Chapter 92 - 31: Weird

Chapter 92: Chapter 31: Weird

"Gu Chenghuai’s grandma adores Gu Xing’er. She’s her one and only favorite," Lin Zhao said.

"..."

As they spoke, the brother and sister arrived at the Fengshou Team.

Da Zai and Er Zai were waiting for their mother at the village entrance. When they spotted Lin Zhao in the distance, they shot toward her like a pair of little firecrackers.

Now that they were eating well, their legs were strong, and they ran even faster.

"Mom!"

Two bright voices called out.

The two little brothers were even more delighted to see Lin Shisheng. "Second Uncle!"

Lin Shisheng bent down and scooped up his two nephews. He’d been doing manual labor since he was a boy and was all sinew and muscle; lifting two small children was no effort at all.

"Whoa—I’m so high up!" With the sudden change in his view, Er Zai shouted in excitement.

Da Zai’s eyes lit up as well.

Back home.

Lin Zhao went to her room, brought out a watermelon, and took it to the kitchen to slice. She then called Da Zai in to take a piece to his second uncle.

Da Zai came pattering into the kitchen. Staring at the thing on the cutting board, his face was full of confusion. "Mom, what’s this?"

"It’s watermelon. A summer essential, it’s great for beating the heat. Take this out and eat with your uncle first. I’ll be right out after I make some watermelon-lemonade for you." Lin Zhao never made promises lightly; if she told her children she would do something, she always followed through.

Da Zai carried the plate out.

He came back a moment later.

"Mom, I’ll help you," he said.

Lin Zhao’s heart softened as she looked at her short, small older son. "There’s no need. Go on and have some watermelon. I’ll be done in just a moment."

But Da Zai was adamant. "I want to wait and eat with you, Mom."

Lin Zhao didn’t try to persuade him further. She quickened her pace, mashing the watermelon into juice. As she sliced open a lemon, a rich, tangy fragrance filled the air.

"Mom, what’s that? It smells nice." Da Zai liked the scent.

"A lemon," Lin Zhao explained, handing him a fresh one to examine.

Da Zai lowered his head, studying it from all angles before lifting it to his nose for a sniff.

’Lemon.’

He repeated the word to himself.

It was the first time he had ever encountered fruits besides wild mountain berries. One was watermelon, and the other was lemon.

Er Zai was happily eating watermelon with his second uncle, completely carefree, when he turned his head and realized his brother was gone.

He quickly dashed into the kitchen.

Seeing Da Zai standing so close to Lin Zhao, Er Zai scurried over in a few quick steps to stand on his mother’s other side. He tilted his head back, his little face smeared with watermelon juice. "Mom, what are you talking about with my brother?"

"You can ask your brother. Mom’s making you some sweet-and-sour watermelon lemonade." Lin Zhao had learned that watermelon and lemon could be made into juice from a book.

Su Yuxian had heard someone mention it, tried making it herself, and it became a huge hit in the military residential compound. But at the same time, years after her death, her memory was dragged out and tarnished again and again.

’Just thinking about it is depressing.’

’Better not to think about it.’

Soon, Lin Zhao finished making the refreshing, thirst-quenching juice.

The children fell in love with the color at first sight.

"WOW!"

A chorus of appreciative gasps followed.

Even Lin Shisheng, who had just entered the kitchen, chimed in with a "wow."

"WOW!"

This exclamation made Da Zai and Er Zai burst out laughing. The sound carried outside, and Dahuang and Amber chimed in with cooperative WOOFs.

Lin Shisheng ruffled his nephews’ prickly, buzzed heads and asked Lin Zhao, "What’s this?"

"Watermelon lemonade, made with watermelon, lemon, and sugar," Lin Zhao casually listed the ingredients.

The corner of Lin Shisheng’s mouth twitched.

’None of those are cheap!’

"I get the watermelon, but where in the world did you get these legendary lemons?"

Lin Zhao was very calm, laughing it off. "I just got lucky."

"Don’t go to the black market. They’re cracking down hard on that place," Lin Shisheng warned. Even he had stopped going.

"I know." Finding her brother’s nagging tiresome, Lin Zhao said gruffly, "Are you going to drink this or not? If not, then forget it."

Lin Shisheng immediately took a huge gulp. "Of course I’m drinking it. It’s free!"

After finishing, he savored the taste and commented, "This is actually really good!"

’Then again, she added sugar. How could it possibly taste bad?’

Da Zai and Er Zai absolutely loved it, taking tiny sips as if they couldn’t bear to drink it too quickly.

Lin Shisheng looked at his two nephews and said, "You two are living better lives than the kids from two whole teams combined."

The two little boys grinned, snuggling up against Lin Zhao and showering her with sweet words.

"Mommy’s the beeest~~ The best mommy in all the teams~~" Er Zai’s voice drifted. The little boy who was once a drain on her resources had become quite the sweet-talker.

Da Zai couldn’t bring himself to say such mushy things. He just said, "I’ll help you with your chores, Mom."

Lin Zhao hugged her two sons, her eyes crinkling with a smile.

After finishing the juice, Lin Shisheng watered the vegetable garden in the backyard, filled up the water cistern, and re-tied the broken clothesline, securing it tightly. Only after he had done everything he could to help did he finally leave.

He had just left when there was a knock at the Gu family’s door.

From outside came a soft, delicate voice that Lin Zhao had no desire to hear.

"Brother Da Zai, Brother Er Zai."

It grew closer.

That voice...

’It was Su Yuxian’s stepdaughter.’

’A truly unsettling presence.’