Chapter 267: Chapter 267: Opening Up

After apologizing, Gu Qinghuan didn’t press the matter further. She simply took the two children and went home.

“Mom, you were amazing today!” Beibei’s eyes were full of admiration.

“In the whole compound, no one’s mom is as awesome as mine. My mom is even better than Sun Wukong!” She’d recently been reading picture books about Sun Wukong and had become quite fond of the character.

Gu Qinghuan gently rubbed her little head, worried that the words from those kids today might have hurt her two children.

“So, are you happy?”

“Of course I’m happy! Mom, I love you so, so much!” Beibei threw herself into Gu Qinghuan’s arms. She was still young and couldn’t express everything she felt, but that didn’t mean she didn’t understand.

“Mommy loves you both very much too.”

For a moment, Gu Qinghuan was deeply moved.

She pulled both children into her embrace for a hug.

Gu Qinghuan looked at them seriously and said, “If anyone ever says things like that again, just do what you did today—stand up for yourselves. Mom will always have your back. You’re not ‘wild children.’ You have a dad and a mom, and I love you very much. Even though I’m not your biological mother, just like every other mom in the world, I want nothing more than for you to be happy.”

This was the first time Gu Qinghuan had brought up such a sensitive topic in front of them. She believed that after all this time together, the children were ready to face these issues directly, and she didn’t want to avoid them anymore.

The truth was, she really wasn’t their biological mother—but so what?

She loved them just as passionately and sincerely!

Da Bao’s eyes shimmered with tears.

How could she not be his real mom? In his heart, there was no better mother in the world than Gu Qinghuan!

Not related by blood, but closer than family.

Gu Qinghuan had fulfilled all his hopes for a mother. She gave them gentle, patient guidance, careful care, taught by word and example, and filled them with confidence.

Ever since Gu Qinghuan came into his life, he could finally just be a child. He didn’t have to worry about survival, about where his next meal would come from, or live in constant fear. He could speak his mind and have his own thoughts.

Now, he could even go to school, decide his own future, and change his destiny.

For the first time, he knew what it felt like to be loved and cared for.

To be her child in this life—even if only a stepson—he felt truly happy and content.

All his feelings condensed into one sentence: “Mom, thank you. I want to be your son for my whole life.”

From now on, I’ll work hard, study well, become someone amazing, earn lots of money for you to spend, buy you a big house, a car, and let you sleep in every day.

Da Bao only said these words in his heart, not out loud.

Even at his young age, he already knew that unrealistic promises were better left unsaid. Actions spoke louder than words, and time would prove everything.

But Gu Qinghuan instantly burst into tears.

Because Da Bao had always been a reserved, thoughtful child, she rarely heard him say such emotional things.

When he sincerely said, “I want to be your son for my whole life,” Gu Qinghuan knew that she could never let these two children go.

The bond between the three of them had been sealed from the very first moment she softened her heart.

The taste of that bowl of plain rice porridge was something the two children would never forget for the rest of their lives.

All the emotions Gu Qinghuan had bottled up over this period finally poured out, and she couldn’t stop crying.

“Mom, don’t cry. Brother, look what you did—you made Mom cry!” Beibei hurriedly tried to wipe Gu Qinghuan’s tears, glaring fiercely at her brother and scolding him in her childish, fierce little voice.

Da Bao quickly tried to comfort her too. “Mom, I… please don’t cry.”

But his attempts at comfort were useless.

When it came to comforting people, girls were just better at it.

Beibei pulled out a treasured piece of chocolate from her “treasure box.”

“Mom, I’ll give you my chocolate. Don’t cry, okay? Aunt Xue said that eating something sweet when you’re sad will make you happy. If you eat this, you’ll feel better.”

Sure enough, Gu Qinghuan burst out laughing through her tears.

“Silly girl, I’m not sad—I’m happy. I’m crying tears of joy because my babies are so wonderful.”

“Really? If you’re happy, then you don’t need this chocolate?” Beibei tilted her little head, her eyes full of calculation. With her tail wagging, it was obvious what she was thinking.

“Let me think… Suddenly, I do feel a little sad. What should I do? I really want to eat chocolate now!”

Beibei reluctantly handed over her chocolate, looking like she was making a huge sacrifice.

“Here, you can have it!” she said bravely.

Gu Qinghuan took the chocolate, pretended to put it in her mouth, and after enjoying Beibei’s pitiful expression for a moment, popped it back into her mouth instead.

“Haha, just kidding! Mom doesn’t want it—you eat it.”

If she really wanted chocolate, there was plenty in her space. She just didn’t care for it herself. No wonder people liked teasing kids—it was actually quite fun.

“Hmph! Bad mommy!” Beibei pouted.

“Hmph! Who was it just now saying how much she loved Mommy? Changed your mind so quickly!”

Watching the mother and daughter bicker, Da Bao couldn’t help but laugh and secretly breathed a sigh of relief. He’d better not make Mom cry again—he really had no idea how to comfort her.

After this incident, Teacher Li came by with ten eggs to apologize. Gu Qinghuan accepted them without a second thought. After all, her two children had suffered emotionally—why shouldn’t she accept them?

The family compound was peaceful for a while, though it was only surface-level peace. Whatever undercurrents there were in private, Gu Qinghuan didn’t care.

Several big things happened in May.

The commune received a notice about recommending candidates for the Worker-Peasant-Soldier University.

There were a little over ten spots for the whole commune, with each production team getting one, and the last one going to the commune school.

The main criteria were good political thinking, good health, and a junior high school education or above among workers, peasants, and PLA soldiers.

After being recommended, they’d be approved by the local county or township Revolutionary Committee, and after the school’s review, they could go to university.

Graduates from the Worker-Peasant-Soldier program would be assigned jobs according to a unified system, usually returning to their original units, though some would be assigned elsewhere by the state.

The Worker-Peasant-Soldier students were a unique product of this era—a kind of experiment. Despite their shorter study time, they learned as much as students in today’s four- or five-year undergraduate programs.

True gold fears no fire. Most of them were forged into steel—hardworking, loyal, idealistic, trustworthy, and they achieved extraordinary things in ordinary positions.

Gu Qinghuan admired these people, but clearly, this opportunity wasn’t meant for her. She had better prospects ahead, so she didn’t pay much attention to it.

Still, the whole commune was abuzz.

These recommendation spots didn’t come every year. For their commune to get them this year, with each team getting one spot, was incredibly precious.

Every family with a child who could study was quietly hoping their child could leap out of the farming life and onto a bigger stage."