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

Chapter 348 "A Fashion Item Everyone Should Have"

The elderly couple had already changed into the leather cotton shoes their grandson had bought for them. Wearing these, they both felt incredibly cool.

Seeing her eldest son's lack of tact, she felt extremely frustrated.

"Ahem." Father Gu cleared his throat, his voice loud and clear.

Gu Yuanshan was a straightforward man, not good at beating around the bush, and didn't notice his father's thoughts. He was still asking Gu Lan about the situation in the provincial capital.

“We’ve all ridden trains before, Ah Lan. What’s the provincial capital like? How tall is the tallest building? There must be several times more cars on the streets than here, right? Do people there look down on people from other places…?!”

He posed one question after another, his words brimming with curiosity.

Even though Lin Zhao and the twins had talked about the provincial capital before, they all seemed to enjoy asking about it.

Gu Lan was gentle, honest, and obedient, and answered her father's questions one by one.

"The provincial capital is more prosperous than here. There are quite a lot of people riding bicycles, and there are cars, but not many. I don't know how tall the tallest building is, but it looks quite tall. People in the provincial capital are very friendly and don't look down on others..."

She took out the feathers the zoo staff had given them, and a smile brighter than summer flowers bloomed on her face.

"This is a peacock feather that my third aunt gave me when she took us to the zoo. She gave it to me."

Its feathers were magnificent and large, unlike those of a pheasant.

"A peacock? I heard it can display its tail feathers, did you see it?" Gu Yuanshan asked curiously.

"I saw it! My third aunt said we're really lucky; many people want to see it but can't." Gu Lan thought of the peacock spreading its tail feathers, her expression somewhat dazed. The world is truly amazing, giving birth to so many wondrous animals.

Hengbao chimed in, "Mom took lots of pictures of us, and I even took a picture with the tiger!"

The excitement in his voice could be heard clearly from a great distance.

Yuanbao and Tieniu came to visit the twins, and when they arrived at the gate of the Gu family's old house, they first heard this smug remark.

The children paused briefly, then slid off in an instant, running swiftly to their friend.

"Yu Bao, Heng Bao, did you really take a picture with the tiger? Why didn't the tiger eat you?" Yuan Bao asked, puzzled.

Tie Niu shouted, "I know! It must be because the twins are too small and don't have enough teeth, so the tiger is too lazy to eat them!"

Dazhuang wholeheartedly agreed with this explanation: "Tigers don't eat children, they only eat adults."

This viewpoint is not only wrong, but also dangerous. You see, they are backed by mountains. If these kids take this seriously and run into the deep mountains in groups, then... the village will be in chaos.

"No, tigers prefer to eat children to adults because children's meat is tender," Lin Zhao said with a smile, trying to scare a group of children.

Yuanbao and the others were so frightened that their expressions froze.

Gu Lan knew what her third aunt was thinking, so she put on a serious expression and echoed her words, "That's right. The tigers in the zoo don't eat children or adults because they were raised by humans and were fed beforehand."

The children were puzzled but impressed.

Tie Niu's eyes lit up, and his words were full of admiration, "Someone actually keeps a tiger, that's amazing, I want to keep one too."

Yu Bao said, "Tigers want to eat meat, but you don't have any."

Tie Niu choked and decisively gave up the idea, "Forget it, I don't even have meat to eat myself. I'll think about it when I have more meat than I can eat."

The Gu family burst into laughter.

Yuanbao scratched his head and said directly, "Did you bring back the photos of you taking pictures with the tiger? I want to see them; I've never seen a big tiger before."

Before Yu Bao could speak, Heng Bao had already reached out to Lin Zhao for the plastic bag containing the photos.

Once I got my hands on it, I found a rag, wiped the large stone table in the yard dry, and poured out the photos.

A clear voice rang out, "Come here and see, the photos are all here."

The elderly couple from the Gu family lived closest to the photo and were the first to see it. The photo contained many small stones, and the couple took the photo and examined it closely.

"Little Stone! It's Little Stone!!" Mother Gu's old eyes filled with joy. Her rough hands touched her grandson's face through the photo, her face full of worry. "He looks thinner. Is Little Stone not eating enough? Heartless Achan, how could you bear to send your own son away? My little grandson is so young..."

Listening to his wife's endless nagging, Gu's father couldn't help but speak up, "Alright, don't say these things in front of Achan. What mother doesn't love her son? Achan is only doing this for Xiaoshitou's own good."

His eyes were fixed on the little stone in the photo. "He hasn't lost weight, he's actually gained a bit. His face is all fleshy now."

Looking at Xiao Shitou, Gu's mother felt that he had lost weight and unconsciously turned her gaze to Lin Zhao.

"You haven't lost weight, you've grown taller." Lin Zhao thought to herself, "There's a kind of thinness called your grandma's? (Grandma) thinks you're thin."

