Chapter 98 First Update

Chapter 98 First Update

The kids didn’t react much to their own names, but they knew their mom’s name "Yaoyao" all too well. As soon as they heard it from their grandmother, they knew their mother, Qin Yao, had arrived—the source of good smells and delicious food—and they’d wriggle their way into her arms.

At other times, the brothers could be friendly and respectful to each other, but when it came to competing for their mother, it was every baby for themselves.

If you’re not jumping at the chance to get mom, something’s off with you.

Even when Qin Yao was right there, the moment they heard "Yaoyao," they’d howl like they were missing out on something amazing.

Qin Yao pinched her silly son’s face and said, "Don’t mess with them like that." The two children couldn’t walk or talk yet, but they had already learned to roll over, sit up by themselves, and even crawl a little secretly. They also gave strange responses to adults’ words, showing they kind of understood.

These responses delighted the mother. This sense of achievement was unparalleled. Pets could never truly communicate with you or understand deeper meanings, but children were different. They grew very quickly, and babies had astonishing learning abilities, with new developments every month.

The two children had been given formal names. The older son was Gu Junruì, nicknamed Rui Rui, and the younger son was Gu Peimíng, nicknamed Mingming. As they grew, it was still possible to see resemblances to their parents in them.

Rui Rui looked like his mother, and Mingming looked like his father.

As for their personalities, that was debatable.

"You better teach Mingming not to pick on his brother, or he’ll grow up to be just like you!" Qin Yao teased Gu Cheng, thinking that since Mingming looked like Gu Cheng, this little guy was probably a tyrant from a young age.

Gu Cheng pinched his younger son’s chubby face, feeling proud. He thought it was great that Mingming looked like him and had a strong personality. He was capable, even able to bully his older brother.

...At just a few months old, and he was already bullying his elder brother. Impressive!

Captain Gu looked puzzled and disbelieving. "How can he bully his brother?"

Gu Cheng had always thought he wasn’t the type to bully his brother. Sure, he was a bit of a tyrant outside, but at home, he tried to be a good kid—though Gu Xing might disagree.

He considered himself smart enough to avoid harm and had learned to avoid foolish actions from a young age.

Qin Yao put the kids on the bamboo bed and said, "Just wait till they’re together—Mingming’s going to be bouncing off the walls."

The couple dragged two small stools to sit next to the bamboo bed, observing the two little ones lying on the bed.

Rui Rui was the calm one. He sat up with a little grunt, clutching a small cloth tiger, quietly playing while keeping an eye on his parents. So adorable.

Mingming, on the other hand, was a whirlwind. He rolled around nonstop, and the moment he sat up, he was off again, crawling toward his brother and drooling all over him.

Qin Yao rubbed her forehead, exasperated. Why did it always seem like her older son was the one getting picked on? Was she raising a pushover?

"Look at this. You need to discipline your son," Qin Yao said, acting like a kindergarten parent coming to complain to the parent of a bully who had picked on her child.

At just a few months old, and he was already engaging in bullying. Unbelievable!

Gu Cheng couldn’t help but smile. Politely, he said, "I'm sorry, my child is being disobedient. I'll make sure to teach him a lesson when we get home."

Qin Yao laughed, and the couple couldn’t help but laugh together.

The children’s little fights were just affectionate play. Mingming loved to stick to his brother, and Rui Rui indulged him.

After all, he came out of the birth canal first, like he was born to be a troublemaker.

At that moment, Mingming, who had been lying on top of his brother, was suddenly flipped over. Ruirui, who was slightly thinner, calmly sat up, crawled over, and pressed down on his younger brother, lifting his chubby little hand to give him a series of seven quick pats. The swiftness and precision left the parents beside them surprised.

Gu Cheng: “……”

Qin Yao: “？？？？？”

Mingming didn’t cry, though he seemed a bit dazed. He tried to flip over and fight back, but his older brother held him down, leaving him unable to move. He mumbled and grunted, pushing against Ruirui, who simply pinned him down even more and started nibbling on his head.

The two little balls of flesh wrestled, and surprisingly, the slightly thinner Ruirui had the upper hand.

Qin Yao and Gu Cheng watched as if they were spectators at a baby wrestling match.

The chubby Mingming, unable to get up, wailed for his parents. Qin Yao and Gu Cheng each grabbed one of the children and separated them. Qin Yao held Mingming in her arms. The little one, having lost the battle, looked pouty, clinging and whining for attention, demanding milk.

Feeling sorry for the little guy, Qin Yao obliged, soothing him as she fed him. She thought to herself, this silly boy had eaten so much and grown such a chubby face—how could he be so weak in a fight?

The little brat continued to wail even as he nursed. Qin Yao patted his back and thought, “What a little weakling.”

Little weakling, little fatso, all that extra fluff for nothing.

Gu Cheng held Ruirui, who seemed perfectly calm, like a soft, pretty, and easily bullied little one. There was no sign of the dominant attitude he had displayed when he had pinned his younger brother down just moments ago. He had an air of elegance about him.

