Chen Xuan glared viciously at Li Xianglian. The moment she was looked at, she immediately changed into an innocent expression, pitiful enough to make one’s heart ache.
But Li Xianglian showed her no indulgence at all. She tapped her forehead. “Such a young child already knows how to glare. Who did you learn this from? Is this how I usually teach you?”
Chen Xuan refused to accept it and shouted through tears, “It was clearly you who stole Father’s things! You dare to do it but won’t admit it—you’re a thief!”
“This child…” Li Mu said angrily.
Li Fu put down his bowl, feeling regretful. He should not have let them stay for a meal.
Chen Xu pulled Chen Xuan behind him. “Mother, she’s still young. Don’t hit her.”
Chen Xuan cried loudly. “I’m hungry! I want meat buns! Mother is the thief!”
Li Xianglian’s chest rose and fell heavily, clearly enraged.
“Get out. All of you, get out! I don’t want to see you again!” she pointed toward the dark gate.
Chen Xu suppressed his anger. “Mother, you should have limits. You can stay at your parents’ home to recover, but you cannot ignore your children. If you didn’t want to raise us, why did you give birth to us? A mother who gives birth but doesn’t raise her children doesn’t deserve to be called a mother!”
Slap!
A sharp slap landed on Chen Xu’s face.
Chen Xianglian’s eyes turned red. “You are truly my good son. I raised you with all my effort, and because I broke my leg and can’t serve you anymore, this is how you treat me? You really disappoint me!”
Chen Xu froze, his face burning in pain. Chen Xuan cried harder, pulling him. “Brother, are you okay? It’s all my fault… you’re bad! You’re not fit to be my mother at all! You’re not even half as good as Aunt Cai…”
“What did you say?”
Chen Xu quickly covered Chen Xuan’s mouth. “Nothing. She said nothing.”
But Li Xianglian had already heard it. She deliberately asked, “Say it clearly. Who is Cai? Who is she?”
The parents exchanged uneasy glances.
The children trembled in fear.
Chen Xu forced a laugh. “There is no Cai. Mother misheard. Since you are recovering here, we won’t disturb you. We’ll go back first and wait for you to recover before Father comes to pick you up.”
They quickly ran out.
That night, Li Xianglian entered her space. The once small area had expanded slightly. A warm sensation spread through her body—this meant Chen Lang and the children were emotionally unstable again. Especially Chen Xuan, whose crying had been real pain, not fake.
Even the slap she gave Chen Xu had been absorbed as pain.
Good.
This space would continue to grow. When the famine came, she would not let her parents starve like in her previous life.
Thinking of her past life—watching her parents die of starvation before her eyes—she broke down again in silent tears.
When she came out of the space, she saw her mother sleeping peacefully and gently touched her wrinkled forehead, silently swearing she would make them live well in this life.
Chen Xu and Chen Xuan returned home in a daze.
Chen Lang had just woken up and immediately noticed something was wrong.
“What happened?”
Chen Xuan ran into his arms crying. Chen Xu’s face was also swollen.
Seeing this, Chen Lang’s anger rose instantly.
“She hit you?”
Chen Xu nodded silently.
“She used to never lay a hand on you. That woman has gone too far!”
He stood up angrily, ready to go confront her.
“Father, don’t go. It’s too late,” Chen Xu stopped him.
But Chen Xuan sobbed, “Father… Mother said those things were stolen by her… she won’t admit it… Father, why don’t we take it back? Then we can buy meat buns…”
Chen Lang patted her back. “Alright, stop crying. Tomorrow I’ll take you to buy meat buns.”
Then Chen Xu asked, “Father… didn’t you say you would send a letter to the capital? Why hasn’t there been a reply yet?”
“It’s only been a few days. It should arrive soon. Eat some noodles for now.”
After the children fell asleep, Chen Lang took out a jade pendant from a box, planning to pawn it the next day.
The next morning, villagers saw Chen Lang happily taking the children to town.
“They look quite happy,” Li Fu said after returning.
“Who knows what tricks he’s playing this time,” Li Mu replied coldly.