Chapter 107 - 36: A Perfect Match

Chapter 107: Chapter 36: A Perfect Match

"You’re such a good second son for your father."

Er Zai thought he was being praised. He puffed out his chest, his big, bright eyes crinkling as he leaned in to snuggle with his mother, his words as sweet as honey.

"That’s right, that’s right! I’m Mother and Father’s good second son."

"Mother, when is Father coming back?" The usually carefree Er Zai was actually concerned about his father. "If Father doesn’t come back soon, I won’t even recognize him if I see him on the street."

Da Zai, who was playing with the twins, also pricked up his ears to listen.

"I don’t know. Your father misses us, too. He’ll come back to see us if he has time," Lin Zhao replied, hugging Er Zai’s small shoulders.

’She missed their father, too.’

"Mother, I want to see Father’s picture," Er Zai said, tugging on Lin Zhao’s clothes. His clear voice softened as he wheedled.

"Hold on." Lin Zhao stood up and retrieved her and Gu Chenghuai’s marriage certificate.

Though it was called a marriage certificate, it was really just a single sheet of paper. Afraid it would get damaged over time, Gu Chenghuai had found a transparent plastic sheet somewhere and sealed it inside, so it still looked brand new after several years.

Er Zai wiped his hands on his pant legs, and only after making sure they weren’t sweaty did he carefully take the paper.

The photo showed a young man and woman.

The young man was in a military uniform, with a prominent brow and sharp, intense eyes. His extremely short hair only served to accentuate his striking, well-defined features. He had a straight nose and perfectly shaped lips. The decisiveness and fortitude of a soldier radiated from him. In a word—handsome.

The young woman was, of course, Lin Zhao. With her well-defined features, fair skin, and eyes that crinkled into crescents, anyone would say she was a pretty girl.

"Mother, you’re so pretty!!" Er Zai looked up at Lin Zhao, then down at the photo, repeating this several times while nodding.

Lin Zhao reached out and cupped his face, turning his head slightly. "Look at your father."

"Oh." Only then did Er Zai look at his father. He stared intently for a long time, not saying a word, and it was impossible to know what he was thinking.

After a while, he suddenly asked, "Mother, did you marry Father because he’s handsome?"

Da Zai also leaned in to look at his parents’ marriage certificate.

Hearing his younger brother’s question, he also looked toward his mother.

"Of course," Lin Zhao said, a sweet smile spreading across her lips. She declared confidently, "Who doesn’t like a handsome man?"

Her slender, fair fingers tapped the photo on the certificate. "Your father is handsome, and I’m not so bad myself. That’s what you call a match made in heaven."

"If you didn’t have a handsome father and a pretty mother like me, would any of you have turned out so good-looking?"

Everyone in the Lin Family was attractive, which had raised Lin Zhao’s standards for a partner by a huge margin. Looks and ability were on the same level of importance; neither could be compromised.

Da Zai thought his mother had a point. He nodded seriously and quietly repeated something his grandma was always muttering, "My grandma says that the first time she saw you, she thought you and Father were a perfect match."

Lin Zhao smiled at him. "There’s more to it, isn’t there?"

Da Zai pursed his lips into a smile but didn’t say anything.

Quick-witted as ever, Er Zai piped up, perfectly mimicking Mother Gu’s tone. "...’What a pity she’s so spoiled. Doesn’t even take care of her own children. Sigh.’"

Lin Zhao wrapped an arm around Er Zai’s neck and pulled him into a hug, pretending to pinch his mouth shut as she laughed and teased him. "I’ll teach you to be a blabbermouth. Go on, say another word."

Er Zai frantically covered his mouth, his smile as bright as the sun. "I won’t say it again! I won’t!"

"Big brother, help me!"

Before Da Zai could react, Lin Zhao pulled him into the hug as well.

"HAHAHAHA..." The room filled with the joyous laughter of the two boys.

Seeing their mother and older brothers playing, the twins toddled over, looking from one to the next and giggling happily.

After playing with the kids for a while, Third Child and Fourth Child fell asleep in a messy heap, practically kicking each other in the face and chewing on each other’s bottoms.

As planned, Lin Zhao had Da Zai and Er Zai recite poetry, practice their characters, and study math. Afterwards, she helped them write a letter to Gu Chenghuai.

The two brothers put their heads together, whispering about something. Then they demanded that the pages of chicken scratch they had written be put in the envelope and mailed as well.

Lin Zhao readily agreed. "When your father sees this, he’ll be overjoyed."

The two boys were privately delighted. After seeing the photograph, their father felt like less of a stranger.

Lin Zhao put the letter and the boys’ papers into the envelope. Then, she took two pieces of pagoda candy from the cabinet and handed them to the brothers.

"One for each of you. Eat up."

Er Zai popped it into his mouth without hesitation. "It’s sweet! Mother, this candy is delicious! I’ve never had it before. Is there any more?"

"That’s all. You can only have one each. It’s for getting rid of worms," Lin Zhao said.

Er Zai’s expression froze. "What worms?"

"...The roundworms in your belly." It was common for children in the countryside to drink untreated water, so they often had intestinal parasites. The two boys ground their teeth loudly at night and sometimes had stomachaches and diarrhea. They definitely needed to be dewormed.

’Worms?’

’There are worms in our bellies!?’

Da Zai’s face filled with terror. He looked down at his stomach, his small voice tinged with tears. "Mother, are Er Zai and I going to die?"

Even Er Zai, who usually feared nothing, turned pale.

He threw his arms around Lin Zhao and began to cry miserably.

"Mother, waaaah! I don’t want to die! If I die, I won’t get to see you anymore! I won’t be able to eat your dumplings, your pickled fish, or your cold noodles! I haven’t even gotten into college yet, and I haven’t helped Father catch bad guys! I don’t want to die..."

The more he spoke, the more pitiful he felt. "What kind of five-and-a-half-year-old is about to die? Why is my life so hard? Waaaaah!"