The auntie had just run into the Mu Residence when she was almost sent flying by Tang Moling.
"Why is he running like this?" And why does he look like he's lost his soul?" The auntie thought it was because of something else.
No one answered her. Old Lady Mu and the Mu Family watched in shock as Tang Moling ran out. They were completely baffled by his sudden reaction.
They were already shocked by the news, and now that Tang Moling had suddenly run out, they couldn't react momentarily.
Mu Xue looked at the wash basin on the ground and couldn't help but tremble. It was because of the news of Mu Jingzhe being bitten to death and also because of the way Tang Moling had reacted.
Others might not understand, but she did. Tang Moling had lost his composure when he'd heard about Mu Jingzhe's accident.
At this point, Mu Xue could no longer lie to herself. Her previous intuition had been right. Tang Moling indeed had feelings for Mu Jingzhe.
Mu Xue's heart sank.
At that moment, Old Lady Mu and the rest reacted. "How did she get bitten to death by a snake? Why did she provoke a snake? Mu Teng and the rest aren't around either…"
Upon hearing Old Lady Mu's anxious complaints, Mu Xue got annoyed and felt her entire body turn cold. "That's enough, Grandma. You might as well go take a look first!"
She had to see if Mu Jingzhe could be saved. Also, she refused to accept it and wanted to see if Tang Moling had really gone to look for Mu Jingzhe.
No one had expected that Tang Moling would be the first to rush over instead of the Mu Family.
Tang Moling didn't even know how he got to the Shao Family's house. His mind was a mess, and he didn't dare think if all of this was real. He ran forward with all his might.
Tang Moling's nose felt blocked, as if he couldn't breathe. When he reached the Shao Residence, he heard Mu Jingzhe's last words. As he looked at the dead snakes in the courtyard, Tang Moling's legs turned wobbly and he knelt on the ground.
"Quick, bring her to my car. Let's take her to the hospital!"
At that moment, Tang Moling only wanted to save Mu Jingzhe. The only thought on his mind was that Mu Jingzhe couldn't die.
After shouting out, he broke into an earth-shattering coughing fit. He coughed until his face was red, he was unable to breathe, and his cheeks were full of tears.
When the village doctor came in and saw Tang Moling, he almost thought that something had happened to him too. Because he was so close, he was about to take a look at him when Tang Moling panicked. "Mu Jingzhe… Go and see Mu Jingzhe!"
Mu Jingzhe was still awake. She hadn't expected Tang Moling to be there too or that he'd even run in suddenly. When she heard that he wanted to take her to the hospital, she felt warmth in her heart. No matter what, she was still very grateful.
However, it was just a fleeting thought. She couldn't even protect herself now, and the children were a weepy mess. She didn't dare imagine what would happen if she were to die!
When she saw the village doctor approach, Mu Jingzhe's eyes lit up and she grabbed his hand.
"Uncle, help!" After she said that, she shoved Shao Dong toward the doctor. "Please take a look at him first!"
She might be able to return to the modern world after she died. Shao Dong was still very young. Their priority should be to save Shao Dong.
"Save my mom first!" Upon seeing that Mu Jingzhe still wanted to save him first, for a moment, Shao Dong didn't know whether he should laugh or cry. "You're still thinking of me even at a time like this! I said I won't live if you don't live!"
"What do you mean you won't live if I don't live? What are you saying?!" Mu Jingzhe became anxious.
"Grandpa, I'm begging you to save Mommy and my brother!" Little Bei burst into tears when she heard them arguing.
The village doctor had already finished examining Mu Jingzhe's wound. "When did she get bitten? How many minutes has it been?"
"It's been a while," Shao Dong answered nervously. "Is it…" Fear was written all over his face.
The village doctor looked at him, then at the children and Mu Jingzhe. He said helplessly, "Unless I'm wrong, it was not a venomous snake."
Hearing the answer, Little Bei and Xiao Wu stopped crying. Mu Jingzhe also widened her eyes. "What?"
"I said, unless I'm wrong, it was not a venomous snake. The wound doesn't look like it, and you haven't shown any particular symptoms of being poisoned. Although the reaction to being bitten by a venomous snake varies from person to person, many people die in three to five minutes."
Mu Jingzhe was still fine. Although her face was a little pale and she was covered in a cold sweat, her expression was normal. His experience told him that she hadn't been bitten by a poisonous snake.
He glanced at the snakes around him. "There are several venomous snakes in here, but you were luckily bitten by one of our local snakes. It's not a venomous snake. Just bandage the wound up and you'll be fine."
Mu Jingzhe, Shao Dong, and the rest were quiet. Little Bei burped after all that crying and said, "So Mommy is okay?"
"Yeah, she's fine."
