Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
This marriage prospect was indeed quite good, but Mu Jingzhe didn't think of accepting it.
It would be too hasty to marry someone she had only met once.
She did not plan to get married for the time being. Her future career plans didn't involve selling bus tickets or driving.
Speaking of that, she felt ashamed. Previously, she had been focused on looking for Little Bei, but now that she thought about it, she had driven despite not having a driver's license. This behavior was really unacceptable.
"Mom, I don't want to get married yet."
"What kind of nonsense are you spouting? You must marry this eligible man."
Li Zhaodi was beaming with joy. She raised her eyebrows and let out the pent-up frustration that she had been holding in for a long time. "Mom hasn't been sleeping well recently and has been worried about your marriage prospects. We can't miss this opportunity."
Back when Shao Qihai had died, as his mother-in-law, Li Zhaodi had been even more upset than his biological mother, Zhao Lan. She had cried for several days, upset that her daughter would have to remarry and fretting over her daughter's future.
"The young man's mother seems a little dissatisfied. I'll find an opportunity to secretly tell them that you're still a virgin. This way, you won't face any problems after you marry him."
"Mom, I really don't want to marry for the time being. Didn't we agree to make steamed buns together?"
"Marriage is more important. Don't be stubborn." Li Zhaodi thought for a while. "Do you feel that he's not as good as Tang Moling? Jingzhe, don't think that you'll be inferior to Mu Xue just because of this. You've already been married once, so do not compete with her anymore. This time, let's settle for this, alright?"
"It's not…"
Although Mu Jingzhe refused, she was still forced to go back by Li Zhaodi.
Mu Jingzhe was embarrassed, but the young man was very excited. Old Madam Mu's countenance became much better.
If both her granddaughters married well, it would reflect well on her too.
Very quickly, everyone in the village learned about this.
Apart from feeling shocked, many people couldn't help but feel a bit jealous. They felt that she had been truly blessed to get to marry someone so eligible despite being married once before.
Many people said that Mu Jingzhe had been treating the children well because she wanted to improve her reputation.
Zhao Lan and Eldest Sister-In-Law Shao saw this as an opportunity to clear their names and prove that they had been right.
The villagers believed that Mu Jingzhe would definitely agree to marry someone so eligible.
Zhao Lan and Eldest Sister-In-Law Shao felt the same way. They felt both happy and bitter, as they thought that Mu Jingzhe wasn't worthy.
After hearing that, they quickly expressed her opinion—Mu Jingzhe could get married, but she was still a member of the Shao Family. Thus, if she wanted to get married, she could forget about taking back the dowry she had brought with her.
The two of them had a good plan and soon came to camp at the old house.
Zhao Lan sneered when she saw Shao Dong and the others' grim expressions.
"What's with that bitter expression? Your stepmother is about to get married. Aren't you close to her? Hurry up and tell her that you can't bear to part with her. Maybe you can follow her over there.
"The guy who came to propose marriage comes from a well-to-do family. They are from the city. As long as they let you follow them, you will be able to live a good life."
Eldest Sister-In-Law Shao chuckled and pulled Zhao Lan back. "Mom, don't joke around. She might not necessarily bring them along even if they were her biological children."
While looking at Shao Dong and the others, she put on an act and sighed. "Why did you have to believe an outsider and go against your grandmother, who raised you? Tell me, if we didn't care about you and gave you away, what would you do?"
Zhao Lan interrupted her impatiently. "Why are you telling them so much? They're all ingrates. Even if they kneel and beg me, I won't care about them."
Shao Dong didn't say a word. He held back the fuming Shao Xi and tidied up before leaving the house.
"Look what you've been taught by Mu Jingzhe. You don't even greet your grandma. You just go out without a word…"
Zhao Lan's voice was soon lost, but her heart was getting heavier.
Little Bei lowered her head and looked at her shadow. When she thought about the fact that no one would hug her to sleep in the future and no one would cook for them, make clothes for them, or comb her hair, she felt sad.
"Brother, will Auntie really marry?" Her tone was filled with reluctance.
Shao Zhong abruptly raised his head and looked at Shao Dong upon hearing that.
Before Shao Dong could say anything, Shao Xi sneered, "What else could happen? Surely she won't refuse to marry and stay behind to take care of us? Little Bei, don't even think about it. She's been good to us because she wanted to give herself a good reputation. Look, isn't someone proposing to her now?"
Shao Nan's expression was ugly. "So much for observing. What is there to observe?"
He thought of something and looked at Shao Dong. "Big Brother, she betrayed us. Are we going to let her go just like that? I have a way to make her stay…"
Shao Dong took a deep breath. "Alright, let's not talk about this anymore."
He kept a straight face, not revealing too much emotion. "She's only twenty. There's no way she won't marry. It's perfectly normal for her to choose to marry, so…"
He looked at his younger siblings seriously, especially Shao Nan and Shao Xi. "Don't resent her for it, and don't say such words. We have no right to stop her."
