TRANSMIGRATING TO THE 80S TO BECOME STEPMOM TO FIVE BIGWIGS

by Usui Takumii

not mine, news novel.

32. 191 to 200

Chapter 191: You Are Shameless Enough to Come Back?

Shao Qihai was different from Zhao Lan and the others. She could resolve Zhao Lan's issue simply by using force. However, with Shao Qihai there, she couldn't, as he was the children's biological father.

The word 'biological' was about to become Mu Jingzhe's taboo after being through so much today and hearing the words 'biological mother' and 'stepmother' get constantly mentioned. Great, their biological father was now back.

It hadn't been easy for her to raise the five children well and develop feelings for them. In the end, he had come back to snatch the children away. But on what grounds?!

Mu Jingzhe glared at Shao Qihai fiercely. He was their biological father, so the children would definitely have to follow him in the future. Also, the children had deep feelings for him and were close to him. As she thought of all this, she was overwhelmed by anger, and her eyes were filled with a murderous warning.

Shao Qihai was a little stunned. Mu Jingzhe kept looking at him, making him feel rather uncomfortable.

Shao Qiyang, who was looking at them staring 'passionately' at each other, was speechless.

This was probably one of the most dramatic days of Shao Qiyang's life.

He had finally decided to confess. In the end, Zhao Lan and the others had ruined his meticulous preparations. Now, Shao Qihai had actually returned.

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Shao Qiyang felt like he was having a dream. His hand subconsciously gripped the necklace in his pocket while he was left in a daze. He didn't come back to his senses for a long time.

He had wanted to ignore everything and confess his feelings earlier on, but now, it had turned out that Second Brother hadn't died and had come back alive…

Shao Qiyang kept repeating in his mind the words 'Second Brother hasn't died and he just returned'. Only one feeling filled his heart: Heaven just didn't like him and was toying with him on purpose.

Shao Qiyang was in a daze. The word 'miserable' would not be enough to describe his current state.

The miserable Shao Qiyang didn't know if he should be glad that he hadn't confessed yet or hate the heavens for playing such a joke on him.

He should have been delighted that his biological brother, Shao Qihai, hadn't died and had returned. However, all he felt was confusion.

Shao Qihai glanced at Shao Qiyang. Seeing that he was in a daze, he thought that Shao Qiyang was still digesting the news. He patted Shao Qiyang's shoulder and silently thanked him for taking care of the children over the past year.

Shao Qihai's gaze finally landed on the five kids. Seeing that they had all grown quite a bit, he felt both guilty and comforted. He smiled and opened his arms, waiting for the children to pounce on him.

However, even though he kept his arms spread for a long time, the children still hid behind Mu Jingzhe and gripped her hand and clothes, refusing to go over.

Their appearance was very similar to when he used to come back to visit during his time in the army. However, at the time, they used to surround Shao Dong and tug at his clothes, looking at him timidly. This time, they were holding onto Mu Jingzhe.

Every time they seemed not to believe that he had returned and would only get familiar with him after a while. As he thought of the past, Shao Qihai's eyes stung.

Previously, he'd had no choice but to fake his death. The children would definitely be flustered and sad when they heard that he'd returned.

At the thought of this, Shao Qihai moved his awkward arms. After squatting down, he clapped his hands and said, "Why aren't you coming over? Were you frightened too? Don't be afraid. I'm not a ghost. Daddy is still alive. Come over quickly."

The five kids remained indifferent and didn't even move their feet. Fortunately, they finally replied.

"We know you're not a ghost." They'd always known he was alive, but they hadn't expected him to have the nerve to come back.

They would rather he was a ghost. That would be best. Too bad that wasn't the case.

Shao Qihai looked at the five kids' expressions and awkwardly retracted his arms. Then, he looked at Mu Jingzhe and Shao Qiyang, as well as Li Zhaodi and Mu Teng. The latter two had left and returned to secretly peek outside the door. Shao Qihai had to admit that they didn't seem to be happy or delighted about his return.

This was completely different from what he had imagined. But why?

Shao Qihai couldn't figure it out no matter how hard he thought about it. However, his attention was soon focused on the children. If they didn't come over, he would take the initiative to go over.

"I'm sorry. Little Dong, Little Xi, Little Nan, Little Bei, Little Zhong… It's my fault for lying to you, but I won't lie to you again."

As Shao Qihai approached, Mu Jingzhe quickly nudged the children, wanting to retreat.

In the end, the children also retreated with her, grabbing her hand and clothes even more tightly. Xiao Wu was so anxious that he almost pulled Mu Jingzhe's pants down.

Mu Jingzhe was so shocked that she almost broke out in a cold sweat. She quickly pulled up her pants. It would be awkward if her pants were pulled down the very first time she met Shao Qihai.

Previously, whenever the children saw her, they used to subconsciously tug at her. Occasionally, when they were careless, Mu Jingzhe felt like her pants were about to fall.

This wasn't a joke. Mu Jingzhe had personally seen a young mother in the village get her pants pulled down because her son liked her too much and was very enthusiastic.

It had been extremely awkward for the mother. Fortunately, there had been very few people present at the time, so it wasn't too bad. However, there was another instance of a father of two kids going to someone's place to have dinner and being embarrassed in public.

The two children had been playing hide and seek around their father at the time. They had tugged at his pants several times, and in the end, the kids had probably used too much force and accidentally pulled his pants down.

At the time, there had been people everywhere, so it had been really awkward. Mu Jingzhe, who hadn't been far away, had seen his red underwear. The father's face had turned red from embarrassment, and he hadn't even shown up for dinner.

Ever since Mu Jingzhe had seen that, she had been truly afraid. In order to avoid the embarrassment of accidentally having her pants pulled down, she, who usually liked to wear loose pants, had started to habitually tie a belt around her waist. She'd also emphasized to the children several times that they should not tug at her pants in the future.

It was one thing to wear hot pants and quite another to have one's pants completely yanked off like this.

The children were sensible and knew that their mommy would be mocked if they pulled her pants down. They'd specifically noted this in their minds from then on. Unexpectedly, Shao Qihai had suddenly come back and scared Xiao Wu into making this mistake again.

When Mu Jingzhe moved, Xiao Wu sensed it and quickly let go. To make up for his mistake, he even tiptoed and helped Mu Jingzhe pull up her pants a little.

The lift was quite accurate but a tad too high, causing one of her trouser legs to be high and the other to be low.

Mu Jingzhe lowered her head and glanced at her pants.

"…"

Forget it. It would be fine as long as her pants weren't pulled down.

Shao Qihai wasn't blind, so how could he not see what was going on? When he saw that Mu Jingzhe was startled, his heart jumped to his throat.

He didn't even dare imagine what would have happened if Mu Jingzhe's pants had been pulled down on the spot. When he saw that Mu Jingzhe was fine, he also heaved a sigh of relief, but his face inevitably turned red.

When he saw Xiao Wu's actions, Shao Qihai couldn't bear to look at Mu Jingzhe any longer. He could only forcefully shift his attention to the children.

He looked from Shao Dong to Shao Zhong, scanning the kids one by one. When he thought of the fact that Shao Zhong could now speak, his eyes were filled with gratitude. "You've all grown bigger and taller. Little Zhong has also grown up quite a bit."

When the five kids heard this, their expressions became better. They quickly added with some pride, "Mommy raised us well."

Xiao Wu pursed his lips and finally said, "I'm Xiao Wu."

Xiao Wu had never really liked the name Shao Zhong. He kept feeling that it was different from his siblings' names. It was as if he didn't share the same biological mother as them. To him, it didn't sound nice at all.

Ever since Mu Jingzhe had arrived, she'd started calling him Xiao Wu. Because she always sounded happy and fond of him when she called his name, he had grown to like the name Xiao Wu. Also, it made him feel closer to his siblings. He liked being called Xiao Wu.

Chapter 192: Your New Wife and Children?

When he heard Xiao Wu's words, Shao Qihai's eyes turned red. "Okay, Xiao Wu. I'll call you Xiao Wu from now on. You can really speak. That's great."

As soon as he heard Xiao Wu speak with his own ears, Shao Qihai's eyes turned red. He wanted to hug Xiao Wu and cry, but he couldn't reach out to him. Xiao Wu quickly hid behind Mu Jingzhe and hugged her legs tightly, staring at him vigilantly.

Shao Qihai was embarrassed once more, and Mu Jingzhe also felt a little helpless. She quickly nudged Shao Dong, wanting him to go over and hug Shao Qihai to resolve the awkwardness.

However, Shao Dong, who was usually very sensible, obedient, and considerate, surprisingly didn't listen to Mu Jingzhe and didn't budge at all. When Shao Qihai went to pull him close, he even dodged him. Shao Xi and Shao Nan's faces were also cold, and they all showed signs of resistance. Little Bei didn't have much of an expression, which was a little better, but she also lowered her head and wouldn't look at him.

In the past, Little Bei would never have done this. Every time, she would be the first to hug him, bringing him endless warmth.

The touched look on Shao Qihai's face froze. He had to admit another truth: The children seemed to have a problem with him.

They were too cold. They didn't seem delighted about his return. Thinking back, they'd seemed like this since the moment he had appeared.

