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

Chapter 296 "Get to the point!"

Lin Zhao resorted to her all-purpose phrase, "Children shouldn't pry into adult matters."

Hengbao smiled and said, "Mom, next time you ask me a question, I can say: 'Adults shouldn't pry into children's affairs.'"

Gu Chenghuai stood up for his wife, "Gu Zhiheng! How dare you talk to your mother like that!!"

Hengbao pouted, her little face full of dissatisfaction.

His personality is quite like his father's; he's naturally stubborn.

Lin Zhao pinched her second son's little mouth, "Are you angry?"

The child instantly beamed with joy, waved his hand, and said loudly, "Generous children don't hold grudges against adults."

"Wow, what a generous little boy!" Lin Zhao coaxed him.

Yu Bao steered the conversation back on track, "Mommy, what's a fox spirit?"

"...??" Lin Zhao looked puzzled. "Why are you asking this?"

"Grandma Lu Baozhen said that Lu Baozhen's stepmother is a fox spirit. What is a fox spirit?" Yu Bao asked again.

Unlike the careless Hengbao, who was easy to deal with, Lin Zhao couldn't help but take his questions more seriously.

"This... 'vixen' isn't a good word, you and Hengbao shouldn't learn it."

Hengbao cleverly said, "Just like that son of a bitch, right?"

Lin Zhao's mind went blank for a few seconds, her smile vanished, and she yelled at her father, "Gu Chenghuai! Can't you control your son?!"

Gu Chenghuai rushed out, holding an enamel mug in his hand. "What's wrong? Have some water first. Tell me which of Yubao and Hengbao misbehaved, and I'll hang them from a tree and beat them up."

Before she could finish speaking, Hengbao grabbed her leg.

"Dad, Dad, I'm your own son!" He knew his father was serious, so he quickly begged for mercy.

Lin Zhao said, "Your son is using foul language, you should do something about it."

"I knew it was you, you naughty boy." Gu Chenghuai picked Hengbao up by the waist and carried him into the house.

Soon after, the sound of a child crying could be heard.

"Ouch! My bottom!! Waaaaah, I'm going to tell Grandma! Grandma, your son hit your precious grandson..."

Each sound was louder than the last.

The howling was completely fake.

Even Yu Bao wasn't fooled.

The older brother wanted to explain things to his mother on behalf of his younger brother, but he didn't know how to say it, and his face turned red with embarrassment.

"Why are you blushing?" Lin Zhao asked, amused.

Yu Bao shyly buried her face in her chest and whispered, "Heng Bao's shouting is so exaggerated."

"Let's give our brother some face and pretend we didn't find out."

Yu Bao looked up, her eyes crinkling with a secret joy, as if she shared the same secret as her mother. "Okay."

A moment later, Gu Chenghuai came out and pulled down his shirt sleeves in a serious manner, as if he had really disciplined his son with great force.

“I’ve already taught the second son a lesson; I guarantee he won’t dare to do it again,” he told Lin Zhao.

Then she turned to Yu Bao and said, "You should be the same. You should be filial and polite to your mother who raised you with such hardship. Why do you have to be so sarcastic?"

Yu Bao stood obediently and said, "I know."

After Dad made his stance clear, he turned and went into the kitchen. He was boiling water, and it was unclear whether the fire under the stove had gone out.

Lin Zhao thought: It's so easy to raise kids with their dad around.

At this moment, Hengbao, clutching his bottom, limped out.

Just looking at him, he really looks like he's been slapped.

For a moment, Lin Zhao even wondered if Gu Chenghuai had really gone all out.

"Does it hurt?" Lin Zhao pulled Hengbao over.

The little guy grimaced and hissed a few times, "It hurts."

"Let me see..." Lin Zhao tried to pull down his pants, but Hengbao quickly jumped away, his movements so agile that he didn't look like someone who was about to be beaten.

Realizing he had overreacted, Hengbao quickly reduced the size of his movements, secretly glanced at his mother, and whispered, "It's numb, hehe."

His dad made a big fuss, but he didn't use much force, so it didn't hurt at all. He just stared at him, making his heart pound, and he quickly admitted his mistake.

"Will you still swear in the future?" Lin Zhao pretended not to see through the act put on by the father and son; her purpose was simply to teach the child.

Children this young learn swear words much faster than they learn academic subjects. If you're not careful, they can develop a habit of using foul language all the time!
She had seen it before.

A child who swears constantly seems to have lost much of their childlike innocence and cuteness, making them less likable.

"I'm not going to say anything more." Hengbao shook his head like a rattle drum, thinking of his father staring into his eyes.

He lowered his head and said somewhat dejectedly, "I know children shouldn't swear, but sometimes I can't control it, and it just comes out of my mouth."

Lin Zhao was silent for a moment, then said, "That's because you watch too much excitement. In the future, watch less excitement and learn from your brother... read more books, and you won't swear anymore."

