Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
Upon seeing Shao Dong's expression, Mu Jingzhe quickly said, "I'm not a thief."
Previously, she had decided that she would guide them as best as she could and not let them go astray. Although she had given them limited guidance until now, she definitely couldn't be a bad example at the very least.
"I took the money mainly because your father kept it for Little Zhong and you guys to see the doctor. Your grandmother wouldn't give it to me, so I took it. This isn't stealing, though. We're in a special situation, so you mustn't learn from it, understand?"
Shao Dong looked at Mu Jingzhe's anxious expression. "I know."
"It's good that you know that. This is what your father left for you. Consider it receiving your inheritance in advance. This time, not much was spent on Shao Zhong's treatment fees because he didn't take any medicine. The rest is here. Store it well. You can use it if you need to in the future."
Shao Dong looked at the money in his hand. "You… are giving it to me just like that?"
Mu Jingzhe casually replied, "Of course. It's your money anyway."
Treating Shao Zhong was a special situation. After doing that, she didn't want to use the money anymore. Therefore, she naturally had to give it to Shao Dong.
3
She believed that Shao Dong would take good care of it. Leaving them some money would make them feel more reassured. If she should leave in the future, they wouldn't be left empty-handed and be forced to pick up garbage.
That's right. In the novel, Shao Dong wanted to treat Shao Bei's ears after they were damaged from the fever and Zhao Lan refused to give him money. As a result, he was forced to pick up garbage.
People only knew that Shao Dong was a business bigshot, but no one knew that he was once a rag-and-bone man who had earned his first bucket of gold by picking up garbage.
Shao Dong held the money, not knowing what to say for a moment. He hesitated for an instant before putting it away and thanking her.
"You're welcome." Mu Jingzhe thought for a while and emphasized again, "Shao Dong, you must remember that you can't steal. Someone who steals needles when he is young steals gold when he grows up. If one continues stealing, one will become more wicked and will eventually be capable of committing all sorts of atrocities."
1
Shao Dong: "Okay."
Mu Jingzhe hurriedly went to cook. As she started feeling thirsty, a bowl of water suddenly appeared in front of her.
She looked up and saw Shao Nan.
Shao Nan smiled. "Here, have some water."
Mu Jingzhe was flattered. "Thank you."
On the way back, Mu Jingzhe had pointed to Shao Zhong and told him about everything she saw. Her mouth had never stopped moving, so she was so thirsty that she couldn't seem to drink enough to quench her thirst.
Mu Jingzhe gulped down the bowl of water in one go.
Shao Nan took the bowl and asked some questions about Shao Zhong's treatment.
Shao Nan and Shao Bei were boy-girl twins, so his facial features were very exquisite, and he could pass off for male or female.
He was the most brilliant academically among the five children and was a future scientific research big boss. He looked like a nerd on the surface, but in reality, he was devious on the inside.
1
He was the one who would later concoct a colorless, odorless, slow-acting poison that couldn't be detected. He would take revenge for his younger sister, but in the end, no one would suspect him.
Mu Jingzhe swallowed at the thought. Was there… any colorless, odorless, slow-acting poison in that bowl of water?
3
Was this going to be the way she met her demise?
No, surely not… Mu Jingzhe shook her head. I haven't been up to any bad deeds lately.
Besides, Shao Nan was still a kid. He couldn't possibly make that kind of poison. She needn't scare herself unnecessarily.
1
Shao Nan walked out of the kitchen and saw Shao Bei staring at him in confusion. "Third Brother, why did you bring her water?"
Shao Dong and Shao Xi both looked at him.
Shao Nan smiled. "She's been cooking for us for the past few days, making clothes, and taking Shao Zhong to see a doctor. It's only right that we fetch her a bowl of water. If she keeps this up, I will pour her water and even smile at her every day."
Wasn't it a pretty good deal?
Shao Bei tilted her head. "That's true. I'll pour water for her in the future as well."
Shao Nan laughed and patted her head. "No need. Third Brother can do it."
1
It would be great if this continued.
"We're going," Shao Qiyang told Mu Jingzhe and Shao Bei before he left with the four boys.
Every year before spring plowing, according to the customs of the Great Eastern Village, there would be a prayer for blessings and good weather. That day, classes were suspended, but only males were allowed to attend the prayer. Females weren't allowed to attend it.
3
In the end, only Mu Jingzhe and Little Bei were left at home.
Little Bei was a little unhappy. Mu Jingzhe motioned for her to go over. "Come here, I'll tie your hair for you."
Mu Jingzhe didn't care for this tradition and was fine with not participating, but Little Bei minded.
She changed Little Bei's hair clip.
1
Only then did Little Bei's mood brighten.
