Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
The couple hadn't expected that they would give themselves away because of the hair clip. They had taken this hair clip because their daughter had thought it was pretty.
Seeing that they had been exposed, the man quit denying it.
"I'll be frank too. Her grandmother gave her to me and accepted the benefits. She'll be part of our family from now on. It was useless for you to come. Hurry up and leave."
"No, I don't agree. I'm her mother. I have to take her home today no matter what."
"Then there's nothing we can do about it. This child is disobedient and ran away last night. We don't know where she went either."
Upon seeing their shameless behavior, Mu Jingzhe went in to look for Shao Bei herself.
After searching through all the rooms, she finally stopped in front of an iron door.
"Open the door."
This was the only room she hadn't checked. Based on the way it was tightly locked, it was obvious that something was amiss.
The man looked at Mu Jingzhe coldly and shrugged. "Can't. I lost the key."
She would see what she could do.
Mu Jingzhe scoffed. "Forget it then."
She took a brick from the yard and started smashing the lock under the man's disbelieving gaze.
The man's expression changed. "Stop it, this is absurd. Listen to me, if you don't stop, I'll take you to the police station. Do you believe me?"
The lock was sturdy, and even he would need some time to break it. He didn't think Mu Jingzhe would be able to break it, so he merely wanted to scare Mu Jingzhe and extort some money.
Mu Jingzhe didn't say anything and continued smashing the lock.
The man's expression changed after a while.
This was because he had realized that something was wrong. Mu Jingzhe was smashing the lock repeatedly, and the lock seemed about to break. Furthermore, even the iron door was affected, as a dent appeared in it with every smash.
2
She was smashing it so hard that the brick was about to break. It was a terrifying sight.
The man realized that something was wrong and wanted to stop her, but it was too late.
Bang! The lock was completely broken.
The door was also full of holes and dents by now.
Most importantly, when the door opened, what was inside was revealed.
With a single glance, Mu Jingzhe's eyes turned red.
Apart from miscellaneous items, there was also a dog cage in the middle of the room.
In the cage was Little Bei, whose hands and feet were tied and whose mouth was gagged.
The pretty, smart little girl who loved cleanliness and beauty had been locked in a filthy cage.
It had occurred to Mu Jingzhe that they might have restrained Xiao Bei, but she hadn't expected them to restrain her so thoroughly by locking her in a cage like a dog.
Was this what Zhao Lan had meant when she'd said she was doing this so that Shao Bei would lead a good life?
She had meant this kind of good life?
As she thought back to the noise she had heard earlier, she realized it must have come from this cage.
If she hadn't arrived in time, they would have sent Little Bei to god-knew-where.
Mu Jingzhe was furious. Just as she was about to go over, the man raised a crowbar and tried to stop her.
Sensing that something was amiss, he had already grabbed the tools that he had at home.
Seeing that his deeds had been exposed, he had decided to go all out and deal with Mu Jingzhe as well.
Mu Jingzhe was still young and could easily be abducted and taken elsewhere. She could forget about ever escaping.
The man's eyes were filled with ferocity, but his first hit missed.
After dodging, Mu Jingzhe snatched the crowbar from him and gave him a hard slap on the leg.
"Ah…"
The man screamed and fell to his knees.
Mu Jingzhe ferociously hit the man's hand twice and felt around the man's body for the keys as he cried in agony.
"Little Bei, don't be afraid. I'm opening the door right now."
Upon opening the cage, Mu Jingzhe picked up Little Bei, carried her out, untied the rope, and removed the towel covering her mouth.
"It's alright, Little Bei."
Little Bei wrapped her arms around Mu Jingzhe's neck and wailed.
"Mommy…"
2
She would never forget hearing Mu Jingzhe's voice at her most desperate moment.
She had heard Mu Jingzhe's movements.
She had heard the terrifying sounds of the door and lock being smashed, but they had been like music to her ears.
She really had been saved.
She had been saved by Mu Jingzhe, whom she had never expected to save her.
Little Bei felt like she had fallen from heaven to hell during these two days.
Because of her new clothes, because she'd had a hot meal every day and her hair had been styled into beautiful braids and adorned with a pretty hair ornament every day, she had felt very happy.
She had lost her mother since her birth, so she had always envied those who had mothers the most.
It had not been easy for home to finally feel like a home, but she had been pushed to hell by her grandmother, who had raised her.
In her moments of utmost despair, Mu Jingzhe had descended from the sky like a mother and saved her.
2
This was probably what a mother was like.
Little Bei had shouted out the word she had dreamed of but hadn't dared say.
Mommy.
This was a form of address she could only use in her dreams.
Mu Jingzhe's heart ached before she heard the little girl call her Mommy.
Mommy?
Mommy??
