In rural households, straw paper is indeed considered a valuable item.
People generally use bamboo pieces and wooden sticks in the outhouse. Bamboo is cut into square pieces, and after wiping, it’s either washed clean in the stream for next use or replaced with new ones.
As for the wooden sticks, they are usually as thick as a wrist and can be used turn by turn after cleaning the outer bark.
Before Mu Shuangshuang earned money, she used bamboo pieces and wooden sticks, but after several attempts, her skin got scraped. Now that she indeed earned money, she went to town to buy straw paper.
Although it’s not as soft as modern toilet paper, it’s still better than bamboo pieces.
Mu Shuangshuang stared at Mrs. Lin, curious to see how much straw paper she intended to steal from her ho.
Unexpectedly, Mrs. Lin turned out to be quite ruthless, not leaving a single piece of straw paper for the third branch, shalessly declaring, "In the future, I’ll just co to the third branch’s outhouse, using all their straw paper!"
Mu Shuangshuang thought Mrs. Lin was just there for straw paper and was already prepared to rush in and beat soone up.
Who would have thought Mrs. Lin suddenly bent down and took out an oiled paper packet from her belly.
Mu Shuangshuang had long known that Mrs. Lin’s belly was fake. Last ti, during a fight with Mrs. Liu of the fourth branch, even after being punched in the belly, nothing happened.
But watching Mrs. Lin actually take an oiled paper packet from her belly was indeed sowhat shocking.
Even more shocking, Mu Shuangshuang watched as Mrs. Lin pulled down her underpants, opened the oiled packet, and poured its contents into her underpants.
It was chicken blood prepared by Mrs. Lin.
Having birthed several children,
It wouldn’t make sense if there wasn’t so blood on her pants after a miscarriage.
But having this chicken blood in her crotch was truly uncomfortable; even Mrs. Lin found it disgusting.
Let alone Mu Shuangshuang.
From the mont Mrs. Lin poured the chicken blood, the sll was overwhelming. Seeing this, if Mu Shuangshuang still hadn’t figured out Mrs. Lin’s intention, she’d be embarrassed to say she was a forr police officer; it was just too humiliating.
In the outhouse, after Mrs. Lin was ready, she picked up her wet pants and was about to walk out. Just as she lifted the curtain, she was blocked by Mu Shuangshuang holding a wooden stick.
"Second Aunt, using my third branch’s straw paper, what are you planning to do?" Mu Shuangshuang sneered, tightening her grip on the wooden stick.
Having just prepared to do sothing bad, yet getting caught before action, Mrs. Lin was startled.
"You... what nonsense are you talking? What straw paper? What plan?" Mrs. Lin retorted with a stiff neck, her face flushed.
"Keep pretending, but the stick in Shuangshuang’s hand has no eyes." Looking at Mrs. Lin, stiff-necked even on the verge of demise, Mu Shuangshuang felt Mrs. Lin’s brain was as dumb as a pig’s.
"Brat, don’t forget that there’s a child inside !" Mrs. Lin spoke defiantly.
At this point, her eyes scanned Mu Shuangshuang, hesitating about whether to bump into her.
"Second Aunt, you’d better save those sordid ideas. Whether you’re pregnant, I may not know, but I know very well." Mu Shuangshuang said.
"You’re lying. What evidence do you have? I’ll tell you what, if you dare to slander , it’ll be the end between your third branch and ."
By now, Mrs. Lin was already in chaos. She believed Mu Shuangshuang knew all her secrets.
More importantly, the chicken blood she just poured started reacting, and an itch crept over her body.
After all, pouring it down there carried so risks.
"Zhang Huai Shu’s diagnosis cos to mind. Weren’t you not pregnant when he examined you?" Mu Shuangshuang improvised.
Speaking of this, it was indeed due to her negligence for not having verified with Zhang Huai Shu. Mainly, since the third branch had split from the family and the second branch rarely ca, Mu Shuangshuang initially thought the second branch was simply being lazy, trying to eat better food.
After all, with a pregnant woman, a mother-in-law wouldn’t make her daughter-in-law eat poorly.
So they let the second branch be.
Who would have guessed the second branch was here to harm them?
Did they really think the third branch was just a big shot ant for bullying?
Mrs. Lin couldn’t utter a word in reply now; she looked at Mu Shuangshuang, eyes filled with fear.
This girl was here to restrain her.
"Shuang, Second Aunt was wrong. Second Aunt apologizes, this is your family’s straw paper, I’m giving it back!" As Mrs. Lin spoke, she pulled out the straw paper she had stuffed in her clothes, shaking uncontrollably as she did so.
Mrs. Lin fearfully asked, "Shuangshuang, you wouldn’t tell your grandma about this, would you?"
If Old Mrs. Mu found out about Mrs. Lin’s fake pregnancy, her life would be over.
She might even get divorced.
Thinking of this, Mrs. Lin almost knelt to beg Mu Shuangshuang.
To hell with grudges and hatred, all Mrs. Lin wanted was to live the life of an official’s wife with the first branch.
She didn’t want to serve an old lady in Er Gui Village her whole life.
Mu Shuangshuang took back the straw paper one by one, placing it back in the wooden box.
Luckily, it was only for wiping, if it were food, she definitely wouldn’t want it anymore.
Because it was just too disgusting!
"Second Aunt, although you did sothing wrong, Shuangshuang doesn’t intend to be ruthless. After all, if my grandma finds out, you’ll not only lose any benefit from my uncle, but even Gou Dan would call another woman mom."
Hearing this, Mrs. Lin realized she wouldn’t be taken to face the old lady, so she felt a bit relieved.
"But, according to your understanding of my uncle and aunt, would they obediently take you and my second uncle to the county?" Mu Shuangshuang asked.
"Why wouldn’t they? Your uncle was nurtured by our branches. Without us, how could he have taken the exams or succeeded?" Mrs. Lin replied excitedly.
"Second Aunt, why are you so naive? If my uncle becos a high official, would he take you? Don’t forget, when they returned from Qianzhou Prefecture, what did they bring for you? Didn’t they even begrudge small things, let alone give you bigger benefits?"
"Don’t even ntion my grandparents. At most, they’d take my grandparents along. My grandma likes my youngest aunt; in any case, it won’t be the second branch’s turn."
Finishing her words, Mu Shuangshuang left Mrs. Lin pale with fear.
She couldn’t think of anything else but to go find the first branch for a confrontation.
The eldest brother wasn’t back yet, the sister-in-law was, so she didn’t believe they dared to abandon her.
"I do have a way to make Big Uncle have to take the second branch with him!" Mu Shuangshuang smiled mysteriously at Mrs. Lin.
Given the previous conversation, Mrs. Lin now treated Mu Shuangshuang’s words as a lifeline.
She said, "Shuang, Second Aunt was wrong before and apologizes to you. Tell what way it is, when Second Aunt becos an official’s wife, she’ll buy you candy, how about that?"
Mu Shuangshuang snickered internally, thinking how stingy she was; even such a great favor only earned her candy.
"Alright, seeing Second Aunt’s good attitude, I’ll reluctantly tell you. The best thod..." Mu Shuangshuang tantalized, making Mrs. Lin anxious.
"What is it? Hurry and tell , my little ancestor..." Mrs. Lin urged.
"Use the sa trick you did with , but this ti against my aunt!"
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