If even their biological grandmother and uncle treated them so badly, what right did they have to ask Mu Jingzhe, who was no blood relation of theirs, to stay?
Mu Jingzhe didn't know that the news had spread, nor did she know that a storm was brewing.
After the awkward meeting, Li Zhaodi and the rest naturally had no objections. However, in the end, Mu Jingzhe still resisted the risk of being strangled by Li Zhaodi and made her attitude clear.
Mu Jingzhe's refusal was unexpected. The matchmaker that had come along was very surprised.
She had thought that this trip would go completely smoothly.
Li Zhaodi squeezed out a smile and sent them away. She implied that she would persuade Mu Jingzhe.
After she sent them off, Li Zhaodi's expression changed.
Mu Jingzhe was quick-witted and used this opportunity to escape, but in the end, she still ended up getting caught by Li Zhaodi.
"Mu Jingzhe, what's wrong with you!?"
"Mom, I've only met him twice. How can I marry him? I really don't want to get married."
Li Zhaodi didn't know what to do with Mu Jingzhe. She thought for a moment and suddenly said, "Mu Jingzhe, tell me honestly. Have you fallen for Tang Moling?"
Mu Jingzhe was shocked. "Mom, what kind of nonsense are you talking about?"
Mu Xue had to attend class, so Tang Moling, who had just returned from school, stopped in his tracks when he heard his name.
Was Mu Jingzhe rejecting the proposal because of him?
Tang Moling couldn't help but let out a laugh. His slightly different impression of Mu Jingzhe instantly reverted to its original state.
So, it was only because of this that she had turned over a new leaf.
He speculated as the conversation continued.
"I'm not spouting nonsense. If you're not interested in Tang Moling, why aren't you willing to accept such a good proposal?"
Li Zhaodi sighed. "If you really like him, you can snatch him. He looks alright. Although he's rude, he has a car and money.
"That girl Mu Xue is just lucky. She saved a random guy on the street and he turned out to be a rich person with a car. Since that girl has taken a fancy to him, he shouldn't be too bad. If you want to snatch him, just go ahead and try. If you fail, Mom will go back and find that driver. I think he's quite interested in you."
Mu Jingzhe was shocked.
"No, no, definitely not. Mom, are you trying to scare me to death? Why would you say such a terrifying thing?"
That was the male protagonist. The male protagonist who only had eyes for the female protagonist. If she, the supporting character, tried to snatch him, wouldn't she be courting death?
The female protagonist's man couldn't be touched casually.
Her attempt to get involved with the female protagonist's first love, the male supporting character of Shao Qihai, had already resulted in this outcome. If one provoked the male lead, one might die before one knew it.
"Mom, don't say such things again in the future. I would never fall for Tang Moling."
The eavesdropping Tang Moling was left speechless.
5
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
Tang Moling had always been popular among the ladies.
In the past, he had been the one who despised women. When the statement 'I will never fall for you' was uttered, he was always on the giving end, not the receiving end. Regardless of his appearance or background, he'd been qualified to do so, especially in the past two years.
As his identity changed, many people flocked to him.
What had he just heard then?
Mu Jingzhe, whom he didn't like at all, couldn't wait to reject him. Plus, she sounded as if he was something to be avoided, like an inauspicious virus or something. Tang Moling was incredibly annoyed.
3
She'd made it sound like he would actually fall for her.
Tang Moling gritted his teeth. Mu Jingzhe had no idea that after she finally got rid of Li Zhaodi, Zhao Lan and Eldest Sister-In-Law Shao would be waiting for her at home.
She had no patience for them and directly declared that she wasn't going to marry and told them to get lost.
To think they'd even wanted to forbid her from taking her dowry away. If one day she truly left, she could take it away whenever she wanted.
Even if she didn't wish to take it with her, she would leave it for Shao Dong and the others. Did they have a right to speak?
Mu Jingzhe had clearly stated that she didn't intend to marry that guy, but Zhao Lan and the others didn't believe a single word. They thought that Mu Jingzhe was only stalling for time because she didn't want to leave behind the dowry.
They weren't the only ones who didn't believe it. The villagers didn't believe it either. They thought that it was just an excuse.
1
Mu Jingzhe didn't care if they believed her or not.
After school ended in the afternoon, Shao Dong and the others returned home. When they saw that Mu Jingzhe was still there and was preparing food, they were a little surprised but they didn't say much.
Mu Jingzhe wanted to tell them about her situation, but upon seeing that they didn't care, she thought that they might not have heard anything, so she said nothing.
Everything was normal except for the solemn atmosphere at the dining table.
Halfway through the meal, Shao Qiyang suddenly returned, sweating profusely.
"Why are you suddenly back?"
Mu Jingzhe immediately realized why after asking. What else could it be? He was naturally back because of Mu Xue.
