Chapter 1

"You damned brat! You're as fat as a pig, so it's a miracle that someone is willing to marry you, and yet you were trying to court death!

"Do you know how often people have spoken ill behind my back because of you? Don't think you can avoid this just by playing dead! If you don't go through with this marriage, just wait and see how I deal with you!"

Maggie Dawson lay on the bed, listening to the voice cursing at her right next to her ear. She had a splitting headache and felt absolutely terrible.

It had been two hours since she ended up in this body, and she had spent that time digesting this cliché, melodramatic plot.

Who would've thought that just last night, she had been a personal bodyguard to an important figure who had ended up being sniped down due to an information leak?

When she opened her eyes, she discovered that she had transmigrated into the setting of a period novel as an expendable side character.

The original owner of this body was also named Maggie Dawson. Her mother, Jennifer Gilmore, had remarried into the Young family and brought Maggie along with her.

Because her stepsister, Yvonne Young, was naturally good-looking, Jennifer started viewing Maggie with increasing distaste. In addition, people were constantly criticizing the original Maggie for being fat and ugly behind her back, so she quickly became a thorn in Jennifer's side.

The reason the original Maggie had tried to commit suicide via overdose this time was because of Yvonne's fiancé, Johnny Carter, who was a military man. He had injured both his legs while carrying out a mission and was said to have become permanently disabled, unable to stand again.

However, the Young family had already received many gifts of goodwill from the Carter family in celebration of the engagement. These gifts included a bicycle, a wristwatch, and a sewing machine, which totaled four hundred dollars, excluding another two hundred dollars worth of gifts from before.

Naturally, Jennifer didn't want to have to return all these gifts, and a military wedding wasn't something one could casually back out of either. Therefore, she had turned to Maggie as a last resort and forced her into marrying Johnny, who was already disabled.

This way, not only would she not have to reimburse the Carters for all the goodwill gifts, but she would also be able to marry off her fat and ugly daughter. She was practically killing two birds with one stone.

Maggie recalled the original plot of the novel. After the original Maggie had overdosed on pills, she had indeed been rescued, but she had still refused to go through with the marriage. As a result, Jennifer, despite being her biological mother, had starved her for half a month.

She had been sent off to the Carters while she was on the brink of death. Due to the weather being overly hot, she had then fallen severely ill and died right there in that village where Johnny lived.

The point of Maggie's existence in the novel was nothing more than to allow the heroine to use her death as proof of the Young family's selfishness and ruthlessness in the future.

Maggie calculated carefully and realized that there was only half a month left until the original Maggie was supposed to die of illness.

What a farce. She'd been shot in the back in her previous life, but when she finally received hope for a second life, she was instead forced to face the fate of dying of starvation and illness.

She just had to marry a disabled person, didn't she?

Well, then she'd just marry him. It wasn't a big deal.

She tried her best to open her eyes and looked at Jennifer, who was still cursing at her.

She opened her mouth. "Mom… I'll marry him…"

Jennifer was stunned momentarily, assuming she had heard Maggie wrong. "Say that again, brat!"

"I'm willing to… marry Johnny Carter… in Yvonne's stead, Mom," Maggie repeated with effort.

Jennifer stared closely at her. "You were the one who said that, so you're not allowed to regret it!"

"After dying once… I've thought it through," said Maggie.

A smile finally appeared on Jennifer's face. "You're finally being sensible for once, brat. Have a good rest, and I'll personally send you to the train station in two days."

She didn't want to see her fat, ugly daughter at home for a single day more than she had to. If not for Maggie's current inability to move, she would have wanted nothing more than to deliver her to the Carters right this instant.

"But you have to prepare a thousand dollars for me," Maggie added abruptly.

Johnny had been sent back to his hometown in the countryside after getting injured, so it definitely wouldn't do for her to marry him without a single dollar to her name.

"A thousand dollars?" Jennifer asked in disbelief. "Are you trying to rob me blind, you damned girl? You're not getting a single cent!"

Jennifer was furious. She didn't want to spend a single cent on her damned daughter right now.

"You're also aware that with a physique like this, I have a big appetite," Maggie explained calmly. "I'll have to buy some food to eat before I head over to their place. Otherwise, don't blame me if I end up returning halfway through the journey because I didn't have enough to eat."

She wasn't a fool. Since Yvonne was unwilling to marry Johnny and thus move to live with him in that village, the living conditions there probably weren't great.

Furthermore, Johnny had purchased many gifts for the Youngs over time, so she definitely couldn't let them get off lightly when it came to finances.

"You don't understand the costs of living since you've never had to manage a household, do you, brat? Even if our entire family pools our money together, we won't have a thousand dollars!"

Despite saying this, Jennifer naturally had some savings on hand. However, no matter how much she had, she wasn't willing to spare anymore than she had to on Maggie.

"It's fine if we don't have the money," said Maggie. "Once I've recovered, I'll ask Director Ford—you know, Director Harvey Ford, who lives in the same compound as us—to lend me a thousand dollars."

"Are you trying to court death, you damned brat?" Jennifer asked harshly. "If you dare look for Director Ford, I'll beat you to death!"

"If you won't give me any money, I'm going to end up starving to death, but I might at least be able to survive if I go to Director Ford," Maggie said reasonably.

She wasn't going to leave as easily as that without wringing some money out of Jennifer.

Jennifer gritted her teeth. Back when Yvonne and Johnny had gotten engaged, it had been Harvey who introduced them to each other through his connections. If Maggie went and asked him for money, she would be utterly embarrassed!

While looking at Maggie, she ground her teeth together and snapped, "Three hundred dollars is all I'm giving you! Take it or leave it!"

Even having to fork out three hundred dollars pained her. However, if she could get rid of the giant burden that she saw Maggie as and also allow Yvonne to escape that bitter fate, then it would still be a good deal no matter how she looked at it.

"Alright, three hundred dollars it is," Maggie said agreeably.

In truth, she hadn't expected to get a thousand dollars out of Jennifer in the first place. Considering Jennifer's character, it was an impossible feat.

With that settled, Maggie lay in bed for another day. The next day, she went shopping with the money she received, and before leaving, she even asked Jennifer for some vouchers.

They lived in a county, so it was naturally more convenient to purchase items.

She purchased some food and necessities, forcefully stuffing two large boxes and an extra bag to the brim with items.

Jennifer glared openly at her actions the entire time, but seeing as Maggie was never coming back after this, she endured it.

