07 "Killing Two Birds with One Stone"

Lin Zhao gently ruffled the hair of her two young sons; children at this age were so curious and eager to learn—truly adorable.

Tie Niu zoomed over to the second son, his face filled with envy as he exclaimed, "Second Son, are you going to eat dumplings?" His mouth was practically watering.

"That's right! My mom is making dumplings today," the second son replied, beaming with pride as he showed off.

Lin Zhao didn't stop him. Her children had heard enough snide remarks from the villagers behind their backs; why shouldn't they show off a little?

"What kind of filling is your mom making?" Tie Niu wiped the corner of his mouth and continued to ask.

"Pork and scallion." The second son, being the most enthusiastic little foodie, had already pried the secret out of his mother earlier that day.

Pork and scallion. It must be full of meat!

Tie Niu’s eyes turned red with envy. "Your mom is so good to you. I want to eat dumplings, too. It’s still so long until the New Year," he said, his tone filled with melancholy and regret. In his own home, they were considered well-off if they could manage a meal of dumplings by the end of the year; most other families in the village couldn't bear to use their fine flour, trading it all for coarse grains.

"My mom is the best! She’s the best mom in the whole production team!" The second son’s expression was proud, his chin held high. It was the first time he had felt such pride in his mother's kindness toward them. His face flushed hot with joy, though his skin was too dark for anyone to see the blush.

The envy on their playmates' faces stirred a strange, unfamiliar emotion in the hearts of the two brothers. They couldn't quite name it—it was a mix of happiness and a sudden urge to cry. Holding Lin Zhao’s hands a little tighter, they could only grin.

"It’s scorching, let’s go home," Lin Zhao urged. She rarely went out in the sweltering heat, and her face already felt hot and prickly. The family of five quickened their pace toward home.

At the old Gu family residence, the elderly couple looked at the items Lin Zhao had brought and stared at each other in bewilderment. It was the first time. The first time they had ever received anything from their third daughter-in-law. Father Gu wanted to say that she had finally become sensible, but he was a man of few words; his chapped lips twitched, but no sound came out. Mother Gu sat there, staring blankly at the small parcel containing buns and brown sugar, feeling as if she were in a dream.

"You wouldn't believe it—I was nearly scared to death when I saw her coming with those things. When has she ever come over empty-handed? She suddenly brings gifts, and I thought she was cooking up some big scheme... or looking to stir up trouble. My heart was pounding so hard, I thought it would jump right out of my chest."

"Old man, what do you think is going on with her? Do you think she's plotting something?" Mother Gu’s mind was a mess. Her heart hadn't settled since yesterday. She felt truly aggrieved; what mother-in-law had to deal with a daughter-in-law like this?

Father Gu, being more easygoing, said, "Why think so much? If she gives it to you, take it. Even if she does have a favor to ask, would you really not help?"

"...Of course I’d help," Mother Gu replied. "If only for the sake of the children, I’d have to." Just like that, she felt completely cornered.

The Gu family hadn't eaten meat in two months, and with the heavy labor in the fields lately, they were exhausted. Father Gu was craving that meaty fragrance, too. If it were just a thought, he could have endured it, but seeing those succulent meat buns sitting there, he found it unbearable.

"Let’s buy some meat to nourish ourselves another day," Father Gu said after gulping down some water.

Mother Gu thought to herself how hard it was to get meat coupons. She felt sorry for her husband; at his age, the field work was indeed taking a toll. She stood up, walked to the cabinet, and opened the paper parcel. The scent of wheat and meat rushed into her nostrils. Swallowing hard, she took one bun and pressed it into her husband’s hand. "There are three. You eat one, and we’ll give the other two to the little ones."

Father Gu chuckled as he took it, breaking the bun in half and handing half to his wife. "Let's eat together." After saying that, he took a bite and let out a satisfied sigh. "This is the taste. It’s so fragrant." He had been thinking about it for years but had never been able to bring himself to buy it.

Mother Gu ate her bun, saying, "It is fragrant. White flour and meat—both are delicious on their own, but together, they’re even better."

In these times, every family was poor, and everyone’s nose was as sharp as a radar. Tie Dan, from the eldest son's branch of the family, passed by his grandparents' room and stopped in his tracks. Sniffing the air, he shouted excitedly, "I smell meat!" That cry brought all the other children running, chattering noisily.

The old couple had four sons and two daughters. The eldest, Gu Yuanshan, had three children; the second, Gu Yucheng, had three; the third was Gu Chan, who was married; the fourth was Gu Cheng Huai, who was married to Lin Zhao and had four children; and the fifth and sixth were twins, Gu Qingzhou and Gu Xing'er, who were still in school.