She remembered that, in the book, Shao Qiyang had remained unmarried his entire life. It seemed like he hadn't forgotten Mu Xue.
What one couldn't get was always the best. Mu Xue wouldn't accept him because he was Shao Qihai's younger brother. In the end, she had become his white rose.
Tang Moling had appeared in the village in a high-profile manner, and Mu Xue seemed to have accepted him. Thus, it was normal for Shao Qiyang to rush back after hearing the news.
Mu Jingzhe quickly passed a bowl and chopsticks to Shao Qiyang.
Shao Qiyang looked at Mu Jingzhe and wanted to say something. In the end, he only said dryly after a pause, "I happened to have a day off."
1
He had run into a villager and rushed back after hearing about Mu Jingzhe's marriage proposal. The moment he'd heard the news, he had been stunned and had rushed home without thinking.
When he returned home and saw that Mu Jingzhe was still in the Shao Residence, he suddenly came back to his senses. Why had he rushed back?
Even if Mu Jingzhe agreed to this marriage proposal, he wasn't in a position to say anything, as he was only her brother-in-law.
Thus, he quietly joined them and ate with them.
The atmosphere at the dining table didn't improve because of his return. Instead, it seemed to become even more depressing.
Mu Jingzhe wished she could shake Shao Qiyang's shoulders and wake him up so that he would stop being sad because of Mu Xue.
1
The female protagonist belongs to the male protagonist. You're just a supporting character. It's useless no matter how much you love her.
This was hard to say, though. She could only ask dryly, "Did something happen? Did you lose the mail?"
Shao Qiyang gave her a complicated look. "No."
Mu Jingzhe thought about it and said, "You should save up over the next few months and buy a bicycle as soon as possible. That way, it'll be easier for you to come back from work."
Shao Qiyang's hand, which was holding his rice, paused for a long time before he responded with an "mm" sound.
Buying a bicycle had always been his dream. With a bicycle, he wouldn't have to work so hard. He could also deliver more letters and earn more money.
1
Although he had thought of it before, all his money was in Zhao Lan's hands. Zhao Lan didn't want him to buy a bicycle, as she said that it was too wasteful. She felt that he might as well wait for the post office to assign him one.
He wasn't an official employee, so he would have to wait for the post office to assign him a bicycle. It was impossible, though. He was afraid that he would be fired before he could get a bicycle.
On the other hand, if he performed well, he might become a full-time employee.
However, Zhao Lan didn't care.
In the end, it was Mu Jingzhe who had asked him to save up money to buy a bicycle.
Unfortunately, she was about to leave the Shao Family and get married.
Seeing that Shao Qiyang wasn't in a good mood, Mu Jingzhe dismissed the thought of continuing the conversation.
She'd just wanted to arouse Shao Qiyang's ambition.
If his personal life wasn't going well, then he should work on his career.
In the novel, Shao Qiyang had opened a courier company later on. It was quite a big, renowned listed company whose services were utilized by everyone.
His career had been based on his current job.
However, Mu Jingzhe wasn't sure when he would strike it out on his own.
At midnight…
Shao Qiyang's body was extremely exhausted, but because he was distraught, he couldn't fall asleep.
Later on, he quietly got up from bed and took a bottle of wine to the memorial tablet of his second brother, Shao Qihai.
He told his second brother about how the children were doing.
After talking for a while, Shao Qiyang realized that no matter what he said, he couldn't avoid Mu Jingzhe's name.
"Second Brother, Second Sister-In-Law is marrying someone else.
"You haven't been gone long. I'd like her to stay, but I can't say it…"
Shao Qiyang forced out a bitter smile.
He didn't even know if it was for Second Brother or himself.
…
Meanwhile, in the basement of a house in the suburbs of the neighboring province…
There were now more things in the cramped room, but the person on the single bed remained the same.
Upon closer inspection, he seemed to have lost some weight, but his hair had grown longer.
The device beside the bed suddenly emitted a faint green light that shone on his head.
When the green light flashed past his eyes, his hand suddenly moved.
Because no one was around, it went unnoticed.
3
….
Elsewhere, one cup after another was filled with wine. Slowly, Shao Qiyang became slightly tipsy.
"Second Brother, will you feel angry if someone marries Second Sister-In-Law?
"If you're not angry, does that mean that it doesn't matter who marries Second Sister-In-Law?
"I didn't mean anything by it. I was just asking… mostly because Second Sister-In-Law used to knock on my door…"
He stopped abruptly.
"Don't get me wrong, Second Brother. It was innocent. We didn't do anything to let you down. I just—"
He suddenly wondered what would have happened if he had opened the door back then.
Just as this thought flashed past his mind, Shao Qiyang felt shocked and sobered up halfway.
"Second Brother, don't overthink. I just drank too much. I won't…"
If he made Second Brother a cuckold, he wouldn't be fit to be a human.
Shao Qiyang slapped himself.
