After Mu Jingzhe discovered the reason, she sneered at the dodging woman in the high heels.
"Is this the example you're setting for your daughter? Instead of asking her to focus on learning and work hard, you're teaching her to use vicious methods. Do you have a grudge against your daughter?"
Mu Jingzhe didn't see any maternal love in High Heels' ways.
This was harming the child.
"I'm doing this for her own good!" High Heels refused to give in. "Our family is well-off, so why can't I do that?"
"Yes, you're a force to be reckoned with in the county. You're capable, but there's always someone better than you. If you encounter someone you can't deal with in the future, are you going to deal with them like this? Or are you going to just kill them? Aren't you afraid that your daughter will imitate you and end up like you, stinking inside out and rotting in jail?"
Mu Jingzhe was destroying her mentality right now.
High Heels couldn't retort.
She wanted to say that she would deal with the obstacle in front of her first and think about it later.
However, when she saw her daughter's horrified gaze, she couldn't bring herself to say that out loud.
This time, she was completely defeated.
Utterly shamed. A complete failure.
The teacher heaved a sigh of relief and looked at Mu Jingzhe, who was speaking her mind for her. A hint of admiration flashed across her eyes as she looked at everyone and spoke solemnly.
"Did you see what happened today? Shao Bei was framed. I hope this won't happen again. If this happens again, you will just leave. Our school doesn't dare keep such students."
The parents and students who had helped attack Little Bei previously were embarrassed.
Not everyone was necessarily snobbish or tried to curry favor with those in power. However, most of the time, they would still follow people with a higher status, or they would not dare go against them and would simply watch from the sidelines to protect themselves.
The teacher could understand that too, but she added, "You have to put an end to this kind of thing in the future. Otherwise, although the person who was framed today was Shao Bei, your child may be next tomorrow. You don't want to see this happen, right? In order to avoid such a situation, everyone should actively condemn such incidents to stop them from happening again."
Everyone turned solemn.
That's right. If someone had deliberately framed the child because the people from the broadcasting station had come today, then the perpetrator would also have the chance to do so in the future. If their child performed well and stood in their way, would their child fall victim to such a plot too?
The adults who had been on High Heels' side just a moment ago immediately moved away from her and pulled their children to their side.
High Heels had swapped places with Little Bei and was now isolated and helpless, criticized by everyone.
"Apologize to Shao Bei."
The teacher voiced her final request.
How could High Heels be willing to do that? Just as she was about to throw a tantrum, her daughter burst into tears.
"Mommy…"
Upon seeing her mother get criticized, the little girl felt afraid.
One second, she was like the moon surrounded by a myriad of stars, and the next, she was all alone. Unable to take it, she'd immediately burst into tears.
High Heels picked up her daughter and didn't dare deny it anymore. No matter how unwilling she was, she could only apologize to Little Bei.
Only then did Little Bei, who had been trembling, calm down.
The murderous look in the eyes of Shao Dong and his siblings, who had been staring at them and killing them with their gazes, lessened a little.
Shao Dong, Shao Xi, and Shao Nan looked at Mu Jingzhe with complicated expressions.
Mu Jingzhe had protected them again. Once more, she had protected their younger sister.
Xiao Wu only had admiration and relief in his eyes. When he saw the little girl look over, he even waved his tiny fist and bared his teeth in a threatening manner.
The little girl pouted in grievance.
But this was nothing.
While her mother carried her away, she looked at her classmates who were close to her, but none of them looked at her.
Their mothers repeatedly warned them not to play with her anymore and even scared them.
"Stay away from her in the future, okay? Otherwise, you'll become a thief."
"Stop playing with her, or you'll become a thief before you know it. She and her mother will corrupt you."
High Heels stiffened when she heard that, whereas her daughter wailed in grievance.
However, no one came forward to console them.
Later on, the little girl wouldn't have any friends when she came to school again. The pocket watch she liked to use to frame others would get smashed in the toilet the next day. No one would know who broke it.
Due to her mother's extreme actions, her daughter would face the consequences and be completely isolated at school. This would even have adverse effects on her husband.
After this, the little girl would never come to the art school again.
This would all happen in the future.
After the dispute was settled, the teacher apologized to Mu Jingzhe and said that she hadn't done a good job.
Mu Jingzhe didn't vent her anger on her. Instead, she picked up Little Bei and led the children out of the school.
When there was no one around, Little Bei, who had held back her tears despite how angry or aggrieved she was because she didn't want to go against her father's teachings or be belittled, couldn't help but cry in Mu Jingzhe's warm embrace while hearing her comforting voice.
"Boohoo… I'm so scared… Boohoo…"
The five-year-old girl had endured this for too long and finally burst into tears.
Tears rolled down her face.
However, she still remembered her father's words, so she didn't cry out loud and merely sobbed in a restrained manner.
Compared to wailing, this kind of sobbing was even more heartbreaking.
