TRANSMIGRATING TO THE 80S TO BECOME STEPMOM TO FIVE BIGWIGS

by Usui Takumii

not mine, news novel.

31. 181 to 190

Chapter 181: Shao Xi's Book Got Published

"It's none of your business. Don't get in the way." Mu Jingzhe didn't like Zhao Lan and Shao Qiyun's gazes. Upon recalling that Zhao Lan had even intended to snatch the five kids back, she left directly.

Mu Jingzhe left with the children, leaving Zhao Lan and Shao Qiyun to look at each other.

After a moment, it was Zhao Lan who broke the silence. "Xiao Yun…"

"Mom, tell me about the children first, as well as the things you complained to me about previously." Shao Qiyun's gaze flickered.

On the other side, Mu Jingzhe finally calmed down a little after her brief encounter with Zhao Lan and Shao Qiyun.

"Let's go home first."

When they got home, Mu Jingzhe shared the good news with the five kids. Shao Dong and the others, including Shao Qiyang, praised Little Bei and Xiao Wu for being outstanding.

Shao Xi praised Little Bei and Xiao Wu, but his eyes were always on Mu Jingzhe. Mu Jingzhe seemed to sense it after feeling his stare for a while.

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"What's wrong, Little Xi? Do you have something to tell me?"

As soon as Mu Jingzhe asked, Shao Qiyang, Shao Dong, and the others smiled and looked at Shao Xi.

Shao Xi coughed. "I have something to tell you."

"What?"

Shao Xi stood up and ran away. Seeing that Mu Jingzhe was puzzled, Shao Qiyang explained to her, "He went to get something. He placed it in your room to surprise you, but you didn't see it."

"What is it?"

"You'll find out shortly. I helped him get it back today."

Shao Xi returned quickly. He walked over and coughed before putting the thing he had hidden behind him in front of Mu Jingzhe. "Although my news isn't as big of a deal as Little Bei and Xiao Wu's… it's still good news."

Mu Jingzhe had already seen the item. It was a book.

The portrait on the cover was very familiar. It was a portrait of the five siblings she had casually drawn previously. On the book was the title 'My Family', and the author was Shao Xi.

Mu Jingzhe stood up abruptly. "Little Xi, this is… this is your book? It's been published?"

Shao Xi looked at Mu Jingzhe's delighted expression and pretended to be calm. However, his rapidly curling lips revealed his true emotions.

"It's just a sample book. It'll take some time for it to be officially published."

"Wow, that's great. You're a published author now. That's really you, Little Xi. But why were you hiding it from me? When did you submit the manuscript?"

"A while ago. I didn't think of it either. It was an editor who kept in touch with me that said I could try. I didn't expect it to succeed."

"You hid it very well. Thank goodness my heart is fine. Otherwise, I really wouldn't be able to take it." It was such a pleasant surprise that good news kept coming one after another.

Mu Jingzhe eagerly flipped it open. Upon seeing the familiar drawings, she asked, "These are the ones I drew, right?"

"Mm, you drew them, Mommy. So this book was actually published with your help."

"I was wondering why you wanted my notebook previously and even asked if I could let you use it. It had such a use then. I was wondering how you would use it."

"I think Mommy draws the best." Shao Xi straightened his back. "This is the first book I received. I'm giving it to you, Mommy."

"Thank you, Little Xi. I'll read it carefully. I'll go buy it when it's officially published. It'll be placed alongside the newspaper that published your article."

Mu Jingzhe couldn't wait to start reading that night. She accidentally stayed up late and finished reading the entire book in one go.

Fortunately, there was electricity now. Otherwise, she would have had to use a flashlight to read.

As far as Shao Xi's first published book was concerned, both the content and the fact that it was published so early exceeded Mu Jingzhe's expectations.

Shao Xi was only eight years old, but he had already published a novel. He was practically a legend. However, when she thought about the fact that he had published many articles in the past, she found it normal.

The content he wrote was also unexpected. It was composed of little stories that he recorded. They had a similar nature to a diary, but they were written in a completely different way. They were very intriguing and full of life and exuded a childlike innocence. There were also many little stories about him living with his siblings and mother.

In addition, there was a record of them being attacked by the snakes, but it was more dramatic and sublimated. It was filled with excitement and adventure and it also had an educational effect—it showed everyone what to do if they were bitten by a snake.

He had written many interesting things to show people how parents and children communicated. His excellent views were reflected in the words of the text.

The only thing Mu Jingzhe thought after reading it was: Fantastic, this book was very worth reading. She had a premonition that the sales of this book would definitely be pretty good. This was a book that could be read by every age group, and there were different benefits to be reaped by every age group. People of the same age as Shao Xi could read it, and adults could also read it. It was wonderful and child-friendly.

Thanks to the addition of the cartoon drawings Mu Jingzhe had casually drawn in the past year, the book became even more interesting. In these cartoon drawings, the five children, their mother, and uncle were all vividly portrayed on paper.

It was adorable, full of childlike innocence, and it made people smile from the bottom of their hearts.

In any case, Mu Jingzhe's face was sore from laughing. She was afraid that her laughter would be too scary, so she even had to cover her mouth.

Reading the book was also a process of recollection for Mu Jingzhe.

It was only then that she realized that so many things had happened in the year when she had transmigrated. So many things had happened with the children.

Seeing that the sky was still dark, Mu Jingzhe wrote down her review of the book. When Shao Xi woke up, she carefully handed it to him.

"Little Xi, this is what your number one fan, Mu Jingzhe, feels after reading it."

"Alright, I'll read it carefully and reflect on myself." Shao Xi also took it seriously.

In the end, Shao Xi nervously opened it and saw that, other than the first part being quite normal, the rest of the contents flattered and praised him.

In the past, Mu Jingzhe had praised him a lot. However, it had been only verbally. This was the first time he was seeing the written version of someone sucking up to him. Shao Xi had been secretly smiling to himself the entire day before he carefully stored the review away. In the end, he even chased after Shao Dong and the others to make them read the book so that they could pen down their afterthoughts.

He didn't let Xiao Wu off either. "Xiao Wu, you can use pinyin for words that you don't know how to spell, but you can't write less than 1,000 words."

Shao Dong, Shao Nan, and Little Bei: "You think you're a teacher giving out homework? No less than 1,000 words to boot."

"Mommy wrote 2,000 words!" Shao Xi indicated that he had counted the characters one by one. A total of 1,000 words had been simply praising him.

Shao Dong, Shao Nan, and Little Bei: "But you can't force us to write."

"You guys have to write. Uncle has to write too."

Shao Qiyang: "Little Xi, I really like this book, but I honestly can't write 1,000 words. In the past, I was most afraid of writing essays when I was in school. I won't be able to come up with that many words."

"Uncle, parents have to be good role models. You're the reason my brothers and Little Bei declined. If even Mommy can write, why can't you?"

Shao Qiyang: "…"

Previously, he had tried to express his feelings to Mu Jingzhe by writing a letter, but after holding it in for three nights, he couldn't manage to squeeze out even a few words. Now, he had even been asked to write 1,000 words. Wasn't this a joke?

If he could write so well, he would have written a love letter to Mu Jingzhe long ago!

For the first time, Shao Qiyang, Shao Dong, Shao Nan, Little Bei, and Xiao Wu looked at Mu Jingzhe helplessly.

Mu Jingzhe pretended not to see their accusing gazes and focused on designing Little Bei and Xiao Wu's tiny gown and tuxedo.

Chapter 182: Preparing a Birthday Present

Before school started, Mu Jingzhe finished making the little gown and tuxedo. The night before school started, Little Bei and Xiao Wu tried them on and then couldn't bear to take them off.

"They're lovely. Mommy, we really like them."

"That's good."

Shao Dong, Shao Xi, and Shao Nan were staring at them with some envy in their eyes. Xiao Wu's little suit and bow tie were really nice.

They all kind of wanted the same outfit, but they were embarrassed to say so because they didn't seem like they would be attending an award ceremony.

They didn't say anything, but Mu Jingzhe wasn't blind. She could see that they liked the outfit. "Do you like it? If you do, I'll make it for you too. Come on, Shao Dong, let's measure your size again."

Shao Dong's feet moved, but he said, "There's no need for that, right?"

"Come over here quickly. I'll speed up and get it done before the award ceremony. When the time comes, we'll go together to participate in the most important moment in Little Bei and Xiao Wu's lives and witness their glory."

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Shao Dong immediately stood obediently in front of Mu Jingzhe.

The next day was the 1st of March, the first day of school. The four children insisted on skipping a grade and forcibly skipped another grade. When school reopened, Shao Dong and Shao Xi directly jumped to the fifth grade, while Little Bei and Shao Nan jumped straight to the fourth grade.

Xiao Wu was still not old enough to enroll in school, but he had already gone to sit in on second-grade classes.

After all, he had basically already learned the first-grade curriculum.

Xiao Wu was likable, so everyone in the village liked him, including the teachers. They allowed him to sit in on the class just because he wanted to.

When school reopened, the children became the most eye-catching existences again. However, Fu, Lu, Shou, and Xǐ next door were in trouble. This was because Shao Dong and his siblings had skipped a grade and were now in the same grade as them.

Regardless of whether Dong, Xi, Nan, or Bei were in the same grade as them, Fu, Lu, and Shou's grades were inferior to them. The teacher told them to learn from their younger cousins and even asked why there was such a big difference between them when they were all from the Shao Family.

