"Dad, Dandan’s dad isn’t saying he won’t take the exam, just that without silver, he doesn’t want to embarrass himself."
Mrs. Jin spoke bluntly. She was just short of saying that if they had silver, they could go and buy the exam questions.
But she couldn’t, the fewer people who knew about this, the better!
"I say, big sister-in-law, pushing Dad and Mom like this every day isn’t right. The family only has those few acres of land, which have all been used for my big brother’s expenses.
If you keep this up, such a big family will all end up starving."
I heard your parents’ family is quite well-off, why don’t you go ask them for money, after all, my big brother is your husband."
Mu Zhenzhen, known for her sharp tongue, imdiately rendered Mrs. Jin speechless.
Of course, she knew her family’s side could lend that money, but Mu Dade was the son of Mr. Mu and Old Mrs. Mu, not her parents’, even if he passed the exams, her parents wouldn’t have the right to enjoy the benefits.
On the contrary, this whole family was counting on her to provide money for a good life.
Why should she? Providing both people and money.
Mu Dade is her husband, so the silver should naturally co from the Old Mu Family.
"Zhenzhen, you’re wrong to say that. A daughter married out is like water spilled, no matter how shaless I am, I can’t go back to my parents for money, or how would they laugh at ?"
Mrs. Jin’s initially unintentional comnt ended up angering Mu Zhenzhen.
"I say, big sister-in-law, what are you talking about? What’s this about a married daughter being like spilled water, and can’t ask parents for money? You’re calling shaless, saying I shouldn’t be back, right?"
"Zhenzhen, how could you think that? That’s not what I ant."
"Not what you ant? Then why did you call a married daughter?" Mu Zhenzhen insisted.
At this mont, the rest of the family felt satisfied.
Mu Zhenzhen the second aunt and Mrs. Jin were the two most troubleso people in the family. Now that they were fighting, everyone was just one step short of setting off firecrackers in celebration.
Mrs. Jin’s gentle image had long fallen since the last ti the third branch split. No one saw her as harmless anymore, instead, when Mrs. Jin stuck her nose in the air, everyone quickly turned away for fear of being dragged into trouble.
"What did I say about you?" Mrs. Jin was beginning to feel unhappy.
Who would have thought that Mu Zhenzhen would deny everything with open eyes, "Dad, Mom, look, big sister-in-law is bullying , she said Zhuangzi and I are outsiders, and we shouldn’t co over to help."
Mrs. Lin spat loudly in her heart, ptooey!
This Mu Zhenzhen was shaless, she only ca to the Old Mu Family for three things: eating, sleeping, and defecating. She didn’t even wash her own clothes. Thinking about her daughter Qingqing doing the washing for her second aunt, including even soiled undergarnts, made Mrs. Lin’s blood boil.
Of course, Mrs. Lin’s anger did not an Old Mrs. Mu would be angry, she glanced at Mrs. Jin and said, "Oldest daughter-in-law, Zhenzhen rarely cos, plus she’s your second aunt, give her a break, stop talking nonsense, who are you hinting at with your words?"
"Mom, I didn’t!" Mrs. Jin explained.
"Stop telling these things, I don’t believe you!" Old Mrs. Mu said directly.
Too outraged to eat, Mrs. Jin left the main house. Mu Dandan and Mu Yingying, seeing their mother leave, naturally refused to eat either. Anyway, the Old Mu Family’s food wasn’t good, they might as well wait until they got ho for an extra treat from their mother.
"Mom, mom, wait for ." Mu Dandan caught up with Mrs. Jin, exclaiming anxiously.
"Why are you following out? Not eating?" Mrs. Jin asked displeased.
"Mom, the food grandma made isn’t tasty at all, I won’t eat it. Plus, they bully Mom, just looking at it gets on my nerves."
" too, too, Mom, we’re family. Once Dad passes the exams, we’ll move out and won’t live here anymore." Mu Yingying chid in.
With the support of her two daughters, Mrs. Jin felt better.
"Don’t worry, I will make sure your grandparents pitch in all that silver, if they can’t, they can forget about a good life."
Mrs. Jin still wanted to work it through Wang San. If Mu Shuangshuang couldn’t be married off, there was still the matter of Mu Qingqing. The second branch wanted a good life so badly, she couldn’t believe they would pass on such a big opportunity.
"Yes, we trust you, Mom!"
...
After finishing the bone stew and winter lon soup, having cooked the rice, Yu Si Niang returned from her work.
Dragging her tired body, the mont she stepped into her ho, she felt completely at ease.
It was almost dark, if it weren’t for the rising moon, it could have been pitch-black.
"Slls so good!"
By the aroma of the food, Yu Si Niang was sure it was coming from her ho.
Her ho wasn’t far from the main building, but because of a outhouse blocking it, she usually couldn’t sll the food from there.
Yu Si Niang was very curious, when did they start cooking at ho?
Weren’t the stove and kitchen not even set up?
"Mom, you ca just in ti, I was just about to go look for you."
Mu Shuangshuang ca in through the side door, carrying a big empty bowl. Having just co from Zhao Yun’s house, she brought them a bowl of snake at and a bowl of spare rib winter lon soup, then hurried back without much ti for a chat with Zhao Yun.
"Good girl, you’re cooking at ho now?"
"Yes, I bought so stuff in town this morning. I was craving, so I set up a stove at ho and made sothing delicious. It’s just ready, wash your hands, then we can eat."
Speaking of which, Lu Yuanfeng ca out from Mu Shuangshuang’s room, lifting a curtain, "Fourth Aunt, Shuangshuang, the food’s ready, co in and eat!"
The al was eaten in Mu Dashan’s room, first because there was a kang that could seat several people, and second, because there were many mosquitoes in the sumr, eating outside would attract them like flies.
A nded eight immortals table, a few chairs brought over from Lu Yuanfeng’s house, and with the family plus Lu Yuanfeng’s brothers, they all gathered to start eating.
Mu Dashan sat on the kang, with a quilt cushioning his back, feeling quite comfortable.
Looking at the table full of abundant dishes, his eyes turned slightly red.
Snake stew, bone soup, bitter lon, greens, only four dishes but the kind he had never tasted in his life."
"Dad, Mom, why are you just staring? Eat!"
Mu Shuangshuang’s saliva was almost dropping, and so were the children’s. It was rare to see at, particularly dishes made by Mu Shuangshuang which slled so wonderful, yet as their parents hadn’t moved, the kids dared not either.
Little Black, however, had long run out of patience, hissing and calling non-stop, it climbed onto Little Zhi’s chair, then to Little Zhi’s shoulder, staring straight at the table spread.
Compared to the more reserved room occupants, it was more direct, stretching its paw to grab food but was caught by Mu Shuangshuang.
"Little thing, none of us have eaten yet and you’re already thinking of eating the good stuff? Deserves a slap!"
Little Black whimpered in grievance, lowering its head and whining.
"Sister, poor Little Black, let it go!"
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