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

Chapter 218 "Extremely Insulting"

Mr. Gu was looking for Lin Zhao when he saw her coming, and a smile appeared on his old face.

"Third brother's wife, you've come at the right time! The mushroom strips are ready!" he said happily.

He was thrilled at the thought of soon harvesting a bountiful crop of edible mushrooms.

Lin Zhao was surprised that Gu's father had finished so quickly, and asked with a smile, "May I take a look?"

“Of course we can, why can’t we?” said Mr. Gu.

He led the way, but suddenly remembered that the mushroom house smelled bad, so he stopped, looked at Lin Zhao, and hesitated, "It doesn't smell very good, do you still want to go?"

The third son's family are all very clean. The twins used to play in the mud and stomp in mud puddles, but after the third son's wife disciplined them, the two boys became very clean. The first thing they do when they come back from outside is wash their hands. They won't go to bed without taking a bath, changing their clothes, or carrying a handkerchief with them...

They are very particular.

The mushroom house needs to be kept at a certain temperature, and it's also fertilized with cow dung and straw, which has a really strong smell. Gu's father was worried that his third son's wife and two grandsons would feel nauseous.

"It's okay." Lin Zhao felt confident she could handle it.

She's never seen artificially cultivated edible mushrooms before and is very curious.

“Alright then.” Father Gu led the way.

Seeing this, Gu's mother smiled and said to Lin Zhao, "...Your father now values ​​that mushroom house more than anything else."

A while ago, after reading the "Mushroom Cultivation Guide" given to him by Lin Zhao, Gu's father spent two days digesting it and then began to think about building a mushroom house, which took him three days to complete.

After everything was prepared, the mushroom spawn that the third son's wife had asked someone to bring back was carefully sprinkled on.

After a period of time, now when you lift up the small layer of soil, you can see the mushrooms growing silently in the substrate, and you can also see white mycelium covering the edge of the bed.

The group entered the mushroom house.

Hengbao covered his little nose: "Grandpa, it stinks so badly."

Father Gu had his grandson cover his mouth and nose with a handkerchief, smiling lovingly, "Of course it stinks when it's composted."

Hengbao was full of questions: "Why compost indoors and not in the field?"

Yu Bao also looked puzzled.

"Because mushrooms have temperature requirements for growth, they won't grow if it's too cold outside, so they have to be grown indoors," Mr. Gu patiently replied.

Mushrooms need to be kept at a temperature of 12-13 degrees Celsius to grow. He has made a lot of efforts to maintain this temperature, and he is also grateful to his third son's wife for giving him a thermometer, otherwise there would be no progress.

"Oh!" The twins seemed to understand but not quite.

Yu Bao looked around, but couldn't see any mushrooms. His eyes were blank. "Where are the mushrooms?"

Mr. Gu looked at his grandson and said, "It hasn't grown yet; it will take some time."

While the three of them were talking, Lin Zhao went over to examine the mushroom soil and found that Gu's father was doing a very good job.

"Dad did a great job, he's a true expert," she said. "I think Yu Bao and Heng Bao will be able to eat fresh mushrooms soon!"

Hengbao opened her eyes slightly.

The kids are used to it; when it gets cold, the only vegetables at home are radishes, cabbage, potatoes, and sweet potatoes—the four main staples. If we're a little richer, we might have cured meat and pickled cabbage...

There is no mushroom option.

"There are mushrooms to eat?" he asked in surprise.

Hengbao wasn't eating badly; he could occasionally eat the pickles that Lin Zhao had stored away. But he couldn't eat them every day. He felt his mouth was a bit bland and wanted to eat something else.

"...If I can grow it." Father Gu was a cautious man who didn't make promises about things he wasn't sure of, so he cautiously said "if."

Hengbao ignored him, grabbed his brother's hand, and raised his voice loudly, full of joyful excitement.

"Brother, we're going to have mushrooms to eat!"

Father Gu: He was saying "if," it hasn't even been planted yet...

I only heard half of what they said.

He looked helplessly at his grandson's round head, not knowing what to say.

Fortunately, Yu Bao remained rational.

who knew...

“Yes.” Yu Bao’s eyes sparkled as he looked at his grandfather with a mixture of awe and disbelief.

"Grandpa is the best at farming, he can definitely grow the biggest and best-tasting mushrooms."

His little face was full of confidence.

Father Gu straightened his shoulders without realizing it.

Yu Bao and Heng Bao have so much confidence in him, so he definitely has to be able to grow it!
"Grandpa, plant them! Grandpa, plant the biggest and tastiest mushrooms for our Yu Bao and Heng Bao!!" Father Gu was full of enthusiasm, wishing he could build another mushroom house and make several more piles of substrate.

In technical terms, compost is also called culture medium.

It is made by mixing dried cow dung and dried rice straw with potassium superphosphate fertilizer and water, and then fermenting it in the open air.

The piles of cow dung and straw mixture need to be turned over six times to ferment properly.

The "turning over" process is carried out at five intervals: 8, 7, 6, 5, and 4 days, until the cow dung, straw, and fertilizer in the compost have decomposed and fermented into one, at which point the process is considered complete.