After breakfast on the third day, Jennifer and her husband, Jeremy Young, sent her to the bus station alongside her luggage.

The bus from the county went directly to the capital city and not to Johnny's village, but Jennifer seemed particularly attentive today and told Maggie that she could wait until the bus arrived at Luvelight Commune to disembark. She would then need to follow the mountain path for about five minutes, and she would arrive at Pine Village.

Maggie had never been to Pine Village, but she did have a working mouth, so all she needed to do was ask for directions when the time came.

Jennifer watched as the long-distance bus drove off. When it disappeared into the distance, she finally sighed in relief.

Yvonne, who had been hiding in the shadows, revealed herself and asked, "That fatty won't return, will she, Mom?"

Jennifer snorted coldly, her eyes vicious. "I'll kill her if she dares come back!"

Yvonne smiled and held her arm. "The three of us can finally live a happy life now, us and Dad. That fat pig will probably never find out that I'm your actual biological daughter."

Jennifer looked smug. "What can that stupid, pig-like brain of hers even comprehend?"

Other than their family of three, nobody knew that Maggie was not actually Jennifer's biological daughter at all.

…

There was actually only around 30 miles or so between the county and Luvelight Commune. However, there were many people flagging down the bus along the way, and it also had to take a detour through several other villages, so the actual journey took almost an hour.

Before getting off the bus, she asked the conductor for directions, only to realize that the rest of the trip wasn't as Jennifer had described at all.

Walking north from Luvelight Commune, she still had to pass through two villages and walk 12 miles before finally reaching Pine Village, where Johnny's family was located. Furthermore, the entire stretch up to the village was a hilly mountain road.

Maggie dragged her 220-pound body forward while carrying two heavy boxes and a bag on her back. Not even two minutes in, she was already heaving from exertion.

At this rate, she would probably die of exhaustion before she even arrived at Pine Village.

She waited on the side of the road for a while and finally spotted a horse-drawn carriage along the road. When the old man driving the carriage heard she was heading to Pine Village, he readily agreed to give her a ride.

Two middle-aged women, both from Pine Village, were also sitting in the carriage. Seeing as she was still carrying so much luggage despite her own substantial weight, they asked her why she was going to Pine Village.

When they heard that she was going to marry Johnny Carter, the two of them couldn't help but start chatting.

It turned out that not only was Johnny now disabled, but back when he still had two working legs, he had adopted three orphans who had been children of his former military comrades.

Because these three children were not Carters by blood, they faced great discrimination from the Carter family.

A disabled person looking after three young children—they were probably leading a miserable life.

As the two women brought up these facts, their eyes were trained on the fat woman in front of them. It would be a lie to say that they didn't have complicated expressions on their faces.

Johnny and his three children were already on the verge of starving to death. With this fat woman added to the mix, it wasn't hard to guess how difficult their lives would be in the future.

Maggie didn't pay their gazes any mind because, to her, she was already fortunate enough to be able to escape Jennifer's clutches.

As she was thinking this, they arrived at Pine Village.

Chapter 2

Pine Village was a village located at the foot of a mountain. Its name was derived from the large swathes of pine forests on the mountain.

Because the village was built along the foot of the mountain, there were hardly any flat roads in the village. Instead, it mainly consisted of twisting, winding alleys of varying heights.

The old man driving the carriage was Kenny Tanner, a warm-hearted man. On account of the fact that it was Maggie's first time in the village and she was carrying a lot of luggage, he sent her directly to the entrance of Johnny's house.

She called it a house, but it was really more of a shabby, dilapidated shack in the middle of nowhere than anything. There wasn't even a fence surrounding the courtyard, let alone walls.

The courtyard was also overgrown with weeds, and the only path was one that had been trodden out by foot in the middle of it. It was as desolate as a house could get.

On the way here, Maggie had heard from the two women riding the same carriage that there were three Carter brothers. Other than Johnny, there was also the eldest brother, Benjamin Carter, and the second brother, Jack Carter.

Originally, Johnny and his three adopted children had been living with his parents and brothers. However, after Johnny's legs had gotten injured, he had needed someone to look after his every need.

For the first few days, Benjamin had been the one to take care of Johnny, but later on, he'd had to return to work in the fields. When he returned to his job, he had left Johnny in the care of the others.

However, Jack completely ignored Johnny. Johnny's three children were still too young, so for a time the entire west wing of the house became extremely stinky.

In the end, the entire family came together to discuss what to do with the situation. They ended up visiting the village branch to procure an abandoned house in the branch's courtyard, then moved Johnny and his three children there.

It was said that the Carters would take turns taking care of Johnny in the future, but ever since Johnny and his children moved into the house, the adult Carters basically stopped showing up.

Benjamin initially went to take care of Johnny, but he later injured his leg and stopped making the trip.

After that, Johnny and his children's meals were delivered by the younger Carters three times a day. Sometimes, the other Carter children would eat the meals they were supposed to deliver along the way, so Johnny and his children frequently went hungry.

Before Johnny had been injured, he'd been permanently stationed at the base camp, so his three children hadn't been very well-received by the Carters. After his return, they were clearly far thinner than before and were practically just skin and bones.

Occasionally, his children would be so hungry that they couldn't stand it anymore. They would sneak out to steal food to eat, which caused the villagers to treat them with even more disdain.

As she stood in the courtyard, Maggie finally understood one thing with clarity—why exactly Yvonne had absolutely refused to marry Johnny Carter.

Truthfully speaking, Maggie herself was feeling rather anxious at the moment.

She had never gotten married in her previous life, nor had she raised any children.

And now, she was expected to raise not just one, but three children. Additionally, when she'd heard that Johnny had taken in three children, she recalled that one of the main antagonists in the original novel had been none other than Johnny's eldest son.

In the original novel, Johnny died of a wound infection within half a year's time due to there being nobody to take care of him. Of his three children, only his eldest son, Nelson, had survived.

His second son, Mason, had been beaten to death after being caught stealing, while his youngest daughter, Allison, had been deceived by human traffickers and sold to a sleazy man in another village, where she had been tortured to death.

Nelson's childhood experiences had turned him into a cruel, ruthless, and merciless person. Over the years, his hands were stained with the blood of many people.

In the end, he hadn't been able to escape the judgment of the law and had died from a stray bullet during a siege.