For the past few days, Mu Jingzhe had kept her promise and tied her hair in different styles every day. The little girl no longer disliked her so much.
Mu Jingzhe had just gone to the county city yesterday to deliver goods and receive another batch of orders.
It seemed like the hair ornament business was viable. Although it didn't bring a large sum of money, it would take care of some living expenses. However, Mu Jingzhe couldn't keep fixating on this small business.
After a trip yesterday, she had found a new business opportunity.
She had decided to ask the villagers what kind of mountain goods they had. There were some walnut trees in Great Eastern Village and in the vicinity. They weren't thick-skinned walnuts, but they were big and plump and they tasted good.
All these walnuts could be sold.
Mu Jingzhe wanted to go over to make inquiries, but Little Bei was busy playing with the toy she had made for her.
"Be good and stay home. Don't run around."
"Okay."
Little Bei agreed readily, but when Mu Jingzhe returned, she wasn't at home.
"Where did she run off to again?"
Mu Jingzhe initially thought that Little Bei had gone somewhere to play or had secretly gone to see the blessing ceremony.
This was exactly like Little Bei. The more she was forbidden from doing something, the more she wanted to do it.
She didn't like to be treated differently because she was a girl, nor did she like to be belittled. In exams, she had to get first place and do better than all the boys.
Unexpectedly, when Shao Qiyang brought the boys back, Shao Bei didn't come with them.
"Didn't Little Bei come looking for you guys?"
"No. She came to look for us?"
Shao Qiyang currently had complicated feelings for Mu Jingzhe. She had completely changed. When he came back occasionally, she was polite but distant around him. It was as if he had imagined her trying to get close to him previously.
When he saw that the house was getting cleaner and neater, she took care of the five children well, and this was becoming more and more like a home, his plans to send Mu Jingzhe back to her parents' house were shelved time and again.
"I thought she went looking for you guys."
Mu Jingzhe didn't notice the complicated look in Shao Qiyang's eyes and frowned. "Maybe she went to find a friend. I'll go look for her."
Unexpectedly, she ended up looking for her until the sky turned dark.
Mu Jingzhe searched the entire village but couldn't find Little Bei.
Little Bei had disappeared.
Mu Jingzhe went next door to ask Zhao Lan and the others about her.
"Mom, have you seen Little Bei?"
Zhao Lan and the others had just finished their meal and were sitting around and chatting. They had long heard Mu Jingzhe and the others looking for Little Bei. They raised their eyelids upon hearing the question.
"No."
"Then when was the last time you saw her?"
"This morning?" Zhao Lan looked at Mu Jingzhe with a dark gaze. "Why can't you even look after a child properly? How have you been taking care of them?"
Mu Jingzhe, who had no time to argue with her, simply turned around and left.
However, Zhao Lan didn't stop. She said in a strange tone, "A stepmother is always a stepmother. See, she revealed her true colors in just a few days. Maybe she beat Little Bei up and hid her somewhere."
Shao Nan, who was right behind Mu Jingzhe, paused.
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
Zhao Lan, Eldest Brother Shao, and his family had all heard about Little Bei's disappearance, but none of them helped to find her.
On the other hand, a few families close to them in the village, as well as Li Zhaodi and the rest, came to help when they heard about it.
Shao Qiyang asked Shao Nan to stay at home and watch Shao Zhong instead of going with them, in case he ended up losing these two kids on top of the one already missing.
Great Eastern Village was filled with the sound of barking dogs and villagers calling out for Little Bei.
They searched till midnight in the vicinity of Great Eastern Village, but there was still no trace of Little Bei.
Since they couldn't find her, everyone went home one after another.
Mu Jingzhe changed her flashlight battery. She wanted to continue searching, but she suddenly heard Shao Nan's hostile voice.
"Did you do something to Little Bei while we were away?"
Shao Qiyang frowned. "Little Nan, don't talk nonsense."
Although the villagers hadn't said anything in front of Mu Jingzhe, they couldn't help but suspect her behind her back.
Shao Qiyang had also had the same thought.
It couldn't be helped. Mu Jingzhe was a stepmother after all.
"I'm not spouting nonsense. I was wondering why she was suddenly treating us well. It seems like she did it on purpose. She wanted us to trust her so that she could do bad things."
Shao Nan's eyes were filled with hatred. "What did you do to Little Bei? Return Little Bei to us quickly."
He had never trusted Mu Jingzhe to begin with, and after hearing the villagers gossiping, he exploded.
The bond between the twins made him feel especially bad. His heart panicked, and the more he panicked, the more he lost control.
"I didn't do anything." Mu Jingzhe took a deep breath.
Even though she had thought of herself as just a nanny, the interactions they'd had over the past few days hadn't been fake. At the moment, she felt very uncomfortable with being suspected.
