TRANSMIGRATING TO THE 80S TO BECOME STEPMOM TO FIVE BIGWIGS

by Usui Takumii

not mine, news novel.

30. 171 to 180

Chapter 171: Snatching Back The Five Kids

Ji Buwang's attire and aura also made many people in the village talk spiritedly. Some people even ran to the Shao Residence out of curiosity.

Mu Jingzhe was very surprised that Ji Buwang had come. Seeing that Mu Jingzhe wasn't angry, Ji Buwang heaved a sigh of relief. However, in the end, he was surrounded after uttering just two sentences.

The people of Great Eastern Village gazed curiously at him, just as curiously as they gazed at Tang Moling.

Ji Buwang had fair skin, even fairer than Tang Moling's. Just as Old Lady Mu and Mu Xue had thought, he was like a young prince who had walked out of a movie fairy tale. The villagers had never seen such a person before, so they had to take a look.

No one had expected a young master from a wealthy family to fall for a girl from this village.

However, after everyone gathered around, they all changed their tune in unison. That was because, after seeing this, they had suddenly realized that Mu Jingzhe wasn't the slightest bit inferior as she stood beside Ji Buwang. In fact, they even felt that they were quite compatible.

Because they saw Mu Jingzhe often, although they had already known that she had changed and become promising, they had never noticed exactly how much she had changed.

Not until there was someone to compare her to—Ji Buwang. That person, who obviously didn't belong to the same world as them, stood beside Mu Jingzhe, but Mu Jingzhe wasn't inferior to him at all.

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Only then did everyone realize that although Mu Jingzhe was still in the village, she had changed very much.

Previously, they had been unable to understand why such a person would fall for Mu Jingzhe, but after seeing the two of them together, they felt that it was normal.

They didn't know how to express their thoughts accurately. They just said the same things.

"Our Jingzhe has grown up and changed drastically. She's not inferior to the rich people from the city."

"Yeah. Although she's been married once, they're quite compatible."

"That's right. Look at all of us standing beside him. It's such a disharmonious sight. But Jingzhe looks compatible with him as she's standing beside him."

Besides Mu Jingzhe, even the children from the Shao Family looked entirely different from before. Seeing the way they interacted with Ji Buwang, and then thinking of their little mud monkeys at home, many parents compared them in their hearts and gritted their teeth.

That night, many children in Great Eastern Village were implicated and taught a lesson by their parents. They said that they only knew how to play all day long and didn't know how to study properly. When a child in the east stopped crying, one in the west started crying again. The crying sounds rose and fell, and the dogs barked half the night.

Ji Buwang steeled himself and waited to eat Mu Jingzhe's cooking. When Shao Qiyang returned home, he saw Ji Buwang and gave him a forced smile.

"Why did you come to our house, Teacher Ji? As the successor of your family business, you should be quite busy."

"I was in a coma for four years. There's no hurry. On the other hand, Boss Shao, your career is developing right now. How do you still have the time to come home?"

When he recalled that Shao Qiyang lived with Mu Jingzhe every day and could even frequently eat the food she cooked, Ji Buwang felt anger well in his heart and replied with a fake smile.

"This is my home. No matter how busy I am, I have to come back." Shao Qiyang remained expressionless. "Besides, my small business is nothing compared to yours, Teacher Ji."

"You don't have to belittle yourself. I think you have a vision, Boss Shao. Actually, I'm also interested in this kind of business. If you are willing, I could invest in it."

If he let Ji Buwang invest in his business, wouldn't he be working for him? No way would Shao Qiyang agree to this. "How can our small business concern you? If anything happens, I'll discuss it with Little Dong and Jingzhe. We're all family, so I can manage with their help alone."

When he heard him say that they were a family, the corners of Ji Buwang's lips twitched before he retorted, "I suggest that the accounts be settled clearly. It may not be a problem now, but when you have a wife in the future, she might not be very happy with this."

Mu Jingzhe happened to hear this and interrupted. "Don't worry about that. Once Shao Qiyang finds a girl he likes, I'll comply with my sister-in-law's wishes."

Shao Qiyang: "…"

Ji Buwang looked at Shao Qiyang mockingly. "That's good."

Ji Buwang had temporarily won a round, but after dinner, Shao Qiyang saw him out with a smile.

"It's not convenient to keep guests at home. Drive back carefully, Teacher Ji."

Ji Buwang naturally knew that it wasn't appropriate for him to stay, but when he saw Shao Qiyang's smiling face, he was furious.

It wasn't appropriate for Ji Buwang to stay because he was a guest, but Shao Qiyang could live in the same house as Mu Jingzhe openly. He strongly condemned and despised people like him, who relied on their status as brother-in-laws to conceal their thoughts.

However, no matter how much he despised him, he couldn't do anything in the end.

Shao Dong was sensitive and sensed that the atmosphere between Ji Buwang and Shao Qiyang seemed to be a little off. However, Mu Jingzhe was busy watching Shao Nan's program. Later on, she was vexed about Shao Qiyang's marriage prospects.

Even now, Shao Qiyang was still unwilling to go on blind dates. A year had passed, and he had let good girls slip by one after another. Mu Jingzhe was also helpless.

Seeing that Mu Xue and Tang Moling really weren't going to make it, Mu Jingzhe wondered if she should try to set up Shao Qiyang with Mu Xue. If she succeeded, Shao Qiyang would transform from a supporting character to the male lead. Given his abilities, he would be able to give Mu Xue a good life in the future.

This way, he would escape the fate of being an unmarried supporting character for the rest of his life.

However, Mu Jingzhe didn't know if things would suddenly return to normal after this plotline collapsed. When that happened, Shao Qiyang might be abandoned again, and his heart would be broken a second time.

Besides, based on what Old Lady Mu had said during this period of time, they no longer felt that Tang Moling was good enough for Mu Xue. In the future, Mu Xue would definitely find a better husband, and she had tacitly agreed to Mu Xue and Tang Moling's engagement annulment. Indeed, Tang Moling wasn't worthy of Mu Xue. She'd also said that Mu Xue had been born rich and blessed and would bring whoever she married good luck and fortune.

Judging by Old Lady Mu's attitude, she probably wanted Mu Xue to find someone more powerful and influential than Tang Moling. On the other hand, Shao Qiyang's career had just begun, so Old Lady Mu would probably despise him. Plus, Mu Xue might not agree.

Mu Jingzhe thought for a moment and didn't bring up the matter to Shao Qiyang for the time being.

Mu Jingzhe was worried about her brother-in-law's marriage, but Zhao Lan, his mother, didn't even think about it.

Zhao Lan looked at the promising children and felt so much regret that her intestines turned green. Everyone was talking about the possibility of Mu Jingzhe marrying into a rich family this time. She felt very indignant about this, but she also started pondering it.

Actually, it might not be a bad thing if she remarried. In that case, she could take over Shao Dong and the other children again and raise them, right?

Then, she would be able to enjoy the benefits!

At the thought of this, Zhao Lan's eyes lit up. That's right, why didn't she think of this before? Once the children were back in her hands, everything would be fine.

Worried that My Jingzhe was also hankering after the children's ability to earn money, Zhao Lan couldn't even wait a moment. She quickly got out of bed and put on a coat just in time to bump into Eldest Sister-In-Law Shao.

"What's wrong, Mom? Is something the matter?"

"I have to find Mu Jingzhe. She can get married, but she can't take Shao Dong and the others with her. Those five kids are our family."

Chapter 172: If You're Not Afraid of Being Poisoned, Go Ahead and Scheme

Eldest Sister-In-Law Shao's first thought was, "So be it." However, the implications then occurred to her, and she abruptly slapped her thigh. "That's right. We can't let her bring them along."

Now that those burdens had become golden dolls, they couldn't possibly let Mu Jingzhe take them with her.

Initially, Eldest Sister-In-Law Shao had still been fuming over the possibility of Mu Jingzhe marrying into a good family, but now, she felt that it would be better for her to remarry.

She crept up behind Zhao Lan and headed next door.

Mu Jingzhe was practicing speaking foreign languages with the five kids when she saw Zhao Lan rush in. Zhao Lan pulled her aside and said, "Mu Jingzhe, I don't object to you getting married, but you can't bring the children along. They are the children of the Shao Family."

"What? What did you just say?"

"Stop pretending. Doesn't Uncle Tang like you? How can you reject such an eligible man?" Zhao Lan gritted her teeth. "If you want to marry, then do it. Go and live your life. That is out of my hands. But since you want to get married, return the children to us first."

"I didn't say I wanted to marry him. Besides, we don't have that kind of relationship," Mu Jingzhe quickly said. "As for returning the children to you… haven't you split up the family assets and said you don't want them anymore?"

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"That's because you tried to drive a wedge between us in the past. They're my biological grandchildren. How could I really not want them? If you want to leave, leave now. I'll take care of the children."

Zhao Lan sounded righteous, but Mu Jingzhe laughed. "You make it sound good. You just wish to snatch them back after seeing them become successful. Stop dreaming. They aren't money trees, so stop having designs on them."

"You're the one who has designs on them. I'm their biological grandmother. What money trees? I think you're the one who treats them as money trees!"

Mu Jingzhe couldn't help cracking her knuckles and flexing her wrists. "Zhao Lan, have you forgotten how it feels to be beaten up because it's been a while? The nerve you must have to call yourself a real grandmother. Let me tell you something… I will never let them fall into your hands!"

