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

Chapter 118 Naming
"Dad, did you say Cat Egg is back? He's not going to have to stay in the hospital, is he? He needs to rest for a few days, right? Can he play with us tomorrow...?"

Erzai kept talking the whole way, asking one question after another.

Gu Chenghuai found his nagging annoying, took long strides, and walked quickly, leaving his two sons behind in just a few steps.

The second son cried out, "Dad, wait for me! Why are you walking so fast? Don't spill the chicken soup. It's the chicken soup Mom worked so hard to make; we can't afford to waste a single drop!"

He started running, his short legs kicking.

The eldest son called out, "Dad, do you know where Cat Egg lives? Slow down, the second son and I will show you the way."

Gu Chenghuai maintained a safe distance from the twins, ensuring they were within his sight while remaining unaffected by the twins' questions.

When they arrived at the Ning family's house, Maodan'er had already returned from the county hospital.

Gu Chenghuai looked at Old Madam Ning, "Is Cat Egg alright?"

"The doctor said there was a sound in my lungs, prescribed some medicine, and told me to take it for now and bring it over immediately if there are any other problems." Grandma Ning looked quite worried.

"If anything happens, have someone pass on a message, and I'll take him to the hospital." Gu Chenghuai had heard a lot about the hero from the Ning family; the man could be considered his mentor in his career, and he was very willing to take care of the man's family.

Upon hearing this, Grandma Ning's tense nerves relaxed a bit, and she smiled and thanked her, "Thank you."

Cat Egg didn't want to lie inside, so it lay on the old rocking chair in the yard, with a gray blanket covering its belly.

He coughed a few times and thanked Gu Chenghuai, "Cough cough cough... Thank you, Uncle Gu."

Erzai sat down unceremoniously on the low stool next to Maodan'er, his eyes filled with worry, "Maodan'er, did you go to the hospital for a blood test?"

“No.” Cat Egg shook his head. “The doctor used something cold on my body to listen to me.” He tried to describe it.

The second son was completely confused.

The eldest child didn't sit down, but stood to the side, pulling the blanket up a little for Cat Egg. "Cat Egg, my mother made some chicken soup and asked us to bring it to you. Drink it later. You'll be better tomorrow."

Grandma Ning was surprised, "Chicken soup?"

Gu Chenghuai said calmly, "Yes, my wife said that Cat Egg needs some nourishment. Auntie, could you please go and get a bowl?"

"Your wife is so thoughtful." Grandma Ning didn't stand on ceremony and turned to go to the kitchen to get a bowl.

She's not a good cook, and her grandson is suffering terribly. She just wants her child to have a good meal.

Gu Chenghuai poured the chicken soup into Ning's bowl. It was a big bowl with plenty of meat, and it smelled delicious.

Grandma Ning was stunned when she smelled the ginseng: "Ginseng?"

Others might not be able to tell, but she's been smelling this scent since she was a child, and it can't escape her nose.

"It's just a few whiskers," Gu Chenghuai told his wife.

Thinking of Zhao Zhao's nagging about how she was helping him improve his health and that Mao Dan'er was just benefiting from her, he couldn't suppress the smile on his face.

How sweet!

"The whiskers are also valuable." Old Mrs. Ning accepted the help. "I'll accept it on behalf of Cat Egg. Please thank your daughter-in-law for me."

Gu Chenghuai didn't linger. He called out to the twins, and the three of them left.

"Cat Egg, come here, let me feed you milk. You have to drink it while it's hot. There's ginseng in it, it's good for your health. You made it so well. If I had this kind of cooking skill, I could raise our Cat Egg to be plump and healthy." Old Mrs. Ning lamented that her cooking skills were not good.

"It's okay." Cat Egg didn't care. "Once I learn how, I can make it myself and fatten myself up with milk."

Grandma Ning felt comforted.

She found a small spoon, scooped up a spoonful of soup, and fed it to her grandson.

Cat Egg is an independent little man. He's not used to being fed by adults. He takes the spoon and drinks by himself. When he tastes it, the little guy's eyes light up like lamps.

