《After Becoming An Evil Mother-In-Law, She Just Wants To Clear Her Name!》


 Chapter 1

    ¡°I was wrong, Mother! Please don¡¯t let Dajiang divorce me. I beg of you!¡±


    Bang! Bang! Bang!


    The young woman wailed at the top of her lungs and continuously knocked her head on the ground. Her forehead became red after a short while. Meng Yao instinctively went to help the woman up, but she was stunned when she saw the pair of outstretched hands.


    The hands were dry, yellow, and had prickles at the tip of the nails. The woman¡¯s nails were uneven, with blackness under her nails.


    ¡®Are those her hands? How could that be possible?¡¯


    A good mental state and clean hands were essentials for doctors. A tall, thin young man approached in a daze to pull the crying woman. Although the young woman struggled, the man quickly dragged her to the door.


    Meng Yao did not have time to think as she shouted, ¡°Let go of her!¡±


    The young man was obedient and let go of the woman¡¯s hand.The young woman¡¯s forehead hit the door frame, and her injury worsened.


    Meng Yao hurriedly approached the young woman as she thought about how she should treat the wound on the young woman¡¯s forehead. Although the cut was not deep, it would quickly get infected if left alone.


    The young woman shrank back and dodged Meng Yao.


    ¡®This¡­¡¯


    While confused, Meng Yao felt a sharp pain in her head, and several memories that were not hers filled her mind. Meng Yao looked at the young man in disbelief. He was her son! Meanwhile, the pitiful young woman on the ground was her daughter-in-law.


    Ying Luo was thirty-three years old before she transmigrated and had three sons and one daughter. Her eldest son was the young man in front of her, and his name was Zhao Dajiang. He was seventeen years old and got married last autumn.


    Ying Luo¡¯s second son, Zhao Dahe, was fourteen years old and studied in a town school. Her third son, Zhao Xiaoshu, was nine and an apprentice in a carpenter¡¯s shop in town. Finally, Ying Luo¡¯s daughter, Zhao Xiaohua, was Zhao Xiaoshu¡¯s twin.


    However, Zhao Xiaoshu was born half an hour earlier. Although they were born only half an hour from each other, their lives differed vastly.


    Ying Luo¡¯s predecessor had it easy when she gave birth to Zhao Xiaohua. In addition, Zhao Xiaohua was the predecessor¡¯s only daughter, so the predecessor doted on her. Zhao Xiaohua never needed to do any work compared to her brothers.


    Ying Luo¡¯s predecessor suffered a great deal while giving birth to Zhao Xiaoshu, which took a massive toll on her body. Zhao Xiaoshu did not cry when he was born, so a man had to take him to a doctor to save his life.


    Ying Luo¡¯s predecessor thought that the Heavens had sent her youngest son, Zhao Xiaoshu, to pay for her sins, making her displeased with him.


    One would say that the emperor loved his eldest son, while the people loved his youngest son. However, that was non-existent in Ying Luo¡¯s predecessor. Otherwise, she would not have sent Zhao Xiaoshu to the carpenter¡¯s shop to become an apprentice at such a young age.


    One knew that it was challenging to become an apprentice since it was no different from selling one¡¯s body. Life would be better if one met a good master, but meeting a bad one would result in concurrent beatings. Unfortunately, Zhao Xiaoshu¡¯s master was a bad one.


    Meng Yao digested the new memories in her mind with difficulty. She was twenty-eight years old and graduated with her Ph.D. before she transmigrated. She immediately threw herself into her work enthusiastically shortly after, and before she realized that she had yet to solve her personal problems, she was already thirty-three years old.


    The elders arranged for Meng Yao to have a few blind dates, but they ended without success, so she accepted that she would not get married. However, she skipped love and marriage and had four children.


    Did that count as her responding to the country¡¯s call?


    Nonetheless, that was what Meng Yao wanted. She never wanted to be a princess or a lady from a noble family, but at least she was a daughter of a humble family. It did not matter to her if she was poor since she was a young girl. Age thirty-three was not a considerable number compared to ancient times.


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    Meanwhile, Meng Yao felt so aggrieved that she was about to explode.


    ¡°In-law Meng Yao!¡± A loud voice caused Meng Yao¡¯s ears to buzz. ¡®Good heavens. Did she bring a megaphone with her?¡¯


    Immediately after, a thin old lady covered in dirt appeared before Meng Yao. It was Song Xiu¡¯er¡¯s mother, Madam N¨¦e Li.


    Before Meng Yao could react, Madam N¨¦e Li lifted her leg and kicked Song Xiu¡¯er while cursing and swearing.


    Meng Yao did not think before grabbing a broom from the head of the bed to hit Madam N¨¦e Li. She felt depressed that someone had come to beat her up.


    Madam N¨¦e Li shouted as she dodged, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you, Meng Yao?! It¡¯s me, Xiu¡¯er¡¯s mother!¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t give you the right to come into my house and beat my daughter-in-law in broad daylight. That¡¯s why I¡¯m beating you!¡± Meng Yao slapped Madam N¨¦e Li even harder. She had seen how ruthless Madam N¨¦e Li was to her daughter, Song Xiu¡¯er.


    ¡®Xiu¡¯er¡¯s must be in great pain.¡¯


    Meng Yao did not need to search for her predecessor¡¯s memory when she saw how ruthless Madam N¨¦e le was to her daughter. She could tell that Madam N¨¦e Le was not a good person. Therefore, she gladly hit Madam N¨¦e Li with the broom.


    ¡°Mother, stop! Xiu¡¯er is bleeding!¡± Zhao Dajian¡¯s voice filled with fear.


    Meng Yao turned around and saw Song Xiu¡¯er fainted in a pool of blood. ¡°Why are you standing around? Hurry and carry her to the bed!¡± Meng Yao thundered.


    Zhao Dajiang hurriedly carried Song Xiu¡¯er to the bed while Meng Yao¡¯s face turned ashen when she grabbed Xiu¡¯er¡¯s wrist. As expected, Song Xiu¡¯er was pregnant.


    Meng Yao looked at the pool of blood on the ground and knew there was no saving the unborn child.


    Madam N¨¦e Le could not be bothered to argue with Meng Yao. She prepared to slip away without worrying about Song Xiu¡¯er¡¯s condition while Meng Yao was not paying attention.


    ¡°Don¡¯t stand there doing nothing! Quickly, call for a doctor!¡± Meng Yao urged.


    Zhao Dajiang hurriedly ran out while Madam N¨¦e Li¡¯s men had moved into the courtyard. Meng Yao ran out and pulled Madam N¨¦e Li back. ¡°You think you can leave after killing someone?!¡±


    Madam N¨¦e Li¡¯s face turned pale, but she refused to admit her crime. ¡°Don¡¯t spew such nonsense, Meng Yao. I didn¡¯t kill anyone.¡±


    Meng Yao pointed at the pool of blood on the ground and said through gritted teeth, ¡°Xiu¡¯er is pregnant, so you killed my eldest grandson.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know she was pregnant. If I knew, would I have kicked her? Don¡¯t you have a mouth, Xiu¡¯er? You could¡¯ve said something. I wouldn¡¯t have asked Dajiang to divorce you if you told me you were pregnant,¡± Madam N¨¦e Li scolded Song Xiu¡¯er.


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    Meng Yao was shocked. She had met many people, but never one as shameless as Madam N¨¦e Li. Madam N¨¦e Li blamed Song Xiu¡¯er for what happened instead of facing the music.


    ¡°You¡¯re a terrible person. The one lying there almost dead is your daughter!¡± Meng Yao was furious as she grabbed the broom again. ¡°You kicked her so hard that she had a miscarriage, yet you still have the nerve to say that?!¡±


    Madam N¨¦e Li jumped to avoid Meng Yao. ¡°You¡¯re not a good person either. Xiu¡¯er is bleeding because of you. You said I was the one who caused her to miscarry, but you¡¯re the black-hearted person who killed Xiu¡¯er¡¯s child! Tell me, Xiu¡¯er, did Meng Yao do this? Don¡¯t be afraid and just tell me so I can decide what to do for you!¡±


    Song Xiu¡¯er looked at the two blankly with her near-lifeless eyes.


    Meanwhile, Meng Yao could not be more familiar with Song Xiu¡¯er¡¯s gaze. Then Song Xiu¡¯er pulled a hairpin from her hair and stabbed it into her neck.

 Chapter 2

    Meng Yao pushed Madame N¨¦e Li away and pounced toward Song Xiu¡¯er. Fortunately, she caught Song Xui¡¯er¡¯s wrist, and the hairpin only pierced her skin, not causing any significant damage.


    Meng Yao heaved a sigh of relief and said, ¡°Let go of the hairpin, Xiu¡¯er. I know you¡¯re upset, but you can do that no matter what.¡±


    Song Xiu¡¯er let go of the hairpin while struggling to break free from Meng Yao. Meng Yao was afraid that Song Xiu¡¯er would try to hurt herself again, so she grabbed the hairpin with her other hand.


    Meng Yao knew that a person determined to die would possess extraordinary strength. Song Xiu¡¯er broke free of Meng Yao while her eyes came across an inch-long wound on the back of Meng Yao¡¯s hand. The skin ripped as blood dripped from it.


    Song Xiu¡¯er was shocked by the sight of the wound, while Meng Yao took the opportunity to throw the hairpin out of Song Xiu¡¯er¡¯s reach.


    Meanwhile, Zhao Dajiang ran into the room breathlessly, followed by a doctor who was panting. When Zhao Dajiang saw the ghastly wound on his mother¡¯s hand, he cried out, ¡°What happened to you, Mother? Tell me who hurt you, and I will kill them!¡±


    Zhao Dajiang was unmoved when Ying Luo¡¯s predecessor tortured his wife and when his mother-in-law kicked his wife, killing his unborn child, but he was furious when he saw the wound on Meng Yao¡¯s hand. Zhao Dajiang was a difficult person to describe with just a few words.


    Zhao Dajiang stifled Meng Yao¡¯s heart, but she did not want to pay attention to her dutiful son.


    ¡°Please check on Xiu¡¯er, Doctor Li,¡± Meng Yao said.


    Doctor Li glanced at the wound on the back of Meng Yao¡¯s hand in puzzlement because she did not seem to care about her injury. Instead, she asked Doctor Li to check on Song Xiu¡¯er. He was curious about Meng Yao¡¯s sudden change.


    Although Doctor Li was suspicious of Meng Yao, he did not show it. He followed Meng Yao¡¯s instructions and tended to Song Xiu¡¯er.


    They all lived in the same village, but this was the first time Doctor Li had checked on Song Xiu¡¯er.


    Doctor Li knew he could not save the unborn child since Zhao Dajiang had told him about the amount of blood Song Xiu¡¯er had lost. Since that was the case, even a God could not save the unborn child.


    However, Song Xiu¡¯er¡¯s health surprised Doctor Li. He knew that such a person could not survive while she was pregnant. Simply put, she did not have enough nutrition to support the unborn child, meaning she did not have enough to eat.


    The weather in Zhou State was good, and people led decent lives. They had no problems even if they could not afford to eat rice.


    Meng Yao knew that Song Xiu¡¯er was severely malnourished and noticed Doctor Li¡¯s distraught expression.


    Song Xiu¡¯er had become a member of the Zhao family last autumn. Although Ying Luo¡¯s predecessor was not pleasant to live with, the Zhaos had treated Song Xiu¡¯er well and would eat whatever they ate. Song Xiu¡¯er would never go hungry.


    Meng Yao asked, ¡°Will Xiu¡¯er be okay, Doctor Li?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve never liked meddling in others¡¯ affairs, Mrs. Zhao, but I have to speak up now. I know it wasn¡¯t easy for you to raise four children, and you¡¯ve even found Dajiang a wife, but you have to treat Madam Xiu¡¯er like your own daughter.¡±


    ¡°It is human nature, and no one can say anything, but you should at least let Madam Xiu¡¯er eat her fill. The baby wouldn¡¯t have survived if she didn¡¯t get kicked.¡± Doctor Li became increasingly angry as he spoke, and his voice rose in volume.


    Doctor Li was worried that something terrible had happened and wanted to lend the Zhao¡¯s a hand when Zhao Dajiang hurriedly dragged him to the house. Thus, he followed Zhao Dajiang without question.


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    However, Doctor Li found out something terrible. The Zhao family¡¯s eldest daughter-in-law was pregnant, but the child did not survive.


    Madam N¨¦e Li pestered Meng Yao for not giving her daughter enough food. Even if she did not kick Song Xiu¡¯er, her body was so weak that the unborn child would not have survived.


    Madam N¨¦e Li stomped her foot and pointed at Meng Yao as she scolded, ¡°You¡¯re terrible, Meng Yao. How could you torture my daughter like this? I was naive to let my daughter marry into your family!¡±


    Then Madam N¨¦e Li pulled her daughter and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go, Xiu¡¯er. I will take you home. If Meng Yao wants her son to divorce you, then so be it. I will find you a better family.¡±


    If Meng Yao did not know what Madam N¨¦e Li was like, she would have thought Madam N¨¦e Li was a good mother who loved her daughter.


    Meanwhile, Song Xiu¡¯er, who was in a daze, trembled violently. She shouted, ¡°I¡¯m not going back with you, Mother!¡±


    Madam N¨¦e Li stood up for her daughter, but her daughter did not care.


    Everyone was puzzled, but Meng Yao could understand Song Xiu¡¯er¡¯s decision since Madam N¨¦e Li was capable of kicking her own daughter. One could imagine the horrors Song Xiu¡¯er went through in the Song family.


    ¡°Why are you such a wretched girl?! Meng Yao is abusing you, yet you want to stay here?!¡± Madam N¨¦e Li thundered as she pinched her daughter.


    ¡°Do you think I¡¯m stupid, Madam N¨¦e Li? Why are you blaming me for everything? Remind me of how Xiu¡¯er lost her child. Others don¡¯t know, but you sure do. My fellow villagers, this heartless hag kicked my eldest daughter-in-law,¡± Meng Yao said as she wiped her tears.


    Meng Yao was not faking it and was genuinely aggrieved.


    ¡°Hmph! Didn¡¯t you all hear what Doctor Li said? The child wouldn¡¯t have survived even if I didn¡¯t kick Xiu¡¯er,¡± Madam N¨¦e Li said.


    Then Meng Yao retorted, ¡°Since you put it that way, I¡¯ll have to reason with you. Doctor Li said that Xiu¡¯er didn¡¯t have enough to eat. I dare not say that I¡¯m perfect, but when it comes to food, I feed Xiu¡¯er well. Didn¡¯t I feed you enough, Xiu¡¯er?¡±


    ¡°You tortured my daughter, and she¡¯s afraid of you. Of course, she will agree with whatever you say!¡± Madam N¨¦e Li argued indignantly.


    ¡°Since the Gods are watching and listening, I, Meng Yao, swear that I have never mistreated Xiu¡¯er since she entered my house, especially during meals. I may not be perfect, but the Gods would strike me with lighting, and I would die a horrible death if I lied.¡± Tears streaked down Meng Yao¡¯s face, and her tone was unyielding as she spoke.


    Still, Meng Yao¡¯s vow was frightening. At the very least, her words were worth believing in the eyes of the people of that era.


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    Madam N¨¦e Li¡¯s eyes glinted with panic as she knew better than anyone else why her daughter starved. Nonetheless, she felt her daughter was not worthy enough to have a full meal.


    ¡°Everyone swears up and down. Do you think the Heavens care?¡± Madam N¨¦e Li stiffened her neck and continued, ¡°Stop putting on an act in front of others, Meng Yao!¡± Then Madam N¨¦e Li pulled her daughter and urged her to leave.


    However, Song Xiu¡¯er still resisted, unwilling to return to the Songs. The past six months of her marriage were the happiest time in her life. Ying Luo¡¯s predecessor never hit Xiu¡¯er even though she constantly picked on Xiu¡¯er and told everyone she was terrible.


    Moreover, Meng Yao loved Zhao Xiaohua very much. Although Meng Yao never doted on Song Xiu¡¯er, she did not feel envious when she saw how well Meng Yao treated her daughter. Not all mothers would talk about loss.


    Meanwhile, Zhao Dajiang treated Song Xiu¡¯er well whenever Meng Yao was not instigating. At least Zhao Dajiang did not beat and scold Song Xiu¡¯er as her brothers did.

 Chapter 3

    Madam N¨¦e Li was livid that she could not pull her daughter away, so she slapped her head. ¡°Are you dead? I¡¯m ordering you to get up and come back with me! Are you deaf?¡±


    Meng Yao said through gritted teeth, ¡°We haven¡¯t hashed things out yet, Madam N¨¦e Li. Why are you in such a hurry to leave? Are you feeling guilty?¡±


    ¡°Why do I need to feel guilty? I want my daughter to go home with me so she can rest!¡± Madam N¨¦e Li yelled at the top of her voice.


    ¡°Xiu¡¯er needs to rest now, yet you¡¯re beating and scolding her in front of everyone. Are you sure you¡¯ll let Xiu¡¯er rest if she returns with you?¡± Meng Yao hit the nail on the head with her words.


    Madam N¨¦e Li¡¯s face became unsightly. ¡°I am Xiu¡¯er¡¯s mother, so it¡¯s okay for me to hit and scold her. Every child has gone through this. We¡¯re all from the same village, so we should be honest.¡±


    ¡°Xiu¡¯er is Dajiang¡¯s wife. Do you think you can take Xiu¡¯er with you just because you want to? Besides, Xiu¡¯er said she doesn¡¯t want to go with you. Can¡¯t you understand human language?¡± Meng Yao balled up a fist and continued, ¡°Do you think you can get away with murdering my unborn grandson after taking Xiu¡¯er back? Haven¡¯t you heard of an eye for an eye?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean by murder? Stop misleading others, Meng Yao! Besides, how do you know that the child is a boy? It could be a girl.¡± Madam N¨¦e Li batted her eyes. ¡°It must be a girl since you¡¯re not worthy of having a grandson! Where did you get the idea that you¡¯d get a grandson?!¡±


    Madam N¨¦e Li¡¯s face lit up as she rambled, ¡°You have to thank me, Meng Yao. Your family would have to go through great lengths to raise a daughter if I hadn¡¯t kicked Xiu¡¯er. How about I leave my daughter with Dajiang so they can give you a grandson.¡±


    ¡°Now that I said it, it won¡¯t matter if you have a granddaughter. If she doesn¡¯t starve to death and can work, she can get married when she¡¯s of age and claim a betrothal gift!¡±


    ¡®I honestly want to hit her!¡¯ Meng Yao thought.


    Since Meng Yao had grown up in a noble family while the elders respected her, she could not understand the Song family¡¯s thoughts. It was no longer an argument of valuing men over women. Instead, it was about not treating women as humans.


    Madam N¨¦e Li still thought that Meng Yao needed to thank her for causing Song Xiu¡¯er to have a miscarriage. However, Madam N¨¦e Li was also a woman. As expected in this era, it was challenging to be one.


    Meng Yao took a deep breath and resisted the urge to hit Madam N¨¦e Li. ¡°Even if the unborn child were a girl, it would still belong to my family. The child would be the Zhao family¡¯s treasure.¡±


    Song Xiu¡¯er turned to look at Meng Yao in disbelief.


    Meng Yao nodded at song Xiu ¡®er, indicating that she was telling the truth. Ying Luo did not know what her predecessor would do, but she was now in control of that body. Of course, everything was up to her. She made sure not to be a terrible mother-in-law since it was not who she was.


    Madam N¨¦e Li looked at Meng Yao and thought she was an idiot. ¡°Is there something wrong with your brain, Meng Yao? Why would you treat a little girl like a treasure? I would understand if she were your daughter, but a granddaughter? Don¡¯t make die of laughter!¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about that because I will beat you to death instead,¡± Meng Yao threatened as she waved her broom before Madam N¨¦e Li¡¯s face.


    Madam N¨¦e Li dodged and tried to fight back, but Meng Yao waved her broom too vigorously, stopping Madam N¨¦e Li from reaching her.


    ¡°I¡¯ve raised you for nothing, you wretched girl!¡± Madam N¨¦e Li thundered. ¡°Are you just going to watch your mother-in-law humiliate your mother?! Why are you so ungrateful? If I had known, I would have drowned you in a bucket of urine when I gave birth to you!¡±


    Madam N¨¦e Li regretted birthing a daughter and thought it was pointless since Song Xiu¡¯er only watched as Meng Yao humiliated her in front of others. Madam N¨¦e Li felt that having a son was better.


    ¡°Sometimes, I wish you would just drown me, Mother,¡± Song Xiu¡¯er spoke softly, but everyone heard it. ¡°Living with you is more painful than death!¡±


    Meng Yao furrowed her eyebrows. She wondered how much Song Xiu¡¯er had suffered to say such disheartened words as a teenager.


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    ¡®D*mn you, N¨¦e Li.¡¯


    Meng Yao tightened her grip on the broom and continued to whack Madam N¨¦e Li.


    ¡°Stop hitting her, Mother-in-law,¡± Song Xiu¡¯er said, ¡°Please. You¡¯re tired.¡±


    ¡°I agree, Mother. Please rest and give me the broom. I will beat Madam N¨¦e Li for you!¡± Zhao Dajiang quickly approached his mother.


    However, Meng Yao thought it was silly for Zhao Dajiang to say that. ¡®Did my predecessor not teach Dajiang well? How can I let Dajiang hit his mother-in-law?¡¯


    It was okay for Meng Yao and Madam N¨¦e Li to fight since they were of the same status. If Zhao Dajiang hit Madam N¨¦e Li, it would give her something to use against the Zhao family. The situation would be unreasonable if Meng Yao allowed her son to hit an older woman.


    Li Zheng, who had heard the news of Meng Yao and Madam N¨¦e Li fighting, appeared. Then he gasped and scolded, ¡°What is going on here? Stop what you¡¯re doing now! We¡¯re from the same village, yet you¡¯re all just going to watch these two fight? Why aren¡¯t you all helping? What will the outsiders think of us if this gets out? You should talk things out instead of fighting! What a disgrace!¡±


    Meanwhile, information about Li Zheng appeared in Meng Yao¡¯s mind. Li Zheng was Doctor Li¡¯s elder brother, and he was well-educated. Although he was a little old-fashioned, he was a righteous man. The villagers loved and respected him.


    Meng Yao immediately distanced herself from Madam N¨¦e Li and put the broom aside. Then she gathered her emotions as tears rolled down her face.


    ¡°I got blinded by rage, Li Zheng. It¡¯s my fault for hitting you, so I will let you punish me. However, my unborn grandchild died an unjust death!¡±


    Li Zheng was shocked. The messenger who went to inform him of the incident only said that Meng Yao and Madam N¨¦e Li were fighting, but the situation involved human life.


    ¡°A grandchild? When did you have one? Why didn¡¯t I know about it?¡±


    Since Li Zhen was the village¡¯s chief, he should know if the population in the village had increased or decreased.


    Meanwhile, Doctor Li explained the entire story to his eldest brother concisely and comprehensively. Li Zheng¡¯s brows furrowed tighter the more he listened.


    ¡°I know the Song family well, Meng Yao. They are honest and hard workers. Tell me why you want your son to divorce Xiu¡¯er.¡± Li Zhen said with a darkened expression.


    The situation started because Ying Luo¡¯s predecessor wanted her son to divorce Song Xiu¡¯er.


    ¡°I only spoke out of anger at that time,¡± Meng Yao said.


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    Ying Luo¡¯s predecessor had mentioned divorce, but the villagers were unaware that Ying Luo had taken over Meng Yao¡¯s body.


    ¡°Then explain why you hit Xiu¡¯er,¡± Li Zheng questioned.


    Before Meng Yao could reply, Song Xiu¡¯er stepped in, ¡°My mother-in-law did not hit me, Mr. Li Zheng. I knew I had wronged her, so I kowtowed and asked her to beat me. That way, I would feel better. The one who constantly abused me was my mother.¡±


    ¡°Then tell me what you did wrong.¡± Li Zheng continued to interrogate.


    Madam N¨¦e Li stared at Song Xiu¡¯er as if she would tear her apart if she dared to answer honestly.

 Chapter 4

    Song Xiu¡¯er stared at Madam N¨¦e Li mockingly. Song Xiu¡¯er had always hoped for her mother to love her, even if it was not as much as Madam N¨¦e Li loved her son. Song Xiu¡¯er would be happy if her mother shared a little love with her.


    But, Song Xiu¡¯er ended up overthinking. Her mother had also kicked her when she was pregnant in the past. Doctor Li said that Song Xiu¡¯er¡¯s body had gotten damaged and that she would not be able to get pregnant again.


    Meng Yao was flustered and exasperated and fought with Madam N¨¦e Li, but Madam N¨¦e Li lost. Then Madam N¨¦e Li tried to force her daughter to return to the Song family.


    Even Madam N¨¦e Li said that Song Xiu¡¯er couldn¡¯t bear a child anymore, and she would not have a promising future even if the Zhao family did not stop her. Madam N¨¦e Li mentioned that Song Xiu¡¯er should return to the Song family and that they would not mistreat her.


    Moreover, Song Xia¡¯er could rely on her younger brother if she could not bear children in the future. Unfortunately, Song Xiu¡¯er believed it when her mother said that her brother would not leave her side. Madam N¨¦e Li also promised her daughter that her brother¡¯s children would care for her if her brother could not.


    ¡°I have more than one son besides Dajiang. Dahe and Xiaoshu can continue the Zhao family lineage when they marry and have future children. Xiu¡¯er, you can always adopt a child if you and Dajiang are willing.¡±


    But what did Madam N¨¦e think?


    ¡®Oh, so that¡¯s how it is, Meng Yao.¡¯


    ¡°Do you believe your mother-in-law¡¯s nonsense, Xiu¡¯er? She¡¯s just manipulating you so that you would stay with the Zhaos and make a workhorse out of you. You¡¯re a fool if you believe her lies! Come back with me, my daughter. We won¡¯t starve you as Meng Yao does.¡±


    Song Xiu¡¯er had to choose between her mother and mother-in-law, but what would Madam N¨¦e Li do? She expected Song Xiu¡¯er to return with her even after causing her daughter to have a miscarriage.


    Before Song Xiu¡¯er got married, she would do all the hard work but ate the least. She had endured too much. When Song Xiu¡¯er¡¯s brother got married, Madam N¨¦e Li said she wanted a bigger house, so Song Xiu¡¯er¡¯s brother obliged. Then Madam N¨¦e Li forced her daughter to move to the little house next to a pigpen, which was damp and smelled of dung.


    However, the girl that Song Xiu¡¯er¡¯s brother fancied complained that her family was poor. During that time, Song Xiu¡¯er could eat her fill and did not have to do so much work. She was overwhelmed and thought she had finally received her mother¡¯s love.


    When Song Xiu¡¯er no longer looked thin and weak, her mother took her to a tailor to get some clothes. A muscular man was waiting at their door when they returned home. The muscular man had a crippled leg, a long scar across his forehead, and his eyes were fierce. Song Xiu¡¯er shivered at the sight of the muscular man.


    Madam N¨¦e Li told her daughter, ¡°You can¡¯t always be a homebody and alone at such a young age. I¡¯ve asked someone to find you a good family so you can live in peace.¡±


    Then the muscular man threw a money bag at Madam N¨¦e Li. Song Xiu¡¯er¡¯s mother smiled and sighed, saying it was a long day. Then she urged the muscular man to take Song Xiu¡¯er away quickly. She even told Song Xiu¡¯er not to think about home anymore and that she should obediently serve the man when she gets to his house.


    However, Song Xiu¡¯er did not want to leave home and go to an unfamiliar place. She was afraid of the muscular man, so she pulled on her mother¡¯s arm and begged, but Madam N¨¦e Li slapped her away.


    Song Xiu¡¯er could remember her mother saying, ¡°I have already accepted betrothal gifts, and you belong to someone else now. You can live with us anymore, Xiu¡¯er. Our mother-daughter relationship ends here.¡±


    The muscular man became impatient when he saw Song Xiu¡¯er dawdling. He raised his hand and slapped her twice, warning her to be obedient or he would kill her.


    The muscular man then brought the dazed Song Xiu¡¯er back to the mountain. The muscular man was from the mountain. The mountain people did not have fields, so they relied on hunting for a living, making their lives inconsistent regarding resources.


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    Hunting was dangerous, and one would lose limbs or even their life if one were not careful. It was difficult for mountain men to marry, so they usually saved some silver to buy a wife from elsewhere.


    The families that sold their daughters would not welcome them back. They would cut ties with their daughters after sending them to the mountains.


    Nonetheless, Song Xiu¡¯er was not just a wife to one man. Instead, she was a wife to five brothers. Her body violently trembled when she thought of those dark and hopeless days.


    Meng Yao quickly approached Song Xiu¡¯er and held her hand, and the warmth immediately brought Song Xiu¡¯er back to her senses. The terrifying memories of Song Xiu¡¯er¡¯s past overwhelmed her.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid, Xiu¡¯er. Speak slowly,¡± Meng Yao said gently.


    Song Xiu¡¯er nodded heavily and began speaking, ¡°My mother-in-law is angry because of my mother, Mr. Li Zheng.¡±


    Madam N¨¦e Li glared at her daughter fiercely.


    ¡°My mother forced me to send my food to the Song family. She said she would stab me with a needle if I didn¡¯t obey her orders. She also said the needle would not be visible, and no one will ever find out that she did it.¡± Song Xiu¡¯er heaved a sigh of relief after she spoke. In the past, she would have to take this secret with her to the grave.


    Song Xiu¡¯er felt much more relaxed after exposing her mother¡¯s true colors before everyone present. It was as if she broke free from the hands which strangled her. At that moment, Song Xiu¡¯er felt like the Heavens had given her another chance to live.


    Everyone finally understood what was happening after hearing Song Xiu¡¯er¡¯s words. Even they would not ask their in-laws to help with their family.


    The villagers then thought it was okay for Meng Yao to say that she wanted her son to divorce Song Xiu¡¯er. It would even be reasonable for her to beat Song Xiu¡¯er. Although life was not as bad, food was still a precious resource, especially amongst the Zhao family.


    The Zhao family consisted of a single mother and children and even had to support a scholar. Their lives were more demanding than other families. It would be okay if the Song family did not help, but they thought of stealing food from their daughter. They were the most shameless people in the village.


    ¡®N¨¦e Li planned to kill Xiu¡¯er with a needle?!¡¯ The scene of Xiu¡¯er getting stabbed appeared in Meng Yao¡¯s mind. The thought sent a shiver down her spine, not to mention if it did happen. Meng Yao regretted going easy on Madam N¨¦e Li.


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    ¡°So, the Zhao family has nothing to do with Xiu¡¯er¡¯s malnutrition. It¡¯s you who is cruel and vicious, Madam N¨¦e Li!¡± Li Zheng¡¯s expression turned unsightly. He knew the Song family valued men over women, but he never expected it to be that bad. The Song family fed on their family member¡¯s food, causing them to starve.


    ¡°Why am I the cruel one?! I birthed Xiu¡¯er and raised her, so it¡¯s only fitting that she repay me. Besides, I did not steal from the Zhao family. I just told Xiu¡¯er to save some food for her actual family since we¡¯re still growing. Since Xiu¡¯er is the older sibling, she should let her younger brother go hungry,¡± Madam N¨¦e Li said with conviction.


    It was difficult for an honest official to resolve family matters, especially since Madam N¨¦e Li was such an uncouth person. She would start spewing nonsense whenever one tried to reason with her. As the head officer, Li Zheng had no idea how to deal with this matter.


    Then Li Zheng said to Meng Yao, ¡°You¡¯re not at fault here, Meng Yao. The Zhao family are the victims instead. So, tell me. How do you want me to handle this?¡±


    Meng Yao revealed a severe expression as she answered, ¡°A life for a life.¡±

 Chapter 5

    There was a difference between killing someone and causing a miscarriage, even if the matter blew out of proportion. Although Meng Yao was unfamiliar with the laws of Zhou State, she knew she could not make Madam N¨¦e Li pay for her crimes with her life.


    Moreover, Madam N¨¦e Li was Song Xiu¡¯er¡¯s mother. Meng Yao only said that to scare Madam N¨¦e Li.


    ¡°Stop trying to scare me! You¡¯re just a fool from the country. Do you think you have the final say?!¡± Madam N¨¦e Li shouted sternly.


    ¡°Of course, I don¡¯t have the final say. So, I¡¯ve thought it through. I¡¯ll report this matter to the officials and ask the great Lord to bring justice to the Zhao family and our unborn child!¡± Meng Yao said righteously. ¡°I¡¯ll tell my second son to write down what happened and send it to Yamen when he returns.¡±


    Unexpectedly, the crowd and Li Zheng reacted more to Meng Yao¡¯s words than Madam N¨¦e Li¡¯s because everyone would find out about this issue once it got reported to the Yamen.


    The news of a murder in the village was too significant to ignore.


    ¡°At the end of the day, the Song family are still your in-laws, Meng Yao. How can you bear to report us to the Yamen?¡± Madam N¨¦e Li said.


    ¡°Please speak with your mother-in-law Xiu¡¯er. We know you¡¯re angry and that you hate Madam N¨¦e Li, but she is still your mother no matter what. This will ruin your mother¡¯s reputation, and the Yamen will send her to prison when they find out what happened. Your reputation is also on the line just for a moment of pleasure. Others would think you are cruel if you report your mother to the Yamen. You will have a difficult future if you taint your reputation at such a young age.¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t Doctor Li say that your child wouldn¡¯t have survived even if your mother didn¡¯t kick you? At most, she only mistreated her own daughter. She does not deserve a death sentence.¡±


    ¡°We didn¡¯t know that your mother was so excessive in the past. Now that we¡¯re aware of it, we won¡¯t let her abuse you again. Since you married into the Zhao family, it is only fitting that you offer some gifts to your biological family during the new year. After that, you only need to care about living your life with the Zhao family.¡±


    The villagers spoke in unison, one after another. They knew that the Songs were evil, but they did not think it was necessary to report them to the authorities. If the Zhao family insisted, then they would be the vicious ones.


    ¡°Meng Yao.¡± Li Zheng¡¯s expression was severe. ¡°According to Zhou State law, the Song family would be flogged and admonished at most. Madam N¨¦e Li will suffer a few days of pain. As for Xiu¡¯er, if her reputation is affected, yours will too since she is your daughter-in-law. Also, your son, Dahe, is a scholar, and a scholar¡¯s reputation is precious. If his reputation is damaged, the loss will outweigh the gain.¡±


    Suddenly, Meng Yao thought of some information she had obtained about this era before she transmigrated. They could generally resolve many matters internally and would never seek external help to protect their reputation.


    ¡®I can¡¯t let this woman ruin my son¡¯s reputation,¡¯ Meng Yao thought.


    ¡°I can¡¯t just let Madam N¨¦e Li off the hook.¡± Meng Yao knew she could not convince the entire village alone. After all, the Song family did not hurt the villagers, only Song Xiu¡¯er and her unborn child.


    Madam N¨¦e Li had nothing to fear with her daughter as a protective talisman.


    Meng Yao took a deep breath and said calmly, ¡°I believe that a person¡¯s courage slowly grows into luck. Madam N¨¦e Li¡¯s daughter did not report this for the sake of the village¡¯s reputation. What if it happens again next time? We can change the course of rivers and move mountains, but we cannot change nature itself.¡±


    ¡°No one can guarantee that the Song family would repent for their crimes, especially if Madam N¨¦e Li goes from bad to worse. After all, everyone here doesn¡¯t want to report this to the authorities for the village¡¯s reputation.¡±


    Meng Yao could not let the Song family off so easily even if she did not report this incident to the officials.


    Li Zheng¡¯s heart trembled. He hadn¡¯t thought of it that way before. He was only worried that Madam N¨¦e Li would destroy the village¡¯s reputation, and he could not allow it.


    When Li Zheng heard Meng Yao¡¯s words, he knew he could not let Madam N¨¦e Li off the hook so quickly, even if he did not report it to the officials. Otherwise, Madam N¨¦e Li would cause even more trouble for the village.


    ¡°The Shanghua Village has a mixed surname. There are no clan restrictions, but we can¡¯t break the rules because of this incident. You all know that we cannot accomplish anything without rules, and everyone must follow them to build a better future,¡± Li Zheng said with a deep voice.


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    The villagers were touched by Meng Yao¡¯s words and thought she was not just trying to scare them. As such, no one refuted Li Zheng¡¯s words, and they even urged him, ¡°We should keep the Song family under wraps!¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go to the ancestral hall.¡±


    No one went to the ancestral hall except to give offerings during the new year and other festivals. It had been nearly twenty years since it opened.


    In any case, Meng Yao did not find any memories of the ancestral hall.


    Meanwhile, Madam N¨¦e Li was unconcerned when she entered the ancestral hall, thinking they would only reprimand her lightly. She thought she hadn¡¯t done anything terrible.


    However, Madam N¨¦e Li was dumbfounded after Li Zheng spoke to the village elders.


    The Song family was responsible for Song Xiu¡¯er¡¯s health¡ªif they could not take responsibility, the villagers would kick the Song family out of the village. In addition, Meng Yao had already stated her conditions.


    Madam N¨¦e Li would have to eat as little as Song Xiu¡¯er did because Meng Yao wanted Madam N¨¦e Li to feel what Song Xiu¡¯er felt.


    Even so, the Song family did not mind letting Madam N¨¦e Li go hungry. Song Hu was even thrilled because he could have more to eat.


    The Song family was outraged when they heard about the silver compensation. Song Xiu¡¯er¡¯s father, Song Shizhu, disagreed alongside Madam N¨¦e Li and Song Hu.


    The three were the same. The Song family thought Song Xiu¡¯er was a waste of money and was not worthy. They had saved all their silver for Song Hu¡¯s wedding.


    Madam N¨¦e Li started behaving shamelessly, saying she wanted money but did not have it. She even told the villagers to send her to the Yamen.


    However, Li Zheng could not send Madam N¨¦e Li to the Yamen. The Song family¡¯s shamelessness confused Li Zheng.


    ¡°I was angry when I said Dajiang should divorce you, Xiu¡¯er. Please don¡¯t take it to heart. I want to know if you¡¯re willing to stay with us,¡± Meng Yao told Song Xiu¡¯er.


    Song Xiu¡¯er furrowed her eyebrows. Then she choked as she replied, ¡°I¡¯m willing to stay with you, Mother-in-law.¡±


    ¡°What if I asked you to cut ties with the Song family?¡± Meng Yao asked.


    Before Song Xiu¡¯er could answer, Madam N¨¦e Li stomped her foot and grumbled, ¡°Good job, Meng Yao. You¡¯re a black-hearted b*tch since you¡¯re trying to convince my daughter to cut ties with her family!¡±


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    Meng Yao ignored Madam N¨¦e Li and looked calmly at Song Xiu¡¯er.


    In the past, the Song family had sold Song Xiu¡¯er to the mountain people, and Song Xiu¡¯er even thought it would be better if she weren¡¯t born into the Song family. Even in her dreams, she wished she had nothing to do with the Song family.


    ¡°I¡¯m willing to live with you, Mother-in-law,¡± Song Xiu¡¯er said firmly, pausing after each word.


