The mother of the era is reborn to support her cannon fodder children!

Chapter 337 "I Speak Up for Justice"

Yu Bao and Heng Bao looked at the back of the stranger's head with puzzled expressions.

Gu Lan was even more puzzled.

What kind of look was that?
Lin Zhao also thought the boy was strange, but geniuses all have their own personalities, so it's normal, right?

"Are you hungry? Let's eat first. If we still have time after we eat, I'll take you to see the little stones."

The twins jumped up and down with joy.

"Yu Bao, I'm going home now. I'll wait for your letter." Before leaving, little Zhou Zhou walked up to Yu Bao, took his hand, and whispered the words again.

"Don't worry, I'll write it for you. My mom can vouch for me," Yu Bao assured him.

Zhouzhou glanced at Lin Zhao, her face turning bright red.

“Yes, I can vouch for it,” Lin Zhao said with a smile. She has always been supportive of her son’s friendships.

Zhouzhou thanked them, waved to them, and then ran towards her parents.

His family lives in a county under the jurisdiction of the provincial capital. They have already bought their return tickets and want to take advantage of the time they still have to go sightseeing.

"You've already made new friends? That's wonderful!" Lin Zhao looked at her son with tender eyes.

Yu Bao placed his hand on his left chest, "I spoke up for justice, and everyone wants to be my friend."

"Oh? Why did you speak up for justice?" Lin Zhao asked curiously.

After saying goodbye to the teacher in charge, she led the twins outside, glancing at Gu Lan every now and then to make sure she was following.

As they walked out of the competition area, Yu Bao recounted the minor conflict that had occurred before the match.

"My son is such a brave little boy," Lin Zhao praised.

The child was very happy.

"It's a good thing Sun Xian didn't come, otherwise he would have been bullied too," Yu Bao added.

Lin Zhao had heard him mention this child before.

He was a shy but sensible boy. You could tell from his speech and behavior that he came from a poor family, but he would smile and call her thank her for allowing Yu Bao to give him vegetable dumplings.

That child has to walk dozens of miles to school, do farm work, and doesn't live at school. I heard that he leaves home at four o'clock every morning, and when he gets home, he still has to pick wild vegetables, gather firewood, and take care of his younger siblings...

"I remember you said that Sun Xian is very good at arithmetic, why isn't he here?!"

“His family couldn’t afford two yuan,” Yu Bao replied. “Sun Xian didn’t plan ahead either, so he didn’t sign up.”

Lin Zhao was speechless.

Thinking of the prize money for the competition, Hengbao said, "If Sun Xian comes, he can get the prize money."

Yu Bao sighed, "What a pity."

Lin Zhao rubbed her son's head. "There will be other opportunities in the future."

"Hmm," Yu Bao responded, putting aside the matter of Sun Xian, and asked, "Mom, do you know where Xiao Shitou trains? How do we get there?"

"Of course I know, we'll take a car." Lin Zhao answered his questions one by one, and seeing the two brothers so excited, he chuckled and said, "You two are so excited, do you even have the appetite to eat?"

"Yes." Hengbao never misses a meal, blinking her bright black eyes, "I want to eat meat, big chunks of meat! We've used our brains a lot today, we need to replenish our energy, otherwise our hair will turn white."

Lin Zhao: "..." May I ask where the connection between the two lies?

"Eat, eat whatever you want." She took her three children to a state-run restaurant.

Today they had sweet and sour pork on the menu, so I ordered one serving. I also got two servings of cabbage and pork dumplings, a serving of braised lamb, and two steamed buns for the twins. That should be about it.

The group found a place to sit down. The twins sat on the same bench, looking around and gently swinging their legs.

The two brothers whispered to each other for a while.

Smelling the delicious aroma wafting from the kitchen, Hengbao asked Lin Zhao, "Mom, what kind of meat is 'Guobaorou'? ​​Have you ever eaten it?"

"I've had it before. Your grandfather knows how to make it. It's crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. One bite and you'll be mesmerized by its aroma," Lin Zhao said. She hadn't expected to find such a dish here, and she was quite looking forward to it.

“Grandpa never did it for us,” Hengbao said calmly.

Lin Zhao glanced at him, "I'm your grandfather's darling, I've only eaten here once, and you still have a problem with it? You're such a spoiled brat, you're really going to be the boss..."

"Huh?" Hengbao frowned and protested, "I have no objection, Mom is wronging the little one."

“…Okay, you have no objections, it’s just a little sour, alright?” Lin Zhao teased her son.

Gu Lan covered her mouth and laughed.

Hengbao was about to say something when the waiter called Lin Zhao to bring the dishes. She stood up, called Gu Lan, and went to the counter to get the dishes.

Yu Bao and Heng Bao were occupying the seats, and it was lunchtime, so they might accidentally take the seats from someone else.

