Xiao Wu didn’t say anything. Shao Qiyun looked at their backs and snorted. “You have to remember to keep your word. Don’t go back on your word after a while.”

  Li Zhaodi and Mu Jingzhe ignored her. When they came out, Li Zhaodi looked a little vexed. “Jingzhe, it’s all my fault. I shouldn’t have come.”

  Jingzhe was already unhappy enough, but she had just made things worse.

  “No, that only made me give up completely.” Mu Jingzhe shrugged. “I always felt that I knew them quite well since I raised them, but it might have been just my imagination.”

  She took a deep breath. “Mom, I’ll be honest with you too. It would be a lie to say that I’m not sad, but this is good too. At least it made me give up completely as soon as possible.”

  Now that she had given up completely, no matter how uncomfortable she felt, the feeling would pass. It was better than keeping it in her heart.

  This year was undoubtedly the worst, but Mu Jingzhe still went back and told them what had just happened. She also told Shao Dong and the rest, “I don’t intend to look for Xiao Wu again in the future. I suggest that you guys don’t look for him either. If he wants to do this, so be it. If we keep refusing to give up and pester him, he’ll find us annoying and we’ll remain in pain. Let’s just live our lives separately from him in the future.”

  Shao Dong could tell that Mu Jingzhe had really given up after having her heart break completely. He felt terrible, but he had no choice but to perk up. “Alright, we’ll listen to Mommy in the future.”

  Old Master Ji and Ji Buwang had returned to the capital to celebrate the New Year, something they did without fail every year, as Grandma Ji, the Ji parents, and Ji Buwang’s older brother were there.

  They wanted to pay their respects to their loved ones that day. Even if they just reunited with their memorial tablets, they wanted to reunite with them.

  Initially, Mu Jingzhe had thought that she would let Xiao Wu go back and spend the New Year with the Ji Family this year. This could also be considered him officially paying his respects to his biological father during the New Year.

  However, plans couldn’t keep up with changes.

  \r \r \r

  Ji Buwang wasn’t around, but he called. After hearing what Xiao Wu had done, he said directly, “Although he’s my older brother’s only heir and we once said that the Ji Family will give him whatever he wants, that was before. Given his current situation… Forget it.”

  Xiao Wu had refused to acknowledge Mu Jingzhe and had become really unscrupulous, asking for money whenever he saw Old Master Ji. Old Master Ji and Ji Buwang’s feelings had changed a little.

  If Xiao Wu continued to behave like this, they might not want to acknowledge him anymore. Anyway, Xiao Wu didn’t change his surname or household register. In the eyes of the law, he wasn’t related to them.

  Now that he had acknowledged Shao Qiyun, if he became like her, they would rather not have this child.

  “Grandpa is actually not happy either, so I didn’t even prepare a red packet for him this year.” This was how Old Master Ji was with money. When he was generous, a million yuan was like a cent, and he would insist that you take it even if you refused. But when he didn’t want to give anything, one could forget about squeezing even a cent out of him.

  Ji Buwang contacted Mu Jingzhe. On the other hand, Xiao Wu and Shao Qiyun contacted Old Master Ji to wish him a happy new year. They even said that they wanted to see Old Master Ji, but Old Master Ji calmly refused.

  Shao Qiyun also proposed that Xiao Wu change his surname and move to the household register of the Ji Family so that he could assume the identity of the Ji Family’s future successor.

  “It’s not a good idea for Xiao Wu to keep the Shao surname. It’d be better for him to change his surname to Ji as soon as possible and acknowledge his ancestors. Old Master, listen…”

  If this had happened in the past, Old Master Ji would probably have been so happy that he would have wanted to set off firecrackers for three days and three nights. However, this time, Old Master Ji refused directly.

  “Oh, I don’t have such a plan for the time being. The name ‘Shao Zhong’ is quite good. His father is gone, and you’re not dead yet. You can raise him. He can keep your surname.”

