Tang Moling had come frequently in the past, but never this frequently.
He knew that something was wrong with him, but he couldn't control himself.
He had wanted to expose Mu Jingzhe's true colors and seduce her to take revenge, but in the end, he'd ended up getting lost in his plot.
He couldn't help worrying about Mu Jingzhe and feeling angry because of what had happened to her, so he had come to see her in order to feel at ease.
On the third day, Tang Moling restrained himself from coming. Instead, he vented his anger on the person who had bullied Mu Jingzhe.
Because they ultimately hadn't managed to force the marriage, Yang Qing, Zhao Lan, and Shao Qiyun weren't sentenced in the end, but they still suffered a lot.
Shao Qiyun felt that she had lost all her dignity and was too ashamed to return to the village. Thus, she directly went back to the county city.
Shao Qiyun had her own dormitory. Although it was the holidays, she could still stay there.
She didn't expect to find out that she had been fired when she arrived at the school.
The school had learned what she had done and decided to fire her. They had even found someone to replace her.
This job didn't require many qualifications, and there were many people eagerly waiting in line, so a replacement was found in no time.
Shao Qiyun's luggage had been packed up, and she was forbidden from going to the dormitory again, as the school administration quoted fear of her forcibly marrying off the students.
Shao Qiyun was about to go crazy. She had no idea how the news had managed to reach the school.
"I was wronged. I didn't do anything at all. How could you treat me like this? Did Mu Jingzhe come to make a fuss because she wanted to take revenge on me? Was it her?"
The security guard shook his head. "Who is Mu Jingzhe? I've never heard of her. You know what you did. Stop making a ruckus and leave."
Over the past two days, news of Shao Qiyun forcibly marrying off her widowed sister-in-law in exchange for betrothal gifts had spread all over the school.
The school attached great importance to this and had asked the teachers to emphasize that this was wrong when their students returned from the holidays.
There was no lack of students from remote mountain villages in the school. They had good grades, but their families were poor. Some of them would drop out of school after studying for a while to get married.
Many of them weren't willing to do so. They weren't old enough to get married, but their parents made the decision for them regardless of whether they were willing or not.
The school was very helpless and really didn't want such a situation to occur again. After hearing about Shao Qiyun's matter, they took it very seriously and even specifically issued a notice regarding this matter.
Someone like her definitely wouldn't be allowed to stay in the school anymore. What if she led the students astray? What if she sold the students?
Just like that, Shao Qiyun became a negative example and lost the job that she had worked so hard to get.
"Mu Jingzhe. It must be Mu Jingzhe."
Shao Qiyun and Zhao Lan gritted their teeth, wishing they could tear her apart.
Despite feeling hateful, there was nothing they could do because they were obviously in the wrong. When they got back, they were torn apart by the villagers before they could even tear Mu Jingzhe apart. Regarding Shao Qiyun's encounter, everyone only had three words to say—served her right.
The villagers no longer treated Mu Jingzhe like before.
They were eagerly waiting for Mu Jingzhe's business to expand so that she would hire more workers and they could earn money working for her.
Thus, Shao Qiyun and Zhao Lan's actions also affected them.
While the village was in chaos, Mu Teng and Mu Jingzhe calmed down and didn't show their faces.
After holding back for a day, Tang Moling couldn't help but bring a bunch of things to Great Eastern Village the very next day.
Alas, he realized that Mu Jingzhe wasn't at the Mu Residence.
She had returned to the Shao Family because she couldn't let go of those children.
Old Mu scolded Mu Jingzhe with a dark expression. She hadn't welcomed Mu Jingzhe when she'd come back, but she was also dissatisfied when Mu Jingzhe wanted to leave.
Tang Moling heaved a sigh of relief, but he couldn't help but feel disappointed.
In the end, Mu Jingzhe couldn't bear to let go of those children.
This made him feel that he had indeed not misjudged her. He was heartened by this fact, but at the same time, he couldn't help but feel disappointed. After all, she had gone back.
