CHAPTER 146: CHAPTER 146: PREPARING LUNCH (SECOND UPDATE)

Mu Xiaohan raised his fist high, like a little adult. His thin face was full of determination and resolve.

Poor children grow up early, Mu Shuangshuang had long been accustomed to Mu Xiaohan’s unusual maturity, she didn’t even think Mu Xiaohan was joking.

"Alright, but first you need to fatten up a bit. Brother Yuan Feng picked some lotus seeds, go to my room and take one to eat, after you finish, close the door properly."

All the valuable things of the third branch are now in her room, including Little Black, she must be extra careful.

In just a few days, Mu Shuangshuang had pretty well trained Little Black, she tried letting it outside, but it didn’t run away, it seems it won’t leave from now on.

"Sister, can we not take Brother Yuan Feng’s stuff?" Mu Xiaohan pouted, "Xiao Han can help Sister with work, anything it may be, can’t we not rely on others?"

Ever since Lu Yuanfeng began appearing more often and being kinder to his sister, Xiao Han was always uneasy, always feeling that Lu Yuanfeng would take away everything that rightfully belonged to him.

"Rely on others?" Mu Shuangshuang heard Mu Xiaohan’s words and felt like laughing, she reached out, gently smoothing Mu Xiaohan’s hair off his forehead.

"Sister has never relied on anyone, and besides, Lu Yuanfeng isn’t really an outsider, he’s Sister’s partner, a working partner.

He and sister have the same goal, we both need to earn a lot of money so that we won’t be bullied by genuine outsiders."

Before Mu Dade enters the August Autumn Examination, she must earn enough silver to set up a small stall in town after all, no one knows whether Mu Dade will succeed in the exam.

If he gets lucky and passes, the people from the Old Mu Family will certainly come to mock the third branch, the only way to make them shut up is by showing them the third branch would thrive even apart from the Old Mu Family.

"But sister, I..." Mu Xiaohan looked at Mu Shuangshuang with longing yet hesitance in his eyes.

"Xiao Han, be good, sister will talk to you tonight, but for now, I have to go pick some wild vegetables and mushrooms, we need to prepare lunch for Brother Yuan Feng and Brothers Da Niu and Da Hu who are building the house, otherwise they’ll go hungry."

Lunch is being prepared at Lu Yuanfeng’s house, Mu Shuangshuang’s kitchen isn’t ready yet, and there’s no stove built or firewood stocked, it’s in no condition for cooking.

Thinking of all this, Mu Shuangshuang realized there was still a pile of things she had to do.

She took two bamboo baskets and headed up the mountain alone.

Since it wasn’t her first time at Niuwei Mountain, Mu Shuangshuang headed skillfully to the spot where she’d previously picked wild vegetables and mushrooms.

In the forest, since sunlight can’t reach here, it feels cooler than outside the forest.

Mu Shuangshuang meticulously searched the ground, soon finding a decayed cedar tree.

The cedar tree was covered in mushrooms, Mu Shuangshuang picked them all, filling up nearly half of a basket.

Now that the third branch wasn’t under the control of the Old Mu Family, Mu Shuangshuang picked wild vegetables and mushrooms freely, only choosing the tender ones.

She hardly touched the old wild vegetables, after going around a few times, both baskets were brimming full.

Coming back to her senses, Mu Shuangshuang realized she had gone far, unknowingly deep into the forest, the surroundings were quiet, without even a bird’s chirp.

Mu Shuangshuang felt a bit scared, animals have the keenest instincts, if even birds don’t want to go somewhere, it indicates that place isn’t safe.

Intuition told her she should leave soon.

Forget it, next time I’ll bring a bow and arrow to see what’s around here.

Mu Shuangshuang picked up stones from the mountain, marking several trees conspicuously, so she wouldn’t lose her way next time.

As Mu Shuangshuang walked away, a black shadow emerged from a half-person high bush nearby, swayed a couple of times, then disappeared.

The path down the mountain was much easier for Mu Shuangshuang, she retraced her steps, reaching the stream she often visited.

She paused for a while, picking some water plants she usually used for bathing. The sap from these water plants can be rubbed together to create foam, useful for daily life.

After separating from the Old Mu Family, her marriage was under her control, hence the dark grime on her face could be removed.

Mu Shuangshuang squatted by the stream, after a burst of splashing water, the grime on her face was completely gone.

With a clean face, she finally looked presentable.

Seeing her slightly fair complexion in the water, Mu Shuangshuang was quite pleased, except for being thin and not strong enough, this body had no remnants of illnesses anymore.

Once she eats well and exercises properly later, she should gain some weight.

After washing her face, Mu Shuangshuang didn’t rush back, usually paying attention to the mountains and hardly observing the foot of it, this time she took a closer look.She realized, surprisingly, something was growing about forty to fifty meters from the stream - a patch of fish mint.

Though fish mint smelled unpleasant, it was effective against summer heat and could be used for cooking. Mu Shuangshuang pinched some leaves, bundled the fish mint with grass, and carried it back to Lu Yuanfeng’s house.

Yuanbao was playing with stones at home alone, he jumped up excitedly when he saw Mu Shuangshuang.

"Sister Shuangshuang, I’ve been waiting for you for a long time, second brother said you’re going to make a good meal today, so I’m here to help."

While speaking, Yuanbao licked his lips, besides grilled meat, his second brother’s cooking skills were so bad that the tastiness could make people vomit.

Sister Shuangshuang was different, last time that winter melon stew with bones, Yuanbao ate three bowls of rice, nearly bursting his belly before stopping.

"Alright, help Sister bring out the scale, I need to weigh how much rice is used from your home."

For now, she could only keep track this way, noting how much she used from Lu Yuanfeng’s house, then she could buy rice and reimburse him when she went to town delivering cold noodles in a couple of days.

Yuanbao tilted his head, contemplating Mu Shuangshuang’s words, then suddenly understood after a while.

"Sister Shuangshuang, you needn’t be polite, second brother said I can’t take your money, otherwise he’ll spank me."

Lu Yuanfeng had left Lu Yuanbao at home, partly for Mu Shuangshuang’s convenience, and partly so Yuanbao could tell her that the household items could be used freely without worrying about money.

"Haha, you little fatty, your words are amusing, if you all are this generous in giving me everything, don’t come blaming sister if you go hungry later."

Mu Shuangshuang smiled, seemingly not discussing money anymore, yet although she spoke like this, the things she used, whether firewood, rice, oil, salt or water were all noted in her mind.

No one’s silver is blown in by the wind, even if she had a good relationship with Lu Yuanfeng, she couldn’t take advantage of him.

Mu Shuangshuang arranged the items and started preparing lunch.

Soon, the sound of chopping vegetables could be heard from Lu Yuanfeng’s kitchen...