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

Chapter 408 "What You Owe Me"

Hengbao looked through the things Jin Lixin had brought. "Brother, it's peach shortbread. What should we do?"

Yu Bao had a good idea: "Keep it, and we'll share our snacks with Brother Jin another day."

After saying that, the two brothers took the peach shortbread back to their house.

Lin Zhao took in everything that happened in the courtyard.

“Lixin is a good kid.” Lin Zhao nudged Gu Chenghuai’s arm. “He has a strong mentality and is very polite. It’s a real pity.”

Gu Chenghuai said, "It is quite good."

He put his arm around his wife's shoulder and said, "It's time to sleep."

Lin Zhao pulled his hand down, "I'm going to see Yaobao."

The man caught up with her.

The couple entered Yaobao's room. The little girl on the bed was sleeping peacefully, with the blanket covering her chest.

Lin Zhao sat on the edge of the bed, tidying her daughter's disheveled hair, kissing her forehead, whispering goodnight, and then took Gu Chenghuai's hand and left the room.

The couple returned to their room.

Lin Zhao yawned, got into bed, and lay down.

Gu Chenghuai lay down beside her, stretched out his long arm, and turned off the light.

"Your birthday is coming soon, is there anything you particularly want?" The man's deep, pleasant voice rang out.

Lin Zhao was taken aback. "I almost forgot... I didn't realize my birthday was coming up soon."

I'm another year older.

"I don't want anything, I lack nothing." Lin Zhao snuggled closer to Gu Chenghuai, a slight smile playing on her lips. "Your safety and the children's health and happiness are the best gifts."

Gu Chenghuai tightened his arms around his wife, kissed the top of her head, and smiled through his dark eyes.

Alright, he can prepare it himself.

"Go to sleep." A broad hand rested on Lin Zhao's back, patting him gently, as if coaxing a child.

Lin Zhao paused slightly. Strange, she'd actually become a human tonight…

Another half minute passed, and the man's hand remained still, and his breathing was normal. He seemed to have no intention of doing anything. She relaxed, carefully changed her position, buried her face in his firm, soft chest muscles, and fell asleep contentedly.

……

Perhaps because the twins inadvertently gave Jin Lixin some advice, which relieved his years of pent-up hatred, he was very peaceful and unkind towards Yu Bao and Heng Bao.

Jin Xueqing noticed this and took the initiative to integrate his older brother into his circle of friends, and also introduced him to Mao Dan'er, Meng Jingmo and others.

These children, whom Lin Zhao watched grow up, are full of youthful spirit. What's truly admirable are their fine qualities: kindness, integrity, and empathy...

Jin Lixin integrated very well. Even though he only had one eye and knew nothing, these people didn't laugh at him. They patiently taught him, took him to school, and played with him...

Some people with dark intentions made fun of Jin Lixin's disability, but Yu Baoheng retorted to them all.

This is something.

……

After getting to know Yu Bao and Heng Bao, Jin Lixin took the initiative to approach his father and asked to go to school.

Deputy Regiment Commander Jin was both surprised and delighted, "Okay, Dad will sign you up."

Jin's sister-in-law was also happy and wanted to ask what grade her eldest son was in, but she was afraid that Jin Lixin would recall the painful past, so she didn't say anything. She only said, "There is still a piece of green cloth at home. I will make you a new schoolbag and embroider a red star on it with red thread."

Not wanting to hear her son's refusal, she quickly went back into the house, found some cloth, picked some vegetables, and went next door to borrow a sewing machine.

She sews all her clothes by hand, and this was the first time she had borrowed a sewing machine from the Gu family. The sewing machine makes beautiful stitches, and Sister-in-law Jin wanted to give her eldest son the best.

Jin Lixin paused slightly when he saw Jin's sister-in-law's light steps.

She pursed her lips.

They stopped saying anything harsh or offensive.

At this moment, Deputy Regiment Commander Jin asked, "What grade do you plan to go to?"