For a moment, Tang Moling felt indescribably jealous of the five kids.
Old Madam Mu kept nagging, but Mu Teng and Li Zhaodi were listless, especially Mu Teng, who kept pondering over Mu Jingzhe's words with a frown. The atmosphere was tense.
Mu Jingzhe woke up early that morning. When Mu Teng and Li Zhaodi woke up, she poured them water to wash their faces.
Mu Jingzhe had been doing this for the past two days, even going as far as to boil water for them to wash their feet at night.
Mu Teng had a bad feeling when he saw Mu Jingzhe. Indeed, after a while, Mu Jingzhe spoke.
"Dad, Mom, I want to go back today. I can't let go of them. I keep thinking about them."
It was obvious who she was referring to.
"You still want to go back in the end?"
"Yes. Mom, Dad, I'm sorry I couldn't listen to you, but if this continues, I'll keep feeling uneasy."
Li Zhaodi lost all her strength and muttered, "You'll end up going back after all. I knew you couldn't let go of them and would go back eventually…"
She had really hoped that wasn't the case, but she remembered Mu Jingzhe's condition for the past two days.
She had been distracted all the time and had kept gazing in the direction of the Shao Family. Sometimes, she would accidentally call out their names in a daze.
For the past few nights, she hadn't had a good night's sleep. All of this hadn't escaped Li Zhaodi's notice.
"You foolish child. You're so silly. Why did you choose the most difficult path?"
Mu Jingzhe had thought it through thoroughly. "I only want to have a clear conscience. Besides, I'm fated to be with them."
She had come back to stay for three days. Firstly, she did this to appease Mu Teng and Li Zhaodi, and secondly, because she wanted to calm down.
She didn't make a hobby of being a stepmother, but she had developed feelings for them through their interactions.
Many of her future plans were closely related to them, and she felt that a life like that was very interesting.
After her return to the Mu Family, she felt less at ease than while she'd been living with the Shao Family.
At the Shao Residence, she had been the head of the family, but at the Mu Residence, she felt like she was living under someone else's roof. Furthermore, she had to put up with Old Madam Mu's attitude. It was just like she had imagined.
It wasn't impossible for her to rent a house in the county city now, but her hair ornament production team was in the village.
It would still be a stretch to move all of a sudden to the county or town. Besides, she didn't like giving up halfway.
Since she had already gotten used to taking care of the five kids and had developed feelings for them, why not continue to do this for two more years? Before long, the children might not need her to take care of them anymore.
Besides, she had yet to meet anyone suitable, let alone make plans to get married, so it would be better for her to go back.
Mu Jingzhe had spent three days thoroughly thinking about it.
"Dad, Mom, don't worry. I'll make sure to live a happy life. Don't worry about me all the time. I've grown up. I'll be responsible for my own life.
"Hurry up and get ready to set up your stall. Don't stop going on my account. When it comes to business, you should be consistent. Not showing up a few times for no reason will affect your business."
Mu Teng didn't say a word, but he knew that there was no turning back now that Mu Jingzhe had spoken. This child was stubborn and wouldn't reverse her decision once she made up her mind.
Upon recalling the way Shao Dong had kneeled and what he'd said and remembering those children secretly coming to see her in the past two days, she knew that those children occupied a position in Mu Jingzhe's heart and vice versa.
Mu Teng sighed. "You chose this path yourself. Don't regret it and come crying to me in the future."
"I won't."
Mu Jingzhe repeated her words. "Dad, Mom, don't worry. I'll really be fine."
The Shao Family had been gloomy in the past few days.
The earlier laughter and joy had disappeared completely, leaving only a depressing atmosphere and oppression behind. It couldn't even compare to what it had been like before Mu Jingzhe had arrived.
Just as Shao Dong had thought, who could stand to return to the darkness all of a sudden after living such a good life and seeing the light?
Though Shao Qiyang wanted to take care of them, his job required him to leave the house early and return only late at night, so he simply wasn't able to do that.
