“I don’t want your candy.” Sanbao finally couldn’t hold back and spoke up in the middle of Erbao’s chanting.

However, he didn’t lift his head and continued drawing.

Erbao felt as if he had heard the voice of heaven.

Sanbao was truly wonderful, even refusing candy.

He immediately started flattering Sanbao, “Sanbao, you’re such a good brother, not even wanting candy. You’re the best brother in the world. Now, could you change my drawing? Remove the tears and make me look… really strong.” His eyes sparkled with excitement as he looked at Sanbao’s drawing, his eyes full of life.

Although they say the eyes are the windows to the soul, among the three brothers, Erbao’s eyes were the most expressive and lively.

Of course, if you asked Yibao and Sanbao, they would just say Erbao was silly.

Sanbao stopped drawing and looked at Erbao. “I don’t want your candy, but you’ll have to add something else.” If Erbao wanted to look strong in the drawing, there naturally had to be some conditions.

“Huh?” Erbao scratched his head, a bit confused.

Sanbao continued, “You have to give me two cents for pocket money, wash my clothes twice, and help with the chores twice.” He spoke slowly and deliberately, his small demeanor resembling a skilled negotiator.

Ning Shu looked at his little posture, trying to suppress a smile.

Then he looked at Erbao, the young boy’s face was filled with frustration as he internally debated.

Two cents could buy a lot of things, not to mention washing clothes twice and doing chores twice.

But when compared to his reputation as a hero, these things seemed insignificant.

Erbao gritted his teeth, ready to agree. Unexpectedly, Yibao spoke up.

“Our pocket money is pooled together. Erbao, do you even have your own pocket money?”

Erbao: “…” Without money, you can’t do anything.

Yibao said, “When we get to the capital, we’ll divide up the pocket money we’ve saved together. After it’s divided, you can give Sanbao two cents from your share.”

Ning Shu raised an eyebrow, surprised by Yibao’s arrangement.

“Why?” Erbao asked, puzzled.

Even Sanbao looked at Yibao, equally confused.

They had been pooling their pocket money for seven years, and now splitting it up felt a bit unusual.

But since their elder brother had spoken, they naturally listened.

Yibao explained, “We’re growing up and each of us has things we need to buy. We need money in hand. Also, the prices of what we buy vary, so the one who buys less will lose out.”

Although the three brothers didn’t mind losing out themselves, Yibao didn’t want Erbao always giving away his pocket money and still using their shared funds, which included his own share.

If they divided the pocket money, there might even be a day when Erbao ended up owing him.

Yibao was delighted by the thought. Cheating his brother out of money seemed like a fun idea.

“Alright then,” Erbao agreed after hearing Yibao’s explanation. Although he felt it was a bit unfair, he didn’t say much more. “Sanbao, I’ll give you two cents of pocket money when we get to the capital.”

“Okay.” Sanbao replied, then reminded him, “Don’t forget to wash my clothes twice and do the chores twice.”

“Got it,” Erbao grumbled, “Just make sure you draw me looking really strong.”

“Don’t worry,” Sanbao assured him.

When Sanbao delivered, it was always quality work.

Erbao, reassured by his promise, looked at Yibao and eagerly asked, “Brother, how much pocket money will each of us get? Once we get it, what should I buy?” Erbao felt like he had discovered a new world, suddenly wanting to buy everything.

However, when Yibao mentioned that they had saved up only five cents after all these years, Erbao was stunned.

They had grown vegetables for years, done chores for years, and only saved five cents?

But the trust he had in his elder brother since childhood stopped him from questioning it, and he only sighed inwardly.

After giving Sanbao two cents, he would be left with just three.

What could he do with three cents? Erbao’s mind momentarily went blank.

As for whether he regretted his deal with Sanbao, there was no doubt he didn’t.

Though they say a hero can be cornered by just a cent, Comrade Lin Erbao would rather be cornered than laughed at by others.

Only a few people standing near their seats on the train saw the interaction between the three brothers.

Those who saw it couldn’t help but think how these three kids were not only good-looking but also quite adorable.

This made several women, who hadn’t had children yet, feel the urge to have kids.

At their age, who wouldn’t want smart, well-behaved, and cute kids?

Among all these people, Lu Yaozu was the most shocked.

It wasn’t that he suddenly had thoughts about having children, but rather that the children in this family were incredibly intelligent.

The oldest child beside him was reading a book on radio knowledge that even he couldn’t understand.

The youngest one was an excellent artist.

Lu Yaozu came from a regiment leader’s family and lived in a compound, so he had some experience.

He thought that this child had a very high artistic talent.

As for the other child, he was lively and outgoing.

The three brothers each had different personalities.

Lu Yaozu hesitated for a moment and then said to Ning Shu, “Comrade, this child’s artwork is really good; he has a natural talent in this area.” It seemed that Lu Yaozu was worried that Sanbao’s artistic talent might be overlooked, and added, “There’s an old saying that talent emerges in every field. If this child’s drawing skills are well nurtured, his future could be limitless. By the way, my mom is also very good at painting and knows quite a few people in this field. I could ask her to make some introductions.”