Why would she suddenly call her Mommy?
It felt wondrous.
Mu Jingzhe, who had never been a mother, had a shocked expression on her face, and her body stiffened.
As she was at a loss, she suddenly felt that something was wrong. She turned her head and saw the man, who was unwilling to give up and wanted to launch a sneak attack.
"F*ck you."
Mu Jingzhe stuffed the screaming man into the dog cage.
3
There was limited space in the dog cage, but that didn't stop Mu Jingzhe from fitting him in completely. As for his severed hand… Well, that was regrettable.
1
"You deserve this for locking up Little Bei. Have a taste of your own medicine!"
She quickly locked the cage and reinforced it with a crowbar before smashing the key.
"Enjoy the feeling of being in a cage!"
She looked at the angry, wary woman. She was looking at her daughter, who had burst into tears from fright in her arms.
The woman saw her gaze and immediately covered her young daughter's mouth.
Mu Jingzhe laughed. "Don't worry. I'm not like you people. I wouldn't do anything to an innocent child. But remember your lesson today. If you dare do such a thing again in the future, I'll cut off your evil hands."
She pointed to her own eyes. "I'll be keeping an eye on you."
After Mu Jingzhe finished threatening them, she turned to look at Little Bei and her body instantly froze.
"Uh… Little Bei, don't be afraid."
"I'm not afraid." Little Bei wasn't afraid when she had Mu Jingzhe protecting her.
She sniffed. "I want enormous strength too."
She waved a small fist in the air. "So I can hammer their heads off."
6
Mu Jingzhe: "…"
1
Oh, dear. She had saved Little Bei, but this seemed to have had a bad influence on her and instilled violent thoughts in her.
1
"Little Bei, violence is wrong. You can't learn from me."
"But they're wicked." Little Bei hugged Mu Jingzhe's leg. "I just want to protect myself."
She raised her head and looked at Mu Jingzhe. Her little face was dirty, and her eyes were red. She said pitifully, "They said that I was disobedient, and they scolded me and hit me. I wanted to run away, so they locked me in a cage and didn't give me food or water. They were even going to give me away to a fool."
"What?"
Upon hearing this, Mu Jingzhe immediately exploded and looked at the man in the cage.
The man's body froze, and he didn't even dare scream in pain or curse anymore.
These two people were indeed well-off to be able to afford a car in this day and age. It was also true that they wished to adopt a daughter.
However, they had only adopted this girl because they wanted to give her to a fool's family instead of their biological daughter.
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
The reason why the man's family had been able to make a name for themselves was because they had managed to curry favor with someone. However, the person they had sucked up to had a son who was a fool.
The fool would go crazy from time to time, and no one was willing to play with him. The family was worried that if they were gone in the future, no one would care about the fool, so they wanted to find a girl for their son.
When she was young, she would be his playmate. When she grew up, she would be his wife.
1
Just like raising a child bride, as long as she was taught well from a young age, everything would be fine.
This family happened to have a daughter, so they had asked if they'd be willing to send their daughter to them.
Of course, they were unwilling to do so. What future would their daughter have if she got together with that fool? Because they couldn't bear to part with their own daughter, they had come up with the idea of adopting a new daughter. This way, they could gain benefits and not have to let their own daughter suffer the grievance of such an arrangement.
Little Bei had been born beautiful, and her age and qualities were suitable. They just hadn't expected her to be so smart and disobedient.
If a girl Little Bei was sent to the fool's place, it would be bad if she was disobedient and provoked the fool.
They had thus decided to train Little Bei to behave properly. They had even used the dog cage that they'd previously used for their dog.
Afraid that the commotion would be too big, they had even planned to go to the countryside to train her.
If Mu Jingzhe had come any later, it would have been even harder to find Little Bei. Little Bei would definitely have had to suffer.
Upon hearing their plans, Mu Jingzhe felt so angry that she almost froze.
Since they wanted face, Mu Jingzhe wouldn't give them any.
1
She carried Little Bei and went out to call the neighbors. She publicized what this family had done and told everyone to pay attention to their own children lest they did such an evil deed again in the future.
Besides, this family would be criticized even more in the future, and the man would find it hard to come out of the cage.
Mu Jingzhe hugged Little Bei and left with Shao Qiyang, who had rushed over to meet them.
While Mu Jingzhe wasn't paying attention, Tang Moling, who was among the crowd, pursed his lips and then left with his head lowered.
He had chased her all the way here and almost lost Mu Jingzhe. When he had rushed over, he had happened to see Mu Jingzhe confronting the man.
Tang Moling had originally thought that since Shao Qiyang wasn't around, Mu Jingzhe wouldn't continue acting as a good stepmother.
Unexpectedly, what had happened next had completely shattered his self-righteousness.