Shao Dong tried his best to take care of them, but they all remained listless. Little Bei and Xiao Wu kept crying and saying that they missed their mother.
They thought about her while eating, listening to the radio, and even while sleeping. They missed her all the time.
Previously, when writing essays, Shao Xi used to feel awkward and shy, so whenever there was an essay about his mother, he would always avoid it because he felt that he didn't have a mother.
He had never written about Mu Jingzhe because he was afraid she would get proud, but now he regretted it. He actually had a lot to write about.
When she had still been living with the Shao Family, he hadn't cherished her and had kept suspecting her intentions. Now that she had gone back home, it was too late for regrets.
He was writing about her, but she couldn't see it anymore. Ever since she had left, there had been no one there to encourage him and praise him for his writing skills.
He knew that it was too late, but he still wanted to write about her and give the essay to Mu Jingzhe.
She liked his essays very much, so if she was willing to accept it, he would give it to her.
Shao Nan was very silent. He didn't speak and was always in a daze.
He also regretted not treating Mu Jingzhe well enough.
He could have done better, but he had been too stingy to do it.
Xiao Wu was still playing the flute, but his melodies no longer sounded happy. Instead, they invoked sad feelings in those who heard them, making them feel an urge to cry.
Xiao Wu never finished playing an entire song again, for he would start to cry toward the end.
According to the plan, they should have gone to the county art school to continue learning foreign languages and reading books, but her departure had disrupted those plans.
They had secretly gone to see Mu Jingzhe, but they had never seen her. They didn't dare let Mu Jingzhe see them either.
Little Bei had plucked some flowers and secretly placed them at the Mu Residence, wanting to give them to Mu Jingzhe to cheer her up.
Every night, Little Bei and Xiao Wu would cry and say they wanted to look for Mu Jingzhe, but Shao Dong would stop them.
Shao Dong didn't allow them to go. If they went, it would only make things difficult for Mu Jingzhe.
They endured three days like this. When they woke up the next day, it was still the same. There was no laughter and no eggs. The children were listless. Alas, they hadn't expected that things could get worse.
Because of Shao Qiyun and Zhao Lan, the fellows next door had been depressed and had hidden away, not daring to face anyone. Fu, Lu, Shou, and Xǐ were also despised.
They pinned the blame on Shao Dong and his siblings. Knowing that Mu Jingzhe wasn't around and she had abandoned them for good, those brats couldn't help but come over to mock them.
This was just like rubbing salt into the wounds of the children. Little Bei and Xiao Wu cried whenever they heard that. Seeing their reaction, Shao Fu got smug and even wanted to continue bullying them and snatch what they had taken a fancy to but couldn't snatch previously when Mu Jingzhe was around.
However, as soon as they made a move, the weeping Little Bei and Little Wu exploded. They stepped forward and snatched what was theirs back, then scolded them loudly.
"Mommy bought this for me. No way am I letting you snatch it!"
"Mommy? Mu Jingzhe doesn't want you anymore. Give it to me!"
His words completely angered the five children, and in the end, Fu, Lu, Shou, and Xǐ were all beaten up.
This was the first time. In the past, they had been no match for Fu, Lu, Shou, and Xǐ. After all, they were too young.
However, during this period of time, because of Mu Jingzhe, they had grown taller and stronger. They had also become bolder and observed people's weaknesses. They specifically targeted their weaknesses and hit them wherever it hurt.
In the end, Fu, Lu, Shou, and Xǐ were beaten until they started crying and ran away.
Shao Dong and his siblings had won. However, they didn't feel any joy at all. Instead, they felt even worse when they saw the things Mu Jingzhe had bought for them.
Shao Dong felt awful seeing them like this, but he had to endure it.
"Stop crying. Since we already beat them, we can protect ourselves better in the future. Stop crying."
Forget about looking for Mu Jingzhe.
Shao Dong led them to the kitchen and was about to make them something to eat. However, just as he entered, he heard a voice come from the door.
