Chapter 71 - Please Don’t Take Mommy Away

As a mother, she couldn’t tolerate others touching her children. Li Zhaodi felt the same way. Her two children were her weakness.

If Mu Jingzhe hadn’t cleverly escaped and the children hadn’t run away, Mu Jingzhe would have been defiled and forced to get married.

Who could tolerate this?

Shao Qiyun felt as if her entire scalp was about to be ripped off by Li Zhaodi. She screamed in pain and pleaded with her mother for help.

However, Zhao Lan couldn’t even fend for herself now, so how could she save her daughter?

Mu Teng didn’t hit women, so he only beat up Yang Qing and the other two men.

Yang Qing was hit again before he could recover and was almost beaten to death by the furious Mu Teng.

“Dad, stop hitting, or you’ll end up killing them.”

Mu Jingzhe stopped him. “What they did was illegal. We’ll take them to the police station.”

Only then did Mu Teng stop.

The villagers were also enraged by this. How could they come to someone’s house and force a girl to get married? How was it any different from kidnapping?

They unanimously decided to take them to the police station after the rain stopped. Yang Qing and the other two men were tied up and locked up by the village chief.

Finally, everyone’s gaze landed on the two culprits, Zhao Lan and Shao Qiyun.

Shao Qiyun denied the accusations immediately. “I don’t know anything.”

Zhao Lan also defended her daughter, claiming that it was her idea.

“Bah, I don’t care whose idea it was. I won’t let the two of you off!”

Li Zhaodi was furious, and Mu Teng’s countenance was also dark. He waited for Li Zhaodi to finish speaking before he spoke.

“Cut the crap. Jingzhe had good intentions and couldn’t bear to leave the children behind, so she stayed behind to take care of them. In the end, her good intentions were regarded as worthless, and they even tried to ruin Jingzhe like that.”

Mu Teng looked at the five kids, then turned to Mu Jingzhe. “As your father, I have made a decision today. Jingzhe, let’s go home. Do not stay in this wolf’s den anymore. I don’t want you to be sold and ruined by the Shao Family.”

“We’re not dead yet. Your old man is still alive. I can’t let you suffer such humiliation and grievance.”

He looked at the villagers. “Everyone, you are a witness. Our Jingzhe has already done her best. From this day onward, Jingzhe will no longer have anything to do with the Shao Family and the children.”

He held Mu Jingzhe’s hand. “Let’s go, Jingzhe. Dad will take you home.”

Mu Jingzhe was stunned and couldn’t help but look at the children.

She had also thought of teaching Zhao Lan and her gang a lesson, but she hadn’t expected this to happen.

However, from the standpoint of Li Zhaodi and Mu Teng, who were her parents, this was a normal choice.

Now that such a thing had happened to their daughter, they naturally had to take her back.

She understood, but she wasn’t prepared for this. She had no intention of giving up on the children.

The five kids were also stunned.

Everything had happened too quickly. A second ago, they had still been filled with hatred and they’d wished they could tear apart the people who had bullied Mu Jingzhe.

A second later, Mu Jingzhe was about to leave.

This was not the way they had thought she would leave, though—by getting married and stopping to care for them. Instead, she was being brought back to her maternal family by the Mu Family.

They stood there in a daze until Mu Jingzhe was pulled away.

“No.” Shao Dong and Shao Xi stood in front of Mu Teng. “Please don’t.”

“Don’t take Mommy away.” Little Bei and Xiao Wu’s eyes were filled with panic. “Don’t take Mommy away.”

Mu Jingzhe panicked and was about to say something, but Mu Teng pulled her away forcefully. “You’re not allowed to speak.”

Little Bei and Xiao Wu instantly burst into tears. “Mommy, don’t go. Don’t leave us behind.”

Little Bei ignored the rain and chased after her. She hugged Mu Jingzhe.

Xiao Wu descended the stairs too quickly and ended up falling down. He stumbled to his feet and ran after her. “Mommy, don’t go.”

“Go back quickly.”