"Believe it or not, I didn't do anything to hurt Little Bei and I wouldn't do that in the future either."
Upon saying that, Mu Jingzhe left to look for Little Bei.
The most important thing now was finding her.
However, Mu Jingzhe and Shao Qiyang searched for an entire night but still didn't find her. They searched the pond at the back of the mountain and everywhere else they could think of. They even searched the Small Eastern Village, but to no avail.
Shao Dong and Shao Xi also went out to look for her, unbeknownst to Mu Jingzhe, but they found nothing too.
"No, none of us found her."
The next day, Shao Nan saw Mu Jingzhe, who had been looking for Shao Bei the entire night, with bloodshot eyes. A trace of regret flashed across his face. However, he didn't say anything.
"It might not be of any use to search so blindly. I'm thinking of reporting this directly to the police station," Mu Jingzhe told Shao Qiyang.
"You want to file a police report?"
"Yes." Mu Jingzhe nodded affirmatively. "I'll report the case. You can ask around in the area."
Shao Qiyang hesitated for a moment before finally nodding. "Okay."
Mu Jingzhe had just stepped out of the gate when she ran into Zhao Lan.
Zhao Lan kept yawning. When she saw Mu Jingzhe, her expression immediately turned stiff. "You still haven't found Little Bei? Let me warn you: If you don't find her, I won't let you off."
When she saw someone coming over out of the corner of her eye, her tone became pitiful. "What is going on? My good granddaughter, what's going to happen to you if this continues? I'm so worried."
Mu Jingzhe looked out of the corner of her eyes and sneered. "Worried? So worried you snored in your sleep? Or did you worry in your dreams? What a joke."
Zhao Lan looked behind Mu Jingzhe's back and grabbed a middle-aged woman who was passing by.
"Did you see her attitude? She sounds so justified when she's the one who lost my granddaughter. That's why I said that stepmothers can't—"
Along the way, Mu Jingzhe met many villagers. They were all concerned about whether or not Little Bei had been found. Some even said they would help look for her.
When they arrived at the village entrance, upon hearing that Mu Jingzhe was going to report the case, one of the women who had helped look for Little Bei last night spoke hesitantly.
"Jingzhe, let me tell you something. I'm not sure if it's true, though."
"Go ahead."
"My daughter said that she saw your mother-in-law carrying Little Bei out of the village yesterday. However, she's only four years old. I'm afraid she might have seen wrong or remembered it wrong."
"My mother-in-law?" Mu Jingzhe's face turned cold. "Did she say when she saw her?"
"She couldn't clearly tell us the details…"
At that moment, another auntie also spoke up. "Last night, my father-in-law also said that he saw your mother-in-law take Little Bei out, but he has poor hearing and eyesight. I can't be sure either."
"I'll find out when I ask her."
Mu Jingzhe thanked them and turned around.
On the way back, she picked up a suitable stick.
"Zhao Lan, where did you take Little Bei?"
A hint of panic flashed across the eyes of Zhao Lan, who was washing her face. However, she immediately calmed down.
"What kind of nonsense are you talking about? I didn't take Little Bei."
Mu Jingzhe didn't waste any time. She directly struck the pot with the stick.
With a deafening sound, the ceramic vat that had been fine for many years was instantly deformed.
Zhao Lan screamed.
Mu Jingzhe pointed the stick at her.
"Zhao Lan, I don't have time to talk nonsense with you. You should know what will happen to you if this stick strikes you. I'll ask you again: Where did you take Little Bei?"
Zhao Lan trembled and was about to shout for her eldest son when she heard Mu Jingzhe shout.
"He's no match for me. Do you want me to cripple his other leg too?"
After Old Man Shao had passed away, Eldest Brother Shao had succeeded Zhao Lan and farmed in order to raise his younger siblings. He had suffered a lot and even injured his leg later on. As he didn't have the money to treat it, his leg had gone limp.
Zhao Lan had always felt guilty about her eldest son, which was why she had favored him.
Upon hearing Mu Jingzhe's threat, Zhao Lan was shocked. "Son, don't come over."
She looked into Mu Jingzhe's eyes and knew that she was telling the truth. She was afraid that Mu Jingzhe would hit her eldest son. Thus, feeling justified because she was the child's grandmother, she directly admitted to it.
"Yes, I gave her away. I'm her grandmother. What's wrong with me giving her away?"
"Gave her away? Who did you give her to?"
"Why do you care who I gave her to? You didn't give birth to Little Bei. You're not fit to…"
At this point, Zhao Lan saw Shao Qiyang and the four kids behind him.
They were staring at her in shock and fury.
Zhao Lan was angered by their gazes. "What are you looking at? Stop looking for her. She's just a girl—"
Her last words were cut short by Mu Jingzhe's wooden stick.