However, Maggie quickly dismissed these negative thoughts. Johnny's three children were still young right now, and Johnny himself was still alive, so it still wasn't too late for them.

It was not yet noon at this point. The courtyard was quiet, and the door of the house stood open.

With much effort, Maggie managed to get her heavy luggage to the door. When she leaned forward to look inside, she saw a man with a beard and messy hair lying on a pallet with his eyes closed.

There was no need to guess—the man had to be Johnny Carter.

She turned to bring her luggage over. The house was abnormally smelly, the stink almost causing her to retch.

Perhaps he had heard the noise she was making, because his eyes were already open when she looked over at the man a second time.

Even with an unfamiliar woman in front of him, there wasn't much of an expression on his face.

Enduring the unpleasant smell in the room, Maggie walked up to him and introduced herself.

"I'm Yvonne Young's stepsister," she said. "She was unwilling to marry into the Carters, so my mother had me marry you in her stead. My name is Maggie Dawson, and I'll be your wife from now on."

Johnny looked at her silently for a few seconds, then closed his eyes.

"You'd best leave," he said simply.

He didn't want to implicate this woman.

Maggie observed his face and discovered that he had strong, well-defined features. Even though he was currently lying down, she could still tell that he was at least 5 feet and 9 inches. She wagered that he must have been a handsome and charming man before he was injured.

However, no one had taken care of him during this time, so he was extremely dirty and unkempt. His beard and hair had also grown far too long, as nobody had bothered to maintain them.

Suddenly, she heard a growling sound coming from Johnny's stomach.

"Won't you starve to death if I leave?" she asked, not having taken his previous words to heart.

She surveyed the house, an adjective coming to mind at the state of it—impoverished.

In addition to the pallet Johnny was lying on, the only other pieces of furniture in the house that measured around 120 square feet were a broken table and box.

"Weren't you a squad commander before? How are you this poor?" asked Maggie.

As she spoke, she opened the windows so that the smell in the room could escape.

Johnny didn't reply to her question. "You'd best leave. I'm nothing but a useless person now. Don't worry, I won't ask you to return those goodwill gifts."

He understood his current situation perfectly well. His three children were already suffering, so if this woman were to be added to the mix, he could just imagine how terribly they'd suffer in the future.

During this time, he had witnessed the hypocrisy of the world and the ugliness of human nature.

If even his parents and older brothers were unwilling to help his family, how could he place his hopes in a woman he'd never seen before?

"Now that I'm here, I'm your wife," stated Maggie. "If you drive me away, I'll be homeless. Don't worry, with me around, you won't go hungry in the future."

Upon hearing her words, Johnny closed his eyes again.

Considering the current state of his home, he believed it wouldn't take half a day for Maggie to decide she wanted to leave. He could already tell from how she'd been frowning and covering her mouth since she'd come through the door.

She definitely wouldn't stay for long.

At any rate, Maggie felt that she had said what needed to be said. Seeing as Johnny seemed unwilling to pay her any attention, she left the house to give herself a tour of the courtyard.

She found half a broom, an old washtub, and a stove made of brick and clay.

From the looks of it, the stove had never been used, as there wasn't even an iron pot to go with it.

To her surprise and delight, there was a water pump in the courtyard. Although it looked rusty, after some testing, she actually managed to pump out some cool well water.

This came as a great surprise to her, but it had definitely been strenuous on her 220-pound body. Not only was she sweating profusely from some light work, but she was also panting heavily.

Once everything had settled down, she was going to lose weight no matter what.

After some rest, she filled the washtub with water and carried it into the house. She then opened her bag, taking a piece of soap and a towel out of it.

Fortunately, she had made sufficient preparations before coming here. She had prepared ten whole bars of soap and also several towels, which were quickly put to use.

As she watched Johnny, who was still lying on the pallet with his eyes closed, she soaked the towel in the water before walking over to him.

First, she wiped down his face with the towel. It didn't sit well with her for such a handsome face to be covered with grime.

As the cool towel was taken away, Johnny opened his eyes.

Chapter 3

When Johnny heard movement around the house just now, he'd assumed that Maggie would definitely be leaving soon. He hadn't expected her to have gone to fetch water to wipe his face with.

However, he said nothing and simply watched her in silence.

He didn't find it unexpected for her to be acting on a whim. What mattered was how long she would be able to keep it up.

After Maggie was done cleaning his face, her gaze landed on his beard. She was going to ignore that problem for now.

She looked at the pallet instead. There was a straw mat under the pallet and another one on top of it, with a military-issue blanket to top it all off. The blanket was extremely smelly.

She figured it was because Johnny's excrement had been getting on the bed this whole time, and there hadn't been anyone to clean up the mess, so it was no wonder the entire place stank.

It was hard to imagine how a single man and his three children had gotten by thus far.

How was this place even livable?

If she wanted to get rid of the stench in the house, she would have to tackle the problem at its root.

While thinking this, she reached out toward the bedsheet covering Johnny, but he caught her hand in midair.

"Don't touch it!" he barked.

Because he couldn't move, he had no choice but to relieve himself in bed. Moreover, because he was heavy, his sons couldn't move him. He couldn't do much more than wait for Benjamin or Jack to help him every day, and as time went by, Jack simply decided to throw away his pants.

Now, there was only a thin sheet preserving his last shred of dignity.

Maggie was stunned for a moment. "Ahem… You're not naked under that, are you?"

Her face reddened as she asked the question.

In her previous life, she had been so busy with work that she hadn't ever had a boyfriend. Therefore, she had never seen a man's genitalia.

Upon seeing Johnny's lack of response and tense expression, she knew that she had guessed correctly.

She thought for a moment, then bluntly told him, "The house stinks. Since I'm now your wife, I have to clean up the house a little. To do that, I'll have to clean you up first before starting on other parts of the house.

"How about this? This towel will be used specifically to clean you up from now on. I'll help you sit up so that you can wipe yourself down wherever you're able to reach, and you can call for me once you're done with that so I can help you change out the water.

"How does that sound to you?"

Johnny eyed her doubtfully. When he finally spoke up, it wasn't in answer to her question.

"How long do you think you can keep this up?" he asked calmly.

Maggie stared exasperatedly at him. "Why should you care how many days I can keep this up? Even if you can stand living in such a dirty, smelly place, are your children able to? If you can keep the place clean for even one day, then there's no reason you shouldn't.

"What's the point of overthinking it?"