Mu Jingzhe was overjoyed. "There's no need to die. Aiyo, you scared me to death. There's no need to die. You really scared me to death."
She hugged Shao Dong. "It's alright, Little Dong. You don't have to be afraid anymore. We don't have to die!"
After feeling overjoyed, she suddenly felt uneasy and puzzled. "Uncle, are you sure? If it was not a venomous snake, then why do I feel dizzy and weak, and why are my hands numb?"
The village doctor checked her again and paused. "Are you afraid of snakes?"
"Yeah, I am."
"You were the one who hit most of the snakes, right?" The village doctor pointed at the horrifying corpses beside them.
"Right."
"Then it's fine. Your feebleness and dizziness is due to the trauma you suffered. As for your numb hands, that's probably because you used too much strength just now."
By looking at the situation and the snake corpses, one could imagine how much strength Mu Jingzhe had used.
Mu Jingzhe: "Ah, I see. Thank you, Uncle."
So it was a misunderstanding.
"So Mommy doesn't have to die?"
"Right."
Mu Jingzhe and the children relaxed. Shao Dong relaxed and fell off the table.
It was only then that he realized that his entire body had been stiff and numb and his entire face was aching and sore. It was because he had accidentally clenched his teeth tightly to prevent himself from crying and had used too much strength.
"Be careful." Mu Jingzhe hurriedly pulled Shao Dong back.
Shao Dong and the rest had been scared out of their wits. Tang Moling had also been scared out of his wits. He had been utterly desperate. It was only in the end that he felt alive.
He coughed until his entire body was covered in a cold sweat. Looking at Mu Jingzhe and the others, he felt both relieved and helpless. "To think that such a blunder could be made…"
He didn't have the strength to stand. He smiled, but his smile was bitter.
How many years had it been? How many years had it been since he'd lost his composure like this?
Tang Moling looked at Mu Jingzhe and felt lingering fear. His heart was filled with a mixture of joy and confusion. His feelings for Mu Jingzhe seemed to be deepening. What should he do in the future?
When he sensed that something was amiss, he turned around and saw Mu Xue. Mu Xue looked at him quietly, her eyes filled with disappointment and despair.
Seeing that Mu Jingzhe was fine, Mu Xue turned around and left after seeing Tang Moling lying on the ground.
She lowered her head and dashed forward. She couldn't help but wonder if Tang Moling would have lost his composure if she had been in Mu Jingzhe's shoes.
The way Tang Moling had collapsed in the courtyard made Mu Xue feel as though she had a fishbone stuck in her throat.
She could still feel Tang Moling's feelings for her, but why did Mu Jingzhe have to appear again?
As the villagers rushed over one after another, no one noticed Tang Moling and Mu Xue losing their composure.
According to the observations of the village doctor and the villagers, it seemed abnormal for the snakes to suddenly gather at the house and attack people.
Besides, there were a few venomous snakes that they had never seen before. They were not local snakes, but the villagers did not know who had released them. An investigation had to be carried out.
While looking at the snake corpses on the ground, everyone felt their hair stand on end. Their expressions as they looked at Mu Jingzhe also changed several times. This was a ruthless person.
Upon hearing that Shao Dong had tried to suck the venomous blood out for Mu Jingzhe, everyone was filled with emotions. Even their own son might not have done this. Even though Mu Jingzhe and Shao Dong weren't related by blood, they were more protective of each other than those that were. No wonder Mu Jingzhe had chosen to come back.
Zhao Lan was in the crowd. When she saw that Mu Jingzhe was fine, the corner of her mouth twitched. She was somewhat dissatisfied, but after casting a stealthy glance at Shao Dong, she didn't dare make a sound.
It would be a lie to say that she wasn't angry. After being raised for so many years, even a dog would be grateful to its master. In the end, because of what had happened last time, he now completely refused to acknowledge them.
He had even wanted to hit her for Mu Jingzhe. If she had been unlucky, she would have been beaten to death.
To think they felt more affection for Mu Jingzhe, despite the fact that she had only raised them for half a year, compared to her, the grandmother who had raised them for five to six years prior to that. Seriously…
Zhao Lan secretly spat and muttered as she left. "Why wasn't she bitten to death?"
Seeing that Mu Jingzhe hadn't died, Old Lady Mu also left. Meanwhile, the bravest men in the village cleaned up the snake corpses in the yard.
Upon seeing the door that Mu Jingzhe had smashed, the people who were tidying up the courtyard fell silent. It could only be said that it was fortunate that a snake had crawled in and not a human. Otherwise, said human might not even have been an intact corpse.
Mu Jingzhe didn't notice everyone's gazes. She watched as the snakes were taken away. Although there were still traces left behind, she was finally able to breathe a sigh of relief. Her numb brain finally started working.
