Chapter 94

Lin Yao didn’t expect Gu Shi’an to suddenly embrace her. His strong arms were too powerful for her to escape. Annoyed, she tried to pinch his waist, but he simply turned over, holding her tightly in his embrace. His head buried in Lin Yao’s fragrant shoulder, his deep, magnetic voice carried a tone of exhaustion.

“I’m tired. Yao Yao, stay with me for a while.”

These words softened Lin Yao’s heart. Since when has Deputy Director Gu used such a pleading tone?

She thought since Doudou was asleep, she might as well take a nap herself and get up later.

Unexpectedly, she fell into a deep sleep. Thankfully, Lin Yao had brushed her teeth and washed her feet earlier. Rain fell in the middle of the night, waking her up from the cold. She groggily looked over at Doudou, who was sleeping soundly with his little pillow and hands tucked under the quilt. Lin Yao felt reassured, snuggling closer to Gu Shi’an. It was warm and comfortable. She liked to sleep close to someone in the cold autumn and winter.

Outside, the rain pounded on the roof. Lin Yao yawned and fell back into a deep sleep.

She slept soundly until 7:30 in the morning. When Dongzi came to wake her, it was already bright outside.

“Sister-in-law, it’s past seven. Mom’s calling you to get up.”

Dongzi was almost late for school, making a ruckus in the yard.

Zhang Cuilan gave him a swipe with a towel. “You little rascal, stop making a fuss and go eat!” 

Gu Shidong dashed into the kitchen. Behind the state-run pig farm, there was a low hill. In spring, it was covered with wild vegetables like purslane. Zhang Cuilan gathered a basketful of tender greens and made some small wontons with them. She boiled the wontons in hot water, added some cilantro, and the aroma was fresh and appetizing.

Lin Yao slowly got out of bed. She found the warm water and toothpaste prepared for her in the bathroom.

After washing up, Lin Yao applied some face cream and went to the main room for breakfast.

At this time, Gu Doudou was sitting in his father’s lap, opening his little mouth to eat the wontons.

Gu Shi’an scooped up a wonton, cooled it, and brought it to Doudou’s mouth. Doudou opened wide, his chubby face puffing up, his little tongue licking the wonton, shaking his head with delight. His expression was so adorable.

The little guy ate five or six wontons in one go. Lin Yao smiled as she patted her son’s round belly, thinking he couldn’t eat any more.

After Doudou had his fill, he was very well-behaved. While his parents ate at the table, and his grandparents and uncle went to work or school, he sat in his walker, practicing walking with his chubby legs.

Gu Shi’an had been out catching human traffickers these past few days, eating poorly and sleeping roughly.

After feeding Gu Doudou, he finally went to the kitchen and served himself a bowl of wontons, eating heartily. Lin Yao reminded him to eat slowly and not choke, and took out a handkerchief to wipe his face.

“What have you been eating these days?”

“Meat and egg steamed buns.”

Gu Shi’an spoke succinctly, his eyebrows and eyes showing discomfort as he lowered his head to eat the wontons, trying to reassure his wife.

Lin Yao, having been married for a while, could easily tell whether he was speaking the truth or not.

She chose not to call him out.

“It’s quite good. If breakfast isn’t enough, should I make you some egg pancakes?”

Gu Shi’an loved egg pancakes the most. HIs wife is thinking of him, he couldn’t suppress the smile on his face. He responded with a soft “hm” and got up to help.

“You are so clumsy. Just wait, it’ll be ready soon.”

Lin Yao washed her hands, scooped a ladle of flour from the barrel, added water, cracked two eggs, mixed in some chopped meat, and cooked a few egg pancakes in the iron griddle. They were golden and crispy. Deputy Director Gu ate half of them, savoring every bite.

After finishing his meal, Gu Shi’an promptly cleaned up the dishes. Little Doudou played with his big fish toy on the small bed. Lin Yao went back to the room to shake out the quilt, opened the window for ventilation, and packed her bag. The couple tended to their little one, adding water and feeding him. Gu Shi’an carried their chubby son in a sling, grabbed his milk bottle, formula, and diapers, and took the bicycle out.

Lin Yao was in a hurry to go to work. She thought she would have to walk today, but as soon as she stepped outside, she saw Deputy Director Gu already waiting with the bicycle.

Lin Yao ran out and gave him a kiss as a reward, “Our Deputy Director Gu is awesome!”

Hearing this, Doudou felt left out. He tugged at Lin Yao’s braid and said, “Mommy, I want a kiss too.”

“Okay, Doudou can have a kiss too.”

Lin Yao cupped her son’s chubby face, and the couple simultaneously leaned down to give him a kiss.

Doudou’s little face turned rosy with joy.

Gu Shi’an and his son took Lin Yao to the cotton textile factory and then headed to the county police station.

Although the missing persons case in the county had been solved, there was still a series of follow-up tasks to complete.

The stubborn Third Aunt couldn’t be pried open, but her subordinates with scarred faces and the skinny man were much easier to handle.

From the information they provided, several major cases in neighboring counties and cities were revealed, which needed to be organized and handed over to the provincial authorities for further investigation.

Da Tou Brother was feeling quite pleased these days. As he was finishing up the documents in the office, Gu Shi’an entered with the lively little Doudou.

Xu Xiangqian’s eyes lit up. “Oh, Doudou is here again. Come give Uncle Xu a hug.”

