06 "Unfortunately, burdened with a heart ensnared by love."

The little one's hand was warm and soft, small and tender in Lin Zhao's palm. She felt her heart settle, and a smile unfurled in her eyes.

Big Boy glanced enviously at his younger brother; he wished his mother would hold his hand too.

Lin Zhao saw what Big Boy was thinking and offered her other hand to him. "Mother will hold your hand as well."

Big Boy's dim eyes lit up instantly. Without a word, he reached out and took his mother's hand, a smile curving at the corners of his mouth that never faded.

The Gu family mother and her three children left, while the other older and younger kids chattered noisily beneath the old banyan tree.

"My mother is unfair. Mothers of twins like their twins better," little Yuanbao complained angrily.

Then, as if recalling something, he grew both upset and aggrieved. "When twins fight, their mother never scolds them; she even holds their hands to take them home. When I fight, my mother spanks me hard. I want my mother to hold my hand, but she never does. I must have been found on the street."

The little one’s expression drooped, like a stray puppy with no home.

In the field, Yuanbao's mother sneezed. She had no idea that by refusing to hold her son's dirty little hands—covered with boy’s urine and mud—she had unwittingly inspired this melodramatic fantasy of abandonment. Had she known, she might have thought the punishment too lenient.

"The mother of the twins is lazy, but she buys meat buns for them," said Iron Ox with envy. "I want to eat meat buns too."

Changsheng snorted coldly and said with certainty, "Big deal. Tomorrow their mother won’t even pay attention to them!"

"How do you know?" Yuanbao scraped the dirt with a stick, still sulking deeply, clearly drowning in sorrow too heavy to express.

"I just know!" Changsheng was stumped by the question and walked away displeased.

When the leader of the children left, the others dusted off and departed from beneath the banyan tree.

From afar, the childish voices could still be heard.

"It’s all Changsheng’s fault. I wanted to ask the twins to let me smell their meat buns, but now I don’t have a chance," Yuanbao muttered gloomily.

Another little girl sighed, "I want to smell them too."

Passersby, seeing the little ones’ worried faces, were puzzled but amused.

Lin Zhao arrived at the Gu family home with her two sons. As soon as she entered, two soft little creatures clung to her legs.

They were dragon and phoenix twins.

The third and fourth children were calling "mother," but their pronunciation was off, turning "mother" into something more like "liang."

Big Boy steadied his younger brother and patiently corrected the fourth child: "It’s 'mother,' not 'liang.'"

"Liang~~" the fourth child repeated, still wrong, but she lifted her little face with a sweet smile, revealing tiny baby teeth.

Second Child teased his little sister: "Fourth Child is a little fool, even calling mother wrong, silly girl." He gently scratched her cheek.

Fourth Child spotted the bun in Second Child’s hand and reached out to grab it.

Second Child quickly dodged, but Fourth Child was persistent. Letting go of Lin Zhao’s leg, she waddled after him, shouting “Want it! Want it!” in a soft, babyish voice.

Second Child wasn’t stingy but worried his sister couldn’t eat it. He anxiously asked Lin Zhao, “Mother, can Fourth Child eat the bun?”

At that moment, Mrs. Gu heard the noise and came out of the house.

Second Child shouted loudly, “Grandma, my mother bought us buns—meat buns! They’re really delicious!” Anyone overhearing might think he was bragging.

Fourth Child, still wobbling, reached for the bun in Second Child’s hand. She was short and even standing on tiptoes couldn’t reach it, but she calmly held onto her brother’s arm and tried hard. Her flushed little face was like a red apple.

Her entire weight leaned on Second Child, who was exhausted but raised his voice again, “Grandma, can Fourth Child eat meat buns?”

Mrs. Gu replied, “Give her a piece about the size of a fingernail, just a taste.”

Second Child tore off a bit of the bun’s crust for his sister. Fourth Child stuffed it into her mouth and sucked on it with her four tiny baby teeth. Her eyes curved with joy as drool trickled down her chin.

“You’re drooling again, you little messy one,” Second Child scolded playfully, mimicking an adult. He took out a handkerchief to wipe the drool from Fourth Child’s face.

Fourth Child cooperated obediently, lifting her little face calmly as Second Child wiped her, her composure remarkable for one so young.

Third Child was even quieter than his sister, sitting by Big Boy’s side without fuss. When Big Boy gave him some bun crust, he took it and nibbled contentedly.

Lin Zhao watched this scene with mixed feelings. Truly, this was a remarkable supporting character destined to be cannon fodder—over a year old and already so special, but unfortunately with a heart distracted by love.

With her around in this life, how could these kids develop such romantic minds?

Her gaze swept over the children one by one.

Big Boy and Second Child suddenly felt a chill and looked around, finding nothing amiss, then relaxed.

Lin Zhao withdrew her gaze and turned to Mrs. Gu, handing over the package she had brought. “I have something to ask your husband for help. This is a token of thanks.”