3
Mu Jingzhe wasn't acting. She had really gone there to find her stepdaughter.
He had stood at the entrance and had almost run in to help when he had seen the man attacking Mu Jingzhe with a crowbar.
However, Mu Jingzhe had taken care of everything herself.
He had seen and heard Mu Jingzhe's actions, witnessed Little Bei's misery, heard her wailing, and heard her call her mommy.
Tang Moling's countenance was ugly.
Why was Mu Jingzhe completely different from what he had heard about her?
Why was this stepmother different from other stepmothers?
Why… hadn't he met such a stepmother before?
6
Tang Moling also had a stepmother.
He hated Mu Jingzhe. Other than hating her because of Mu Xue, he also hated her because he was prejudiced against stepmothers.
He didn't want to recall the past. Anyway, if he hadn't been brought home by his maternal grandfather later on, he might have been tortured to death or killed that woman and become a murderer.
He knew that Mu Jingzhe had become a stepmother and treated the five children badly.
On the other hand, Mu Xue felt that the children were innocent under the circumstances. Seeing how pitiful they were, she would even give them food.
If Mu Xue had done this today, he wouldn't have found it strange. However, he hadn't expected Mu Jingzhe to do all this.
Tang Moling felt like he had been slapped in the face.
1
When Little Bei saw Mu Jingzhe driving, she widened her eyes in surprise and kept praising her.
Unlike during the trip there, Mu Jingzhe was in a good mood this time. Now that she managed to relax, she even teased Little Bei.
Although she was talking, it didn't affect her driving at all. Her posture was much more relaxed than that of other drivers.
Shao Qiyang had seen some drivers drive, but most of them hadn't been like Mu Jingzhe.
He couldn't help but look at her.
He couldn't quite put his finger on it. He just felt that the way she held the steering wheel was strangely suave, which made him want to look at her again and again.
1
Previously, when he had seen his second brother, Shao Qihai, drive, he had felt that his brother was extremely impressive.
Now that he looked at Mu Jingzhe, Shao Qiyang felt that she was more impressive and… better-looking.
He didn't know that, according to a saying in the pugilistic world, men had nothing on a woman who looked suave while driving.
Frightened and tired, Little Bei fell asleep in no time and the car was plunged into silence.
Mu Jingzhe sensed that Shao Qiyang kept looking at her and thought that something had happened.
"What's wrong?"
"Nothing," Shao Qiyang immediately replied before looking out of the window.
His heart was racing.
Soon, they returned to the county.
Mu Jingzhe had formed a plan on the road. When she passed by the gas station, she filled the car with oil. When she reached the county, she washed the car.
She did all that before returning the car to Tang Moling.
"Thank you for lending us your car. You really helped us this time. If you need anything in the future, just let me know. I'll do what I can."
Tang Moling took the car and looked at Mu Jingzhe's serious expression, nodding without saying a word.
If he hadn't followed her today, he would have mocked Mu Jingzhe for thinking too highly of herself.
Tang Moling didn't say a word, but he looked grumpy. Mu Jingzhe didn't dare say anything else and just left after returning the car.
Actually, Tang Moling was just feeling awkward. It was impossible for him to apologize, but he was still curious to know why Mu Jingzhe knew how to drive. He had a few other questions too.
In the end… she had just run away like that?
When he saw Mu Jingzhe leave without looking back, Tang Moling's countenance turned even uglier.
"You call that thanking someone? Just saying a few words? Do you think I lend my car so easily?"
After saying that, he noticed that the car had been washed. Even the interior had been cleaned, and the tank had been filled with oil.
Tang Moling felt a tad embarrassed and uncomfortable.
5
Meanwhile, Shao Qiyang and Mu Jingzhe returned to town.
Shao Qiyang had been supposed to only have a day off yesterday. He was supposed to go to work today, but he'd forcibly applied for leave. The moment they got back, he rushed off to work.
"I'll try my best to come back tomorrow."
"Okay."
It was inevitable that Shao Qiyang would be reprimanded. He listened absent-mindedly, wondering if Mu Jingzhe would get into a fight with Zhao Lan again when she got back.
He then wondered why Mu Jingzhe knew how to drive.
As his thoughts ran wild, his colleague came and told him that someone was looking for him.
When Shao Qiyang came out, he saw Mu Jingzhe.
Mu Jingzhe handed three buns to Shao Qiyang.
"If you're going to work late, you can eat these when you get hungry."
She had been about to leave, but when she'd passed by the bun shop, she had realized that she was starving.
After running for an entire day and night, it would be strange if she wasn't hungry.
Little Bei's stomach was growling too. Naturally, she'd had to buy the buns. On top of that, she had also bought three for Shao Qiyang.
There was a high chance that Shao Qiyang didn't have any money on him.
