Chapter 70: I Am Not Your Father

Lin Zhao smiled faintly and asked, “Then what should we do?”

Er Zai blinked his eyes, holding his brother’s and San Zai’s hands, looking up at her earnestly, “Dad favors the little sister, Mom favors us.”

Isn’t that fair…?!

Lin Zhao thought the child’s mind worked fast; her smile deepened as she wiped the fine sweat from the three boys’ foreheads, “Your dad treats you all the same. It’s just because your sister is a girl, so he speaks to her a little more gently—he loves you too.”

She was utterly certain.

Because all four kids were born from her, Gu Chenghuai would love them equally.

“Really?” Er Zai half-suspected, asking a bold question, “Mom, will Dad carry me on his shoulders?”

His voice was just loud enough for Gu Chenghuai to hear.

“Ask your dad—he’ll decide if he wants to,” Lin Zhao kicked the ball back again.

Er Zai pouted, turning to his father, only to see him lift his little sister—short, chubby San Zai suddenly towered over him by several heads, making the child wildly envious!

He strode over, tugging at the corner of Gu Chenghuai’s military uniform, politely asking, “Dad, can you carry me on your shoulders?”

Da Zai remembered how Yuan Bao’s dad carried Yuan Bao around the village; his clear, bright eyes showed longing, and with his mother’s encouraging gaze, he spoke up boldly, “Dad, I want that too—Yuan Bao and Tie Niu’s dads carry them.”

Who says children have no cunning? Look at this—they’ve set a trap for their dad.

“Excellent,” Lin Zhao said softly, “Today’s Da Zai is a brave Da Zai—I’m proud of you.”

“That’s how it should be—speak up when you have something to say, voice your needs. We’re a family, the closest people in the world. You can tell your dad and mom anything.”

Da Zai nodded seriously, “Mm!”

Gu Chenghuai looked at Lin Zhao.

Seeing his wife wink at him, his cold eyes flickered with amusement; his peripheral vision caught the two boys’ hopeful glances, and he nodded, “Carry you? Whatever you say—how you want it, that’s how it’ll be!”

Er Zai leapt up, his face flushed with joy.

Suddenly, he thought, it’s not so bad having Dad back!

Quiet San Zai’s eyes curved into crescents, his smile delicate.

…

The tall, strikingly handsome young officer held a sweet, cuddly little bundle—same high looks, the father like a spear, the child soft and sweet.

A tough man’s tenderness.

Beautiful enough to be a world-famous painting.

Lin Zhao saw her husband’s body stiffen as he held their little daughter, his entire frame turning from glacial ice at the bottom of a chasm into liquid, every sharp edge softening.

She couldn’t help urging.

“Are we going home or not?”

It wasn’t hot, they were under the shade, but standing here like this was ridiculous.

The daughter matters, but the wife matters more.

“Home,” Gu Chenghuai’s cheerful voice rang out.

Er Zai pouted.

He’d figured it out—among the whole family, Dad was the most double-standard.

He was gentle with Mom and the little sister, decent to Da Zai, but with him…strange and odd, even glared at him and made him cry earlier.

Hmph! Hmphh!!

The child silently snorted in his heart, adding another heavy mark to his grudge ledger.

Lin Zhao took San Zai; the little bundle’s soft arms wrapped around her neck, but his beautiful eyes stayed fixed on Gu Chenghuai.

Curiosity shimmered in them.

Gu Chenghuai’s heart melted at his daughter’s big, watery eyes; his crisp voice softened, “When we get home… Dad will lift you high.”

Again with the reduplication.

“...” This was getting ridiculous, Comrade Gu.

Catching his wife’s subtle look, the battalion commander clenched his long, elegant hand into a fist, pressed it to his lips, gave a low cough, and said calmly, “Home…”

Before he finished speaking.

Two figures sprinted toward them from afar.

It was Gu Fu and Gu Mu.

Behind them trailed the younger Gu children.

Gu Fu’s voice, deliberately lowered to contain his excitement, rang out, “Third son.”

