Chapter 69: I Don

Er Zai stood still, letting his sister fuss over him, his arms wrapped in a circle to carefully protect Si Zai.

“Bite you! Bad big brother!!” The little bundle wrinkled her nose, her tiny face scrunched up as she suddenly opened her mouth wide, her chubby cheeks trembling as she planted a wet, sticky imprint on her brother’s face.

“Huh!” Er Zai tilted his neck sideways, rubbing his cheek against his shoulder to wipe off his sister’s drool, then poked her nose with his index finger, disdainful: “Little dirty kid.”

“Hmph!”

Si Zai sensed the dismissal, stomped her foot hard, nearly toppled over, wobbled a few times before steadying herself, let out a heavy huff, turned her back, and gave Er Ge a furious little back view.

Short and stocky, head round and plump, arms soft and white, a deep dimple formed with every press.

“!”

For the first time, Er Zai understood what their mother meant by “cute,” poking the tiny tuft on top of his sister’s head with his index finger.

The little bundle felt the tuft touched, lifted her pudgy hand to feel it, touched something, turned her head in confusion, and met a grinning face—she barely remembered she was supposed to be mad, let out another heavy huff, and trudged slowly off to find her big brother.

Just as temperamental as their mother.

Da Zai glanced over, then looked away, his expression worried as he paced back and forth, staring at the distance.

“Da Zai, Er Zai, still waiting for your mother? Don’t wait—come home with Grandpa first. Your mother’s probably delayed.” Gu Fu had led the group to complete the demolition task at the Gu family’s third branch; hearing the villagers say the four kids were still at the village entrance instead of heading straight home, he came to find his grandsons.

“Grandpa, do you think something happened to Mom?” Da Zai’s gaze was anxious.

Gu Fu noticed the ash on his granddaughter’s shorts, bent down to brush it off, wiped the sweat from Da Zai’s forehead, and said: “Nothing will happen. If your mother hasn’t returned in two hours, I’ll take your Uncle One and Uncle Two to the county to look for her.”

Her uncle lives in the county—getting delayed is normal.

At this, Da Zai’s face lit up. “Grandpa’s the best.”

“What’s there to it?” Gu Fu picked up Si Zai and called the grandsons home.

Da Zai and Er Zai turned back once more, still saw no familiar figure, and left reluctantly.

In the cinema, the film hadn’t started yet, and Lin Zhao sneezed.

Gu Chenghuai frowned, reached out to feel her forehead, his voice lowered with concern: “Why did you suddenly sneeze? Did you catch a cold?”

“How could I catch a cold on such a hot day?” Lin Zhao rubbed her nose. “It’s definitely Da Zai and the others missing me.”

“We’ll go home right after the movie,” Gu Chenghuai murmured.

“Cough! Cough!!” Several patrolmen cleared their throats loudly, reminding everyone to be mindful of decorum, then left.

Lin Zhao frowned.

“The county is getting more and more...” She trailed off.

A loud bang—the lights went dark.

The cinema plunged into darkness; after a few rhythmic, noisy sounds, light flared on the stage.

In the dark, Gu Chenghuai took Lin Zhao’s hand, placed it on his knee, pinched her fingertips—answering her earlier unspoken thought.

More and more chaotic.

He knew what Zhao Zhao wanted to say.

Flashing through his mind were the scenes he’d seen in Haicheng—chaotic, disordered, whispers of panic everywhere; Gu Chenghuai’s brow darkened with gravity.

The storm was coming.

And.

It seemed everything had only just begun.

The film began playing, sound filling the air; he set aside his turbulent thoughts and focused entirely on the screen before him.

A giant banner scrolled past: “Moumou Film Studio.”

Then appeared four bold characters: “Female Pilot.”

Lin Zhao instantly perked up, leaned toward Gu Chenghuai, and waved for him to lean in.

“What is it?” A hushed voice, warm with breath, sounded beside her.

Lin Zhao scratched her ear, looked up—and her red lips brushed against something cool as cold jade.

She kissed Gu Chenghuai’s ear.

She instinctively pulled back.

In the darkness, she couldn’t tell his reaction.

Long pause.

Gu Chenghuai leaned back in; his dark eyes, usually unreadable, now burned with rare, unrestrained heat as he stared at her lips, pressed them slightly, voice hoarse: “...Zhao Zhao?”

“Cough!” Lin Zhao cleared her throat, afraid of more mishaps, covered her mouth, leaned close to him, and whispered: “I meant to say—Da Zai will love this movie. We’ll bring them next time.”

A pilot, no less.

Da Zai’s dream.

Gu Chenghuai stared at her hand covering her mouth, a flicker of regret passing through his deep black eyes.

“...Alright.” He replied.

Why did he sound so reluctant? Did he even hear what she said?

Lin Zhao’s face filled with confusion; she was about to press further when the film officially started, forcing her to watch.

After the 100-minute film ended, the audience sat in their seats for several seconds before reluctantly rising to leave.

“That was amazing.”

“Women can be pilots too! Lin Xuezhen and Yang Qiaomei are so impressive—they have such willpower!”

“I want to watch it again.”

