Mu Shuangshuang stretched lazily, rested for a mont, then was about to continue working when suddenly Lu Yuanfeng’s voice ca from the slope of the field.
"Shuangshuang?"
Lu Yuanfeng walked directly toward the ridge where Mu Shuangshuang was. He was wearing a gray robe, his forehead covered with sweat. Seeing the bamboo basket in Mu Shuangshuang’s hand, he was first surprised, then angry.
His eyes swept over the adults of the Old Mu Family harvesting rice in the field, and naturally, the first one caught his eye was Mu Dazhong, who would rest after every sickle swing.
"Why are you letting a girl do the work?"
The anger in Lu Yuanfeng’s voice puzzled Mu Shuangshuang. Her working didn’t seem to concern him, so why was he so agitated?
"Haha, isn’t it because I’m too weak and need to train my body." Mu Shuangshuang replied nonchalantly, as if she didn’t mind doing so much work at all.
"Is this how you train your body? Even the guys in the army eat well and build up so muscle before they dare to talk about training. You’re so skinny; what you should do is build a good foundation, eat well, and then talk about other things."
Lu Yuanfeng frowned, clearly a teenage boy, but acting like a mature old man.
"Aren’t you working too? You’re just a child!" Mu Shuangshuang pointed to the yoke and bamboo basket on Lu Yuanfeng’s shoulder. He, like her, was transporting rice ears, just with different tools.
Calling Lu Yuanfeng a child was because, in ancient tis, won matured at fifteen and n at twenty, so Lu Yuanfeng wasn’t considered an adult man, just a young lad.
"It’s different for . I’m a man. I’m stronger than you, and..." Lu Yuanfeng trailed off, unable to find words to continue with, and his face suddenly turned red.
Mu Shuangshuang nearly laughed out loud inside. It was the first ti she had seen soone who, while earnestly lecturing others, would blush.
"You go rest; I’ll do it." To cover his embarrassnt, Lu Yuanfeng imdiately started to stack rice ears into his basket after saying this.
"Lu Yuanfeng, you haven’t even finished your own work. Why are you helping ? I can handle it myself." Mu Shuangshuang was anxious. She’d never seen anyone abandon their work to help soone else with theirs.
"It’s my second uncle’s land anyway, and there’s not much left. I’ll help you finish your work here first, and then go back to do his work."
Lu Yuanfeng, being the stubborn type, was determined to follow through with his words. Mu Shuangshuang felt overwheld; if she kept owing him favors, she might not be able to repay him even if she sold her last undergarnts.
So be it, at worst, she could involve him in selling cold noodles or cold packs in the future, or maybe think of a few good ideas for him to sell the prey he catches.
"Little Zhi, Xiao Han, you two go rest. I’ll work with your Brother Yuanfeng."
Lu Yuanfeng carried the load, and she helped gather rice ears.
A rare sight appeared on the ridge: a tall and strong young man, beside him a small-frad girl, working closely together. In no ti, they had moved all the rice ears on the ridge.
Lu Yuanfeng was ready to continue working, but Mu Shuangshuang stopped him. "That’s enough; our five mu of land is done."
Not only did they finish five mu, but they exceeded it, maybe covering seven or eight mu.
"Hehe, that was quick." Lu Yuanfeng wiped the sweat off his forehead with embarrassnt and gave Mu Shuangshuang a silly grin, revealing a set of neat white teeth.
"Brother Yuanfeng, help too! I also have four mu with Gou Dan."
Mu Qingqing had been watching Lu Yuanfeng and Shuangshuang for a while. When Lu Yuanfeng appeared, she was surprised for quite a bit. Many girls in the village wanted to marry him because he was the only one daring enough to climb Niuwei Mountain. Marry him, and you’d never worry about not having at to eat for a lifeti.
However, Lu Yuanfeng usually didn’t talk to others and was tall and robust, making villagers both admire and fear him. Very few dared to approach him.
"I don’t know you. Why should I work for you?" Lu Yuanfeng looked puzzled and took a few steps back, imdiately widening the distance between him and Mu Qingqing.
Such an obvious rejection made Mu Qingqing angry.
"Then why are you helping her? She’s just sothing no one wants, or are you two secretly involved?" Mu Qingqing said, her face looking smug with knowledge, eyes darting between Mu Shuangshuang and Lu Yuanfeng.
"You..." Lu Yuanfeng was furious; he had never seen such a shaless girl.
"Qingqing, did a dog sar your eyes with‖turds? My mother saved Yuanbao, and Lu Yuanfeng is repaying that debt. Is that not okay?
Even if sothing were between and Lu Yuanfeng, it’s none of your business. We’re neither married nor engaged yet. Or is it that you fancy Lu Yuanfeng and are trying to catch his attention?" Mu Shuangshuang coldly sneered at Mu Qingqing.
"Fine, if you’re willing to admit to such shaless things, I’ll tell Grandpa and Grandma to deal with you."
"Haha, go ahead, but if you want to get married later, make sure everyone in the village knows. If I lose my reputation, we’ll see who dares marry you, Mu Qingqing."
Mu Shuangshuang’s words were a threat, but also a fact.
After all, it was a product of the feudal patriarchal system in ancient tis. If a family’s daughters committed shaful acts, no one dared to propose marriage to the family’s daughters.
"You... Mu Shuangshuang, just you wait. You’ll get your couppance." Mu Qingqing stomped the ground hard and angrily returned to her four mu of land. No matter how angry she was, she knew that what Mu Shuangshuang said was true. Regardless of what shaless things Mu Shuang did, she not only couldn’t report it but also had to help cover it up, or she really wouldn’t be able to get married.
Lu Yuanfeng stood there, feeling a little light-headed, his breath slightly uneven. By rights, he had seen Shuangshuang’s body... he should marry her, but did she like him?
"Shuangshuang, is what you just said true?" Boldly, Lu Yuanfeng opened his mouth.
"What words?"
"You don’t rember?" Lu Yuanfeng felt a vague sense of loss. Perhaps she just said it casually to Mu Qingqing?
"What am I supposed to rember?" Shuangshuang began packing her things, a pot of water, two bamboo baskets, and nothing else.
Mu Xiaohan’s facial expression, which was unclear when it changed, was obviously unhappy. He took a step forward and grabbed Mu Shuangshuang’s hand.
"Sister, let’s go back quickly. I’ll do the fieldwork in the future."
"You silly, you’re too young to be working. Stay here, and I’ll go tell Grandpa; we’ll go back."
Holding the water pot, Mu Shuangshuang walked a few steps and rembered Lu Yuanfeng, who helped her with the work.
"Silly boy, take this water pot; it’s clean, I haven’t drunk from it. I’m not sure how to thank you; next ti you’re going to town, let know. I have a good way to teach you how to make money."
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