I don’t know if it’s because of the incident with Gou Dan, but Mu Dashan didn’t ntion sending food to Old Mrs. Mu and Mr. Mu again.
Instead, he settled down to enjoy dinner in peace.
During this al, the people from the third branch, along with Lu Yuanfeng and his brother, ate heartily. The pot of snake soup was consud to the point that not even the bones remained, and not a drop of the broth was left.
Mu Shuangshuang happily cleaned up the house and washed the dishes outside. Lu Yuanfeng helped her by holding the lamp, occasionally adding water or lending a hand.
Yu Si Niang carried a basin of water into her room, and while helping Mu Dashan wash his feet, she started to talk to him.
"Shuangshuang’s dad, how long has it been since we’ve lived such a comfortable life?"
"This kind of life, I never dared to imagine. It’s because our daughter is capable."
Mu Dashan’s face showed both relief and appreciation.
Who would have thought that the best al Mu Dashan ever had was all thanks to his daughter’s efforts? Without his daughter, the third branch probably wouldn’t have even a al to eat.
"Yes, Shuangshuang’s dad, Shuangshuang is truly a good daughter. I think what Shuangshuang said today was right. Look, even a child like Gou Dan is so selfish.
He ate from our third branch and still tried to bite back at us. If Shuangshuang didn’t have the ability to stop her grandmother, who knows what kind of trouble would have arisen tonight.
Even though we’ve split the family, whatever we do should be our freedom. We should boldly let others know that with Shuangshuang, our third branch’s life isn’t lacking at all."
"I understand what you’re saying. I... I won’t do that in the future." Mu Dashan’s face turned a bit red.
"I’m not blaming you. You’re the head of our family, and you can do whatever you want." Yu Si Niang teased with a smile, her hands moving more swiftly as she washed Mu Dashan’s feet.
"Hehe..." Mu Dashan suddenly laughed, looking at Yu Si Niang with warmth in his heart.
"By the way, Si Niang, Shuangshuang has been spending a lot of ti with Lu Yuanfeng lately. Do you think there’s sothing there?"
Mu Dashan is honest but not foolish. During dinner, Lu Yuanfeng kept serving Shuangshuang dishes with at while eating bones himself.
If that doesn’t indicate interest, Mu Dashan really doesn’t know what does.
"I’m not sure either, but the two kids have indeed been quite close.
A few days ago, Xiao Yun asked if we wanted to match with the Old Lu Family. I wasn’t sure, so I just said they were good friends."
"But this is truly a tricky situation. Shuangshuang is still young now, and there’s no issue with being with Lu Yuanfeng for now.
But if she gets a bit older and they spend a lot of ti together, it might invite gossip."
When it cos to Shuangshuang’s reputation, both Mu Dashan and Yu Si Niang couldn’t stay calm.
The world is vast, but the daughter matters most.
"How about you find a ti to ask Shuangshuang what she thinks, and I’ll ask Lu Yuanfeng?" Mu Dashan suggested, gathering his thoughts,
"If they’re both interested, let’s find a matchmaker early to settle things, and they can marry when the ti cos."
Mu Dashan was scared by Mrs. Jin and didn’t want his daughter to end up in soone else’s hands.
"Okay, I’ll speak with Shuangshuang later!"
Outside, Mu Shuangshuang packed the washed dishes into a bucket, so Lu Yuanfeng could take them ho later. Little Yuanbao was already tired, rubbing his eyes continuously.
Mu Shuangshuang glanced at the sky; the stars were few, and it was indeed late.
"Lu Yuanfeng, you guys should head back. Be careful on the road. Give Little Yuanbao a bath tonight, and you don’t have to co to work tomorrow."
"Alright, you should rest early too, Shuangshuang."
Once Lu Yuanfeng and Little Yuanbao left, Mu Shuangshuang began to take a bath. In the hot days of the Midsumr, the bathwater didn’t need to be heated. A basin or bucket left under the sun for a few hours was warm enough to use at night.
The only downside was that this kind of sun-heated water could easily damage the wooden buckets.
After washing up quickly, Yu Si Niang knocked on Mu Shuangshuang’s door.
"Shuangshuang, are you asleep? Can I co in?"
Mu Shuangshuang got up from the bed and opened the door. Yu Si Niang, much like her, was also fresh from a wash, wearing clean clothes.
As she entered Mu Shuangshuang’s room, Yu Si Niang also brought along a cup of cooled tea.
"Are you thirsty? Want so tea?"
"Mom, just leave it on the stool. I’ll drink it later."
There wasn’t a table in Mu Shuangshuang’s room, just a low stool that she had hamred together from wood the night before, not yet polished, but better than standing.
"Mom, do you have sothing to tell ?"
Coming this late at night, Yu Si Niang was obviously not just bringing water, there must be sothing else. So Mu Shuangshuang boldly guessed.
"Did Dad say sothing? Does he think Shuangshuang is selfish?"
"No, no, your dad didn’t an it that way." Yu Si Niang quickly waved her hands.
"Your dad is just used to being good to your grandparents all these years. It’s not like he doesn’t know what kind of people they are.
There are so things a mother shouldn’t say, but I don’t want you to be unhappy. Whatever your thoughts are, I’ll support you."
This unconditional support and trust made Mu Shuangshuang feel warm inside, happier than eating anything delicious.
"Thank you, Mom!" Mu Shuangshuang said with a big smile.
Yu Si Niang sat next to Mu Shuangshuang on the bed, pulling her into her embrace. Her thin hands gently stroked Mu Shuangshuang’s hair.
After a period of resting, although Mu Shuangshuang hadn’t gained weight, her complexion had improved, and her hair was smooth, no longer like the dry grass it once was.
With soone combing her hair, Mu Shuangshuang started to feel sleepy.
"Mom, why don’t you sleep with tonight? We can have a little chat."
Ever since Mu Shuangshuang sorted out her own room, she and Yu Si Niang hadn’t had much chance to talk.
"Alright, I’ll talk to your dad first, so he can keep an eye on Little Zhi at night."
Little Zhi was restless at night and, if not watched, could roll off the bed, so everyone would put her near the inside. Even then, there were still tis when she wasn’t attended to properly.
"Okay!"
When Yu Si Niang returned to Mu Shuangshuang’s room, she was already feeling sleepy. She had worked all morning in town and cooked for a large family in the evening.
To say she was tired was an understatent.
Yu Si Niang gently approached Mu Shuangshuang’s bedside, placing her hand on Mu Shuangshuang’s back, and before Mu Shuangshuang could react, she started massaging her shoulders.
"Mom, you don’t need to do this. I’m not tired."
"Silly girl, how could I not know if you’re tired? I saw you struggling a bit to lift your arm while eating."
Mu Shuangshuang was deeply moved by Yu Si Niang’s attentiveness. She beca even more convinced that there was a bond between mother and daughter, and Yu Si Niang understood her emotional and physical changes.
"Thank you, Mom. I’ll massage you later as well. You’ve worked hard too."
"By the way, Mom, what did you want to ask earlier? We can chat over that topic now."
Yu Si Niang opened her mouth and asked, "Shuangshuang, what do you think of Fengzi as a person?"
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