    ¡°You ungrateful b*tch! I went through Hell, giving birth to you and raising you. This is how you repay me?!¡± Madam N¨¦e Li wailed.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t my damaged body and dead unborn child enough recompense for you, mother?¡± Song Xiu¡¯er asked indifferently.

 Chapter 6

    Meng Yao was very calm, and under everyone¡¯s surprised gazes, she said slowly, ¡°If you agree, then your recovery will have nothing to do with the song family.¡±


    Doctor Li had roughly estimated that Song Xiu¡¯er¡¯s body had suffered severely. It would take more than a few days for her to recover fully. Song Xiu¡¯er would have to thank the Heavens for pitying her if she could recover within two to three years.


    In addition to taking medicine, Song Xiu¡¯er would also have to watch her diet. A conservative estimate of the annual expenses for her medication would be ten taels of silver.


    But what was the concept of ten taels of silver? Even a family¡¯s annual balance could not reach that amount. It would cost twenty taels of silver if it took two years for Song Xiu¡¯er to recover.


    That was the reason why the Song family was excited. They might have gritted their teeth and agreed if they were in twos or threes. Song Xiu¡¯er¡¯s recovery cost would be twenty to thirty taels of silver, and the Song family only thought Song Xiu¡¯er was a waste of money and that she was not worthy.


    Li Zheng thought it was too much if Song Xiu¡¯er cut ties with her family. No matter how terrible the Song family were, they were still Song Xiu¡¯er¡¯s family. Li Zheng was about to talk Meng Yao out of it when Madam N¨¦e Li spoke decisively, ¡°You must keep your word in front of everyone, Meng Yao. It will all be over once Xiu¡¯er cuts ties with us?¡±


    Madam N¨¦e Li¡¯s voice carried a hint of excitement.


    ¡°Yes. I will write off the matter of you forcing Xiu¡¯er to give you all her food and causing her miscarriage. You don¡¯t have to worry about whether or not I keep my word. Of course, Xiu¡¯er will no longer have anything to do with the Song family, so don¡¯t even think about getting help from her.¡±


    Madam N¨¦e Li rolled her eyes. ¡°We¡¯ll agree, then we¡¯ll talk about the details.¡± Madam N¨¦e Li knew how to manipulate Song Xiu¡¯er since she was the one who birthed her. Madam N¨¦e Li was determined and must be angry at the loss of her daughter. But after a while, her anger would subside, and she could say whatever she wanted.


    ¡°All right,¡± Meng Yao said as Madam N¨¦e happily replied.


    Li Zheng discretely shook his head when he saw how foolish Song Shizhu and his wife were. If anyone tried to deal with the Song family, they would blame others for having ulterior motives. With that, Li Zheng remained silent since the Song and Zhao families had agreed on their terms. Nonetheless, he was only a witness.


    ¡°Words are not proof enough, Li Zheng. We have to make a written agreement,¡± Meng Yao suggested.


    Li Zheng nodded and asked, ¡°Madam N¨¦e Li, do you agree with Meng Yao¡¯s terms?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re all from the same village, and many people present are witnesses. There¡¯s no need to waste ink!¡± Madam N¨¦e Li answered impatiently.


    ¡°Even blood relatives would settle their debates adequately!¡± Meng Yao did not back down. Meng Yao did not believe Madam N¨¦e Li would do what she said after seeing how shameless she was. Even though Song Xiu¡¯er was determined, Madam N¨¦e Li was still her mother.


    Meng Yao was worried that Song Xiu¡¯er could not resist Madam N¨¦e Li¡¯s demands if there were no restraints on Madam N¨¦e Li. Things would only become more troublesome then.


    Li Zhen pondered and said, ¡°We will just do as Meng Yao says and write a severed ties agreement.¡±


    Since Li Zhen was disappointed with Song Shizhu and his wife, he chose to stand on the Zhao family¡¯s side. He also pitied Song Xiu¡¯er.


    Li Zheng then told Doctor Li to go to his house to get a brush, ink, paper, and inkstone. He wrote three copies of the severed ties letter with everyone present as witnesses¡ªone for the Song family, one for him, and one for the Zhao family.


    ¡°I wonder if the government would recognize such a document, Li Zheng,¡± Meng Yao said with concern.


    Li Zheng thought he might get in trouble if he did not submit it, so he said, ¡°We need to go to the government office and make it official.¡±


    ¡°Do we need to go with you, or can you do it for us?¡± Meng Yao inquired.


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    ¡°I happen to be going to the Yamen tomorrow to settle some documents for the Chen Qing family¡¯s new daughter-in-law. I¡¯ll bring the documents over while I¡¯m at it,¡± Li Zhen muttered.


    ¡°Then I will have to trouble you to take care of it. Since we have made agreements, I shall take Xiu¡¯er back with me for now. She¡¯s weak and needs to rest.¡± Meng Yao then held Song Xiu¡¯er and bid farewell to the witnesses before leaving.


    The ancestral hall was cold and gloomy. Even a healthy person like Meng Yao could not bear it, let alone Song Xiu¡¯er. She looked even worse.


    Meng Yao stopped walking abruptly, turned her head, and spoke to Doctor Li, ¡°By the way, Doctor Li, I hope you can come to my house to give Xiu¡¯er some medicine.¡±


    ¡°All right. I will come with you,¡± Doctor Li responded.


    ¡°Hmph, stop acting so pitiful! Xiu¡¯er, you idiot, Meng Yao is simply doing all this for everyone to see. How could she be willing to spend so much money to care for you? Not to mention your brother-in-law is a scholar, and they need to pay for his studies. The Zhao family will not have any money to spend on you! Meng Yao is just manipulating you so you would go home with her to be her slave. You¡¯ll regret this, Xiu¡¯er!¡± Madam N¨¦e Li thundered.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry whether or not the Zhao family has enough money to support Xiu¡¯er, Madam N¨¦e Li.¡± A young man in a long green robe handed a pouch to Meng Yao and continued, ¡°Mother, this is a reward I got from my mentor since I placed third in the monthly exam. Don¡¯t worry. I will study harder and strive to get more rewards.¡±


    That was Meng Yao¡¯s second son, Zhao Dahe. He was tall and handsome with a stern demeanor. Ying Luo¡¯s predecessor birthed four children, and they were good-looking.


    Meng Yao was puzzled because, in her predecessor¡¯s memory, Zhao Dahe looked down on his eldest brother and sister-in-law. He would not even greet them. However, Zhao Dahe spoke intending to protect Song Xiu¡¯er.


    ¡°How did you get back, Dahe?¡± Meng Yao asked in surprise.


    Ying Luo¡¯s predecessor favored Zhao Dahe, so Meng Yao had to be happy.


    ¡°My mentor will not be around for today and tomorrow, so he gave me some days off. I missed you, so I came back,¡± Zhao Dahe answered. He then greeted Li Zheng and the witnesses when he finished speaking.


    Li Zheng and the villagers were polite to Zhao Dahe whenever he was around, especially Li Zheng since he was also a scholar when he was younger. He knew the benefits of studying and valued scholars.


    ¡°Welcome back, Dahe. Please, speak with your mother and don¡¯t get angry,¡± Li Zhen said in a friendly manner.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Mr. Li Zheng. I will,¡± Zhao Dahe replied as he glanced coldly at the Song family. ¡°Since you¡¯ve already settled this issue, I will not press further, Mr. Li Zheng. You will face my wrath if anyone else dares to bully my mother again.¡±


    Everyone present agreed with Zhao Dahe, while Li Zheng said he would ensure the villagers get along better in the future.


    Zhao Dahe nodded and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go home, Mother.¡±


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    Everyone thought Zhao Dahe possessed an imposing demeanor.


    Meng Yao turned around and playfully kicked Zhao Dajiang. ¡°Why are you standing around? Carry Xiu¡¯er home.¡±


    Meng Yao was not afraid of doing that because her predecessor usually kicked and slapped Zhao Dajiang. Only Zhao Dahe and Zhao Dajiang could match Ying Luo¡¯s predecessor¡¯s pleasant expressions.


    When the Zhao family was far from the ancestral hall, Zhao Dahe snatched the pouch from his mother¡¯s hand. ¡°Why are you still holding onto this, Mother? Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re thinking of embezzling your son¡¯s silver.¡±


    Meng Yao was speechless.

 Chapter 7

    It was just as Meg Yao thought. Zhao Dahe¡¯s behavior at the ancestral hall differed significantly from her predecessor¡¯s memory. That was the real Zhao Dahe¡ªcarefree yet infuriating.


    Meng Yao was puzzled, ¡®Aren¡¯t scholars supposed to be gentle and elegant?¡¯


    Zhao Dahe¡¯s behavior was more in line with a hooligan that had nothing to do. It was a waste of a handsome man.


    ¡°Okay, fine. I¡¯ll give the pouch back to you. Do you think your mother would be greedy for silver? Don¡¯t you remember that I was the one who paid for your books? I saw you standing up for your sister-in-law just now, so I was engrossed in thinking about your motives,¡± Meng Yao said as she unhappily stuffed the pouch into Zhao Dahe¡¯s hand.


    Zhao Dahe happily tucked the pouch into his pocket as he said, ¡°What¡¯s there to ponder, Mother? You were the one who said it. No matter how useless big brother and sister-in-law are, they¡¯re still a part of the Zhao family. Bullying your family members is okay, but outsiders can¡¯t.¡±


    Zhao Dahe was right. Ying Luo¡¯s predecessor mentioned it was okay to make a fuss behind closed doors but not in public. Meng Yao agreed with it and thought there was finally something to be proud of in her predecessor.


    Others would bully the Zhao family if the single mother and four children did not unite.


    ¡°Honestly, Big Brother, didn¡¯t I tell you to take care of the family while I¡¯m gone? Not only did you anger our mother, but your wife almost died!¡± Zhao Dahe said impatiently.


    Zhao Dajiang retorted through gritted teeth, ¡°I¡¯m not the one who angered Mother¡­¡±


    ¡°I never said you weren¡¯t the one who made me angry?¡± Meng Yao interrupted Dajiang. ¡®What kind of person is Dahe? How could he laugh at a time like this?¡¯ Meng Yao thought.


    If she did not interrupt Zhao Dajiang, he would have told Zhao Dahe that Song Xiu¡¯er had given all her food to her family. Zhao Dahe looked harmless, but he was not. He blamed Zhao Dajiang for what happened and disliked Song Xiu¡¯er.


    ¡°Dajiang, none of this would have happened if you protected Xiu¡¯er from Madam N¨¦e Li,¡± Meng Yao rebuked.


    ¡°B-But that was Xiu¡¯er¡¯s mother,¡± Zhao Dajiang stammered.


    Zhao Dajiang thought he could not stop a mother from hitting her child.


    Meng Yao was speechless. She knew her predecessor had brainwashed Zhao Dajiang too successfully since Zhao Dajiang thought it was fitting for a mother to hit her child. Thus, in Zhao Dajiang¡¯s eyes, the Song family¡¯s actions were typical.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you that you can¡¯t teach Big Brother these things, Mother? He¡¯s got a one-track mind, and no matter what happens, he can¡¯t adapt.¡± Zhao Dahe rolled his eyes.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t think anything bad about it before, but I am aware now. Don¡¯t worry. I will ensure your big brother knows it,¡± Meng Yao said.


    However, it was hard to say if Zhao Dajiang could learn from his mistakes.


    ¡°Listen up, Dajiang. You have to be good to Xiu¡¯er and protect her. Do not allow anyone to abuse her, understood?¡±


    Zhao Dajiang was okay with it since he thought whatever his mother said was right. Meanwhile, Song Xiu¡¯er and Zhao Dahe looked at Meng Yao in unison, their eyes filled with doubt.


    Then Meng Yao said calmly, ¡°We don¡¯t have enough money to get another wife for you, Dajiang.¡±


    ¡®That¡¯s normal,¡¯ Zhao Dahe thought. Otherwise, he would have seen that his mother had changed.


    Nonetheless, Zhao Dahe did not care about Song Xiu¡¯er¡¯s nourishment. Even if it would be costly, he thought his mother was just saying those things to maintain the Zhao family¡¯s reputation. Meanwhile, inviting Doctor Li over was not a big deal since the Zhao family could not just watch Song Xiu¡¯er die.


    Even though Zhao Dahe looked down on Song Xiu¡¯er, he could not deny she was quite capable, and with her around, his mother could relax.


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    Simultaneously, Song Xiu¡¯er did not know why, but she felt that her mother-in-law was different from before. Even though Meng Yao once said she despised Song Xiu¡¯er, Song Xiu¡¯er felt that her mother-in-law liked her more now. It was as though Meng Yao only said those disdainful words for Zhao Dahe to hear.


    Zhao Dajiang did not overthink it. He only did whatever his mother told him to do. Soon after Meng Yao and the others arrived home, Doctor Li appeared at their door.


    Doctor Li was embarrassed when he looked at Meng Yao. Then he said, ¡°I was wrong, Mrs. Zhao. I didn¡¯t know the truth, yet I accused you of what happened to Song Xiu¡¯er. I am terribly sorry.¡±


    Doctor Li previously blamed Meng Yao for Song Xiu¡¯er¡¯s malnourishment.


    Meng Yao revealed an appropriate yet fake smile as she said, ¡°Never mind that, Doctor Li. I know I can be too fierce sometimes, and I don¡¯t have an outstanding reputation. It¡¯s my fault, not yours. Besides, you were just a kind doctor concerned for a patient.¡±


    Doctor Li felt guilty yet touched upon hearing Meng Yao¡¯s words. He had studied with his brother, and Li Zheng always taught him to look at things with his heart since eyes were susceptible to illusions.


    Although Mrs. Zhao was notorious, that was her true nature. Meanwhile, Madam N¨¦e Li was usually polite to everyone on the outside, and it was evident that a dog that bit would not bark. Meng Yao even praised Doctor Li for his kindness as a doctor, but Doctor Li felt he did not deserve it.


    ¡°I know I made a mistake, and I refuse to pretend that nothing happened even though you don¡¯t mind, Mrs. Zhao. How about this? You won¡¯t have to pay for this house call. Please accept it as my apology, Mrs. Zhao,¡± Doctor Li was filled with determination when he spoke.


    ¡°N-No, there¡¯s no need, Doctor Li,¡± Meng Yao said as she frantically waved her hand.


    ¡°How could you refuse, Mother?!¡± Zhao Dahe looked disapproving. ¡°Doctor Li is sincerely aware of his mistake and wants to make it up to you. What will he think if you insist on rejecting him? One would say it¡¯s better to make amends before passing.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I agree. Dahe is right,¡± Doctor Li quickly chimed in.


    Meng Yao glanced at Doctor Li, then at Zhao Dahe. Zhao Dahe looked righteous when he recited those words, but Meng Yao felt he was up to no good for some reason.


    After that, Doctor Li meticulously checked on Song Xiu¡¯er, his face increasingly severe. Meng Yao had checked on Song Xiu¡¯er¡¯s condition before, so she knew how bad her body was. Considering Doctor Li¡¯s expression, Meng Yao thought he must think the same as her.


    ¡°What are you doing, Dajiang? Go and boil some water for Xiu¡¯er.¡± Meng Yao ordered.


    ¡°You must be tired after rushing home, Dahe. You should go to your room and rest.¡± Meng Yao wanted to send Zhao Dahe away.


    ¡°Are you trying to get rid of me, Mother?¡± Zhao Dahe asked, filled with suspicion.


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s what I¡¯m trying to do. There might be a lot of blood in this room, and I don¡¯t want it to stain your scholar robes. Besides, Doctor Li will perform acupuncture for Xiu¡¯er soon, so there¡¯s no need for you to be here,¡± Meng Yao said indifferently.


    Zhao Dahe stopped being suspicious and turned to leave while Doctor Li said awkwardly, ¡°I-I don¡¯t know how to perform acupuncture, Mrs. Zhao.¡±


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    ¡®Isn¡¯t acupuncture something a Chinese doctor should know? He¡¯s a man, so doesn¡¯t he perform acupuncture for his wife? If so, that would tarnish his reputation.¡¯


    ¡°I-I¡¯ve seen other doctors perform acupuncture in the past and thought you could do it too,¡± Meng Yao said, embarrassed.


    ¡°He must be an excellent doctor then,¡± Doctor Li said confidently. There were very few people in Zhou State who were good with acupuncture.


    Meng Yao did not know if acupuncture would be effective, but she knew how to do it.


    ¡°What is wrong with Xiu¡¯er¡¯s body, Doctor Li. Can you tell me?¡± Meng Yao asked sternly.

 Chapter 8

    ¡°Xiu¡¯er¡¯s body has been in poor condition since she was a child. I¡¯m afraid she can¡¯t get pregnant again since she miscarried,¡± Doctor Li said with great difficulty through gritted teeth. He cursed the Song family in his heart.


    Song Xiu¡¯er still cried even though she prepared herself to hear the terrible news.


    ¡°P-Perhaps my medical skills aren¡¯t good enough, or my diagnosis isn¡¯t accurate. H-However, I urge you to take care of yourself and¡­¡± Doctor Li could not bear to continue. He dared not say his medical skills were unparalleled, but he was not a quack doctor either.


    ¡°You will get better, Xiu¡¯er. You¡¯re still young, so I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll do fine,¡± Meng Yao continued what Doctor Li tried to say. ¡°I¡¯ll have to trouble you to prescribe Xiu¡¯er, Doctor Li.¡±


    Doctor Li could only sigh and obey Meng Yao¡¯s request. After that, Meng Yao glanced at the prescription. The medication was a gentle qi replenishing medication, suitable for Song Xiu¡¯er.


    ¡°I¡¯ll tell Dajiang to go with you and get the medicine.¡± Meng Yao inquired, ¡°How much will the medicine cost?¡±


    ¡°The prescription is for seven days, and I picked most of the herbs myself, so I¡¯ll give you a discount¡ªIt¡¯s seventy copper coins per set,¡± Doctor Li said after some thought.


    Seven meals in seven days would cost four hundred and ninety coins. Meng Yao went to her room and took some money to give to Doctor Li. Then she called Zhao Dajiang and told him to follow Doctor Li to get the medicine.


    Meng Yao turned to try and comfort Song Xiu¡¯er, but Song Xiu¡¯er immediately struggled to get down from the bed and knelt before Meng Yao.


    ¡°W-What are you doing, Xiu¡¯er? You shouldn¡¯t kneel on the cold ground like that. You might get a cold.¡± Meng Yao could not bear to see Song Xiu¡¯er¡¯s pitifulness.


    ¡°Give me the divorce papers, Mother-in-law,¡± Song Xiu¡¯er said through gritted teeth.


    Previously, Song Xiu¡¯er cried and shouted, saying she did not want to leave the Zhao family. However, she had cut ties with her maternal family and even took the initiative to ask for a divorce.


    ¡°Are you asking for a divorce because Doctor Li said you can¡¯t get pregnant anymore?¡± Meng Yao asked.


    ¡°Dajiang is still young, and the Zhao family must continue its lineage. I-I can¡¯t be a burden to the Zhao family,¡± Song Xiu¡¯er said with incredible difficulty.


    ¡°You know I have more than one son, right? I have three sons and a daughter, and they can continue the family¡¯s lineage. I¡¯m not worried, so you shouldn¡¯t be too. You said that Dajiang is young, but you are too.¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t Doctor Li say that you might be able to get pregnant again if you recover well? If you still can¡¯t bear a child, I¡¯m sure we¡¯ll figure something out,¡± Meng Yao said.


    Song Xiu¡¯er sniffled and tried to speak, ¡°B-But¡­¡±


    ¡°No buts, Xiu¡¯er! I told everyone I would take care of you, so there¡¯s no point in getting a divorce now. Your mother said I¡¯m manipulating you. Do you want everyone in the village to look down on me?¡± Meng Yao¡¯s face sank as she uttered every word fiercely.


    ¡°I-I didn¡¯t mean it that way, Mother-in-law. I won¡¯t leave even if you want me to divorce Dajiang. I-I will stay with the Zhao family to serve you as a maid,¡± Song Xiu¡¯er explained with great haste.


    ¡°A maid? You should look at our family¡¯s situation. We can¡¯t afford a maid, my dear.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want money, Mother-in-law. I will serve you as long as you feed me,¡± Song Xiu¡¯er said pitifully.


    ¡°Things aren¡¯t that simple, Xiu¡¯er. I will become old and tired one day. It¡¯s not that you can¡¯t leave. I won¡¯t stop you from doing whatever you want once you¡¯ve recovered. But now, you have to listen to me, okay? Go and lay down so you can take your medicine and eat your food,¡± Meng Yao spoke sternly.


    ¡°I don¡¯t feel comfortable with this, Mother-in-law,¡± Song Xiu¡¯er cried. One dose of medicine costs seventy coins, and the Zhao family would collapse if she continued to take it.


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    ¡°Then buck up and get better quickly. You can always take less medicine to save some money, but if you¡¯re still uncomfortable with that arrangement, you can think of this as me lending you money.¡±


    ¡°You can earn some money and pay me back once you¡¯ve recovered fully.¡± Meng Yao pondered and continued, ¡°If you can¡¯t afford to pay us back, then you can work for us in exchange for the medicine. We can discuss it more when you¡¯ve paid your dues.¡±


    Song Xiu¡¯er frantically kowtowed three times to Meng Yao. ¡°Thank you, Mother-in-law!¡±


    Song Xiu¡¯er was not a fool and could tell the good from the bad. She knew her mother-in-law was only fiercer for Song Xiu¡¯er¡¯s own good.


    Song Xiu¡¯er did not comment on her previous mother-in-law. However, she felt no other woman could be as kind as Meng Yao.


    ¡°Don¡¯t kneel so much next time. Others might think I¡¯m mistreating you again if you do, and that would ruin my reputation,¡± Meng Yao helped Song Xiu¡¯er up as she grumbled.


    ¡°Yes, Mother-in-law,¡± Song Xiu¡¯er said.


    ¡°Hurry up and lie down while I go to the kitchen and make you something to eat.¡± Meng Yao said as she exited the room.


    The Zhao family kept a lot of chicken in their backyard, and Ying Luo¡¯s predecessor usually stewed them so Zhao Dahe could nourish his body whenever he returned, even though he did not need it.


    Meng Yao skillfully caught a hen from the chicken pen and made a nourishing stew. She sliced the hen¡¯s neck to drain its blood, rinsed it in hot water, and plucked its feathers. Meng Yao had finished making the stew when Zhao Dajian returned with the medicine.


    ¡°Quickly boil the medicine and bring it to your wife, Dajiang. Also, Xiu¡¯er can¡¯t get wet during her confinement since she just had a miscarriage, so you¡¯ll be washing her clothes for the entire month,¡± Meng Yao instructed.


    ¡°B-But, Mother, I have never washed clothes before! I don¡¯t know how to,¡± Zhao Dajiang said as he awkwardly rubbed his hands together.


    ¡°You can always learn, Dajiang. Do you think I will wash the clothes for you and your wife for an entire month? You¡¯re a capable person, Dajiang,¡± Meng Yao scolded her son. Zhao Dajiang would be dreaming if he thought his mother would serve him willingly.


    ¡°Okay, Mother. I will learn.¡± Zhao Dajiang nodded frantically, like a chicken pecking at rice. ¡°I will wash your clothes too, Mother.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t need you to worry about me. Just tend to your wife and stay out of my way,¡± Meng Yao said unhappily. ¡°Help me keep an eye on the chicken stew while you¡¯re boiling the medicine. I will return to my room for now since I¡¯m tired.¡±


    Zhao Dajiang agreed.


    Meanwhile, Meng Yao looked at the dark roof as she lay on the bed. She could not help but sigh.


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    Ying Luo had suddenly transmigrated and had no time to digest the information in her mind. She finally had some time alone. Ying Luo began to wonder why she transmigrated since she did not recollect getting into a car accident, having cancer, or dying of murder.


    She only remembered doing research in a laboratory till late. However, she did not work constantly. She finished checking her lab results and fell asleep in the laboratory lounge. Then Ying Luo appeared in Meng Yao¡¯s body when she opened her eyes.


    But what happened to the original Meng Yao? Now that Ying Luo was in Meng Yao¡¯s body, no one in the Zhao family could do anything about it. No matter what Ying Luo did, she could not figure out why she transmigrated.


    Ying Luo had possessed Meng Yao¡¯s body after a night¡¯s sleep in the laboratory lounge. She wondered if she could return to her past life if she fell asleep. With that thought in mind, Meng Yao peacefully closed her eyes. There was only one way to find out if she could return to her past life.


    Meng Yao dreamt while asleep, or rather, she learned some things in the dream as a bystander¡ªthings that scared her predecessor to death. Indeed, her predecessor died of a scare of her rebirth.

 Chapter 9

    Ying Luo¡¯s predecessor no longer cared for her youngest son Zhao Xiaoshu after throwing him into the carpenter¡¯s shop.


    Zhao Xiaoshu¡¯s mentor was a drunkard who would drink three times a day if he did not have much work. He would beat Zhao Xiaoshu if he drank too much. Zhao Xiaoshu once stopped breathing because his mentor beat him up horribly.


    His mentor got scared and threw him into a messy grave and planned to tell the Zhao family that Zhao Xiaoshu had gotten lost. He even planned to pay Ying Luo¡¯s predecessor off.


    Ying Luo¡¯s predecessor disliked Zhao Xiaoshu, so she did not care about him when his mentor paid her. But to everyone¡¯s surprise, Zhao Xiaoshu recovered. However, he did not return to the carpenter¡¯s shop or the Zhao family.


    Zhao Xiaoshu was already a grown-up when he reappeared.


    Zhao Xiaoshu¡¯s mentor once ruined a business and had to pay a considerable fine. Then his shop caught fire, and all his property got burned. The carpenter even broke his leg while walking one night and had no money to fix it. Ultimately, his wife and daughter cut ties with him as he fell into a smelly ditch and drowned.


    Zhao Xiaoshiu collected the carpenter¡¯s body and threw it before Ying Luo¡¯s predecessor. The dead carpenter had a bloated purple face and a rotten leg.


    Ying Luo¡¯s predecessor was horrified. After her death, God wanted to give her a chance to turn a new leaf and allow her to be reborn on the day Zhao Xiaoshu got beaten half to death by the carpenter.


    However, Ying Luo¡¯s predecessor was too timid. When she opened her eyes and saw the carpenter¡¯s dead body, she died before she knew it, giving Ying Luo an advantage.


    Meng Yao jolted back to reality and reincarnated the day Zhao Xiaoshu almost died. She got off the bed and ran out in a panic without even putting on her shoes. ¡°Dahe!¡±


    Zhao Dahe slowly walked out of the house. ¡°Mother, why are you in such a panic?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re coming with me to town.¡± As Meng Yao said this, she turned back and took the silver from her house.


    ¡°What¡¯s the point of going to town at this time?¡± Zhao Dahe was very reluctant. He had just returned on an ox cart, and the cart was almost broken.


    ¡°Just come with me. What are you waiting for?¡± Meng Yao¡¯s face was stiff.


    Zhao Dahe had no choice but to obey his mother. The scene was so terrifying that Meng Yao dared not imagine it. However, she became courageous and would no longer be afraid of the carpenter¡¯s dead body.


    Nonetheless, Zhao Xiaoshu would not acknowledge his family when he grew up. If Ying Luo¡¯s predecessor were not scared to death, Zhao Xiaoshu would not be happy, and at that time, Meng Yao would suffer her youngest son¡¯s wrath.


    ¡°Dajiang, Give Xiu¡¯er the chicken stew along with a chicken leg. Then make sure Xiu¡¯er drinks her medicine. Do you understand?¡± Meng Yao instructed Zhao Dajiang.


    ¡°I¡¯ll remember that, Mother. ¡± Zhao Dajiang agreed.


    Only then did Meng Yao drag Zhao Dahe out of the house hurriedly to head to Mr. Niu¡¯s house. He was the village¡¯s delivery man.


    ¡°Mother, it¡¯s fine if you go to town, but why did you give that chicken leg to Xiu¡¯er? There were two chicken legs; my sister and I would have one each. Are you giving Xiu¡¯er mine or sister¡¯s?¡± Zhao Dahe asked.


    ¡°Do you still need to ask? Of course, you should give yours to Xiu¡¯er.¡± Meng Yao said. ¡°How old are you compared to Xiaohua? As an older brother, are you not embarrassed to steal food from your younger sister? Besides, there¡¯s an entire chicken in the stew, not just the legs! Don¡¯t you eat the other parts?!¡±


    ¡°I love to eat chicken legs. It¡¯s not like you don¡¯t know that, Mother.¡± Zhao Dahe was extremely unhappy.


    Zhao Dahe always claimed the chicken legs. Even his little sister had to give her share to him since girls had to serve men in that era.


    ¡°Just because you like it doesn¡¯t mean I have to give it to you. Which of you gave me the chicken leg when I said I wanted it? You should respect the old and cherish the young, Dahe. Why did I even pay for your studies?¡±


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    Meng Yao was distraught that she would be unable to salvage the situation in time, and she was angry that her predecessor had left her with such a mess. She did not have time to coax Zhao Dahe. If Meng Yao had failed to salvage the situation, she wouldn¡¯t have had a good life when Zhao Xiaoshu grew up.


    ¡°Of course, I would be willing to give the chicken leg to you if you wanted it,¡± Zhao Dahe said.


    ¡°That¡¯s your sister-in-law, so you should treat her well,¡± Meng Yao said patiently.


    Zhao Dahe scoffed.


    ¡°Dahe, you¡¯re a scholar. It¡¯s more important to gain a good reputation than anything else.¡± Meng Yao took a deep breath and lowered her voice.


    Zhao Dahe gave Meng Yao a strange look. ¡°Mother, I¡¯m not an official. Why would I need a good reputation?¡±


    Meng Yao was a little dumbfounded, and she subconsciously asked, ¡°If you¡¯re not an official, why are you studying?¡±


    ¡°Who are you, and what have you done with my mother?¡± Zhao Dahe sized Meng Yao up in confusion.


    Meng Yao¡¯s face darkened. ¡°You Rascal, who am I if I¡¯m not your mother? What¡¯s wrong? Did you study so much that you forgot who I am? How can you not recognize your mother?!¡±


    ¡°Maybe you¡¯re a demon that possessed my mother!¡± Zhao Dahe mumbled, ¡°It¡¯s written in the book on strange stories. The demons in the mountains eat people and then turn into the person they ate. Then¡­¡±


    Meng Yao slapped the back of Zhao Dahe¡¯s head. ¡°I¡¯ve tightened my belt and told you to study, but you¡¯re reading random books? Do you want me to beat you to death?!¡±


    Zhao Dahe clutched the back of his head and wailed, ¡°Why did you strike me, Mother? Who else in the family will study if I¡¯m stupid?¡±


    ¡°Who taught you such nonsense?!¡±


    ¡°Did you forget why you told me to study, Mother?¡± Zhao Dahe retorted indignantly. ¡°You¡¯re the one who said it would be good if the villagers looked up to me. You also said only a few could become scholars by studying. There are many students in Zhou State, and I am your son, so you should know my worth best.¡±


    Meng Yao was speechless. ¡®My predecessor wanted Zhao Dahe to study so that he could become a scholar? She sure had a strange way of doing things.¡¯


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you got third place in a test? But there was no reward before, right? So, you¡¯re here for the silver?¡± Meng Yao asked.


    ¡°Of course! I would have gotten first place if it weren¡¯t for the time constraint,¡± Zhao Dahe said smugly.


    So, what misunderstanding did Ying Luo¡¯s predecessor have about Zhao Dahe?


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    ¡®Time was tight, yet he could get third place. If he studied hard, wouldn¡¯t he be the top scholar?¡¯


    ¡°Then study hard, take the Imperial exams, get a high position, become an official. Then you can get a salary from working in a courtroom. Won¡¯t you have more silver then?¡± Meng Yao probed.


    ¡°Mother, it is not so easy to become an official. Besides, the book mentioned that one would face many temptations after becoming an official. You know that I can¡¯t resist temptation. Wouldn¡¯t you lose your head if you make a mistake?¡± Zhao Dahe pursed his lips. ¡°Being an honest official is tiring and barely makes any money. I would be rich as a corrupt official, but it would be risky.¡±


    Unfortunately, that was the truth in any era.


    ¡°There are many benefits to being an honest official. At least, you will be the first in Shanghua Village. No one would dare to provoke us even if we don¡¯t run amuck in the village. ¡± Meng Yao patiently guided Zhao Dahe. ¡°You¡¯ll have many benefits if you are an honest official. No matter how little money an honest official makes, it is still more than farming! Don¡¯t you agree?

 Chapter 10

    ¡°Mother, you¡¯re making it sound like I¡¯ll become an official.¡± Zhao Dahe was overjoyed. ¡°My mentor has studied for decades and is very knowledgeable, but he still depends on teaching to make a living in town.¡±


    ¡°If I didn¡¯t study well, how could I be a teacher? Besides, how did he reward you if he doesn¡¯t earn much?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not it. My mentor¡¯s wife rewarded me,¡± Zhao Dahe said. ¡°My mentor married into her family. I heard my mentor went bankrupt from studying and had no choice but to marry her. Marrying a woman with a business-minded family is the right choice. ¡± Zhao Dahe spoke self-righteously.


    Meng Yao sighed helplessly. Her predecessor did too well in brainwashing her children. She could not convince Zhao Dahe with just a few words, so she could only wait for the time being.


    Nonetheless, it was better to get to town as soon as possible and solve the problem at its root.


    Even if Zhao Dahe became an official, it would be useless if he was not as promising as Zhao Xiaoshu.


    ¡°All right, let¡¯s go already!¡± Meng Yao urged.


    The two soon arrived at Mr. Niu¡¯s house. Mr. Niu was unwilling to make another trip to town since he cherished his cow and was afraid it would be exhausted. He only made a round trip a day.


    Meng Yao said she would pay more for the ride and ask Zhao Dajiang to get some grass later, but Mr. Niu was still unwilling.


    ¡°Mr. Niu, I fell asleep and dreamt that my third son was crying for help. When I woke up, my heart was beating so fast that I couldn¡¯t calm down. I thought that Zhao Xiaoshu had slipped away.¡±


    Meng Yao squeezed out a few tears as she continued, ¡°A mother and son are connected. I can¡¯t live with myself, knowing something terrible might happen to Xiaoshu.¡±


    Niu Ben¡¯er exited the inner room when Zhao Dahe said, ¡°You d*mned old man, it¡¯s not like you move around much. You only make a trip a day, so how tired can you be? If we don¡¯t make it in time to save my little brother, would you be able to rest easy for the remainder of your life?¡±


    Mr. Niu knocked on his tobacco pipe and placed it on the back of his waist. ¡°All right, I know. What about the fare you mentioned just now?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll give you twenty wen,¡± Meng Yao hurriedly said. ¡°I¡¯ll also bring you the grass.¡±


    There weren¡¯t many people pulling the cart, and Mr. Niu was afraid that something would happen, so the cart was more than twice as fast as usual. In less than half an hour, they arrived at the town.


    ¡°I won¡¯t drive the cart into the town. I¡¯ll wait here while you two go and look for Xiaoshu,¡± Mr. Niu urged


    Meng Yao quickly located the carpenter¡¯s shop using her predecessor¡¯s memories. The door was closed, and Meng Yao knocked for a long while before someone finally opened it.


    It was a thin little girl, the carpenter¡¯s daughter. She was in the predecessor¡¯s memory.


    ¡°Ya¡¯er, where¡¯s your father?¡± Meng Yao asked.


    ¡°H-He is¡­¡± Ya¡¯er stammered but could not finish her sentence. Her father told her to keep Zhao Xiaoshu¡¯s matter a secret, or he would make her Zhao Xiaoshu¡¯s companion.


    Ya¡¯er wanted to be Zhao Xiaoshu¡¯s companion, but her mother was sick. She worried that no one would care for her mother if she left with Zhao Xiaoshu.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know where my father is,¡± Ya¡¯er stopped stammering.


    ¡°What about Xiaoshu? Call him and tell him that his mother is here to see him.¡± Meng Yao¡¯s heart sank, and she had a terrible feeling in her gut.


    ¡°Xiaoshu isn¡¯t here either. I don¡¯t know where he went.¡± After that, Ya¡¯er shrank back and closed the door tightly.


    Meng Yao thought the carpenter was trying to dispose of Zhao Xiaoshu.


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    ¡°Do you know where the graveyards are, Dahe?¡± Meng Yao grabbed Zhao Dahe, her tone anxious.


    ¡°We need to leave town and head south for five miles,¡± Zhao Dahe answered.


    Meng Yao ran like crazy while Mr. Niu waited outside the town. He drove the oxcart and closed the five-mile distance instantly. However, they did not encounter any carpenters along the way.


    Meng Yao felt uncertain. When she saw these things in her dream, she only knew which day it was. She didn¡¯t know whether it was the day¡¯s beginning or end. She wondered if the carpenter had already thrown Zhao Xiaoshu into a grave.


    ¡°Mother?¡± Zhao Dahe was worried. ¡°It was just a dream. Didn¡¯t you always tell me that dreams are meaningless?¡±


    ¡°That wasn¡¯t just a dream. It was a premonition, and I¡¯m worried about it. It would be great if weren¡¯t one, but Xiaoshu isn¡¯t in the carpenter¡¯s shop, and we don¡¯t know where he went. I¡¯ll be more at ease if we could check the graveyards,¡± Meng Yao said.


    They arrived at a graveyard, so Mr. Niu stopped the oxcart and said, ¡°I¡¯m not driving in there.¡± It was a graveyard, and even though it was daytime, Mr. Niu still felt a chill run down his spine.


    Mr. Niu heard that people who committed crimes would get thrown there after death. He believed that ghosts cried and wolves howled at night; if one passed by that place, they would encounter ghosts.


    Zhao Dahe did not want to go over either, but his mother had already run away from him. As her son, he could not be a coward.


    ¡°Xiaoshu?! Are you here, Xiaoshu?!¡±


    There was no sign of the carpenter, so Meng Yao could only search for him while calling for Zhao Xiaoshu, praying he was all right.


    ¡°Mother, there¡¯s no one here. Xiaoshu is at a playful age, so he might even be hiding somewhere in a corner in town.¡± Zhao Dahe felt a chill run down his spine, which was highly uncomfortable.


    ¡°We haven¡¯t even begun looking for Xiaoshu, yet you¡¯re saying no one is here? Xiaoshu is your younger brother, Dahe. Is this how you treat him?¡± Mang Yao snarled, ¡°If you still acknowledge me as your mother, you will help me look for Xiaoshu.¡±


    ¡°This graveyard is massive. How can we find Xiaoshu?¡± Zhao Dahe was unhappy.


    ¡°We can leave once we¡¯ve searched every nook and cranny!¡± Meng Yao said coldly. ¡°If you¡¯re not going to help me look, get lost! I¡¯ll look for Xiaoshu myself!¡±


    It was a matter of life and death, and Meng Yao would still help, even if it were a random stranger. It was something Meng Yao had carved into her bones since she was a child.


    Meanwhile, behind the graveyard not too far away, Zhao Xiaoshu opened his eyes with incredible difficulty. Behind the grave far away, Zhao Xiaoshu opened his eyes with difficulty. His entire body was in so much pain that he felt like he would fall apart.


