CHAPTER 143: CHAPTER 143: THE PREDICAMENT OF THE OLD MU FAMILY (PART 1)

"Mom, listen to this. Fengzi is so captivated by that woman he’s just handing over money."

Gu Jiulian shouted at the top of her lungs, not expecting that this time she would be thrown out by Lu Yuanfeng.

She didn’t manage to get any money and was kicked out, so she cursed for a while. Realizing no one inside paid her any mind, she left in a huff.

Inside, Old Lady Lu looked at her grandson blankly, suddenly remembering how much he disliked Gu Jiulian.

"Fengzi, it’s my fault, I just got too excited, I..."

"Grandma, don’t worry about it. You go back first, I’ll come by to see you when I have some time."

Lu Yuanfeng’s face showed no emotion as he sent Old Lady Lu away.

Once Old Lady Lu left, Lu Yuanfeng’s expression crumbled.

"Shuangshuang, do you think I shouldn’t treat Gu Jiulian like that?"

His expression was a bit troubled, continuously watching Mu Shuangshuang as he spoke.

To outsiders, Gu Jiulian seemed like his stepmother, someone he should respect.

But no one knew what she had really done, and he simply couldn’t put on a happy face in front of her fake smile.

"Not at all, that Aunt Gu looks like nothing good. The greed in her eyes is obvious.

I just saw her eyeing your money jar for ages. Be careful she doesn’t get the chance to take advantage again. Who you like or dislike is up to you, don’t concern yourself with what others think."

Mu Shuangshuang spoke sincerely, and by now she had a good understanding of Lu Yuanfeng’s character.

He really is a great person, especially towards her. As for Gu Jiulian, if it weren’t for Old Lady Lu, she wouldn’t hesitate to tear off that woman’s façade.

Having split from the family, her concerns were long gone.

"Mm!" Lu Yuanfeng nodded heavily. "Shuangshuang, when do you want to go to Lotus Pond River to pick lotus seeds?"

"Tomorrow, and then the day after we can take them to town to sell fresh lotus seeds and rent a stall while we’re at it."

To do business, you need a stall; borrowing from others all the time is not a good plan.

"Alright, tomorrow I’ll bring some burlap bags, come find me at my place."

After saying this, Lu Yuanfeng handed the picked lotus seeds to Mu Shuangshuang and brought out a big iron pot.

"What are you doing?" Mu Shuangshuang was puzzled by Lu Yuanfeng’s action.

"I have two iron pots at my stove, usually only use one. My family doesn’t raise pigs, so we don’t need to cook pig feed. I’ll give you this pot, so you don’t have to buy one."

Afraid Mu Shuangshuang wouldn’t accept it, Lu Yuanfeng ran off with the pot on his back. By the time Mu Shuangshuang snapped out of it, he had already rushed out of the courtyard.

"..."

Mu Shuangshuang could only feel helpless, left with nothing else but helplessness.

But mentioning pig farming reminded her of the large empty space behind her room, perfect for a pigpen. As for the piglet, the two little wild boars on the mountain last time seemed decent enough.

Maybe she should go up there again and bring one down, saving some money.

For now, the focus is on picking lotus seeds first!

Lu Yuanfeng, sweating profusely, finally brought the big iron pot to Mu Shuangshuang’s house.

Without even stopping for a drink of water, Lu Yuanfeng began inspecting the surroundings of Shuangshuang’s house.

Currently, the third branch only had two rooms; one for Mu the Third and Yu Si Niang, the other was for Shuangshuang and Little Zhi.

Despite this, Little Zhi often wasn’t actually in Mu Shuangshuang’s room.

By the time Mu Shuangshuang came in, Lu Yuanfeng already had an idea, and he shared it with her.

"Let’s set up the kitchen on the empty land, and next to it a pigpen to raise chickens or pigs. Once the pigs and chickens grow up, things will get better."

Lu Yuanfeng drew a map for Mu Shuangshuang, inwardly longing for that kind of life.

"You’re right, let’s do as you say. But for two straw houses, shouldn’t we hire someone?"

Building one house was manageable, but two...she didn’t want to tire out Lu Yuanfeng.

"Okay, I’ll call someone for you. Last time, Zhao Dahu and Zhao Daniu were helpful; they work odd jobs for villagers to make a living."

The people Lu Yuanfeng recommended were trustworthy to Mu Shuangshuang. She had learned that a man helping with work in town earned about eighteen coins per day, and maybe twenty-five coins at the dock for heavy lifting.

Zhao brothers usually just scraped by with meals and would charge seven or eight coins a day plus three meals, yet even then, not many would hire them.

Mu Shuangshuang decided not to skimp on wages, eighteen coins means eighteen coins, according to town rates.

Building two straw houses with three people would take roughly seven to eight days, costing around a hundred coins and including lunch, with materials sourced herself, going up the mountain to chop wood. She intended to set a good example this time.

After discussing it, Mu Shuangshuang settled the plan with Lu Yuanfeng.

Meanwhile, Lu Yuanfeng chatted with Mu Dashan for a while. Since he killed a wild boar last time, Lu Yuanfeng’s reputation in the village improved, and Mu Dashan admired him.

Unfortunately, in his current state, he didn’t have the strength to build a house for his family. If he did, he wouldn’t let his wife and daughter run around doing everything.

"Uncle Dashan, don’t worry, your illness is treatable. With proper medication and rest, it’ll get better."

Mu Dashan was, indeed, anxious. His daughter was managing the whole household. If his wife hadn’t insisted on him staying put, he would’ve started working already. He truly believed he was fit for it.

"But if I keep staying put, what if Shuangshuang gets sick from overworking?"

"She won’t. Shuangshuang knows how to take care of herself, and besides..." Shuangshuang taking care of herself also meant he was there for her.

Lu Yuanfeng dared not speak the latter part, fearing Shuangshuang might distance herself because of it.

"Sigh..."

————

On the Old Mu Family’s field ridges, even though only one acre of land remained, it took two whole days to harvest it, yet still unfinished.

Mu Dazhong threw his sickle to the ground, helplessly saying to Mr. Mu, "Dad, bring back Mu the Third. Let’s reunite, this workload is overwhelming us."

"Exactly, Dad, when is this going to end? If Third Brother were here, it would’ve been done in no time."

Mu Danian gulped some water before chiming in.

Previously unaware of how much work Mu Dashan handled until his absence made the Old Mu Family realize the vital role he played.

Mr. Mu paused with the sickle in his hand, refusing to respond to his sons. He glanced at the far-off field where Mu Dajiang struggled with a plow.

Taking another look around, everyone else, men and women alike, worked diligently, unlike his sons who acted like old men!

Alas, what a curse, what a curse!

(Out a couple of days for a trip, missed two Chapters. Will make up next Tuesday. Starting today, resume two updates, one at 00:05, the other at 20:15. Much love, keep the recommendation votes coming.)