Chapter 3

Gu Yinyin stayed outside for a while, thinking that Li Ailian had gone out to look for the chicks and should be back soon. She did not want to run into bad luck, so she quickly carried a bucket of water back into the house.

Da Wa and Xiao Wa had just eaten two pieces of peach crisps and already felt full. Their mother had never treated them so well before. Da Wa still felt uneasy, but Xiao Wa’s heart was filled with sweetness.

She held her brother’s hand and said: “Father said before, Mother is only in a bad mood. Once Mother feels better, she will treat us really, really well. Our mother is a good person, she just trusted the wrong person.”

But Da Wa sneered. “We all know she trusted the wrong person, but she won’t admit it. She gave all the good things from home to Aunt Mei. It’s not that I don’t like her, it’s just that she doesn’t deserve to be a mother! Last time when you had a fever, she refused to spend money to get a doctor. In the end, I had to go find Zhuzi and beg his mother for half a tablet of paracetamol. Only then did your fever go down. Have you forgotten?”

Xiao Wa lowered her eyes, her voice soft. “Brother, you love me the most, but I still really hope Mother will love us too…”

Da Wa pulled her into his arms. “Whether she loves us or not doesn’t matter. Brother will protect you for a lifetime!”

The voice of a boy just past ten years old was still somewhat childish, but the firmness in it surprised Gu Yinyin, who was standing outside the door.

In her mind were the Original Owner’s memories, so naturally she knew how the Original Owner had treated these two children. Usually, the two of them were often bullied by the children of the second and third branches of the family, and the Original Owner always turned a blind eye. All she cared about was who Shen Guo’an was messing around with outside, endlessly jealous and sour, and whenever she had free time, she would get together with Mei Ling to find ways to make a scene with Shen Guo’an. She could be said to have neglected all proper matters, while doing countless useless ones.

Gu Yinyin herself was only eighteen. She did not exactly dislike children. She had helped neighbors take care of their kids for a few days before and had even tutored her younger cousin. If it was just to play with children for a bit, that was fine. But to take care of them for years on end—her heart felt timid about it.

But she was the kind of person who liked challenges. Back when she did exercises, she loved to pick out the hardest problems to solve, and the satisfaction of cracking them was incomparable!

At the moment, it seemed that these two children were so resistant toward their own mother entirely because the Original Owner had been irresponsible. No matter what the reason was, Gu Yinyin wanted to take these two kids under her wing and raise them.

What was more, these were her “children” in this parallel world.

As for everything else, she would take it one step at a time.

Gu Yinyin pushed open the door. Da Wa’s body immediately tensed up, while Xiao Wa gave a sweet smile and said: “Mother, my brother and I each ate one piece. Mother hasn’t eaten dinner, Mother should eat too.”

“I’m not hungry. You two drink a bowl of water each, then scoop some water from this bucket into the basin to wash your feet. After that, wash the dishes and go to bed.”

Xiao Wa nodded obediently. Seeing Da Wa not moving, she tugged on his sleeve. The two siblings finished washing their feet and prepared to go to their bed to sleep.

The room was not big. With two beds placed inside, it already felt quite cramped. Gu Yinyin slept on one bed, while Da Wa and Xiao Wa shared the other. Gu Yinyin frowned.

Although the siblings were close, they were still boy and girl. Was it really appropriate for them to sleep in the same bed?

It should be Xiao Wa sleeping with her. She was just about to speak when outside, Li Ailian and Shen Meijuan came back, shouting and clamoring. Li Ailian banged furiously on Gu Yinyin’s door.

“You little whore! You shameless bitch! You made me go out in the middle of the night to look for chickens! You’ve lost your damned conscience!”

The curses rang out deafeningly. Da Wa and Xiao Wa both fell silent. Gu Yinyin originally wanted to pretend not to hear, but the old woman’s voice was shrill and piercing, her scolding unbearable to the ear. Gu Yinyin held it in for a while, then got down from the bed, picked up the washbasin filled with the two children’s foot-washing water, and kicked the door open.

“Whoosh!”

The entire basin of foot-washing water splashed over Li Ailian, soaking her from head to toe!

Li Ailian was stunned. Had the usually docile eldest son’s wife really been possessed today? First, she had made a scene with Educated Youth Lin, falling out with Mei Ling; then she had beaten the chickens with a stick; and now she had splashed water right onto her?

Gu Yinyin’s face was cold as ice. “If you dare to make a fuss again, believe it or not, I’ll kill you! I’m telling you, I’m not afraid of anyone now! If you people can kill, why can’t I? Even a rabbit will bite when cornered! Get out!”

These were phrases commonly used in period novels to deal with malicious relatives, and Gu Yinyin had practically blurted them out without thinking. She was truly grateful for all those nights she had stayed up reading novels!

The nights of September were still a bit chilly. Li Ailian cherished her health and feared catching a cold, so she held back, cursing under her breath while hurrying away.

Her mouth spat filthy insults. “Little whore! Just wait and see if I don’t kill you tomorrow! Sooner or later you’ll be divorced, and my son will marry a proper young maiden!”

But in the end, she dared not say it too loudly. When she went back, she had not even fallen asleep yet before sneezing, her nose completely stuffed. Her hatred toward Gu Yinyin only grew deeper.

Gu Yinyin shut the door in satisfaction and went back inside to sleep. The two children were so shocked by her display that they did not dare utter a single word.

She called Xiao Wa over to sleep with her and told Da Wa to sleep on his own bed.

Xiao Wa was very happy, though a little shy, and lay down properly on the inside next to Gu Yinyin.

Da Wa turned over to face the wall, but his eyes remained wide open.

He felt that something about his mother had changed, but this change made his heart thump wildly in his chest.

He really hoped Mother could stay this fierce forever!