"If you don't want to die, tell me honestly where you took Little Bei."
Mu Jingzhe's bloodshot eyes flashed with killing intent.
A moment later, Mu Jingzhe left the Shao Family's main house with a dark expression. The courtyard was filled with panic and Zhao Lan's screams.
Hearing that something was wrong, the villagers came to inquire and found out that the commotion was a result of Mu Jingzhe hitting Zhao Lan's legs because she had given Little Bei away.
Zhao Lan's legs weren't broken, but Mu Jingzhe had said that if they couldn't find Little Bei, she would come back and break her legs.
"That's my granddaughter. So what if I gave her away? Who does she think she is? How dare she hit me! I'm her mother-in-law!"
Zhao Lan cursed, but no one answered her.
Seeing that something was wrong, Zhao Lan started weeping.
"I became the villain because of the other four children. Qihai is gone, but he left behind five children. With my eldest son's leg in that state, although I have the heart, I do not have the strength to raise the children. It's not possible if only I and Qiyang make an effort.
"Qiyang still has to get married in the future. If he keeps helping to raise these five children, how is he going to get a wife? I thought that it would help reduce the burden on the family, but it pained my heart too. She's my biological granddaughter, but I sent her there to allow her to lead a good life."
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
Zhao Lan didn't think she was wrong at all.
Mu Jingzhe had taken her money previously, yet she couldn't take it back. Thinking about it made her gnash her teeth in anger. Even in her dreams, she wanted to take back the money from Mu Jingzhe.
However, Mu Jingzhe was a smart person. She locked the door at all times and used brute force. Zhao Lan was fearful of her and didn't dare make a move.
She'd also increasingly found Shao Dong and his siblings more of an eyesore, with Shao Bei being the one she disliked the most.
In the end, she'd coincidentally heard from her eldest daughter-in-law that someone from elsewhere wanted to adopt a child. In particular, they were looking for a little girl.
She might not have been able to give away a grandson, but she had no problem parting with that lass.
She had heard that the family was rich and drove a car. If the adoption was successful, they would even give them some thank-you gifts.
When Zhao Lan had heard this, how could she refuse? Since she could deal with the girl and stop wasting money on her, as well as receive remuneration on top of that, she'd naturally obliged.
When Shao Bei had been alone at home, Zhao Lan had coaxed her into going out with her.
Shao Bei was smart, but she was still young and didn't know about the evil side of human nature. Zhao Lan was her grandmother, and she had been taking care of them, so she wasn't as vigilant.
The family had driven Shao Bei away, and Zhao Lan was satisfied with the thank-you gift.
However, she still cared about her dignity. It hadn't been nice of her to give Shao Qihai's daughter away so soon after his death, so she had blamed Mu Jingzhe for not looking after the child properly.
It was normal for a stepmother like Mu Jingzhe to not do her best.
She'd also seen this as an opportunity to kick Mu Jingzhe back to her own home. Initially, she hadn't sent her back to her maternal family because she didn't want to take care of Shao Dong and his siblings. Now, she felt that she had to send Mu Jingzhe away, as everything was out of control with Mu Jingzhe around.
After she chased Mu Jingzhe away, Shao Qiyang's salary would be given to her again, and Shao Dong and the rest would be in her charge.
Eating eggs? Wearing new clothes? They could forget about that, as it would be her money then.
She had a good plan, but she hadn't expected to be exposed by others in the end. Zhao Lan went even crazier.
"Qihai, are you looking at this from heaven? Look at your good wife. If you hadn't left so early, I wouldn't have had to do such a wicked thing. I just wanted to give Shao Bei a good life.
"Mu Jingzhe is nothing. Who does she think I am? How dare she hit me? I'm her mother-in-law. I'm going to have her divorced. I don't want a daughter-in-law like her. From now on, the two of us cannot co-exist in the Shao Family."
Seeing that the villagers' expressions had eased up, Zhao Lan wanted to continue, but she saw Shao Nan's gaze behind the crowd.
The child was like a wolf about to pounce on her and devour her.
Zhao Lan's complaints were stuck in her throat. "Little brat, what kind of look is that?"
She took off her shoe and threw it at him.
Shao Dong pulled Shao Nan away. He glanced coldly at Zhao Lan, turned around, and left.
"What an ingrate. You're a pack of ingrates. How did I bring you up—"
Zhao Lan continued to scold Shao Nan. Shao Nan lowered his head as if he was talking to Shao Dong but also talking to himself. "If Little Bei isn't found, I'll kill her… I'll kill her."
His voice wasn't loud, and his tone was calm, as if he was narrating something normal.
Shao Dong lowered his head. "Uncle will bring her back. Let's wait."