Zhao Lan just wanted to leech off the kids. She didn't see the effort of the children at all, and she wouldn't think about the children's future either. She just wanted to take a few bites out of them upon seeing that they had become successful.

"Get out if you don't want to be beaten up. If you dare have such an idea again, I'll beat you to death!"

Zhao Lan looked at Mu Jingzhe's hand in fear. Just as she started feeling troubled, Eldest Sister-In-Law Shao, who had been hiding in the dark, couldn't help coming out.

"Sister-in-law, why are you still the same? You're so rude to Mom. I heard everything the two of you said. I think Mom is right. How long have you been raising these children? It's only been a year or so, whereas Mom raised them for several years. You can't be so selfish."

Thrilled at the thought of her Fu, Lu, Shou, and Xǐ eating good food and wearing nice clothes after carrying those golden dolls back, Eldest Sister-In-Law Shao spared no effort to help Zhao Lan.

"Ask anyone in the village. Even if the family assets have been split up, the fact that blood is thicker than water can't be changed. Splitting up family assets doesn't mean cutting off all ties. Even if you don't remarry, if we want to raise them again, we have every right to do so regardless of how you look at it."

Zhao Lan nodded. "That's right. That's right. You don't share any blood with them. Don't think that just because they called you Mommy a few times, you're their Mommy. Return the children to me quickly. I can't let you suck their blood anymore. If you refuse, I'll look for the village head and the police. Let's see who they'll side with."

"It's useless even if you call the heavens!" Before Mu Jingzhe could speak, Shao Xi's voice came from behind her.

Shao Xi walked over. "We've already said that we don't have a grandmother. We only acknowledge Mommy. If you keep causing trouble, you'll only make yourself look bad."

"Little Xi, can't you tell she's sucking your blood? Look at all the things you've been coaxed into buying for her. She's not even sincere about being nice to you…"

"She's not sincere? And you are?" Shao Nan added, "You only saw that we can earn money, but you don't know that the money we earn is nothing compared to what Mommy has spent on us.

"She's enrolled us in foreign language, dance, and hosting classes. She also protects us and guarantees our nutrition, which is why we got where we are today. Without her, we wouldn't be who we are today. What can you do? You raised us for several years, but the money and energy you spent raising us for several years can't compare to what Mommy did in half a year."

Zhao Lan was furious. "You…" She wanted to retort, but she remembered that Mu Jingzhe did seem to send them to learn things every week and kept quiet.

"Little Xi is right. If you insist on taking us back to raise us, you'll realize that we spend more money than we earn. Don't be so short-sighted that you only see benefits."

Shao Dong added, "If you insist on doing this, we'll fight it out with you."

Zhao Lan looked at Shao Dong's icy gaze and couldn't help but recall the time when he'd smashed a stool. For a moment, she was a little afraid.

Sister-In-Law Shao refused to give up. She thought to herself, These children only have sharp tongues. Once they are in our hands, we will be able to control them like before. Just as she was about to speak, she saw Shao Nan casually utter the most terrifying words with the most beautiful little face.

"Big Brother, there's no need to fight it out with them. It's just a simple matter of setting a fire or poisoning them. It doesn't have to be so complicated. We're still young anyway, so we don't need to go to jail. When the time comes, we can just resolve this matter and go back to look for Mommy."

He rubbed his chin and tilted his head to look at Eldest Sister-In-Law Shao. He blinked and said, "I still remember clearly the way Fu, Lu, Shou, and Xǐ used to bully us. Why don't we go back with them, Big Brother? We can take this chance to settle the old score."

Eldest Sister-In-Law Shao suddenly shivered. "Shao Nan, you're a child. Why are you so scary…"

"I only said that because you insist on taking us back to raise us," Shao Nan said with an innocent face.

Zhao Lan and Eldest Sister-In-Law Shao had wanted to carry the golden dolls back, but they hadn't expected to be so frightened that they'd break out in a cold sweat. As they were looking into the children's eyes, they were afraid. Afraid that they would really do something like that.

"You ingrates! You'll regret this in the future!"

"It is out of the goodness of my heart that I wanted to bring you five back to raise you. To think you kids wouldn't want to!"

The two of them reluctantly said these two sentences and left without looking back. Their anxious looks were comparable to their looks when they had come.

After they left, Shao Nan immediately walked up to Mu Jingzhe and apologized. "Mommy, I was just scaring them. I won't really do that."

Mu Jingzhe didn't expect the children to take action themselves.

Seeing Shao Nan's manner, Mu Jingzhe rubbed his head. "If you dare do it, I'll break your legs."

Shao Dong shook his head from side to side. "I didn't expect them to be so thick-skinned. But Mommy, don't worry. We can protect ourselves now. We're not afraid of them anymore. If they dare scheme again, there are plenty of ways to deal with them."

Compared to a year ago, this was indeed the case now. Mu Jingzhe nodded.

However, after being disgusted once, Shao Xi couldn't stand it anymore. After this incident, he thought of ways to deal with Fu, Lu, Shou, and Xǐ a few times. Even Zhao Lan and Eldest Sister-In-Law Shao didn't escape their revenge.

Shao Nan, Little Bei, and Xiao Wu also joined in later on. Zhao Lan and Eldest Sister-In-Law Shao were furious, but there was nothing they could do to them.

Chapter 173: We Can Go Home Soon

Mu Jingzhe and Shao Dong were too busy with their careers, so they didn't notice the little ones' acts of revenge.

Before the new year, everyone was busy shopping. Mu Jingzhe and Shao Dong were too busy to pay attention to these things.

Before the new year, everyone would buy all the things they couldn't bear to buy in the past year. They would buy clothes and hair ornaments for their children, as well as snacks and fruits that they usually couldn't afford to eat. They would also need to visit their relatives.

This led to Mu Jingzhe's two businesses becoming extremely popular. Needless to say, the accumulated stock of hair ornaments was cleared out a few days before the new year, and everyone even had to work overtime.

At the same time, the toilet paper and sanitary pads made at the paper factory sold well.

The best-selling items, however, were fruit cans, fruit juice, and walnut juice. Due to the opportune timing and the fact that the products were cheap and good, they sold really well in the entire county. They were even sold elsewhere in the province. They were really a hit.

At the same time, Mu Han and the scavenger team, who had been wandering outside for a few months, gradually returned.

Although they had been working the dirtiest and toughest jobs outside, they came back in the most presentable clothes and shoes. They cleaned up nicely and even brought home gifts for their families, looking quite glamorous.

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They had really made money and had just come back home. Of the ten families, eight planned to start building new houses after the new year, and some even planned to buy bicycles.

In just a few months, they had made money that they might not have been able to make in a few years otherwise.

Before the new year, the most-discussed topic in the village was these scavenger teams. Mu Han was one of them. He was the most low-profile among them, but everyone knew that he earned the most, while they were just small fries.

Everyone praised Mu Han, but he was very humble. "I'm nothing. I'm just an errand boy."

The truly brilliant one was Shao Dong. Shao Dong was the brain of the operation. Without Shao Dong, he wouldn't have thought so far ahead.

Before the new year, Great Eastern Village was extremely lively. Everyone was busy going to the scavenger team's houses for a visit to ask around for opportunities, and the scavenger team would go to Mu Han's house.

This year was the new year Mu Teng and his family would be celebrating after their share of the family assets was carved out. They'd originally thought that it would be cold and cheerless, but in fact, it was even livelier in their home than where Old Lady Mu and the rest lived. Everyone came and went with their New Year's gifts.

Old Lady Mu hadn't expected the grandchildren she'd once looked down upon to be so promising. Upon seeing how lively their place was and how cold and cheerless her side was, in addition to the fact that Mu Xue hadn't managed to find a wealthy husband, she was extremely vexed.

However, Third Brother and his wife kept trying to get closer to Mu Teng and his wife. There was some resentment in their words. Back then, they'd insisted on staying together because they trusted Mu Xue. Why was their family still like this?

Mu Xue's engagement had been broken off, and her wealthy in-laws were gone. On the other hand, Mu Han and the others had made a lot of money. If they had carved out their share of the family assets as well back then, they might have been able to earn money with Mu Han now.

He wanted to say a few nice words to coax Mu Han into bringing him, his third uncle, along to earn big money, but Mu Han was no longer the person he used to be a few months ago. He still remembered the way his third uncle had kicked him while he was down, and he dismissed him with a fake smile and a few casual words.

Then, he brought his New Year's gift and carefully went to wish his older sister a happy new year. Of course, he also went to wish Shao Dong, his nephew-cum-boss, a happy new year.

The people who went out to scavenge with Mu Han knew that although he was incredible, a large part of this success was a result of Shao Dong's capabilities. All of them followed suit.

Mu Jingzhe's place became the liveliest in the entire village. On the night of the Chinese New Year's Eve, a lot of families sent over plenty of delicious food. There was so much food that the dining table was almost full.

The five kids looked at the sumptuous dining table and felt filled with emotions.

In just one year, their lives had already changed drastically. They remembered being scolded for eating two pieces of chicken last year, but this year, things had changed completely.

In the past, during the New Year, Zhao Lan would always kill a chicken. The chicken leg and chicken wings would always go to Fu, Lu, Shou, and Xǐ, never Dong, Xi, Nan, Bei, and Zhong. At most, they would get a portion of the chicken head. However, it would only be theirs after the most delicious chicken crown on the chicken head was bitten off by Shao Fu. The five of them would each eat a portion of the remaining chicken head.

