Chapter 8 Her Fortune

Chapter 8 Her Fortune

Aunt Guo sighed, "I guess so. You've been working too hard these past few years. Take this time to rest well. Don't worry about the fields; I'll take care of it."

Before liberation, every family in the village was poor except for the landlords, and people often felt dizzy.

"I'm troubling you again." Not having to work in the fields was a silver lining for Su Zhaozhao, who had been worrying.

Su Gensheng returned quickly, holding a small jar that contained a little more than half a cup of white sugar.

Scooping half a spoonful into water, Su Zhaozhao drank it all in one go.

She had never liked sugar as a child, but now, drinking this sugary water felt like the greatest delicacy!

Her body needed this.

"There's still some left in the jar. Drink a bit every day for the next few days, lie down more, and let the children handle the household chores. If anything happens, just call us."

Su Zhaozhao hurriedly thanked her and said, "I'll buy more sugar when I go to town next time to pay you back, Sister-in-law."

"No, no, it's just a little sugar. There's no need to pay me back."

Sugar was a precious commodity in those times, and no one would casually waste it. Aunt Guo's words showed her generosity, but Su Zhaozhao couldn't really accept it without intending to repay her. She made a mental note to definitely return the favor before she left.

After sitting for a while and seeing that she was fine, Aunt Guo and her husband left.

As soon as they were gone, the siblings gathered around the bed. "Mom, are you still dizzy?"

"Not anymore. After a good sleep, I'll be as lively as ever." The sugary water had given her some strength.

Su Zhaozhao brought the newspaper to the bed and showed the side with the photo to the two children.

"Who is he?" Gu Nian asked curiously.

Gu Xiang glanced at it, "It says here, a battle hero who protects the country." He looked so impressive! When he grew up, he wanted to join the army and become a hero, making his mother and sister proud!

Su Zhaozhao pointed to the photo in the newspaper: "He is your father."

Gu Xiang and Gu Nian: "..." They looked at each other, confused. What did Mom mean? Didn't they not have a father?

Seeing their disbelief, Su Zhaozhao repeated, "I'm telling the truth. He really is your father. He didn't die; he's still alive."

Then she told them how she went to town and saw the photo in the newspaper, and how the editor helped her find the newspaper in town.

"At first, I didn't tell you because I was afraid I might have mistaken him, and I didn't want to give you false hope."

Gu Nian's heart pounded as she stared at the man in the photo, "Is he really my father?"

"Really!" Su Zhaodi nodded emphatically, more true than pearls!

Gu Xiang also stared at the newspaper without blinking, "Why hasn't he come to find us?"

So their father wasn't dead, and they weren't fatherless. Their dream had come true.

Gu Xiang felt very wronged. If he hadn't died, why didn't he come home?

The children were young and didn't fully understand many things. Su Zhaodi had never explained much, only saying that their father was gone, and their grandparents had also passed away due to bandits. Su Zhaozhao then carefully explained the twists and turns of the story.

Of course, she couldn't say that their father had run away on the second day of their marriage; she only said he had gone out to do something important.

"Does Dad not know about me and my brother?" Gu Nian worried, "Will he recognize us?"

Gu Xiang tightly pressed his lips together, "If he doesn't, it's fine. We'll live our lives as we always have." Though he spoke defiantly, his eyes never left the newspaper.

"He is your father; how could he not recognize you! Children, don't worry about such things."

The male protagonist in stories was always responsible and dependable. Abandoning family was the script for the antagonist. Su Zhaozhao handed them the newspaper, "Come, look closely and remember your father's face. Don't forget it when you see him later."

The siblings held the newspaper for a long time, reading the report, though many of the words were unfamiliar to them.

Only after Su Zhaozhao urged them did they wash up and go to bed. For the siblings, it was bound to be a late night.

Su Zhaozhao, however, fell asleep as soon as she lay down and slept until dawn.

When she woke up, the two children had already prepared breakfast, serving sweet potato and rice porridge directly to her, along with a bowl of sugared water.

Su Zhaozhao was deeply moved. Seeing that they hadn't sat down to eat, she asked, "Have you eaten?"

"We've eaten. We got up early and ate early," Gu Xiang placed a small dish of pickles in front of her.

"What did you eat?" Su Zhaozhao asked, looking at him.

Gu Xiang's eyes darted away, "Rice porridge, it was very fragrant. My sister and I had a big bowl each!"

Gu Nian nodded, not daring to look at her mother.

Two little liars.

How could Su Zhaozhao not know? The children must not have spared the porridge for themselves, "Once we find your father, we can have steamed rice every day!"

The siblings exchanged glances, somewhat disbelieving, "Let's wait until we find your father to see."

Su Zhaozhao drank the porridge and looked at the sugared water in front of her, "Xiao Nian, bring another bowl."

"What for, Mom?" While asking, Gu Nian handed over the bowl.

Su Zhaozhao poured most of it into the new bowl and pointed to the larger one, "This bowl is for you and your brother."

Gu Xiang refused outright, "No way!"

Gu Nian also shook his head with his hands behind his back.

