"You know what, it really does look like it."
Everyone joked around happily, and Xu Zijiang and Yu Jiu laughed so hard their eyebrows flew up.
"We won't need to borrow other people's kids; we'll soon be able to have our own."
Xu Zijiang raised an eyebrow with a hint of slyness, and Yu Jiu gave him a suggestive look. In front of everyone, Yu Jiu wanted to kick Xu Zijiang away.
The group chatted as they walked, and Xu Zijiang decided to take the two brothers on patrol as well, exploring the entire village.
"Memorize these two key roads first. You can learn the others later, it's okay. Lin Zheng, you've just arrived, I'll give you a few days to adjust, and you can start working again in a few days."
Xu Zijiang showed great tolerance towards the two brothers.
"No need, I'm not tired, I don't need to rest, I can go to work tomorrow."
Lin Zheng shook his head and insisted, "The refined young man has displayed tremendous power."
Xu Zijiang glanced at him and, seeing that he was serious and not just pretending to be strong, readily agreed.
"Okay, then let's start with something simple. You can go weeding tomorrow. If Xiao Rong doesn't want to be home alone, you can bring him along."
"Um."
Lin Zheng nodded, and the matter was settled.
The news that Xu Zi had brought back two distant cousins spread like wildfire throughout the entire brigade.
Some people don't understand and ask in bewilderment.
"Why did the captain have to get involved in this mess and rush to bring them back? The older one is fine, but the younger one is still so small. He has to take good care of him. Besides, the older one will be getting married in two years."
Should the team leader arrange for him to get married? Should they help with the bride price? And where should he live? Will he just stay at the team leader's house forever? The team leader is also getting married to Yu Zhiqing soon, so this might not be very convenient, right?
Would Yu, the educated youth, agree to let the team leader support these two people? If it were me, I definitely wouldn't agree.
"No, I heard from Gouzi that the captain is going to build a separate house for the two of them so they can live alone. The captain isn't stupid. He just got married and is still newlywed. Who would want to live with other people, especially with a half-grown boy? It would be so awkward."
"The team leader must have paid for the house construction. He's so generous. If I had a distant relative like that, I'd be laughing in my sleep."
Everyone chattered and discussed, and the discussion always revolved around Xu Zijiang, occasionally including some leftover wine.
However, Xu Zijiang and Yu Jiu didn't care much about this. They said, "Let people talk if they want. Once this buzz dies down, we'll stop talking about it."
Xu Zijiang had Gouzi find more than a dozen bricklayers who knew how to build houses, preparing to squeeze the house out in one go.
He was busy finding timber, bricks, tiles, and other materials, as well as working in the fields, so he never had a moment to rest. Lin Zheng didn't seem to be used to working in the fields; he was exhausted by the end of the day, but he managed to grit his teeth and persevere.
As for Lin Rong, it wasn't good for him to keep going to the fields with his brother like this. He was getting sunburned and his brain was going to go numb. After watching him for two days, Yu Jiu decided to help take care of Lin Rong for a while.
"I'm thinking of trying to get him to talk during this time. Once he can talk, he can make friends with the other kids in the group. If he has friends, he can play with everyone and won't have to stick to his brother all day long."
"Moreover, I can take this time to teach him some simple knowledge. If he doesn't want to make friends with the other kids in the team, I can send him to school. Although he is a little young, as long as he can sit still and keep up with the lessons, there will be no problem."
“Even if he can’t keep up, he can still kill time in class. At worst, he can repeat a grade and move up when he’s old enough to catch up. It’s better than him staying at home alone or going to the fields with his brother to sunbathe.”
Yu Jiu offered her idea.
Actually, her suggestion was the best. Both adults and children need friends, especially Lin Rong. He had just been traumatized and needed lively children to help him get through it. Only by making good friends could he integrate into this community and not have to follow his brother around all day.
Lin Zheng no longer had to worry about his brother so much that he couldn't concentrate on his work.
"Won't this be too tiring for you? How about I hire an auntie to help us take care of it?"
Xu Zi frowned, unwilling for his wife to do such a servant's job, even if it was a small child.
But in his heart, his wife is the most important person.
"No need, I'm not tired. He's been quite well-behaved, hasn't he? Let me take care of him for a few days first. If I can't manage, you can ask your aunt to come and help. I used to have experience taking care of children, but after so many years I might have become rusty. Let me refresh my memory so that when we have children in the future, I can take care of them too."
No matter what Yu Jiu does, she seems to be thinking about their future.
She had taken care of his younger brother before, but only when he was very young. Given how that wretched boy treated her, Yu Jiu wished she had never taken care of him at all.
Furthermore, without their parents' help, the two of them will definitely have to work harder to take care of the child.
"Alright then, you take it with you first. If it doesn't work, I'll find someone else to help. Don't push yourself."
Xu Zijiang and Yu Jiu quickly came up with a plan, and then they went to ask the Lin brothers, Zheng and Rong, for their opinions.
Lin Zheng had no objections, and was even pleasantly surprised. He looked at Yu Jiu with even deeper eyes.
He thought to himself, she really is a kind girl, it's a pity they met too late, she already has someone else in her heart.
An eighteen-year-old boy who could still fall in love had already experienced heartbreak. He nodded somewhat dejectedly, not daring to look at Yu Jiu again, afraid that the immature feelings in his eyes would be seen through.
"I'm willing, but I don't know if Xiaorong is willing."
As he spoke, he squatted down and asked his younger brother.
"Little Rong, if you want to play with your older sister, can you hold her hand?"
Yu Jiu stepped forward with a smile and squatted down in front of him, extending her delicate, smooth hand to him.
Lin Rong stared intently at Yu Jiu with his big, watery eyes for a long time before solemnly handing over his hand. It was hard not to suspect that he had understood what Yu Jiu was saying.
"Good boy, you'll follow your big sister from now on."
Yu Jiu gently patted his head, indicating that Lin Rong was now in her care.
Yu Jiu kept his word and arrived early the next morning, before Lin Zheng went to work.
"Have breakfast first. Xiao Rong isn't awake yet. Why don't you go to my room and take a nap?"
Xu Zi pinched Yu Jiu's fair face and asked, while Lin Zheng hurriedly avoided his gaze, not daring to watch their interaction.
"No need, I went to bed early last night and I'm not sleepy now. I'll have some breakfast and rest for a while. I'll tidy up here and think about where I should start teaching Lin Rong when I have time."
"You're so dedicated, Teacher Yu."
Xu Zi threw his head back and laughed heartily; his cheerful laughter sounded especially loud in the quiet morning.
"Get up and eat or get back to work!"
Yu Jiu was a little embarrassed, so she kicked him to signal him to hurry up and do what he was supposed to do.
"Yes, wife, I'll go right away!"
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