Never mind the fact that their appearances were vastly different, their brains were also poles apart.

Fu, Lu, Shou, and Xǐ, who weren't interested in learning at all, were basically in last place. Zhao Lan and their parents didn't care much either. Even now, they still didn't know how to add, subtract, multiply, and divide. When the math teacher saw the results as he handed out the exam paper on the first day of school and commented on them, he couldn't help but ask Shao Fu and Shao Lu if their heads contained tofu instead.

Then, they became famous. After class ended, their classmates all called them 'tofu brains'.

In the past, Fu, Lu, and Shou had never thought that there was anything wrong with their grades being poor. However, when he saw Shao Dong, Shao Xi, and the others surrounded by praise and noticed how well they were dressed and how clean they looked, they looked at themselves…

Slowly, Fu, Lu, and Shou developed a concept of beauty and ugliness and felt shameful, sad, and inferior. They went back home crying and asked Eldest Brother Shao and Eldest Sister-In-Law Shao why they had been born like this, why they weren't good-looking, and why their brains weren't smart.

The three questions, rapidly asked one after the other, left Eldest Sister Shao and Zhao Lan speechless. They didn't wish for things to be like this either.

They couldn't answer Fu, Lu, Shou, and Xǐ's questions, but they knew that their children were being bullied. They went to the school and made a fuss, even scolding the math teacher.

They wanted to avenge their children, but in the end, they became an even bigger joke. Thanks to the fuss they made in school, everyone in the village now knew that Fu, Lu, and Shou had been called 'tofu brains'.

When Mu Jingzhe heard that, she burst out laughing. "Ha ha, this is too funny. This math teacher is really talented. Why doesn't he teach Chinese?"

Shao Qiyang also couldn't help but laugh when he heard that. He had finally mustered up the courage to confess his feelings, but Mu Jingzhe had been extremely busy these days. He had also been busy, so things had dragged on until now.

Still… this wouldn't drag on any longer. It would be Jingzhe's birthday in a few days. He would definitely seize the opportunity to express his feelings then.

For the past two days, Shao Qiyang had been pondering over what birthday gift to get her. In the past year, other than Shao Nan and Little Bei's birthdays, when they could only eat a bowl of longevity noodles because they fell on a special day, she had put in a great deal of effort to prepare for Shao Dong, Shao Xi, and Xiao Wu's birthdays.

As for Shao Qiyang's birthday, she had also specifically made longevity noodles for him. She had even killed chickens and celebrated his birthday with him and the children.

In this day and age, there were very few people who celebrated their birthdays. Being able to eat an egg on one's birthday was already considered very good. Like Shao Qihai, Shao Qiyang had never celebrated his birthday or eaten an egg.

Zhao Lan had never once remembered their birthdays, only Eldest Brother Shao's and Shao Qiyun's. Although Shao Qiyang didn't say it out loud, he was actually envious of his eldest brother and younger sister.

Because of Mu Jingzhe, for the first time in his life ever, he'd gotten to celebrate his birthday.

Now that it was her birthday, he would also prepare a gift attentively.

Then, Shao Qiyang realized that the kids had the same thought as him. The children had already started to secretly prepare gifts. They were afraid that they would buy too expensive a gift and even secretly held a meeting. Shao Qiyang accidentally heard them and hurriedly eavesdropped, afraid that he too would buy too expensive a gift.

"I want to give Mommy a song." This was Xiao Wu's idea.

"I bought a watch for Mommy. Her watch is scratched. It doesn't look good." This was Shao Xi.

"I was going to buy her one. When I found out that you bought it, I bought her a silver bracelet instead. We have agreed to let Mommy wear gold and silver. I'll get Mommy a silver bracelet for now and change it to a gold bracelet in the future." This was Shao Dong.

"Then we'll buy it together when the time comes," Shao Xi immediately added.

"I wanted to give Mommy a car the most, but I don't have enough money, so I could only settle for the next best option and buy Mommy a perfume that smelled nice." This was Little Bei.

"My gift is different from yours, guys. I bought a stove, an air blower, and ordered some coal. From now on, Mommy's eyes won't sting because of the smoke anymore. She won't have to choke while blowing on a blowtorch either, Uncle won't have to go up the mountain to cut firewood, and we won't have to fight with wit and courage with Mom to go up the mountain to pick up pine cones and dried firewood."

Shao Nan was quite particular about practicality, so he had bought practical gifts.

Shao Dong nodded. "Little Nan, well done." They had helped Mu Jingzhe burn firewood and blow the blowtorch before, so they knew just how hard it was for her.

Sometimes, when it was raining and she was too busy to gather firewood, even if she blew until her cheeks turned red and hurt, it wouldn't necessarily work. She might even choke on the thick smoke and cough non-stop as tears streamed down her face.

The children's discussion came to an end and turned into a discussion about blowing on a blowtorch.

Shao Qiyang left quietly. He suddenly felt that the gifts he had thought of were far inferior to those of the children. Little Nan had thought of buying a stove, coal, and an air blower, and Little Bei had even dared to think of buying a car. Unfortunately, they weren't just daydreaming. They might really buy these in the near future.

In order not to get the same gifts as them, Shao Qiyang made a lot of effort before finally deciding to get her a necklace.

He chose a silver necklace after thinking about it for a long time. In the end, he ran into Ji Buwang after buying it. Ji Buwang was also there to buy things, but he hadn't seen him.

Shao Qiyang wanted to pretend that he hadn't seen him and leave, but he then heard the person beside Ji Buwang ask him something.

"Buwang, are you really going to learn how to make a cake yourself? You can just leave it to the kitchen or order one."

"No, it's better to do it personally. There's still time. I'll learn."

Shao Qiyang frowned when he heard that. To think Ji Buwang wanted to make a cake himself. If he personally prepared the cake, Jingzhe would definitely be touched.

Shao Qiyang, who had originally planned to confess his feelings on her birthday, was a little anxious. What if Ji Buwang also came to meddle that day? What if he didn't get a chance in the end? What if Jingzhe reciprocated Ji Buwang's feelings ahead of time?

Chapter 183: Since You're Holding My Hand, You Have to Be Responsible

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

Shao Qiyang was gripped by anxiety all of a sudden. Should he push forward his plans? Yes, he had to. Shao Qiyang made up his mind and quickly walked out.

There was no time like the present. Why not just do it today and strike while the iron was hot?

Since Ji Buwang was making a cake, he had to show his sincerity. Perhaps he could make her a meal. Shao Qiyang bought some food and rushed home. Before Mu Jingzhe returned, he made dinner.

It was rare for Shao Qiyang to be so decisive, but he didn't know that while he was cooking, Ji Buwang had already met Mu Jingzhe.

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The children and Shao Qiyang were busy buying gifts for Mu Jingzhe's upcoming birthday, and Mu Jingzhe was also busy preparing herself.

In the past, she hadn't even known her actual birthday. Not long after her birth, she had been abandoned at the entrance of the orphanage. There had been no keepsake or anything like that, not even a note mentioning her birthdate. Her biological parents hadn't left any traces, minimizing the possibility of her looking for them when she grew up.

According to the director, she shouldn't even have been a month old at the time, but he hadn't been able to deduce her exact birthday either. In the end, he'd decided that the day she'd entered the orphanage would be her birthday.

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However, that was only the date on her identification card. It wasn't really her birthday.

After becoming Mu Jingzhe, she finally had a real birthday. It would be a lie to say that she wasn't looking forward to it. However, Mu Jingzhe also thought of Li Zhaodi.

It was said that a child's birthday was also a mother's day of suffering. Back then, Li Zhaodi had given birth to her after a day and night of pain.

Mu Jingzhe had been born prematurely. It hadn't been her due date yet. Back then, Li Zhaodi had secretly eaten a few walnuts in order to give the child in her stomach more nutrition. In the end, she had been chased by Old Lady Mu and had fallen down, which had resulted in her premature labor.

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At the time, the women who gave birth didn't go to the hospital. They only gave birth at home. Whether they lived or died depended on their fate.

Li Zhaodi had given birth prematurely due to an external force, and this had been her first pregnancy. It had been very difficult for her to give birth. The midwife that had been invited had even asked if they wanted to protect the mother or the child. In her daze, Li Zhaodi had said to protect the child.

Fortunately, the heavens had eyes. Mu Jingzhe had been born successfully, and Li Zhaodi had managed to stay alive.

When she'd heard this, Mu Jingzhe's heart had ached for Li Zhaodi. She felt that, instead of celebrating her birthday, it was Li Zhaodi who deserved blessings and gratitude on that day.

Mu Jingzhe had already decided that she would buy Li Zhaodi a gift and make her the most delicious food. However, she also wanted to repay her before her birthday arrived.

Therefore, before her birthday, she went out early to help Li Zhaodi and Mu Teng with their shop. After the peak morning period, she took Li Zhaodi out to shop.

Li Zhaodi actually liked to look pretty too, but she kept feeling embarrassed because she felt old. However, she would take a few more glances at permed-haired women.

Dyeing hair had yet to gain popularity at the time, but perming was a trend. It could be considered popular throughout the whole country. Many people in the county city had permed their hair. As long as their hair was permed, they were considered fashionable. Although there were some styles that Mu Jingzhe didn't appreciate, some of those hairstyles were indeed beautiful and retro.

She took Li Zhaodi to perm her hair. Afraid that Li Zhaodi would think it was a waste of money, Mu Jingzhe paid in advance. "I've already paid in advance, and there's no way to get that money back. Mom, just get your hair permed."

