"Mom..." Hengbao snuggled up to Lin Zhao, his little head resting on her lap, his dark eyes nervous, "Are you... angry with me and my brother?"
Lin Zhao paused, stopped wiping her hair, and took the opportunity to bring her two sons closer to her. "Why am I mad at you two?"
She touched the brothers' eyelids, which were still swollen, and said softly, "You must be scared today, right? Your eyes are all swollen."
Lin Zhao gently hugged the twins, "Qianbao was stolen by someone, it was the evildoers who did the evil, it has nothing to do with you two brothers. We can't take the bad guys' fault on ourselves, understand?"
"In my mother's heart, Yubao and Hengbao are both the best brothers."
Yubao's little body in her arms stiffened slightly, as if a heavy burden had been lifted off his shoulders. His whole body relaxed and softened. He buried his face in the crook of his mother's neck, letting out a small, choked sniffle.
"Mom, I'm not a good brother."
"Hmm?" Lin Zhao waited patiently, running her hand along his back.
The child did not rush to explain. He remained silent for nearly twenty seconds before continuing to express his inner fear in an almost inaudible voice, "…I am actually, actually… afraid that my mother will hate me."
He felt that he was not a good brother. When he missed his brother, he was even more afraid that his mother would hate him. He was not a good brother...
Lin Zhao knew that Dazai was a sensitive person and had been trying to persuade him. But when the incident of Qianbao being stolen broke out, the little turtle that had bravely stuck its head out shrank back into its shell.
She gently rubbed her cheek against her son's soft hair, and said in a gentle and persuasive voice, "Are you worried about your brother, Yubao?"
"Yes." The child raised his head and nodded heavily, "I'm afraid Qianbao won't be able to come back."
He prayed to the God at that time to bring his brother back.
Lin Zhao touched his face and gave him an encouraging look, "Look, you are worried about your brother, which shows that Yu Bao is a good brother who cares about his brother.
As for what you said...you are actually afraid that mom will hate you, that's because you blamed yourself for your brother's theft. Your brother's matter has nothing to do with you, so how could I hate you?"
She held Yubao's little face in her hands, looked into his red eyes, and said word by word, "Mom will never hate you, never. Yubao is Mom's most obedient and beloved eldest son."
"I've said before, Qianbao and Yaobao are the responsibility of me and your father, not yours and Hengbao's. Never blame yourself because of your younger siblings. Your mission is to grow up healthy and happy."
Tears welled up in Yubao's eyes and he accidentally blew a snot bubble, which burst open.
He was stunned for a moment, then burst out laughing, his eyes dark and bright, looking at his mother with admiration and attachment.
"Mom, I love you the most, too." When saying this, her ears accidentally turned red.
Lin Zhao wiped Yu Bao's face with a towel.
Hengbao shook Lin Zhao's arm and asked coquettishly, "What about me? What about me?" He asked twice.
"You are my most obedient and beloved second son." Lin Zhao fed her son some confusing soup while holding a bowl of water levelly.
Hengbao was coaxed into pouting.
He leaned over and pointed his little face towards Lin Zhao's, mainly to kiss her, "Can you give your most obedient and beloved second son a kiss?"
Lin Zhao kissed him deeply, then kissed Hengbao and then Yubao.
"Alright, two kids. We should go to the old house."
Qianbao had just suffered a serious crime, and even if someone was with her, she was still worried and wanted to go there as soon as possible.
"Mom, please wipe your hair quickly and dry it before going." Yubao said carefully.
"good."
After drying her hair, Lin Zhao took the twins to the old house.
The two children who looked listless before were now so happy that they couldn't stop smiling.
The old house yard.
Qianbao was sitting face to face with Dahuang. The child was holding Dahuang's front paw with his little hand and was saying something.
Seeing his mother, the child got up and ran over to her.
"Mother."
Lin Zhao picked up her youngest son and touched his belly, which was bulging, indicating that he was full.
"Are you full?"
Qian Bao patted his belly and said, "I'm full. Grandma will feed me some egg custard."
He speaks slowly and his voice is very cute.
"Are the mosquito bites still itchy?" Lin Zhao saw that the bites on Qianbao's body were all covered with ointment.