Doudou was excited and used to the police station, familiar with it. He stretched out his chubby arms towards Xu Xiangqian, excitedly patting the desk and saying, “Tofu, tofu! Report, report!”

“It’s not tofu, it’s Uncle Xu!”

“Tofu?”

“Uncle Xu!”

Doudou giggled and said, “Tofu!”

Da Tou Brother sighed in resignation. “Fine, tofu it is. At least we’re unique in this regard.”

Xu Xiangqian handed Doudou a newspaper. “Here you go, little ancestor.”

Doudou nodded, wiggling his little bottom, and climbed onto the office sofa. He plopped down, spread out the newspaper, and tried to mimic the old director’s pose, nodding his little head as he pretended to read.

The young men in the police station laughed heartily, saying that Doudou imitated the old director perfectly.

*

In the Dongfanghong Production Team, something new had recently happened in the village.

The infamous Lin Daguo family suddenly became generous, spending twenty-five yuan to buy a pretty girl from the neighboring Village to marry off to the idle Lin Hongwu.

In these times, a rural marriage typically cost only three or five yuan, a bit of braised pork, and a few pounds of grain. Never had a family like the Lins spent such a large sum—twenty-five yuan at once!

“Oh my, Lin Hongna married into a town official’s family. The parents must be enjoying themselves too!”

Otherwise, the poverty-stricken Lin Daguo and his son would never have saved up that much money in just a few years!

Several village women gathered under the big banyan tree, shelling sunflower seeds and gossiping, with the ground covered in seed shells and their conversation flowing freely.

“That daughter-in-law bought by the Lin family, what’s her name? Honghua, right? She’s quite pretty.”

“Pretty or not, her health is so delicate. A gust of wind could blow her away. What’s she good for?”

“I heard she’s from Wang Shanpao’s family in Wangjia village. That’s another old asshole.”

“Old turtle to old turtle, Wang Shanpao and Lin Daguo are a natural match.”

“Haha, you’re right. Earlier, Li Aifeng was bragging in the village, saying that her in-laws in town would get Lin Hongwu a stable job. Is that true?”

“Pah! She’s just talking nonsense! Lin Hongwu is from the Lin family, not from the Sun family! The Sun family has connections. They’d look after their own grandson. Just dealing with the sickly grandson born to Lin Hongna is enough trouble for them. Who’d want to take on additional trouble? It’s like stepping around dog poop on the road!”

“That makes sense.”

The village women laughed heartily together.

At the Lin family’s home in the east of the village, Li Aifeng was throwing a tantrum, cursing loudly.

“Shameless, poor creatures! They didn’t give anything for the daughter’s marriage and kicked her out. How come our Lin family is so unlucky? Even a weasel is more considerate than them! Shameless, dirty creature, and you still have the face to cry! Every day is filled with grief, trying to curse our Lin family. We’re so unlucky to have married such a thing!”

Li Aifeng fumed at the thought of Wang Shanpao and his wife’s faces, boiling with anger and unable to get out of bed.

Yesterday morning, Wang Honghua left, and the Wang family didn’t prepare anything for their daughter. Wang Honghua wore patched-up clothes and left with a small bundle, while the villagers looked down on them for not providing a dowry, and Wang Shanpao still had the nerve to smile.

Wang Shanpao’s wife might have felt embarrassed, so she threw a dark, broken wooden comb and a rag, considering that enough for a dowry. The entire family sent Wang Honghua off as if she were a plague.

This made Li Aifeng feel ashamed, and she shot a fierce look at Wang Honghua.

Wang Honghua had a dull look on her face, and when she entered the bridal chamber at night, she was like a wooden figure. Lin Hongwu tossed and turned all night, but she didn’t react at all. When he left the room, he looked unhappy.

Li Aifeng, hearing about her son’s troubles in bed, was enraged. She didn’t go to work these past few days, instead staying home to curse their bad luck and complain about marrying a harbinger of doom.

If Wang Honghua hadn’t looked decent and been a young maiden, Lin Hongwu, who had finally found a wife, would have been more lenient. Otherwise, Li Aifeng might have behaved like the village’s notorious old hag, mercilessly tormenting her daughter-in-law.

Lin Daguo’s family had three rooms: Li Aifeng and Lin Daguo shared one, Lin Hongna had one when she was single, and the last one was for Lin Hongwu.

Lin Hongwu was not satisfied with the wedding and went to the town to fool around with Widow Su.

Li Aifeng berated Wang Honghua as useless, unable even to hold on to her husband, which was why he went out looking for other women. Wang Honghua was kicked out of the new room and forced to sleep in the shed.

These nights, Lin Daguo and Li Aifeng slept soundly, completely unaware that their daughter-in-law spent the nights brandishing a kitchen knife, wandering around the yard in disarray.

Lin Hongwu faced trouble that night. Returning from the town, where he had been indulging for days, he went straight to the kitchen to grab two dark cornmeal cakes and a bowl of corn porridge. He was devouring the food when suddenly, with a creak, Wang Honghua entered, wielding a kitchen knife. She slammed it on the wooden table and kicked Lin Hongwu, who was absorbed in his meal, to the ground. With an air of superiority, she began to scold him with a raised pinky.

“You little wench, trying to seduce the master! Let me tear your mouth apart!”

After that, Wang Honghua slapped Lin Hongwu hard.