Putting things away, Jiang Manman said indifferently:
“Mom, don’t say that. I was willing back then. Whether he comes back or not, I can still live well with the two children.”
“I just don’t want to remarry. Later, please tell my sister-in-law for me.”
“Alright, alright. If you don’t want to remarry, then don’t. I’ll talk to your sister-in-law. When your elder brother returns, have him come over. I’ll give the instructions.”
Jiang Manman wanted to take out elixirs to improve Jiang Ma’s health, but ultimately, she hadn’t reached the third level of Qi Training yet. Without being able to release Spirit Energy externally, she couldn’t help her dissolve the medicinal effects.
“Mom, I understand. Please drink some more water. Do you need help to use the bathroom?”
“No, no need.”
“Little sister, little sister.”
Jiang Weiguo pushed the door open and entered. Seeing Jiang Ma able to sit up and still conscious, he thought it was a final rally before death.
“Mom! Mom! How are you feeling?”
Jiang Ma looked at her eldest son, tears in her cloudy eyes. She wiped them away and reached out her hand to him.
Jiang Manman moved aside, and Jiang Weiguo came to the edge of the kang, grasping Jiang Ma’s hand:
“Mom,”
“I heard you want your sister to remarry??”
Elder Brother Jiang paused, glanced at his sister who had somehow become fairer, and sighed.
“Mom, I just found out about this. It’s all because Guihua took the Wang family’s money. I’ll definitely talk to her later.”
“But Wang Laicai is the scorekeeper in our production team. It’s not good for us to offend him rashly.”
“Besides, Wang Laicai treats little sister quite well and has promised to be good to her two children in the future.”
“I was thinking that it’s not easy for little sister to raise two children alone, so…”
Jiang Ma coughed agitatedly.
“Cough, cough! You’re being foolish!”
“That Wang Laicai idles around all day and often harasses the village girls. He’s not a good man!”
“I don’t agree to this marriage. Your sister has been kind to our family. If she doesn’t want to marry, you can’t force her!”
Jiang Weiguo was stunned. Before he could speak to his mother, his wife Wang Guihua came in and said:
“Mom, what are you talking about? How has sister been kind to our family?”
“On the contrary, we’ve been taking care of her and her two children for three years. Shouldn’t we be the ones who’ve been kind to her?”
“No, no. Back in the 1960s, our family had run out of food. It was your sister’s parents who sent her to our family, giving us both grain and money.”
“That’s how we managed to raise you two children. If it weren’t for your sister’s parents, we might have all starved to death.”
“That grain and money were enough to support your sister until now, not to mention how your sister has been helping with household chores since she became sensible.”
“She’s the one who has been kind to our family!”
Jiang Weiguo widened his eyes and looked at his younger sister. No wonder she was better-looking than both him and his sister.
So she wasn’t their biological sister.
The elder sister-in-law’s eyes darted around, and she pursed her lips.
“Then little sister’s life has been really hard. Her biological parents didn’t want her, and even the man she married didn’t want her.”
“I think Wang Laicai is truly a good match.”
Jiang Manman didn’t want to stay and listen to this nonsense.
“Elder brother, Mom, I’ll take the children out first.”
Tangxin Tangyuan hurriedly got off the kang and put on their shoes when they heard her call.
These two children were very obedient, following her back to the room without crying or making a fuss.
She couldn’t stay in this Jiang family any longer. She needed to find a way to leave with the children.
Although in this era, it wasn’t safe for a woman like her with two children to live alone.
For example, widows often tend to be bullied.
Although she wasn’t much different from a widow, her combat ability set her apart.
Not to mention, she could bring the children into the Glass Tower Dimension at any time.
“Hu Hu, harvest the Spirit Rice from the seventh-level minor world.”
“Understood, Master.”
Hu Hu responded, and the palm-sized qilin flew to the seventh level.
The seventh level was the embryonic form of a minor world.
It contained mountains, rivers, vast fertile fields, and Demon Beasts—only humans were absent.
The fifth level was the Wood Spirit Dimension.
The sixth level was the Thunder Realm.
The palm-sized Hu Hu arrived at the seventh level and circled above the spirit fields.
The spirit rice stalks in the fields automatically split open, and the snow-white Spirit Rice poured out like a waterfall, flowing into Hu Hu’s Storage Pouch hanging around its neck.
“Master, the Spirit Rice has been harvested.”
It was still early in the day. Jiang Manman took the Storage Pouch and found a sack in her room.
She filled the sack halfway with Spirit Rice, roughly ten or so pounds.
“Come on, I’ll take you to the Village Chief’s house.”
The two little children followed closely behind her. Tang Yuan said in a timid voice:
“Mom, the Village Chief’s house has a big yellow dog. Tang Yuan isn’t scared at all. Tang Yuan can protect Mom and Sister.”
Tang Xin tightly clutched Jiang Manman’s hand,
“Mom, I’m scared.”
“Little Sister, don’t be afraid. I’ll protect you.”
As soon as Tang Yuan finished, Tang Xin immediately exposed him:
“But Big Brother, last time you were so scared you cried loudly.”
Tang Yuan’s little face flushed as he argued:
“I only cried because I saw you crying, Little Sister. If you hadn’t cried, I wouldn’t have cried either.”
Jiang Manman adored the two little children dearly. Carrying the rice with one hand and holding Tang Xin’s hand with the other, she said:
“Don’t be afraid. Mom is very strong. With Mom here this time, neither people nor animals can bully you.”
Tang Xin looked up, wide-eyed, her gaze sparkling as she praised Jiang Manman with her little mouth:
“Mom, you’re so amazing!”
Jiang Manman’s heart nearly melted at her adorable expression.
It was true—disciples were best raised from childhood, let alone these children who now belonged to her own body.
When they arrived at the Village Chief’s house, it was already evening. The Village Chief’s family was about to eat. Upon seeing her, their big yellow dog was the first to greet them:
“Woof, woof, woof!”
Jiang Manman glanced at the yellow dog and unleashed a soul pressure toward it. The dog instantly turned around, scurried back into its doghouse, and lay there trembling with its head tucked inside.
Village Chief Zhao sat at the doorway smoking his pipe—a luxury at that time.
He glanced at his cowardly dog, then looked at Jiang Manman, his eyes lingering on the sack she was carrying.
“What brings you here?”
Jiang Manman set down the sack of rice, and the Village Chief’s wife hurried over to take it.
“You didn’t need to bring anything just for a visit.”
Jiang Manman smiled.
“Village Chief, I’d like to move into the empty house on the west side of the village. After all, I’m married now, and it’s not right for me to keep living with my parents.”
Before the Village Chief could respond, his wife spoke up:
“Tang family’s daughter, are you sure? That house isn’t clean.”
Just as Jiang Manman was about to reply, two young men entered the Village Chief’s yard.
“Village Chief,”
Seeing them, the Village Chief put away his pipe and greeted them cheerfully:
“Ah, it’s Tang Intellectual Youth! What brings you here?”
Hearing this, Jiang Manman turned to look at the Educated Youth surnamed Tang.
The man looked somewhat familiar. The Educated Youth surnamed Tang also glanced at her but paid no mind, turning instead to the Village Chief:
“Village Chief, I’d like to rent that house at the west end of your village to set up my own kitchen separately.”