Qianbao shook his head and stayed obediently in Lin Zhao's arms.
"Don't scratch it with your hands, it will leave scars." As she was speaking, Lin Zhao remembered the scar-removing ointment she had drawn before. She planned to find an opportunity to give it to Gu Lan. The nurse said that the wound on her head was serious and she was afraid that it would leave scars.
Lin Zhaocai sat the children down when Gu's mother and her two daughters-in-law rushed into the yard, bringing with them gusts of heat.
Seeing Lin Zhao there, the old lady walked over quickly and put the compensation money she had asked for from the Li family on the table.
"My third daughter-in-law, this is the compensation from the Li family, you keep it..."
Mother Gu looked at Lin Zhao's face, but couldn't tell what she meant. She continued, "Zhang Manyue got her retribution. She died without a complete body, not even a coffin to hide in. We can't hold her accountable, so we can only hold the Li family accountable. However, we all know that Zhang Manyue's behavior has nothing to do with the Li family. They don't have the guts to do that. We're all from the same village, so we can't be too unreasonable. I think it's better to ask for some compensation than to beat her up, so that we can buy some good things for Qianbao and Alan to replenish their bodies. What do you think?"
Huang Xiulan glanced at the money on the table and heard from her mother-in-law that it should all be given to the third wife. She pursed her lips, feeling a little uncomfortable, but said nothing.
Her son Alan also suffered a great crime, and Alan should have a share of the compensation.
My mother is partial.
Lin Zhao knew that what Gu's mother said made sense, so she said, "I will listen to you."
All the compensation that should be paid has been paid. If we continue to make a fuss, it will give people the impression that we are unreasonable and make the Li family the victims. There is no need to do that.
"Give half of the compensation to A-Lan, and I'll buy some candy with the remaining half and give it to the people who help go into the mountains to look for Qian Bao."
Huang Xiulan's dissatisfaction in her heart shattered and she lowered her head in shame.
She cursed herself in her heart, thinking that her third sister-in-law had not forgotten her A Lan. She was so narrow-minded!
Thinking of the braid and hair flower that the third room gave to A Lan, he lowered his head and felt ashamed to face people.
Gu's mother said, "Okay. You are the victim, so you have the final say on how to arrange the compensation. I won't interfere."
Lin Zhao kept twenty yuan and gave the rest to Huang Xiulan.
"Sister-in-law, please keep these and take good care of A-Lan. She is seriously injured. Don't let her health suffer."
Huang Xiulan felt that it was too much. She wanted fairness and didn't want to take advantage, so she said, "You don't need so much. Qianbao has suffered a lot, and he should be the one who gets the lion's share. Give five dollars to Alan, and the rest... use it to buy candy for the third brother and sister-in-law. With so many people helping out, twenty dollars of candy is definitely not enough."
After saying this, she took the five dollars and went back to the main house.
If you ask Huang Xiulan if she feels pain if she misses out on a dozen dollars, the answer is definitely yes. A dozen dollars is just a small amount. They have been busy for several months... and still may not be able to save that much.
But no matter what the money is, you have to use it with a clear conscience, otherwise you won’t be able to sleep well at night.
Mother Gu's face was filled with satisfaction, and she felt more and more that she had good taste and that the wives she had married for her son were all excellent.
She smiled and said, "Third daughter-in-law, listen to your eldest sister-in-law. Ah Lan is also a great contributor to our family. We will not treat her badly. We will make sure she has chicken soup every day for the next half month."
Da Huang came over, "Woof woof woof..."
This means that it is also a hero.
Qianbao sat in his mother's arms and leaned over to touch Dahuang, who cooperated and moved closer.
The child's baby voice rang out, "Give Da Huang Rou Rou!"
Gu's mother thought that her son Qianbao was very smart and spoke fluently. She had never seen anyone as smart as him.
The old man always grumbled that if the college entrance examination had not been cancelled, the Gu family might have had a college student in the future. What a pity...
"Don't worry! Dahuang will be there!" Mother Gu looked at her little grandson lovingly.
Then he looked at Lin Zhao, "Old Third Wife, what are you going to do with the roe deer and rabbits you brought back?"