Without waiting for his response, she placed the towel in the washtub, washed it, and wrung it half-dry before handing it to him.

Next, she carried the washtub over to the pallet and placed it somewhere he could reach.

"I'm going to lift you up now," she told him. "I'm telling you beforehand that I don't have a very good temper. If you don't wash yourself up, I'll do it myself instead. And if you refuse my help as well, I'm just going to dump this entire washtub full of water on you."

Johnny looked at her with mild astonishment. This woman's temper was as tough as her body.

In truth, he was just worried that she would suddenly leave after giving their family of four hope. While he would be fine, he was afraid of his children being dealt yet another mental blow.

"Alright, help me up," he said at last.

Seeing that she had finally convinced him, Maggie stepped forward to help him sit up.

"Call for me once you're done," she instructed. "Wipe yourself clean with water first. I'll bring you some soap in a moment."

After relaying her instructions, she left the house.

This time, Johnny actually listened to her and obediently wiped himself down with the towel.

The first time Maggie re-entered the house to change out the water, he was too embarrassed to look her in the eye.

"Sorry for the trouble," he said instead.

He was well aware of how dirty he had become these days. Although Maggie wasn't the prettiest-looking woman around, he was already feeling gratified that she didn't turn her nose up at him.

Maggie didn't reply to his words. After pouring out the dirty water, she washed the towel with soap and then carried in a new tubful of water.

After repeating this process several times, Johnny finally managed to wipe his upper body and private areas clean.

When Maggie went to pour out the water for the last time, she accidentally happened upon a problem.

Perhaps because they had been soaking in the water for too long, her hands had undergone an incredible change.

While her hands were still as chubby as before, her previous tan was nowhere to be seen, replaced instead by fair skin.

She had also sweated far too much today and felt completely uncomfortable.

After refilling the washtub with water, she tried washing her own arm instead of returning to the house right away.

She was stunned when she saw the layers of grime being rubbed off.

Since she had transmigrated, she had always assumed that the original Maggie's skin was naturally rough and tanned.

That was because, in her memories, Jennifer constantly claimed that Maggie had bad skin due to a skin disease, and because of that, she wasn't allowed to wash her hands and face or take a shower.

Now, it would seem that Jennifer had definitely said all that on purpose.

This discovery pleased Maggie to no end. She might become a beauty if she could just lose some weight.

She washed her face and arms clean before entering the house again. Even Johnny was surprised to see the change in her appearance.

He stared at her for quite a while, thinking to himself that she actually looked better without the tan.

Because he couldn't move due to his leg injuries, Maggie got ready to help him clean his feet. However, he refused her help.

"Don't look. You'll be frightened," he said.

Maggie smiled wryly at that. "If I didn't mind how much you stank, do you really think your leg injuries will scare me?"

She had been a bodyguard in her previous life, so she had seen all kinds of injuries. While his injuries might have been quite scary to the average woman, she was completely immune to such things.

Johnny gazed at her and, before she could say anything, elaborated, "My legs are both covered in gunshot wounds. One of my legs still has a bullet in it, and an infection is already festering. It's best if you don't look at them."

He was trying to use these vivid descriptions to get her to turn away because Benjamin's wife, Ellen Harting, and Jack's wife, Marie Hutchins, had vomited non-stop at the sight of his injuries and never returned from then on.

Maggie nodded at his words. "You reminded me that I've even helped someone secretly remove a bullet before, and I even stitched his wound back together. Amazing, aren't I?"

Nobody was going to verify who exactly she had helped extract a bullet from anyway. She had mentioned this simply so that he would stop worrying.

As expected, his expression wavered, and he stared at her with surprise.

She was so different from the norm.

In the end, he didn't stop her from taking a look at his injuries.

The moment she lifted the bedsheets, she frowned down at his legs.

"Why did nobody send you to the hospital with injuries as serious as these?" she questioned angrily.

His wounds were hideous, and as he had mentioned, they were already beginning to fester in some places.

It was no wonder he had died in the original novel. Who would even be able to survive such serious injuries without receiving even basic treatment?

Chapter 4

Johnny didn't reply to Maggie's question because there were too many reasons involved.

Of course, the biggest reason was money.

For the past three years, in order to ensure that his three children could eat better, he'd only left himself 10 or so dollars of allowance and sent the rest back to his family.

He had sent home at least 30 dollars every month, and when he'd been promoted to squad commander, he would send as much as 100 dollars.

He had thought that his children would be living relatively well off that money, but after returning home due to his injuries, he realized that the money had never been used on his children.

When they heard that he needed to be sent to the hospital for his injuries, none of the Carters were willing to pay for the expenses.

Maggie didn't question him further. Instead, she moved his legs a little.

"Do you have feelings in both your legs right now?" she asked.

"Yes," he replied.

She immediately looked gleeful. "That's great. Don't worry, Johnny. I'm going to make sure you won't end up disabled!"

As long as Johnny recovered from his leg injuries, he would not end up dead.

Johnny glanced meaningfully at her. She didn't seem to know just how much money it would cost to treat his legs.

"Dad—"

Just as Maggie was celebrating inwardly, she heard the pattering sound of footsteps coming from the courtyard. Soon, a dirty-looking girl with a sallow face who looked to be about six or seven years old ran into the house.

She was wearing ill-fitting clothes that Maggie could tell at a glance were old clothes that other families had probably thrown out. They were riddled with holes.

Her hair was also yellowing and clumped together due to not having been washed for a long time.

Her shoes were probably too small for her, as both shoes had holes in the front and back, exposing her toes and ankles, respectively.

When she saw Maggie, she turned pale with shock, took two steps backward, and then stood motionless against the wall.

Before Maggie could initiate a conversation with her, more footsteps sounded from the courtyard. She heard a voice before she even saw its owner.

"A fatty came to our house, right, Dad?"

Maggie found herself speechless. Where were the kid's manners?

Accompanied by the thumping of footsteps, a dirty-looking boy ran into the house.

His clothes were not much different from the girl's, except that both his trouser legs were rolled up to his thighs. What had Maggie feeling speechless was that the boy wasn't even wearing shoes.

He held a broken bottle he had picked up from somewhere. It was caked with soil, making it impossible to tell what it contained.

"Look, Dad!" the boy said excitedly. "Nelson caught a lot of cicadas. He said that we'll be roasting them to eat later."

He glanced at Maggie, then walked over to the pallet while waving the bottle over his head, showing it off to Johnny.