It is the most tedious, but also the most important.

"Grandpa is amazing!" Hengbao shouted loudly, giving his grandpa plenty of emotional support.

Yu Bao also solemnly said, "Only my grandfather in the whole commune can grow mushrooms. My grandfather is the best in the whole commune."

Gu's father felt light as a feather.

"I'll send them to you as soon as they're grown," he promised.

The twins held onto their grandfather's rough, calloused hand, their small bodies pressed against him, the three of them embracing affectionately.
"Grandpa is so good, I love Grandpa the most." Hengbao's voice was clear and crisp.

Mr. Gu smiled broadly, but the wrinkles at the corners of his eyes were crinkled together.

Mother Gu said, "Go outside after you're done looking at it. It smells really bad in here. Don't let the stench make your noses hurt."

Lin Zhao, with her keen sense of smell, felt dizzy from the stench and wanted to leave. Upon hearing Gu's mother's words, she took the lead and walked out.

Gu's mother smiled but didn't say anything.

I knew long ago that the third son's wife was delicate, so why did I say that it was already quite an achievement that she even suggested going in to take a look!

The mushroom house was built in the backyard of the Gu family. It was not large, but Gu's father took great care of it. Although the smell was a bit unpleasant, it was not dirty at all.

After they went outside, Lin Zhao asked Gu's father, "Does Father have any plans regarding mushroom cultivation?"

"Plans?" Gu's father repeated, a certain plan in his heart becoming clearer and clearer.

He suddenly looked up at Lin Zhao, hesitated, and said in a somewhat uncertain tone, "...I read in the newspaper that some brigades are developing agricultural products that can increase the income of the whole brigade. I was thinking...if I master this mushroom cultivation technique, could our brigade do it too? If we sell the mushrooms we grow, everyone will have more spare money, and we can send our children to school..."

Mr. Gu was unsure of his own ideas, whether he could do them, or whether his daughter-in-law would think he was being unrealistic. He was quite nervous.

"That's a good idea." Lin Zhao thought it was a great idea.

"If that's the case, our brigade will become a famous mushroom-growing brigade, and the members will be able to increase their income and eat meat more often."

Every time her family cooks meat, the doorway is filled with children. They sit quietly in a row, smelling the meat, their mouths watering uncontrollably. They look pitiful yet adorable.

She would occasionally share some scraps of meat with the children, but not often, for fear they would develop the bad habit of asking for things without permission. The children were very sensible and never asked for anything for free. Some would bring her firewood, some would bring her wild vegetables... they would bring her whatever they had, and they were all very well-behaved.

Lin Zhao would be very happy if they could live a good life.

"Dad, don't worry about planting. As long as you grow them successfully, don't worry about sales. I'll take care of that."

Upon hearing this, Gu's father's eyes suddenly narrowed.

"Third brother's wife, are you serious?" he asked, his tone full of seriousness.

Lin Zhao nodded, "Of course it's true. How could I joke about something like this? The city is even more short of vegetables than the village. If there are fresh mushrooms, they'll fight over them."

Father Gu clenched his right fist, slammed it into his palm, and spun around a few times, somewhat anxiously, "It will take some time for the mushrooms to grow; I planted them too late."

He was very annoyed.

“It’s not too late,” Lin Zhao smiled. “Once they grow, mushrooms will gradually appear, and it should take until March or April of next year. A few months like that… is enough.” “That makes sense,” Gu’s father said, greatly encouraged.

He couldn't stand it any longer and said, "No, I'm going to find the captain and talk to him about this."

As soon as he finished speaking, he hurried away.

“You have to do what you think of, or you’ll feel uncomfortable if you don’t,” Mother Gu said casually. “Don’t worry about him, just let him be.”

After saying that, he pulled the twins aside and asked them if they were adjusting well to school...

"Yu Bao, Heng Bao, how are you doing living in the county? Are you settling in? You've only just started school... How do you feel? Is anyone bullying you?"

Mother Gu spoke with concern, repeatedly reminding him: "If anyone bullies you two, go and call your brother Bangbang, and let him stand up for you. You have a brother, so you don't need to be afraid of anyone."

Hengbao nestled in his grandma's arms, pouting, "Grandma, Xu Juanjuan stole my candy, and the teacher took sides and made my brother and me call our parents."

He spoke with a sense of grievance.

Gu's mother immediately exploded; if she hadn't been holding her two children, she would have jumped up.

"What?"

"What's that teacher's name? I'm going to find him! Who is he, daring to take sides? Does he think we're so powerful that we have no one to rely on? Tell me who he is, I'm going to find him!" she said angrily.

Seeing the anger on his mother's face, Hengbao glanced at his mother guiltily and tugged at her arm.

"Grandma, it's okay, I..."

Before she could finish speaking, Gu's mother said, "What's wrong with you! Yubao, Hengbao, don't be afraid. Tomorrow I'll take your uncles to school. We have plenty of family members, no one can bully you."

She couldn't let other children think that Yu Bao and Heng Bao were easy to bully, and let them develop the bad habit of bullying her grandsons.

This is absolutely not okay.