"He's doing great. The coach takes good care of him, and the kids who train with him treat him like a little brother. Nobody bullies him. I see him smiling all the time, and he seems much more optimistic."

Knowing that her in-laws were worried about their young grandson who had left home, Lin Zhao explained in great detail.

Hearing her say that, the old couple felt relieved. The third daughter-in-law was thoughtful and considerate. She said that if Xiao Shitou was doing well, he must be doing well too.

"Little Stone will come back for the New Year. He'll be back in less than three months, and his parents will ask him about it themselves."

The elderly couple were so happy to hear that their grandson would be coming home for the Lunar New Year that they were speechless and began to look at the photos carefully.

Seeing Yu Bao touch the tiger's head three times, he exclaimed in surprise.

"This... how dare you touch a tiger's head! Yu Bao, Heng Bao, how can you be so bold? It's so dangerous! Tigers are ferocious beasts, they can eat people if they go berserk! You can't be so reckless in the future!" Mother Gu hurriedly said to the twins.

Yu Bao quickly replied, "There are many zookeepers here, and my mom is here too, so don't be afraid."

"That's dangerous too." Gu's mother imagined a terrifying scene. "What if it jumps up and bites your arm?!"

Biting an arm is nothing, but biting a neck is terrible. Thinking of this, her heart pounded with fear.

Hengbao said, "The big cats that people keep are very friendly; they don't harm humans."

"It's better to be safe than sorry," said Gu's mother.

Mr. Gu felt she was being a bit of a spoilsport and interrupted her, "Let's not talk about this anymore. The children are all back safe and sound, what's the point of saying these things? Besides, the third son's wife is here, would she just stand by and watch Yu Bao and the others get into trouble?"

Lin Zhao smiled and nodded.

Gu's mother stopped talking. She knew she was nagging, but she just couldn't help it.

Yu Bao, being quick-witted, handed his grandma a photo of himself with a giant panda, face to face, saying, "Grandma, look at the giant panda."

Gu's mother looked down and saw a large washbasin and a pair of dark eyes.

"Wow, this big washbasin has really black eyes!"

Lin Zhao: "..." Harsh words hurt a cat's heart.

Yu Bao's expression was indescribable.

"Grandma, Tuantuan doesn't like being told it has a big face, so please don't say that to it," Hengbao with its long beak requested.

"Who is Tuantuan? This big cat?!" Gu's mother asked.

“Yes, its name is Tuantuan,” Hengbao said.

Yuanbao: "Wow, it even has a name! Do big cats have names?"

"They all have names, let me tell you slowly..." Hengbao has a good memory and tells his friends the names of the animals in the photos.

The children would exclaim "Wow!" every now and then, making the Gu family's courtyard incredibly lively.

There were many photos, and looking through them one by one would take quite a while, but the children weren't in a hurry.

"Yu Bao, what is this?! Is it a snake? It's so thick!" Tie Niu was the first to see the picture of the giant python, and his jaw almost dropped.

“Yes, it’s a giant python from the zoo, it’s huge, and it’s sleeping,” Yu Bao explained.

"How scary!" Little Calf, the only son of Zhang Yongqiang, the head of the neighborhood committee, whimpered softly. He was a premature baby, born weak, two years older than the twins, but the same height as them. He spoke softly, had fair skin, and looked somewhat feminine.

“Little calf, why are you afraid of everything? My mother said you were born into the wrong family. You should have been born into a big shot’s family, where there are no toads, scorpions, or centipedes in a small villa…” Yuanbao said.

The calf's eyes welled up with tears, and its face showed grievance. It said weakly, "I don't want to go to the house of important people. I just want my parents."

Afraid that he would cry, Gu's mother took out a handful of big red dates and distributed them among the children.

"Eat some dates, just to sweeten your mouths."

The children thanked her politely.

Lin Zhao looked at the calf's clothes. The clothes looked simple, but they had many clever details, such as the slightly gathered cuffs and the little ducks embroidered stitch by stitch, which made the child's already delicate face even cuter.

"Little calf, did your mother make your clothes?" she asked.

The calf looked over in bewilderment, then nodded twice earnestly, "Mmm."

"Does your mother take on jobs?" Lin Zhao wanted to make new clothes for her four children. She was quite skilled at sewing, but she was a bit lazy and wanted to find something ready-made.

Mother Gu interjected, "You want to have Yuzhen make your clothes?!"

Yuzhen is the wife of Zhang Yongqiang, the head of the neighborhood security committee, and also the mother of Xiaoniudu. She is 27 years old this year, a skilled tailor, and can also embroider.

“Yes, make one set for each of the four kids.” Lin Zhao did not deny it.

I made them again, but I hardly wore the ones I made last year.

Gu's mother had some doubts, but she dared not say it in front of Lin Zhao.

“Yuzhen takes on jobs. If you want to do it, just tell her.”

Lin Zhao agreed, "Okay."