Johnny frowned at his son. "What did you say just now, Mason?"

Mason scratched his head, blinking up at Maggie's 220-pound body. "But she's a fatty, Dad."

He was just speaking the truth.

Johnny apologized to Maggie, looking embarrassed. "I've been neglectful in disciplining them. Please don't be angry."

Maggie smiled. "It's alright. Are they all your children?"

"Yes. I believe you've heard about it," he replied. "I have three children, the eldest of whom is Nelson Carter, while these two are twins. He's the second oldest, Mason Carter, and she's the youngest, Allison Carter."

Once he was done with the introductions, Johnny looked at Nelson and Allison. "Nelson, Allison, this is your new mother. Please respect her from now on, alright?"

Upon hearing this, Nelson's expression immediately turned sullen, and he looked at Maggie with a face full of hostility. "I don't want her to be our new mom, Dad."

Before Johnny could speak, Maggie asked with a smile, "Why?"

Nelson looked down at the cicadas in his bottle. "You're too fat. What if you snatch our cicadas from us?"

Between their dad and their siblings, they already did not have enough to eat, and this fat aunt definitely had a huge appetite.

These cicadas might not even be enough for her alone.

"Mason Carter!" barked Johnny, frowning. "What do I usually teach you?"

He felt rather apologetic for his children's behavior toward Maggie.

Mason pouted and hugged the bottle containing the cicadas tightly to his chest.

Allison, who had been standing timidly by the doorway the entire time, inched along the wall toward the pallet.

Looking down at Johnny, she said quietly, "Dad, Darren and Garen Carter ate all our biscuits. I… went to look for Aunt Ellen. She gave me one… but Darren snatched it away again…"

Her words triggered mixed emotions in Maggie. The only thing their family had to eat for lunch were the cicadas in Mason's arms.

If a formidable squad commander like Johnny hadn't been disabled, would he ever have been bullied to this extent?

Instead of saying anything, she walked over to her luggage and took four pieces of milk candy from her bag. She then approached the two children.

"I bought these especially for you kids," she told them. "You can have two each."

Mason's eyes widened when he saw the milk candy in Maggie's hands. He licked his lips, eyes sparkling. Although he managed to resist the temptation for a while, he couldn't resist reaching out to grab them in the end.

He'd only ever seen the other village children eating milk candy before.

He picked up the discarded candy wrapper and gave it a few thorough licks, still unable to bear throwing it away.

"I'll go get Nelson, Dad!"

As soon as the words left his mouth, he rushed excitedly out of the door with the candy in hand.

Allison hid her tiny hands behind her back, but she glanced at Johnny with eyes full of longing.

Before he could say anything, Maggie stuffed the milk candy into Allison's hand.

Allison pursed her lips, looking at a loss.

"Thank your new mother, Allison," said Johnny, reminding his daughter to mind her manners.

Lips still pursed, Allison looked at Maggie with round eyes, clutching the candy in her hand tightly. However, she remained silent.

"Allison is a really nice name," Maggie said casually. "I'm Maggie Dawson, but you can just call me Aunt Maggie. Are you hungry, Allison?"

Allison nodded. She was hungry, so very hungry.

She had only eaten half a piece of cornbread last night and had nothing to eat for breakfast or lunch today.

"Let's go wash our hands first, then," said Maggie. "Once we've washed our hands, I'll get you something to eat, alright?"

The moment she heard that there was food, Allison nodded obediently.

Maggie led her outside to wash her face and hands, even giving her some soap to wash up with.

It was the first time Allison had used this kind of soap. After washing her hands, she lifted them to her nose to give them a sniff.

They smelled really nice.

Maggie observed Allison's face, which had instantly turned several shades fairer with all the dirt and grime washed off. She was a really pretty little lady.

Just as they finished washing up, she heard the patter of footsteps approaching from afar. When she looked over in the direction of the sound, she saw Mason, who had left just now, running back over with a boy half a head taller than him in tow.

The boy was wearing similar clothes to Mason, but he was wearing shoes while Mason wasn't. It seemed that this was Johnny's eldest son, Nelson.

That also meant that he was the main antagonist mentioned in the original novel.

At this point in time, Nelson looked to be about 10 years old. His hair was long and frizzy, while his clothes hung loosely on his frame. He evidently looked malnourished, but his personality was much calmer and more mature than Mason's in comparison.

When he saw Maggie, he stared critically at her.

"You're Nelson, right?" she asked.

She stood up with some difficulty. There was no helping it, as this body of hers was indeed overweight at the moment.

Chapter 5

There was no hint of fear in Nelson's eyes. On the contrary, he was looking at her with a scrutinizing gaze.

Maggie didn't mind their attitude toward her at all. She understood full well that it would take time for her to gain the trust of Johnny's three children.

"Wash your hands and faces, you two," she told Nelson and Mason. "I bought chocolate cake, but you won't get any if you don't clean up properly."

She then led Allison back into the house.

At the mention of chocolate cake, Mason let out an exclamation of awe and hurried to wash up.

Nelson looked toward the house, as if he still could not believe what was happening.

"Hurry and wash up, Nelson, or you won't get any chocolate cake," urged Mason.

Almost half the water in the washtub had splashed out of it due to how vigorously Mason had washed his hands and face.

At his brother's urging, Nelson hurried over to wash up as well.

After leading Allison into the house, Maggie opened her bag and took out a pound of chocolate cake. She unwrapped the cake, took a slice of it, and handed it to Allison.

Allison accepted the cake from her. She swallowed hungrily, but instead of eating it right away, she turned to look at Johnny.

"You can eat your slice, Allison. Your father will also get his own," said Maggie reassuringly.

She promptly handed a slice of cake to Johnny as well.

"Thank you, Maggie," Johnny said hoarsely, looking at the cake in his hand and then at Maggie.

"What are you thanking me for? We're family from now on," she quipped.

"You should leave this for the children," he said.

He couldn't bear to eat such a luxurious thing.

"You're injured, which is all the more reason for you to eat well and replenish your nutrients," admonished Maggie. "Furthermore, I bought several pounds worth of cake."

She didn't know where Jennifer had gotten her hands on so many vouchers, but before Maggie left the county, she had used all the vouchers she could.

Jennifer had almost fainted from anger back then.

Johnny finally retracted his hand after hearing what she said.

Soon, Mason and Nelson entered the house as well. When he saw the chocolate cake in Maggie's hold, Mason's eyes lit up, and he gulped.