He had yet to receive his salary and had already spent all the money he had earned previously.
Mu Jingzhe sighed. Today, she had spent almost all the money she had earned.
She had to work hard to earn money. She was too poor.
Shao Qiyang looked at the piping hot steamed buns and touched his stomach, which had shriveled from hunger. He then whispered, "Thank you."
It felt good to know that someone cared about him.
He didn't know if it was because the steamed buns were too hot, but his eyes were also feeling a little warm.
"You're welcome. I'm leaving."
As Shao Qiyang watched her leave, his colleague nudged him.
"Is this girl your girlfriend? She even brought you food?"
He was hungry too, but no one had brought him any food.
1
Shao Qiyang shook his head. "No."
Although he said that she wasn't his girlfriend, for some reason, he didn't want to say that Mu Jingzhe was his second sister-in-law.
"Not yet, but she will be soon. I get it."
6
His colleague winked at him. Shao Qiyang took a big bite out of the huge bun and left without explaining anything.
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
Halfway home, Xiao Bei woke up.
Mu Jingzhe could clearly feel her trembling, and there was something wrong with her breathing too.
"It's okay, Little Bei. It's me."
Upon hearing Mu Jingzhe's voice, Little Bei heaved a sigh of relief and wrapped her arms around her neck. "Auntie…"
Her voice was full of attachment.
"I'm here, it's fine."
Little Bei had cried and called her 'Mommy' before, but she hadn't called her that again. It was as if she had called her that by accident before. Mu Jingzhe didn't mind. She wasn't her mother and wasn't used to it. She was more used to her calling her 'Auntie'.
To her, the term 'Mommy' was too special.
However, after this incident, Little Bei had gotten much closer to her.
"Auntie, I want to pee."
"Okay."
When Little Bei was done, she quickly ran back and grabbed Mu Jingzhe's clothes with her little hands.
She was still traumatized by what had happened.
"Don't be afraid."
Mu Jingzhe tidied up her clothes and pants. "This won't happen again. Your grandmother and those people won't dare do anything to you again."
She wouldn't let them do it again.
Little Bei nodded obediently. "Mm."
Mu Jingzhe caressed Little Bei's face, which seemed to have lost its roundness overnight. She tidied the little girl's messy hair and squatted down with her back facing her. "Let's go."
"I'll walk myself." Little Bei declined to ride her back.
On the way back, Mu Jingzhe told Little Bei that they had been looking for her last night.
She knew that she was tired.
"It's alright. I can carry you. Just don't get sick. Let's get home quickly. Your brothers and the rest are anxiously waiting for you."
Mu Jingzhe hoisted Little Bei onto her back.
"Thank you, Auntie. You've worked hard."
Little Bei hugged Mu Jingzhe and couldn't help but rub against her. Then, she made up her mind and said, "Auntie, I'll repay you in the future. I'll support you in your old age."
She had always heard that a child had to be filial when they grew up. That was why she made this promise.
"Thank you, but I didn't do much. I just did what needed to be done. You don't have to think too much about it. Auntie will take care of herself."
Mu Jingzhe hadn't expected to hear such words.
In the original book, the five children had said the same thing twice. One of the people they had said this to was Mu Xue, and they had been true to their word.
These children had suffered too much, seen too much evil, and had no one to teach them properly. Hence, they'd eventually become villains.
However, apart from bearing grudges, they would also remember kindness.
Mu Xue had given them food and spoken up for them a few times on account of their pitiful state. Unfortunately, it hadn't been of much use to them. Life had still been difficult for them.
However, even though this had happened only a few times, they'd remembered this great favor. Later on, when they met Mu Xue, they remembered this kindness and secretly helped repay her, becoming Mu Xue's greatest gold finger.
No one would have thought that the children they despised would have such a grateful side to them.
Ultimately, they had suffered too much and no one had treated them well. Therefore, they considered this little bit of light and kindness extremely important.
Upon hearing Little Bei say that she wasn't lying, Mu Jingzhe praised her.
"Little Bei, you are a good child. We have to make sure you stay this way in the future. You have to distinguish between good and evil."
Mu Jingzhe had never expected the children to repay the kindness. The important thing was that they were fine.
She remembered that Little Bei had not encountered this incident in the book because she had been deaf.
This time, Little Bei's ears hadn't been damaged from the high fever. She hadn't expected that because she'd ended up fine, Zhao Lan would plot against her and she would suffer this fate instead.
Before nightfall, Mu Jingzhe hurried back to the village with Little Bei on her back.
From afar, she saw Shao Dong and his brothers waiting at the village entrance.
When they saw Mu Jingzhe, they ran over to them.
"Little Bei."
"Sister."