The others were either shocked or frightened, but they didn't seem too surprised. It was as if he hadn't come back from the dead after more than a year and had just casually returned from a trip.

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Besides, this trip wasn't the popular kind. It was as if he had done something bad and then returned, so they were icy to him and didn't show a trace of delight.

Shao Qihai was forced to calm down, but he couldn't fathom why they were acting like this. In the end, he cast a pleading gaze at Mu Jingzhe, wanting to know what was going on.

Mu Jingzhe also realized that the kids were acting strangely. Previously, they had thought that Shao Qihai had suddenly come back to life and lost their composure, but there really seemed to be something amiss with their current attitude.

"Little Dong, what's wrong with you kids?" Mu Jingzhe bent down to ask Shao Dong and looked at the children carefully. "Are you guys a little frightened by his sudden return? Or are you a little angry?"

She guessed that the children were angry because Shao Qihai had hidden it from them. Shao Xi curled his lips and was about to say something when he saw Shao Dong glance at him.

After Shao Dong stopped Shao Xi, he looked at Mu Jingzhe and softened his expression. "A little. We just couldn't come back to our senses for a while."

He paused. "Mommy, why don't we talk to him?"

There were some awful words and ugly realities that he didn't want Mu Jingzhe to hear. Sooner or later, he would have to face them and make things clear. In that case, they might as well make things clear with Shao Qihai themselves. They didn't want Mu Jingzhe to be dragged into this and put in a difficult position.

Mu Jingzhe immediately nodded. "Alright, then have a good chat and clear things up."

Mu Jingzhe was still thinking that it would be good for the father and son to clear things up, so she didn't realize that Shao Dong was referring to Shao Qihai as 'him' and not 'Dad'. Ever since Shao Qihai had appeared, they had never called him 'Dad'.

Shao Dong's gaze landed on Shao Qihai. His eyes didn't match the steadiness and calmness of his age.

The earlier incident had made them realize that because they were still young, everyone was inclined to think that Mu Jingzhe had taught them everything they'd heard and seen.

However, their mother had only ever taught them good things. Her teachings were things that would benefit them for the rest of their lives. They learned bad things from their own experiences and outsiders, but no one understood this.

Since that was the case, they shouldn't let their mother watch while they talked, in case Shao Qihai felt the same way. They could talk about it themselves and keep their mother out of this.

Shao Dong took charge and looked at his younger siblings. "Let's talk."

Shao Dong didn't say much, but the children looked at Shao Dong and pretty much understood what he meant. They reluctantly let go of Mu Jingzhe's hand.

"Then talk to your father nicely."

After saying that, Mu Jingzhe raised her head and saw Li Zhaodi waving frantically at her from the door. She thought for a moment and left.

As she passed by Shao Qiyang, Mu Jingzhe glanced at him. Thinking that the two brothers should have something to say to each other too, she didn't say anything.

She gave the children and Shao Qihai some space to communicate. She didn't want to get involved. She also needed to digest this explosive news and think about the subsequent arrangements.

Shao Qihai's return had completely disrupted her plans.

Li Zhaodi pulled Mu Jingzhe over. As she habitually tidied the corners of her clothes that had been crumpled by the kids, she asked anxiously, "Isn't Shao Qihai dead? Why did he suddenly come back? Jingzhe, what are you going to do next?"

"Leave it for now!" Mu Jingzhe pulled Li Zhaodi along. "Come on, Mom. Let's talk over there."

Shao Dong watched Mu Jingzhe leave. Seeing that his younger uncle, Shao Qiyang, was still in a daze, he turned around and walked in.

"Let's go inside and sit down." As he spoke, Shao Dong's aura of negotiation, which was one of a host at that, emerged.

"Okay," Shao Qihai answered subconsciously. He turned around to hug Xiao Wu, but Xiao Wu turned and followed Little Bei in, holding his hand.

As Shao Qihai watched the backs of the children, who were holding hands, he felt a little gratified and curious.

The children had always been on good terms, but Shao Dong and the others hadn't really cared about Xiao Wu previously. Even though he had talked to them a lot about it, it hadn't helped. However, this time, their relationship was very good.

Besides, Xiao Wu had changed a lot. He could speak now and looked much bolder than he used to in the past. He was no longer as timid as before.

Shao Qihai sat in front of the children and was about to speak when he heard Shao Dong say, "Now that you're back, what will happen to your new wife and children? Or will you abandon them too?"

The corners of Shao Xi's mouth curled up in a mocking smile. He thought to himself that he might have come back after seeing them on TV and feeling the same regret as Zhao Lan and the rest.

Previously, they had been furious because they'd wanted Shao Qihai to regret it. However, wasn't this regret too quick? How could anyone regret something so quickly and return just like that?

Shao Qihai was completely stunned. "What new wife and children?"

Shao Xi couldn't take it anymore and added, "Your new wife and children, of course. Stop denying it. We saw it. We knew you weren't dead. We just didn't expect you to have the nerve to come back."

The corners of Shao Nan's mouth curled up as he added, "How could you bear to come back? Or did your new wife and children not want you anymore?"

Shao Qihai was dumbfounded. "Wh… What are you talking about? I don't have a new wife or children. I only have you guys. I was forced to feign my death because of a special situation. Little Xi, where did you see me?"

Shao Qihai's mind was filled with question marks. He felt even more wronged than Dou E[1].

Shao Xi casually described seeing him in the night market. Since it hadn't been that long since the incident, Shao Qihai still remembered the situation. He heaved a sigh of relief and explained.

"So you were talking about that. That was not my new wife and children."

Shao Qihai explained, but Shao Xi and the others looked at him with an expression that said, "Go on, continue weaving your story."

[1] a fictional character who was wrongly convicted of crimes by a corrupt court official for actions perpetrated by a rejected suitor

Chapter 193: You Want to Make It Up to Us?

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

The kids indeed didn't believe it. Who would believe such an explanation? Maybe Shao Qihai had also given the same explanation to his new wife and children, denying his relationship with the five of them completely.

Shao Qihai felt very helpless. "It's true. Little Dong, you have to believe me. I was only there to protect and transfer them to another place. I can't say much about their identities and circumstances, but what I've said is true."

He wasn't lying. He had indeed transferred the wife and children of a man who had died in the line of duty. In order to avoid revenge on his remaining children, he had transferred them away.

Although he had transferred them to a place where no one knew them, they had also changed their names. He had to completely forget their appearance and address.

At the time, Shao Qihai had been in a heavy mood and had admired the senior who had sacrificed himself. He had thought that no matter what, he couldn't let anything happen to his widow and children. Now that he thought about it, he did seem to recall hearing someone call him 'Daddy' while he'd escorted them to the night market. That voice had also been very familiar.

However, he'd had no time to listen at the time. He'd turned around and seen nothing, so he had then turned around and left. He hadn't expected it to really be Shao Xi and the others.

At that moment, Shao Qihai finally understood why the children were treating him with such an attitude. It turned out that they had always known that he was alive and had only misunderstood him.

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Shao Qihai diligently explained everything that he could think of, thinking that it would be fine as long as he explained it clearly.

However, after hearing his explanation, the children were still very cold. They were even skeptical of what he said, and their attitudes didn't change much.

Shao Qihai was a little hesitant, but he thought that he needed to give them time to digest and accept this, so he said, "In the future, you'll know that I'm not lying. Daddy let you down for the past year or so. I'll make it up to you in the future. This won't happen again."

Shao Xi scoffed. "The most difficult and helpless period of our lives has passed. We don't need it anymore."

After abandoning them for more than a year, had he returned to collect their corpses? If they hadn't been lucky enough to meet their mother, perhaps not even their bones would have remained. To think he claimed he would make it up to them. What a joke. Was this something they could be compensated for?

At the time, they had despaired because of his departure. Later on, they had suffered very much. Little Bei had even been sent away by Zhao Lan. If Mommy hadn't found her, who knew if she would have lived or died?

Now that they had overcome so many difficulties and everything was finally fine, he was saying that he wanted to make it up to them? Too late for that. They didn't need him anymore.

Shao Xi didn't say much. His tone was quite calm, but the fact that a child had said such a thing and had such an expression was already sarcastic enough.

If words could become a sharp weapon, at the moment, Shao Xi's words would have already stabbed a big hole into Shao Qihai.

"I'm sorry. Daddy has let the five of you down." Shao Qihai's expression was gloomy, and he felt extremely guilty. "I won't do this again. Believe me. I'll really be responsible and treat you well."

However, the children still didn't have much of a reaction. Shao Xi was even a little impatient. He opened his mouth to say that there was no need, but Shao Nan suddenly held him back.

Shao Nan looked at Shao Qihai and said out of the blue, "You are our father and have the obligation to raise us. You should indeed be responsible."

Shao Xi glared at Shao Nan and pulled him aside. He then asked him in a low voice, "You still want to accept his stinky money? We can earn our own money now. We don't need him to—"

Shao Nan pulled Shao Xi further away. He even beckoned for Shao Dong and the others to come over, shooting Shao Qihai a look so he would not come over.

The five children started to discuss this with their heads huddled together. Shao Nan was mostly the one speaking.