If Zhao Lan was in a better mood, they would get some bones without much meat. If she was in a bad mood, it would be difficult to even get a bowl of chicken soup.

All the children in the village looked forward to the New Year, but they had never done so before. This was because the New Year used to be no different to them.

This year, they finally understood why other children always looked forward to the New Year—because it truly was a blissful and lively occasion.

Mommy had bought red paper and asked them to write couplets and paste them on the door. She'd also bought lanterns. The house, which was red and flourishing, had a strong Chinese New Year vibe.

After dinner, Mommy read them a story while accompanying them as they Shousui-ed[1]. They felt that the air was filled with the smell of happiness.

Knowing that the purpose of this custom was to bless their parents with longevity, the children widened their eyes, wanting to properly Shousui for Mu Jingzhe.

Mu Jingzhe had known about this custom for a long time. However, she didn't have parents before, so she didn't need to Shousui. Now that she had Li Zhaodi and Mu Teng, regardless of whether their relationship was real or fake, she would properly Shousui for them during every Chinese New Year.

Mu Jingzhe Shousui-ed for Li Zhaodi and Mu Teng, while the five children Shousui-ed for Mu Jingzhe. Other than Xiao Wu, who didn't think too much about it, the other four kids Shousui-ed for Mu Jingzhe while silently discussing with the heavens. They were Shousui-ing for their mother and not their father. They hoped that their blessings wouldn't be diluted and all their blessings would be given to their mother.

Shao Qihai, who was hundreds of kilometers away, tried his best but couldn't make it back before the New Year. However, at last, the last two escapees were found.

The New Year had a special meaning. Everyone, regardless of their status, wanted to go back to their hometown for Chinese New Year.

The same applied to those two people. They couldn't help but go home for the New Year, so Shao Qihai and the others finally found a chance.

After Shao Qihai and Jiang Feng confirmed the identity of the culprits, they assisted the police with the final arrest at long last.

Finally, all the culprits were arrested and brought to justice. For some reason, though, Shao Qihai felt a chill down his spine.

After coming out of the suspect's house, which was filled with a strong festive vibe, Shao Qihai looked in the direction of his house and apologized to Mu Jingzhe and his five kids in his heart.

He had tried his best to go back before the New Year, but he hadn't made it back in the end.

Elsewhere, Mu Jingzhe, Shao Qiyang, and the kids waited until midnight to welcome the first day of the New Year. Just after midnight, Mu Jingzhe started to cook the dumplings that she had prepared.

"Come, come and eat." After the dumplings were cooked, Mu Jingzhe picked up the dumplings for them with a pair of chopsticks. "Pay attention when you eat. Don't use too much strength lest your teeth break. Whoever bites the coin will have good luck for the next year."

In the past, life had been average, and there hadn't been many chances to eat dumplings. Even if there was money to make dumplings, they weren't so particular about it. The five children aside, this was also the first time Shao Qiyang had celebrated the New Year like this.

Upon hearing Mu Jingzhe's words, they were excited and expectant as they carefully bit down.

"Ah, Mommy, I bit it!"

"That's great. Our Little Bei is going to be lucky this year."

"Mommy, I bit it too!" Shao Xi, Shao Nan, Shao Dong, Xiao Wu, even Shao Qiyang, all found themselves biting a coin one after another.

Initially, only one dumpling was supposed to contain a coin, but Mu Jingzhe felt that it would be better if everyone had good luck, so she'd made a few dumplings with a coin in them. When she saw them bite a coin, she congratulated each of them.

[1] A Chinese New Year's custom that has people stay up late on the New Year's Eve so that their parents will be blessed with longevity

Chapter 174: Little Bei's Movie Is Released

After Shao Qiyang and the kids were done being excited, they quickly realized that Mu Jingzhe hadn't eaten yet. Therefore, they studied the remaining dumplings and picked some up for Mu Jingzhe, asking her to eat quickly so that she could bite into a coin as well.

There were six of them, and each of them had picked up one dumpling, so Mu Jingzhe was offered six dumplings in the end. After she finished eating, seeing that she hadn't bitten a coin, each of them picked up another dumpling for Mu Jingzhe.

This put Mu Jingzhe in a difficult position. Because of the sumptuous dinner, Mu Jingzhe wasn't hungry to begin with. Eating dumplings was actually just ceremonial, but now, she couldn't refuse, so she was in a tough spot.

She couldn't possibly bite into a coin because she had only put a coin in six of them.

She had forgotten to include one for herself, so she couldn't eat one. Mu Jingzhe couldn't say this directly and only said that she couldn't eat anymore.

Shao Dong, who could tell what was going on, stopped everyone. Instead, his eyes darted around, and he secretly got busy in the kitchen for a while to cook one for Mu Jingzhe.

"Mommy, this is the last one. You'll definitely find a coin in there. Eat."

Mu Jingzhe ate it doubtfully, not expecting to really bite into a coin. "Why is there another…"

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"Congratulations for biting the coin, Mommy. You're going to be lucky this year!" Shao Dong clapped his hands. Why was there a coin? Because he had added it, of course.

Since they were going to have good luck in the coming year, everyone had to have good luck together. The family had to be united. How could Mommy be left out?

Mu Jingzhe also reacted, sighing helplessly with emotion. She had blessed the children, and Shao Dong had blessed her in return. They wished each other well and hoped that each other's dreams would come true.

By the time they ate the dumplings and packed up, it was already late. "Alright, it's more or less bedtime."

"Mommy, are you going to sleep too?"

"Me? I'm not sleeping yet. You kids go to sleep first. Don't stay up too late."

Although Mu Jingzhe had arranged for them to sleep, when the kids were left alone, all of them quietly sat up in the dark and began to Shousui.

"We haven't been able to help Mommy Shousui for several years. We must hold on until morning tonight. In the future, we will help Mommy Shousui every year. This way, Mommy will live a long life."

As soon as Shao Xi finished speaking, the other kids, including Xiao Wu, nodded. "That's right. Let's stay up the entire night then."

Shao Xi even thought that because their biological mother had left just like that and they had been too young at the time, they hadn't known how to Shousui for their mother. That was why she had passed away so early.

Now that they were older, they couldn't fall behind anymore.

They couldn't speak, so they could only monitor each other. By pinching each other to prevent themselves from falling asleep, they persisted all the way till dawn.

Mu Jingzhe fell asleep sometime in the middle of the night. She didn't expect them to be able to hold on.

When Mu Jingzhe got up to see them, they pretended to be asleep.

On the first day of the new year, both Mu Jingzhe and Shao Qiyang gave the five kids red packets.

"Thank you, Mommy."

"Thank you, Young Uncle."

After sending Li Zhaodi, Mu Teng, and Mu Han New Year greetings, they received three more red packets. This was the year that the five kids received the most red packets.

On the other hand, Mu Jingzhe surprisingly received a red packet from Li Zhaodi and Mu Teng. Even though she was already a grown married adult, Mu Jingzhe still ignored this fact and accepted it.

This was the first red packet her parents had given her.

After breakfast, the five kids set off firecrackers at the door. The tips of their noses were filled with the unique smell of firecrackers. Children were seen running around in the village everywhere.

Mu Jingzhe naturally didn't lack money to buy firecrackers. She didn't hate the smell, but the occasional bang was scary.

"Be careful. Don't get injured by the firecrackers and don't play in crowded places. Go play out in the open. You must be careful." It was rare for the children to relax. Mu Jingzhe didn't stop them from playing with the other children in the village. She only reminded them to be careful.

"Okay." Shao Dong agreed loudly. "I will watch over them."

After the children ran away, Mu Jingzhe turned around and saw Shao Qiyang. "Aren't you going to play cards?"

The villagers loved to play cards during the New Year.

"No." Shao Qiyang shook his head. "Are we going to watch Little Bei's movie in the afternoon?"

The movie Little Bei had acted in previously would be released on New Year's Eve. It had been confirmed that it would be released in the county city too. Mu Jingzhe planned to take the five kids to watch it in the afternoon. Shao Qiyang had also said that he wanted to go.

"Mm, we'll go after lunch."

The corners of Shao Qiyang's mouth curled up as he responded with an "Mm". At the thought of going to the movie with Mu Jingzhe, his mood became much better and his heart began racing.

Then, he heard Mu Jingzhe add, "My mom and the rest also said that they wanted to go. They said that when the movie premiered, they would invite the villagers to watch it with us. She said that she wanted to talk to the person in charge of the theater."

Shao Qiyang: "…"

Al… Alright then.

In the afternoon, Mu Han brought Li Zhaodi and Mu Teng to the county city to watch a movie, while Mu Jingzhe and Shao Qiyang brought the five kids.

Perhaps it was because this was the New Year's break, but there were quite a lot of people watching the movie. Shao Qiyang and Mu Jingzhe were queuing up to buy tickets, whereas Li Zhaodi and the rest went to ask about showing the movie in their village. In the end, it was as Mu Jingzhe had guessed. Other movies were fine, but Little Bei's new movie would have to wait a while before it could be booked and released in the village.

Half an hour after Mu Jingzhe and the others got their hands on the tickets, Little Bei's "Xiao Jiu" appeared on the screen.

Although the movie theater was quite old and the sound effects couldn't compare to modern ones, it still felt different watching a movie in a theater.

When Little Bei appeared in the movie, everyone got very excited. Li Zhaodi even exclaimed a few times. "It's really Little Bei. They look exactly the same."

Upon seeing someone she knew in real life appear on the big screen, Li Zhaodi was thrilled. She hugged Little Bei and made a fuss over her.

