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

Chapter 391 "Frankness"

Lin Zhao had no intention of joining the performing arts troupe. The comrades in the performing arts troupe had to travel to various places, similar to a tour, and were not at home all year round. She was homesick and reluctant to leave.

After rehearsing for most of the day, the girls were all hungry and left one after another, leaving only Xie Baiwei and Su Jingqiu in the end.

"I can't leave, I have to stay and practice more, you annoying aunt..." Xie Baiwei didn't express any resentment, she was just expressing her grievance.

“I didn’t say anything wrong. Auntie is so stingy. I’m going to go back and tell my grandparents.”

Su Jingqiu knew she was just saying it casually; she was closer to Commander Xie than anyone else.

"You keep practicing, I'll go get some food and come keep you company later."

She left quickly, saying a few words, knowing that Bai Wei, who wouldn't get to eat what she wanted, would be crying and wailing all night.

Xie Baiwei watched her friend's departing figure, her eyes growing increasingly resentful. "That annoying aunt, sob sob."

Lin Zhao found it amusing and said, "I'll stay a little longer."

Xie Baiwei's eyes lit up, and she chuckled, "Really? That's great, Comrade Zhaozhao is so kind."

That laughter... it's kind of mesmerizing.

"You continue practicing, Yaobao and I won't disturb you." Lin Zhao led her daughter back to sit down.

Yao Bao looked up at her mother, her little voice soft and sweet, "Mommy, can we clap our hands now?"

"Sure!" Xie Baiwei replied.

She half-squatted down, touching Yao Bao's soft little hand, her face full of smiles. "It's fine as it is. Commander Xie is making a big deal out of it. She's targeting me, it has nothing to do with your applause, don't overthink it. Receiving your applause makes me feel full of energy."

Yao Bao smiled happily.

The little body leans forward.

He suddenly kissed Xie Baiwei's cheek.

She blinked, "Give me a kiss, sister. Did you get lots of strength?"

"Yes! Absolutely!!" Xie Baiwei almost plopped down on the ground. Such a sweet-smelling baby, I love her so much! (★★)
"I received so much strength."

The little girl's face was flushed as she snuggled into her mother's arms.

"Comrade Xie, you go about your business, don't worry about us," Lin Zhao reminded him, noticing that two minutes had passed.

"Just call me Bai Wei." Xie Bai Wei felt that Comrade Xie was being distant and was somewhat unwilling.

“Okay, you can call me Zhao Zhao,” Lin Zhao said.

"Zhao Zhao," Xie Baiwei immediately changed her address.

"Mm," Lin Zhao replied.

Xie Baiwei was overjoyed.

Suddenly remembering that she had once harbored improper thoughts about Lin Zhao's husband, the smile on her face faded slightly.

She pursed her lips, organizing her thoughts in her mind, and said somewhat nervously, "I met Deputy Regiment Commander Gu a few years ago and received help from him..."

Lin Zhao looked puzzled. "Hmm?"

Xie Baiwei glanced at Yao Bao, but couldn't bring herself to say what she was about to say.

What's going on here?
Lin Zhao put Yao Bao down and let her play by herself for a while. Yao Bao kissed her mother's face, obediently walked a short distance away, found a place where she could see her mother, squatted down with her round body, and started playing by herself.

Xie Baiwei nervously fidgeted with her hands, took a deep breath, and continued, "I didn't know that Deputy Regiment Commander Gu was married and had a wife and children. I had inappropriate thoughts about him. I'm sorry."

She stood up and bowed deeply to Lin Zhao, her fair face flushed red with shame.

Of course, she could have kept quiet and pretended nothing had happened, but... she had genuinely befriended Lin Zhao, and after much thought and making a scene with Jingqiu all night, she finally decided to be honest with Lin Zhao.

"So now...?" Lin Zhao looked at Xie Baiwei.

