Xiaobao was unusually serious. "It's impossible that Mother knows how to write. No matter how we look at it, it's impossible. It's even less possible for her to know how to draw. Even if she's no longer a fool, she's so intelligent that it's completely unrealistic."

Dabao thought for a while, but failed to understand the point. "Isn't it nice that Mother has become intelligent?"

Xiaobao was anxious. "You two don't understand what I mean. It's not that it's bad, it's just…"

Erniu interrupted Xiaobao's words, pointing at Qi Qingyao, who was speaking with Jiang Yeqian outside, "Xiaobao, are you saying that Mother isn't our mother? Then who do you think is the person standing outside now?"

"..."

Who was she?

Xiaobao turned to look at the person through the crack in the carriage window. That was definitely his mother.

Yes.

If she was not Mother, then who was she?

Xiaobao liked to think, but his intelligence was insufficient when faced with such a complicated situation.

Dabao said stubbornly, "She's Mother."

"I didn't say that she isn't. She is our mother, but at the same time she also isn't. That's what I think," Xiaobao muttered, explaining himself.

Dabao knuckled Xiaobao's head. "Listen to what you've said…"

Erniu said, "Xiaobao, if you really have questions, you can just ask Mother. I think that she will definitely tell us what we want to know."

Xiaobao: "..." Could he just ask directly?

Dabao felt that Erniu's suggestion was reasonable. He looked at Xiaobao's furrowed brow again. He was a direct person, so he immediately opened the window of their carriage, inhaled a lungful of cold wind, and called for Qi Qingyao, "Mother~ Come inside! We have something to say to you."

Qi Qingyao looked back and replied with a smile, "Sure, kids. I'll come over to you guys in a bit."

Qi Qingyao got in the carriage quickly. The driver had gone elsewhere for a break and the horses were feasting on grass. Qi Qingyao opened a food container, took out the remaining pieces of almond cookies, and handed one each to her kids before taking one for herself. She asked as she ate, "Hm? What did you want to say to me? Just say it."

The children got their hands on the almond cookies, but didn't eat them. They looked hesitant to speak out.

Dabao looked at Erniu and Xiaobao, whose eyes were downcast, and figured out that they had no desire to speak. Recalling the conversation between them, he rolled his eyes and asked directly, "Mother, are you our mother?"

Qi Qingyao was confused by the question. Nibbling on the cookie, she almost failed to react. "What do you mean? If I'm not your mother, then who am I?"

"But Xiaobao… Xiaobao thinks that you're Mother, but also not Mother." Dabao's voice became softer as he spoke.

Xiaobao did not dare to look at Qi Qingyao.

Qi Qingyao looked at Dabao's lowered head, and then at the other two kids, before bursting into outrageous laughter. "Hahahahaha!"

Her laughter confused the children.

"???"

After Qi Qingyao had her fill of laughter, she tossed the almond cookie into her mouth and then ruffled Xiaobao's head.

She praised, "Clever kids."

This simple response lit a spark in Xiaobao's mind. He finally looked up and met Qi Qingyao's gaze. His precocious voice sounded careful as he asked, "You're not our mother, are you?"

"I…"

Faced with Xiabao's question, Qi Qingyao did not know where to start.

She thought about it for a while.

"How do I explain this?" After hesitating for a while, Qi Qingyao raised two fingers up. "I have some good news and some bad news. Which one do you want to listen to first?"

"..."

The children swallowed.

Xiaobao thought about it for a while before he said, determinedly, "Bad news first."