"Little Bei, Xiao Wu, I'm back. Where are you?"
For a moment, they thought that their ears were playing tricks on them and didn't move.
In the past few days, they would always have this kind of hallucination, the feeling that Mu Jingzhe was back, but every time they went out to take a look, it would turn out that they were imagining things.
"Shao Dong?" Then, they heard another voice. Furthermore, there were footsteps this time, which added to the realness.
Xiao Wu was the first to run out and see Mu Jingzhe.
"Mommy!" Xiao Wu shouted and rushed over.
Little Bei followed him closely. "Mommy! It's really Mommy! Mommy is back!"
The few older brothers could no longer sit still and rushed out too.
Shao Xi charged over too quickly and staggered, almost falling.
Little Bei and Xiao Wu hugged Mu Jingzhe and burst into tears of joy. "Mommy, you're finally back."
"Boohoo. We thought you didn't want us anymore. That you had left for good."
Mu Jingzhe's eyes were also red as she hugged them. "I'm sorry. It's my fault for leaving."
"It's not Mommy's fault. It's Grandma and Aunt's fault. They are the ones who bullied you."
After saying that, Little Bei rephrased her words. "No, I should correct myself. They're no longer our Grandma and Aunt. They treated you really badly. We've already severed ties with them and won't acknowledge them anymore."
"Yes, we only want Mommy. We don't want them." Xiao Wu nodded. The boy, who had bravely fought back just now, complained to Mu Jingzhe with a teary little face.
"They're all bad people. They even came to snatch our things just now."
Now that the person who doted on them was back, Xiao Wu and Little Bei couldn't wait to share their thoughts and grievances with Mu Jingzhe.
"Mommy, I missed you so much. I missed you every day and dreamed of you at night."
"I missed you too. I missed you every day in my dreams. I missed you so much that I cried."
"I missed you guys too. Even in my dreams."
The three of them hugged and cried. Shao Dong, Shao Xi, and Shao Nan's eyes reddened against their will, but they held themselves back and stood aside, staring at her.
Mu Jingzhe pulled them over. "Why do you look so thin? Haven't you been eating properly?"
They had originally been holding back, but now that Mu Jingzhe had pulled them back and asked them this question, their eyes couldn't help but turn red.
"How can we eat properly when you're not even here? How could we not lose weight?"
As they said this, they couldn't stop the tears flowing down their cheeks. In the end, all six of them huddled together and cried.
Mu Jingzhe's heart was sour, bitter, and sweet. When her emotions calmed down, she hurriedly coaxed them.
"Alright, hush, hush. I'll nourish you guys well now that I'm back. I'll help you make up for all that lost weight."
She took out a handkerchief and wiped their tears. "If you continue crying, your eyes will swell. Stop crying. The way we're huddled together and crying, one might think this is a scene out of a television drama. If you continue crying, the villagers are going to start coming over. Hush, hush."
When she heard this, Little Bei's tears turned into a smile.
Little Bei and Xiao Wu clung to Mu Jingzhe and refused to let go. Shao Dong, Shao Xi, and Shao Nan, on the other hand, were a little embarrassed.
Shao Nan looked at her. "You won't leave again, will you? You won't leave us like you did this time, will you?"
There was a stubborn look on his face, but his eyes were filled with caution.
Mu Jingzhe nodded. "If nothing goes wrong, I won't leave again. I'll leave when you guys grow up and don't need me anymore."
Mu Jingzhe felt that she was still young. She'd only turned 20 years old that year. Even if she raised these kids for another ten years, she would only be 30 years old.
By then, the five kids would be more or fewer adults and wouldn't need her anymore. She could then consider leaving.
Shao Nan blurted out in surprise, "Barring accidents, you're not allowed to leave."
He was spooked after seeing her leave once. Now that Mu Jingzhe had returned and given them hope, he didn't dare have his hopes dashed again.
