Chapter 32 - 12: Little Yezi’s Birthmark

Chapter 32: Chapter 12: Little Yezi’s Birthmark

"Zhaozhao, you need to pay more attention to the children. Don’t rely on your mother-in-law for everything. The Gu Family has so many children, and Chenghuai’s mother has limited energy. You’re the one who gave birth to them; you can’t just hand them off to someone else. That’s not how I raised you," Mrs. Lin advised earnestly.

She knew what her daughter had been going through these past few years. Thinking about how hard it had been for her, she didn’t have the heart to say too much. But in the blink of an eye, several years had passed. Mrs. Lin worried that her grandsons would grow distant from their mother, so she would offer a few words of advice every time they met.

"I know, I..." Lin Zhao started to explain, but she was cut off by Da Zai and Er Zai bursting through the door.

"Grandma!!" Er Zai shouted enthusiastically, like a little sun.

Then came Da Zai’s voice, equally filled with joy. "Grandma."

Mrs. Lin’s face was wreathed in smiles as she beckoned her two grandsons over. "Oh my, Grandma’s Da Zai and Er Zai! Come, let Grandma see if you’ve gotten taller."

Da Zai and Er Zai stood before their grandmother, straight as little poplars.

Er Zai wore a proud, lively expression. "Grandma, look at me first! I ate a big bowl yesterday, a full eight meat dumplings! I must have gotten taller."

"You had dumplings yesterday?" Mrs. Lin asked, surprised.

"Yep! My mom made them. They had lots of meat and were super yummy," Er Zai bragged.

Mrs. Lin was even more shocked. "Your mom made them?"

"And Mom is going to make us clothes, too," Da Zai added.

"Zhaozhao, have you finally come around?" Mrs. Lin turned abruptly to Lin Zhao, her voice laced with emotion.

Lin Zhao didn’t explain much, simply nodding. "Yes, I’ve come around. I went through so much to give birth to all four of them. I can’t just neglect them."

The corners of Da Zai’s and Er Zai’s mouths hooked into wide smiles.

"That’s the right way to think." Mrs. Lin’s eyes filled with relief. "You’ve finally matured."

’For the past few years, she and Zhaozhao’s father had been filled with regret, feeling... that they had been too hasty in agreeing so easily to their daughter’s marriage back then. Zhaozhao was still just a child who hadn’t grown up. Getting married, having children, and the man she married wasn’t even around... Her life was difficult, so of course her temperament soured...’

’Her husband always told her to wait, that things would be fine once their daughter grew up. And he was right.’

And look at her now.

Her daughter had suddenly matured.

"I’ll go back and tell your father. He’ll definitely be happy too."

Mrs. Lin and Father Lin had married young. In decades together, they had never had a serious argument or been apart. Their bond was strong, and they were always thinking of each other.

Lin Zhao was used to it.

However,

seeing the joy on her mother’s face, she added, "I’ll come home more often from now on."

"Good," Mrs. Lin replied, her voice full and strong.

Just as she finished speaking, Lin Shisheng came in.

"Second Brother," Lin Zhao said, her tone light.

"Zhaozhao, have Da Zai and Er Zai spend less time at the Gu Family’s old house from now on," Lin Shisheng said.

Lin Zhao was puzzled.

"What’s wrong?" Mrs. Lin’s face hardened, her sharp eyes fixed on Lin Shisheng. "Did someone at the Gu Family give our Da Zai and Er Zai a hard time?"

"They weren’t given a hard time, but Da Zai and Er Zai were almost hurt by their young aunt." Lin Shisheng’s expression soured as he recalled the scene he had witnessed.

"What?" Mrs. Lin immediately began checking on Da Zai and Er Zai, terrified that her two grandsons might have been hurt when she wasn’t looking.

Da Zai quickly explained, "Grandma, Er Zai and I are fine! Just as Little Aunt’s firewood was about to hit us, Second Uncle showed up and kicked it away."

Er Zai nodded vigorously beside him.

Mrs. Lin was relieved, but also furious. She shot to her feet, ready to march over to the Gu Family’s old house.

But Lin Shisheng pulled her back.

"Mom, I already taught them a lesson."

Mrs. Lin stopped in her tracks. "How did you teach them a lesson?"

Er Zai’s eyes lit up like bright lamps as he began to animatedly recount the scene of his second uncle standing up for them.

He was a little boy with a real gift for words, a clear mind, and a good memory. He acted out the entire scene.

Lin Zhao watched as her second son played the part of his little aunt one moment, himself and Da Zai the next, and then his second uncle, switching between roles with seamless ease.

He perfectly recreated the scene.

It was incredibly vivid.

It made you feel like you were right there.

Her expression softened slightly.

She was struck by how resilient Da Zai and Er Zai were. They had almost been hurt, yet less than half an hour later, the two little boys had already put it behind them.

"Thank you for protecting Da Zai and Er Zai, Second Brother," Lin Zhao said to Lin Shisheng with a smile.

Lin Shisheng was taken aback for a moment. "Why are you being so formal with your second brother?" he asked, surprised.

He raised an eyebrow with a grin. "Is this really my little sister?"

A hint of resignation flickered in Lin Zhao’s eyes.

’Her family used to spoil her rotten; she’d never once said thank you for anything. No wonder her second brother found it strange.’

"Second Brother, are you and Mom hungry?"

Lin Shisheng saw her changing the subject but didn’t call her out, instead asking in a teasing tone, "Oh? Are you offering to treat Mom and me to a meal?"

"Want some dumplings?" Lin Zhao asked directly.