Though Li Zhaodi muttered that she felt embarrassed, her body—which was evidently more honest than her mouth—moved and sat down. During the process of perming her hair, she flaunted to the barber how filial Mu Jingzhe was. Seeing the barber's helpless gaze, Mu Jingzhe covered her face and apologized.

When she came out of the hair salon, Li Zhaodi was a curly-haired, fashionable woman, and the first person in the village to have such a hairstyle.

Li Zhaodi, who had her head raised, was unbelievably happy. When she passed by the display window, she admired her glamorous reflection. Later on, she even bought a matching scarf. Brimming with confidence, she was anxious to return to the village.

Although she claimed that she was afraid that it would be dark by the time she got back, she was actually rushing back to show off.

Amused, Mu Jingzhe said they should go back after getting a quick bite but ended up meeting Ji Buwang.

When Ji Buwang saw that Li Zhaodi had permed her hair, he immediately praised her sweetly, saying that she was pretty, young, and fashionable. Li Zhaodi was over the moon.

When she saw Ji Buwang praise Li Zhaodi sincerely even though he couldn't see her face, Mu Jingzhe was dumbfounded.

Li Zhaodi was praised so much that she wasn't even in a hurry to go back. She even discussed permed hair with Ji Buwang. Ji Buwang said that he had been born with it, but this didn't stop them from discussing the topic enthusiastically.

Later on, for some reason, the two of them talked about whether people with curly hair were the fittest to wear sunglasses. Ji Buwang then offered to buy Li Zhaodi a pair of sunglasses.

They found a shop that sold sunglasses, and Li Zhaodi tried on pair after pair before finally deciding on a pair.

After Li Zhaodi put on her sunglasses, her disposition really changed—she now looked particularly like a female bandit who could abduct someone to make him her captive husband. Ji Buwang was like a good civilian she had snatched away.

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In particular, the more Li Zhaodi looked at Ji Buwang, the more she liked him and was satisfied with him. When she held his hand, they resembled a female bandit and her captive husband even more.

When Li Zhaodi waved her hand for Mu Jingzhe to go over, Mu Jingzhe quickly pushed away this strange thought.

Li Zhaodi was very happy after putting on her sunglasses. The only problem was that she wasn't used to them. She couldn't even walk properly with them on. In places with no sun, she kept saying that she couldn't see, so Mu Jingzhe held her hand.

"Mom, don't wear the sunglasses if you can't see."

"No, I can see." Li Zhaodi couldn't bear to remove them.

Due to this delay, they didn't have time to eat. Ji Buwang said that he would buy some food on the way back. There were quite a lot of people buying food. As they were waiting in line, Mu Jingzhe felt someone bump against her arm. Thinking that it was Li Zhaodi, she didn't turn around and habitually held her hand.

In the end, she felt that something was wrong as soon as she held her hand. Although Li Zhaodi was a woman, she worked all year round. Her hand was very rough and hard, so why was this hand so tender…

Mu Jingzhe turned around and saw Ji Buwang looking at her innocently. "Where's my mother?"

Mu Jingzhe quickly let go of his hand, but Ji Buwang refused to let go and instead grabbed it and pointed to the side.

There was a public bathroom not far away. Li Zhaodi had gone to the bathroom.

Mu Jingzhe understood. She looked at their hands and, seeing that there were people beside them, quickly whispered, "Let go now."

She didn't think much of kissing in the streets in the modern world, but perhaps because she was used to being conservative in this day and age, this act made her heart tremble.

Mu Jingzhe exerted force, and this time, he quickly let go.

A trace of regret flashed past Ji Buwang's eyes, but he smiled and whispered, "Jingzhe, you held my hand just now."

"I thought it was my mother's."

"Anyway, you held my hand. What's more, you took the initiative. No girl has ever held my hand in my entire life, so you have to be held responsible."

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Ji Buwang made it sound as if Mu Jingzhe had forced herself on him and stolen his innocence. Mu Jingzhe looked around and quickly tugged at him.

"Don't spout nonsense." She had just let her thoughts run wild about Ji Buwang being Li Zhaodi's captive husband. Now that he'd said this, it sounded like the mother-and-daughter bandits were bullying him.

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"I'm not spouting nonsense. Or are you trying to shirk responsibility after holding my hand?" Ji Buwang looked at Mu Jingzhe innocently.

"I admit that I did hold your hand, but…" Who would take responsibility for just holding hands? This wasn't ancient times, and he was a man!

"It's good that you admit it." Ji Buwang's eyes lit up, and he didn't listen to what she said next.

Chapter 184: Mu Jingzhe Is a Shameless Woman

"You…" Mu Jingzhe was at a loss for words. Then, she looked up and saw that Li Zhaodi had returned. "Mom!"

With sharp eyes and agile hands, she took the things the boss handed her. Without even turning her head, she shouted at Ji Buwang to pay, then pulled Li Zhaodi, who wanted to greet Ji Buwang, away.

If she stayed any longer, she wouldn't be able to take it anymore. Ji Buwang's disposition was good, and he was too handsome. As a woman, she would get flustered.

Ji Buwang looked at Mu Jingzhe's back and laughed. "You're scared very easily."

Mu Jingzhe brought Li Zhaodi back to Great Eastern Village. Li Zhaodi's curly hair and large sunglasses instantly became the focus of the villagers.

Seeing that Li Zhaodi was satisfied and started to joke around with the villagers, Mu Jingzhe shook her head and returned home.

As soon as she got home, she realized that Shao Qiyang had cooked a lot of food that she and the children loved.

When Shao Qiyang saw that Mu Jingzhe had returned right on time for the meal, he heaved a sigh of relief. Seeing that there was still time, he even cleaned up and changed into new clothes.

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He carefully put the necklace in his pocket and silently prayed that he would succeed. Then, Shao Qiyang went to call Mu Jingzhe and the others over for dinner. However, before he could sit down, Zhao Lan arrived.

She hadn't come alone. Shao Qiyun was also there, followed by Eldest Brother Shao and Eldest Sister-In-Law Shao.

Zhao Lan and the others had arrived without a warning. The moment they arrived, they came with fierce momentum. As soon as they entered, Shao Qiyang sensed that something was wrong.

"Why are you here?"

Zhao Lan glanced at Shao Qiyang. "We're not here for you today. Go get Mu Jingzhe to come out."

"What do you want again?" Shao Qiyang gritted his teeth and looked at Shao Qiyun. "Shao Qiyun, every time we see you, you're up to no good. What did you encourage Mom to do this time? Have you forgotten my warning? Aren't you afraid of getting beaten up again?"

"Shao Qiyang, what are you shouting for? How dare you scold your younger sister? You ungrateful thing. Didn't you say that you wouldn't acknowledge me as your mother? Why do you care so much now?"

Zhao Lan was furious when she saw Shao Qiyang. However, Shao Qiyang wasn't important now. She would pretend that she had never given birth to this son of hers. Zhao Lan pushed Shao Qiyang away and looked at Mu Jingzhe, who was walking out.

"I'm here to find Mu Jingzhe."

Mu Jingzhe raised her chin. "What do you want to say to me? You even brought so many people with you?"

"It's still about the same matter as last time. Return the five kids to me. You're not allowed to bring them along when you remarry."

"You brought so many people just to snatch the kids?"

As expected, Mu Jingzhe thought to herself. "I want to say something first. No matter how many times you come and how many people you bring, I'll say the same thing: No way."

"You're not their biological mother, so why can't you just let go of the five children? Today, we're here to get them back no matter what."

Shao Qiyun spoke from the side with a domineering tone. She looked at the kids behind Mu Jingzhe with sparkling eyes.

Previously, Shao Qiyun hadn't bothered paying attention to Mu Jingzhe and the rest, nor had she bothered listening to Zhao Lan's nagging. That was until she'd seen Little Bei's movie at the movie theater and then Little Bei's commercial on TV.

It was only then that she'd realized that even Shao Nan had appeared on TV and participated in a show. She had heard from Zhao Lan that some teachers from the Imperial University also frequently wrote letters and sent books to Shao Nan, vying to be his teacher.

Shao Qiyun had also seen Shao Dong buy a silver bracelet. Based on his conversation with the salesperson, it seemed that he had bought it for his mother.

He was such a young child, yet he could actually buy a silver bracelet that even she couldn't afford. What did this mean? It meant that his factory was earning money. In addition, during the last interview, she had seen that Little Bei and even Xiao Wu had become successful, so not a single one of the five children was lagging behind. She couldn't help but have designs on them.

She had asked Zhao Lan in detail, and the more she'd asked, the more shocked she had been. Just as Zhao Lan had said, these golden dolls were right beside them. Why not snatch them back? If she had the children in her hands and used them to earn money, she wouldn't have to wash dishes anymore. It would be her wearing the silver bracelet instead.

In terms of kinship, Mu Jingzhe, their stepmother, wasn't as close to them as her, their biological aunt. Logically speaking, unlike her, Mu Jingzhe wasn't fit to wear a silver bracelet.

After washing dishes for some time, her hands had already become rough. She would also frequently be teased by some senseless men. She wouldn't meet any rich men in such a small shop either. She had wanted to quit for a long time.

However, it would be different if she had the children in her hands. She could use them to earn money, get a few commercials for Little Bei, and make her film movies. The money she earned would be much more than she'd make if she washed dishes. It would be easy to live a good life.