On the other hand, Nelson said nothing. His expression remained tense, but he would glance at the cake in Maggie's hands from time to time.

Although he was the eldest among Johnny's three children, at the end of the day, he was still a child.

Maggie smiled at the two of them and gave them one slice each.

Mason immediately took a bite. The chocolate cake was soft, fluffy, sweet, and fragrant. It was so delicious that he felt tears coming to his eyes.

Maggie then handed Nelson two pieces of milk candy. He was rather aloof, his expression remaining tense despite receiving candy that he had never eaten before.

However, his eyes lit up as well after taking a bite of the chocolate cake. It was just too good.

The three children had never eaten something so delicious.

After all, even being able to fill their stomachs was a luxury to them.

Upon seeing the children eating happily, Maggie had a slice for herself as well.

As they ate, she took the opportunity to ask about their situation at home.

After eating her chocolate cake, Mason suddenly started treating her with much more enthusiasm. He even ran up to the box in the house and opened the lid for her to see its contents.

When Maggie walked over to look, she discovered that practically all of the family's belongings were in that dilapidated wooden box.

In addition to one of Johnny's tattered military-issue blankets, the box contained a few cotton clothes that looked like hand-me-downs. There were also only a few sets of Johnny's military uniforms.

Maggie gazed at the pitiful contents of the box, unable to find anything to say. They owned even less than what she had brought here with her.

She wanted to ask Johnny why they owned so little, but after thinking it over, she decided against it. For an adult man like him to have reached this point, he probably did not have the means to do anything about his situation.

However, that was in the past. She was here now.

Maggie decided then and there to throw out the military-issue blanket under him because it was honestly much too dirty and smelly at this point. She felt queasy just sitting in the room with it.

This time, Johnny said nothing. He was already very grateful that she would share her food with the children, who were extremely diligent with helping out after eating the chocolate cake.

They worked together to help Maggie throughout the entire process of removing the old blanket from under Johnny and replacing it with the one from the box. Although they were children, their help was still significant.

Maggie and the two boys first threw out the blanket, after which she asked them to pour out some water on the floor and sweep it clean.

Through their efforts, the air in the once smelly house instantly became much fresher.

After working for a while, Maggie was out of breath due to exhaustion, so she sat down to chat with Johnny instead.

There were some details she needed to work out about the entire situation.

"How long were you a squad commander?" she asked.

"More than three years," he replied.

"How much do you get in terms of monthly allowance?"

"Over a hundred dollars."

"Over a hundred dollars?" she repeated incredulously. "Where's your money then? Did you never send money home while you were in the army?"

Johnny's expression became indescribably complicated. "When these three children came into my care, I would leave 10 or so dollars for myself and send the rest home."

Maggie nodded. "Who collected all that money?"

"My second brother, Jack, was the one who collected it every time."

"Did the Carters ever pay for your treatment after your legs were injured?"

Upon being asked this, Johnny fell silent. He didn't reply, but his silence answered her question well enough.

The Carters had not forked out a single cent! How cruel of them.

"Mr. Jack is a bad person! Grandma is also a bad person!" Mason yelled in displeasure, puffing out his cheeks.

He received a cold look from Johnny for his outburst.

"Don't speak nonsense, Mason!" Johnny reprimanded.

Mason lowered his head, not saying anything more, but it was obvious that he was disgruntled. He could clearly tell how his grandmother, Janice Underhill, usually treated their family of four.

Nelson had told him many times behind the adults' backs that they had to become amazing people once they grew up to show the people who looked down on them how wrong they were!

"How long has it been since all of you moved here then?" Maggie continued to ask.

"More than two months," replied Johnny.

More than two months? Maggie admired his will to live. It was honestly a miracle that he had been able to survive up to this point with such serious injuries.

However, she suddenly recalled a plot point in the original novel.

Not long after the original Maggie had fallen severely ill and died in Pine Village, Johnny seemed to have fallen into a coma and later died of infection.

In other words, his leg injuries had to be treated immediately!

Maggie nodded to herself. She had pretty much gotten a grasp on the situation.

She then turned to Nelson and Mason and asked, "Mason, Nelson, can you take me to the village branch?"

Mason immediately volunteered. "I know where it is!"

"What are you planning to do, Maggie?" asked Johnny, feeling worried.

Maggie smiled at him. "A big family such as ours can't wait for people to deliver us food daily, can we? But we don't even have a cooking pot at home, so I'm going to think of something."

Her words made sense, so all Johnny could do was give her some advice instead. "Mr. Tanner is a decent man. He usually takes good care of us, so please don't give him any trouble."

"Don't worry, I know how to handle myself," she assured him.

As she left, she looked over at Allison. "Take good care of your father, Allison. I'll return soon and prepare some delicious food for you."

Although Allison was shy and didn't dare to speak up, Maggie had given her delicious food to eat, so she felt that Maggie was a good person. Therefore, she nodded obediently at Maggie.

With that settled, Maggie quickly ushered Nelson and Mason out the door.

Chapter 6

Johnny sat on his pallet, watching Maggie's back through the window with a complicated expression on his face.

Was she really willing to stay for the sake of their impoverished family?

Maggie walked off with Nelson and Mason, only stopping after she was certain that Johnny could no longer see the three of them.

"Nelson, Mason, the money that your father earned before has been confiscated by your grandparents," she informed them. "Even now that you've all moved out of the family home, they're unwilling to provide us with any food, and we're so poor that we don't even own a cooking pot.

"Would you like to eat at home just like other families do?"

"I would!" Mason replied loudly.

Although Nelson didn't reply verbally, he looked at Maggie and nodded.

He wanted that very much, so much that he would even dream about it!

"In that case, you two have to listen to me when we go to your grandparents' house later," she instructed. "If you do, I promise to cook for you at home from now on. We'll all have full bellies and never have to wait for others to send us food ever again. Can the two of you do that?"

This time, both of them nodded their heads vigorously.

How could they not be willing when such a good outcome awaited them?

"Alright, then let me tell you…"

Maggie lowered her voice, quietly telling them what to do. They both blinked at her words, but they both nodded in the end.

Pine Village wasn't a large village, and it was approaching noon. As Maggie followed Nelson and Mason toward the village branch, they encountered some villagers.

Because of her large physique, she was particularly eye-catching in an era when everyone struggled to fill their stomachs and stay warm.