Jin Lixin quickly composed himself and said, "I've finished junior high school and want to take the final exams so I can go to high school after the New Year."

The current school term system is the 5-2-2 system, also known as the "nine-year integrated system," which consists of 5 years of primary school, 2 years of junior high school, and 2 years of senior high school.

Jin Lixin always knew that only by studying could he escape his hometown. His grandmother wouldn't let him go to junior high school, but he studied on his own in secret, and would ask the educated youth for help when he didn't understand something.

He didn't ask for advice for nothing; he exchanged it for firewood or mountain produce.

"You learned it all by yourself?" Deputy Regiment Commander Jin asked, puzzled.

Jin Lixin glanced at his father and said, "Jin Baogen can't bear the hardship of going to school. He doesn't want to go to junior high school, and his family won't let me go either, saying it's a waste of money."

"What a waste!" Deputy Regiment Commander Jin retorted angrily. "I haven't missed a single month of your living expenses and tuition fees. Who's wasting money? Only that idiot Jin Baogen is wasting money."

He felt even more hatred for the people back home.

The more Deputy Regiment Commander Jin learned about his eldest son's life back in his hometown, the deeper his guilt became.

The man, who was the undisputed leader at home, patted Jin Lixin on the shoulder with a complicated expression.

"I'm sorry, Father."

Jin Lixin's eyes burned, and he quickly lowered his head.

He wanted to say some harsh words, to stab his father as usual, hoping to make him as sad and painful as he was, but his throat was sore that he couldn't say a word.

Deputy Regiment Commander Jin felt as if a stone was lodged in his chest.

"Go back to your room and rest. I'll go and inquire about your schooling."

He sighed, turned and left home.

Jin Lixin's situation was special, so the military school made special arrangements for him and accepted him, but he had to take an exam.

If he fails the exam, he will have to start from junior high school.

Jin Lixin had no objection.

He passed the exam with a very good score, barely losing any points.

And so, it was decided that Gionee would start high school after the New Year.

That night.

Jin Xueqing was shocked to learn that his older brother was going to high school after the New Year, and he looked at his brother with admiration in his eyes.

"Brother, you're amazing." Jin Xueqing praised him from the bottom of his heart.

Jin Lixin: ?

"What's so great about this..." He munched on a white steamed bun, then noticed Jin Hua swallowing her saliva. After hesitating for a few seconds, he shared half with her.

Upon seeing this, Jin Xueqing grinned and moved a stool with one hand closer to Jin Lixin.

"Big brother is the best! I'm so happy he's back," Jin Xueqing said with a smile. "Hua'er, are you happy?"

Jin Hua cut the half of the white steamed bun in two, keeping one half for herself and giving the other half to her second brother.

"I'm so happy!" Her voice was full of joy.

Jin Lixin tightened his grip on the chopsticks slightly, his heart filled with indescribable emotions.

So, he actually deserves praise and affection?
……

After the final exams, Yu Bao and Heng Bao went home with perfect scores.

"Mom, another perfect score! And a certificate too. Is there a reward?" Hengbao called out to his mother as soon as he entered the yard.

Lin Zhao came out of the house, took the report cards of her two sons, and looked at them.

"good."

Hengbao smiled brightly, "My brother and I aren't as smart as Qianbao, but we're not bad either, right? Getting first place is a piece of cake."

"Be humble, or your dad will shut you down again if he hears you." Lin Zhao flicked her finger and gently tapped her son's forehead.

"Okay, I'm being modest." Hengbao put on a composed expression that showed he had learned something. "I still need to keep working hard and strive to get first place in every exam, is that alright?"

Lin Zhao pushed him away, "You're so pretentious! Stop fooling around and go wash your hands."

Then she pasted the two new certificates on the certificate wall. "They look so nice," she clapped her hands.