Besides, with her beauty, it wouldn't be impossible for her to become a celebrity. When the time came, she would have the chance to get to know rich men. It wouldn't be a bad idea to get to know a celebrity. Celebrities were rich too.

After Shao Qiyun had made up her mind, she and Zhao Lan had discussed how to snatch the children back. Zhao Lan had fearfully told her what Shao Nan had threatened them with.

However, Shao Qiyun hadn't taken it seriously. She'd only said that they didn't have to be afraid, for he was just making empty threats. The oldest, Shao Nan and Shao Xi, were only 8 years old and were still far from turning 18. They weren't adults yet. As guardians, the custody rights were in their hands. They, the adults, would be the ones to call the shots.

Unlike Zhao Lan, Shao Qiyun planned meticulously and only fought battles when she was prepared. When she returned to Great Eastern Village, the first thing she did was bring gifts with Zhao Lan and directly go to the prestigious elders in the village, as well as the families that didn't get along with Mu Jingzhe, to ask them to uphold justice.

Mu Jingzhe was currently popular in Great Eastern Village. Many people liked her and depended on her to make a living, but there were also people who disliked her or had been offended by her.

Everything went quite smoothly. Considering that Mu Jingzhe had a lot of supporters, Shao Qiyun was afraid that they'd have too few people on their side, so she had asked Zhao Lan to get her maternal family to come over as well. Only then did they come together to demand an explanation.

Shao Qiyun had come prepared. She kept harping on about the fact that Mu Jingzhe wasn't their biological mother and there were suspicions that she was getting married, trying to force Mu Jingzhe to let go.

Previously, they had discarded Shao Dong and his siblings very easily. Now that they were promising, they wanted to snatch them again. How could Mu Jingzhe let them go? The children were also furious.

However, the so-called 'virtuous and respected' elders who had come with Zhao Lan still felt that this made sense. Their family values were important, and they had a traditional mindset. They would repeat some variation of this over and over again: "As children and grandchildren, no matter what, we can't be unfilial to our parents and grandparents. The children should go back. It wasn't easy for Zhao Lan to raise them."

Compared to maternal kindness and filial piety, they cared more about the children's filial piety. In their opinion, now that the five kids had made something of themselves, no matter how Zhao Lan had raised them in the past, since she had raised them, they couldn't be ungrateful.

"We've already split up the family assets. We can live by ourselves now. We don't need her to raise us. How can we forcibly unsplit a family when we've already split up the family assets? I've never heard of that."

Shao Dong was now much more confident. Although he hadn't overcome his stutter yet, he was no longer afraid of speaking. It didn't matter if there were a lot of people around. He paused for a moment and then explained the situation clearly. "We're doing very well with our mother now. We don't need outsiders to take charge."

"Mu Jingzhe is a shameless woman. She's entangled in a messy relationship with a man and will get married soon. How is that considered doing very well?" Shao Qiyun said earnestly. "Shao Dong, you have to consider this from a long-term perspective. Your grandma and aunt are doing this for your own good."

Chapter 185: Who's Treating The Kids As Earning Tools?

Upon hearing Shao Qiyun's words, Zhao Lan's eyes lit up. She immediately added, "That's right. Mu Jingzhe lacks virtue as a married woman. In the past, she would have been drowned in a pigpen. But since we now live in a new society, let's not talk about these things. We won't stop her from getting married, but since she's immoral, she should return to her maiden home. She shouldn't continue staying with the Shao Family and disgracing us."

When she heard the words 'immoral' and 'drowned in a pigpen', Mu Jingzhe couldn't help but twitch her lips. "Since you know that this is a new society, what's there to say?"

"That's right. Even if Mommy gets married, it's our family's business. Why are you so anxious when we're not even objecting to it?" Shao Xi added. "We're willing to let Mommy stay here, and that's none of your concern. This is our house. We call the shots."

"Nonsense. Don't tell me you're going to let her new husband move into the Shao Residence when she remarries. That's absurd." The elders couldn't accept it.

Shao Qiyun chuckled and added, "Maybe the kids want to follow Mu Jingzhe over after she remarries."

"That won't do!"

"No, definitely not!"

As soon as Shao Qiyun said this, the elders started getting agitated. "It's not appropriate for them to follow their stepmother after she remarries. It's not like there's no one else in the Shao Family!"

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They pointed at Mu Jingzhe and warned her. "If you want to get married, go ahead and leave by yourself. But there's no way we will allow you to take the five kids away. They are descendants of the Shao Family."

Mu Jingzhe sneered. "I've said a few times already that I'm not getting married. Do you not understand the human language? Besides, even if I really get married in the future, I'll bring them along if I wish. If they want to, they can follow me. So what?"

"So what? You make it sound so nice. Isn't this just meant to cover up the fact that you've treated the kids as tools to earn money? Why do you think we came to snatch the kids? We did it to save them, lest they become your money-making tools."

Shao Qiyun didn't harp on the topic of Mu Jingzhe remarrying. Instead, she directly said the most heart-piercing words that could easily arouse everyone's emotions.

Indeed, as soon as she finished speaking, everyone's expressions changed.

Mu Jingzhe's expression also changed. "Shao Qiyun, make yourself clear. Since when have I treated them as tools to earn money?"

"Since when? It's always been like that. Don't try to deny it. You saw that the kids are good-looking, so you made use of this and took them to shoot commercials, movies, and even make them appear on television. Didn't all the money they earned end up in your pockets?"

Shao Qiyun raised her chin and asked, "Why, are you going to deny it?"

Mu Jingzhe sneered. "That isn't the case indeed. I've never touched the money they earned. I've already deposited it in their bank accounts."

Shao Qiyun hadn't expected such a thing. This was something she hadn't thought of at all. If it were her, she would definitely have been splurging with the money everywhere. The children were easy to trick, so why would she help them save the money?

Shao Qiyun put herself in Mu Jingzhe's shoes and didn't believe a single word. "How can you even tell such a lie?"

"Mommy isn't lying. That's exactly what she did. She didn't want the money we earned even though we wanted to give it to her. She's not like you. Don't think that others are villains just because you are one yourself." Shao Xi snorted and retorted quickly.

Shao Qiyun choked. "You're the villain!"

After saying that, she looked at the clothes Mu Jingzhe was wearing and thought about what she had seen previously. She calmed down and said, "Alright, even if the money has been saved in your accounts, it's just for show to make this sound nice. In the end, all the money will be spent on her.

"Mu Jingzhe, you're really scheming. You put on a noble front and go around telling everyone that you don't spend their money, but behind everyone's backs, you coax them into spending the money on you. One can tell just by looking at how many things they've bought for you."

Shao Qiyun glared at Mu Jingzhe. "You wear new clothes and shoes every day. Who in the village doesn't know that they bought them for you? Not only that, but they even bought some for your parents. You rely on these children to support your entire family. You people are vampires through and through."

"You're the vampire, Shao Qiyun. You little b*tch, is your skin itching again? Have you forgotten how I beat you up last time?" An angry shout came from the door. It was Li Zhaodi and Mu Teng. They had heard Zhao Lan and the others head to Mu Jingzhe's house and rushed over.

Li Zhaodi had been happily showing off to everyone when Zhao Lan and the rest had come to cause Mu Jingzhe trouble. The moment they'd arrived, they'd heard Shao Qiyun's accusations, which made Li Zhaodi feel quite incensed. She immediately gave Shao Qiyun a hard slap.

"You're always talking nonsense. You're not even married yet, but you're already spewing sh*t everywhere!"

Shao Qiyun was just having a jolly good time accusing Mu Jingzhe when Li Zhaodi showed up out of the blue, came up to her, and hit her. She was furious. "How dare you hit me!"

When Zhao Lan, who was beside her, saw that Shao Qiyun had been hit, she stepped forward to scratch Li Zhaodi without hesitation. However, before the two of them could move, they were shoved away by a strong force.

Zhao Lan was pushed into the crowd and fell in a sitting position on the legs of an old man. The two of them were flustered, whereas Shao Qiyun was directly pushed to the ground.

The mother-and-daughter duo flew into a rage and looked up to see Mu Jingzhe. Mu Jingzhe dusted her hands off and said, "I'm still here. Don't touch my mother. If you dare touch her, I'll entertain all of you!"

"Mu Jingzhe, how dare you get physical with us? You're simply lawless!"

"Mu Jingzhe, I'll beat you to death!"

The two of them cursed her and wanted to hit her, but someone held them back.

"Stop fighting. Even if all of us combined forces, we still wouldn't be able to beat her!"

"That's right. Zhao Lan, think about the badly beaten snake you saw last time."

Zhao Lan and Shao Qiyun choked. In terms of martial strength, they really were no match for Mu Jingzhe. Zhao Lan was extremely aggrieved. In the end, it was Shao Qiyun who calmed down. "Fine, we won't fight. We're here to reason with you, not to fight. Let's talk about the way Mu Jingzhe used the kids to earn money to provide for her family."

With Mu Jingzhe protecting her, Li Zhaodi wasn't afraid of anything. She placed her hands on her waist and started scolding them. "If you can't win, just say so. Don't give us that crap about you being here to reason with us and whatnot. Bah, are you fit to associate yourself with the word 'reason'?"

"Li Zhaodi, don't go overboard!"

"So what if I'm bullying you? You can't beat us in a fight. Even if we were to reason with you, we would not be afraid. We're using the five kids to earn money to support our entire family? Bah! We don't need them to provide for us. They're being filial to us by buying us things. Do you think everyone is as useless as you people?"