"I know you all hate him and don't want to spend his money. I agree with your thoughts, guys, but we have to calm down and think about this.

"We can allow him to give us money. This is his duty anyway. It's what he ought to do. If we refuse, the money will be used elsewhere. It will either be used on Zhao Lan, Fu, Lu, Shou, Xǐ, or his new wife and children."

Shao Nan couldn't take that lying down. "In that case, why don't we just take it? Anyway, I don't want the money that should have been spent on us to be used to raise Fu, Lu, Shou, and Xǐ. Our money and Mommy's money was earned painstakingly, not scraped over by the wind, so why don't we use his?"

When Shao Nan said this, the other four kids calmed down. Meanwhile, their hearts simultaneously ached for Mu Jingzhe. The villagers only saw Mu Jingzhe earning money, but they didn't know about the hardships she suffered.

They had been watching Mu Jingzhe ride her bicycle under the sun and wind on the bumpy road. Come wind or rain, she would transport the goods back and forth in the winter and summer to earn money.

It wasn't just physical hardships that she had to endure either. Mu Jingzhe also had to put up with a horrible attitude that the people of Great Eastern Village would never be able to imagine.

The money had been earned painstakingly by their mother, and it hadn't been easy for them to earn money either. They had also gone through a lot of hardships. For instance, Shao Dong's money had been made bit by bit by rummaging through garbage. Therefore, why shouldn't they use Shao Qihai's money?

Shao Dong pondered it for a moment. "Little Nan is right. I hadn't fully considered the situation this time. Little Nan, continue."

Shao Nan's face relaxed as he summarized this. "He gave birth to us, so he should be raising us in the first place. We'll be losing out by not letting him raise us. Anyway, I don't think we should be spiteful."

"You're right. In any case, his money can't be used to raise those four pigs anymore." Shao Xi was direct.

Shao Nan nodded. "Yes, that's one aspect. On the other hand, we should consider reality and the future. Although we're still young, he's not dead. We should consider our responsibility to provide for him in his old age in the future."

Shao Xi had a constipated look on his face. "Provide for him in his old age?"

Shao Dong lowered his head, Little Bei pouted, and Xiao Wu pursed his lips to express his displeasure.

Shao Nan sighed like a little adult. "That's right. Who asked him to be our biological father? As long as he keeps acknowledging us, even if we don't spend his money now, when he gets old in the future, we'll still be responsible for supporting him. We can't just leave him be."

This was a principle taught to them by their mother. They would definitely listen to Mommy and do what she said. It was also their responsibility.

"In that case, it would be a waste if we didn't accept his money now."

As soon as Shao Nan finished speaking, Shao Xi nodded. That was true. If they didn't accept it now and still had to support him in the future, they would be extremely aggrieved.

Shao Dong patted Shao Nan. "So, Little Nan, you're stopping us now to reduce our anger in the future. In that case, why should we be spiteful? Whatever he gives us, we'll accept, no matter how much it is. We can use the money to eat and drink. Otherwise, we can also use it to help others."

Shao Xi nodded. "Big Brother is right. We'll accept the money then. Let's not let him get away with it just like that, or he might cry hypocritically and not do anything. In the end, we'll still have to provide for him. Let's take it then. We must take it!"

The five children looked at each other and approached Shao Qihai again. Shao Xi told the nervous Shao Qihai, "Do as Little Nan said just now. You can compensate us in accordance with your guilt. The more, the better. We won't refuse."

Shao Qihai: "…"

Chapter 194: Are You Going To Continue Being Shao Qihai's Wife?

Because Shao Xi's words were truly a bit bizarre, Shao Qihai was too stunned to agree immediately. This made Shao Xi very unhappy.

He frowned. "Why aren't you saying anything? Or were you just saying that for fun and you aren't actually sincere about raising us?"

Shao Xi glared at him. Was he counting on them to provide for him now? Did he have the same notion as Zhao Lan and the rest? If that was the case, he definitely wouldn't tolerate it.

Seeing that Shao Xi's expression was off, Shao Qihai quickly replied, "No, no. I wasn't saying that for fun. I will do it."

The children didn't refuse. It should have been a good thing, but somehow, he felt that something was amiss.

No matter how he thought about it, it seemed like their actions were too extreme. A moment ago, they had directly refused, but now, they'd said that the more he gave them, the merrier.

Both of these extreme attitudes made it feel like they were taking revenge on him or something. Shao Xi's eyes were burning with rage as he looked at him.

Shao Qihai was listless. He would never have thought that this would happen. They didn't huddle together in tears, nor did they appear happy. In the end, they didn't even call him 'Daddy'.

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Yes, he had noticed it. It was impossible for him not to notice. After all, none of the children had called him 'Daddy', or rather, they had deliberately not done so.

Shao Qihai wanted to ask if they had misunderstood anything else, but the children didn't give him the chance to speak. "If there's nothing else, we'll go look for Mommy now."

After saying that, they scurried out. Shao Qihai stretched out his hands but couldn't stop them.

Shao Qihai paused for a moment to calm down before coming out. He planned to talk to Shao Qiyang and ask about the children.

He and Shao Qiyang had a good relationship. He had missed his younger brother very much. The last time they had met in Ocean City, they hadn't been able to have a good talk. This time, he finally had the chance.

Shao Qihai thought that even if that weren't the case for other people, Shao Qiyang would definitely be happy about his return.

While he had been gone, Shao Qiyang had taken care of the children and Mu Jingzhe. He had done all this for the sake of his older brother, him.

Shao Qihai came out feeling heartened at the thought of Shao Qiyang. He looked at Shao Qiyang, who was still standing in the courtyard, and stepped forward to pat him on the shoulder. He reached out and hugged him. "Qiyang, thank you so much for protecting the children and your second sister-in-law. If it weren't for you, I dare not imagine what would have happened."

Shao Qiyang's entire body was stiff, so Shao Qihai didn't feel the warmth of a hug. Upon hearing his words, he gave him a strange look and finally spoke in a hoarse voice.

"If you were not dead, why didn't you send news back?"

"The situation was special. For your safety, I couldn't send back news. Furthermore, at first… I was in a coma." Shao Qihai found it difficult to speak.

"Then shouldn't you have sent back news when you woke up? Or do you not trust me?" Shao Qiyang was very hurt. If his second brother had trusted him a little and let him know earlier, he might not have fallen so deeply into this mess.

What was this? He had been heartbroken and guilty for a long time. Now that his feelings for his sister-in-law had deepened, he had returned?

Since the husband was back, who the heck was he, the younger brother-in-law?

Relationships weren't like other things that could be taken back as and when one liked. Now that he had fallen for his sister-in-law, how was he going to clean up this mess in the future?

Shao Qiyang's eyes were red. Shao Qihai was shocked. "Qiyang, I didn't do it on purpose. I…"

"Forget it. What's the point of saying so now? You must have had your own reasons." Shao Qiyang knew Shao Qihai well and knew that he wouldn't do such a thing for no reason. However, even though he understood, he still felt uncomfortable and tired.

"I'm tired. I don't want to talk to you for the time being," Shao Qiyang said before walking straight to his room.

"Qiyang, are you angry too?" Shao Qihai followed him. He wanted to ask for an explanation, but the door was closed ruthlessly in front of him and then locked.

Shao Qihai, who had nearly been hit by the door, was speechless. "?"

What was wrong with Qiyang? Why hadn't even Qiyang welcomed him?

Shao Qihai stood in the courtyard in a daze. Meanwhile, the kids went to the Mu Residence to look for Mu Jingzhe.

Mu Jingzhe was talking to Mu Teng and Li Zhaodi. Mu Han had gone to the capital two days ago to continue earning money.

Shao Qihai's return made Mu Teng and Li Zhaodi feel very conflicted. In the past, they would have been glad. At least, their daughter wouldn't have to be a widow anymore.

However, the situation was different now. Their family was in a much better state than before. Furthermore, Jingzhe had become very capable and outstanding now. Even Ji Buwang, the heir to some big clan or corporation, was courting Jingzhe despite knowing she was a widow.

It didn't matter if she was a widow, for she still had plenty of better choices. They'd all been thinking of making Ji Buwang their new son-in-law, but Shao Qihai had suddenly returned.

Shao Qihai used to be the most promising person in Great Eastern Village in the past, but that was only in Great Eastern Village. Now, things were different. Their horizons had already broadened beyond Great Eastern Village. In combination with the influence of Mu Jingzhe, their thoughts had become much broader.

With a better choice like Ji Buwang, Shao Qihai now looked quite meh, especially since he didn't know how to buy sunglasses or anything like that.

Therefore, when Shao Qihai returned, Mu Teng and Li Zhaodi didn't feel any delight. Instead, they felt like Shao Qihai had come back to botch their daughter's marriage.

"What should we do now? His return was so sudden… Jingzhe, if only you had remarried earlier." This way, it would have been useless even if Shao Qihai had come back.

Mu Jingzhe: "Mom, it's not that bad."

"Then what are you going to do now? Are you going to continue being Shao Qihai's wife? No, no, Mommy hasn't thought it through properly. You shouldn't think about it either. Maybe you shouldn't go back today. Just stay at home."

