Chapter 85

The winter of 1974 was exceptionally cold.

After the bell rang for the end of class, homework was assigned for the day. After leaving the classroom, Ruiting tucked her books under her arms, rubbed her hands and breathed out.

"Why aren't you wearing gloves?" Gu Fang followed with one hand on her waist and the lesson plan in the other.

Tingting turned around, and the first thing she saw was her friend's growing belly. She quickly reached out and said, "It's inconvenient to use chalk with gloves on. But you, with such a big belly, have you decided when to take a break?"

Although my friend is only six months pregnant, she is carrying twins, so her belly looks very impressive.

Gu Fang touched her belly with gentle eyes. These children were what she and Brother Rongxuan had been looking forward to for five years, so naturally they could not afford to be careless at all.

But after being a teacher for a few years and influenced by her good friends, she has a sense of mission: "I have discussed with Brother Rongxuan that we will try to finish teaching this semester."

There are still about 20 days left in this semester. After hesitating for a few seconds, she said, "If you can't handle it, why don't we ask other teachers to help teach a few classes?"

Gu Fang nodded: "Don't worry, I will decide based on the circumstances. No one cares more about our two children than I do."

As they were talking, the two of them had already crossed the corridor and arrived at the office in the front.

The weather was too cold and it was difficult to place a charcoal brazier in the office, so the quick-handed teachers had already picked up their bags and left.

After saying hello to the other teachers, Ruiting packed up his bag and prepared to go home with his friends.

"This horrible weather, it's probably ten degrees below zero?" Just after leaving the corridor, the north wind was howling past, and the cold air was like needles pricking her face, causing intense pain. Gu Fang shivered and pulled up her loose scarf.

Seeing that she was too busy, she simply helped her take off the scarf. Then, when she was frozen and shrank, she quickly wrapped her head and face until only her eyes were exposed. Then she asked, "How are you? Are you feeling better?"

Gu Fang chuckled: "Much better, but it looks a bit like my grandma."

Knowing that she was complaining about the ugly look, she rolled her eyes at her and said, "At this moment, it's more important to save your life. You can't catch a cold."

Hearing this, Gu Fang did not get angry. She took the initiative to hold her friend's hand and suddenly said with emotion: "I don't know if we can meet again in the future."

Wen Rongxuan has already received a transfer order and will be transferred to Zhucheng and promoted to brigade commander after the new year.

Being able to reach the brigade level at the age of 40, even if there is family influence, one's own ability cannot be underestimated. This is a great joy.

But...Gu Fang still feels sad when she thinks that she may never see her good friend again.

"Why do you bring this up suddenly? Besides, our country is getting better and better. In the future, even if it's far away, we can get to any place in two or three hours." Fangfang is the best friend of the same age since Ruting came to this world. She is reluctant to let her go, but...all good things must come to an end, and some things cannot be helped.

Gu Fang had never seen the advanced transportation in the future, so he didn't take his friend's words seriously: "You are just kidding me..."

Ruting suddenly shook her friend's arm and interrupted her: "Your captain Wen is here."

Hearing this, Gu Fang subconsciously looked towards the school gate, and indeed saw Brother Rongxuan, and standing next to him was Captain Huo from his good friend's family.

This scene has happened quite often in the past few years, but she wasn't surprised at all. She just complained, "...Since I had a child, I've been running more diligently than before, especially this month."

Li Ting was speechless: "Don't be unreasonable. You are so pregnant, it would be a problem if he was not diligent. Besides, your captain Wen has been handing over the work recently and doesn't have much to do. Isn't it normal for him to have some free time?"

Even though she said that, the pregnant woman was still unhappy: "That's also for the belly..."

"Tsk, tsk...Captain Wen is running over here."

After hearing her friend's reminder, Gu Fang immediately shut up. When her husband came to her side, she smiled widely and asked, "Why are you here today?"

The corners of his mouth twitched, amazed at the extent to which a certain woman's expression changed.

At this time, Huo Xiao also came over. He took the bag from his wife out of habit before asking, "Are you cold?"

Tingting, who had been wrapped up like a ball, waved to her friend before walking out with her husband: "It's not cold, I'm wearing a lot of clothes. Why did I come here? Didn't I tell you not to pick me up?"

Huo Xiao: "There's something I want to tell you in advance."

Hearing this, Li Ting turned her head to look at her husband.

People with double-fold eyes and narrow and long eyes, regardless of gender, tend to resist aging. Five years later, Huo Xiao's appearance has hardly changed. He is still handsome and tall.

But today was different. The man's usually gentle features when facing his family were now stern.

Seeing this, Li Ting's heart skipped a beat and he asked hurriedly, "What happened?"

Huo Xiao: "It's not a bad thing, don't be nervous." After saying this, he walked a distance away from the crowd and continued: "The old leader has been rehabilitated."