Mu Jingzhe’s eyes warmed up. For a moment, she couldn’t tell if it was the rain or tears. “Go back quickly.”

However, they weren’t the only ones who didn’t go back. Shao Dong, Shao Xi, and Shao Nan all ran out to chase after her. Shao Dong spread open his arms and blocked the door, his entire body trembling and his eyes filled with supplication.

Shao Xi and Shao Nan tugged at Mu Jingzhe’s clothes, their eyes filled with unprecedented panic.

Previously, they had always said that they wouldn’t rely on Mu Jingzhe, that they wouldn’t call her Mommy, and that they wouldn’t get attached to her emotionally. However, at that moment, they panicked.

They only hoped that Mu Jingzhe wouldn’t leave.

Xiao Wu and Little Bei hugged Mu Jingzhe and wailed. “Mommy, don’t go…”

“Mommy, you said that you liked us the most. We’ll be obedient in the future. Please don’t leave.”

They cried so hard that they made other people’s hearts ache. Many of the onlookers had red eyes by then.

Mu Jingzhe felt like a knife was being twisted in her heart.

She wanted to go back, but her hand was held back by Mu Teng’s trembling hand and Li Zhaodi’s pleading gaze.

“Don’t go back, Jingzhe. Don’t be soft-hearted. You can’t take care of them forever,” said Li Zhaodi.

Though Mu Teng didn’t say anything, Mu Jingzhe understood the emotions that were revealed in the depths of his eyes.

At that moment, Mu Jingzhe felt like she was being torn into two.

“Mommy, don’t go.”

“Get out of the way. Don’t block Jingzhe’s path.”

Li Zhaodi chased them away with a choked voice. She wanted to push Little Bei and Xiao Wu away, but they refused to let go.

She had tried to rip Shao Nan and Shao Xi’s hands off, but they stubbornly clung to her.

Little Bei begged Li Zhaodi. “We’ll be obedient in the future. Don’t take Mommy away. I want Mommy.”

“What are you doing? You’re causing Jingzhe’s death. Jingzhe isn’t your biological mother. What else do you want? Get out of the way.”

Li Zhaodi was driven crazy by them.

However, they couldn’t hit the children, so they’d reached a stalemate.

Shao Dong looked at Mu Teng and mustered up the courage to say, “Uncle, I want to talk to you. Please.”

He didn’t call Mu Teng ‘Grandpa’ because he knew that Mu Teng wouldn’t like it.

Mu Teng’s countenance was dark. However, when he looked at the surrounding onlookers and then at Mu Jingzhe, who couldn’t escape, he could only agree with a dark expression.

Mu Teng led Shao Dong out of the house. “Let’s talk here. What do you want to say?”

Shao Dong clenched his fists tightly. “Uncle, I want to beg you not to take her away. We only have her. She’s our mother. It wasn’t easy for us to finally have a mother. We can’t leave her or bear to part with her.”

Mu Teng was unmoved. “I know, but she can’t take care of the five of you for the rest of her life. She has to get married in the future and have her own children.”

“We’ll be good and filial to her, even more filial than a biological child. We’re not asking that she supports us forever. If she finds someone suitable in the future and wishes to get married, we definitely won’t stop her. We’ll even prepare a dowry for her, but please don’t take her away now.

“We’ve already started earning money and we’ve grown up. We’ll protect her and give her the best of the best. We definitely won’t let her get in danger again.”

Mu Teng still didn’t agree. “You make it sound so nice. Who doesn’t know how to say nice things like that? Yes, you’re smart. I also believe that you’ll amount to something in the future, but you’re still too young.

“I don’t want her to have such a hard life. I just want her to be safe and sound.” He took a deep breath. “Now that you’ve said what you wanted to say, stop pestering me. Go deal with your younger siblings, or don’t blame me for being ruthless.”

Mu Teng turned around and left. Shao Dong’s eyes were filled with despair. He closed his eyes and knelt down.

“Uncle, please, please don’t take Mommy away…”