After saying that, he felt that his tone wasn't very nice, so he added awkwardly, "We'll treat you well. When we grow up, we'll be filial to you and ensure you lead a good life."
"That's right," Shao Xi added. "We may be burdens now, but we'll all amount to something in the future. We'll make sure you wear the finest clothes and most expensive jewelry in the future."
Mu Jingzhe burst out laughing. "Make sure I wear the finest clothes and most expensive jewelry?"
Shao Xi's face darkened. "You don't believe me? We'll keep our word. We'll definitely make sure you live a better life than you would if you remarried."
He was afraid that Mu Jingzhe wouldn't believe him, so he said seriously, "The young ladies who get married in the village don't have it easy either. They work hard to serve their mother-in-law and the entire family, yet they have to hear gossip about them. They can't even stay idle for a while. They are always treated as outsiders. When they get married, they become outsiders. When they return to their parents' home, they are still outsiders.
"That's not all. They even have to give birth to children. Giving birth to a child is dangerous enough, yet the husband and in-laws are even picky about the gender of the baby. This family wants a son, and that family wants a daughter. One might just die in the process. This is exactly what happened to an auntie in the village last year.
"But in your case, you don't have to give birth. Now that you have us, we'll be filial to you in the future. You don't have to serve the entire family either. In the future, we'll help with the housework. You're the head of the family, so you don't have to be bullied. You're a true family to us."
Mu Jingzhe was shocked. "How did you come up with all that? Shao Xi, are you…"
Did you transmigrate? Or have you been reborn?
Shao Xi was puzzled. "Am I what? One can see this all around us. I've been observing."
He had been analyzing and summarizing in the past two days. He'd even wanted to go over to Mu Jingzhe and analyze the theories with her to persuade her to come back.
But he couldn't go.
Now that Mu Jingzhe was back, he couldn't help but say this.
When Mu Jingzhe heard him say that he had been observing, she secretly praised Shao Xi's observation skills and incisiveness. She thought to herself that it was no wonder he would become a writer. He could see through phenomena and get to the essence of things.
Shao Xi heaved a sigh of relief when he saw Mu Jingzhe give him a thumbs-up.
"We're sincere. We don't need you to take care of us forever. If you want to get married in the future, we won't stop you. We'll even help you. When that time comes, you can marry whoever you want. We'll give you a big dowry. If he dares to bully you, we'll teach him a lesson."
In the end, Shao Xi concluded, "Anyway, we can get you whoever you like."
The last sentence was very bold and domineering. He could help her get anyone she liked.
Hear, hear. Get her anyone she liked…
This didn't sound like something a seven-year-old child would say. Even though he was about to turn eight, he was still a child.
Mu Jingzhe: "…"
She was convinced. As expected of a writer, Shao Xi knew how to summarize things very well. His words were sharp and hit the nail on the head, as they were full of persuasive power and sounded incredibly captivating.
That's right, Mu Jingzhe was tempted. Any woman would be tempted.
Mu Jingzhe couldn't help but extend her pinky. "Then it's a deal."
Shao Xi's eyes lit up. He stretched out his pinky and made a seal with hers. "Deal!"
Shao Dong was gratified as he watched from the side. Shao Nan looked at Mu Jingzhe's shining eyes. It was clearly inappropriate timing, but he couldn't help but ask Mu Jingzhe which part she had found the most tempting.
Mu Jingzhe: "…"
Do you have to be so sharp?
Of course she had been tempted by the money. Men were just a bonus.
Shao Dong laughed and nudged Shao Nan with his arm, as if saying 'that's enough'. He changed the subject and asked Mu Jingzhe, "Have you eaten?"
He had referred to her as mom in front of Mu Teng previously, but he felt a little embarrassed to say it to her face.
"Not yet. I wanted to come back and cook for you guys. Have you eaten?" Mu Jingzhe asked as she helped Shao Dong wipe the dust off his face.
When she saw him wipe himself, Mu Jingzhe felt that something was wrong. "Shao Dong, why is your face so hot? Are you having a fever?"