She reached out and wiped the water off her son's face. "You're so unsteady. I don't know who you took after. You're such a troublesome kid. If you swear again, I'll make your dad really do it."

"Understood!" Hengbao replied.

Ying Wan suddenly sighed, looking distressed, and said, "Why does Dad listen to you so much..."

"..." Yu Bao glanced at his younger brother speechlessly, "Because our mom is the eldest."

"When will I be the boss? When will I get married?!" Hengbao was not satisfied with his current status in the family and wanted to cause more trouble.

Lin Zhao almost died laughing. "Didn't you say that getting a wife would cost a lot of money and you didn't want it? Why do you want it now?"

"I want to be the boss!" the child's clear voice rang out.

“Now that you’ve married, the eldest child in your family is your wife, not you,” Lin Zhao casually shattered Erzai’s expectations.

That's quite likely, considering his grandfather, his father, and his uncles all did the same.

Hengbao's expression cracked. "???"

"...Forget it then."

He left dejectedly.

Lin Zhao was completely bewildered. "What happened to your brother? Did he suffer a blow?!"

Is it really necessary?!

"It's tough not being the eldest, but I'll cheer you up later," Yu Bao replied earnestly and calmly, watching his younger brother's retreating figure.

Lin Zhao smiled broadly, "Then... thank you for your hard work, my eldest son."

Yu Bao blushed and said, "It's not hard work."

……

the other side.

Lin Shifan and his comrades received a letter of thanks from their military region.

The letter was written with such genuine emotion that it was read aloud by the leader, which made the two unprepared young officers blush.

"Lin Shifan and Prosecutor Xu, you two are excellent! You didn't disgrace our military region! This is how the People's Liberation Army should be—active and proactive in solving the difficulties of the people!"

Hearing Lao Fan's words, the two young men who were being praised exchanged a glance, but neither of them laughed.

For the two of them, helping out on the train was just something they did on a whim, and there was really nothing to say about it.

Moreover, their comrades were all like that.

Old Fan praised them a few times before letting Lin Shifan and Prosecutor Xu leave.

After the two left the leader's office, Prosecutor Xu looked at Lin Shifan and said, "We didn't even give our addresses, so how did that woman know... we're from this military region?" Lin Shifan had received a letter from his sister beforehand and replied, "That woman wrote to ask my sister, and my sister told her."

"Oh." Prosecutor Xu suddenly realized.

When his sister was mentioned, his eyes flickered a few times. He shrugged slightly, nudged Lin Shifan's arm, and asked ingratiatingly, "Do you still have the things our sister sent?"

Lin Shifan looked at him, "Trying to get some?"

"Why would I ask you if I wasn't craving it?" Xu Jian thought this guy was really something, but there was nothing he could do. The one with the food in hand was the boss. He put on a big smile and said, "I'll buy a few big white steamed buns, and you take out the meat sauce that our sister sent. Let's have a good meal together?"

"Walk."

Xu Jian was overjoyed, "Brother, Brother Lin, you're so generous!"

Lin Shih-fan: "Promising."

After expressing his disdain, he added, "Just say you want to eat it. Why are you being so coy? You're not efficient at all."

Upon hearing this, Prosecutor Xu retorted without hesitation, "You said it yourself, so if you have an extra bottle, you can give me one!"

Lin Shifan looked over and said, "You little rascal, you really know how to push your luck."

“You said it!” Prosecutor Xu stared at him.

Lin Shifan said, "Okay, I'll share it with you. But keep it a secret, otherwise the bottles I've been saving won't last."

When Xu Jian heard that there were still a few bottles left, his eyes lit up slightly.

Noticing the change in his eyes, Lin Shifan said, "I'll only give you one bottle, don't even think about more. I still need those few bottles of meat sauce to reminisce about my hometown."

Xu Jian's expression was sour. "That's enough. Everyone in our troupe knows that your sister sends you things every few days."

Lin Shifan held his head high and said, "There's nothing I can do about it, my sister is just that good."

After saying that, he punched Xu Jian, saying, "That's my sister. Stop calling her 'my sister' all the time, it's so annoying."

Xu Jian quickly dodged his attack, "What's the use of telling me? Everyone says so. Can you shut me up, or can you shut everyone up?"

Lin Shifan looked over.

Xu Jian felt obligated to keep quiet after eating the food, so he gestured for Xu to shut up. "I'm going to the canteen to get some steamed buns! You wait here!"

Lin Shifan returned to his dormitory and began writing a letter to Lin Zhao.

The letter said she had received a thank-you note and praise from her superiors. They asked how she was doing, how Yu Bao and Heng Bao were, whether her family visit went smoothly, and if anyone had bullied them. They told her to tell them if she was unhappy and to go talk to Gu Chenghuai and Xiao Si if they didn't care. He said he still had a few days of leave and could make it there...

Knowing that Lin Zhao was visiting relatives, they sent the letter out urgently.

Shortly afterward, Lin Zhao received the letter.

When I was picking up the letter, there happened to be a phone call coming from my hometown.

