Chapter 14: Origins

“It’s candy,” Shao Diandian patiently corrected.

“Mom,” the three little ones insisted on calling her.

Shao Diandian felt somewhat helpless.

Before, only one child called her that; now all three did.

Although... it was good that the children could speak, she didn’t feel happy about it.

This was a beautiful misunderstanding—she was not their mother!

Faced with these three little ones who wouldn’t be corrected, Shao Diandian could only sigh helplessly.

“Alright then, eat,” she said, handing them the candied hawthorn sticks. “Only one each, or you won’t be able to sleep tonight. Save the rest for tomorrow, got it?”

After speaking, she gently stroked the heads of the three children and turned to the kitchen.

The three little ones held their candied hawthorns, looking at her with longing eyes; Shao Diandian’s figure seemed a bit lonely.

Back in the kitchen, Shao Diandian waited for the water to boil. Shao Erdan hadn’t come back from the bathroom yet.

“Erdan—”

“Ah—”

Good, he didn’t fall into the toilet.

Shao Diandian carried a bucket of hot water back to her room. After a fight earlier today, she was covered in dirt and desperately needed a hot bath.

Just as she was about to undress, a cough came from Wei Ting’s room next door.

Startled, she hurried over without bathing.

Wei Ting had just choked on some water. Seeing someone enter, he quickly put down his cup on the stool and turned his back, giving Shao Diandian a cold profile.

Shao Diandian glanced at this awkward man, then at the half-spilled cup on the stool, and sneered.

“I advise you not to move recklessly, especially when getting up or turning over. Otherwise, you might cause internal bleeding again, and then no one will be able to save you!”

Wei Ting ignored her.

Since he was fine, Shao Diandian didn’t intend to stay any longer.

But just as she turned, she suddenly thought of something and stopped, asking, “How old is your son...?”

Wei Ting still had his back to her: “Two and a half years.”

Shao Diandian nodded silently, about what she had guessed.

She asked again, “Which one is the eldest, the second, and the third?”

Wei Ting thought for a moment and said, “The one with one hair whorl on his head is the eldest, the one with two is the second, and the one with three is the third.”

So Shao’s old man had guessed correctly?

Shao Diandian was extremely surprised.

“So... what are their names?”

“What are you asking that for?” Wei Ting’s tone grew wary.

Shao Diandian pouted, “If you’re not going to tell me, forget it! I’ll just call them Big Tiger, Second Tiger, and Little Tiger from now on!”

Wei Ting frowned, about to say something but stopped.

Shao Diandian glanced at him and cleared her throat. “Well, it’s fine for you to be nursing your injury outside, but your children haven’t been home for so long—doesn’t your wife worry?”

“What?” Wei Ting didn’t grasp her meaning at first.

Shao Diandian said, “Their mother!”

Wei Ting fell silent.

After a moment, he spoke softly, “She passed away.”

Shao Diandian: “...”

“Sorry, I didn’t know your wife...”

“She’s not my wife.”

“Huh?”

What’s going on?

She bore you three sons, yet never got a proper status?!

What a scoundrel!

Shao Diandian stormed off in anger!

“She is my...” Wei Ting began, realizing something was wrong, but when he turned, Shao Diandian had already left.

He frowned.

Shao Diandian went to Shao Erdan’s room again.

The three little ones had arranged themselves on the bed and fallen asleep, uncovered, still clutching the candied hawthorns she had given them—none of which they had eaten.

They clearly wanted to eat them, so why didn’t they?

Were they sad?

Had her words hurt their tender hearts?

Shao Diandian pulled over a blanket and gently covered them.

“Sis!”

Startled by the sudden voice, Shao Diandian turned and glared at Shao Erdan. “You scared me! Quiet! They’re asleep!”

“Oh!” Shao Erdan scratched his head, tiptoed inside, and whispered, “Sis, you called me just now—what’s up?”

“Sit down,” Shao Diandian pointed to the stool beside her.

Shao Erdan obediently sat.

Shao Diandian checked his injuries, then went to Wei Ting’s room to fetch a bottle of antiseptic ointment, carefully applying it on Shao Erdan’s wounds.

He had been punched in the face, bruised and swollen, with a scratch on his shoulder.

“Tell me if it hurts,” she said.

Shao Erdan grinned foolishly, “Hehe, it doesn’t hurt! Sis!”

“Hm?” Shao Diandian continued applying the ointment.

Shao Erdan pondered, “I think... ever since you hurt your head, you’ve been nicer to me and Dad than before.”

Shao Diandian asked without expression, “Is that so?”

Shao Erdan nodded seriously. “Yeah! You never bought me new clothes before, nor did you clean my wounds... Dad was right, a woman is different once she’s got a husband! Sis, I’ll be good to my brother-in-law from now on!”

Why is this always about Wei Ting?!

That guy freeloads at home but keeps taking credit for her efforts—what’s that about?

“If I don’t sleep with him once, I’ll really miss out!”

“Sis, what did you say?” Shao Erdan didn’t catch that.

Shao Diandian crossed her arms, acting coy: “With that pig-headed face of his, it’s easy for me to enter ‘sage mode.’”

Shao Erdan thought: Sis is acting weird again... I don’t understand a single word.

That night, after her hot bath, Shao Diandian wrapped herself in a quilt and lay down.

She didn’t fall asleep quickly; her mind began to ponder some matters.

First, the family’s situation.

The last five taels of silver were nearly spent; the whole family only owed Liu Tongsheng fifteen taels now.

That might sound decent, but with such a big family—and only Wei Ting sick at home—without income, it wouldn’t be long before they were completely broke.

“Looks like I have to find a way to earn money.”

Not necessarily striving for prosperity, but at least to get out of poverty.

Another very important matter was Old Shao’s hand injury.

Old injuries like that were the hardest to treat.

The base pharmacy was one of the military’s largest, stocked with many newly developed miracle drugs.

Unfortunately, last time she only took some emergency medicine for Wei Ting’s treatment.

If only she could get back in once more.

Shao Diandian hugged the first aid kit and closed her eyes.