Before Lin Zhao could say anything, Qianbao raised his little hand and said crisply, "Rabbit, it's Qianbao's."
He tilted his little face up, and looked at his mother with eyes like black pearls. His movements were a little hasty, and the little fat on his face trembled.
"Yes, the rabbit belongs to Qianbao." Lin Zhao responded, holding her son's soft little arm.
She asked, "Qian Bao wants to raise a rabbit?"
Hearing this question, Yubao and Hengbao pricked up their ears and looked at their younger brother expectantly. What would Qianbao say?
It’s great to raise rabbits. Big rabbits give birth to little rabbits, and they’ll have a whole litter of them. Then they’ll have countless spicy rabbit meat to eat.
Qian Bao didn't know that in his brothers' minds, his beloved rabbit had been killed several times.
He puffed his cheeks and nodded, "Yes, Bao Yang Rabbit!"
There are requirements for the number of chickens that every household in the village can raise, as well as rabbits... Lin Zhao was not clear about this.
She looked at Mother Gu and asked, "Mom, can we raise rabbits?"
Mother Gu said without thinking, "If you want to raise one, then raise one. You don't have any chickens at home, so what's wrong with raising a rabbit? No one said you can't raise one."
The policy doesn’t say that.
Lin Zhao rubbed Qian Bao's little face and said, "Did you hear me? It's OK. Go back and ask your dad to make a small cage for you. If you want to raise it, then raise it."
Yubao sniffed and patted his chest, "I can pick rabbit grass and find the tenderest ones."
Cutting rabbit grass.
"Puchi..." Lin Zhao laughed out loud. It was so funny to hear children talk.
"Okay, you help your brother cut rabbit grass."
Father Gu was also touched by his grandson and said immediately, "It's not that difficult to weave a cage. No need to ask Cheng Huai, I'll do it. I can weave it right now!"
After the old man finished speaking, he sat there and started to weave.
Yu Baohengbao was full of curiosity. He picked up the small bamboo stool and went over to watch.
Father Gu is very skillful. He can weave bamboo curtains, mats, stools... he can even weave small animals with complex shapes. He is the children's favorite perfect grandfather.
Weaving a cage is no problem for him.
Watching his grandfather weaving the cage skillfully, Hengbao exclaimed, "Grandpa is so amazing."
This is nothing special, every country old man can do it. Father Gu was flattered by his grandson's soft praise.
There were cheers coming from outside.
Mother Gu stood up and said, "This noise... must be Cheng Huai and the others coming back. Oh my god, it's so noisy, they must have hunted a lot of meat. I'll go check it out."
There was no crying or wailing, which meant that everyone who went up the mountain returned safely, so she was not too worried.
The other members of the Gu family were very excited and followed Mother Gu out.
Qianbao poked Lin Zhao's shoulder with his little finger, his eyes confused, as if asking his mother why she didn't go out?
"The wild boar is ugly and ferocious. Let's not go and join in the fun. Let's go watch the little rabbits later." Lin Zhao coaxed gently.
The twins wanted to rush out, but after hearing what she said, they braked suddenly and stopped, not wanting to join in the fun.
Yu Yu is a lazy kid who doesn't like to move. Most of the time, he sits in the corner with Yao Bao playing with dolls. When he sees the noise in the yard, he doesn't even move. He is a very easy-to-care-for kid.
With her around, Yaobao always has someone to play with, and the two little sisters are very happy. Neither of them makes a fuss unless they are hungry or need to poop.
"Grandpa, is wild boar meat delicious?" Hengbao licked his lips and asked his grandfather while sitting on a small stool.
Father Gu nodded, "It's delicious. How can meat not be delicious?"
The food you don’t buy is delicious, that’s for sure.
For someone like Mr. Gu who has experienced hard times, having meat to eat is good enough. How can one be picky?
Hengbao was greedy and looked forward to it. "Master, can we have pork tonight?"
The prey caught in the mountains, such as larger wild boars, will be divided equally, otherwise it would be considered poaching from socialism, so generally speaking, every household can eat wild boar meat tonight.
"Yes." Father Gu answered affirmatively.
Hengbao wiped the corner of his mouth and became even more expectant.
