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

Chapter 177 "Swapping the Child"

"Mommy..." Hengbao snuggled up to Lin Zhao, resting his little head on her lap, his bright black eyes filled with anxiety, "Are you... angry with me and my brother?"

Lin Zhao paused, stopping the drying of her hair, and pulled her two sons closer. "Why would I be angry with you two?"

She gently touched the two boys' still swollen eyelids, her voice soft, "You must have been terribly scared today, your eyes are all swollen."

Lin Zhao gently hugged the twins. "Qianbao was stolen. It's the work of evil people. It has nothing to do with you two brothers. We can't take the blame for the bad guys, understand?"

"In Mom's heart, Yu Bao and Heng Bao are both the best older brothers."

Yu Bao's little body stiffened slightly in her arms, as if a heavy burden had been lifted, and she relaxed and softened, burying her face in her mother's neck and letting out a small, choked sniffle.

"Mom, I'm not a good brother."

"Hmm?" Lin Zhao waited patiently, her palm stroking his back.

The child didn't rush to explain. After nearly twenty seconds of silence, he continued in an almost inaudible voice, expressing his inner fear: "...I'm actually...afraid that my mom will hate me."

He felt he wasn't a good older brother. When he missed his younger brother, he was even more afraid that his mother would hate him. He wasn't a good older brother, sob sob...

Lin Zhao knew that Da Zai was a sensitive person and had been trying to change his temperament. When the incident of Qian Bao being stolen broke out, the little turtle who had bravely poked his head out retreated back into his shell.

She gently brushed her cheek against her son's soft hair, her voice soft and persuasive, "Yu Bao, are you worried about your little brother?"

"Hmm." The child looked up and nodded emphatically. "I'm afraid Qianbao won't come back."

He prayed to a deity to let him bring his younger brother back.

Lin Zhao touched his face, her eyes encouraging, "Look, you're worried about your younger brother, which means Yu Bao is a good older brother who cares about his younger brother."

As for what you said... that you're actually afraid Mom will hate you, that's because you've blamed yourself for your brother being stolen. Your brother's situation has nothing to do with you, so why would I hate you?"

She cupped Yu Bao's little face in her hands, looked into his red eyes, and said, word by word, "Mommy will never hate you, never. Yu Bao is Mommy's most obedient and favorite eldest son."

"As I said, Qianbao and Yaobao are the responsibility of your father and me, not yours and Hengbao's. Never blame yourself for your younger siblings. Your task is to grow up healthy and happy."

Tears welled up in Yu Bao's eyes, and she accidentally blew a snot bubble, which popped open with a "pop".

He paused for a moment, then burst into laughter, his eyes bright and dark, looking at his mother with affection and longing.

"Mom, I love you the most, the most, the most too." As she said this, her ears turned red without her noticing.

Lin Zhao used a towel to wipe Yu Bao's face.

Hengbao shook Lin Zhao's arm and said coquettishly, "What about me? What about me?" She asked twice.

"You are Mom's most obedient and favorite second son." Lin Zhao coaxed her son into a daze, treating him with perfect impartiality.

Hengbao was coaxed into pouting.

He leaned closer, bringing his little face close to Lin Zhao's, mainly wanting a kiss, "Can you give my most obedient and favorite second son a kiss?"

Lin Zhao kissed Hengbao deeply, and then kissed Yubao.

"Are you two alright? Let's go to the old house."

Qianbao had just suffered a great ordeal, and even though she had someone with her, she was worried and wanted to go there as soon as possible.

"Mom, quickly dry your hair before you go," Yu Bao said carefully.

"it is good."

After drying her hair, Lin Zhao led the twins to the old house.

The two little ones, who were previously listless, are now beaming with joy.

The courtyard of the old house.

Qianbao was sitting face to face with Dahuang, the child holding Dahuang's front paws, and they were talking.

Upon seeing his mother, the little boy jumped up and ran over.

"Mother."

Lin Zhao picked up her youngest son and touched his chubby belly, which was full.

"Are you full?"

Qianbao patted his little belly, "I'm full, Grandma fed me egg custard."

He speaks very slowly, and his voice is cute and innocent.

"Are the mosquito bites still itchy?" Lin Zhao asked, noticing that Qian Bao had applied ointment to the bites on his body.

