I was a stepmother in ancient times, and I led my whole family to wealth.

Chapter 196 Yang Wenwen

Xia Lan stared at Dongfang Jin, her eyes instantly reddening. She had been working since she could remember, and even her father had tacitly approved of it.

Every time she argued back, she was either scolded or beaten.

"Why are you crying? Look, our broom is taller than me. If you want to sweep, I'll ask Brother Xiaojun to buy you some smaller brooms later," Dongfang Jin said, taking out a handkerchief to wipe her tears.

It is said that women are made of water, and this young maid in ancient times was no exception. She had already suffered enough from dealing with Aunt Hui and Sister Yumei in the past.

Now that a few more crybabies have appeared, that won't do.

Xia Lan shook her head: "No, no, I used to do chores at home too."

"Alright, let's go eat breakfast. After breakfast, we'll see how Grandma Jun plans to arrange things for you."

When Dongfang Jin led the six children into the kitchen, everyone was already there.

Jun Qixian arranged seats for them, which Jin Jie'er specially made for the little ones: "You little ones are still sitting here eating."

I've already delivered the meals to your sisters, Xueju and Dongju."

Gu Caiwei: "Auntie, I want to be with them too."

Jun Qixian looked at Dongfang Jin.

Dongfang Jin pinched Gu Caiwei's chubby little face: "Okay, go ahead, they are all older sisters!"

Lily of the Valley: "Madam, you mustn't."

"Sit down, all of you. In my home, as long as you are sincere to our family and do not betray us..."

There's nothing that's unacceptable; I never interfere with what you want to do.

Also, please don't call me "Madam" anymore. Just call me Aunt Jin or Aunt Jin.

"We're just a farming family, we can't keep calling ourselves that."

"understood."

Gu Caiwei sat down at their table and offered each of them a fried dough stick and an egg: "Eat up, welcome to my home. I hope we can get along peacefully in the future."

Xia Lan finally asked the question she had been wanting to ask all along, standing to the side and looking at Dongfang Jin: "Aunt Jin, are you really Caiwei and Jingye's stepmother?"

Dongfang Jin looked at them and smiled, "Of course, otherwise how could I have such big children when I've just come of age?"

You have no idea how well-behaved and obedient Jingye and Caiwei are.

I'm quite proud to be their stepmother.

Gu Jingye stood up. Although he was young, he was mature and composed. He said in a serious tone, "It is my mother who is good to us siblings. My mother is truly good to us siblings."

Gu Yumei stood up with a smile. This child had experienced so much hardship and was more mature than children from ordinary families. She felt both heartache and relief.

He walked over and pressed him down to sit: "Your stepmother treats you well, and you treat her well. This is called two good things combined with one good thing."

You mustn't be ungrateful and let your mother down.

Ever since she learned that Stone Mother was still alive, her heart had been constantly hanging in suspense.

Xiao Jin is exceptionally good to these two children, even surpassing the love a biological mother has for her children.

She was truly worried that one day these two children would betray Xiao Jin's kindness in raising them.

Gu Jingye and Gu Caiwei nodded emphatically. Gu Caiwei said, "We will be good to our mother, good to her for the rest of our lives."

This child's pure heart is like transparent crystal; with her simple and genuine expressions, she can dispel the gloom in everyone's heart.

Gu Jingye also looked sincere and said firmly, "I will take care of my mother in her old age!"

Dongfang Jin looked at the two of them and smiled: "I know you're doing well. Retirement is a long way off. Just take good care of yourselves."

That's not what she wants. Their mother is still alive. You know, it's never too bad to be safe than sorry.

Who could have known that their mother would eventually run out of money and secretly come looking for them?

Filial piety was highly valued in ancient times.

If it really comes to that, can she stop it? No!

She only did what she could do to have a clear conscience, and that was enough.

She has money; what kind of children can't she have for retirement?

Besides, there were servants in ancient times, so she didn't need to take it seriously, much less let it get to her heart.

Looking at the children, Dongfang Jin still had a gentle smile on her face: "Here, two eggs for each of you, you must eat them every morning."

Jun Wenhui noticed Dongfang Jin's emotions but remained silent; the child's temperament was truly unfathomable.

Thinking about what she had experienced in the Fang family, I understood it all.

Xia Lan's eyes were red: "When my mother was alive, I would eat a boiled egg every morning, but I haven't eaten it since."

Especially after her mother passed away and her maternal grandfather's family left, she lived with her father in a side courtyard of the government office.

She not only had to do housework, but she also didn't have enough to eat, and sometimes her father's children would come over and bully her.

Jun Wenhui comforted her, "Okay, eat now, and you'll have it every morning from now on."

"Try this fried dough stick and soy milk. We also have steamed buns with shepherd's purse filling, which Caiwei likes, and millet porridge."

Gu Caiwei picked up a steamed bun: "This one is filled with wild vegetables. I don't know if you like it, but I really like eating this. It has pork belly inside, and the meat doesn't get stuck in your teeth at all."

Upon hearing that there was meat, Yang Wenwen swallowed hard and asked, "Can I eat this?"

Last night, Aunt Jin only gave each of them two pieces of meat for the hot pot, and they ate the rest of the vegetables.

When Gu Caiwei heard her say that, she picked up a small plate that was placed in front of her and said, "Eat it, as long as you don't mind that it's wild vegetables."

The young lady said that this young lady is the daughter of the prefect, a family even more powerful than the county magistrate's, so she definitely wouldn't eat wild vegetables.

Yang Wenwen shook her head: "When I was hungry before, I even ate the leaves from the trees in my yard."

My wet nurse said I had a tough life, so I had to be raised poorly and fed those kinds of food so my life would improve and my father, aunt, and grandmother would come to see me.

Upon hearing this, Jun Wenhui and Gu Yumei's eyes immediately changed color. The child's light words made those nightmares sound so indifferent.

Those bad experiences are like deep scars etched in the heart, causing it to ache.

Gu Caiwei was surprised: "Leaves? Can you eat those? When my brother and I lived at our maternal grandfather's house before, we tried eating them when we had nothing to eat. They were bitter and tasted terrible."

However, I have seen my brother eat tree bark, but he won't let me eat it.

Yang Wenwen nodded happily, as if she had found a kindred spirit: "The leaves of that tree are indeed bitter, but I have to eat them in order to change my fate."

Gu Caiwei didn't understand what "changing fate" meant, but she still asked, "Don't you have any other food at home?"

Yang Wenwen took a bite of the steamed bun and chewed slowly, her eyes half-closed in enjoyment, just like a lazy kitten.

"Yes, two meals a day, but the wet nurse ate them all. She said she had to protect me from disaster, and I couldn't eat those things."

Xia Lan and the others had never heard her say these things. They only knew that she had been tricked out of her aunt's maid and sold, and that the maid had run away with her luggage.

Her aunt was her stepmother, and the maid belonged to her aunt, so selling her meant that her aunt and stepmother were the ones who sold her.

But hearing this now, Xia Lan still said angrily, "Your wet nurse is a bad person."

Yang Wenwen blinked her innocent big eyes and looked at Dongfang Jin: "Aunt Jin, is what my sister said true?"

Was the wet nurse really a bad person?

But why did she lie to her?

Do they also despise her as a jinx?

Dongfang Jin looked at her dim eyes and reached out to rub her head: "Yes, she wanted to eat your food, so she said that on purpose."

There's no such thing as changing one's fate. If it were truly possible, would there be so many people suffering in this world?