Then immediately—

Gu Mu rushed forward, her half-healed wound splitting slightly, a faint sting—but it didn’t matter; seeing her son… the old mother felt comfort everywhere.

She scrutinized him from head to toe, confirmed all four limbs were intact, sighed deeply in relief, her smiling eyes sparkling with tiny lights.

“Third son, you’re back! Why didn’t you send word ahead? Are you hungry? I’ll roll you noodles, or dumplings if you prefer!”

Gu Chenghuai’s throat bobbed; his gaze swept over his parents’ frost-white temples, then stood at attention, heels together, fingertips touching the red star on his cap, saluting the two elders.

“Dad, Mom, I’m back.”

Gu Fu, as he had done over a dozen times before, reflexively raised his hand in return, the calloused knuckles brushing his temple.

His aged eyes overflowed with pride.

—This was the pillar he had raised for the nation.

Seeing his son’s luggage, Gu Fu stepped forward to take one bag, “Let’s go home.”

Gu Chenghuai didn’t stop him—he knew his father refused to admit he was old; helping out made him happier than anything.

Lin Zhao noticed Gu Mu’s gait was slightly odd; remembering her wound hadn’t fully healed, her brow furrowed slightly, she asked directly, “Mom, did your wound split open?”

Gu Mu instinctively glanced at Gu Chenghuai, guilt flashing in her eyes, then frantically signaled to her third son’s wife.

Even as a mother, she feared her third son’s cold stare.

“Husband!” Lin Zhao didn’t let the issue slide; fearing Gu Mu’s wound might worsen, she called out to Gu Chenghuai, who was speaking with Gu Fu.

The young officer turned, his cap brim partially shading his sharp brows and eyes, making him look even colder than frost, as refined as moonlight and breeze, dignified and imposing.

“What’s wrong?” His eyes softened, patient as ever.

“Take Mom home first,” Lin Zhao said.

The couple’s unspoken understanding made Gu Chenghuai realize something.

The amusement vanished from his eyes; he pushed the cart to Gu Mu’s side, silent, gazing at her with a light, piercing look.

Gu Mu didn’t dare speak, obediently sat on the back seat.

Oh my, Third son’s aura was getting scarier and scarier!!

After entering the village, they met many villagers.

Seeing the most accomplished young man in the brigade, everyone warmly greeted him.

“Chenghuai’s back!”

“How long are you staying this time? Rarely come home—stay a few more days!”

“Gu Auntie’s riding a bicycle now, carried by her favorite son—she must be overjoyed, look at how wide her smile is, almost reaching her nape!”

“With the dad back, the Gu kids’ four brats are going to get even more arrogant, hahaha!”

…

Gu Chenghuai kept the bike speed steady—not too fast, not too slow, politely greeting the villagers.

The noisy scene resembled some hero returning in glory, the whole village turning out to celebrate.

Da Zai and Er Zai beamed, their identical eyes curved into matching crescents.

Spotting their friends, Er Zai waved vigorously, showing off to Yuan Bao, “Yuan Bao, this is my dad!”

Then to Tie Niu, “Tie Niu, my dad’s back!”

His gaze swept over Chang Sheng, who hadn’t spoken a word in over a month; his expression turned smug and boastful, “Chang Sheng, my dad’s tall, right? One finger of his could make you cry!”

Seeing Chang Sheng shrink his shoulders, he laughed heartily.

Gu Chenghuai: “...”

“?”

His reputation was being ruined.

Er Zai treated his own father like a prop for boasting, endlessly.

He planted his hands on his hips, loudly threatening, “Think twice before you speak—if you dare spread rumors that my mom’s a lazy woman again, I’ll bring my dad to your house—he’ll beat your dad, and I’ll beat...”

Before he finished the word “I,” seeing Chang Sheng was half a head taller than him, he quickly amended, “I’ll team up with Bang Bang and the others to beat you!”

He waved his fists, issuing threats.

Chang Sheng’s father was also watching the scene; hearing Er Zai’s words, he wanted to cry.

What did he do wrong?!

Chang Sheng was even more aggrieved, “I haven’t said anything for ages—why are you still holding a grudge?”

