The Exiled Villainess and Her Shopping Dimension

In front of them was a vast array of food, making Xiao Long’s mouth water. After being scolded earlier, Huan’er, the little girl, no longer dared to run around. Her arm was still helping her sister-in-law into the room with concern.

They had known they would soon have a little niece or nephew ever since they received the letter, and of course, it was exciting news for everyone. Finally, their elder brother would have a child to carry on the family name. How could they not be happy for him? This also made them feel the need to grow up quickly.

Otherwise, how could they take care of their nieces and nephews and help their elder brother and sister-in-law with the younger ones? Therefore, their goals became clearer. Xiao Long was certain of the path he wanted to take, and Huan’er had her own dreams as well.

“Eat until you’re full first. We can talk about other things later. Your elder brother is still busy with official duties. He’s so swamped that he barely has time. I’ve arranged for someone to deliver food to him. He’ll probably come back late tonight,” Yueqian said. Because of the recent flood, as the city inspector, he had many responsibilities.

Nowadays, Yueqian even saw him bringing work home. He would get up to work at night after she went to bed. Though she knew he had to go to such lengths, Yueqian had her own duties. With a child in her womb, she couldn’t stay up late or worry too much, as everything she did would affect the baby. She could only help from afar and couldn’t interfere much.

Mu Heng was not a fool. He had many ways to find solutions, and Yueqian trusted her husband. As long as he tried, he would be able to solve any problem.

“Big Brother must be working very hard. He has always been like this. But don’t worry, sister-in-law. He knows how to take care of himself. When it’s time to rest, he will rest. He won’t let himself suffer.”

Xiao Long comforted her, though he was frustrated that he was still too young to help them more. After that, the children ate until they were full. Finally, they got to have a serious conversation with their sister-in-law.

“Sister-in-law, in a few years we will have to grow up and become adults. Huan’er will have to marry into another household. To avoid being looked down upon, we have decided to learn and strive to achieve something.”

“I am interested in joining the military. My master mentioned that the army accepts trainee soldiers, even those under 16 years old. However, I need big brother’s consent first. If you and he agree, I will join the army, train, and aim for a position.”

“My goal is to become a military strategist, an advisor in planning battles. With the knowledge I have, I believe I can do well,” Xiao Long said confidently.

The boy’s appearance resembled a scholar more than a soldier. If spoken, he would clearly not be suited to be a soldier. However, when he mentioned the strategist position, Yueqian understood why he wanted to train in the army.

The young woman nodded in agreement. The position of a strategist in the military was indeed significant. If one attained this position, they would undoubtedly gain honor. However, the path to achieving it was quite complex and depended on opportunities to showcase one’s abilities. Some people were excellent planners but never had the chance to demonstrate their skills, rendering their talents useless.

“As for me, I still have the same aspiration. I want to be a doctor who takes care of people. So, I would like to ask for your help, sister-in-law. I want to become a student of a royal physician or a renowned doctor.”

“If I become highly skilled, I could become one of the royal physicians, working in the palace and living safely. If my skills are average, I could open a small clinic, earning a modest income to live on. As for marriage, I will leave that to elder brother and sister-in-law to arrange.”

“If I marry into a good family, I could open a larger clinic, making and selling medicines to villagers or buying herbs from them to sell to herbal shops. But if I marry into a lower-status family or one that doesn’t support my career, I will use my skills to survive or prove my worth to gain their favor.”

The young girl envisioned a future that wasn’t too far-fetched. She knew what her life would be like from now on. She was no longer an ordinary villager but the sister of Official Mu. Anyone wishing to form an alliance with their family would undoubtedly use her as a tool. Therefore, she couldn’t choose her partner on her own.

Huan’er wasn’t worried about that, as she didn’t have anyone in her heart. She had faced many hardships before, and her only dream was to have a warm family like the one she had with her elder brother and sister-in-law. Although it was a dream that seemed selfish and difficult to articulate, deep down, that was all she wished for.

Yueqian seemed to see the concerns of the siblings. Xiao Long wanted to become a soldier, gain status, rank, and position so that he could assist his elder brother in his work and provide support for his sister. Huan’er didn’t want to cause trouble for anyone in the future. Her plans were simple, even willing to be a tool for her brother to use. Seeing these two good-hearted children, Yueqian couldn’t help but feel a deep sense of concern.

If children their age were a bit more self-centered, it wouldn’t be surprising. At least let them have a bright life where they could choose and speak out about what they wanted, which would be better than having them bear such heavy burdens.

The beautiful woman looked at the two children before speaking.

“What are you afraid of?” This question startled the children. Though they tried to act as if nothing was wrong, deep down, they were indeed afraid.

