A single word, "Scram," sent Old Master Tao's entire family scurrying away in a panic, fearing they would be dealt with by Mo Lingxi if they were too slow.
The villagers who had come to watch also dispersed in small groups, resolving to keep their distance from Mo Lingxi's family in the future, lest they get caught in trouble.
Mo Lingxi returned home unconcerned, greeted by the smiling faces of Tao Lengshuang and Xiao Feng, which eased his heart.
"I want to learn this move from you too, so those messy people won't think I'm easy to bully."
Tao Lengshuang wrinkled her nose and grumbled, despising her Tao family the most – they were profit-driven, selfish, and malicious.
Mo Lingxi raised an eyebrow slightly, his voice faint, "You can."
Tao Lengshuang was surprised by his immediate agreement and said with a smile, "Great, great! I'll learn from you tomorrow. At least I'll have the ability to protect myself."
Mo Lingxi hummed, thinking to himself how long she could keep this up.
Tao Lengshuang thought about learning martial arts and how long it would take to lose weight with the diet plan.
Being too fat brought a series of ailments.
"Let's tidy up first."
She glanced at the house, which was barely habitable, and frowned, "I want to rebuild the house. How much silver will that cost?"
This house could be blown away by a slightly strong wind.
Furthermore, not only would they need to rebuild the house, but they also had to procure various household items, such as quilts, cotton clothes, and food for winter. These needed to be acquired as soon as possible.
She still had over six taels of silver. If she used this to build a new house, she wouldn't have enough for cotton clothes and quilts.
She needed to find a way to earn more money.
"It depends on the type of new house," Mo Lingxi said, looking at her with a mixture of surprise and expectation.
Tao Lengshuang counted on her fingers, "At least four rooms, not including the kitchen and main hall."
"One for me, one for you, Xiao Feng gets his own, and one guest room. We also need to build a decent outhouse."
Her family's outhouse was covered with a plank. It stank unbearably at this temperature, let alone in summer.
Moreover, sharing a bed with Mo Lingxi was truly awkward!
Having lived twenty-odd years without ever being intimate, she was already shocked to become a wife and mother upon transmigration.
If their home hadn't had only one bed and one room, she wouldn't have endured all the discomfort and awkwardness of sleeping in the same bed with Mo Lingxi.
Mo Lingxi's gaze turned cold, and he distanced himself from her, his voice chilling, "We do need to sleep separately."
"From tonight onwards, we will sleep separately."
Tao Lengshuang heard this, and a question mark slowly formed above her head. She looked at him in confusion, "But there's only one bed in the house."
What was wrong with this man, suddenly acting so strangely?
Mo Lingxi looked at her with disgust and wariness in his eyes, "You sleep in the kitchen."
"Are you crazy? I'm a woman, and you want me to sleep in the kitchen. Does your conscience allow it?"
Facing Tao Lengshuang's anger, Mo Lingxi scoffed, "Didn't you want to sleep separately?"
Tao Lengshuang was stunned for a moment, understood the reason, and looked at him strangely, "It's clearly you who dislikes me and can't wait to sleep separately. Why are you acting so wronged now?"
Since they got married, this man had only touched her three times.
After the third time, she became pregnant, and he hadn't touched her since. Not only that, but whenever she got a little close, he would either be as cold as frost or show disgust, making him seem like a chaste maiden.
Mo Lingxi sneered, "Who was it that eagerly insisted on marrying me back then, and shamelessly clung to me?"
If it weren't for his plan, how could he have married Tao Lengshuang, let alone touched her?
Seeing his disgusted expression, Tao Lengshuang's anger flared, "If you had the guts, you shouldn't have married me back then! Why are you acting so disgusted and wronged now?"
"It's because your family threatened and forced me with the so-called life-saving favor."
"...Oh, my family used a life-saving favor to make you marry me, and you just married me? You're so obedient?"
Back then, it was indeed the Tao family who, in order to marry her off, threatened and forced Mo Lingxi with a life-saving favor to marry her.
Mo Lingxi's eyes turned fierce upon hearing this.
Tao Lengshuang involuntarily took a few steps back, her imposing manner weakening, "What do you mean? If you have an opinion, say it. There's no need to play these tricks."
"From today onwards, you sleep in the kitchen and stay three feet away from me."
Tao Lengshuang truly felt that her good intentions had been wasted. She had bought things for this man in town just now and was even thinking of treating him better in the future.
As a result, this man was forcing her to sleep in the kitchen and demanding she stay three feet away.
"Fine, you said it. Don't regret it."
Mo Lingxi looked down at her from above, his gaze like he was looking at dust, "Regret? I only regret marrying you."
Damn it!
Tao Lengshuang clenched her fists, wanting very much to beat this bastard to death, but she was no match for him.
She gritted her teeth, her face contorted in a fierce glare, "Alright, alright, Mo Lingxi, you're really something!"
Now she understood. The so-called kindness he showed her was merely a whim.
At any moment, this man could push her to the brink.
"Daddy, Mommy, please don't argue, okay?" Xiao Feng tugged at both of them, pouting and trying to mediate.
Tao Lengshuang squatted down, smiling gently, "Don't be scared, Xiao Feng. Even if Mommy and Daddy have to separate one day, Mommy will take you with her."
"You're dreaming!"
Mo Lingxi pulled Xiao Feng behind him, glaring at her with a stern expression, "Xiao Feng will stay with me. Don't even think about taking him away."
Tao Lengshuang stood up, hands on her hips, and glared at him, "You want him to stay with you? So you can find him a stepmother who will bully him?"
"Can you find him a stepfather? I can guarantee Xiao Feng won't be bullied."
"You guarantee? What do you guarantee it with? Mo Lingxi, I can guarantee that I won't remarry in this life. Can you?"
Mo Lingxi looked at Tao Lengshuang with surprise and suspicion, "You won't remarry? What a joke."
Tao Lengshuang raised three fingers, her expression solemn as she swore, "After I divorce you in the future, I swear I will not remarry, provided you let me take Xiao Feng with me."
"If you don't let me take Xiao Feng, and you intend to remarry with him, I will never forgive you in this life!"
She genuinely considered Xiao Feng her son and absolutely could not allow him to be neglected by his own father, bullied by a stepmother, and live unhappily.
Mo Lingxi narrowed his sharp eyes and scoffed dismissively, "You? Overestimating yourself!"
Tao Lengshuang felt a little intimidated, and seeing Xiao Feng on the verge of tears, she took a deep breath, "I won't discuss this with you now, but that doesn't mean I won't fight for it."
"Mo Lingxi, don't underestimate a mother!"
With that, she took Xiao Feng into the kitchen.
Mo Lingxi's handsome face darkened, and he clenched his jaw. What a Tao Lengshuang this was.
Meanwhile, in the kitchen, Tao Lengshuang was comforting Xiao Feng, softly speaking her thoughts, "Xiao Feng, Mommy and Daddy will have to separate one day."