So, these snakes weren't the doing of a man? Mu Jingzhe recalled the feeling that someone had been following her all this time. Could she have offended someone who was now seeking revenge?
But who could it be? A really vicious and terrifying method had been used. If she had woken up a little later, or if the snakes had acted at night, they might have been bitten in their sleep. If they were unlucky, they might have been bitten by a venomous snake, and that would have been it for them.
Even if the five kids weren't bitten, without an adult around, they might not have been able to escape.
How big of a grudge was this? This person wanted to exterminate them directly and had even chosen a time when Shao Qiyang was not at home.
Mu Jingzhe felt lingering fear just thinking about it. She felt like he was being targeted by a venomous snake that could bite her from the back at any moment.
However, Mu Jingzhe soon heard that there were also snakes crawling into the other houses in the village. The snakes that crawled in were all abnormal, for they seemed to be directly attacking humans. It was just that there weren't as many of them.
So they hadn't been specifically targeted?
After hearing the latest news, the villagers cleaned up the bodies and left. Li Fang and the female workers boldly looked through Mu Jingzhe's room and the entire house to make sure that no snakes had slipped through the net.
Finally, when Mu Jingzhe and the kids had a chance to speak calmly, Mu Jingzhe immediately criticized Shao Dong.
"Shao Dong, you're not allowed to do such a foolish thing again. If this was a venomous snake, you might have died too."
Where was that cold, calm business tycoon she had read about in the novel? His image had been ruined.
Shao Dong pursed his lips. "You are the one who was foolish first." She was the one who was foolish enough to always want to protect them and did not care about her own safety.
Shao Dong paused, took a deep breath, and said, "Mommy, I hope you can treat us a little worse in the future, especially when your life is in danger. I hope you can protect yourself first.
"If something happens to you or if you die while protecting us, then we won't have peace for the rest of our lives. We… can't handle too much kindness from you, especially if it endangers your life."
They didn't want this moving kinship anymore. More than that, they wanted her to be safe. They would rather be in danger themselves.
Mu Jingzhe was stunned, but upon thinking about it from their perspective, she could understand them.
"I will. And… I'm not really risking my life just for the two of you. It's just a matter of convenience. I didn't think that much about it. You don't have to be so stressed."
According to the dramas on TV, they should have been moved to tears by now, but instead, they were discussing this question.
"It's settled then." Shao Dong concluded. The other four kids nodded vigorously.
"I don't want Mommy to be in danger either." Little Bei hugged Mu Jingzhe, still feeling afraid.
"I'll protect Mommy from now on." Xiao Wu refused to lag behind.
Mu Jingzhe: "None of you want me to protect you, but you have the cheek to want to protect me in the future?"
The five kids: "…"
Geez.
The five of them looked at each other helplessly. Luckily, Mu Jingzhe had forced them to memorize "Born in Woes and Died in Peace" last night.
Otherwise, after encountering something like this again today, they would probably have overthought things.
Shao Dong coughed as he looked at the room without a door and changed the topic. "Mom, are we going to order a custom-made door, or are we going to buy an iron door outside?"
"I think we should get an iron door. Then Mommy won't break it again. It's safer too," Shao Dong suggested.
Little Bei raised her hand. "Mommy will smash the metal door until it becomes uneven. That's what happened when Mommy saved me last time. It won't look good after that."
Mu Jingzhe: "…"
Shao Dong: "In that case, we'd better go for a wooden door. Shao Xi, you go."
After Shao Xi left, Shao Dong fetched some water and cleaned up the traces on the ground. Mu Jingzhe wanted to help, but she was stopped.
"Although it was not a venomous snake, you should still rest properly, Mom."
Shao Dong asked Xiao Wu to accompany Mu Jingzhe and took Shao Nan and Little Bei to clear up the traces on the ground. He threw away the stool that had been used to smash the snake and asked Shao Xi to customize a few stools as well.
Shao Dong even suggested, "If you feel scared, recite 'Born in Woes and Die in Peace'."
Little Bei and the rest thought it might work, so they recited it while they busied themselves.
Mu Jingzhe, who had been asked to rest, found Shao Dong's arrangement very reliable and adorable.
As she listened to them recite poems while busying themselves, she increasingly felt that Shao Dong was capable. To be honest, she felt extremely unlucky to have experienced this today.
Thankfully, she had the foresight to make the kids memorize this poem. Indeed, it proved to be of use at a time like this. As she listened to them recite the poem, she felt a lot more comforted. It reminded her that she had encountered so many twists and turns because the heavens were toughening her up for future success.
She felt much better at that thought.
Mu Jingzhe felt a lot better, and everyone also felt comforted. After experiencing all of this, as long as they could endure it, they would be one step closer to success.
After he was done with his work, Shao Dong still wanted to cook but was stopped by Mu Jingzhe. "Let me do it. I can still cook. I'm already much better."
