The mother of the era is reborn to support her cannon fodder children!

Chapter 106 "The Little Gourd"

Seeing that their mother-in-law hadn't come out for a while, Huang Xiulan and Zhao Liuniang exchanged a glance and stepped into the kitchen.

As soon as I came in, I saw the vegetable pancakes in the basin.

"Wow, Third Sister-in-law has done so much!" Zhao Liuniang restrained herself, not letting the smile on her lips be too obvious, lest it hurt her mother-in-law's heart.

Huang Xiulan felt a pang of heartache, but said nothing.

The third son's wife used her own oil, not the public kind, so it's inappropriate for her to say anything.

Based on the principle that harmony in the family brings prosperity, she didn't say it was a waste, but only that Lin Zhao had worked hard.

"Big Mom started cooking as soon as she got back, without waiting for us. It's so hot in the kitchen in the middle of summer. No wonder her face is so red. I hope she doesn't get heatstroke."

Gu's mother's attention was diverted.

“It looks a bit red. There’s mung bean soup in the well. I’ll go scoop a bowl for her.”

As soon as he finished speaking, he rushed off to the backyard.

Zhao Liuniang wanted to say something, but looking at her mother-in-law's back, she could only swallow it back.

"Sister-in-law, it smells so good!" She stared at the vegetable box, her eyes shining. "I heard from Tiechui that it's full of eggs and tastes even better than dumplings."

Huang Xiulan hadn't eaten in the afternoon, and her stomach was empty and she was craving food. Her stomach was rumbling, but she picked up the bamboo basket next to her and covered it with the pot and vegetable box.

"Let's cook." She squatted down, pulled a snakeskin bag from under the cutting board, and took out a few misshapen potatoes.

"..." Zhao Liuniang said resentfully, "At least let me smell it a little longer."

“The kitchen always smells delicious, but we still have to cook,” Huang Xiulan said.

Zhao Liuniang sighed and started cooking with her sister-in-law.

Outside the hospital.

After Gu Chenghuai finished cutting the boys' hair one by one, Lin Zhao looked at the fourth boy, squatted down, brought her face close to his, and said with a smile, "Son, how about Mom cuts your hair too?"

The little one could understand what was being said. He covered his head with his short, chubby hands and shook his head like a rattle, saying, "No, no."

"No, then no." Lin Zhao didn't force it; she had originally wanted to give her daughter an even cuter haircut.

If the little one doesn't agree, then forget it.

Bangbang Lai Mei took the initiative to pick up the stray hairs on the ground.

"Big brother, little brother, I have to go home now. We'll play again tomorrow," said Cat Egg. He left the fish he had caught behind, his attitude firm.

Lin Zhao accepted the fish, then packed it into several food boxes and stuffed them into the child's hands without allowing him to refuse, saying, "We've accepted your fish; this is a return gift, and you can't refuse."

Cat Egg thought of his grandmother and didn't refuse. He thanked her solemnly, "Auntie, thank you."

"I accept your thanks." Lin Zhao smiled gently. "You can cook?"

Cat Egg frankly said, "It can be cooked, but it doesn't taste good."

She paused, then added, "My grandma couldn't cook either, and no one taught me."

When Gu's mother, who had brought over the mung bean soup, heard this, she was shocked.

She said, "Of course your grandma can't cook. When your grandpa was still alive, your grandma never went into the kitchen and never even washed a dish."

The daughter-in-law who later married into the family was exceptionally capable, requiring no work from her. It's a pity she passed away early; otherwise, the grandfather and grandson wouldn't have been without a hot meal.

Lin Zhao said, "Cat Egg, next time you come, I'll teach you how to cook."

She has four kittens at home and doesn't have much energy to take care of Cat Egg, but she can teach him to be independent.

Cat Egg's eyes lit up. "Thank you, Auntie. I will study hard."

He learns everything quickly, so he'll definitely learn it soon and won't be too much of a burden on his aunt.