"Second Brother, I'm just spouting nonsense because Second Sister-In-Law is getting married. Don't take it seriously…"
….
In the basement, the device beside the single bed suddenly rang.
1
"Brother Hai!"
A short-haired man ran over in his underpants, panic flashing across his face.
1
A second later, he met a pair of eyes.
The short-haired man was stunned for a moment before he rejoiced. "Brother Hai, you're finally awake!"
After the doctor took a look, he said that the patient was awake. However, even though he was past the most difficult stage, he couldn't afford to be careless. He had to take good care of himself.
The short-haired man was a grown man, yet his eyes couldn't help but turn red as he gazed at the person who had woken up.
Brother Hai looked at him and clenched his fists. "Hold it back."
The short-haired man nodded vigorously. "I know you don't like people crying, Brother Hai. I definitely won't cry. Everything's fine now that you've woken up."
Big Brother Hai moved his head. "How many days have I been unconscious?"
"It hasn't been days. It's been months."
"What?"
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
The next day, Mu Jingzhe woke up when Shao Qiyang was already at work.
Upon recalling the commotion she had heard last night, she shook her head. When the male lead was heartbroken and drunk late at night, the female lead would soon learn about it. But when the male supporting character drank… he just got drunk.
2
Mu Jingzhe didn't really like the trope of devoted supporting characters, especially those who refused to marry their entire lives because of the female or male lead.
It was fine if they didn't want to get married, but if it was because they couldn't forget about the protagonist, she felt that it was a little unfair.
1
"Do you want to eat steamed eggs or egg soup for lunch?" Mu Jingzhe asked Shao Dong and the others, who were going to school.
The four children stopped. Shao Xi looked at Mu Jingzhe and asked, "Aren't you going back home today?"
"Home?"
"Aren't you getting married?"
"Who said so?" Mu Jingzhe laughed. "You've heard the rumors then. Someone proposed marriage to me, but I didn't agree."
"Really?" Shao Nan couldn't help confirming it.
"How could it be fake? Yes, really." Mu Jingzhe looked at them. "Do you want me to leave?"
When the children heard that, they suddenly felt better.
"We don't want that," Little Bei couldn't resist saying.
Shao Xi glanced at Little Bei. "We heard that he's from the city."
"You kids are pretty well-informed. He's a driver from the city." Mu Jingzhe nodded.
"He definitely doesn't drive as well as you, Auntie," Little Bei immediately said.
Mu Jingzhe laughed. "Go to school. Don't be late."
"Mm."
Shao Xi left too, but before he did, he said something.
"Don't regret it in the future."
He meant: Don't regret it and take it out on us again.
Shao Qihai had died right after the original Mu Jingzhe had married into their family. At the time, she had felt lost and regretful. Sometimes, she used to find those children an eyesore.
Although she had never hit them, Shao Xi remembered.
Mu Jingzhe was stunned for a moment before she reacted and stroked Shao Zhong's head.
"I won't regret it."
While Mu Jingzhe was busy preparing for her business, the village was gossiping about her, saying that she was bound to accept this marriage proposal.
While their family members gossiped about this at home, the children heard them and started gossiping among themselves as well.
The eldest branch's members, Fu, Lu, and Shou, were the ones gossiping the most happily. They called over a few people from the village, and after school in the afternoon, they eagerly accosted Shao Dong, who was on duty that day.
"Stutterer, bring your buns to us today when you get back."
They could smell the fragrance from next door. In the past, they would have directly entered the old house to snatch them. Now, they were a little afraid of Mu Jingzhe's monstrous strength and her warning, so they'd chosen to threaten him outside.
They had even called over outsiders to embolden them. The few people they'd pulled over were no longer in school. Birds of a feather flocked together, so they were all people with a bad reputation in the village.
"No." With a darkness in the depths of his eyes, Shao Dong stared at them and outright refused.
Shao Fu laughed at him. "Your stepmother is going to get married soon. Why are you being so arrogant? In the future, my parents will be the ones raising you. How dare you disobey me!"
Shao Dong frowned. "She said she… she's not getting married."
The few of them laughed out loud and mimicked Shao Dong's stuttering.
Shao Dong clenched his fist, wanting to wave it over, but he held back. He turned around to leave but was quickly caught.
When he raised his head, he was slapped across the face.
"Hit this darned stutterer!"
When Mu Jingzhe heard from a child in the same village that Shao Dong was being beaten up, she ran over. She found Shao Dong lying on the ground with his head in his hands while six or seven people were punching and kicking him.
Mu Jingzhe flew into a rage at the sight.
"Stop!"
She stepped forward and beat them up without mercy, not letting off any of them.
"Your great aunt wasn't even born when I started fighting. How dare you hit someone in front of me!"
As a warrior who had knocked out an adult's teeth at the age of three, Mu Jingzhe was very experienced in thrashing up people.