Lin Zhao and Gu Chenghuai exchanged a glance, both seeing seriousness in each other's eyes.

At their age, what they fear most is receiving news from their hometown without warning.

This inevitably makes people feel uneasy.

“Let’s go take a look,” Gu Chenghuai said calmly.

He led Lin Zhao to answer the phone.

The couple were on tenterhooks throughout the transfer process.

"I hope nothing bad happens?" Lin Zhao frowned.

"Calm down, you'll find out soon," Gu Chenghuai said gently, holding his wife's hand tightly.

He stood ramrod straight, dressed in military uniform, his eyes displaying a composure that remained unwavering even under immense pressure, like a mountain that could withstand anything.

Influenced by him, Lin Zhao's heart gradually calmed down.

Two minutes passed incredibly slowly.

It felt like several hours later when a familiar voice came from the other end of the phone.

"Hello? Is anyone there?"

Gu Chenghuai said, "Eldest sister, it's me."

"Chenghuai? Is it Chenghuai?" Gu Chan's excited voice rang out, her voice slightly distorted through the phone, as she was unsure if the person on the other end was her third brother.

"it's me."

Gu Chan spoke quickly, "Where's Zhao Zhao? Are she and the two kids alright?! It's your wife's first time visiting relatives, so please take good care of her and protect her. Don't let anyone bully Zhao Zhao!"

"Everything is fine at home. Qianbao and Yaobao are both doing well, eating and sleeping well, so don't worry."

Upon hearing this, the couple breathed a sigh of relief.

It's good that you're alright, that was terrifying!
Lin Zhao's voice was gentle and cheerful, "Big sister, we're fine too, we just miss you all a little."

Gu Chan's lips unconsciously curled up into a pout.

She was too embarrassed to say such mushy things, and only said, "I miss you too. I feel so unaccustomed to you taking Yu Bao and Heng Bao with you to the army..."

Wei Xiangdong nudged her shoulder and whispered, "Get to the point, the phone bills are outrageous."

"Oh, get to the point... I really need to get to the point." Gu Chan realized that the call was for important business. "Chenghuai, Zhaozhao, Shitou's father and I are calling you specifically because we have something to ask you."

Lin Zhao asked in confusion, "What is it? Tell me."

Gu Chan said, "The factory held a sports meet a while ago, and our canteen also needed to send people. I'm a newbie, and when I got this assignment... you know, besides being good at working, I don't know anything else. It really worried me. Luckily, I saw there was a ping-pong competition. I know a little about that. Little Stone is good at it, you know. And then, guess what happened..."

As Wei Xiangdong listened to his wife's incoherent speech, a hint of helplessness flashed in his eyes. He gazed longingly at Achan's smiling face, a slight upturn at the corners of his mouth.

On the other end of the phone, Lin Zhao cooperated and said, "What happened next? Big sister, you've gone astray. You've started keeping people in suspense."

Gu Chan blushed.

Then, her happy voice rang out, "Little Stone won first place!"

"But that's not the most exciting thing. There's a person who specializes in organizing table tennis tournaments, who says he's some kind of coach. He's taken a liking to our Little Stone and said he'd take him to the provincial capital for training!"

Upon hearing this, Lin Zhao was overjoyed. "Really? That's great! Our little stone has finally gotten his wish and has a tutor!"

Fearing there might be a scam, she said, "Sister, what's that person's name? Have you seen the letter of introduction? I'll have Chenghuai check if there really is such a person."

Although people nowadays are generally honest and straightforward, without much ulterior motives, when it comes to a child's entire life, no amount of caution is excessive.

Gu Chan felt a warm sensation in her heart, an indescribable comfort.

“Zhaozhao, you’re so thoughtful. That’s why I’m making this call. We really need to trouble Chenghuai with this matter. Your brother-in-law and I have never left our area, so we’re completely at a loss when something happens.”

“Big sister, you’re Gu Chenghuai’s older sister. If you need something from him, he’ll definitely take it seriously,” Lin Zhao said.

Gu Chan thought to herself, "It's different now. My younger brother is married. Things are different from when he was a child. I can't be too assertive and hurt his feelings."

Which girl in the village isn't like water spilled from a bowl?

She's in a good situation; she's content.

Lin Zhao handed the phone to Gu Chenghuai, "You tell your older sister."

The young man, standing ramrod straight, answered the phone.

He smiled, his voice firm and strong, after hearing what the other person said. "This person is fine; I've looked into him before."

How could he not care about his own nephew's affairs?
He knows all the table tennis coaches in China.

The name the eldest sister mentioned was precisely the best among them. She was an upright person who hated sycophancy and valued talent.

It's not impossible that he might have taken a liking to the little stone.

"Chenghuai, do you mean... we can let Xiaoshitou go?" Gu Chan's feelings were complicated. She was happy for her son, but a sense of reluctance also spread through her heart.

Her little pebble was only that big...

“If it really is him,” Gu Chenghuai said.

"What did they say?"