Gu Xingyu's lips twitched. After a long hesitation, he slowly spoke.
"Someone insulted you, so we got into a fight with them."
As Shen Lu spoke, a wave of heartache washed over her.
The two children had actually gotten into a fight with others because of her, and ended up injured.
Although Shen Lu had only transmigrated a day ago, she understood these two children.
It was definitely because the other party said something too outrageous that such a fierce conflict erupted.
Shen Lu wasn't one to be trifled with either. Anyone who dared to bully her sons would have to face the consequences.
After Gu Xingyu finished speaking, he tightly closed his eyes.
In the past, when he and his older brother had a falling out with other children and got hurt, they would tell this woman, but she would scold both of them.
From then on, all the children in the family courtyard knew that their parents wouldn't stand up for them.
Therefore, some boys always took the lead in bullying him and his older brother.
In the end, only Brother Shi Tou would protect them and play with them.
Normally, they tried to avoid conflicts with other children. Today, they had initiated the fight, and his older brother was bleeding, which was why he couldn't hold back.
The more Gu Xingyu thought about it, the lower his head drooped. He was already prepared to face a storm of scolding from this woman.
After a long while, there was still no scolding sound from around them.
Just as Gu Xingyu was about to look up in confusion, a gentle hand landed on his head and stroked it.
"Don't be afraid, Xiao Yu. Tell me who bullied you."
Gu Xingyu slowly raised his head in a daze. He saw Shen Lu with her back to the light, her brown hair fluttering in the sunlight, shimmering with golden light.
Gu Xingyu subconsciously answered Shen Lu's words.
"Er Niu..."
Shen Lu looked at Li Mei. Li Mei immediately understood and pointed to the house to their right front, indicating that Er Niu's home was there.
Shen Lu, carrying Gu Xingze, whose leg was injured, and holding Gu Xingyu's hand, walked directly towards Er Niu's house.
"What's going on, child's father?"
Li Mei was surprised to see Shen Lu return, and at the same time, a deep doubt arose in her heart.
After Lu Jianguo sent the others away, he concealed the matter of catching spies and briefly explained everything that had happened to Li Mei.
After Li Mei heard the entire story, her face was filled with disbelief.
Shen Lu, who usually appeared lazy and incompetent, was actually so fearless for the country, even nearly losing her life because of it.
Even though she had stayed in the army for a period, she wouldn't dare say she could handle a thug wielding a dagger.
She felt a deep respect for Shen Lu in her heart.
✦✦✦
Shen Lu arrived at Er Niu's house and directly knocked on their door.
Er Niu's mother was eating lunch, holding a steamed bun in one hand, and opened the door.
Seeing Shen Lu bringing the two children over, she thought she had come to apologize as usual.
Yes, in the past, no matter who was right or wrong, as long as the twins got into a conflict with someone outside, Shen Lu would immediately take them to apologize.
Er Niu's mother spoke while trying to close the door directly.
"No need to apologize. Just make sure your two sons don't provoke my Er Niu anymore."
Shen Lu's strong arm directly blocked the door of Er Niu's house.
Seeing the door suddenly blocked, Er Niu's mother looked up at Shen Lu with a confused expression.
"What do you mean?"
"Apologize to my sons."
Shen Lu's voice was low, making people tremble involuntarily.
The steamed bun in Er Niu's mother's hand almost fell to the ground.
"You want my son to apologize to your son? Are you crazy!"
At this moment, Er Niu's father came over and asked.
"What's going on?"
"Tell me what happened," Shen Lu patted Gu Xingyu's back.
A great sense of security washed over him. Gu Xingyu, without any fear, held his head high and recounted the events truthfully.
"...Er Niu pushed my older brother to the ground, and Er Niu's mother also said:
'Your mother is just a slut who only thinks about running away with people. You two wild children born to her are also like mad dogs, biting everywhere. Truly, the rotten foundation leads to rotten beams.'"
Shen Lu listened, and a sour feeling slowly welled up in her heart.
These two children had suffered so much injustice in her absence.
Er Niu's father turned and grabbed Er Niu, who was hiding, by the ear and dragged him to the doorway.
"Is what the other child said true!"
Er Niu never expected that the mother of the two boys would come to their door today.
He usually only acted tough in front of the children in the courtyard, but in front of his father, he was as docile as a quail.
Er Niu instantly panicked. He stammered for a long time, unable to utter a complete sentence, showing none of his usual cleverness.
Seeing his flustered state, Er Niu's father knew that what the other party said was mostly true.
Fortunately, he was a reasonable person.
Er Niu's father kicked Er Niu. He stumbled and almost fell to the ground. Even though he was in pain and couldn't stand, he covered his backside and didn't dare to make a sound.
"Apologize to your two younger brothers!" Er Niu's father commanded.
"Sorry..." Er Niu's voice was as faint as a mosquito's hum.
"Apologize sincerely!" Er Niu's father reprimanded.
Er Niu took a deep breath, then bent at the waist and bowed ninety degrees.
"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have made fun of your mother, nor should I have pushed you."
Shen Lu felt the stiff body in her arms relax slightly, knowing that the squabbles between children were quick to start and quick to end. Leaving it to the little ones, they probably wouldn't hold a grudge anymore.
Seeing his own son being so sensible, Er Niu's father's anger subsided by more than half.
However, his anger might have subsided, but the other mother's anger might not have.
So, he said to Shen Lu with a look of embarrassment.
"I'm truly sorry. I haven't raised my child well. Look how injured your two children are. Let me get something from home for you."
As Er Niu's father spoke, he turned to go back home, intending to get some nutritional supplements to give to Shen Lu.
Shen Lu spoke, interrupting Er Niu's father's action. Compared to nutritional supplements, there was a more important matter now: helping the two little ones integrate into the courtyard's children's group.
"Sister, please keep those things for Er Niu to recover. I actually have a favor to ask.
My two children don't usually play with the other children in the courtyard. I'd like your Er Niu to take my two sons under his wing more."
Shen Lu spoke directly, and Er Niu's father was also straightforward.
"Of course, no problem. But my son was indeed in the wrong today. It's only right to give some nutritional supplements for recovery. Look how thin these two children have become."
Since Er Niu's father had said so, Shen Lu found it difficult to refuse.
Gu Xingyu looked up at Shen Lu, who was smiling kindly, and felt a different kind of feeling in his heart.
Was this what it felt like to have someone backing you up?
✦✦✦