Chapter 75 - He Had a Change of Heart?

Tang Moling wanted to say something a few times, but when he thought of the outcome, he shut his mouth and didn’t say anything in the end.

Li Zhaodi wanted to say something too, but she was disheartened upon thinking about what had happened in the past decade or so, so she couldn’t be bothered to make a fuss anymore. If she did, it would only embarrass Jingzhe and make her feel worse.

Li Zhaodi was bitterly disappointed by Old Madam Mu’s attitude. In the past, they had been useless, but now, they were doing pretty well. Seeing Jingzhe return this way, her heart ached terribly for her daughter, but Old Madam Mu remained completely unaffected.

After the meal, Li Zhaodi pulled Mu Jingzhe back to her room, ignoring the way Old Madam Mu scolded her for being lazy. Li Zhaodi sneered when Third Brother Mu coaxed Old Madam Mu and praised Mu Xue.

“Jingzhe, eat some walnut cookies. In the future, Mom will buy a sheep so you can eat your fill. I don’t care for that little bit of food you get from her.”

Mu Jingzhe knew that Li Zhaodi was vexed. Although she had no appetite, she still accepted it. “Okay, thank you, Mom.”

“I’m your mother. Why are you thanking me? Look at how thin you’ve become.”

Li Zhaodi’s heart ached as she looked at Mu Jingzhe. “It’s all my fault for being useless. I didn’t gain your grandmother’s favor, nor was I able to steal more to feed you. But don’t worry. If she continues acting like this, we’ll eat by ourselves. When the time comes, you will eat whatever you want. No one will make you feel aggrieved.”

“Mom, with you and Dad around, I don’t feel aggrieved. I just feel heartache for you.”

She was just eating fewer pieces of meat. Big deal. She could buy them herself if she wanted to. On the other hand, her heart ached for Li Zhaodi, who had suffered for more than twenty years.

If they didn’t split up the family assets, they would have to continue suffering in the future. Therefore, she fully supported their decision to build their own house and eat separately from them.

Li Zhaodi hadn’t expected Mu Jingzhe to feel heartache for them, and her eyes couldn’t help but turn red.

“Why are you feeling heartache for Mom? Mom is an outsider to begin with, but you’re not. You and Mu Xue are both granddaughters of the Mu Family, but there’s a world of difference in the way you two are treated. It’s as if you were adopted.”

Li Zhaodi gnashed her teeth as she spoke. “The heavens are blind. After Mu Xue was born, your grandmother treated her so well that she seemed possessed. Even her grandsons weren’t so favored.

“Your father used to be quite pampered, but everything changed when Mu Xue was born. Your maddening, inarticulate eldest uncle and aunt also started becoming favored by association.

“Just because your third uncle and third aunt said some nice things about Mu Xue and treated her a bit better, they also started gaining Old Madam Mu’s favor. Only we, the second branch, are in a difficult position and get criticized everywhere we go.

“I’ve finally seen through it all. That damn girl, Mu Xue, is really spooky, like some sort of demon or ghost reincarnated. Those who treat her well get to live well, whereas those who don’t end up suffering.”

Mu Jingzhe was shocked to hear Li Zhaodi’s rant.

“Mom, since you know that those who treat Mu Xue well live well, then why didn’t you treat her better?”

Mu Xue was the typical example of a fan favorite. Her grandmother, who’d originally favored boys over girls, had been treating her well ever since her birth. Everyone who was nice to her had it good, but those who treated her badly had misfortune befall them.

Before Mu Jingzhe had transmigrated, this type of novel that featured a fan-favorite lead had been trending. There was no logic to it; its only purpose was to give readers a kick.

She had thought that Li Zhaodi, the biggest nuisance in the early stages, had kept going against Mu Xue because she didn’t realize this. She was surprised to learn that Li Zhaodi had known all along.

Li Zhaodi answered matter-of-factly, “Why would I be good to her? She’s so evil and scary. Your luck must have been sucked away by her. Otherwise, you wouldn’t be unlucky enough to become a widow shortly after you got married.”