3
With just a few moves, the seven people who had been so aggressive just a moment ago ended up either lying on the ground or being forced down on their knees, wailing like ghosts and howling like wolves.
2
When Mu Jingzhe saw the handprint on Shao Dong's face, she slapped them again.
1
She returned their beating twice, not missing either side, slapping each cheek the same number of times.
Fu, Lu, Shou, and their companions either knelt or sat in front of Mu Jingzhe, trembling and not daring to move.
Mu Jingzhe picked up the thin rod that they had used to hit Shao Dong earlier, a rod used by the teachers to punish students. Mu Jingzhe held it in her hand and lifted their chins with it.
"If you dare bully him again in the future, I'll break both your hands whenever you touch one of his hands and both of your legs if you touch one of his legs. I'll pay you back double. If you think it's worth it, feel free to do it."
"No, we wouldn't dare hit him again."
The few older children begged for mercy.
They were truly afraid. By looking at Mu Jingzhe's eyes, they could tell that she wasn't bluffing.
On the other hand, Shao Fu, who was probably used to being arrogant, wanted to run away while Mu Jingzhe wasn't paying attention.
Mu Jingzhe sneered but didn't chase after him. Instead, she ruthlessly tossed the thin rod, which grazed past Shao Fu's ear and stabbed the road in front of him.
The roads they had been treading on all year round were hard to dig up even with a hoe, but the thin rod stuck straight in.
Shao Fu's face stiffened. He touched his ear and saw blood on his palm. His legs went limp, and he fell to his knees.
Mu Jingzhe didn't move. She then clapped her hands. "What do you think will happen if this thin rod is inserted into your neck?"
What would happen? He would die, of course.
The place was plunged into silence.
Those who had been crying were so frightened that they shut their mouths.
This time, Fu, Lu, and Shou were truly scared.
In the end, Shao Fu even had to be carried away by his two younger brothers. The place where he'd been kneeling was a little wet. Clearly, he was so terrified that he'd peed his pants.
1
Their movements were too loud and had attracted some attention, but Mu Jingzhe ignored everyone and turned around to help Shao Dong up.
Mu Jingzhe asked, "Where does it hurt? Did you hurt your bones?"
Shao Dong put the pencil-sharpening knife back into his pocket and shook his head. "I'm fine. I protected my head and vital parts."
Armed with extensive experience after being beaten up often, he knew that he had to protect the most important areas of his body.
1
However, this was the shortest duration he had been beaten for.
He had been beaten up many times over the years and had been seen by others on countless occasions. Zhao Lan and Eldest Sister-In-Law Shao had also seen him being beaten up a few times, but they'd never once stopped the perpetrators.
Many people in the village merely looked and walked away. Few of them stopped them. At most, they would only say a few words.
This was the first time someone had stopped them with force and had done what Shao Dong wanted to do.
Shao Dong lowered his head. The murderous look in his eyes was replaced by a complicated one.
Mu Jingzhe looked at the bloodstains at the corner of Shao Dong's mouth and then at the footprints on his body, feeling bad for him.
"It's alright now. No one will dare to touch you anymore. Tell me if anyone dares to touch you again."
According to the description in the book, all five children had suffered through a certain degree of violence.
Shao Dong had suffered the most. In the future, Shao Fu and the others would go increasingly more overboard. Gradually, they would no longer be satisfied with just hitting him. Instead, they would become more and more insulting.
Little Bei was a girl. She was only a few years old, but she was already beautiful. However, she didn't hear anything nice and she was often bullied.
Because the people Shao Fu had called over were undergoing puberty, they'd developed some crooked thoughts, and their bullying slowly changed in favor of involving lewd acts.
The three brothers, Fu, Lu, and Shou, knew that this wasn't good, but they were bribed with some tiny benefits.
When Shao Dong found out about this, he ruthlessly taught those people a lesson. They ended up in a miserable state, but the damage was already done.
Especially the damage on Little Bei.
As the old saying goes, childhood misfortune takes a lifetime to cure, and Little Bei never recovered from that.
1
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
Due to Shao Dong's revenge, they were unable to stay in the village. Shao Dong, who was less than ten years old, left the despairing village with his younger siblings. Penniless, he even had to beg for money. Later on, Shao Dong relied on scavenging to improve their lives step by step.
1
Upon recalling the plot in the book, Mu Jingzhe gritted her teeth.
She patted the dust off Shao Dong's body. "If you have time, I'll teach you some self-defense moves."
"You mean kung fu?"
Everyone dreamed of being a hero in the wuxia world when they were young. Shao Dong was no exception. His eyes lit up as he asked this question.
"It's not like learning kung fu. It's just simple self-defense. You will accurately find the weaknesses of your opponent. You guys are too young, so the best thing to do is run."
Mu Jingzhe and Shao Dong had yet to eat when Eldest Sister-In-Law Shao arrived with the crying Fu, Lu, and Shou.