Before Mu Jingzhe could answer, the five kids arrived in a row.

"Mommy wants to stay at home? Then we'll stay with Mommy," Shao Xi immediately replied. "Grandma, we can just sleep on the floor in Mommy's room."

Mu Jingzhe, Li Zhaodi, and Mu Teng: "Uh, this isn't appropriate."

"Why not? We'll be wherever Mommy is." Shao Nan indicated that what he had said previously wasn't just for show.

Little Bei and Xiao Wu also nodded vigorously, their little hands already tugging at Mu Jingzhe's clothes.

Mu Jingzhe, who was originally a mess, suddenly felt moved. Sob, sob. Shao Qihai had come back to snatch the children from her. Fortunately, the children still had a conscience and hadn't forgotten all about their mother after seeing their father.

Although Mu Jingzhe really wanted to be impulsive and ignore Shao Qihai, directly living with the children in the Mu Residence and snatching them away, she knew that it was impossible. In the end, Mu Jingzhe followed the kids back to the Shao Residence.

Escaping wasn't a solution. She had to solve the problem.

When he saw them return, Shao Qihai's eyes lit up before he heaved a sigh of relief.

He had been truly afraid just now. Although the kids hadn't been gone for long, Shao Qihai had felt very tormented. He had even started to suspect that the kids and Mu Jingzhe had abandoned him and run away. He had been wondering if he should chase after them.

Fortunately, Mu Jingzhe and the kids hadn't run away. Shao Qihai, who was overjoyed, heaved a sigh of relief. "It's good to have you back. No, let's eat first."

Chapter 195: You've Tarnished Our Parent-Child Outfit

The food was sumptuous, but it was Shao Qiyang who had worked hard to prepare these dishes.

Shao Qihai awkwardly and warmly invited them to sit down and eat. Shao Dong looked at Shao Qiyang's room. "Where's Uncle?"

"He said he wasn't in a good mood," Shao Qihai explained awkwardly.

"It's normal for Uncle to be in a bad mood. He's been through a lot today." Shao Dong, who was considerate, went to look for Shao Qiyang.

Shao Qiyang, who was in the house, was very touched and sad when he heard Shao Dong ask about him outside. He asked Shao Dong not to worry and said that he would be fine in a while. Shao Qiyang even asked Shao Dong to go eat quickly and said that he would be skipping the meal because he had no appetite.

Although he said that, they still left some food for Shao Qiyang.

The late dinner started in silence and awkwardness. Although Mu Jingzhe and the kids didn't talk much, the atmosphere was very harmonious and taciturn.

The only person who didn't fit in was Shao Qihai. Shao Qihai wanted to pick food for the children, but the children weren't happy. In fact, when he got nervous, he even picked the wrong food.

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He had been dreaming of sitting down and having a meal with his family for the longest time. In the end, this was what happened.

He wanted to talk to Mu Jingzhe, but when he actually sat at the table and looked at her, Shao Qihai felt a little hesitant.

It was because he sensed that Mu Jingzhe was really different now. He felt that it would take a lot of courage to speak to her.

In the end, the food tasted like wax in Shao Qihai's mouth, and he didn't even know what he ate.

As soon as they finished eating, Shao Dong and Shao Xi worked together to wash the dishes. Shao Nan and Little Bei also helped clean up. Xiao Wu wiped the table, and the five siblings cooperated very well.

Mu Jingzhe poured hot water for them and swept the floor. Only Shao Qihai had nothing to do.

Shao Qihai wanted to help, but everyone pretty much ignored him.

After they finally cleaned up, Shao Qihai remembered something and went out. A moment later, he came back out with a big bag and a face full of anticipation.

"I kept thinking about you guys and bought quite a lot of things." Like an ordinary father who had gone on a long trip, he wanted to give his children a gift upon returning. He imagined that the children would be happy to receive the gift, and then their relationship would improve.

Oh, his wife would be happy too.

Shao Qihai coughed and couldn't wait to distribute the gifts.

"This is Little Dong's. This is Little Xi's… This is for you."

After giving the presents to the children, Shao Qihai glanced at Mu Jingzhe and placed the item in her hand.

Mu Jingzhe, who was watching the show, exclaimed, "Eh?" There was also something for her? This was rare.

Mu Jingzhe hesitated for a moment, wondering if she should accept it. Shao Qihai stuffed it into her hands and said, "See if… if it fits."

He looked at the children. "You too. Try them on to see if they fit. You're taller than I thought you'd be."

Shao Dong and the others looked at the presents and didn't move much, but Shao Nan exclaimed, "Why do I find this a little familiar… This looks like something Mommy and I decided not to buy while shopping in the capital…"

He looked at Mu Jingzhe to confirm this. Mu Jingzhe looked at the items, and they looked familiar indeed. "It really does seem…"

Shao Qihai: "?" Meow meow meow?

They had decided not to buy them? Was it because she couldn't afford to buy them because they were expensive?

Shao Qihai froze. Mu Jingzhe and Shao Nan glanced at the presents in confusion. Mu Jingzhe finally spoke to Shao Qihai. "Why did you buy these?" Wouldn't it be a little too much to call this a coincidence?

Shao Qihai: "Would you believe me if I said it was a coincidence?"

Mu Jingzhe and the five children shook their heads in unison to express their disbelief.

Shao Qihai: "I'll explain this later…"

It didn't seem like an appropriate time to say that he had been following them all this time. Shao Qihai could only awkwardly implement the stalling policy.

He hadn't expected to make such a blunder. Coincidentally, Little Bei was right in front of him. When he saw her adorable look, Shao Qihai's gaze melted. He quickly changed the topic and asked, "Does Little Bei like these hair ornaments?"

Little Bei: "I don't. These hair ornaments aren't as pretty as the ones Mommy makes."

Shao Qihai stiffened again. "Uh…"

"Mommy has made me a lot of pretty ones." A year ago, Little Bei, who had never owned any hair ornaments, might have been thrilled. However, she had a lot of beautiful hair ornaments now, so she didn't care for such mediocre ones anymore.

Shao Qihai was so embarrassed that he was about to say something when Shao Nan took a look and suddenly burst into laughter. "Mommy, look at this hair ornament. Isn't it the one you said was so ugly it was adorable?"

Mu Jingzhe took a look and saw that it was true. Because she was in this line of work, she would take a closer look at the hair ornaments sold in the streets. Some of them weren't bad, but the workmanship was rough, and they were ugly. However, when something was ugly to an extreme, it had an ugly and adorable effect. Mu Jingzhe even tried to see the effect, wanting to see if it would look different when the ornament was worn on the head.

In the end, it didn't. Instead, the hair ornament looked even uglier and out of place when worn.

Mu Jingzhe still clearly remembered the jibes she had made then. She just hadn't expected Shao Qihai to actually buy one.

Shao Qihai: "…"

He actually didn't have much of an aesthetic sense for girly things. At the time, he'd also felt that it was strange that she would take a fancy to it, but he had thought that maybe it was because he didn't understand. He hadn't expected… that it would really be ugly.

He had been looking forward to the presents relieving the awkwardness and making them feel closer to him, but now that he had distributed the presents, it was even more awkward… He really was…

He was at a loss for words. As he faced everyone's strange and probing gazes, he was so anxious that he nearly broke out in a sweat. At that moment, Xiao Wu looked at his father's clothes and then down at his own clothes. He finally couldn't help but speak.

"You're wearing the same clothes as us." He subconsciously said that in an accusing tone.

When Xiao Wu said this, everyone finally saw the clothes Shao Qihai was wearing. They couldn't help but widen their eyes. How could he be wearing the same clothes as them!

Shao Dong's face fell when he saw this, as they were wearing the parent-child outfits that Mu Jingzhe had bought previously!

The parent-child outfits Mu Jingzhe and Shao Nan had bought were unanimously liked and cherished by the children. After wearing them once, the children had cautiously worn them again on the first day of school. When they went to school with Mu Jingzhe in that outfit, they became the most beautiful sight at school.

They loved these parent-child outfits to death and couldn't bear to take them off. Mu Jingzhe also felt that wearing parent-child outfits was very cool, so she couldn't bear to take the clothes off either.

The other children looked at them enviously and also wanted to wear the same clothes as their parents. The parents in Great Eastern Village were forced to think of ways to find clothes of the same or similar color to satisfy their children's needs. Many parents even took out sportswear.

The children were proud and happy to see that everyone's outfits weren't as well-matched as theirs. In the end, Shao Qihai was also wearing the same outfit as them.

What gave him the right?! How could he?! He had tarnished their clothes!

Mu Jingzhe looked at the clothes on her and then at Shao Qihai's clothes. She had a profound feeling that if they were to go out like this, anyone who didn't know might think this was a couple's outfit.

Upon seeing the children fuming and Mu Jingzhe looking at him strangely, Shao Qihai was speechless.

"…"

Under their gazes, he shrank his body, wishing he could shrink into nonexistence.

This was the nth time he had suffered a blow. There were so many times that he had lost track. He felt like he was in a daze, as if he had died again.

He had secretly bought that same outfit that day and specifically changed into it before coming back. He had wanted to wear the same clothes as his kids and Mu Jingzhe, but in the end…

Chapter 196: Should We Get a Divorce?