Shao Dong, Shao Xi, and Shao Nan quickly ran over. When they saw that Shao Bei was back, they heaved a big sigh of relief.
When Little Bei saw her brothers, she recalled the frightening incident and couldn't help but burst into tears.
"I thought I'd never see you guys again. Boohoo…"
The four siblings hugged each other. Little Bei cried while her three brothers comforted her. All their eyes turned red as they cried.
Mu Jingzhe took a few steps forward and lifted Shao Zhong up from the ground.
Shao Zhong was too young and always fell behind the rest. His short legs couldn't run fast or steadily, so he'd kept falling on his way there.
Other kids might have cried their hearts out, but he'd gritted his teeth, gotten up, and continued running over.
"Next time, don't run."
Mu Jingzhe dusted off Shao Zhong's clothes and asked the children to go home.
Along the way, she briefly explained what had happened.
When they heard that, a gloomy expression that did not match their age appeared on the children's faces.
"The main reason I'm telling you is to keep you all on your toes from now on. Don't trust anyone easily. I'll talk to your grandmother."
Along the way, she met people from the village who asked about the situation. Mu Jingzhe didn't hide anything. Other than the fact that Little Bei had almost been sent to a fool, she told them what Zhao Lan had done, that she had given her granddaughter away just for some benefits.
Rather than saying she had given her granddaughter away, it would be more accurate to say that she had sold her.
She hadn't cared if that family were good people or not, nor had she cared if her granddaughter was dead or alive.
Mu Jingzhe purposely let everyone know so that Zhao Lan couldn't use her status as their grandmother to torment the children anymore.
Zhao Lan had already found out by the time Mu Jingzhe returned to the Mu Residence.
1
The person who had told Zhao Lan the news hadn't done so out of goodwill. They'd blatantly looked down on her for selling her granddaughter for some benefits.
Zhao Lan was furious. She glared at Mu Jingzhe and Shao Bei as if she wanted to swallow them whole.
"Mu Jingzhe, it's easy for you to just stand there and talk. You're just a stepmother. You could simply wash your hands off of them at any moment and remarry. Why are you pretending to be a good person now? If you're that capable, you can take care of them forever."
When the children heard this, their eyes flickered as they looked at Mu Jingzhe.
Mu Jingzhe chuckled. "So, as their grandmother, you are taking care of them by selling them?"
3
Zhao Lan fell to the ground in anger.
Eldest Sister-In-Law Shao frowned. "Mu Jingzhe, don't say the word 'sell' repeatedly. Mother-in-law wanted Little Bei not to starve or freeze, which is why she gave her away. It was out of kindness. Seeing that the family even had a car, she thought that they weren't poor and Little Bei could live a good life."
Zhao Lan nodded. "That's right."
"Even if Mom didn't judge their characters well, you shouldn't have scolded her like that. She did that because she wanted Little Bei to lead a good life…"
"If that was really the case, why didn't you send Shao Xǐ?" Mu Jingzhe interrupted her. "What an eloquent but completely untruthful excuse.
5
"I found Little Bei today, so I won't bother talking to you. However, this was the last straw.
"If you dare have any wicked ideas again, I won't be polite anymore."
Mu Jingzhe stared at Fu, Lu, Shou, and Xǐ, who were watching the show from the side. "If you dare touch Shao Dong or his siblings again, I'll touch these four."
Zhao Lan's expression changed drastically. "How dare you!"
"You'll see if I dare or not. I'm telling you right now. If you give a child away, I'll give away one of yours. If you do something to one of them, I'll do the same to two of yours. Let's see if you'll dare to take that gamble."
5
Mu Jingzhe's principle was an eye for an eye, and she believed in paying people back twice as much as she owed them.
Zhao Lan's face turned pale. She didn't dare gamble anymore.
1
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
"Come on, let's go home. You won't be alone with them again. Everyone in the village will understand."
After Mu Jingzhe finished warning them, seeing that Zhao Lan didn't dare say anything, she took Shao Dong and the others home.
Shao Bei held Mu Jingzhe's hand and looked at the furious Zhao Lan, then back at Mu Jingzhe. The hatred and gloom in her beautiful eyes turned into surprise and admiration.
The other children also had complicated expressions on their faces.
Mu Jingzhe was neither tall nor strong. Compared to their father, Shao Qihai, she looked thin. Even when standing before Zhao Lan, Mu Jingzhe didn't have an advantage in terms of size.
1
However, she had used her slender body to protect them.
At that moment, she made them feel more secure than their father had.
They deliberately avoided thinking about what Zhao Lan had said about Mu Jingzhe leaving at any time.
Mu Jingzhe didn't even think about it and went home to prepare dinner.
After the meal, Shao Dong took on the job of washing the dishes despite not saying much.
