Seeing Shao Xi’s smug look, for a moment, Shao Nan didn’t know how to describe his feelings. When he realized that Shao Xi was still unwilling to let go, he blurted out, “I forgot to tell you. The place where you kissed me just now was actually splashed with footwash.”

  “What?” Upon hearing that, Shao Xi exploded. He spat and wiped his mouth with all his might. “Why are you so disgusting?”

  “Some of that water just splashed on me. Now you’re saying that I’m disgusting? Didn’t your face get splashed with a lot of that water just now too? I feel the same way you do.”

  He had already been helpless when the water had accidentally splashed into his mouth earlier. To think he had even taken the initiative to kiss the spot the water had splashed. He wasn’t crazy.

  Shao Xi spat for a long time before washing his face and rinsing his mouth. When he returned, he saw Mu Jingzhe. She was holding a large elastic headband in one hand and a hooded top in the other.

  “In order to facilitate the quick recovery of your relationship, I’ve thought of two ways. Now, Shao Xi, Shao Nan, you can choose one. The first method is wearing the same piece of clothing. This piece of clothing is mine. You two can wear it when you sleep at night.”

  Shao Xi and Shao Nan immediately objected when they heard that. “No, we don’t choose this.”

  “Then there’s the second choice. I’ll tie your hands together with a headband. Other than during class time, you’ll have to tie your hands together at all times. Even when you wash up or go to the bathroom. You can’t untie them even when you’re sleeping. When you’ve completely reconciled, I’ll allow you two to split up.”

  Mu Jingzhe added, “If you guys don’t reconcile after three consecutive days, we’ll move on to using the clothing method.”

  “Mom, this isn’t a good idea. If you’re going to end up using both, there’s no need for us to choose.”

  “I think it’s quite good. Don’t worry, this rope is very elastic. I looked for it specifically. It won’t strangle you. It’s very safe.” Mu Jingzhe felt that this method was very good and was beaming with joy.

  Regret appeared on Shao Xi and Shao Nan’s faces. If they had known earlier, they wouldn’t have quarreled. Shao Dong and the others sighed, feeling a little afraid. In the future, would these messy methods also be used on them? Would they have to restrain themselves from quarreling?

  “Hurry up and choose. I think both methods are very good. Do you want to try both?”

  \r \r \r

  “No need. We choose being tied up together for the time being.” Shao Xi and Shao Nan felt like they had nothing to live for and ultimately made their choice.

  When Shao Qihai returned, the first thing he saw was Shao Xi and Shao Nan tied together, looking like they had nothing left to live for. He didn’t have the time to ask about it, as he quickly invited Li Zhaodi over.

  Li Zhaodi, who was doing business in town, was not completely up to date. It was already the next day when she finally found out what Zhao Lan had done in the past. It was only then that she found out that Shao Qihai had gone out with the children to pay their respects previously.

  How could Li Zhaodi endure hearing that? She rushed back in a hurry and happened to see Shao Qihai returning, so she rode his car back.

  Although she had a lot to say, Li Zhaodi didn’t say much on the way. She only glared at Mu Jingzhe when she saw her. Mu Jingzhe was about to say something when the kids rushed over to greet their grandmother.

  Li Zhaodi very proficiently took sweets out of her pocket and handed them to the kids, distributing the candy to them very fairly. “I’ve given you sweets, but you need to ask your mother for permission to eat them. Otherwise, she’ll blame me again if your teeth decay.”

  “Mom.” Mu Jingzhe was helpless.

  “We’ll be careful,” Shao Dong quickly said, “We won’t let our teeth decay, and we won’t cause Grandma trouble either.”

  When the five kids saw Li Zhaodi, they only felt a sense of familiarity. Although Li Zhaodi ate well, slept well, and had gained weight, which made her look even less like a good person, they felt a sense of familiarity around her.