His mother was the daughter of a capitalist and had many hobbies in the past.

Even after marrying his father, she hadn’t given them up.

She had a large dowry and could afford her interests.

But later, during the ten-year special period, she had no choice but to let it go.

Now, seeing that the college entrance exams had been restored and many people were being rehabilitated, everyone knew that the special period was over, and certain things could be resumed.

Through this brief interaction, Ning Shu had a rough understanding of Lu Yaozu—he was a careful yet enthusiastic person.

In her previous life, when she watched period dramas, there were many storylines about people from that era being warm and helpful.

Ning Shu hadn’t felt much about it before, but looking at Lu Yaozu, she thought he must be that kind of person.

But his mother was good at painting?

She didn’t know and had never seen her, but could someone who would put furniture in a small Western-style house, hoping the next tenant would buy it, really be good at painting?

To be honest, in Ning Shu’s mind, Mrs. Lü was a shrewd and calculating person, much like a difficult old lady from the countryside.

She didn’t resemble a literary artist at all; in fact, they seemed to be worlds apart.

However, Ning Shu wouldn’t reject someone’s kindness. “Thank you for your kind offer, Comrade Lu. The child has been taking art classes at a youth center before, and we will continue to nurture that. I believe the resources in the capital will be even better for his development.” She would inquire about it when the time came.

“The youth center in the capital would work too. My mom used to be a teacher at one,” Lü Yaozu added. “But that was before I was sent to the countryside. I’m not sure if she’s still there.” It seemed he hadn’t asked much about his family’s situation in a long time.

He only received letters and money from home every month.

In some ways, Lu Yaozu was a bit careless.

His father was a regiment leader, so he didn’t think there would be any problems at home.

And since his parents never mentioned anything going wrong in their letters, he never thought much about it.

“Huh?” Ning Shu thought, “How unlucky would that be? Wouldn’t Sanbao run into Mrs. Lu if he went to the youth center?”

There should be more than one youth center in the capital, but the one she wanted to go to was definitely the closest to the compound.

And since the Lü family lived nearby, if Mrs. Lu really worked at the youth center, she would be there too.

Suddenly, Ning Shu felt like a thunderstorm was rolling in.

Lu Yaozu thought, “Maybe this female comrade is so happy that she doesn’t know what to say?”

But since he had only made a suggestion and didn’t press the matter, it wasn’t his place to make decisions for someone else’s child.

Ning Shu noticed that he wasn’t saying anything, so she didn’t continue the topic either.

Just then, they heard voices behind them—it seemed to be time to buy food. So, she asked the three children, “Are you hungry?”

Yibao replied, “I could eat, but I can also wait a bit longer.”

Erbao rubbed his stomach and said, “Mom, I’m a little hungry.”

Sanbao said, “I’m okay.”

Seeing this, Lu Yaozu quickly offered, “Let me go buy some food then. What would you like to eat?”

Ning Shu replied, “No need, we brought our own food today.” As she spoke, she turned to the second child and said, “Erbao, give me the bag from inside.”

“Sure,” Erbao replied, handing Ning Shu the innermost backpack.

Each of the four of them was carrying a backpack.

Since they didn’t need to bring clothes, the three children’s backpacks were filled with books to pass the time on the train, while Ning Shu’s backpack contained some food.

Whenever she took the train, she would bring food for the first day, as it wouldn’t spoil.

The second day’s food couldn’t be brought along.

Ning Shu took out four lunch boxes from her backpack, one for each of them.

Each lunch box also had chopsticks and a spoon.

Then she used the chopsticks to take out some steamed corn buns from a cloth bag in the backpack.

The corn buns were freshly made in the morning and still had some warmth in them.

The corn buns were small, like the popular small buns of today.

She gave the two older children four each and herself and the youngest three each.

At twelve years old, Yibao and Erbao already had larger appetites than Ning Shu and the nine-year-old Sanbao.

She then took out a bottle, which contained stir-fried pickled vegetables with shredded meat and eggs, made that morning.

The aroma of the corn buns and the savory scent of the pickled vegetables filled the small space, making everyone hungry.

Ning Shu divided the stir-fried pickled vegetables with shredded meat and eggs into the lids of the children’s lunch boxes.

The two older children Yibao and Erbao, who had more buns, also got more vegetables.

After dividing the food, Ning Shu said, “Let’s eat.”

With that, four pairs of chopsticks began moving simultaneously.

They picked up pickled vegetables, eggs, and shredded meat, placing them into the corn buns.

The corn buns were already cut open in the middle, making it easy to stuff them with food.

The warm corn buns, filled with the now-cooled pickled vegetables, eggs, and shredded meat, still tasted quite good.

Mother and sons ate together, each taking bites of about the same size, even chewing at nearly the same pace.

It was quite an amusing sight.

In fact, the three boys had learned to observe people’s behavior from a young age, and they were good at it.

