Chapter 57 - 20: "2-Second Heat

Chapter 57: Chapter 20: "2-Second Heat

Mother Gu looked at her two grandsons with a loving smile.

"Fast, you’re both fast. You two little brothers are both quick runners."

She was treating them both with perfect fairness.

Er Zai chuckled happily.

Lin Zhao then said, "It’s still early. We’ll make it if we walk, so let’s just forget the bicycle." She was a ’salted fish’ by nature and didn’t like to waste her breath arguing.

Besides, the two little ones were full of energy; it didn’t seem like they’d plop down on the road and refuse to move.

Seeing that her third daughter-in-law had made up her mind, Mother Gu didn’t press the issue. "All right, then. Be careful on the road."

Afraid the twins would make a fuss, Lin Zhao avoided them and shot a look at Da Zai and Er Zai. The trio of mother and sons then quietly slipped out of the old family house.

It was the first time Da Zai and Er Zai had ever done something like this with their mother. Although they felt a little guilty toward their younger brother and sister, why did it feel so fun and exciting?

With a son on her left and another on her right, Lin Zhao started walking toward the county.

"No complaining that you’re tired on the way. If anyone does, you’ll have to wait until we’ve bought a bicycle for the next trip to the county."

Er Zai was quick to grasp the main point. "Mom, are we buying a bicycle?"

’Is that the main point?’

Lin Zhao chuckled. "We don’t have the coupon for one. We’ll talk about it later."

"Ask Dad!" Da Zai’s mind raced. Remembering they were supposed to call his father today, he immediately made the suggestion.

"You really are your father’s precious big boy," Lin Zhao said, ruffling her older son’s prickly, close-cropped hair as she laughed aloud.

Da Zai, thinking his mother was praising him, broke into a smile.

Er Zai stood on his tiptoes, his tone urgent. "Me! Me! I’m Dad’s good second son!"

"Yes, yes, of course. You’re your dad’s good second son!" Lin Zhao humored him. "Now, Dad’s ’good second son,’ walk properly. We need to get to the county before noon."

Er Zai settled down, took his brother’s hand, and walked on with big strides.

When people from the Fengshou Team saw Lin Zhao heading toward the county with her two sons, they exchanged puzzled glances.

"Why is Lin Zhao taking Da Zai and Er Zai to the county? She’s not thinking of selling those two boys, is she?" The color drained from Granny Zhao’s face as she imagined them being sold.

Wang Chunhua thought Aunt Zhao was letting her imagination run wild and explained on Lin Zhao’s behalf, "Da Zai’s father sent a telegram asking Da Zai’s mother to go to the county to take a call."

Granny Zhao hadn’t expected that. She gave an awkward smile, the wrinkles on her face standing out sharply.

"Oh, so that’s what it is."

"My mistake, then. I was thinking the worst of her."

"Chunhua, dear, don’t you go telling you-know-who."

"You-know-who" was Lin Zhao.

Wang Chunhua smiled. "I’m not a gossip."

"Yes, yes, you’re not a gossip," Granny Zhao said hurriedly. She had no choice but to be agreeable. Changsheng’s mother was still out collecting manure, and rumor had it she’d been forced to copy quotes until she cried. Granny Zhao didn’t dare provoke the young wife next door.

’I wonder who gave the team leader that idea. Forcing an illiterate person to copy quotes... it’s just too vicious.’

Before long, the whole village knew the Gu Family’s third son had sent a telegram home, and everyone was curious about what was going on.

「In the Su home.」

Liao Hongjuan was giving Su Yuxian some advice.

"Lu Yizhou is coming back today. You absolutely must lock him down. Your chance at a good life depends on these next few days while he’s back. Plenty of girls in our team are eyeing him, so don’t let someone else snatch him from under your nose. It’s not secure until you have an engagement ceremony, so you need to take this seriously."

Su Yuxian took her mother’s words to heart, a determined glint in her eyes.

’Lu Yizhou is the man I’ve set my sights on. No one is going to steal him from me!’

"I know. I’ll go meet him now, and as soon as I do, I’ll talk to him about getting married."

Liao Hongjuan’s expression softened slightly.

"Go early. Don’t be late."

She took out a small packet of hardened brown sugar and handed it to Su Yuxian. "It’s a long way. Borrow a bicycle."

Seeing her mother take out her treasured brown sugar, Su Yuxian was deeply moved. "Thank you, Mom."

Liao Hongjuan had always known how to handle her daughter, Su Yuxian. There was a flicker in her downcast eyes, but when she looked up again, she wore the gentle expression of a loving mother.

"Go on, now."

Full of confidence, Su Yuxian headed to the station to meet Lu Yizhou.

-

The thought of making a phone call kept Da Zai and Er Zai from feeling the least bit tired, and they walked at a brisk pace.

Lin Zhao had been worried that the two little ones would get tired and start whining to be carried, but they alternated between running and walking, seemingly tireless.

So, she picked up her pace as well.

Chattering and laughing the whole way, they arrived in the county without a hitch.

There were few tall buildings here; the highest was no more than five stories. Still, there were far more brick-and-tile houses than in the village.

For the two little boys who had never seen the world beyond their village, everything in the county was a novelty.

As the two normally lively and cheerful boys ventured into this strange place for the first time, a belated sense of fear crept in, leaving them feeling shy and anxious.

It showed in the way they clutched their mother’s hands, their own palms sweating.

A hint of a smile flickered in Lin Zhao’s eyes. She had been the same way when she first came to the county for school, always afraid of doing something wrong and making a fool of herself.

She said softly, "So I’m not the only one who gets scared, huh..."