"Mom, I’m innocent, look at my clothes, they’re all torn. Am I lying?"
Mu Dazhong deliberately put on a pitiful look.
Mrs. Lin nodded along.
"Mom, you weren’t aware of what happened yesterday. Those villains wanted to take mine and Qingqing’s life. It was Dazhong who heroically saved us; otherwise, you wouldn’t see us here."
"You’re full of shit, you wretched woman, spewing nonsense, why don’t you just die? I’m telling you, if you don’t give back the money, I’ll dig you all to death with a hoe."
Old Mrs. Mu cursed while stamping her feet.
Her wrinkled forehead was bulging with veins.
It was clear she was in a furious state.
Mu Dazhong was almost scared witless, kneeling on the ground, not daring to make a sound.
Even more so for Mrs. Lin, as a daughter-in-law, a stranger in Old Mrs. Mu’s eyes, she was kicked several tis by the old lady once she finished stamping.
Her fingers were madly pinching the flesh on Mrs. Lin, causing her to cry out in pain.
Mu Qingqing, who was nearby, tried to help Mrs. Lin, but Old Mrs. Mu scratched a long red mark on her face with her nails. Holding her face, she cried uncontrollably on the side.
Little Gou Dan, seeing his mother being bullied, glared at Old Mrs. Mu and shouted loudly, "If you dare hit my mom, I’ll fight you..."
Before he could get close to Old Mrs. Mu, he was slapped so hard by her that he couldn’t speak properly.
No one in the Old Mu Family was a match for Old Mrs. Mu.
The yard was filled with the cries of the second branch of the Old Mu Family.
Mu Dazhong was full of confusion; he didn’t understand. What he did seed so reliable, yet even if his mother suspected him of lying, it shouldn’t have led to such direct beating and scolding.
Just as Mu Dazhong was pondering, Mu Danian ca out of the house.
Seeing Mu Danian, Mu Dazhong realized he had crossed his mother’s line.
Both were in shabby clothes with ssy hair, but Mu Danian looked worse, with two palm prints on his face.
Both had the sa idea.
Neither got any benefit.
Old Mrs. Mu, in her anger, pointed at Mu Dazhong and Mu Danian’s noses, "You two little bastards, listen to . I don’t care if you steal, lie, or rob, if you don’t gather two taels of silver for ...
Second, you divorce Mrs. Lin. Fifth, you won’t get married, and you’ll remain single for life."
After angrily scolding them, Old Mrs. Mu, when passing by Mu Danian, kicked him again.
Knocking Mu Danian down with all four limbs up, feeling slightly relieved, she went into the house. After a while, she ca out with a bamboo basket, preparing to pick vegetables from the third branch’s garden.
The vegetables in the third branch’s garden were lush green; Old Mrs. Mu had long wanted to pick them but never had the ti. Now that she lost two taels of silver, she must take advantage of others to make up for it.
Hearing the village won gossiping while holding the bamboo basket, Old Mrs. Mu would have usually rushed to the garden to get the vegetables, but hearing Mu Xiangxiang’s na, she went over.
Just in ti to hear about the Qin Family, and that they weren’t good folks, rumors about how Qin Shijie had ’killed’ eight wives, predicting trouble for Old Mu Family’s Mu Xiangxiang, reached Old Mrs. Mu’s ears, making her furious.
She directly grabbed the rumor-spreading woman, the Zheng Family’s daughter-in-law, and scolded her, "Filthy woman, I know about the Qin Family better than you.
The Qin Family is wealthy and powerful; our Xiangxiang will live in luxury with them. Unlike your family’s crooked lot, no man wants them, yet you still dream of marriage.
I spit on you. If anyone dares to spread gossip about our Xiangxiang, I’ll end them!"
Old Mrs. Mu was full of vigor, spitting as she cursed.
The Zheng Family’s daughter-in-law wasn’t a pushover.
"Old woman, you’re daydreaming here. If you don’t believe it, go ask the matchmaker yourself about what the Qin Family is up to.
Don’t pick a rotten pumpkin thinking it’s a treasure. With soone like Mu Xiangxiang, she’ll end up being ’cursed’ by Qin Family’s eldest sooner or later."
"You... you..." Old Mrs. Mu was livid.
At this mont, Mu Dajiang rushed over, panting, unable to even catch his breath before saying to Old Mrs. Mu, "Mom, sothing’s wrong, little sister she..."
"What’s wrong with Xiangxiang?" Old Mrs. Mu’s face turned pale.
"Little sister, she’s coughing blood..."
Old Mrs. Mu felt the world spinning, and if not for Mu Dajiang holding her, she’d have fallen flat on the ground.
Hearing the news, the Zheng Family’s daughter-in-law burst into laughter.
"I told you, that Qin Family heir is a tough one; marrying into the Qin Family would be a death sentence unless you’re blessed with fortune."
The villagers exchanged glances, feeling that there was no avoiding this outco.
It seed inevitable that there would be a death in the Old Mu Family.
"Looks like even passing the exam wouldn’t bring fortune to Mu Xiangxiang. I bet, before the wedding, it’ll all be over!"
Old Mrs. Mu followed Mu Dajiang back to the Old Mu Family hostead.
Mu Xiangxiang was still coughing up blood.
In the morning, Mu Xiangxiang had eaten five bowls of noodles, three buns, and two bowls of porridge.
With the second and fifth branch not around, Mu Xiangxiang ate their share.
After eating, she started inducing vomiting, going too deep, resulting in coughing blood after vomiting.
Sitting by the toilet, Mu Xiangxiang’s eyes bulged like a goldfish, with the whites of her eyes more prominent than her pupils.
Old Mrs. Mu rushed forward, holding Mu Xiangxiang and started crying.
"Xiangxiang, what’s wrong, tell your mom, mom will stand up for you. My poor child..."
Mu Xiangxiang painfully pointed at her throat.
"Hurts... hurts..." After saying two words, another wave of nausea hit.
The room was imdiately filled with a sour stench.
The others backed away, but not Old Mrs. Mu, who held onto Mu Xiangxiang despite the sll.
"What are you all standing around for, call the doctor!" Old Mrs. Mu shouted.
Only then did the people co to their senses, and Mu Dajiang rushed out to call Zhang Huai Shu.
Mr. Mu was worried but didn’t know what to do.
Mr. Mu recalled sothing Mu Shuangshuang had ntioned, that with the way Xiangxiang kept inducing vomiting, sothing was bound to happen.
Could this be the cause?
Mr. Mu quickly told Mu Dazhong to call Mu Shuangshuang from the third branch.
"Second, quickly go get Shuangshuang, tell her your little aunt is in trouble, and beg her to help."
Mu Dazhong was startled and shouted, "Dad, have you lost it? That brat’s not a doctor, why call her?
I say we use a ho redy, scoop so ash from the stove and mix it with water for Xiangxiang to drink. It’ll cure anything!"
Mr. Mu was stunned and couldn’t make a decision.
Old Mrs. Mu steeled herself and said, "What are you waiting for, go get the ash!"
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