    He could not move and wondered if he was going to die. Zhao Xiaoshu heard someone calling out to him, and he thought it was his mother. He laughed bitterly and thought he was hallucinating. ¡®Why would my mother come looking for me?¡¯


    Zhao Xiaoshu¡¯s mentor even said Meng Yao wouldn¡¯t care about him even if he died. His mother had sent him to become an apprentice carpenter because she didn¡¯t care about Zhao Xiaoshu. Otherwise, Meng Yao would¡¯ve told him to go home. She never even visited Zhao Xiaoshu at the carpenter¡¯s shop.


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    Zhao Xiaoshu would not feel sad even if he died and did not want to be a son to a mother like Meng Yao if there was such a thing as rebirth.


    Zhao Xiaoshu¡¯s eyelids felt like they weighed a ton, and he could no longer keep them open. He wanted to fall asleep.


    ¡°Xiaoshu?! Xiaoshu!¡± Meng Yao noticed Zhao Xiaoshu. Although the carpenter had beaten Zhao Xiaoshu beyond recognition, Meng Yao knew it was Zhao Xiaoshu.


    Zhao Xiaoshu tried his best to open his eyes again, trying to see the figure in front of him. ¡®Is that my mother?¡¯


    Zhao Xiaoshu¡¯s tilted his head to the side and fell unconscious while Meng Yao grabbed his wrist. She felt a pulse and heaved a sigh of relief. However, she wondered if there would be a butterfly effect since she saved Zhao Xiaoshu.

 Chapter 11

    Zhao Dahe was shocked. ¡°That¡¯s Xiaoshu?! How did he end up like this? Is he still alive?¡±


    ¡°You carry him. We must hurry to the town¡¯s clinic,¡± Meng Yao ordered Zhao Dahe.


    Zhao Xiaoshu¡¯s body was dirty and covered with mud and grass. Zhao Dahe thought it must have been the grass and dirt from the graveyard. These things coexisted with the dead, so Zhao Dahe did not want to touch Zhao Xiaoshu.


    Meng Yao glared at Zhao Dahe coldly.


    Zhao Dahe¡¯s stubbornness quickly softened. He said helplessly, ¡°All right, fine. I¡¯ll carry him.¡±


    Mr. Niu drove the oxcart and sent the trio back to the town.


    ¡°Sigh, I¡¯m so tired of driving you guys around. My body hurts,¡± Mr. Niu grumbled.


    ¡°I¡¯ll double the fare, Mr. Niu, ¡± Meng Yao said.


    Mr. Niu said awkwardly, ¡°I didn¡¯t think of increasing the price. I didn¡¯t mean it that way. I just feel bad for you. Xiaoshu doesn¡¯t look so good, so you should take him to a doctor.¡±


    ¡°I know you¡¯re kind, but I¡¯ve indeed troubled you. It¡¯s what I should do.¡± Meng Yao said, ¡°We¡¯ll walk home if you don¡¯t accept this money.¡±


    Meng Yao didn¡¯t think Mr. Niu was taking advantage of the situation. She could not bear not to pay him extra since he towed three people on his oxcart.


    ¡°Zhao Ting is blessed to have a reasonable wife like you,¡± Mr. Niu sighed.


    Zhao Ting¡¯s name was like a switch, triggering the memories of Ying Luo¡¯s predecessor. Zhao Ting was her predecessor¡¯s husband.


    When the Zhao family forced Ying Luo¡¯s predecessor to marry, she brought Zhao Ting home and told them they had already married. However, a few girls in the Meng family still had yet to marry.


    If one married a woman who had lost her innocence, others would think the girls of the Meng family were immoral.


    To protect the family¡¯s reputation, the Meng family had no choice but to announce to the public that Meng Yao had gotten married. However, Zhao Ting was the one who had married into the Meng family.


    During that time, the Meng family was angry at losing many betrothal gifts, so they separated Meng Yao from Zhao Ting.


    Ying Luo¡¯s spiteful predecessor named all her children with the Zhao surname. The Meng family¡¯s marriage brought about loneliness.


    Although they didn¡¯t sever their relationship like Song Xiu¡¯er did with her family, the Meng family didn¡¯t contact each other for more than ten years even though they lived in the same village.


    When Ying Luo¡¯s predecessor married Zhao Ting, they were not very loving. Instead, they respected and treated each other as guests.


    When Meng Yao got pregnant, Zhao Ting said they should raise money by starting a small business. He wanted to sell items to make a profit.


    Meng Yao was good at embroidery, so she accumulated some silver with her skills. Meanwhile, Zhao Ting was a clever man, and his small business went smoothly.


    The two did well back then and built the brick house themselves. Unfortunately, the good times did not last long. When Zhao Xiaoshu and Zhao Xiaohua turned four, Zhao ting did not return.


    Later, someone reported that he had encountered robbers. Zhao Ting fell into a river when he tried to escape. The villagers searched for a few days but could not find his body. He was most likely dead. Otherwise, he would have returned long ago.


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    The original Meng Yao fantasized about Zhao Ting returning. She refused to believe he was dead but finally gave up when she hadn¡¯t heard any news of Zhao Ting¡¯s survival.


    After that, several people approached the Meng family to collect debts. At that time, the original Meng Yao was exhausted and sought help from her family. Unfortunately, the Meng family did not help the widow and her child.


    She gritted her teeth and persevered by resuming her embroidery. Then she raised her children by selling the things she sewed. The original Meng Yao was not without redeeming qualities from that point of view.


    However, Meng Yao¡¯s love for Zhao Ting slowly transitioned to hate that would deepen whenever she encountered difficulties.


    Ying Luo guessed that her predecessor¡¯s hatred toward Zhao Ting had reached the extreme when she died. Fortunately, Zhao Ting was dead. Otherwise, Meng Yao wouldn¡¯t have been able to hide him from the person she slept with then.


    ¡­


    Mr. Niu stopped the oxcart at the town entrance. ¡°You guys go quickly. I will still wait for you here.¡±


    Zhao Dahe carried Zhao Xiaoshu and jogged, barely keeping up with Meng Yao.


    Meng Yao followed her predecessor¡¯s memories and headed straight for the Hundred Herb Hall, the best medical center in town.


    Other than external injuries, Zhao Xiaoshu was in the same state as Song Xiu¡¯er. He was malnourished due to long-term hunger.


    Zhao Xiaoshu and Zhao Xiaohua were twins, and Zhao Xiaohua was toot. Even if there were two Zhao Xiaoshus tied together, they would not be as chubby as Zhao Xiaohua.


    ¡°Who is this child to you?¡± The doctor¡¯s face turned ashen, and his face sank when he saw Zhao Xiaoshu.


    Many hot-tempered parents beat their children, but he had never seen anyone beat them to this extent. Parents usually beat their children, but they should at least let them eat their fill.


    The doctor touched Zhao Xiaoshu¡¯s arms and knew he was eight to nine years old. But Zhao Xiaoshu looked like a six-year-old because he was small and thin.


    ¡°That¡¯s my son,¡± Meng Yao said.


    The doctor sized up Meng Yao, and his expression became even more unsightly. He wondered if the family could afford to eat. However, the woman before him looked well fed.


    Meng Yao raised her hand to wipe the corners of her eyes, and when she opened her mouth again, she choked, ¡°D-Doctor, please tell me what¡¯s wrong with my son. There were too many people in the family, so I wanted to send him to the town¡¯s carpenter shop to learn some skills to make a living in the future.¡±


    ¡°His mentor said he was not allowed to go home until he mastered carpentry. I¡¯ve always thought of my son day and night, so much so that I can¡¯t sleep sometimes. I even dreamt that my son had ended up in a graveyard, so I didn¡¯t care what the carpenter said and rushed over.¡±


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    ¡°There was no one at the carpenter¡¯s shop when I arrived, so I went to the graveyard. My son was unconscious when I found him. If I hadn¡¯t gone there¡­¡± Meng Yao sniffled as she spoke, and the doctor¡¯s expression changed. He knew that some mentors would mistreat their apprentices.


    ¡°There will always be evil people in this world. Don¡¯t cry, Ma¡¯am. Although your son is in terrible condition, he won¡¯t die. Take him home so he can recover. Your son can always learn the craft when he¡¯s stronger and more mature,¡± the doctor comforted Meng Yao.


    ¡°You¡¯re right. I didn¡¯t think this through properly. ¡± Meng Yao said guiltily.


    ¡°Don¡¯t blame yourself. It¡¯s not your fault. It¡¯s the fault of that black-hearted carpenter,¡± The doctor said indignantly. ¡°The carpenter will pay for his crimes sooner or later. Please tell me which shop your son worked at.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s that one.¡±

 Chapter 12

    ¡°It¡¯s the carpenter¡¯s shop on the town¡¯s east main street,¡± Meng Yao said.


    There were many people in the Hundred Herb Hall. The doctor was kind-hearted and would not keep this matter to himself.


    ¡°Your son worked at that shop?! I needed some furniture for my house and planned to go there, but now that I know what happened, I will not give him my money!¡± The doctor continued, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Ma¡¯am. I will tell everyone about the carpenter¡¯s crimes!¡±


    It was only a minor punishment for the carpenter. Meng Yao asked the doctor to treat Zhao Xiaoshu¡¯s external injuries and told Zhao Dahe to look after Zhao Xiaoshu before leaving for the carpenter¡¯s shop.


    When Meng Yao sent Zhao Xiaoshu there, she had to sign an agreement before Zhao Xiaoshu could become an apprentice. Although Meng Yao did not know what was on the document, she would feel more at ease if the document were invalid.


    The shop¡¯s door was open when Meng Yao arrived.


    A man with an unkempt beard, drinking wine from a gourd, saw Meng Yao enter, so he put the gourd down and greeted her smilingly, ¡°Hello, Ma¡¯am. Are you here to buy ready-made furniture or custom ones?¡±


    The carpenter did not recognize Meng Yao.


    ¡°I¡¯m from the Meng family of Shanghua Village. I¡¯ve been here once and want to see my son, Zhao Xiaoshua.¡± Meng Yao went straight to the point.


    The carpenter wiped the smile off his face and picked up the wine gourd again. ¡°Oh, you¡¯re Xiaoshu¡¯s mother! Didn¡¯t I tell you he is under my care until he finishes his apprenticeship?¡±


    ¡°Yes, but I miss my son, so I came to visit him. Isn¡¯t that normal?¡± Meng Yao said without changing her expression.


    ¡°Sure, I¡¯ll call him for you.¡± The carpenter acted and shouted toward the back of the shop, ¡°Xiaoshu, come out quickly! Your mother is here to see you! Didn¡¯t you tell me you miss her?¡±


    How would Zhao Xiaoshu appear if he weren¡¯t there? Of course, Meng Yao knew the carpenter was just acting.


    The carpenter shouted toward the back again, and someone came jogging over. The person stood far from the carpenter and asked lowly, ¡°Did you call me, Father?¡±


    ¡°Is Xiaoshu slacking off elsewhere again?¡± The carpenter asked.


    Ya¡¯er glanced at Meng Yao and hurriedly looked away. ¡°I didn¡¯t see Xiaoshu around today, father. I still have clothes to wash, so I will go and do that.¡± Ya¡¯er then ran off in a hurry.


    Meng Yao gritted her teeth. The carpenter was pure evil and even hinted that Zhao Xiaoshu would often sneak out. Meng Yao might have believed him if Zhao Xiaoshu weren¡¯t so battered and bruised.


    It was usual for children at that age to be playful. However, the carpenter had beaten Zhao Xiaoshu so severely that he would never dare to sneak out and slack off.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t I go and look for him?¡± The carpenter said smilingly.


    The carpenter was genuinely evil. Meng Yao didn¡¯t blame Zhao Xiaoshu for torturing his mentor in the dream she had. The carpenter threw Zhao Xiaoshu into a graveyard. He did not look guilty and smiled when faced with Meng Yao.


    ¡°All right, I¡¯ll go with you,¡± Meng Yao said.


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll go back and let my family know, just in case they can¡¯t find me and get worried.¡± The carpenter hung the wine gourd on his waist and walked away.


    He returned after a while with a fresh set of clothes. He even tidied his hair and beard. ¡°Let¡¯s go, Ma¡¯am,¡± the carpenter said. ¡°Xiaoshu likes to hang out in alleys, so I¡¯m afraid we might not be able to find him so soon.¡±


    Meng Yao didn¡¯t say anything and just followed behind the carpenter. The carpenter indeed led Meng Yao to an alley.


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    ¡°Your husband hasn¡¯t been around for a few years now, right, Ma¡¯am? I know it can¡¯t be easy to raise a child alone. I cherish Xiaoshu so much and even treat him as my own. I will entrust my shop to him in the future.¡± The carpenter started slowing down.


    ¡®You treat Xiaoshu as your own? Lies!¡¯


    Meng Yao recalled the last time she saw Ya¡¯er. The little girl looked frightened. Meng Yao assumed all kinds of scars on the little girl¡¯s body, hidden under her clothes.


    ¡°Would you?¡± Meng Yao casually replied.


    ¡°You must be very lonely these past few years, right?¡± The carpenter asked.


    When they arrived at an empty alley, the carpenter stopped and turned around to face Meng Yao. He gazed at Meng Yao with a disgusting look in his eyes.


    Meng Yao looked at him coldly and asked, ¡°Why aren¡¯t you moving?¡±


    ¡°That sickly man of mine doesn¡¯t have many days to live. I¡¯ll ensure you have a good life if you¡¯re willing to come with me, Ma¡¯am.¡± The carpenter leaned forward, baring his yellow teeth. There was a piece of vegetable stuck between his teeth.


    Meng Yao was so disgusted that she almost vomited her dinner from the night before. Meng Yao laughed coldly and elbowed the carpenter¡¯s chest. The original Meng Yao was not a weak and delicate person. On the contrary, she possessed great strength even when she was a child. She could rival an adult male.


    Ying Luo had learned close-quarters combat for several years. Her technique was decent, but she lacked strength. However, her predecessor¡¯s body made up for that. One could only imagine the power of her elbow strike.


    The carpenter arched his back and flew two meters away, landing heavily on the ground.


    Meng Yao unhurriedly walked over, tore a piece of cloth from the carpenter¡¯s clothes, and stuffed it into his mouth. Although they were in a hidden alley, if the commotion were too loud, it would alarm others.


    Meng Yao was kind and could not bear to see innocent people get frightened. After a series of attacks, the carpenter almost fell unconscious.


    ¡°You were after my son, and now you¡¯re after me? Don¡¯t think I don¡¯t know what you did to my son. You should thank my son that you¡¯re still alive!¡± Meng Yao said condescendingly.


    ¡°I¡¯m bringing Xiaoshu home with me today. I don¡¯t care if he¡¯s your apprentice or not. You better consider the consequences of your actions if you¡¯re unwilling and want to do something bad. I won¡¯t be so light-handed the next time you offend me!¡±


    Meng Yao had stuffed a piece of cloth in the carpenter¡¯s mouth, so he could only whimper lowly.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go to your shop and take the document I signed when I sent Xiaoshu to you,¡± Meng Yao said. ¡°You can stay in this dark alley and reflect on yourself.¡±


    Meng Yao felt a lot better after beating the carpenter up. Zhao Xiaoshu was already awake when she returned to the Hundred Herb Hall. Zhao Dahe and Zhao Xiaoshu stared at each other with widened eyes.


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    ¡°Mother, you¡¯ve finally returned.¡± Zhao Dahe felt a sense of relief when he saw Meng Yao. ¡°This rascal didn¡¯t even call out to me after he woke up. I asked him what happened, but he didn¡¯t say a word.¡±


    ¡°Does your body still hurt, Xiaoshu?¡± Meng Yao asked gently.


    Although she had seen Zhao Xiaoshu¡¯s appearance in her predecessor¡¯s memory, it could not compare to seeing Zhao Xiaoshu in person. Even though Zhao Xiaoshu was battered and bruised, it could not hide his exquisite facial features.


    Meng Yao had only seen the grown-up Zhao Xiaoshu in her dreams. Since Zhao Xiaoshu had a ruthless expression in Meng Yao¡¯s dream, which affected his looks, Meng Yao thought he was not good-looking.


    However, Zhao Xiaoshu¡¯s aggrieved expression didn¡¯t affect his looks. Instead, it aroused Meng Yao¡¯s maternal love, and she wanted to give him a better life.

 Chapter 13

    Zhao Xiaoshu felt helpless. Which child did not wish for their mother to be gentle and amiable? Those who had never received love would yearn for such feelings even more. However, he did not know how to respond because he had never received it before.


    ¡°It¡¯s great that you¡¯re fine. Your second brother and I are here to take you home today. You don¡¯t have to be an apprentice anymore.¡± Meng Yao removed a piece of paper from her pocket. It was the one she had given Zhao Xiaoshu with her signature when she sent him to the carpenter¡¯s shop.


    Meng Yao had returned to the carpenter¡¯s shop after beating up the carpenter, and after talking to the carpenter¡¯s wife, Meng Yao obtained the contract without much effort.


    When Meng Yao was leaving, Ya¡¯er came out to send her off and even apologized to her, saying that she shouldn¡¯t have lied. Ya¡¯er saw her father beat Zhao Xiaoshu up and put him into a sack. The carpenter said that if this matter spread, he would also put Ya¡¯er in a sack.


    ¡°My mother is sick, so I can¡¯t leave her alone, Ma¡¯am. Will you treat Zhao Xiaoshu well when you take him home?¡± Ya¡¯er felt guilty and uneasy.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Xiaoshu is my son, and I will treat him well,¡± Meng Yao said as she patted Ya¡¯er¡¯s head. ¡°Your father won¡¯t be able to hurt you for a while, but he¡¯ll heal one day, so you and your mother need to discuss a different living situation, okay?¡±


    ¡°W-What should we do?¡± It seemed like Ya¡¯er was asking herself.


    ¡°Help your father learn from his mistakes, or you can leave him,¡± Meng Yao said.


    After all, this was someone else¡¯s family matter, and Meng Yao had no right to interfere. Moreover, they were not related. Even if Meng Yao had taught the carpenter a lesson once, she could not possibly keep an eye on him forever.


    Ya¡¯er and her mother had to be independent.


    ¡°W-We¡¯re going home?¡± Zhao Xiaoshu mumbled, ¡°Can I honestly go home?¡±


    ¡°Of course, you can. That¡¯s your home. You can go back if you want to,¡± Meng Yao said gently. ¡°What happened to you was my fault. I suffered a great sin, and my body got injured when I birthed you. I could not bear it and blamed you. That¡¯s why I was so hateful toward you in the past.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. It won¡¯t happen again. I will make it up to you,¡± Meng Yao said sincerely.


    Meng Yao thought that Zhao Xiaoshu would be touched. However, he sneered, ¡°Did you find another place to throw me, Mother? Just like when you sent me to the carpenter shop to become an apprentice?¡±


    Ying Luo¡¯s predecessor had tricked Zhao Xiaoshu into becoming an apprentice at the carpenter¡¯s shop.


    ¡°N-No, I only wanted you to suffer a little. I never expected the carpenter to be so cruel,¡± Meng Yao helplessly explained.


    ¡°Yes, he is cruel and vicious. But how would he have dared if it wasn¡¯t for your hatred toward me? The carpenter would say that you don¡¯t care about me and that you wouldn¡¯t even feel sorry if he beat me to death. He also said you would thank him for getting rid of a burden like me.¡± Zhao Xiaoshu stared at Meng Yao expressionlessly and said coldly.


    That d*mned carpenter would insult Zhao Xiaoshu and slander him. Meng Yao felt regretful for showing mercy to the carpenter. Such a person deserved to die.


    Zhao Dahe stood up immediately. With a darkened expression, he dashed forward without a word.


    ¡°Hey, where are you going, Dahe?¡± Meng Yao asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to beat that f*cker up! He hit my brother! Even I never touched Xiaoshu! He doesn¡¯t have the right to touch my brother!¡± Zhao Dahe¡¯s eyes were red and looked no different from a deranged beast.


    Zhao Dahe¡¯s reaction surprised Meng Yao.


    After all, Zhao Dahe had never been close to his siblings. Perhaps, this was what Meng Yao had taught him. Only the Zhaos could hurt each other, no one else.


    ¡°Come back here, Dahe,¡± Meng Yao said calmly.


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    ¡°Mother, how can you bear this?¡± Zhao Dahe was confused.


    ¡°Of course, I can¡¯t. I¡¯ve already gone to vent my anger.¡± Meng Yao¡¯s expression was calm. ¡°I just regret not killing him. That¡¯s why I broke one of his arms and one of his legs. I should¡¯ve broken all his limbs.¡±


    Zhao Dahe was dumbfounded. ¡°Mother, what did you just say?¡±


    ¡°I said, hurry up and pack so we can go home. Mr. Niu is still waiting for us at the town entrance,¡± Meng Yao said.


    Even after Zhao Dahe got on the oxcart, he was still in a daze. Zhao Xiaoshu was also stunned as he wondered if his mother truly avenged him.


    The carpenter made a living with his skills, but Meng Yao broke his hand. There was nothing the carpenter could do to earn money now.


    ¡°Xiaoshu, you would have died if it weren¡¯t for your mother¡¯s insistence on coming to town to find you,¡± Mr. Niu sighed. ¡°A mother is always connected to her children. Your mother had a vision that you ended up in a graveyard.¡±


    Zhao Xiaoshu raised his head to look at Meng Yao as she forced a smile.


    ¡®My mother dreamt I got thrown into a graveyard, so she rushed over to rescue me? Zhao Xiaoshu did not know how to describe his inner feelings. Perhaps, his mother sincerely wanted to take him home.


    As Meng Yao said, she regretted what she did before. Zhao Xiaoshu wondered if he should believe his mother. He lowered his head and thought, ¡®No, I can¡¯t believe her so quickly.¡¯


    Meng Yao sighed. It seemed there was still a long way to go before she could warm Zhao Xiaoshu up. It would take time for Zhao Xiaoshu to start believing in Meng Yao. She knew she could not be impatient. Nonetheless, she at least brought Zhao Xiaoshu home.


    ¡®If Xiaoshu doesn¡¯t leave home, he won¡¯t turn evil when he grows up, right?¡¯


    Meng Yao was confident she could use her love to nurture Zhao Xiaoshu after spending more time with him.


    Meanwhile, Ya¡¯er finally understood why Zhao Xiaoshu¡¯s mother said that her father would not be able to hit her for a while.


    The carpenter was lucky that the townsfolk brought him back to his shop. He had a broken wrist, a broken leg, and various injuries throughout his body. He couldn¡¯t even stand up, let alone hit someone.


    ¡°Why aren¡¯t you calling a doctor over?! I¡¯m hurting so much!¡± The carpenter thundered.


    Ya¡¯er instinctively lifted her feet and was about to walk away. However, she slowed down at the door. She contemplated calling for a doctor because if she did not, her father would have to lie in bed for the rest of his life, unable to lay his hands on anyone else.


    When Ya¡¯er thought of how she would survive without income, she remembered that her father¡¯s first apprentice¡¯s skills could rival his. It was a pity that Ya¡¯er¡¯s father had manipulated him into signing a contract, so he could not leave the carpenter¡¯s shop. In any case, the apprentice was the one doing all the work that he usually took on.


    Ya¡¯er stopped completely, turned around, and went to the backyard.


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    She was willing to return the indenture to her father¡¯s first disciple when he grew up. At that time, it would be up to him to leave or stay. Moreover, she was willing to share some of the shop¡¯s earnings with him.


    Ya¡¯er revealed a sweet smile when she exited the backyard. She felt hopeful for the future. She went to the Hundred Herb Hall shortly after. However, she did not go there to get a doctor for her father but her mother.


    Previously, Ya¡¯er¡¯s father refused to treat her mother, but now, Ya¡¯er could finally do it. Her mother would make a speedy recovery if the doctor performed well.


    Ya¡¯er reported her family¡¯s name when she entered the Hundred Herb Hall. The doctor¡¯s face darkened, and he said he was unwilling to make a house call.


    Ya¡¯er was anxious and asked why, and the doctor said he despised her father. Ya¡¯er silently rolled up her sleeves, revealing her bruised arms. ¡°He hits my mother and me every day. We¡¯re not on the same side as him. Please, Doctor. I beg you to check on my mother.¡±

 Chapter 14

    The carpenter was crazy, cruel, and rotten. So be it if the carpenter beat the apprentice since he wasn¡¯t the carpenter¡¯s biological son, but Ya¡¯er was his daughter. How could he beat her?


    Many of the bruises on Ya¡¯er¡¯s arm were old. The little girl looked to be about six or seven years old. How could that bastard do that? The Heavens must be blind to let such a man walk the Earth. He was not worthy!


    The doctor¡¯s darkened expression disappeared, and he said in a friendly manner, ¡°Don¡¯t be anxious. I¡¯ll go with you to take a look at your mother.¡±


    Ya¡¯er was so happy that tears rolled down her cheeks. She thanked the doctor profusely, ¡°Thank you, Doctor!¡±


    The doctor was a little embarrassed. ¡°No need to thank me. It¡¯s what I should do.¡±


    ¡°Can I ask you something, Doctor? What happened to the boy who came here? Is he okay?¡± Ya¡¯er asked nervously.


    ¡°Are you talking about the boy who was an apprentice at your father¡¯s shop?¡±


    Ya¡¯er nodded.


    ¡°I treated the boy¡¯s external injuries, so there are no significant issues. However, his body is in poor condition since he hasn¡¯t had much to eat. It will take some time for him to recover,¡± the doctor said.


    Then he glanced at Ya¡¯er. ¡°How old are you, little one?¡±


    Ya¡¯er was skinny and weak, and her hair was sparse and blonde.


    The doctor had a bad feeling.


    ¡°I¡¯m ten years old this year, Doctor,¡± Ya¡¯er replied.


    She was a year older than Zhao Xiaoshu but skinnier and weaker than Zhao Xiaoshu. The doctor cursed the carpenter in his heart. Even a tiger would not eat its cubs.


    ¡­


    When Meng Yao and her sons reached home, Meng Yao paid Mr. Niu for the ride. She paid him more than they had agreed, and Mr. Niu tried to reject it. However, Meng Yao insisted, and Mr. Niu could only accept the payment reluctantly. ¡°Thank you. Then Dajiang won¡¯t have to give me the grass for my cow.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Mr. Niu,¡± Meng Yao said.


    Mr. Niu waved his hand. ¡°All right, hurry up and go in. Xiu¡¯er and Xiaoshu need tending to, so you¡¯ll be busy.¡±


    Zhao Dahe carried Zhao Xiaoshu into the house, but he did not know where to put him. ¡°Mother!¡± Zhao Dahe shouted for Meng Yao at the top of his lungs.


    Only then did Meng Yao remember that her predecessor had changed Zhao Xiaoshu¡¯s room into a storage room. She didn¡¯t think of it before, so she didn¡¯t clean it up.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been calling you for ages, Mother! Where should I put Xiaoshu?¡± Zhao Dahe asked.


    ¡°Put him in your room for now. Since you usually live at the school, Xiaoshu will take your room. I¡¯ll tidy up the store room so you can live there whenever you come home from school, Dahe,¡± Meng Yao said calmly.


    ¡°H-How could you do this to me, Mother?!¡± Zhao Dahe could no longer remain calm.


    ¡°What? Isn¡¯t Xiaoshu¡¯s room good enough for you? That¡¯s all the more reason for you, the Big Brother, to stay there! You should always respect the old and love the young. Didn¡¯t I tell you that last time? Do you want an old lady like me to give you my room?¡± Meng Yao rolled her eyes.


    ¡°You could let Xiaohua stay in the same room as you while Xiaoshu sleeps in Xiaohua¡¯s room.¡± Zhao Dahe¡¯s eyes darted around. Zhao Xiaohua was not home anyway.


    ¡°Dahe, don¡¯t even think about using my room!¡± Zhao Xiaohua came out of her room, looking unhappy. ¡°Mother said this room belongs to me.¡±


    ¡°Weren¡¯t you in Yimu¡¯s house? When did you get back?¡± Zhao Dahe asked with an annoyed expression.


    ¡°I came home because I miss Mother.¡± Zhao Xiaohua held her mother¡¯s arm affectionately.


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    Zhao Xiaohua was a head taller than Zhao Xiaoshu. Her face was toot, while her body was plump and fair.


    If Meng Yao had to think of a way to describe Zhao Xiaohua, she would be a white steamed bun, and it was the kind that was scrumptious. Zhao Xiaohua became chubby because of Ying Luo¡¯s predecessor.


    Her predecessor loved watching Zhao Xiaohua eat. She would feed good food to Zhao Xiaohua whenever they had some, making Zhao Xiaohua gain more weight.


    Meng Yao felt an inexplicable closeness toward Zhao Xiaohua because she possessed some of her predecessor¡¯s consciousness. It was a feeling she did not have for her three sons.


    ¡°Are you willing to sleep in my room for a while, Xiaohua?¡± Meng Yao asked.


    ¡°Of course, I¡¯m willing, but Mother, I¡¯ll be ten years old next year. I¡¯ll be a big girl. I won¡¯t have any privacy if I share a room with you. I can visit your room often to keep you company,¡± Zhao Xiaohua said.


    Zhao Xiaohua¡¯s room was so clean and tidy that she couldn¡¯t bear to let it go. It wasn¡¯t that she didn¡¯t care about her twin brother, but there were many ways to do so. She didn¡¯t have to give up her room.


    Meng Yao turned to look at Zhao Dahe.


    Zhao Dahe was seething with anger, but his mother was right. His room was empty most of the time.


    Zhao Dahe carried Zhao Xiaoshu into his room and placed him on the bed. ¡°Don¡¯t think you can take over my room just yet. You can return to your room once Mother tidies it up.¡±


    Zhao Xiaoshu glanced at Zhao Dahe and said, ¡°Mother said she would tidy up my room so you can stay there. We should listen to her.¡± Zhao Xiaoshu turned around and showed his back to Zhao Dahe after speaking.


    Zhao Dahe was angry and thought that was the worst day he had experienced in fourteen years. He was in urgent need of chicken legs to soothe his wounded heart.


    Zhao Dahe was dumbfounded when he uncovered the pot. Not a single chicken leg was left. He knew that Song Xiu¡¯er and Zhao Xiaohua had eaten them.


    ¡®Why does my family hate me?¡¯


    Meng Yao also entered the kitchen. The chicken stew in the pot was still warm, so she scooped up a bowl and picked out a few pieces of tender meat. Without looking at Zhao Dahe, she carried the bowl to Zhao Xiaoshu¡¯s room.


    Zhao Xiaohua wiped away her tears while Zhao Xiaoshu remained expressionless.


    ¡°Have some chicken stew, Xiaoshu.¡± Meng Yao sat at the edge of the bed while holding the bowl and supported Zhao Xiaoshu.


    Zhao Xiaoshu¡¯s body tensed up since he was resistant to Meng Yao¡¯s touch. He pursed his lips, and his face became stern.


    Meng Yao feigned ignorance and muttered, ¡°The stew¡¯s temperature is just right. It¡¯s not too hot or too cold. Here, let me feed you.¡±


    ¡°I only gave you two pieces of chicken. It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t want you to eat, but you¡¯ve been starving for too long. You can¡¯t overeat, so you will have to build your appetite gradually.¡±


    ¡°I will make you come congee with chicken when you get hungry again later. I can also make you some noodles since you like them. We also have stewed meat,¡± Meng Yao said.


    Meng Yao¡¯s words did not move Zhao Xiaoshu but Zhao Xiaohua.


    Zhao Xiaohua cried just a moment ago, but her eyes shined as she stared at Meng Yao. She kept gulping, indicating she was looking forward to the food Meng Yao said she would make.


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    ¡°You said you¡¯re a big girl, right, Xiaohua?¡± Meng Yao said gently. ¡°Also, you¡¯ve already eaten a chicken leg. It¡¯s going to be night soon, and you¡¯ve overeaten. You won¡¯t be able to digest more food, and you will feel uncomfortable when you sleep.¡±


    ¡°T-Then how come Xiaoshu can eat now?¡± Zhao Xiaohua asked pitifully.


    ¡°It¡¯s been a long time since Xiaoshu ate,¡± Meng Yao said. ¡°I¡¯ll make more delicious food for you if you can wait.¡±


    Zhao Xiaohua would starve if she didn¡¯t eat for more than two hours, but she pitied her twin brother since he hadn¡¯t eaten for a few days. As the older sister, she couldn¡¯t be greedy.


    Zhao Xiaohua went to her room disappointedly, but when she returned to her twin brother¡¯s side, she was holding a paper bag. ¡°Here you go, Xiaoshu. Have some of my favorite cloud cake.¡±

 Chapter 15

    Zhao Xiaohua had always been protective of her food, and everyone in the Zhao family knew that. Hence, Zhao Xiaoshu¡¯s expression changed when he saw the cloud cake in Zhao Xiaohua¡¯s hand.


    ¡°I don¡¯t like to eat desserts.¡± Zhao Xiaoshu mumbled.


    ¡°B-But it¡¯s delicious. It melts in the mouth and is sweet.¡± Zhao Xiaohua was aggrieved, but she still stuffed the food into Zhao Xiaoshu¡¯s hands. ¡°Hurry up and eat it. Otherwise, I won¡¯t be able to control myself and eat it all.¡±


    Meng Yao started treating Zhao Xiaoshu well while his twin sister cared for him. If Meng Yao were happy, she would share the delicious food she made for Zhao Xiaoshu with Zhao Xiaohua.


    ¡°Your sister is offering you her cake as a kindness to you, Xiaoshu. If you don¡¯t eat it, she will get sad,¡± Meng Yao said gently.


    They were twins, and Zhao Xiaoshu had once envied Zhao Xiaohua because Meng Yao used to treat Zhao Xiaohua better. However, Meng Yao had become more patient and caring toward Zhao Xiaoshu, but he doubted it.


    ¡°Will you always be good to me? Just like how you treat Xiaohua?¡± Zhao Xiaoshu looked at Meng Yao calmly. ¡°You don¡¯t have to answer so quickly. You can think about it,¡± Zhao Xiaoshu continued.


    Meng Yao looked at Zhao Xiaoshu tenderly. ¡°I know that my past actions have hurt you deeply. Even if I change in the future, I can¡¯t pretend that the past didn¡¯t happen. So, be it resentment or hatred, I won¡¯t force you to forgive me. ¡±


    Tears filled Zhao Xiaoshu¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°I will use my patience and love to soothe the wound in your heart,¡± Meng Yao said. She had to show love to Zhao Xiaoshu to prevent him from turning evil in the future.


    Zhao Xiaoshu did not say anything. He just took a cloud cake and ate it. It was soft and sweet, and it melted in his mouth. It was delicious.


    Meng Yao smiled. She knew she couldn¡¯t be impatient and trusted that everything would be okay.


    ¡°We should let Xiaoshu rest. Come, Xiaohua.¡± Meng Yao stood up.


    ¡°I¡¯ll leave these here for you. If you¡¯re hungry at night, you can eat some.¡± Zhao Xiaohua generously placed the rest of the cloud cake on the bedside table.


    Meng Yao told Zhao Xiaohua not to eat at night, and she agreed. After all, if she wanted to eat, her mother wouldn¡¯t know.


    ¡°Don¡¯t think I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re thinking.¡± Meng Yao followed Zhao Xiaohua to her room, and as Zhao Xiaohua stared in shock, she revealed all her hidden snacks.


    ¡°B-But, Mother!¡± Zhao Xiaohua¡¯s voice was trembling.


    ¡°I¡¯ll take these snacks back to my room. Don¡¯t worry. I won¡¯t let you eat them. ¡± Meng Yao said slowly, ¡°You¡¯re no longer allowed to eat anything after dinner.


    Eating at night would make one gain weight quickly and increase the burden on the stomach. Meng Yao had to help her children develop good habits as a qualified doctor.


    Zhao Xiaohua was in despair. She had only stayed at her aunt¡¯s house for two days. She wondered why her mother suddenly stopped spoiling her.


    ¡°Mother, you said I need to eat more since I¡¯m growing. I get hungry so quickly,¡± Zhao Xiaohua said pitifully.


    ¡°Three full meals daily is enough nutrition and will not delay your growth. The extra food you eat will make you fat. Xiaohua, let me ask you something. Do you think you look good now?¡± Meng Yao asked.


    The baby fat was cute. However, if Zhao Xiaohua became overweight and her thighs rubbed together while she walked and started snoring, it would affect her health.


    Moreover, Zhao Xiaohua was still young, and her bones had yet to grow strong. Her knees and hips would hurt if she became overweight. That kind of damage was irreversible.


    Meng Yao remembered a video of three-year-old eating on a music channel. To attract attention, the parents had fed the child until he was a chubby little boy who could barely walk. They had significantly harmed the child¡¯s physical and mental health, but they were still smug.


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    At that time, she had left a message pointing out the dangers of being too fat. In the end, the children¡¯s parents criticized her for making a fuss. Their children were very healthy in all aspects. They even said she was a hater and was deliberately dissing them.


    Meng Yao tried to reason with them, but they reported her. Now that she had transmigrated, she wondered how the child was doing.


    Whether it was her duty as a doctor or her responsibility as a mother, she couldn¡¯t let Zhao Xiaohua return to how she was.


    Zhao Xiaohua felt wronged, and tears welled up in his eyes. ¡°You said I look better when I¡¯m chubby, so how come you¡¯re saying the opposite now?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t say you don¡¯t look good,¡± Meng Yao hurriedly coaxed Zhao Xiaohua.


    ¡°B-But the way you spoke just now made it sound like I don¡¯t look good,¡± Zhao Xiaohua sobbed as tears rolled down her face.


    ¡°In the past, I didn¡¯t want you to grow up. I wanted you to look chubby and adorable, but didn¡¯t you say you¡¯re a big girl now? When you said that, I realized that you are all grown-up now,¡± Meng Yao patiently comforted Zhao Xiaohua.


    ¡°Can¡¯t I be chubby when I grow up?¡± Zhao Xiaohua felt wronged.


    Then an idea came to Meng Yao, ¡°Xiaohua, do you think Taozhi¡¯s clothes look good?¡±


    Zhao Xiaohua didn¡¯t understand, but she still nodded. ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Then I will make you a set too, okay?¡± Meng Yao asked.


    Zhao Xiaohua was so surprised that he even stopped crying. ¡°You¡¯re not lying to me, right?¡±


    Zhao Xiaohua heard from Taozhi that her uncle in town had given her new clothes. They were costly.


    Many young ladies in the village liked it, but they didn¡¯t have wealthy uncles. If they went home and asked their parents for new clothes, their parents would scold them.


    Nonetheless, Meng Yao had taken the initiative to get Zhao Xiaohua some new clothes. Nothing would make her happier.


    ¡°I¡¯ll take you to get some new clothes tomorrow,¡± Meng Yao said.


    Although the process of making Zhao Xiaohua realize the truth was a little harsh, it was for the sake of her health. Otherwise, Zhao Xiaohua would think her mother didn¡¯t love her anymore.


    Zhao Xiaohua forgot about the sadness of being unable to eat her snacks. All she thought about was the new clothes she would get tomorrow. That way, Taozhi would not be the only one in the village with beautiful clothes. By then, people would be envious of her.


    Thinking of her friends¡¯ praises and envious expressions, Zhao Xiaohua was very happy. After comforting Zhao Xiaohua, Meng Yao dragged her exhausted body back into the room.