Under Shao Dong and the others' gazes, Shao Qihai felt guilty and had no choice but to lower his head and give in. "If… If you think it's not a good idea for me to wear it, I'll wear it less often in the future."

After saying that, Shao Qihai was so aggrieved that he almost cried. However, the children were still dissatisfied. "You mean you still want to wear it in the future?"

He hadn't said he would stop wearing it, but that he would wear it less often. These were two different concepts.

Shao Qihai felt even more aggrieved upon hearing that they wouldn't allow him to wear it at all. "I… Then I'll only wear it again if you say I can."

Shao Xi was still unhappy when he heard that. Noticing the stiff atmosphere, Mu Jingzhe quickly pulled Shao Xi aside, thinking that she could just buy them new outfits in the future. That wasn't the crux of the matter. The main point was that the gift Shao Qihai had given them wasn't simple!

After appeasing the kids, Mu Jingzhe said, "Shao Qihai, let's talk."

Shao Qihai's heart skipped a beat. "Alright."

The kids looked at Shao Qihai and immediately became vigilant. All of them grabbed Mu Jingzhe and looked at Shao Qihai as if he was some kind of human-eating demon that would devour Mu Jingzhe.

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Shao Qihai's heart had only skipped two beats, yet it instantly no longer had the strength to continue beating. "I won't do anything."

His explanation reminded the children of Mu Jingzhe's strength. They thought to themselves that he wasn't capable of doing anything to her anyway and then relaxed.

Before Mu Jingzhe could speak, Shao Dong stood up. "Mommy, you talk. We'll go back to our room." He took the initiative to leave the kitchen to them.

Shao Nan looked at the kitchen knife in the kitchen and stood up as well. Mm, the kitchen was indeed a good place to talk. If Shao Qihai had any bad intentions, Mommy could grab the kitchen knife at any time.

He pulled Shao Xi up. "Let's go." As he walked out, he gave Mu Jingzhe a look to show her the kitchen knife.

Mu Jingzhe saw Shao Xi's gaze but couldn't understand for a moment. She wanted to ask what he meant, but Shao Xi had already left.

Dismissing it as something that probably wasn't important, Mu Jingzhe didn't ask any further questions and waited to talk to Shao Qihai about the most important matters.

Now that only the two of them were left in the kitchen, Mu Jingzhe looked at Shao Qihai and asked, "Shao Qihai, did you return previously or secretly follow us around?"

Shao Qihai hadn't expected Mu Jingzhe to ask this right away and was thus flabbergasted.

As he was wondering how to answer, Mu Jingzhe added, "You don't have to find excuses anymore. Don't think of hiding this from me. These can't be mere coincidences."

Shao Qihai could only nod and admit it, choosing his words carefully. "Actually, I accidentally met you guys before… I was in a bit of a situation at the time and couldn't quite acknowledge you guys, so…"

"When? Where?" Mu Jingzhe asked. "Why didn't I see you before?"

If she had, she would have recognized him. Also, any of the kids could have recognized him.

"I disguised myself at the time, and it wasn't convenient for me either."

Mu Jingzhe nodded. "I see. You haven't told me when. Or where? How many times did we meet? Based on what I saw, it should have been more than once, right?"

Shao Qihai stiffened again. He hadn't expected Mu Jingzhe to be so sharp.

Seeing that he wasn't going to answer, Mu Jingzhe went on to ask, "Now that you're back, you can answer my questions, right?"

"Yes…" Shao Qihai thought about the things he had brought back. "In Ocean City…"

When he mentioned Ocean City, many memories of the city flashed across Shao Qihai's mind. Back then, he had even saved Mu Jingzhe. However, Mu Jingzhe had gotten in trouble because of him. He didn't know if Jingzhe would blame him if she found out or if she would feel close to him because he had saved her once.

As Shao Qihai thought about it, he saw Mu Jingzhe frown. "Ocean City?" She had beautiful memories of going to Ocean City but also many bad ones.

When Shao Qihai saw Mu Jingzhe frown, he suddenly thought of the 'old pervert' who had helped her then. Oh right. He had stayed close to Mu Jingzhe and been kicked so hard that he had almost been crippled.

This wasn't a good memory at all. If Mu Jingzhe found out that he was that old man, she would definitely look at him strangely.

Shao Qihai corrected himself as quickly as he could. "I've been to Ocean City before, but I didn't meet you. Instead, I saw you in the capital when you were shopping…"

Mu Jingzhe understood. "So it was back then. No wonder. What happened before and after? Did you see us again?"

"After that…" After that had been the train trip. They'd even worked together and caught some pickpockets.

However, Shao Qihai immediately recalled that they had been scolded for being 'an adulterous pair' at the time.

Shao Qihai was instantly speechless. It was only upon recalling this that he realized that his interactions with Mu Jingzhe and the children previously had made some good memories. However, these good memories were accompanied by bad and strange memories, even embarrassing ones.

Shao Qihai changed the words that had been about to come out of his mouth again. "After that, I came back."

Most of the things Shao Qihai had bought had also been sold in the capital at the time, so it made sense.

Mu Jingzhe didn't continue harping on this issue. She frowned and didn't dwell on it. Instead, she turned around and talked about another important matter, a truly important one.

"What are your plans now that you are back? Our marriage could have been considered annulled previously, but now that you're back, is it still valid? Should we get a divorce?"

This was what Mu Jingzhe thought of after calming down. She didn't know the specific rules of this era. It would be fine if they were deemed completely unrelated now, but if they were still considered a married couple, they might have to get a divorce.

She had read many transmigration novels about rebirth. When the female protagonist came back, she would always have to leave the scumbag and get a divorce. In her case, after she'd transmigrated, although the situation at first had been very complicated, she had thought that since her husband was already dead, there was no need for a divorce.

She hadn't expected that after going around in circles for a year, she would still have to think about getting a divorce. What a sin.

Mu Jingzhe looked helpless, while Shao Qihai was shocked.

He'd guessed that Mu Jingzhe had many things to tell him and many questions to ask him. Over the past year, he had considered many situations that Mu Jingzhe might be in. He had even considered what he would do if she remarried.

It hadn't been easy for him to finally overcome all those obstacles. He was finally back, and she had yet to remarry. He was ecstatic, really. In the end, the second thing she had brought up on his first day back was actually a divorce.

Divorce?!

Mu Jingzhe actually wanted to divorce him!

Shao Qihai knew very well what divorce meant, but in this day and age, basically no one would get a divorce. To them, divorce was a big deal, an even bigger deal than death.

However, Mu Jingzhe had casually said the word 'divorce' and had even brought it up in a discussion.

Shao Qihai didn't know how to describe his feelings for a moment. "Why would you think of getting a divorce? Why do you want a divorce?"

Before Mu Jingzhe could answer, he couldn't help but answer first. "No, I won't get divorced."

"Why not?" Mu Jingzhe asked curiously.

Shao Qihai was also puzzled. "Why do you want to get a divorce? Why did you think of asking me for a divorce? If you have anything to ask or if there's anything bothering you, you can tell me. We can discuss things nicely. There's no need to talk about a divorce."

"But shouldn't we get a divorce because of our current situation? Back then, you married me because my mother and I used rumors to trap you. You weren't willing to do it, and I was also confused. Now that you've survived and returned, I've also thought it through. We should sort out our situation and get a divorce."

Chapter 197: Going After Mu Xue

Mu Jingzhe felt that she had made herself clear and adequately supported her stance with valid reasons.

However, Shao Qihai frowned when he heard that. "No, Jingzhe. Even if there were other reasons for our marriage at first and we didn't fall in love freely, marriage is not a joke. How can we get married casually and then get a divorce now that you claim you've thought it through? I've never thought of getting a divorce. Why on earth would you want a divorce?"

Was it because of Ji Buwang? It would be understandable if it was because of Ji Buwang. Shao Qihai prepared himself mentally and was about to confirm this with difficulty when he heard Mu Jingzhe speak.

"Isn't it obvious? You have Mu Xue in your heart and you don't like me. Of course we have to get a divorce."

Although Mu Jingzhe hadn't told Li Zhaodi and Mu Teng yet, judging from their expressions just now, they probably wouldn't object.

She had already been a widow, so getting a divorce wouldn't be a big deal. She could just be a divorced woman.

However, being a divorced woman was nothing. The biggest problem was that she couldn't bear to part with the children.

Mu Jingzhe was conflicted about the matter of the children, while Shao Qihai felt very helpless. "Of course not. Mu Xue and I ended our relationship a long time ago. In the past… we weren't free to date either. Don't think too much."

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Shao Qihai was telling the truth. Although everyone had started to pursue their freedom to love, this was still a far cry from the freedom to love in the modern era.

This so-called freedom to love was actually just a man and a woman glancing at each other before the matchmaker helped propose marriage successfully.

Back then, he had only interacted with Mu Xue a few times. Being from the same village, they knew each other's background well. When they'd felt attracted to each other and confirmed that both parties were interested, he had directly invited the matchmaker.

In other villages, couples might roll around in the corn fields and stuff like that, but that was a rare occurrence in Great Eastern Village. He and Mu Xue had never done anything like that.