"Okay." Lin Zhao hesitated for a moment, then patted his head. This child was so sensible it was heartbreaking. Seeing him reminded her of the twins in the original book—

In the original book, they probably lived even worse than Cat Egg. Her precious son, just thinking about it makes her heart ache.

Erzai, being petty, subtly squeezed between them and looked at Lin Zhao, saying, "Mother, my brother and I are going to deliver Cat Egg."

"Call Big Yellow," Lin Zhao instructed.

"Hey!" A clear voice rang out.

Hammer followed, with Rhubarb and Amber close behind.

Several children had just left the Gu family's gate.

Yuanbao's loud and excited voice rang out, "Big brother, second brother... there's something exciting happening at the village entrance, do you want to go see?"

Erzai rushed over, asking repeatedly, "What's all the fuss about? What's all the fuss about?"

"I don't know, they say someone was sent to the village... to receive education, do you want to go see?" Yuanbao was very anxious, his toes spinning in the muddy ground, as if he was about to rush out of the spot.

Erzai still remembered the important matter and shook his head, "You go first, I'll come back later."

"Ok."

The word "吧" spread out, and the child's figure vanished in a flash.

Cat Egg knew that Erzai wanted to go see the excitement, so she said apologetically, "Erzai, it's okay, I can go back by myself."

"No, we'll take you." Erzai's words were full of domineering confidence. "What if Wang Yaozu is hiding somewhere and ambushing you?"

“Exactly,” the eldest son chimed in. “There’s no need to see the excitement.”

but.

He still somewhat wants to watch it.

So the eldest son changed the subject, "We can watch it later. Yuanbao is here, he can watch it for us and tell us about it later."

Cat Egg smiled brightly, "Big Cub and Second Cub, you two are so kind."

Glancing at the iron hammer beside him, he added, "The iron hammer is fine too."

Erzai put his arm around his shoulder and said, "We're good brothers, and good brothers should help each other."

Cat Egg's eyebrows and eyes curved with joy, and only then did it start to look like a child.

"Come on, I'll take you to my house. If you need to find me in the future, you can go directly to my house."

The Ning family's house stands alone at the entrance of the village. It is an old tile-roofed house, square in shape, with four rooms at first glance. The roof, made of stacked tiles, is covered with clumps of weeds, but it does not appear messy or dilapidated in this small courtyard. Instead, it has a unique vitality.

especially.

A kind-smiling old lady sat beside the persimmon tree, making the courtyard even more unique.

Her clothes were ordinary, yet she possessed an extraordinary air about her. Her face was fair and firm; wrinkles are inevitable for someone in their sixties, but they weren't unattractive, as if time had bestowed upon her beauty—quite unique.

Apart from Cat Egg, the other children who saw this scene were all stunned.

...They had never seen a grandmother like this before.

Hearing several footsteps, Grandma Ning turned her head, skillfully hid the small bowl, and was somewhat surprised to see her grandson's shorter hair. Then she smiled and waved to the little ones, "Cat Egg has brought friends to our house."

As soon as she made a move, Cat Egg knew what was going on.

The little boy, with a stern, dark-skinned face, said in a harsh tone, "Grandma, you've stolen candy again!"

"You child, what do you mean by stealing food!" Old Mrs. Ning denied it.

"I saw it all!" Cat Egg puffed out her cheeks, her little brows furrowed tightly. "You still put so much in! I can see it's all black. If you put so much brown sugar in your porridge, you'll lose all your teeth."

"Nonsense!" Old Mrs. Ning said, feigning seriousness. "I brush my teeth every morning and evening, and my teeth are even better than yours."

Not wanting to listen to her own grandsons chanting scriptures, she looked at her eldest and second sons and said, "You two are the Gu family's twins, aren't you? You're so handsome and well-matched."

He didn't forget about Iron Hammer either, "This little guy is also chubby-faced and looks...reassuring."