Mrs. Gu took the paper-wrapped bundle from her eldest daughter-in-law in a daze, not quite processing it.

What was going on?

The eldest daughter-in-law actually brought gifts when visiting? This was a first.

Mrs. Gu felt no joy, only anxiety and a muddled mind.

What was Big Boy’s mother up to?

“Looking for your father? What is it about?”

Before Lin Zhao could answer, the talkative Second Child blurted out loudly, “Mother wants to build a house!”

“A house?” Mrs. Gu’s voice rose slightly, thick with incomprehension. “Why suddenly want to build a house?”

Second Child looked lost, then followed his grandmother’s gaze to Lin Zhao.

“That old mud house sheds dust everywhere, no matter how much I sweep, it never gets clean,” Lin Zhao said disdainfully.

Mrs. Gu choked on the words, twitching at the corner of her mouth. She had never seen Lin Zhao sweep before.

Besides, she had already suggested building a brick-and-tile house years ago, but the eldest daughter-in-law flatly refused, muttering about money, as if she spoke without worry. Now, a few years later, she was changing her mind with a look of disdain.

Mrs. Gu was used to Lin Zhao’s whims and didn’t dare argue, just said, “Your father’s resting inside. I’ll call him.”

With that, she pinched the small paper bundle and went back inside.

Mr. Gu was lying on the bed. He vaguely heard noises outside but, having been busy all morning, just wanted to rest and hadn’t gone out.

When Mrs. Gu entered, he opened his eyes. “Big Boy and Second Child have come?”

“Yes, and not just those two. Eldest daughter-in-law came too.” Mrs. Gu opened the package and caught sight of the meat buns and brown sugar inside. She paused, then blurted, “Meat buns and brown sugar!”

Mr. Gu sat up and swallowed unconsciously. White flour meat buns—he had bought two when the third son enlisted, and the third son had insisted on giving him one. The taste was unforgettable.

He missed the third son a little.

“Where did the meat buns come from?”

Mrs. Gu said, “The eldest daughter-in-law brought them. She wants your help. She wants to build a brick-and-tile house because she hates the dust falling from the current house.”

Building a house was ultimately a good thing; she had no objections.

Mr. Gu was pleased to hear about building a brick-and-tile house but raised a concern. “Build it now? Everyone’s busy with the double harvest; it’s hard to find workers.”

“And where will the bricks and tiles come from?”

Bricks and tiles weren’t easy to come by; arranging them was troublesome.

“Eldest daughter-in-law is outside; you can ask her.” Mrs. Gu couldn’t answer the questions herself and sent him to inquire of Lin Zhao.

Mr. Gu dreaded dealing with the eldest daughter-in-law but had no choice. He slipped on his straw sandals and went outside.

In the yard, he shed his usual gloom and discussed with Lin Zhao: “Eldest daughter-in-law, I heard from your mother you want to build a brick-and-tile house? With the double harvest ongoing and labor scarce, how about waiting until after this period? And about the bricks and tiles, what’s the plan?”

“That’s fine. I just wanted to inform you in advance. You don’t need to worry about the bricks and tiles—I’ve written to Gu Chenghuai, and he’ll find a way,” Lin Zhao said confidently. No matter what she wanted, Gu Chenghuai always found a way to fulfill it.

Mr. Gu was silent.

He could rely on the third son, too.

He had faith in the third son as well.

“All right, I’ve noted it down. We’ll build it after the double harvest.”

Lin Zhao thanked him, “Thank you, Father.”

Mr. Gu said nothing, thinking to himself that if she caused less trouble in the future, that would be thanks enough.

Just then, Gu Xing’er and others returned home.

“Why are you here?” Gu Xing’er glared at Lin Zhao with pure hatred.

Big Boy and Second Child saw their aunt’s fierce glare, as if she wanted to devour someone, and quickly stood protectively before their mother, watching Gu Xing’er warily.

Lin Zhao pressed one arm on each of their shoulders, drawing them close, and smiled at Gu Xing’er. “This is my home too; I come and go as I please.”

She glanced lightly at the firewood Gu Xing’er had gathered and reminded her, “By the way, you forgot to bring yesterday’s firewood. Don’t forget to bring it today.”

“Bang!”

Gu Xing’er threw down the firewood in anger, glaring at Lin Zhao. “Lin Zhao, you’ve gone too far.”

Lin Zhao ignored her and instead looked toward Mrs. Gu who had just come out of the house, speaking softly, “Mother, you should control Auntie a bit, so no one thinks all the daughters in the Gu family are so rude and noisy. The Gu family isn’t just her.”

These words reached the ears of the older sisters-in-law, who had just returned home. Their faces changed slightly.

They each had daughters, and if their reputation was ruined by the aunt, their children would suffer as well.

“Lin Zhao!” Gu Xing’er gritted her teeth, ready to curse again, but Mrs. Gu scolded her, “Xing’er, that’s your third sister-in-law. Who taught you to call elders by their names directly?”