Meanwhile, Mu Jingzhe bathed Shao Bei.
Then, it was time to sleep. However, Shao Nan dilly-dallied and didn't go to sleep. Shao Dong strangely let him be tonight.
"What's wrong? Do you want to go to the toilet?"
Mu Jingzhe looked at Shao Nan's expression and guessed.
Shao Nan's face stiffened. "No."
"Then what's wrong with you?" What's with that constipated expression then?
Mu Jingzhe asked, "Do you feel unwell? Don't be afraid."
"No." Shao Nan pursed his lips. "I'm sorry."
Mu Jingzhe was stunned.
Seeing that she was not reacting, Shao Nan said in one go, "I'm at fault for misunderstanding you last night. I'm sorry."
Mu Jingzhe reacted but paused. "I accept your apology this time, but I hope there won't be a next time. It doesn't feel good to be wronged."
Shao Nan heaved a sigh of relief. "I know. I won't suspect anyone without evidence in the future."
"Alright, go to sleep then." Mu Jingzhe couldn't help but stroke his head.
Shao Nan's entire body stiffened. He wanted to dodge, but he held himself back. After taking a few steps, he was unwilling to just go away like that and turned back.
"Although I misunderstood you this time, I still don't trust you. I will be keeping an eye on you."
Mu Jingzhe nodded. "Sure, go ahead and do that."
Upon seeing that she didn't look angry or guilty, Shao Nan went back to sleep silently.
That night, Little Bei fell asleep hugging Mu Jingzhe's arm and jolted awake twice in the middle of the night.
Mu Jingzhe wanted her to take two days off school, but Little Bei shook her head.
"No, I want to go back to school. I still have to get to the top of the class."
Then, she explained, "I'm fine."
After Mu Jingzhe sent them to school, she talked to Shao Zhong while making hair ornaments.
2
The hair ornaments were selling well, but the market was too small, so the sales were limited. Furthermore, if she really wanted to do this business, she couldn't keep buying rags. She had to buy some special materials for making hair ornaments.
This way, she would be able to expand the business and earn a lot of money. Otherwise, she would only be able to do this on a small scale.
The problem was that the money she had earned previously had been spent on finding Little Bei.
Therefore, she had to think of other ways to earn money.
Mu Jingzhe had been pondering this since she had returned yesterday.
A business with a small capital… After thinking for a while, she finally decided on food.
At noon, Mu Jingzhe made steamed buns.
"How are they? Do they taste good?"
Mu Jingzhe earnestly asked the children for their opinions.
"Mmm-hmm. Delicious."
"Delicious."
The children were busy eating and only spoke briefly.
Judging from their reactions, the buns were truly delicious.
However, Mu Jingzhe was worried and went to look for Li Zhaodi.
"Mom, how do they taste?"
Li Zhaodi kept nodding her head as she ate. "They're delicious. Jingzhe, when did you learn how to make buns? You even made them really well."
"I learned after watching others. Mom, do you think I could sell them in town?"
"Are you going to make and sell them?" Li Zhaodi was uncertain. "I don't know. Why did you suddenly think of making steamed buns to sell them?"
"I've eaten steamed buns on the street before. I think they tasted average. I can make them too."
Mu Jingzhe had asked about this before. Many people in the village had some dried goods. Every family had dried mushrooms, so it wouldn't be expensive to buy them.
Some people didn't like mushroom buns, but if the buns were fragrant, people would like them very much.
There were also vegetable buns. She could grow vegetables at home so she wouldn't have to buy them.
As for the pickled vegetable stuffing, Li Zhaodi's pickled vegetables were very delicious.
Mu Jingzhe shared her thoughts. "Mom, I can't handle this alone. Do you want to sell buns with me?"
"Will that work?" Li Zhaodi didn't have much confidence in herself. "You can try. I'll help you."
Mu Jingzhe didn't try to persuade her. She would sell them first. If the sales were good, she would rope in Li Zhaodi to help.
The reason Li Zhaodi picked on Mu Xue so much was because she was poor. If she had something to do and earned some money herself, she wouldn't have the energy to be such a piece of work.
This was only selling steamed buns, but when the plan was implemented, there would be a lot to keep one busy.
While Li Zhaodi and Mu Jingzhe were making preparations, Li Zhaodi also tried her hand at making buns.
The result was very delicious. They were not any worse than Mu Jingzhe's buns.
Actually, Li Zhaodi was good at cooking, but the Mu Family never let her cook because she would secretly eat and hide the food.
Li Zhaodi also knew that she was despised and looked down upon, so she'd simply cast aside her pride.
However, after working with Mu Jingzhe for two days, being praised by Mu Jingzhe, and being complimented by Shao Dong and the other children for her delicious cooking, she gained some confidence.