"I didn't!" Xie Baiwei said urgently, raising her voice slightly. "I know that Deputy Regiment Commander Gu gave up after getting married! I am a moral woman and I won't do anything that would make me an orphan."

She grabbed Lin Zhao's hand in a panic, her eyes bright, "Zhao Zhao, you have to believe me."

“I am a girl from a good family. I grew up with the love of my family and enjoyed the glory of my family. I would never do anything to damage the reputation of the Xie family. This is my pride.”

Moreover, she discovered that her attraction to Deputy Regiment Commander Gu was purely based on his appearance. She knew nothing about his personality, his family, his experiences, and so on. What was it about him that she liked? It was the feeling she had at that moment.

After thinking it through, I wasn't too sad.

Dad said that life will always have regrets, but whatever they are, they will pass. The most important thing is not to confine yourself.

Lin Zhao's expression remained unchanged.

"Don't worry, I don't disbelieve you." She looked into Xie Baiwei's eyes and smiled, "The moment I saw you, I knew you were a good girl with self-respect and self-love. You could have chosen not to say these things, but you told me anyway, expressing your apologies. You dared to take responsibility for your actions, and I admire that very much. How could I have misunderstood?"

"Bai Wei, I understand what you're saying. Don't take it to heart. Everyone has their youth. Besides, you didn't know Gu Chenghuai was married. Ignorance is no excuse. I don't blame you."

She said with a hint of pride, "My man is good-looking and capable. If I can be attracted to him, other outstanding girls who don't know the situation can also be attracted to him. This shows that I have good taste. I won't overthink it, and you shouldn't take it to heart either."

Xie Baiwei excitedly hugged Lin Zhao.

"Thank you, Zhao Zhao. I was so nervous before I said this. I was afraid you would misunderstand and think I was a bad girl who broke up someone's family. You are so kind."

She didn't misjudge him.

Lin Zhao smiled and patted Xie Baiwei's shoulder. The girl had sweated a lot while dancing, but she didn't smell bad at all; she smelled nice.

"Five minutes have passed, stop slacking off and get back to practicing."

Xie Baiwei: "It's okay, I know my lines and dance steps well, half an hour at night is nothing."

She explained, "My aunt thought I talked too much and wanted to teach me a lesson so I would remember it. She didn't mean to actually punish me."

Xie Baiwei admitted that the leader was her aunt, and she received a lot of convenience and favoritism. She was not proud, but she did not feel ashamed either. She entered the art troupe and became the lead dancer based on her own strength. As long as you are strong, you have nothing to fear.

"You seem to be living a very comfortable life," Lin Zhao said with a smile, looking at the girl's nonchalant expression.

Xie Baiwei's bright eyes locked onto her. "So... do you want to join the performing arts troupe? I'll beg my aunt for you. Once you're in, I'll take you under my wing."

"No, I heard you have to go out to perform from time to time. I don't want to be too far away from home and my children. This job is not suitable for me."

"What a pity! I think you'd be perfect for it. If you joined the performing arts troupe, you'd be famous throughout the country sooner or later," Xie Baiwei said with a regretful expression.

Lin Zhao chuckled, not feeling any regret.

"This isn't what I wanted, so it's not a pity."

Xie Baiwei didn't try to persuade her further, but only asked, "Zhaozhao, do you want to learn to dance?"

She looked Lin Zhao up and down, from her face to her neck, shoulders, back, and overall proportions. The more she looked, the more she wanted to dance. It would be a shame if she didn't learn to dance with that figure.

"What, you want to teach me?" Lin Zhao asked, amused.

"Yes, if you want to learn, I can teach you. You can do it in your free time, it won't interfere with your work. I'll teach you something simple, just think of it as stretching your body. Learning to dance will make you more graceful. You're so beautiful, you're perfect for learning to dance."

Seeing Su Jingqiu enter the room, he continued, "Jingqiu didn't have any prior experience; I was the one who introduced her to the basics. Isn't she dancing very well now?"

