"Mm, I understand. You don't need to wake me up in the morning. Sleep a little longer."
The gentle words from Ye Muyu made Chu Ziluo even more uncertain, a light of fear still flickering in her eyes.
Ye Muyu didn't say much more. She believed that with time, her elder daughter Ziluo's fear would gradually improve. This required a long period of getting to know each other; it couldn't be rushed.
"Mother..." Chu Ziluo was somewhat apprehensive.
Ye Muyu's gaze was gentle, her words soft and tender, yet it was hard to discern what she was truly thinking. She looked at Chu Jin, "Lil' Jin, shouldn't you be practicing your writing?"
"Mother, I don't want to practice writing. I want to go out with Huzi and them to the town to buy candied hawthorn sticks." Chu Jin was afraid of Chu Heng, but was much more at ease with Ye Muyu. After all, the original self favored him greatly, valuing boys over girls, leading to Chu Jin's overbearing nature and Chu Ziluo's timid character.
Ye Muyu lightly raised her eyes, "If you don't want to listen to what I say, then let's have your father talk to you."
Ye Muyu's voice wasn't forceful. In fact, after saying this, she lowered her head and delved into her own thoughts.
She wanted to make a pair of shoes. Besides her son Chu Jin, who didn't have to worry about clothing, even she herself had only three pairs of shoes.
Her elder daughter Chu Ziluo had only two pairs, switching them out to wear.
When going to the old residence, she'd wear the better ones, at home, she'd wear the ones that were practically falling apart.
Ye Muyu couldn't help but sigh at the original self's thoughtful but somewhat foolish nature. A lie easily exposed with a casual inquiry or knock on the door made the original self appear extremely foolish and stingy, even drawing gossip from others.
With these thoughts, Ye Muyu stood up.
"Mother, where are you going?"
"Mother...?"
Two voices spoke. Chu Jin was startled by Ye Muyu's words, while Chu Ziluo looked at her nervously.
Ye Muyu said to Chu Jin, "Go practice your writing and memorization. Your father will be back soon."
"Ziluo, come with me to get needle and thread to make shoes." Ye Muyu left the main room and returned straight to the sleeping room. Although Chu Ziluo was surprised, she didn't dare say much and quickly followed.
Chu Jin didn't want to write, but thinking of his father Chu Heng, he didn't dare resist. Especially since his mother's words shocked and scared him, he couldn't understand why his mother wasn't protecting him anymore. In the past, she would always help him cover up.
Chu Jin couldn't figure it out. Even though he was quite mature for a five-year-old, he realized he wouldn't get any benefit from his mother this time. He had to face reality and went back to write and study.
Ye Muyu sat with Chu Ziluo on the edge of the bed.
She opened the half-full redwood box by the bed, and inside, there was only half a yard of dark blue fabric left. It wouldn't look good as cloth shoes.
Ye Muyu fell silent, recalling that most of the family's fabric had been sent back to the original self's parents' home.
However, her maternal family... wasn't a good one. Her original father's indulgence and laziness meant that since Madam Ye married into the Chu family, her mother would frequently come by to take some things home.
Interestingly, the original self and her parents got along quite well and was happy to send things back home.
Most of the fabric scraps, cakes, and tea leaves that Chu Heng brought home ended up in the storage of the Ye family.
Yet, in her own home, there wasn't much stock. The seemingly prosperous scholar's family was, in fact, an empty shell.
Nonetheless, she felt it was merely a façade. This husband, Chu Heng, seemed to always have a barrier with the original self. Although he never fell short in providing for her food and clothing, the original self never understood this husband, knowing neither his preferences nor his thoughts.