After a busy morning, the four mbers of the Huang Family helped the Old Mu Family harvest three acres of land, a task that the entire Old Mu Family couldn’t finish in a whole day.
Mr. Mu couldn’t stop smiling from ear to ear.
In these tis, having labor from the maternal family ant people dared not underestimate a new bride, because labor equates to workers.
Such families are bound to earn money sooner or later.
The more Mr. Mu looked at this granddaughter-in-law, the more he liked her, especially knowing that Da Lang and this granddaughter-in-law were in the prosperous Wang’s Mansion, made him like her even more.
"Bita, later take your brothers to the house for a al. Tell what you like, and I’ll have Xia go back and inform her mother."
Huang Bita shook her head firmly.
"Mr. Mu, my brothers said they’re fine with anything, our Huang Family isn’t picky about food."
Speaking of which, coming to help the Old Mu Family was actually the idea of the Huang Family’s eldest.
The Huang Family lacked money and land, so to prevent their sister from being bullied, they could only start from other aspects.
The three brothers discussed it and decided to postpone their own work to first help their sister’s husband’s family finish the farm work.
The Old Mu Family owed the Huang Family a favor and wouldn’t dare treat their sister badly.
But not everyone in the Huang Family thought this way.
At least, several people in the Old Mu Family didn’t like Huang Bita.
There was Mu Dazhong and Mrs. Lin from the second branch, as well as Mu Danian.
By noon, the Huang brothers and Huang Bita weren’t in a hurry to go back. They let the Old Mu Family go first, while they stayed to help harvest the fourth acre.
The Huang brothers were particularly hardworking and resilient, and Huang Bita followed along, cutting rice stalk by stalk with a sickle.
Mu Shuangshuang and Lu Yuanfeng had finished their work, yet they didn’t leave.
"Yuan Feng, I’ll go check on Sister Huang. My older cousin isn’t here, and I’m worried they’ll suffer. You go back first, and if my mom hasn’t cooked, tell her to make extra, and do more dishes too."
Mu Shuangshuang and Lu Yuanfeng finished early today, but they didn’t push themselves too hard with work.
"Alright!" Lu Yuanfeng didn’t ask more, carrying an empty basket back to the third branch.
Mu Shuangshuang reached the Old Mu Family’s farm slope and first spotted the third brother of the Huang Family, Huang Mo.
Having not seen each other for a long ti, Huang Mo stared at Mu Shuangshuang for quite a while and suddenly pointed at her with surprise.
"Miss Shuangshuang, how co you’re here?"
At this exclamation, the rest of the Huang Family saw Mu Shuangshuang too.
Huang Bita approached affectionately.
"Shuangshuang, I didn’t even see you just now."
Recently, Mu Dalang had been in town helping his master manage the flocks and doing other odd jobs.
He hadn’t been coming ho to stay at night.
Huang Bita was unaware of his activities.
If he knew, he certainly wouldn’t agree.
"I just got here. Sister Huang, how much have you harvested?"
Mu Shuangshuang knew the Huang Family was very diligent; everyone in the village said so. The three brothers were worth all the Old Mu Family people.
"Over three acres, in a little while, it’ll be almost four acres."
Mu Shuangshuang knew that the Old Mu Family, plus the rented land, had about ten to twenty acres. If they let the Huang Family help like this, it would be quick.
But, was it worth it?
To say nothing of it, just that stingy Old Mrs. Mu alone, with the Huang Family not having returned yet, she certainly wouldn’t leave any good things for them.
"Sister Huang, you all better hurry back to rest. This work isn’t done all at once; you need to pace yourselves and rest enough."
There were things Mu Shuangshuang couldn’t say directly to Huang Bita, only urging her to hurry back.
But Huang Bita shook her head.
"My brothers said since we’re here, we should do more work for the Old Mu Family, so later the husband’s family will look up to us."
Ah, Mu Shuangshuang sighed in her heart.
She didn’t even know how to explain that the people of the Old Mu Family only cared if soone was respected based on their family’s wealth and power.
They didn’t care how much you worked.
Probably all that the Huang Family did was seen as currying favor with Mu Dade.
Mu Shuangshuang guessed right; the Old Mu Family
When Old Mrs. Mu heard there were four freeloaders, her mood soured imdiately.
Especially hearing Mr. Mu say at soup and good dishes were to be made for them, Old Mrs. Mu was even more displeased.
Her stuff was saved for Xiangxiang and the eldest; anyone else shouldn’t even think about it.
"Fourth daughter-in-law, later cook a pot of wild vegetable porridge, and so pickled vegetables for the Huang Family to eat."
"That Huang Bita isn’t from a high background, used to eating this stuff. Give her at, she won’t be able to stomach it."
That’s how stingy Old Mrs. Mu was.
If everyone ate together, maybe the Huang Family would get sothing decent.
If eating alone, they would get absolutely nothing.
After finishing work, the Huang Family headed to the Old Mu Family.
Mu Shuangshuang followed them, hesitating all the way whether to directly invite the Huang Family to eat at her place.
Not looking at anyone special, Mu Shuangshuang asked Fengzi to tell her mother to make more food, fearing that Old Mrs. Mu might act foolish and not feed the Huang Family.
"Shuangshuang, my three brothers and I will go to the Old Mu Family, and after work this afternoon, we’ll co find you." Huang Bita bid farewell to Mu Shuangshuang.
The three brothers were generous enough to say goodbye too.
The one exception was the third brother, Huang Mo, who stared at Mu Shuangshuang for quite so ti.
Though he had t Shuangshuang only once, the image of her cooking remained in his mind.
Huang Mo watched longingly as Mu Shuangshuang left.
Today, he and Mu Shuangshuang exchanged a total of two sentences: one when Mu Shuangshuang ca to the field and one when they parted.
"Sister, doesn’t Miss Shuangshuang live at the Old Mu Family?" Huang Mo hesitated a long while before asking his sister about Shuangshuang.
"Mm, she is the daughter of Dalang’s third uncle - she’s particularly nice. Dalang says she does business in town, earning quite a bit.
The third branch used to share a courtyard with the Old Mu Family; later on, they allocated a plot in the corner for a kitchen and other things, and they’re doing well then."
Huang Bita pointed towards the direction of the third branch.
Huang Mo gazed at the lowly crude house of the third branch and the newly built kitchen adjacent. He stared for a long ti.
The eldest brother of the Huang Family walked ahead, being the head of the family and leading in all matters.
Mr. Mu was already at the yard gate to welco them, imdiately instructing the fourth branch mbers to serve the dishes upon seeing the three brothers and Huang Bita.
But when a bowl of wild vegetable porridge was brought to the table, Mr. Mu was dumbfounded.
"Fourth daughter-in-law, what’s going on? Why is it porridge, and what about the rice?"
Mr. Mu thought his eyes were failing him. At noon, with the eldest here, the Old Mu Family had twice-cooked pork and braised fish.
Nothing was left from lunch, so Mr. Mu instructed Old Mrs. Mu to make so at to properly host the hardworking Huang Family.
"Dad... this is what mom said - no at, only wild vegetable porridge. I... I can’t help it either!"
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