Li Zhaodi’s way of thinking was different from other people’s. Otherwise, with her quick wit and ability to read people, how could the third branch have compared to her? However, she was unwilling to do anything because she felt that this was spooky.

“I used to think that she would return to her original form or lose her good luck sooner or later. I didn’t expect her to grow up being pampered like this. Then, she went on to become a teacher and even managed to find that rich man, Tang Moling. She’s going to have such a good life in the future.”

As for Mu Jingzhe, she was stuck with those children…

As Li Zhaodi spoke, she heard Tang Moling’s voice outside and became even more indignant. “That fellow has no taste. I thought that rich people were different from farmers like us, but in the end, he’s just like everyone else who fancies Mu Xue. You’re clearly a hundred times better than her.”

Mu Jingzhe didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. “Mom, you’re my mother. One naturally thinks the world of their own children.”

Li Zhaodi stroked Mu Jingzhe’s head. “No, you’re truly awesome. You were only affected because you were born in my stomach.”

“Mom, don’t say that.” Mu Jingzhe’s expression was serious. “I must have racked up good karma in my past life to be able to become your daughter.”

Only then did Li Zhaodi’s mood brighten. “Okay, Mom will work hard to earn money in the future and accumulate a decent dowry for you. You will marry whoever you want.”

Mu Jingzhe laughed. “Alright.”

She wouldn’t speak of her lack of desire to get married because she didn’t want to agitate Li Zhaodi at a time like this.

While the two of them were talking in the room, Tang Moling, who was outside, saw that Mu Jingzhe hadn’t appeared at all. He knew that she must be upset too, but there was nothing he could do, so he left helplessly.

However, he came back the next day and brought things as usual. This time, it was not meat, but walnut cookies, canned fruits, and other snacks.

To be specific, there were many fruit cans. An entire box of them.

“Someone happened to give me these as a gift, so I brought them with me. You guys can split them among yourselves.”

Tang Moling moved quickly and generously distributed a few cans to each of them. Mu Jingzhe, who was starting a fire, was also given three cans.

“Oh, oh, thank you.” Mu Jingzhe quickly thanked him.

Upon seeing the fruit cans in her hands, Tang Moling finally smiled.

He still remembered the way Mu Jingzhe had hugged the fruit cans previously. It seemed like she was especially fond of them.

He knew that Mu Jingzhe couldn’t bear to part from those children, so her mood would definitely improve after eating them, right?

Recalling that he had previously suspected Mu Jingzhe of acting, he felt as if a lifetime had passed.

Although Old Madam Mu was a little dissatisfied with Tang Moling giving the fruit to everyone, she and Mu Xue received a larger share than everyone else, so she was pleased.

“Oh dear, you’re so busy, yet you come here every day with these things.”

Seeing that he was so sincere, Old Madam Mu gave him the chance to be alone with Mu Xue. “Hurry up and help Xiao Xue grade the assignments.”

Mu Xue looked at the fruit cans on the table but didn’t feel any joy.

Even though fruit cans were hard to come by in the countryside, she had eaten them many times in the past. She could even afford to be picky and only eat the ones she liked—the peaches.

She had told Tang Moling before that she only ate peaches from fruit cans, but he hadn’t taken it seriously and had even handed her a slice of orange.

Grandma had assumed that Tang Moling was there to look for her, but she was sensitive and felt that something was amiss.

Though Tang Moling frequently brought things over, the things he had brought over in the past two days were different from before.

“Why have you been coming here every day for the past two days?” Mu Xue asked Tang Moling in a low voice. She wanted to know if it was because of Mu Jingzhe.

She kept feeling that there was something between Tang Moling and Mu Jingzhe because Tang Moling was coming to see Mu Jingzhe, but Mu Jingzhe’s behavior was normal, and she didn’t so much as cast a glance at him.

Mu Xue was about to go crazy. She felt that she was thinking too much, but as a woman, her intuition made her feel uneasy.

Tang Moling paused. “I’m here to see you, of course.”

Even though he said that, he couldn’t lie to himself.

Yes, he still liked Mu Xue, but he rarely thought of Mu Xue these days.

Even he couldn’t tell if it was because of Mu Xue or Mu Jingzhe that he came to Great Eastern Village.