    When she first arrived, she quickly got into character, from the Song family to Zhao Xiaoshu and then to Zhao Xiaohua. She had no experience in caring for children in her past life, but she had to comfort her children in this. She was physically and mentally tired.


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    After a simple wash, Meng Yao fell asleep.


    Meanwhile, Zhao Dahe returned to the room sullenly. Even though he was unwilling, he had to stay in Zhao Xiaoshu¡¯s room for the night.


    ¡®My room belongs to that brat now. Xiaoshu should be grateful that I lent him my room.¡¯


    However, Zhao Xiaoshu was cold and didn¡¯t even say a word of thanks, making Zhao Dahe aggrieved.


    ¡°Go a little further in. I have no space on the bed,¡± Zhao Dahe muttered.

 Chapter 16

    Zhao Xiaoshu did not move.


    Just as Zhao Dahe¡¯s patience was about to run out, Zhao Xiaoshu inched closer and said, ¡°Dahe, you wanted to sleep in my room, but you didn¡¯t show me any mercy.¡±


    Zhao Dahe was his mother¡¯s favorite son. If Zhao Xiaoshu made him angry, what would his mother do? If Meng Yao scolded Zhao Xiaoshu, it would prove her words were untrue.


    Zhao Xiaoshu quietly waited for Zhao Dahe to get angry. However, there was no response. Then he heard rustling sounds. It was Zhao Dahe taking off his clothes.


    ¡°Are you angry, Dahe?¡± Zhao Xiaoshu asked.


    ¡°You¡¯re in a sorry state, and I can¡¯t bear to be angry with you. Besides, Mother is right. I live in the school and only return when I take a monthly break. It¡¯s a waste to leave the other room empty, so I¡¯ll be merciful and let you have this one,¡± Zhao Dahe muttered. ¡°You better remember how well I¡¯m treating you, Xiaoshu.¡±


    Zhao Dahe¡¯s reaction was completely different from what Zhao Xiaoshu expected. Zhao Xiaoshu did not know how to react.


    ¡°Hey, Xiaoshu. Do you hate Mother?¡± Zhao Dahe suddenly asked.


    Zhao Xiaoshu did not say anything.


    Zhao Dahe muttered, ¡°I¡¯d hate Mother if I were you. That carpenter almost killed you, didn¡¯t he?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t die. Mother saved me,¡± Zhao Xiaoshu mumbled.


    ¡°It was indeed Mother who saved you. I was the one who told her not to go looking for you and that she only had a dream. But Mother insisted on going and promised Mr. Niu several times to send us to the town,¡± Zhao Dahe said. ¡°I can tell that Mother is worried about you.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re smart, right, Dahe? Can dreams be a form of warning?¡± Zhao Xiaoshu asked.


    ¡°How would I know? Everyone has dreams. Some of them are memorable, and some of them aren¡¯t. What do you think?¡± Zhao Dahe replied. ¡°However, it might be true that a mother and her children are connected.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re Mother¡¯s flesh and blood,¡± Zhao Dahe added. ¡°Perhaps when I encounter danger in the future, she will dream of it too.¡±


    ¡®Would she?¡¯ Zhao Xiaoshu wondered.


    ¡°However, I still feel that our mother is different from before,¡± Zhao Dahe continued.


    Meng Yao looked the same on the outside but differed on the inside. Zhao Xiaoshu was silent for a while before saying, ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s a big deal.¡±


    He wanted to say, ¡°I think this is good.¡±


    ¡°I know, right? I must be overthinking. All right, hurry up and sleep. You¡¯re injured all over, so you need to rest well,¡± Zhao Dahe yawned. He was sleepy and did not want to talk to Zhao Xiaoshu anymore.


    He had forgotten that he was the one who had pulled Zhao Xiaoshu over to talk.


    Zhao Xiaoshu heaved a sigh and slowly fell asleep.


    Meanwhile, Meng Yao was dreaming again. In the dream, the fifteen-year-old Zhao Xiaohua fell into a river because she was too fat. She never got married and became a joke in Shanghua village.


    Ying Luo¡¯s predecessor, who loved Zhao Xiaohua, exploded after a failed matchmaking attempt. She pointed at Zhao Xiaohua and uttered all kinds of insults.


    Zhao Xiaohua ran out of the door and met a young man by the river. Zhao Xiaohua liked him. Zhao Xiaohua told him her true feelings out of impulse.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you take a good look at yourself? You¡¯re as fat as a pig, so what made you think I would like you? It¡¯s simply revolting. A person like you is useless in life. Hurry up and die so the rest of us can have some food.¡±


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    Ying Luo¡¯s predecessor¡¯s insults didn¡¯t overwhelm Zhao Xiaohua. Instead, the humiliation of her sweetheart was the last straw that broke the camel¡¯s back. Zhao Xiaohua jumped into the river in despair.


    The teenage boy was scared and ran away. He didn¡¯t even go to the Zhao family for help.


    When the villagers found Zhao Xiaohua, she had already drowned. Zhao Xiaohua died at such a young age.


    Meng Yao gasped as she woke up from her dream. Images of Zhao Xiaohua affectionately holding her arm flashed in Meng Yao¡¯s mind. Zhao Xiaohua was such an adorable young girl. How could Meng Yao watch her die?


    The teenage boy¡¯s name was Han Muchi, and he had just moved to Shanghua Village with his widowed mother. Meng Yao did not know where they came from, but she knew Madam Han had bought land in the village, and Li Zheng had settled their affairs.


    Han Muchi had red lips and white teeth. He was handsome and didn¡¯t fit in with the teenagers in Shanghua Village, but his mysteriousness made all the girls in Shanghua village adore him.


    Since Han Muchi and his mother had settled down in Shanghua Village, Meng Yao could not stop them. However, she could stop Zhao Xiaohua from jumping into the river.


    Meng Yao wanted her daughter to have an average body so no one would insult her. That way, even if Zhao Xiaohua wanted to confess her feelings to Han Muchi, he would accept her, unlike in the dream.


    Perhaps even a simple ¡°no, I don¡¯t like you.¡± That way, Zhao Xiaohua would be sad but wouldn¡¯t commit suicide.


    After calming her emotions, Meng Yao lay down again, tossing and turning for a long while before falling asleep again.


    Meng Yao was stunned when she woke up the following looked at the unfamiliar room. She forgot that she had transmigrated and had four children and a daughter-in-law.


    Originally, Song Xiu¡¯er was the one who made breakfast at home. Now that she was in confinement, Meng Yao had to make breakfast. Her cooking skills were quite good. She could make a tasty breakfast for the children.


    Using food to win people¡¯s hearts was always an excellent method.


    Meng Yao made pumpkin soup, steamed egg custard, pancakes, and cold vegetables. Meng Yao moved quickly, and by the time the children woke up, she had already finished cooking.


    Zhao Dahe was the first to wake up. In school, he had to wake up at the stipulated time every day because he had to study in the morning.


    The fragrance of the food lured Zhao Dahe into the kitchen.


    ¡°Mother, why are you the one cooking?¡± Zhao Dahe blurted out. He only recalled that his sister-in-law had a miscarriage the day before and was still in confinement.


    ¡°You¡¯re just in time. Please bring Xiaoshu¡¯s food to him. He¡¯s injured and can¡¯t get off the bed,¡± Meng Yao ordered Zhao Dahe around.


    Zhao Dajiang also got up, and Meng Yao gave Song Xiu¡¯er¡¯s share to him. Afterward, she went to Zhao Xiaohua¡¯s room to wake her up.


    Zhao Xiaohua was still thinking about going to town to get some pretty clothes today, so he didn¡¯t stay in bed like usual. When Meng Yao called her, she immediately got up.


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    During breakfast, Zhao Dahe was amazed by the taste of the food. ¡°Mother, when did your cooking skills become so good?¡±


    Meng Yao was very calm. ¡°Was my cooking bad in the past?¡±


    Her predecessor¡¯s cooking skills were average, and she couldn¡¯t compare to Ying Luo. However, deliberately making the food taste terrible was disrespectful, and Meng Yao couldn¡¯t do that.


    Zhao Dahe did not answer his own question. Instead, he nudged Zhao Dajiang, who was busy eating, with his elbow. ¡°Did mother cook well in the past?¡±


    Zhao Dajiang didn¡¯t know what was going on and answered honestly, ¡°She didn¡¯t cook as well as this, that¡¯s for sure.¡±

 Chapter 17

    ¡°My skills can improve.¡± Meng Yao looked at Zhao Dahe calmly. ¡°You can eat the food if you like. I won¡¯t force you if you don¡¯t.¡±


    It would be fine as long as Meng Yao refused to admit it. There was nothing Zhao Dahe could do even if he wanted to get to the bottom of it.


    ¡°You¡¯re such a strange person, Dahe. Why would you question Mother¡¯s cooking?¡± Zhao Xiaohua was delighted because her mother¡¯s cooking was better than Xong Xiu¡¯er¡¯s.


    Zhao Dahe scratched his head. ¡®Xiaohua is right. It¡¯s great that Mother has improved her cooking.¡¯


    Zhao Dahe finished his soup and placed it on the table. ¡°I¡¯ll have another bowl.¡±


    Previously, Song Xiu¡¯er would have to serve them, so no one stood up to refill Zhao Dahe¡¯s bowl. He felt awkward.


    Meng Yao glared at Zhao Dahe. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Is your butt glued to the stool? Can¡¯t you stand up?¡±


    Zhao Dahe ladled a bowl of soup for himself and took a big bite of the pancake to vent his frustration.


    ¡°Xiu¡¯er can¡¯t get out of bed since she needs to rest. Xiaoshu also needs some time to recover, so someone else needs to wash the dishes.¡± Meng Yao looked at Zhao Dahe and Zhao Xiaohua.


    Then she continued, ¡°Dahe will wash the dishes today since he only comes home once in a while. Dajiang and Xiaohua will take turns washing the dishes when he¡¯s not around.¡±


    ¡°B-But, Mother!¡± Zhao Dahe was upset. ¡°Gentlemen should stay away from the kitchen!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not a gentleman,¡± Meng Yao said mercilessly. ¡°Ask Dajiang or Xiaohua for help if you don¡¯t want to do it. I don¡¯t know which of them would be willing to help you.¡±


    Zhao Xiaohua quickly reacted. ¡°I¡¯m still a kid, Dahe. I can¡¯t help you. Also, I¡¯m going to town with Mother later.¡±


    Zhao Dajiang wasn¡¯t so foolish this time. ¡°Mother told me to care for Xiu¡¯er. I need to boil medicine for her.¡±


    Zhao Dahe did not want to do any housework. His mother would dote on him in the past and wouldn¡¯t allow him to do chores. However, it looked like Meng Yao no longer doted on him, and a child without a mother¡¯s love was like a blade of grass.


    Zhao Dahe suddenly remembered his father saying he wanted to hire an elderly woman to work for them. ¡®Why am I so foolish? I could have hired someone!¡¯


    ¡°I will hire a woman to help me, Mother,¡± Zhao Dahe said excitedly.


    ¡°Of course, but you have to be responsible for her food, clothes, housing, and transportation. Also, you must pay her,¡± Meng Yao warned.


    Zhao Dahe was dumbfounded. He had some silver, but it was barely enough to hire someone to help him with the chores.


    ¡®I need to get food, clothes, housing, and pay someone to help me? I-I don¡¯t have enough money.¡¯


    Meng Yao was the one who paid for Zhao Dahe¡¯s expenses. Zhao Dahe reluctantly cleared the table and washed the dishes. Then he went into the kitchen frowningly.


    Meanwhile, Meng Yao gave Zhao Dajiang some instructions and went to see Song Xiu¡¯er.


    However, Song Xiu¡¯er was frightened. Meng Yao knew some people would need time to change. Meng Yao knew Song Xiu¡¯er was afraid of her predecessor, so she took her time eliminating it through minor interactions with Song Xiu¡¯er.


    Then Meng Yao went to Zhao Xiaoshu¡¯s room and saw he had already finished his breakfast. When Meng Yao entered the room, Zhao Xiaoshu was sitting on the bed in a daze, lost in thought.


    ¡°I¡¯ll take the rest of the dishes out. I¡¯ll tell Dahe to wash these too.¡± Meng Yao said smilingly, ¡°I¡¯m going to town with Xiaohua. Do you want anything while we¡¯re there?¡±


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    Zhao Xiaoshu only shook his head.


    ¡°You should rest. Call Dajiang or Dahe if you need anything,¡± Meng Yao said. ¡°I¡¯ll get you some of Xiaohua¡¯s snacks. How does that sound? You can eat them if you¡¯re hungry. I¡¯ll make you some more food when I return.¡±


    Zhao Xiaoshu puffed up his cheeks, his face full of reluctance. He was in the carpenter¡¯s shop for too long and became more observant.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to eat,¡± Zhao Xiaoshu refused.


    He thought his mother loved Zhao Xiaohua more and didn¡¯t think he could compare to Zhao Xiaohua, especially since she was home.


    Meng Yao glanced at Zhao Xiaohua when she said, ¡°Why do you refuse to eat my snacks, Xiaoshu? We¡¯re twins and shared Mother¡¯s womb, so what¡¯s mine is yours. You can eat my snacks if you get hungry but not too much.


    ¡°I-It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t want you to eat at all¡ªMother said it¡¯s not good to overeat,¡± Zhao Xiaohua added.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go, Xiaohua. We can¡¯t catch up to Mr. Niu¡¯s oxcart if we don¡¯t leave now. You wouldn¡¯t want to walk, would you?¡±


    Meng Yao was afraid Zhao Xiaohua would make things worse. Zhao Xiaoshu had gotten severely hurt after all. An injured person would be more sensitive, and the more Zhao Xiaohua spoke, the more mistakes she would make. Meng Yao thought it would be better if Zhao Xiaohua stopped talking to Zhao Xiaoshu.


    Meng Yao gave Zhao Xiaoshu¡¯s dishes to Zhao Dahe. Then she left alongside Zhao Xiaohua under Zhao Dahe¡¯s bitter gaze.


    When they arrived at Mr. Niu¡¯s house, a few people were waiting at the entrance. Everyone wanted to go to town. Meng Yao paid Mrs. Niu and pulled Zhao Xiaohua to find a seat on the oxcart.


    The comfort level on the oxcart was average, and the bumps were severe. However, Meng Yao would rather deal with that than walk more than ten miles to get to town.


    Soon after, more people came in twos and threes.


    ¡°Are you going to town with your mother, Xiaohua?¡± A pretty little girl said softly. Her teary almond-shaped eyes made one like her at first glance.


    The pretty little girl wore a long dress embroidered with peach blossoms, standing out from the crowd. The little girl wore her hair in two buns with a pearl string.


    The little girl¡¯s dress was something Zhao Xiaohua longed for, and it was the dress Taozhi¡¯s uncle gave her.


    Zhao Xiaohua¡¯s eyes lit up as her face turned green with envy. Children of that age could not hide their joy when it came to something they liked.


    Meng Yao gently nudged Zhao Xiaohua, bringing her back to her senses. Zhao Xiaohua grinned and replied, ¡°Yeah, my mother is taking me to town.¡±


    ¡°Why are you going to town?¡± Taozhi asked.


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    ¡°We¡¯re just going to look around.¡± Zhao Xiaohua didn¡¯t want to tell Taozhi why she went to town. She wanted to put on her new dress and appear before her friends to surprise them.


    Meng Yao knew what Zhao Xiaohua thought, so she smiled and patted Zhao Xiaohua¡¯s hand.


    Taozhi didn¡¯t pry. Instead, she sat beside Zhao Xiaohua and the two whispered to each other. Meanwhile, Taozhi¡¯s mother, Madam Jin, also sat down and nodded at Meng Yao.


    According to the original Meng Yao¡¯s memory, Madam Jin was a quiet person. The original Meng Yao did not have much contact with Madam Jun. Meng Yao only knew which family Madam Jin was from. Besides that, their friendship only consisted of head nodding. Therefore, Meng Yao avoided talking to Madam Jin.


    Zhao Xiaohua stopped whispering to Taozhi and looked at her mother expectantly. ¡°Mother, Taozhi said her mother took her to a store to get some shoes, the kind with beads sewn on the surface.¡±

 Chapter 18

    Meng Yao did not know what the shoes looked like, but when she saw Zhao Xiaohua¡¯s eyes light up, she thought to satisfy the little girl if she could afford them.


    Although Zhao Xiaohua did not explicitly say she wanted the shoes, Meng Yao could tell she wanted them.


    ¡°We¡¯ll look for shoes when we get there,¡± Meng Yao said.


    Zhao Xiaohua nodded as Meng Yao instinctively gazed at Taozhi.


    Meng Yao was surprised when she came back to her senses. She didn¡¯t know what, but she had a good impression of Taozhi. However, the original Meng Yao barely had contact with Taozhi besides, having her as Zhao Xiaohua¡¯s playmate. That was the first time she met Taozhi since taking over this body.


    Meng Yao wondered why she had a good impression of Taozhi and did not know how to describe it. She felt the need to treat Taozhi well.


    Mang Yao looked at Taozhi again, and their eyes met. The little girl revealed a sweet smile as dimples appeared near her cheeks, making her look even more adorable. Meng Yao smiled back.


    Soon after, the oxcart arrived at the town. Then Mr. Niu told everyone when he would return to the village before sitting down.


    ¡°Madam Zhao, Xiaohua, let¡¯s go to the clothing store,¡± Taozhi invited Meng Yao and Zhao Xiaohua.


    Meng Yao accepted since she planned to bring Zhao Xiaohua to buy new clothes. However, Meng Yao was shocked because Taozhi took them to a luxurious clothing store.


    The original Meng Yao was excellent at needlework and embroidery, so she never needed to go to a clothing store. She knew buying something was more expensive than making it herself.


    The Glittering Pavilion was the only clothing store in town.


    Taozhi¡¯s cute and sparkling dress was from the Glittering Pavilion, and she attracted everyone¡¯s attention when she entered the store.


    The shopkeeper behind the counter even came to welcome Madam Jin and Taozhi. The little girl spoke sweetly, expressing her intention.


    The shopkeeper brought out a pair of shoes with pearls sewn on them. The shoes had a satin finish, and the patterns were exquisite.


    The shoes attracted everyone¡¯s attention. It was pretty but only suitable for a lady from a wealthy family who barely left the house. It would be risky to wear such shoes to walk on muddy roads.


    It wasn¡¯t wise for a girl from the countryside to wear such expensive shoes. However, Zhao Xiaohua couldn¡¯t take her eyes off the beautiful shoes. She wanted them.


    Madam Jin asked the shopkeeper for the price, and Meng Yao got shocked.


    ¡®My goodness! The shoes cost three taels of silver?!¡¯


    Meng Yao couldn¡¯t bear to pay such a price for a pair of shoes even if she could afford them. She was even more surprised when Madam Jin paid without batting her eyes.


    Taozhi happily held the shoes in her arms and said sweetly, ¡°Thank you, mother. I love them!¡±


    Zhao Xiaohua looked at Meng Yao, her eyes filled with expectation.


    ¡°You can¡¯t play on the fields with your friends if you wear these shoes, Xiaohua. You also can¡¯t go to the river because your shoes will get muddy,¡± Meng Yao said calmly.


    Zhao Xiaohua wasn¡¯t a stubborn child. When Meng Yao said that, she realized the shoes didn¡¯t suit her even though they looked pretty.


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    Meng Yao had already agreed to buy Zhao Xiaohua a dress that resembled Taozhi¡¯s, so Zhao Xiaohua knew she should be grateful.


    ¡°You¡¯re right, Mother. I don¡¯t want to be stuck at home because of those shoes,¡± Zhao Xiaohua said. She thought it would be pointless if she couldn¡¯t show off the shoes to others.


    ¡°You can wear the shoes as long as you are careful not to dirty them, Xiaohua,¡± Taozhi said softly. ¡°Since you like them so much, and Madam Zhao dotes on you, she would be willing to buy them for you.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not like you, Taozhi. I like to go out and play. I can¡¯t keep the shoes clean if I do that. My heart would break if I got those shoes dirty,¡± Zhao Xiaohua said happily.


    Zhao Xiaohua spoke open-mindedly instead of getting emotional. Meng Yao clenched her fists, her heart in turmoil.


    When Taozhi said, ¡°she should be willing to buy them for you,¡± Meng Yao almost bought the shoes.


    However, it wasn¡¯t to satisfy Zhao Xiaohua. Instead, it was because Taozhi said that.


    ¡°Okay, I won¡¯t force you, Xiaohua. My mother and I have to go look for my uncle, so we¡¯ll be taking our leave.¡± Taozhi held Jin Shi¡¯s hand and waved at Meng Yao and Zhao Xiaohua.


    Meng Yao finally relaxed when Taozhi left with her mother. She took a deep breath and asked the shopkeeper to show her the peach blossom embroidered dress.


    The shopkeeper looked at Meng Yao, then at Zhao Xiaohua. ¡°Do you want to buy it for your daughter, Madam?¡±


    Meng Yao nodded.


    ¡°The dress is not suitable for her because we made it for girls with slimmer bodies. Your daughter is too big, so she can¡¯t fit in the dress,¡± the shopkeeper laughed. ¡°I can¡¯t stop laughing at the thought of your daughter in that dress.¡±


    Meng Yao knew Zhao Xiaohua¡¯s friends would laugh at her when she wore that dress. However, she never expected the shopkeeper to laugh at Zhao Xiaohua in public.


    ¡°Your daughter looks like a pig that lost its fur. She would ruin our store¡¯s reputation if she wore that dress.¡±


    ¡°You should know your daughter¡¯s limits. That other girl looked like a fairy when she wore our clothes. Only that kind of person is worthy of wearing clothes from the Glittering Pavilion.¡±


    Two female shop assistants agreed with the shopkeeper.


    Zhao Xiaohua¡¯s face was red, and tears welled up in her eyes. She only wanted to wear a beautiful dress. Why did everyone laugh at her? There was nothing wrong with being fat.


    Meng Yao held Zhao Xiaohua¡¯s hand tightly. ¡°What a foul mouth you have. You shouldn¡¯t talk to others like that! What a bunch of animals!¡±


    ¡°Who are you calling an animal?¡±


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    Meng Yao was calm and collected. ¡°Oh, would you look at that? An animal can reply.¡±


    ¡°What a fool!¡±


    Meng Yao could not be bothered to argue with the shopkeeper. ¡°That dress is beautiful because of the peach blossoms on it. The embroidery is terrible. I don¡¯t know where they got the confidence to make such an ugly dress.¡±


    ¡°I will make you a dress that is a hundred times more beautiful than this one, Xiaohua. My dress will put theirs to shame! I guarantee I can make a better dress,¡± Meng Yao sighed and wiped Zhao Xiaohua¡¯s tears. ¡°Let¡¯s go, Xiaohua. I¡¯ll get you some desserts, okay?¡±


    Zhao Xiaohua¡¯s eyes would have lit up when she heard about desserts. However, she was quiet now. Although it wasn¡¯t much different than what Meng Yao imagined, she felt sad when she saw the joy in her daughter¡¯s eyes disappear.

 Chapter 19

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you afraid of spraining your tongue from speaking too much?¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have any money, do you? Did you come here just to act like a big shot?¡±


    ¡°Get out, and don¡¯t come back!¡±


    The shopkeeper and two female assistants mocked Meng Yao. One of the female assistants even pushed Zhao Xiaohua to the ground.


    Meng Yao felt it was not her territory since she was new there, so she decided to cause trouble. She picked her daughter up and dusted her off. Then she approached the female assistant who pushed Zhao Xiaohua.


    ¡°What are you going to do about it?¡±


    Considering Meng Yao¡¯s demeanor, the female assistant felt scared. Meng Yao revealed a gentle smile and asked, ¡°What do you think?¡±


    Then Meng Yao quickly dislocated the female assistant¡¯s arms. The female assistant squealed like a pig as Meng Yao calmly held Zhao Xiaohua¡¯s hand and left.


    The shopkeeper wanted to stop Meng Yao, but he dared not step forward when he heard her colleague¡¯s tragic cries. The customers hurriedly left in fear of getting into trouble.


    Zhao Xiaohua was dumbfounded. ¡°What did you just do, Mother?¡±


    ¡°The shop assistant pushed you, so I dislocated her arms,¡± Meng Yao said smilingly.


    Zhao Xiaohua turned to look at the female assistant¡¯s arm. ¡°Will she be all right, Mother?¡± Zhao Xiaohua expressed her concern.


    Although the female assistant was in pain, she would be okay.


    However, Meng Yao¡¯s expression did not change. ¡°Do you want me to cripple her?¡±


    ¡°N-No. Just leave her in pain so she¡¯ll remember to be nicer to others,¡± Zhao Xiaohua said.


    ¡°What if she doesn¡¯t learn her lesson and still bullies you next time?¡± Meng Yao asked.


    ¡°I won¡¯t come here anymore. She can¡¯t bully me if we don¡¯t interact,¡± Zhao Xiaohua said sternly.


    Meng Yao held Zhao Xiaohua¡¯s hand and continued walking. Fortunately, the little girl was kind.


    However, she didn¡¯t want to let the female worker off so easily. She wanted the female assistant to feel pain for a while longer so that she would learn from her mistakes.


    Meng Yao led Zhao Xiaohua to a snack shop and picked a few of her favorite snacks.


    ¡°Mother, you don¡¯t have to buy so much. I¡¯ll eat less from now on.¡± Zhao Xiaohua said.


    ¡°It¡¯s not like I don¡¯t want you to eat at all. I didn¡¯t buy much so we can take some home. Your brothers and sister-in-law can have some,¡± Meng Yao said.


    Zhao Xiaohua grunted, ¡°Will I lose weight if I eat less, Mother?¡±


    ¡°Are you saying that because of what happened in Glittering Pavilion?¡± Meng Yao asked.


    Zhao Xiaohua remained silent.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay to be chubby, but you must be disciplined. You should watch what you eat and exercise to lose weight,¡± Meng Yao said gently. ¡°You¡¯re just a little plump, that¡¯s all. I want you to be slim because I want you to be healthy, not because you don¡¯t look good in a dress.¡±


    ¡°Some of the villagers told me that chubby girls are healthy,¡± Zhao Xiaohua said.


    ¡°I think the villagers meant plump. You must understand, plump and fat are different things,¡± Meng Yao said.


    The villagers believed it was easier for women with big breasts and butts to get pregnant. However, they did not mean fat.


    Hormonal and endocrine disorders led to diseases like ovary syndrome. Nonetheless, it was hard to say if Zhao Xiaohua could even get pregnant. Zhao Xiaohua might not understand if her mother explained the difference between being plump and fat.


    ¡°Do you want to walk around without hurting your legs? Don¡¯t you want Dahe to stop laughing at you for your snores? Do you want to catch up to your friends when you run with them?¡±


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    These were questions that bothered Zhao Xiaohua.


    Zhao Xiaohua nodded frantically, ¡°Y-Yes. I want all those things.¡±


    ¡°So? You want to become slimmer for yourself, not anyone else, right?¡± Meng Yao asked.


    ¡°Yes, of course!¡± Zhao Xiaohua replied.


    Meng Yao took that opportunity to advise Zhao Xiaohua, ¡°You can¡¯t control what others say, but you can choose who you want to listen to. It¡¯s good to be kind, but not too much. I don¡¯t want you to initiate a fight, but if someone does, I want you to fight back.¡±


    ¡°Mother, when did you learn to dislocate shoulders?¡± Zhao Xiaohua had forgotten about her sadness.


    Meng Yao answered calmly, ¡°Your father taught me.¡±


    ¡°Is my father that capable?¡± Zhao Xiaohua was fascinated.


    Meng Yao nodded. ¡°He¡¯s truly amazing.¡±


    Meng Yao would use Zhao Ting as an excuse whenever she revealed her uniqueness. Nonetheless, Zhao Ting was dead, so no one knew what he could do. Meng Yao thought it was wise to use him as a metaphoric shield.


    ¡°Can you teach me, Mother?¡± Zhao Xiaohua asked excitedly.


    Meng Yao never intended on raising Zhao Xiaohua to be a lady. She only thought a girl needed to have the ability to protect herself. ¡°I can teach you, but it will be challenging. Can you bear the pain?¡± Meng Yao asked.


    Zhao Xiaohua was delicate because of the original Meng Yao. She worried that Zhao Xiaohua could not bear the stress.


    ¡°If you could learn it, I can too! No one will dare bully me after that!¡± Zhao Xiaohua said sternly.


    ¡°Let¡¯s talk about it first. We won¡¯t stop once we start,¡± Meng Yao said.


    Meng Yao never stopped practicing.


    ¡°Promise me you¡¯ll teach me. You will turn into a dog if you don¡¯t!¡± Zhao Xiaohua mumbled.


    Meng Yao indulged her and pressed her thumb against Zhao Xiaohua¡¯s. Zhao Xiaohua exclaimed, ¡°It¡¯s settled. You can¡¯t break your promise, Mother!¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t,¡± Meng Yao replied.


    ¡°Let¡¯s hurry back, Mother,¡± Zhao Xiaohua urged. She couldn¡¯t wait to go home and learn some self-defense skills from Meng Yao.


    ¡°There¡¯s still a lot of time before Mr. Niu leaves. Besides, we haven¡¯t gotten what we came for yet,¡± Meng Yao said.


    Zhao Xiaohua thought Meng Yao was talking about the dress, so she said, ¡°I don¡¯t want that dress, Mother. Not until I lose weight.¡±


    ¡®If I can¡¯t bring out the dress¡¯s beauty, I might as well not wear it.¡¯


    Zhao Xiaohua would beg her mother to buy her many beautiful dresses when she lost weight. She only wanted to look and feel pretty.


    Meng Yao smiled. ¡°Xiaoshu asked me for a favor before we left.¡±


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    ¡°What? How come I didn¡¯t hear that?¡± Zhao Xiaohua was confused.


    ¡°You already exited the house, and Xiaoshu¡¯s voice was soft,¡± Meng Yao said calmly.


    Zhao Xiaoshu never asked for Meng Yao¡¯s help, but she could tell he hesitated. She guessed Zhao Xiaoshu wanted to know if Ya¡¯er was all right.


    The Zhao Xiaoshu in Meng Yao¡¯s dream didn¡¯t harm Ya¡¯er and her mother. He even settled down. Meng Yao knew Ya¡¯er and her mother treated Zhao Xiaoshu well.


    Since Zhao Xiaoshu went home, although he didn¡¯t say it aloud, he was unsure if Ya¡¯er could bear the carpenter¡¯s rage.

 Chapter 20

    Meng Yao led Zhao Xiaohua to the carpenter¡¯s shop. Meng Yao was surprised that the door was opened, and customers were ordering furniture.


    Of course, it was not the carpenter who greeted the customers. Meng Yao knew her strength. Even with good treatment, it would take three months for the carpenter to heal.


    ¡°Hello there. Are you here to order ready-made furniture or custom ones?¡± A young man approached Meng Yao with a polite smile.


    ¡°N-Neither. I¡¯m looking for Ya¡¯er. I¡¯m Zhao Xiaoshu¡¯s mother,¡± Meng Yao introduced herself.


    The young man knew what happened to Zhao Xiaoshu, so he quickly called for Ya¡¯er and led Meng Yao and Zhao Xiaohua to the backyard.


    When Meng Yao entered the backyard, she heard someone cursing. It was the carpenter. Of course, he cursed Meng Yao.


    The young man leading the way was embarrassed. ¡°Please excuse my mentor.¡±


    Meng Yao hurriedly waved her hand since she understood why the carpenter cursed her. She was the one who crippled him, after all.


    Then Ya¡¯er came out of the room with a tub of water. However, the little girl¡¯s eyes were no longer dull. Instead, they shined brightly. The young man said a few words to Ya¡¯er, then returned to tend to the customers.


    Ya¡¯er poured out the water from the tub and washed her hands before calling out to Meng Yao and Zhao Xiaohua.


    ¡°Thank you for everything, Madam Zhao,¡± Ya¡¯er said solemnly.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t do anything. I only helped Xiaoshu get revenge,¡± Meng Yao said. She didn¡¯t want to take credit for what happened.


    ¡°He is still my father, no matter what. Since he can¡¯t get up from bed, I have to serve him food and clean him,¡± Ya¡¯er said calmly. ¡°I don¡¯t know how my father¡¯s arm and leg tendons snapped.¡±


    Meng Yao knew she broke the carpenter¡¯s leg and arm. However, she hadn¡¯t touched his tendons. Ya¡¯er was a ruthless person.


    Of course, Ya¡¯er wasn¡¯t sympathizing with her father. She was only lamenting. Ya¡¯er told Meng Yao about her plans, and Meng Yao was impressed. As expected, the pressure created a diamond.


    Zhao Xiaohua was only a year older than Ya¡¯er, and she was innocent and pure. However, Ya¡¯er thought about her future.


    When Ya¡¯er was of age, she would marry, and return the indenture to the young man currently working in the shop. If he were willing to stay, Ya¡¯er would create an employment contract.


    ¡°Madam Zhao, your son is pretty talented in carpentry. If you are willing, you can tell him to return, and I¡¯ll ask Zhuang to teach him. Don¡¯t worry. Zhuang won¡¯t abuse Xiaoshu. I¡¯ll even pay Xiaoshu,¡± Ya¡¯er said sincerely.


    Ya¡¯er was grateful to Meng Yao for pulling her out of a slump and giving her the courage to break free from her father. Now Ya¡¯er and her mother¡¯s future would be bright.


    ¡°Thank you, Ya¡¯er. I¡¯ll pass the message to Xiaoshu,¡± Meng Yao said.


    However, the decision to return or not was entirely up to Zhao Xiaoshu. Meng Yao wanted her children to choose for themselves. Of course, she would give Zhao Xiaoshu other options.


    After that, Meng Yao led Zhao Xiaohua out of the carpenter¡¯s shop and returned to the Glittering Pavilion.


    Meng Yao¡¯s dislocating technique was pretty tricky. She dared not say no one could recover, but it would still take a while for her victim to heal.


    The shopkeeper was the only person in the store, and he was shocked to see Meng Yao return.


    ¡°Y-You!¡± The shopkeeper was afraid Meng Yao would break his arm, so he instinctively stepped back.


    ¡°It looks like I¡¯m still too soft,¡± Meng Yao sighed. ¡°I wanted to go home, but I couldn¡¯t bear to leave the girl injured. Call for her, so I can fix her arm. The damage will be permanent if you wait any longer.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s in the Hundred Herb Hall,¡± the shopkeeper stammered.


    ¡°Oh, okay,¡± Meng Yao said. Then she exited the store alongside Zhao Xiaohua.


    Meng Yao was familiar with the Hundred Herb Hall, but she didn¡¯t expect to see Taozhi and her mother there. Furthermore, Taozhi was helping the doctor in fixing the female assistant¡¯s dislocated arm.


    Taozhi was a kindred spirit. Did transmigration become a regular thing? It was no wonder Meng Yao had a good impression of Taozhi.


    ¡°Our souls have been through this before,¡± Meng Yao casually said something everyone was familiar with before she transmigrated, but she felt envious.


    ¡®Why is Taozhi so lucky? She can dress up beautifully and have a bright future, unlike me, who transmigrated into an old mother.¡¯


    Taozhi didn¡¯t react to Meng Yao¡¯s words, but Madam Jin was angry as she glared at Meng Yao.


    ¡®Is Madam Jin the owner of the Glittering Pavilion?¡¯


    Before Meng Yao could confirm her thoughts, Madam Jin scolded, ¡°Madam Zhao, I know Qing Miao offended you, but you didn¡¯t have to be so rough. I never expected you to be so cruel. The doctor said Qing Miao will remain crippled if he can¡¯t fix her arm.¡±


    Qing Miao was the person who pushed Zhao Xiaohua.


    Since Madam Jin mentioned her name so casually, it could only mean she was familiar with the female assistant who worked at the Glittering Pavilion. They should know each other.


    Taozhi looked at Meng Yao with teary eyes. Then she said sobbingly, ¡°Please fix Qing Miao¡¯s arm, Madam Zhao.¡±


    Meng Yao felt the urge to fix Qing Miao¡¯s arm when Taozhi finished speaking. However, Meng Yao suppressed her impulses. She wanted to fix Qing Miao, but Madam Jin¡¯s accusations and Taozhi¡¯s tears indicated Meng Yao was the one at fault when Qing Miao was the one who made the first move.


    Meng Yao was willing to fix Qing Miao¡¯s arm, but it didn¡¯t mean she would take the blame so quickly.


    ¡°Hmph!¡± Meng Yao snorted. ¡°Don¡¯t you want to tell everyone why I dislocated your arm, Qing Miao?¡±


    Qing Miao¡¯s face was ashen as she started sweating. However, she did not want to remain crippled, so she said, ¡°I shoved your daughter to the ground.¡± Qing Miao gritted her teeth. ¡°I know I was wrong.¡±


    ¡°You rejected us from the store and insulted us. I only dislocated your arm to teach you a lesson. You think you can bully us and get away with it?¡± Meng Yao said condescendingly.


    Everyone in the Hundred Herb Hall finally understood what happened, especially the doctor. He considered Meng Yao an acquaintance, so he did not wish for Meng Yao to be a cruel person.


    ¡°I was wrong for pushing you, little girl. Please forgive me,¡± Qing Meng struggled to speak to Zhao Xiaohua.


    ¡°M-My mother came to fix your arm!¡± Zhao Xiaohua thundered. ¡°My mother is not a cruel person.¡± Zhao Xiaohua looked at Madam Jin when she spoke.


    Zhao Xiaoshu was not a fool. If Madam Jin knew Qing Miao, she would know why Meng Yao dislocated Qing Miao¡¯s arm. Then Madam Jin wouldn¡¯t say Meng Yao was cruel. Zhao Xiaohua thought Madam Jin was an evil person for slandering her mother.


    Taozhi also cried as if Meng Yao had bullied her. It was evident the Glittering Pavilion employees were in the wrong.

 Chapter 21

    Madam Jin Shi pursed her lips. She was embarrassed but didn¡¯t feel guilty about what Zhao Xiaohua said. However, Taozhi still had tears in her eyes.


    Meng Yao still felt guilty at first glance and thought she shouldn¡¯t have made Taozhi cry. Moreover, Taozhi and Jin Shi were indifferent to Meng Yao¡¯s secret code about their souls.


    How could there be such a coincidence?


    Meng Yao tried her best not to look at Taozhi. She realized if she focused her attention elsewhere, the strangeness she felt would lessen.


    Meng Yao told Qing Miao to stand up and quickly tugged at Qing Miao¡¯s arm to fix it. ¡°There, I fixed your arm. You shouldn¡¯t lift anything heavy for the next two days,¡± Meng Yao instructed indifferently.


    Qing Miao felt better. Although it still hurt, it was not as painful as before. Qing Miao¡¯s complexion also visibly improved, and she wasn¡¯t as pale.


    Ming Yao didn¡¯t want to waste any more time, so she nodded at the doctor and exited the Hundred Herb Hall holding Zhao Xiaohua¡¯s hand.


    The doctor hurriedly called out to Meng Yao, ¡°Madam Zhao! Please tell me about that technique you used.¡± The doctor was curious.


    He had seen many with dislocated joints and successfully treated them. However, he couldn¡¯t comprehend Meng Yao¡¯s technique. He had a strong desire for knowledge as a doctor.