She never had to worry about the twins' studies. Yu Bao was a self-disciplined boy, and under his influence, the hyperactive Heng Bao never slacked off in his studies and his grades were never bad.

Seeing Lin Zhao's proud expression, the two boys were very happy, but Hengbao said aloud, "It happens every year, what's so interesting about it?"

Lin Zhao turned her head and glared at him. "If I don't look, you'll say I don't care about you. It's so hard to be a person."

The boy, who had grown taller than Lin Zhao, put his arm around his mother's shoulder and said with great pride, "I was just kidding! Don't worry, Mom, there will be another one next year. As long as we're still in school, I guarantee we'll bring home an award certificate every year."

Lin Zhao looked at her two tall and strong sons, her eyes crinkling with a smile.

It was worth it for her to find different ways to supplement the children's nutrition every day; they grew quickly, and before they were even fifteen, they were already almost 1.7 meters tall.

"You two will be in high school next year. Time really flies," Lin Zhao said with emotion.

Yu Bao looked at his mother and said earnestly, "Mom hasn't changed at all. She's still the same as when we came to accompany the army."

He knew best what Lin Zhao cared about, and he provided plenty of emotional support.

Hengbao retorted, "It's changed, Mom looks even better now."

The two brothers were both incredibly sweet-talking, making Lin Zhao beam with joy.

She said, "You can't relax even in high school. Maybe you'll get lucky and the college entrance exam will be reinstated."

Yu Bao's eyes sparkled. He took his mother's words as gospel. If his mother said that the college entrance examination would be reinstated, then the college entrance examination would definitely be reinstated.

"Will Mom take the exam with us?" he asked.

"Yes, I always wanted to go to university. If it weren't for the nationwide famine, I would have been a university student more than ten years ago." Lin Zhao didn't regret it at all; she never looked back.

My life has been peaceful and happy for the past ten years or so, and I've had a very fulfilling time.

"So...we might be classmates..." Yu Bao was very excited.

Hengbao's heart pounded with excitement. "Mom, I want to go to a university in the capital. You should go to a university in the capital too. Then I can help you fetch water and do your laundry. We can go to class together, eat together, and the three of us can go out together on weekends, climb the Great Wall, watch the flag-raising ceremony... It sounds so interesting! I can take lots of beautiful pictures of you then!"

Inspired by his younger brother's words, Yu Bao's eyes sparkled. "Wherever Mom goes to university, I'll go too. I want to go to the same university as Mom."

"Me too!" Hengbao exclaimed.

Lin Zhao: "..."

"Let's talk about the future later."

The college entrance examination will not be reinstated until October of the following year, which will be just around the corner, so it will be less than two years in total. The timing is perfect.

By then, the twins will be sixteen, just in time to go to university.

Yu Bao looked at her mother with a determined look in her eyes.

He was determined to go to the same university as his mother.

What if Mom is beautiful and gentle, but someone bullies her? He has to watch over her.

……

Before they knew it, it was Lin Zhao's birthday.

Gu Chenghuai asked Lao Han to make a cake that city people only eat on their birthdays.

Old Han muttered curses as he worked.

He's a traditional imperial chef, yet this guy surnamed Gu is making him cook things that came from abroad. Isn't that putting him in a difficult position?
But that person keeps saying things like, "You owe me, you owe me a favor. It's been years, and I just want a cake. I promised my wife I'd surprise her, and you have to help me..."

Listen to this, is this what a human being says?

It wasn't him who agreed to it.

His father knew he would scold him for forgetting his ancestors.

艹。

In the end, Chef Han still made it, with the help of his wife, who came from a distinguished background and had tasted cake before.

Chef Han is a big, burly man, but he is very skillful. The cakes he makes are not only beautiful but also sweet and delicious. They are decorated with trendy fruits and look so tempting.

Han Shuang slurped her words, "Dad, it smells so good! I never knew you could do this."

Chef Han couldn't help but glare at her, "You've eaten quite a lot of the egg yolk pastries, cloud cakes, pineapple cakes, and other treats I made for you."