The three little ones grinned.

Da Zai spoke on behalf of the group, his words clear and polite: "Hello, Grandma Ning, I am Gu Da Zai, a good brother of Mao Dan'er. We have come to take Mao Dan'er home."

Erzai shouted in a loud voice, "I am Erzai." "...I am Tiechui."

Grandma Ning loves lively places, and seeing these energetic children made her feel several years younger.

"Okay, okay, they are all good kids."

Cat Egg put down the tin thermos and said, "Grandma, this thermos is a defective product that Aunt Lin brought back from the supply and marketing cooperative. She told Grandma Gu that she would give it to us."

He explained the situation to Grandma Ning in detail.

Grandma Ning didn't go out much, but she knew about everyone's situation and who Aunt Lin was that Cat Egg was talking about.

"Grandma, Aunt Lin made vegetable pancakes. I ate two, and she asked me to bring back a few more. I'll go cut them for you." Knowing his grandma's habits, Cat Egg took the vegetable pancakes to the kitchen, cut them open with a knife, put them on a plate, grabbed a pair of chopsticks, and then left the kitchen.

Grandma Ning doesn't touch her hands when she eats, not because she's fussy, but because it's a habit she developed when she was a girl and has been like that her whole life. Now, she's unwilling to change it.

Furthermore, her family is willing to spoil her, and it doesn't bother anyone else.

"Grandma, eat quickly, it's still warm. Aunt Lin's cooking is excellent, the vegetable pancakes are especially delicious."

The twins stood tall, their faces full of pride.

Yes, their mothers are just that amazing!

Grandma Ning only needed to glance at it and smell it to know that it tasted good.

She was born with a silver spoon in her mouth and never experienced hardship in the first half of her life. Even when she lost her son, she didn't feel like she couldn't go on living. Her son sacrificed himself for the greater good of the nation, and she was proud of him.

Her daughter-in-law is gone, her husband is gone, but she has pulled through. The deceased are gone, and the living must live well.

What hasn't she experienced in her life?
"It looks good at first glance," Grandma Ning said with a smile. "After your grandfather passed away, I haven't had a decent meal many times. Today, I'm grateful to the Gu family."

Cat Egg said earnestly, "Aunt Lin said she'll teach me to cook in the future. Grandma, I'll learn diligently, and I'll cook for you as soon as I learn."

"I promised my grandpa I would take good care of you." Cat Egg's nose tingled with emotion as he thought of his grandpa.

His grandfather was incredibly good to him. His grandfather could cook anything, including bamboo frogs and bamboo dragonflies for him... and his cooking was delicious too.

Just as the little guy was about to fall into depression, Grandma Ning stuffed a piece of vegetable pancake into her mouth, her eyes squinting with delight.

He jokingly asked his grandson, "Missing your grandpa?"

“Your grandfather has worked hard all his life, he wants to rest. Don’t let him be like this, he can’t even rest in peace.”

Before Cat Egg could even feel sad, that little flame of sadness... was extinguished by his grandma's ladle of water, and not a single spark could be spit out again.

"..."

Grandma Ning felt that the twins' abilities were not exaggerated; their mother's cooking skills were indeed excellent.

Really fragrant!

"Cat Egg, get me something." Old Mrs. Ning ordered her grandson, "There are three jade gourds in my dressing table's vanity case, go and get them."

Without saying a word, Cat Egg went to get it.

The children of the Gu family grew up surrounded by love. They were never afraid of people and were always outgoing and confident. They looked around the Ning family's yard, comparing it to their own home and looking for differences.

Erzai is a talkative child. After the Ning family finished speaking, he couldn't wait to ask, "Grandma Ning, is this tree in your yard a persimmon tree?"

His eyes were dark and bright, and he looked very clever.

Grandma Ning smiled kindly, "Yes, when the persimmons ripen in September, you can come and pick them then."