While Mu Jingzhe and Li Zhaodi were busy preparing this business, there wasn't much commotion. However, the people next door could still sense it.
The fragrance of the steamed buns could be smelled from next door.
Zhao Lan was so angry that she couldn't fall asleep.
In the past two days, the atmosphere in the eldest branch's house had been especially bad. In contrast, the old house was busy and prospering day by day. From time to time, the sound of children's laughter could be heard.
The life on the two sides seemed to have been reversed.
Previously, the eldest branch's house had always been lively, while the old house had been cold and deserted.
The eldest branch couldn't accept this disparity. Their reputation was affected, and they were even threatened. Zhao Lan couldn't help asking her eldest daughter-in-law to go out and complain, but it was futile.
After all, the villagers weren't fools. They all knew what was going on.
In the end, they could only say that Mu Jingzhe wouldn't take care of the children for the rest of her life. "Mu Jingzhe has become a good person for now. Everyone praises her, but she has never raised a child before. How would she know that raising a child isn't easy?"
"Talk is cheap. That's why she's so free to do whatever she wants. If she were to swear that she would take care of them for the rest of her life, we wouldn't have anything to say about it. But do you think she will? Who knows when she'll wash her hands off of them and get married when a good marriage prospect appears? When that happens, we'll be the ones taking care of these children again."
As though what they said was a premonition, someone actually came to propose marriage.
He was interested in Mu Jingzhe.
Although Mu Jingzhe hadn't returned to the Mu Residence, the person who wanted to propose marriage still went to the Mu Residence.
The identity of the man surprised and excited everyone.
Li Zhaodi quickly went to find Mu Jingzhe.
At the moment, Mu Jingzhe was delivering buns to Tang Moling outside the school.
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
Tang Moling had come to Great Eastern Village to look for Mu Xue again.
He had driven his jeep there. The condition of the village roads was such that only jeeps could drive inside.
This was the first time the villagers had seen a car up close, so all of them came to look at it.
Knowing that he was the person that Mu Xue had saved previously and that he had come to thank her, everyone looked at Mu Xue enviously.
Old Madam Mu was proud. She knew that her granddaughter was a promising person.
In the past, many people from the village had come to ask for Mu Xue's hand in marriage, but she had rejected them all because she knew that her granddaughter would amount to great things. Mu Xue had also been unwilling, and as a result, people were gossiping that Mu Xue was a spinster and saying other things like that.
Let's see who would still dare to gossip about her.
Although Mu Xue and Tang Moling hadn't officially confirmed their relationship, anyone could tell that it was only a matter of time.
As Mu Jingzhe was preparing to start her business, the Mu Family was bustling with activity for two days because of Tang Moling.
Li Zhaodi had been busy cooking steamed buns, so she didn't have the time to play any tricks.
When she'd brought the buns back, she'd remembered Mu Jingzhe mentioning that Tang Moling had helped her before, so she'd reluctantly given Tang Moling one.
Tang Moling had eaten all sorts of good food before, so he had just nonchalantly eaten it.
Unexpectedly, it had been quite delicious.
Knowing Mu Jingzhe and Li Zhaodi were the ones making the buns, he halted in his tracks when he bumped into Mu Jingzhe that day.
Mu Jingzhe would avoid the male and female leads as much as she could, but Tang Moling had helped her before, so she couldn't pretend that she hadn't seen him. She could only greet him and thank him again.
"If you really want to thank me, then show some sincerity. Do so with actions, not just with words."
Mu Jingzhe thought about it for a long time. In the end, she couldn't think of anything she could offer, so she just gave Tang Moling a pair of hair ornaments.
"That's all I have."
Tang Moling frowned, almost tossing the ornaments away. "What can I do with these?"
"You can give them to Mu Xue. She—"
"If I wanted to give them to her, why wouldn't I buy some myself?" Tang Moling thought to himself that it would be absurd if he gave Mu Xue what Mu Jingzhe had given him.
"My bad." Mu Jingzhe misunderstood. She thought that he didn't like what she'd made and quickly took the ornaments back. "I don't have anything I can thank you with right now. I only made some buns…"
"Steamed buns then. Make some for me as a thank-you gift."
Tang Moling interrupted Mu Jingzhe. It wasn't that he had to get a gift. He was just a little hungry.
Mu Jingzhe: "Okay."
It would be best if she could thank him with some buns.
Mu Jingzhe steamed ten buns for Tang Moling. "There are white sugar buns, mushroom buns, and pickled cabbage buns."
"Okay."
The bun Tang Moling had eaten previously had been a mushroom bun. He'd never really liked mushrooms in the past, but the mushrooms in that bun had been especially aromatic, though he didn't know how the mushroom filling was prepared. He was satisfied with what he heard.
