Chapter 10

Chapter 10

She had been sneaking gifts to that male teacher more times than anyone could count.

In truth, whether or not she was faithful had nothing to do with Yan Xue.

But because of that male teacher, the woman couldn’t stand the sight of Yan Xue. She was always causing trouble, either openly or behind the scenes, and whenever her actions ended up hurting the two little ones, Yan Xue could no longer hold back.

Especially regarding today’s incident; while it might have looked like Liu Hui’s idea on the surface, Zhang Xiaoqiao had actually been the one pulling the strings behind the scenes.

Therefore, she was certainly not going to step in and stop this dog-eat-dog situation.

Liu Hui and Zhang Xiaoqiao tangled with each other for over ten minutes. Although the aggressive and overbearing Liu Hui was physically stronger, she was no match for Zhang Xiaoqiao’s agility.

After the dust settled, both of them were left with marks. Zhang Xiaoqiao was clutching her waist, while Liu Hui had two long scratches across her neck.

Seeing that no one was stepping in to stop them, and knowing full well she couldn’t beat Liu Hui, Zhang Xiaoqiao started buttering her up.

Once the squabble came to an end, Yan Xue slowly stepped forward with the two children in tow.

“Apologize.”

Dapang had been secretly kicking Zhang Xiaoqiao while hiding behind his mother earlier, and he was currently feeling quite smug.

But under Yan Xue’s steady gaze, he wilted like a frosted eggplant, hanging his head in stubborn defiance.

Liu Hui knew she was in the wrong. Though she was overbearing, she wasn’t entirely unreasonable. She pulled Dapang over and offered an annoyed, half-hearted, “Sorry.”

Yan Xue naturally refused to accept such an attitude.

She stood in front of them as if she hadn’t heard a thing and asked, “How about the apology? The bow? The guarantee?”

Liu Hui grew furious and pointed at Yan Xue. “You! Don’t you push your luck just because you have the upper hand!”

Yan Xue pulled the two children close and smiled.

“Why should I let you off just because I have the upper hand? Besides, with you acting so shameless in front of children, it’s no wonder your son thought of hiding that book.”

“You, you—what did you say!”

In the end, unable to withstand the pointing and whispering of the crowd at the gate, Liu Hui gave in and pulled Dapang over to apologize as agreed.

Furthermore, she promised everyone that her son would stay far away from Wei Siao and Wei Sixiang from now on.

Once the show was over and the crowd dispersed, Liu Hui immediately slammed and locked her door with a vicious expression.

Yan Xue was walking home, holding the hands of the two little ones. They hadn’t gone far when the sound of howling drifted from Liu Hui’s courtyard.

“Ouch, mom, stop hitting me! I won’t do it again!”

“You little brat! I slave away all day providing for you, and this is how you make me lose face? Huh? You still dare to run? Get back here!”

“Stop hitting me and I’ll stand still! Ow, mom, put the broom down—”

“Stand still! I’m going to sort you out today! I want to see if I can’t get that pig brain of yours working properly.”

“Waaah, mom, go easy on me, I’m your own son—”

The house was in absolute chaos.

Outside the gate, the three of them—one adult and two children—held hands on the way home as snow began to drift down from the sky.

The village was quickly blanketed in white, looking just like some distant, mysterious corner from a documentary. It was quiet, peaceful, and stunningly beautiful.

Wei Siao and Wei Sixiang were both very happy.

Wei Sixiang asked excitedly as he skipped along, “Mom, how did you know the book was hidden in Dapang’s courtyard? I thought for sure that my brother and I were goners today.”

Wei Siao was even more curious about this, so he kept his eyes fixed on Yan Xue, ears pricked to listen.

He hadn’t expected Yan Xue to protect them today, let alone find the book.

Yan Xue put on a serious face. “Don’t talk nonsense. You’re both so young with bright futures ahead of you, how could you die? Don’t ever say such unlucky things again.”

“Understood, mom.” Having been sternly lectured, Wei Sixiang still felt happy. He obediently clamped his mouth shut, but couldn’t help pestering her again: “So, how did you know?”

Yan Xue smiled.

In truth, she didn’t know where the book was. The original book only mentioned that Dapang had hidden it in the courtyard.

She had made an educated guess based on Dapang’s facial expressions. After all, he was just a child. When she had walked near the water basin, Dapang’s face had been as crumpled as a dishcloth.

But how could she explain that to the two little ones? Even an adult wouldn’t be able to grasp the concept of transmigrating into a book.

After a brief pause.

Yan Xue crouched down, looked at them, and said earnestly, “Because I am your mother and I believe in you. I knew you didn’t steal anything. Besides, your mother has magic, you know~”

The first half was true; the second half was just a joke to tease them.

The two little ones had learned quite a bit from a young age, so they naturally didn’t believe in magic.

Wei Siao and Wei Sixiang exchanged a look.

The corners of their eyes grew damp.

When they saw the people in the courtyard today, they had genuinely thought they were going to be dragged out and beaten.

They never imagined they would be so warmly protected.

No matter what, they finally seemed to have a real mother. The word mother no longer felt like just a title.

“Mom—”

“Yes!”

The two little ones dove firmly into Yan Xue’s arms. Although Wei Siao didn’t call out the word mother, Yan Xue felt more than happy enough as she held them both tight.

After the three of them left, two children quickly scrambled out of the nearby yard.

They were among the kids who had joined the crowd earlier, and everyone had been debating how Yan Xue knew the book was in Liu Hui’s yard.

As soon as these two children reached home, they heard Yan Xue mention that she had magic.

They were young and naive, so they believed it. They ran all over the village spreading the news.

However, as the rumor passed from person to person, it began to change.

By nightfall, the rumor had morphed into all sorts of outrageous claims, such as Yan Xue being possessed by a ghost.

–

After dinner, as evening fell.

Yan Xue finished cleaning the dishes and lingered in the kitchen for a long time.

The two little ones, full from their meal, lay against the edge of the table with their large eyes flickering.

Wei Sixiang lifted his shirt to show off his belly. “Brother, I noticed today that the wounds on my body and hands have been treated with medicine. Did Mom do that?”

“….Yes.” Wei Siao replied, pulling Wei Sixiang’s shirt back down to cover him. “Don’t lift your shirt, it’s cold outside.”

“Heehee….”

Wei Sixiang lay on the table, one eye peeking out, smiling like a little cat that had stolen some cream.

Wei Siao was puzzled. He looked back and forth but couldn’t figure it out.

“Dummy, what are you laughing at?”

“Little Xiang isn’t a dummy. I’m laughing because… Brother doesn’t mind me calling her Mom anymore. Before, you’d always argue with me whenever I said it.”

Wei Siao’s face stiffened. He didn’t know what to say for a long while, but finally managed to squeeze out: “Call her what you like.”

Wei Sixiang giggled for a long time. But in the midst of his laughter, he caught a whiff of something and slumped back down on the table, clutching his shirt in frustration.

“Brother, do I really smell bad? Huahua next door said I stink.”

The two children hadn’t bathed in a long time.

The weather was too cold; using ice-cold water to wash their faces and feet was barely tolerable, but taking a full bath with icy water was truly impossible.

This afternoon, when they were playing in the snow by the gate, the neighbor’s child, Huahua, had passed by, waved a hand in front of her nose, and commented on how bad they smelled.

The two of them had been so humiliated, their faces turning bright red, that they hadn’t even finished building their little snowman before tucking their heads and running home.