"Another fever?" Shao Xi immediately touched his face. "Why is your face so hot during the day too?"
Only then did Mu Jingzhe find out that Shao Dong had been sick for the past two days.
On the day she had left, he had knelt and cried, and he'd even had abrasions on his body. That very night, he had developed a slight fever.
For the past two days, he'd kept having a fever at night.
However, he had managed to hold on. After taking the medicine that Mu Jingzhe had bought previously, he would force himself to get up every day to take care of his younger siblings.
There were too many things weighing on his heart. He didn't even dare get sick. If he fell sick, things would get even messier.
Now that Mu Jingzhe had returned, Shao Dong heaved a sigh of relief in his heart and quickly fell ill.
He didn't have a high fever, but he started showing symptoms of the flu. Mu Jingzhe took him to the doctor for a checkup.
His younger siblings felt guilty and had taken turns keeping him company.
Now that Mu Jingzhe had returned, they felt much better.
Shao Dong stopped having a fever at night, but he perspired and kept saying that he was thirsty. In the middle of the night, he would alternate between drinking water and going to the bathroom.
He only quietened down during the latter half of the night.
The next morning, Mu Jingzhe touched Shao Dong's forehead and heaved a sigh of relief when she found that he no longer had a fever and his complexion was much better.
Shao Dong opened his eyes in a daze but hadn't completely woken up. When he saw Mu Jingzhe's face, he couldn't help but smile and call her 'Mommy' softly.
Mu Jingzhe was stunned. Before she could react, Shao Dong hugged her.
"Mommy, don't go. I have so many wishes that have yet to come true…"
"Alright, I won't leave." Mu Jingzhe hugged Shao Dong tightly.
She was very surprised that Shao Dong had switched to calling her 'Mommy', but she didn't object. Her heart softened.
Shao Dong, who was being hugged, blinked. As he felt more and more awake, he got embarrassed.
He… He had really called her Mommy. He had said out loud what was on his mind.
In his daze, he had thought that it was a dream, but it had turned out to be reality.
Shao Dong was stiff and lost. Then, he met Shao Nan's gaze.
Shao Nan had come to see him and happened to see this scene.
"Brother, you're blushing. Are you feeling shy after calling her 'Mommy'?"
Shao Nan came in jokingly and pretended to complain to Mu Jingzhe. "Mommy, Big Brother is feeling shy."
Shao Dong pointed at Shao Nan. "You…"
Shao Nan looked at Mu Jingzhe, who was staring at him, and said frankly, "Can I call you 'Mommy'? I want to call you 'Mommy' too. Actually, if you had asked us to change our way of addressing you, I would have."
Mu Jingzhe: "Sure, of course. I'm just a little…"
Flattered.
Mu Jingzhe had always felt that she couldn't quite figure out Shao Nan. Shao Dong, needless to say, was relatively taciturn.
She hadn't expected to be suddenly called 'Mommy' by the two of them, and she was in a daze.
After Shao Dong was exposed by Shao Nan, he suppressed his embarrassment. "Thank you for taking care of us, Mommy."
Unlike the three little ones, Shao Dong and Shao Xi had never called her 'Mommy' before. They even had vague memories of their mother.
Now that they were uttering the word 'Mommy' again, they didn't feel any indignation, only relief.
The two of them took this opportunity to change their way of addressing Mu Jingzhe, making Little Bei get very excited. "Big Brother and Third Brother are also calling Mommy 'Mommy' now."
"Everyone's calling Mommy 'Mommy' now." Xiao Wu chuckled. "Except Second Brother."
Everyone looked at Shao Xi, the only one who hadn't followed suit.
Shao Xi: "…"
Wait a minute, why was he the only one left?
Shao Xi glared fiercely at Shao Dong and Shao Nan. He had always known that his third brother was cunning, but he hadn't expected that his older brother had also changed. To think that he'd sneakily started calling her 'Mommy' and hadn't even asked him to do the same.