Fortunately, the snakes hadn't gone into the kitchen. Otherwise, they would have felt especially unsafe. Speaking of that, the tables outside should be disinfected before usage.
While Mu Jingzhe was cooking, Shao Dong went to find the village doctor and took some snake repellent powder from him. They scattered it around the perimeter of the house. Then, still feeling worried, they also scattered it in the courtyard.
At first, because of this incident, every family wanted to scatter some snake repellent powder in their homes. However, the village doctor's snake repellent powder had been taken by Shao Dong, so everyone could only go and get it elsewhere.
After sprinkling the snake repellent powder, they felt more secure.
However, the aftereffects were still left behind. Even the slightest noise would make Mu Jingzhe immediately take a look, afraid that it was a snake. Even seeing a leaf blown by the wind would make her jump in fright.
Mu Jingzhe didn't want to do this either, but she couldn't control herself. She had never seen a real snake before, so she couldn't control herself when facing so many snakes.
"Gosh, I was nearly scared to death." Startled again by the door, which was slammed by the wind, Mu Jingzhe patted her chest in relief.
Shao Dong frowned as he looked at Mu Jingzhe. He thought for a moment and grabbed her hand. "Mommy, let me help you call your soul."
"Mm?"
"I once suffered a scare before too. The granny in the village helped me call back my soul, and then I recovered."
After saying that, Shao Dong squatted down and picked up a small clump of soil from the ground. Then, he circled Mu Jingzhe's head and earnestly called out her soul for her.
This was something adults often did when the children in the village were frightened. Looking completely serious, Shao Dong used the same method on Mu Jingzhe.
"Come back. Never fear again."
Mu Jingzhe looked at the serious Shao Dong and felt her heart brimming with warmth. Her heart, which had been beating too fast, slowly calmed down. "Thank you, Little Dong. I feel much better now."
"That's good." Shao Dong heaved a sigh of relief.
Mu Jingzhe looked at Shao Dong's serious expression and couldn't help but lift him up and spin him around. "Little Dong, why are you so cute?"
Stunned by her hug, Shao Dong held Mu Jingzhe's hand tightly. "Mommy?"
Mu Jingzhe often carried Little Bei and Xiao Wu like this. This was his first time, and he felt uncomfortable all over.
Mu Jingzhe looked at him and put him down before kissing his forehead.
"He he."
This time, Shao Dong froze completely. His face slowly turned red, and he stuttered even more. "Mom, what are you… doing?"
"I just kissed you once," Mu Jingzhe confessed. "When we were in the city, I couldn't help but kiss Shao Xi. Then, it occurred to me. When you and Shao Xi grow up, I won't have another chance to do this in the future. It's just this one chance, right? So I…"
She chuckled contentedly. "Little Dong, you're not mad that I didn't discuss it with you beforehand, right?"
Shao Dong wasn't angry, but he was taken by surprise.
He vaguely remembered that his biological mother had kissed him before. She had kissed his face and his forehead. However, the memory was too distant. So distant that it felt like a dream.
Now, he clearly knew that this wasn't a dream. When Mu Jingzhe kissed him, he felt warmth envelop his entire body, causing his mind to become a bit muddled.
Shao Dong organized his words. "I'm not angry, but I'm already a man…"
"I know. Don't worry. Sons keep a certain distance from their mothers when they grow up, and so do daughters and fathers. I know you're older now. It won't happen again. Just this once."
Mu Jingzhe immediately assured him and stroked his head while smoothing down his hair.
Shao Dong looked at Mu Jingzhe's warm gaze and felt a bit stuck. He also felt a trace of indescribable regret.
In the past, he had always hoped that he would grow up quickly so that he could do many things. However, this was the first time he was envious of his younger siblings.
Today, he suddenly wanted to be younger and stay in his mother's arms for a bit longer.
Mu Jingzhe looked at Shao Dong with mixed emotions. "Time flies. Sometimes, I really wish time could slow down so that you guys would grow up more slowly."
Observing Shao Nan: "…"
At that moment, he only had one thought on his mind: So now he was the only one who hadn't been kissed by Mommy?
After Shao Dong left, Shao Nan thought for a while and went to wash his forehead. He found Mu Jingzhe and looked at her sternly. "Mommy, you've got to treat all five of us equally."
Mu Jingzhe was puzzled. "What? Why did you wash your forehead? Did you get dirty?" She had seen Shao Nan's confusing behavior.
"No, I was just preparing." Shao Nan pointed at his forehead. "I've already washed it, so it's time for you to kiss me, Mommy. You've already kissed Big Brother and Second Brother, so I'm the only one left out of the five of us. You can't leave me out."
Mu Jingzhe's mind was a mess. What was going on? Was he waiting for her to kiss him after he washed his forehead?