Later on, because of Xiao Wu, Mu Xue had regretted it. Plus, Mu Jingzhe and Li Zhaodi had made a move just then, so he'd married Mu Jingzhe. Although he hadn't forgotten Mu Xue at first, he had known in his heart that things were over between them.

After his fake death, he hadn't thought of Mu Xue much. Later on, the one he'd thought about the most, mentioned the most, and paid the most attention to was Mu Jingzhe.

Thanks to Jiang Feng's constant nagging, he had dreamt of living happily ever after with Mu Jingzhe in the future. After all, Mu Jingzhe had always known about his relationship with Mu Xue. He hadn't expected Mu Jingzhe to suddenly mind about this.

Shao Qihai explained seriously, but it was true that he'd had Mu Xue in his heart before. Besides, Mu Jingzhe was really not prepared to continue being married to a man who was practically a stranger to her.

"It's not entirely because of Mu Xue. It's because I'm not ready to live with you yet."

As Shao Qihai looked at Mu Jingzhe's conflicted face, he couldn't help but think of Ji Buwang. Ji Buwang was outstanding and treated her well, so it was normal for Mu Jingzhe to be moved.

It was normal, yet he felt terrible. It was this discomfort that made him put himself in her shoes.

Mu Jingzhe knew that he'd had Mu Xue in his heart back then and must have felt as terrible as him. That was why she had proposed a divorce now, right?

If that was the case, then Mu Jingzhe wasn't wrong. Shao Qihai looked at Mu Jingzhe, his heart filled with guilt and bitterness. "I'm really sorry for what happened previously, Jingzhe, but I've really forgotten about Mu Xue now. I just want to lead a good life with you. I know that it's my fault for faking my death over the past year. Can you give me another chance? Don't mention the divorce for the time being."

Since it had been more than a year, it wouldn't be unreasonable even if Mu Jingzhe had a change of heart and wished to remarry. Therefore, Shao Qihai only wanted to fight for another chance. He didn't want Mu Jingzhe to give him the death sentence and ask for a divorce right away.

Mu Jingzhe glanced at him, not quite believing that he no longer had Mu Xue in his heart. "If you're worried that a divorce would be bad for you, you can rest assured. In the future, more and more people will get a divorce. Marrying for the second time…" Upon thinking that if they divorced this time, it wouldn't be Shao Qihai's second marriage, Mu Jingzhe quickly changed her words. "Marrying for the third time is no big deal, really. "

As she spoke, Mu Jingzhe's tone became a little awkward. A second marriage might not be a big deal, but a third marriage was indeed a little overboard. Even in modern times, it was taboo for people to hear about someone marrying for the third time.

Guessing that Shao Qihai was probably concerned about this aspect, Mu Jingzhe could only change the subject. "Actually, regardless of whether one gets a divorce or marries for the second or third time, people will always be talking about it. But you don't have to be too bothered by those things. Live your own life. You know best whether you're happy or not."

Mu Jingzhe clenched her fist to give Shao Qihai courage. "You don't have to be afraid. You can bravely get a divorce. You've experienced so many hardships, so you should know that happiness is rare and precious. Life is very short. Rather than pay attention to this gossip, why don't you bravely pursue love and make up for your past regrets?"

Mu Jingzhe's words were hinting at something.

Shao Qihai felt dizzy upon hearing Mu Jingzhe's words. "What regrets? I really don't want a divorce."

"Mu Xue." Seeing that Shao Qihai was still pretending, Mu Jingzhe could only make it clear. "There's no one else here, so let's be frank. Let's not beat around the bush. Although we're married, we're not husband and wife. Isn't it because you still remember Mu Xue?

"The two of us don't like each other, so why force ourselves to be together? We can just get a divorce. Then, you can pursue happiness, pick up where you left off with her, and have more children in the future."

Mu Jingzhe was secretly instigating Shao Qihai to be brave. Since he had regained his freedom after escaping death, he should bravely pursue love and continue his relationship with Mu Xue. Wouldn't that be perfect? They would live happily ever after like in the novel, and she would take care of Little Bei and the rest.

In that case, when he got married to Mu Xue and had another child, they wouldn't have to worry about favoring one child over another. It wouldn't be fair for the children to compete for favor. Mu Xue also wouldn't have to go through the difficult situation of being a stepmother. Splendid, wasn't it?

Speaking of that, it was really strange. Tang Moling and Mu Xue were no longer together, and the plot had collapsed terribly. In the end, Shao Qihai had even returned. Did this mean that Mu Xue and Shao Qihai were truly fated to be together?

It was entirely possible. Mu Xue was currently feeling sad. However, her first love had suddenly come back from the dead to love her again. This would warm her heart. Hear, hear. Wasn't it wonderful?

Shao Qihai was Mu Xue's first love. One's first love was always different.

The more Mu Jingzhe thought about it, the more she felt that this was the best opportunity. "Shao Qihai, what do you think of what I said? It's alright, you can go with peace of mind…"

She was about to point out the most important part, which was that he could leave the children to her, when Shao Qihai couldn't take it anymore and interrupted her.

"Mu Jingzhe, that's enough. Stop talking."

Shao Qihai was really a little angry. He could understand why she had suddenly asked for a divorce. After all, he had been wrong in the past. However, before the divorce had even been finalized, she had already asked him to remarry. Her eager eyes were shining as though she wished that he and Mu Xue could get together immediately. This made him feel very upset.

Even if she had fallen for Ji Buwang and wanted to marry him, there was no need to arrange for him to leave, right?

Judging from the way she was behaving, she really didn't want him to be alive.

Shao Qihai's interruption forced the excited Mu Jingzhe to calm down. She took a careful look at him and asked, "Are you angry?"

Chapter 198: We Support Mommy's Divorce

How could he not be angry? Anyone would be angry! Shao Qihai said stiffly, "I won't get a divorce. I refuse."

Mu Jingzhe frowned. Was he that determined?

"You don't have to mention this again." Shao Qihai took a deep breath. "Even if it's for the sake of the children, don't mention it for the time being. They like you very much, so they definitely won't support a divorce…"

"No, we support it."

Shao Xi's voice was suddenly heard. Shao Qihai turned around and saw Shao Xi's head popping in from outside.

"Little Xi?"

"Mm, it's me." Shao Xi simply walked in without hiding. "I wanted to go to the bathroom and I accidentally heard you guys talking. I think that since you guys mentioned us, we have to make our stance clear."

Shao Xi was perhaps the only person who could sound so open and aboveboard about eavesdropping. Shao Xi walked in calmly, followed by Shao Nan, Xiao Bei, Xiao Wu, and finally, Shao Dong.

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Shao Qihai: "Do you kids always go to the bathroom together?"

"Of course we always go together." Shao Xi nodded and said seriously, "If Mommy wants a divorce, we're actually in favor of that."

Mu Jingzhe had seen a truly resentful couple in Great Eastern Village who had utterly hated each other to death. Even so, they hadn't gotten a divorce in the end because they'd felt that a divorce was very shameful.

After quarreling for a lifetime, they had ultimately angered each other to death. When Mu Jingzhe had gone to visit them, she had lamented that there was no need for this. If they were really not compatible, they could have gotten a divorce.

From then on, the kids had changed their attitude toward divorce. One shouldn't place too much importance on saving face. If two people were really unsuitable for each other and couldn't live well together, divorce was a viable option.

Since Mu Jingzhe had brought it up, she had to have her reasons. Since even they didn't want this father, their mother naturally wouldn't want him either. They had to support her and not let her suffer.

Shao Qihai was shocked. "You all agree?"

Why? Why would they agree? Didn't they like Mu Jingzhe a lot?

The five children nodded vigorously, including Shao Dong.

Shao Qihai felt like he had been shot in the chest again. He had thought that at the very least, the children would stand on his side since they liked Mu Jingzhe so much. In the end…

Shao Qihai's countenance was pale and ugly. Shao Dong vigilantly nudged Mu Jingzhe. "Mommy, go and rest with Little Bei quickly."

Although Shao Qihai didn't use to be the sort of man who would hit a woman previously, they had been separated for a year now. Who knew if he had changed or not? Or perhaps they had never known Shao Qihai in the first place.

Therefore, in order to prevent Shao Qihai from flying into a rage out of embarrassment and hitting her, he wanted to protect his mother.

When Little Bei heard Shao Dong say that, she immediately pulled Mu Jingzhe away. "Mommy, let's go to sleep first. You'll get a divorce tomorrow."

Then, she dragged Mu Jingzhe away. Shao Qihai wanted to follow them after seeing that something was wrong, but he was stopped by Shao Dong.

Shao Dong stared at him with eyes that bore a great resemblance to Shao Qihai's. "Stay with me tonight."

'Don't even think about sleeping with Mommy!'

Mu Jingzhe's room was their bridal chamber, which was also Shao Qihai's room. However, when the news of Shao Qihai's death had come, many of his belongings and clothes had been taken care of, and the chamber had completely become Mu Jingzhe's room.

Since they were about to get a divorce, Shao Dong naturally couldn't let Shao Qihai and Mu Jingzhe stay in the same room, so he arranged for Shao Qihai to stay with him.