At first, Ting Ting didn’t realize who her husband was talking about. It took her a while to realize it. Her eyes widened: “You mean... Miaomiao and Guoguo’s grandfather?” So fast?

Huo Xiao nodded: "The old leader called me an hour ago."

Tingting was a little confused, and asked subconsciously: "What did I tell you? Is it..."

At this point, she was a little unable to continue, although she had already guessed that the old man would be vindicated sooner or later.

But when the matter was right under his nose, Tingting was still a little panicked.

"Don't worry." Huo Xiao put his hand on his wife's shoulder and soothed her. When her mood stabilized, he continued, "The old leader went directly back to the capital. He was just rehabilitated and has a lot of things waiting for him. He probably won't be able to spare time to pick him up in a short time..."

Ruting took a deep breath, and as the chilly and cool air entered her lungs, she calmed down completely: "You mean... the old leader won't take the children away for the time being?"

Huo Xiao: "Well, at least wait until he gets his feet firmly on the ground."

Sooner or later, I will have to take the child away, right? Thinking of this, I felt a sharp pain in my chest.

After spending more than six years together, she has already treated the two children as her own.

How could she bear to do that?

Seeing his wife's complexion getting worse, Huo Xiao sighed: "Don't be too pessimistic, maybe the old leader won't take the children away."

Li Ting's eyes were red, and she murmured, "Do you think it's possible?"

Huo Xiao touched his wife's head and said, "It's not impossible... Even if the children really want to go back, I will apply for a transfer to the capital."

This is a good idea...Tingting began to consider the possibilities.

"Okay, I told you this in advance so that you can be mentally prepared... and have the words ready to tell the kids."

Yes, although the dragon and phoenix twins knew that they were not their biological mother, they did not know that Huo Xiao was not their biological father either. Thinking of this, Ruting suddenly stopped being sad and asked, "Can the children accept this?"

Huo Xiao didn't know how to answer this question. He and his wife looked at each other for a long time, and finally said nothing.

"Mom! I've been dating for years!"

I returned home with a heavy heart. As soon as I opened the door, a handsome little boy rushed up to me to complain.

Ruting was stunned: "What...who? Who is the target?"

Huo Xiao looked at the young lady hiding behind Miaomiao in disbelief.

At the age of 10, Guoguo was already nearly 1.5 meters tall, taller than his mother's shoulders. He bent down to put his parents' slippers at their feet, repeating: "That little stinky girl Niannian, she's only 6 years old, and she's already dating!"

Huo Xiaojian's eyebrows knitted into a "川" shape, and he looked at his little daughter and asked with gritted teeth, "Who? Which little bastard?"

Niannian was not afraid of her father. She hugged her elder sister's waist and protested loudly: "It was Hao Guangyao who wanted to date me, and I didn't agree."

Except for the first few days after she was born, the little girl has never looked bad. If it weren't for her lively expression and bright eyes, she would have been so delicate and white that she wouldn't look like a real person.

Miaomiao has been protecting her sister since she was young. When she saw her sister pouting, she immediately gave her brother a cold look.

Guo Guo, who had been suppressed since childhood, shrank his neck. After his parents changed their shoes, he couldn't help but mutter: "Anyway... I saw the letter they wrote to you, and the gift."

Niannian put her hands on her hips and said, "Brother, you fool, I told you, it's a birthday present."

Ruting understood what was said. She pinched her brows, sat on the sofa, and waved to the three children: "Come here."

Dad looked the most ferocious, but in terms of status and how strict she was with her children, Mom was always number one, so the three children immediately moved over to her.

Ruting first asked the young lady who was the least worrying and had grown up to look like a young lady to sit next to her, and then looked at the young lady: "What gift did little Hao Guangyao give you? Can you show it to your mother?"

Niannian ran back to her room with a "tick, tick, tick..." sound and soon came out holding a rose plum in a vase.

The corner of her mouth twitched: "Is this... a birthday present that Hao Guangyao gave you in advance?" Although he is young, he is very forward-thinking and even knew to give flowers.

Niannian nodded, then quickly shook her head: "I won't be his partner. My sister said I'm too young."

Miaomiao touched the little tuft on her sister's head and coaxed her gently, "Be good, Niannian. If you feel embarrassed to refuse, I'll talk to Hao Guangyao for you, okay?"

Hearing this, Niannian smiled with her white teeth, looking extremely sweet: "Thank you, sister."

Miaomiao pinched her sister's pink cheeks again, then looked at her brother and said calmly, "Facing the wall for an hour."

Guo Guo stiffened his neck: "Based on...Based on what?"

Miaomiao: "You didn't listen to my sister's explanation, and just took her words out of context based on a piece of paper. Do you still have any opinions?"

"No...no more." Guoguo was also upset by the letter. Now it seemed that he was indeed wrong. He quickly picked up Xiao Hei and walked to the corner and stood up.