Shao Nan raised his head. "What if we can't find her?"
"No." Shao Dong shook his head. "If they don't find her, we'll go find her ourselves. I'll definitely find my sister."
The five siblings had to stay together.
Mu Jingzhe and Shao Qiyang quickly rushed to the county.
They were in such a hurry that they were soon covered in sweat. Their legs didn't seem to be theirs anymore. Their throats felt like they were on fire.
They rushed to the bus stop without resting.
There were a few shuttle buses parked at the bus stop, but they didn't drive to the neighboring county city.
"You came too late. The bus only makes one trip there a day. Once it leaves, it won't come back for a day."
The driver they asked was an energetic young man. He looked at Mu Jingzhe curiously and asked, "What's wrong? Are you going to the neighboring county?"
"Yes, my child was taken to the county city, so I have to get her back. Can you make a trip there? We can book a bus, or you can lend us your bus."
The young man shook his head immediately. "No, all our buses have fixed schedules and routes. The other buses don't go there. It's even more impossible to borrow a bus. These aren't our private buses. They are public buses."
There was no use asking the other drivers, for they would all give the same answer.
"What should we do?" Shao Qiyang wiped his sweat. "It's morning now. They have a car, so we can't catch up."
Zhao Lan had said that the family would leave this morning.
"What can we do… Let's find a car. We have to catch up and find them no matter what."
Mu Jingzhe gritted her teeth. She missed her shabby car and the modern world.
There were surveillance cameras in the modern world and cars everywhere. One could call a taxi or fast car when one wanted, unlike here, where there weren't many cars in the county city. Other than bicycles and rickshaws, there weren't even any motorcycles.
"No, I'll go to the post office to borrow a bicycle." Shao Qiyang had no other choice.
"A bicycle would be too slow. I don't know what time we'd get there with it."
Mu Jingzhe shook her head. It would have been fine if Little Bei had been adopted normally, but she was afraid that there was something fishy going on. She feared that after the adoption, Little Bei would be sent someplace or something terrible would happen to her, causing irreparable harm.
With every minute that passed, Little Bei might encounter a dangerous situation. They couldn't afford to take the risk.
"Shao Qiyang, do you know which families in the county have cars? Or which families have motorcycles?"
Shao Qiyang frowned. "Why do you ask?"
"We have to think of something. If you know, tell me now."
"I have no idea."
Mu Jingzhe closed her eyes. She even wanted to go to the police station.
She hadn't gone at once because, in this day and age, it wasn't uncommon for families with many children who couldn't afford to raise them well to send them away. Zhao Lan was the child's biological grandmother, and she wasn't her biological mother. If she went to the police, it was uncertain if it would be of any use. It would also delay them.
Suddenly, as unacceptable ideas such as kidnapping and intimidation were flashing across her mind, Mu Jingzhe saw a jeep coming from not far away.
"A car."
Mu Jingzhe's eyes lit up as she ran over. Coincidentally, the jeep stopped.
A person she had not expected to see walked out—Tang Moling.
Mu Jingzhe halted in her tracks.
Seeing anyone else might have been fine, but Tang Moling, the male protagonist of the original novel, who had been taking revenge on her, would most likely punish her when he saw her. The probability of him lending his car to her was either zero or a negative number.
But… Mu Jingzhe continued walking forward because she didn't have a better alternative.
"Tang Moling… Hello, I'm Mu Jingzhe. Do you remember me? I'm Mu Xue's cousin."
Tang Moling saw Mu Jingzhe.
As soon as he did, he felt an inexplicable chill deep down. His hand, which had just recovered, also hurt a little.
Tang Moling was frustrated at this thought. He hadn't even taught her a lesson for what had happened previously, yet she still dared to approach him.
He narrowed his eyes and asked in an indifferent tone, "What?"
"Here's the thing. My Little Bei was taken away by someone. We have to get her back immediately. Can we borrow your car?"
"Borrow my car?" Tang Moling had his hands in his pockets as he leaned against the car. He looked down at Mu Jingzhe. "You?"
Mu Jingzhe: "…"
Very good. He was a typical male protagonist.
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
Mu Jingzhe tried her best to convince him. "Just for one day. I won't scratch it or make a dent in it. Please, for Mu Xue's sake…"
"You still dare mention Mu Xue? You have the nerve to mention Mu Xue?"
Tang Moling interrupted Mu Jingzhe in an annoyed tone.
Mu Jingzhe replied, "Yes, I shouldn't have brought it up, but this is a matter of life and death. You've met Little Bei too. She's still really young. Mu Xue likes her a lot and she was also very anxious last night. If something happens to Little Bei, she'll be sad."
Tang Moling's expression softened.
Indeed, Mu Xue was kind, but that was no reason for him to lend her his car.
