CHAPTER 718: CHAPTER 714 INTERNAL STRIFE (SECOND UPDATE)

Saying something unintentionally, hearing it with intent.

Mr. Yu and Old Mrs. Yu said these words only to encourage Feng Xiaohua to share the burden for Yu Liulang.

But in Yu Erlang’s eyes, it was the Yu Family elders wanting to give the tea garden to Feng Xiaohua, making the second branch suffer.

Moreover, the words Mrs. Li said to Yu Erlang before the meal, which were patronizing, added to his feelings.

Yu Erlang now felt even more uneasy.

Over the years, Yu Erlang was quite foolish and never took Mrs. Li’s words seriously.

He just did whatever his parents asked, without any plans.

Upon reflection, Yu Erlang felt the elders were biased everywhere, caring only for the Sixth Son, even along with his own younger sister.

Yu Erlang realized he should do something to get what he deserves.

After lunch, Mu Shuangshuang and Lu Yuanfeng returned to Er Gui Village. Yu Si Niang and Mu Dashan originally wanted to go with them, but Mu Shuangshuang refused.

After all, Yu Liulang’s issue hadn’t been resolved yet. If all of those who cared about him went back, Yu Liulang might think too much, so only Yu Si Niang and Mu Dashan could stay in Yu Family Village.

...

...

Tomorrow is the day Mu Shuangshuang and Lu Yuanfeng go to town to deliver goods.

Mu Shuangshuang and Lu Yuanfeng need to prepare everything well and then hurry to Yu Family Village from the town.

Back home, Mu Shuangshuang started washing clothes that had been left for two days. As soon as Lu Yuanfeng was home, he went into the mountains to chop firewood and check if any new prey had wandered into his traps.

Xue Zheng played with a rabbit in the yard, occasionally glancing at Mu Shuangshuang washing clothes.

In Old Mu Family, Mr. Mu and Old Mrs. Mu had gone to town for most of the day and hadn’t returned for lunch.

Mrs. Lin was also not there; the only one who could cook was the wife of the fourth house, Mrs. Liu. Mu Dazhong and Mu Danian together called her up from the kang, telling her to cook and wash clothes.

Mrs. Liu, who had just gotten a little better, was exhausted like a spinning top and seemed about to collapse again.

Mu Dajiang sent Mrs. Liu back to her room to rest.

This act, however, angered Mu Danian and Mu Dazhong.

The two big men spoke roughly.

"Fourth, the only woman in the house is Xiaxia’s mother. Nowadays, you pamper Xiaxia’s mother like she’s a treasure. No food is cooked, no clothes are washed. Do you expect us big men to do these women’s chores?"

Mu Dazhong sat heavily on the stone roller in the yard. It was the same stone roller that Mrs. Lin had pushed Mu Shuangshuang into at the time.

But now Mrs. Lin, avoiding responsibility, had fled to Lin Family Village and hadn’t returned yet.

"Second Brother, Fifth Brother, it’s not that I’m saying it, but Mom and Dad haven’t come back yet. Instead of caring about whether Mom and Dad have eaten or if Xiangxiang is well, you have Xiaxia’s mother doing this and that. What’s your intention?" accused Mu Dajiang with a flushed face.

Nearby, not wanting Mu Dajiang to cause trouble, Mrs. Liu took the initiative and said, "Fourth, let it be. Mom and Dad are not here. As the daughter-in-law, it’s my duty to take care of the house.

I’ll wash the clothes; you, as a big man, shouldn’t bother with these things. Let me do it."

Saying this, Mrs. Liu squatted by the wooden basin again, but Mu Dajiang helped her up.

"Xiaxia’s mother, these are not our clothes, so we shouldn’t wash them. The second branch has the most people and clothes, so Second Brother should wash them."

"Fifth Brother, did you hear that? You once said Fourth Brother was the most honest in our family. I think you got it wrong; Fourth Brother is actually the least honest.

At lunch, I watched him take the eggs Mom bought for Xiangxiang—three eggs. When Mom finds out, she might not know whether to flay Fourth Brother and Xiaxia’s mother alive." Mu Dazhong covered his mouth, snickering.

At this moment, Mu Dazhong no longer treated Mu Dajiang as his brother, merely as someone to argue against.

Grabbing every opportunity to stomp down hard.

Mu Dajiang was shocked; his face turned a deeper shade of red from anger.

"Second Brother, you were the one who mentioned wanting to eat eggs. You were the one who said Mom’s eggs were in the jar at the corner of her room. And it was you who said you would take full responsibility."

That’s exactly how it was.

Old Mrs. Mu hid many good things in her room—sometimes food given by relatives, sometimes cured meat made for holidays.

Country cured meat has two types: smoked and sun-dried.

Every New Year, Old Mrs. Mu would buy more than ten pounds of meat to make cured meat, but by New Year’s Day, nobody would see a trace of these things.

Because Old Mrs. Mu would hide it away, waiting until Mu Dade started school in spring before cooking it for him meal by meal.

Mu Dazhong and Mu Danian knew where Old Mrs. Mu hid things, but Mu Dajiang, being honest, never tried to investigate this matter. This time, because Mrs. Liu was still sick, and Mu Dajiang wanted to give her some nutritious food, he agreed with Mu Dazhong.

Who would have thought he’d fall into a trap?

"You believed what I said, Fourth Brother; do you realize how foolish you are!" Mu Dazhong laughed heartily.

"All the brothers, even the Third Brother has gained wisdom, but you’re still dull as a pig. Anyway, there’s no escaping this blame for you."

Not only couldn’t he escape, but he also implicated the fourth house.

Mu Dajiang’s eyes turned bright red, glaring at Mu Dazhong, who had set him up.

"What are you looking at? You can look all you want, but I won’t admit it’s me who sent you. See how you explain yourself in front of Mom and Dad." Mu Dazhong was still smug.

Mu Dajiang clenched his fists tightly, and in the blink of an eye, he charged at Mu Dazhong, punching him.

Mu Dazhong’s face was knocked askew. Before he could cry out in pain, Mu Dajiang landed another punch.

An honest man, being honest all his life, never blushing eye to eye with anyone, nor quarreling over a single word.

But all these broke in front of his family brother, as Mu Dajiang’s eyes turned red and he kept hitting.

In the yard, the cries of pain slowly spread far away...

Mu Shuangshuang had washed half a tub of clothes; hearing Mu Dazhong’s cry of pain, she curiously wondered what had happened.

Mrs. Liu came charging over, crying as she spoke to Mu Shuangshuang, "Shuangshuang, this is terrible. Your Fourth Uncle and Second Uncle have started fighting. Hurry up and take a look; late could be fatal."

Mu Shuangshuang looked at Mrs. Liu, hair straggled and dazed, feeling waves of pity.

Moreover, she noticed a red palm print on Mrs. Liu’s face—that was definitely a man’s hand.

"Fourth Aunt, what’s wrong? Who hit you on the face?"

Mrs. Liu didn’t speak and merely cried.

Mu Shuangshuang also got annoyed. "Fourth Aunt, what exactly happened? Can you tell me clearly? Who hit you, and how did Fourth Uncle and Second Uncle get into a fight?"

Mrs. Liu sobbed for a long time before speaking.

First, it was because of the eggs, then because Mu Dazhong slapped Mrs. Liu in the face. Now, things had completely spiraled out of control.

"Shuangshuang, your Grandpa and Grandma... They went to town and haven’t returned yet. If they were here, the fight definitely wouldn’t have broken out. Shuangshuang, please, Fourth Aunt begs you, go and help..."

"Fourth Aunt, don’t cry. I’ll go right now to take a look!"