With red eyes, Shao Dong and the others clenched their fists tightly. They wanted to comfort her but were clumsy and didn't know how to go about it. They could only swear that they would grow up and protect their younger sister in the future.
Mu Jingzhe, who was consoling Little Bei, couldn't help but tear up as well.
"Little Bei, stop crying. It's all my fault. If I had kept an eye on you, things wouldn't have turned out this way. I'm sorry…"
"Auntie, don't cry…" Little Bei was still crying. With teary eyes, she used her little hands to wipe Mu Jingzhe's tears and comfort her.
Mu Jingzhe's heart ached even more.
The two of them hugged each other and cried.
Upon seeing them cry, Xiao Wu also started crying.
Shao Dong bit his lips tightly, and his eyes were red.
Shao Xi clenched his fist and comforted her stiffly. "Stop crying."
Ruthlessness flashed across Shao Nan's eyes. He pinched himself to stop his tears from falling.
Ji Buwang, who was late and couldn't catch up, quickly chased after them when he heard what had happened.
What he saw made him freeze in place.
Just a moment ago, he had thought it was a pity that he hadn't yet gotten to see Mu Jingzhe cry.
Now that he could see it, he hoped he would never see it again.
It turned out that crying was a terrible thing.
He wished he could slap himself.
Why would he say something like that to her?
Seeing her cry once was enough.
He hoped that he wouldn't have to see this ever again.
Ji Buwang closed his eyes and didn't disturb them.
After calming down from crying, Mu Jingzhe felt uncomfortable all over and didn't dare look at the kids.
This was way too embarrassing.
How old was she to cry in front of these children?
How embarrassing.
It was only because she was so thick-skinned that she didn't run away.
She didn't dare look at them, so she didn't notice that the way the kids were looking at her had really changed a lot.
After eating the food she had brought from home and seeing that the rain had stopped, Mu Jingzhe made herself forget the embarrassing crying incident and told the children, "Come on, let's go buy sandals."
She had heard what the students had said previously.
She had heard them say Little Bei was the poorest in their class, she could not even afford sandals, and she was dirtying their classroom.
Wasn't it just a pair of sandals? They would buy one too.
Mu Jingzhe looked at the damp shoes on their feet and felt very upset.
She felt that she wasn't doing enough.
The ultimate reason behind today's incident was that Little Bei wasn't dressed well and had been bullied as a result.
If she wore better clothes, they would think twice before bullying her.
In that case, she had to work harder.
Upon hearing Mu Jingzhe mention sandals, the children looked down at their shoes.
The shoes they were wearing were cloth shoes but not the rubber-sole kind.
Rubber-sole cloth shoes and cloth shoes were the best shoes in the countryside, but sneakers were popular in the city.
White, fashionable sneakers were more fashionable than rubber-sole cloth shoes. Everyone was proud to wear sneakers. Most of the students who came to the art school came from good families, so most of them wore sneakers.
Last week, when Mu Jingzhe had discovered this, she had wanted to buy them for the kids. However, the children were unwilling and had said that their shoes were new and that she didn't have to buy them new ones.
As they had yet to buy sneakers, the children were wearing cloth shoes in the rain.
From the perspective of later generations, these plastic sandals weren't nice at all. They couldn't compare to the embroidered cloth shoes on Little Bei's feet. However, they were rare in this era, and many people were proud to own a pair of sandals.
After all, they could make their own cloth shoes.
Any other family's child would probably be overjoyed to hear that they would be getting sandals.
However, none of the five children moved. They looked at each other for a moment before speaking.
"Just buy them for our sister. We're boys, so we don't wear sandals."
"Right, there's no need to waste money."
"Our shoes are still perfectly fine."
Even though they had heard those words earlier, they were sensible enough to decline and only wanted her to buy sandals for Little Bei.
When Little Bei heard that, she added, "No need. My shoes are still new."
It wasn't that Little Bei wasn't envious or sad, but she knew that they had to save money.
Since her older brothers didn't want them, she didn't want them either.
Mu Jingzhe felt even more upset upon hearing their response. "What kind of nonsense are you talking about? All of you are going to wear them. It's really hot in the summer, so each person will buy a pair today. Don't refuse."
"We really have no need for them. You don't have to waste money." Shao Dong continued refusing.
"It's not a waste of money. It's only June now, and the real heat hasn't arrived yet. It's cooler to go around in a pair of sandals. Besides, there's a lot of rain in the summer, so you won't have to be afraid of getting your shoes wet when wearing sandals. If they get wet and dirty, you'll only have to rinse them. It's worth buying a pair.
"Otherwise, these cloth shoes will get ruined easily if they soak in the rainwater every day. You won't feel good wearing wet shoes, and it won't be worth it if you catch a cold accidentally."
Mu Jingzhe persuaded them as she pulled them along.