If he stayed with them, they could inquire about Shao Qihai's situation. As the saying goes, if one knows oneself and one's enemy, one will always win. They could also watch over Shao Qihai and prevent him from acting rashly.

Shao Qihai could only watch helplessly as Mu Jingzhe was dragged away. In the end, he had to sleep on the ground with Shao Dong and the other boys.

When they got to the room, Shao Qihai comforted himself by thinking that sleeping with the children would actually give him a good opportunity to talk to them.

In particular, he could find out why they had supported Mu Jingzhe's divorce request earlier.

"Little Dong, Little Xi, Little Nan, Xiao Wu, why are you supporting Mommy's decision to divorce me?"

Shao Dong replied, "Because Mommy wants a divorce." Whatever they wanted to do, Mommy would always support them. They would support Mommy back.

"That's it? Don't you want to think about whether it's appropriate?" Shao Qihai frowned.

Shao Xi answered quickly, "Of course we have. My brother is saving you the embarrassment. We support the divorce because we feel that you're not worthy of Mommy."

Shao Qihai choked. "Not worthy?"

"Of course. Don't you think so yourself?" Shao Xi looked at Shao Qihai. "Think about your qualities. You have a dead wife, five burdens, and an awful mother, younger sister, and family. In the past, if anyone like that dared to come to our door, we would have directly kicked the guy out."

Although they were the five burdens and by criticizing Shao Qihai, they were also criticizing themselves, Shao Xi still spoke very ruthlessly because this was their reality. He had to tell the truth.

"Just give up. You're indeed not worthy of Mommy. You should listen to Mommy and get a divorce."

Shao Qihai: "…"

Feeling like an arrow had been shot in his chest again, Shao Qihai endured it and said, "Yes, my condition is indeed quite special. But Little Xi, don't you like Mommy a lot?

"Other children don't like their parents getting a divorce. When the adults fight and have a bad relationship, the kids cry and get anxious. They even help their father coax their mother. Why are you like this? Not only are you not helping, but you're even adding fuel to fire?" This didn't make sense. This wasn't how this was portrayed on television!

Shao Xi said matter-of-factly, "Because we're reasonable. You disappeared for more than a year, so your marriage to Mommy actually ended a long time ago."

"That's right. Actually, it's not just your marriage to Mommy. Our father-son relationship hasn't been maintained for such a long time that it's actually almost over as well," Shao Nan added. "Unfortunately, husband-and-wife relationships can be ended via a divorce, but there's no such thing for a father-son relationship."

"If we could also get a certificate to end our relationship as father and son, we'd be very willing to do it."

Now that Shao Nan had said this, Shao Qihai no longer felt like he was hit by an arrow. It felt simply like a million arrows piercing his heart.

"Little Nan." When Shao Nan finished speaking, Shao Dong stopped him. He was unmoved even when he saw that Shao Qihai had been dealt a big blow, and he said without any sincerity, "I'm sorry, Little Nan is a straightforward person."

He was only sorry about the fact that Shao Nan was direct, not because he was wrong. This knowledge broke Shao Qihai's heart all over again.

Then, Shao Qihai heard Shao Dong say, "There are no outsiders here now. Can you tell us the truth?"

"What?"

"It's just that we really want to know why you came back to acknowledge us. When we were in a desperate situation and needed you, you didn't come. Now that we've overcome our difficulties, why are you back?"

Shao Xi curled his lips. "Is there a need to ask? It must be because we've made something of ourselves."

"I really wasn't able to come back because I had something to do. I didn't come back now because you guys have made something of yourselves. I really had my reasons." Shao Qihai was very upset.

"Oh, so you're saying that you got lucky? You weren't around when we were nothing. Now that we've become successful and started earning money and Mommy has become beautiful and amazing, you've come back to enjoy the fruits of other people's labor, right?"

Shao Qihai choked again. Upon careful thought, he realized that he didn't know how to retort. After all, even though these words stabbed his heart, they were true.

Chapter 199: Only Acknowledge Mommy But Not Daddy

The more Shao Nan spoke, the more his heart ached. "Isn't this too unreasonable? How can there be such a good thing in the world?"

"That's right. It is too unreasonable. Xiao Wu even learned how to speak. We also learned a lot of skills. This is all thanks to Mommy," Shao Xi added at the end. The way he looked at Shao Qihai was as though he was looking at a thief or a villain who had snatched a peach while he was eating it.

The three of them spoke one after another, making Shao Qihai feel so ashamed that he wished he could dig a hole in the ground.

It would have been fine if they hadn't said it, but now that they had, it seemed like he was really shameless.

He paused and was just about to say something when Shao Xi said impatiently, "Stop it. I've spoken clearly. Anyway, Mommy is so beautiful and capable now. She's not someone you can covet. You should give up as soon as possible. Tomorrow, you should obediently divorce Mommy."

Shao Xi felt aggrieved on his mother's behalf. Why would Mommy have to marry such a person? It was absurd.

Shao Qihai almost spat out a mouthful of old blood. If someone who didn't know better heard this, they would think that they were overestimating a fool or some pervert who was lusting after an outstanding girl.

But the heavens could attest to the fact that he and Mu Jingzhe were husband and wife.

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Shao Qihai was about to clarify this when he looked up and saw that Shao Xi's face was filled with heartache. "It's not just Mommy. There's also us…"

Right, other than Mommy, Shao Xi also felt aggrieved for himself and his siblings. On what basis? On what basis had he come back now that they had become successful and outstanding?

Shao Xi didn't complete his sentence, but the children understood. For a moment, their hearts ached for themselves. The way they looked at Shao Qihai became increasingly unfriendly.

Unfortunately, Shao Qihai had yet to react and thought that they were forcing him to get a divorce.

Shao Qihai took a deep breath to calm himself down. "Have you ever thought that if you support her decision to get a divorce, she will have nothing to do with me and you? Aren't you afraid she'll leave after getting a divorce?"

Shao Xi's heart skipped a beat, but he said stubbornly, "What's there to be afraid of? Mommy is divorcing you, not us. We're mother and children, so we can't get a divorce. She's still our mother."

"No, if she divorced me, she wouldn't be your mother anymore. She wouldn't have any legal relationship with you guys. She would just be your ex-stepmother."

Shao Qihai exposed the cruel truth. "Aren't you afraid?"

"Don't try to lie to us! Mommy won't leave us. She won't leave us alone. She has promised us!"

"If you don't believe me, you can ask her yourself. Things won't be the same after she divorces me. Even now that she hasn't divorced me, some people are already saying that she isn't fit to take care of you kids. Once she's divorced me, it'll be even harder for her to take care of you kids."

Shao Qihai hadn't wanted to tell the children these things, but they were too smart and shrewd. He had been forced by the children to tell the truth.

"If she can't take care of us, who can?" Shao Dong asked with a cold face.

"Me, of course. I'm your biological father," Shao Qihai answered matter-of-factly. "Therefore, it would be best if we didn't get a divorce. That way, she'll continue to be your mother."

Even though he had already guessed it, Shao Dong's expression still changed when he heard that.

"Little Dong, I know you kids can't forgive me yet, but I don't think we should be rash when it comes to this matter. A divorce is a big deal."

The boys were silent for a few seconds. Looking at their expressions, Shao Qihai finally heaved a sigh of relief. He was really afraid that he would be forced to get a divorce by his own children tomorrow after finally escaping death today.

He wanted to take this opportunity while the kids were listening to him to analyze the situation in detail. However, before he could speak, Shao Dong had already gotten out of bed silently and gotten dressed.

"What's wrong, Little Dong? Do you want to go to the bathroom? I'll go with you," Shao Qihai said quickly.

"No, I'm going to ask Mommy."

In short, Shao Dong didn't believe Shao Qihai. He wanted to personally confirm it by asking Mu Jingzhe.

Shao Qihai could tell and nodded helplessly. "Alright, go ask…" Before he could finish his words, Shao Xi, Shao Nan, and Xiao Wu had already gotten up and gotten dressed.

"Big Brother, we want to go too."

"Alright, let's go. Let's clarify this with Mommy."

Then, Shao Dong took his younger brothers to look for Mu Jingzhe. Mu Jingzhe was talking to Little Bei. Too many things had happened today. In addition, Shao Qihai had suddenly returned without a warning. Mu Jingzhe's mind was a mess, so how could she fall asleep?

Seeing that the kids' attitude toward Shao Qihai was a bit off, Mu Jingzhe took this opportunity to ask Little Bei about it.

Just as Little Bei was about to blurt out the truth during her questioning, Shao Dong and the rest knocked on the door. "My brothers are here. I'll go open the door!"

Little Bei heaved a sigh of relief and tried to open the door, but Mu Jingzhe grabbed her and scooped her back.

"I'll go open it in case you catch a cold."

Mu Jingzhe opened the door. "What's wrong? Little Dong, what's the matter?"

"We want to talk to you, Mommy."

"Then come in quickly. You don't want to catch a cold." After putting the kids under the blanket, Mu Jingzhe asked, "What do you want to talk about?"