It tastes delicious.

Reaching the pinnacle of life!

After only a few sips, her little face turned rosy.

"Aunt Lin's cooking is so delicious. Grandma, when I get better, I'll go and learn how to cook from Aunt Lin, and then I'll cook it for you." Cat Egg always remembered what his grandfather said before he died, and he thought about taking good care of his grandmother.

Grandma Ning smiled and accepted the pie her grandson had drawn, saying, "Okay, Grandma will wait."

She was very happy to see her grandson eating so well.

If you can eat, it means there's nothing seriously wrong.

Cat Egg didn't finish his drink, but insisted on sharing half of it with Grandma Ning. Grandma Ning wanted to save it for him, but she couldn't. The child was very stubborn.

Fortunately, the Gu family sent a lot, enough for the grandfather and grandson to share, so neither of them went hungry.

Gu Chenghuai brought his two children home. A dining table had been set up in the yard, filled with food, and the aroma was irresistible. Wooden stools were also neatly arranged, just waiting for their return.

"You're back, just in time. Come on, have a seat. We can talk after dinner." Father Gu sat down first and beckoned to the younger members of the family to sit down as well.

The Gu family members sat down one by one and began to eat.

There wasn't much chicken soup left. With so many people in the Gu family, it certainly wasn't enough to go around. It was only given to the two heads of the family, the couple from the third branch, and then to the Gu family's children, and then there was nothing left.

Gu Yuanshan and the others didn't mind not having chicken soup; they ate braised chicken pieces just like that, and the potatoes inside even tasted meaty and were delicious.

There's also chicken blood tofu, which is delicious too.

Gu Chenghuai took a sip of the chicken soup, finding it both fresh and fragrant, and praised it without reservation: "It's very delicious."

"If you like it, I'll make it for you again when I have the chance," Lin Zhao smiled slightly at him.

Erzai, munching on a chicken wing with greasy lips, turned sideways and grinned, "Mom, I like it too."

"I'll make some for you when I have the chance," Lin Zhao replied.

"Mom, Grandma is amazing." The second son looked at her with admiration. "If I were as amazing as Grandma, our family could eat meat every meal."

The Gu family thought Erzai was really thoughtful, and their gazes towards him were incredibly gentle.

Lin Zhao gently patted Erzai's back, "Sit properly, or you'll fall if you lean to one side."

After he sat up straight, she said, "Hunting is not an easy task, and the brigade is now strictly managing it, so there isn't much meat left at your grandparents' place."

If the big one gets caught, it has to be handed over to the brigade and divided equally among all the commune members.

The wild boar that her mother sold must have been smuggled out secretly.

Erzai sighed softly, "Sigh, it's so hard to get a bite of meat."

Gu Chenghuai glanced at him indifferently, "Is your family starving?"

"This little ungrateful rascal," his father complained.

When he was a child, he could hardly eat any meat, let alone eggs. The fact that he grew so tall is purely due to his exceptional talent.

This kid only eats meat once every few days, and he's still not satisfied.

Despite his young age, Erzai wielded chopsticks with remarkable skill. He picked up a piece of chicken, stuffed it into his mouth, chewed a few times, and swallowed it, saying, "Who complains about having too much meat?"

Gu Chenghuai choked.

He deliberately said, "How about I send you to stay at another house for a few days?"

“My mother can’t bear to part with me. If you dare send me to another family, my mother will scratch you,” Erzai said smugly.

Lin Zhao was both amused and exasperated. "Comrade Gu Erzai, stop talking so much and eat your food."

Even the older child thought the younger brother was too noisy, so he picked up a piece of meat and stuffed it into his mouth.

Everyone laughed when they saw this.

The twins sat on a small wooden cart, eating their grandma's homemade porridge, their faces covered in it.

The stroller they were riding in was also made by Gu Chenghuai. Seeing that it was inconvenient for Lin Zhao to feed the children, he made small high chairs suitable for the two little ones based on their height.