If that were the case, he might even consider forgiving the things she had done in the past.

Gu Yinyin was very tired. Xiao Wa was so thin that she hardly took up any space in bed. Gu Yinyin quickly fell into a deep sleep.

Outside, the moonlight spread across the ground. Tiny insects chirped softly by the wall. A gust of wind blew past, swaying the trees in front and behind the house, bringing a cool chill with it.

Meanwhile, Mei Ling’s ears were red, swollen, and still bleeding. She tossed and turned, unable to sleep. The two slaps she had received on her face from Gu Yinyin still burned hotly. Whenever she closed her eyes, she could not help recalling everything from her past life.

She was unwilling, truly unwilling! She was determined to snatch away the beautiful life that belonged to Gu Yinyin!

In this world, men died for wealth and birds for food. As long as Gu Yinyin died, those two brats would have no one to take care of them. If she gave them just a bit of kindness, they would surely become dependent on her. As for Shen Guo’an’s mother, Li Ailian—she loved women who humbled themselves the most. Mei Ling was confident she could win her over.

If one year was not enough, then five years. If five years were not enough, then ten! As long as she could replace Gu Yinyin and enter the Shen family, one day she would definitely live the good life.

The villa would be hers. The luxury car would be hers. Whenever she went out, several maids would follow. At home, storerooms would overflow with luxury goods…

Mei Ling imagined the future, her mood easing a little. Quietly, she planned to go to Gu Yinyin tomorrow, put on a show of crying, apologize and admit fault, then bring some sorghum flour along. After that, she would find an excuse to take Gu Yinyin up the mountain under the pretense of picking wild fruits.

She thought, if a person fell from the top of the mountain, would they live or die?

Mei Ling smiled with satisfaction, but quickly hid her head under the blanket for fear of being heard, secretly giggling beneath the covers.

It was not until three or four in the morning that Mei Ling finally fell asleep. In her dreams, she saw Gu Yinyin dead, Shen Guo’an rich, and herself—Mei Ling—married to him. Gu Yinyin’s two children even called her Mother, while Li Ailian adored her, praising her endlessly as being far better than Gu Yinyin…

Mei Ling giggled in her sleep.

The moon gradually moved westward. As the sky turned pale with dawn, Gu Yinyin was woken up by a series of gurgling sounds.

That sound was truly strange. She opened her eyes and followed it, only to see Da Wa curled up on the bed, clutching his stomach.

The gurgling noises continued to come from him, and Gu Yinyin understood—Da Wa was hungry!

She could not help but laugh. Da Wa himself was already half-mad from hunger. The little boy was at the age where his body was growing, and being laughed at by Gu Yinyin made his face flush red as he curled up even tighter.

Gu Yinyin got up and washed her face. Since it was still so early, the rest of the Shen family had not yet woken. She tiptoed into the kitchen, only to find that all the food had been locked away. That old woman Li Ailian was truly stingy and devious.

With a sigh, she went to check the chicken coop. There, she managed to find one egg, which she quickly took back into the kitchen to quietly make a bowl of steamed egg custard.

It only took about seven or eight minutes. Soon, a fragrant bowl of custard was ready. Gu Yinyin was capable of making simple meals; this was not difficult for her.

When she brought the custard back, Da Wa caught the smell and felt the hunger worms in his stomach writhing wildly. He sat up with a sudden “whoosh.” while Xiao Wa also woke, rubbing her eyes. “Mother, why did you get up so early?”

Gu Yinyin set down the custard. “Wash your faces, both of you. Eat this steamed egg, and when you’re done, we still have things to do.”

The custard was a tender yellow, sprinkled with scallions, steaming hot and fragrant. Normally, Da Wa and Xiao Wa were almost invisible at home, never getting the chance to eat something like this.

Staring at the custard, their eyes did not move away. Da Wa’s stomach growled with hunger, but he turned his head stubbornly. “I’m not hungry. Sister, you eat.”

Xiao Wa’s mouth was watering, but she still said: “Mother, you eat first.”

Gu Yinyin was sweeping the floor. She froze for a moment, then smiled. “You two eat. I don’t like eggs.”

Only after hearing that did the two children begin sharing the custard, cautious and earnest in their manner. As Gu Yinyin tidied up the room, she secretly cast a glance at them.

Last night it had been too dark to see clearly, but now she could see them well.

Both Da Wa and Xiao Wa were skinny, with long messy hair. Yet they were very good-looking. Their faces were delicate, their noses high and straight, their eyes large and bright like glass beads, filled with the pure innocence unique to children.

If they were cleaned up a little, they would be no worse than the child stars Gu Yinyin had once seen online. No wonder the two of them grew up to be so accomplished.

She thought to herself that when she had time, she would wash their hair, bathe them, and tidy them up so they looked more comfortable.

A single egg was not much, and the two children quickly finished eating. Da Wa glanced at Gu Yinyin and awkwardly said: “Find me something to do.”

Gu Yinyin pressed her lips into a smile. “Alright. Wash your faces, both of you, and come with me to collect a debt!”

Very soon, she took the two children out the door. It was still so early that few people in the village were awake. The three of them, each holding a stick, strode menacingly toward Mei Ling’s house.

After knocking on the door for a while, Mei Ling, her head pounding from exhaustion, irritably got up to open it. “Who is it!”

Without a word, Gu Yinyin brought her stick down on her head. She controlled the strength well—not enough to kill, but definitely painful.

Mei Ling instantly grew dizzy, her vision swimming. She cried out: “What are you doing!”

Before Gu Yinyin could answer, Da Wa raised his stick and shouted: “Give back the money and the things! You bad woman, hurry and return everything that belongs to us!”

Although Xiao Wa was timid, she still spoke up. “Aunt Mei, give it back to us quickly. Those are my mother’s, not yours.”