Seeing that Shao Dong was still hesitating, she added, "You can record the money spent on the sandals yourself."
She had seen Shao Dong secretly write down the expenses in the accounts book before. The amounts were clearly and seriously recorded, and he even wrote down the number of eggs they ate per week.
He would remember every kindness she had shown them.
When Shao Dong heard that, he finally nodded. "Alright."
They might as well just buy them. That way, his younger siblings wouldn't be looked down upon anymore.
Little Bei's eyes lit up when she heard Shao Dong agree.
When they arrived at the shoe shop, Mu Jingzhe said, "Pick a color and design you like and try them on to see if they fit."
The five children's eyes were sparkling as they looked around. The boss told Mu Jingzhe, "They should buy one or two sizes bigger. This way, they can continue to wear them next year or even the year after that. These sandals are very sturdy and will last at least two to three years. When the older kids outgrow them, the sandals can be passed down to the younger kids."
Mu Jingzhe knew that everyone in the village was like that. If the sandals were damaged, the villagers would heat up a pair of tongs and try to repair them themselves. It might affect their aesthetics a little, but it had no impact on their function.
If the shoes became even more worn-out, the back could be cut off, and these sandals could then be worn as slippers. Then, they would last another two to three years.
It was a very good deal.
Little Bei quickly finished choosing. "Auntie, I want this pair."
Mu Jingzhe took a look. It was an emerald-green pair of sandals.
"You want this color?"
"Yes, the other students have many pink, white, and yellow ones. There are very few green ones. You can tell at a glance that they're mine." She wanted them to be unique.
"Fine."
Perhaps inspired by Little Bei, the male designs that Shao Dong and the boys chose were also green.
Some of them were dark green, while others were a very deep shade of green. The reason they chose those was similar to Little Bei's—they wanted theirs to be different from everyone else's.
Mu Jingzhe fell silent as she looked at the sea of green.
They didn't know what the color green represented. Seeing that they liked them, Mu Jingzhe scratched her head. Nonetheless, after bargaining with the boss, she went ahead and paid for them.
If they were green, so be it.
After paying, Mu Jingzhe asked them to change into the sandals directly.
"Just give me the wet cloth shoes. I'll keep them for you."
The children obediently changed into their new sandals.
Shao Dong kept saying that he was fine, but when he changed into his sandals, he realized that his cloth shoes were already wet. His feet were white and wrinkled after soaking in the wet shoes.
"Are you cold?" Mu Jingzhe couldn't help but frown. She thought for a moment and borrowed some hot water from the lady boss to wash his feet.
"You can't do this in the future, okay? It's fine if you just catch a small cold, but it won't be good if you get an infection. The water on the ground is filled with bacteria and dirt."
Mu Jingzhe bent down to check Shao Dong's feet for any injuries.
Shao Dong's body stiffened, and his ears turned red. "No."
He had washed his younger siblings' faces and feet a lot from a young age, but since he could remember, no one had washed his feet for him.
Although it was summer and it wasn't icy, his feet weren't feeling well from all that soaking. After washing them with hot water, he felt that his feet were comfortable and warm, and even his heart started warming up.
Shao Dong put on his shoes and followed Mu Jingzhe, unconsciously stepping on the places she had stepped on.
Mu Jingzhe, who was keeping an eye on Little Bei and Xiao Wu, who had regained consciousness, didn't notice his small movements.
Little Bei's eyes were still red, but she was already smiling. She bounced up and down as she walked and kept looking down at her sandals.
Xiao Wu did the same and kept chasing after her.
Shao Xi and Shao Nan weren't as expressive about their joy, but they couldn't help but lower their heads and look at the new sandals as well, the way children did.
When class started in the afternoon, the students realized that Little Bei had changed into sandals.
When they spoke to Little Bei and praised her beautiful shoes, Little Bei snorted and ignored them.
She was still holding a grudge.
Then, a classmate said, "Little Bei, your mother is amazing. She even knows how to hit people. Does she know kung fu?"
In the eyes of children, Mu Jingzhe's kick had been like a move out of a martial arts flick.
When Little Bei heard that, she finally reacted. She snorted. "That's true."
She didn't deny that she was her 'mother'.
At the art school, most of her classmates were brought to school by their parents or grandparents. Before she knew it, Little Bei rarely called Mu Jingzhe 'Auntie' in front of her classmates.
Because her classmates had praised Mu Jingzhe, Little Bei finally spoke to them and told them how amazing Mu Jingzhe was—that she knew kung fu and could even beat up men.
The man who had been beaten by her, Tang Moling, sneezed loudly from afar.
Little Bei was holding a bragging convention.
Elsewhere, Shao Xi and Shao Nan also heard someone mention Mu Jingzhe, but it wasn't anything pleasant.
The people talking were a man and a woman. The woman had permed hair and was wearing a skirt. With her pinky curled up, she was heard saying that Mu Jingzhe was too shrewish and didn't look like a woman.