    Meng Yao smiled. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I can¡¯t teach anyone that technique.¡±


    The regular method was rough enough. The doctor was disappointed, but Meng Yao had rejected him, so he thought it was best not to pry.


    ¡°Madam Zhao, Doctor Su is the best doctor in town and wants to learn your technique for the peoples¡¯ sake,¡± Taozhi spoke.


    ¡®So?¡¯


    Meng Yao resisted the urge to teach Doctor Su her technique and looked at Taozhi calmly.


    ¡°It would benefit many if Doctor Su could learn your technique. I-I don¡¯t understand why you would reject Doctor Su¡¯s request, Madam Zhao.¡± Taozhi gently bit her lip and batted her innocent eyes.


    Taozhi knew how to tug at one¡¯s heartstrings with her expressions.


    ¡°I use that technique for self-defense. However, I would usually break bones, not dislocate joints. That should be enough to subdue my opponents,¡± Meng Yao explained indifferently.


    Then Meng Yao ignored Taozhi and left alongside Zhao Xiaohua.


    ¡°Taozhi, Madam Zhao already rejected my request,¡± Doctor Su¡¯s tone was stern. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t pry.¡±


    ¡°I know. I¡¯m sorry, Mentor.¡± Taozhi glanced at Doctor Su and lowered her head.


    ¡°I don¡¯t mean to blame you since you didn¡¯t have any bad intentions. I know you want to help others who encounter such situations, but Madam Meng said regular procedures would suffice,¡± Doctor Su quickly explained.


    Even Taozhi desperately wanted to learn the technique for self-defense.


    Meng Yao¡¯s hearing was excellent. Although she had walked three yards away, she still heard Doctor Su and Taozhi¡¯s conversation. She discovered Taozhi was Doctor Su¡¯s apprentice.


    However, when Meng Yao arrived at the Hundred Herb Hall, it was Taozhi who ordered Doctor Su around. Also, the mother and daughter were familiar with Qing Miao, but they didn¡¯t seem to know each other at the Glittering Pavilion.


    On top of that, Taozhi was an ordinary girl from the countryside, just like Zhao Xiaohua, according to the original Meng Yao¡¯s memories. As for what happened in her previous life, Meng Yao only knew a little about Zhao Xiaoshu and Zhao Xiaohua.


    ¡®Am I fated to meet Taozhi? She might have reincarnated since she pretended to ignore my code.¡¯


    If it were reincarnation, following Taozhi would resemble following a script. She could control her life¡¯s trajectory and avoid terrible things.


    But if Taozhi did get reincarnated, wouldn¡¯t she tell Meng Yao? From its looks, Taozhi didn¡¯t look surprised. Meng Yao couldn¡¯t understand what was happening for a moment. She felt there were many mysteries about Taozhi.


    Zhao Xiaoshu had disappeared once before, and a child¡¯s disappearance was a crucial matter. The villagers would know about it. Taozhi would have been shocked to see Zhao Xiaoshu if she were reincarnated.


    Meng Yao wanted to use that to test Taozhi.


    When Meng Yao and Zhao Xiaohua reached the oxcart, there was still half an hour left before Mr. Niu¡¯s departure, and many villagers had yet to arrive.


    Meng Yao greeted Mr. Niu and pulled Zhao Xiaohua to sit in the same spot as before. The villagers arrived one after another, and Jin Shi and Taozhi were the only ones left.


    The two weren¡¯t late, but there was only space in the carriage. The carriage was especially bumpy, and no one was willing to sit there.


    ¡°I thought you would reserve seats for me and my mother, Madam Zhao,¡± Taozhi¡¯s voice was soft.


    Meng Yao ignored Taozhi and refused to give up her heat. ¡°You didn¡¯t ask me to, but I can¡¯t help even if you did. It would be impolite to reserve seats.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s right. We¡¯re on a first-come, first-serve basis,¡± someone echoed.


    ¡°B-But my mother and I were sitting next to Madam Zhao and Xiaohua.¡± Taozhi¡¯s eyes were red.


    ¡°We come and go, so you can¡¯t say this seat belongs to you and your mother. Can¡¯t anyone sit wherever they please on Mr. Niu¡¯s oxcart?¡± Meng Yao asked.


    ¡°Please sit down, and stop getting in the way. I have a lot of work to do at home.¡± Someone got impatient


    Taozhi and Jin Shi could only sit in the carriage and feel wronged.


    When the oxcart finally arrived at the village entrance, Meng Yao paid Mr. Niu and led Zhao Xiaohua home.


    ¡°Madam Zhao,¡± Taozhi called.


    Meng Yao wanted to feign ignorance, but Taozhi called out loudly. She turned slightly and asked, ¡°What¡¯s the matter, Taozhi?¡±


    ¡°I thought about what I said on the way home and knew I was wrong. I should have assumed you would reserve a seat for my mother and me just because I¡¯m close with Xiaohua. I¡¯m sorry,¡± Taozhi spoke sincerely.


    ¡®I don¡¯t blame you,¡¯ Meng Yao almost blurted. She even thought, ¡®How could I blame Taozhi for that?¡¯


    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s okay. I¡¯m not angry. I¡¯m in a hurry to check on Xiaoshu, so I can¡¯t talk too much,¡± Meng Yao observed Taozhi¡¯s expression as she spoke, but nothing was out of the ordinary.


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll go play with Xiaohua,¡± Taozhi replied.


    ¡®Did the villagers only find out about Xaioshu¡¯s disappearance later? Forget it. I should take it one step at a time. So what if Taozhi has reincarnated? There¡¯s no enmity between them and us.¡¯


    If Taozhi were evil, Meng Yao would avoid her and her family.


    ¡°I wanted Taozhi to sit next to me when we were on the oxcart, Mother,¡± Zhao Xiaohua said gloomily. ¡°But I was angry, and it wasn¡¯t easy for me to hold it back.¡±


    ¡®W-What?¡¯


    Meng Yao was shocked. ¡®So, I¡¯m not the only one who felt the urge to be kind to Taozhi?¡¯


    Meng Yao suspected there was a demon behind Taozhi, and she was almost sure there was something strange about her.

 Chapter 22

    ¡°Did you notice anything strange whenever you played with Taozhi?¡± Meng Yao asked Zhao Xiaohua.


    ¡°You mean like a strange place?¡± Zhao Xiaohua blinked, not understanding what her mother meant.


    ¡°Let¡¯s say there was something you didn¡¯t want to do, and Taozhi convinced you otherwise. Would you do it then? Or if you wanted to do something, but Taozhi said no. Did you stop?¡± Meng Yao asked again.


    Zhao Xiaohua furrowed her eyebrows as she tried to remember. She used to think that was normal, but she started to wonder about it when her mother questioned her.


    Meng Yao knew something was wrong when she saw Zhao Xiaohua¡¯s expression. However, she did not know why Taozhi had such an ability. She wondered if she should consider it mind-control or charm. No matter what, Meng Yao still thought it was a bad thing.


    ¡°I hope you learn to be more firm, Xiaohua. You must follow your heart and do what you want. You can¡¯t change your mind just because someone says so,¡± Meng Yao advised.


    ¡°I know, Mother. But I will only change my mind whenever Taozhi says something,¡± Zhao Xiaohua said sternly.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you think there is something wrong with that?¡± Meng Yao asked Zhao Xiaohua.


    ¡°I thought nothing of it at first, but I realized it was strange when you asked me about it,¡± Zhao Xiaohua answered honestly.


    ¡°So, what do you think is the problem?¡±


    Zhao Xiaohua shook her head. Suddenly, she said, ¡°Is Taozhi a temptress, Mother? I heard from Dahe that temptresses can bewitch people.¡±


    ¡°T-That¡­¡±


    Meng Yao never thought of that possibility. She wanted to say it was ridiculous, but after she thought about it, she had reincarnated, and that was even stranger than being a temptress.


    There was a possibility of demons and spirits appearing since it was ancient times. It might be possible for Taozhi to be a temptress in disguise.


    ¡°Mother, let¡¯s go home so you can teach me the self-defense techniques father taught you. If Taozhi is a temptress, I can protect myself with the techniques,¡± Zhao Xiaohua urged.


    Zhao Xiaohua had a strange mind. Even if it was only a suspicion, shouldn¡¯t she be afraid? However, Zhao Xiaohua became excited, and it confused Meng Yao.


    ¡°I always envied Toazhi¡¯s beauty, but not anymore. Temptresses are beautiful. She wouldn¡¯t be a good temptress if she were ugly. That makes me the prettiest girl in the entire village!¡± Zhao Xiaohua was ecstatic.


    Meng Yao was speechless.


    ¡°You should stay away from Taozhi,¡± Meng Yao warned.


    Meng Yao gave Song Xiu¡¯er a bag of snacks when she returned. But Song Xiu¡¯er was afraid and rejected them.


    Meng Yao had no choice but to be stern. ¡°I told you to eat. Why are you being disobedient? You will never recover if you don¡¯t eat enough. I can¡¯t serve you forever.¡±


    Song Xiu¡¯er started eating the snacks after that. They were fragrant, sweet, and melted in Song Xiu¡¯er¡¯s mouth.


    Song Xiu¡¯er¡¯s mother would buy snacks when Song Xiu¡¯er lived there, but Madam N¨¦e Li would only allow her son to eat them.


    Once, Song Xiu¡¯er ate a piece of candy, and her brother complained. But no matter how Song Xiu¡¯er tried to defend herself, no one would believe her. Then Madam N¨¦e Li would use willow branches to prick Song Xiu¡¯er¡¯s skin.


    After that, Madam N¨¦e Li bought some more snacks for Song Xiu¡¯er¡¯s brother to eat in front of Song Xiu¡¯er.


    The snacks Song Xiu¡¯er had were tasteless, but the dessert Meng Yao got her was delicious. Song Xiu¡¯er said sobbingly, ¡°T-Thank you, Mother-in-law.¡±


    Meng Yao did not need to ask, yet she could tell that Song Xiu¡¯er had recalled her tragic past.


    ¡°Go and comfort your wife, Dajiang. She¡¯s crying. Don¡¯t you want to be a good husband?¡± After that, Meng Yao left the room and went to Zhao Xiaoshu¡¯s


    Zhao Xiaoshu was lying down while Zhao Dahe read a book. Meng Yao placed the snacks on the table, her expression gentle. ¡°Here you go, Xiaoshu. I bought you some desserts.¡±


    Zhao Xiaoshu sat up as MengYou thoughtfully placed two pillows behind him so he could lean on them comfortably. Zhao Xiaoshu ate slowly while Meng Yao occasionally wiped the crumbs off his mouth.


    Zhao Dahe was shocked after witnessing all that. ¡®Is that my real mother?¡¯


    ¡°Mother!¡± Zhao Dahe shouted at Meng Yao.


    ¡°What?¡± Meng Yao didn¡¯t even spare him a glance.


    ¡°I want some too!¡± Zhao Dahe said through gritted teeth.


    ¡°Then have some. I¡¯ll leave some here, and you can get them yourself. Were you waiting for me to feed you? You¡¯ll be old enough to get married in two years, and you can¡¯t expect me to spoil you,¡± Meng Yao said sternly.


    Zhao Dahe retorted, ¡°Xiaoshu is a grown-up too! He doesn¡¯t need you to feed him. He only wants you to give him attention as he did in the past.¡±


    ¡°I went to the carpenter¡¯s shop just now.¡± Meng Yao entirely ignored Zhao Dahe¡¯s complaints and spoke to Zhao Xiaoshu gently, ¡°Your mentor¡¯s leg and wrist are broken, and his tendons are in terrible condition.¡±


    Zhao Xiaoshu¡¯s body stiffened, and he stopped eating for a moment.


    ¡°The person running the shop is your mentor¡¯s first apprentice while Ya¡¯er is caring for her parents. There were plenty of customers in the shop when I arrived,¡± Meng Yao continued.


    Meng Yao told Zhao Xiaoshu there were customers so he would be at ease. Now Zhao Xiaoshu knew that the mother and daughter still had a source of income.


    ¡°Ya¡¯er told me to pass you a message. She told me you could go back there if you¡¯re willing. That young man will teach you what you need to know,¡± Meng Yao said.


    ¡°I¡¯ve learned enough,¡± Zhao Xiaoshu said.


    ¡°W-What?¡± Meng Yao asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m not lying. I¡¯ve learned everything about carpentry,¡± Zhao Xiaoshu repeated.


    ¡°You¡¯ve completed your apprenticeship?¡± Meng Yao was surprised.


    Zhao Xiaoshu only worked at the carpenter¡¯s shop for about a year and had already completed his apprenticeship. Meng Yao¡¯s father was also a carpenter. He became an apprentice when he was sixteen years old and worked for six years before he could take charge.


    ¡°I know everything my mentor knows,¡± Zhao Xiaoshu said.


    Meng Yao¡¯s father once told her that some people were more talented than others.


    ¡°You¡¯re amazing, Xiaoshu,¡± Meng Yao praised him sincerely. ¡°So, what are your plans? Do you want to help Ya¡¯er?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll let you decide, Mother,¡± Zhao Xiaoshu said.


    Meng Yao loved obedient children.


    ¡°I will respect whatever choice you make, Xiaoshu. However, I have a suggestion,¡± Meng Yao said smilingly.


    Zhao Xiaoshu nodded to show he was listening attentively.


    ¡°I want you to study,¡± Meng Yao continued.


    The room fell silent, and Meng Yao could only hear herself breathing. Zhao Xiaoshu looked at Meng Yao, dumbfounded.


    Meng Yao wasn¡¯t in a hurry to hear Zhao Xiaoshu¡¯s reply. She had to let him digest what she said.


    ¡°I won¡¯t force you if you¡¯re unwilling,¡± Meng Yao added.


    Zhao Xiaoshu was still shocked and speechless.


    ¡°Did I hear that right, Mother?!¡± Zhao Dahe asked, ¡°Am I dreaming? Please pinch me!¡±

 Chapter 23

    ¡°All right,¡± Meng Yao agreed smilingly. Then she pinched Zhao Dahe¡¯s arm.


    ¡°Ouch, that hurts!¡± Zhao Dahe flinched. ¡°Okay, that¡¯s enough! That hurts, Mother!¡±


    ¡°Yeah, you¡¯re not dreaming. Why are you so shocked that I asked your brother if he wants to study? Do you think you¡¯re the only clever one here?¡± Meng Yao snorted.


    ¡°I-I never said that!¡± Zhao Dahe denied it.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t say it, but that¡¯s what you thought, right?¡± Meng Yao mercilessly exposed Zhao Dahe.


    Zhao Dahe smiled awkwardly, ¡°I was just worried about us. Aren¡¯t you worried we won¡¯t have enough money to survive if Xiaoshu goes to study? I can¡¯t bear to watch you suffer, mother.¡±


    Meng Yao nodded in agreement. ¡°You¡¯re right, Dahe. I¡¯m quite nervous, but I¡¯ve thought it through. You will have to earn money on your own.¡±


    Zhao Dahe shrilled in shock. Zhao Dahe was still in his puberty stages, so his voice was even more unpleasant. ¡°You must be joking, Mother!¡±


    ¡°Do I look like someone who likes to joke around?¡± Meng Yao rolled her eyes.


    ¡°How can I earn money if I¡¯m still studying?¡± Zhao Dahe asked.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you get a reward if you get good grades? Getting third would get you one tael of silver while first place would get you two taels of silver. You can get twenty-two taels of silver in eleven months. Then you can keep twenty taels and give me two.¡±


    Zhao Dahe could place third even though he studied casually. Hence, Meng Yao used the first place as an example to motivate Zhao Dahe


    ¡°Don¡¯t we need to buy a brush, ink, paper, and an inkstone? Also, don¡¯t I need to eat? It would cost eight taels of silver a year just to get stationery. Besides, the principal rewarded us out of the blue. Who knows if he will reward us again?¡± Zhao Dahe argued.


    The principal said there would be a reward every month, but Zhao Dage felt there was no need for his mother to know about it. He also wanted to take first place every month to get three taels of silver, not two. Zhao Dahe wanted to save some silver for his future wife.


    ¡°Oh? I¡¯ll ask your principal about that later,¡± Meng Yao said indifferently.


    Meng Yao realized Zhao Dahe was self-centered when she combined her predecessor¡¯s memories with her observations over the past two days. Zhao Dahe only cared for himself, and he was also materialistic.


    Therefore, Meng Yao didn¡¯t believe what Zhao Dahe said. Zhao Dahe could fool her predecessor, but not her.


    Ying Luo¡¯s predecessor was a kind mother who favored Zhao Dahe, so she always treated him differently and thought he was perfect. She would leave him to his devices if she could.


    ¡°My principal is a noble person, Mother. What will he think of me if you ask him if there¡¯s a reward? I won¡¯t be able to show my face in school again,¡± Zhao Dahe hurriedly said. ¡°Can¡¯t you wait to find out after the next exam? I¡¯ll listen to you and study hard. Then I can save money and help you pay for Xiaoshu¡¯s studies!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re such a good brother, Dahe.¡± Meng Yao pretended Zhao Dahe¡¯s words touched her.


    ¡°It¡¯s what good brothers do, Mother.¡± Zhao Dahe gritted his teeth and squeezed out a smile. ¡°You have to study hard when you start school, Xiaoshu.¡±


    Zhao Xiaoshu was at a loss.


    ¡°So, it¡¯s decided?¡± That was a rhetorical question.


    ¡°I don¡¯t have any objections,¡± Zhao Dahe spread his hands since his opinion wouldn¡¯t matter anyway. Zhao Dahe felt that his mother was repenting for being too harsh on Zhao Xiaoshu.


    ¡®So be it if Xiaoshu wants to study. Not everyone has the talent to be a scholar.¡¯


    Meng Yao sent Zhao Dajiang to school in the past, but he was blockheaded and couldn¡¯t learn no matter how hard he tried. He dropped out of school shortly after.


    Zhao Dahe wondered if Zhao Xiaoshu was like Zhao Dajiang. Zhao Dahe thought Zhao Xiaoshu couldn¡¯t do it even if his mother told him to.


    ¡®Is being a carpenter that good? Won¡¯t Xiaoshu need to buy furniture for his home when he marries?¡¯


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to be a scholar, Mother. I want to return to carpentry.¡± Zhao Xiaoshu took a deep breath.


    Zhao Xiaoshu wanted to study, but he couldn¡¯t help but feel envious when he saw Zhao Dahe holding a book. However, Zhao Xiaoshu felt the need to help Ya¡¯er. What if there were too many customers?


    Zhao Xiaoshu would have starved to death if Ya¡¯er didn¡¯t secretly feed him during his apprenticeship. Zhao Xiaoshu wanted to repay her kindness and could bear to stand around doing nothing if Ya¡¯er got into trouble.


    ¡°You should study, Xiaoshu. Your future will be bright if you can make a name for yourself. Even if you can¡¯t, reading would broaden your horizons. You will rely on your literacy no matter what you do in the future. I know you can excel as a carpenter and earn money, but that will be all you do for the rest of your life,¡± Meng Yao said calmly.


    ¡°B-But¡­¡±


    ¡°I know you are kind, but there is more than one way to repay someone¡¯s kindness,¡± Meng Yao said. ¡°At most, you will help Ya¡¯er reduce her burden. However, if you study hard enough, you can be a backer of the carpentry shop.¡±


    Zhao Xiaoshu was confused.


    ¡°If you become a scholar, people will become curious when they discover you¡¯ve worked in a carpentry shop. They will think of the shop you worked in if they need furniture. Also, you will become the carpentry shop¡¯s ambassador if you go there from time to time,¡± Zhao Dahe said.


    As expected, Zhao Dahe was a quick thinker. He excelled in his studies and constantly thought of the future. If Zhao Dahe could guide Zhao Xiaoshu well, he would also excel.


    Meanwhile, Zhao Xiaoshu was pretty capable. With proper guidance, he could be a great man.


    ¡°Dahe is right, Xiaoshu,¡± Meng Yao confirmed Zhao Dahe¡¯s words.


    ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll study hard,¡± Zhao Xiaoshu said.


    ¡®You¡¯re too naive, young man. You can¡¯t be smart just because you want to,¡¯ Zhao Dahe thought.


    Meng Yao was thrilled. ¡°I will send you to school next spring.¡±


    Studying was a tough task, and Zhao Xiaoshu¡¯s injured body could not take it. However, winter was a good season for nourishment, and Meng Yao had to repent for treating Zhao Xiaoshu poorly. She knew a healthy body was the source of everything good.


    ¡°You must be hungry. I will make you some delicious food,¡± Meng Yao said.


    Zhao Dahe was afraid his mother would forget about him, so he quickly said, ¡°I¡¯m hungry too, Mother! Can I have some food?¡±


    Besides, Zhao Dahe was willing to make such a significant sacrifice and thought he deserved to have some delicious food.


    ¡°Of course,¡± Meng Yao replied and went to the kitchen.


    According to Meng Yao¡¯s memories, Zhao Xiaoshu loved eating noodles, so she decided to satisfy him and make hand-rolled noodles.


    Meng Yao added an egg to some flour, added some salted water, and kneaded the mixture into a dough. Whether the noodles were delicious or not would depend on the dough, so proper kneading was a crucial step.


    The noodles would be soft and delicious if they were smooth to the touch. That was one of Meng Yao¡¯s best dishes, and she could cook it with barely any effort.

 Chapter 24

    Meng Yao knew her way around the kitchen and had excellent knife skills. She could also skillfully use a scalpel.


    She once spent two months practicing her knife skills cutting potatoes. She could cut the potatoes thinly and thread them through a sewing needle.


    Meng Yao sliced the noodles thinly and made Dragon Beard noodles. They were much thinner than the hand-rolled noodles Zhao Xiaoshu usually ate. Meng Yao¡¯s noodles were one-third the thickness of the hand-rolled noodles Song Xiu¡¯er once made.


    Meng Yao added the noodles to the clear broth, garnished them with chopped scallions, and added some sesame oil to stimulate the fragrance of the dish. It was a dish Meng Yao had eaten before.


    There was no pollution in ancient times, so the food tasted better compared to the future.


    ¡°Is there no meat?¡± Zhao Dahe was disappointed.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to eat if you don¡¯t want to,¡± Meng Yao said.


    Zhao Dahe stopped complaining and guzzled down his food when he thought about the delicious breakfast his mother made.


    ¡°Carefully chew before you swallow, Xiaoshu. Don¡¯t be like your brother. He looks like an animal when he eats.¡±


    Meng Yao didn¡¯t want to mock Zhao Dahe, but he ate rudely. He even finished his noodles in just two slurps.


    ¡°That was delicious, Mother!¡± Zhao Dahe immediately praised.


    Meanwhile, Zhao Dajiang and Zhao Xiaohua weren¡¯t any different. Zhao Dajiang looked ugly when he ate, but Zhao Xiaohua ate faster than her two brothers combined. She wanted another bowl.


    ¡°Oh, Xiaohua,¡± Meng Yao sighed.


    ¡°Have some, Mother. The noodles will get soggy if you don¡¯t eat them now. Why isn¡¯t Zhao Xiaoshu eating with us? You¡¯re spoiling him, Mother. He¡¯s already a grown-up, yet he¡¯s still eating in his room. I know Xiaoshu needs to rest, but you can¡¯t pamper him. He doesn¡¯t even feel sorry for you, Mother. He even asked you to bring him food,¡± Zhao Xiaohua complained animatedly.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you not to speak ill of others behind their back?!¡± Zhao Dahe thundered.


    ¡°I¡¯m not speaking ill of Xiaoshu. I was just telling the truth,¡± Zhao Xiaohua showed her tongue to Dahe.


    ¡°You¡¯re being silly!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s enough! You¡¯re a grown-up, yet you¡¯re bickering with your sister. Xiaohua, didn¡¯t you say you¡¯re a big girl now? Then why are you behaving like a child?¡± Meng Yao interrupted her children¡¯s argument and glared at Zhao Dahe. ¡°Shut your mouth when you eat!¡±


    Zhao Xiaohua was delighted that her mother was still protective of her. However, she was dumbfounded when her mother took the bowl from her hands.


    ¡°Go to your room and stand against the wall for half an hour,¡± Meng Yao ordered.


    Zhao Xiaohua¡¯s heart shattered when she realized she couldn¡¯t eat anymore, and Meng Yao had punished her.


    ¡°Don¡¯t cheat because I will check on you later. Remember to raise your head and stick out your chest. You must also press the back of your head and butt against the wall,¡± Meng Yao said.


    Zhao Dahe gloated, but he did not show it on his face for fear of his mother punishing him. Meanwhile, Zhao Xiaohua returned to her room reluctantly.


    Then Meng Yao took her time eating her share of the noodles and was full.


    ¡°Don¡¯t forget to wash the dishes from Zhao Xiaoshu¡¯s room, Dahe. Dajiang, remember to give Xiu¡¯er¡¯s bowl and chopsticks to Dahe after you finish eating,¡± Meng Yao walked away as she instructed.


    ¡°Ugh, yes, Mother,¡± Zhao Dahe answered exasperatedly. ¡®Thank goodness I¡¯m returning to school tomorrow.¡¯


    Meng Yao went to Zhao Xiaohua¡¯s room and saw the little girl standing there obediently yet aggrievedly. Zhao Xiaohua turned away from her mother as she entered.


    Meng Yao walked to her daughter¡¯s side and stood against the wall. She developed a habit of standing for half an hour after every meal. She believed she would suffer from indigestion or develop gastroptosis.


    Meng Yao thought she wouldn¡¯t develop those things if she stood close to a wall and used her core.


    Meng Yao stood quietly.


    Since Zhao Xiaohua was still a child, she couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Why are you standing here, Mother? Did someone punish you too?¡±


    ¡°Did you forget what you said today?¡± Meng Yao asked.


    ¡°What did I say?¡± Zhao Xiaohua was puzzled since she spoke a lot that day.


    ¡°You said you want to lose weight,¡± Meng Yao reminded.


    ¡°I can get thin just by standing around?¡± Zhao Xiaohua couldn¡¯t believe it.


    ¡°You only ate one bowl of noodles, right?¡± Meng Yao asked.


    ¡°Yes, but I¡¯m not full yet.¡± Zhao Xiaohua was disappointed. She thought her mother no longer loved her because Meng Yao didn¡¯t let her eat snacks or eat her fill. She felt that her mother only loved Zhao Xiaoshu.


    ¡°Are you hungry?¡± Meng Yao asked.


    Zhao Xiaohua blinked and wondered if she was still hungry. She didn¡¯t feel hungry, but she could usually eat two big bowls of noodles. Sometimes she could even eat three.


    ¡°You ate so quickly and swallowed the entire bowl of noodles. You didn¡¯t even give your stomach a chance to digest the food. One bowl was enough, but you ate more because your stomach hadn¡¯t reacted yet. Your stomach was already full when you put down the last bowl. Did you feel bloated after that?¡± Meng Yao explained.


    It was no wonder Zhao Xiaohua would feel bloated and burp non-stop.


    ¡°Does that mean I can only have one bowl of food per meal?¡± Zhao Xiaohua asked.


    Meng Yao pondered and answered, ¡°Not necessarily. I want you to chew at least twenty times before you swallow.¡±


    ¡°Why is that, Mother?¡± Zhao Xiaohua asked.


    ¡°So your stomach can digest the food better,¡± Meng Yao replied. ¡°Also, you won¡¯t overeat.¡±


    Zhao Xiaohua nodded thoughtfully. ¡°Will I lose weight then?¡±


    Meng Yao nodded assuringly.


    Zhao Xiaohua was still growing, but she would lose weight if she didn¡¯t overeat. She was thrilled, ¡°Don¡¯t stand with me, Mother! You¡¯re already so thin! You will disappear if you stand too long!¡±


    Meng Yao was dumbfounded. However, she insisted on standing with Zhao Xiaohua for half an hour, which touched Zhao Xiaohua.


    ¡°I¡¯ve boiled some water on the stove. Soak your feet in it for fifteen minutes before going to bed,¡± Meng Yao instructed.


    Overeating and overdrinking were harmful to the spleen and stomach. The spleen was in charge of circulation, and the body would quickly accumulate fluids if it got damaged.


    Zhao Xiaohua would rid her body of excess fluids by soaking her feet. Of course, it would be better to boil the water and infuse it with herbs beforehand. However, they didn¡¯t have access to herbs yet, so Zhao Xiaohua could only soak her feet in warm water.


    As usual, Zhao Xiaohua asked why, but Meng Yao dismissed her question with a single sentence, ¡°Soak your feet and go to bed.¡±


    ¡°When will you teach me how to dislocate joints, Mother?¡± Zhao Xiaohua still thought of that.


    It was still too early to sleep, and Meng Yao had nothing else to do, so she decided to teach Zhao Xiaohua since she was in the mood.


    Meng Yao went to Zhao Xiaoshu¡¯s room and asked for some paper from Zhao Dahe. Then she went to the stove, picked up a piece of burnt charcoal, and wrapped it in a rag.


    Meng Yao used the make-shift pencil to draw a human skeleton on a piece of paper. She needed to teach Zhao Xiaohua about the human structure before teaching her how to dislocate joints.

 Chapter 25

    Zhao Xiaohua rattled her head. ¡°I don¡¯t want to look, Mother!¡± Zhao Xiaohua didn¡¯t want to open her eyes.


    ¡°You¡¯re the one who insisted on learning, but you¡¯re already giving up on the first step?¡± Meng Yao asked.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know it was going to be scary! I don¡¯t want to look at the skeleton,¡± Zhao Xiaohua said.


    ¡°It¡¯s just a drawing, not an actual skeleton. Why are you so scared?¡± Meng Yao knocked Zhao Xiaohua¡¯s head. ¡°Do you want to learn or not? I¡¯ll keep the drawing and pretend that you never wanted to learn. But I will never believe you again,¡± Meng Yao said.


    Going back on one¡¯s word was not a good quality in a person. One could always overcome their fears. The skeleton drawing was child¡¯s play compared to the first time Meng Yao dissected a human body.


    Zhao Xiaohua was still covering his eyes, so Meng Yao started packing her things and said, ¡°I¡¯ll return to my room.¡±


    ¡°W-Wait, don¡¯t! I want to learn!¡± Zhao Xiaohua said anxiously. She slowly separated her fingers and looked through them little by little. That way, she wouldn¡¯t be too afraid.


    Meng Yao didn¡¯t rush Zhao Xiaohua. She knew Zhao Xiaohua needed time to adapt. That process took an entire hour, and Zhao Xiaohua finally opened her eyes to look at the skeleton drawing with an unsightly expression.


    Meng Yao made a note on each joint, including its name and function. However, Zhao Xiaohua couldn¡¯t read. Zhao Xiaohua never learned how to read because of the original Meng Yao.


    ¡°Let¡¯s call it a day,¡± Meng Yao said helplessly.


    ¡°B-But, you haven¡¯t taught me anything yet, Mother.¡± Zhao Xiaohua was confused.


    ¡°We have to take it slow. Haste makes waste, Xiaohua. I still need to make some preparations,¡± Meng Yao said.


    ¡°All right,¡± Zhao Xiaohua was delighted since she didn¡¯t have to look at the skeleton anymore.


    ¡°I¡¯ll stick this on the wall for you to look at when you¡¯re free. You¡¯ll get used to looking at it after a while,¡± Meng Yao said calmly.


    Zhao Xiaohua¡¯s smile froze. She didn¡¯t want to look at that skeleton. However, she couldn¡¯t see anything when Meng Yao blew out the lights, so it was okay.


    Meng Yao retired to her room after sticking the drawing on the wall. Then she did some yoga and soaked her feet before going to bed.


    ¡°Ah! Mother!¡±


    A shrill echoed, and the last bit of tiredness Meng Yao felt disappeared.


    Zhao Xiaohua rolled on her bed and fell asleep after soaking her feet. However, she dreamt that a skeleton was chasing her, and it even said it wanted to marry her. Zhao Xiaohua got frightened and ran as fast as possible.


    The first thing Zhao Xiaohua saw when she opened her eyes was the skeleton drawing on the wall. It scared the living daylights out of Zhao Xiaohua.


    Meng Yao got dressed and exited her room, only to bump into Zhao Dahe, who hadn¡¯t dressed appropriately.


    ¡°Did you hear that, Mother? That was Xiaohua. What¡¯s going on?¡± Zhao Dahe asked.


    ¡°I heard that. Let¡¯s go and take a look,¡± Meng Yao said.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go with you.¡±


    Zhao Xiaohua had already calmed down when Meng Yao and Zhao Dahe arrived. Zhao Dahe was shocked when he saw the skeleton drawing on the wall.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it scary, Dahe? I got scared to death when I opened my eyes and saw it,¡± Zhao Xiaohua said.


    ¡°Why did you stick it on the wall if you¡¯re so scared of it?¡± Zhao Dahe mumbled.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t do that. It was Mother,¡± Zhao Xiaohua said.


    Zhao Dahe was perplexed. ¡°Are you trying to teach Xiaohua to be more courageous or something, Mother?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll draw another one for you to keep then. You can look at it to refresh you when you get tired of reading,¡± Meng Yao said calmly.


    Zhao Dahe quickly waved his hand. ¡°I-It¡¯s better if you don¡¯t, Mother. I¡¯m okay with it, but who will be responsible if someone else sees it and gets scared out of their wits?¡±


    Zhao Dahe looked at the drawing again as he spoke, and what he saw was incredible. He looked at it casually before but saw some impressive notes at a second glance.


    Zhao Dahe had taken many notes at school. Although he could write, there were some words he could not comprehend.


    ¡°Who wrote that, Mother?¡± Zhao Dahe asked.


    Meng Yao asked Zhao Dahe for some paper yesterday, but he didn¡¯t ask why. Zhao Dahe looked at his mother in disbelief.


    Meng Yao calmly answered, ¡°I wrote that, of course.¡±


    ¡°You know how to write, Mother?¡± Zhao Dahe was shocked beyond belief.


    ¡°Your father taught me how.¡± Meng Yao remained calm.


    ¡°How come I didn¡¯t know?¡± Zhao Dahe instinctively asked.


    ¡°You were still a child then, so you can¡¯t remember,¡± Meng Yao said.


    ¡°Dajiang should remember then, right?¡± Zhao Dahe continued to question.


    ¡°Remember what?¡± Zhao Dajiang arrived shortly after and heard Zhao Dahe¡¯s question.


    ¡°Did you know that Mother knows how to write, Dajiang?¡± Zhao Dahe emphasized the word ¡°write.¡±


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s right. Father taught Mother how to read and write, but she was dimwitted and couldn¡¯t learn fast enough,¡± Zhao Dajiang answered sincerely.


    A memory appeared in Meng Yao¡¯s head when Zhao Dajiang said that. It was a memory of Zhao Ting teaching her predecessor to write.


    It was as Zhao Dajiang said. The original Meng Yao was dimwitted and could not learn. She also didn¡¯t have much patience and gave up.


    ¡°I was young and impatient, which was why I couldn¡¯t learn much,¡± Meng Yao said indifferently. ¡°But when your father¡­ I started practicing again and tried to imitate your father¡¯s handwriting with a branch on the ground.¡±


    Zhao Dahe felt like he got punched in the gut. He started learning calligraphy at six years old, yet he was not as good as his mother. He could not bear it.


    Zhao Dahe even had his mentor¡¯s guidance and a book copybook to practice his writing, while Meng Yao practiced on the ground with a stick.


    ¡°I practiced writing because I missed your father. Words can wound or heal, and that¡¯s why we should be careful what we say, especially to children,¡± Meng Yao said.


    ¡°Besides, I can only use branches and sticks. I¡¯m useless with a brush,¡± Meng Yao added.


    Unfortunately, Zhao Dahe suffered a heavy blow. Meng Yao was unable to coax him even after he left.


    ¡®Forget it. It will motivate Dahe to study harder. It¡¯s not necessarily a bad thing.¡¯


    Later that day, Meng Yao led Zhao Xiaohua to the river to get some sand. Zhao Xiaohua¡¯s eyes were bloodshot, and her chubby hands tightly held onto Meng Yao.


    ¡°Are you still scared of the skeleton?¡± Meng Yao asked.


    Zhao Xiaohua only shook her head.


    ¡°Then why are you crying?¡± Meng Yao was puzzled.


    ¡°You miss father a lot, don¡¯t you, Mother?¡± Zhao Xiaohua asked sobbingly.


    ¡®Do I miss Zhao Ting? That¡¯s preposterous!¡¯


    Zhao Xiaohua frowned and continued, ¡°You don¡¯t have to be embarrassed. I understand, Mother. You don¡¯t have to hide it from me because it means you two had a great relationship.¡±


    Meng Yao was speechless.


    ¡°Oh, you,¡± Meng Yao sighed helplessly. She couldn¡¯t deny nor confirm it.


    ¡°You must feel very lonely,¡± Zhao Xiaohua said.


    ¡®W-What?¡¯ Meng Yao was dumbfounded.


    However, Zhao Xiaohua was sincere. ¡°Madam Wu is a widow in the village who took in a son-in-law last year. The villagers say she¡¯s lonely because she lost her husband. She¡¯s just like you, Mother.¡±

 Chapter 26

    Meng Yao gulped her saliva and wondered how she was supposed to tell Zhao Xiaohua she wasn¡¯t lonely. She couldn¡¯t resist the little girl¡¯s severe expression.


    Meng Yao mulled it over before squeezing out a few drops of tears. ¡°I see your father within you all every day. How could I be lonely?¡±


    Zhao Xiaohua tilted her head. ¡°But Madam Wu has a child too. She must remember her dead husband.¡±


    ¡°Feelings are complicated, Xiaohua.¡± Meng Yao racked her brain to explain to the little girl what kind of relationship she had with Zhao Ting.


    After Meng Yao recited a famous love story to Zhao Xiaohua, the little girl was so touched tears started streaming down her face. She finally believed her mother wasn¡¯t lonely.


    Zhao Xiaohua¡¯s father filled her mother¡¯s heart, so how could she be lonely?


    Meng Yao was worried it would affect Zhao Xiaohua¡¯s view of love which had yet to form. She pondered and said, ¡°It¡¯s not like I must stay with one man my entire life. The two people in the love story were in love, and their feelings for each other were profound. They grew old together and led a beautiful life.¡±


    ¡°However, no one can guarantee feelings will remain the same forever. If, and I¡¯m saying if, you marry and your husband has a change of heart, I hope you can be strong enough to let your husband go.¡±


    Zhao Xiaohua was confused. ¡°Why would he have a change of heart?¡±


    ¡°There are many reasons for that. That person could meet someone they like more, or they could feel unimportant to you. There¡¯s also a possibility the person you marry might not like you at all and try to sow discord in your life,¡± Meng Yao said after some thought.


    ¡®That should be every significant reason, right?¡¯ Meng Yao wondered.


    One would be cheating if they met someone they liked more than their wife. The feeling of unimportance might seem trivial, but it consumed a lot of emotions. There was also a possibility of one¡¯s in-laws not liking each other and such.


    Those were things Meng Yao thought would affect a marriage.