He snorted, feeling annoyed.
Mu Jingzhe took this as a sign of unwillingness and quickly said, "It doesn't matter if you call me that or not. You can call me whatever you want. If you don't want to call me 'Auntie', you can also call me 'Sister'."
She liked to be called 'Sister', for it made her appear young.
Shao Xi panicked when he heard that. "Who said I don't want to? I… I'm not going to call you 'Sister'. That would mess up the seniority."
He groaned and called her 'Mommy' in a muffled voice. He called her 'Mommy' quickly and anxiously, as if the word 'Mommy' was scalding his mouth. As a result, no one could properly hear what he was saying.
Xiao Wu said earnestly, "Second Brother, I can't hear you clearly. Do you not want to call Mommy 'Mommy'?"
"No!" Shao Xi was furious. "Since all of you have started calling her that, I have to do the same."
He looked at Mu Jingzhe and muttered, "If I'm the only one who doesn't call you that, people might think that I don't welcome you. That's so not the case."
Upon saying that, he raised his neck and shouted with a red face, "Mommy!"
His voice was especially loud, startling the sparrows on the roof and making the few foraging chickens look up in surprise.
"Can you hear me now? You can, right?"
Shao Dong: "…"
Those who didn't know better would think that he was shouting at an enemy.
Mu Jingzhe, who also had the same feeling, held back a snort. "Aye, I heard that."
She stroked Shao Xi's head and saw that he was blushing. She then smoothed his hair. "I'm glad you called me 'Mommy'."
Only then was Shao Xi satisfied. He was so happy after being praised that he felt a little smug and couldn't help but brag.
"Of course. There are so many people who want me to call them that, but I haven't."
Then, Xiao Wu looked up and asked, feeling genuinely confused, "Really? Who are they, Second Brother?"
He was really curious, as there didn't seem to be such a person in the village.
Shao Xi: "…"
He ruthlessly stroked Xiao Wu's head and messed up his hair before snapping, "Someone you don't know!"
Mu Jingzhe sighed in her heart as she watched them clowning around.
Alright, from that day onward, she would officially become the mother of five children.
Just the thought of it made her want to cover her face.
When she had first arrived, she had had a headache after facing the five children.
She'd vowed to leave after being a nanny for a while. Now… there was no point in mentioning it.
If her modern friends knew about this, they would probably say that she was crazy. She also felt that she was crazy.
It was probably a side effect of playing house and pretending to be a mother too much when she was young.
However, now that she had agreed to let them call her 'Mommy', she had to be more responsible, as she could not regret it easily.
Mu Jingzhe made up her mind and secretly clenched her fist.
The children looked at each other with mutual understanding in their eyes. They, too, made up their minds and silently clenched their fists.
They couldn't treat what Shao Xi had said as something random. They really had to keep their word.
Their biological father, Shao Qihai, no longer wanted them and had abandoned them. Their biological grandmother and aunt didn't give a damn about whether they lived or died. Each of them was worse than the other.
Mu Jingzhe wasn't related to them by blood, yet she had taken care of them like this and even returned after what had happened.
They'd remember Mu Jingzhe's return today.
In this lifetime, they would never let their mother down.
Their biological father, Shao Qihai, had abandoned them and Mommy and no longer wanted them.
In that case, they would be filial to their mother in the future and find someone better and more handsome than Shao Qihai for her. She could have whoever caught her fancy. They would let her pick whoever she wished next.
Since Shao Qihai could find another woman, they would also let their mother find a more impressive man. They'd see who won then.
They didn't believe that the five of them couldn't beat their biological father alone.
A raging fire burned in their hearts.
Elsewhere, Shao Qihai dreamed of a fire.
The scalding fire seemed to be burning him.
It was unknown if it was because of telepathy, but Shao Qihai, who was hiding in the city, had felt terrible after falling asleep in the past few nights.
He kept feeling an urge to cry and dreaming of the children calling for their mother.