Lin Zhao looked at Hengbao with a half-smile.

She wanted to see how this kid would explain himself.

If he talks nonsense, he'll lose all his snacks!!

Hengbao would pick and choose what to say, but he wouldn't lie. He lowered his eyes, looked at his fingers, and whispered, "Xu Juanjuan stole my candy. My brother and I hit him, and that's when the teacher told us to call our parents."

After a few seconds of silence, Gu's mother moved her lips, "...Oh, I see. Did you manage to hurt him properly?"

"No, no." Yu Bao's hands flickered, leaving afterimages, his expression serious. "Xu Juanjuan only got a scratch, she didn't faint, Heng Bao and I stopped."

Hengbao also said, "Dad taught us that we shouldn't hit a child's head, eyes, nose... I punched Xu Juanjuan's bottom, and I didn't even use much force, but he cried so badly. He's really not easy to hit."

Lin Zhao then realized that this was how the two of them had hit Xu Juanjuan, including her buttocks. While the physical harm wasn't great, the humiliation was intense.

I can imagine how much the child cried.

From now on, other kids will avoid twins!

Gu's mother: "Did your father teach you two to fight?"

You brat, how do you raise a child!

"They didn't teach us how to fight, they taught us how to protect ourselves and our mothers," Yu Bao explained, which could be considered a way of clearing Commander Gu's name.

Gu’s mother: “…”

It cannot be said that there is anything wrong with it.

She didn't say anything more, and hesitated as she looked at Lin Zhao.

"Third brother's wife, are you going to school tomorrow? If you don't want to go, I will."

Worried that she would be put in a difficult position, Gu's mother took the initiative to make the suggestion.

The twins suddenly looked up, staring nervously at Lin Zhao.

They wanted their mother to go, even though they knew she might criticize them.

"It's alright, I'll go," Lin Zhao said.

Young children are not yet able to control their temper well, so it's normal for them to fight.

Mrs. Gu was worried. "Should I go with you?"

"..." Lin Zhao said helplessly, "No need."

"If the teacher really has something to say, don't get anxious or upset. If it's really necessary, just say a few words to Yu Bao and Heng Bao, but don't hit them. The children are still young." Gu's mother patted her two grandsons' heads, her face full of heartache, as if they had already been beaten by Lin Zhao.

"..."

Lin Zhao became increasingly helpless, "...I won't fight them."

"Not going to hit him?" Mother Gu's face lit up with joy. "Good, good. The child is too young to be hit."

Hengbao couldn't help but tremble again, "Grandma, my mom said she doesn't hit children. My brother and I are her favorite babies, and she can't bear to hit them."

Gu's mother: That's so cheesy.

Yu Bao nudged her younger brother's arm and completed Lin Zhao's words, "You only told half of it. Mom also said that if we make a mistake, she will write to Dad and let him punish us."

Hengbao only listens to half of what he's told, which is still beneficial to him.

His brother reminded him, and he immediately remembered.

"I won't make mistakes!" The little guy rested his chin on his hand, his eyes crinkling. "I'm the best and smartest kid."

Lin Zhao questioned this.

He's probably the naughtiest kid around.

The most well-behaved kids won't be asked to bring their parents in just two months after school starts.

Gu's mother thought her grandson was good in every way, and she praised the twins endlessly.

Lin Zhao: "..."

After the three of them finished their affectionate time, Lin Zhao said to Gu's mother, "Mother, is Qingzhou available? I need to take Qianbao and Hengbao back to the county, and I'd like to ask him to give us a ride."

She couldn't ride a bicycle with her four children, so she had to walk.

"It's convenient, what's inconvenient about it? I'll go call him. He's been holed up in his room reading all day; his brain's practically numb." Gu's mother walked towards Gu Qingzhou's room.

I knocked on the door and explained why I was there.

The door creaked open.

Gu Qingzhou came out.

"Third Sister-in-law," he called to Lin Zhao, then added, "I'll go borrow a bicycle."

Then leave.

Hengbao pulled his brother along, saying, "Uncle, we'll go with you!!"

Gu Qingzhou stopped and waited where she was.

The brigade leader's house.

After listening to Gu's father's words, the brigade leader's mind flashed through a series of wonderful images, and he suddenly chuckled, a rather frightening laugh.

Father Gu's expression changed slightly. He raised his hand and smacked his forehead hard.

"...Wake up! Are you out of your mind?"

The captain felt a sharp pain in his head and instantly came to his senses. Gu's father was used to heavy work and hadn't been gentle with his strength; that blow made him wince in pain.

"You old bastard, you even dared to hit the battalion commander, do you think you're some kind of genius?" The battalion commander clutched his sore spot, glaring at Gu's father, and his words were equally sharp.

Feeling embarrassed, Gu's father cleared his throat and said matter-of-factly, "Who told you to make that weird laugh? I thought you'd gone mad."

"You're the idiot!" the captain retorted, too lazy to argue with him, and pressed on about the mushroom cultivation, "What you just said was true? You really know how to grow mushrooms?"

He sized up Gu's father, his eyes showing hesitation.

"How come I've never heard of you having this skill before?"

(End of this chapter)