Mu Han and Mu Jingzhe both made money, and the couple also made money in town themselves. This gave Li Zhaodi the confidence to speak. She placed her hands on her waist and continued to fire. "Is there anyone in Great Eastern Village who earns more money than our family? Especially Jingzhe. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that she is the richest person in the village. Any one of the four of us in this family is more promising than your entire family added up. Do we need the kids to provide for us?

"And what the heck do you mean by calling her a vampire? Jingzhe is using these children to earn money? Pfft. Does she need to? Only a bunch of useless, cowardly leeches like your family would need someone to provide for them. If anything, Jingzhe has been spending money and energy on the five kids."

Chapter 186: Let's Perish Together

Upon hearing Li Zhaodi's words, Shao Dong and the others also heaved a sigh of relief and nodded. The onlookers had no choice but to admit she was right. The way they looked at Zhao Lan and Shao Qiyun became subtle.

Zhao Lan and Shao Qiyun's faces turned red, and they nearly choked to death. However, for a while, they really couldn't find anything to say back. This was because they couldn't deny that Mu Jingzhe was really capable of earning money now. Even if one said she was the richest person in the village, no one would have the courage to stand up and object.

Therefore, Shao Qiyun could only scoff and say, "Don't try to act tough. How much money can the kids spend? Aren't the children earning their own money? Why would they need her to spend money on them? Besides, isn't she just spending money so that she can earn money afterward…"

Shao Qiyun wanted to slander them further, but the kids could no longer bear to listen.

"Enough!" Shao Nan couldn't take it anymore and interrupted Shao Qiyun. "Who do you think you are? What right do you have to judge? Vampire? You're the vampires. Do you think everyone is a fool? Who doesn't know what your entire family is like?"

Shao Nan sneered. "Put away your ugly faces. Let's cut to the chase today. No matter how much effort you make, no matter how many people you bring here with you, there's no way we're going back with you.

"Don't even think of slandering or wronging Mommy. We're happy to spend money on Mommy. How we choose to spend our money is up to us. Anyway, we would rather donate it than let you use it. Stop wasting effort and give up on the thought of snatching us back. Let me make it abundantly clear to you: We don't want to! We don't want to go back with you, let alone acknowledge you!"

As soon as Shao Nan spoke, he unleashed his full combat strength, infuriating Shao Qiyun and Zhao Lan. Zhao Lan opened her mouth to curse when she heard this, but Shao Qiyun quickly stopped her.

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At a time like this, they couldn't act rashly. She forcefully suppressed her anger and sighed helplessly. "Little Nan, it's precisely because Aunt was worried that you would become like this that we decided to bring you home to raise you.

"You used to be so obedient and polite in the past, but look at you now. You don't look like a child at all. You've been taught badly by Mu Jingzhe."

After she said that, Shao Qiyun looked at everyone. "You all saw it, right? That's not all. This child has been led astray by Mu Jingzhe and her family. Who in the village doesn't know about Li Zhaodi and Mu Jingzhe's reputation? Children learn from the good but also from the bad. What's going to happen in the future?"

After Shao Qiyun finished speaking, she waited for everyone to nod in agreement. However, even though she waited for a while, there was no response. She was feeling very puzzled. Zhao Lan, who was beside her, tugged at Shao Qiyun's clothes anxiously. "It's not like that anymore."

Shao Qiyun didn't live in Great Eastern Village, so she didn't know that Mu Jingzhe and Li Zhaodi's image had changed. Especially after what had happened with Old Lady Mu, it was impossible to use their old shrewish image against them.

Although Shao Qiyun still didn't understand Zhao Lan's reminder, she reacted quickly and immediately added, "Everyone probably doesn't know yet. Actually, Shao Nan previously threatened my mother that if she offended them again, he would kill her by arson or poison. He even said that he was still young and that even if he committed murder and arson, he wouldn't have to go to jail. Look at how scary he is. If that is true, it won't be long before our village is doomed.

"I was terrified upon hearing this from my mother. If this continues, those children will definitely be taught by Mu Jingzhe to commit murder and arson. That's why we're here today. Although I may appear like the bad guy now, they're still my older brother's descendants. I can't just watch as the children are ruined."

Murder and arson were very sensitive topics. When the villagers heard this, they were moved so much that they looked at each other.

"Really? Shao Nan, you really said that?"

"No way. That would be really terrifying if it was true. He's only a child, yet he's already talking about committing murder and arson. He even said that he won't have to go to jail."

The way everyone looked at the children changed, especially the way they looked at Shao Nan.

Mu Jingzhe saw that things had turned against them and quickly said, "Shao Qiyun, don't make a deliberate misinterpretation out of context. It was clearly Zhao Lan who wanted to snatch the kids back because she saw that they were earning money. That's why Little Nan said that he would be abused if he went back with her and he would have no choice but to do this if that happened. You…"

"So you're admitting that he did say that." Shao Qiyun interrupted Mu Jingzhe and looked directly at Shao Nan. "Shao Nan, tell me, did you say such a horrifying thing? Who taught you that young people don't have to go to jail even if they commit crimes?"

"No one taught me. I learned it myself by reading books!" Shao Nan retorted. He had never expected that the words he'd used to protect himself and threaten Zhao Lan would become evidence used against his mother today.

"Then who gave you the book? It was Mu Jingzhe, wasn't it? She's harming you. How can you teach children like this? Of all things, why did you teach them to commit arson and murder and tell them that kids don't have to go to jail for that…"

"Shut up. You're not going to slander my mother!" Shao Nan looked at Shao Qiyun's face with vehement hatred. Shao Dong and the others had the same look.

Shao Qiyun let out a gasp and retreated in shock. "What kind of gaze is that…"

"That's how they looked at me back then. Look at their eyes. Aren't they really scary? It's like they want to kill me now!"

Zhao Lan finally found an opportunity to complain. "I was scared to death the first time I saw them like this. I am the one who raised them. After all I did to raise them, they still treated me like this…"

Shao Nan laughed in exasperation. "You still have the nerve to mention that you raised us? How did you raise us? We couldn't even drink soup when you people ate meat. Even though we were starving and freezing, we had to work and get bullied!

"Ever since I can remember, I've never had a full meal! I've never worn a new set of clothes! When we were sick, you asked my dad for money, but you never took us to the doctor. You only saved money to buy good food for Fu, Lu, Shou, and Xǐ. You said that even if we died from illness, we'd deserve it.

"In order to save a bit on school fees, you didn't even want us to go to school. We remember everything clearly! Everyone saw it too. It's only been a year since Mommy came, and everyone still remembers.

"Yes, I did threaten you, but that was because you forced us. After our father passed away, you thought of us as a burden and carved out our share of the family assets. You didn't want to take care of us, and when you abandoned us with the intention of leaving us to starve and freeze to death, it was Mommy who took over and took care of us. She made sure we never went hungry and got to wear warm clothes. She treated us with love and provided us with learning opportunities. It was only thanks to her that we finally got to live a good life for a year.

"It wasn't easy for us to live a full, warm year, but when you saw that we were capable of earning money, you wanted to drag us back to slog for you and make us live the way we did in the past. Who do you think would be willing to do that? We might as well take you down with us instead. Be it by poison or arson, we can die together and have peace!"

Shao Qiyun knew how to change the subject, and so did Shao Nan. Besides, Shao Nan was telling the truth.

When he said these words, the villagers were all moved. That's right, not much time had passed. They all remembered seeing this clearly. If it were them, they probably would have made the same choice as Shao Nan.

Chapter 187: The Bloodline of the Shao Family? We Find It Dirty!

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

Seeing that Shao Nan had reversed the situation with just a few words, Shao Qiyun immediately panicked. "The five of you don't have any blood relations to her. Why is Mu Jingzhe so good to you for no rhyme or reason? It's because she wants to use you to earn money…"

"Enough!" Shao Xi exploded. "Even now, you're still talking about using us to earn money. You're the ones who want to use us to earn money, which resulted in this scene today. Shao Qiyun, do you think you're qualified to speak ill of Mommy?

"Didn't you attack Mommy and say so many bad things about her just because Mommy isn't our biological mother? Is being a stepmother a sin?"

Shao Qiyun choked. "Well she is a stepmother…"

"So what if she's a stepmother? Certain biological mothers and biological grandmothers can't even compare to a stepmother, so what right do you have to attack her? Everything else aside, no one in Great Eastern Village can do better than Mommy. None of you can."

Shao Qiyun's face turned pale when he heard Shao Xi's words. The words that had been about to come out of her mouth got stuck in her throat.

Zhao Lan clenched her hands and couldn't help but look at Xiao Wu. When she saw Xiao Wu glaring at them with a look of fury, her heart sank. She pulled Shao Qiyun behind her and told Shao Xi, "Shao Xi, do you think your wings have hardened just because you're now earning some money? Aren't you just saying that because you despise me for being poor?

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"Stop that bull crap about how wonderful your stepmother is. You're only saying these things because she knows how to make money. It's true that I didn't spend that much money raising you kids, but that's only because I didn't have money…"

"I knew you would bring up this excuse." Shao Xi sneered and didn't give Zhao Lan a chance to speak. "If you didn't have money, how could you use the money my father sent back to build a new house? If you didn't have money, how could you raise Fu, Lu, Shou, and Xǐ into the four pigs they are now?"