This little high chair has saved me a lot of trouble.

Seeing their older brother being mean to their younger brother, the twins giggled.

Erzai felt embarrassed, so he stopped talking and obediently started eating.

As for Bangbang and the others, they ate without even lifting their heads, completely unable to muster the energy to speak.

As dusk fell, the Gu family lived happily in their farmhouse courtyard. Even their dogs, Big Yellow and Amber, had bones to eat, and the tails of the two dogs, one big and one small, wagged like propellers. The neighbors on either side of the Gu family looked at the hard, unappetizing wild vegetable dumplings in their hands and found them hard to swallow.

Adults can find joy even in hardship, but children, being ignorant, can't stand it for a moment. They whine and demand meat, crying with large tears streaming down their cheeks.

"I want to eat meat, waaaaah, Daddy, I want to eat meat..."

The father thought to himself, "I still want to eat meat, but where will the meat coupons come from? Where will the money come from?"

"Shut up, or you won't get any more food."

"Why are you yelling at the child!" The mother couldn't stand seeing her husband yell at the child, so she pinched him and coaxed her son, "Don't cry, don't cry. Tomorrow, I'll ask around and see if we can get any meat coupons. If we can, I'll get a few ounces of meat and make dumplings for you."

The boy instantly broke down in tears, laughing through his sobs, "Really?"

"Really!" The woman wiped away her son's tears haphazardly. "He cried like a little kitten, isn't he silly?"

They complained, but they felt sorry for the kids. It wasn't just the kids who were craving meat; the adults were craving it too, having not tasted meat for over three months.

The boy became happy, took a deep sniff of the aroma of the food in the air, and began to eat obediently.

It's impossible not to eat; if I don't eat, my stomach will keep growling, and I won't be able to sleep at night.

……

This scene occurred in several households.

Under the planned economy, resources were scarce, and even city dwellers had difficulty getting meat, let alone people in the countryside.

Gu family.

After the family finished eating, Huang Xiulan and Zhao Liuniang cleaned up the kitchen.

Mr. Gu glanced around and, seeing that everyone in the family was there, said, "I've already chosen names for the children."

Lai Mei was the most excited. She rushed to her grandfather, her eyes shining brightly, "Grandpa, what's my name?"

“Your brother’s name is Gu Xingye, and you will take his name and be called Gu Xingci. Yu Yu’s name is Gu Yu,” said Gu’s father.

The eldest son was also eagerly anticipating his new name, asking, "Grandpa, what about mine?"

"Your name is Gu Zhiyu." Before the second son could ask any questions, Gu's father smiled and said, "The second son is called Gu Zhiheng, the third son is called Gu Zhiqian, and the fourth son is called Gu Zhiyao."

He read the name aloud from the paper, and the Gu family members, whether they could read or not, all rushed over, staring at the words on the paper.

Lin Zhao's eyes and brows were full of satisfaction when he saw that row of words.

Sure enough, it was absolutely right to leave the task of naming the child to my father-in-law. He came up with some really good names: Yu, Heng, Qian, Yao... all of them have auspicious meanings.

Seeing that it wasn't his turn yet, Tie Dan jumped up and down anxiously, pointing to his nose, "Grandpa, Grandpa, what about me? Where's mine?"

“Tiedan’s name is Gu Zhixing, and Tiechui’s name is Gu Zhili,” said Gu’s father.

Lai Mei was very satisfied with her name. What she couldn't understand was, "Grandpa, why are Er Zai and the others named Zhi something, while mine is Xing something?"

"Because you're going to follow your brother's name, and your brother's name has already been registered, so we can only go with it this way," Gu's father explained to his grandson.

As for why he changed the word to 'knowledge', he believes that knowledge is power, and he hopes that his grandchildren will all be knowledgeable, cultured, and able to go out into the world.

"I see." Lai Mei had no further objections after clarifying the situation.

He loudly announced, "From now on, my name is Gu Xingci, and the name Lai Mei is history!"

