CHAPTER 184: CHAPTER 184 THE KITCHEN IS BUILT (FIRST UPDATE)

On the road, Mu Shuangshuang didn’t let that stall owner affect her mood for shopping.

Just like before, her eyes scanned the wide array of goods in the marketplace, hoping to find something she needed.

Lu Yuanfeng walked beside her, occasionally glancing at her.

In his mind, he was still thinking about the words Shuangshuang said earlier, the sachet to ward off mosquitoes.

When Lu Yuanfeng was in the Northwest Camp, the people there would incense some herbal-like things into their clothing.

After doing so, even when outdoors, mosquitoes wouldn’t bite them.

"Shuangshuang, actually..."

"Lu Yuanfeng, actually..."

They both started speaking almost at the same time, their words surprisingly in sync.

"Haha, you go first," Mu Shuangshuang laughed.

"Better if Shuangshuang goes first!" Lu Yuanfeng shook his head, responding to Mu Shuangshuang.

"Alright, I was thinking, if we put some mosquito-repelling herbs in the sachet, it should work. If you want a scent, you can mix in some petals."

Lu Yuanfeng looked at Mu Shuangshuang excitedly, he said, "Shuangshuang, we thought of the same thing.

This method, we used it in the camp, but we didn’t mix petals, and mainly smoked the scent into the clothing. Of course, the smell wasn’t pleasant."

After all, it was something the men used, compared to being pleasant and good-looking, they cared more about effectiveness.

"That’s good, let’s try it out when we get back."

The two of them wandered around the market a few times, and Mu Shuangshuang bought a set of small rice bowls and five big dishes bowls.

She also bought a set of an iron pot and a spatula, but she didn’t spend money on chopsticks, because after going back, she could find someone to split bamboo into them.

Farm households prefer to save money; they usually won’t buy things they can make themselves in town, saving money for the future.

As Mu Shuangshuang and Lu Yuanfeng were almost done shopping, and had seemingly bought everything they needed,

just when they were hesitating about returning, Mu Shuangshuang saw a shop selling seeds and suddenly remembered that piece of wasteland they opened needs some seeds.

Lunar June, the weather is scorching, suitable vegetables for planting are limited, cabbage, eggplant, and peppers are just perfect for this time.

Mu Shuangshuang and Lu Yuanfeng entered the seed store and bought a little bit of seeds.

Next, once the soil was turned, and manure was applied, they could plant the vegetables.

Since today’s earnings were quite good, they made a lot of money selling rabbits and cold noodles, Mu Shuangshuang and Lu Yuanfeng indulged a little, each buying two pounds of beef and some snacks to take home.

Moreover, the green beans and flour were running low, so Mu Shuangshuang and Lu Yuanfeng bought twenty pounds of green beans and ten pounds of flour together.

As they were now working together on business, they jointly invested in materials for making cold noodles.

However, Mu Shuangshuang had previously agreed with Lu Yuanfeng about the straw fan business; most of the fans were made by Yu Si Niang and Mu Dashan, so the earnings belonged to them.

When they were returning, Mu Shuangshuang was exhausted, but Lu Yuanfeng was still full of energy.

She recalled that along the way, only Lu Yuanfeng was pushing the wheelbarrow while she was resting beside him, which made Mu Shuangshuang feel even more that her strength compared to Lu Yuanfeng was vastly inferior.

She needed to put on weight!

Perhaps she should make some delicious food and quickly gain some weight to have the strength and stamina for work.

In these ancient times, unlike modern times, slightly plumper boys and girls were more popular than those who were skinny and frail.

Everyone looking for a wife or husband wasn’t seeking a decoration, they needed someone to work in the fields and manage household chores, without good physical strength, these tasks are simply impossible.

Just as they entered the courtyard, Zhao Daniu and Zhao Dahu came up to them.

Both of them were covered in sweat, and before Mu Shuangshuang could ask about the satisfied smiles on their faces, Zhao Dahu took the initiative to speak.

"Sister Shuang, we’ve finally finished your kitchen and pigsty."

Upon hearing this, Mu Shuangshuang hurried to inspect the empty space next to her house, where two wooden huts had already been built.

The wooden huts were built alongside the old earthen house of the third branch, making the huts appear especially new.

However, since they were for the kitchen and pigsty, their size naturally couldn’t compare to the main house of the third branch.

"Thank you, Big Niu, Big Hu, Shuangshuang has just bought some things, come and eat together, so I can also settle today’s wages for you."

As Lu Yuanfeng helped Mu Shuangshuang carry the items they bought into the house, an uninvited guest appeared.

Mu Danian had just come out of the latrine, as it was close to the third branch, and with the recent commotion of building the kitchen, the Old Mu family’s members were all red-eyed with irritation.

In the countryside, the most expensive house is without a doubt the green brick red tile house, followed by earthen houses, then thatched cottages and wooden houses.

Wooden houses are the least valuable because timber can be chopped from the mountains, and they are easy to build; if a few people work together, they can erect a wooden house in a few days.

But even so, it exceeded the expectations of the others.

"Oh, so this kitchen has been built quite quickly, is little Shuang ready to have some good food? I’m your fifth uncle, don’t you forget me."

Mu Danian laughed lewdly, having spotted from afar the items Fengzi was carrying earlier; now that he was closer, he could see them clearly.

Lu Yuanfeng had a cloth bag on his back, stuffed with what seemed to be rice and flour, which Mu Danian wasn’t particularly interested in.

After all, who doesn’t have rice at home?

The highlight was the grass-tied beef in Lu Yuanfeng’s hand, which made Mu Danian drool.

Beef is a treat; sometimes, even in an entire village, years might pass without seeing it.

Farmers’ lifeblood is the farming oxen, and they would never easily slaughter them for meat.

Firstly, the government doesn’t allow it; Da Ning Dynasty values agriculture, and everything related is protected. Secondly, people can’t bear to.

So generally, beef is replaced by ox meat; the taste is great, but it’s expensive, about twenty-eight coins per pound.

"Shuang girl, you’re impressive, even managed to get beef. Come, let Fengzi give it to me. I’ll take it to the kitchen for your grandma to make a stir-fried beef dish tonight."

Mu Danian reached out to grab the beef but was blocked by Lu Yuanfeng.

"Fifth uncle, you might have the wrong place. This is our third branch, your house is over there," Mu Shuangshuang kindly reminded Mu Danian.

Mu Danian, sensing that Mu Shuangshuang didn’t want to give him the beef, exclaimed,

"Well now, you little brat, stole the meat and planned on eating it all by yourself? I’m going to tell the village head that you’re a thief."

Mu Danian’s words left everyone stunned, that such a shameless person could exist in this world.

Little Zhi stepped forward and pushed Mu Danian. "Go away, my sister is not a thief, you’re bad!"