The man was wearing a nice shirt and glasses and looked like an intellectual. He nodded in agreement.
"That's right. She doesn't look like a woman at all."
Shao Xi frowned when he heard that. He was about to speak when he saw Shao Nan take a step forward and suddenly reach out to pat the curly-haired woman's hip before stepping back and asking, "Uncle, why did you touch Auntie?"
The curly-haired woman, who suddenly felt someone touch her butt, heard his words amid her shock.
She raised her hand and slapped the bespectacled man. "Pervert."
The bespectacled man who was beaten up for no reason retorted, "What nonsense are you talking about? What pervert? What have I done?"
"You even have the cheek to ask!"
The bespectacled man was positioned right next to where she had been patted. The curly-haired woman was very sure that he was the one who had fondled her. Not only was she furious, but her face was red. "I've never seen someone as shameless as you."
The bespectacled man also got mad. "B*tch, what kind of nonsense are you spouting?"
The two of them got into a fight. Later on, they even talked about sending each other to the police station and stuff like that.
Shao Nan had already pulled Shao Xi away.
It hadn't rained in the afternoon, but it started raining again when class ended.
The bicycle had been placed in Tang Moling's trunk in the morning, so they could ride it back. However, he was afraid that the road would be difficult to travel and that she would fall while carrying so many people on the bicycle.
Mu Jingzhe was worried that she would fall but didn't expect to meet Tang Moling again.
"Get in the car. I'll take you back."
Mu Jingzhe was pleasantly surprised before she became vigilant. "That's too much trouble, isn't it?"
It was fine when he had taken them there in the morning, but now that he was giving them a lift in the evening, could he be up to no good?
Tang Moling looked at Mu Jingzhe's vigilant gaze and felt a knot form in his heart. He couldn't say that he was targeting her, so in order to dispel her suspicions, he said, "I just quite like those children and don't want them to go through so many hardships. Get in the car."
The five kids: "…"
'No, we don't feel your fondness for us at all. Not one bit.'
It was just a casual remark made by Tang Moling, but the children took a small step back when they heard it.
Tang Moling: "…"
He was furious. "You don't know what's good for you, do you? I'm leaving then."
"Wait." Mu Jingzhe quickly spoke up. "I just think it's too much trouble for you."
Mu Jingzhe felt that safety was more important and quickly took the children to the car.
Tang Moling snorted. "You could've just gotten into the car when I asked. Do you think I'll sell you guys?"
Mu Jingzhe casually replied as she packed up the plastic sheet, "No, I can knock you over with one punch."
Tang Moling felt like he was about to vomit blood.
When the children heard this, they giggled secretly as they recalled the incident of Tang Moling being beaten up. They were no longer as restrained as they had been in the morning and they started telling Tang Moling about Mu Jingzhe's glorious kick today.
"Auntie is really amazing. She can flip a bad guy over with just one kick."
Xiao Wu waved his small fist. "I want to be as powerful as you in the future."
Xiao Wu now spoke eloquently after not speaking all those years.
"You hit someone again?" Tang Moling clicked his tongue.
After hearing what had happened, Tang Moling fell silent.
He was recalling his childhood.
He had also been wronged before. In a similar situation, he had been accused of stealing the class fund.
Although he had been wronged, his stepmother had only hit him upon coming and hadn't bothered defending him at all.
Mu Jingzhe was also a stepmother, but she'd trusted Little Bei without hesitation and protected her.
Tang Moling felt an inexplicable sense of jealousy when he saw Little Bei, who remained carefree in the back seat and only cared about her sandals despite everything that had happened.
She was lucky she had met a stepmother like Mu Jingzhe.
Tang Moling couldn't help but wonder why he hadn't met a stepmother like Mu Jingzhe in the past.
If only Mu Jingzhe had been his stepmother… Bah!
Tang Moling realized what he was thinking and couldn't help but spit.
Why did he suddenly want Mu Jingzhe to be his stepmother?!
Tang Moling shook his head and dismissed this crazy thought.
This lass was younger than him!
Tang Moling's face darkened.
Mu Jingzhe: "???"
He had been fine just a moment ago. Why was his face dark again?
Mu Jingzhe couldn't help but move to the side. She winked at the children behind her and told them to be quiet and not to provoke the moody male protagonist.
She didn't think much of it when she read novels or watched TV shows, but when facing the moody male protagonist, anyone other than the female protagonist was destined to meet a sad ending.
Mu Jingzhe felt that she had to be careful in the future and not ride in Tang Moling's car casually. Otherwise, it would be troublesome once the male protagonist acted up.
It wasn't that she was afraid of Tang Moling, but she was afraid that he would anger her and she would feel compelled to teach him a lesson. With her skills, it would be troublesome if she really crippled him.
The atmosphere in the car became quiet. It was peaceful and tranquil.
