Chapter 79 - 27: The Sky Has Fallen

Chapter 79: Chapter 27: The Sky Has Fallen

She had a preliminary idea, but she would have to discuss it with the construction workers.

On the other side, they would build a kitchen with a smokeless stove that didn’t need a bellows. The countertop would also be built with bricks, as earthen ones tended to crumble.

Finally, there were the living quarters. They would build four rooms, just like they had now. It wasn’t enough for everyone to have their own room, but once the children grew up, they certainly wouldn’t be living in the village anymore.

As for the backyard, it didn’t need a major overhaul; just paving a stone path would be enough.

When Da Zai and Er Zai came home after playing, Lin Zhao told her two sons about her ideas and asked for their opinions.

Da Zai had no objections. "Okay, I’ll listen to Mom."

Er Zai, however, furrowed his little brow, looking troubled and conflicted.

Lin Zhao raised her eyebrows in surprise. "Just say what’s on your mind. We don’t muzzle people in this family."

Er Zai said, "Four rooms isn’t enough."

"How is it not enough?" Lin Zhao asked.

She smiled and explained, "You, your big brother, and your little brother can share one room. Your little sister gets one, and the last one will be for other things. It’s just right."

Er Zai furrowed his little brow and shamelessly asked, "Where will my wife live?"

His words were astonishing.

Lin Zhao nearly died laughing. "You’re still wet behind the ears and already thinking about a wife."

Er Zai grinned. "Grandma says every boy has to get married when he grows up."

Da Zai looked earnest. "Mom, I don’t want a wife. I just want you. When I grow up and earn money, I’ll give it all to you."

Lin Zhao patted Da Zai’s head and said to Er Zai, "Your dad and I will have done an amazing job just by raising you all. You expect us to prepare a marital home and find you a wife too? In your dreams! When you’re adults, you can earn it yourselves. Don’t even think about mooching off your parents!"

’The siheyuan I’ll buy in the future is for the Fourth Child anyway. Da Zai, Er Zai, and the Third Child will have to earn whatever they want. By the time they grow up, it’ll be a golden age with opportunities everywhere. I’ll give them some startup capital, and they should easily be able to earn enough to live comfortably.’

Of course...

The precondition was that she had to lay a good foundation first.

"Da Zai, Er Zai, starting tomorrow, you two will learn how to read and do math with me..."

Da Zai and Er Zai had no objection to what their mother said.

It was just that...

Er Zai pouted at Lin Zhao. "But other people’s parents all get wives for their sons."

He was only five and couldn’t even recognize a single word. He didn’t understand what getting a wife was for, but since everyone in the village said so, he felt he should have one too.

"Well, other people’s parents don’t give their kids meat and soda to drink either," Lin Zhao retorted lightly.

A thought occurred to her, and she smiled slyly, like the Big Bad Wolf tricking Little Red Riding Hood into opening the door.

"If you’re going to hold me to the standard of other parents, then don’t blame me for holding you to the standard of other children."

"You want me to save up money to get you a wife? It’s not impossible. Starting today, you’ll eat meat once every six months. No more meat buns, pickled fish, or shredded pork noodles... and forget about soda. You’ll eat wild greens and cornbread and drink sweet potato porridge. If we do that for about ten years, I’ll get you a wife."

Hearing this, Er Zai’s eyes widened in terror. It felt like the sky was falling.

He quickly hugged Lin Zhao.

A soft whimper, born from absolute terror, escaped his lips. "Mom, Mom, I don’t want one anymore! I don’t want a wife! I want to eat meat! I want to eat pickled fish! I want shredded pork noodles! I want to drink soda..."

And just like that, threatened so, the five-year-old’s little fantasies vanished.

"Study hard. Once you learn how to earn money and get a high salary, what won’t you be able to buy?" ’I’m a simple person with no grand ambitions. I just want my kids to be well-fed and clothed, free from the hardships of life.’

"I’ll study hard," Er Zai promised earnestly, his cheeks puffed out. His mother had really given him a scare.

"Me too!" Da Zai added.

That night, Eldest Child Lin and Second Child Lin began their journey into literacy.

The two little brothers had opposite temperaments—one quiet, one active. Da Zai could sit still and focus, recognizing characters with great concentration. Er Zai, on the other hand, was restless. It was as if he were sitting on pins and needles, fidgeting one moment and shifting the next. He was learning, but he was constantly moving.

Fortunately, he was a good boy who listened to his mother. He would patiently stick with it until he finished learning the characters, which made things easy.

Tonight, she would first teach them five of the simplest Chinese characters and have them memorize a poem.

Lin Zhao was pleasantly surprised to find that both boys had good memories. They learned the characters quickly, and after she taught them a simple five-character regulated verse a few times, they could recite it from memory.

With no one to compare them to, she, as their mother, didn’t notice anything unusual and just continued teaching at this pace.

"Once you’ve memorized it, you can go to sleep." Lin Zhao kept her voice very low, worried about waking the fraternal twins.

"Since you both did so well, you’ll get a reward tomorrow morning. What do you want to eat?"

Da Zai was the first to make a request. "I want something sweet."

"You got it."

Er Zai said, "I want to eat meat!"