"Mu Jingzhe, come out! How dare you hit my children! Look at how badly you beat them up! If you don't give me an explanation today, I won't let you off!"
Zhao Lan and Eldest Brother Shao also followed her closely, their countenances looking extremely ugly. They wished they could devour Mu Jingzhe.
"In the past, when Shao Dong and the others were beaten up, why didn't you say anything? Now, you feel heartache? Did you see the palm print on Shao Dong's face? I was just paying them back for it."
Mu Jingzhe sneered. "You didn't teach your children well, so I'm doing it on your behalf as their aunt."
Seeing that Eldest Sister-In-Law Shao was about to speak, Mu Jingzhe immediately raised her hand. "No need to thank me. No matter what, I am still their aunt. I will continue to teach them well in the future."
1
Eldest Sister-In-Law Shao didn't manage to catch her breath and nearly died from anger.
"Are you teaching the kids? Look at how badly you've scared them."
"What? Compared to the way they were beating Shao Dong up, this is nothing. I held back. If they weren't relatives, do you think they would still be standing?"
Mu Jingzhe didn't retreat at all. "I've already warned you. If you dare to touch them once, I'll touch your kids twice. If I don't break their arms and legs, I'll have let Shao Qihai down!"
She looked at Fu, Lu, and Shou. "I'll say it again in front of your parents. Stop bullying Shao Dong and his siblings. Otherwise, there will be no warning next time. I'll keep my word."
The three of them, who had yet to get over the trauma Mu Jingzhe had inflicted on them, once again burst into tears.
Eldest Sister-In-Law Shao and Zhao Lan were both angry and heartbroken. In the past, they would have walked up to her and grabbed her hair. However, this time, they were afraid of Mu Jingzhe's monstrous strength and didn't dare do anything.
Eldest Brother Shao had also seen Mu Jingzhe's ability. Coupled with the fact that he believed a good man wouldn't fight with a woman, he simply didn't look at Mu Jingzhe, but at Shao Nan and the others.
"Shao Nan, Shao Xi, are you just going to stand by and watch? What do I usually teach you? You're cousins. It's one thing for you to engage in small fights, but breaking bones and tendons? Are you just going to stand by and watch?"
A trace of sarcasm flashed past Shao Xi's eyes. "Then what do you want from us, Eldest Uncle? In the future, if Shao Fu and the rest want to hit us, we shouldn't resist or say anything? We should just let them hit us even if they beat us to death?"
3
Eldest Brother Shao was usually a man of few words, and no one dared to object when he did speak up. His face was filled with rage when the child retorted like that.
"What do you mean? Beat you to death? Why would they, your older cousins, beat you to death? This is just a fight between children. Such resentment at such a young age…"
"Who would play around with their lives? Shao Fu and his siblings are just playing around with us when they hit us. If we don't want to die and return the favor, you'll say we bear great resentment?"
Shao Xi's eyes were red. "We don't care for that."
Eldest Brother Shao was trying to play down the situation, but Shao Xi had exposed him with just a few words.
"You—"
Eldest Brother Shao raised his hand in anger, but Mu Jingzhe sneered.
"What's wrong? You can't bear to hear the truth? Are you so angry from embarrassment that you want to beat someone up? Do you want me to beat the gong and drum for the whole village to hear?"
Eldest Brother Shao immediately directed his anger at Mu Jingzhe.
"Mu Jingzhe, I've been holding back because you're my sister-in-law. Don't push your luck!"
"Who's the one wanting a yard after taking an inch?" Mu Jingzhe sneered. "You're still holding back? What are you holding back for? You're a coward who only knows how to hide behind his mother and suck his younger brother's blood. A wimpish loser whose only talent is to hide behind his wife and bully his nephew. Now, you get anxious and speak up? Why don't you continue playing dead?
5
"You're a weakling who bullies the weak and fears the strong. You make it sound so nice. Do you think everyone else is a fool and only you are smart? Who doesn't know what you people are like? Why are you threatening the children when I'm still here? If there's anything wrong with what I said, come at me."
2
Eldest Brother Shao collapsed on the ground, his face turning purple. What was even more infuriating was the fact that Shao Dong and his siblings were staring at him with cold eyes and laughing at him.
Eldest Brother Shao couldn't take it anymore. "How dare you laugh!"
He rushed forward but was stopped by Mu Jingzhe. "I told you I'm here!"
"Get out of the way. You're just a stepmother who will leave the Shao Family anytime now to get married. I'm not going to argue with you. I'm only after them!"
Eldest Brother Shao was furious. He glared at Shao Dong and the others with a threatening look in his eyes. "Are they going to fall out with us completely?"
Shao Dong and the others didn't speak, but their eyes revealed a lot of emotions.
"Great, that's really great. They're resenting me after all I did to raise them!"
