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In Xiao Li's mind appeared two dirty little children, their faces unclear, but they were definitely very dirty and looked quite small, one seemed to be about four or five years old, holding the hand of an even smaller one, who looked only two or three.
Xiao Li was momentarily stunned, thinking that there seemed to be several children in this family, and these two were among them. However, compared to the other children, these two were clearly different—dirty in a way that stood out! She wondered why she thought of having children when she recalled these two.
Suddenly, an idea exploded in Xiao Li's mind like fireworks—so surprising yet frighteningly elusive. She sat up straight, disregarding her weakness, and quickly moved to the pile of clothes. She hurriedly dug through it and indeed found several pieces of children's clothing! Grasping the clothes tightly, she examined them closely, her joy indescribable. She was somewhat afraid that these might belong to someone else's children. She returned to the box and opened it; after flipping through just a few items, she found more children's clothes!
Xiao Lihua was overwhelmed by the sudden joy that left her heart in disarray. Sitting on the kang with those clothes in hand, she stared blankly, but her smile grew wider while her eyes became slightly moist.
Xiao Li finally found these two children in those fragmented memories; they were the children of this body. The older one was named Shitou (Stone), and the younger one was named Muto (Wood). These were all common names for children; such names were easy to raise as Stone and Wood were everywhere, and Yama King would not take them away.
There weren't many memories about these two children. It was evident that Xiao Lihua did not like them at all; in her memories, she was very rough and cold towards them, completely neglecting them. This neglect left the two children dirty despite having a mother.
For the first time, Xiao Li felt angry at Xiao Lihua. How could she be like this? Even if she was dissatisfied with the man she married, she shouldn't treat her own children this way! She longed for children but couldn't have any, while Xiao Lihua had two sons yet did not cherish them—truly ungrateful. Now it was different; she had become Xiao Lihua and suddenly had two sons. These two poor little ones would belong to her from now on, and she would turn them into precious little treasures!
With sons now, Xiao Li felt invigorated and full of spirit; even the pain from her head seemed to fade away, and her body felt less weak.
Unable to sit still on the kang any longer, Xiao Li wanted to go see her two sons.
She found a pair of shoes under the kang and put them on. Just as she was about to go out, she remembered her head injury. She rummaged through the box for a piece of cloth; it was a small blue piece that looked decent enough when wrapped around her head. It resembled how she used to tie up her hair while doing housework in her previous life—she tied it back with a knot and then pushed open the door to go outside.
The door was old and no longer sealed tightly; it creaked loudly when pushed open. However, Xiao Li paid no mind as she surveyed the outside, thinking that this would be her home from now on.
It was a rectangular courtyard, quite large. The main house appeared to have five rooms and was made of mud bricks but had tiled roofing. On either side were two wing rooms each; similarly, there were two more rooms on the south side made of mud bricks with thatched roofs above. Xiao Li thought this must be what they called a thatched cottage; having grown up in the countryside, she hadn't seen such houses before and found it quite novel. However, looking at the thatched roof reminded her that Xiao Lihua had once made a fuss about living in such a place.
In the Xie Family, the middle room among the five main houses is the Hall, which serves as the dining area for guests. The East Room is occupied by the elderly couple, while the West Room belongs to the daughter. Originally, it was home to Auspicious and Propitious, but now it is shared by Ruyi and the two daughters of the First Wife from the Third Household. The East Side Room is where the First Wife resides, and the West Room is shared by several young boys in the family. The Second Branch lives in the East Wing, while another room remains empty, reserved for relatives who occasionally visit. The Third Household and Fourth Household reside in the west wing.
Xiao Lihua, who had high aspirations and felt she had married poorly, was naturally unwilling to live in a thatched cottage. She caused quite a stir, but ultimately nothing came of it because the Wang Clan warned her that if she continued to make a fuss, they would send her back home. Being sent back right after marriage would make it difficult for her to find another husband. Moreover, her family disapproved of her behavior and threatened to sell her off to a remote mountain if she were sent back. This made her behave more appropriately.
Xiao Li reflected on these memories with a bitter smile, realizing how ancient women feared being divorced and even more so being sold by their families. She was not afraid; she thought about taking control of her life by working hard to earn money—not just for herself but also for her son. After all, she was now a mother!
Thinking of her son made Xiao Li forget everything else; finding him was her priority.
"Oh! I told you there was nothing serious going on; look, I'm up now! That one or two Silver really went to waste! If I had known earlier, I could have saved it—think of how many eggs or how much meat or fabric I could have bought! Now it's all gone into medicine that doesn't even need to be taken! What a waste!"
That sharp voice clearly belonged to the Li Family.
Xiao Li saw a member of the Li Family coming out from the southern room, wearing an apron and wiping her hands. She stared at Xiao Li as if she were a thief. Xiao Li frowned slightly but decided not to dwell on it; finding her son was more important.
"Sister-in-law, are Shitou and Muto at home?"
"What do you want them for? They'll come back when it's time for dinner, just like pigs that know when it's time to eat! Since you're up now, you might as well help out! Don't think about slacking off! You spent one or two Silver! From now on, you'll be responsible for cooking at home!"
"Sister-in-law, is that how you speak? How can you compare your own nephew to pigs?! Would you be happy if I compared your son to a pig?"
Xiao Li looked at the Li Family member and felt a surge of maternal love since she had just learned about having a son. She couldn't tolerate such insults towards them. Moreover, hearing the Li Family constantly mention one or two Silver was getting on her nerves.
In this household, everyone worked together and shared meals; income was pooled together while expenses were also covered collectively. Her medical expenses were also part of this communal fund. What right did the Li Family have to keep bringing this up? Although she wasn't as fierce as Xiao Lihua, she wasn't someone who could be easily bullied either. In her past life, Xiao Li had been too weak and lost her child due to pressure from her in-laws. Now transformed into someone who wouldn't be bullied anymore, she wasn't afraid of conflicts within this large family that hadn't split apart!
Li Family immediately raised her willow leaf eyebrows upon hearing Xiao Li's words and shouted angrily, "Your son is the pig! How dare you call my son a pig? My son is clever and smart! He's a thousand times better than your son!"
Xiao Li coldly snorted and said, "Look, just because you compare your son to a pig, you're getting all worked up. Now you know why I got angry when you called my son a pig, right? If you don't want to be insulted, keep your mouth clean! Otherwise, I'm not someone easy to bully!"
Xiao Li thought to herself that if the old Xiao Lihua had been the type to cause trouble, she would have had to pretend to be weak for a while to avoid being discovered that she had changed.
Li Family's face turned red from Xiao Lihua's words as she pointed at Xiao Lihua and cursed, "Your two little brats are pigs! How can they compare to my son? My son is smart and will definitely become a top scholar in the future! Your two sons are as dirty as pigs every day; they'll be looked down upon even if they become beggars!"
Suddenly, Xiao Li's eyes caught sight of a dark blue figure at the entrance. It was an elderly woman with gray hair; this must be her mother-in-law, Wang Clan. She forcefully suppressed her anger, thinking that there was no need for a big fuss now. Her throat still hurt, so she could finally save some breath.
As she thought this, Xiao Li saw a small head peeking out, followed by another small head appearing beneath it. Their little faces were all dirty, but she recognized them immediately; these were Xiao Lihua's sons.
No, they were now her sons!
Looking at those two dirty little heads, Xiao Li felt extremely excited. These were her sons! Their previous mother had been inadequate, but now she would show them that she was definitely a mother who would protect them. With this thought in mind, any remaining desire for peace in Xiao Li's heart vanished completely!
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