Everyone's gazes unanimously turned to Fu, Lu, Shou, and Xǐ, who were watching the show. Fu, Shou, and Xǐ hadn't expected to get attacked while watching the show and gloating.

Upon seeing everyone's gazes, they sucked their stomachs in. Alas, that really didn't help much. No matter how much they tried sucking in their stomachs, their round tummies were hanging right there, making it impossible to ignore them.

Upon looking at Fu, Lu, Shou, and Xǐ, someone suddenly burst out laughing. Shao Xi's words made sense. In this era, everyone wasn't that well-off. Even if children ate a lot, their bodies were developing and they ran around the village all day long, so all the children in the village were basically dark and thin.

Only Fu, Lu, Shou, and Xǐ were fat and dark. Weren't they just like four pigs?

Eldest Brother Shao, who had been as silent as an invisible person and had a troubled expression on his face, had a slight change in countenance. When Eldest Sister-In-Law Shao heard Fu, Lu, Shou, and Xǐ being called four pigs, she couldn't stand by and listen anymore. "Shao Xi, who are you calling four pigs? Fu, Lu, Shou, and Xǐ are like that because they're blessed."

"Blessed… This blessing comes from eating. The Shao Family, who claimed that they didn't have the money to raise their children, produced four blessed children. All of them have always looked very blessed from all that eating, and only the five of us were thin and scrawny because we were not blessed. Is this what you call having no money to raise kids?"

Zhao Lan choked. "I…" She glared at Eldest Sister-In-Law Shao. "You talk too much."

Shao Xi looked at the internal strife between the two villains and sneered. "You realize that you can't use the excuse of not having money anymore, right? Which family in Great Eastern Village has money? Everyone tightens their belts to raise children. Mommy didn't have money at first, but she treated us well even when she was penniless."

"So? Don't tell me you want to follow her when she remarries? Don't forget that you have the Shao Family's bloodline. Mu Jingzhe isn't your biological mother! You're a child of the Shao Family!" Zhao Lan's tone unconsciously contained a hint of smugness toward the end.

This smugness stabbed Shao Xi's heart deeply. "Why is it a sin that we're not Mommy's biological children? We wish we were Mommy's biological children, but we just had to be the Shao Family's…"

"The bloodline of the Shao Family. Heh…" Shao Xi scoffed and raised his head to look at his arm. "If it was possible, we'd really dismember our bones and carve up our own flesh like Nezha1 to return the so-called bloodline of the Shao Family to you. You think it's precious, but we only find it dirty!"

Ever since they had discovered that Shao Qihai wasn't dead and had abandoned them, this fuse had already been buried in their hearts. Now that they were forced into this today, Shao Xi couldn't take it anymore and blurted out these words.

Everyone fell silent.

Because Little Bei had acted as Little Nezha, especially since she had acted out this particular scene, almost everyone in the village had seen this before.

At the time, Little Bei had been engrossed in her performance. Upon hearing Shao Xi's words, Little Bei's eyes reddened. Everyone looked at Little Bei and Shao Xi, then at Zhao Lan and Shao Qiyun, and their hearts went out to the children.

How terrible must the children be feeling to be forced to say such words?

Even their hearts ached for them, let alone Mu Jingzhe's. Mu Jingzhe stood in front of the children and said, "Zhao Lan, Shao Qiyun, stop forcing the children. As long as I'm still alive, you can forget about taking them away. Get lost while I'm still being nice. Otherwise, don't blame me for being rude."

"How are you going to be rude?" Zhao Lan was completely angered by Shao Xi's words. Seeing that she couldn't out-talk them, she started acting shamelessly. Being criticized and gossiped about was a small price to pay if it meant having money to spend.

As long as she could seize back control of the five kids, she would have plenty of money and lead a good life.

Relying on the fact that she had brought along many helpers, Zhao Lan stretched up her neck. "I know you're strong, Mu Jingzhe, but I'm not afraid of you today. If you have the ability, go ahead and kill me. If you don't kill me, I'll take away the children today!" Zhao Lan was resolute and decisive. Shao Qiyun, who was beside her, didn't say anything. Given their current situation, they could only act shamelessly.

When the villagers saw their behavior, they curled their lips and discussed among themselves. Shao Qiyang, who had wanted to interrupt a few times but hadn't managed to, couldn't take it anymore. He went forward and grabbed Zhao Lan, who wanted to push her luck and bump into Mu Jingzhe.

1

"Enough. Previously, you were shameless and you disregarded the five kids' lives when you gave them away. Now that the family assets have been split up, why are you making a fuss? Do you consider me a dead person?"

"Aren't you a dead person?" Zhao Lan spat. "Get lost!"

Eldest Brother Shao finally said his first words. "Third Brother, stop fooling around." He took a deep breath and limped over. He then looked deeply at the five kids. "Shao Dong, you're members of the Shao Family. The blood of the Shao Family flows in your veins. How can you think that way? I…"

He pounded a fist on his chest with a pained look on his face. "If you say this, what does that make me? What does that make the Shao Family? How will I meet Second Brother and our ancestors in the future?"

Eldest Brother Shao wanted to say more but was interrupted by Mu Jingzhe. "Oh, the useless bum finally spoke. I thought you were going to hide behind your wife and act like a wimp today. Why is a grown man acting like a white lotus and green tea b*tch? Who are you trying to disgust?

"You're the one who has the least right to say anything here. You're living in a new house that your younger brother risked his life for and using your younger brother's money to raise your children into pigs. With such a terrible bloodline, you really should be worried about meeting Shao Qihai and his ancestors."

Mu Jingzhe's words were indeed malicious but they were sincere. She hated Zhao Lan and Eldest Sister-In-Law Shao, but the person she despised the most was still that cowardly loser, Eldest Brother Shao.

Chapter 188: How Dare You, Your Second Brother's Corpse Hasn't Even Turned Cold

After a year, Eldest Brother Shao had once again experienced the effect of Mu Jingzhe's vicious tongue. For a moment, he recalled his earlier painful experience. Besides, this time, it was in front of so many people.

Sensing everyone's gazes, Eldest Brother Shao wished he could kill Mu Jingzhe right now.

"Mu Jingzhe, you… How can you say that about me… I'm upright and I am afraid of nothing. I didn't do anything wrong. Why should I be afraid of Second Brother? If you keep spouting nonsense, I…" He was trembling from rage as if he couldn't speak.

Zhao Lan's heart ached when she saw this. "Mu Jingzhe, did you hear that? My eldest son didn't do anything wrong. If you have anything to say, come at me. Don't spout nonsense!"

"Did she say something wrong? Isn't everything she said true?" Shao Qiyang couldn't help but interject.

"Shao Qiyang, you unfilial son!" Zhao Lan was furious.

"Third Brother, Mom gave birth to you and raised you. Eldest Brother became lame from working to support the family. Can't you see that? How can you treat Mom and Brother like this?" Shao Qiyun fanned the flames from the side.

Shao Qiyang glared at Shao Qiyun. "Shut up, Shao Qiyun. You make it sound so nice. Why don't I see you repay Eldest Brother, huh? How well has Second Brother treated you? How much money did Second Brother spend on you? Why didn't you treat his five kids better?"

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"Never mind treating the five kids better. Every time you come back, nothing good comes out of it. When there are benefits to be had, you egg everyone on to come and cause trouble. Aren't you afraid that Second Brother will look for you at night and ask you those questions?"

The depths of Shao Qiyun's eyes changed slightly, but she quickly calmed down. "Aren't I here to take them back and raise them? Like Big Brother said, we've never done anything that went against our conscience and aren't afraid of ghosts or gods."

"Are you taking them back to raise them? You're here because you have something to gain!"

"Then what do you want us to do? Third Brother, you criticized me when I didn't care about Shao Dong and his siblings. Now that I want to help them, you're also making a fuss?"

"You know what this is about. Everyone knows it too. Get out now!"

Shao Qiyun looked at Mu Jingzhe and curled her lips. "Brother, are you falling out with us because of Mu Jingzhe?"

Shao Qiyang's expression changed slightly, and Zhao Lan immediately threw a tantrum. "Shao Qiyang, I knew that vixen Mu Jingzhe seduced you. Have you guys hooked up behind our backs? I was wondering why Mu Jingzhe didn't go back to her maiden home and you stopped acknowledging me as your mother. So it was because you two have already hooked up. I should have guessed it long ago. You… You adulterous couple!"

Zhao Lan burst into tears. "Shao Qiyang, how can you let your second brother down by doing this? His corpse hasn't even turned cold, yet you already hooked up with Mu Jingzhe."

Zhao Lan scolded him and cried as she hit Shao Qiyang without rhyme or reason. "You did this for a woman, and your sister-in-law at that! You disowned your mother and even hit your biological sister. Aren't you afraid that your older brother will crawl out of his grave to look for you? I'll beat you to death today, you adulterous couple!"

Shao Qiyang avoided Zhao Lan. When he saw everyone's expressions change, his heart sank to the bottom of his chest. This was why he had been hesitating and had been unable to muster up the courage to say anything.

The courage that he'd finally mustered up had been completely destroyed by Zhao Lan.

This was a taboo in the village. If one had a relationship with one's younger brother-in-law or sister-in-law, they would be drowned in other people's saliva.

"Don't talk nonsense!" Shao Qiyang didn't dare look at Mu Jingzhe. He'd only said that when his body had already been hit a few times and his face was scratched.