Eldest Sister-In-Law Shao couldn't stand it any longer. She immediately added, "I've already said that they are ingrates. It would be better to raise a dog than them. Anyway, I can't take it anymore. Let's split up the family assets today. If we don't, I'll take our kids back to my parents' house!"
After a lot of discussions, they'd finally managed to bring up splitting the family assets.
They had been thinking about this for a long time.
When Shao Qihai had still been alive, they certainly couldn't ask to split up the family assets. Now, they had to do it.
They had wanted to get rid of these burdens for a long time. Surely they couldn't raise them until they grew up and even find spouses for them? Those four were only their nephews and niece. This was no joke. They already had four children of their own.
Eldest Brother Shao and Eldest Sister-In-Law Shao visibly calmed down after they mentioned splitting up the family assets. Zhao Lan quickly forced Shao Dong and the others to apologize and kneel down.
They completely ignored Mu Jingzhe.
They were fearless and certain that Shao Dong and the others couldn't leave them. They swore to vent all the anger they had felt during this period.
They thought that Shao Dong and the rest were definitely afraid. Later, when the kids knelt down and begged them, they wouldn't be soft-hearted. Since they had said that they would split up the family assets, they had to do it now.
However, it was necessary to give these brats a hard time before splitting the assets up.
Eldest Brother Shao and Eldest Sister-In-Law Shao had a lot of plans. Fu, Lu, and Shou didn't even have the time to cry anymore. Zhao Lan wanted to say something but stopped herself. In the end, she said nothing.
However, to their surprise, Shao Dong actually nodded.
He took two steps forward and stood in front of his younger brothers and sister. In spite of his stutter, his words were powerful and resonating. "If you want to split up the family assets, so be it. You never cared about us anyway."
Mu Jingzhe looked over in surprise.
Although she was surprised, she didn't try to dissuade him.
From her point of view, it would indeed be good to split up the family assets. They would probably be better off after doing so.
Eldest Brother Shao and the other two were really shocked. When they finally came back to their senses, they immediately shouted fiercely.
"Alright, you guys have guts! Since you've agreed, don't go back on your word. We'll split it. We'll split it all today!"
He would just wait for the day when the few of them could no longer survive and came to them begging and crying, expressing their regret for the decision they'd made today!
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
An incident caused quite a stir in the Great Eastern Village that day, and that was that the Shao Family was going to split up their family assets.
With Shao Qihai gone, Shao Dong, a child, represented the second branch to discuss the splitting process of the family assets.
Although Eldest Sister-In-Law Shao and her family had explained a lot, everyone knew what was going on. All the villagers berated them for being heartless and evil.
After living a good life with Shao Qihai's money, the moment Shao Qihai had passed away, they had immediately kicked aside the few children he had left behind. How heartless of them.
The five of them probably wouldn't have it easy in the future.
People with prestige in the village came to persuade them and even sent someone to inform Shao Qiyang. The general consensus was that he shouldn't act rashly.
When Shao Qiyang returned, everyone hoped that he would be able to stop them. They hadn't expected him to actually nod in agreement.
"So be it. I'll take care of them from now on."
Shao Qiyang looked at Eldest Brother Shao coldly. "I only hope that you won't have nightmares over this in the future."
Zhao Lan scolded him sternly. "What are you saying? Have you forgotten that your older brother raised you? His legs are still in this state, so how can you be heartless enough to say that about your brother?"
"Enough!" Shao Qiyang couldn't take it any longer. "I've heard this for many years and I'm sick of it. You people keep saying that Second Brother and I should thank Big Brother. We know that it was hard on him in the past, and we've always been grateful. We can bear it even if you're biased. Second Brother even sent back all his allowance for several years in a row.
"But there's a bottom line for everything. He only worked hard for three years. After his leg was injured, Second Brother took over for him. All these years, Second Brother was the one supporting the family. Regardless of how great a debt of gratitude he owed, he has already finished repaying it all."
The hardships and grievances that he had endured all these years erupted at that moment.
Shao Qiyang wasn't stupid. He had seen them for what they were in the past two years.
Zhao Lan was biased. Even though their eldest brother looked simple and honest and had treated them well initially, things had changed after that, especially after he'd gotten married and formed his own family.
Other people hated being called a cripple, but he didn't mind that at all. He hated that he couldn't be as crippled as possible so that his two younger brothers would repay their debt for the rest of their lives.
Shao Qiyang had endured it in the past, but he no longer intended to do so.
The existing conflicts in the Shao Family were all being laid out today. Splitting up the family assets had been inevitable.
According to the eldest branch's plan, they would be taking the majority of the housing land, farmland, and mountain land. But how could Mu Jingzhe allow them to do as they wished?
She would settle every score one by one.
The eldest branch even wanted to claim that the new house had been built by them, which was so ludicrous that it almost made everyone laugh their heads off.
Did the two of them even have the means to build a house?
Everyone knew that their children lived off of Shao Qihai's money.
