"Furthermore, you need to make things clear to Uncle and Aunt Four, reminding them not to sign anything, not even a blank piece of paper, to avoid taking the bla for the big house later."
Mu Shuangshuang knew, ever since the third branch separated, the fourth branch had always been the one taking the bla for the Old Mu Family.
Who knows, this ti, whether Mr. Mu and Old Mrs. Mu would push the fourth branch forward.
Mu Shuangshuang and Mu Dalang deliberated on a response strategy, generally, it was to avoid getting involved in this ss.
However, Mu Dashan still decided to talk to his parents about the risks of this matter; at least it shouldn’t be as discussed by the two youngsters, not getting mixed up in it.
No matter what, he couldn’t let his parents go astray and end up harming the entire Old Mu Family.
*
After lunch, Mu Shuangshuang was chopping pig feed in the yard while Yu Si Niang hurriedly washed the dishes, searched around the house from top to bottom, inside and out, but couldn’t find Mu Dashan.
She even went to the outhouse, but still didn’t find him.
So, she asked Mu Shuangshuang whether she had seen him.
Mu Shuangshuang put down the kitchen knife, gathering the pig feed in the wooden basin into piles while saying: "Mom, stop looking, Dad just sneaked off to my grandpa and grandma’s place, probably to prevent them from borrowing money from Gao Tiezhu."
Yu Si Niang was startled, wiping her wet hands on her apron.
"What is your dad doing? Didn’t we agree not to get involved in this matter? If he goes, your grandparents won’t be pleased with him again.
You know, last night before bed, he was telling how your grandma treated him poorly on New Year’s Day, almost like enemies."
"Mom, it’s Da Lang and I who said not to bother, Dad didn’t agree to it. If you really want him to ignore it, he’d feel uneasy inside; better let him follow his instincts," Mu Shuangshuang replied.
Yu Si Niang said: "But if your dad goes and gets bullied, what then?"
"You know what dad is like, right? Once he’s decided on sothing, who can change that? Let him go, at least for peace of mind.
At least if anything really happens in the future, grandpa and grandma won’t say we did absolutely nothing."
Mu Shuangshuang didn’t want to interfere with Mu Dashan’s personal freedom.
Mu Dashan is an adult and can decide anything for himself.
Besides, he is innately kind-hearted, loyal and honest. Even if the Old Mu Family treats him poorly, usually making him avoid them, he wouldn’t care, but if it’s related to safety, he would definitely step in.
Even if he runs into roadblocks and gets humiliated by Mr. Mu and Old Mrs. Mu.
These shouldn’t be obstacles for Mu Dashan to do what he believes is right.
"Mom, don’t worry, I won’t let dad get bullied, once I’ve finished chopping the pig feed, I’ll cook it and go over there to take a look,"
Mu Shuangshuang said as she wiped the sweat from her forehead with the back of her hand, addressing Yu Si Niang.
Yu Si Niang felt slightly relieved after listening to her daughter.
She reassured herself in her heart: With her daughter Shuangshuang around, surely her dad would be fine.
...
Mu Dashan went straight to the Old Mu Family’s main house. On the second day of the New Year, many people had co to the Old Mu Family, all to join the festivities.
Incidentally, they wanted to inquire when Mu Dade would take the exams so that the village could send him off together and share in the good fortune of Mu Dade from the Old Mu Family.
The originally planned departure date of the third day of the lunar New Year for the Old Mu Family had been postponed to the sixth day. These days, all were busy preparing for Mu Dade’s grand start to the Capital.
Old Mrs. Mu and Mr. Mu had shared the dates with the villagers, so those who ca to pay New Year’s complints didn’t stay long.
Of course, the main reason was that Mu Dade wasn’t at the Old Mu Family house; if he were, no matter how busy everyone was, they would stay a bit longer.
When Mu Dashan entered the main room, only Mr. Mu and Old Mrs. Mu were there, the others were either taking a midday nap.
Or went out to spread the news about Mu Dade, taking advantage of the villagers.
Seeing Mu Dashan enter the room.
Old Mrs. Mu snorted coldly and turned her head, proving with her actions that she didn’t welco Mu Dashan.
Fortunately, Mr. Mu wasn’t as cold due to last year’s New Year’s incident.
Getting up, he grabbed so lon seeds from the snacks tray on the table for Mu Dashan, saying: "Have so, these are from your brother who brought them back from the county, bigger and tastier than the usual ones."
Mu Dashan glanced at the lon seeds in his hand, they were indeed large and plump.
They looked better than average lon seeds.
Must be good stuff.
"Dad, you and Mom should keep them for yourselves. We bought so at ho, so I won’t eat them," preparing to put the seeds back on the tray, Mu Dashan said.
Unexpectedly, Old Mrs. Mu was quicker.
She suddenly stood up, reached out, and grabbed all the lon seeds from Mu Dashan’s palm into her own.
"Old man, why are you giving away stuff your eldest brought back, willy-nilly? Our Xiangxiang eats them less, don’t you know?"
Questioning Mr. Mu’s decision, he unhappily glared at Old Mrs. Mu.
"Shut up, the third son isn’t an outsider, why can’t he eat so lon seeds?"
With that, Mr. Mu snatched the tray from Old Mrs. Mu, pouring all the lon seeds into Mu Dashan’s pocket.
Old Mrs. Mu was taken aback.
She stared blankly at Mr. Mu, wanting so justice from him.
But instead of comforting her, Mr. Mu said, "You can’t make a scene in the Old Mu Family. The past few days were New Year, I didn’t say anything. If you dare defy my words again, I’ll divorce you and send you back to your Liu Family Village."
Fearing Old Mrs. Mu might start with her usual antics, Mr. Mu added, "If today you dare sit on the ground, hit your own thigh, or shout, I’ll divorce you too."
These words left Old Mrs. Mu speechless.
Her aged hands waved repeatedly in front of Mr. Mu.
Mu Dashan felt the weight of the lon seeds in his pocket, montarily not knowing what to say.
This should be the first ti Mr. Mu proactively gave food to Mu Dashan.
"Dad, I actually ca to persuade you about one thing: Neither you nor Mom should borrow money from Gao Tiezhu, he’s not a good person. Have you forgotten about what happened a few years ago?"
Mu Dashan referred to the incident of the widow’s suicide by drowning.
The body pulled out was bloated beyond recognition.
People from all nearby villages ca to see, only then realizing how hateful Gao Tiezhu truly was.
Mr. Mu sighed deeply.
"How could I not know borrowing from Gao Tiezhu isn’t wise, but your brother needs it!
This trip to the Capital is long and far, your mom and I co from peasant roots and have no savings.
Even if we did have savings, they were used up when your brother was taking the scholar exams."
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