Chapter 80 - 27: The Sky Has Fallen

Chapter 80: Chapter 27: The Sky Has Fallen

Lin Zhao tweaked his little nose and said, "Alright. We’ll make meatball soup. The Third and Fourth Child can eat that too."

Though their bellies were full, the little foodies were still full of anticipation, and sweet smiles lingered on their faces after they fell asleep.

There were no mosquito nets, so they burned mugwort. The mosquitoes weren’t as vicious, but the room grew stuffy and hot.

Lin Zhao couldn’t fall asleep right away, so she used a cattail fan to fan her four little ones.

Again and again.

Da Zai opened his eyes for a moment. When his mother wasn’t looking, he hurriedly closed them again. His long eyelashes trembled slightly, and his small hands clenched into fists.

When the fanning stopped, he opened his eyes, pulled up his little blanket, and used it to cover his mother’s stomach. He snuggled closer to Lin Zhao, his eyes crinkling into a smile, before closing them again. Soon, the sound of his deep, steady breathing could be heard.

The next day was Lin Zhao’s last day to sleep in, besides Sundays.

She woke up late.

When she opened her eyes, it was already nine o’clock.

Just as she was about to get up, the sound of frantic, hurried footsteps rang out, followed by Er Zai’s furious voice.

"Mom, someone stole our bricks and tiles!!!"

Hearing this, Lin Zhao hurriedly threw on her clothes, slipped on her cloth shoes, and headed outside.

"What’s going on?"

"Mom, some of the bricks and tiles outside are gone." Da Zai was also furious, his little face flushed red with anger.

Lin Zhao walked outside. "Let’s go take a look."

She got to the gate and saw that some were indeed missing. It wasn’t as many as the two boys claimed, though—just a small pile from one corner, about ten or so pieces.

However, regardless of the amount, such a sneaky act was despicable.

When Mother Gu learned that the bricks and tiles of the family’s third branch had been stolen, she rushed over. Seeing that they had indeed been stolen, she was absolutely furious.

After offering a few words of comfort to Lin Zhao and the two boys, she skipped work and proceeded to curse her way from one end of the village to the other.

"Which no-good, black-hearted scoundrel dared to steal my family’s bricks and tiles?! You’re a natural-born thief! Are you crazy poor, or are your hands just itching for trouble? You bastard! You stole a few bricks and tiles—are you trying to build a doghouse, or are you building your own grave?"

"You shameless bastard! If you know what’s good for you, bring those bricks and tiles back right now! Otherwise, I’ll dig three feet deep to drag you out! And don’t you blame me for what happens next..."

Her tirade let the entire village know that the Gu Family’s third branch had their bricks and tiles swiped.

Everyone started talking about it.

"Stealing bricks and tiles? Who could be so thoughtless? You need money and connections to get those. Even if you steal them, you can’t use them out in the open. What’s the point of gaining such a petty advantage?" The brigade leader’s wife ran over to join the gossip, commenting loudly.

"Who knows? Some people just never stop trying to get a leg up," Yuanbao’s mother said with disdain.

Da Zai and Er Zai had shared their fried cicada nymphs with her Yuanbao yesterday. The boy had been so happy he was giggling in his sleep. Her impression of Lin Zhao was at an all-time high, so of course she would defend her.

In a corner, Changsheng’s mother looked uneasy. As she listened to the crowd’s condemnation, her eyes darted about nervously.

When the brigade leader found out about the Gu Family’s stolen bricks and tiles, he was furious as well.

Having petty theft in the area under his watch was a slap in the face.

Lin Zhao said, "Brigade Leader, this matter can be treated as either major or minor. We should have the comrades from the Public Security Committee look into it."

The Public Security Committee was a civilian self-defense organization responsible for maintaining public order, organizing anti-theft patrols, standing guard, and so on. It was a crucial part of grassroots governance in that era.

The brigade leader found Lin Zhao’s suggestion reasonable and said, "Alright. I’ll go discuss it with the comrades from the Public Security Committee in a bit."

Lin Zhao smiled. "Thank you, Brigade Leader."

The brigade leader thought Chenghuai’s wife was very polite. ’Isn’t this my duty?’

Soon, the comrades from the Public security Committee began their investigation.