In a daze, she granted Shao Nan's request and kissed him. Only then did Shao Nan give her a satisfied smile. "This is good. It's fair now."
He counted on his fingers and said, "The ancients said that boys and girls shouldn't sleep together once they turn seven years old. According to what you said to Brother and the rest just now, one should keep a certain distance from the opposite sex after they turn seven or eight. I'm six years old now, and there's still a year left before I turn seven. Mommy, you can seize the opportunity to kiss me a few more times this year."
Mu Jingzhe was in a daze. "Would you like that?"
"Yes." Shao Nan nodded. "Actually, there's less than a year to go until I turn seven, so you have to seize the opportunity, Mommy."
Shao Nan coughed and left. When he reached the door, he started running quickly. The corners of his mouth slowly split open, and his laughter became louder and louder.
He hadn't known how it felt to be kissed by his mother. No wonder Little Bei and Xiao Wu were so shy and excited every time. No wonder the children in the village used to flaunt in front of him. This was indeed worth flaunting about.
Shao Nan touched his forehead and, recalling the warm touch, felt his heart brimming with joy. There was still a year left.
Although he had not experienced this in the first six years of his life, there was still a year left. That was quite good, at least better than the time Big Brother and Second Brother had left. However, it also made him feel quite shy.
At the thought of this, he couldn't help but envy Little Bei and Xiao Wu. Being a girl, Little Bei could continue to be close to Mommy in the future, whereas Xiao Wu was still young, so he had more time.
When Mu Teng and Li Zhaodi came back and found out that Mu Jingzhe had been almost bitten by a venomous snake, they jumped around in the yard and scolded the culprit for half the night. Their general meaning was that regardless of whether this was intentional or not, if anyone dared to strike again, they would definitely tear them apart.
Mu Teng heard that snake repellent powder had been sprinkled, but he was still worried. He used a flashlight and laid out a circle of thorny vines outside the yard. Shao Qiyang helped him.
Shao Qiyang hadn't expected something so major to happen when he was away for one night. Other than guilt, he also felt lingering fear.
After Mu Teng and Li Zhaodi went back, the problem of where Mu Jingzhe and Little Bei would sleep surfaced.
The door had been smashed, and a new one had yet to be installed. Even if there was a room door, Mu Jingzhe and Little Bei were so traumatized that they still wouldn't dare to sleep.
Shao Qiyang offered to let them sleep in his room, but Mu Jingzhe didn't agree. After all, he was her brother-in-law, so it wouldn't be appropriate. In the end, Shao Dong suggested that Mu Jingzhe should sleep with them for the time being.
Shao Dong, Shao Xi, Shao Nan, and Xiao Wu's room originally had two beds. Since Mu Jingzhe and Little Bei were going to sleep there, they removed the beds and everyone simply slept on the floor.
As it was summer, one wouldn't get cold sleeping on a straw mat on the floor.
Mu Jingzhe would sleep in the innermost corner with Little Bei and Xiao Wu sleeping beside her. It was Xiao Wu's first time sleeping with Mu Jingzhe, and he was so happy that he kept holding her hand.
However, Mu Jingzhe wasn't used to it. Furthermore, she was afraid of having nightmares, so she didn't sleep. Shao Dong felt that this wouldn't do and made some adjustments.
"Mom, you don't have to be afraid when we sleep around you."
Shao Dong got Shao Xi to stand up and dragged the straw mat to Mu Jingzhe's head and feet. "This way, you'll be surrounded by us from all sides." Even if snakes crawled in, they would know first.
These darlings were so sweet to her. Mu Jingzhe, who was surrounded and protected, finally understood the joy and meaning of being a parent.
Mu Jingzhe felt warmth in her heart. "Thank you, Shao Dong, but you don't have to sleep by my feet."
"It's fine. Your feet don't stink." Shao Dong didn't think that there was anything wrong with it and didn't mind at all.
Mu Jingzhe: "That's not what I meant. It's…"
"It's okay, Mom. Just go to sleep." Shao Xi, who was sleeping above her head, patted Mu Jingzhe's shoulder. "If you can't sleep, shall we sing you a lullaby?"
Both Mu Jingzhe and Little Bei got worked up upon hearing the suggestion. Mu Jingzhe was worked up because it reminded her of the embarrassing instance of her singing a lullaby previously. Little Bei got excited because she wanted to sing. "I can sing, Mommy."
Forget it, if she sang the 'bombing school' lullaby, it would make falling asleep even harder. "Never mind, I'm sleeping now." Mu Jingzhe shut her eyes instantly.
Shao Xi chuckled when he saw Mu Jingzhe's expression and switched off the flashlight.
Perhaps because the kids were protecting her, although Mu Jingzhe was only pretending to be asleep at first, she really fell asleep afterward.