Erzai was very accommodating, saying, "From today onwards, I won't call you 'Brother Laimei,' I'll call you 'Brother Xingci'!"

"Smart!" Lai Mei, who would be Gu Xingci's best friend for the rest of her life, praised.

Erzai added, "My name is Gu Zhiheng. It's so hard to pronounce. I wonder if these characters are easy to write? If they are not, I'll have to spend a lot of time just writing my name during exams. It's such a waste."

Father Gu: "..." That makes sense.

How about starting with Gu Yi?

Can……

The character "顾" has quite a few strokes, and the surname passed down from our ancestors cannot be changed casually.

“The eldest son’s name is Gu Zhiyu. The character ‘Yu’ means quick-witted and knowledgeable. The second son’s name is Gu Zhiheng. The character ‘Heng’ means gentle and resilient…” Lin Zhao explained the meaning of each of their names one by one. “I think the names your grandfather chose are very nice to hear and have good meanings.”

Erzai was speechless.

He walked behind his father and reached out his little hands to massage his grandfather. "Thank you for the name you gave me, Grandpa. I like it very much. You've worked hard, Grandpa."

Feeling the force landing on his shoulder, Mr. Gu squinted, the wrinkles at the corners of his eyes spreading out like a fan.

He felt it was worth it.

"I'm not tired at all, I'm just glad you're happy."

The eldest son ran up to Lin Zhao and asked, "Mom, I have two names now. What will you call me from now on? Zhiyu or Dazai?"

This is a problem.

Lin Zhao threw the question back at her: "What do you think? What do you want your mother to call you?"

The eldest son looked troubled.

After thinking it over for a while, they made up their minds: "Mom, call us by our full names. We're going to school soon."

He also felt a warm feeling in his heart every time his mother called him, and the little boy said, "When Mom calls me 'Big Brother,' I'll respond too."

"..."

Lin Zhao noticed his son's hesitation and pondered for a moment, "Let's just call him by his full name, otherwise it's the same as not having one at all."

Just look at Bangbang and you'll know. Hoshino is such a nice name, but hardly anyone calls him that. They all call him Bangbang.

The eldest son asked worriedly, "Mom, can you tell my name from my younger brother's and sister's?"

Lin Zhao pinched the bridge of her nose, somewhat helplessly, "Is it hard to remember? Your name is Zhiyu, the second son is Zhiheng, the third son is Zhiqian, and the fourth son is Zhiyao."

"It's good that you remember clearly." The eldest son seemed to breathe a sigh of relief.

Then she looked at Gu Chenghuai, "Father, you remembered it too, right?"

"……remember."

Only then could the eldest son be relieved.

Erzai stopped massaging Gu's father because he was sleepy, and looked at Lin Zhao with his bright black eyes.

"Mom, will you call me Zhiheng from now on?" He felt the name wasn't intimate enough, his little brows furrowed, and he wasn't very happy.

The baby came out of Lin Zhao's belly, and Lin Zhao knew what he was thinking at a glance.

“I call you Hengbao, I call you brother Yubao, I call you younger brother Qianbao, and I call you younger sister Yaobao. You are all my and your father’s treasures.”

The usually thick-skinned little guy blushed slightly, but his eyes sparkled with undisguised joy.

“Yes!” he said loudly.

The eldest son also thought it was okay, grinning from ear to ear.

Yu Bao.

He is his mother's precious child.

The second child looked at the other family members with bright eyes, "Grandpa, Grandma, Uncle, Aunt..."

After calling out a string of names, she said, "From now on, you can all call me Hengbao, okay?"

Grandma Gu was overwhelmed by her grandson's cuteness. "Okay, Grandma will listen to our Hengbao."

I immediately put what I learned into practice!

Iron Hammer hurriedly replied, "Then my name is Li Bao."

Tie Dan thought it was childish and didn't respond.

They're all just little brats, humph.

Once the children had their formal names, they couldn't stay still and ran out of the house to introduce their names to the villagers.

In a short time, everyone in the village knew that the Gu family's sons were famous!