Ye Wenxue's words of advice stuck in her throat, and she angrily tugged at a vegetable leaf:

Why are you asking this? Who's spouting nonsense in front of you again?

Cheng Zhihuai blinked innocently: "No, it's because I was looking at Uncle Tang next door, Brother Yu across the street, Mr. Liu at the end of the street, Lord Qi in the east of the city, and... they all..."

Ye Wenxue rolled her eyes at him: "I think you don't want to eat, huh? Then go copy the book."

“Oh, Mother, copying books can only punish Shuangshuang, not me.” Cheng Zhihuai smiled and got down to business, “Mother… I want to try it out.”

"Then go ahead and try it. You don't need to worry about things at home. I'll take care of things."

"Um."

Cheng Zhihuai knew that no matter who Ye Wenxue was, she was the mother he and his younger siblings respected the most.

However, he still underestimated Ye Wenxue's ability to act.

The next morning, a red paper notice advertising for waiters was hung on the door of Wenxue Restaurant.

Mr. Liu, who was used to having breakfast at the eatery every morning, was puzzled by this scene. He leaned closer to the red paper and took a look:

"Hiring three assistants, half a tael of silver per month? Requirements... requirements... Manager Ye, your requirements are too many and too high. Even the government doesn't have such high requirements when recruiting."

While watching Shuangshuang copy the book, Ye Wenxue casually replied, "Are the requirements high? It's alright."

Over the years, there have been many applicants who actually stole the recipes, while others, seeing that she was pretty, tried to take advantage of her good looks.

There were even cases where people would get close to her, kidnap a few of her children, and extort money from her.

It's normal to be strict when hiring employees.

They both turned their wrists, looked up and glanced at Liu Shusheng: "Sir, you should go back. You don't meet the requirements."

Scholar Liu: "..."

I have a feeling that this child is implying something.

He sighed, remembering the upcoming special imperial examination... and turned to go home to study hard.

Ye Wenxue glanced at Shuangshuang, who immediately smiled and tapped the paper on the table, indicating that she was working hard.

Perhaps Ye Wenxue's requirements for hiring were not low, because many people were tempted by her job postings throughout the day, but none of them dared to inquire.

It wasn't until evening, when all the restaurant staff had gone home, that the six members of their family were finally able to eat together, when there was a sudden knock on the door.

"Is the shopkeeper here? I'll be your assistant."

Da Zhuang put down his chopsticks and went to look at the door. He was instantly shocked when he saw who it was.

He glanced at the weathered man outside the door, then back at Ye Wenxue, whose cheeks were slightly flushed as she sipped her wine, and gritted his teeth:

"Come in."

The man smiled at him, strode into the restaurant, and immediately locked his gaze on Ye Wenxue, whose appearance had not changed.

Ye Wenxue looked up warily and saw Huo Zhaoqing.

Five years have passed, and the boy's handsome features have become even more sharp, with a shallow scar on his face adding to his cold and ruthless appearance.

He was tall and strong, with a wild and untamed nature.

Apart from Dazhuang, the other children were frightened and stayed quietly without daring to utter a sound.

Ye Wenxue waved her hand: "Dazhuang, take your younger siblings to the backyard to cool off. Don't go to sleep right after you've just finished eating."

Cheng Zhihuai hesitated before responding, then called out to Shuangshuang, Sanyuan, Siwang, and Yuanyuan and walked to the backyard. He stopped at the door and quietly peeked at the two of them.

Several of the younger ones followed suit, peeking out in unison like kittens.

Ye Wenxue pretended not to see it and greeted the visitor: "Distinguished guest! Aren't you about to ascend the throne? What brings you to my little eatery to apply for a job as a waiter? Come, have a seat."

Huo Zhaoqing slowly approached, his gaze fixed on Ye Wenxue, and sat down: "Five years have passed. How have you been?"

Five years have passed?

So, in those five years, who was the person who secretly watched her from the teahouse across the street on the day she picked up Suiye, and then left without even saying hello?

Ye Wenxue chuckled and poured him a glass of wine: "The child is obedient and sensible, the restaurant is doing well, and he goes on blind dates every now and then. He's living a pretty good life."

Huo Zhaoqing was speechless for a moment, then downed her drink in one gulp.

Ye Wenxue stared at him for a long time. The once spirited young man had become so taciturn. He must have suffered a lot.

"By the way, if you had come half a month earlier, you might have run into Baldy and Zhiwen and Zhiwu. They just..."

“I know.” Huo Zhaoqing poured himself a drink. “They went to the capital to do business. Su Jiu is my imperial physician. I know all that.”

Ye Wenxue: "..."

Huo Zhaoqing kept drinking one cup of wine after another, as if he were going crazy under the influence of alcohol.

Ye Wenxue tapped the table to remind her, "Alright, stop getting drunk. There's nowhere for you to stay at home."

Huo Zhaoqing paused, a bitter smile appearing on his face.

She's still the same person; she doesn't care about anything except her children.

Ye Wenxue felt a little uncomfortable at his smile. Just as she was about to speak, she saw his gaze burning brightly, as passionate as it had been back then.

"I came here to ask you one more time: are you truly indifferent to me?"

For five years, he struggled on the battlefield, amidst piles of corpses, and in the perilous imperial court.

Only two thoughts kept him alive—one was to avenge the Huo family members who had died tragically.

Secondly, he wanted to stand in front of Ye Wenxue again and ask her the truth, so that she would give up.

At the backyard gate,

Sanyuan looked up at Dazhuang: "Big brother, do you think Mother will agree?"

Yuanyuan looked up, mimicking his expression: "Then does that mean we have a daddy?"

Shuangshuang and Siwang looked conflicted.

Over the years, many people have expressed their feelings to my mother, directly or indirectly, but she has never agreed to any of them.

In their opinion, this person is also in a precarious situation.

They might even get beaten up and thrown out.

Dazhuang's expression changed for a moment, then he sighed deeply: "Let's see what Mother thinks."

Years have passed, and he has grown up; he is no longer that insecure child.

Naturally, she didn't think there was anything wrong with her mother agreeing.

But... Suiye is only a little over ten years older than him, so calling him "Dad" feels a bit strange.

At the table, Ye Wenxue was taken aback by his question and wanted to refuse him directly, just like she had done back then.

I didn't mean it that way, so why keep them hanging and ruin their good time?

But seeing Huo Zhaoqing's red eyes and her stubborn expression, just like back then, Ye Wenxue blurted out for some reason:

"I have no idea."

She had never been moved by anyone and didn't know what it felt like to like someone.

But over the years, the only person she has kept in her heart after expressing her feelings to him is Huo Zhaoqing.

Huo Zhaoqing was prepared to give up and decided to come back and ask again next year. It took her a while to react after hearing this.

His eyes flickered, and he grasped Ye Wenxue's hand, speaking almost reverently:

"It's okay, I can wait. I will wait until the day you figure it out."

No matter how long it takes, he is willing to do it.

The complete chapters of "In a Famine, I Became the Widow Mother of Five Villainous Sons" will continue to be updated on the Shuhaige Novel Network. There are no ads on the site, so please bookmark and recommend Shuhaige Novel Network!