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

Chapter 346 "Plenty of Bonuses, Budding Wallets"

"Sister, please have mercy," Yun Cheng pleaded.

Lin Zhao looked at him and smiled, then suddenly grabbed his cheek and pulled hard. "I had almost forgotten about it, but I didn't expect you to still remember it, and even seem to care a lot. You're so shrewd."

Ignoring Yun Cheng's hissing sounds of pain, she continued, "You remember saying nasty things, but don't you remember how many beatings you've taken from me, or how many times you've taken the blame for me? Is it really necessary to keep such a small thing in your heart for so long, even for over ten years? It's so stupid it's giving me a headache."

Lin Zhao glanced at Yun Cheng's face with disdain, her tone critical, "You're so stupid, yet you managed to get promoted and become a full-fledged technician. Your mentor must have treated you well."

Her little mouth looked like it was smeared with poison.

It felt like one sandbag after another was hitting his head, and Yun Cheng felt like his head was full of bumps.

"Sis..." He scratched his head awkwardly, mentally beating his talkative younger brother into a pulp.

Lin Zhao pretended not to hear her cousin's pleas for mercy, and continued to complain, "Your mouth is really just for show. I thought you were quite cheerful and quick-witted, but I didn't expect you to be more taciturn than anyone else."

"I don't know why I can't forget this..." Yun Cheng explained, it's strange, this matter left a much deeper impression on me than other things.

There are clearly many other things his sister has done to him that he's sabotaged. But none of those compare to this one.

"That's strange," Lin Zhao said with a smile. "I've never seen you make things so difficult for yourself."

Yun Cheng: "..."

"Let's put this out in the open, don't take it to heart anymore, let's move on! When have I ever suffered a loss? You're the one who got punished for being so rude, I didn't hold it against you." Lin Zhao said casually.

"Even if you're still a brat in open-crotch pants, sometimes siblings say hurtful things when they're really angry. It's all in the past now."

Aunt Song gently put her arm around Zhao Zhao's shoulder, her face full of tender smiles.

“Our Zhaozhao has always been very open and honest, never keeping secrets from others.”

She remembered how worried she was that Zhao Zhao would become estranged from them and would insist on going home. She even bought candy to coax little Zhao Zhao, but to her surprise, the little girl, who wasn't even as tall as the table, looked up at her with her bright black and white eyes and said in a childish voice: "This is my home. Yun Cheng is silly, but I'm not silly. I won't argue with him; it would only make me silly."

That adorable little face melted everyone's heart.

Compared to her dirty son, and then looking at the clever and quiet Zhao Zhao, Aunt Song's heart swelled to her.

Song Xiwei shook her head. "It's not that she's open-minded, she settles her scores on the spot and never lets them linger overnight. She says she can't let it affect her sleep. Tell me, I don't know where she learned so many grand principles."

"I learned it from my father," Lin Zhao said forcefully.

Lin Heling: "..."

Uncle Song's eyes were full of smiles; it had been a long time since a group of people had sat together chatting and laughing.

……

Lin Zhao stayed in the provincial capital for a few more days and learned from Dr. Jiang that her uncle was recovering well and was planning to go home.

Yun Cheng also went back with them. Aunt Song had taken leave, and it wasn't appropriate for everyone to take leave. Yun Jin was nearing the end of the semester, so it didn't matter whether he went to school or not. Therefore, he was left behind.

As for Lin Heling and Song Xiwei, there was nothing going on in their hometown, so they weren't in a hurry to go back and stayed to lend a hand.

Before leaving, Lin Zhao said goodbye to her new friend, Xu Ying.

"Are you leaving?" Comrade Xu, dressed in a white nurse's uniform, asked in a daze, as if taken aback.

“Yes. We’ve been out for too long, it’s time to go back. Our families will worry if we don’t,” Lin Zhao said.

Xu Ying took out a pen and paper, pulled out the cap of the chipped fountain pen, and scribbled an address on the paper.

“This is my home address and the commune’s phone number. If you want to find me, you can write a letter or call me,” she said sincerely.

“Okay.” Lin Zhao agreed, took the pen and paper from Xu Ying, and wrote down his address and phone number smoothly. “This is mine. Let’s keep in touch. Although we can’t see each other often, we can be pen pals. Write me down what good food and fun things there are in the provincial capital, and I’ll come over when I have time.”

Xu Ying took the words to heart and said, "Okay, I will write it."

Lin Zhao smiled, her eyes crinkling. This was her second pen pal. The first was Guan Yu, a former educated youth.

—Guan, a former educated youth, successfully became a worker and made a living by writing propaganda articles. I heard that another of her articles was published in the newspaper, and because of this, her name is on this year's list of advanced individuals.

Mr. and Mrs. Guan were overjoyed, walking with a swagger. Remembering their daughter's benefactor, they sent Lin Zhao many more things.

Lin Zhao gradually developed a liking for having pen pals.

“I will too,” she said.