“Go gather firewood!” she commanded, not allowing refusal, her eyes full of warning.

Gu Xing’er hadn’t eaten since yesterday afternoon and had been drinking water in vain. She had hoped to find food after gathering a bundle of firewood, but meeting Lin Zhao, her nemesis, at home made her so angry she burst into tears.

“I’m going to tell my third brother...” she sobbed.

“Do as you please,” Lin Zhao said coolly.

She had already written to her son’s father. Gu Chenghuai was a sensible man and knew whom to listen to.

Mrs. Gu, not wanting them to quarrel, said to Gu Xing’er, “Xing’er, go gather another bundle of firewood and deliver it to your third sister-in-law. Otherwise, you won’t have any food today.”

Gu Xing’er felt deeply wronged and unlucky, shot a resentful glance at Lin Zhao, and ran out of the house.

The aunt bore her hostility with Lin Zhao, so Lin Zhao didn’t feel safe leaving the twins at the old residence. She told Big Boy and Second Child, “Big Boy, Second Child, take your little brother and sister home.”

Mrs. Gu stepped forward, worried. “Third daughter-in-law, what’s going on now?”

“It’s double harvest time, mother is busy. I’ll take care of the children myself,” Lin Zhao said, not mentioning her concern that Gu Xing’er might act recklessly against her children.

Mrs. Gu was speechless. Mother’s been busy for a long time; only now does the third daughter-in-law realize.

“All right. If anything happens, have Big Boy and Second Child come find me,” Mrs. Gu said, not wanting to say more.

Big Boy smiled brightly, “Me and Second Child will help mother take care of our little brother and sister.”

Second Child nodded in agreement.

Lin Zhao left the old residence with the children. Just as they stepped outside, she noticed the task list flashing next to the lottery wheel, accompanied by a burst of celebratory fireworks.

It read:

[The children’s wish to eat buns has been fulfilled. You have successfully completed the task, earning 2 points. Collect 8 more points to enter the lottery. Go, go, go!]

Lin Zhao knew about the task list but was usually too lazy to bother. Thinking about doing tasks felt troublesome, so she never even looked. Who knew completing a task could be this easy!

If it’s this simple, maybe the tasks aren’t so bad after all.

“Mother?” Big Boy called out, noticing Lin Zhao had gone quiet, puzzled.

Lin Zhao ruffled his hair. “Let’s go home.”

“What do you want for lunch?”

Second Child, a child good at expressing himself, came over and said loudly, “Mother, I want to eat meat!”

The dragon and phoenix twins echoed, “Meat, meat~~”

Lin Zhao felt something soft brushing against her white shirt. Looking down, she met two sweet faces smiling up at her.

It was Third and Fourth Child calling “meat, meat.”

“What are you two yelling about? You two can only eat a few bites,” Lin Zhao said with amusement.

The twins didn’t understand her, smiling and showing their tiny baby teeth.

Second Child, noticing his mother was approachable, pulled his siblings into his camp. “Mother, Third and Fourth Child want to eat meat too.”

Lin Zhao pinched his cheek. “It’s you who wants meat the most, isn’t it?”

Second Child grinned and grabbed Big Boy’s hand. “My brother wants meat too, right, brother?”

Big Boy nodded firmly. “Yes.”

“Do you want to eat dumplings?” Lin Zhao asked.

Second Child answered loudly, “Yes!”

Big Boy, who had eaten plenty of dumplings at New Year made by Grandma with radish filling, curiously said, “I want some too.”

The twins didn’t understand the conversation but were happy along with them.

Lin Zhao led the children home. On the way, they met members of the brigade who stared in surprise, then whispered as they passed.

“Is everything okay with the Chenghuai family? She’s actually taking care of the kids?”

One village woman’s eyes lingered on Lin Zhao, bitterness in her voice: “Who knows? She’s married but dresses so gaudy, prettier than the eldest daughter. Who is she trying to impress?”

The first woman felt her words were harsh and about to sully someone’s reputation. “Don’t say that! Chenghuai’s wife may be a bit lazy but she’s decent.”

Seeing the other’s dismissive look, she continued, “She’s a soldier’s wife. Defaming military families can send you to jail. Watch your mouth.”

The gossiping woman looked around nervously, then relaxed. “I was just talking casually; don’t spread it.”

Her aunt advised quietly, “I’m not one to gossip, but be careful. No one in the Gu family is easy to mess with. If Chenghuai’s mother hears you spreading rumors about her daughter-in-law, she’ll come looking for you with a hoe.”

The gossiper bit her tongue and quickly said, “I won’t say anymore, I promise.”

...

Lin Zhao had no idea about these village talks.

Near home, they encountered some children running about.

Iron Ox called to Big Boy and Second Child, “Big Boy, Second Child, come play!”

Second Child wanted to play but wanted dumplings more.

He said, “Not today. Mother’s making dumplings. My brother and I have to help.”

Just then, Fourth Child’s baby voice chimed in, “Help... help...” word by word, slowly but surely.