Tang Moling was puzzled when he sensed it.
Why had they suddenly stopped talking?
Tang Moling had thought that he would be able to detect something by helping her, but it had turned out to be useless.
After getting back to the village, the children ran around in their new sandals, wanting everyone to see their new shoes.
Everything was fine, except that the heels of their sandals would get stuck in rocks and mud. They'd only worn them for a day, but when they returned, they used a rod to clean the sandals. Also… the sandals rubbed against their feet.
The material was plastic, so of course it wasn't very soft. As a result, the sandals would unavoidably grind against their feet.
It had only been a day, but the skin on Little Bei's heels was already scraped.
"Your skin is scraped. Don't wear the sandals for the time being." Mu Jingzhe frowned.
Little Bei shook her head. "I need to wear them. They're so beautiful. Besides, this happens to everyone."
For the sake of beauty, Little Bei wasn't afraid of getting her skin scraped.
However, Mu Jingzhe couldn't let Little Bei go on like this. She racked her brains to think of a way to keep the shoes from rubbing against their feet.
When the other children in the village saw that Little Bei and her siblings had bought sandals, they also wanted to buy some. This started a sandal trend.
Meanwhile, there were new developments regarding Bai Qiang and the gang.
Bai Qiang kept making a fuss. If Li Tao's parents refused to give him money, he would go to their house to cause trouble. For the sake of their peace, they had no choice but to give him the money.
After getting the money, Bai Qiang became even more self-righteous. Maybe it was because the successful extortion had given him courage, but in the end, he actually came to look for Mu Jingzhe.
He demanded that Mu Jingzhe take in his younger sister and pay her a monthly salary.
Mu Jingzhe naturally wouldn't do as she was told, so he made a fuss and claimed that the reason Li Tao had run away was Mu Jingzhe. In the past, Li Tao had been obedient. It was Mu Jingzhe who had made her ambitious.
As the saying goes, 'He who has a mind to beat his dog will easily find his stick'. He was just trying to extort money.
Mu Jingzhe didn't hit him at first and only scolded him. She wasn't afraid of him.
Later on, Bai Qiang even wanted to block her way and stop Mu Jingzhe from delivering her goods. He also found some hooligans to cause Mu Jingzhe trouble.
In their eyes, Mu Jingzhe was a widow, and they could punish her however they wanted.
In the end… they found themselves in a miserable state.
They were taught a good lesson by Mu Jingzhe.
News of Mu Jingzhe's monstrous strength had been circulating in the village, especially among those who had been taught a lesson by Mu Jingzhe, such as Zhao Lan.
However, because Mu Jingzhe kept a low profile and would usually smile when she saw people, no one took it seriously. They doubted how strong a girl could be and simply dismissed those rumors as exaggerations fabricated by Zhao Lan and the others.
Bai Qiang and the others were ill-informed too, which was why they ended up in this plight.
They tried their best to block off her blows, but to no avail. The few of them were beaten until they wailed like ghosts and howled like wolves, begging for mercy.
Then, they saw that the large rock that they had summoned all their strength to lift had been casually shoved aside by Mu Jingzhe.
Shoved aside…
Overwhelmed by fear, Bai Qiang and the hooligans fled immediately.
Hearing the commotion, the villagers came to watch but swallowed their saliva and left.
From that day onward, the villagers finally knew how powerful Mu Jingzhe was.
After Bai Qiang recuperated from his wounds, he toned it down.
Mu Jingzhe had also received accurate news from the dance teacher of the art school.
Little Bei had been chosen to dance for the television station.
Although she would only be a backup dancer, it was nonetheless a dream opportunity for many people.
With this opportunity, more and more opportunities would come in the future, and things would get increasingly better.
The art school in the county had chosen ten children.
The little girl from last time was one of the ten children selected, but after the fiasco created by her mother, the broadcasting station didn't dare take her anymore and replaced her with another student.
The teacher said that she would teach them how to dance this weekend. In order to facilitate their progress, it would be best if she could come over on Saturday and get in more practice.
She was going to the television station next week to dance. They were asked to wear blue clothes then, preferably dresses.
She could just wear her own dress if it was appropriate. However, if it wasn't and the broadcasting station didn't have any suitable costumes for her, she might be rejected.
This was because the costumes at the television station were limited.
The teacher told them to bring along the costume when they came to class so that she could take a look.
Compared to the later generations, the conditions were much more arduous for performers in this era.
Mu Jingzhe understood.
The teacher specifically informed Mu Jingzhe because Little Bei's situation was very special.
The other chosen children were all children from the county city who could come to practice after class every day. Only Little Bei went to school in the village and only had the chance to attend dance practice on the weekend.
She liked Little Bei a lot and knew that she was a fast learner. Still, she was worried that Little Bei wouldn't be able to keep up and might fail to be selected.