Qianbao shook his head and obediently stayed in Lin Zhao's arms.

"Don't scratch it, it will leave a scar." As she was saying this, Lin Zhao remembered the scar removal ointment she had drawn earlier and planned to give it to Gu Lan when she had the chance. The medic said that Gu Lan's head injury was serious and might leave a scar.

Lin Zhaocai led the children to sit down, and then Gu's mother and two daughters-in-law rushed into the courtyard, bringing with them waves of heat.

Seeing Lin Zhao there, the old woman quickly walked over and placed the compensation money she had obtained from the Li family on the table.

"Third son's wife, this is the compensation from the Li family, please accept it..."

Looking at Lin Zhao's expression but not discerning anything, Gu's mother continued, "Zhang Manyue got her comeuppance. She died without a complete body, not even a coffin to hide in. We can't hold her accountable, so we can only go after the Li family. But we all know that what Zhang Manyue did has nothing to do with the Li family. They don't have the guts. They're all from the same village, so it's not good for them to be too unreasonable. I've been thinking about it, and instead of beating her up, it's better to ask for some compensation and buy some good things for Qianbao and Alan to help them recover. What do you think?"

Huang Xiulan glanced at the money on the table. She heard her mother-in-law's intention to give it all to the third branch of the family. She pursed her lips, feeling a little uncomfortable, but she didn't say anything.

Her son, Alan, also suffered greatly, and Alan should receive a share of the compensation.

My mother is biased.

Lin Zhao knew that what Gu's mother said made sense, and said, "I will listen to Mother."

We've already paid all the compensation due. Making a scene now might give the impression that we're unreasonable and make the Li family the victim, which is unnecessary.

"I'll give half of the compensation to Alan, and I'll use the other half to buy some candy and give it to the people who helped me go into the mountains to find Qianbao."

Huang Xiulan's dissatisfaction shattered, and she lowered her head in shame.

She cursed herself inwardly, thinking how petty her sister-in-law hadn't forgotten her son, Alan!
Thinking of the dress and hair accessory that the third wife had given to Alan, she lowered her head, feeling too ashamed to face anyone.

Mrs. Gu said, "Alright. You are the aggrieved party, so you can decide how the compensation is distributed. I won't interfere."

Lin Zhao kept twenty yuan and gave the rest, some in small change, to Huang Xiulan.

"Sister-in-law, keep these and make sure Alan recovers well. She's badly injured, so don't let her health suffer."

Huang Xiulan felt it was too much. She wanted fairness and didn't want to take advantage, so she said, "No need for so much. Qianbao suffered a lot, so he should get the lion's share. Give Alan five yuan, and the rest... Third sister-in-law can use it to buy candy. With so many people helping, twenty yuan's worth of candy definitely won't be enough."

After saying that, she took the five coins and turned back to the main house.

If you ask Huang Xiulan if she feels the pinch of missing out on ten or so yuan, she definitely does. Ten or so yuan is a lot; they might not be able to save that much even after working hard for several months.

But no matter what kind of money it is, you have to be able to take it with a clear conscience, otherwise you won't be able to sleep well at night.

Mother Gu was filled with satisfaction, increasingly convinced that she had excellent judgment and that the wives she had chosen for her son were all top-notch.

She smiled and said, "Third brother's wife, listen to your eldest sister-in-law. Alan is also a great contributor to our family. The family will not treat her badly. For the next two weeks, we will make sure she has chicken soup every day."

Big Yellow came over, barking...

This means it is also a contributor.

Qianbao sat in his mother's lap and leaned over to touch Dahuang, and Dahuang cooperated and came closer.

A child's sweet, childish voice rang out, "Give me some big yellow meat!"

Gu's mother thought her son Qianbao was really smart and spoke fluently; she had never seen anyone so clever.

The old man always muttered, "If the college entrance exam hadn't been canceled, the Gu family might have produced a college graduate someday. What a pity..."

"Don't worry! Big Yellow will get plenty!" Mother Gu looked at her grandson with doting eyes.

He then looked at Lin Zhao and asked, "Third brother's wife, what are you planning to do with the roe deer and rabbit you brought back?"

Before Lin Zhao could speak, Qianbao raised her little hand and said in a clear voice, "Rabbit, Qianbao's."