Knowing that Mu Jingzhe was sleeping with them, the five kids also fell asleep peacefully.
The atmosphere in the Shao Family was relaxed, and they all fell asleep peacefully. However, the atmosphere in the Mu Family was a little heavy and strange.
Tang Moling had suddenly run out but because he had been worried that something had happened to Mu Jingzhe, not for any other reason. Old Lady Mu and the rest couldn't fathom why.
Even though Tang Moling later came back and said that he'd only run off because he had a car and thought that he could help save a life, he barely managed to get off the hook with this explanation.
However, Mu Xue's expression didn't look good, and she ignored Tang Moling. This made Old Lady Mu and the rest feel that something was amiss.
Due to their previous experience, they immediately wondered if Mu Jingzhe had gone back to her old ways and come to snatch the person Mu Xue liked.
Before Old Lady Mu could speak up, Tang Moling suddenly fell ill.
Since there was no evidence and Tang Moling was sick, they could only take care of him first. Mu Xue was also coaxed by Old Lady Mu and had no choice but to take care of him for now.
Tang Moling's fever lasted for half a day before it subsided after dark. After a night of rest, he felt much better the next day and also regained his mental energy.
Mu Xue, on the other hand, looked haggard. One of the reasons was because she had been taking care of Tang Moling. Another reason were the troubles weighing on her mind.
She couldn't forget Tang Moling's earlier reaction. After seeing that Tang Moling had more or less recovered, she said, "You can leave now. Don't ever come back again."
Mu Xue had her own pride and couldn't pretend to be muddle-headed.
Tang Moling was shocked. "Mu Xue, don't misunderstand…"
"I didn't misunderstand. I'm not blind either. I can tell." Mu Xue interrupted him. "I don't want to know how the two of you crossed paths. I don't want to see you now. I don't have any other requests. I just hope that you won't be with her in the future."
Tang Moling looked at Mu Xue's haggard appearance and felt as if a knife was cutting his heart. "It's not like that. Mu Xue, don't misunderstand. The reason I reacted so strongly is because one of my family members was once bitten by a venomous snake and died. That's why…"
He knew that he had let Mu Xue down, so Tang Moling's heart was filled with distress and regret. Because of this, he had no choice but to lie.
He was genuinely fond of Mu Xue. He was very sure about this relationship. There was a voice in his heart that kept telling him that the person he should be spending his life with was Mu Xue.
He was very certain of his intentions and his future with Mu Xue. However, his heart fluttered when he saw Mu Jingzhe. He really shouldn't have allowed himself to be swayed.
By now, everyone in Great Eastern Village knew about his relationship with Mu Xue. He had to take responsibility.
"Xiao Xue, don't overthink. I only like you."
The tears that Mu Xue had been suppressing finally fell. "Really? But why do I feel that you've been distracted recently?"
"It's because of work. I've taken on a lot of responsibilities, so I'm distracted."
Tang Moling wiped away Mu Xue's tears, his heart aching for her. "I didn't do a good job and I made you sad. Actually, my purpose for coming this time was to discuss the engagement with you. I wanted to get a matchmaker to propose the marriage."
Old Lady Mu had hinted twice that he should propose marriage. She wanted them to get engaged as soon as possible. Otherwise, there would still be some ambiguity about their relationship.
Tang Moling knew that he ought to do this. There was a voice in his heart urging him to do it, but he didn't know why he hadn't done it yet. Now, he knew that he had to do it.
Mu Xue was stunned when she heard the words 'marriage proposal'. She looked at Tang Moling, whose eyes were filled with her. "Do you want to? If you do, I'll get someone to come…"
Mu Xue's heart jumped. "Why are you talking about this when you haven't even recovered yet?"
She blushed and left. Although she hadn't given an answer directly, her intentions were clear.
Tang Moling smiled in relief as he watched her leave. Yes, this was what he ought to do.
Tang Moling asked around and very quickly, following the custom of Great Eastern Village, he invited a matchmaker to propose marriage. He sent over two carts full of betrothal gifts, which was far better than what other families usually received.
Everyone knew about the relationship between Tang Moling and Mu Xue, so the villagers weren't surprised.
Very soon, the date of the engagement was set. When they looked at the calendar, they realized that an auspicious day was coming up. If they missed it, they would have to wait two more months.
After Old Lady Mu waited for so long, at long last, Tang Moling finally proposed marriage. How could she wait two months? She immediately decided on the nearest date.
The engagement day hadn't arrived yet, but Tang Moling's gifts kept coming.
The betrothal gifts consisted of the finest food and items. The Mu Family finally found out a little about Tang Moling's identity. They didn't know much, but they knew that Tang Moling would be the heir of a big, affluent family in the future. He was so rich that they couldn't even count how much money he had. In the future, Mu Xue would be able to live a good life by marrying him.