"Don't worry, Teacher. I'll be prepared. If Little Bei doesn't master it by then, I'll think of a way too."
Mu Jingzhe promised the teacher. She then went to select fabrics that day to prepare a dress for Little Bei's performance.
Upon hearing that she would go to the broadcasting station to perform and dance, Little Bei was naturally excited.
This was a very rare chance for children in rural areas.
However, Little Bei was also worried. "Auntie, won't it be too troublesome? We even have to prepare our own clothes and go to the city."
In the past, they had been too poor. Unknowingly, money had become what they valued the most. No matter what happened, the first thing they thought of was money.
Mu Jingzhe felt helpless. A child this old should be carefree.
"Little Bei, it's no trouble. Don't think about these things anymore. It's such a good opportunity to be able to appear on TV. You like it too, so just go ahead and do it. Money is something an adult should consider. You just have to do what you have to do."
Mu Jingzhe patted her chest. "Although our family doesn't have much money right now, this little bit of travel fees and costume fees shouldn't be a problem."
Raising five children indeed cost a lot of money, and Mu Jingzhe could already deeply feel it.
It made her feel that there wasn't enough money, but she really didn't want them to fret over this anymore.
"I go to the city often too. You're a child. I can just carry you, and it won't even cost any money. Don't think about these things in the future, alright?"
"Alright." Little Bei finally agreed happily. "I'm going to appear on TV!"
Little Bei was only one of the little dancers. With so many people there, she might not even be captured on screen. Alas, Mu Jingzhe naturally couldn't destroy her confidence at a time like this.
Mu Jingzhe started making the costume.
Then, Shao Dong came to look for her. "I'll remember what you did for Little Bei. I'll repay you in the future. I'll pay you back double."
Mu Jingzhe nodded. "Alright, I believe you. I'll take care of you now, and you'll protect me in the future."
Shao Dong heaved a sigh of relief. "It's settled then."
He was about to leave, but he stopped and said, "I'll really treat you well in the future."
Mu Jingzhe chuckled as she watched him leave.
"Does this promise from the big boss mean I can just lie down and eat in the future?"
After Shao Dong left, Shao Xi dilly-dallied over and handed her his workbook.
"I've finished this exercise book. Since you like it so much, I'll give it to you."
Ever since Mu Jingzhe had encouraged Shao Xi and his work had been accepted by the radio station, his confidence in his writing had increased. He wrote a lot and submitted some of his manuscripts.
The first draft was in the exercise book.
Although he didn't know why Mu Jingzhe liked his exercise book, he endured this shame and discomfort and gave it to her because she liked it.
On the cover of the exercise book, it was written that it was a gift for Mu Jingzhe.
He had written 'May all your dreams come true'.
Below the words was a serious signature.
The young kid's handwriting made Mu Jingzhe's eyes brighten.
"That's great, I like it so much!"
Shao Xi: "I'll give you another one when I finish writing it."
He then turned around coolly and touched his nose. "Weirdo."
Even though he was calling her a weirdo, the corners of his lips couldn't help but curl up.
As if they had made an agreement, Xiao Wu also came to look for Mu Jingzhe, but not for anything else. He had brought her food—a small bunch of black and purple mulberries.
However, the mulberries had already wilted after being pinched by Xiao Wu on the way, staining his hands black.
Xiao Wu brought them over to Mu Jingzhe as if he was presenting a treasure. When he saw them, he almost cried.
"How did this happen…"
"It's okay. They're still delicious."
Mu Jingzhe praised Xiao Wu. "Xiao Wu, you are the best, but you should eat more in the future. Don't bring them all back for me."
"I ate some." Xiao Wu had eaten some himself, but he had eaten the less ripe ones. He had wanted to give Mu Jingzhe the ripest and sweetest ones, but because they were too ripe, he had accidentally crushed them on his way back.
Upon looking at Xiao Wu's dark tongue, Mu Jingzhe knew that he wasn't lying.
Since God knew when, Little Bei and Xiao Wu had started keeping things for her. Little Bei would give her peaches, and Xiao Wu would give her apricots. Gradually, this developed into a habit.
After Xiao Wu left, Shao Nan also came.
He brought her a glass of water and some sugar. "Thank you for your hard work."
He looked obedient, and his words were pleasing to the ears, but it was strange for a little child to have the air of a veteran.
"I happen to be thirsty right now. Thank you." Mu Jingzhe's face turned serious too, and she drank the water.
She thought about the children's performance, and it suddenly occurred to her that this might be a benefit she enjoyed because they were not her biological children.
If they had been her biological children, they would sometimes have taken it for granted that a mother should treat her children well.
But she wasn't, so the children were always grateful to see what she had done for them.
Of course, this theory was only one-sided and varied from person to person. Regardless of whether they were biologically related or not, some children knew how to be grateful, while others didn't.