Recently, Gu Qingzhou had been taken in by his uncle and only returned before the start of school.

Tie Dan’s voice wasn't quiet, and little Tie Chui and the others swarmed over, hovering outside the grandparents' door, watching with eager, wide eyes.

"Grandma, meat, meat..." two-year-old Yu Yu from the second household chirped in a tiny, milky voice.

Mother Gu frowned. "A bunch of little scavengers, they can smell it even through a closed door."

Father Gu didn't speak, still savoring the taste of the bun. How could they not smell it? "Divide it among the children," the patriarch said, his heart aching for his grandchildren.

"Fine, I'll divide it," Mother Gu said, pained. She took the remaining two buns and walked out, muttering, "With so many mouths to feed, nothing good ever lasts until the next day."

As soon as she stepped out, she was bombarded by the clamor of her grandchildren.

"Grandma, what’s in your hand? Is it meat? It must be, I smelled it!" cried Tie Dan.

"Fragrant!" added Tie Chui.

Eleven-year-old Bang Bang didn't say anything, but his eyes were fixed on his grandmother’s hand, his throat working as he swallowed continuously. Lai Mei, the toughest of the lot, crowded in front of Mother Gu. "Grandma, your grandson wants some!" Even two-year-old Yu Yu knew there was something good in her grandmother’s hand, tugging at her pants until they nearly slipped off.

Mother Gu hurried to the kitchen and divided the two buns among the children. Split into several pieces, each child only got two small bites, but the Gu children were satisfied. The sensible ones offered their parents a taste, while the younger ones swallowed it in three gulps.

The eldest daughter-in-law, Huang Xiulan, was a lucky woman; her sons Tie Dan and Tie Chui were thoughtful. After tasting the bun, she smiled at Mother Gu and asked, "Mom, where did these come from?" The second daughter-in-law, Zhao Liuniang, was also curious.

"The eldest daughter-in-law brought them," Mother Gu replied.

The two sisters-in-law exchanged a slow, silent glance. Lin Zhao?

"Why would Lin Zhao bring buns over?" Like her mother-in-law, the eldest daughter-in-law’s first reaction was tension and alarm. The second daughter-in-law’s head was filled with question marks as she looked at Mother Gu.

"She said she wants to build a house and needs your father’s help. She brought three meat buns and half a tael of brown sugar as a thank-you gift," Mother Gu explained.

Meat buns and brown sugar! She was truly generous this time! Huang Xiulan and Zhao Liuniang almost changed their opinion of Lin Zhao, but then, remembering her difficult nature, they quickly shook their heads to stay clear-headed.

"Building a house? Why the sudden urge?" the eldest daughter-in-law asked curiously.

"She says the mud hut they’re living in sheds dust."

The second daughter-in-law looked stunned. "If she’s complaining about dust, does she want to build a brick-and-tile house?"

"That’s right," said Mother Gu. "If it wasn't for a brick house, would she have come to ask your father?" She had long realized that her third daughter-in-law never visited without a reason. Fortunately, today’s reason was a good one.

Mother Gu wasn't a cruel mother-in-law, but that didn't stop the others from feeling envious. Who wouldn't want to live independently and be the master of their own home? But with unmarried siblings-in-law still in the house, moving out was at least three to five years away. With that thought, Huang Xiulan and Zhao Liuniang sighed and let the matter rest.

***

Back home, Lin Zhao returned with the children. It was the hottest time of the day, so she coaxed the children to sleep and retreated to her own room for a nap. Before drifting off, she noticed that the task bar on the right side of her lucky draw interface had updated.

After she had told the children they were having dumplings for dinner, a new task had appeared:

【A childhood without delicious dumplings is an imperfect one! Please make dumplings for the children. Completing this task will earn you 4 points. Keep it up!】

From this, Lin Zhao concluded that the tasks issued by the wheel were all related to raising the children, and even linked to the topics they discussed. The points varied, likely based on the difficulty of the task. This made things much easier; she could earn points while taking care of the children—killing two birds with one stone.

When she woke up from her nap, Lin Zhao washed her face with cool water and went to the kitchen. The eldest and second sons were in the backyard with their younger siblings harvesting bok choy. Of course, the one-year-old twins were mostly just causing trouble. Whenever their brothers scolded them, they would look back with innocent, clear eyes, looking perfectly obedient—only to start causing chaos again the moment their brothers turned their backs.

"Third child, don't teach the fourth one bad habits," the second son said, his face stern as he lectured his younger brother. Being a boy, he was quite indulgent toward his sister, the fourth child, and rarely scolded her unless necessary. The third child ignored him, his soft little hands digging happily in the garden soil.