Mu Jingzhe said helplessly, "Mom, Little Bei acted in the movie, so of course they look exactly the same. This isn't the first time you've seen this. You've seen Little Bei's TV drama and Little Nan's game show previously."

"I know, but I'm still fascinated."

Little Bei, who was being hugged by Li Zhaodi, nodded. "Mommy, I think it's fascinating too. I actually appeared in the movie theater."

"There will be more and more such opportunities in the future. Mom, just you wait. Didn't you also make a cameo appearance in the movie? You'll appear too."

"Right, I have to watch closely for my appearance."

That said, after a while, when the plot slowly started, Li Zhaodi couldn't be bothered anymore. Even though she had watched it once, Mu Jingzhe was too engrossed in the movie to care.

Half an hour later, everyone was mesmerized by Little Bei's crying scene and started crying as well.

When the wicked grandmother that Zhao Lan had portrayed appeared, so did Li Zhaodi's character. However, at that moment, Li Zhaodi couldn't be bothered to get worked up anymore. She only cared about hating herself and Zhao Lan for their roles.

"They're such baddies. I wish I could crawl in and beat them to death!"

Mu Jingzhe: "…"

Did she mean she was going to beat herself up?

Other than Li Zhaodi herself, this was also what everyone watching the movie thought. Later on, many people cried, including the children.

Children couldn't differentiate between reality and movies, so they thought that it was real. The other viewers didn't feel like it was acting either and didn't say things such as that Little Bei had acted really well. They were only deeply engrossed in the movie.

Chapter 175: Will Be Beaten to Death

The movie theater was filled with crying sounds. Mu Jingzhe also cried until her eyes swelled. There was no choice. She wanted to restrain herself, but with the musical accompaniment, the movie seemed to have a soul that made one unable to extricate themselves from it.

Little Bei's acting was good to begin with. Even the supporting characters, such as Tian Xiaoxiao, were stimulated by Little Bei, bringing the best out of their acting skills. The overall effect was already very good. And then, there was the support of Xiao Wu's music, which was like adding wings to a tiger.

Mu Jingzhe, who hadn't known about the effect of Little Bei's movie when reading the novel before she'd transmigrated, found it impossible to extricate herself from it.

In reality, the effect of the movie was actually better than the book. After all, Little Bei was still really young. As a six-year-old, she made people's hearts ache even more when she portrayed a nine-year-old. Her acting skills also made the professionals think highly of her, convincing them even more.

Coupled with Xiao Wu's music and Little Bei's acting skills, everyone could empathize with her. This was also the reason almost everyone in the movie theater cried.

At the end of the movie, everyone laughed with tears in their eyes, as it had made them feel warm and happy from the bottom of their hearts.

At the time, most of the audience hadn't watched many movies, so their senses weren't strong. However, Mu Jingzhe, who had watched many movies and had heard many movie analyses, clearly knew how crucial a role Xiao Wu's music had played.

Mu Jingzhe had also heard many classic and popular songs. Many of those songs were truly stunning and touching, but none of them had moved her so much. This was especially moving thanks to the aid of the movie.

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In modern times, many movie theme songs were widely known. Other than the songs being nice themselves, it was also because of the plot. Songs made the plot more popular, and the plot made the songs more vibrant. It was a mutually complementary process.

Xiao Wu's music had achieved such an effect. He was still young, so the overall composition wasn't very mature. However, his talent made his music different. It was so unique that it could enter people's hearts, resonate with them, and touch them.

Complementing the movie's plot well, it really made people feel blissful and laugh out loud. It gave people comfort and also induced heartache and tears in them. The audience was completely immersed in the movie.

What would seem like a cliché plot in modern times became different when it was played out.

When they came out of the theater after watching the movie, they heard the other movie-goers discuss it, saying that they must get their friends and families to watch the movie too. They didn't know that the little girl who had stirred their hearts was watching the movie with them.

Mu Jingzhe had no doubt that if this was the modern era, the movie would explode in popularity.

As this was the 80s, the box office sales and popularity might not be comparable to the modern era. However, she believed that this movie would become a classic many years later, even in the modern era.

There was no doubt that this movie was a success.

As Mu Jingzhe sighed with emotion, she heard an apology. When she came back to her senses, she saw that a young lady had accidentally stepped on Shao Qiyang.

Shao Qiyang shook his head and said that it was alright, but the girl was in no hurry to leave. Instead, she followed them for a while and talked to Shao Qiyang with a blushing face. She said that she worked in the department store and had seen Shao Qiyang in the county city before. Just now, she had been sitting behind them in the movie theater.

She had probably heard the kids call Shao Qiyang 'Uncle', so she even praised Shao Qiyang's nephews and niece for being very cute.

Shao Qiyang answered casually, his gaze on Mu Jingzhe. However, when Mu Jingzhe saw the young lady talking to him, she quickened her pace to give them some space to talk.

She checked that young lady out briefly. Her apple-shaped, cute face made her very compatible with Shao Qiyang.

In the blink of an eye, Shao Qiyang realized that Mu Jingzhe and the kids had walked far away. As she had walked too quickly, Mu Jingzhe had almost bumped into someone. When she apologized, she realized that it was someone familiar.

It was Shao Qiyun, whom she had not seen in a long time. Beside her was a gloomy-looking Zhao Lan. When Zhao Lan saw them, her expression changed. "Why are you here?"

Mu Jingzhe raised her eyebrows. "We're here to watch a movie, of course. You guys are here to watch a movie too? Oh, right, Zhao Lan, your scene was not bad."

Zhao Lan snapped, "Not bad? Why do you care if we're watching a movie or not?"

The look of anticipation on her face was completely gone. Before the movie had premiered, Zhao Lan had been rather looking forward to the movie since she had also acted in it and had come to look for Shao Qiyun on the first day of the New Year to ask her to bring her to the movie theater.

She had thought that being able to act in a movie was good, but it hadn't occurred to her whether the role was good or wicked. In the end, the character of the wicked grandmother that she had played—which really was pretty much her acting as herself—had been scolded by everyone. The unprepared Zhao Lan had suffered a blow. She had wanted to proudly tell everyone that she had acted in the movie too, but when she heard everyone scolding her character, she didn't dare say so anymore.

Li Zhaodi's scene was similar to hers, and some people also scolded her. However, Li Zhaodi had a good mentality, and everyone only said that she was wicked and comical, whereas Zhao Lan received scoldings and nothing else.

Zhao Lan, who had happily come without telling the villagers, was now filled with resentment. She hadn't expected to encounter Mu Jingzhe and the others.

She turned around and was just about to leave when she stopped. She couldn't help but stammer, "Can you tell the director to delete my scenes? I don't want to be scolded anymore. That clearly isn't who I am. Why is everyone scolding me?"

Mu Jingzhe thought to herself, "Why deny this when you're clearly acting just like yourself?"

Instead, she said, "It's impossible to delete them. It's not that simple. You accepted the money back then too."

"Can't I just return him the money?"

"As I said, it's not that easy. It's not like the filming process is still ongoing and scenes can be deleted. Now that the movie is screening in theaters nationwide, how can any scenes be deleted? Don't even think about it."

Mu Jingzhe looked at Zhao Lan's constipated expression and asked the obvious, "Why aren't you willing to act anymore? Isn't it nice that everyone can see you? Maybe the entire country will recognize you."

"What's so good about being known this way? I might perhaps get beaten up one day," Zhao Lan blurted out. Then, she realized that this was completely possible.

She was only glad that she had appeared for a short while and everyone couldn't remember her. If they remembered her, it would be over. She would be beaten up even while walking.

Zhao Lan was exaggerating. Mu Jingzhe chuckled. "Nah, it's not that bad."

Although she said that it wasn't that bad, if she was really recognized, there actually was a chance that she would get beaten up. If a performance was really good, the audience would feel a strong sense of immersion. Even the actresses who acted as the third party in the modern world would get scolded, let alone actresses now.

In this era, no one thought of distinguishing the actors from the characters they played. It also didn't occur to them that it was just a performance. They just thought that the actor was as wicked as the character they portrayed. If they recognized the actor, he/she might get scolded or even beaten up.

While Mu Jingzhe was talking to Zhao Lan, Shao Qiyun, who was beside her, had a scowl on her face, especially when she saw the children and her gaze landed on Xiao Wu. As soon as she saw that Xiao Wu was looking at her, her expression darkened. "Let's go, Mom."

Ever since she had been taken away from the village by the police, Shao Qiyun had never returned. She hadn't even returned for the New Year. When she saw Mu Jingzhe, her eyes were filled with hatred.

Because of what had happened previously, she had lost her job. Later on, she had suffered for a period of time and relied on Zhao Lan's subsidies to make it through. It hadn't been easy for her to find a job as a waitress in a snack shop in the county city. She even had to wash the dishes every day. Shao Qiyun hated it to the core.

She didn't even wash the dishes at home. In the future, she was going to marry a rich person, yet now, she was washing dishes.

However, no matter how unwilling she was, she still had to live before finding a rich person. Now, she was even thinking that she should lower her standards for 'a rich person' and probably should just find someone to marry if she really couldn't take it anymore.

Chapter 176: Looks Familiar From the Back

Shao Qiyun couldn't be bothered to say anything else. She pulled Zhao Lan along and left. Zhao Lan took a few steps forward, feeling a little hesitant. "I was thinking that you should go to their factory to work. It's better than working in a restaurant."

"Didn't you say that they didn't agree?"