The chef at this restaurant is quite skilled; the dishes are very fragrant and the portions are generous, no wonder there's a constant stream of customers.

Yu Bao and Heng Bao, being twins, are indeed in sync. They simultaneously reached for the sweet and sour pork with their chopsticks, each taking a piece before their eyes lit up.

"It's delicious," Yu Bao commented, looking at Lin Zhao expectantly. "Mom, can you bring some for Xiao Shitou too? I'll use my bonus."

"Sure." Lin Zhao walked to the ordering area, ordered another serving of sweet and sour pork, and handed over a lunchbox, saying he wanted to pack it up.

She was good-looking, always had a smile on her face, and talking to her made everyone feel good. The waiter's stern face relaxed, and he agreed.

Lin Zhao thanked him again and returned to his seat to eat.

The queue was long, and those who were eating dared not dawdle, all burying their heads in their food and barely saying a word.

Influenced by this atmosphere, Yu Bao and Heng Bao ate faster than usual.

A customer complained that the sweet and sour pork and roasted mutton were all gone. He had barely finished speaking when the waiter threw a dishcloth away, his face long and drawn, and said, "They're gone, that's all. Who are you taking it out on? All that's left is braised tofu with scallions and stir-fried spinach. Do you want some? If not, don't take up space."

These days, the waiters at state-run restaurants are quite arrogant, and ordinary people don't dare to offend them, because these people can really beat you up if they get angry.

"...I'd like a serving of braised tofu with scallions, and four ounces of rice." He handed over the money, afraid that he wouldn't even get to eat the tofu.

Gu Lan leaned slightly towards Lin Zhao, her voice filled with confusion, "Third Aunt, that waiter was so fierce."

She kept her voice very low, and her face showed a fearful expression.

"Don't be afraid. Generally speaking, people don't curse without reason, but cursing does happen. And that's considered mild. Some people with even worse tempers will even hit or curse customers," Lin Zhao replied in a low voice.

She pointed to the wooden sign hanging on the right wall, "Look at what's written on that sign?"

Gu Lan looked over.

[Abusive or physical abuse of customers is prohibited.]

"..."

"Do they really hit and scold customers?" Gu Lan shrank back, feeling that city people were too scary.

"Yes, it's a secure job, that's how awesome it is," Lin Zhao said.

She ate the last piece of sweet and sour pork, rinsed her mouth with the dumpling soup, stood up, and left the restaurant with her three children.

Gu Lan glanced back at the signboard of the state-run restaurant, her eyes filled with longing.

"It's great to be a worker; it's respectable and you don't have to suffer."

She looked away and at Lin Zhao, "Third Auntie will never hit or scold anyone; she's a delivery clerk that everyone likes."

Yu Bao and Heng Bao nodded vigorously. "Yes, yes, the grandpas and grandmas who go to the supply and marketing cooperative to exchange eggs all like my mom," Yu Bao said proudly.

“My mom is so nice,” Hengbao added, noticing someone quietly selling flowers nearby. She traded two candies for two hibiscus flowers that had just sprouted buds.

The flower seller, having traded the candy for the flowers, smiled at the thought of his child's joy and added, "Little one, when you get home, put the flowers in a bottle of water, and they'll live for several more days and even bloom bigger."

Hengbao's eyes lit up with surprise, "Really?"

"Chinese people don't lie to other Chinese people. You are the flower bud of the nation, and I would never lie to you." After making this promise, he quickly changed locations to avoid being noticed.

When it comes to catching speculators, he can only fire one shot and then move on to another place. Today he was lucky and got some candy in return!

Hengbao, holding the flowers, walked towards Lin Zhao and handed her one of the flowers. "This is a flower for Mom. It's from the provincial capital. It's pretty. The old man who sells flowers said that if you put it in a vase with water, the flower will bloom bigger and live for several days."

He gave the other one to Gu Lan, saying, "This one is for Sister Lan. My mom says girls all like flowers."

Gu Lan stood there, stunned, a bright smile spreading across her face. "Thank you, Hengbao. This is the first time I've ever received flowers."

So this is what it feels like to receive flowers! My heart is practically floating on air!

"I'll buy you candy later, I'll use my bonus."

"No need, Sister Lan, use your prize money to buy gifts for your uncle and aunt. They'll definitely be happy," Yu Bao suggested.

Hengbao also said, "I still have one candy."

Lin Zhao was strict with her sons about eating candy. After both of them had toothaches from eating too much candy, they learned their lesson and would consciously restrain themselves without being told.

This is what they mean by "people can't teach you, but you can learn something after being taught it only once."

Lin Zhao liked and cherished the flowers her son gave her, so she made a special trip back to the guesthouse to put the flowers in a bottle of water. She also took the things Gu Chan had asked her to give to Xiao Shitou, asked the locals, hired a horse-drawn carriage, and the four of them got on and headed to Xiao Shitou's training ground.