Sitting with his little legs tucked in, on his father’s lap, Ruirui had deep, striking eyes like his mother, Qin Yao. He stuck out his tongue and smiled, exuding charm and innocence.

It was as if his face was written with the words “sticks to being reasonable.”

“Look at what your kid did to mine!” Gu Cheng said, trying to smile.

Although Captain Gu wanted to appear "calm and composed," he couldn't help but feel frustrated, as if he were trying to turn iron into steel. How could his son, who looked just like him, be such a disappointment? A useless brat!

Qin Yao: "... Who could have expected this?"

Mingming, still in her arms, was sucking with all his might. Qin Yao patted his face, cursing inwardly that the little slacker had quite the strength when it counted.

Rui Rui also wanted to nurse, but Mingming got upset and refused to share.

Rui Rui, however, was in a good mood. The bananas on the island were huge—one banana was like two. Gu Cheng was eating a banana on the side and fed Rui Rui some mashed banana.

Rui Rui didn’t mind and sat there happily munching on the fruit puree.

Qin Yao commented, "Captain Gu, Mingming really resembles you."

Gu Cheng was silent for three seconds before calmly replying, "A child is the crystallization of both parents."

"Maybe the other half is just for show," Qin Yao mocked ruthlessly. "Captain Gu, your son needs to eat more, and so do you—you’re too skinny."

Gu Cheng: "..."

After the two children had their fill, they rested for a while before starting a new round of baby wrestling matches. Mostly, it was the mischievous little Mingming who liked to provoke his brother. Rui Rui usually endured, but when he couldn’t take it anymore, he would violently pin his brother down and give him a good rub.

Qin Yao observed that her younger son was truly terrible at fighting but loved to start trouble.

After watching some baby wrestling, Shen Guixiang called them down to eat. They had started cooking late, waiting for Third Brother Qin to arrive. It was already dark when Shen Guixiang began preparing the meal. She made a few dishes but didn’t cook too much. When Third Brother Qin arrived, he brought some more dishes and meat.

Xie Hongni, the sister-in-law, was about to give birth and had been staying with Shen Guixiang and her sister Qin Yao at the family courtyard recently. This way, if she went into labor, someone would be there, and it would be quicker to get her to the hospital for delivery.

"Both children are full, right? I've steamed some egg custard for them."

As the kids' uncle, Third Brother Qin was quite envious of his sister's two children. His own child with Hongni was about to be born, so every child looked adorable to him right now.

"Let Uncle hold him for a while." Third Brother Qin chose the older nephew, as the child looked like his sister, which naturally made him feel closer to him.

While the family was eating, Qin Yao brought up the topic of a chef position at a state-run restaurant. The restaurant was called "Dazhong Restaurant." Nowadays, all restaurants were state-run, and the employees were workers of state enterprises. They were paid according to the job grade set by national regulations, meaning that even if the restaurant got busy with more guests, there would be no bonus. On the other hand, if the restaurant had fewer guests, the staff could "divide up" the leftover ingredients and food.

"Only 800 yuan? That's not bad," Shen Guixiang thought the price was exceptionally reasonable. If it were in the capital, even 1,600 yuan might not get you a chef position in a state-run restaurant. With so many capable people around, good jobs were quickly snapped up.

800 yuan was less than what Shen Guixiang used to earn in a year when she worked as a factory worker. A year's salary for such a position was quite a good deal.

"We'll pay for this and secure the position for you," Shen Guixiang had long felt guilty towards her third son. He had been sent to the countryside, had no job, and no housing assigned. He had married without asking the family for money. Nowadays, which family didn't spend hundreds or even thousands on bride prices for their sons' weddings?

Xie Hongni hadn't asked for money when she married, and they hadn't even informed the family. They just got their marriage certificate on their own.

Shen Guixiang planned to use the money that should have been spent on her son for this job instead. "Yaoyao, help your brother get this job."

A chef's job was highly sought after, though many self-proclaimed intellectuals might look down on it. However, Shen Guixiang would never look down on a chef's job. It would be excellent for her son to have such a profession, as it was a national unit job. Opportunities like this didn't come often.

Xie Hongni, sitting nearby, didn't say anything, her mood neither good nor bad. Recently, her family had sent her several letters urging her to return to the city.

Her father, who had studied abroad, was a doctor and had been re-employed by the hospital this year, which had improved the family's situation. Besides her, there was a younger sister who had stayed at home, not having experienced much hardship. Now she had a job in the city, working as a nurse in a hospital.

The Xie family was very unhappy that Xie Hongni had married Third Brother Qin without consulting them. They disdained Third Brother Qin's family background, thinking they were just a family of cooks with no real status.

Xie Hongni's mother was harsh and picky, looking for a wealthy and well-connected son-in-law. Her father valued family lineage and education and couldn't accept a son-in-law who was a cook. He couldn't bear the thought of becoming related to a cook's family.

When they found out she was pregnant, they wanted her to have an abortion and return home. Now that she had to give birth, they wanted her to leave the child with the Qin family and come back home.