Shao Nan continued speaking like a little adult. "No need to thank me. I only did what I could. Don't worry, just take Little Bei there. We will look after our home."
Mu Jingzhe: "…"
Those who didn't know might think that this was what a spouse said to their other half who was about to leave. She wondered where he had learned it.
"You're so cute."
Mu Jingzhe couldn't help but stroke Shao Nan's little face.
Shao Nan: "…"
He was speaking to her seriously. Why was he being treated like a child again?
Shao Nan stomped his feet and turned to leave with the ceramic vat, but he almost bumped into Little Bei.
Little Bei was holding some wildflowers in her hand that she passed to Mu Jingzhe as if they were a treasure.
"Auntie, these flowers are for you."
Little Bei was even more dependent on Mu Jingzhe now.
After all, Mu Jingzhe was always protecting her.
She could sense how well Mu Jingzhe was treating her.
In the past, she had thought that Shao Qihai was powerful and would protect her like a hero. However, the one who'd ended up protecting her in the end was Mu Jingzhe.
She hadn't been very protected by her father when he had been around previously. And then, he was gone.
In the past, she had still been afraid of Mu Jingzhe. Now, she no longer had any scruples. Every day, she would walk around Mu Jingzhe and tell her what had happened at school when she returned home. She would also give Mu Jingzhe all the good food and fun stuff she had come across.
She would pluck some flowers for her and give her bird eggs when she chanced upon them.
How could Mu Jingzhe refuse adorable Little Bei?
"Thank you, Little Bei. These flowers are really pretty. Shall I draw them on your dress?"
"Okay!"
Onlooker Shao Nan: "…"
He gritted his teeth.
His heart felt a little sour. He and Little Bei were twins, so the two of them were closer to each other than to the others. In the past, Little Bei used to tell him everything and rely on him. Then, the two of them would in turn rely on Big Brother together.
Now… For some reason, he felt that Mu Jingzhe was more important to Little Bei than him.
She hadn't even glanced at him or greeted him earlier.
There was also Mu Jingzhe. Upon seeing that Mu Jingzhe was beaming so widely that her eyes couldn't be seen and noticing the way she was tenderly fidgeting with the slightly-wilted flowers, Shao Nan snorted again.
Ridiculous!
His snort… wasn't even noticed by Mu Jingzhe and Little Bei.
The costume Mu Jingzhe made for Little Bei was unanimously praised by everyone. Little Bei loved it so much that she bounced around and even caressed the costume before sleeping.
When it was time to learn how to dance, Little Bei was afraid that she would dirty it on the way there. Therefore, she didn't wear it but carried it on her back instead. She would change into it when they got to school.
The moment Little Bei appeared, she became the most gorgeous little girl in the room.
The clothes Mu Jingzhe had designed and made for her were even better than the clothes her classmates said they had bought from Ocean City.
The remaining nine students all wanted such a costume. The parents were also keen on buying one and couldn't help but ask around.
"Where did you buy Little Bei's costume?"
"I didn't buy it. I made it."
"You made it? That's impressive." The parents were surprised and amazed.
After the teacher came and said that Little Bei's costume was pretty, the parents couldn't take it anymore and came forward to ask if Mu Jingzhe could make their children one too. The price was negotiable.
The parents took very seriously the fact that the children were going to the television station.
Mu Jingzhe naturally wouldn't refuse. She agreed and set a price.
It wasn't so expensive as to make the parents feel like they were being robbed, but it wasn't so cheap as to make them take her effort for granted either.
After Mu Jingzhe took the measurements of the nine children and memorized their appearance, she went to buy fabrics and supplies that day to prepare.
After five days, Mu Jingzhe handed them the costumes on time.
The clothes of the nine children were different designs with similar colors. They had been tailored according to their characteristics and looked especially good on them. They also concealed some of their shortcomings, highlighting their strengths.
Since the children liked them, the parents felt that the costumes were worth it. Their relationship with Mu Jingzhe improved by leaps and bounds.
Mu Jingzhe was supportive, and Little Bei got along well with everyone. Besides, she didn't disappoint the teacher.
Although she couldn't practice as much as the other children, she learned quickly and practiced at home. She could keep up with them and even perform very well.
The next step was getting ready to go to the city.
When Ji Buwang heard that they were going to the city, he said that he wanted to go too.
Mu Jingzhe couldn't care less about him. She only said, "I might have to take care of five children, so I won't be able to pay any attention to you."
Ji Buwang: "Got it."
Uncle Li, who was secretly watching, was left speechless.
"…"
He had previously been worried that Mu Jingzhe would pester his young master and refuse to let go, so he had fretted over what to do should the Young Master and the Old Master fall out as a result.
Now, it seemed that Mu Jingzhe had no interest in the Young Master at all. In fact, she seemed to be a little annoyed with him. It was the Young Master who was constantly chasing after her.
Uncle Li felt confused.