He’d said it before because the twins’ mom really was lazy.

Since Lin Shushu started working in town, he’d stopped saying it long ago.

“I hold grudges!” Er Zai tilted his head, utterly reasonable.

Chang Sheng had been shunned by village kids because his mom was called a thief; the former leader of the kids had lost all influence.

He’d long wanted to mend ties with the Gu children.

So he volunteered, “What will it take for you to forgive me? Er Zai, I’ve changed—ask my dad!”

Chang Sheng tugged his father’s sleeve, “Dad, tell Er Zai I haven’t said anything about their mom in ages!!”

“Yes, yes, yes.” Chang Sheng’s father pulled his robe back, carefully smoothing it out, nodding repeatedly as he looked at the twins and grinned foolishly, “Dacai, Ercai, Uncle taught Chang Sheng a lesson—he won’t gossip anymore.”

Dacai, though small, had a big heart; he looked at Chang Sheng and said seriously, “If you never speak ill of my mother again, we can be friends with you.”

Ercai heard his brother’s words—since his brother said be friends, then be friends.

He agreed inside, but still threatened, “If you say it again, I’ll beat you up.”

Chang Sheng shook his head quickly, “I won’t say it anymore, never again—whoever speaks ill of your mother, I’ll beat them up for you!”

Ercai’s eyes darted around, sensing an advantage; he marched forward with an unyielding step, stood before Chang Sheng, and looked up at the boy who towered over him by half a head, extending his right arm and raising his pinky finger, signaling for a pinky promise.

“Pinky swear—anyone who breaks it’s a puppy.”

Chang Sheng happily placed his hand over it.

Ercai retracted his finger, met Lin Zhao’s gaze, and smiled—a radiant grin like a little sun.

He walked over to his mother, beaming, “Mom, am I smart?”

“Hm?” Lin Zhao didn’t understand.

Ercai’s smile faded, and he let out a tiny sigh.

He opened his mouth to say something, but Dacai cut in, “Ercai means he’s adopted a little brother—he’s asking if he’s awesome.”

“Little brother?” Lin Zhao’s tone was puzzled; she truly didn’t get what kids were thinking these days. “What does that mean?”

“Oh come on, it means big friend and little brother!” Ercai puffed out his chest and lifted his head.

No sooner had he spoken than Lin Zhao accidentally caught Gu Chenghuai’s cold gaze resting on his son.

Hmm.

Ercai might… be getting punished with military stance!

“You’re collecting little brothers out there and playing big boss?” Lin Zhao gave him a subtle glance, signaling him to watch his words.

The kid didn’t catch on and corrected her, “A boss is a boss—not a little boss.”

“Mom, I’m not a two-year-old kid—I’m a five-and-a-half-year-old big friend!”

You’re avoiding the broad road and choosing the narrow log bridge, huh?

Good luck to you.

Lin Zhao sighed, her feelings complicated, and patted her son’s head. “As long as you’re happy.”

She gave up.

Let Commander Gu handle it.

“I’m happy!” Ercai kicked a stone away, his small back full of joy, like a little bird just freed from a cage.

…

Laughing and chatting with the villagers, Gu Chenghuai was surrounded by the Gu family as they arrived at the old house gate.

Gu Mu was helped inside by Huang Xiulan and Zhao Liuniang; Gu Yuanshan and Gu Yucheng helped push the cart and carry the luggage.

A group of younger relatives looked up at the imposing Gu Chenghuai, calling him “Third Uncle” over and over.

The scene was lively.

Suddenly, a little girl, barely four, dashed out and clung tightly to Gu Chenghuai’s leg, crying out clearly, “Dad!”

“Dad!”

It was Lu Baozhen.

“Dad, I want a hug!”

The child who burst out was filthy, her pigtails crooked, barefoot, with red scratches on her blackened soles.

A strange little girl suddenly calling him Dad—right in front of his wife—made Gu Chenghuai’s scalp tingle. He yanked her away, stepped back several paces, and instinctively glanced at his wife, quickly explaining, “Zhaozhao, I don’t know her.”

