While Xiao Yanzhi and Song Jin watched Xiao Dalang’s family leave, Song Jin had absolutely no idea that she herself was the main topic of discussion among the Jin-Mu-Shui-Huo siblings’ little secret meeting.
“That evil woman must be possessed! Or she’s planning something huge!” Mu Mu stared at Song Jin’s face and spoke with absolute certainty.
In her memory, this foster mother had always been extremely stingy. But ever since falling down the hillside and waking up again, she had completely changed.
She had become unbelievably generous, and she no longer secretly cursed Father for being useless.
And the last time their foster mother had suddenly become generous… was when she had taken the four of them away to sell them.
Mu Mu felt Song Jin was either plotting something bad, possessed by evil spirits, or outright replaced by a ghost.
Shui Shui also thought their foster mother seemed possessed, but—
“Even if Mother’s possessed, then she’s a good ghost. Mu Mu, Mother saved you.”
Shui Shui was not only delicate and thoughtful, but also a genuinely grateful child.
She clearly remembered the sincere panic on Song Jin’s face when Qian Shi attacked Mu Mu earlier.
Even though they weren’t her biological children, she had truly wanted to save Mu Mu.
If their foster mother really had been possessed, Shui Shui honestly didn’t mind at all.
In fact, she kind of liked this ghost.
Mu Mu was instantly choked speechless by Shui Shui’s blunt words. Her cheeks flushed hot as she muttered, “Of course I remember she saved me! I’m just suspicious, alright? If the four of us don’t talk this through, what if she tricks us into being sold again someday? Especially Huo Huo—he’s the dumbest one. All he remembers is food!”
Huo Huo had somehow become collateral damage again and immediately puffed up his cheeks angrily.
“Jin Jin, Mu Mu insulted me again!”
His stomach always got hungry easily. It wasn’t like he wanted that!
And who said people who liked eating were stupid?
Father had said before that he was still growing! Growing children got hungry easily!
Hmph! Once he grew taller than Mu Mu in the future, he’d laugh at her instead!
Seeing the two about to quarrel again, Jin Jin scolded them unhappily:
“Stop arguing! Whether Mother’s possessed or secretly planning something, we still need to stay cautious. From now on, aside from staying beside Father, we’re not allowed to go anywhere. Wherever Father is, the four of us stay there too!”
Ruyi and Jixiang had just told them earlier—
If their foster mother was truly willing to stay and lead them through the refugee journey, then they would accept her.
But if one day she abandoned them and Father again to run away, then as long as the four of them stayed beside Father, they wouldn’t fear even if the sky collapsed.
Mu Mu suddenly remembered that they would have to see their foster mother every single day from now on, and she instantly felt troubled again.
“So from now on, are we still ignoring her? Or… can we answer her sometimes if there’s food involved?”
Jin Jin glanced at Mu Mu.
Honestly, this question troubled him too.
If their foster mother really was possessed—or had truly changed for the better—wouldn’t their cold treatment hurt her feelings?
Jin Jin struggled over this for a long while before finally making the decision.
“If she talks to us first, then we’ll answer her a little. But if she doesn’t speak to us, then don’t go talking to her on your own. Got it?”
Mu Mu answered the fastest.
“Mhm! Got it!”
There was no way she’d voluntarily speak to that evil woman.
Just because Song Jin saved her once didn’t mean she’d completely forgive her.
But… if the evil woman talked to her first, then maybe she could reluctantly answer a little.
As for Huo Huo, however, not speaking to their foster mother voluntarily was a bit difficult.
Pouting pitifully, he asked, “If I’m hungry or thirsty and go find Mother, does that count as being proactive?”
Mu Mu immediately rolled her eyes.
“What do you think?”
See?!
Had she ever wrongly accused him?
Huo Huo was a complete foodie! His entire brain was filled with thoughts about eating!
Jin Jin ignored whether the two would start fighting again and instead turned toward Shui Shui.
“What about you, Shui Shui?”
Shui Shui lifted her head and looked at Song Jin’s back from afar.
After hesitating for a long time, she nodded.
“I also won’t speak to Mother first.”
Yeah right.