Seeing that the siblings couldn’t respond, Yueqian picked up her teacup and sipped from it. Her demeanor was full of grace and authority, and her sharp eyes looked at them intently.

“Do you think your big brother is so weak that he needs you to come to his aid? And do you think the Mu family’s manor needs to rely on someone else’s power by sending one of its women to be a pawn for others to use as they please?”

Hearing this question, the children froze. They looked at each other, thinking back to the hardships they had endured together, and remembered the tarnished reputation of their sister-in-law before she came to live with them. Their eyes glimmered slightly.

“I thought you understood how strong your big brother is. Moreover... the Mu family name will never resort to such means. We have enough honor to achieve stability through our own abilities. No matter who opposes us, your elder brother and I will push them out of our way.”

“Now do you understand how you must choose your own future? If you don’t want something, don’t choose it. If you dislike it, just shake your head and say what you want. That’s all,” Yueqian finished, and Xiao Long seemed to have something on his mind. He hesitated slightly but spoke up.

“But our status is different now. We must think more carefully about what we choose to do. If...”

“Are you saying you want to be like the Qin family I escaped from?” Yueqian cut him off before the young boy could finish. If Xiao Long had such thoughts, how was it any different from the past? It would have been better to stay with the Qin family and be controlled like a horse. Why go through all this hardship otherwise? Wasn’t it all for the freedom to make their own decisions?

“Th-that’s... I...”

“No need to speak further. Think about it again and then answer me. If you still think the same, I won’t say anything more but will send you on the path you choose. If you want to change your mind, just tell me. Your big brother and I will surely support you,” Yueqian decided not to argue any further.

Whatever path they chose, in the end, it was their life to decide. She and Mu Heng had the duty to support them in the way they wanted. Eventually, they would have their own lives, families, and homes.

While Xiao Long was confused, unable to decide, the little girl who had been silent finally spoke up with determination.

“Sister-in-law, actually, I... I want to be an independent woman!”

“Huan’er, what are you saying!!” Xiao Long was shocked at his sister’s words, but Huan’er continued more seriously.

“Sister-in-law, I don’t want to get married. If I must marry, I want to choose my own partner. Whether I find a man I want to marry or not, I’m not afraid. I just want to open a clinic and help people. I don’t want to enter the palace to become an assistant to the royal physicians. I want to have my own clinic, a big one, like the hospital you opened in Red Earth City. I want to charge reasonable fees, help people, have many assistants, and treat patients every day.”

“Actually, I, I want to help people. I love treating them and seeing them recover. But I know that opening a hospital like yours requires a lot of money, and hiring staff to work regularly is necessary. I know it seems impossible to do that,”

"But if you are kind enough, sister-in-law, one day I will surely repay you. Please send me to study medicine, or you can be my teacher. Then you can open the hospital, but hire me as a resident doctor. That’s all I want."

The more Huan’er spoke, the clearer the vision of her future became. It was something she hadn’t dared to express at first because she knew it would burden her elder brother and sister-in-law. She was deeply saddened that Red Earth City had become someone else’s territory, and the new lord had ordered the hospital closed.

Her goal was solely this: she didn’t want to marry at sixteen like other girls. She wished to remain independent, without needing a husband to rely on. She only wanted to be as strong as her sister-in-law, to do the work she loved, and to take care of her sister-in-law’s and brother’s children. That would be enough for her.

Seeing Huan’er’s courage, Yueqian smiled warmly and patted the girl’s head affectionately.

“Alright, but I can’t be your teacher because I need to take care of my baby. If you truly want to study medicine, you must dedicate all your time to it. I will find a good teacher for you. Moreover... after you finish your studies and have enough knowledge, I will open a clinic for you, even make it a hospital if you wish. The initial funding will be my gift to you, but after that, you must manage it yourself. Whether it succeeds or fails, it will be your responsibility.”

“Knowing this, do you still want to pursue this path?” Yueqian asked, presenting the reality for her husband’s sister to consider. However, Huan’er didn’t hesitate for a moment. Just hearing that she had the opportunity made the young girl excited and happy.

Xiao Long wanted to dissuade her, knowing the path would be difficult. His little sister was a small child who should be protected, not burdened with such responsibilities.

However, seeing his sister’s face, Xiao Long found himself unable to speak. He couldn’t say anything. He couldn’t bring himself to extinguish her bright spirit.

“Huan’er has made her decision. So... I’d like to hear your thoughts too.”

Yueqian turned to look at the boy with thoughts beyond his years. She had let him think long enough; now it was his turn to choose his own path in life.

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