Since they were five years old, they had automatically started mimicking Ning Shu.

If she chewed her food a few more times while taking her medicine, they would do the same.

Over time, the four of them developed nearly identical eating habits.

Even Lin Guodong had changed a lot over the years.

Although he hadn’t reached the same level of synchronicity as them, he had slowed down his eating considerably to match their pace.

In the beginning, they would still be eating their first bowl of rice when Lin Guodong had almost finished his entire meal, often having had several bowls by then.

As the mother and her three sons started eating, others in the carriage began their meals too.

Some ate the dry food they had brought, while others went to buy food.

Most people opted for their own provisions, as it was winter and dry food could be stored without spoiling easily.

Besides, some had standing tickets and had no way to sit down and eat properly.

Before long, the entire carriage was filled with the aroma of food.

The mixed scent was so strong it almost felt like a New Year’s Eve dinner.

After the meal, Ning Shu wiped down the table and prepared to rest with her eyes closed.

She had gotten up early to make breakfast today, and although the children had also woken up early to help her, she felt especially tired.

It was a few days before her period, and during this time, she always felt unusually fatigued.

It wasn’t that she felt unwell, just overwhelmingly tired, as if she constantly needed to rest.

“Leave the lunchboxes here. I’ll wash them when we buy food for the next meal. I’m going to sleep for a bit now. If you get tired, you can rest your heads and sleep for a while too. But if anything happens, make sure to wake me up, okay?” Ning Shu reminded the three boys before dozing off.

“We know, Mother.”

The three boys replied in unison.

They understood their mother’s concern. Every time she went out, she would patiently remind them of various things to be careful about.

Before the age of five, they had lacked love, so when their mother first started reminding them, they were especially happy because it made them feel cared for.

Over time, they got used to it and gradually adapted to these reminders. Unlike other children, they didn’t find such nagging annoying.

“Good.”

Ning Shu leaned against Erbao and started to sleep.

The twelve-year-old boy had a slight build, but when his mother leaned on him, he straightened his posture firmly, trying to provide her with the most comfortable position.

Ning Shu was unaware of Erbao’s thoughts and actions as her breathing gradually became steady, and she fell asleep.

Erbao continued reading without moving. His physical fitness was better than that of his peers and even some older kids.

Having been trained by Lin Guodong from a young age, standing still with his body straight was a common practice.

He was quite used to it.

Besides, with his mother leaning on him while he breathed in her familiar scent, Erbao felt content.

Yibao glanced at his mother, then took off his cotton jacket.

After removing it, he leaned over the table and gently draped the jacket over Ning Shu.

In that instant, everyone around them was stunned by the young boy’s actions.

Usually, it’s the parents who remove their jackets to cover their children, but seeing Yibao do this was a first for everyone.

Those who witnessed the act felt a subtle, bittersweet emotion.

Some thought of their own parents, realizing they weren’t as filial and considerate as this young boy.

Others thought of their children, wondering if their kids would do the same when they were older.

As they looked at Ning Shu, their eyes filled with envy.

In their eyes, the young boy had become the best child in the world.

Ning Shu hadn’t fallen asleep; she was just tired and resting with her eyes closed. When Yibao’s jacket covered her, she opened her eyes.

Meeting her gaze, Yibao gave her a gentle smile and said, “Mother, I’m warm. This will keep you covered.” His voice was calm but firm.

Ning Shu was momentarily taken aback.

She hadn’t noticed when it happened, but Yibao had already begun to show signs of his father’s presence.

He was only twelve, yet in her mind, he was still that five-year-old boy.

But as she sat and he stood, she realized he had grown quite tall, nearly as tall as she was.

“Alright, but if you get cold later, you have to take it back and wear it. Otherwise, you might catch a cold. There’s no medicine on the train, and I would be worried if you got sick.” Ning Shu expressed her concern to Yibao.

This was how they communicated; she had always made decisions together with them.

“Okay, I know,” Yibao replied as he sat down and began reading again.

Ning Shu closed her eyes and continued to sleep.

Erbao pursed his lips and said, “Brother, if you’re cold, wear mine. I’m warm enough. You should keep your padded jacket covering mom.”

Yibao didn’t refuse. “Okay.”

Sanbao glanced at Ning Shu and thought to himself that his mother had a few days each month when she didn’t feel well, and she must be going through that now.

As a nine-year-old, he didn’t fully understand what a menstrual cycle was, so he just accepted that his mother had a few days each month when she felt unwell, something he thought was a natural reaction for women.

Lu Yaozu, overhearing the conversation between Yibao and Erbao, was touched once again.

These two children were so well-behaved, which reflected well on their upbringing and, by extension, their parents.

This made Lu Yaozu consider the possibility of forming a good relationship with them.

They were all from the same compound, and having such a connection, they could become friends.

This is how adults think: if they find the other person’s character agreeable, they consider maintaining contact.

If not, they’ll just treat them as a stranger to nod at in passing.