Seeing he wasn't listening, the second son raised his hand, his voice rising in volume. "Third child, if you don't listen, I'm going to hit you!"

"Second son," Lin Zhao said, appearing suddenly in the backyard. "Who are you planning to hit?"

The second son immediately withdrew his hand, feeling a bit guilty. "Mom, the third child keeps making a mess, he’s driving me crazy."

"He’s still little, teach him slowly. You mustn't hit people, especially your younger brother and sister. Have I ever hit you?" Lin Zhao asked gently.

"No," the second son replied, though he thought to himself that it was because his mother didn't care about him and his brother at all—and he didn't dare say that for fear she wouldn't let him have any dumplings. Make no mistake, his mother could definitely see right through that!

"Pull a few scallions for me," Lin Zhao said, not dwelling on the matter. She let the children resolve their own squabbles; as long as the general direction was right, she didn't interfere.

In the garden, the eldest son quickly pulled five scallions, waved them in the air, and stood up. "Mom, is this enough?"

"Get a few more," Lin Zhao said.

The eldest son bowed his head, pulled a few more, and ran over to give them to her. Lin Zhao took them, shook the dirt off the roots, and praised, "Thank you, eldest son. You’re very capable."

The eldest son blushed; he was very happy to be of help. The garden had a good variety of vegetables, all tended by Mother Gu, though the twins sometimes helped with watering and weeding—they were certainly more diligent than Lin Zhao herself.

Lin Zhao took the scallions, told the eldest and second sons to watch the younger ones, and returned to the kitchen to start the dumpling filling. Soon, the sound of rhythmic chopping filled the room.

As she was chopping, she heard a childish voice outside. It sounded familiar—it was the youngest son of the eldest Gu household, Tie Chui. He was the same age as her eldest and second sons, and they had grown up together, the three of them being particularly close.

Lin Zhao walked out of the kitchen. When little Tie Chui saw his third aunt, he became nervous, his small body tensing as he didn't dare look at her.

"Third Aunt," he whispered.

Lin Zhao recalled the plot regarding Tie Chui from the original book: in the story, when the eldest and second sons faced misfortune, Tie Chui, their good brother, had always stood by them and helped them. Because of this, the eldest daughter-in-law had often been resentful, though she never said anything truly harsh.

"Tie Chui, you’re here. The eldest and second are in the backyard with the little ones, go find them yourself," Lin Zhao said with a smile, her voice soft and light.

"Okay," the simple-minded Tie Chui replied and ran toward the backyard.

Upon reaching the backyard, he shouted, "Eldest, Second, what are you doing?"

The eldest son stood up, waving a bok choy in his hand. "We're pulling bok choy."

"Tie Chui, do you want to join us?" the second son invited him enthusiastically.

"Okay!" Tie Chui said, rushing into the garden to join them.

Before long, Lin Zhao came to the backyard carrying a ceramic bowl. Seeing her, the twins wobbled over, wanting to be held. Seeing the dirt all over them, she felt a headache coming on, but she quickly set the bowl down and reached out to steady them. "Whose dirty little babies are these?" she said with feigned disgust, though a faint smile played on her lips.

The identical twins gave her the same sweet smile, trying to burrow into her arms. The eldest son grabbed them; the third and fourth children were close to their eldest brother, so when he held them, they stood obediently and stopped their fussing.

Lin Zhao breathed a sigh of relief. "I’ve made you a bowl of brown sugar water. Drink it if you’re thirsty."

"Thank you, Mom," the eldest said, then called out to the others, "Second, Tie Chui, come drink the brown sugar water."

Lin Zhao knew Tie Chui would feel uncomfortable with her around, so she left the backyard after dropping off the water. In these times, a single sip of sweet water could be savored for days. Hearing the words "brown sugar water," the second son grabbed Tie Chui and ran over, and the children began taking turns drinking.

"Eldest, Second, this brown sugar water is so sweet," Tie Chui’s eyes lit up.

"It really is," the second son agreed.

The Gu children were mostly raised by Mother Gu and were well-behaved; there were no selfish, spoiled brats among them. With the brown sugar water as a reward, they worked in the backyard with great enthusiasm.

As time passed, the scorching sun began to set. The eldest and second sons, along with Tie Chui, moved the bok choy to the cellar and returned to the front courtyard. Smelling the meat fragrance wafting from the kitchen, the five children lined up by the doorframe like a string of candied hawthorns.

"Mom, are the dumplings ready? They smell so, so good!" the second son, the most talkative of the bunch, wiggled his nose and asked with anticipation.