The only thing Mu Jingzhe could do was fight for more benefits for the children, so she naturally wouldn't give up.
In the end, with her sharp words and fierce attitude, she helped the children obtain what they deserved.
It was completely different from what they had imagined. Zhao Lan and the eldest branch were furious.
In the past, Zhao Lan used to have the final say, and Shao Qiyang hadn't been able to out-talk her. The children were smart, but they were still children after all. The villagers saw what happened to them, but they always felt that they couldn't say much about other people's family affairs.
The main reason was that the mother of those children wasn't from this village. Without the help of their maternal aunts and uncles, and with their father gone, it was inevitable that they would be at a disadvantage.
1
Now that they had Mu Jingzhe, things were different. She could yield when necessary or cry and shout, but she wouldn't lose out.
In addition, even Li Zhaodi had come to help. In the end, the situation changed.
Even though Zhao Lan and the eldest branch insisted that they had no money left, which resulted in Shao Dong and his siblings not getting any money, and they also refused to give up the big house, they had to relent as far as the farmland, mountain land, and housing land were concerned.
The children were still too young to farm, but they could rent the land to villagers later on. The food they collected would ensure they wouldn't starve to death. In addition, with Shao Qiyang taking care of them, they were now much better off than they had been previously.
Shao Qiyang hadn't suffered too big of a loss.
The eldest branch couldn't bear to fork out money or bring themselves to part with the big house. In the end, they didn't even get a single plot of good farmland, only some mountain land.
However, they deserved it.
This drama, which was indispensable in the literature of that era, ended just like that.
After this family separation drama, the villagers had a new understanding of Shao Dong. Even though the child was still young, he knew what he was doing.
These children would amount to something in the future. When they became successful, the eldest branch would regret it.
Even their view of Mu Jingzhe changed quite a bit.
Regardless of whether Mu Jingzhe had fought for the benefits of the children because she felt guilty about getting married and leaving, she had still done a good job.
This was the first time they'd learned that Mu Jingzhe had such a sharp tongue. She wouldn't cry or throw a tantrum, but she was extremely gracious and not afraid of taking risks.
She was much better than Li Zhaodi.
After the family assets were split up, Mu Jingzhe quickly cooked for the children, who stayed up late.
"From now on, the house we live in will be ours and we won't be kicked out, right?"
While eating, Little Bei happily wanted to confirm this.
"Yes, how many times have we said it?" Shao Nan mocked Little Bei, but there was also joy on his face.
The children were in a good mood. In the future, Shao Fu and his family would no longer threaten to kick them out, nor would they have to be bullied or beaten up by them anymore. Also, they would no longer have to worry about starving.
The food would be given to them directly.
It was rare for the atmosphere at the dining table to be harmonious and joyful. Although Shao Qiyang was sad about the separation and the fact that his family had reached this point, he quickly relaxed.
Wasn't this what he had dreamed of?
At this point, he subconsciously thought of Mu Xue.
Yesterday, he had seen Mu Xue and Tang Moling together.
In the past, he would definitely have been in great pain. However, although he felt terrible now, it was just a dull pain, as he knew that it was impossible for things to work out between them.
Because of his older brother, Mu Xue had already rejected him.
1
Now that she had found that Tang guy, they no longer belonged in the same world.
His world was now… Shao Qiyang glanced at Mu Jingzhe out of the corner of his eye before quickly looking away.
His heart slowly sank. Second Sister-In-Law… was getting married.
As Shao Qiyang was in this unclear and uncomfortable mood and the villagers assumed that Mu Jingzhe was soon going to remarry, Mu Jingzhe and Li Zhaodi set off before dawn. Pushing a cart, they said that they were going into town to sell buns.
Sell steamed buns?
After confirming that Mu Jingzhe was really about to start selling buns, the villagers finally believed that she wasn't going to remarry.
Many people in the village went into town to sell things. They sold firewood, potatoes planted by their own families, and charcoal burned in the mountains. However, no one sold steamed buns.
When they heard that Mu Jingzhe was going to sell buns, everyone shook their heads. They didn't think much of this.
"They won't sell, right? They're not easy to sell, are they?"
Regardless of what they said, Mu Jingzhe's stall opened.
The first time she went there, she didn't have a good location. There was also a shop that had been selling buns for a long time. At first, there was indeed no interest in them. Li Zhaodi had a worried look on her face. However, upon seeing that there were more and more people around, Mu Jingzhe started to advertise verbally.
"I'm selling steamed buns. Delicious and cheap steamed buns. You can choose between mushroom buns, pickled vegetable buns, and white sugar buns."
Mu Jingzhe had tried the buns from the existing stall, which sold meat buns, white sugar buns, and steamed plain buns. They didn't taste so good. Considering the fact that meat wasn't cheap, she had decided to forgo selling meat buns and had instead chosen to sell vegetable buns.
The results weren't bad.