Lin Zhao was satisfied with his reaction. “She’s from the Lu family.”

Lu Yizhou’s?

Gu Chenghuai understood.

The little girl, seeing his military uniform, had mistaken him for her father.

“I’m not your dad,” Gu Chenghuai said coldly, his voice as icy as frost and snow.

For no reason at all, though he’d never met her before, he felt zero fondness for this girl smaller than the twins.

Disgust spread rapidly through him—he found it strange.

It shouldn’t be this way.

Lu Baozhen, unaware she was disliked, stared blankly.

Ercai seethed with resentment toward his father, but he wouldn’t let that hateful Lu Baozhen steal him away—he rushed forward to block his father, his face grim and fierce.

“Lu Baozhen, what are you doing?! This is my dad—your dad ran off to the unit after your stepmom drove him crazy!”

“If you want your dad to go to the unit, why are you clinging to mine?”

Here, he wiped his cheek with his index finger and shouted loudly, “You can’t even recognize your own dad—shame on you, Lu Baozhen, you’re worse than my third and fourth little brothers!”

For the first time in his life, Gu Chenghuai was protected by his son—his emotions were complicated.

Lu Baozhen had seen a tall man in military uniform from afar and thought it was her dad, so she ran over happily.

But he wasn’t her dad—he was the twins’ dad.

She now knew what it felt like to go from great joy to utter despair—at barely five years old.

Lu Baozhen looked up and burst into loud sobs.

She screamed for her dad.

“Dad!”

“I want my dad, waaahhh!!”

Seeing the red ribbon on Si Cai’s head, she cried even louder.

“Mine! The red ribbon is mine, the new dress is mine, everything is mine—” she shrieked, flailing on the ground, kicking wildly, just like her grandmother.

Lin Zhao frowned.

She gently linked arms with Gu Chenghuai and called out to the twins, “Dacai, Ercai, take your little brothers and sisters home.”

As soon as she spoke,

She walked inside first.

Dacai and Ercai didn’t spare a glance at the wailing Lu Baozhen; they led their younger siblings inside.

Just as they were about to cross the threshold, they heard a neighbor mutter, “What’s wrong with Baozhen?”

Dacai stopped and said, “She misses her dad.”

“Ohhh,” the neighbor understood, and called out to Su Yuxian hiding in the corner, “Lu Yizhou’s wife, what’s wrong with you? Can’t you see her crying like this? At least comfort her!”

Internally, she sneered: stepmothers are never good—before marrying in, they’d beg to come over and work, but after, they turned into different people, ignoring the child and fighting with their mother-in-law every day.

What kind of daughter-in-law is this? Lu Yizhou was just unlucky.

The woman shook her head and turned back inside, leaving Su Yuxian to scold the child.

“Get up right now! Are you ashamed? Running up to strangers calling them Dad—do you really miss your dad that much? Lying on the ground like this, look at how dirty your clothes are—get up—”

That day, Lu Mu had taken Lu Baozhen to the county and wasted a whole day without even getting a single match.

Lu Mu thought it was bad luck, so she went again the next day—only to find no luck again.

No luck was bad enough, but then she fell and cracked her pelvis, spent several yuan on medical care, couldn’t work anymore, as if the demon of misfortune had possessed her.

Lu Xiaomei was lazy, so all the household chores fell on Su Yuxian.

Su Yuxian had gone to great lengths to marry into the Lu family, hoping for a life like Lin Zhao’s—not to suffer. She’d sneak out of work whenever she could, doing everything half-heartedly.

That’s why Lu Baozhen, once the cleanest, most comfortable little girl in the entire brigade, had become like this.

…

The front gate closed.

Gu Chenghuai turned to Lin Zhao beside him and asked knowingly, “You dislike that little Lu girl?”

“Yes!” Lin Zhao didn’t deny it.

“I don’t like her. Next time you see her on the road, you must stay far away from her—just like today.” She spoke with domineering certainty.

Gu Chenghuai didn’t ask why—he simply agreed, “As you wish.”