He looked up at his mother with his little face upturned, his eyes like black pearls, his movements a little hurried, his chubby cheeks jiggling.

“Yes, the rabbit belongs to Qianbao.” Lin Zhao replied, holding her son’s soft little arm.

She asked, "Does Qianbao want to raise a rabbit?"

Upon hearing this question, Yu Bao and Heng Bao both perked up their ears and looked at their younger brother expectantly. How would Qian Bao respond?
Raising rabbits is great! Big rabbits can have baby rabbits, and each one can have a litter. Then they'll have countless spicy rabbit meats to eat.

Qianbao was unaware that his brothers had already imagined his beloved bunny several times in their minds.

He puffed out his cheeks and nodded, "Yes, raise rabbits!"

There are limits on the number of chickens each household in the village can raise, but raising rabbits... Lin Zhao wasn't sure. She looked at her mother and asked, "Mom, is it okay to raise rabbits?"

Without a second thought, Gu's mother said, "If you want to raise one, then raise one. You don't have any chickens at home, so what's wrong with raising a rabbit? Nobody said you can't."

The policy didn't say anything about it.

Lin Zhao rubbed Qianbao's little face and said, "Did you hear that? You can keep it. Go back and ask your dad to make you a small cage. If you want to keep it, then keep it."

Yu Bao slurped a few times, patted his little chest, and said, "I can pick rabbit grass, and find the tenderest kind."

Harvest rabbit grass.

"Pfft..." Lin Zhao laughed out loud. It's so funny how kids talk.

"Okay, you help your brother gather hay for the rabbit."

Father Gu was also charmed by his grandson and immediately said, "What's so difficult about weaving a cage? No need to ask Chenghuai, I'll do it, I can weave it right now!"

After the old man finished speaking, he sat down and started weaving.

Full of curiosity, Yu Bao and Heng Bao picked up their little bamboo stools and went over to watch.

Mr. Gu is very skillful; he can weave bamboo curtains, mats, stools, and even intricate animal shapes. He is the children's favorite perfect grandfather.

Weaving cages was a piece of cake for him.

Watching Grandpa skillfully weave the cage, Hengbao exclaimed, "Grandpa is so amazing!"

"It's nothing special, any old man in the countryside can do it." Father Gu's lips curled into a smile as he was flattered by his grandson's sweet praise.

Cheers erupted outside.

Mother Gu stood up. "That sound... it must be Cheng Huai and the others coming back. Oh my, it's so noisy. They must have hunted a lot of meat. I'll go take a look."

The absence of crying meant that everyone who went up the mountain had returned unharmed, so she wasn't too worried.

The rest of the Gu family were very excited and followed their mother outside.

Qianbao poked Lin Zhao's shoulder with his little finger, his eyes filled with confusion, as if asking his mother why she wasn't going out.
"Wild boars are ugly and fierce, let's not go and join the fun. Let's go see the little rabbits later," Lin Zhao coaxed gently.

The twins, who had been about to rush out, stopped abruptly after hearing her words and decided not to join the fun.

Yu Yu is a lazy girl; she doesn't like to move around much. Most of the time, she sits in the corner with Yao Bao playing with her dolls. Even when there's any noise in the yard, she doesn't budge. She's a very easy little girl to take care of.

With her around, Yao Bao always has someone to play with, and the two little sisters are happy and neither of them fusses unless they are hungry or need to poop.

"Grandpa, is wild boar meat delicious?" Hengbao licked his lips and asked his grandpa while sitting on a small stool.

Mr. Gu nodded, "It's delicious. What meat isn't delicious?"

It's certain that the ones I bought didn't taste as good.

For someone like Gu's father who had suffered hardship, having meat to eat was already a blessing; he had no right to be picky!

Hengbao, with a sweet tooth, suddenly looked forward to it, "Grandpa, can we have pork tonight?"

The game hunted in the mountains, especially larger ones like wild boars, is usually divided equally. Otherwise, it would be considered undermining socialism. So, generally speaking, every household can have wild boar meat tonight.

"Yes," Gu's father answered affirmatively.

Hengbao wiped the corner of her mouth, even more excited.

Gu Chenghuai and his men hunted down four wild boars, three large and one small. The butcher slaughtered the boars, and every household received a share of the meat. The adults and children in the village were overjoyed.