Shao Dong and his siblings were very grateful to their young uncle. When they saw Shao Qiyang being beaten up and their mother being scolded, they couldn't help but go up to Zhao Lan and stop her. "You're not allowed to hit Uncle. You're not allowed to scold Mommy!"

As soon as Shao Dong finished speaking, Zhao Lan waved him away. "Get out of the way!"

Upon seeing Shao Dong pushed to the ground, Mu Jingzhe panicked. "Little Dong!"

Shao Qiyang's expression changed. He grabbed Zhao Lan's hand and glared at her with red eyes. "Enough!"

He flung Zhao Lan away fiercely. "I really want to ask you something: Are Second Brother and I your biological sons? How can you treat us like this? And Shao Dong is your biological grandson. How can you hit him?"

Zhao Lan stood there awkwardly before she sat down and started wailing. "Shao Qiyang, you have the nerve to ask me this? Do you even regard me as your mother? What kind of son would hit his mother!"

As for whether Shao Dong was her biological grandson, Zhao Lan couldn't even be bothered to answer. So what if he was her biological grandson? Did she lack grandsons? This was a grandson with the bloodline of that dead woman, Bai Lu, and he had also been taught badly by Mu Jingzhe. These children were dirty in her eyes. Besides, there was even a mute grandson amongst them!

Zhao Lan slapped her thigh and started wailing. "Look at my good son. First, he disowned me because of Mu Jingzhe. Today, he even hit me because of Mu Jingzhe. My son was seduced by her into hitting me. My grandson was led astray by her and now wants to kill me. What kind of sin have I committed? No matter what, I must kick Mu Jingzhe out of the Shao Family today. The two of us cannot coexist in the Shao Family!"

No matter how big of a tantrum she had to throw, she had to achieve her final objective.

When he heard Zhao Lan's words, the corners of Shao Qiyun's mouth quickly curled up. The people who had come with them also spoke up. Since that was the case, they naturally had to kick Mu Jingzhe out.

Li Zhaodi was furious. However, because Mu Jingzhe had indeed had designs on Shao Qiyang back then, she did feel a little guilty for a brief moment.

In an instant, Zhao Lan and Shao Qiyun had the upper hand. Shao Dong and his siblings' expressions changed drastically. The five kids surrounded Mu Jingzhe and held her hand tightly.

"You have no right to kick Mommy out. None of you have the right to do so. We've split up the family assets. Mommy has every right to stay here!"

Shao Dong calmed down and said, "When we split up the family assets, this house was given to us…"

Zhao Lan immediately retorted, "Which house are you talking about? We're kicking Mu Jingzhe out today. Children shouldn't interrupt when adults are talking."

Shao Dong's expression was extremely icy. "Alright, we don't want this house anymore. You don't have to kick Mommy out. We'll go. We'll leave with Mommy and cut ties with you people completely."

Shao Xi immediately agreed. "Yes, let's go with Mommy. It's not like we can't afford a house anyway. Let's leave and buy a house. We'll go wherever Mommy goes."

"No!" Zhao Lan naturally wouldn't accept it. It would be terrible if they ran away. "You're not allowed to leave. I'm your biological grandmother. You have to come with us!"

Shao Dong wanted to say something, but Zhao Lan didn't give him the chance to. She got up and charged over at Mu Jingzhe. "I'll beat you to death today, you vixen. You are an immoral slut who seduced her younger brother-in-law. You even duped the Shao Family's children…"

Li Zhaodi, who had been seething with rage for a long time, immediately rushed up to her and stood in front of Mu Jingzhe when she saw this. "I'll tear your smelly mouth off. Who told you to spout nonsense? My Jingzhe can marry anyone she wants, so why would she covet her younger brother-in-law? I'll teach you a lesson today and show you how impressive I, Li Zhaodi, am!"

The two of them wrestled. The people who had come with Zhao Lan and the eldest branch of the family immediately became restless. The atmosphere instantly turned solemn, and things were about to get out of control.

The village chief was so anxious that he kept shouting for them to calm down. If a gang fight broke out and something happened to them, it would be over. As he shouted, he quickly asked the onlookers to pull Li Zhaodi and Zhao Lan away from each other.

Chapter 189: Shao Qihai, Are You A Human Or A Ghost?

They were temporarily pulled away, but the atmosphere was getting increasingly tense.

"We have to kick Mu Jingzhe out today no matter what. We have to raise these children!"

"You want to touch the children? No way. I'll oblige if you people want a fight today!" Mu Jingzhe refused to give in.

"And let you raise them instead? The hell we will. No matter what you say today, you have to return the children to us. If you don't return them, I'll sue you tomorrow. I'll say that you abducted the children of the Shao Family!"

"Even if I'm a stepmother, I'm still their mother. If you sue me, I'll sue you for child abuse!"

Mu Jingzhe didn't give in at all, and Zhao Lan refused to back down. "Bah! You're their mother? A mother who seduced her younger brother-in-law? Aren't you afraid that you'll lead the children astray?"

Zhao Lan looked at Shao Qiyang, who was standing beside Mu Jingzhe, and spat again. Shao Qiyang's eyes were red. Now that things had come to this point, he really wanted to go all out and express his feelings. Yes, he liked Mu Jingzhe and he would raise the five kids with her.

Now that Zhao Lan had said this, everyone would gossip about Mu Jingzhe anyway. He might as well just say it! Shao Qiyang clutched the necklace in his hand and was about to speak when Shao Dong's voice rang out first.

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"Mommy didn't. Mommy even said that she wanted to propose marriage on Young Uncle's behalf. You're not allowed to slander Mommy anymore!"

As soon as Shao Dong's voice echoed, Li Fang and Li Zhaodi immediately supported him. "That's right, shut up if you don't know what you're saying!"

Shao Qiyang's words got stuck in his throat.

Zhao Lan glanced at Shao Qiyang and spat. "You still want to deny it even now? I'm not blind. You're the ones who should shut up. Mu Jingzhe, get out. Stop shamelessly sticking around our house and snatching our children. If you have the guts, go ahead and give birth yourself!"

At some point, Zhao Lan had taken out a rock that she threw at Mu Jingzhe.

Mu Jingzhe's head was struck by the rock with a dull smack, and the impact made her hurt.

Amid Li Zhaodi and everyone else's screams, Mu Jingzhe looked at the rock on the ground. Her gaze darkened. She picked it up and threw it back at Zhao Lan without hesitation.

Zhao Lan was still feeling smug when she was hit on the head a second later.

Mu Jingzhe's strength was no joke. Zhao Lan felt her head jerk for a moment before she fell heavily to the ground. One look at her head and everyone could see that a bump had immediately appeared.

Mu Jingzhe's forehead was red, but Zhao Lan's condition was even worse. In an instant, it turned red and green. Judging from the severity of the injury, it was more than three times worse than Mu Jingzhe's. It was impossible to tell that it was the result of being hit by a rock.

Both had been hit by a rock, but the difference was like the one between heaven and earth.

Zhao Lan, who was sitting on the ground, was stunned for a moment before she reacted. She touched her aching head and screamed in pain.

"Murder!"

The scream pushed the conflict to the breaking point. "How can this be? Hit her back!"

"So be it!"

Seeing that the two sides were about to engage in a full-on fight, Mu Jingzhe pushed the children toward Li Fang and Li Zhaodi. As she moved her wrists and got ready to start a massacre, a shout suddenly came from the door. "Stop!"

The shout drowned out the noise and echoed in everyone's ears. Zhao Lan was stunned when she heard the familiar voice. When she looked out along with everyone else, she saw the figure standing at the door.

The man had a tall, straight silhouette and a solemn expression. He was wearing a coat and had a huge suitcase by his feet. No one knew how long he had been standing outside the door.

His face was dark as he took a deep look at Mu Jingzhe. Finally, his gaze landed on Zhao Lan. "I'll make myself clear. This is Mu Jingzhe's home. No one can kick her out."

Mu Jingzhe looked at the person speaking and frantically searched the original Mu Jingzhe's memories. This person looked familiar… Wasn't this the man called Shao Qihai in her memories?

Wasn't Shao Qihai dead? Why was he alive in front of her? Could he be alive?

Mu Jingzhe rubbed her eyes and felt that she'd probably seen wrong. Or perhaps the original Mu Jingzhe had remembered wrong. At that moment, a scream suddenly rang out beside her.

"A ghost!"

The shout was earth-shattering and jolted everyone back to their senses.

It had come from the frightened Li Zhaodi.

However, the ones who were truly petrified were Zhao Lan and her gang. Zhao Lan let out a shriek and collapsed on the ground. She looked at Shao Qihai, who had suddenly appeared at the door. "Qihai, you…"

Her lips trembled, and she felt guilty and seized by fear. It was impossible for her not to be afraid. Just as she'd been plotting against Shao Qihai's children, he had suddenly appeared.

Shao Qiyun's legs went limp, and she fell to the ground. She was trembling so badly that she couldn't say anything. She only repeated the same words. "Don't come after me, Brother. Don't come after me. It was Mom's idea. You should go after Mom…"

She was used to shirking responsibility and no longer had the righteousness she'd shown just now.

It was strange enough for Shao Qiyun to be acting like this, but in the end, this was considered nothing, as others looked even more flustered than Shao Qiyun.

They were Eldest Brother Shao and Eldest Sister-In-Law Shao. Eldest Brother Shao, who had previously claimed that he was upright and wasn't afraid of crooked shadows or ghosts knocking on his door, immediately knelt down. That wasn't all. Soon, a puddle of water appeared underneath Eldest Brother Shao.

