Chapter 105 - 36: "A Perfect Match

Chapter 105: Chapter 36: "A Perfect Match

Lin Zhao locked the cabinet and went to the kitchen to cook some noodles.

After the noodles were cooked, she rinsed them in cold water. She then sliced some cucumber and carrots, cut a hard-boiled egg in half, and mixed everything with seasonings and a meat sauce. It tasted great.

The two older boys ate without even looking up.

"Mom, the cold noodles are yummy, and the egg is yummy too! Can we have this again tomorrow?" Er Zai buried his face in his bowl and slurped loudly, getting sauce all over his cheeks.

Da Zai looked at his little brother’s messy face, feeling uncomfortable all over. He sighed like a world-weary old man and, suppressing his disgust, wiped his brother’s face. "Er Zai, eat a little slower!"

The older brother, just over five, was so worried his little eyebrows furrowed together.

Er Zai tilted his chin up, cooperating with his brother, and agreed verbally. But he forgot the moment he turned back to his food, continuing to gobble it down.

Seeing Da Zai wipe Er Zai’s face, the twins copied their Second Bro’s example and pushed their little faces in front of their Big Bro, their expressions full of expectation.

Da Zai: "..."

Da Zai sighed heavily, but he wiped the Third and Fourth Child’s faces anyway.

"Thank you, Big Bro," the twins said, their cheeks rosy, their milky voices overlapping as they gave their thanks.

The orange glow of the setting sun spilled into the courtyard, casting a warm afterglow.

A smile played on Lin Zhao’s lips. After she finished eating, she decided to sketch this scene and send it to Gu Chenghuai in a few days.

"Kids," she called out suddenly.

"Yeah!" Da Zai and Er Zai answered at the same time.

"...Yeah!" the twins chimed in a moment later. They put down their small bowls, ran over, and tumbled into their mother’s arms, giggling.

"Mom, you have four kids. Which one were you calling?" Er Zai sidled up to her, grinning cheekily.

"You and your brother," Lin Zhao said, gently patting his prickly, shaved head. "I’m going to write a letter to your dad. Do you two have anything you want to say?"

Without even thinking, Er Zai shook his head. "Nope. I don’t know my dad that well. I have nothing to say."

Lin Zhao sucked in a breath and stared at him. "What do you mean you don’t know him well? Everything you eat and use is earned by your dad. He’s out there shedding blood and sweat, working very hard. You can’t say that, and you certainly can’t think it. We have to love our daddy."

’To be fair, Gu Chenghuai is a great husband and father—better than most men, especially the ones in the village.’

’He’s steady, patient, and hardworking. He always sees what needs to be done, has the ability to provide for his family, and has a heart for them too.’

’When he’s home, I don’t have to do a thing or worry about anything.’

’Never mind that the village women gossip about me behind my back. I know they’re just envious of me.’

Er Zai clamped his mouth shut. "I was wrong," he admitted immediately.

"As long as you know you were wrong." Lin Zhao’s expression softened as she talked about Gu Chenghuai. "Your dad is a soldier. And what is a soldier’s duty? To protect our homes and defend our country. That’s a heavy responsibility and mission he carries. He has to train every day, which is incredibly tough."

"Sometimes he goes on missions and has to catch bad guys, shedding blood and sweat. He has it much harder than any of us. You can blame me for things, but you’re not allowed to blame your dad. Comrade Gu is a very good man."

Da Zai listened intently. Hearing that his dad sheds blood, his face filled with worry. "Mom, can I eat two bowls of rice from now on?"

Lin Zhao was puzzled. "Why, sweetheart?"

Her "sweetheart" almost made Da Zai’s mind go blank. His little face, which had grown fairer, instantly turned bright red. How could he possibly remember what he was going to ask?

"Sweetie?" Lin Zhao called softly.

Da Zai collected himself, the tips of his ears red and his eyes moist. Swallowing the shyness from being called "sweetheart" by his mom, he said, "I want to grow up faster and help Dad catch bad guys."

"I want to help Dad catch bad guys too!!" Er Zai added.

"Me... me," the twins said in unison, perfectly embodying the spirit of ’it’s the taking part that counts.’

"Then you’ll have to study hard. Your dad and I are both high school graduates, so you all should at least become university graduates, right?" Lin Zhao said, trying to fire up her kids.

Da Zai, who was clearing the bowls and chopsticks, looked up as if he’d remembered something. "Mom, I have been studying hard. I remember all the ancient poems you taught me, and I remember the characters too."

He paused, a little embarrassed. "I just... can’t write them yet."

The pen seemed so nimble in his mother’s hands, but in his, it simply wouldn’t obey. He just couldn’t write well.

"I remember the poems Mom taught us too, and the characters, but my writing is ugly. Brother Bangbang says my writing looks like ghost talismans," Er Zai announced loudly.

"Your Brother Bangbang’s handwriting was ugly when he was little too. You have to practice writing. How can you write well if you don’t practice?" Lin Zhao’s handwriting was practiced; she could even do calligraphy with a brush.

Er Zai didn’t like writing. The moment he heard he had to practice, his smile vanished. He hung his head, his face a mask of misery.

Da Zai asked Lin Zhao, "Did you practice too, Mom?"

"Of course. My handwriting is nice, isn’t it?" Lin Zhao said proudly.

’This was just one of my many talents, a minor one not even worth mentioning.’