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墨書 Inktalez
Inside the Thatched Cottage
“Mom!” Lu Chen’s sleepy voice rang out.
Wen Qian closed her eyes briefly to hide her emotions. When she opened them again, they were filled with both tenderness and joy as she gently stroked Lu Chen’s small face.
“Are you awake? Did you sleep well?”
“I did, but Mom, I’m hungry.” Lu Chen nestled into Wen Qian’s arms, his little body squirming. His sleepy voice tugged at Wen Qian's heartstrings, making her feel soft and warm inside.
She held Lu Chen tightly, wrapping her arms around him. Looking down into her son’s eyes, she said softly, “You’re hungry? Mom will make you something to eat!”
“I’ll go make it; you rest for a bit!”
Both mother and son turned to look at Lu Zheng as he walked away, then exchanged glances with each other.
They both smiled at one another. Lu Chen, feeling a bit shy, buried his face in her embrace and called out, “Mom!”
Seeing her son like this filled Wen Qian with happiness. She felt grateful that she could live this life again, even though little Chen had not been reborn.
She dared not imagine how painful it would be for him if he had memories of his past life.
She asked softly, “Do you like Dad?”
After a moment of silence, when Wen Qian thought he wouldn’t answer, she heard her son’s voice beside her ear.
“I do. Dad protects us.”
“Dad protects little Chen, and Mom will protect little Chen too.”
But Lu Chen shook his head seriously and said, “Little Chen will protect Mom together with Dad. Mom is too tired.”
In an instant, a wave of emotion surged in Wen Qian’s heart. She smiled faintly, a bittersweet smile filled with both sorrow and gratitude.
Her eyes became moist as she blinked back tears and hugged her son closer, wiping away the tears that had gathered at the corners of her eyes.
At just over four years old, Lu Chen was much more sensible than other children his age. He had always been obedient; even when he was bullied, he wouldn’t tell her because he didn’t want to trouble her.
Every day she worked hard outside while also having to cook for the family and wash their clothes. The endless chores piled up on her shoulders like a heavy burden.
She felt suffocated at times but could only spare a little attention to care for Lu Chen's basic needs.
Looking back now, it seemed there were moments in her previous life when Lu Chen had looked at her as if he wanted to say something but shook his head instead upon seeing her weary face.
Wen Qian took a few deep breaths to steady her emotions. When Lu Chen looked up at her again, he didn’t notice anything unusual.
"Xiao Chen, do you want to leave here and go to where Daddy works?"
Lu Chen's eyes instantly lit up. He excitedly scrambled out of Wen Qian's arms and shouted at the top of his lungs, "Yes! I want to go! Mommy, I want to go with you and Daddy!"
In the village, all the children were with their parents. He only had his mother, and he wanted to be with both Mommy and Daddy.
"Mommy, when are we leaving?"
Lu Chen was so eager to get out of bed and pack his things, his little face filled with joy.
"There's no rush; we can take our time packing."
She pulled her son close, wanting to ensure that before they left, Xiao Chen had done everything he wanted to do. She didn't want him to have any regrets.
Wen Qian looked at her son in silence, a faint smile appearing on her lips as she gently stroked his hair.
"It's okay, Xiao Chen can think about it slowly. You can tell Mommy after you've thought it through."
"Mommy?"
"Yes?"
"Can I bring Daddy to introduce him to my friends in the village? They all laugh at me for not having a dad and say he doesn't want us anymore."
As he spoke, the little guy couldn't help but redden his eyes, softly sobbing while stubbornly looking at Wen Qian, biting his lip to keep from crying out loud.
His small hand clutched tightly at Wen Qian's clothes, forming a fist as tears fell onto her garment, also landing on her heart.
"Mommy?"
Lu Chen looked anxiously at Wen Qian, shaking his small hand as he gazed at her with hopeful eyes.
"After we eat, Daddy will take you. Mommy will bring some candy for you to share with your friends, okay?"
"Thank you, Mommy!"
Lu Chen leaped into Wen Qian's embrace, wriggling with excitement. He lifted his little face and puckered his lips to kiss her cheek.
"Thank you, Mommy!"
Just then, Lu Zheng entered the room carrying food and caught sight of the affectionate scene between mother and son. When Wen Qian's smiling eyes met his, they turned cold. His gaze flickered momentarily, a hint of loneliness crossing his features.
"Let's eat!"
Wen Qian and Lu Chen both smiled at Lu Zheng and replied in unison.
The atmosphere in the family was warm and heartening.
As they ate, Wen Qian casually glanced at Lu Zheng, then quickly averted her gaze. Lu Zheng looked at her, feeling a sense of defeat. What could he do to win her back, to save this family? Didn't she once like Lu Yao? If she no longer liked him, could she perhaps try to like him instead?
Wen Qian deliberately avoided the man's gaze and focused on her meal. To be fair, his cooking was quite good. Over the years, she had honed her culinary skills to meet the discerning tastes of the Lu family, but she hadn’t expected Lu Zheng to be such a capable cook as well.
Lu Zheng bitterly withdrew his gaze. With another rival in the picture, his situation might become even more difficult. But when he looked at Lu Chen, his resolve surged anew. Right, there was also their son. As long as they had their son, their family wouldn’t fall apart. If he persevered, she would eventually accept him.
A smile crept onto his lips as he served a piece of food to both Wen Qian and little Chen. However, when he noticed Wen Qian eating slowly, the budding joy in his heart wilted.
In another room, Zhang Yan squatted on the floor, watching the three people on the bed.
Cuihua looked at Zhang Yan with confusion. "Do you think there’s any evidence for this? That scoundrel Lu Zheng wouldn’t believe it."
Zhang Yan scoffed coldly. "Dear, have you lost your mind? Even if he doesn’t believe it, there will definitely be a knot in his heart; he’ll have doubts. Gradually, they will find it hard to stay united."
At that moment, she envisioned a scenario in her mind, her lips curling into an increasingly smug smile as excitement sparkled in her eyes. Wen Qian had dared to scheme against her; she was eager to see just how miserable that little vixen would end up.
Lu Zheng, her elder brother-in-law, had now become an important official; he must have long wanted to rid himself of Wen Qian and that little bastard. For now, he was merely putting on an act in front of them. Besides, it was probably just for the money that Wen Qian held.
"Do you know which village that adulterer is from?"
Cuihua looked at Zhang Yan with growing impatience and kicked at her.
"Ah! Mother, please don’t hit me!"
Zhang Yan covered her arm, which throbbed painfully from the kick, beads of cold sweat forming on her forehead as she grimaced and moaned in agony.
"You better say it quickly, or I swear I'll keep hitting you," she threatened.
"I'll tell you, I'll tell you!"
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