CHAPTER 134: CHAPTER 134: PRELUDE TO THE STORM (SECOND UPDATE)

Mr. Mu, ever since he left Shuangshuang’s aunt’s house, has been like a wilted cabbage, looking listless, dragging his feet as he walks.

Shuangshuang knows he’s disappointed.

It’s not surprising he’s disappointed; such a large sum of silver could support the entire Old Mu Family for several years. How could it be easily produced?

If it were Mu Dade’s first time taking the exam, it would be understandable, but how many times has he taken it?

Mu Dade became a scholar at fifteen, and now at thirty-one, he’s spent sixteen years striving for one title of scholar.

Sixteen years, enough for the poor wife to become a respected woman, yet Mu Dade selfishly insists on taking the exam, asking for fifty silver pieces.

Perhaps his virtues are too poor, even Heaven refuses to let him pass.

Thinking about the Old Mu Family through these years, everyone tightening their belts, and the result is this, Mu Shuangshuang feels it’s not worth it.

"Grandpa, would you like to eat something to fill your stomach? I know there’s a place selling buns ahead, two for a penny."

Mu Shuangshuang was referring, of course, to the bun shop she’d visited several times; after such a long walk, it’s normal to feel hungry.

"Let’s go back." Mr. Mu shook his head.

Mr. Mu held onto those thirty copper coins, planning to save them for Mu Dade’s examination expenses, and felt reluctant to spend even on a bun.

Poor Shuangshuang couldn’t leave him to buy something to eat, but luckily, they encountered Lu Yuanfeng on the way.

The town is not very big, yet some people always seem to run into each other.

"Mr. Mu, Shuangshuang, are you heading back?" Lu Yuanfeng, pushing a wheelbarrow, approached them proactively.

"Yes, Lu Yuanfeng, would you like to join us?" Mu Shuangshuang spoke while signaling to Lu Yuanfeng and touching her stomach.

Lu Yuanfeng immediately realized that Shuangshuang was hungry.

"Mr. Mu, Shuangshuang, could you wait for me a moment?"

Lu Yuanfeng’s attitude was sincere, so even if Mr. Mu was unwilling, he could only nod.

Lu Yuanfeng went ahead and bought ten buns, spending five copper coins.

Normally, he might have hesitated, but these days he and Shuangshuang had earned quite a bit of silver. With Shuangshuang saying she was hungry, he naturally didn’t hesitate to buy them.

The buns wrapped in oiled paper were still steaming when bought, and the previously indifferent Mr. Mu suddenly felt hungry.

But Lu Yuanfeng was, after all, a child. Mr. Mu found it awkward to eat while asked to do so, but fortunately, Lu Yuanfeng was considerate.

"Mr. Mu, I bought a lot of buns, please have some."

Out of ten buns, Lu Yuanfeng gave Mr. Mu three, kept three for himself, and four for Mu Shuangshuang.

Mr. Mu observed quietly but felt resentful; it wasn’t that he necessarily wanted to eat the bun, but he was the eldest among the three.

As Shuangshuang’s grandfather, he felt it was right to eat more than Shuangshuang.

This isn’t about being selfish, it’s just how it should be.

"Shuangshuang, won’t you be overstuffed eating so many? Yuanfeng’s buns should be eaten more by him."

Unjustly criticized, Mu Shuangshuang rolls her eyes internally, just because she ate one more.

"Grandpa, since Lu Yuanfeng gave them to me, it means he doesn’t want to eat that much. I’ve walked a long way, I’m truly hungry.

Besides, I don’t intend to finish all of them. Little Zhi and Xiao Han have never had buns, I want to save some for them."

Being directly refused, Mr. Mu’s expression flickered between shades of green and white.

Because of this incident, he remained quiet the entire way while Mu Shuangshuang and Lu Yuanfeng occasionally exchanged glances.

The two pushing the wheelbarrow found amusement in it.

By the time they reached the village, it wasn’t late—not long after the lunch hour.

Fortunately, Lu Yuanfeng bought several buns allowing her to stave off hunger, or she would have surely starved.

Mu Shuangshuang ate two meat buns, keeping the remaining two tucked away for Little Zhi and Xiao Han.

Just as she reached the village entrance, she saw Little Zhi with disheveled hair, crying her eyes out.

Mu Shuangshuang rushed over, heart aching as she embraced Little Zhi. "What’s wrong, who bullied you?"

Little Zhi was crying so hard she was almost breathless, hiccuping.

If not for Mu Shuangshuang’s embrace making her feel familiar, she wouldn’t have realized her sister, whom she’d waited so long for, had returned.

"Oh... Sister, why did you come back so late, Daddy... coughed blood, Grandma bullied Daddy..."

"Wuwuwu..."

Mu Shuangshuang’s face turned pale, as the meat buns she had in her pocket fell to the ground, rolling a few times before landing in the muddy earth.

Mu Shuangshuang’s body trembled slightly as she asked, "Little Zhi, don’t cry, tell Sister what happened."

Mr. Mu also panicked; Old Three coughed blood and he was gone for just a morning. How did another incident occur at home?

"Little Zhi, tell Grandpa what exactly happened."

But after mentioning Mu Dashan coughing blood, Little Zhi couldn’t speak another word, as if her throat was locked, opening mouth several times without a sound.

Mu Shuangshuang handed Little Zhi to Lu Yuanfeng and said to him, "Help me to take Little Zhi to your house, have Yuanbao take good care of her, I will come to pick her up in the afternoon, meanwhile, go to Zhang Huai Shu’s place and ask him to come over."

After saying this, Mu Shuangshuang quickly rushed towards her home.

Mr. Mu followed behind, almost running.

When they reached the Old Mu Family, both were soaked through, Mu Shuangshuang looking like she had been fished out of the water.

At the Old Mu Family, everything was peaceful; Old Mrs. Mu was entertaining Matchmaker Sun with coarse tea from Mu Dade and the melon she’d secretly hidden a few days ago.

In such a grand manner, Matchmaker Sun, after listening to Old Mrs. Mu, promptly took out the wedding book.

"Old Sister-in-law, all you need is for Dashan to sign this, and I’ll take care of the rest with the Wang Family myself."

Matchmaker Sun, holding a piece of silk cloth, spoke as she laughed, occasionally swaying it with a charming demeanor.

Mu Shuangshuang’s first act was to head home, finding Mu Dashan lying on the bed, ashen-faced, hopeless; if that matchmaker came in, forced by his mother, even if he died, he wouldn’t sign.

"Dad, tell me everything that happened this morning in full detail."

Mu Shuangshuang wasn’t bothered to inquire about Mu Dashan’s condition since Zhang Huai Shu would soon arrive to attend to it.

She needed to deal with the Old Mu Family’s lot of rubbish first.

Unlike Shuangshuang, Mr. Mu’s first task was to go indoors and ask Old Mrs. Mu what happened, after all, Little Zhi claimed Old Mrs. Mu bullied Old Three.

"Shuangshuang, it’s Dad’s fault. I was tricked by your aunt, she... she deceived me into signing a document that was actually meant to sell you..."

Indeed, that rogue Mrs. Jin really had such thoughts.

"Now your grandma found Matchmaker Sun to have me sign the wedding book, I..."

Upon speaking, Mu Dashan began to become agitated, his chest hurting once more; he breathed heavily, eyes bloodshot, looking terrifying.

"Dad, take a rest, I’ll deal with Aunt."

"Xiao Han, take good care of Dad, don’t let him get up. Until I come back, don’t let anyone in."

Mu Shuangshuang squinted as she returned to her room, took out a contract she’d prepared in advance, and headed towards Mrs. Jin’s room...