    ¡°I can¡¯t help meeting someone I like more, right? Can I avoid feeling unimportant?¡± Zhao Xiaohua paused. ¡°I will deal with whoever wrongs me! I will learn how to dislocate joints. It¡¯ll be so painful they¡¯ll die.¡±


    The corner of Meng Yao¡¯s mouth twitched. ¡®What a strange thought process.¡¯


    ¡°Madam Zhao? Xiaohua?¡± Taozhi approached. She wore her peach blossom dress and embroidered shoes as she swayed gently, vividly displaying her beauty. Taozhi had a gentle smile and misty eyes that could calm the wildest beast.


    Zhao Xiaohua immediately grabbed her mother¡¯s hand, her face alert. ¡®Taozhi might be a temptress trying to bewitch me!¡¯


    Meng Yao nodded at Taozhi, not looking into her eyes the entire time.


    ¡°Where are you two guys going?¡± Taozhi asked enthusiastically.


    ¡°We¡¯re going to the riverbank to get some sand.¡± Zhao Xiaohua looked at Taozhi several times, unable to resist her question.


    ¡°Why sand?¡± Taozhi asked.


    ¡°Mother wants to teach me how to write,¡± Zhao Xiaohua blurted.


    Meng Yao nudged Zhao Xiaohua and strode away. Then Zhao Xiaohua quivered and glared at Taozhi before running after her mother.


    ¡°Taozhi is too scary, Mother. Does that mean she can know whatever she wants?¡± Zhao Xiaohua stopped and panted when she saw that Taozhi couldn¡¯t catch up.


    It was taxing for Zhao Xiaohua to run because she was heavier than others.


    ¡°You won¡¯t be affected if you don¡¯t look into Taozhi¡¯s eyes,¡± Meng Yao said.


    ¡°Oh yeah, her eyes were gorgeous, and I couldn¡¯t help but look a few times,¡± Zhao Xiaohua said embarrassedly.


    Meng Yao pinched Zhao Xiaohua¡¯s chubby cheeks. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. We¡¯ll take it slow, Xiaohua.¡±


    ¡°Should we tell everyone Taozhi could be a temptress?¡± Zhao Xiaohua was anxious.


    ¡°We don¡¯t have any proof of it. Others might not believe you even if you told them about Taozhi. They might even think you¡¯re crazy,¡± Meng Yao said. ¡°Also, Taozhi hasn¡¯t done anything to hurt anyone yet. Let¡¯s not overthink. There¡¯s always a way out of these things.¡±


    After that, Meng Yao and Zhao Xiaohua carried a basket of river sand home. Still, they couldn¡¯t use the wet sand, so they spread it, dried it, and sifted it. They could only use the finest river sand for writing.


    ¡°Can we get a stone slab and use the charcoal pencil you made yesterday?¡± Zhao Xiaohua asked.


    ¡°Just write on the sand. You can wipe it away when you finish writing and use it again. If you use a stone slab, you will have to wipe it with a wet cloth and wait for it to dry before you can use it again,¡± Meng Yao said.


    When the sand dried, Meng Yao used a dustpan and carried it to Zhao Xiaoshu¡¯s room.


    There was a lot of sand in the dustpan, and after writing a few words with a branch, the writing became illegible.


    ¡°Mother, can you make me a few wooden plates with sides and cover them with a thin layer of sand so I can expose the wooden plate whenever I write in the sand?¡± Zhao Xiaoshu said animatedly.


    ¡°You can do it instead.¡± Meng Yao asked.


    Zhao Xiaoshu nodded. ¡°It¡¯s very straightforward.¡±


    Meng Yao found Zhao Xiaoshu¡¯s tools and brought along some wooden boards. Zhao Xiaoshu made three wooden plates with sides in just half a day after chiseling, carving, and sanding.


    Zhao Xiaoshu made the plates without any glue or nails, yet it was seamless. At that moment, Meng Yao believed Zhao Xiaoshu had learned all the skills of a carpenter.


    Meng Yao saw Zhao Xiaoshu create mortises and tenons that future generations highly sought after. However, only a few could master it.


    ¡°Is that good?¡± Zhao Xiaoshu asked expectantly.


    ¡°All right, that¡¯s great! You¡¯re incredible, Xiaoshu,¡± Meng Yao didn¡¯t hold back her praise.


    With a wooden plate in each hand, Meng Yao began teaching her two children about the classic Three Musketeers. She told them to read it thoroughly before memorizing it.


    Meng Yao knew it would take some time before she could finish teaching them, but Zhao Xiaoshu had already memorized it in one go.


    ¡°I memorized the story when Dahe read it.¡± Zhao Xiaoshu was honest.


    ¡°When was that?¡± Meng Yao asked.


    After all, Zhao Xiaoshu was only two years old when Zhao Dahe began his studies.


    ¡°I listened to Dahe recite it when I was five,¡± Zhao Xiaoshu said.


    Meng Yao felt inferior to her third son. She could only recite a few short poems when she was five. Moreover, she had to read them repeatedly before she could memorize them.


    Zhao Xiaohua was much more straightforward compared to Zhao Xiaoshu. Whenever Meng Yao read a book, she could only remember three sentences. She was pretty dimwitted.


    However, Zhao Xiaohua wasn¡¯t five but nine. Meng Yao almost collapsed.


    Meanwhile, Zhao Xiaohua felt distressed and under a lot of pressure because Zhao Xiaoshu was brilliant.


    Meng Yao glanced at Zhao Xiaoshu and had an idea. ¡°Teach your sister to recite it, Xiaoshu. We¡¯ll learn to read when you¡¯re familiar with it, so don¡¯t think it¡¯s a waste of time.¡±


    Zhao Xiaoshu nodded.


    Meng Yao was delighted. ¡°You two study while I go make some food.¡±

 Chapter 27

    Meng Yao rolled some red beans and steamed some glutinous rice. She made bean rolls because it was a simple and tasty dish.


    Meng Yao started cutting them when Zhao Dajiang entered the kitchen. ¡°You¡¯re just in time. Bring one of these to Xiu¡¯er. You should eat some too,¡± Meng Yao said.


    Zhao Dajiang never questioned his mother and would do everything she told him. Then Meng Yao cut the rest and brought them to Zhao Xiaoshu¡¯s room.


    Despair filled Zhao Xiaohua¡¯s face while Zhao Xiaoshu revealed rare helplessness.


    ¡°How¡¯s your learning going?¡± Meng Yao asked smilingly, even though she knew the answer.


    ¡°I failed to learn, Mother.¡± Zhao Xiaohua was embarrassed.


    ¡°Learning isn¡¯t something that happens overnight. You must take it step by step,¡± Meng Yao advised.


    It was just the beginning, so Meng Yao couldn¡¯t hurt Zhao Xiaohua¡¯s confidence. Otherwise, it would be more challenging to deal with Zhao Xiaohua if she developed a rebellious mentality.


    ¡°Am I dimwitted, Mother?¡± Zhao Xiaohua sniffled, feeling sad. She tried her best to learn but could not recite as skillfully as Zhao Xiaoshu. She would always stammer and forget the story.


    ¡°No one said you¡¯re dimwitted. One cannot measure another¡¯s intelligence by one standard. A person who can read might not be good at other things, so would you say that person is dimwitted? No, because they know how to read.¡±


    ¡°With that in mind, you can¡¯t call a person dimwitted just because they didn¡¯t study well. Just like you. Aren¡¯t you good at eating?¡± Meng Yao stumped herself with her words. She couldn¡¯t tell what else Zhao Xiaohua was good at, even with her predecessor¡¯s memories.


    The original Meng Yao was excellent at needlework, but the current Meng Yao found it tiring. As the only daughter, Zhao Xiaohua didn¡¯t inherit the former¡¯s skills.


    The scene of Zhao Xiaohua eating filled Meng Yao¡¯s mind, so she blurted out the last words under Zhao Xiaohua¡¯s expectant gaze.


    Zhao Xiaohua pouted as tears rolled down her face. ¡°Why are you mocking me, Mother?¡± Zhao Xiaohua felt wronged.


    Zhao Xiaohua was already sad, yet her mother didn¡¯t comfort her and even used Zhao Xiaohua¡¯s shortcomings to attack her.


    ¡°N-No, I didn¡¯t mean to mock you,¡± Meng Yao hurriedly coaxed Zhao Xiaohua. ¡°Eating is also a skill.¡±


    Zhao Xiaohua glared at Meng Yao. ¡°What kind of skill is that?!¡±


    ¡°Tasting delicious food is an excellent skill. I remember taking you to eat some wontons once. I thought they were delicious, but you said they lacked flavor. When the shopkeeper asked what was wrong, you told him it was missing flavor, and when we returned the next day, business was booming.¡±


    ¡°The shopkeeper even treated us to several bowls of wontons when they saw you,¡± Meng Yao hurriedly explained.


    Meng Yao got that from her predecessor¡¯s memory.


    Nonetheless, Zhao Xiaohua enjoyed eating a few bowls of wontons without spending any money.


    However, Zhao Xiaohua was an influential older woman in later generations.


    ¡°What¡¯s that supposed to mean?!¡± Zhao Xiaohua thundered.


    Meng Yao failed to comfort Zhai Xiaohua. No matter what she said, Zhao Xiaohua firmly believed she was dimwitted.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t we have some snacks before continuing our discussion?¡± Meng Yao tried diverting Zhao Xiaohua¡¯s attention.


    Food always had power over Zhao Xiaohua. The red bean roll drew Zhao Xiaohua¡¯s attention.


    Meng Yao placed a small plate in front of Zhao Xiaoshu and another in front of Zhao Xiaohua.


    ¡°It¡¯s delicious.¡± Zhao Xiaoshu was satisfied. He had never eaten something so soft and sticky before. The red bean rolls were also sweet and fragrant.


    ¡°It¡¯s pretty delicious, but you should use less sugar, Mother. The sugar is overpowering the fragrance of the glutinous rice and red beans,¡± Zhao Xiaohua said casually.


    Meng Yao thought children preferred sweeter foods, so she deliberately added more sugar.


    ¡®How could Xiaohua tell from just tasting?¡¯


    ¡°You¡¯re incredible, Xiaohua. My hand shook when I added the sugar, so I accidentally put too much. I¡¯m impressed you could tell,¡± Meng Yao praised her daughter sincerely.


    Zhao Xiaoshu also agreed. He was sincere when he praised Zhao Xiaohua. He heard from the customers in the carpenter shop that some people went to restaurants just to taste dishes.


    Meng Yao was shocked that people from ancient times could be so trendy.


    Then Meng Yao took the opportunity to tell the twins about their talents. After some explanation, Zhao Xiaohua finally believed different people¡¯s talents would show in various aspects.


    Zhao Xiaoshu¡¯s talents were more influential since he was good with his mind and hands. He wasn¡¯t afraid to study and even quickly learned carpentry.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay if you can¡¯t learn it in a day. You¡¯ll get the hang of it in a few days,¡± Meng Yao encouraged Zhao Xiaohua.


    After that, Zhao Xiaohua pulled her mother to look at the drawing of the skeleton.


    Then Meng Yao realized how much people¡¯s intelligence differed. Zhao Xiaohua couldn¡¯t recite the Three Musketeers but could remember the joints and acupuncture points after one explanation.


    Zhao Xiaohua was delighted. ¡°Does that mean I won¡¯t have to recite the Three Musketeers anymore?¡±


    ¡°Learning will only benefit you,¡± Meng Yao said. ¡°But you don¡¯t have to feel pressured.¡±


    Zhao Xiaohua happily agreed, ¡°I¡¯ll listen to you, Mother.¡±


    Meanwhile, Meng Yao took advantage of their break time and discreetly drew the human anatomy alongside its acupuncture points and organs.


    Zhao Xiaohua happily accepted the two drawings calmly compared to the skeleton.


    Once again, Meng Yao realized everyone¡¯s talent differed. Zhao Xiaohua was a genuine older woman in the future, and at the same time, she excelled at medicine.


    Still, Zhao Xiaoshu was even more impressive. He was an excellent learner. Although he wasn¡¯t as good as Zhao Xiaohua in medicine, he was still better than most.


    When Meng Yao mentioned which organs would cause death when injured and which acupuncture point would react after getting pierced, Zhao Xiaohua could quickly remember them. She would even raise questions and conclude.


    However, Zhao Xiaohua¡¯s questions made Meng Yao speechless. Zhao Xiaohua wanted to apply her lessons to killing people.


    Zhao Xiaoshu was ruthless in the future. Although Meng Yao had changed Zhao Xiaoshu¡¯s fate, it was impossible to change a person¡¯s nature.


    Zhao Xiaoshu looked harmless, but they would suffer a terrible fate if someone provoked her.


    Meng Yao hoped her process of caring for her children would be smooth and without variables.


    ¡°My father was amazing, wasn¡¯t he?¡± Zhao Xiaohua was full of hope and admiration when she finished her lesson. ¡°If only he were still here.¡±


    Zhao Ting taught Meng Yao everything she knew.


    The original Meng Yao was heartbroken and unwilling to show she missed her husband. But after some thought, she realized she had to nurture her children¡¯s talents. Only then could she face Zhao Ting.


    However, the current Meng Yao did not care if she let Zhao Ting down. Zhao Ting belonged to the original Meng Yao, after all.

 Chapter 28

    Meng Yao picked up her predecessor¡¯s embroidery skills as she taught the twins. She had to support her family, after all.


    Zhao Dajiang could only do farm work but could not do much by himself. The Zhao family barely had land, and the daily output wasn¡¯t enough to sustain their livelihood. It wasn¡¯t even enough for him and Song Xiu¡¯er.


    For half a year, they had to use their silver to buy food from the villagers or go to the stores in town.


    Nonetheless, the original Meng Yao was impressive. The current Ming Yao only needed a little practice before she could sew again since she had access to her predecessor¡¯s memories.


    It was as if she was born with it.


    The original Meng Yao would sew with a round fan which was popular amongst the madams and young ladies of wealthy families. They would use the fans to cover their faces coquettishly.


    Coincidentally, Ying Luo enjoyed collecting such antique objects. She bought a few round fans that cost seven to eight hundred yuan. She would then use her painting skills to decorate them with some flowers and even sell them for a profit.


    The flowers the original Meng Yao painted were ordinary. However, she made them more colorful with her excellent needlework. After Meng Yao finished sewing the fan, she took the finished product and the flowers she painted to the town¡¯s Hundred Embroidery Manor.


    Selling off the fans could earn Meng Yao five hundred yuan, and the original Meng Yao could embroider six of them in a month, meaning she could earn three taels of silver.


    No wonder she could support Zhao Dahe¡¯s studies while feeding the entire family. Meng Yao simply maxed out her ability to make money.


    The manager of the Hundred Embroidery Manor was very familiar with the original Meng Yao. As soon as Meng Yao appeared, the manager came forward to welcome her.


    Meng Yao handed the fan to the manager. The manager looked at it and smiled, ¡°It looks like your embroidery skills have improved again, Madam Zhao.¡±


    Of course, Meng Yao wouldn¡¯t miss this chance to bargain. ¡°Does that mean you¡¯ll pay me more, Mr. Liu?¡±


    Mr. Liu was straightforward and didn¡¯t get angry at Meng Yao. He replied cheerfully, ¡°Of course! We¡¯ve said that the better the quality, the better the price. That¡¯s the rule our boss set for us. If not for that, who would hone their embroidery skills?¡±


    Instead of earning five hundred yuan, Meng Yao now earned five hundred and fifty yuan. In other words, she could earn an extra three hundred yuan. One pound of pork cost fifteen yuan, so three hundred yuan could buy twenty pounds.


    Meng Yao was just about to take out the flowers she painted after settling the bill when Mr. Liu walked past her and called out to another guest in surprise.


    Meng Yao turned her head, and the corners of her mouth twitched. It was Taozhi. The little girl was not around when Meng Yao arrived.


    ¡°Madam Zhao?¡± Taozhi said in surprise.


    Meng Yao only nodded.


    Mr. Liu was quite surprised. ¡°You two know each other?¡±


    ¡°Madam Zhao and I are from Shanghua Village,¡± Taozhi said.


    ¡°The Shanghua Village is amazing. Not only do they have skilled embroiderers like Madam Zhao, but also someone with exquisite painting skills like Miss Taozhi,¡± Mr. Liu sighed.


    Meng Yao and Taozhi looked at each other in unison. Meng Yao hurriedly emptied her mind. Although it looked like she was looking at Taoizhi, she didn¡¯t focus.


    There was nothing else Meng Yao could do. The little girl might be a temptress, and if Meng Yao weren¡¯t careful, she would fall for the little girl¡¯s tricks.


    Taozhi remained silent, but Mr. Liu showed Meng Yao the flowers Taozhi painted, ¡°The flowers look so real, don¡¯t they, Madam Zhao?¡±


    The painting consisted of various flowers, plants, and animals like birds and other smaller creatures. Meng Yao had to admit the painting was perfect. It was a direct copy of real life on paper.


    The bird in the painting looked like it would fly out of the painting. Taozhi¡¯s painting rivaled that of a picture taken with an expensive camera.


    ¡°That¡¯s beautiful, Taozhi,¡± Meng Yao sighed in admiration.


    Mr. Liu paid forty taels of silver for the four paintings. As expected, the Hundred Embroidery Manor valued quality.


    Taozhi took the silver and made an appointment with Mr. Liu for the next time she came to sell him more paintings before leaving.


    ¡°Can you embroider this, Madam Zhao?¡± Mr. Liu asked.


    Meng Yao shook her head decisively. She could do it, but her instincts told her to avoid everything related to Taozhi.


    Mr. Liu sighed, ¡°As expected, we can¡¯t display these things.¡±


    Meng Yao was puzzled. ¡°Why did you buy it if you can¡¯t display it, Mr. Liu?¡±


    ¡°When Miss Taozhi first came here to sell us her paintings, my boss happened to be around and liked her painting skills. These are all for my boss,¡± Mr. Liu answered.


    ¡®So that¡¯s how it is.¡¯


    Then Meng Yao took out the flowers she painted, her face calm. ¡°What do you think of this, Mr. Liu?¡±


    It was a picture of the four beauties. They were a series of Four Beauties, Cowherd and the Weaver Girl, and Chang¡¯E¡¯ Flying to the Moon.


    Mr. Liu widened his mouth in shock. From his many years managing the Hundred Embroidery Manor, Mr. Liu could tell that these flowers would look great embroidered onto a fan or screen. If one¡¯s embroidery skills were good enough, others would highly seek the patterns.


    ¡®That¡¯s how a proper flower should look! The color matching and needlework are exquisite.¡¯


    Whether it was a person or an animal, the design was clever. It wasn¡¯t as realistic as Taozhi¡¯s, but people would like it after minor touch-ups. Taozhi¡¯s drawings looked natural, beautiful, and had a story.


    If they could launch a series of designs, Hundred Embroidery Manor¡¯s business would boom.


    Mr. Liu very courteously invited Meng Yao to the back of the courtyard for tea and even ordered someone to prepare delicious desserts.


    ¡°How much are you willing to sell these paintings for, Madam Zhao?¡± Mr. Liu went straight to the point.


    ¡°How much do you think it¡¯s worth?¡± Meng Yao put the ball in Mr. Liu¡¯s court this time. She was confident her flower design was worth far more than Taozhi¡¯s painting.


    That was her endless source of wealth, after all. Although Taozhi¡¯s paintings were priceless, Mr. Liu had to find someone who could embroider them. However, that was Meng Yao¡¯s business.


    ¡°Twenty taels a piece.¡± Mr. Liu didn¡¯t waste any time.


    That was an acceptable price to Meng Yao. However, she wanted to bargain for more.


    ¡°That¡¯s only a piece of a trio series,¡± Meng Yao said without changing her expression.


    ¡°Are you saying you have more, Madam Zhao?¡±


    ¡°Mrs. Zhao, are you saying that you have other things?¡± Mr. Liu felt like his heart was about to jump out of his chest.


    Initially, Mr. Liu had set his mind at ease and would obediently manage the town¡¯s Hundred Embroidery Manor for the rest of his life. However, he wondered what would happen if he could bring the Hundred Embroidery Manor¡¯s business to another level. Maybe even more than that.


    ¡°I will also mark the sewing points. Then the skilled embroiderers of the Hundred Embroidery Manot would have no problems recreating my paintings into embroideries,¡± Meng Yao said.


    ¡°Unless you want me to guide your embroiderers. I can do that too,¡± Meng Yao added.


    ¡°Thirty taels,¡± Mr. Liu said decisively.


    Meng Yao smiled happily. She thought she could get twenty-five taels at most, but thirty taels were more than she expected.


    ¡°Of course, there are conditions. These designs can only belong to the Hundred Embroidery Manor. In other words, you can¡¯t sell your designs to others. The Hundred Embroidery Manor are the only ones allowed to produce them,¡± Mr. Liu said.

 Chapter 29

    Meng Yao smiled and agreed. ¡°Of course. I¡¯ll sell you four pieces of Four Beauties, four of Chang¡¯E¡¯ Flying to the Moon, and four Cowherd and the Weaver Girl. That¡¯ll be three hundred and sixty taels.¡±


    Mr. Liu Liu nodded. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Madam Zhao. I won¡¯t shortchange you. However, we must create a contract so everyone can be at ease.¡±


    Meng Yao nodded. ¡°That¡¯s reasonable.¡±


    Mr. Liu wrote the contract, signed his name, and stamped it using the Hundred Embroidery Manor seal.


    On the other hand, Meng Yao signed her name and stamped her fingerprint. It was a pity that the handwriting was a little ugly. She had never practiced with a brush before, and there were many strokes in her name. It was not easy for her to be able to write it cleanly.


    Mr. Liu¡¯s handwriting was much neater in comparison. Even so, he was shocked. After all, to his knowledge, there was almost no woman in the countryside who could read, let alone write.


    Mr. Liu praised Meng Yao a few times.


    Meng Yao graciously said that Zhao Ting had taught her and that her son was also studying now.


    It was easy for scholars to gain favor in that Era. Meng Yao mentioned Zhao Dahe to raise her status. There was a big difference between farming and studying. One could pass down knowledge while the other could provide food for the family.


    Sure enough, there was a hint of admiration in Mr. Liu¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°I¡¯ll give you three hundred and fifty taels in silver notes. I will give you the rest in taels,¡± said Mr. Liu.


    It would be too eye-catching for Meng Yao to walk around with that much silver. Although the world was at peace in that era, no one could guarantee Meng Yao¡¯s safety.


    Meng Yao thanked Mr. Liu Liu for his thoughtfulness and put the taels into her purse, then the silver notes into her bosom.


    ¡°Then what will you be purchasing today, Madam Zhao?¡± Mr. Liu asked Meng Yao as usual.


    Meng Yao decisively refused. Although she had inherited the original Meng Yao¡¯s embroidery skills and was quite interested in them, it didn¡¯t mean she was willing to do embroidery day and night.


    If Meng Yao continuously embroidered for a year, she would only get around thirty taels of silver. Now, she had earned an additional three hundred and thirty taels and could support Zhao Xiaoshu¡¯s studies for a few years.


    Moreover, Meng Yao could paint whenever she wasn¡¯t doing embroidery. She didn¡¯t have to worry about a shortage of money.


    Mr. Liu was somewhat regretful. ¡°I like your embroideries, Madam Zhao.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not like I won¡¯t embroider anything. When I do so, I¡¯ll give priority to the Hundred Embroidery Manor,¡± Meng Yao promised.


    Of course, she had to butter up to her golden goose.


    ¡°Mr. Liu, I hope to keep the fact that I¡¯m the painter of these art pieces a secret.¡±


    An ordinary man was innocent, but treasure would make him greedy and guilty. Meng Yao understood that. After all, the Hundred Embroidery Manor did not monopolize their business. They had many competitors, and Meng Yao could be in danger if they found out about her dealings.


    Mr. Liu also understood that principle. He immediately promised to keep their dealing a secret. After all, Meng Yao looked worried.


    Meng Yao was a little nervous upon leaving the Hundred Embroidery Manor because she was carrying a lot of money. The silver notes in ancient times differed from debit cards from the future. One could not recover lost silver notes with a password, while anyone could exchange them for actual silver taels in ancient times.


    ¡®If only there were a safer place to store the notes,¡¯ Meng Yao thought.


    Suddenly, a strange thing happened. The taels in Meng Yao¡¯s hand were gone. Then, Meng Yao checked her bosom and realized the silver notes were also gone.


    Meng Yao had read a few transmigration novels in the past and knew many characters who possessed unique abilities like incredible luck and pocket dimensions.


    Before this, Meng Yao never thought of putting her money in a safe place, so she never realized that she had a pocket dimension.


    Meng Yao focused her attention and silently said in her heart, ¡®Retrieve one piece of silver.¡¯ Then she felt a weight inside the empty purse.


    Meng Yao wanted to see how big her pocket dimension was, but she did not dare risk doing such a thing on the street.


    Meng Yao read that some transmigrators would fall into a slumber after using the pocket dimension. Some would even resemble wooden statues while using it. The requirements to use the pocket dimension were a little harsh. Therefore, it was better to study it at home.


    Meng Yao prepared to go shopping after retrieving some taels from her pocket dimension.


    Song Xiu¡¯er didn¡¯t have many clothes, so Meng Yao picked a few feet of fabric suitable for Song Xiu¡¯er. Song Xiu¡¯er could sew some clothes for herself when she came out of her confinement.


    However, Meng Yao couldn¡¯t just give some fabric to her daughter-in-law, not Zhao Dajiang. She picked out a few more feet of coarse fabric in two colors¡ªdark blue and gray.


    Then Meng Yao bought two outfits that were just right for Zhao Dahe. In the past, the original Meng Yao made Zhao Dahe¡¯s clothes. However, the current Meng Yao didn¡¯t want to do that. But she had plenty of money on hand, so of course, she would just buy it.


    Zhao Xiaoshu also didn¡¯t have many clothes, so it was time to buy a few more. To further influence her son, Meng Yao decisively picked out a roll of cotton fabric and prepared to go home to sew the clothes herself. Meanwhile, Meng Yao only had one daughter, and she did not want to appear biased.


    As for herself, the original Meng Yao dressed more maturely. The current Meng Yao didn¡¯t like any of her clothes, but when she thought about it, the women in the countryside dressed the same way.


    Meng Yao dared not stand out too much, so she copied Mr. Liu¡¯s style and bought two plain ready-made clothes¡ªa light pink coat with gray pants. They looked clean and simple.


    The fabric and clothes cost a total of eight taels. Among them, the fabric for Song Xiu¡¯er and Zhao Dahe¡¯s ready-made clothes was the most expensive.


    Meng Yao didn¡¯t feel bad for spending so much because earning money was a never-ending cycle. She could just spend whatever she had and earn more next time.


    After that, Meng Yao bought a few more desserts and candied fruits before heading straight to the Cypress Hall, where Zhao Dahe studied.


    The older gentleman guarding the door had a good memory and recognized Meng Yao. He happily let her in and told her to wait. There were fifteen minutes more before lessons were over.


    After Meng Yao thanked the older gentleman, she followed the route she remembered and went to the center of Cypress Hall.


    Soon after, Zhao Dahe arrived with a young man about the same height as him but as fair and chubby as Zhao Xiaohua. Zhao Dahe was highly excited about Meng Yao¡¯s arrival. ¡°What good stuff did you bring me, Mother?¡±


    Meng Yao fished the snacks and clothes she bought and handed them to Zhao Dahe. However, his smile diminished slightly. ¡°Mother, you didn¡¯t make these. Didn¡¯t you say you¡¯d always make the clothes I wear?¡±


    ¡°Song Xiu¡¯er needs to recuperate, and so does Xiaoshu. You know what kind of person Zhao Dajiang is, and Xiaohua¡¯s mood hasn¡¯t been good lately. I¡¯m so busy I have to split myself in two.¡±


    ¡°On top of that, I still have my embroidery work. You¡¯ve always loved me, so I¡¯m sure you won¡¯t want to see me tire myself out just to make clothes for you. Instead, I bought some ready-made ones for you,¡± Meng Yao said seriously.


    Meng Yao¡¯s reason was sound, so Zhao Dahe couldn¡¯t argue. He could only obediently wear the ready-made clothes his mother bought. After all, they were new nonetheless.


    ¡°All right, put away your long face. The next time you come home, I¡¯ll make you something delicious,¡± Meng Yao promised. Even though Zhao Dahe was not as old as Zhao Xiaohua, he was still a glutton.


    As expected, Zhao Dahe¡¯s eyes instantly lit up, and the chubby boy next to him stared at Meng Yao like a spotlight.

 Chapter 30

    ¡°What delicious food will you be making, Aunt Zhao?¡± Qin Zhen asked excitedly.


    Zhao Dahe proclaimed that his mother¡¯s cooking skills had improved, and Qin Zheng was great at eating. Therefore, he was curious about how delicious Meng Yao¡¯s food would be.


    ¡°I¡¯m just making some home-cooked food,¡± Meng Yao replied smilingly.


    The chubby boy Zhao Dahe brought along was one of his best friends, so Meng Yao was amicable toward him.


    ¡°I love eating home-cooked food, Aunt Zhao.¡± The chubby boy had a sincere look on his face.


    ¡°Enough, Qin Zheng. If you want food, go back to your own house!¡± Zhao Dahe punched Qin Zheng¡¯s shoulder in dissatisfaction.


    Qin Zheng called Meng Yao ¡°Aunt Zhao¡± once and then again. Qin Zheng was getting too comfortable.


    ¡°Sigh, I know my family chef¡¯s cooking is decent, but can¡¯t I change my palate once in a while? You know you¡¯re my only friend. Where else can I go besides your home,¡± Qin Zheng said with conviction.


    ¡°Then don¡¯t come empty-handed,¡± Zhao Dahe said after some thought.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m not that impolite.¡± Qin Zheng grinned from ear to ear.


    It was evident these two had a good relationship, or at least Meng Yao never saw Zhao Dahe being so intimate with his siblings.


    ¡°You should bring Qin Zheng home with you more often, Dahe. Then I¡¯ll make more food.¡± Meng Yao welcomed Qin Zheng.


    ¡°Then I will have to impose on you.¡± Qin Zheng cupped his hands and bowed at Meng Yao.


    Seeing that it was getting late, Meng Yao prepared to leave. After taking two steps, she remembered something. ¡°Dahe, do you have enough money with you? If you don¡¯t, I can give you some.¡±


    Even though Meng Yao told Zhao Dahe to handle his tuition fees independently, she had some extra money on hand. She could now afford to support Zhao Dahe a little.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Aunt Zhao. Lady Luck visited your son recently. He received a reward from the principal and has yet to use it. Besides, next time¡ª¡± Qin Zheng chuckled, but Zhao Dahe covered his mouth before he could finish.


    Qin Zheng was exemplary in every way, except his mouth was too big sometimes.


    ¡°Mother, if you don¡¯t hurry, you might miss Mr. Niu¡¯s oxcart,¡± Zhao Dahe urged Meng Yao.


    Meng Yao gave Zhao Dahe a pensive look and forced a scary smile. Zhao Dahe¡¯s heart trembled when he saw this, and he felt that his mother had discovered something.


    Zhao Dahe was a child, so it was okay if he wanted to keep some money for himself. Meng Yao was very generous about it.


    ¡°Well then, take good care of yourself. If you need anything, just get Mr. Niu to send me a message.¡± Zhao Dahe walked behind Meng Yao as she departed for home.


    Qin Zheng was puzzled. ¡°Dahe, why did you cover my mouth just now? Why didn¡¯t you tell Aunt Zhao that you had received three taels of silver from the principal? If I had your ambition and ability, I¡¯d tell my parents and make them happy.¡±


    ¡°Do you think I¡¯m like you?¡± Zhao Dahe rolled his eyes at his good friend. ¡°Your family has been in business for generations while my family doesn¡¯t earn as much as yours. Your family has a big business and can earn more monthly than my family can in a year. Also, I didn¡¯t tell my mother I would get three taels of silver if I placed first in class because I want to keep it for myself.¡±


    ¡°S-So you plan on keeping it a secret?¡± Qin Feng asked hesitantly.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you see my mother¡¯s expression just now? She saw through me,¡± Zhao Dahe mumbled, ¡°I don¡¯t know what¡¯s wrong with her because she seems a little different from before. It¡¯s not that she doesn¡¯t dote on me anymore, but it feels different and bizarre now.


    ¡°Do you think Aunt Zhao¡¯s change is a good thing or a bad thing?¡± Qin Feng asked.


    Zhao Dahe pondered before he replied, ¡°I think it¡¯s good.¡±


    Qin Zheng spread his hands. ¡°That settles it then. If it¡¯s good, what¡¯s there to be puzzled over? After all, humans are fickle.¡±


    Zhao Dahe nodded and said, ¡°You¡¯re right.¡±


    ¡­


    As Meng Yao placed some cloth on Song Xiu¡¯er¡¯s bed, Song Xiu¡¯er said, ¡°I¡¯ll make clothes for Xiaoshu, Mother.¡±


    Song Xiu¡¯er¡¯s natural response was fast.


    ¡°Those aren¡¯t for Xiaohua. It¡¯s for you,¡± Meng Yao said.


    Song Xiu¡¯er quickly waved her hands, ¡°The patterns are too bright, so they¡¯re more suited for young girls. It¡¯s not suitable for a person like me.¡±


    ¡°A young girl?¡± Meng Yao raised her tone. ¡°How old are you again, Xiu¡¯er?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be seventeen when the new year comes,¡± Song Xiu¡¯er whispered.


    ¡°You¡¯re still a young girl,¡± Meng Yao chastised. ¡°I gave you what¡¯s yours. Don¡¯t even think about giving these to Xiaohua. It¡¯d be a waste if you do and she doesn¡¯t like it. Don¡¯t rush to make the clothes. You should focus on recuperating first.¡±


    Song Xiu¡¯er¡¯s face was apprehensive, ¡°B-But I¡­¡±


    Zhao Dajiang, standing on the sidelines, said, ¡°Mother already said those are for you. You should just keep it. Why are you still hesitating?¡±


    Don¡¯t think that Zhao Dajiang was speaking for Song Xiu¡¯er¡¯s sake. With a glance, Meng Yao knew that her simple-minded eldest son was only carrying out his orders.


    One should always accept a gift. Otherwise, it would be rude. Similarly, one cannot ask for a gift. That¡¯s not right either.


    Meng Yao heaved a long sigh. She had a long way to go if she wanted to change Song Xiu¡¯er and Zhao Dajiang.


    Meng Yao stopped arguing with Song Xiu¡¯er and Zhao Dajiang. She picked up her things and went to Zhao Xiaoshu¡¯s room. As soon as she entered, Zhao Xiaohua flew toward her. ¡°Mother, hurry! You need to fix Xiaoshu¡¯s arm!¡±


    Meng Yao was stunned. ¡°What?!¡±


    ¡°Xiaoshu wanted to practice joint dislocation with me. I did it, but I can¡¯t put it back,¡± Zhao Xiaohua said frowningly.


    Zhao Xiaoshu¡¯s left arm was hanging at an unnatural angle. Even an adult wouldn¡¯t be able to bear the pain. However, Zhao Xiaoshu didn¡¯t make a sound even though he was only a child.


    If it weren¡¯t for Zhao Xiaoshu¡¯s pale face and sweat on his forehead, Meng Yao would never have guessed that he was hurting.


    ¡°I bought some cotton to make clothes for you. What would you like? Just let me know,¡± Meng Yao gently asked as she sat down.


    When Zhao Xiaoshu lowered his guard, Meng Yao grabbed his shoulder with one hand and his arm with the other. Then she tightened her grip and popped Zhao Xiaoshu¡¯s arm back into place.


    Meng Yao said with a dark expression, ¡°Xiaohua, did you forget that Xiaoshu is your brother? Others might not know how painful it is to have their joints dislocated, but you do. You¡¯re so young. Why is your heart so cold?¡±


    Zhao Xiaohua was scared of her mother. She stood in a daze and mumbled, ¡°I-I just wanted to try and see if I could do it.¡±


    ¡°So, you tried it on your little brother?¡±


    Zhao Xiaohua¡¯s eyes were rimmed red, and she looked like she was about to cry.


    ¡°Don¡¯t cry,¡± Meng Yao said sternly.


    Zhao Xiaohua shivered and bit her lip, attempting to hold back her tears.


    Meng Yao stood up and walked toward Zhao Xiaohua. She said expressionlessly, ¡°You¡¯ll never know how painful it is unless you experience it yourself. I¡¯m teaching you this so others won¡¯t bully you, not for you to bully Xiaoshu. Do you want me to dislocate your arm, or do you want to do it yourself?¡±

 Chapter 31

    Zhao Xiaohua looked at Meng Yao in disbelief, but Meng Yao remained expressionless.


    ¡°You¡¯re not my mother. My mother would never treat me like this!¡± Zhao Xiaohua cried.


    Meng Yao sneered. ¡°Do you think I wanted to be your mother?¡±


    Who would be willing to give up their air conditioning, computers, and mobile phones to come to this era if they had any other choice?


    ¡°When you do something wrong, you must admit it and correct yourself, not run away. You¡¯ll surely say that Xiaoshu agreed to this, but did he know it¡¯d hurt this much?¡± Meng Yao said mercilessly.


    ¡°I only said a few words to you, yet you¡¯re already crying and making a fuss. Don¡¯t be so selfish, Xiaohua!¡±


    Zhao Xiaoshu was nervous. He looked at Meng Yao, then at Zhao Xiaohua. ¡°Mother, it doesn¡¯t hurt that much.¡±


    Meng Yao took a deep breath. ¡°Xiaoshu, are you stupid? You don¡¯t even know what it feels like if your joints get dislocated, yet you were going to practice with Xiaohua? Did you stop to think about what would happen to your arm if I hadn¡¯t come back today? It would¡¯ve just gone on hurting. Did you know you could get disabled if your arm stays dislocated for too long?¡±


    Zhao Xiaoshu did not reply, while Zhao Xiaohua wailed continuously, ¡°Mother, I was wrong. I know I was. I won¡¯t do it again.¡±


    Zhao Xiaoshu did not know his arm would become disabled if he didn¡¯t get it fixed in time. He thought it would be reversible.


    ¡°Even if you apologize, you shouldn¡¯t be apologizing to me. It was Xiaoshu who suffered,¡± Meng Yao said.


    ¡°Xiaoshu, I¡¯m sorry. Please forgive me,¡± Zhao Xiaohua said as tears continued to roll down her cheeks.


    ¡°Xiaohua, don¡¯t cry. I¡¯m not angry with you,¡± Zhao Xiaoshu said. His mother had reattached his arm, and most of the pain had subsided.


    Zhao Xiaohua wiped away her tears, gritted her teeth, and turned to Meng Yao. ¡°Mother, you can pull my arm.¡±


    Zhao Xiaoshu pleaded for mercy, but Meng Yao was unwilling to let Zhao Xiaohua off the hook. Meng Yao ruthlessly pulled at Zhao Xiaohua¡¯s arm.


    Zhao Xiaohua would never learn if she didn¡¯t experience how painful it was.


    Meng Yao pulled Zhao Xiaohua¡¯s arm out of its socket without hesitation. Zhao Xiaohua bit her lips hard to suppress her cries. Zhao Xiaoshu could hold back his tears, so Zhao Xiaohua thought the least she could do was suppress hers.


    ¡°Endure it for half an hour, and I¡¯ll reattach it for you later,¡± Meng Yao proclaimed.


