Just as those people had said, although Yang Jianjun now hated Zhao Ran to the bone, he didn’t bring up divorce. Instead, he spent two yuan to put Zhao Ran on the ox cart back to the village, simply saying he still had work to do before leaving.
Only after Yang Jianjun left did Zhao Ran realize that he hadn’t left her any money when he went away. Not only that, but he also hadn’t transferred the money to her account as he had promised earlier.
However, Zhao Ran’s mind was still preoccupied with thoughts of returning to her own time. Although her life in the modern era had also been a mess, at least it wasn’t as distressing as it was here.
If she really managed to go back, all these messy affairs would have nothing to do with her anymore.
If not, she could always go find Yang Jianjun again to sort things out. After all, as the one with nothing to lose, she wasn’t afraid of him, who had everything to protect.
Following the original host’s memories, Zhao Ran had just arrived home when she saw three little girls sitting at the doorstep, looking like three mud-covered monkeys.
Not only were they filthy all over, but their hair was also a tangled mess. Anyone who didn’t know better would think they were three little beggars.
Zhao Ran couldn’t help but frown. According to the original host’s memories, this Grandma Sun was a good person. Besides, she had paid her to help take care of the children—they shouldn’t have ended up in this state.
Just then, Grandma Sun happened to come over from across the way, carrying food. Seeing Zhao Ran return, she sighed in relief and said:
“Xiao Ran, you’re back. It’s good that you’re back. Children really can’t do without their mother around. Here, the children have been hungry for a while. You take care of them and feed them something to eat first.”
Zhao Ran could tell from Grandma Sun’s demeanor that she didn’t seem like someone who would mistreat the children. But seeing the children in this state, she couldn’t help but feel suspicious.
Grandma Sun wasn’t foolish either. She didn’t want to be blamed after doing a good deed, so before Zhao Ran could ask, she couldn’t help but sigh and say:
“I really don’t know what to say about your mother-in-law. She found out that you left me twenty yuan before you left, and she came to my house that very morning to take it from me. To be honest, I never intended to keep your money anyway. We’re neighbors—helping out is no big deal.
But she insisted on taking care of the children herself. Not only did she take the money, but she also said she would look after them. In the days you were gone, the children cried every night until midnight. I could hear them from my home, but their grandmother acted as if she couldn’t hear a thing.
It’s only because Tingting and Yuanyuan are sensible that the little one was taken care of by the two older ones. And yet, one is only five years old, and the other is just three.”
Although Zhao Ran wasn’t the children’s biological mother, hearing this, she couldn’t help but imagine the scene: a five-year-old changing the diaper of a one-year-old and feeding her water, while a three-year-old tried to soothe the one-year-old to sleep.
Her heart ached at the thought.
Grandma Sun pointed to the cornmeal buns in the children’s hands and couldn’t help but add, “Look, this is what your mother-in-law gave the children to eat. Three children who haven’t even lost their baby teeth, eating these coarse buns that even adults can barely chew. Ah, never mind. You should feed the children first.”
After clearing her own name, Grandma Sun knew this was a family matter and didn’t say much more. She handed the prepared food to Zhao Ran and turned to go back home.
Zhao Ran looked at the three children, her voice slightly hoarse as she said, “Tingting, bring your sisters inside.”
After speaking, she picked up the one-year-old child with one hand. Although she had never held a child before, the original host’s memories and muscle memory allowed her to naturally hold the child properly the moment she touched it.
The eldest daughter led the second daughter inside, and Zhao Ran closed the courtyard gate before bringing the three children back home.
Placing the bowl of food and the steamed bun sent by Grandma Sun on the table, Zhao Ran went outside and discovered there wasn’t even any water in the water jar. She sighed, took a basin, and went to Grandma Sun’s house to borrow a basin of water. After returning, she washed the hands and faces of the three children before letting them eat.
She soaked the steamed bun in vegetable broth to feed the youngest daughter, and after making sure all three children were full, Zhao Ran placed the sleepy little one on the kang. Once the youngest had fallen asleep, she said to the two older daughters:
“Sit at home, and don’t come out, understand? Mom is going to see your grandmother.”
The two daughters nodded vigorously, and only then did Zhao Ran leave the house.
Yang Jianjun’s home consisted of two courtyards combined. Zhao Ran and the children currently lived in the three rooms on the east side, while Yang Jianjun’s mother lived alone in the four northern rooms.
In fact, according to the original host’s memories, when Yang Jianjun and the original host first married, they lived in two other rooms. But because this mother-in-law was too domineering, claiming the children’s crying at night disturbed her sleep, she drove them to this side.
Yang Jianjun only returned home a few times a year, so naturally, he didn’t care where the original host and the children lived.
In Zhao Ran’s view, Yang Jianjun had essentially found a free nanny who could “legally procreate.”
Pulling her thoughts back from the original host’s memories once more, Zhao Ran had already arrived at the door of her mother-in-law’s room. Every time she recalled the original host’s experiences, she could truly be angered to death.
According to the original host’s memories, the old woman was currently sleeping at home, so the outer door was locked from the inside.
Doors in this era were secured with stone blocks and wooden bolts. With Zhao Ran’s strength and the fact that she had just undergone surgery, kicking such a wooden door open was impossible.
However, with this type of door, simply lifting it upward could open it from the edge.
But Zhao Ran didn’t use this method. Instead, she directly found a large axe. With a loud “bang,” a heart-wrenching scream came from the window next to the door.
This was followed by a terrified cry:
“Ahhh! Zhao Ran, you heartless wretch, you scared me to death!”
But the next second, the sound abruptly stopped. Because the window next to the earthen kang where the old woman slept had just been smashed open by Zhao Ran with the axe.
At that moment, Zhao Ran stood holding the axe, her eyes meeting the old woman’s. It seemed as though the axe, which had just struck the window, could be swung at her at any moment.
“What, what are you doing? I’ll tell Jianjun and have him beat you to death! Don’t come any closer!”
Zhao Ran ignored her, jumped through the window, and began rummaging through her house, searching every cabinet and drawer.
“What are you doing? These are my things! Put them down!”
Zhao Ran scoffed lightly. “Your things? Haven’t you stolen enough from my house over the years? Do you think I don’t know where this jar of flour came from? Say one more word, and don’t blame my axe for having eyes!”
This time, Zhao Ran truly acted like a raider. Not only did she take the flour and oil, but she also retrieved the money the old woman had taken.
To her surprise, she actually found money under the old woman’s kang, and it looked like there were at least four or five hundred yuan.
Zhao Ran didn’t hold back at all, taking four hundred directly. She also found a bracelet and took that as well.
As for that jar of flour, Zhao Ran took more than half of it.