"Maybe if we bring it up a few more times, they'll agree."

Upon hearing Zhao Lan's words, Shao Qiyun couldn't help but stop. However, because she hesitated, by the time she turned around, Mu Jingzhe and the others were long gone.

They had already left, and only their backs were visible. Zhao Lan was muttering and cursing the kids for being ingrates, but Shao Qiyun was stunned when she saw the figure beside Mu Jingzhe.

Zhao Lan came back to her senses and saw her looking dazed. "What are you looking at?"

"Nothing. I just thought it looked familiar…"

Shao Qiyun snapped out of her thoughts and shook her head, her expression inexplicable. "I think I saw wrong. I only saw the side of his face…"

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Mu Jingzhe bumped into Ji Buwang at the entrance of the theater. While Ji Buwang had been passing by the theater, he'd been wondering if he would bump into Mu Jingzhe. He hadn't expected to see Mu Jingzhe when he raised his head.

He could clearly see Mu Jingzhe's vibrant smile in the crowd.

"Jingzhe!"

Ji Buwang raised his hand and shouted, "Jingzhe, over here!"

As he walked over and was about to greet Xiao Wu and the rest, he noticed Li Zhaodi and Mu Teng and quickly greeted them.

"Hello, Uncle and Auntie. I'm Ji Buwang."

It wasn't easy for Shao Qiyang to escape from that young lady. When he ran out, he saw Ji Buwang's brilliant smile as he fawned over Li Zhaodi and Mu Teng.

He saw that Li Zhaodi seemed to be quite satisfied, and there was a broad beam on her face.

"What a persistent ghost." Shao Qiyang gritted his teeth and quickly went forward to greet them. "Teacher Ji, why are you here? Aren't you supposed to go home to celebrate the New Year?"

Ji Buwang smiled. "I made a trip home. I was in the capital last night. I spent the New Year with my grandfather and only flew over today."

Considering that he had a suitcase in his hand, he had really just returned. When he'd passed by the cinema, he had recalled that Little Bei's movie was being released today and thought that he might encounter Mu Jingzhe. His heart had skipped a beat, and he had gotten out of the car. He hadn't expected to really see Mu Jingzhe.

This was probably what telepathy was like.

Ji Buwang stared at Mu Jingzhe, completely forgetting about Shao Qiyang, who had just asked him a question.

Shao Qiyang wished he could blindfold him. "It's finally the New Year. Why didn't you just spend a few days with your family instead of anxiously rushing back?"

Ji Buwang finally glanced at Shao Qiyang. "My grandfather had matters to attend to, and there's also someone I wish to see here. That's why I came back."

It was self-evident who he'd wanted to meet.

It wouldn't be good to be any more direct than he already had. Or rather, in front of Li Zhaodi and Mu Teng, these words were already aggressive enough.

Ji Buwang stopped while he was ahead and didn't dare go overboard. He didn't even dare look at Mu Jingzhe anymore. He quickly memorized the characteristics of Li Zhaodi, Mu Teng, and Mu Han, in case he didn't recognize them next time and they misunderstood and thought he was arrogant.

Due to face blindness, Ji Buwang usually didn't take the initiative to greet anyone. He would wait for someone to greet him before using their voice and memory to recall who this person was. Because of this, many people said that he was arrogant, and some people even complained to his grandfather.

Since his grandfather knew about his situation, he naturally wouldn't say anything. Ji Buwang didn't take their words to heart either.

However, he couldn't do this to Li Zhaodi, Mu Teng, and Mu Han. Otherwise, it would be terrible. It would be best if he could distinguish them from the crowd and take the initiative to greet them.

Due to Ji Buwang's good upbringing, after chatting with him for a while, Li Zhaodi and Mu Teng both felt that this young man really had a way with words.

Naturally, they brought Ji Buwang along when they went shopping.

Shao Qiyang was the only one who felt that it was unreasonable for Ji Buwang to go shopping with them. When Li Zhaodi bought arm sleeves, he even rushed to pay for them.

This was what Shao Qiyang had wanted to do, but Ji Buwang beat him to it.

As he looked at the scheming Ji Buwang, the sense of crisis in Shao Qiyang's heart grew even stronger.

After shopping for a while, Mu Jingzhe and the others wanted to return before nightfall and bade Ji Buwang farewell. Ji Buwang wanted to invite them over but ultimately didn't say anything and only offered to drive them.

However, Mu Jingzhe rejected his offer. "You just came off a plane today. It'll be too tiring for you. Go back and rest."

Ji Buwang knew that Mu Jingzhe was concerned about him, so he nodded warmly. "Alright, be careful on your way back."

After he said that, Ji Buwang took five red packets out of his bag and gave them to the five kids. "You've grown yet another year older."

He had prepared a red packet for the children last night and thought that he wouldn't have the chance to give it to them. Now that he could, Ji Buwang was very glad.

The five kids were very surprised. They hadn't expected Ji Buwang to actually prepare a red packet for them. They couldn't help but look at Mu Jingzhe.

Ji Buwang patted Xiao Wu's head. "Stop looking at your mother. Take it. This is a form of blessing and a token of my sincerity."

"Thank you, Teacher Ji."

"You're welcome. After you finish reading the books, come to my house to exchange them. Got it?"

"Okay."

Ji Buwang happily bade the children farewell. Shao Qiyang watched from the side, his thoughts getting complicated.

On the way back, Shao Qiyang was unusually silent. When they returned home, Mu Jingzhe wanted to cook, so he helped light the fire and fetch water to fill the water vat.

This was something Shao Qiyang would do every day so long as he was home. Mu Jingzhe was strong herself and said she didn't need him to help her fetch water, as she could do it herself. However, Shao Qiyang wouldn't listen. He said that if he was around, he wouldn't let her fetch water.

He would either fill the bucket with water at night or before going to work in the morning. When there was no firewood at home, he would chop firewood during his break.

Even though Mu Jingzhe said that she was capable, he wouldn't let her do heavy work at home.

Although Shao Qiyang was often not at home because he was at work, he hadn't washed his hands off of everything. He saw everything that Mu Jingzhe did at home, so he never troubled Mu Jingzhe to wash his own clothes. As long as he had time, he would even wash the children's clothes.

Especially in winter, he would occasionally help Mu Jingzhe wash her outerwear.

Mu Jingzhe had gotten used to burning firewood and cooking, but because the heavy smoke of the firewood stung her eyes, he'd even built a new stove at home. Now that there wasn't much smoke, she no longer had to cook with red eyes like before.

When Mu Jingzhe cooked, if he was around, he would always wash the dishes after eating so that Mu Jingzhe wouldn't have to do it.

Mu Jingzhe had actually noticed what Shao Qiyang did. Of course, the villagers probably saw it too. It was perhaps because of this that some girls had a crush on Shao Qiyang.

Mu Jingzhe looked at the diligent Shao Qiyang and felt that he was a good man worth trusting. He was much better than the other men in the village.

The men in the village never cooked or washed the dishes, nor did they wash clothes. They felt that it was something a woman should do and didn't even help fetch water.

Therefore, Shao Qiyang really shouldn't end up an unmarried man for the rest of his life. Mu Jingzhe couldn't help but ask, "Shao Qiyang, do you know the name of that apple-faced young lady we saw today? What do you think of her?"

Chapter 177: Brother, I Will Treat Sister-In-Law Well

Shao Qiyang, who was sulking, was baffled by Mu Jingzhe's words. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing. I just wanted to ask what you think of her. Her face looks likable and lucky. I think she's quite compatible with you…"

Shao Qiyang couldn't help but interrupt Mu Jingzhe. "I said I don't want to get married."

"Why?" Mu Jingzhe was getting anxious. "That young lady seems nice… Or have you not forgotten Mu Xue?"

Mu Jingzhe sighed and lowered her voice before she asked him, "Do you still like Mu Xue?"

She had felt conflicted about this before. Now, it seemed like she had to think of a way to set them up.

Shao Qiyang felt extremely helpless. "No, I don't. I told you before that I don't think of her anymore. Don't let your thoughts run wild."

"Really? Then why aren't you willing to consider other girls?"

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Shao Qiyang gazed at Mu Jingzhe and was about to say 'because of you' when Xiao Wu ran through the door with a persimmon in his hand.

"Mommy, this persimmon is for you."

"Where did this persimmon come from?" Mu Jingzhe quickly caught Xiao Wu.

"Sister Li Fang gave it to me. Mommy, you like persimmons. I'll give it to you."

After persimmons were picked, they could be wrapped up and stored to be eaten in the winter. Although one didn't look elegant eating persimmons, they were really sweet, icy, and refreshing. The ones Mu Jingzhe used to buy in the modern ages looked good, but the taste was a far cry from the persimmons of this era.

Mu Jingzhe had been pleasantly surprised when she had tried one previously and had nearly eaten too much. Hence, the children knew that Mu Jingzhe loved persimmons.

Before the New Year, Shao Dong had planted two persimmon trees in front of the house. Every time someone gave them persimmons, the children would be reluctant to eat them and would bring them back for Mu Jingzhe to eat.

Although she was very touched, she was also very embarrassed. "Xiao Wu, you eat it. Mommy has been eating persimmons in the past few days. You can eat them yourself in the future."

"Really?" Xiao Wu asked, unconsciously swallowing his saliva.

"Mm, I'm not eating it. Xiao Wu, go ahead and eat it. You know that one shouldn't eat too much of this. Mommy won't eat it today." Persimmons were delicious. The children actually liked them, but they kept wanting her to eat them.