  “But he’s a child of the Ji Family. How can he keep the Shao surname… Old Master, let us come and wish you a happy new year. We can handle this matter then.”

  “Children who aren’t raised in the Ji Family, even if they’re related to us by blood, are not children of the Ji Family. Besides, we’re not sure if he’s a member of the Ji Family. After all, we haven’t performed any tests.” Old Master Ji got straight to the point. “Over the years, people have claimed to be children of the Ji Family and tried to acknowledge us. We sent them all away directly.

  “There’s no need to visit us for the New Year. He doesn’t have to change his surname or household register either. This is a serious matter, and we won’t make such a decision easily. Don’t mention this again. Don’t tell anyone that you’re members of the Ji Family in the future either. We won’t acknowledge you.”

  Shao Qiyun choked. Previously, she had seen how much Old Master Ji and Ji Buwang had treasured Xiao Wu. She had thought that Xiao Wu would certainly change his surname and household register, but why had everything changed in the blink of an eye?

  “What do you mean? You don’t acknowledge Xiao Wu anymore? That’s not what you said previously.”

  “That was in the past. This is the present,” Old Master Ji simply admitted.

  Shao Qiyun was anxious. “How can you not acknowledge him? The blood of the Ji Family flows in him. How dare you not acknowledge him? Let me tell you something…”

  Shao Qiyun was still talking when Old Master Ji hung up.

  Upon hearing the beeping sound coming from the other end of the line, Shao Qiyun felt furious. “What’s wrong with them? Didn’t they adore you and dote on you a lot previously? Why did they change their minds so quickly? They actually said that they’re not acknowledging you anymore. How dare they? Xiao Wu, tell me what’s going on!”

  “I don’t know either.” Xiao Wu shook his head.

  “Mu Jingzhe must have sabotaged you and fanned the flames. I knew she was a wicked person. She seduced Ji Buwang and made him listen to her. She was afraid that you would go back and get the Ji Family’s assets, so she deliberately stopped you.”

  Shao Qiyun’s face turned red from anger, and she scolded her for a long time. “They’d acknowledge you if Mu Jingzhe was your mother. Now that I’m your mother, they won’t acknowledge you. They’re obviously looking down on me!

  “What right do they have to look down on me! In what way am I inferior to Mu Jingzhe! You aren’t something that they can acknowledge or deny at will!”

  After Shao Qiyun finished scolding everyone, she looked at Xiao Wu and didn’t say anything for a bit. “Why aren’t you saying anything? Have you seen Mu Jingzhe’s true colors now? Even though she says all sorts of nice things, she’s actually a greedy, selfish person.”

  Xiao Wu still didn’t say anything. Dissatisfied, Shao Qiyun stared at Xiao Wu and insisted on hearing his opinion. As she stared at him, Xiao Wu nodded. “Yes, she’s selfish.”

  Only then was Shao Qiyun satisfied. “It’s good that you know. Ji Buwang liked you previously. Remember to contact him more often. You mustn’t really leave the Ji Family.”

  “Got it.” Xiao Wu nodded.

  Their plan to go to the Ji Family hadn’t succeeded. While Shao Qiyun didn’t know where to go, she heard that Mu Jingzhe and the others had returned to Great Eastern Village to celebrate the New Year.

  Although Mu Jingzhe and the others had moved out, their connection to Great Eastern Village hadn’t been severed. They would still go back for weddings and funerals whenever they could. To Shao Dong and the rest, Great Eastern Village was their hometown, an existence unlike any other.

  Seeing that they were in a foul mood, and since Xiao Wu and Shao Qiyun were in the county, Shao Qihai had suggested returning to Great Eastern Village. This suggestion had been unanimously approved.

  Li Zhaodi also urgently needed to go home and chat with her fellow villagers to show off so she could relieve her depression. Therefore, on the first day of the New Year, they went back to Great Eastern Village in a grandiose manner.

  Shao Qihai drove the four kids, while Mu Jingzhe drove Li Zhaodi and Mu Teng over.