Given Tang Moling's status, there were many rich young ladies waiting to marry him, but Tang Moling had chosen Mu Xue.
Old Lady Mu was so proud that she told the villagers everything she knew. Her heart swelled with pride when she saw everyone's envy.
After the engagement date was set, both Old Lady Mu and Tang Moling heaved a sigh of relief.
Because of the engagement, Mu Xue finally felt a sense of security and was no longer constantly anxious about losing Tang Moling. Just like before, she was her quiet self again. It was as if she had returned to the beginning with Tang Moling and their relationship had started to be sweet again.
It was only in the dead of the night that Tang Moling felt a little uneasy and guilty, not only toward Mu Xue, but also toward Mu Jingzhe.
Although he knew that Mu Jingzhe hadn't been bitten by a venomous snake, he was still a little worried about her condition. However, he deliberately stopped himself from asking around about Mu Jingzhe's condition, afraid that he would waver again.
He didn't even dare face Mu Jingzhe and he felt inexplicably guilty. He hadn't expected Mu Jingzhe to be unaffected and even happily come over to help out on the day of the engagement. She even gifted them a kettle with the word 'happiness' written on it.
"When you guys get married, I'll definitely give you a big present."
Seeing Mu Jingzhe in such a state, Tang Moling heaved a sigh of relief. Then, he felt incredulous and depressed.
Mu Jingzhe obviously didn't know about Tang Moling's conflicted feelings.
Although Mu Teng and Li Zhaodi's share of the family assets had been carved out, and things had gotten unpleasant between Old Lady Mu and them previously, they hadn't severed ties after all. On such a big day as Mu Xue's engagement, Mu Jingzhe still had to help out. She wasn't close to Mu Xue, but they were cousins after all, so she naturally had to go.
Previously, when Mu Jingzhe had seen that the male and female protagonist weren't engaged, for some reason, she had been a little anxious. Now that things were finally on track, she heaved a sigh of relief.
During this period, Tang Moling had driven them to the art school a few times. Last time, when she had been bitten by a snake, he had even rushed over to say that he wanted to take her to the hospital. Mu Jingzhe remembered his kindness and sincerely wished them well.
"…"
Tang Moling, who knew her blessing was sincere, felt very conflicted.
Mu Xue saw that Mu Jingzhe seemed to be sincerely wishing her well and had even brought her a gift. Seeing that Mu Jingzhe was different, Mu Xue told herself that she had been overthinking and accepted her gift.
Shao Qiyang had also rushed over that night. At this point, his feelings for Mu Xue had already dissipated. However, when he attended the engagement, he was still envious.
He had no idea when such a day would come for him and Mu Jingzhe.
Mu Jingzhe saw the envy on Shao Qiyang's face and sighed. What a pitiful supporting character. He was seeing the girl he liked getting engaged, so his heart must definitely feel like it was being stabbed by a knife. It was normal for him to be envious of Tang Moling.
Afraid that Shao Qiyang would feel really awful and get drunk, Mu Jingzhe asked Shao Xi to keep an eye on Shao Qiyang so that he wouldn't get drunk. Deep down, she hoped that Shao Qiyang would completely give up after seeing the couple get engaged and heed her advice about seeking a marriage partner.
Although the engagement banquet was taking place in the village, it was still very lively. Tang Moling had even invited some guests. These guests were all reputable people, which made Old Lady Mu very proud.
Mu Xue's parents were so thrilled that a red glow could be seen on their faces. Eldest Brother Mu even got a little drunk.
The villagers were naturally envious, but there were also people who found it strange that Tang Moling hadn't invited a single elder from his side of the family. Had his family not consented to this marriage?
Upon hearing this, Old Lady Mu explained angrily, "Their family does consent to it. It's only because the timing was so rushed that they couldn't make it."
This was naturally part of the reason. The main reason was that Tang Moling had already cut off all ties with the Tang Family and his biological mother was no longer around. The only relative he was close to was his grandfather, and this was indeed too rushed for him to come over. However, Tang Moling had reassured Old Lady Mu.
"Grandpa treats me very well. He also believes in my judgement and said that it's fine as long as I like the girl. I'll bring Xiao Xue to meet him before we get married."
Old Lady Mu naturally had no objections. In fact, she thought that was pretty good. She had been afraid that Mu Xue would have a difficult mother-in-law after marrying into the family. Now that she had no father-in-law or mother-in-law, she didn't have to worry about Mu Xue suffering grievances after marrying into their family.
After Mu Xue got engaged, Little Bei's movie started shooting.
The script had already been perfected, and Director Lu had also made a lot of preparations for the early stages of filming, so they went straight to the casting phase.