Recalling that it had been Bai Lu's death anniversary not long ago, Shao Qihai felt uneasy. Their mother was gone, and he wasn't by their side either.
At present, he was very grateful to Mu Jingzhe, who was still taking care of them.
Shao Qihai wanted to go back as soon as possible, but this wasn't up to him to decide.
After dreaming of them calling out for their mother for a few consecutive nights, that night, he dreamed of fire.
"Why would I dream of fire?" Shao Qihai couldn't figure it out no matter how hard he thought about it.
Since he couldn't fall asleep after waking up, Shao Qihai got up and went outside to smoke a cigarette silently.
In order to hide his identity, he had grown a beard and long hair and had started pretending to be a smoker.
However, he was really not good at smoking. After a while, he choked and woke Jiang Feng up.
"Brother Hai, can't you fall asleep?"
Shao Qihai nodded. He was about to apologize for waking him up when he heard Jiang Feng say, "Are you missing Sister-In-Law?"
Shao Qihai: "…"
How was he going to answer that?
"I know it even if you don't say it. I miss my mother too." Jiang Feng sighed. "I wonder how she's doing. I really want to send her a message."
"Let's end this as soon as possible and go back." Jiang Feng had helped Shao Qihai make a trip, and Shao Qihai had also helped Jiang Feng make a trip before.
Jiang Feng's mother wasn't in a good state. Half of her hair was white, and she had turned visibly older.
"Mm." Jiang Feng nodded and asked, "Brother Hai, do you want me to help you take a look?"
"No need. It's too risky. Let's leave it at that for now. We'll end this as soon as possible and go back."
He looked up at the moon in the sky and thought to himself.
Little Dong, Little Xi, Little Nan, Little Bei, Little Zhong, wait for me. Daddy will be back soon.
After Mu Jingzhe returned to the Shao Family, the rain that had been going on for several days finally stopped.
Now that he was in a good mood and the weather had cleared up after the rain, Shao Dong finally recovered from his illness.
Also, Mu Jingzhe's production line, which had been suspended for a few days, resumed.
Everyone was happy to be back. They had been afraid that they wouldn't be able to continue earning money, but now, everything was thankfully back to normal.
As they were in high spirits, they brought some things with them when they came to work, such as pears they had grown at home or preserved vegetables they had made themselves.
Mu Jingzhe's return to the Shao Family was big news in the village. Some people didn't understand, while others said that she was loyal.
But no matter what, life started getting back on the right track.
Mu Jingzhe quickly got busy, but she soon discovered that something was amiss.
The children seemed to be clingier now. No, they weren't just clingy with her. In fact, they weren't going anywhere. They kept following her and looking at her, tugging at her, as if they were afraid that she would run away. It was the same when they were doing their homework; from time to time, they would come to see her.
While she was busy, the five kids took turns hiding behind the door and secretly observing her. Their cute little expressions could be turned into emojis.
Mu Jingzhe had caught all five children when they took turns to come over.
Whenever she saw their adorable little faces, Mu Jingzhe regretted not having a camera. She did the next best thing, which was to draw their faces in her notebook.
When it was lunchtime, Mu Jingzhe went to make lunch, and the children stayed in the kitchen to watch her.
Firewood was used in all the households in the village, and there wasn't even any beehive coal. The food made from firewood tasted much better than that made using an electromagnetic stove, but the downside was that it produced a lot of smoke.
This was what Mu Jingzhe was most unaccustomed to. Her eyes were sensitive, and every time she finished cooking, her eyes would turn red from the smoke.
The same applied to the children. They would rub their eyes every time she cooked, and she would ask them to go out.
"Hurry up and go out. There's a lot of smoke here. I'll call you when it's ready."
In the past, they used to obediently go out as told, but this time, they wouldn't listen.
"It's alright. We don't find it smoky." They wanted to watch their mother.
Nowadays, their favorite thing to do was gaze at their mother; only when they looked at her would they feel at ease.