Chapter 16 - 6: A Shame About the Love Brain

Chapter 16: Chapter 6: A Shame About the Love Brain

"Go get more firewood!" she ordered, her tone leaving no room for argument, her eyes full of warning.

Gu Xing’er hadn’t eaten a thing since the previous afternoon. Her stomach was so empty that even chugging water did no good. She had thought she would get something to eat after bringing back a bundle of firewood, but who could have known she’d come home only to run into her nemesis, Lin Zhao? Tears of pure rage streamed down her face.

"I’m going to tell my third brother..." she said, her voice thick with tears.

"Suit yourself," Lin Zhao said coolly.

She had already written a letter to the children’s father. Gu Chenghuai was a reasonable man; he would know who to believe.

Not wanting to see them argue, Mother Gu said to Gu Xing’er, "Xing’er, go gather another bundle of firewood and bring it to your third sister-in-law. Otherwise, you won’t get any food today."

Gu Xing’er felt incredibly wronged, cursing her miserable fate. She shot Lin Zhao a resentful glare before storming out of the house.

Her sister-in-law was so full of ill will that Lin Zhao didn’t feel safe leaving the twins at the old family home. "Da Zai, Er Zai," she said to her older sons, "take your little brother and sister home."

Mother Gu took two steps forward, her voice laced with concern. "Third son’s wife, what is it now?"

"Isn’t it the double-rush harvest season? You have plenty to do, Mother. I’ll take care of the children myself." Lin Zhao didn’t voice her fear that Gu Xing’er might do something stupid and hurt her kids.

Mother Gu was speechless. ’It’s not like I’ve only been busy for a day or two,’ she thought. ’Is third son’s wife only just realizing that now?’

"Alright then. If you need anything, have Da Zai or Er Zai come find me." Mother Gu didn’t press the issue, offering only that reminder.

Da Zai beamed. "Er Zai and I will help Mom look after our little brother and sister."

Er Zai nodded in agreement.

Lin Zhao led the children away from the old family home. Just as they stepped outside, she saw the taskbar to the right of the prize wheel flash, followed by the explosion of a pretty party popper.

The words on it read:

[The children’s wish to eat steamed buns has been fulfilled. Mission complete! Reward: 2 points. Collect 8 more points to spin the prize wheel. Go, go, go!]

Lin Zhao knew about the taskbar, but she was lazy. Just the thought of doing missions felt like a hassle, so she had never even bothered to look at it. Who would have thought completing one could be so easy!

’If they’re this simple, maybe these missions aren’t so bad after all.’

"Mom?" Da Zai called out, a puzzled look on his face when he saw Lin Zhao had frozen in place.

Lin Zhao ruffled the top of his head. "Let’s go. Time to go home."

"What do you want to eat this afternoon?"

Er Zai, who was always good at expressing himself, heard his mother and rushed over, shouting, "Mom, I want to eat meat!"

As soon as he said the word "meat," the twins chimed in, "Mea, mea~~"

Lin Zhao felt a tug on her white blouse. Looking down, she was met with two small, sweetly smiling faces.

It was the Third and Fourth Child, chanting, "Mea, mea."

"What are you two yelling for?" Lin Zhao said with an amused laugh. "How many bites could you possibly eat?"

The twins didn’t understand her, but they giggled happily, revealing tiny new teeth.

Seeing that his mother was in an agreeable mood, Er Zai pulled his little brother and sister onto his side. "Mom, the Third and Fourth Child want to eat meat too."

Lin Zhao pinched his cheek. "I think Er Zai is the one who wants it most, hmm?"

Er Zai giggled and roped Da Zai in. "My big brother wants to eat meat too. Right, big bro?"

Da Zai nodded emphatically. "Mhm."

"Do you want to have dumplings?" Lin Zhao asked.

Er Zai’s was the loudest reply: "Yes!"

Da Zai had eaten dumplings once during the New Year. His grandma had made them with a radish filling. He was very curious, so he also said, "I want some."

The twins didn’t understand what they were all talking about, but they were happy just the same.

Lin Zhao led the children home. Along the way, they ran into some people from the production brigade. The villagers paused, stunned to see them, and couldn’t help but start murmuring after they had passed.

"Is Chenghuai’s wife feeling all right? She’s actually looking after the children?" an older village woman asked, her face a mask of surprise.

Another woman’s gaze lingered on Lin Zhao, and she spoke with a sour tone, "Who knows? She’s already married, yet she still dresses so flamboyantly. Prettier than any of the unmarried girls. I wonder who she’s trying to impress."

The first woman thought her companion’s words were a bit harsh—the kind of talk that could ruin a person’s reputation. "You can’t just say things like that! Chenghuai’s wife might be a little lazy, but she’s a decent woman."

Seeing the other woman’s unconvinced expression, she continued, "Chenghuai’s wife is a military spouse. Slandering a soldier’s family can land you in jail. You’d better watch your mouth."

The gossipy woman’s heart skipped a beat. She glanced around cautiously, only relaxing when she saw no one else was near. "I was just making small talk. Don’t you go spreading it around."

The woman who had cautioned her replied calmly, "I’m not one to gossip, but you should be more careful from now on. The Gu Family members are not people you want to cross. If Chenghuai’s mother finds out you’re spreading rumors about her daughter-in-law, she’ll show up at your door with a hoe."

The gossipy woman slapped her own mouth lightly. "I’ll shut up. I won’t say another word."

...

Of course, Lin Zhao knew nothing of this.

As they were nearing home, they ran into some of the village children who were running about.

Tie Niu shouted to Da Zai and Er Zai, "Da Zai, Er Zai, come play with us!"

Er Zai wanted to play, but he wanted to eat dumplings even more.

He said, "Not today. My mom’s going to make us dumplings, and my big brother and I are going to help."

He had barely finished speaking when the Fourth Child’s babyish voice piped up, "Help... ing..." The word came out one syllable at a time.