Mu Jingzhe stroked Xiao Wu's head. "Hurry up and eat it. Remember not to eat the skin."

"Okay." Xiao Wu obediently went out. "I'll eat with my sister."

The moment Xiao Wu had arrived, Shao Qiyang's impulse had been halted. Mu Jingzhe looked at Shao Qiyang's expression and tried to persuade him. Her general meaning was that if he really liked Mu Xue, he could try his best to win her over. If he did not, he could just let go of her and look for someone else.

Shao Qiyang watched as Mu Jingzhe persuaded him in a clear and logical manner. Anyone who didn't know might think that she was very impressive and knowledgeable when it came to relationships, but in reality, she knew nothing about relationships!

Shao Qiyang couldn't help but cuss in his heart. One could just imagine how furious he was. Previously, he would let his imagination run wild because of Mu Jingzhe, but after a year together, he could read her completely.

Mu Jingzhe might sound like she knew a lot, but she had never been in a relationship and didn't know anything about them. In fact, she could be considered completely clueless in this aspect.

Otherwise, she wouldn't have been oblivious to the fact that he had been carrying a torch for her. So many people could tell, and she was the only one who hadn't sensed anything, as if that was something completely impossible.

Shao Qiyang didn't know what Mu Jingzhe had experienced before she'd transmigrated, but he had truly tasted the disastrous effect of those experiences.

She even mocked the men in the village for being straight[1], but Shao Qiyang felt that she had no right to criticize the straight men in the village. After all, no matter how one looked at it, she was also a straight woman.

She even had the nerve to say that a straight man was the scariest, unlike a straight woman like her.

As Shao Qiyang listened to Mu Jingzhe muttering, he retorted in his heart to everything she said. Seeing that the food was about to be ready, he went to get some incense. While walking out of the kitchen, he passed by Mu Jingzhe's door and saw the kids rolling around on her bed. He subconsciously saw the male celebrity poster pasted in Mu Jingzhe's room.

Upon seeing this, he felt depressed again.

There were also posters in the rooms of other young ladies in the village, but none of them had stuck as many posters on their walls as Mu Jingzhe, who claimed that as long as one was handsome, he could be her husband.

Shao Qiyang felt that sometimes Mu Jingzhe acted and spoke weirdly, but he could accept her weirdness and follow her train of thought.

However, didn't she say that as long as a man was handsome, he could be her husband? Then why couldn't she think of him as her husband too? Shao Qiyang was not proud, but his face was really not bad. He would attract people wherever he went. Everyone said that he wasn't inferior to male celebrities.

Male celebrities were such distant existences. Given how close he was, she might as well consider him instead. However, this simply had never occurred to Mu Jingzhe. Could it be because he wasn't handsome enough? Should he dress up a little?

Shao Qiyang, who was supposed to go get some incense, turned around and returned to his room. He smoothed down his hair in front of the window, using it as a mirror. He then looked at his shoes, wanting to change into another pair. In the end, he saw the leather shoes Shao Qihai had given him.

Shao Qiyang's mood instantly worsened.

He silently went to get some incense and paper money. Shao Qiyang prepared the items needed for ancestral worship and pulled the children to kowtow to Shao Qihai. He even brought delicious food as an offering for his older brother.

"You kids didn't kowtow this morning. Now, kowtow to your father and let him bless you from heaven."

The five kids: "…"

After a moment of silence, the children didn't retort and kowtowed before their mother's memorial tablet, which was beside their father's.

After Shao Dong and the others left, Shao Qiyang looked at his older brother's memorial tablet and finally made up his mind. "Brother, I will treat Sister-In-Law well. Don't worry," he said.

Ji Buwang's persistence and Tang Moling's restlessness made Shao Qiyang feel a sense of crisis. He really couldn't imagine what his life would be like after Mu Jingzhe left the Shao Family and married Ji Buwang or some other man.

Rather than despairing over here and doing nothing, it would be better to risk it.

Even if he failed, even if Mu Jingzhe was afraid of him in the future, he still had to gamble.

Coincidentally, that was what Mu Jingzhe had advised him to do as well. He listened to her advice and tried his best to fight. If it didn't work, he would talk about it later.

Mu Jingzhe had never thought that her words would really work. However, the way they worked was completely different from what she had expected.

Shao Qiyang stared at Shao Qihai's name. "Brother, you'll support me too, right?"

After saying that, Shao Qiyang couldn't help but laugh bitterly. "No, that's not right. I know that you might be unhappy if you're seeing this from heaven, but compared to outsiders, you should support me more, right? Please bless me from heaven and let me succeed."

In the neighboring city, on the way back from escorting the suspect, Shao Qihai, who was sitting in the car and going back with them to cooperate with the investigation, sneezed twice.

Jiang Feng immediately said, "Brother Hai, someone must be missing you. Sister-In-Law and the others must be missing you."

Shao Qihai: "No…" It would be strange if Mu Jingzhe missed him. Shao Qihai didn't even believe it himself. The children were more likely to miss him.

Jiang Feng retorted, "You sneezed. This is proof. Sneezing once means someone is scolding you, and sneezing twice means someone is missing you. Don't you know that?"

"I didn't," Shao Qihai said. "According to the version I heard, when you sneeze once, it means that someone is thinking of you. When you sneeze twice, someone is scolding you."

"Eh, doesn't one sneeze mean scolding and two mean missing?"

"One sneeze means someone is missing you, and two means someone is scolding you."

Shao Qihai answered, frowning as he looked out of the window. For some reason, he had a bad premonition.

[1] In this case, a straight man/woman refers to someone who is dense when it comes to relationships

Chapter 178: A Green Hat for Dear Brother

After Shao Qiyang made up his mind, he mulled over his decision repeatedly that night. He felt that it might not be good to be direct. He could take things step by step and drop hints to help Mu Jingzhe truly realize his intentions and see that he was serious about her.

Taking advantage of the holidays, Shao Qiyang decided to give it a serious shot.

After holding back for so long, he finally decided to take the first step. Shao Qiyang was so excited that he couldn't fall asleep.

When he fell asleep in the latter half of the night, perhaps out of guilt, he somehow dreamed of Shao Qihai. In his dreams, they went to the market when they were kids and ended up buying a hat.

Because they were poor and didn't have the money to buy a second hat, they kept insisting the other one take it. Later on, he was the one who gave up the hat so his brother could have it.

This had happened a long time ago. Shao Qiyang didn't know why he dreamed about it, but what was even stranger was the second half of the dream.

He clearly remembered that the hat was a very common army green hat, but for some reason, the color of the hat in his dream had changed. It had turned emerald green, so green that it was dazzling[1].

Back when they were kids, when he had put the hat on his older brother's head, his brother had clearly felt touched. However, after he put it on his head in the dream, his brother's expression changed drastically. He took off the hat and stomped on it with all his might. Then, he even wanted to beat him to death and tried to charge at him.

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"Brother, don't…"

Shao Qiyang fell from his bed and successfully frightened himself awake. Looking at the bright sky, Shao Qiyang heaved a sigh of relief.

"Thank goodness it was a dream."

This was the first time Shao Qiyang had dreamed of Shao Qihai. However, the dream was a little strange. He even felt a little afraid after waking up.

Shao Qiyang was stunned for a moment before he laughed bitterly.

At the end of the day, this dream had come about because he'd decided to take action and felt that he had let his brother down. As the saying went, 'what you think about in the day you will dream of at night'. This dream was simply a manifestation of his guilt.

"Second Brother, don't blame me. When I join you in heaven, I'll apologize to you. I can even work like an ox or a horse for you."

Great Eastern Village had a custom of eating glutinous rice balls on the second day of the Lunar New Year. Thus, Mu Jingzhe woke up and made glutinous rice balls. She whipped up a total of twelve eggs, two per person, and a little bit of wine. The fragrance assailed their nostrils.

"Quick, one bowl and two eggs each."

After they ate the glutinous rice balls, Mu Jingzhe took the children back to her maiden home on the second day of the New Year. Li Zhaodi and the rest were waiting.

Shao Qiyang was left home alone. He walked around the house and thought for a while before sitting on a simple swing hanging from an apple tree outside the door.

Previously, in the summer, Mu Jingzhe had been napping under this apple tree. He had occasionally heard her mention that it would be great if there was a swinging chair so that she could take an afternoon nap there.

For the time being, Shao Qiyang couldn't make a swinging chair, nor was there any store where he could buy a ready-made one. Thus, he decided to make a swing first and slowly make a swinging chair in the future.

Shao Qiyang waited for Mu Jingzhe to be pleasantly surprised, but when she returned, although she was pleasantly surprised, she didn't go over to try it herself. Instead, she asked Little Bei to go.

"Little Bei, go play. This is what you wanted. Shao Qiyang, thank you. Previously, Little Bei said that she wanted one, but you made it for her before I could do so."

"Thank you, Uncle. I like it a lot." Little Bei thanked him and then muttered, "It's just a little big."

Shao Qiyang: "…"

He wanted to say something but stopped. In the end, he didn't say anything. He couldn't very well say that he had made it for Mu Jingzhe and not Little Bei.

Shao Qiyang didn't remain glum for long before he regained his energy. He went out early in the morning and returned with a bunch of plum blossoms. The area around the house was completely white. He had specifically found red plum blossoms and put them in a special bottle.

He wanted to place the flowers in Mu Jingzhe's room to surprise her, but the moment he entered, he bumped into Mu Jingzhe.