If Mother truly was possessed—or had actually become good—wouldn’t that be even better?
And sure enough, Shui Shui broke her promise almost immediately after turning around.
At around the Hour of Hai, when Jin Jin, Mu Mu, and Huo Huo had already decided to ignore Song Jin and were preparing to climb onto the handcart to rest beside their father—
Shui Shui suddenly called out:
“Mother, I need to pee.”
Her crisp, soft little voice nearly caused Jin Jin, Mu Mu, and Huo Huo to fall off the cart in shock.
The three children stared wide-eyed in disbelief.
An entire night hadn’t even passed yet, and Shui Shui had already betrayed them without warning.
Traitor!
From now on, they’d never trust Shui Shui again even if beaten to death!
If Shui Shui got tricked into being sold later, then she’d deserve it!
But Shui Shui had no time to care about the little calculations in their hearts.
Her eyes curved into happy crescents as she called again toward the utterly confused Song Jin:
“Mother, I need to pee.”
Shui Shui truly felt that the possessed foster mother wasn’t annoying at all.
“Huh? You need to pee? Oh… alright…”
Only after Shui Shui walked up to her did Song Jin finally realize she hadn’t misheard.
Shui Shui had really called her “Mother.”
And at long last, Song Jin remembered that she had somehow suddenly acquired four bargain-bin children.
From now on, she would also be responsible for feeding them, clothing them, and taking care of all their daily needs.
The problem was…
She had absolutely no experience being a mother.
She had no idea how the original owner used to handle the children going to the bathroom.
Was she supposed to take Shui Shui somewhere far away from the refugees?
Or just let her handle it nearby?
Song Jin pondered awkwardly for a while before finally digging a small hole in the ground and explaining embarrassedly:
“It’s dangerous late at night, so don’t go too far. Just go here. Afterward, I’ll cover it with dirt.”
Song Jin figured Xiao Yanzhi probably wouldn’t allow her to take Shui Shui away anyway, so it was better to let the child handle things right under Xiao Yanzhi’s nose.
Looking at the freshly dug hole, Shui Shui became even more certain that this foster mother had been replaced.
The old foster mother would only impatiently snap:
“Go pee yourself! Stay farther away!”
And the old woman definitely wouldn’t be this considerate.
“Thank you, Mother!”
Now fully convinced her mother had changed into a different person, Shui Shui treasured the secret in her heart happily.
Joyfully, she pulled down her pants and peed.
Then she joyfully ran back to the handcart afterward.
Song Jin, however, knew nothing about Shui Shui’s little thoughts.
Suddenly remembering something else, she turned toward Xiao Yanzhi on the cart and asked:
“Do you need to relieve yourself too? If so, it’s best to handle it tonight. The village chief said we leave at dawn tomorrow and won’t stop until evening.”
The moment Xiao Yanzhi heard this, his handsome face instantly flushed red.
“No need!” he snapped unhappily.
But immediately afterward, contradicting himself somewhat, he added:
“I’ll remember what you did today—saving Mu Mu and helping my elder brother.”
Once the refugee journey truly began, he would find out whether this woman sincerely intended to stay.
If she truly meant it, then after they survived the refugee journey, he wouldn’t mind giving her a divorce letter and returning her freedom.
But if she was only acting…
Then he also wouldn’t mind reducing her to a wandering refugee with nowhere to go.
“Huh?”
Song Jin had never expected Xiao Yanzhi’s attitude to shift so suddenly and was completely stunned.
Could she interpret this as him thanking her? Taking the initiative to show goodwill?
Or was she overthinking things?
Song Jin immediately decided she must be overthinking.
After all, the male lead in the novel was someone who never forgot grudges.
There was no way he’d let go of hatred this quickly.
She guessed Xiao Yanzhi only meant to say that favors and grudges were separate matters.
As for what Xiao Yanzhi truly thought deep down, Song Jin neither wanted nor had the energy to keep guessing anymore.
From the moment she transmigrated until now, she had been busy nonstop for four straight hours.
She was genuinely exhausted.
And tomorrow they still had to walk while pulling carts.
She needed to hurry and get some sleep so she’d have enough strength for the road ahead.