Chapter 122 First Update

Chapter 122 First Update

Before the Lunar New Year, the calendar hanging on the wall at home already showed the pages belonging to 1978. This year, the family of four spent the Spring Festival on the island and didn’t go anywhere.

They had considered inviting the third brother and his wife over, but in the end, it didn’t seem quite appropriate. It was fine to visit each other on the second and third days of the new year, but each family should spend the holiday at their own home.

Even though it was just the four of them celebrating, Qin Yao planned to have a proper New Year’s Eve. After all, the two little rascals had grown up. Although they were a bit rambunctious, they could help their parents with tasks, making them halfway to being "little helpers" in the family, too young to earn work points even if they tried.

New Year celebrations always involved frying, and Qin Yao had already planned to fry things on a particular day—meatballs, fish cakes, and more. The fragrant smells filled the house, tempting the two little foodies at home.

Qin Yao watched the stove, freshly scooping out a fragrant batch of fish cakes, draining the oil, and placing them into a yellow enamel bowl. There were also fried meatballs and pan-fried dumplings on the side.

“Mom, are you tired? Should I rub your shoulders?” Mingming, the youngest and thickest-skinned, poked his head out from behind her, hugging her leg and offering to rub her shoulders while eagerly patting her leg.

Qin Yao looked into his eyes. This little rascal had a pair of mischievous eyes, just like Gu Cheng’s, dark and shiny like polished onyx. Though his eyes were clear, they revealed a cunning innocence.

He probably thought he was very clever, but in the eyes of adults, it was just “naive,” and it was easy to see what tricks he was up to.

Qin Yao played along with him, “Then rub Mom’s legs first.”

“Okay.” The little guy agreed, and then those little thief-like hands grabbed a freshly fried fish cake and stuffed it into his mouth. He finished it in a few bites, and without any guilt, he patted her leg with his oily hands.

After a few pats, the little rascal looked up and asked, “Mom, do you want a kiss?”

He wore a smug grin.

Qin Yao glanced at his oily hands and mouth, thinking that if he weren’t her own child, she would beat him to death.

Since having kids, her germaphobia had vanished. Could she really scold her own messy child?

“Go play by yourself.” Qin Yao took a deep breath to steady herself. Raising kids taught her patience; perfection wasn’t necessary, and many things could be overlooked.

She lifted her hand and pinched the little brat. Although she found him annoying, she couldn’t bear to scold him. When speaking to her child, she tried to use a calm tone so that he wouldn’t be frightened by a sudden rise in her voice.

The child was still young and didn’t understand many things. When he grew up, he would naturally understand ordinary truths.

But a child’s sense of security and attachment was built from a young age. Qin Yao didn’t want her child to live in fear, as if afraid that Mom would get angry.

So she tried to persuade herself to just let things slide.

Mom bears it.

“Hehe.” The little guy patted her legs for a bit, then grabbed a fish cake and meatball, turned into a little speedster, and ran out calling, “Brother, brother, brother…”

Not only did he eat, but he also ran to show off to his older brother.

Before long, Rui Rui ran over. Qin Yao glanced at him. Rui Rui had a thinner skin and couldn’t say things like his younger brother. He was quite unskilled at tricking for food and drinks and often ended up at a disadvantage.

He wasn’t as greedy as his younger brother, but he did like fried food. Rui Rui looked up with “starry eyes” at his mom, hoping to gain her favor, willing to adapt and compromise.

Qin Yao couldn’t help but feel a mix of relief and amusement at how these two "little troublemakers" still had some manners.

If it were other kids, they might sneak a few bites, and Mom would pretend not to see.

Rui Rui tilted his head, “Mom, do you need help?”

Qin Yao nodded, “Then help Mom pass the salt over.”

Rui Rui obediently carried the salt over to his mother and, after setting it down, sneakily grabbed a piece of fish cake and a meatball before running off.

Qin Yao watched him run off and resisted the urge to remind him, "Your brother ate an extra piece of fish cake, you know!"

With two children in the house, she always tried to treat them equally, but reality often had other plans.

The older child seemed to be a bit naive and straightforward, but he was rarely bullied. It seemed that his strength was his saving grace.

Thinking this, Qin Yao couldn’t resist grabbing a freshly fried fish cake. It was crispy and fragrant—nothing beat something freshly fried. She wanted to eat more.

So she ate another one, and just then, her hand in the bowl bumped into another warm palm. She turned to look and, who else could it be but Gu Cheng?

Gu Cheng glanced at her and, as usual, took a fish cake and popped it into his mouth. Though he usually didn’t like fish or seafood, he kept eating piece after piece.

There weren’t many fried to begin with, and with each of them taking pieces, the freshly fried fish cakes were gone in no time.

These were meant for the Spring Festival, but they were disappearing as soon as they came out of the fryer…

"Enough, enough! Cut it out, Gu! Are you really going to keep this up? You too, kids!"

With the two kids, it was understandable, but Qin Yao glared at Gu Cheng. "I thought you didn’t like fish?"

Coming over to snatch fish cakes—wasn’t that a bit much? It was as if they only tasted good when grabbed from someone else.

"How can your fish be compared to those from the canteen, dear? I love all the fish you make," Gu Cheng replied.