"This is to nourish your body, Mom, you should drink it."

Su Zhaozhao held her stomach, "I just had a big bowl of porridge, I can't drink anymore."

"Then save it for later, we don't like sweet water." Gu Xiang and Gu Nian said in unison.

Who doesn't like sweet water? Su Zhaozhao noticed that Xiao Nian was carefully sniffing the faint sweetness in the air, yet they claimed they didn't like it.

"It will attract ants if left out. Come and drink it, be good." Seeing them hesitate, Su Zhaozhao frowned, "Aren't you listening to Mom?"

The siblings finally shuffled over, each taking turns to sip from the bowl of sugared water.

Su Zhaozhao observed that as an older brother, Gu Xiang even took care of his sister while drinking the sweet water. Each time it was his turn, he only took a small sip and kept encouraging Xiao Nian to drink more.

How could these two children be so well-behaved?

Although Su Zhaozhao's original family was unhappy, she had never thought about not having children. She just hadn't found the right boyfriend. In the past, she even thought that if she couldn't find the right person to marry, she would definitely have a child and love him, giving him all the love she never received.

After this unexpected journey through time, she became a mother painlessly, with two children who were so sensible and obedient. The affection she had never received was now found in these two children.

No matter what this era was like, having these two children was a blessing for her.

Now, they were her children, Su Zhaozhao's children.

In the future, she would make sure they could eat candy every day, of course, the kind that wouldn't cause cavities.

Three more days passed. During these days, Su Zhaozhao hardly went out, mostly wandering around the house or lying in bed sleeping. Without any tonics, she decided to rest more to regain her strength and find the children's father as soon as possible.

In the novels she used to read, the protagonists often went up the mountain to hunt wild chickens and rabbits or down to the river to catch fish during tough times, which she found amusing at the time.

Now, after really traveling through time, the reality was that there were no wild chickens or rabbits to be seen, let alone mice, which people would catch and eat if they saw them.

As for the fish in the river, they had long been caught, and one might only find a few small shrimps or fish if lucky.

Prosperous times brought abundant resources, but in difficult times, everything was scarce.

Su Zhaozhao originally thought she would have to wait several more days, but unexpectedly, Aunt Guo and her husband came to the house again that evening.

Seeing their joyful expressions, she knew there must be good news.

Sure enough.

"The town has sent word," Aunt Guo said cheerfully, then quickly asked Su Gensheng to tell Su Zhaozhao what he heard in town.

Su Gensheng continued, "The county called the town early this morning, saying they found Gu Heng's unit and made contact with them. However, they haven't been able to reach Gu Heng himself, as he is not currently with the unit. They didn't specify why, but they take this matter seriously and will contact you once Gu Heng returns to the unit."

Aunt Guo smiled, "There's even better news! Gu Heng hasn't remarried!"

Su Zhaozhao's eyes lit up, "Really?"

"Of course! The county wouldn't lie. They specifically asked."

It's human nature to be curious, especially about a couple who hadn't heard from each other for years. Everyone would wonder if he had remarried.

After receiving the report from the town, the county specially arranged for someone to contact the unit, hoping to find the person as quickly as possible. They made countless calls, confirmed multiple times to ensure they had the right person, and then the official asked an extra question, leading to this heartwarming news.

Su Zhaozhao smiled, trying to play the role of a newly informed wife who had been faithful for years.

"Hardship is over! Zhaodi, your good fortune is ahead! Xiao Nian's father is even an officer!"

Su Gensheng smiled and took out a self-rolled cigarette, lighting it, "He's a battle hero featured in the newspaper! His prospects are bright. No matter what happens, life won't be hard. Now we just need to wait for him to return."

"I want to take the children to find him," Su Zhaozhao shared her plan.

Aunt Guo and Su Gensheng exchanged glances, "It's such a long journey. Why not wait for him to come back after he finishes his business?"

Su Zhaozhao didn't want to wait any longer. Her body had recovered quite a bit over the past few days, and she couldn't keep finding excuses to avoid work in the fields. How long would it take for Gu Heng to find them?

What if something else happened?

What if the plot from the books unfolded uncontrollably?

And what if he refused to let her take the children with her when she joined the military?

"The children have been so happy knowing their father is alive. I want them to see him as soon as possible."

Aunt Guo was concerned about her health, "Can you manage with two children? It's in another province, and the train ride will take several days."

Most people in the village had never even been to the county, let alone another province. The idea of her traveling far with two children made her nervous.

"I can do it. I'm much better now, no problem."

Since she wanted to take the children to find their father, no one had the right to stop her. Su Gensheng took a few puffs of his cigarette, "I'll inform the town and see if they can help."

Aunt Guo asked, "Why? Do you need approval from the county and the unit?"

Su Gensheng glanced at her, "It's better to inform them. Otherwise, after getting off the train, you'd have to ask around. If we report it, they might even send someone to pick you up at the station, making it easier for Zhaodi and the children."

That was very thoughtful.

Su Zhaozhao thanked them again.

Su Gensheng waved his hand, "You should start packing. I'll give you an update tomorrow."