CHAPTER 219: CHAPTER 218: ENCOUNTERING THE ELDEST AUNT (9TH UPDATE)

Mu Danian and Mrs. Lin waved their hands, digging in the wooden barrel for a long time but couldn’t find any water, so they had to lean further into the wood.

"That damn girl, why on earth did she put the wooden barrel so high? Just wait till I..."

Mrs. Lin muttered to herself halfway through, but as she reached out, she slipped and plunged headfirst into the barrel.

Mu Danian did the same, eager to catch the fish; he extended his upper body into the barrel, but still couldn’t touch the bottom, so he reached out his hand to see what was under the barrel, and then...

There were two muffled thuds, as Mu Danian and Mrs. Lin crashed through the barrel and fell to the ground, followed by the barrel tumbling down and pinning them.

But there wasn’t a drop of water splashed on Mrs. Lin and Mu Danian, as the barrel was hollow and bottomless.

Both of them reacted by letting out a howl, extremely piercing in the quiet night.

Mu Shuangshuang heard the noise and slowly opened her eyes, recognizing the sound came from her own courtyard. She sneered, and then fell back into a deep sleep.

...

...

Early next morning, before dawn, Mu Shuangshuang and Lu Yuanfeng used the cart from yesterday to transport the fish to town, planning to sell them at a good price.

Perhaps they got up too early, as they arrived in town just as the day was dawning.

Summer mornings are the most pleasant time of day, and many people come out at this hour to buy groceries. Mu Shuangshuang targeted this timing, forgoing breakfast to get busy.

"Lu Yuanfeng, later I’ll do the yelling, you just weigh the fish and collect the money, and also keep an eye on the money bag."

When doing business, the last thing you want is to encounter a pickpocket.

And Mu Shuangshuang, who specializes in catching thieves, always likes to warn those around her due to her occupational quirks.

Lu Yuanfeng considered her to be prudent and didn’t ask for details.

But he took off the money bag from his back. "Shuangshuang, you handle the money. I’m afraid while weighing the fish, I’ll get distracted and quote the wrong price, which will be troublesome."

"Alright, but don’t rush. I’ll shout!" Mu Shuangshuang placed the money bag at her chest, still reminding Lu Yuanfeng.

Lu Yuanfeng chuckled, showing his serious expression when doing business.

"Hey, passing uncles, aunties, pretty sisters, come have a look, big and fresh fish straight from the river, selling cheap..."

Like many times before, Mu Shuangshuang loudly promoted her fish, and early in the morning, many still sleepy people followed her voice to her stall.

Just as Mu Shuangshuang thought, such a large basin of fish, with water to keep them fresh and plump, buying one wouldn’t hurt.

Mu Shuangshuang didn’t haggle; the fish were eight wen per jin, cheaper than others in town by a wen, naturally in demand.

"Little girl, weigh me a fish..."

"I want one too, I want one too..."

An hour passed, they sold quite a lot of fish, but their stomachs were growling.

"Fengzi, I’m a bit hungry. You keep watch, I’ll buy some breakfast. What do you want to eat?"

In their haste, they hadn’t eaten breakfast, and now after walking so long and shouting for so long, Mu Shuangshuang was really hungry. If she didn’t replenish her energy soon, she might starve.

Lu Yuanfeng was in a similar situation, but being a man, he wouldn’t mention his hunger.

"I’ll eat whatever Shuangshuang eats."

"Alright, I’ll go see what’s good to eat."

Once Mu Shuangshuang left, Lu Yuanfeng made a few sales; everyone was easygoing, spending a dozen wen or so to buy a few jin of fish without a second thought.

Until a lady in a light pink gauze skirt, her hair adorned with bead hairpins, stopped in front of his stall.

The woman looked to be in her late twenties, her face evenly powdered, but there was a particularly strong fragrance emanating from her.

She seemed out of place with the marketplace.

This was none other than the eldest sister of the Old Mu Family who had married out, Mu Xianxian.

"Hey silly boy, how much is this fish per jin?" Mu Xianxian asked Lu Yuanfeng, eyeing the remaining fish in the barrel.

"Eight wen!"

Upon hearing the price, Mu Xianxian’s face immediately darkened.

This was her first time at the marketplace since marrying, the reason being none other than her family’s steward who always inflated prices.

A jin of fish, twenty wen, a jin of meat, thirty wen, he really thought Mu Xianxian was that stupid, and today she came to verify.

"Then come with me to my house and tell our steward how much this fish is per jin."

Lu Yuanfeng was puzzled but roughly understood the lady’s intention.

"Madam, sorry, I need to keep doing business. If you don’t buy my fish, please don’t hold me up."

"Silly boy, you can eat indiscriminately, but don’t talk indiscriminately. How can you say I’m holding up your business? I’m helping you do business! If you get our steward kicked out, I’ll buy one of your fish."

Mu Xianxian, being in business herself, was quite shrewd, knowing buying one fish was enough to get this young man to follow her home to deal with that damn steward. Then she could save a lot of money into her own pocket.

"I’m sorry, I need to watch the stall, I really can’t leave." Lu Yuanfeng was getting a bit impatient.

The person in front, like a leech, wouldn’t let go as if the marketplace was her own.

Shuangshuang hadn’t returned yet, so naturally, he couldn’t just leave like that.

"Are you coming or not? If not, don’t blame me for being rude." Mu Xianxian glared and looked down at Lu Yuanfeng. Seeing that he remained unmoved, she started to throw a tantrum.

"Folks, come see, this fish seller, charging me fifty wen per jin, when I refuse, says he’ll beat me, who will save me."

Mu Xianxian had a pretty face and dressed well, spoke with elegance compared to the plainly dressed Lu Yuanfeng, so naturally, people tended to believe her.

Soon, two men who didn’t understand the situation rushed over, shielding Mu Xianxian and even attempting to overturn Lu Yuanfeng’s fish stall.

Lu Yuanfeng paused as he handled the fish, his fists unconsciously clenching.

This sort of incident wasn’t new to him, last time Shuangshuang helped him, but now with her absent, he couldn’t just let himself be bullied.

Mu Shuangshuang returned with four sticks of fried dough and two cups of iced tea, to find a commotion at the stall, with Lu Yuanfeng facing off against two men, and a brightly dressed woman hiding behind, clearly a textbook damsel in distress scene.

Without a second thought, she rushed in, waving her right hand impatiently. "Move aside, move aside, don’t interfere with my business, what’s the matter, what’s the matter, do you think you can just steal fish in broad daylight?"