“Me too. I loved Xiang Fei—so confident, so competitive, and her dress was beautiful. I’m going to find someone to make me one.”

…

Under dim lights, the crowd murmured about the plot, each buzzing with their own excitement, slowly streaming out of the cinema, the noise fading into the distance.

Lin Zhao and Gu Chenghuai weren’t in a hurry; the couple lingered at the very end.

Stepping out of the cinema, the sun was no longer blinding, hanging low in the western sky, staining half the heavens red.

Blue sky, white clouds, orange-red sunset.

And.

The person she loved.

Lin Zhao’s eyes sparkled with fragments of light. “Let’s go home.”

Gu Chenghuai nodded, his gaze bright and clear.

Home.

The two first returned to the supply and marketing cooperative to retrieve their bicycles, then went to the county government building to collect their luggage from Yang Junzhi, made plans to have dinner another day, and set off for home.

Gu Chenghuai’s luggage wasn’t light—two large bags—he didn’t let Lin Zhao carry them, instead hanging them on the handlebars.

“Get on,” he turned to her, smiling.

Lin Zhao leapt onto the back seat, wrapped her arms around his waist. “Ready.”

Feeling his wife’s soft hands, Gu Chenghuai’s eyes sparkled with deep amusement; he pushed off with his long legs, and the bike glided forward.

When no one was around, Lin Zhao wrapped her arms tightly around the man’s lean waist, resting her cheek against his back, smiling.

Neither spoke; they savored the quiet moment.

After dinner, the four kids realized their mother hadn’t returned, so they went back to the village entrance to wait, watching the sun’s position.

Their grandpa said—if the sun sank a little more and Mom still hadn’t come back, he’d take them to the county.

“Mom!” Er Zai spotted their bicycle from afar and shouted loudly.

He sprinted toward it.

Like a gust of wind brushing past their faces.

Da Huang and Hu Po barked a few times and followed behind him.

Da Zai stamped his foot in frustration, seeing his younger siblings moving slowly—he wanted to carry them both and run.

Then Er Zai’s shrill, furious voice tore through the air: “Brother! Brother!!” He shouted “brother” twice in desperation, voice nearly cracking.

“The bicycle! Someone stole our family’s bicycle!!”

His voice rang out, louder than ever.

Gu Chenghuai heard it, slammed the brakes hard—the pedals spun uselessly, screeching loudly; his usually impassive face cracked open.

“...”

Before he could speak, Er Zai snatched up a stick taller than himself, hefted it, deemed it insufficient, then grabbed a sharp stone and charged like a little firecracker.

Legs spread wide, arms swinging wildly, whirling the stone, twirling the stick, full of fierce energy.

He swung his “weapons” at the man on the bike.

“Where’s my mom! Tell me where you hid her!!”

The two large bags on the handlebars and Lin Zhao’s slender frame were completely obscured—couldn’t even see her feet.

Hearing Er Zai’s words, her heart burned hot, yet she found it absurd and nearly laughed.

All those photos were wasted.

She gripped Gu Chenghuai’s waist, jumped off the bike, stepped into Er Zai’s view, and waved: “Er Zai, Mom’s right here.”

Er Zai froze, then dashed over, pulling his mother away from the stinky man, standing in front of Lin Zhao with his stick pointed at Gu Chenghuai, fiercely declaring: “You! Put down our family’s bicycle!”

Gu Chenghuai: “...”

His eyes showed helplessness.

He glanced at his wife, who was covering her mouth and stifling laughter, silently asking: Is this the result of her staring at my photos too much?

Er Zai frowned, thumped the ground repeatedly with his stick—bang, bang, bang—loud and insistent.

“Where are you looking?! Where are you looking!! Don’t you dare look at my mom!” he growled. “Do you think I won’t make Da Huang bite you?!”

The words fell silent.

Da Huang obediently barked once.

“Wang—!”

Gu Chenghuai teased his son, “I’m just looking.”

“I’m not just looking—I’m touching too.” Right before his son’s eyes, he stepped forward, took Lin Zhao’s hand, and even… boldly kissed her fingertip.

He looked down at Er Zai with deliberate provocation.

She’s my wife—I get to look.

Lin Zhao’s dark eyes widened, her cheeks instantly flushed crimson, radiant as peach blossoms.

“The children are right here!” She hit him in anger, her tiny fists striking his body—not just painful, but painfully so.

Gu Chenghuai instantly fell silent.

Er Zai gnashed his teeth in rage, swinging his wooden stick as if to fight to the death.

Aaaah! It made him want to die!

He raised the stick, ready to kill his own father for the sake of justice.

“Hey! I’ll fight you to the death!”

In one swift motion, Gu Chenghuai seized the stick, applied precise force, and the stick slipped from Er Zai’s grip—suddenly appearing in his own hand, which he casually tossed into the grass beside the path, up to his ankles.

He said, emotionless:

“Gu Er Zai, you’re too weak.”

He’d already made up his mind: during his time at home, he’d train both boys properly—otherwise, how could they protect their mother?

Still.

Brave.

Worth praising.

Satisfaction flickered in Gu Chenghuai’s eyes.