After saying goodbye to their new friends, Lin Zhao and Yun Cheng took the three children on their way home.

Yun Cheng carried the luggage in both hands, keeping an eye on the twins from time to time.

"Stay close, don't get lost."

The station was chaotic! When they arrived, they even saw people frantically searching for their lost daughters.

Yu Bao and Heng Bao held hands and followed closely behind Lin Zhao.

"I know." Hengbao looked around cautiously with his big eyes. "Be careful of human traffickers when you're out and about. Human traffickers are the worst. If you get kidnapped, you'll never see your mom and dad again."

Having experienced her younger brother almost being abducted, Yu Bao is especially careful about safety when going out, staying by an adult's side at all times.

Even while doing this, he didn't forget to keep an eye on Hengbao.

“Yes, so don’t be half-hearted, stick close to us, and so should Alan,” Yun Cheng said.

Having worked as a human trafficker myself, Gu Lan deeply despised the people in that organization and knew their ruthlessness best; she was more vigilant than anyone else.

"I know."

I successfully boarded the train and left on time.

We arrived at our destination that evening.

When they arrived, everyone was dejected.

"The bathhouse is open today and doesn't close until 11 o'clock. If you don't dawdle, you still have time." Yun Cheng knew that Lin Zhao was a clean person and probably wouldn't be able to sleep without taking a shower, so he reminded her.

Upon hearing this, Lin Zhao immediately became incredibly sober.

"No dawdling, let's hurry." She pulled Gu Lan to speed up, not forgetting to tell the twins, "You two walk faster, it's late at night, I don't want to boil water."

All I want is to be in close proximity to her beloved bed.

Yu Bao and Heng Bao jogged along.

"Uncle Dayun, will you take us to wash?" Yu Bao looked at Yun Cheng expectantly.

"Of course, otherwise how would you two shower? You can't exactly go to the women's bathhouse," Yun Cheng said.

Yu Bao's face turned as red as an apple. Suppressing her embarrassment, she raised her voice slightly, "Boys aren't allowed in the women's bathhouse! We're not going!"

Hengbao said, "That's right, we're not going, otherwise it would be indecent!"

Yun Cheng laughed heartily, "You two know a lot."

The twins took it as a compliment and skipped along, their steps as light and quick as could be.

The group moved quickly, returned home, grabbed their changes of clothes, and headed straight to the public bathhouse.

"It's cold at night, so hurry home after you come out and don't catch a cold," Lin Zhao said to Yun Cheng before entering the women's bathhouse.

"Yes," Yun Cheng responded, following Yu Bao and Heng Bao.

After entering and closing the bathhouse door, I heard a shuddering sound: "The floor was so slippery!"

"Slow down," Yun Cheng said hurriedly.

After taking a shower, Lin Zhao and the others, who had been traveling for several hours, felt refreshed and light after the journey.

When I came out, I didn't see Yun Cheng and the others. They must have already gone back. The men have shorter hair, so they can wash it faster than the women.

As the weather turns cold, after taking a shower, the wind blowing on my skin feels like a knife scraping my face.

"Hurry back, hurry back, it's freezing, don't catch a cold." Lin Zhao hugged Gu Lan's small body and quickened his pace.

Gu Lan didn't have many changes of clothes, and the one she was wearing was a size too small for Lin Zhao's. The little girl didn't mind wearing old clothes; in fact, she was quite pleased. Her aunt's clothes were made of fine fabric, with beautiful patterns, and without a single patch. She couldn't bear to wear them. "I'm healthy and rarely catch a cold."

"But we still need to be careful." Lin Zhao quickened her pace again, feeling happy at the thought of seeing Qianbao and Yaobao tomorrow, and her smile was exceptionally bright.

"You can go back to the village tomorrow morning, aren't you happy?"

Gu Lan's eyes lit up with a smile. "I'm happy."

She was really looking forward to seeing the expressions on her parents' faces when they received the gift she gave them.

On their first night back at the commune, Lin Zhao and the others slept soundly.

The next morning, after having a meal at the state-run restaurant, Song Yuncheng went to report to the motor factory, while Lin Zhao took the three children back to the village.

They rode in an oxcart.

When the villagers saw Lin Zhao, they greeted her warmly.

"Yu Bao's mother is back. I heard you took Yu Bao and the others to the provincial capital for a competition. How did the competition go?"

"Oh my, Alan seems to have gotten fairer, and she's wearing a new outfit. She looks more and more like a city person."

Hearing this, Gu Lan's face flushed, and she quickly explained, "It belongs to my third aunt."

Lin Zhao gently stroked the girl's hair. "From now on, she's yours."

He then answered the villagers' questions, saying, "The competition results were quite good; all three children received certificates and prize money."

bonus?!!

The people surrounding Lin Zhao, asking him questions, were shocked and exclaimed in disbelief, "Prize money? There's prize money?! It's just an abacus competition, how can there be prize money?"

"I didn't know there was a prize before I went. I only found out when I got there. The top three all get a prize," Lin Zhao said proudly.