Shao Qiyang's face turned red. Just as he was about to say something, Mu Jingzhe took the flowers. "I was just saying that I was going to look for a prop, and you brought these over. That's awesome."

Mu Jingzhe placed the flowers on the table in the courtyard and waved at Shao Qiyang. "Come here quickly. Let's take a family photo."

Shao Qiyang: "…"

So she wanted to take a family photo.

Shao Qiyang acknowledged her and stood beside Mu Jingzhe. While sitting next to the plum blossoms, Mu Jingzhe sniffed and nodded continuously. "They're beautiful and they smell lovely."

The regret in Shao Qiyang's heart seemed to have dissipated by quite a bit.

"Hurry up and stand properly. I'm going to snap the photos. Qiyang, you should sit down too. Sit beside your sister-in-law. The photo isn't going to look nice if you stand there because you're too tall."

Shao Qiyang responded and sat down. Only after he sat down did he remember that the county photo studio seemed to have couples sitting and children standing in family pictures.

His heart fluttered, and he couldn't help but look at Mu Jingzhe, wanting to know if she realized it.

However, just as he looked over, he heard the uncle in front of him, who was helping take the photos, shout, "Aiyah, Qiyang, what are you doing? I've already taken a photo. You're not facing the camera properly in it."

"It's alright. It's interesting regardless of how the photo was taken. Come on, Uncle, have a seat. I'll take the photos for you."

Mu Jingzhe had already stood up and started taking photos of the villagers. It was rare to take photos in this day and age.

Many a time, the people of the photography shop would come out in spring, when the flowers were blooming, to take a picture of the villagers. Many people couldn't bear to do it, so they didn't have many photos of themselves taken throughout their lives.

Now that Mu Jingzhe had a camera, everyone was wearing new clothes, and there was nothing to do during the New Year, someone mentioned it and asked Mu Jingzhe to help take the photos.

Mu Jingzhe agreed but also had a photo of her own family taken.

The third day of the Lunar New Year passed in the midst of all this photo-taking. More than half of the families in the village came to get photos of their entire family or their children. Fortunately, Mu Jingzhe had backup camera film.

The pot of flowers that Shao Qiyang had brought back had become the most gorgeous prop in many family photos.

The three days of the Lunar New Year passed just like that. Shao Qiyang was persistent, so he didn't give up. On the fourth day of the New Year, an opportunity finally arose.

The department store in the county city reopened for business that day. Shao Qiyang went to the department store and bought the trending vanishing cream[2] for Mu Jingzhe.

In this era, vanishing cream was one of the gifts that men gave to women if they wanted to confess their feelings. The meaning of the gift was "I like you".

When Shao Qiyang gave her the present, his heart almost jumped out of his chest. He was afraid that Mu Jingzhe would get mad or something. Fortunately, she didn't.

"Eh, how did you know that I wanted to buy this? I bought some for the kids previously and I just used up one jar after applying it on them every day. I was just about to buy more. Did you notice it?"

Shao Qiyang: "Yes…"

With a lot of difficulty, he managed to utter that one syllable and watched as Mu Jingzhe took the cream to the kids' room.

In winter, one's skin tended to crack easily. In the past, the children's faces would always be red and even crack. However, this year, Mu Jingzhe had bought them vanishing cream early and asked them to apply it. She supervised them as they applied it every day.

Shao Dong and the others felt quite comfortable after applying it, but the cream gave off a nice fragrance after it was applied. The students kept smelling it, so they felt a little embarrassed.

Sometimes, when they felt that it wasn't so dry out, they didn't want to apply it. In the end, when Mu Jingzhe caught them, she would apply it on their faces and even their hands.

The weather was slowly getting warmer after the New Year. Seeing that the jar was finished, the kids thought that they didn't have to apply it anymore. They hadn't expected Mu Jingzhe to bring another jar over. Furthermore, according to Mu Jingzhe, she would apply it on them both in winter and summer.

It felt good to have their mother apply the cream on their faces, but their classmates had already stopped doing so. Also, the boys felt embarrassed to be smelling even more fragrant than their female classmates.

[1] wearing a green hat means being a cuckold

[2] a cream or ointment that leaves no visible trace when rubbed into the skin

Chapter 179: Shao Qiyang Vomits Blood

The kids couldn't bear to say anything to Mu Jingzhe, though. When they heard that it had been bought by their young uncle, they couldn't help but tell Shao Qiyang, "Uncle, you don't have to buy this for us anymore."

Shao Qiyang thought to himself, I didn't buy it for you! Hmph!

He didn't know why something so simple for others was so difficult for him?

Shao Qiyang refused to believe it. He gritted his teeth and went to the department store to buy a watch. He thought to himself that she'd surely understand his feelings for her if he even went to the extent of buying her a watch. Nowadays, for most people, watches were big-ticket items that were bought only for spouses.

The watch that Mu Jingzhe was wearing had been bought when she and Shao Qihai had gotten married. Li Zhaodi had sat outside the department store and kicked up a huge fuss, forcing Shao Qihai to buy it. As Mu Jingzhe had gone through too many hardships previously, the surface of the watch had been scratched, and one side had cracked. One even had to half-guess the time.

He wanted to get her a new one, secretly hoping that she would take off the watch his older brother had given her.

Shao Qiyang handed the watch to Mu Jingzhe. Mu Jingzhe glanced at it but didn't accept it. "Shao Qiyang, why didn't you tell me before you bought it? It is almost too heavy. You should give it to Little Dong yourself. Little Dong needs a watch now, and I was just thinking of getting one for him. I didn't expect you to buy it for him."

Shao Qiyang: "…"

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Couldn't she see that this was a design for women? Wasn't this very obvious?

There was no children's version. If Shao Dong wanted to wear a watch, it seemed that it would indeed be more suitable to buy the women's version. However, this wasn't for Shao Dong. If Shao Dong needed it, he would buy one for him specifically.

As Shao Qiyang was struggling to say something, Mu Jingzhe asked, "Is your company progressing smoothly? Have the previous issues been resolved? You've even earned some money now and bought Little Dong a watch."

Shao Qiyang was helpless. Actually, the company was still in development and hadn't started earning money. This watch had been bought with his savings, as he had been living frugally.

The speed at which one earned money could never match the speed at which one spent money. Previously, they had agreed to buy another bicycle, and Mu Jingzhe had bought it after earning money. Shao Qiyang had paid for half of it, just like they had agreed. Now that they had two bicycles at home, his pockets were really empty, and he had even taken out a loan.

Shao Qiyang wanted to earn money quickly and return the loan. Usually, he would avoid spending money if possible and he was only willing to spend money on his nephews, niece, and Mu Jingzhe.

In terms of family background and other aspects, he couldn't compare to Ji Buwang. All he had was a sincere heart and his willingness to give every dollar he had to Mu Jingzhe. Take this watch for example. It was actually the cheapest watch in the department store, but it was everything he could offer.

Mu Jingzhe found it strange that Shao Qiyang was so dazed that he wasn't moving. She was about to ask what was wrong when she heard Shao Dong's voice. "Uncle, did you buy me a watch?"

Shao Qiyang turned around and saw Shao Dong's surprised gaze. As he faced Shao Dong, Shao Qiyang swallowed his words of denial.

Ever since Shao Dong had started earning money, he had bought many things for Shao Qiyang, which had really warmed up Shao Qiyang's heart. When he saw Shao Dong's delighted gaze, how could he bear to say that the watch wasn't for him?

In the end, the watch was put on the wrist of Shao Dong, who in turn reciprocated with a suit and a pair of leather shoes for Shao Qiyang. He said that as a future big boss, he would look grand in this suit.

Shao Dong had bought an old-style suit. It was wide and big and it actually didn't look very good. However, when it came to clothes, sometimes it really depended on the individual. Other people wouldn't be able to pull off the wide suit, but Shao Qiyang looked good in it.

Mu Jingzhe thought to herself that it was indeed about looks. She walked in a circle around Shao Qiyang and said, "It will look even better after a small alteration."

"Mommy, are you going to help Uncle alter it?" Shao Dong's eyes lit up as he asked this. Even now, the children's favorite clothes were still clothes personally made by Mu Jingzhe. If they bought new clothes that didn't suit them, they would fit well and look beautiful after Mommy altered them.

In the kids' eyes, Mu Jingzhe's hands seemed able to conjure magic. Other women used a sewing machine normally, whereas their mother could create magic with it. They loved watching their mother use a sewing machine.

Mu Jingzhe looked at their expectant gazes and then at Shao Qiyang, whose eyes were also sparkling. She stroked her chin and nodded. "Sure. After an alteration, the suit will fit you better and make you look more energetic."

"Thank you, Jingzhe." Shao Qiyang's eyes lit up. He could finally wear the clothes made by Mu Jingzhe. Altering something was almost the same as making it.

When Shao Qiyang wore the suit that Mu Jingzhe had finished altering, he felt completely different. It fit him better and made his figure appear tall and straight. When the villagers saw him, they all said that he looked energetic.

Shao Qiyang got to work in the altered suit. When he passed by the county movie theater, he saw a new romance movie being screened. Many young people, especially couples, would watch it.

Shao Qiyang was tempted and plucked up the courage to ask Mu Jingzhe to watch a movie this time. Mu Jingzhe agreed readily, but when they arrived, she brought the children with her. "Your uncle invited you to watch a movie, and I'm also benefiting from it. Shao Qiyang, have you bought the tickets?"