As a pungent smell filled the air, everyone realized that Eldest Brother Shao had peed his pants from fright.

Someone in the crowd exclaimed, "He peed his pants? Didn't he say he wasn't afraid?"

The people who had initially wanted to run away upon seeing a ghost in broad daylight resisted the urge to do so. After all, based on Eldest Brother Shao's appearance, the ghost was probably here for him, not to come after them. They didn't have to be afraid anymore.

Everyone discussed among themselves, but Eldest Brother Shao couldn't hear anything. He had a guilty conscience and he liked to pretend, but at that moment, he revealed his true colors. After trembling, he began to kowtow and apologize incessantly.

"Second Brother, I was wrong. I shouldn't have squeezed you and Third Brother dry by using my leg injury. It was Mom who kept insisting, and I had no choice but to agree.

"I didn't mean to ignore your five kids either. Mom has been in charge of the kids all along. Don't worry, I'll make it up to them in the future. I definitely won't harm them. I'll return Shao Dong and his siblings the food and clothes given to Fu, Lu, Shou, and Xǐ. I won't snatch the money meant for raising your children anymore. I'll treat them well. You should leave now."

Shao Qihai: "…"

It had been more than a year. Now that the matter had finally been resolved, he could at long last go home and recover his identity.

He could have informed them in advance, but he thought that it would be difficult to explain clearly. He might as well come straight back and give his family a surprise.

Now, it seemed more like a shock than a surprise.

He had never known that his honest older brother had actually done such a thing. If he hadn't died, would he never have known or found out the truth?

Upon thinking of this, Shao Qihai sneered.

When Eldest Brother Shao heard his sneer, he was even more frightened. "I was really wrong. Second Brother, I was wrong in the past. I shouldn't have despised them for being burdens after you died and left them to fend for themselves. I shouldn't have, but after seeing them succeed, I couldn't help joining Mom to plot and snatch them back so that they could earn money to support us. I was wrong. Please leave."

Shao Qihai clenched his fists tightly, and his eyes slowly turned red.

He had already heard about this situation from Jiang Feng, but when he really heard all this with his own ears, he still suffered a huge blow. "You're really my good brother."

Chapter 190: Shao Qihai, Don't Even Think About Snatching The Children From Me

"Don't come over!" When he saw Shao Qihai walk over, Eldest Brother Shao was so frightened that he got up and stumbled out. He, who usually looked like he had difficulty even walking, was running very fast today. It was impossible to tell that he was lame. In no time, he had disappeared without a trace.

When Eldest Sister-In-Law Shao saw Eldest Brother Shao run away, she screamed and ran out as well.

As Shao Qihai watched the two of them leave, his gaze inadvertently scanned Fu, Lu, Shou, and Xǐ. Their pants were all wet, and they were trembling in regret.

"Second Uncle, we were wrong. We won't snatch Shao Dong and his siblings' food or clothes anymore. Even if Grandma gives them to us, we won't accept them anymore. Please let us off."

Because of their parents' influence, these children were afraid of ghosts and gods.

As Fu, Lu, Shou, and Xǐ spoke, they wailed and ran away. Upon seeing Shao Qihai look at her, Zhao Lan swallowed her saliva and sat on the ground before retreating. "Qihai, I gave birth to you and raised you, so please forgive Mom. I just don't like Bai Lu, which is why I don't like them either."

Seeing that Shao Qihai's eyes were getting redder, Zhao Lan felt even guiltier. "Qihai, I know I was wrong. You should go back quickly. I won't try to snatch the children anymore. I won't ever think of making them earn money again."

"That's right. Brother, you should go back quickly. In the future, I won't plot against Mu Jingzhe and try to marry her off anymore, nor will I scheme against your children again. I've always remembered your kindness. You were the one who helped me cover up my mistake. I…"

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Shao Qiyun was about to continue speaking, but she suddenly saw Shao Qihai exhale and immediately stopped expressing her repentance.

How could a ghost breathe? Only living people did!

Instantly, Shao Qiyun realized that Shao Qihai wasn't dead. He had returned!

Even now, Shao Qihai's corpse had yet to be found. The funeral that the village had held had only buried the army clothes he had worn when he'd retired from the army. Therefore, it was entirely possible that he hadn't died and had returned alive!

Shao Qiyun stood up abruptly. "Second Brother, you're not a ghost. You're human!"

Zhao Lan was stunned. "What?"

Shao Qiyun had already mustered up the courage to step forward and check Shao Qihai's breathing. "Yes, you're breathing. You're alive. Second Brother, you're not dead!"

Upon hearing this, Zhao Lan suddenly got up and grabbed Shao Qihai. Feeling his body temperature, Zhao Lan instantly burst into tears. "Qihai, you're not dead. You're still alive. Why did you come back without saying a word? You scared me.

"What took you so long? You unfilial son. Don't you know how cruel it is for a parent to send off her child? Why did you leave me behind back then? You unfilial son!"

She was weeping uncontrollably. Those who heard her would have shed tears if they had not heard the words of repentance she had blurted out a moment ago.

After seeing Eldest Brother Shao and the others run away in fright and then seeing Zhao Lan and Shao Qiyun repent, they really couldn't cry. They even felt that this scene was a little comical and sort of amusing.

It was already strange enough that Shao Qihai hadn't died and had come back alive. In combination with the confession accidentally made by the eldest branch of the Shao Family, his biological mother and younger sister, this was even more shocking.

Shao Qihai felt similar to them. If all this hadn't happened, he might have been moved. After all, this was the mother who had given birth to him and raised him. Even though she had been biased later on, Zhao Lan had once tried her best to raise him.

However, after hearing those confessions, he didn't feel touched. He only felt mocked.

"If I hadn't come back this way, I probably would never have heard you admit these things with my own ears or seen your true colors."

Shao Qihai didn't move much but he firmly removed Zhao Lan's hand from his. "We'll talk about the rest later. Let's make things clear first."

Shao Qihai looked at the group of people who had come with Zhao Lan. "I hope that today's incident won't happen again. I'm still alive. I'll take care of Little Dong and the others myself. Whether they succeed in the future or not has nothing to do with you. Other than me, their only other guardian is Mu Jingzhe. No one but her is qualified to raise them. Don't even think of scheming against them in the future."

If Mu Jingzhe wasn't qualified to raise them, then who was?

Shao Qihai pointed at the door and ordered firmly, "Go back. You don't have to worry about our family affairs in the future."

Everyone wanted to ask why Shao Qihai had returned, but seeing the atmosphere, they could only suppress their curiosity. This was clearly not appropriate timing. They'd better ask again tomorrow.

Now that the outsiders had left, Zhao Lan came back to her senses and asked Shao Qihai, "Qihai, are you blaming me? It's not completely our fault. It was Mu Jingzhe who went overboard. Did you see my forehead? This is all thanks to Mu Jingzhe."

When Zhao Lan complained, Shao Qihai's gaze darkened. "You hit her too."

"Is her wound even comparable to mine? Look at that tiny red speck on her forehead. Look at how mine has ended up."

At that moment, Zhao Lan's forehead was very swollen and indeed looked pretty terrifying.

However, Shao Qihai only took one brief glance before looking away. "This is what you deserve."

In other words, it served her right.

Who had asked her to provoke Mu Jingzhe? Even he was afraid of her strength and didn't dare underestimate her. To think she'd dared to get physical with Mu Jingzhe.

"Shao Qihai, you… you're actually siding with Mu Jingzhe? Sure enough, you've forgotten your mother after getting married. Your wife beat me up so badly, yet you…"

"Do you need me to say even more awful things?" Shao Qihai interrupted her and pointed at the door. "Go now."

"Shao Qihai, how dare you kick me out? I'm your mother…" Zhao Lan stared at Shao Qihai in disbelief.

"So what? You might be my mother, but we've already split up the family assets. We're two separate families now. You chose Eldest Brother yourself. From now on, you're part of his family."

Shao Qihai interrupted Zhao Lan again. "Since we've already split up the family assets, there's not much to say. Let's just live like two separate families in the future. It doesn't matter even if you're my mother. Go."

Zhao Lan was about to say something when Shao Qihai glanced coldly at Shao Qiyun. When Shao Qiyun saw his gaze, she seemed to think of something and her expression changed slightly. She immediately went to pull Zhao Lan over. "Mom, let's go now."

After Shao Qiyun pulled Zhao Lan away, Shao Qihai's gaze finally landed on Mu Jingzhe's face.

When some people ate, they habitually ate the parts they didn't like first and left the ones they liked for last. Shao Qihai did the same when dealing with certain matters. Only after he dealt with the bad stuff did he turn his attention to the good stuff.

He had been refraining from making eye contact with Mu Jingzhe until now.

An unnatural expression crossed his face, and he forced a stiff smile. "Jingzhe…"

He had just called her that when he froze. He had been following Mu Jingzhe, so he felt close to her. However, in reality, Jingzhe was quite a stranger to him. Was it appropriate for him to call her that?

Shao Qihai had thought quite a bit, but Mu Jingzhe hadn't expected this at all. She was only stunned by this sudden, godlike plot twist.

What was going on? Why would Shao Qihai come back alive!? Why wasn't he dead? Hadn't he died a long time ago in the book?

Mu Jingzhe didn't feel surprise, only shock and fear, especially when she heard him say that he would raise the children himself in the future. Her first reaction was to think that Shao Qihai had come to snatch the children from her!