Mu Jingzhe, who didn't know about Uncle Li's complicated feelings, told the kids about her decision before setting off.
"You guys should go together. The art school will book a bus, and there's enough room for all of you. When we get there, you can look around. When we get back, you can write an essay. Consider it a reward for you before your final exam."
Previously, she had heard the children gossiping about what was going to be in the city.
Although the five kids were very sensible, they were still children after all. Occasionally, they would shoot envious gazes at Little Bei.
Mu Jingzhe had noticed this and thought about taking the children with her.
There was no difference between taking one child there and taking five children there. It would be good to bring them out to see the world.
The boys were indeed stunned.
In the end, they couldn't resist the temptation and went over as well.
Shao Xi even found an excuse and said that he was there to take care of Little Bei.
As Mu Jingzhe had been to the city a few times and was familiar with it, she ended up being the leader of the parents.
When they arrived at the television station, they were fascinated by everything they saw. Everyone was a little reserved.
Only Mu Jingzhe remained the same.
Later on, during the rehearsal, Mu Jingzhe wasn't only responsible for the children's costumes. She was also responsible for styling their hair and helping them apply makeup.
The makeup artist of the broadcasting station was busy, as there were hundreds of children waiting for her to help them put on makeup. Like an assembly line, she would apply lipstick on their little lips, put a little red dot on their foreheads, and then apply some blusher on their cheeks before moving on to do the same thing for the next kid.
However, the director also asked the makeup artist to use different makeup styles, making her feel quite vexed.
Mu Jingzhe did Little Bei's makeup herself. Upon seeing the lovely makeup on Little Bei's face, the parents pushed their children in front of her without hesitation.
Sure.
In the end, Mu Jingzhe and the parents sat among the audience and watched their children dance on stage excitedly.
Nothing unexpected happened, and everything ended perfectly well.
They were happy, and so were the people from the television station.
They had originally been worried that a cock-up would happen because these kids were from a small county, but in the end, their costumes and styling turned out to be excellent.
The cameras were all focused on them, especially on Little Bei. Although there were many children, she was the most outstanding and eye-catching child.
The whole crowd's attention was attracted by her right away.
Hence, they gave Little Bei a full two seconds of screentime.
Of course, Mu Jingzhe and the others weren't aware of this.
After the dance, Mu Jingzhe went shopping with the five children. To be exact, they went shopping at the night market.
The night market of that era had already changed from being secretive to being open and aboveboard. The entire night market street was bustling with life.
All sorts of things were sold there.
Military coats, shirts, sunglasses, leather shoes, and watches. There were also all sorts of food.
There were many people at the night market. Mu Jingzhe was afraid that they would get separated, so she directly piggybacked Xiao Wu and held Little Bei and Shao Nan's hands before she made Shao Dong and Shao Xi hold each other's hands.
To be safe, she even tied their hands together with a rope.
The kids had said that they wouldn't go missing, that they would definitely hold each other's hands tightly. Nonetheless, Mu Jingzhe still tied their hands together.
She was the one who had brought them here. If she accidentally lost them, it wouldn't be enough if she apologized with her life.
The night market was a diverse and crowded place, and the children were fascinated by everything they saw. Sometimes, they would be stunned by the sights, and at times like this, Mu Jingzhe was glad that they were bound together.
Mu Jingzhe also saw the butterfly hair clips she made at a night market stall. The boss was shouting, saying that this was the most beautiful and popular butterfly hair clip. Then, many people surrounded the stall and looked at it. There was also a brat lying on the ground, acting shamelessly and insisting on buying one. Otherwise, she wouldn't get up.
Her mother couldn't pull her away no matter what.
Mu Jingzhe touched her nose, feeling that she could hire more people and make more butterfly hair clips.
Upon seeing that, the five kids looked at Mu Jingzhe with pride and followed her obediently.
The brat's mother looked at her child, who was rolling on the ground, and then at the five children enviously.
'Why are other people's kids so obedient?!'
If these five kids were to roll around on the floor too, she wouldn't be so embarrassed.
Mu Jingzhe, who still didn't know about her scary thoughts, was preparing to buy some food for the children. When she passed by the sugar figurines, she saw that the kids were all looking at them and prepared to buy them one each.
"Boss, I want five."
Mu Jingzhe let the children choose by themselves and watched as the boss prepared them. Shao Xi watched for a while before standing up and looking around.
He suddenly froze in shock due to what he saw.
"Daddy?"
He saw a man not far away carrying a child and protecting a woman as he rushed forward.
Shao Xi was extremely familiar with that man. He would even dream of him occasionally.
That was his father, Shao Qihai.
Wasn't his father dead? Why was he still here?
Afraid that his eyes were playing tricks on him, Shao Xi took another look and even pinched himself.
The pain woke him up.
That was real. It really was his daddy!
"Daddy!"
Shao Xi shouted, "Daddy! I can see Daddy!"