“Ouch!” Wen Xiangxi yelped in pain as the chopsticks clattered to the table. He jumped up, face flushed red. “Mother! What are you doing?”
He felt completely wronged. Normally, whenever there was good food, mother always gave it to him first. Today, not only were the best dishes put on the table, but he wasn’t even allowed to start eating first. Truly, it was like the sun had risen in the west.
Ye Wen placed the serving spoon on the table and scanned the room. “Wait until your eldest brother gets here. I have something to say.”
Her expression was calm as she spoke.
The second son was about to respond, but footsteps came from outside—eldest son returning, carrying the empty bowls Jiang Lian and the children had used.
Once he sat down, everyone in the room turned their eyes toward Ye Wen, waiting for her to distribute the food.
It was laughable—originally, the owner treated this as a great power. In her mind, the serving spoon was a scepter; who got more or less food depended entirely on her word. If she didn’t speak, the whole family would starve waiting.
This sense of controlling others’ meals gave the original owner a sick satisfaction.
Ye Wen didn’t agree with such behavior, but seeing the family’s current situation, she realized this rule might need to continue for a while.
“Everyone’s here, so I’ll say a few words first. After that, we’ll eat.” Ye Wen’s gaze swept across the family, lingering a little longer on the impatient second son and his wife.
“Ouch, mother!” The second son stomped in frustration. “Why can’t you wait until we’ve eaten? My stomach’s so hungry my chest feels stuck to my back!”
But when he met Ye Wen’s icy glare, a chill ran down his spine. Trying to cover his guilt, he coughed and rolled up his sleeves, pretending to be pitiful. “Look at my arms! They’re all skinny! Big Brother and I worked ourselves to death in the fields all day…”
This tactic had worked for him many times before. The original owner would see him and pity him, immediately saying, “My son suffered—mother will cook you an egg right now.”
But today, Ye Wen only glanced at him briefly, then looked away indifferently.
The second son thought his mother was acting strangely. Not only did she scold him for making the eldest couple do the work, but she also showed complete disinterest in him.
“I fainted today,” Ye Wen said softly.
“What?!” The eldest son jumped up, rushing toward Ye Wen. “Mother, what happened? Why would you faint for no reason?”
“How did Lian take care of you?” he instinctively shifted the blame to Jiang Lian. Ever since getting married, he had learned to preemptively pin responsibility on his wife so mother’s anger wouldn’t fall on him.
Ye Wen was furious. Jiang Lian had just given birth today—how could she have taken care of him?
This eldest son looked honest on the surface, but for his wife and daughter, he was a disaster!
“Nothing serious, just a little argument,” Ye Wen forced herself to stay calm, taking a deep breath. “I fainted because I didn’t stand steadily.” She shot a sharp glance at Wen Xiangnan and Tian Chunhua, warning them not to interrupt again.
“Mother, why did you suddenly faint? But you look fine now. Should we just eat first?” The second son stared eagerly at the food, ignoring the repeated signals from his wife.
He didn’t care about his mother fainting, and even resented that she was talking too much and delaying his meal.
“It’s not the fainting that matters,” Ye Wen said slowly. “What matters is that I dreamed of your father while I passed out.”
“Father?”
Everyone looked at each other. Their father had been dead for years. Why would mother suddenly bring him up?
“Yes. In the dream, your father told me that I’ve spoiled all of you over the years. From today, I must discipline you properly, or our family will face great misfortune.”
Ye Wen paused. “You remember, right? Sending the youngest to school was also because your father appeared in a dream, guiding me to make that decision. So this time, his words are definitely trustworthy.”
“This afternoon, I thought carefully. Over the years, I admit there have been mistakes. So starting today, I’ll start correcting myself. If you feel I’m acting strange, that’s normal.”
She spoke with confidence. The original owner had used the same excuse to send the youngest to school—claiming the deceased husband appeared in a dream to prevent the beloved youngest son from doing farm labor. They said he was destined for success and must study.
No one expected the youngest would actually pass the exam, turning the lie into reality.
Although Ye Wen had only spent a day learning the original owner’s behavior, many things were still different. Now she used this excuse to cover her changes.
A mean old lady suddenly changing behavior would naturally raise suspicion. People might even think she was possessed and try to restrain her with rituals or potions. Ye Wen had no intention of suffering that fate.
Hearing this explanation, the fourth child, Wen Xiangnan, nodded, half-understanding. “No wonder mother seemed different today…”
“From now on, I’ll run this household according to your father’s dream instructions,” Ye Wen said sharply, emphasizing each word. “Anyone who disobeys will get kicked out of this house!”
In the Dayu Dynasty, filial piety was strictly enforced. To be expelled for disobedience would be a serious scandal—neighbors would gossip, and even officials could punish you for unfilial behavior.
Thus, this threat carried serious weight.
After speaking, Ye Wen stared at everyone with a commanding gaze.
Having been in leadership roles before, she naturally knew how to use her eyes to intimidate.
The family felt that mother’s gaze was different today. They all shrank under her stare, lowering their heads, too intimidated to meet her eyes.