Tang Moling had come frequently in the past, but never this frequently.
He knew that something was wrong with him, but he couldn’t control himself.
He had wanted to expose Mu Jingzhe’s true colors and seduce her to take revenge, but in the end, he’d ended up getting lost in his plot.
He couldn’t help worrying about Mu Jingzhe and feeling angry because of what had happened to her, so he had come to see her in order to feel at ease.
On the third day, Tang Moling restrained himself from coming. Instead, he vented his anger on the person who had bullied Mu Jingzhe.
Because they ultimately hadn’t managed to force the marriage, Yang Qing, Zhao Lan, and Shao Qiyun weren’t sentenced in the end, but they still suffered a lot.
Shao Qiyun felt that she had lost all her dignity and was too ashamed to return to the village. Thus, she directly went back to the county city.
Shao Qiyun had her own dormitory. Although it was the holidays, she could still stay there.
She didn’t expect to find out that she had been fired when she arrived at the school.
The school had learned what she had done and decided to fire her. They had even found someone to replace her.
This job didn’t require many qualifications, and there were many people eagerly waiting in line, so a replacement was found in no time.
Shao Qiyun’s luggage had been packed up, and she was forbidden from going to the dormitory again, as the school administration quoted fear of her forcibly marrying off the students.
Shao Qiyun was about to go crazy. She had no idea how the news had managed to reach the school.
“I was wronged. I didn’t do anything at all. How could you treat me like this? Did Mu Jingzhe come to make a fuss because she wanted to take revenge on me? Was it her?”
The security guard shook his head. “Who is Mu Jingzhe? I’ve never heard of her. You know what you did. Stop making a ruckus and leave.”
Over the past two days, news of Shao Qiyun forcibly marrying off her widowed sister-in-law in exchange for betrothal gifts had spread all over the school.
The school attached great importance to this and had asked the teachers to emphasize that this was wrong when their students returned from the holidays.
There was no lack of students from remote mountain villages in the school. They had good grades, but their families were poor. Some of them would drop out of school after studying for a while to get married.
Many of them weren’t willing to do so. They weren’t old enough to get married, but their parents made the decision for them regardless of whether they were willing or not.
The school was very helpless and really didn’t want such a situation to occur again. After hearing about Shao Qiyun’s matter, they took it very seriously and even specifically issued a notice regarding this matter.
Someone like her definitely wouldn’t be allowed to stay in the school anymore. What if she led the students astray? What if she sold the students?
Just like that, Shao Qiyun became a negative example and lost the job that she had worked so hard to get.
“Mu Jingzhe. It must be Mu Jingzhe.”
Shao Qiyun and Zhao Lan gritted their teeth, wishing they could tear her apart.
Despite feeling hateful, there was nothing they could do because they were obviously in the wrong. When they got back, they were torn apart by the villagers before they could even tear Mu Jingzhe apart. Regarding Shao Qiyun’s encounter, everyone only had three words to say—served her right.
The villagers no longer treated Mu Jingzhe like before.
They were eagerly waiting for Mu Jingzhe’s business to expand so that she would hire more workers and they could earn money working for her.
Thus, Shao Qiyun and Zhao Lan’s actions also affected them.
While the village was in chaos, Mu Teng and Mu Jingzhe calmed down and didn’t show their faces.
After holding back for a day, Tang Moling couldn’t help but bring a bunch of things to Great Eastern Village the very next day.
Alas, he realized that Mu Jingzhe wasn’t at the Mu Residence.
She had returned to the Shao Family because she couldn’t let go of those children.
Old Mu scolded Mu Jingzhe with a dark expression. She hadn’t welcomed Mu Jingzhe when she’d come back, but she was also dissatisfied when Mu Jingzhe wanted to leave.
Tang Moling heaved a sigh of relief, but he couldn’t help but feel disappointed.
In the end, Mu Jingzhe couldn’t bear to let go of those children.
This made him feel that he had indeed not misjudged her. He was heartened by this fact, but at the same time, he couldn’t help but feel disappointed. After all, she had gone back.
For a moment, Tang Moling felt indescribably jealous of the five kids.
Old Madam Mu kept nagging, but Mu Teng and Li Zhaodi were listless, especially Mu Teng, who kept pondering over Mu Jingzhe’s words with a frown. The atmosphere was tense.
Mu Jingzhe woke up early that morning. When Mu Teng and Li Zhaodi woke up, she poured them water to wash their faces.
Mu Jingzhe had been doing this for the past two days, even going as far as to boil water for them to wash their feet at night.
Mu Teng had a bad feeling when he saw Mu Jingzhe. Indeed, after a while, Mu Jingzhe spoke.
“Dad, Mom, I want to go back today. I can’t let go of them. I keep thinking about them.”
It was obvious who she was referring to.
“You still want to go back in the end?”
“Yes. Mom, Dad, I’m sorry I couldn’t listen to you, but if this continues, I’ll keep feeling uneasy.”
Li Zhaodi lost all her strength and muttered, “You’ll end up going back after all. I knew you couldn’t let go of them and would go back eventually…”
She had really hoped that wasn’t the case, but she remembered Mu Jingzhe’s condition for the past two days.
She had been distracted all the time and had kept gazing in the direction of the Shao Family. Sometimes, she would accidentally call out their names in a daze.
For the past few nights, she hadn’t had a good night’s sleep. All of this hadn’t escaped Li Zhaodi’s notice.
“You foolish child. You’re so silly. Why did you choose the most difficult path?”
Mu Jingzhe had thought it through thoroughly. “I only want to have a clear conscience. Besides, I’m fated to be with them.”
She had come back to stay for three days. Firstly, she did this to appease Mu Teng and Li Zhaodi, and secondly, because she wanted to calm down.
She didn’t make a hobby of being a stepmother, but she had developed feelings for them through their interactions.
Many of her future plans were closely related to them, and she felt that a life like that was very interesting.
After her return to the Mu Family, she felt less at ease than while she’d been living with the Shao Family.
At the Shao Residence, she had been the head of the family, but at the Mu Residence, she felt like she was living under someone else’s roof. Furthermore, she had to put up with Old Madam Mu’s attitude. It was just like she had imagined.
It wasn’t impossible for her to rent a house in the county city now, but her hair ornament production team was in the village.
It would still be a stretch to move all of a sudden to the county or town. Besides, she didn’t like giving up halfway.
Since she had already gotten used to taking care of the five kids and had developed feelings for them, why not continue to do this for two more years? Before long, the children might not need her to take care of them anymore.
Besides, she had yet to meet anyone suitable, let alone make plans to get married, so it would be better for her to go back.
Mu Jingzhe had spent three days thoroughly thinking about it.
“Dad, Mom, don’t worry. I’ll make sure to live a happy life. Don’t worry about me all the time. I’ve grown up. I’ll be responsible for my own life.
“Hurry up and get ready to set up your stall. Don’t stop going on my account. When it comes to business, you should be consistent. Not showing up a few times for no reason will affect your business.”
Mu Teng didn’t say a word, but he knew that there was no turning back now that Mu Jingzhe had spoken. This child was stubborn and wouldn’t reverse her decision once she made up her mind.
Upon recalling the way Shao Dong had kneeled and what he’d said and remembering those children secretly coming to see her in the past two days, she knew that those children occupied a position in Mu Jingzhe’s heart and vice versa.
Mu Teng sighed. “You chose this path yourself. Don’t regret it and come crying to me in the future.”
“I won’t.”
Mu Jingzhe repeated her words. “Dad, Mom, don’t worry. I’ll really be fine.”