Su Jingqiu put down her lunchbox and interjected helplessly, "Yes, yes, you are the best teacher."

She had only been gone a short while, and the two of them were already talking about this...

"Listen, I'm really good at teaching!" Xie Baiwei continued to promote herself.

Lin Zhao chuckled, "Of course I'd be happy to learn to dance for free, as long as you don't find it troublesome."

"Not at all, I just love seeing beautiful women stay beautiful forever," Xie Baiwei said with a bright smile.

This is a rather unusual quirk.

Lin Zhao said, "Okay, I'll listen to Teacher Xie from now on." She was quite interested in stretching her body. Since coming to the military region, she had Sister Hui's help, so she didn't have much to do and didn't have to get up early to go to work. Her body had become stiff from lying down, so she needed to move around.

Xie Baiwei nodded seriously, "Okay, we'll make a plan when we get back tonight and make sure you graduate in the shortest time possible."

Su Jingqiu: ...? What's going on with "us"? And what about her?!
……

Xie Baiwei is a woman of action. That evening, she and Su Jingqiu stayed at the guesthouse to make a study plan—no matter what, they would start from the basics.

They were very thoughtful; they even made a timetable and were determined to bring Lin Zhao into the family.

Lin Zhao: ...Are you serious?
Looking at the course schedule presented to her, she paused for a moment, then said, "Thank you, thank you for your help."

"No trouble at all, really no trouble. Just think of me as someone who likes to teach others, it's not troublesome at all." Xie Baiwei's smile widened as she thought of how much better Zhao Zhao's demeanor was.

From that day on, Lin Zhao began to learn to dance with Xie Su and the other person according to the schedule.

It was tough at first; my limbs were uncoordinated, and my body was stiff and painful...

After a few days, I was a completely different person.

Lin Zhao found it interesting and studied very actively. He never went to class empty-handed, hoping that the two young teachers would go easy on him.

Those who aren't professionals can't handle such rigorous teaching.

When Gu Chenghuai returned home before the New Year, he didn't see his wife. He asked the children and found out that Zhaozhao had been seduced by two people from the art troupe and had gone to learn some kind of dance.

Deputy Regiment Commander Gu's brows were so furrowed they could trap a fly.

I inexplicably recalled the two people I encountered in the family compound before I left, the two people who were pulling and tugging at each other.

I took a shower at the military bathhouse, shaved off the new stubble on my chin, changed into a new set of clothes, and headed to the rehearsal venue of the cultural troupe.

Yu Bao hadn't seen his father (his third uncle) for over half a month, and now he was following beside him like a string of loudspeakers.

"Does your mother go there every day?"

Yu Bao nodded, "Yes, for the first few days, Mom came back saying she was in pain all over, but after a week of practice, she stopped saying she was in pain."

Gu Chenghuai knew why his wife was in pain. It's normal for people who don't exercise for a long time to experience muscle pain when they move even slightly.

He knew the道理 (principles/reasons), but he still felt sorry for Zhaozhao's suffering.

"Why suffer like this..."

Hengbao said, "Mom says that people who study dance have good temperament. She wants to become a person with good temperament and become the campus beauty when she goes to college."

This was something Lin Zhao said to tease her son; little did she know her son would use it to answer his father.

Gu Chenghuai: ...You're already shining brightly enough, why bother with yourself?
He quickened his pace, thinking about it.

Yu Bao ran after him, saying, "Dad, no one can see Mom who's learning to dance, she won't pay attention to you."

Gu Chenghuai glanced at him. "Not necessarily."

Distance makes things better than proximity; he's been away from home for over half a month, his wife must miss him.

He sped up again, his long legs taking one step that was equivalent to three steps for the children, so Yu Bao and the others simply ran to keep up.

Before long, the group arrived at the rehearsal room.

When Gu Chenghuai arrived, he realized that there were not only his wife inside, but also other women, so it was inappropriate for him to go over.

So he restrained his sons and made them stand below and wait.