While he admired Mu Xue and thought that she was kind, he couldn't help but feel jealous.
Little Bei and those kids were Shao Qihai's children.
Mu Xue had liked Shao Qihai before. Later on, Shao Qihai had died. She had been at her saddest when she'd saved Tang Moling. It was Tang Moling who had kept her company through those sad days.
Tang Moling was very jealous of Shao Qihai. It could be said that he was jealous of him throughout the entire book. Even though Shao Qihai was dead, he still had a strong presence. He had always been playing the role of a tool to further their relationship.
As for Little Bei and her siblings, Mu Xue loved them because they were Shao Qihai's children, so Tang Moling didn't feel good about them.
He wasn't that kind-hearted. There were many pitiful people in the world. How could he help them all?
Tang Moling turned to leave.
"Wait a minute, Tang Moling. If Mu Xue finds out that you helped, she'll definitely be very happy and look at you in a different light. You and Mu Xue are both talented and beautiful. You must want her to be happy, right?"
Mu Jingzhe's words pleased Tang Moling.
He flicked the keys with his fingers and smiled at Mu Jingzhe. "You have some foresight."
She had finally said something that was pleasing to the ears.
Tang Moling looked at Mu Jingzhe and saw the anxious look in her eyes. Her performance was pretty good. She looked as if she was really worried about her stepdaughter.
She hadn't even had to do it herself, but the burden had been sent away. She had to be feeling ecstatic inside, yet she was putting on an act in front of him. Upon seeing how much effort she put into acting and then looking at Shao Qiyang beside her, Tang Moling thought of teasing her.
Alright, he had nothing to do, so he might as well play along with her since she'd shown up. He wanted to see how long she could keep up her act. He could also use this opportunity to avenge Mu Xue.
"It would not be impossible for me to lend you my car, but…"
This was obviously a lie. Of course, he wouldn't lend her his car.
This was because he simply didn't believe that the girl needed to be rescued. Leaving her stepmother was a good thing. It was better than suffering in her stepmother's hands.
When Mu Jingzhe heard this, her eyes lit up. "But what? Please tell me."
"I can't remember at the moment."
Tang Moling shrugged.
His temperamental personality made Mu Jingzhe's angry mind flash with images of her snatching the key, but she forcefully restrained herself. Shao Qiyang, who had heard everything, could no longer stand by and watch.
"Stop begging him. It'd be a wonder if someone like him helped."
He had noticed Tang Moling's teasing gaze.
Tang Moling looked at Shao Qiyang with a faint smile. "Someone like me? You mean someone with a car?"
The male protagonist and the supporting male protagonist couldn't escape the fate of becoming enemies and finding each other an eyesore.
3
"If you find me an eyesore because I have a car, you can go buy one too."
"You…" Shao Qiyang's anger was instantly ignited. He raised his fist, ready to punch him.
Mu Jingzhe quickly stopped him.
With her holding him back, Shao Qiyang couldn't break free no matter how hard he tried.
"Don't be calculative with him. He's just too anxious about losing his niece. I really need your help. If you have any conditions, just let me know. As long as I can do it, I will. Okay?"
Tang Moling saw that Shao Qiyang's face was red. Not knowing it was because he was trying to break free from Mu Jingzhe's grip, Tang Moling misunderstood.
He sized the two of them up and said, "I was wondering why you suddenly became interested in the child. Are you doing this in hopes that your younger brother-in-law will see you in a different light and accept you?"
Shaking his head, he added, "It's not impossible. You just have to be shameless enough. Although you're his sister-in-law, you're still a virgin, aren't you?"
"What kind of nonsense are you talking about!"
Shao Qiyang glanced at Mu Jingzhe and felt very uncomfortable, especially when Tang Moling said that she was a virgin.
Mu Jingzhe was frustrated as well. "Tang Moling, you've already mocked me. Can you state your conditions now?"
It was just a question of whether he wanted to lend her the car or not. By speaking excessively, they were losing precious time.
"No." Tang Moling saw that Mu Jingzhe had finally revealed her true colors and gave her a nasty smirk. "Not unless you kneel down and beg me."
His eyes were filled with malice and mockery. He knew that this was impossible. He was only doing this to make her give up and expose her true colors.
"Tang Moling, say that again."
It was all clear to Mu Jingzhe now.
She had originally thought that this was what Tang Moling's personality was like. She'd thought she would just endure it for a while and it would pass. She hadn't expected him to take things this far.
"I said that if you kneel down and beg me, I'll lend it to you if I am happy."
Tang Moling repeated himself.
"Kneel… You wouldn't lend it to me even if I did kneel, would you?"
No one in this world liked to kneel, but it was nothing compared to saving someone.