Gu Chenghuai and his men brought back four wild boars, three big and one small. The butcher killed the pigs and every household got a share of the meat. The adults and children in the village were all very happy.
Even Song Qian and Wen Huaiyuan who helped were given some pork. Because of this incident, the villagers changed their views on the male educated youth and began to look at them in a positive light.
Wen Huaiyuan was flattered, "Brother Song, are we... integrated?"
Song Qian was silent for a moment, then said calmly, "You've been looked down upon too many times. When someone gives you a smile, you bar your teeth with a satisfied look on your face.
"Prospects."
The young man with extraordinary demeanor carried a square piece of pork and walked slowly back to the educated youth point.
Wen Huaiyuan glared and chased after him, "Brother Song, what do you mean? You said I have no future? Don't be impatient, explain it clearly..."
The two spirited young men went home quarrelling.
The wind was gentle that day.
Educated youth point.
When the educated youth saw the meat in Song Qian and Wen Huaiyuan's hands, they swallowed their saliva and regretted it.
If they had known there was no danger in the mountains, they would have gone there too, seeing as how big a piece of meat it was.
These country folks are so cunning. They must have been afraid that they would share the meat, so they tricked them into believing there were wild animals on the mountain. They are so wicked...
…
The Gu family also got a share of the meat, which was brought back by the Hoshino brothers.
"Yubao, Hengbao, why don't you two go out to watch the fun? Uncle San has killed several big wild boars. There's a lot of meat!" Tiedan walked over excitedly, swinging the meat in his hand.
"Brother Hoshino, are wild boars scary?" Hengbao walked over and poked the piece of meat.
"It's scary, it's so big." Hoshino gestured, "Grandma said wild boars are dangerous and can kill people."
He pursed his lips and said, "It's not good-looking, and it's dark."
Xing Ci, also known as Lai Mei, said: "It doesn't matter if it looks good or not, as long as the meat tastes good."
Li Bao's eyes sparkled, and his face was full of admiration. "Uncle San is so awesome! He can even kill a wild boar that big!"
Xing Ci sighed, "If you're a man, you have to be a soldier."
Gu family: “…”
This is an old-fashioned statement.
Just then, Gu Xing'er came back.
"Our family has distributed so much meat, and I came back just in time. Mom, are you going to cook all of it tonight? Make more, and I'll go send a bowl to my grandma." She didn't call anyone, didn't look at anyone, and said to Gu's mother.
Gu Chenghuai came in behind Gu Xing'er.
Seeing that she ignored everyone in the family, he felt unhappy.
Not wanting to waste time talking to her spoiled little sister, she said calmly, "The old man will deliver the meat, you can go to Second Uncle's house to eat."
Gu Xing'er was not happy, "Third brother..."
Gu Chenghuai stopped talking nonsense, and his dark eyes, as deep as a cold pond, fell on her, revealing a hint of warning.
His patience with her was running out.
Gu Xing'er was nailed to the spot for a moment, and her whole body was cold. How could an underage girl withstand the momentum of the soldiers with weapons and armor?
"... Let's go!" He snatched the meat from Li Bao's hand and stomped his feet heavily, "Humph, I don't even want to eat at the same table with you guys!"
The words fell.
Ran away like a gust of wind.
No one took this little episode seriously.
Gu Chenghuai washed his hands and saw Qianbao sitting in his wife's arms, swinging his legs with a sweet smile on his face. He was not affected at all, and a faint smile flashed in his eyes.
Find an opportunity to tell Lin Zhao about Zhang Manyue's fate.
Lin Zhao commented on this with just one sentence, "The Li family is cruel, and she is stupid... and she has learned the cruelty of the Li family. Neither of them is a good person."
As a weak person, you wield your knife against those who are even weaker. No matter what happens, it is all your own fault.
Gu Chenghuai said gently: "This matter is over, don't get angry and hurt your health."
"Um."
at this time.
The entrance to the next village can be reached by crossing the mountain.
The woman with the black mole between her eyebrows saw that it was getting later and later, and that the cowardly woman who had promised to exchange the child had not yet arrived. She guessed that something had happened, so she frowned, cursed something, and left with her load on her shoulder.
Seeing her cold face, the child in the bamboo basket shrank his neck and tears filled his eyes.
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