    However, Zhao Xiaoshu could not bear to see his twin sister like that. ¡°Mother, Xiaohua has already learned her lesson. Let¡¯s not wait that long!¡±


    Zhao Xiaohua was in so much pain that her face started trembling. Meng Yao thought she could remain indifferent, but when she saw Zhao Xiaohua¡¯s pained expression, she instantly let down her guard.


    ¡°Since Xiaoshu interceded, I won¡¯t argue with you. If there¡¯s a next time, no matter who pleads for mercy, it won¡¯t work.¡± Meng Yao tried her best to seem cold. Then she reattached Xiaohua¡¯s arm.


    The excruciating pain lessened, and Zhao Xiaohua looked at Zhao Xiaoshu gratefully. Then she obediently replied, ¡°Mother, I understand what I did wrong. There will be no next time.¡±


    Meng Yao pulled Zhao Xiaohua into her arms. ¡°It¡¯s not that I¡¯m cruel, but Xiaoshu is your brother. I birthed you two as twins, so you should be closest to each other. I hope the two of you will love each other. I don¡¯t want you to think that Xiaoshu is unimportant because I previously ignored him.¡±


    Zhao Xiaohua was embarrassed that her mother read her thoughts so clearly. Zhao Xiaohua could ask her twin brother to practice with her without restraint despite knowing how painful it was to dislocate one¡¯s joints because she thought her mother would not blame her.


    However, it seemed that Meng Yao started treating the twins equally. No, Meng Yao treated Zhao Xiaoshu better because she caused Zhao Xiaoshu a lot of pain while Zhao Xiaohua had only been in pain for a short while.


    ¡°Don¡¯t think I forgive you because I don¡¯t want you to suffer. Xiaoshu pleaded for you, so I showed you mercy, ¡± Meng Yao emphasized.


    Zhao Xiaohua replied honestly, ¡°I will treat Xiaoshu better now, Mother.¡±


    Only then did Meng Yao nod in satisfaction. She should be strict as a parent. She would have a headache if her children became unruly.


    ¡­


    Meng Yao took Zhao Xiaoshu¡¯s measurements as he stood there stiffly.


    ¡°Are you truly going to make me new clothes, Mother?¡± Zhao Xiaoshu asked in disbelief.


    ¡°Then what? Do you think those colors would match me?¡± Zhao Xiaohua sneered.


    ¡°Xiaohua, your skin is so fair and clean. You¡¯d look good in any color,¡± Zhao Xiaoshu said in a severe tone.


    ¡°Oh, I didn¡¯t expect you to be so glib.¡± Zhao Xiaohua laughed. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Xiaoshu. I won¡¯t forget you if I receive any good things in the future. I never realized you were so good at buttering people up?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not buttering you up. I¡¯m just telling the truth. Your face is round and plump. It¡¯s so fair and ample, just like the steamed buns Mother makes, ¡± Zhao Xiaoshu said seriously.


    Meng Yao¡¯s hand trembled, and she couldn¡¯t help but laugh.


    Zhao Xiaoshu was so naive.


    Zhao Xiaohua¡¯s smile froze. She gritted her teeth and cried, ¡°Zhao! Xiao! Shu!¡±


    Zhao Xiaoshu did not understand what was going on. His big eyes filled with innocence. ¡°W-What¡¯s wrong, Xiaohua?¡±


    Meng Yao was beside herself in laughter. Meanwhile, Zhao Xiaohua had a glum look on her face, and Zhao Xiaoshu was puzzled.


    ¡°Mother, Xiaoshu did it on purpose,¡± Zhao Xiaohua whined.


    Zhao Xiaoshu asked, ¡°What did I do on purpose?¡±


    Meng Yao stopped laughing. ¡°Xiaoshu, it¡¯s not right to describe your sister as a steamed bun. It doesn¡¯t sound very nice.¡±


    Zhao Xiaoshu was dumbfounded. ¡°But they do look similar. What¡¯s wrong with being a steamed bun? Steamed buns taste so good. I love them!¡±


    Zhao Xiaohua was on the verge of tears. She was just a little chubby, so how did she look like a big white bun?


    ¡°Why you¡­¡± Zhao Xiaohua held back her words. They were as dry as cornbread.


    ¡°Whatever. From now on, you¡¯re not allowed to say that I look like a bun!¡± Zhao Xiaohua said fiercely. ¡°If I hear you say that again, I¡¯ll beat you up even if Mother tries to stop me!¡±


    Zhao Xiaoshu felt aggrieved, but he still nodded obediently. ¡°All right, I won¡¯t say that anymore.¡±


    ¡°Xiaoshu, Xiaohua just is a little girl. All little girls like to be called beautiful,¡± Meng Yao explained to Zhao Xiaoshu, ¡°If you want to praise her, you can say that her eyes and nose are pretty. Even though your sister is a little chubby right now, you can say she has the face of a porcelain doll. You should study more to use better words to describe others.¡±


    Zhao Xiaoshu committed it to memory. As long as he studied hard, he could learn more words to praise his sister and make her happy.


    After taking Zhao Xiaoshu¡¯s measurements, Meng Yao took Zhao Xiaohua¡¯s.


    ¡°Mother, I don¡¯t want any clothes just yet. You can make them for me after I¡¯ve lost some weight.¡± Zhao Xiaohua had a stubborn look in her eyes.


    ¡°Take it slow. It¡¯s not an urgent matter,¡± Meng Yao said.


    ¡°It is. It¡¯s very urgent,¡± Zhao Xiaohua said. Her brother had subconsciously described her as a steamed bun. In the eyes of outsiders, she was one. The people of Glittering Pavilion even called her a pig.


    Zhao Xiaohua gritted her teeth. ¡°I must slim down as quickly as possible. I must!¡±


    To slim down, Zhao Xiaohua had to be determined.


    Meng Yao smiled and said, ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll help you.¡±

 Chapter 32

    Meng Yao whipped up a simple regime for Zhao Xiaohua.


    Simply put, Zhao Xiaohua was only to drink water in the morning, eat meat in the afternoon, and consume vitamins at night. In addition, Meng Yao would watch Zhao Xiaohua as she ate to ensure she ate slowly and did not overeat.


    Zhao Xiaohua also had to stand at the wall after her three meals and exercise in the backyard every morning to improve her heart and lungs.


    It was unknown what Zhao Xiaohua said to her twin brother, but Zhao Xiaoshu would walk with his twin sister until he started sweating profusely.


    Combined with the military boxing that Meng Yao taught them, the effects were apparent.


    Zhao Xiaohua started losing a lot of weight and even started looking taller. She no longer looked like a cute little girl but a young woman. As for Zhao Xiaoshu, he did not look so thin and weak anymore.


    The results were gratifying.


    On top of that, Meng Yao realized that Zhao Xiaoshu had the potential to pursue martial arts. Of course, she didn¡¯t know of any secret martial arts techniques. Nevertheless, Zhao Xiaoshu was excellent at close combat. He could even exchange a few blows with Meng Yao.


    Zhao Xiaoshu had mastered carpentry within a year while his studies hadn¡¯t suffered. He spent less than 30,000 yuan a month and had already memorized his books. He might not be as good as Zhao Xiaohua, but he was still outstanding.


    In conclusion, Zhao Xiaoshu was akin to a hidden big shot.


    From the looks of it, Zhao Ting¡¯s genes were proving to be beneficial. Otherwise, how could the children be so outstanding?


    Of course, not all of them were outstanding¡ªtake Zhao Dajiang, for example.


    Meng Yao had already given up on trying to change Zhao Dajiang. In any case, he was a perfect robot. He would not make a single mistake if Meng Yao gave correct orders. Zhao Dajiang had, after all, taken good care of Song Xiu¡¯er over the past month.


    The thin and frail Song Xiu¡¯er that Meng Yao had met at the beginning had finally put on weight and gained some colors on her cheeks. However, the only thing Meng Yao felt she failed at was that Song Xiu¡¯er had become precisely like Zhao Dajiang. The two only did whatever Meng Yao told them.


    Zhao Dajiang and Song Xiu¡¯er were indeed a match made in Heaven.


    During that month, Meng Yao took her time to study and understand her pocket dimension. In essence, it resembled a warehouse she could upgrade.


    Meng Yao could use her pocket dimension to store things because it was stable. She could remove whatever she stored inside at a later time. Just its preservation functions alone were terrific.


    Of course, Meng Yao could only store inanimate objects in her pocket, not live animals. However, Meng Yao didn¡¯t know that at first, so she tried to put a chicken in there. She almost fainted at what happened next, scaring her children half to death.


    The upgrades referred to the expansion of Meng Yao¡¯s pocket dimension. It only spanned one cubic decimeters when Meng Yao discovered it.


    When Meng Yao thought her pocket dimension was too small and needed a bigger one, her 350 taels dropped to 50 teals. In exchange for 200 taels, her pocket dimension expanded to one square meter in size.


    There was nothing wrong with the expansion, except Meng Yao had to spend money to do it. However, Meng Yao didn¡¯t know how much silver it would cost to expand her pocket dimension to twenty square feet. She was sure it wouldn¡¯t just cost 300 taels.


    Soon after, it was Zhao Dahe¡¯s day off from school, so Meng Yao prepared several dishes.


    Li Zheng¡¯s cow had just given birth two days prior, so there was a lot of milk to go around for the last few days. Meng Yao instructed the twins to buy milk every day.


    Li Zheng only charged the Zhaos two yuan for a giant milk bottle. Meng Yao gave a bowl of milk to each person and made delicious food with the rest.


    Meng Yao still made a few delicious dishes even though she didn¡¯t have many ingredients¡ªfor example, a steamed cake.


    Although it was difficult to separate the egg whites from the yolks, with Zhao Dajiang, who never grew tired by Meng Yao¡¯s side, everything went smoothly.


    Another example was milk tea.


    Meng Yao had to grit her teeth before buying the tea leaves because a bag of tea the size of an adult¡¯s fist cost three taels of silver.


    Meng Yao also made flan. Its softness, smoothness, and sweetness were the twins¡¯ favorite.


    Meng Yao prepared to cook all three dishes to entertain Zhao Dahe¡¯s chubby friend, Qin Zheng.


    Meng Yao got up early and started busying herself in the kitchen, putting a large pot of cake onto the stove to steam. After that, she made the flan with Zhao Xiaohua¡¯s help.


    After preparing the flan, Meng Yao began to brew the milk tea. Then Zhao Dahe returned with Qin Zheng just as Meng Yao finished cooking.


    The chubby boy was carrying bags of various sizes as he shouted for Meng Yao even before entering.


    ¡°Why have you brought so many things with you? Dahe, don¡¯t you know how to stop him?¡± Meng Yao said exasperatedly.


    Zhao Dahe felt a little guilty. He told Qin Zheng not to come empty-handed, but he did not expect Qin Zheng¡¯s family to give them so many things.


    Qin Zheng had asked his errand boy to send a message to his family. The Qin family carriage pulled up on the day of Qin Zheng¡¯s visit to the Zhao¡¯s. The things Qin Zheng brought were already in the carriage.


    ¡°Madam, this is the first time I¡¯m visiting your home. My parents said I should be polite. Moreover, my parents know that Dahe ranked first in this month¡¯s exam and even praised me for making friends with him. They still think we¡¯ve prepared too little,¡± Qin Feng said quipped.


    Meng Yao quickly took the things off the chubby boy¡¯s hands and ushered them into the house.


    ¡°X-Xiaohua?!¡± Zhao Dahe called out to Zhao Xiaohua, who helped Meng Yao arrange the dishes.


    ¡°What?¡± Zhao Xiaohua replied.


    ¡°Dahe, how could you lie to me? You kept telling me your sister is comparable to me in size. Do you call this fat? I¡¯m twice her size. You must¡¯ve misunderstood the word fat, right?¡± Qin Feng said.


    Zhao Dahe was bewildered. He had not been home for a month, so who could tell him what had happened?


    Zhao Xiaohua glared at Zhao Dahe. ¡®What a b*stard Dahe is. He even endeavored to smear my name while roaming around outside.¡¯


    ¡°Xiaohua is starting to mature, so naturally, she¡¯d become skinny,¡± Meng Yao said.


    Qin Zheng looked sad. ¡°That¡¯s not true. I¡¯ve grown taller, but I¡¯m still so fat!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not a woman,¡± Zhao Xiaohua replied.


    ¡®So, only girls would lose weight when they grew up? Why am I not a girl?¡¯


    When Meng Yao placed the steamed cake, flan, and milk tea in front of Qin Zheng, only one thought floated through his mind, ¡®What are these? How are they so fragrant?¡¯


    Zhao Xiaohua proudly introduced the names of each item to Zhao Dahe and Qin Zheng.


    The steamed cake was sweet, soft, and melted in their mouth.


    The soft and smooth flan slid down their throat as they ate it.


    After taking the first sip of milk tea, they instantly wanted more.


    They quickly polished off the steamed cake and flan from their plates. Only a large bowl of milk tea remained, but Zhao Dahe and Zin Zheng were still hungry for more.


    ¡°Mother, is there any more?¡± Zhao Dahe asked.


    ¡°Yes, but you can¡¯t have anymore. If you overeat, you won¡¯t have an appetite later.¡± Meng Yao didn¡¯t intend to tell them to eat to their hearts¡¯ content.


    ¡°Madam, this is enough. You don¡¯t have to trouble yourself with preparing more,¡± Qin Zheng said as his eyes glazed over.


    Qin Zheng had never eaten such delicious snacks before, and that big bowl of milk tea was delicious. He would never get tired of drinking it.


    ¡°You don¡¯t want spicy fried chicken? How about a pork belly bun or pork bone soup?¡± Meng Yao asked.


    Zhao Dahe and Qin Zheng looked at each other and said in unison, ¡°Yes, we do!¡±

 Chapter 33

    Meng Yao chopped up the chicken to make Kung Pao Chicken. She turned the breasts into steaks with sauce and stewed the ribs with potatoes. Then she used its skin and giblets in a stir fry.


    Meng Yao also steamed some buns in advance with pork belly and skin stuffed into it. It tasted just right after soaking for a night. There were also custard buns because Zhao Xiaohua liked them.


    The bones used for the pork bone soup were a gift from the butcher, Zhan. Meng Yao mixed shredded radish, mashed garlic, and sliced cabbage into the soup. The soup was delicious with a mix of meat and vegetables.


    Although everything looked very ordinary, the alluring fragrance told Qin Zheng that every dish on the table was far from it.


    Meng Yao told everyone to sit at the table after plating the dishes.


    Song Xiu¡¯er insisted on not eating, but Meng Yao scolded her, ¡°If you don¡¯t eat, no one can.¡± Still, Song Xiu¡¯er only nibbled on some cabbage with garlic paste.


    Meng Yao glared at Zhao Dajiang. Zhao Dajiang immediately understood and spooned some of each dish for Song Xiu¡¯er.


    Qin Zheng maintained his elegance initially, but after taking a bite, he noticed that Zhao Dahe had dropped the elegance he possessed while eating at school. So, Qin Zheng followed suit.


    It was not like Qin Zheng had a choice. Everything was too delicious. If he did not eat quickly, all the food would end up in Zhao Dahe¡¯s stomach.


    Meng Yao happily watched as they ate. She was just an amateur at cooking and was happy to see that her cooking was a hit.


    ¡°Mother, your cooking is even more delicious than the restaurants.¡± Zhao Dahe put down his chopsticks, scooped himself a bowl of soup, and sipped it slowly.


    Qin Zheng also put down his chopsticks and mirrored Zhao Dahe, slowly drinking his soup.


    ¡°Madam, this is a pork belly bun, but why is it called so?¡± Qin Zheng asked a question that anyone who ate a pork belly bun for the first time would ask.


    ¡°When you eat it, do you think the meat is the main component or the sauce?¡± Meng Yao asked.


    ¡°The texture of the meat is richer and more delicious. However, the sauce is also delicious,¡± Qin Zheng replied after giving it some thought, ¡°Is it called pork belly bun because the meat is more delicious?¡±


    Meng Yao nodded. ¡®That¡¯s one way to put it,¡¯ she thought.


    ¡°Pork belly buns will be my favorite food from now on,¡± Qin Zheng said solemnly. ¡°Madam, can I come to your house for a meal during my monthly breaks? Don¡¯t worry. I won¡¯t eat for free.¡±


    ¡°Of course, you can,¡± Meng Yao said.


    ¡°Restrain yourself, Chubby Qin. Don¡¯t you have even a shred of self-control? We agreed to do this once. Why are you asking to come again?¡± Zhao Dahe was unhappy.


    ¡°I¡¯ve lost all my self-control in front of Madam Zhao¡¯s cooking.¡± Qin Zheng looked helpless. ¡°I¡¯m worried about whether I can continue to stomach the food cooked by the school¡¯s chef when I return to school.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a good thing if you can¡¯t eat. Aren¡¯t you always talking about how fat you are? You can slim down if you eat less. I noticed just how Xiaohua is eating,¡± Zhao Dahe promptly said. ¡°She used to eat a lot. Sometimes, even I couldn¡¯t eat as much as her.¡±


    Zhao Xiaohua couldn¡¯t take it anymore. ¡°Mother, you have to discipline Dahe. Why is he so annoying? He only knows how to expose people¡¯s shortcomings.¡±


    Meng Yao glared at Zhao Dahe. ¡°You can¡¯t seem to shut your mouth even if it¡¯s full of food, huh? Xiaohua has put in a lot of effort to make all this food delicious.¡±


    If it weren¡¯t for Xiaohua¡¯s guidance, although the food wasn¡¯t bad, it wouldn¡¯t have reached this taste level.


    Zhao Dahe was curious. ¡°Mother, you don¡¯t have to side with Xiaohua, do you?¡± What can she do? You can¡¯t possibly praise her in such an unrealistic way, right?¡±


    ¡°Mother, just listen to Dahe! How could he say that?!¡± Zhao Xiaohua pouted unhappily.


    ¡°Dajiang, tell Dahe what Xiaohua did,¡± Meng Yao said.


    Zhao Dajiang was honest and would not lie.


    ¡°Mother¡¯s cooking wasn¡¯t that good. It was Xiaohua who told Mother which taste was too overpowering and which was lacking. Mother followed Xiaohua¡¯s instructions and made it even better,¡± Zhao Dajiang said seriously.


    Zhao Dahe was shocked. ¡°Not bad, Xiaohua. I didn¡¯t expect you to have such a skill.¡±


    ¡°Mother said I was born with an old woman¡¯s tongue. I know what tastes good and what doesn¡¯t.¡± Zhao Xiaohua was pleased.


    ¡°Xiaohua, can you tell me what it means when a dish lacks taste? I like eating too,¡± Qin Zheng asked with an embarrassed look.


    ¡°What do you mean? I just know when I eat it,¡± Zhao Xiaohua said.


    ¡°Is there no trick to it?¡± Qin Zheng was not giving up.


    Zhao Xiaohua shook her head. ¡°No.¡±


    Qin Zhen sighed. ¡°God is biased.¡±


    ¡°If you want your tongue to be more sensitive, you must use it more often,¡± Meng Yao said.


    Qin Zheng¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°W-What do you mean, Madam Zhao?¡±


    ¡°If I¡¯m not wrong, you eat fish and meat daily, right? Also, you have a robust palate. The first time you eat something, it tastes good, but upon eating it a second time, you feel it was not as good as before, correct? So, the more you eat, the blander it becomes, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes.¡± Qin Zheng nodded, making the flesh on his face quiver. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with my tongue, Madam Zhao?¡±


    Zhao Xiaohua felt like she was looking at her past self when she looked at Qin Zheng. As expected, her face was chubby and did not look good.


    ¡°The greasiness and rich taste have exhausted your taste buds. Eat some light food to rest your tastebuds. Then you can enjoy some more delicious food. But remember. You have to eat a mix of meat and vegetables, not just meat,¡± Meng Yao said.


    Meng Yao had noticed that Qin Zheng hadn¡¯t eaten a single bite of radish or cabbage.


    But I don¡¯t like vegetables.¡± Qin Feng said, vexed.


    ¡°If you continue to eat only meat, your tongue will slowly lose its ability to taste. Everything you eat will start tasting like wax,¡± Meng Yao chided.


    Although it was an exaggeration, it was not a lie. In the long run, when one¡¯s taste buds become desensitized, one would feel less happy even though they tasted good food.


    Qin Feng¡¯s face turned pale with fear. ¡°Madam Zhao, you¡¯re not trying to scare me, are you?¡± Qin Zheng¡¯s voice trembled. He was petrified.


    ¡°I¡¯m not trying to scare you,¡± Meng Yao said. ¡°I heard from Dahe¡¯s father that he has seen people who couldn¡¯t taste anything.¡±


    Meg Yao did this because Qin Zheng was too fat. He could eat a whole meal and then some. Meng Yao guessed that if Qin Zheng went for a physical examination in this condition, Qin Zheng would discover many health problems even though he was so young.


    Xiaohua Zhao was smart. How could she not see that her mother was exaggerating the situation because she saw Qin Zheng was too fat?


    ¡°Qin Zheng, Dahe wasn¡¯t lying. I was just as fat as you before,¡± Zhao Xiaohua said. ¡°I love eating meat, and I always eat very quickly. I would also eat a lot of snacks. After that, I felt that my food was tasteless, and I got tired after walking a little. Others even laughed at me and called me a fat pig. I thought I shouldn¡¯t get any fatter and had to slim down.¡±


    What Zhao Xiaohua said was spot on about Qin Feng¡¯s daily life. He had thought about losing weight before but couldn¡¯t control himself with the temptation of food.


    Qin Zheng had tried forcing himself to go hungry a few times, but he became even more greedy instead of losing weight.

 Chapter 34

    After going back and forth a few times, Qin Zheng¡¯s figure became even more prominent. He laughed it off as if he didn¡¯t have a care in the world, but he recently became more aware of his size and unhealthy eating habits.


    At first, Qin Zheng had a few friends, but he overheard them talking behind his back, saying he was a pig, and even calling Qin Zheng disgusting. If it weren¡¯t for that, Qin Zheng would¡¯ve given his ¡°friends¡± trinkets and even treated them to meals.


    Zhao Dahe was the only one who did not mind that Qin Zheng was chubby. Hence, Qin Zheng treated Zhao Dahe as his best friend. It was also because Zhao Dahe had said he had a chubby younger sister and would get used to her.


    Now, Zhao Xiaohua¡¯s words had utterly touched Qin Feng¡¯s heart. If Xiaohua was as fat as him, did that mean Qin Zheng could slim down like her? Qin Zheng¡¯s parents were quite good-looking. His mother once said that he was also handsome when he was young.


    Qin Zheng should look good after he slims down, right? If so, others would stop whispering behind his back, saying he wasn¡¯t his parent¡¯s son.


    ¡°Can you tell me how you slimmed down, Xiaohua? I-I want to lose weight too,¡± Qin Zhen asked expectantly.


    ¡°It¡¯s all thanks to my mother. She supervised me. It was tricky at first, but I got used to it, and it became increasingly easier,¡± Zhao Xiaohua said.


    Qin Zhen immediately looked at Meng Yao with admiration. ¡°Madam Zhao, how are you so amazing?! You can cook good food and help Xiaohua lose weight. I-I also want to be slimmer, Madam Zhao. I don¡¯t have to be as handsome as Dahe, only slimmer. My mother said I wouldn¡¯t find a wife if I were too chubby. I-I¡¯m not asking for much, except to find a wife when I¡¯m thinner.¡±


    Qin Feng amused Meng Yao. ¡®Why is Chubby Qin so fun?¡¯


    Nonetheless, every big-sized person had potential, and Meng Yao agreed with that. Although Qin Zheng was overweight, his facial features were decent. However, it was a little off due to his flabby cheeks.


    ¡°I can tell you what method I used, but whether or not you¡¯re disciplined enough to follow my regime depends on you alone,¡± Meng Yao said.


    Zhao Xiaohua could lose weight so quickly because Meng Yao monitored her daily. The little girl also suddenly developed narcissistic tendencies when she lost a little weight. She would look into the mirror whenever she had the time.


    Although the copper mirror at home was blurry to Meng Yao, Zhao Xiaohua could always see that she had lost a little weight and looked better. However, Boys were still slightly inferior to girls in terms of beauty.


    ¡°I-I only became larger because of my lack of discipline,¡± Qin Zheng said in annoyance.


    ¡°What did you do before?¡± Meng Yao asked Qin Zheng.


    ¡°I only drank some water. I only wanted to eat a few mouthfuls when I started starving, but I couldn¡¯t stop and ate more and more every time.¡± Qin Zheng said, embarrassed.


    ¡®So that¡¯s how it is.¡¯


    Meng Yao knew it wasn¡¯t that Qin Zheng did not have discipline. He simply used the wrong method. He was lucky not to starve to death.


    ¡°You can¡¯t just starve yourself to lose weight. Even if you do, you will regain that weight when you eat. Besides, starving yourself will ruin your body,¡± Meng Yao said sternly.


    ¡°Then what should I do?¡± Qin Feng asked.


    This time, it was Zhao Xiaohua¡¯s turn to answer, ¡°The first thing you need to do is stop eating snacks, Qin Zheng. I gave all my snacks to Xiaoshu.¡±


    Qin Zheng nodded. ¡°That¡¯s fine. When I return to the dormitory, I¡¯ll give all the snacks in my bedroom to Dahe.¡±


    Zhao Dahe thought, ¡®Why do I get the feeling Qin Zheng is up to no good?!¡¯


    ¡°The second thing you need to do is chew more before swallowing. You need to chew your food at least thirty times,¡± Zhao Xiaohua said.


    Unbeknownst to Qin Zheng, Zhao Xiaohua never chewed that many times. She only told Qin Zheng that so he would chew more.


    It didn¡¯t seem challenging, but it might take a while longer for Qin Zheng to finish his food in the future.


    ¡°Is there a third step?¡± Qin Zhen asked.


    ¡°Yes, you need to stand against a wall after eating,¡± Zhao Xiaohua said. ¡°Come with me, and I¡¯ll show you how I stand.¡±


    Qin Zheng followed Zhao Xiaohua to the courtyard where she stood. It didn¡¯t seem difficult, so Qin Zheng followed suit. After eating his fill, Qin Zheng thought it was pretty comfortable to lean against the wall and bask in the sun.


    ¡°Your heels must be against the wall, retract your stomach, and ensure your back and head are touching the wall.¡± Zhao Xiaohua corrected Qin Zheng¡¯s posture


    Qin Zheng¡¯s moment of comfort disappeared, and his entire body became stiff. However, he felt he couldn¡¯t lose out to the little girl when he saw how still she stood. Qin Zheng could only grit his teeth and persist.


    After a while, Qin Zheng¡¯s forehead began to sweat, and it flowed into his eyes, rendering him unable to open them. He never knew standing could be so tiring.


    After half an hour, Qin Zheng wailed, ¡°Dahe, hurry up. Come and help me.¡±


    ¡°Do you need to be so exaggerated?¡± Zhao Dahe walked over unwillingly.


    ¡°Give it a try, and you¡¯ll know if it¡¯s an exaggeration.¡± Qin Zheng gasped.


    ¡°Xiaohua looks fine to me,¡± Zhao Dahe scoffed.


    ¡°S-She isn¡¯t as chubby as I am.¡± Qin Zheng was embarrassed, but he didn¡¯t forget to explain.


    ¡°Just admit that you¡¯re not as good as Xiaohua.¡± Zhao Dahe continued to stab him.


    ¡°Everything takes time. I¡¯m sure I won¡¯t be so miserable if I do this a few more times,¡± Qin Yang said.


    Afterward, Zhao Xiaohua explained the benefits of standing against the wall to Qin Zheng, and he couldn¡¯t help but nod in agreement.


    Then Zhao Xiaohua told Qin Zheng to walk every morning and switch from walking to running when he could.


    ¡°Do I have to?!¡± Qin Zheng wailed. He didn¡¯t like to move at all.


    ¡°Keep your mouth shut and move your legs, then slim down. Besides, exercise isn¡¯t just to slim down. It can also make you stronger,¡± Zhao Xiaohua said earnestly. ¡°Otherwise, why would the doctor say that walking a hundred steps after a meal will make you live to ninety-nine? So, those are the three steps. If you don¡¯t persist in the last step, all your previous efforts are in vain.¡±


    ¡°My sister¡¯s words make so much sense!¡± Zhao Dahe said. ¡°You look burly, making people think you have a good physique. I know you often feel uncomfortable here and there, but I¡¯m worried you might faint. Forget it. I¡¯ll be a good friend to you till the end. I¡¯ll accompany you daily, so you don¡¯t have an excuse to call me a terrible friend.¡±


    What else could Qin Zheng say? No matter how much he tried to explain, he would start to doubt himself when he tried to lose weight.


    Before they left, Meng Yao asked Zhao Dahe to write a recipe for Qin Zheng. The food on it was much more than Zhao Xiaohua¡¯s portion. After all, Qin Zheng¡¯s base weight was there, and he could not just follow Zhao Xiaohua¡¯s orders.


    Qin Zheng held it in his arms like a treasure. Whether he could become thin or not would depend on himself.

 Chapter 35

    When Qin Zheng left, Meng Yao began to organize the gifts he brought while Zhao Dahe explained on the sidelines, ¡°I was the one who helped pick out the earrings and the hairpin.¡± Zhao Dahe felt shy. ¡°I picked them especially for you, Mother.¡±


    ¡°So? Are you trying to move me? But you¡¯re only helping to pick, and the one paying is Qin Zheng.¡± Meng Yao examined the hairpin and the earrings. They were exquisite.


    Zhao Dahe did not feel as touched as he had imagined. Instead, he saw a look of disdain on his mother¡¯s face. ¡°If you don¡¯t like it, give them back to me!¡± Zhao Dahe said in a Huff.


    Zhao Dahe had received three taels of silver. He gritted his teeth and took out one tael to buy the pair of earrings.


    When Zhao Dahe¡¯s father was still around, he remembered that his mother had several pairs of earrings and would change them from time to time. Meng Yao¡¯s earrings were old, so Zhao Dahe thought to buy her a new pair.


    However, Qin Zheng suggested getting Meng Yao a hairpin, but when he saw the pretty earrings, he bought them without a thought.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t say I don¡¯t like them.¡± Meng Yao rolled her eyes at Zhao Dahe and fumbled around to put on her new earrings. ¡°Don¡¯t forget that you¡¯re in charge of cleaning up the dishes during the two days you¡¯re home every month.¡±


    ¡°B-But, Mother! That¡¯s why I gave you the earrings!¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t say that you wouldn¡¯t have to do chores if you bought me earrings. Xiaoshu made a few stools and fixed the furniture, but he didn¡¯t say he shouldn¡¯t do the dishes because of that,¡± Meng Yao said calmly. ¡°Or are you saying you won¡¯t come back for dinner next time?¡±


    ¡®Does Dahe think I¡¯ll be too embarrassed to ask him to do the chores if he doesn¡¯t eat? He wouldn¡¯t. He doesn¡¯t have the guts.¡¯


    Zhao Xiaohua leaned over and praised her mother¡¯s hairpin and earrings, saying they made her look younger.


    Zhao Dahe rolled his eyes and said, ¡°Xiaohua, if you help me with the chores, I¡¯ll buy you a pair of earrings too!¡±


    Zhao Xiaohua rolled his eyes at Zhao Dahe. ¡°Do you think I¡¯m stupid, Dahe? I know there are earrings here, but I don¡¯t think you can afford them, so why should I help you? You¡¯re taking advantage of others!¡±


    What else could Zhao Dahe say? He could only accept his fate and clean up the dishes.


    Meng Yao quickly sorted the pair of earrings, and Zhao Xiaohua happily took them to her room to put them in front of the mirror.


    The rest of the things were food and other necessities. Meng Yao knew Qin Zheng¡¯s family spent a lot of effort preparing them. However, she suddenly felt that the food she packed for Qin Zheng was not enough compared to what Qin Zheng and his family gifted her family.


    ¡°Dahe, when are you going to visit the Qin family? let us know in advance.¡± Meng Yao said.


    It was impolite not to return the favor.


    Zhao Dahe replied, ¡°Okay, but you don¡¯t have to feel pressured, Mother. I know Qin Zheng gifted us many things, but those are just trinkets to his family. Also, I took care of him in school. His parents even want to acknowledge me as their Godson.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t feel any pressure. I simply want to put us on equal footing with the Qins. I¡¯m not making anything expensive, so you don¡¯t have to worry,¡± Meng Yao said.


    The Qin family was wealthy. Even if Meng Yao bought a gift she thought was expensive, they might not be interested. So, she might as well prepare a more thoughtful gift.


    ¡°Okay, you can do as you see fit, Mother,¡± Zhao Dahe replied casually and struggled with the dishes.


    After Meng Yao sorted the things Qin Zheng brought, she went to the kitchen to talk to Zhao Dahe. As Zhao Dahe washed the dishes, Meng Yao asked him everything he knew about the Qins. Then she thought of a gift to make for the Qins.


    Meng Yao was about to return to her room and make the gift when someone came to the house. It was a girl who looked about the same age as Zhao Xiaohua.


    Meng Yao was stunned, unable to recall who the little girl was.


    ¡°Aunt Yao, I¡¯m sick, so I came to seek your help,¡± the little girl called Meng Yao and told her why she had come.


    Meng Yao reacted, and simultaneously, she matched the little girl in front of her with the person in her mind. The little girl was the younger daughter of the original Meng Yao¡¯s brother, Meng Ruyu.


    ¡°Go and look for a doctor if you¡¯re sick. There¡¯s no point looking for me,¡± Meng Yao said expressionlessly.


    After Zhao Ting¡¯s accident and the Meng family rejected the original Meng Yao¡¯s request for help, she cut all ties with them. The original Meng Yao only kept in touch with her elder sister, who became a monk.


    That¡¯s why Meng Yao didn¡¯t think it was good that Grandma Meng suddenly wanted to see her.


    ¡°B-But Aunt Yao, Dahe is a scholar, and his reputation is essential. Grandma said you should consider your reputation and not drag Dahe down. You¡¯ve been indifferent to Grandpa and Grandma all these years.¡±


    ¡°If Grandma and Grandpa want to pursue this matter, they will eventually accuse you of being undutiful to them,¡± Meng Ruyu said softly, almost sobbing.


    Zhao Dahe stood before Meng Yao and cursed angrily, ¡°Then let them accuse us! I don¡¯t care about reputations. I know the younger generation should be dutiful to their elders, but the elders have no right to force them to be dutiful when they weren¡¯t kind to the younger generation!¡±


    ¡°No one in the Meng family lent us a helping hand when my father¡¯s fate was unknown!¡±


    Meng Ruyu shivered and bit her lip. ¡°Why are you angry at me, Dahe? I¡¯m just here to pass you a message from Grandpa and Grandma. I¡¯m just saying what Grandma told me to say. You can¡¯t take your anger out on me.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re the Zhao family, and we don¡¯t accept the Mengs!¡± Zhao Dahe took a deep breath. ¡°Take care. Don¡¯t let the door hit you on the way out!¡±


    ¡°Grandpa and Grandma told me you were well-mannered because you¡¯re a scholar, but it seems they were wrong.¡± Meng Ruyu looked disappointed.


    ¡°The Mengs aren¡¯t welcome here,¡± Zhao Dahe scoffed.


    The Mengs had no right to ask for help.


    Although Meng Yao was from the Meng family, the Mengs no longer cared about her. Moreover, Meng Yao was now a part of the Zhao family.


    Meng Ruyu¡¯s eyes reddened as she stomped her feet. ¡°Zhao Dahe, you b*stard!¡± With that, he turned and ran.


    The Meng family lived at the easternmost end of the village, while the Zhao family lived at the westernmost end. If Meng Ruyu ran back crying, the Zhao family¡¯s treatment of her would immediately spread throughout the village.


    Previously, Meng Yao didn¡¯t care much about her reputation, but now that she was in ancient times, her reputation became essential.


    Meng Yao sighed. ¡°I¡¯ll return to them for a while.¡±


    Zhao Dahe was puzzled. ¡°Mother, didn¡¯t you say you would never return to them? Also, it¡¯s apparent they don¡¯t care for you. They wouldn¡¯t have stood idly by and watched you struggle to support my studies if they did.


    ¡°How would I know what they¡¯re up to if I don¡¯t go? Ruru wasn¡¯t trying to scare us. If the two elders pursued this matter, they¡¯d accuse me of being undutiful. It¡¯s fine if it¡¯s just me, but what about you, Xiaohua, and Xiaoshu? I don¡¯t want to implicate you three.¡± Meng Yao gently patted Zhao Dahe¡¯s shoulder.


    ¡°I¡¯m not afraid of getting involved, and neither are Xiaohua and Xiaoshu,¡± Zhao Dahe said. ¡°If you insist on seeing them, I¡¯ll go with you.¡±


    ¡°Do you think I don¡¯t know how you are? You won¡¯t show me your face if I make you unhappy. I will only ask what¡¯s the matter, not argue with them. You should stay home and watch the flowers and trees if you¡¯re bored. Oh, and if you don¡¯t study hard, your siblings will surely surpass you,¡± Meng Yao said smilingly.

 Chapter 36

    In the end, Zhao Dahe stopped insisting on following Meng Yao. However, he also said if Meng Yao didn¡¯t return in an hour, his siblings and him would go to the Mengs to pick her up.


    Meng Yao nodded. It wouldn¡¯t even take a quarter of an hour to go back and forth from her house to the Meng¡¯s residence, so the remaining time was more than enough.


    Meng Yao followed her predecessor¡¯s memories and headed toward the Meng family while Zhao Dahe went to Zhao Xiaoshu¡¯s room.


    Zhao Xiaoshu was practicing his writing on the wooden plates while Zhao Xiaohua mumbled to herself as she poked her body.


    Zhao Dahe did not know his mother was teaching his two siblings how to read and write. Hence, Zhao Dahe was utterly stunned. Zhao Dahe thought his mother was joking when she said Zhao Xiaoshu and Zhao Xiaohua would surpass him.


    Even though Zhao Xiaoshu used a tree branch to write on the sand, Zhao Dahe felt Zhao Xiaoshu¡¯s writing was more impressive than his.


    Zhao Dahe suppressed his shock and asked casually, ¡°When did you learn to write, Xiaoshu? Can you let me see what you wrote?¡±


    ¡°I started learning to write when you went back to school,¡± Zhao Xiaoshu answered obediently.


    ¡°Huh?¡± Zhao Dahe could not control his expression.


    ¡°Dahe, why don¡¯t you take a look at mine?¡± Zhao Xiaohua pushed her sandbox toward Zhao Dahe.


    ¡®Zhao Xiaohua¡¯s handwriting is okay. The sizes are inconsistent.¡¯


    Zhao Dahe wanted to slap himself as soon as he thought of this.


    Zhao Xiaoshu learned to write after he left, so did that mean Zhao Xiaohua learned it too? It only took the twins a month to learn to write, so how could Zhao Dahe think their handwriting was just okay? Zhao Dahe had to practice for over half a year to learn how to write like Zhao Xiaohua.


    ¡®No wonder Mother said my siblings might surpass me. They would probably surpass me even if I studied hard, right?¡¯


    ¡°So? How¡¯s my writing, Dahe?¡± Zhao Xiaoshu asked urgently.


