"Grandma has plenty of good things, how could she care for these few raspberries from our family," Mu Shuangshuang replied casually to Mu Dashan.
Hmph, anyone eating her Mu Shuangshuang’s things must catch her eye first, right?
With Old Mrs. Mu always looking like she wishes she’d die, would she foolishly give her raspberries to that old hag?
"Since that’s the case, Dad won’t eat them either, you kids go ahead," Mu Dashan, stubborn as he is, holds filial piety for Mr. Mu and Old Mrs. Mu, so Mu Shuangshuang’s sarcastic refusal didn’t sit well with him.
Mu Shuangshuang sighed, thinking Mu Dashan had been too well-educated by the old witch, stood up to take the last earthen bowl from ho, and poured half of the raspberries into it.
Though feeling a bit unwilling, she thought it over and decided since she had to go ask Mr. Mu for sothing, it would be better not to visit empty-handed to make it easier to get what she wanted.
Still, Mu Shuangshuang was cautious and stayed in her room until Xiao Han and Little Zhi had eaten most of theirs before she finally stood up.
The heat was rather unusual, as soon as Mu Shuangshuang stepped out, she felt a burning fire above her head, the sweat rolling down like it was raining endlessly.
Enduring the blazing sun, she barely made it to outside Old Mrs. Mu’s room.
"Grandpa, Grandma, I have so raspberries here, my parents sent to bring so over for you to taste."
Upon hearing Mu Shuangshuang’s voice, Old Mrs. Mu jumped up from the bed and rushed over, raining down curses on her.
"Wailing over my death, I’m not dead yet, why are you wailing?"
As it was noon, Old Mrs. Mu had slept in her clothes, sa with Mr. Mu, so getting up was particularly convenient.
Mu Shuangshuang felt she was here just to get scolded, considering how much Old Mrs. Mu disliked her, she shouldn’t have co.
To hell with her grandma, this old hag is quite the freak.
Yet Mu Shuangshuang still smiled on the surface, "I was calling Grandpa and Grandma, not wailing. Grandma, please have so raspberries to cool off."
Seeing the bright red fruits in Mu Shuangshuang’s bowl, Old Mrs. Mu’s mood improved a bit, and her face didn’t appear as foul.
At this mont, Mrs. Lin, returning from the outhouse, happened to pass by and, upon seeing the bowl of raspberries, her mouth watered. She rolled her eyes and shouted towards her house.
"Gou Dan, your grandma has raspberries, co over quickly, she wants to give you raspberries."
As soon as Mrs. Lin finished speaking, Old Mrs. Mu’s spittle began to fly, "Damn you, the raspberries are not for Gou Dan! Your big brother is working hard for his exams, if anyone eats, it should be him first."
With that, Old Mrs. Mu entered the room, Mu Shuangshuang guessed she was going inside to get a nicer bowl to pack and send to Mu Dade.
Gou Dan hearing Mrs. Lin’s voice, rushed out almost continuously, running so fast that his nose dripped snot in disgusting strands.
"Mom, where are the raspberries, I want them."
"Eat your grandma’s legs, damn you!" Mrs. Lin vented her anger on Gou Dan, hurling curses, but then...
Just as Old Mrs. Mu was putting raspberries in a porcelain bowl, she heard Mrs. Lin’s curse and dashed out to deliver a slap.
"Eat my grandma’s legs? Mrs. Lin, you crazy woman! You’re skilled at cursing, eh? Say another word, I’ll tear your mouth apart."
Mrs. Lin held her cheek, feeling utterly wronged, not understanding how she spouted such words; the sun must have gotten to her, forgetting the situation.
Gou Dan saw Old Mrs. Mu holding raspberries and reached out, only for her to slap him away, his face stung hotly and with no raspberries, he wailed, rolling on the ground.
"I want it, want it... Gou Dan wants raspberries..."
Inside, Mr. Mu heard the commotion and awoke too, speaking to Old Mrs. Mu, "The child wants so, give him so, it’s such a big bowl, the eldest can’t eat it all alone."
"Eat what? This brat eats enough usually!" Old Mrs. Mu spat at Gou Dan, refusing to relent.
Mr. Mu, helpless, turned to ask Mu Shuangshuang, "Shuang, do you have more raspberries in your room, let your brother Gou Dan have so."
Mu Shuangshuang quickly shook her head, casually making sothing up, "No more, this is from the Lu Family’s boy, Lu Yuanfeng, he picked for Xiao Han, says Xiao Han gets along well with his brother Yuanbao, it’s not much, just enough for this small dish. My parents didn’t have any themselves, told to bring it all."
Mr. Mu’s heart ward, speaking softer to Mu Shuangshuang, "Your parents have thought it through."
Mu Shuangshuang sensed the change and seized the opportunity, kneeling, "Grandpa, please save my dad, he just fell ill and hasn’t recovered. If he gets heatstroke again, even scraping (gua sha) might not help him. Grandpa, I beg you, let my dad rest a few more days, if anything happens to him, our third branch will really be done for."
"This..." Mr. Mu was a bit troubled, the third branch’s situation was indeed special, Xiao Han was still young, and the third son wouldn’t slack off, if sothing happened, the third branch would truly be done for. At that ti, they’d be a helpless widow and orphan.
"But your uncle can’t wait either, what can be done?"
Mu Dade needed silver for the Autumn Examination, where would it co from without selling the rice in the field?
Mu Shuangshuang snorted inwardly, realizing Mr. Mu’s favoritism was ridiculous; the third son’s life evidently wasn’t as important as the eldest’s aningless aspirations after over a decade of exams. Now she knew, the Old Mu Family were a bunch of rcenary, ungrateful wretches.
"Grandpa, our Old Mu Family has lots of kids, just like Auntie said, if Dad rests at ho, us kids can go work in the field. With baskets lifting and shoulders carrying, we can stand in for Dad. This way, Dad’s life is saved, the housework gets done, and maybe we can even stash the rice a few days earlier."
Mr. Mu calculated, thinking that from the second to third branch, there were plenty of kids, with the fourth branch’s kids absent, having the fourth daughter-in-law fill in, they should finish soon.
Mr. Mu realized and spoke, "Xiangxiang’s mother, go call Qing, Xiao Han, and Little Zhi along, this afternoon, help tie up the rice, carry the bundles, and let’s finish early this evening."
After speaking, Mr. Mu rembered the rolling Gou Dan again, adding, "Gou Dan can go too, if Little Zhi’s going, there’s no reason he shouldn’t."
"Grandpa, shouldn’t Sister Dandan and Sister Yingying also go? They seem older and surely have a lot of strength."
Mu Shuangshuang’s goal was precisely this, if Mrs. Jin minded her parents, she’d mind her two daughters, let’s see who suffers in the end.
"This..."
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