"The divorce." Shao Dong, Shao Nan, and the others were sitting in a row under the blanket. Their bodies were nestled in the blanket, and a few strands of hair were sticking up on their heads. However, they spoke in a very mature tone.

Mu Jingzhe held back her laughter and put on a serious face. "Go ahead."

"Are you going to leave us behind when you get a divorce?"

Mu Jingzhe paused. "No, I never thought of leaving you kids behind."

Although Mu Jingzhe quickly denied it, the children didn't miss her pause. "Mom, tell us honestly. Is it really as he said? Once you're divorced, your relationship with us will be different? You won't be able to take care of us anymore and he'll be the one raising us?"

"I will. Of course I'll take care of you kids. Regardless of whether I get a divorce or not, I'll take care of you kids." Mu Jingzhe quickly guaranteed this, but after she did so, she suddenly felt that something was wrong. "Wait, what did he say? Did he say I can't take care of you kids after I divorce him?"

"He didn't say that, but Mom, after you get divorced, do we really have to be in his charge?"

"Logically speaking, that should be the case. After all, he's your biological father." But Mu Jingzhe couldn't bear to part with them. Did that mean she couldn't get a divorce because of the children?

Mu Jingzhe's brain exploded, and so did the children's.

"No, we don't want him. Mommy, we only want you. He might disappear again at some point. What if he goes looking for a new wife and child just like before? What are we supposed to do then?"

"That's right. If he abandoned us once, he can abandon us again. Mommy, you can't leave us. You can't leave us alone. Otherwise, we'll be finished again."

"You can get a divorce, but you can't leave us behind. We'll only acknowledge you, not him."

"Mommy, you wouldn't want us to fall into the hands of Zhao Lan and the others again and be treated as their money tree, right?"

"I only want Mommy!"

The five children expressed their true thoughts one after the other.

Because he was really curious to know what they were talking about, Shao Qihai, who couldn't help but come to eavesdrop, happened to hear the five children's confession.

For a moment, he was speechless and bitter.

These children. He hadn't been around for only a year and they already acknowledged their mother and not their father. He had already said that he hadn't abandoned them, so why didn't they believe him?

Chapter 200: Shao Qihai Felt Inferior

Shao Qihai was speechless. Mu Jingzhe was also stunned by their words. She'd also realized something important.

"Wait, Little Dong. What do you mean by 'if he abandoned you once, he could abandon you a second time'? What do you mean?"

Shao Dong blinked and suddenly shut up, but it was too late. Mu Jingzhe edged closer to him. "Are you hiding something from me? What did you mean by that?"

"Nothing special." Shao Dong didn't look at her.

Mu Jingzhe paused for a moment. "Let me think. When Shao Qihai came back today, you didn't seem to be startled, but your attitude was very cold. In addition to what you just said… Did you know that your father wasn't dead?"

Shao Dong knew that Mu Jingzhe could guess this, so he nodded indiscernibly. Shao Xi chuckled. "Mommy is so smart."

"That's right. Mommy is the smartest in the world. How could you guess that?" Shao Nan flattered her.

"Now is not the time to praise me for being smart." Mu Jingzhe was helpless. If the children had known that Shao Qihai wasn't dead, what kind of shocking news was this?

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"Why didn't you tell me before? Why are you so good at holding back?" She thought that she knew the children well and knew everything about them, but they had been hiding such a big secret.

If she had known earlier, perhaps she could have made some preparations in advance.

When the children heard Mu Jingzhe's words, they said, "We're sorry, Mommy… We lied to you, but we were afraid to tell you."

At the time, they had been too devastated and bitter. Apart from hatred, they couldn't help but feel inferiority. They were afraid that Mu Jingzhe wouldn't like them either and would leave them as well.

"Even our biological father didn't want us. We were afraid you might think we're bad too…"

"How could that be!" They had only said a few words, but Mu Jingzhe completely understood what they meant. Her heart ached instantly. "You're so wonderful. Who could bear to abandon you? This is a misunderstanding.

"Besides, it would not be your fault even if you really were abandoned. It would be the adults' fault. Stop thinking like that."

When she was very young in her previous life, Mu Jingzhe had wondered if there was something wrong with her, which was why her parents had abandoned her. Later on, she had learned that there was nothing wrong with a child who had just been born. The abandonment had nothing to do with the child. It was entirely the parents' fault for being irresponsible.

Little Bei's eyes were still filled with tears when she was hugged by Mu Jingzhe, but she couldn't help but laugh. She hugged Mu Jingzhe affectionately. "If I had known, I would have told you, Mommy. I was afraid and upset at the time. I didn't know your heart would ache so much."

Mu Jingzhe stroked Little Bei's head. "Little fool."

The room was filled with warmth, but Shao Qihai, who was outside, was so shocked that he took a step back.

Previously, he had only cared about explaining and had felt wronged. He was also very helpless against the stubbornness of the children. However, he hadn't expected that they had suffered such a blow back then.

He was a sinner. He had really failed as a father.

Shao Qihai entered a daze again, not hearing the conversation between the five children and Mu Jingzhe as a result.

Because she wasn't sure of Shao Qihai's attitude and whether he would stop her from seeing the children after the divorce, she wanted to find out if there was a need for a divorce first. In addition, the children were very nervous. Mu Jingzhe promised them to wait and observe first.

Previously, Mu Jingzhe had realized that the five children lacked a sense of security. If someone treated them nicely, they would repay that person tenfold. However, she hadn't expected that this was also because they thought that Shao Qihai had abandoned them.

Although she now knew that it was a misunderstanding, the pain that had been caused was already there. Seeing them so afraid that she would leave, Mu Jingzhe felt quite upset.

"Don't be so nervous. Let's take it one step at a time and calm down. Who knows, things might just work out perfectly."

Mu Jingzhe could only try her best to see if Shao Qihai and Mu Xue could really reconcile. She would instigate Old Lady Mu. Perhaps she might be able to achieve her goal.

After all, Old Lady Mu had also objected to Shao Qihai and Mu Xue's relationship back then. The reason was that he had five children and she didn't want Mu Xue to be a stepmother.

It was too difficult to be a stepmother. Previously, the children had had some unpleasant encounters with Old Lady Mu, so she might not like the children even more now. Hence, there was still hope.

"Alright, it's late. You kids should go to sleep. You still have class tomorrow."

Shao Dong nodded. "Alright, Mommy. You should sleep early too. Don't be too worried. We'll think of a way to slowly resolve this together."

"Mm."

That said, it was impossible for them to fall asleep.

When the four little ones returned and saw that Shao Qihai seemed to have fallen asleep, they squeezed themselves under the blanket and whispered to each other.

"Based on what Mommy was saying, she really wants to take us away. We only want to go with Mommy, so the biggest problem is him."

"Right, we can't let him fake his death again either." Shao Xi was very annoyed.

"We have to think of a way." Shao Dong looked at them. "Think of ways we can leave with Mommy."

"Under what circumstances would a parent not want their children? It's unfilial to commit murder and arson." Shao Nan shook his head. "Since we can't do these things, there's only one way."

"What is it?" Shao Xi asked.

"To be so naughty that he can't stand us."

"We will become ordinary and worthless." Shao Dong and Shao Nan spoke in unison. After saying that, the two of them looked at each other and smiled.

Shao Nan looked at Shao Dong. "I knew that Big Brother had thought of an idea long ago."

Shao Dong shook his head. "It's not that simple, but this is indeed a solution. If we're outstanding, he won't let us go. But if we become a burden, perhaps he might."

The problem was how they'd become a burden and become ordinary.

Shao Xi was carefree. "It's difficult for a person to become outstanding. Isn't it easy to be ordinary?"

Shao Dong shook his head. "You make it sound simple."

Shao Xi didn't think much about it. "It's simple to begin with."

Xiao Wu tilted his head. "Then can I still play the flute in the future?"

Shao Xi paused. "You should stop playing it for the time being. What if he hears it and can't bear to let go?"

At the mention of this, Shao Xi felt vexed. "Since Xiao Wu can't play the flute anymore, does that mean that I can't write anymore? That's quite troublesome. Why aren't we Nezha? If we were Nezha, we could dismember our bones and carve up our own flesh to return to our father. Then, we wouldn't be facing this trouble."

As annoying as it was, the tone was set.

"Alright, starting tomorrow, we'll be ordinary children."

After agreeing on it, the children pulled away the blanket and went to sleep.

Shao Qihai, who was pretending to sleep with his back facing them, only turned around and sighed over the children after they fell asleep.

He had seen them talking secretly earlier and pricked up his ears to listen. Unfortunately… he hadn't understood a word of it.

Yes, he hadn't understood.

The children hadn't been speaking Mandarin!

Who would have thought that the children would actually speak a foreign language? Furthermore, it wasn't English, which he had been in contact with before and could understand occasionally. Instead, it had sounded like Russian, and he hadn't even made out a single word.

Shao Qihai was truly stunned. He was in a daze and he even started to doubt his life.

It hadn't been that long. It had only been a year. How had these children become so impressive? They were openly conspiring in front of him, but he couldn't understand a word of it.

Wasn't this akin to bullying him for being uneducated? Shao Qihai had never felt inferior because of this in the past, but on the first day of his return, he had been made to feel inferior by the children.