"I didn't say those things were bad, Father, why are you being so sensitive?" Han Shuang said indignantly.

These past two years have been peaceful, and she started growing her hair out. The fair-skinned, big-eyed girl has a head of slightly curly hair and looks as pretty as a porcelain doll.

However, she was anything but quiet; she was fiery and spoke her mind directly, often leaving her father speechless.

Chef Han took a deep breath, ignoring the drafty cotton-padded coat, and skillfully made several more Chinese pastries, intending to send them to the military region.

Han Shuang hugged the gift she had prepared and said, "Father, I'll go with you."

She smiled broadly, "Aunt Lin invited me."

Chef Han: "..."

He's just a cook and a deliveryman.

With a blank expression, Chef Han delivered the cake and his daughter, who had been exposed to drafts, to the military region. Without lingering, he turned and left.

Lin Zhao nudged Gu Chenghuai, "Did you provoke Comrade Han again?"

Gu Chenghuai calmly denied it, "No, I asked someone for help, and my attitude was very proper. Old Han is just like that, don't pay any attention to him."

Old Han: Pshaw!

Lin Zhao glared at her husband, then took Han Shuang's hand and left.

Not wanting to attract too much attention, Han Shuang wore a hat when she came to the military region, looking obedient and gentle.

Seeing this little girl step out of the original story and grow into the bright and confident girl she is today, Lin Zhao was extremely gratified.

"Aunt Lin, this is my birthday gift for you. It's a handkerchief I embroidered myself. I hope you like it." Han Shuang handed the gift to Lin Zhao. "My mother also prepared a gift. It's inside. Go back inside and take a look."

Lin Zhao smiled and ruffled the little girl's curly, soft hair. "Please thank your mother for me, and thank our Curly for too."

"No need to thank me, Aunt Lin. Where are Zhiyu and Zhiheng? I want to go find them," Han Shuang said.

After Yu Bao and Heng Bao entered junior high school, they were not allowed to be called by their nicknames by anyone except Lin Zhao, and those who were close to the twins changed their way of addressing them.

Lin Zhao said, "They went out and haven't come back yet. You can sit down and wait for a while."

Han Shuang sat obediently in the courtyard, her eyes constantly watching the movements at the gate.

Although she didn't live in the military area, her father would send her over from time to time, and she had a good relationship with Yu Bao, Heng Bao, and others.

The gift from Han Shuang's father was quite large, and Lin Zhao, curious about what was inside, followed him to the kitchen to see.

"What is this?" she asked Gu Chenghuai.

"The cake." Gu Chenghuai didn't keep her in suspense, showing her the cake before putting the lid back on.

Lin Zhao was immediately impressed and praised, "As expected of a professional chef, it looks really good."

It's much better than her cooking.

She used to cook for her children for the past few years, but now it's finally her turn to eat it. The taste... is really good.

After seeing the cake, Lin Zhao pulled Gu Chenghuai back to the room to see the birthday gifts that Han Shuang and her daughter had given her.

Inside the embroidered pouch were several delicately patterned handkerchiefs, and at the bottom was a dress that would seem rather daring by today's standards.

A blue and white floral print halter neck dress with a tie, V-neck, fitted waist, and fishtail silhouette that hugs the waist and hips, with a naturally draping skirt...

Han Shuang's mother's aesthetic sense is never wrong; she truly lives up to her status as a young lady from a wealthy family.

Lin Zhao held up her skirt in front of her, clearly liking it very much.

"It looks really good, but it's a pity I can't wear it out."

But it's okay, we can wear them in two years. This style will never go out of fashion.

Gu Chenghuai looked at the style of the dress and felt it was a bit... cough cough, revealing, but seeing that Zhaozhao liked it, he didn't say anything unpleasant.

He can protect his wife, so he'll let her do as she pleases.

(End of this chapter)