The sky gradually darkened.

The moon had long since hung in the sky, and its clear, bright light shone over the courtyard.

Cheng Wanwan sat on a chair and spoke calmly, “Ergou, Sanniu, do you two have anything to say?”

Zhao Ergou lowered his head. “We shouldn’t have gone to Chengjia Village…”

Though he said this, he didn’t regret it at all.

Because of him and Sanniu, their mother had completely severed ties with the Cheng family.

From now on, no matter what good things their family had, their mother wouldn’t send them to the Chengs, and the Cheng family wouldn’t be able to bully her anymore.

Zhao Sanniu also lowered his head. “Mother, I was wrong…”

“You were indeed wrong,” Cheng Wanwan said in a steady tone. “Before making full preparations, before having a solid plan, you shouldn’t have acted so recklessly! Ergou, you’re sixteen now, an adult. I know you’re clever, but it’s just small tricks. If your eldest brother and I hadn’t gone today, you and Sanniu would have been tied up in the yard all night, starving and dehydrated. You would’ve lost half your life!”

“And Sanniu, you have strength but never use your brain.” She scolded him with some annoyance. “No matter how strong you are, you’re only fourteen. Even if there were ten of you tied together, you wouldn’t be a match for your uncle. You can’t be so reckless anymore.”

Zhao Ergou and Zhao Sanniu were stunned.

Their mother didn’t blame them for causing trouble at the Cheng family’s house—she blamed them for not being prepared.

Had she really given up on the Cheng family completely?

Cheng Wanwan continued, “Since you made a mistake, you must be punished. Each of you will go fetch two buckets of water right now.”

Zhao Ergou looked up, his eyes filled with surprise.

In the past, when their mother punished them, it was either kneeling all night or going a whole day without food.

Fetching water was just a daily chore—how could it be considered a punishment?

Zhao Sanniu had already picked up the buckets. “We’ll go get the water right away!”

The two left one after the other.

Cheng Wanwan stood up and went to the kitchen, asking Wu Huiniang to boil some water. “Everyone’s exhausted today. No matter who it is, they must take a bath.”

Searching through her inherited memories, she realized she couldn’t even remember the last time they’d bathed properly.

They only washed their hands and faces daily, but their bodies were drenched in sweat all the time. Stand too close, and the stench was unbearable…

She knew water was scarce, but she still couldn’t tolerate herself and her family being this filthy.

By nightfall, Dahe Village quieted down.

After a long day of labor, the farmers were preparing to rest. The well, where people usually lined up to draw water, was now deserted.

Zhao Ergou and Zhao Sanniu each carried back two buckets of water.

At home, there was a large wooden tub that had barely been used.

Cheng Wanwan took it out, poured in some hot water, then added a bit of cold water.

She then grabbed Zhao Sidaan. “Are you going to wash yourself, or do you want me to do it for you?”

Zhao Sidaan’s face turned red. “I-I’ll do it myself…”

From what he could remember, his mother had never bathed him.

Actually, he had never even bathed at home before.

In the past, when there was no drought, he would just strip and swim in the river—that was considered good enough.

His body was covered in dirt.

Just rubbing it brought out layers of grime.

Washing like this wouldn’t do.

Cheng Wanwan searched through the marketplace in her mind and finally spent three copper coins to buy a small, unassuming bar of soap. “I just got this from your uncle’s house. It’s top-quality soap. After using it, you’ll smell great.”

The Zhao family had never seen soap before, let alone heard of it.

Zhao Sidaan held the tiny bar of soap, unwilling to use it.

Cheng Wanwan showed him how.

He lathered himself with bubbles and happily scrubbed himself clean in the courtyard.

Zhao Ergou grumbled, “Can you hurry up?”

Zhao Sidaan blinked innocently. “Mother said I have to be completely clean, or I’m not allowed to go to bed.”

Zhao Ergou curled his finger. “Sanniu, let’s help him wash!”

“Second Brother, Third Brother, no—! Big Brother, save me!” Zhao Sidaan dodged frantically. “Hahaha, stop tickling me! I’m done, I’m done!”

Hearing the laughter echo through the courtyard, Cheng Wanwan smiled.

As the night deepened, the Zhao family took turns bathing, and the entire courtyard smelled of soap. Everyone looked much cleaner.

That night, Cheng Wanwan finally had a good sleep.

At dawn, Dahe Village began to stir.

When Cheng Wanwan got up, the three children beside her were still sleeping like little pigs.

She got out of bed quietly. Wu Huiniang was already busy in the courtyard, washing the dirty clothes the family had changed out of last night.

Zhao Dashan picked up a hoe, preparing to go to the fields to weed.

“Dashan, come with me to town,” Cheng Wanwan instructed.

Then she turned to Wu Huiniang, “Huiniang, just stay home and tidy up—don’t go to the mountains.”

Yesterday, Wu Huiniang had almost fallen on the mountain.

Cheng Wanwan wouldn’t risk letting a pregnant woman take that kind of chance again.

Wu Huiniang quickly said, “But Mother, where else can I go to gather wild vegetables if I don’t go to the mountains?”

The fields and meadows had already been picked clean. They had to go deeper into the mountains.

“Little goosefoot is still edible,” Cheng Wanwan said. “You and Sidaan can gather some from the fields. Let Ergou and Sanniu go into the mountains to find mushrooms and fiddleheads. Dashan and I will be back before noon.”

At the village entrance, Zhao Da’s ox cart was waiting.

One copper coin per ride.

Cheng Wanwan paid two coins, and she and Zhao Dashan climbed aboard.

Other villagers were already there.

Since the mother and son had bathed the night before, they looked clean and fresh.

Though their clothes were still ragged, they somehow seemed different from the others.

Cheng Wanwan’s fair skin made the wound on her forehead even more noticeable.

A woman who usually didn’t get along with her sneered, “Where are you off to, Zhao Da’s wife? Why not go to Chengjia Village?”

Everyone in the village knew that Zhao Da’s wife always sent good things back to her mother’s family.

Yet, she had been beaten and thrown out by them—it was hilarious.

Cheng Wanwan smirked. “Aunt Fugui, you and your husband really are alike, always asking where I’m going. Does it have anything to do with either of you?”

Aunt Fugui’s eyebrows shot up. “What do you mean by that?”

Cheng Wanwan scoffed. “Instead of worrying about me, you should focus on your own husband.”

With just a few words, Aunt Fugui nearly exploded.

She almost jumped off the cart to run home and question her husband—was he having an affair with Cheng Wanwan?

But seeing how composed Cheng Wanwan was, she hesitated.

If she wasn’t having an affair, then… was it her husband who was pestering the widow?

Aunt Fugui’s chest ached with anger.

But she didn’t want to make a scene in front of everyone, so she simply huffed, “We’re all from the same village. I was just asking out of curiosity. What an ungrateful woman…”

Cheng Wanwan closed her eyes to rest.

As the saying goes, “A widow’s doorstep is never free from trouble.”

Since she became a widow and moved out, many old men in the village had come bothering her.

Luckily, she had been fierce enough to curse them all away—except for Zhao Fugui, who kept pestering her.

She had brought it up just so Aunt Fugui would keep a closer eye on her own husband.

Otherwise, Cheng Wanwan feared she wouldn’t be able to resist smashing Zhao Fugui’s head in with a brick.