"You still dare to glare at ? Don’t forget who gave you the good days you have now."
After Mu Dade finished speaking, he slapped Mu Yingying’s face again in anger.
With just a few slaps, Mu Yingying’s fair face swelled up like a bun.
The burning pain on her face made her cry out loud.
At that mont, Ruan Xiao Jiao’s parents knocked on her door.
"Ah Jiao, did you hear any noises?"
It was Ruan Xiao Jiao’s mother, Mrs. Zheng, speaking in a gentle voice, seemingly afraid to alarm Ruan Xiao Jiao, and didn’t dare to clearly ntion the sounds she had heard.
Mu Yingying had initially been shouting in Ruan Xiao Jiao’s room, and it’s normal for the Ruan family’s elderly parents, who were light sleepers, to hear so noises.
Ruan Xiao Jiao’s heart was almost leaping out of her throat. She looked at Mu Dade, signaling him to co up with an idea.
Mu Dade gave her a reassuring look, indicating that Ruan Xiao Jiao should go deal with the Ruan family’s elderly first.
As for Mu Yingying, he would handle it.
Upon hearing Mu Dade’s words, Ruan Xiao Jiao cald down a little, and she said to the people outside the room, "Dad, Mom, I’m asleep. I didn’t hear a thing. If you have sothing, co to tomorrow. I’m tired!"
The Ruan parents were honest folks; whatever their daughter said, they believed, and wouldn’t suspect her of lying.
Otherwise, they wouldn’t have ignored addressing the Old Mu Family’s trouble even after their daughter had been wronged so much back then.
Outside, Mr. Ruan comforted Mrs. Zheng, "It’s okay, like I said, even if sothing happened, it wouldn’t be in our ho. Our daughter is part of the County Magistrate’s household; who would dare touch her? Are they tired of living?
Let’s go! Don’t disturb your daughter’s sleep."
Mr. Ruan’s last words made Ruan Xiao Jiao burst into tears instantly. She even considered rushing out and confessing to her parents.
But seeing Mu Dade, she backed down.
She couldn’t ruin Mu Dade.
The Ruan parents left, leaving only the three people in the room.
Mu Dade loosened his grip on Mu Yingying’s wrist slightly.
He threatened Mu Yingying, "Yingying, don’t you want everyone to know what happened between and your Aunt Ruan?
Go ahead and shout. See if the villagers, seeing what’s going on between and Aunt Ruan, would still let you be a rich lady."
After speaking, Mu Dade let go of Mu Yingying’s hand.
Gaining her freedom, the first thing Mu Yingying did was to spit at Ruan Xiao Jiao.
"Pah! Shaless slut, are you lacking n? Why did you seduce my dad? I’m going to let everyone in the village know about your disgraceful deeds, tear your face apart!"
Ruan Xiao Jiao couldn’t dodge in ti, and the spit landed on her face, making her feel utterly disgusted.
Seeing Mu Yingying’s aggressive stance, she didn’t know where the courage ca from to slap Mu Yingying on the face.
"I seduced your dad? You better think about who was shaless enough to drug Brother Dade, forcing him to marry your mother. If we’re talking about seduction, your mother is the one who seduced him," said Ruan Xiao Jiao.
"Nonsense! You’re the shaless one!" Mu Yingying retorted.
Ruan Xiao Jiao said, "Little girl, no matter what, I’m still the County Magistrate’s concubine! If I want the Old Mu Family to rise, then the Old Mu Family can prosper.
If I want you to fall, the Old Mu Family wouldn’t even qualify to stand in Er Gui Village.
Your father’s position as a county clerk, I asked the County Magistrate for it. The court subsidies your father receives, I fought for those for him. I can take all these benefits back anyti.
Making sure your father doesn’t beco a scholar is just a matter of words!"
At this mont, Ruan Xiao Jiao was a far cry from her usual agreeable self.
Her gaze was sharp, her words fierce.
Mu Yingying, who had been thinking of confronting Ruan Xiao Jiao, deflated. It was only now she realized her mother was right—she shouldn’t have been so confrontational with Ruan Xiao Jiao, but it was too late.
She had already done the thing she regretted most, putting herself in such a predicant.
Mu Yingying now thought, how good it would have been if she had rushed in earlier to tell her mother?
Her mother, if present, would definitely know what to do.
But sadly, there’s no dicine for regret in this world.
Mu Dade seed to notice Mu Yingying losing her nerve, so he said,
"If you tell anyone else about today, including Dandan and your mother, I’ll divorce your mother and elevate Aunt Ruan’s status.
And then, have your grandmother marry you off to Wang San from the village; weren’t you always thinking of marrying the third branch’s Shuang to him? Since she refused, you can take her place!"
Mu Dade’s words were extrely vicious. Even for his own daughter, he wouldn’t spare her if she ruined his plans.
Mu Yingying’s eyes widened, her gaze towards Mu Dade full of confusion, doubt, anger, and unwillingness...
Various emotions intertwined; she wanted to shout out, but her throat felt clogged, dry, numb, unable to utter a word.
"Dad, can you do this to my mom?" After hesitating for a long ti, Mu Yingying finally squeezed out this sentence.
"Enough, don’t use your mother to pressure . I have what I have today not because of your mother. It was who went to take the exams, and it was still who passed. If you’re uncomfortable with it, you can choose to marry Wang San!"
After saying that, Mu Dade left Ruan’s house by himself.
He didn’t even stop to check if Mu Yingying followed him back.
Mu Yingying moved sluggishly out of Ruan Xiao Jiao’s room and slowly walked towards the Old Mu Family’s direction under the moonlight.
At the not-yet-completed academy at Mu Shuangshuang’s house, she thought of the third branch family enjoying better days and even a more harmonious family life than hers.
The more Mu Yingying thought about it, the angrier she got. She even considered setting the academy on fire so the third branch would lose everything!
But Mu Yingying didn’t have any fire-starting tools.
Unwillingly cursing a few tis, Mu Yingying hurriedly returned ho.
By this ti, the night had deepened, and there was not a soul in sight on the village paths.
The leaves rustled as she almost stumbled her way to the Old Mu Family’s main house.
She stood in front of Mu Dandan’s room for a long ti, wanting to rush in and tell Mu Dandan about what she saw that night.
But she kept thinking of her father’s fierceness in threatening to marry her off to Wang San.
Mu Yingying was afraid and slunk back to her room, deciding to let the matter stay buried inside her.
*
Early the next morning, the whole Er Gui Village was bustling.
Everyone got up earlier than usual because they needed to clean their hos for the new year, removing all the filth that couldn’t be left for the new year.
Then, they prepared various things for the new year’s celebration.
Mu Shuangshuang got up early to make breakfast for everyone and then helped with the cleaning.
Lu Yuanfeng eagerly took on the chore of carrying manure. Just after breakfast, he started working with the manure buckets.
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