Qin Yao snorted. "Fine, when you come home, I’ll cook fish for you every day and see if you still like it."

Their refrigerator wasn’t very big and couldn’t hold much. As they ate, the supplies dwindled… By New Year’s Eve, Gu Cheng, being particularly mischievous, borrowed a scale and weighed the two kids one by one.

"Mingming is five pounds heavier than his brother." Qin Yao already knew her younger son was sturdier than the older one. She had thought it was just an illusion, but it turned out the little guy really did weigh more.

The two kids were gobbling down food like there was no tomorrow.

After weighing the two little ones, Gu Cheng teased Qin Yao, "To ring in the new year, do you want to hop on the scale too?"

Qin Yao laughed, "You’re not seriously going to weigh me in that basket, are you?"

Gu Cheng couldn’t help but chuckle. "If I put you in a pig feed bag, tell me, after all these years of marriage, haven’t you changed at all? If only life could be like our first meeting… when will you ever go back to how you were back then?"

Qin Yao said with a playful scold, "Don’t be silly."

Gu Cheng was preparing to further his studies. This Spring Festival had been particularly relaxing for him as he handed over his work. By March, he would go to Yangcheng for further training. Now that the burden was off his shoulders, he had the most free time in the house. Even Mingming and Rui Rui had their winter homework assigned by their mother.

After handing over his work, Gu Cheng didn’t have much to do. Over the years, he finally had plenty of time to spend with his wife and, as a bonus, play with the two kids.

The living room was spacious. Gu Cheng held a long fishing rod in his hand, with a bell and feather tied to the other end of the line, like an oversized cat teaser or what he called a "kid fishing rod."

With the fishing rod in hand—no, "kid fishing rod"—Gu Cheng lazily swung it above the heads of his two sons. "Whoever grabs it first gets a fish cake from Mom."

Rui Rui and Mingming, the brothers, were bored enough to play this fishing game with their father.

"Almost got it, just about to catch it, still a bit short, come on, did you not eat enough?"

Gu Cheng lazily swung the fishing rod while the two kids scrambled to catch it. They ran back and forth, jumping and bouncing, and soon their faces and bodies were covered in sweat.

Passing by, Qin Yao couldn’t help but exclaim, "You’re crazy."

Gu Cheng ate a fish cake and asked with a smile, "Who made this fishing rod?"

He had the nerve to call him crazy when he was the real culprit. He was just following the example, having long wanted to experience the kind of life his wife had at home.

Did they spend their time like this when he wasn’t around?

Qin Yao ran over and whispered, "What you’re doing is a bit too much. At least let them catch it a few more times and give them some words of encouragement. Otherwise, who will play with you next time?"

Comrade Qin, with her amateur son-teasing skills maxed out, understood the principle of not draining the pond to catch the fish. When playing with children, you have to consider their feelings.

Captain Gu, on the other hand, was purely bullying the two kids. He didn’t know how to pretend or let them win. If the kids couldn’t get the food, who would want to play with him?

Gu Cheng felt a little embarrassed for a moment: "..."

The self-proclaimed tactical master, Captain Gu, realized that he hadn’t considered the kids' feelings at all. He had just been enjoying himself.

He found it quite fun to play with the kids. While they were still young, he wanted to make the most of it. Once they started elementary school, they wouldn’t be so easily fooled. Two years, and counting down.

These two years couldn’t be missed. If you miss this chance, it won’t come around again.

Gu Cheng quickly dug out the rope-pull cart that Qin Yao had used before. Staying within the yard, he sat on the cart and coaxed the two kids into pulling him around the house. The kids were more than happy to act like little huskies, and with plenty of energy, they ran wildly around the house with their dad.

Seeing this, Qin Yao covered her forehead with her hand, thinking that while this guy knew enough not to embarrass himself outside, he was still making a ruckus at home. With his size, the cart was banging and clattering as he zoomed around, truly creating a lot of noise.

"Let Dad see who’s stronger. Whoever has more strength will get a reward from Dad tonight—" Gu Cheng was quite flamboyant. Even though he was just sitting on a flatbed cart, his posture was like a general leading the charge, full of momentum. Though he wasn’t in uniform, just casual clothes, he looked incredibly smug.

Before he could finish his sentence, he turned his head and saw Political Commissar Zhou and Zhao Mingjin standing at the door. All three of them stood there, stunned.

Gu Cheng: "..." He was frozen, but the kid’s cart continued moving.

Political Commissar Zhou and Zhao Mingjin both looked at him as if they had seen a ghost.

Zhao Mingjin’s jaw nearly hit the floor: "Captain Gu, is this how you are at home?"

This completely changed his view of Captain Gu.

They both knew Gu Cheng was about to go for further training. This time, they had come to discuss some work handover matters with him. Recently, many people had been coming to him for these issues. Political Commissar Zhou and Zhao Mingjin had just come at an unfortunate time—or perhaps, a surprisingly good one.

Gu Cheng was playing with his kids at home, and the gate to the yard was wide open. Qin Yao had just walked into the yard without closing the main gate, so Political Commissar Zhou and Zhao Mingjin simply entered. The noise inside was so loud that they didn’t notice anyone coming in.

Zhao Mingjin’s jaw nearly hit the floor: "Captain Gu, is this how you are at home?"

This completely shattered his image of him.