Er Zai glanced at his confiscated weapon, lowered his gaze to his own hands, dazed, questioning reality.

How did my stick just… disappear?

Da Zai led his younger siblings over, looked up at the tall man, then quickly looked away, feigning calm. When he saw the smile on Lin Zhao’s face, his fingers curled slightly. “Dad.”

“Mm.” Gu Chenghuai looked down at his eldest son.

Just as he remembered—well-behaved, quiet, obedient, very obedient.

This meeting, all four children had changed greatly: they’d gained weight, no longer wore tattered clothes, even their shoes were bought from the supply store—fancier than the kids he’d seen in the military compound.

“You’ve grown taller, gotten fatter—you’re big kids now,” he said.

Hearing this, Da Zai’s heart bloomed with tiny flowers; he instinctively straightened his chest and lifted his head, his invisible tail rising and swaying happily behind him.

“Dad’s exactly how Mom described him.”

Gu Chenghuai’s dark, smiling eyes flickered over Lin Zhao’s face, a faint hint of curiosity in his brow and corners of his eyes.

“Oh?”

“What did your mother say about me?”

Seeing no one paid attention to him, Er Zai panicked and jumped forward, speaking rapidly: “I know! I know!”

Meeting his father’s penetrating gaze, the boy’s bright black eyes flickered.

He huffed inwardly.

He’d recognized him at first glance—he was Dad.

But… thinking about how Dad had just returned and monopolized Mom, making her come home two hours late, he’d planned to teach Dad a lesson—make him understand adults couldn’t just do whatever they wanted!

Even though the lesson lasted less than two minutes and failed… still, it was honorable failure. Hmph.

“Go on,” Gu Chenghuai gave his second son an out.

“Mom says Dad is tall and handsome, the tallest and most handsome young man in the whole commune, and a powerful officer,” Er Zai said. Seeing his father’s appearance, he felt Dad was nothing like the other kids’ fathers—he looked like he could punch a child into tears. Very powerful.

The boy unilaterally made peace with his father.

He boldly made a request: “Dad, can I see your military cap?”

“Er Zai, don’t bother your dad—I’ll make you two some later,” Lin Zhao intervened.

She couldn’t let the children think they could touch anything—especially their father’s things.

Er Zai still knew the difference between temporary thrills and owning something.

“Okay!” He gave up on seeing his father’s cap, replying brightly.

Lin Zhao pinched the flesh on Er Zai’s cheek, exasperated: “You recognized your dad right away, didn’t you? Still pretending—you even fooled me! Good acting. You should be sent to make movies.”

“Really?” Er Zai climbed the ladder, eyes shining, “Will I get paid?!”

“… ” Lin Zhao rubbed her temples lightly, helplessly: “Aren’t you planning to buy a car, bring rare things from the city, and sell them to each brigade?”

“Has your dream changed?!”

Er Zai shook his head like a rattle drum: “No no no!”

He quickly explained: “It hasn’t changed! Buying a car is for later—making movies… I can start now!”

After speaking, he stared at Lin Zhao with immense anticipation.

His eyes sparkled.

“Mom, when will you send me to make movies?” He’d already imagined seeing himself on screen—and planned exactly how to show off to Tie Chui and the others.

Lin Zhao, trying to tease the child, was instead cornered—she fell silent.

Gu Chenghuai looked down at the small boy with big ambitions, speaking slowly: “If you want to go, I’ll arrange for someone to take you.”

Before Er Zai’s smile could fully form, his father added calmly: “I heard filming takes half a year to a year—you’d have to leave home. Have you thought it through…”

He paused slightly, giving the boy a chance to back out.

Of course.

Er Zai immediately changed his mind upon hearing he’d have to leave home: “I don’t want to! I won’t leave Mom!!”

He thought his father had evil intentions; the boy’s expression turned wary, and he mentally added six new entries to his grudge notebook.

Gu Chenghuai didn’t care.

The old father’s heart was entirely focused on his little daughter.

He noticed Si Zai, tied in braids, standing behind Da Zai.

The little dumpling wore a short-sleeved top and shorts, her feet in tiny cloth shoes made by Grandma, plump and pale, gazing up at him with wide, startled black eyes—just like Zhao Zhao’s.

Standing there, tiny and fragile, she filled the old father’s heart with boundless tenderness.

Gu Chenghuai crouched down, shedding all his sharp edges, arms open to Si Zai, his expression soft, voice gentle.

“Si Zai, come here—Dad will hold you.”

Lin Zhao bit her lip to hold back laughter.

She swore—aside from calling her name, this was the first time Gu Chenghuai had ever used a reduplicated word, let alone something so cloying as “hold you.”

Never seen anything like it!

Er Zai’s expression twisted in outrage: “Dad! I came first! You saw me first! Why didn’t you say ‘hold me’?!”

Gu Chenghuai gave him a look of utter absurdity.

Who rushes up to a stranger and tries to beat them to death? And you expect a hug? Not beating you senseless already counts as good temper!

“?”

Er Zai understood—he didn’t hesitate, immediately ran to his mother: “Mom! Dad is blatantly favoritist!”