.

Lin Zhao’s heart softened completely.

She stroked Da Zai’s little head, her expression gentle.

Er Zai shook his head rapidly, terrified by his brother’s words—he flung himself into Lin Zhao’s arms, eyes wide with panic.

“I don’t want Mama to be in danger either! No more! I don’t want any little brothers or sisters!”

The Long Fengtai looked at Er Zai in confusion, their little faces innocent.

What had they done wrong?

Lin Zhao turned and saw San Zai and Si Zai’s expressions—toddlers under two, hugging a small cloth ball tied with several short red strings, mouths slightly open, blinking their long, upturned lashes, their tiny eyes brimming with bewilderment.

The little geniuses understood Er Zai’s words and were pondering something.

A few breaths later.

Si Zai hugged the cloth ball with her right hand; the soft flesh on her elbow curled into adorable wrinkles. She raised her left arm and patted her own head.

Seeing this, San Zai solemnly patted his sister’s head, then patted his own.

“What are you doing?” Lin Zhao asked with a smile—was this some strange ritual among children?

Si Zai lowered her arms, now holding the ball with both hands, tilting her little head up, speaking in a soft, baby voice: “Big brother scolds, comfort me.”

Lin Zhao understood: “Comforting yourself?”

“Mm.” Si Zai nodded firmly.

San Zai followed, nodding slowly—his calm nature meant his nods were subtle.

Lin Zhao’s heart melted; she gently stroked the twins’ heads, whispering softly: “Mama will comfort you too.”

The Long Fengtai beamed, their eyes curled into crescents, filled with starlight.

Er Zai squeezed in, offering his head to his mama, nudging insistently, begging for affection: “Big kids need Mama’s comfort too.”

Da Zai shuffled a few steps closer to Lin Zhao, silent, only gazing at her with his dark, round eyes.

“Alright, alright, I’ll comfort you,” Lin Zhao laughed helplessly, stroking Da Zai and Er Zai’s heads again.

What’s there to compete over? Children’s strange sense of rivalry.

Yet, the joy of raising children reached its peak in this moment.

The twins grinned widely.

After soothing all four children, Lin Zhao removed the black hair tie and sat down to comb her hair—her hair was neither long nor short, falling past her shoulders, braided and laid across her chest, ending just below her breasts.

Da Zai sat on a small stool, propping his chin to watch his mama braid.

Restless Er Zai snatched his sister’s cloth ball, making the Long Fengtai chase after him; seeing the little master run, Hu Po bounced after them, children’s laughter ringing like silver bells, mixed with a few puppy-like “woof woofs”—even the small grass on the courtyard wall seemed dyed with joy.

Da Huang lay beneath the eaves, his eyes following the twins’ movements—as if ready to dash forward instantly at the slightest sign of trouble.

Lin Zhao finished braiding her hair and tied it with a new hairband.

The hairband was dotted with tiny red beads; on dark skin, it would look dull, but her fair skin made the red glow, making her look as radiant as a seventeen- or eighteen-year-old high school student.

“Mama’s beautiful,” Da Zai’s eyes sparkled. “Mama, I love it when you dress nicely.”

Lin Zhao feigned distress: “Beauty comes at a cost—people always say I’m wasteful.”

Da Zai frowned, anger flashing across his face: “Mama isn’t wasteful! You work so hard every day.”

“Mama can’t sleep in—you’re always tired. You cook delicious meals for us, sew clothes for me and Er Zai, make bibs for San Zai and Si Zai, and worry about building the house—Mama is the best mama.”

He grabbed the hem of her clothes, his expression earnest: “Don’t listen to them—they’re just jealous. Nai Nai says people who gossip are sour.”

“I’m still too young to earn money—let Dad earn it first for you to spend.” As he said this, Da Zai subtly scowled, looking as if he were begrudging his father the privilege.

Gu Chenghuai, just boarding the train, sneezed, rubbing his slender fingers over his nose—he thought of his wife at home, and a faint smile flickered in his cold, moonlike eyes.

He gazed out the window: trees, low houses, vast stretches of wild, overgrown grass—all retreated rapidly.

The train began moving.

—Wait for me.

By the way.

After criticizing his father for being unable to protect Mama, Da Zai continued without pause: “When I grow up, I’ll earn so much money—I’ll give it all to Mama. You can spend it however you want.”

Er Zai shouted too: “I’ll earn lots of money too!”

The child had even figured out how to earn it: “When I grow up, I’ll drive a big truck to the city to buy thermoses, brown sugar, big red dates, cloth...” He counted out the goods on his fingers.

He added: “I’ll also get Tiechui, Tieniu, and Yuanbao to join me—we’ll buy more and make even more money.”

Lin Zhao stared at him in surprise.

No wonder he’s the future transport tycoon!

At five and a half, he’s already thinking this far ahead!

“How did you come up with this?”

Er Zai gave his mama a smug look, standing tall with his hands behind his back, radiating an aura three meters high.

“That’s obvious.”

“My grandpa says the city’s full of good stuff—our brigade lacks everything. Whoever has a vehicle can buy a whole load of good things and sell them to every brigade; they’ll definitely make a sack full of money.”

“Then…” he paused skillfully, then added excitedly, “Mama, you’ll get to enjoy great fortune thanks to your good second son!”

And more—

When Grandpa and Grandma lie on their little dirt mound, he’ll give them a coffin made of redwood.

He’d heard about redwood coffins from an old man in the village—the old man said every elderly person wanted one.

Grandpa and Grandma definitely want one too!

Gu Fu & Gu Mu: “...”

No, they didn’t.

“Where would the vehicle come from?” Lin Zhao posed a small challenge to Erzai, seeing how proud he was—and thus the child didn’t get around to mentioning the redwood coffin.

