For breakfast, Mu Shuangshuang and Lu Yuanfeng each had only a bowl of plain porridge. Now, after finishing the work in the backyard vegetable garden, they were feeling a bit hungry.
Mu Shuangshuang decided to make lunch. She first went to her own vegetable garden to pick so green peppers, and then got so greens from the garden.
Returning to Lu Yuanfeng’s house, she took down the cured at he had placed on the crossbeam, planning to stir-fry dried bamboo shoots with cured at for lunch.
The boiled egg from the morning was untouched by Mu Shuangshuang. She planned to dice the egg and stir-fry it with green peppers to make green pepper fried eggs.
Using a fire striker, she lit the fire in the stove and began filling the large iron pot with water to wash it.
The bowls and chopsticks from the morning al were still unwashed, so Mu Shuangshuang cleaned them up as well.
A few simple dishes were not a difficult task for Mu Shuangshuang.
Washing and picking vegetables, it didn’t take long for the al to be ready.
While she cooked, Lu Yuanfeng was in the courtyard, pounding away, doing the carpentry work he was so skilled at.
The table at Mu Shuangshuang’s house needed to be replaced, and whenever Lu Yuanfeng had free ti, he would make tables and chairs in the courtyard, never sitting idle for even a mont.
After setting the table, Mu Shuangshuang didn’t even bother to untie her apron and went to call Lu Yuanfeng for the al.
In the courtyard, the young man was holding an ink marker, asuring the length of the table. Once he got the desired length, he used a wooden piece dipped in ink to make a mark where needed.
Mu Shuangshuang slowly walked up to Lu Yuanfeng: "Fengzi, the food’s ready, let’s eat before continuing!"
Upon hearing Mu Shuangshuang’s voice, Lu Yuanfeng’s lips curled into a slight smile, and he nodded at Mu Shuangshuang.
At this mont, Lu Yuanfeng felt a warmth in his heart. He always had a feeling that in the future, when he married Shuangshuang, life would be just like this.
He would work outside to support the family, while Shuangshuang waited for his return.
Being thought of by Shuangshuang was, in Lu Yuanfeng’s view, sothing particularly blissful.
Just thinking about it gave him the strength to work.
Setting down the ink line in his hand, Lu Yuanfeng followed Mu Shuangshuang into the kitchen.
The rich aroma of the food wafted to his nose, and Lu Yuanfeng’s stomach started to growl.
"Wash your hands, then we can have our al," Mu Shuangshuang reminded him.
Lu Yuanfeng washed his hands, turning to see that Mu Shuangshuang hadn’t removed her apron. Without thinking twice, he walked over to her, saying softly, "Shuangshuang, let help you untie the apron!"
Mu Shuangshuang nodded, and to make it easier for Lu Yuanfeng, she spread her hands, while Lu Yuanfeng’s hand brushed against her waist.
It was just a light touch, but both of them froze. The fragrance from Mu Shuangshuang’s body from the morning once again reached Lu Yuanfeng’s nose.
His face turned red, and his hands didn’t know what to do - should he continue or stop - so he just stood there awkwardly, staring at Mu Shuangshuang.
This silly look made Mu Shuangshuang want to laugh, but she remained expressionless and didn’t remind him, curious to see when this silly boy would regain his senses.
Unexpectedly, this turned into a standoff between the two, until Mu Shuangshuang worried the food would get cold and reminded him, "Silly boy, are you going to eat or not? Hurry up and untie it!"
Prompted by Mu Shuangshuang’s words, Lu Yuanfeng hurriedly began to untie the apron strap.
But the more anxious he got, the more he struggled to untie it. The apron strap seed to be in a dead knot.
The two were getting closer, and beads of sweat started forming on Lu Yuanfeng’s forehead.
Suddenly, Lu Yuanfeng’s hand shook, and he accidentally pressed it against Mu Shuangshuang’s waist.
Mu Shuangshuang, pulled by this force, lunged forward into Lu Yuanfeng’s arms.
Their breath caught simultaneously, and Mu Shuangshuang felt helpless. She didn’t dare move because she realized the hands around her waist were tighter than before, and Lu Yuanfeng’s breathing was noticeably heavier.
Mu Shuangshuang wasn’t an innocent little girl. She wasn’t ignorant of the situation’s implications.
"Fengzi..." Mu Shuangshuang was about to speak.
Suddenly, soone walked in, perhaps not expecting to see such... a misunderstood scene. Seeing the two still holding their embrace, the person quickly said, "You two... I..."
Like getting an electric shock, Mu Shuangshuang and Lu Yuanfeng imdiately separated. Mu Shuangshuang buried her head in her chest, not daring to look at who had co in.
When Mu Shuangshuang finally looked up, she saw Old Lady Lu standing at the kitchen door, with an equally embarrassed look on her face.
Even the old lady seed sowhat embarrassed, her head turned outward the whole ti.
When she heard a movent and knew that Mu Shuangshuang and Lu Yuanfeng had parted, she quickly addressed Lu Yuanfeng, "Feng’er, I saw the courtyard gate wasn’t closed, so I ca in to take a look. If you’re not happy, I’ll leave right away!"
Lu Yuanfeng had cald down by now.
Although he harbored resentnt towards Old Lady Lu, he couldn’t bring himself to drive an old woman out.
"No need, do you... have a matter to discuss?" Lu Yuanfeng’s face showed no expression.
Mu Shuangshuang, understanding the situation, remained silent.
"Nothing... nothing!" Old Lady Lu shook her head repeatedly.
After a while, she spoke softly, "I asked your second aunt to make so rice paste for , and I made it into rice tofu. Your grandpa asked to see if you’d like to co over and try so."
After speaking, fearing Lu Yuanfeng would refuse, she added, "If you don’t like it, just bring a piece over for Yuanbao. That child likes rice tofu, likes tofu."
Her words were full of pleading.
She knew her grandson didn’t like her, and it was all her own doing—
No one would forgive soone who sold their own mother.
Yet she couldn’t let go of this familial bond. Even if others called her selfish or shaless, she only wanted to spend more ti with her grandson, even if he treated her as an enemy.
In the whole Old Lu Family, aside from this grandson, only the second, Lu Dadong’s family, treated them kindly.
But the second family was too honest. Under the combined pressure of the third and fourth branches, they were now struggling to cope, and she didn’t want to burden the second family further.
Old Sir Lu had been ill all winter, but after spring, he improved, and now he could stand up again.
However, both he and the old lady knew that if it weren’t for Lu Yuanfeng secretly paying for Zhang Huai Shu’s dical expenses, they wouldn’t have been able to afford any treatnt.
Originally, Lu Yuanfeng wanted to refuse, but seeing the hunched figure of the old woman, his heart inexplicably softened.
It took him a long ti to speak, "I’ll go and get a piece."
Mu Shuangshuang, the person most attuned to Lu Yuanfeng’s emotions, could sense his internal struggle.
So she naturally stepped forward to hook her arm around Lu Yuanfeng’s, "I’ll go with you!"
Old Lady Lu gave a grateful look to Lu Yuanfeng and nodded towards Mu Shuangshuang.
On the way to the Lu Family, Old Lady Lu and Mu Shuangshuang chatted.
"I noticed your table still had food on it, why are you eating so late?"
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