Hearing this conversation and knowing that her mother was going to make them new clothes, Yu Bao volunteered, "Mom, I want to have flowers embroidered on the clothes!"

"Should we embroider large yellow amber, small gold, or coal lumps?" Lin Zhao asked.

Hengbao's loud voice rang out, "I want a big Tuan Tuan too!"

He spread his arms and made a large circle.

"Embroidered on the chest, and it has to be big!"

Lin Zhao: "..."

I'd love to read it.

"Don't go too far," she said.

Hengbao softened her tone slightly and reluctantly said, "Then embroidering half of it will do, won't it?"

"……Row."

She then asked the other three children what they wanted. Yu Bao said he wanted to embroider a family photo, but Lin Zhao found it too strange and politely declined his request. The eldest child was slightly disappointed but didn't make a fuss. He only said he wanted to embroider a coal ball.

As for Qianbao and Yaobao, there were no demands. Qianbao said he would listen to his mother, and Yaobao followed his brother's lead and said he would listen to his mother. The two siblings followed Lin Zhao's wishes.

Looking at the twins' chubby faces, Lin Zhao already had an idea in mind, and was just waiting to go back and draw it.

After the family finished admiring the photos, Yu Bao and Heng Bao carefully put them away.

Lin Zhao reminded him, "Don't forget to leave two for your grandparents."

The elderly couple painstakingly picked out two bills and carefully placed them under the transparent glass covering the cabinet. Passersby could glimpse them every time they walked by, which made them extremely happy.

Their desire to show off their cotton shoes was ultimately satisfied.

As he walked into the house, Gu Yuanshan noticed the shoes on his parents' feet.

"Dad, Mom, when did you buy these cotton shoes?" Gu Yuanshan walked over, staring at the shoes on his parents' feet with an expression full of envy.

Father Gu was startled; his opportunity had arrived.

The old man stopped, trying hard to suppress the upturn of his lips, and said in a calm tone the most pretentious words, "Yu Bao and Heng Bao bought these for me and your mother with their bonuses, saying it was to show their filial piety."

Mother Gu continued, "This year, when it snows, your father and I won't feel cold when we go out."

Homemade cotton boots get wet in snow and rain, unlike store-bought waterproof ones.

Gu Yuanshan remained silent.

Kids these days are so amazing!
“Yu Bao and Heng Bao are better than me,” he said.

Instead of belittling her son, Gu's mother said, "You're not bad either."

Mr. Gu nodded.

None of his sons were unfilial.

Yuanshan Yucheng may not have much money, but he is very filial, which is reflected in every little detail.

Gu Yuanshan felt a surge of warmth in his heart. He was determined to earn lots and lots of money in the future and treat his parents well.

The news that Yu Bao and Heng Bao had bought cowhide cotton shoes for their grandparents quickly spread throughout the entire brigade.

A group of people looked on with envy, their eyes red.

Those who think it's unnecessary to buy an abacus for their child should immediately arrange one for them.

As a result, the Fengshou Brigade had many more children who could learn arithmetic anytime, anywhere.

Walking down the street, you can see many dolls carrying abacuses.

The abacus has become a fashionable item that every child in the entire brigade owns.

The corners of Lin Zhao's mouth twitched.

"..."
-
The next day, noon.

Song Yuncheng received a lovingly prepared lunch from his sister.

Steamed white rice until fragrant and soft, Dongpo pork, pickled fish, and stir-fried pork with chili peppers—all three dishes are meat dishes.

He was somewhat flattered. "Sister, what do you need me to do?"

“…You know me so well.” Lin Zhao gave him an admiring look.

Without wasting words, he said directly, "Qingzhou wants to do some mechanical work in the future, so you can mentor him."

“Me?” Song Yuncheng pointed to his nose with the hand holding the chopsticks. “I haven’t even finished my apprenticeship yet. It wouldn’t be good for him to become my apprentice. If my dad knew that I dared to teach someone with such poor skills, he would definitely beat me to death.”

"Become your apprentice? You wish." Lin Zhao rolled her eyes at him. "I'm just asking you to teach him the basics, don't make such a fuss."

Yun Cheng patted his chest, "It's good that you don't want to become my disciple, you scared me to death. Taking me under your wing is fine, it's not difficult, I agree."

After eating a piece of tender and fragrant Dongpo pork, he was almost overwhelmed by the aroma, and he ate his rice much faster.

Suddenly realizing something, he looked up abruptly and said, "Sis, you're not thinking of having him become my dad's apprentice, are you?!"

Yun Cheng's brow furrowed slightly as he carefully chose his words, "My dad has high standards for his apprentices. He doesn't want idiots, unreliable and lazy people, or those who don't meet his standards. He also doesn't want those who try to get close to him by using family connections..."

After saying "no" several times in a row, he spread his hands and concluded, "When it comes to work, even if you personally beg my dad, he might not agree..."

(End of this chapter)