Whose child is this young enough to earn money on their own? It has to be her kid.

Both kids are excellent.

The villagers looked over hesitantly, "How much is the prize money?"

Another person asked, "Is there one?!"

piece?
Ha, that's a narrow-minded view.

Lin Zhao, completely unsuspecting, stretched out her finger. "The first place is this number, and the second and third place are subtracted from this number in turn."

"Five yuan?! That much?!" The villagers didn't think of fifty yuan; they only assumed the first-place prize was five yuan.

"Five yuan isn't much. I heard the child has to pay two yuan at a time, so that leaves only three yuan." Although she said this, her eyes reddened.

Three dollars is a huge sum of money; it can buy quite a lot of things.

Lin Zhao smiled slightly, "You underestimated it. It's not five yuan, it's fifty."

"What did you say?!!"

"Fifty...fifty?! You're not kidding, are you? How is that possible? A mere abacus competition, and the prize money is that much?!"

The villagers were greatly shocked and expressed their opinions in a cacophony of voices.

"Whether it's true or false, the teacher knows. You can find out by asking around. I have no reason to lie," Lin Zhao said calmly.

Everyone agreed.

"Alan, is what your third aunt said true?!" The brigade leader's wife knew that Gu Lan was an honest girl, so she asked her.

Gu Lan pursed her lips. "It's true."

"What place are you?" she asked again.

Gu Lan showed a slight regret and said, "I didn't perform well and only got second place. The prize money is thirty."

"!!!"

The brigade leader's wife was everyone's mouthpiece, and she slowly turned her gaze to Yu Bao and Heng Bao.

Before she could ask a question, Hengbao puffed out her chest and raised her head, saying in a particularly proud tone, "We are number one! Tied for first place."

After saying that, he patted his small green satchel and said, "Lots of bonuses, my wallet is bulging."

So much money wasn't on them; Lin Zhao kept it for the time being, promising to give it to them when they got home.

The brigade leader's wife stroked her chin and said, "So, you two earned... a hundred yuan on this trip?!"

When she talked about the amount of money, her voice trembled, her throat was dry, and she was filled with disbelief.

“Yes,” Yu Bao replied, “we even used our prize money to buy Grandpa and Grandma leather cotton shoes!”

The brigade leader's wife's eyes reddened even more. Before she could utter a word of envy, Gu's mother, who had heard the news, rushed in, hugged Yu Bao and Heng Bao, and smiled like a wrinkled sunflower with her lips upturned.

“I’m finally back!” she said.

Then they learned from the villagers that their grandson had won first place, and there was a prize of fifty yuan per person. They used the prize money to buy themselves and the old man some leather cotton shoes...

The old lady almost burst into tears.

"My wife has several sons, and she never got to wear the cotton shoes they gave her. I never thought she'd have to wear the ones her grandson gave her..."

Yu Bao's dark eyes sparkled with a smile, "Grandma is good to us, so we'll be filial to her too."

Hengbao nodded mischievously, "Grandma washes our clothes and makes us delicious food."

Every year when we grind new flour, we steam buns for them to eat.

Gu's mother felt a warm glow in her heart.

She's probably reluctant to wear the shoes her grandson bought her with his prize money.

When Gu's mother arrived, no one dared to ask any more questions and they all dispersed.

Before long, the news that the abacus competition had prize money, and quite a lot of it, spread throughout the entire brigade. Yu Bao and the others had all received prize money.

Meanwhile, Lin Zhao and the others arrived home safely.

We went to the old house.

Qianbao sat under the crooked tree in the old house, flipping through a picture book, while Gu Qingzhou sat beside him reading. The uncle and nephew both looked very serious.

Yao Bao and her sister Yu'er were playing with a cloth ball, throwing it out and picking it up again, then throwing it out again and picking it up again... They were having a great time.

"Qianbao, Yaobao," Lin Zhao put down her luggage and called out softly.

Upon hearing this, the brother and sister looked up, and when they saw their mother, their bright black eyes lit up with surprise. They left their spot and ran over as fast as they could with their short little legs.

"Mother."

"Mother!!"

The two children shouted happily and rushed over to hug Lin Zhao's neck, their little arms wrapped tightly around him, their faces showing the same aggrieved expression.

Lin Zhao picked up the child and gently coaxed, "Sweetie, something happened and I came back late. Did you cry?"

Zhao Liuniang answered her question, "I didn't cry. When I asked when you were coming back, I said you were delayed and would be back in a few days, and then I behaved myself."

The main reason is that the two children need someone to play with them.

"As long as there's no trouble, that's fine." Lin Zhao's eyebrows curved downwards.

Just then, Mr. Gu entered the room.

Their hurried steps slowed down a bit at the doorway.

Upon seeing Gu's father, Yu Bao's eyes lit up. He called out "Grandpa," squatted down, and rummaged through his luggage to find the cotton shoes he had prepared as a gift for his grandfather.

(End of this chapter)