Mu Jingzhe's gaze landed on another movie that was suitable for children.

Shao Qiyang quietly placed the movie tickets he had bought in his bag. He said that he hadn't bought them and queued up to buy new movie tickets.

While watching the movie, Shao Qiyang was separated from Mu Jingzhe by the five children, his face numb.

Perhaps he was used to it, but he actually accepted it very calmly this time. He wasn't as disappointed as before… No, that wasn't true. He was even angrier and more disappointed.

One shouldn't do something more than thrice, but this was already way past his third attempt. At this point, while watching the movie, Shao Qiyang resolved not to drop hints again.

It was useless to drop hints for a straight woman[1] like Mu Jingzhe. It was also useless to send her gifts to hint at his feelings. He had to confess his feelings to her in a straightforward manner.

After a few failures, Shao Qiyang finally comprehended what Ji Buwang had understood long ago. He was finally ready to take action.

If he didn't confess soon, he was afraid that it would be too late. He was afraid that he would regret it. Even though he would risk being rejected, as well as completely shattering the peace in the house, he wanted to make his feelings for her clear.

Shao Qiyang prepared himself mentally and looked at Mu Jingzhe. Shao Nan, who was sitting next to him, asked quietly, "Uncle, you also saw that person looking at Little Bei, right? I think he recognized her."

Shao Qiyang: "Ah, who?"

"The uncle with the hat. He keeps looking at Little Bei. So does his son."

Ever since the movie had been released, many people had gone to watch it. It wasn't obvious in the countryside, but it was more obvious in the county city. When Little Bei went out, many people stared at her and found her familiar. Some people even called her Xiao Jiu.

According to Director Lu, more people watched movies in big cities. In the future, as the movie screened in theaters longer and started playing on TV, more and more people would recognize Little Bei. It would only be a matter of time before Little Bei became a household name as a child star.

Now that they had come to the county city, it felt particularly obvious.

Mu Jingzhe also noticed that there were more and more gazes on them, so she had no choice but to leave with Little Bei.

[1] In this case, a straight man/woman refers to someone who is dense when it comes to love cues

Chapter 180: The Little Mute Actually Made Something of Himself?

Although she left early, she was still recognized when she came out. After recognizing her, someone gave Little Bei a bun without hesitation and told her she should not starve.

This bun made everyone look at her, and then she was recognized again. Everyone recognized Xiao Jiu. Little Bei was stuffed with a sweet potato and a small bunch of peanuts and was again told that she should not go hungry.

Since Little Bei had acted pitifully in the movie, everyone associated her role in the movie with reality. When they saw Little Bei, their hearts ached for her, and they wanted to give her something.

Little Bei said that she wasn't hungry and wanted to return it all, but she couldn't catch up to them.

"Mommy, what should we do?" In the end, she asked Mu Jingzhe what to do while holding the food in her hands. Her little face was filled with confusion and indescribable excitement. "Mommy, I feel strange. I'm very happy but I also feel strange."

Mu Jingzhe didn't know whether to laugh or cry. She also felt warm. "They're all good-hearted people who immersed themselves in the plot. You should just keep it. This is an affirmation of your acting skills. In the future, you'll have to carry this feeling with you. This way, you will portray your roles better."

It looked like Little Bei was really famous now. Not only was she recognized on the street, but many people also contacted Mu Jingzhe to send her scripts for consideration. Many invitations were still on the way, and she was currently choosing a good script with Little Bei.

"Let's go home first. If I take you out again, you might have to wear a hat."

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When they got home, Mu Jingzhe took a photo of Little Bei with the buns, sweet potatoes, and peanuts to remember this moment.

As for the food, she thought that it shouldn't be poisoned. She tried it but didn't find anything wrong with it. In the end, Little Bei ate it.

More and more people started contacting Little Bei, and Mu Jingzhe had to keep in touch with her business contacts as well. She couldn't keep using the village phone, so Mu Jingzhe simply bought a pager. Although it was limited compared to a cell phone, it was indeed much more convenient.

The last winter break passed quickly. Because of the success of the movie, Little Bei even received a few advertisement offers.

However, these advertisers varied. Mu Jingzhe didn't treat Little Bei as a money tree. She treasured Little Bei's reputation and didn't accept offers casually. After some consideration, she only accepted a job with a relatively large brand with a good reputation.

When the advertiser saw that Little Bei and Mu Jingzhe had chosen their brand, he was very sincere. When the commercial shoot was finished, Little Bei earned another sum of money.

As soon as the commercial started airing, Little Bei's face would be remembered by even more people. Even those who hadn't watched the movie would also get to know her face. She would become a household name.

Following that, Director Lu also sent a major piece of good news. The movie, Xiao Jiu, had been nominated at the most influential and prestigious film festival in the country. This movie was also nominated in overseas film festivals, including one of the top three film festivals in the world.

Although the results weren't out yet and would take some time, a nomination was a form of affirmation and glory.

Director Lu was over the moon. When he called, he was so excited that he was incoherent. He sounded like he was crying and laughing at the same time. "I knew it would be shortlisted. This is awesome. Jingzhe, you must bring Little Bei and Xiao Wu to the film festival award ceremony to receive the award. If Little Bei wins the award, she will break the record and become the youngest movie queen in our country.

"Also, no one knows that Xiao Wu is only four years old. In order to maintain the mystery around her, I never said anything about it. If everyone saw Xiao Wu, they would definitely be shocked."

Toward the end, Director Lu's tone suddenly became cautious. "However, Jingzhe, if Xiao Wu shows up, he will definitely shock the entire country. When that time comes, he might be in the public eye, just like Little Bei. He will bear the reputation of a musical genius."

Mu Jingzhe was also thrilled. Just like in the novel, Little Bei was nominated this time. She believed that Little Bei would definitely be crowned the youngest movie queen. However, she asked, "Did Xiao Wu get nominated too?"

"Right, Little Bei was nominated for the Best Female Lead, and Xiao Wu was nominated for the Best Original Score. If the media reports this, the siblings will become famous.

"Even if Xiao Wu wasn't nominated, he'd still be the youngest musician. He can compose such music at four years old and play so many musical instruments. He's totally a musical genius. When the time comes, he will definitely steal the limelight.

"Most importantly, this is not only domestically. I heard that the foreign film festivals are also very optimistic about Xiao Wu's original score."

Music had no boundaries, and good music was indeed like that. Therefore, even though it was only his first time doing this, Xiao Wu had already produced terrific results.

After hanging up the phone, Mu Jingzhe was overjoyed as she looked at Xiao Wu and Little Bei. "Aiyo, how can there be treasures like you in this world?"

Mu Jingzhe couldn't help hugging them and kissing them on both cheeks. "I love you to death."

Xiao Wu and Little Bei kissed Mu Jingzhe's cheeks at the same time. "We love Mommy too."

"No, I'm too excited. I have to vent. Let's go buy fabric. Although the award ceremony hasn't started, we can prepare in advance. I want to design the most beautiful outfits for you so that you'll be the most beautiful and handsome people there."

Mu Jingzhe happily took Xiao Wu and Little Bei to buy fabric. Fortunately, there was a good variety of fabrics in the county city. Whatever she couldn't find there, Mu Jingzhe planned to buy in the city some other day.

Seeing that someone had recognized Little Bei, Mu Jingzhe quickly led them away, only to bump into a reporter at the entrance of the department store.

The news of Little Bei being nominated for the film festival had spread. Seeing that Little Bei was from their city and she was so young, the city's television station reporters felt that this was newsworthy, so they'd sent a reporter down.

The reporter had gone to the art school first and seen that she wasn't there. He had happened to hear someone say that they had seen Little Bei at the department store and had thus come over.

This was the first time a reporter had stopped Little Bei for an interview. When the people around saw the commotion, a large group of people instantly gathered at the door.

It was difficult to interview her with so many people around. In the end, they went into the department store and found a quiet place.

The reporter from the broadcasting station conducted a formal interview. Little Bei didn't even need Mu Jingzhe to teach her, as she could answer by herself. The reporter even asked about the composer, Shao Zhong, and whether they knew him.

Little Bei looked at Xiao Wu and shook her head when she recalled that Director Lu had asked them to keep it a secret.

After the reporter bade them farewell, Mu Jingzhe was about to leave with Little Bei and Xiao Wu when she turned around and saw Zhao Lan and Shao Qiyun. Mu Jingzhe frowned at the sight of them.

Not these two again.

Zhao Lan and Shao Qiyun were staring at them in disbelief.

They had heard the reporter's question. The reporter didn't know who Shao Zhong was, but they knew very well that Shao Zhong was Xiao Wu.

They knew that Little Bei had acted in a movie and had made something of herself, but they hadn't expected her to become so successful that the broadcasting station would take an interest in interviewing her. Furthermore, Xiao Wu was also involved in this.

"How is this possible? How can this be…" Zhao Lan muttered, unable to accept this.

Next to her, Shao Qiyun had an even uglier expression. She stared at Xiao Wu with a strange look in her eyes. Xiao Wu was frightened by her gaze and couldn't help but hide behind Mu Jingzhe.

Mu Jingzhe quickly picked Xiao Wu up. "Don't be afraid."

She didn't want to waste her breath on them, so she was about to leave with Xiao Wu in her arms when Shao Qiyun stopped her. "What did the reporter mean when he asked Shao Zhong this question just now? What has he done?"

He had previously been a little mute who couldn't even speak. Why was he so promising now? Was this a joke?