Hearing his mother’s question, Erzai wasn’t fazed at all; his right toe tapped the ground rhythmically as he said confidently, “I’m this smart—I’ll definitely get a vehicle. No problem.”

“...Then I wish you success,” Lin Zhao said helplessly. With this kind of spirit, what couldn’t he accomplish?

Seeing Daizai also had something to say, she turned to her eldest son: “What do you want to be when you grow up, Daizai?”

Daizai’s eyelashes fluttered slightly, as if nervous, yet he still bravely met her gaze: “I want to fly a big airplane.”

“Can I?” His expression was hopeful, seeking his mother’s approval.

“Of course you can!” Lin Zhao responded immediately, her eyes encouraging. “Daizai’s dream is great—I support you. Maybe one day our whole family will ride on the airplane you fly. Wouldn’t that be wonderful?”

Daizai’s tense little face broke into a happy smile. “I’ll work hard. I’ll try to let Mama ride on my airplane as soon as possible.”

“Good.”

Erzai hugged his brother’s arm and shook it vigorously. “Brother, don’t forget me! Me too!”

“Dumb, you’re part of ‘our whole family’ too,” Daizai said.

“Dumb!” A clear child’s voice rang out from beside them.

It was Sanzai—the usually quiet one.

“Oh, so you dare call your brother dumb? See what I’ll do to you!” Erzai wiped his nonexistent sleeve and pretended to tickle the little boy.

Unlike Sizai, who would immediately rush into Mama’s arms when Erzai posed like this, Sanzai watched his brother with calm, cool eyes.

Instantly doused Erzai’s playful mood.

He pulled his hand back, his face filled with self-doubt.

“...!?”

He, Erzai, feared nothing and no one—he was the older brother! Why was he afraid to tickle Sanzai? It didn’t make sense!

Lin Zhao couldn’t help but laugh silently.

When their father returns, Erzai will understand where this strange unease of his comes from.

Sanzai is growing more and more like Gu Chenghuai—he naturally carries an aura that makes others dare not act rashly.

Especially his eyes: dark, still, nearly identical to Gu Chenghuai’s.

Even Gu Fu said that sometimes, when he saw Sanzai, he felt as if he were seeing his own third son when he was young.

His third son had been precocious too—barely five, already acting like a little adult, refusing to be held, never letting anyone help him with anything he could do himself.

Of the four children, Sanzai most resembled his biological father.

Both in appearance and temperament.

“Are you hungry? Since you woke up, have you eaten anything?” Lin Zhao asked Daizai and Erzai.

“Daizai and I split an apple, and we shared a twisted dough with Tiechui—we’re not hungry,” Daizai replied.

“Good you’re not hungry,” Lin Zhao said. “I noticed you two always share food with Tiechui—did you not share any with Laimei and the others?”

“We did!” Erzai gestured with his fingers, face twisted in mock pain. “I gave them this long!”

He sighed mournfully. “Ah, our Gu family is just too big. That half-twist of dough wasn’t even enough for me—I had to share it too. Ah, how hard life is! So hard!”

Lin Zhao bit her cheek to hold back laughter. “Tell me—where’s the hardship?”

“Hehe, I’m not hard-pressed. I’m imitating Team Leader Grandpa,” Erzai grinned. “When the harvest’s bad, Team Leader Grandpa says, ‘Ah, so hard! We worked all year long and got barely enough grain to fill our bellies!’”

“I’ve never heard him say that.”

Erzai’s grin widened. “Mama doesn’t work the fields—of course you wouldn’t know.”

He half-covered his mouth, speaking mysteriously: “Team Leader Grandpa doesn’t say it in front of everyone—he says it when he’s alone.”

“And you overheard him?” Lin Zhao laughed.

“Yes.” Erzai didn’t mention how he’d suddenly shouted out, making Team Leader jump a foot in the air.

“It’s hard, yes—but it will get better,” Lin Zhao said.

“...It will?” Erzai looked at her seriously.

“Yes. You always like listening to Grandpa and Grandma talk about the past—didn’t you hear how their childhoods were? Compared to now, wasn’t it much worse?” Lin Zhao subtly guided her son to think for himself.

Erzai fell into thought, then nodded firmly after a moment.

Then he looked confused again.

“Grandpa says...”

He imitated Gu Fu’s tone: “Life is getting better and better.”

Then his voice returned to normal.

“But Team Leader Grandpa says, ‘Hard! So hard!’ Who’s right?” Erzai scratched his head, where short stubble had begun to grow.

“What do you think?” Lin Zhao asked back.

Daizai chimed in: “Both are right. Grandpa thinks life is better because we’re no longer bullied or forced to work like beasts for landlords. Team Leader Grandpa grieves for the grain, for the farmers who toil all year and still don’t harvest enough to feed everyone—so he says it’s hard.”

He looked at Lin Zhao. “Right, Mama?”

“Exactly. Excellent answer. You two are thoughtful children now—well done,” Lin Zhao praised.

The two children felt delighted inside.

“Mama, you said it’ll get better—when? Tell me soon! I want to tell Tiechui and the others so they can be happy too!” Erzai rubbed his hands eagerly.

“...” Do you think I’m a fortune-teller?

But.

The book said that within twenty or thirty years, this land, this country, would undergo earth-shattering change.

“Ten years,” Lin Zhao said, fearing that saying twenty or thirty years would make the children feel hopeless. “By the time you’re about to enter university.”

It wasn’t wrong—ten years from now, the college entrance exam would be restored, and many people’s lives would improve.

“Ten years? I...” Erzai counted on his fingers, quickly understood, eyes brightening. “I’ll be the same age as Uncle Xiao! By then, I’ll definitely be a university student.”

“A university student—definitely able to earn super, super money.”