Children don't know how to be polite; they'll respond to whatever people say.

"Thank you, Grandma Ning." Erzai thanked her politely and said without being polite, "I will come. Grandma Ning, please have Maodan call me. The pomegranates at my maternal grandma's house will be ripe soon. My second uncle said he would bring us the biggest and reddest ones, and I will share some with Maodan too."

As soon as Cat Egg came out, he heard this sentence, and his heart warmed, and his eyes immediately crinkled with laughter.

"Second son, I know where there are bird eggs. I'll take you to collect them tomorrow."

Erzai's eyes lit up, "Great!"

Turning to the eldest son, her voice filled with excitement, she said, "Brother, Cat Egg knows where there are bird eggs. We can roast bird eggs and give them to Mother tomorrow."

Grandma Ning thought the child was just being greedy, but she never expected that he wanted to give it to their mother.

The old lady seemed somewhat dazed.

She remembered that her son was also so filial, always thinking of his mother when he had something good.

"Grandma, the jade gourd." Cat Egg handed over the jade gourd.

Grandma Ning snapped out of her daze, took the jade gourd, and waved to the twins and the hammer.

"Child, come here."

Three children approached, still a little dazed.

Grandma Ning gave each of them a jade gourd.

"Here's a gift for us. Keep it. You can bring Cat Egg along to play with you in the future." Her voice was gentle, and she had a smile on her face.

The child, unaware of the item's value, happily accepted it.

"Thank you, Grandma Ning. This gourd is really beautiful. Cat Egg is our good brother, and we won't let anyone bully him," the eldest son said earnestly.

Erzai chimed in, "Yeah, yeah, whoever bullies Cat Egg is bullying me, Gu Erzai, and I'll beat them to death!"

Iron Hammer scratched his head sheepishly, "I'll listen to both Big Brother and Second Brother."

The personalities of the three little boys were clearly revealed.

Grandma Ning couldn't stop laughing.

It's so interesting.

"Cat Egg, what happened to your hair? Who cut it for you?" Only now did she remember to ask this.

Cat Egg was not surprised at all and calmly replied, "The twins' father is my Uncle Chenghuai."

"The craftsmanship is surprisingly good, not bad, looks much more energetic now. Hair covering the eyes looks so eerie, like a male ghost drowning in a river." This is a complaint from the mother.

She said she would cut it for him, but the kid wasn't happy about it.

Completely forgetting how terrible her skills were, she not only cut the hair unevenly, but also ended up with several more cuts on Cat Egg's head every time.

Upon hearing Grandma Ning's description, the three cubs covered their mouths and laughed loudly.

Cat Egg was a little embarrassed, but the corners of her mouth turned up.

The Ning family is usually quiet, but today it's so lively, he's very happy.

"Grandma Ning, Yuanbao said there's something interesting happening at the village entrance. Can Cat Egg come with us to go see it?" Erzai was still thinking about his friend's words.

"Sure," Grandma Ning said with a smile.

"Cat Egg, Grandma Ning agreed, let's go!" Erzai pulled Cat Egg outside.

Big Cub and Iron Hammer also hurried along.

What's causing the commotion at the village entrance?

Cat Egg remembered something and turned to Grandma Ning, saying, "Grandma, the vegetable pancakes were for you. You can eat them all. I'm full."

Grandma Ning waved her hand at him.

I'll eat one, and save the rest to eat with my grandson tonight.

The four children arrived at the village entrance, but the lively scene Yuanbao had mentioned was long gone.

Erzai's chubby little head drooped down, and Dahuang, seeing its little master looking lost, swept his hand with its big tail.

The child grabbed the fluffy tail and rubbed it, which helped to ease the frustration in his heart.

"Hey kids, what are you doing at the village entrance? Everyone's gone to the old, dilapidated houses at the foot of the mountain," a passerby said, noticing the few silly little kids.

He shook his head as he left, saying he couldn't even get a hot meal of shit.