Some meddlesome villagers had heard the news of her arrival and hurried over to take a look. When they saw her, they all stared curiously at her. Some had strange looks in their eyes, while others covered their mouths and snickered.

Basically, there were all kinds of reactions, none of which she took to heart. In her previous life, she used to be a bodyguard who had aced all sorts of training sessions, and mental training was no exception. Therefore, what she was going through right now was nothing to her.

Because he had eaten milk candy and chocolate cake that day, Mason held his head high and puffed out his chest as they walked through the village. He treated the milk candy wrapper like a flag that he kept waving around proudly.

Maggie wanted to laugh at his antics.

The village secretary was Tristan Tanner, a very prestigious person within Pine Village.

When Maggie led Nelson and Mason into the village branch, she unexpectedly encountered Kenny, who had picked her up in his horse-drawn carriage just today.

After exchanging pleasantries with him, she realized Kenny was Tristan's older brother. In fact, he had gone to Luvelight Commune's market today to obtain some things for Tristan.

With Kenny here, it instantly became much easier for Maggie to get things done.

"I don't really have any requests other than this, Mr. Tanner. Currently, we can't even afford a pot to cook with at home, much less the treatment for Johnny's legs," explained Maggie. "Therefore, I'd like you to make a trip to the Carter household with me as a witness.

"I'd like to completely sever our connections to the Carter family."

Family separation was a very common occurrence in rural areas. It was by no means fully legal, but something that the villagers acknowledged in spirit. Generally, a witness was all that was needed for a family separation to be considered official in the villagers' eyes.

Practically everyone in the village knew about the situation with the Carters, so when Tristan heard Maggie was here to request family separation, he nodded without a word.

"Say no more, Mrs. Carter," he said. "I'll make the trip with you."

"Before I came here, Johnny told me that you've taken good care of him and the children and asked me not to trouble you," Maggie told him gratefully. "Once we've separated from the main Carter family, I'll have to thank you properly."

Tristan waved a dismissive hand. "Johnny has contributed a lot to the army, so seeing him treated like this after returning to the village doesn't sit well with us either. Let me be frank with you, Mrs. Carter. The fact that you're willing to agree to marry Johnny at this time? This is all I'd like to convey."

Tristan flashed her a thumbs-up.

After all, who among the villagers was unaware of Johnny's current situation?

But everyone had their own struggles and wasn't exactly living cushy lives. Nobody was in a position to help the family of four.

On the way to the Carter household with Maggie, Tristan even took the time to call on another two village officials.

Nelson and Mason hadn't been idle either. They would grab whatever children they saw along the way to their grandparents' house and inform them all about the family separation, deliberately inviting them over to watch the spectacle.

Pine Village was not a big place to begin with, and there was no farm work going on at this time. Therefore, when the villagers heard that the Carters were splitting up, the nosy ones hurried over to watch.

The news spread so quickly that before Maggie, Tristan, and the village officials even arrived at the Carter household, someone had already informed the Carters about it.

When they heard that Maggie had brought people along to request family separation, the Carters were furious, especially Janice.

The moment their group entered the courtyard, they saw Janice sitting on a round cushion in the middle of the courtyard. She hugged her knees and started wailing loudly while describing how difficult it had been for her to raise several children over the years.

She talked about how Maggie was here to take her life and how disrespectful Johnny was to her, crying so hard that her face was full of snot and tears.

Benjamin, Jack, and their respective wives and children were all standing ready in the courtyard. The head of the family, Gregory Carter, was squatting by the entryway, smoking furiously from a tobacco pipe.

Tristan hadn't expected Janice to pull such a move either. "This is your third daughter-in-law, Mrs. Carter Senior. It's only natural for her to request family separation. We're all here to be witnesses to it."

Upon hearing his words, Janice stood up and pointed at the large tree next to her, scolding angrily, "Damn you all! Who told you that she's my daughter-in-law?

"So, you're all here to help her with the family separation, are you? Fine! Go through with it, and I'll kill myself here and now!"

As soon as the words left her mouth, Janice started cursing again. Maggie couldn't even understand some of what she was saying, but she was certain that none of it was pleasant.

From the looks of it, she had encountered a tough opponent, but she was no pushover either.

It seemed that she would have to fight fire with fire.

On the way here, she asked Mason where the kitchen was located and where the furniture was placed. She looked around and saw a hoe lying in a corner.

Villagers from a farming village tended to use hoes frequently, so its surface was bright and shiny. She walked over to it without a word.

After picking up the hoe, she ran straight for the large water tank in the courtyard and smashed the hoe down on it with all her strength.

The onlookers who were there to watch the spectacle unconsciously flinched at the loud crashing sound.

The water tank was smashed into half, and the full tank of water instantly flowed out onto the ground.

After washing off the dirt and grime from her face, while Maggie was still plump, she was now fair instead of tanned. Because of her looks, whether it was the Carters or the villagers who saw her for the first time, they all felt that she was someone who only knew how to loaf around.

Such a person was generally weak, and considering that she had only just arrived in Pine Village, they assumed that she would be powerless to stop the Carters from pulling a stunt like this.

Nobody had expected such a bold move from her.

Even the Carters were stunned!

Maggie tossed the hoe aside and placed her hands on her hips. "You don't wish to live anymore, do you? That's alright! We can all die together! I'll also tell you that if you don't manage to kill me today, I'll report you to the police station once afternoon comes around.

"We'll let Johnny's old military comrades working there see exactly what kind of life Johnny is currently living! He worked as a soldier for many years, scrimping and saving to send his stipend back home.

"And yet, open your eyes and look at his children! His children are starving, and Mason doesn't even have shoes to wear. You people are indirectly killing them!"

As soon as she finished speaking, Mason immediately burst into tears, crying at the top of his lungs.

Chapter 7

Next to Mason, Nelson clenched his fists tightly and wiped his tears away as well.

They were young, and nobody had ever stood up for them before. That was because as soon as someone tried to stand up for them, Jack, his wife, and his children would curse them throughout the village for days on end.

As time went by, nobody dared to go head-to-head with the difficult Carters anymore.

In the three years since the adopted siblings arrived at the Carter household, Johnny had been constantly busy with combat missions and never returned. As a result, they had never eaten a single full meal in that time.

Because Janice had started to curse aloud, many of the villagers who had crowded the Carters' courtyard to watch the spectacle nodded along to Maggie's words.