Just as he was about to say something, Mu Jingzhe left in a hurry. He frowned and was about to call out to her when he heard Mu Xue's voice.
"Xiao Xue." Upon seeing Mu Xue, Tang Moling forgot all about Mu Jingzhe. "Eat some buns."
Mu Xue's countenance looked a tad terrible. "Tang Moling, was that Jingzhe?"
"That's right."
"Why did she give you these buns?"
Mu Xue couldn't help but recall the days when Li Zhaodi and Mu Jingzhe had tried to steal her things. The incident with Shao Qihai was still fresh in her mind. She hadn't expected that this time, Tang Moling would be the target.
Tang Moling had actually accepted the buns.
He used to detest Mu Jingzhe and had even said he wanted to avenge Mu Xue. It had only been a few days, yet everything had changed?
Was Tang Moling going to be snatched away by Mu Jingzhe too?
No matter how slow-witted Tang Moling was, he could sense that something was wrong. He quickly explained, "Xiao Xue, don't get the wrong idea. She was just thanking me. Otherwise, I wouldn't have accepted them."
"Thanking you for what?"
"Wasn't Mu Jingzhe looking for that little girl from the Shao Family a while ago? I just lent her my car."
Unexpectedly, after Tang Moling's explanation, not only did Mu Xue's countenance not improve, but it actually looked even worse.
"You even lent her your car?"
"I didn't lend it for her sake. I lent it because of Little Bei. Aren't you fond of that child?"
Mu Xue was still a little unhappy and inevitably felt a bit jealous.
"I didn't know you had a car until yesterday."
1
Tang Moling looked at her expression and tried not to laugh. "Are you jealous?"
Mu Xue blushed. "Don't talk nonsense."
"Okay, I won't talk nonsense, but that's where my charm lies. Several people from your village talked to me today…"
He wanted to hint that she should grab this opportunity, but upon seeing that Mu Xue was about to run away, Tang Moling quickly took her hand.
"Okay, okay. I won't joke around anymore. I won't talk to them, nor will I talk to Mu Jingzhe. I only asked her to make the steamed buns because I wanted you to have them."
The two of them ate the buns in Mu Xue's office.
3
The buns Mu Jingzhe had made were truly quite delicious.
Mu Jingzhe had just returned home when Shao Dong and his siblings returned from school.
Just as they were about to eat, Li Zhaodi arrived.
"Jingzhe, let's go home."
"Mom, have you eaten? Let's eat first."
"Forget about eating. Come with me. Someone has come to propose to you—"
Li Zhaodi spoke excitedly. When she saw Shao Dong and the rest looking at her, she quickly stopped talking and smiled. "You guys eat first. I have something to tell Jingzhe."
As she spoke, she pulled Mu Jingzhe away.
"Mom, what did you just say? A marriage proposal?"
"Right. The man's a driver. He's from the city and he is very eligible…"
Li Zhaodi tried to suppress her voice, but because she was so agitated, her voice became louder without her realizing it.
Shao Dong and the others in the room also heard it.
They were eating buns happily at first, but when they heard this, their movements slowed down.
None of the children spoke, and the atmosphere was completely tense.
Mu Jingzhe was very surprised by the proposal. She had never expected such a thing to happen.
She had thought that if she stayed with the Shao Family, everyone would know that she had no intention of remarrying for the time being. She hadn't expected that someone would actually propose marriage.
Li Zhaodi was quick with words, so she explained the situation fast.
The person who had come to ask for her hand in marriage was a train driver. He was the young man with the crew cut Mu Jingzhe had asked questions at the bus station.
He knew that Mu Jingzhe had been looking for her daughter and had happened to see her driving.
On the way back, Mu Jingzhe had driven alongside him for a while and had soon overtaken him. She had driven steadily and quickly, leaving a deep impression on the young man.
In short, he had been mesmerized by the way she drove.
There were very few female drivers these days. The young man had asked around and found out about her living situation. He didn't mind that she had married once and felt that she was a good woman. Since she was so devoted even to the children left behind by her ex-husband, he couldn't go wrong by marrying her.
3
The young man was good-looking and sincere. He even said that after Mu Jingzhe married him, she could start out by selling shuttle bus tickets, working alongside him. In the future, he would definitely find an opportunity to let her drive.
The hot-blooded young man had taken many things into account for their future. He had even thought about how many children he wanted to have.
3
His father was a driver, and his mother was a worker. They had two houses in the city. Mu Jingzhe would have a good life after marrying into their family.
"Such an eligible man has many girls to pick from even in the city, yet he has taken a fancy to you. It'll be just the two of you living together in the future, and you won't have to live with your mother-in-law every day. That's fantastic, Jingzhe. Listen to me. You must marry this man."
Li Zhaodi was over the moon.