It was the three children's first time riding in a horse-drawn carriage, and they were so excited they didn't know what to do with their hands and feet.

The carriage had no side chambers; it was surrounded by wooden planks on all four sides, with small stools placed inside.

Hengbao stared intently at the dark brown horse with shining eyes, wishing she could rush forward and hug it tightly.

After a while, he looked away and met Lin Zhao's smiling face.

"Have you seen enough?" Lin Zhao asked softly.

Hengbao chuckled, "Mommy, will the horse get tired?"

Lin Zhao didn't answer, but the woman driving the cart laughed and said, "How can horses get tired? They are born to carry people and goods."

Hengbao leaned forward and asked with a smile, "Grandma, can you ride a horse?"

"Yes, I would. How could I dare to drive if I didn't? I used to be..." She stopped mid-sentence.

"Wow, that's amazing." Hengbao chatted with the person without any hesitation. "My grandma is also super amazing. She can do boxing and whip. She's the person I admire the most."

The woman driving the car glanced back.

Coincidentally, she also knew such a person... a master of martial arts, who wielded a whip with tremendous force. He was her savior from her teenage years, rescuing her from bandits, and also the person she admired most.

Recalling the past, the driver lost interest in speaking and quickly delivered the passengers to their destination.

"Your destination is just across the street," she reminded Lin Zhao, then drove off.

What an efficient person!

Lin Zhao sighed inwardly, took Yu Bao and Heng Bao by the hand, and called Gu Lan to cross the road.

The iron gate was tightly closed, and a sign at the entrance read that unauthorized personnel were not allowed to enter.

Upon seeing Lin Zhao and his group, the gatekeeper approached.

"What do you do?"

Yu Bao said, "We're looking for someone. My younger brother is inside. His name is Xiao Shitou. By the way, my younger brother's full name is Wei Yan."

"Where's the letter of introduction?" the gatekeeper asked.

Lin Zhao took out a letter of introduction from her bag and handed it to the other person through the door.

"The letter of introduction is fine. Please come in first, but don't wander around. They're training inside. I'll go get someone for you," the gatekeeper said politely, leading Lin Zhao and his group to the lounge, pouring them some water, and then going to find someone.

Little Stone was training hard, sweating profusely, when suddenly the coach called out to him. Thinking something was wrong, he became a little nervous.

"Teach, coach..."

"You've done well, don't be nervous," the coach said gently. He always encouraged quiet, talented athletes. "It's a good thing they called you. Someone from your family is here to see you and is waiting at the gate. Go and see them."

Little Stone's eyes shone brightly, and his tone became light and cheerful, "Is it my father or my mother?"

"I don't know, you'll find out when you go and see for yourself," the coach said, keeping everyone in suspense.

"Coach, I'm off!" Little Stone said, and ran towards the main gate.

The older kids training with him were worried and all looked at the coach.

"Coach, can I go and take a look from a distance? I'll come right back."

“I also want to go and see. Little Stone is a bit simple-minded. What if his family lies to him?”

……

Not all the children sent here were born into happy families; the ones speaking were sent here as tools.

Their parents felt that sending them here would save on food and tuition fees, and since the government was raising their children, why not?

Their families rarely visit them, and when they do, it's usually to get something in return, like the steamed buns they've saved up.

So the boys were very worried about Little Stone.

"Go if you want, but you need to catch up on the training you're missing." The coach knew the kids couldn't settle down, so he simply let them have their way.

"Thank you, Coach," the boys said in unison, disappearing from the spot in an instant.

The coach laughed and scolded, "A bunch of brats."

Little Stone stopped in his tracks when he saw the person at the door of the lounge. He rubbed his eyes in disbelief, put them in his little hands, and looked bewildered.

Her small voice was so excited it was almost floating.

"Brother Yubao~~ Brother Hengbao~~!!!"

He was younger than the twins and far from puberty; his voice was that of a child, filled with genuine joy, which delighted the listener.

Yu Bao and Heng Bao looked in the direction of the sound and saw Xiao Shitou. They waved to him, remembering what the gatekeeper had said. They didn't run away but stood still and waited for Xiao Shitou to come closer.

"Come here, come here."

Without them saying a word, Little Stone ran towards them, his smile brighter than the sun.

"How did you all get here? I never expected it." His eyes curved into crescents, and he held tightly to his two older brothers, Yu Bao and Heng Bao, as if it were all unreal.

“We came to participate in the abacus competition and came to see you on the way. Your aunt misses you very much and asked us to bring you some things. Are you doing well here?” Yu Bao looked at Xiao Shitou, carefully examined his arms and legs, and only relaxed her furrowed brows after seeing that there were no obvious injuries.

"I'm fine," Little Stone nodded happily.

Thinking of something, her eyes welled up with tears, "It's just that at night I miss Dad, Mom, my brother, my aunt, and you all..."

(End of this chapter)