"Dad, why aren't we going up?" Hengbao asked, panting.

"What kind of man would I be, barging into a place where only women are? Wearing this uniform means that no matter where I am, I must always remember the importance of conduct," Gu Chenghuai said calmly.

There are many people in the military who have been forced to shed their military uniforms due to issues with their conduct.

He has always been cautious in this regard.

Zhao Zhao said that a man who doesn't respect himself is like a rotten cabbage.

A man with traditional male virtues never gives other women the opportunity to get close to him.

Yu Bao nodded several times, "I'll remember."

They didn't have to wait long before Lin Zhao led Yao Bao out.

Upon seeing the figure under the tree, Lin Zhao's eyes lit up, and she picked up Yao Bao and ran towards the man.

“…You’re back.” She stopped in front of the tall figure.

Gu Chenghuai gazed at his wife and took Yaobao from her arms.

"Learning to dance must be tough, you've lost weight."

Lin Zhao touched her face. "Really?"

"Yes." Gu Chenghuai nodded, a look of heartache on his face. He had finally gained some weight to keep warm, and then he went out for a while and all of it was gone.

"Have you been eating too little?"

Lin Zhao waved goodbye to teachers Xie and Su, and set off on her way home with her husband and child.

She shook her head. "I ate a lot; it must be the result of exercise."

Dancing is physically demanding; all that sweat is well spent.

"I haven't been practicing for long, but I feel my limbs have become more flexible, and I sleep better at night."

A smile flashed in Gu Chenghuai's eyes. "When your body is tired, you sleep soundly. You didn't want to go for a walk with me, but insisted on enduring the hardship of dancing."

Lin Zhao smiled warmly, "I could see beautiful girls dancing there from time to time. It was so beautiful and elegant. It was a strange and novel place, and I really enjoyed it."

enjoy……

Gu Chenghuai's eyes darkened. "They invited you?"

“Yes, Bai Wei and Jing Qiu are both warm and sincere comrades. We are already friends, friends who eat, dance, go shopping together…” Lin Zhao said.

So fast? It seems a lot has happened in the past two weeks that he doesn't know about.

Gu Chenghuai never interfered with Lin Zhao's friendships, and immediately said, "Whatever makes you happy."

Anyway, the people in the cultural troupe will leave after the New Year, it won't be long.

That evening, when Gu Chenghuai saw the bruises on Lin Zhao's legs, his thin lips tightened suddenly, and with a sullen face, he found some ointment and silently applied it to his wife.

Lin Zhao: ...Oh no, I'm angry.

"It looks serious, but it doesn't actually hurt." She hooked the hem of her husband's shirt. "You know, my skin is like this. It really doesn't hurt. I'm not stupid. If it hurt, would I not stop?"

Gu Chenghuai felt a lump in his throat. He carefully applied the medicine to Lin Zhao, washed his hands, and then pulled her into his arms.

“It breaks my heart,” he said.

"I know." Lin Zhao hugged him back, her voice soft and coquettish. "I'm bored at home, so I'm finding something to do to pass the time. I'll study for another week at most, then Bai Wei and Jing Qiu will leave, and there won't be anywhere to study then. I promised you, so I can't break my promise halfway. I promise you, I'll be careful in the future. Don't be angry, okay, Daddy, Deputy Regiment Commander Gu, Ah Huai..."

Gu Chenghuai couldn't resist Zhaozhao's coquettishness, and his tense face instantly relaxed.

"...Alright, no more bumps or scrapes allowed. I'll check tonight."

"Whatever you say." Lin Zhao knew he was worried about her, so she softened her tone as much as possible, lifting her head to kiss the man's chin a few times. "How about you? Did the mission go well? You didn't get a couple more scars, did you?"

"It went smoothly, no injuries." Gu Chenghuai lowered his head and kissed his wife's face.

"I need to check..." Lin Zhao's fingers touched the hem of his sweater, her eyes smiling.

(End of this chapter)