In the past, when a younger child in the orphanage had fallen ill, the orphanage had not had the money to treat her. It was Mu Jingzhe who had gone kneeling door to door behind her back and begged for money to treat her.
To her, kneeling meant living. It was life.
Between life and kneeling, she was very aware of what was more important.
This concerned a girl's life. Kneeling down once was nothing. If she could save her by doing this, even kneeling down a thousand times wouldn't be a problem.
However, this was provided that it would be of use. Mu Jingzhe had knelt down time and again. Sometimes, even if it was a small amount, she was still given money after kneeling. However, there were also some people who would only mock her after they asked her to kneel.
At the time, she had always told herself that she would never have to kneel down and beg anyone ever again. She had done it again eventually.
She hadn't expected to encounter such a situation again today.
Furthermore, she was facing malicious teasing.
It was up to Tang Moling whether he would lend her his car or not, but he shouldn't tease her like this. No one knew what would happen due to this delay.
Mu Jingzhe was furious.
The anger made her crush the rocks in her hand one by one.
Mu Jingzhe had casually picked them up along the way. She'd thought that if she was lucky enough to catch up with the people who had taken Little Bei, these would come in handy.
Tang Moling, who had a smug smirk on his face, was left speechless.
His mind cleared up as he watched the crushed rocks fall.
He suddenly thought of his hurt hand and the chopsticks that had been deeply inserted into the Mu Family's dining table. Oh right, he also recalled Shao Qiyang's strange look just now.
There was indeed something wrong with Mu Jingzhe.
A chill ran down his spine. He suddenly realized that if he admitted that he had tricked Mu Jingzhe, his head might suffer the same fate as those rocks.
Tang Moling unconsciously took a step back. "I was joking. I'll lend it to you."
Mu Jingzhe raised her head. "Really?"
She dusted her hands nonchalantly. She didn't even realize what she had just done, nor did she know why Tang Moling had suddenly changed his mind.
Still, it was good that she had managed to borrow a car.
Tang Moling held onto the keys uncomfortably and reluctantly opened the car door.
Then, he suddenly realized… Wait… He was just lending her a car. He hadn't said he would be her chauffeur.
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
Tang Moling instantly relaxed. So what if he'd lent her the car? They couldn't drive it anyway, so it had all been for nothing.
The frustration in his heart finally dissipated a little. He smiled and handed the car keys to Mu Jingzhe.
He waited for Mu Jingzhe and Shao Qiyang to realize this and look troubled. He thought that they would plead with him to help them drive and he would then reject them with the excuse that he was busy.
It couldn't be helped, as he didn't have the time.
With no driver, the car would be borrowed for no reason.
In the end, he'd still win.
Tang Moling's face lit up.
Mu Jingzhe didn't know why Tang Moling was suddenly so happy again, but he was smiling like a cat that had stolen a fish.
She could care less about his sudden mood change. After getting the car keys, she thanked him and got in the car.
"Get in quickly."
Mu Jingzhe started the car and urged Shao Qiyang to get in.
Shao Qiyang was stunned for a moment before he got in the car.
Tang Moling finally reacted and briskly strode over to stop Mu Jingzhe. "You know how to drive?"
Upon hearing this, Mu Jingzhe relaxed. "I do."
She thought Tang Moling had regretted it and almost hit him.
Of course she knew how to drive. She had been a veteran driver for many years.
She just had to familiarize herself with switching from automatic to manual. In fact, she could even drive a mini-bus.
1
Tang Moling: "…"
You know how to drive?
Even you know how to drive?
Tang Moling didn't believe her at all.
Even Mu Xue didn't know how to drive. How could she know how to do it?
In this day and age, besides people who had a car at home or specifically learned to drive, very few people knew how to drive.
Tang Moling still liked his car very much and couldn't bear to let the boasting Mu Jingzhe do anything to it. However, he looked at Mu Jingzhe's hand and didn't say anything. "It's good that you know how to drive. Remember not to bump into things, or you'll have to take responsibility."
'I'll make you go bankrupt by paying for the damage.'
Mu Jingzhe nodded solemnly. "I know. I'll be careful. We'll leave now. I'll return the car to you when we get back."
Mu Jingzhe glanced at Shao Qiyang. "Fasten your seatbelt."
Under Tang Moling's disbelieving gaze and Shao Qiyang's suspicious gaze, Mu Jingzhe started the car and drove away.
Although she seemed not very used to the car at first, she quickly sped up and disappeared from sight.
"Eh?"
Tang Moling could not believe it.
She really knew how to drive?
Tang Moling finally reacted. "My stuff."
His belongings, wallet, and other important things were still in the car.
3
Tang Moling spat and chased after them.
He had to catch up to the car.
After some delay, he drove another ordinary car over.