    ¡°I-It¡¯s all right. You can¡¯t be proud just yet. You can do better if you put in more effort.¡± Zhao Dahe mimicked his principal¡¯s tone.


    Zhao Xiaoshu nodded in agreement. ¡°You¡¯re right. I think so too. Mother said my handwriting isn¡¯t bad, but I still can¡¯t compare to her.¡±


    Zhao Dahe felt lightheaded.


    ¡®Was I absent for a month, or has it been several years?! Why does everything feel so unfamiliar? Does Mother know how to write? Why didn¡¯t I know about that? What else did I miss out on?¡¯


    ¡®Wait, that¡¯s not right. If Mother could write, why did she tell me to write a regiment for Qin Zheng just now?¡¯


    ¡°W-What else did mother teach you?¡± Zhao Dahe tried his best to appear calm.


    ¡°When we finished reciting the Three Musketeers, Xiaohua and I memorized Mother¡¯s soup recipes. Mother also told us some fairytales,¡± Zhao Xiaoshu replied. ¡°Mother said Father only taught her a few miscellaneous things besides reading medical books. Also, she said I have to go to school.¡±


    Zhao Dahe still had a deep impression of his father, Zhao Ting, and knew his father could read. He also remembered his mother being unwilling to learn. She even quarreled with Zhao Ting and asked him if he disliked her for being unable to read.


    ¡®So, Father won the argument and forced Mother to learn? No, that can¡¯t be. Mother¡¯s handwriting wouldn¡¯t be better than Xiaoshu¡¯s if that were the case. If forceful learning could result in this, I want someone to force me too!¡¯ Zhao Dahe muttered inwardly.


    Zhao Dahe thought about speaking about this to Meng Yao when she returned. Two flowers bloomed, each representing a branch.


    Meanwhile, Meng Yao was already standing in the central room of the Meng family residence. The original Meng Yao¡¯s father, Meng Qingshan, sat on a chair alongside her mother, Madam Sun. There was a mild sense of anger on their faces.


    Meng Ruyu cried breathlessly on Madam Sun¡¯s knees.


    ¡°I told Ruyu to get you, so why were you so mean to her? Come at me if you¡¯re angry, not her,¡± Sun Shi¡¯s first words to Meng Yao were criticizing.


    Meng Yao only blinked. When Meng Ruyu went to the Zhaos, Meng Yao only said one sentence to her.


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t Aunt Yao who was rude to me, Grandma. My second cousin, Zhao Dahe, was,¡± Meng Ruru explained sobbingly.


    ¡°Dahe is her son. If Meng Yao didn¡¯t instigate it, then what?¡± Sun Shi said unhappily.


    Meng Yao didn¡¯t want to waste her breath on the Meng family, so she got straight to the point. ¡°Why did you pretend to be sick and ask me to come back here?¡±


    ¡°Did you hear what Meng Yao said?! Is what Meng Yao just said something a child would say?!¡± Sun Shi thundered. ¡°I¡¯m your mother, and I told you to come home, so you have to obey me!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not what you said when you gave me away, not even when I came to ask for your help! What¡¯s wrong? Is what we said back then not count anymore, and we¡¯re mother and daughter again?¡± Meng Yao said sarcastically.


    ¡°How can you talk to your mother like that, Yao?! You¡¯re our flesh and blood, so how could she not care for you?! You shouldn¡¯t have said that!¡± a middle-aged woman said.


    Meng Yao knew who that middle-aged woman was. She was the original Meng Yao¡¯s sister-in-law, Madam Lin, Meng Ruyu¡¯s mother.


    ¡°It seems you were the one who incited him to do so this time?¡± Meng Yao didn¡¯t even lift her eyelids as she asked.


    Previously, Madame Lin had instigated the Mengs to force Meng Yao to marry. Of course, she was also the one who had hired her.


    Just because Meng Qingshan and Sun Shi were still alive, Madam Lin, who had just entered the family, interfered with Meng Yao¡¯s marriage. It was apparent Madam Lin didn¡¯t have good intentions from the start.


    Indeed the marriage Madam Lin proposed to the original Meng Yao was not ideal. The man was from a wealthy family but was more than ten years older than the original Meng Yao. The man already had two sons, and his wife died a mysterious death.


    The original Meng Yao was not a fool to agree to such a marriage, leading Zhao Ting to marry the original Meng Yao instead.


    ¡°How can you say that about me, Yao?¡± Madam Lin looked offended. Tears welled in her eyes, and her body trembled like she was sick.


    ¡®Hmph, she is trying to cry but can¡¯t. Madam Lin is pleasing to the eye even though she¡¯s almost forty. I¡¯ll give her that. However, she¡¯s still putting on an act like a child. How unsightly.¡¯


    ¡°You¡¯re getting older, huh, Madam Lin? You¡¯re almost a grandmother, but you can¡¯t even cry properly?¡± Meng Yao spoke condescendingly, but she didn¡¯t beat around the bush. She was shockingly straightforward.


    Madam Lin froze as she didn¡¯t know if she should cry.


    ¡°You b*tch! Your sister-in-law is older than you! Is that how you talk to your elders?!¡± Madam Sun pointed at Meng Yao and thundered.


    ¡°What kind of mother are you?¡± Meng Yao said, ¡°Or are you saying you¡¯ve lived enough? Even so, my father is still strong, so he might need to find another wife. I¡¯ll have a stepmother by then, and you will be nothing but a memory.¡±


    Sun Shi was flabbergasted.


    Meng Qingshan, who Meng Yao mentioned, heard his daughter¡¯s words and fell into profound thought.


    Madam Sun might be gone anytime soon, so Meng Qingshan would have to find another wife. When that happens, his new wife would be kind and gentle so he could live comfortably. Meng Qingshan wouldn¡¯t have to live in such a sullen manner.

 Chapter 37

    Meng Yao looked at Madam Sun, Madam Lin, and the others with satisfaction. Although the original Meng Yao¡¯s personality was fierce, her mouth wasn¡¯t sharp enough, and she couldn¡¯t speak her mind, so she always suppressed anger.


    However, Madam Sun and Madam Lin were the ones holding back their anger this time. One could say the current Meng Yao helped her predecessor vent her frustrations.


    ¡°All right, I know you¡¯re angry, so don¡¯t force yourselves. I have other matters to attend to, so I won¡¯t be an eyesore to you guys. Don¡¯t look for me for help anymore,¡± Meng Yao hurriedly said, ¡°I¡¯m leaving.¡±


    Meng Yao knew her family called her over for a reason. ¡®If they have a problem with me, they should just say it.¡¯


    As expected, Meng Yao only took two steps when Madam Sun spoke. ¡°Come back.¡±


    ¡°Do you find joy in troubling yourself? It¡¯s apparent you don¡¯t like me, yet you insist I stay,¡± Meng Yao sighed helplessly.


    ¡°Zhao ting has been dead for a few years now, so you should start planning for yourself.¡± Madam Sun suppressed the anger in her heart and tried to speak calmly.


    ¡®Is she intending on telling me to marry again?¡¯


    If the original Meng Yao had a good relationship with the Meng family, Madam Sun must have said this for the good of the original Meng Yao.¡¯


    However, as everyone knew, the relationship between the original Meng Yao and the Meng family was awful. How could Madam Sun plan things for the original Meng Yao?


    Meng Yao was alarmed. ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    Madam Sun probably also realized it was useless to beat around the bush, so she simply went straight to the point. ¡°You should get remarried. The man comes from a wealthy family.¡±


    Of course, it was the same excuse Madam Sun used many years ago.


    ¡°Oh? How wealthy is he?¡± Meng Yao asked.


    Meng Yao¡¯s question gave Madam Sun and Madam Lin the wrong impression that she was interested in this marriage.


    ¡°His family has a hundred acres of fertile land, a shop, and servants at home. You will have everything you need to live an easy life if you marry him,¡± Madam Sun said, ¡°He doesn¡¯t mind that you¡¯ve already given birth to several children and is even willing to let you bring your daughter along.¡±


    ¡°What about my sons?¡± Meng Yao asked.


    ¡°Dajiang already has a family and doesn¡¯t need you to look after him. As for Dahe, his family won¡¯t ignore him because he is studying. The man¡¯s family won¡¯t lack food for Xiaoshu either. Anyway, I¡¯ll help you care for him so you can get married in peace.¡± Madam Sun said.


    ¡®She¡¯s kind enough to care for my sons? Why do I have a bad feeling about this?¡¯


    ¡°Wow, that¡¯s a significant promise. That wealthy man must¡¯ve promised a lot of benefits, huh?¡± Meng Yao hit the nail on the head. ¡°Is it because you couldn¡¯t exchange me for a betrothal gift back then? Do you think I¡¯m an object?¡±


    ¡°What makes you think you can do whatever you want? I thought you learned from your mistakes. You failed in the past, so why do you think I¡¯ll listen to you? Keep dreaming.¡± Meng Yao vividly displayed mockery and disdain.


    ¡°Okay, I see how it is!¡± Madam Sun¡¯s lips trembled, and her voice was sharp. ¡°What are you standing around for, idi*t? Tie your sister up! Madam Lin, go and deliver the letter to the Wangs and tell them we agree to their marriage proposal.¡±


    ¡®Is she intending on kidnapping and forcing me into marrying that man?¡¯


    Meng Cheng didn¡¯t move. ¡°Mother, if we send Meng Yao over with her uncouth appearance, will we form a marriage alliance or become enemies with the Wangs? If Meng Yao offended them, wouldn¡¯t we be implicated? I think we should forget it.¡±


    To Meng Yao¡¯s surprise, Madam Lin echoed Meng Cheng¡¯s words. ¡°Mother, it¡¯s fine if Meng Yao isn¡¯t willing, but why force her? I know you¡¯re doing this for me, but Meng Yao must be willing!¡±


    ¡°You guys are speaking up for her?¡± Madam Sun was in disbelief.


    ¡°No, we¡¯re just speaking the truth.¡± Meng Cheng denied it.


    Madam Lin also said she would judge the matter as it was.


    ¡°Forget it. I don¡¯t care anymore, okay?¡± Madam Sun was heartbroken.


    ¡®What¡¯s happening? She was so aggressive just now but immediately became discouraged? That can¡¯t be right. Madam Sun¡¯s behavior doesn¡¯t match the one in my predecessor¡¯s memories,¡¯ Meng Yao thought.


    Meng Yao couldn¡¯t understand Meng Cheng and his wife¡¯s reactions.


    ¡°The past is the past, Yao. We¡¯re family, and we¡¯re living in the same village. You should come back more often with your children,¡± Meng Qingshan, who had been silent all this while, finally spoke.


    The original Meng Yao¡¯s memories of Meng Qingshan were neither good nor bad. It was because Madam Sun controlled Meng Qingshan. Madam Sun would have the final say no matter how big or small the matter was.


    Therefore, the original Meng Yao didn¡¯t hate Meng Qingshan. Of course, she didn¡¯t like him either.


    The original Meng Yao was born into the Meng family, but she didn¡¯t interact with them. She wasn¡¯t foolish enough to waste her time with them.


    ¡°No, I won¡¯t,¡± Meng Yao coldly refused. ¡°I¡¯m leaving.¡±


    Although Meng Yao felt Madam Sun hadn¡¯t told her the main reason she called her back, it seemed Madam Sun wouldn¡¯t tell her either way, so Meng Yao didn¡¯t plan on wasting any more time with the Mengs.


    The fox would reveal her tail eventually.


    Meng Yao left, and Madam Lin followed her.


    ¡°Yao, I was wrong about what happened back then,¡± Madam Lin said.


    Meng Yao remained silent. It had been more than ten years, but the Lin family had never apologized to the original Meng Yao. The current Meng Yao knew this apology wasn¡¯t sincere. Moreover, whether it¡¯s the original or current Meng Yao, neither cared about Madam Lin¡¯s apology.


    ¡°Mother-in-law has also been guilty all these years. If you hadn¡¯t forced you back then, you wouldn¡¯t have brought Zhao Ting back to resist us and get married in a hurry,¡± Madam Lin said to herself, ¡°That¡¯s why you became a widow at such a young age! That¡¯s always been a pain in Mother-in-law¡¯s heart.¡±


    ¡°Mother-in-law always seems like she has bad intentions even though she doesn¡¯t,¡± Madam Lin continued, ¡°After Zhao Ting passed away, Mother-in-law¡¯s anger had not subsided, so¡­¡±


    ¡°So, what are you trying to say?¡± Meng Yao impatiently interrupted Madam Lin.


    Madam Lin was embarrassed and forced a smile, ¡°It¡¯s just like your father said, you should bring your children to visit more often. We¡¯re family, so we should be harmonious. The younger generation should interact more. Ruru and Xiaohua are about the same age and can play together more often.


    Meng Yao didn¡¯t say yes or no. She gave Madam Lin a thoughtful look and went straight home.


    Zhao Dahe impatiently asked Meng Yao, ¡°Why did they ask you to go back there, Mother?¡±


    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s nothing important. My family just wants me to remarry.¡± Meng Yao didn¡¯t hide it from her children.


    The Zhao siblings immediately became nervous and looked at Meng Yao in unison.


    Meng Yao said calmly, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I rejected them.¡±


    The Zhao siblings heaved a sigh of relief.


    ¡°Mother, it¡¯s not that we object to you remarrying, but if you want to, you must pick someone who makes you happy. Don¡¯t listen to their arrangements! Who knows what kind of trash they found for you? Maybe that man just wants to use you in exchange for a betrothal gift!¡± Zhao Dahe said earnestly.


    ¡°You¡¯re not the only one who thought of that,¡± Meng Yao said.


    ¡°I know my mother is smart and difficult to manipulate,¡± Zhao Dahe flattered his mother.


    Then Meng Yao told him about Meng Cheng and his wife¡¯s reactions. Zhao Dahe was sharp, saying, ¡°That¡¯s too suspicious.¡±


    ¡°Why do you say that?¡± Meng Yao asked.


    ¡°It feels like a lure or trap of some sort,¡± Zhao Dahe said.


    He thought Madam Sun gave up too quickly.


    ¡°I¡¯m guessing the remarrying part is a Trojan horse, and they have other motives.¡± Zhao Dahe was confident.

 Chapter 38

    Meng Yao laughed. ¡°You¡¯re quite smart, kid.¡±


    ¡°Of course, I am.¡± Zhao Dahe was smug


    ¡°Madam Lin also said to let Meng Ruyu get closer to Xiaohua,¡± Meng Yao said.


    ¡°It can¡¯t be.¡± Zhao Dahe pointed at Xiaohua. ¡°They¡¯ve set their sights on Xiaohua?¡±


    Meng Yao shook her head gently. ¡°They know my personality. I won¡¯t ask Xiaohua to go to the Meng family. So, I¡¯m guessing Meng Ruyu will come to our house with all kinds of excuses.¡±


    The Zhao siblings didn¡¯t quite understand what Meng Yao meant.


    ¡°Perhaps, they have set their sights on you?¡± Meng Yao pointed at Zhao Dahe.


    Zhao Dahe was in disbelief. ¡°Mother, are you joking? Why me? They can¡¯t exchange me for betrothal gifts. ¡±


    Meng Yao also thought of what Madam Sun said, ¡°As for Dahe, his family won¡¯t ignore him when he¡¯s studying.¡±


    A year of studies cost a dozen taels of silver. What was she after if it wasn¡¯t Zhao Dahe?


    In ancient times, it was normal for cousins to marry each other.


    Previously, the news of Zhao Dahe coming in third in the monthly examination spread throughout the village. The Meng family must have asked around behind his back.


    Madam Sun felt that Zhao Dahe had potential, so she wanted to strike preemptively.


    However, Madam Sun felt Meng Yao would disagree, so she first mentioned something Meng Yao would undoubtedly refuse. Madam Sun pretended to be the bad guy, while Meng Cheng was the good guy. Although Meng Cheng was clumsy and awkward, he showed his goodwill.


    That way, even if Meng Yao didn¡¯t appreciate Meng Cheng¡¯s kindness and didn¡¯t return to the Meng family, the Mengs could still be thick-skinned and send Meng Ruyu to the Zhao family.


    After all, Meng Ruyu was only a child, and most believed a child could do nothing wrong. No matter Meng Yao¡¯s unwillingness, she couldn¡¯t vent her anger on her niece, right?


    Zhao Dahe paced back and forth anxiously. He gritted his teeth and said, ¡°How and why would they do this? Is that other man someone the Mengs could reach? What are they scheming?¡±


    Meng Yao shrugged. ¡°You¡¯re right. That family is great at scheming.¡±


    ¡°Then what do we do?¡± Zhao Dahe asked.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Meng Yao asked in return, ¡°These are just speculations. We can only respond when something happens, right? We¡¯ll be fine if we know what we¡¯re doing.¡±


    ¡°Mother, you don¡¯t intend on letting go of the past enmity with them, right?¡±


    ¡°Do I look like a person who would put myself in harm¡¯s way?¡± Meng Yao couldn¡¯t help but laugh.


    ¡°Phew, that¡¯s good to hear,¡± Zhao Dahe was relieved.


    ¡­


    Meanwhile, Madam Sun and Madam Lin gathered and muttered, ¡°Do you think we¡¯ll succeed?¡± Madam Sun still couldn¡¯t believe it.


    ¡°We must. My second brother wouldn¡¯t mistake Zhao Ting¡¯s appearance,¡± Madam Lin said with certainty.


    ¡°Then why didn¡¯t he tell Meng Yao?¡± Madam Sun asked.


    ¡°When Zhao Ting married into the family, he did not do it willingly. Furthermore, my second brother said Zhao Ting already had another woman by his side,¡± Madam Lin said, ¡°Maybe Zhao Ting faked his death and left back then.¡±


    ¡°Then how many children do you think he can take in?¡± Madam Sun was still somewhat worried.


    ¡°My second brother has already asked around. Since Zhao Ting left, he hasn¡¯t been able to have any children. I don¡¯t think I can have children in the future either,¡± Madam Lin said, ¡°Unless he wants to have no descendants, he will undoubtedly acknowledge the child.¡±


    ¡°We must settle this marriage before he acknowledges the child. Dahe had always been good at studying, and with Zhao Ting¡¯s help, he would surely become an official in the future. How can our family not have good days with Ruru¡¯s help then?¡±


    ¡°So, we still have to help Zhao Ting? He doesn¡¯t like Meng Yao, so we have to help him send Meng Yao from a distance,¡± Madam Sun said.


    ¡°Mother-in-law, do you honestly have the heart to do that?¡± Madam Lin couldn¡¯t help but ask.


    Madam Sun gritted her teeth. ¡°She never listened to me ever since she was a child, so why can¡¯t I bear to?¡±


    ¡­


    Zhao Dahe was delighted when he left home this time because his mother had given him many of his favorite snacks. His mother made them all.


    However, Zhao Dahe didn¡¯t know if it was because the earrings he bought made his mother happy or perhaps because the Meng family had their eyes on Zhao Dahe, and his mother felt guilty toward him.


    In any case, Zhao Dahe felt his mother was someone who loved him the most.


    After sending Zhao Dahe off, Meng Yao began to paint. Meng Yao had no choice because she had invested most of the money she got into her pocket dimension and only had a few dozen taels left. Meng Yao panicked when she didn¡¯t have any money.


    Meanwhile, Zhao Xiaoshu and Zhao Xiaohua weren¡¯t interested in painting flowers, so Meng Yao let them do whatever they wanted.


    Song Xiu¡¯er was interested, but she lacked the essential talent. She was good at needlework but knew nothing about painting. Similarly, embroidery would not work.


    Meng Yao felt regretful because she was about to lose her predecessor¡¯s talent in embroidery.


    Zhao Dahe returned later that night alongside Qin Zheng. It had only been three days since Qin Zheng last visited, but he had already lost a lot of weight. His eyes were dull and lifeless, and the color of his initially gorgeous clothes was no longer visible, exuding a sour smell. Qin Zheng¡¯s hair was messy and covered in withered grass.


    Qin Zheng was different from the chubby boy who loved talking and laughing.


    ¡°What happened?¡± Meng Yao couldn¡¯t help but ask as she helped Zhao Dahe carry Qin Zheng into the house.


    Zhao Dahe shook his head. ¡°I don¡¯t know because Qin Zheng didn¡¯t say anything.¡±


    Zhao Dahe also told Meng Yao he didn¡¯t see Qin Zheng after returning to school. Zhao Dahe asked his teacher where Qin Zheng was, but the teacher said he didn¡¯t know either because Qin Zheng hadn¡¯t said anything.


    Zhao Dahe was worried about Qin Zheng, so he asked to be excused and went to the Qins to look for Qin Zheng. However, the Qin residence¡¯s door was tightly shut, and Zhao Dahe couldn¡¯t open it no matter how hard he tried.


    Zhao Dahe returned empty-handed but returned to the Qin residence the following day. By then, the Qin residence¡¯s gate was sealed shut.


    Zhao Dahe asked around and discovered that the Qin family got exiled from the village.


    ¡°Then?¡± Meng Yao pointed at Qin Zheng.


    If the Qin family got exiled, why was Qin Zheng still around?


    ¡°I heard that the people who came to reprimand the Qins were quite superficial. I¡¯m not sure how many people there are in the Qin family. Also, they seemed in a hurry,¡± Zhao Dahe said, ¡°I found Qin Zheng next to the Qin Residence.¡±


    There was an abandoned courtyard beside the Qin Residence, with a dog hole in the courtyard wall.


    ¡°How did you know Qin Zheng was next door?¡± Meng Yao was surprised.


    ¡°I used silver to inquire, and that person said he didn¡¯t see anyone taking Qin Zheng away. If someone took someone as chubby as Qin Zheng, the onlookers would surely remember,¡± Zhao Dahe said, ¡°The person I bribed was vague, so I thought it might be true. Sure enough, I found Qin Zheng in the courtyard next door. Don¡¯t worry, Mother. No one saw us.¡±


    ¡°Have you ever thought your actions might cost us our lives, Dahe?¡± Meng Yao¡¯s expression was severe.


    Zhao Dahe nodded. ¡°Of course, I¡¯ve thought about it. B-But I couldn¡¯t bear to leave Qin Zheng there. He would¡¯ve starved to death if I didn¡¯t get him out of that courtyard. Let¡¯s help Qin Zheng, Mother.¡±


    Meng Yao sighed. She knew she couldn¡¯t ignore Qin Zheng¡¯s life or death situation.


    ¡°Let¡¯s clean him up first,¡± Meng Yao sighed.


    Zhao Dahe heaved a sigh of relief. ¡°Okay.¡±


    Meng Yao found a set of Zhao Dahe¡¯s clothes and asked Zhao Dajiang to bring some hot water to help Zhao Dahe clean Qin Zheng.


    Meng Yao was still thinking of a way to deal with Qin Zheng when Zhao Dahe¡¯s exclamation sounded from inside the room.

 Chapter 39

    Meng Yao hurriedly entered the room and saw scratches on both sides of Qin Zheng¡¯s shoulders and ribs. Some places had already formed scabs, while others had pus sticking to his undergarments.


    The scratches probably happened when Qin Zheng forced his way through the dog hole. The dog hole was enough to fit a dog, not for someone as chubby as Qin Zheng.


    ¡°Did your parents push you from behind?¡± Meng Yao asked softly.


    Qin Zheng¡¯s body trembled, but he remained silent.


    Meng Yao sighed and thought Qin Zheng must be shocked about the whole situation.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to separate your clothes from your skin. It¡¯ll hurt a little, so you have to bear it,¡± Meng Yao said.


    Meng Yao took the small embroidery scissors and sterilized them over a fire. It would be great if she had alcohol swabs, and the fire was still lacking. Meng Yao froze, and a small porcelain bottle appeared in her hand.


    Fortunately, Meng Yao had her back facing Zhao Dahe and Qin Zheng. She opened the porcelain bottle with trembling hands, and just as she expected, there were alcohol swabs in the bottle.


    Indeed, the pocket dimension had many uses. The next moment, Meng Yao realized she could store things in her pocket dimension and obtain items from them.


    No, to be exact, the pocket dimension was like a trading platform because one tael of silver went missing from the forty-eight taels of silver Meng Yao stored there. She now had only forty-seven silver taels.


    In other words, the bottle of alcohol swabs cost one silver tael. The value of one silver was high in ancient times. After all, pork was about sixteen to seventeen yuan per pound, and one silver tael could buy more than sixty pounds of pork.


    The bottle of alcohol swabs, excluding the porcelain bottle, was no different from a hundred bottles of alcohol swabs in the future. A single piece was equivalent to a little more than one and a half pounds of pork.


    ¡®That¡¯s too f*cking expensive!¡¯ Meng Yao thought.


    However, it was impossible to return the goods, and Meng Yao needed them. So what if it was expensive?


    ¡®Then I¡¯ll have a bottle of saline too,¡¯ Meng Yao spoke inwardly.


    The next moment, a porcelain bottle containing 250ml of saline appeared in Meng Yao¡¯s hand. Then she calmly sanitized the scissors with an alcohol swab.


    Zhao Dahe sniffed. ¡°Where¡¯s the smell of alcohol coming from?¡±


    ¡°Oh, I got these from when Xiaoshu was injured,¡± Meng Yao said calmly.


    It was a ubiquitous porcelain bottle, so Zhao Dahe did not ask further.


    Meng Yao cut Qin Zheng¡¯s clothes stained with his skin and flesh down the middle and washed them in saline water. After that, she carefully disinfected Qin Zheng¡¯s wounds with the alcohol swabs.


    Meng Yao heaved a sigh of relief. Only two of Qin Zheng¡¯s wounds were infected, and the rest were shallow.


    Afterward, Meng Yao instructed Zhao Dahe to help clean the rest of Qin Zheng¡¯s wounds and told Zhao Dahe not to let the wounds come into contact with water.


    Then Meng Yao went to the kitchen to cook some porridge. She recalled the news from Zhao Dahe about the Qin family.


    The Qin family¡¯s business scope was relatively broad, so they profited quite a bit. When an official committed a significant crime in that era, the government officials would send the offender and his family to jail if the crime were not enough to warrant a beheading.


    Meng Yao wondered why the Qin family got incarcerated.


    Zhao Dahe inquired about the people who confiscated the Qin family¡¯s property. Otherwise, they would not have left Qin Zheng out. Therefore, Zhao Dahe thought the Qin family got involved in shady business dealings.


    In other words, Qin Zheng¡¯s side of the family should be a branch of the main Qin family that had a high-ranking official among them. The so-called high-ranking official had committed a crime, implicating their clan members.


    That was how a prominent family rose and fell.


    When one was a high-ranking official, one¡¯s family members would be under one¡¯s protection. Everything they did would go smoothly no matter what. However, if a high-ranking official was caught committing a crime, their family could not come out unscathed.


    Meng Yao made the porridge and brought it to Qin Zheng.


    ¡°There¡¯s still more in the pot. Dajiang, Dahe, you can get some for yourselves if you¡¯re hungry,¡± Meng Yao said.


    After sending Zhao Dahe and Zhao Dajiang away, Meng Yao placed the bowl of porridge in her hand in front of Qin Zheng.


    ¡°Your parents pushed you to the abandoned courtyard next door for you to survive, not starve to death. If that¡¯s the case, wouldn¡¯t it better if you got incarcerated as well?¡± Meng Yao said.


    However, Qin Zhen still remained silent.


    ¡°Dahe brought you here on account of your friendship. He didn¡¯t want you to die alone,¡± Meng Yao continued to ramble, ¡°You must pull yourself together, young man. You can¡¯t let down your parent¡¯s painstaking efforts.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just incarceration. Who knows? There might still be room for change. What if the officials pardoned your parents? They¡¯ll be fine when that time comes, but you¡¯d be dead because you gave up. Do you have the heart to let your parents see you die?¡±


    Qin Zheng violently trembled as tears gushed from his bloodshot eyes. It¡¯s good that he cried because it meant Qin Zheng accepted what had happened. He would be halfway through this hurdle after crying.


    Meng Yao stood up and left because she wanted to give Qin Zheng some privacy.


    Zhao Dahe was still eating his porridge in the kitchen while Zhao Dajiang had already returned to his room.


    ¡°Has Qin Zheng eaten yet, Mother?¡± Zhao Dahe asked.


    ¡°He hasn¡¯t eaten yet. Maybe he will when he gets tired of crying,¡± Meng Yao said, ¡°So? How do you want to help Qin Zheng?¡±


    Zhao Dahe scratched the back of his head. ¡°I-I don¡¯t know. He didn¡¯t say anything, so I don¡¯t know what he¡¯s planning to do.¡±


    ¡°Qin Zheng can¡¯t continue his studies,¡± Meng Yao said.


    ¡°Why?¡± Zhao Dahe¡¯s reaction was a little exaggerated. ¡°Mother, if I work hard, I can help pay for more than half of Qin Zheng¡¯s studies with your help. I¡¯ll return what I owe you in the future. What future will Qin Zheng have if he doesn¡¯t study?¡±


    ¡°Why can¡¯t you think straight? What do you think incarceration means?¡± Meng Yao rolled her eyes. ¡°It means the Qins are guilty of something. Won¡¯t Qin Zheng reveal himself if he goes to school?¡±


    ¡°W-We can hide his identity!¡± Zhao Dahe blurted.


    Meng Yao wanted to whack Zhao Dahe¡¯s head with a stick. ¡°How do you expect him to do that and go to school simultaneously?¡±


    Meng Yao understood Zhao Dahe¡¯s intention. He wanted Qin Zheng to take the imperial examination. However, Qin Zheng could not leave the house unless someone could change his identity. But who could do that?


    Zhao Dahe hung his head dejectedly. ¡°Then what should we do?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll figure something out,¡± Meng Yao said, ¡°Even if it looks like a dead-end now, we¡¯ll come up with something sooner or later. All right, hurry up and go to Xiaoshu¡¯s room to rest. You have to go back to school tomorrow while Qin Zheng stays here for the time being.


    Zhao Dahe sighed in despair.


    ¡°If you want to help Qin Zheng, you have to make a name for yourself first,¡± Meng Yao said, ¡°Maybe the problem will be solved when that time comes.¡±


    ¡°How long will that take?!¡± Zhao Dahe had a bitter expression on his face.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, but it¡¯s better than doing nothing,¡± Meng Yao said.


    What else could Zhao Dahe say? His mother was right.


    Meng Yao woke up before dawn the following day. It seemed she hadn¡¯t slept much that night. She wasn¡¯t as carefree as Zhao Dahe, who thought everything would be okay when he returned.


    Meng Yao feared Qin Zheng would take things too hard and constantly wake up from his sleep, so she went back and forth to check on Qin Zheng throughout the night.


    However, Meng Yao became mentally and physically exhausted as the night progressed. She was sleepy but still forced herself to get up. Meng Yao was like a bitter mother who had to care for her son.


    Meanwhile, Song Xiu¡¯er got up and helped Meng Yao prepare breakfast as Zhao Dajiang cleaned the courtyard and fed the chickens.


    Zhao Dahe woke up halfway through the meal. Then he rubbed his tired eyes and returned to his room before sneaking out again.


    Although Meng Yao¡¯s voice was shallow, one could hear its joy, ¡°I¡¯m going to bed.¡±

 Chapter 40

    ¡°Xiu¡¯er, you guys go ahead and eat while I go to my room to sleep.¡± Meng Yao put down her work and walked out while yawning.¡±Don¡¯t wake me if there¡¯s nothing.¡±


    Song Xiu¡¯er agreed immediately. Although Song Xiu¡¯er didn¡¯t know what had happened, she knew she only needed to obey her mother-in-law.


    Zhao Dahe told Song Xiu¡¯er not to worry about his room and instructed her to tell Zhao Dajiang and the two little ones not to tell anyone about Qin Zheng¡¯s situation.


    After that, Zhao Dahe quickly ate and left. Mr. Niu asked him when he would return, but Zhao Dahe simply made an excuse and brushed it off.


    The oxcart swayed, and Zhao Dahe was in a daze as he wondered if there was a way he could hide Qin Zheng¡¯s identity?


    Unfortunately, Zhao Dahe had not managed to come up with an answer even when he arrived in the town.


    After paying the fare, Zhao Dahe jumped down from the oxcart and walked toward his teacher¡¯s house. Since he couldn¡¯t figure it out, he would just stop overthinking. There would always be a way out. He just had to take it one step at a time.


    Bang!


    Zhao Dahe crashed into something with great force and fell to the ground. He looked up at the tall figure standing against the light. The man¡¯s face looked familiar somehow.


    ¡°Are you all right?¡± The tall man¡¯s voice was cold.


    Zhao Dahe shook his head. ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡±


    ¡°Watch where you¡¯re going next time, and stop shaking your head,¡± the tall man said, ¡°Not everyone you hit will let you off so easily.¡±


    Then the tall man walked past Zhao Dahe and continued down the path that led out of town.


    Zhao Dahe was miffed. He had fallen, and his rump was still hurting. He thought the tall man was arrogant because he was taller and stronger. Zhao Dahe was in the midst of his growth spurt, and if that man had the guts, he should come back and try bumping into Zhao Dahe again when he had grown taller. At that time, no one would fall over.


    But why was that man¡¯s face so familiar?


    Zhao Dahe got on his feet and rubbed his buttocks. ¡®Where am I?¡¯


    When Zhao Dahe was about to reach his teacher¡¯s house, he stopped in his tracks and stood rooted to the spot with a horrified expression. He remembered now. That man had looked very similar to his late father.


    No, they looked the same. However, compared to the person in Zhao Dahe¡¯s memory, the man he bumped into looked more experienced and noble.


    ¡®How could two people look so similar?¡¯ Zhao Dahe wondered in his heart.


    No one could find Zhao Dahe¡¯s father previously. Perhaps he wasn¡¯t dead?


    Zhao Dahe immediately put an end to this thought. ¡®What are you thinking? If he isn¡¯t dead, he would have come home a long time ago.¡¯


    Perhaps, they were just people who looked very similar. Besides, that man had seen Zhao Dahe¡¯s face just now. It was clear that he didn¡¯t recognize Zhao Dahe.


    Which father would not recognize his son?


    Zhao Dahe reached up to touch his face. He had not grown out of shape. He shook his head and thought, ¡®Why am I thinking so much about someone who just happened to look like my father?¡¯


    ¡­


    By the time Meng Yao woke up, it was already noon.


    Song Xiu¡¯er heard Meng Yao waking up and quickly brought some hot water for her. ¡°Wash up, Mother-in-law. The food will be ready soon.¡±


    ¡°Thank you so much, Xiu¡¯er.¡± Meng Yao used a handkerchief to wipe her face.


    Song Xiu¡¯er wasn¡¯t used to Meng Yao¡¯s politeness. She said timidly, ¡°I-It¡¯s nothing. It¡¯s what a daughter-in-law should do.¡±


    Meng Yao didn¡¯t bother to correct Song Xiu¡¯er. Since correcting her was useless, Meng Yao did not waste wish to waste her time.


    ¡°Has Qin Zheng woken up?¡± Meng Yao asked.


    ¡°He woke up a while ago. I got him some rice, and he ate it all. He¡¯s in Xiaoshu¡¯s room right now,¡± Song Xiu¡¯er said hurriedly.


    Qin Zheng had eaten and even took the initiative to interact with others. Had he recovered?


    ¡°I¡¯ll eat later.¡± After Meng Yao said this, she rushed to Zhao Xiaoshu¡¯s room.


    Qin Zheng was teaching Zhao Xiaoshu and Zhao Xiaohua how to write. When he saw Meng Yao enter the room, he bowed respectfully to Meng Yao. With tears in his eyes, he said sobbingly, ¡°Thank you, Aunt Zhao.¡±


    Meng Yao heaved a sigh of relief. ¡°It¡¯s good that you¡¯ve thought things through. Dinner¡¯s ready, so let¡¯s eat first. If there¡¯s anything else, we¡¯ll discuss it after dinner.¡±


    Then Meng Yao called Zhao Xiaoshu and Zhao Xiaohua to the kitchen to eat.


    Zhao Xiaohua looked at Meng Yao curiously, then at Qin Zheng. After a long while, he finally said, ¡°Mother, how did Qin Zheng lose weight so quickly? Did you give him a better regime?¡±


    This sentence successfully dispelled some of Qin Zheng¡¯s sadness.


    Meng Yao glared at Zhao Xiaohua. ¡°What¡¯s going on in that head of yours?¡±


    ¡°Just thinking about the things you taught me, Mother,¡± Zhao Xiaohua said innocently.


    ¡°Don¡¯t try to fool me. Hurry up and help Xiu¡¯er set the table,¡± Meng Yao said as she glared at Zhao Xiaohua.


    Zhao Xiaohua pouted and dragged Zhao Xiaoshu away with her.


    After the meal, Zhao Xiaohua insisted on standing against the wall with Qin Zheng. ¡°Qin Zheng, you¡¯re so amazing. You chewed 30 times in one bite.¡±


    Meng Yao originally wanted to chase Zhao Xiaohua away, but after thinking about it, letting the little girl play with Qin Zheng might not be harmful. At least it would keep Qin Zheng distracted.


    ¡°I want to slim down as quickly as possible,¡± Qin Zheng said.


    ¡°Let¡¯s cheer each other on then, ¡± Zhao Xiaohua said.


    Half an hour later, Meng Yao gave Zhao Xiaohua and Zhao Xiaoshu their homework. Then she brought Qin Zheng back to Zhao Dahe¡¯s room.


    ¡°What¡¯s your next plan?¡± Meng Yao went straight to the point.


    Qin Zheng was silent. After a long while, he said, ¡°The Qins are gone. I have nowhere else to go¡­¡±


    ¡°You can stay here,¡± Meng Yao offered, ¡°I¡¯m sure that¡¯s what Dahe wishes for as well.¡±


    Qin Zheng was touched. ¡°But I can¡¯t implicate Dahe and you, Aunt Zhao.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve successfully slimmed down. I don¡¯t think even your parents would recognize you, so in what way are you implicating us?¡± Meng Yao said calmly.


    Qin Zheng had lost a lot of weight, and no one would immediately associate him with his initial chubby image. When he slimmed down completely, the change would be even more significant.


    It was true that losing weight was like getting plastic surgery. In the past, Meng Yao had seen many such instances.


    ¡°R-Really?¡± Qin Zheng was surprised.


    ¡°If you don¡¯t believe me, you¡¯ll know when you slim down,¡± Meng Yao assured Qin Zheng, ¡°So, don¡¯t worry about staying with us. I only hope you will think about how to proceed from here. After all, you can¡¯t go to school. The imperial examination¡­¡±


    Qin Zheng understood what Meng Yao was trying to say. ¡°Aunt Zhao, don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m not upset.As for the imperial examination, I¡¯m not cut out for it, so it¡¯s not a waste. ¡±


    ¡°You can decide for yourself if that¡¯s true,¡± Meng Yao said, ¡°If we can, Dahe and I will help you wherever we can. However, there are some things we can¡¯t help with, so you have to handle them yourself.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll remember the kindness you and Dahe have shown me. I¡¯ll never forget it,¡± Qin Zheng said firmly.


    ¡°Your wounds need to be disinfected. I¡¯ll go get you some medicine,¡± Meng Yao said. She now had to give Qin Zheng time to plan his future.


    After all, Meng Yao could help him now, but she couldn¡¯t help him forever. For the majority, Qin Zheng would have to rely on himself.