Little Bei was still a student. As school would reopen in September, Director Lu rushed over as quickly as he could. Even if he didn't finish filming everything during the summer break, he had to at least film most of the scenes.
The main character of "Xiao Jiu" was a little girl, and the movie's main message was not to favor boys over girls. Girls were also very filial and could be relied on just as much. One shouldn't think that only sons would support them in their old age. If one had the misfortune of having an unfilial son, one would be better off having a daughter.
The story was very representative. After her father remarried and Xiao Jiu had a stepmother, her biological father didn't care about her anymore. Because her ears were damaged by a fever, she couldn't hear anything. Thus, her stepmother abandoned her in the countryside so her grandmother would take care of her.
Grandma favored boys over girls, causing Xiao Jiu to not have enough to eat or wear. Later on, she almost sent her off to be a child bride. Xiao Jiu was forced to embark on a journey to find her father. She wanted to ask why he had done this to her.
The overall story wasn't complicated, but the process was tortuous, as the child would be going from the village to the county and then to the city. She was a child who couldn't hear or speak. It was a complete adventure. After a lot of hardships, with the help of many other people, she finally found her father.
In the end, the father only realized that he was wrong after being interrogated. Then, he saw how filial his daughter was and repented for his misdeeds.
After Director Lu arrived, to support Little Bei, Ji Buwang was even willing to lend his house for filming. Director Lu looked around and felt that it would be easier to get things done since he was an acquaintance. Thus, he agreed.
In the end, the filming locations were also directly chosen in the county and the city. It was decided that the scenes in the village would take place in Great Eastern Village, for there were thatched cottages there where they could film.
This made things easier for Little Bei and Mu Jingzhe, who could now film the movie without going far. However, it wasn't so convenient for the other actors. That wasn't an issue, though, because everyone was used to following the crew around the world, so it wasn't too bad.
However, the second female lead was dissatisfied. The second female lead was also a child. Unlike Little Bei, this was a well-known child star called Tian Xiaoxiao from Ocean City.
Tian Xiaoxiao had turned eight years old this year. She had started filming since she was two years old, so she had filmed a lot of movies. This time, she had wanted to be the main character, but Director Lu hadn't agreed.
Tian Xiaoxiao had been in the industry for many years, and her acting was very mature. She cried whenever she was asked to, but Director Lu had always felt that her acting style was formulaic. In the end, he'd arranged for her to be the second female lead.
She wanted to be the female lead, but she had been given a supporting role. She was already unhappy about it, and to make things worse, she even had to accommodate the female protagonist during the filming process and the filming location was in Little Bei's hometown.
Tian Xiaoxiao had accumulated a lot of anger before she'd even seen Little Bei.
After filming for so many years, Tian Xiaoxiao had spent a lot of time in production teams and had a lot of experience interacting with adults. She was more mature and scheming than her peers.
She wanted to teach Shao Bei a lesson and show the director that she was the most suitable candidate to be the female lead.
This was also why she had agreed to take on the supporting role despite being well aware of the difference between the two. She did have the right to be proud, though. Among her peers, there were very few who could match her acting skills.
Little Bei wasn't aware of all this. When she heard that shooting was going to start, she entered the set with Mu Jingzhe, feeling full of anticipation.
Filming a movie was different from filming a television drama. Little Bei had only filmed a TV drama for a few days, so she had to learn from scratch. However, Director Lu didn't mind. He believed in Little Bei's comprehension abilities.
It was Tian Xiaoxiao's first time seeing Little Bei in the production team. When she saw Little Bei's cute, soft, beautiful looks, which were superior to hers, she was a little unhappy.
When the rehearsal started and the camera was turned on, Tian Xiaoxiao realized why Director Lu had chosen Little Bei the moment she saw Little Bei act.
Little Bei was indeed not as experienced as her, but she was talented and she acted more naturally.
It was only the first day, yet Tian Xiaoxiao already knew that her previous plan wouldn't work. Mother Tian also saw how formidable Little Bei was and simultaneously became wary.
They hadn't expected such a person to come from such a small county. If Little Bei were to gain fame, it would definitely affect Tian Xiaoxiao.
Both mother and daughter became vigilant. Tian Xiaoxiao became even more serious, as she did not want to lose to Little Bei. Although it was impossible to replace Little Bei now, at least they had to be evenly matched.
When Little Bei felt the pressure, it triggered even more potential in her. Director Lu was very satisfied and kept praising her.
She could still speak at the beginning of the movie, but later on, when she lost the ability to speak, most of the time, she relied on her expressions and eyes to perform. Her role was a lot more challenging than Tian Xiaoxiao's.
In order to make Little Bei act better, Director Lu tried his best to shoot the scenes in order. When Little Bei could still speak, she already felt the pressure. However, the child became stronger when she met strong people and gave Director Lu many surprises.