The person who had stolen the bricks and tiles was scared to death. She stealthily hid the swiped goods in her cellar and covered them with various items. Still not feeling secure, she covered the cellar entrance tightly with an oilcloth. Only then did she breathe a sigh of relief.

’The people from the Public Security Committee won’t search house by house. It should be fine as long as they’re hidden.’

Once she was finished, she was covered in sweat. Her heart was a whirlwind of panic, anger, and regret. She resented Lin Zhao for making a big deal out of it and the brigade for being nosy. She also regretted swiping those bricks last night. She couldn’t even use them—so why had she bothered?

Father Gu came over with his two sons to move the remaining bricks and tiles into the yard.

They originally planned to use them in a few days when the house was demolished. They figured that since the bricks and tiles were right there in the village, no one would touch them. Who knew some people were so shameless they would steal anything?

After moving the bricks and tiles, Gu Yuanshan filled the third branch’s water urn, then left with the rest of the family.

Lin Zhao was home with her four children, and with no man in the house, Brother Gu and Second Brother Gu always made sure to bring their wives or children along when they came to help. They would never stay alone with their sister-in-law. The villagers had venomous tongues, capable of spinning lies into truth, so one couldn’t be too careful.

After the Gu family members left, the two older boys were still fuming.

Seeing their older brothers puffing out their cheeks, the twins copied them, looking like two adorable little pufferfish.

Lin Zhao couldn’t help but chuckle.

"Are you still angry? We’ve already moved the bricks and tiles inside, so don’t be mad. Losing a few pieces won’t stop us from building the house."

Da Zai said angrily, "Grandma said bricks and tiles are very hard to get. Those stolen bricks were worth a whole meal of meat for us."

Er Zai nodded in agreement. "Exactly, exactly."

He ground his teeth, his expression fierce. "They’d better hope I don’t find out who stole our bricks and tiles, or else... or else I’ll get Grandma to settle the score with them!"

He was still small and couldn’t even win a fight against Changsheng, so he could only call for reinforcements.

’Dad said it’s not embarrassing to call for reinforcements.’

The Fourth Child, a faint yellow ring around her little mouth, clenched her fists. Her tender, fair face was set in a serious expression as she said, "Set... settle score!"

The Third Child, also sipping on malted milk, blinked his dark, bright eyes, looking quiet and well-behaved.

Seeing how furious her children were, Lin Zhao thought of an idea. "How about we get a dog?"

Er Zai’s eyes lit up instantly. "Can we have Little Huang, the one Dahuang had?"

"Dahuang had a puppy?" Lin Zhao rarely paid attention to village gossip, so she had no idea.

Da Zai nodded quickly, his expression just as hopeful as Er Zai’s. "Yeah, Dahuang had Little Huang. Mom, are we really getting a dog?"

"We can," Lin Zhao said with a smile.

"Mom, I’m going to get Little Huang!" Er Zai exclaimed, pulling Da Zai out the door with him.

The Fourth Child tried to run after them but was scooped up by Lin Zhao.

"Let’s not have you joining the commotion," she said, picking up the Fourth Child and gently rubbing her nose against her daughter’s, her eyes filled with amusement.

The adorable little milk dumpling broke into a wide grin, revealing a few snow-white teeth in a heart-meltingly sweet smile.

As her mouth opened, Lin Zhao spotted another half-erupted tooth and said in pleasant surprise, "Bao, you’re growing a new tooth! In a few more months, you’ll be able to eat meat."

The Fourth Child clapped happily. "Meat, meat..."

Lin Zhao, still holding the Fourth Child, sat down next to the Third Child. "My good boy," she said to her younger son, "open your mouth and let Mommy see if you’ve grown any new teeth."

The Third Child obediently opened his mouth to let his mom inspect his teeth.

He had grown one, too.

Lin Zhao stroked her younger son’s cheek. "You both have new teeth! For the meatballs later, you can each have one."

The Fourth Child understood, her eyes curving into happy crescents. "Meat, meat."

The Third Child smiled too, sticking close to his mother. When Lin Zhao went to the kitchen, he followed right behind her.

Seeing that the twins were being well-behaved, Lin Zhao didn’t shoo them out and simply went about cooking the meal with practiced ease.