Even Song Qian and Wen Huaiyuan, who helped out, received pork. Because of this, the villagers' views on the male educated youth changed, and they gradually began to look at them more seriously.

Wen Huaiyuan was flattered and surprised. "Brother Song, have we... settled in?"

Song Qian paused for a moment, then said calmly, "You've been given the cold shoulder too many times. People give you a smile, and you grin with satisfaction."

"Exit."

The distinguished young man carried a square piece of pork and walked back to the educated youth settlement at a leisurely pace.

Wen Huaiyuan glared at him and caught up with him, "Brother Song, what do you mean? You're saying I'm useless? Don't be so hasty, explain yourself..."

Two spirited young people bickered and argued their way home.

The wind was gentle that day.

Educated youth point.

Seeing the meat in Song Qian and Wen Huaiyuan's hands, the educated youth swallowed hard, filled with regret.

If they had known there was no danger in the mountains, they would have gone with them anyway; there's such a big piece of meat.

These country folk are so cunning. They must be afraid of them taking a share of the meat, so they tricked them into thinking there were wild animals on the mountain. They're so heartless...

...

The Gu family also received a share of the meat, which was brought back by the Hoshino brothers.

"Yu Bao, Heng Bao, why didn't you two go out to see the excitement? Uncle San killed several wild boars, and there's so much meat in them!" Tie Dan walked over excitedly, waving the meat in his hand.

"Brother Xingye, are wild boars scary?" Hengbao went up to him and poked the piece of meat.

“It’s terrifying, it’s so big!” Hoshino gestured. “Grandma said wild boars are dangerous, they can kill people.”

He pouted, "He's not good-looking, and he's all dark-skinned."

Xingci, also known as Lai Mei, said, "Who cares if it looks good or not, as long as the meat tastes good."

Li Bao's eyes sparkled, her face filled with admiration. "Uncle is amazing! He can even kill such a big wild boar!"

Xingci sighed, "If you're a man, you have to be a soldier."

The Gu family: "..."

That's such an old-fashioned way of putting it.

Just then, Gu Xing'er returned.

“We got so much meat in our family! I’m back just in time. Mom, are we making it all tonight? Make a lot, I’ll go take a bowl to Grandma.” She didn’t call out to anyone, didn’t look at anyone, and spoke to Gu’s mother.

Gu Chenghuai entered after Gu Xing'er.

He was displeased to see that she ignored everyone in the family.

Unwilling to waste words with his spoiled younger sister, he said calmly, "The meat will be delivered to the old house; you can eat at your second uncle's house."

Gu Xing'er was displeased, "Third Brother..."

Gu Chenghuai stopped talking nonsense, his deep, dark eyes, as cold as a deep pool, fell on her, subtly revealing a warning.

His patience with her had run out.

Gu Xing'er was frozen in place for a moment, her whole body turning cold. How could an underage girl withstand the imposing aura of soldiers with their swords and spears?

"...Fine, I'll go!" Snatching the meat from Li Bao's hand, she stomped her foot heavily. "Hmph, I don't want to eat at the same table as you guys anyway!"

The words fell.

They ran away like a gust of wind.

Nobody took this little incident seriously.

Gu Chenghuai washed his hands and saw Qianbao sitting in his wife's lap, swinging her legs with a sweet smile on her face, seemingly unaffected. A faint smile flashed in his eyes.

Find an opportunity to tell Lin Zhao about Zhang Manyue's fate.

In response, Lin Zhao simply commented, "The Li family is ruthless, and she is both stupid and has learned the ruthlessness of the Li family. Neither of them are good people."

As the weak, to wield a knife against the even weaker—no matter what the outcome, it's all their own doing.

Gu Chenghuai said gently, "This matter is over, don't get upset and ruin your health."

"Ah."

at this time.

The entrance to the neighboring village can be reached by crossing the mountain.

The woman with the dark mole between her eyebrows saw that it was getting late and the cowardly woman who had promised to exchange children hadn't arrived yet. She guessed that something had happened, so she frowned, cursed something, and left with her load.

Seeing her cold face, the toddler in the bamboo basket shrank back and tears welled up in his eyes.

(End of this chapter)