  Li Zhaodi noticed that Shao Nan and Shao Xi were tied together. After finding out the reason, she couldn’t help but laugh. “It’s not good to quarrel. Your mother’s method is not bad. I didn’t think of it in the past. Otherwise, I would have used it too.”

  Shao Xi secretly instigated her. “It’s not too late now. Grandma, if Mommy and Uncle quarrel in the future, you can also make them wash each other’s feet and tie them together.”

  “You little baddie. Alright, Grandma’s got it.”

  As soon as Li Zhaodi finished coaxing the children, she pulled Mu Jingzhe to the other room to whisper to her and started nagging. “These children have no conscience. You’ve treated them with all your sincerity, and they still went to pay their respects to their biological mother.”

  The reason Li Zhaodi had rushed back wasn’t just because she had heard about Zhao Lan. As Mu Jingzhe’s mother, she was very concerned about the children paying their respects to their biological mother.

  “I was wondering why they went there. So they went to pay their respects to their biological mother. You too. Aren’t you silly? To think you really allowed them to go. You should have stopped them. I could tell from the way you bought things for them to officially pay their respects last year. You’re a fool. After all you’ve done for them, you ought to make them forget about their biological mother.”

  Mu Jingzhe didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. “Mom, if they didn’t even care about their biological mother, would you be relieved and satisfied? If they didn’t even care about their biological mother, wouldn’t that be even more terrifying? There’s no point in fighting over this.”

  Li Zhaodi froze for a moment. “That’s true, but they can’t keep thinking about their biological mother either. You’re too easy-going.”

  Mu Jingzhe blinked. “Mom, why didn’t you say so just now? The way I see it, you sure know how to coax them. Now, you’re nagging me?”

  Li Zhaodi coughed. “I only didn’t say anything because they’re already back. If they hadn’t gone yet, I would definitely have brought it up. Now that they’ve already gone and come back, it’s not worth talking about it and making them unhappy.”

  “Excuses. You clearly enjoy being called ‘Grandma’ and can’t bear to say it yourself.” Mu Jingzhe instantly exposed Li Zhaodi’s true colors.

  Li Zhaodi choked. “So what if I enjoy it? I just want to be a grandmother. You and your brother haven’t given me any grandchildren. In that case, I can only be a grandmother to them.”

  At this point, Li Zhaodi looked at Mu Jingzhe’s unchanged room. “Speaking of that, are you and Shao Qihai still sleeping in separate rooms?”

  “Why wouldn’t we?”

  “Isn’t that like living as a widow while your husband is still alive?” Li Zhaodi was dissatisfied.

  “Mom, stop joking. Don’t tell me you want me to sleep in the same room as him?”

  “That won’t do. Didn’t you say before that you were separating and getting a divorce? Since you’re about to get a divorce, it’d be best to keep your chastity. All men are the same. They all like virgins. It’ll be better for you if you get married in the future.”

  Mu Jingzhe: “So what if one isn’t a virgin? Mom, your way of thinking has to change too. This is a new society.”

  Li Zhaodi glanced at Mu Jingzhe suspiciously. “What do you mean by that? Have you slept with Shao Qihai?”

  Mu Jingzhe almost choked on air. “Mom, what kind of nonsense are you spouting!” How had this become about her sleeping with Shao Qihai? Her mother’s words had been too sudden, catching her off guard.

  “No, I thought you…” Li Zhaodi shook her head. “Speaking of this, Jingzhe, are you still getting a divorce? How long has it been already? You don’t seem to be in a hurry.”

  “We’re definitely getting a divorce.” Mu Jingzhe scratched her head. “Hasn’t quite a lot happened recently? Speaking of how urgent it is… it seems like it’s not that urgent, right?”

  The main reason was that she wasn’t in a hurry to fall in love or get married. Besides, after Shao Qihai’s return, although she hadn’t been used to it at first, she had realized that things didn’t seem to be much different from before. It was just that there was an additional person taking care of the children now.