Ruiting was so annoyed by her son's skillful movements that she turned to look at the eldest daughter and couldn't help but remind her: "Don't scare the children." Little Hao Guangyao was the grandson of the brigade political commissar, and he was still a 6-year-old kid.

Miaomiao looked well behaved: "Don't worry, Mom...By the way, are you in a bad mood today?"

As soon as these words came out, Niannian, who was showing the love letter to his father, turned around, blinked his big dark eyes a few times, stood up and threw himself into his mother's arms: "Mom, don't be angry, Niannian will not accept any gifts from now on."

Holding her daughter's little body, she said softly, "Mom is not angry... As long as the gifts are not expensive, you can still accept them among friends, but you have to remember to return the gift, okay?"

The little girl has always loved to laugh since she was little. Upon hearing this, she immediately responded with a smile: "Niannian knows!"

In the end, Ruting and Huo Xiao were unable to speak to the children.

These two people who have always done things efficiently resorted to procrastination for the first time.

Put it off until... you can't put it off any longer before telling the kids about it.

Of course, as for her mother-in-law Hu Xiu, Rui Ting found an opportunity to tell her about it.

Not surprisingly, Ms. Hu burst into tears.

After all, the two children were sent to her when they were just over one year old. She doted on them like her own flesh and blood. How could she bear to send them back?

So, for the next week, the atmosphere at home was a little depressed.

It was not until the birthday every year that everyone had a smile on their face.

Because there were guests at home that day.

When she got home from school in the morning, she was surprised and delighted to see her elder sister. She asked, "How did you find time to come over?"

Then she looked around again, but didn't see her brother-in-law, so she asked, "Are you here alone with the steamed buns?"

Rui Shuang and Xie Hao were engaged for two years before they got married. After they got married, considering their feelings about having children, they waited more than a year before having a child.

Huajuan is her and Xie Hao’s son, and he is only six months old.

Perhaps it was because her married life was too happy, or because she was breastfeeding, her breasts were a little fuller than before, but her complexion was very good, and her eyebrows and eyes were full of happiness: "Your brother-in-law is here too, but he couldn't stay and went to the camp to practice shooting."

Ruiting had already taken off her thick clothes and washed her hands. Upon hearing this, she asked with a smile, "Are you and your brother-in-law asking for leave? It's just a small birthday, why do you need to make such a fuss?"

Rui Rui handed the son in her arms to her sister. After she took him, she shook her aching arms and whispered, "Accounting work is not busy except at the beginning and end of the month. My brother-in-law just called me and said that you were not in a good mood recently, so I came here. Why are you in a bad mood?"

Speaking of this, the smile on Li Ting's face faded...Yes, the eldest sister still doesn't know that the dragon-phoenix twins are not Huo Xiao's biological children.

"Did something really happen? Can you tell me about it?" Her sister had lived a happy life in recent years. Lu Shuang had never seen her with a worried look on her face. She immediately became worried.

There is naturally nothing to be said at the moment, after all, the old man has been rehabilitated.

Thinking of this, Ruting stood up, holding Huajuan and led her sister to the bedroom.

"What...is this true?"

After hearing that the dragon-phoenix twins were not her brother-in-law's biological children, Lu Shuang was completely stunned.

After a while, she said, "Then you and your brother-in-law are not remarriages."

"Sister, is this the important point?"

Luo Qing: "...Oh, oh, that's right... the important point, the important point... you really didn't lie to me? Miaomiao and Guoguo were adopted?"

Tingting: "What's so good about this? What I'm worried about now is how to tell the children. What if they get hurt? And..."

At this point, Li Ting let out a long sigh: "Huo Xiao, my mother-in-law and I are all reluctant to let her go."

Zhuo Shuang frowned: "Don't even mention you guys, even I, as your aunt, can't bear to part with it... Can't I not repay it? Giving birth to you is a big debt, but raising you is also a big debt."

People are selfish. As an elder sister, even though she knew that what she said was a bit unkind, she felt more sorry for her younger sister and the children.

Ruting rubbed his brows and said, "How can I not return it... In fact, Huo Xiao and I have already prepared for the worst. At most, we will work hard to transfer to the capital. After all, where the children are, we will be there. At least we can accompany them until they grow up."

Ruishuang understood: "Are you worried about how to play cards with the kids?"

Tingting: "Well... Miaomiao has been smart and sensitive since she was young. I'm worried that she can't bear it."

Although Guoguo is carefree, he is only 10 years old after all. He is still a child. If he knew that I was adopted, I am afraid he would not be able to restrain himself.

Indeed, Miaomiao is really smart. Especially last time I heard from her sister, the little girl is already very proficient in English and has recently started learning Russian.

She was only 10 years old. Thinking of this and her sister's painstaking efforts to cultivate her, she became even more unwilling: "... that person, even if he is alone, can't just pick someone else's ready-made peach, right? It's really unkind..."

Ting Ting...it looks like there's no point in relying on my elder sister to come up with any good ideas.