He was a good driver and he was fast. He thought that he would catch up to Mu Jingzhe soon, but he never managed to.
The more Tang Moling chased after her, the more anxious he became. He even suspected that Mu Jingzhe had deliberately tricked him so that she could sell his car and she wasn't really looking for the child.
In the car in front of him, Shao Qiyang was almost scared to death.
"That's… That's fast, isn't it?"
"Don't worry." Mu Jingzhe looked ahead and comforted Shao Qiyang.
How could Shao Qiyang not worry? She was driving very fast, and the person at the wheel was worrisome Mu Jingzhe. His heart almost jumped out of his chest.
1
However, as time passed, he gradually relaxed.
This was because Mu Jingzhe was a very steady driver. Although her speed was very fast, she was becoming increasingly more proficient and steadier.
Judging by her expression, she seemed to have everything under control.
At first, Shao Qiyang kept looking at Mu Jingzhe because he was worried. Later on, before he could react, his mental state and gaze changed.
It was the first time he had seen a girl drive.
There was an indescribable feeling in his heart.
Because he was worried about Little Bei, he quickly forgot about this strange feeling.
2
After driving for more than two hours, they finally arrived at the neighboring county city.
Without a navigation system, they could only look at the road signs and ask passersby how to head to their destination.
They had the name of the family that had taken Little Bei away. They were very lucky to find someone who knew them, and that person even gave them their address.
Unfortunately, there was a problem. That family had two residences and lived in both places. They didn't know which place they were currently at.
As it turned out, the two places weren't even close.
Time was of the essence. In the end, they decided to split up.
The result proved that this method was good. If they hadn't split up and Mu Jingzhe had gone with him to check, they might have missed the family.
When Mu Jingzhe arrived, they were packing their luggage and preparing to leave.
Mu Jingzhe had never seen them before and wasn't sure about the car plate number, so she confirmed their identities after getting out of the car.
Unexpectedly, the female owner of the house was especially vigilant.
"Who are you? What do you want?"
"I'm Mu Jingzhe. I would like to know if you guys adopted a little girl called Little Bei yesterday…"
"No."
The woman denied it at once, then ran back and locked the door.
"Wait…"
Mu Jingzhe felt that her attitude was very suspicious, so she was probably right.
She ran after her, but the door was closed and the woman ignored her.
However, Mu Jingzhe heard an abnormal sound coming from inside.
"Open the door now. That child was stolen by her grandmother on purpose. We didn't mean to send her away. If you really want to adopt a girl, you can find another one…"
Mu Jingzhe knocked on the door and pleaded. She had qualms, as Little Bei was in their hands.
In the house…
"Why is someone here? Didn't they say that her parents were gone?" The male owner locked a metal door with an unhappy expression.
They had heard that her biological parents were gone and she only had a stepmother. The child had been personally sent here by her grandmother, and they'd only adopted her because she was cute and pretty. They hadn't expected that someone would chase after them.
The woman was a little flustered. "I don't know either. What should we do now?"
"Are you sure she's alone?"
"Yes. She's driving, but she's alone."
"Driving?" How could an ordinary person drive?
"Right. She drove here, but I don't think the car is hers. Her clothes are dirty, and there is a hole in her shoe."
The woman had a pair of sharp eyes and had noticed a lot with just one look.
She'd noticed that Mu Jingzhe's shoes had become tattered while she'd been looking for Little Bei.
Upon hearing this, the man relaxed a little.
"Hurry up and open the door. If you don't, I'll break it."
Hearing that Mu Jingzhe's movements were getting louder and louder outside, the man quickly opened the door, afraid that the neighbors would get suspicious.
"What? Robbery!" he declared ferociously.
After confirming that Mu Jingzhe was alone, he relaxed.
Even if she caught up with them, they wouldn't be afraid of a woman.
"We're not giving Little Bei away to another family anymore. Please return her to me. I will compensate you for the monetary losses incurred during these two days."
Mu Jingzhe got straight to the point.
"I don't know what you're talking about. Little Bei, Little Dong… We don't know what you are talking about."
The man was impatient and wanted to close the door.
However… he couldn't close it.
Mu Jingzhe blocked the door with one hand.
The man used all his strength but couldn't close it.
There was a coldness in the depths of Mu Jingzhe's eyes. She pushed the door open with force and looked at the man, who was almost pushed down.
"If you don't know what I'm saying, then tell me something else… Where did this hair ornament come from?"
Mu Jingzhe pointed at a little girl wearing a dress not far away. The little girl seemed to have just woken up and was rubbing her eyes with an unhappy expression. On her head was Little Bei's hair clip.
Mu Jingzhe wouldn't mistake it for anything else, as it was the unique hair clip she had made for Little Bei. There was even Little Bei's name on it.