"I pity those three children so much. When have they ever eaten a full meal since arriving in Pine Village?"

"That's right. We should never go too far, or we'll face divine punishment."

"The children never got any of the money that Johnny sent back, did they?"

"Someone should've taught them a lesson a long time ago."

"I think this third daughter-in-law of theirs is pretty decent to be able to speak up for Johnny and his children at a time like this."

"If his wife and children really do go to the police station, the Carters will actually have to go to jail."

The villagers were having a lively discussion about the situation. After all, everyone was well aware of Johnny's and his children's living situation.

Janice looked at her smashed water tank. She had originally intended to cry out mournfully, but when she heard Maggie's accusations and her intention to sue her at the police station, she suddenly felt a little scared.

While looking at Janice, who was still on the ground, Tristan decided to give her an earnest reminder.

"Mrs. Maggie is right, Mrs. Carter Senior. I went to a meeting a few days ago, and my superiors even mentioned that if anybody dared to abuse a soldier and his family, they would have to go to jail."

"We already live apart, so what else is there to separate from?" Jack questioned angrily. "Believe me, woman, if I hear one more word out of your mouth, I'm going to tear you to shreds today!"

He clenched his fists, glaring Maggie down with dilated pupils as he cursed at her.

He was notorious among the villagers for being a boorish fellow. He was tall and well-built, so nobody in the village usually dared to cross him.

He bellowed at the top of his lungs, which caused some of the surrounding people to feel scared while others started worrying for Maggie. After all, she was currently out of shape, so it was impossible for her to defeat such a man in terms of physical prowess.

"Alright! Do it then!" Maggie yelled at him.

She looked around the surrounding villagers. "You can all be my witnesses today. My uncle works for the police, so if he beats me to death today, remember to testify for Johnny and his children when my uncle comes.

"It doesn't matter if I die or not. If my death can ensure that this family separation goes through, it'll have been worth it."

In truth, she wasn't actually pulling all this out of nowhere, because the marriage between Johnny and Yvonne resulted from Harvey drawing upon his connections in the first place.

The Young family and Harvey all lived in the same large compound. In addition to the fact that the original Maggie was very fat, she had become somewhat of a famous figure within the courtyard.

Because Jennifer cherished her reputation greatly, she generally didn't allow Maggie to leave the house. But when Maggie did go out, everyone in the compound knew whose daughter she was.

"What a load of bullshit!" snapped Jack. "If your uncle really did work at the police station, then how could you possibly have married into a family living in a remote mountain village like ours?"

Jack was actually feeling a little afraid, but he was used to having his way in this village. Therefore, he found it impossible to suddenly relinquish his pride and lower his head to Maggie.

Maggie sneered at his words. "Do you think just any ordinary person can achieve a figure like mine? If my family wasn't well-off, do you think I'd have been able to become this fat?

"I moved into this village to marry Johnny because he's a soldier! I came to know Johnny because of my father's relationship with the army!"

As soon as the words left her mouth, the villagers immediately started murmuring among themselves.

After all, those who had traveled far were usually trusted to have better life experiences, so Maggie's words rightfully scared some people. Furthermore, when they considered it, her words stood up to scrutiny.

She was fat with smooth and tender skin, which was not the sort of physique that ordinary families could afford to cultivate.

Forget Pine Village—one might not even be able to find such a well-fed woman in the entirety of Luvelight Commune.

Therefore, her plumpness could only mean she came from a very good family background.

After seeing how Maggie was carrying herself in this situation, Jack's wife, Marie, tugged on the hem of her husband's clothes. It was unclear what she whispered to him.

While gazing at the Carters, Tristan said, "It's already lunchtime. If you agree to the family separation, we'll help be your witnesses; if you do not, then kindly wait as Mrs. Maggie goes to the police station to sue you.

"To be fair, with Johnny's situation as it is, once the case is finalized over at the police station… Although I can't speak for your wives, none of you Carter men will be able to escape judgment."

Lastly, Tristan addressed Gregory, who was still squatting by the entryway and smoking. "Please make a decision, Mr. Carter Senior. Will your family go through with this separation or not? If you disagree with it, we'll be heading back first."

Before Gregory could speak, Jack roared, "We won't!"

"We won't? Would you rather go to jail then?"

It was Gregory, who had been silent the entire time, who asked this. He rapped his tobacco pipe against a stone near the entryway, then stood up.

For a moment, Jack actually found himself at a loss. Although he was strong and tough, even he deflated at the mention of going to jail.

It was a common consensus that if a man went to jail, his wife and children would never be able to hold their heads high in society for the rest of their lives.

Of course, most importantly, prison hardly boasted decent living conditions. No matter how violent and reckless of a man Jack was, he was also afraid of going to jail.

Janice was still feeling defiant. She stood up from her cushion and looked at Gregory.

"Gregory…"

Gregory looked at Tristan, raising a single hand. "Let's go through with the separation then."

Maggie inwardly sighed in relief at his words.

She honestly wasn't afraid of filing a complaint at the police station, but it was a troublesome process. However, as long as the Carters agreed to the family separation, things would be easier to deal with going forward.

Family separation was a major affair among villages, but with the village secretary and village officials present, all Maggie needed to do was watch from the sidelines.

Moreover, the surrounding villagers would automatically start gossiping about the things one should pay attention to when going through family separation, so she learned a lot just by listening to them.

In the end, with the villagers as witnesses, the Carter family officially went through family separation.

They received a share of more than 80 pounds of grain, eight pounds of cotton, one cooking pot, a grain bin, and other miscellaneous items. They received enough to fill an entire cart.

When the time came to divide the money, Janice was unwilling to share any, so Maggie once again brought up the stipend that Johnny had been sending home all these years.

"All else aside, Johnny has sent home more than 3000 dollars in the three years since he became squad commander, and he'd already been a soldier for decades before that. Please help me calculate how much that adds up to, everyone.

"Now look at the children you've helped raise, Mrs. Carter Senior. Look at how skinny they are! I'm not asking for much, just 1000 dollars!"

The villagers looked at Nelson and Mason before instantly exploding into uproar.

A family with more than 3000 dollars on hand was no ordinary family in the rural areas.

After all, which family would ordinarily have that much money?

They hadn't known it before, but thanks to Maggie, they finally realized that the Carters were that loaded. With so much money, it was utterly unconscionable for them to have raised Johnny's children as terribly as this.