CHAPTER 152: CHAPTER 152 THE USELESS ZHUANGZI (1ST UPDATE)

"Ouch, it hurts so much, help..."

Mu Danian’s voice was hoarse from screaming, but the person hitting him through the burlap sack not only didn’t stop but became even more ruthless.

The pain was so intense that Mu Danian actually wet his pants. A strong smell of urine wafted out, making Mu Shuangshuang withdraw her fist in disgust.

She tugged at Lu Yuanfeng’s sleeve, and the two quickly and tacitly fled.

Leaving Mu Danian alone, incessantly wailing.

Mu Danian was found early the next morning lying under the big banyan tree in the village, covered in bruises, his face swollen like a pig’s head, and most notably, reeking of urine.

The villagers all said Mu Danian was possessed, and even when old Mr. Mu went out to herd cattle in the morning, people avoided him as if he were a plague.

It was breakfast time, and Mu Danian sat at the main table, sniffling, with his mouth askew.

"Look at you, crying over something so trivial, aren’t you ashamed?

The whole village knows about your little incident now, where am I supposed to put my old face?" said old Mr. Mu displeased.

"Dad, you don’t know, I was ambushed; such a thick stick was hitting me, my bones are about to break."

Mu Danian said while crying.

Over on the side where Mu Shuangshuang was having breakfast, she felt so pleased that even the hard bread picked by Old Mrs. Mu turned into delicious mountain delicacies.

Serves you right for your foul mouth!

"I say, fifth brother, you’re a grown man and got hit with a stick, how can you even tell everyone? If it were me, I wouldn’t show my face."

Mu Zhenzhen was the only one in the Old Mu Family who dared to laugh, clutching her stomach, for an entire morning.

Since she saw Mu Danian, she started laughing, her shoulders shaking with laughter.

"Zhenzhen, how can you say that? Do you even have a conscience? I’m your brother."

"What’s wrong with my brother? It’s not like it was me who hit you." Mu Zhenzhen smiled slightly and then said to the man beside her, "Right, Zhuangzi, isn’t my fifth brother in the wrong?"

Zhuangzi was busily eating, and hearing his wife’s words, he quickly looked up from the huge bowl and said.

"Hehe, yes, fifth brother, your face is really ugly, uglier than a toad’s."

"You..." Mu Danian was so angry he felt like a lump of blood was stuck in his throat, neither swallowable nor coughable.

"Mom, another bowl of rice, I’m done with this one," Zhuangzi picked up his large bowl and handed it to Old Mrs. Mu, who was serving the rice.

"You’re still eating, Zhuangzi? This is your third bowl. Your second and fifth brothers only eat one bowl each."

"I’m hungry, Zhenzhen, I’m hungry," Zhuangzi said to Mu Zhenzhen.

"Mom, Zhuangzi says he’s hungry, so serve him some more, will you? How much does this rice cost? Our Zhuangzi is a hard worker; he shouldn’t go hungry."

"I know, I know!" Old Mrs. Mu said somewhat impatiently.

As for this son-in-law, if before yesterday Old Mrs. Mu still welcomed him, now she particularly despised him.

The Old Mu Family’s male members’ rations were all consumed in this one meal; if it continued like this, the Old Mu Family would be eaten into bankruptcy.

After serving another bowl, Old Mrs. Mu tried to fill it with sweet potatoes to make the portion seem bigger, but Zhuangzi wouldn’t accept it.

"Mom, I don’t eat sweet potatoes. They’re rough and not tasty; you keep them for yourself!"

"..."

Old Mrs. Mu angrily replaced the sweet potatoes with rice, cursing Zhuangzi thousands of times in her heart.

Seeing how Old Mrs. Mu was crumbling on the second day of her aunt’s visit, Mu Shuangshuang was curious to see if Old Mrs. Mu would cough up blood if her aunt stayed any longer.

"Grandpa, grandma, uncles, and aunt..., I’m full, you all take your time eating."

"We’re full too," Little Zhi and Xiao Han said simultaneously.

Mu Shuangshuang put her bowl and chopsticks away, took the two little ones at home, and without waiting for old Mr. Mu and the relatives to respond, she stepped out of the main room.

The main room erupted into chaos again, but Mu Shuangshuang paid it no mind.

"Xiao Han, today your sister has important things to do. You stay at home and look after dad. Later, Zhao Dahu and Zhao Daniu brothers will come to help build the kitchen and pigsty, remember to offer them water.

Little Zhi, you help feed Little Black. We’ll have lunch at Brother Yuanfeng’s house as usual, and I’ll come to get you when it’s ready."

Before heading out, Mu Shuangshuang always gave instructions to the two little ones at home, as they were still young and needed her guidance as their older sister.

The two little ones were very understanding and always did as Mu Shuangshuang instructed.

Especially Little Zhi, who tugged at Mu Shuangshuang’s leg and said, "Sister, you hurry along, Little Zhi will take good care of Little Black."

When she left, Mu Shuangshuang took a chopping knife and a back basket with her.

She had promised Mu Dashan that she would let him work even while lying in bed, so this morning’s task was to find some palmetto branches before going to find Lu Yuanfeng to pick lotus pods.

Palmettos usually grow in the mountains. Mu Shuangshuang found them with little effort, cutting enough to fill a bamboo basket with her machete.

Bringing the palmettos back, Mu Shuangshuang spread them out to dry on the open space in front of her house.

Making straw fans isn’t difficult; you usually learn it after being shown once. She had already told Mu Dashan how to do it the night before, and now it just depended on whether the dried-out palmettos would work for Mu Dashan’s practice.

——

At Lu Yuanfeng’s yard.

There were plenty of summer clothes, and during the day, Lu Yuanfeng was busy helping Mu Shuangshuang with chores, and at night he was busy making a wardrobe for her, so he could only squeeze in time to do laundry.

He just soaked the clothes when Xia Guagua sneaked over again.

Today, Xia Guagua was wearing a light green skirt, obviously new, and she had makeup on; her face was powdered, and red paper colored her lips, making her look much more lively.

"Brother Yuanfeng, why are you doing the washing? Let me do it. It’s not suitable for a man like you."

Xia Guagua rushed to take over Lu Yuanfeng’s task but was brushed off with a wave of his hand.

"Brother Yuanfeng, look at me, how do I look? I’m wearing new clothes today. My mom bought them for me."

Xia Guagua lifted her chin proudly.

She was confident in her looks, believing that no one in Er Gui Village could outshine her beauty, and Brother Yuanfeng would like her for sure.

Lu Yuanfeng single-handedly finished the laundry and laid the clothes out by the creek, never once acknowledging Xia Guagua, who lingered in his view from time to time.

"I have to go out now, don’t follow me; it won’t look good if others see."

Lu Yuanfeng said to Xia Guagua after hanging up the clothes.

"Why can’t I follow you? Are you going to meet that stinky girl? Do you like her? Do you want her to be your wife? I tell you, I don’t agree!"