CHAPTER 223: CHAPTER 222: DELIVERING A WILD BOAR PIGLET (13TH UPDATE)

When Mu Shuangshuang heard Yu Si Niang’s words, she knew that Lu Yuanfeng was once again generously giving away his family’s possessions.

That silly boy, why can’t he think for himself?

A wild boar is worth quite a bit of money, and the last time he paid for the cloth too.

Thinking about it gave Mu Shuangshuang a headache. She felt increasingly entangled with Lu Yuanfeng, and if this continued, this silly boy would end up giving away everything in his family.

Just as she was feeling troubled, the people from the Old Mu Family came back from working in the fields.

Last night, Mrs. Lin and Mu Danian didn’t manage to steal even a bird feather, and ended up getting injured. Falling from such a large wooden barrel, Mrs. Lin nearly broke her back.

Originally set on causing trouble early in the morning, Mrs. Lin was instead scolded by Old Mrs. Mu and sent to clean the toilet. By the time she was free, there was only the sickly Mu Dashan left in the third branch. Mrs. Lin humiliated Mu Dashan before heading to the fields to work in a better mood.

After a morning of work, Mrs. Lin felt unsatisfied again, so she came over to vent.

"Yo, why are so many people gathered here? Is the smell of the pigsty pleasant, or are the meals of the Old Mu Family’s Third Branch so appetizing?

Too bad they’re so stingy, they wouldn’t invite you to eat. Now scatter, scatter!"

Mrs. Lin’s sarcastic words made the neighbors increasingly discontent.

Each one glared at Mrs. Lin before leaving angrily.

After driving these people away, Mrs. Lin felt quite proud of herself. She surveyed around triumphantly and quickly noticed the wild boar in Mu Shuangshuang’s pigsty and Lu Yuanfeng who was spreading straw in the pen.

"Yo, Shuang, you’re even raising pigs now. I suppose you’ll have pork for New Year’s, huh? Don’t forget your second auntie."

Mrs. Lin’s attitude suddenly changed because she figured that when the pig grew larger, there would surely be plenty of pork, which the third branch wouldn’t be able to finish. The Old Mu Family wouldn’t be willing to weigh much meat for the New Year. If she could have some in advance, her life would certainly be more comfortable.

Mu Shuangshuang chuckled and said to Mrs. Lin, "Second Aunt, we’re raising the pig, but not for eating."

"Then what’s it for?" Mrs. Lin got anxious. If such a big pig wasn’t for eating, was it supposed to fly?

"To sell, of course. Isn’t that a simple reasoning you can’t understand?"

"Hey, I say, you little brat, yesterday you didn’t take out the fish for us to eat, fine, but now you won’t give us pork either. Do you have no conscience?"

Mu Shuangshuang composed herself. She had no words for someone so self-righteous.

"Second Aunt, this has nothing to do with conscience. The things are mine. If I’m good-hearted, I might give them to you. If I don’t want to, that’s reasonable too. You should stop coveting the third branch’s things because we won’t be giving them to you!"

"You... you little brat, you just wait, I..." Mrs. Lin was so angry at Mu Shuangshuang’s words that she stammered, unable to form a coherent sentence after a long while.

She stomped her foot in frustration and quickly headed toward the main house of the Old Mu Family, presumably to complain.

Yu Si Niang watched the scene, feeling suddenly scared. "Shuangshuang, go inside. If your grandpa and grandma come, don’t come out."

Regardless, the Old Mu Family was still managed by Mr. Mu and Old Mrs. Mu. Even though the families were separate, the third branch could not be too harsh to the two elders in public, or they would be criticized for being unfilial.

In the Da Ning Dynasty, being unfilial was a major taboo. If the offense was severe, it could even lead to legal consequences.

"Don’t worry, mom. Let’s eat before the dishes get cold."

Mu Shuangshuang was unconcerned. She thought that whether she spoke or not, with Mrs. Lin’s nature, she would still twist the story a lot. Even if she offered the wild boar, it wouldn’t change Mrs. Lin’s fondness for stirring trouble.

Lu Yuanfeng, after cleaning the pigsty and adding water to the trough, finally crawled out of the pen.

His forehead and face were covered in sweat from the work, and his shirt was damp with it.

It was clear that he had worked hard.

Mu Shuangshuang quickly took out her handkerchief from her sleeve and handed it to Lu Yuanfeng.

"Wipe your sweat, you’re drenched."

Lu Yuanfeng was momentarily stunned, as was Yu Si Niang.

In ancient times, ladies cherished their handkerchiefs greatly. Particularly for noble families, if a lady lost her personal handkerchief and it was picked up by a rogue, her reputation could be ruined.

Mu Shuangshuang hadn’t been in the Da Ning Dynasty for long, so she couldn’t know everything clearly, and taking out her handkerchief was more of a subconscious act without any further thought.

Lu Yuanfeng, however, understood the implications since Xia Guagua had tried numerous times to send her handkerchiefs to him, which he had always thrown out.

He naturally understood the meaning behind it.

"What’s wrong? Are you embarrassed? Think it’s dirty?" Seeing Lu Yuanfeng hesitating to take the handkerchief, Mu Shuangshuang teased.

"No, I... I don’t mind it." Lu Yuanfeng quickly shook his head.

He wasn’t sure how to explain, especially with Yu Si Niang nearby...

"Then there you go, hurry and wipe your sweat, wash your hands, and get ready to eat. I have big plans for the afternoon."

Mu Shuangshuang forcefully handed the handkerchief to Lu Yuanfeng and went into the kitchen to put away the alcohol.

Yu Si Niang had only asked for two jin, but Mu Shuangshuang decided on her own to get five jin, not only for entertaining guests in the future but more importantly because white wine was an essential seasoning for making grand dishes. If she wanted to make something nice for the family as a treat, white wine was indispensable.

Lu Yuanfeng held the handkerchief tightly in his palm, unsure whether to use it or not, and looked to Yu Si Niang for guidance.

Unexpectedly, Yu Si Niang had no solutions either.

A daughter’s handkerchief in a man’s hand, and right in front of her at that.

She had intended to matchmake the two but seeing that the daughter didn’t seem inclined to marry, she didn’t know what to do.

"Aunt Si..."

"Fengzi, don’t overthink it. Shuangshuang gave it to you, just use it. Just don’t let others see it."

At this moment, Yu Si Niang felt she was an inadequate mother, letting things slide with Shuangshuang.

"Mom, Fengzi, come help with serving the food. Once the guests arrive, we can start eating."

From inside, Mu Shuangshuang called out. Yu Si Niang quickly entered the kitchen to help out.

Lu Yuanfeng held onto Shuangshuang’s handkerchief tightly in his palm, as though it was a treasure. After quite some time, he folded it neatly and placed it in his pocket.

...

...

With eleven bowls of rice ready, the guests invited by Mu Shuangshuang’s family began to arrive gradually.

Zhao Yun came this time, not empty-handed again. In her small bamboo basket, she had some green peppers, quite large, and somewhat wilted from being picked at midday.

She naturally placed the basket of vegetables in a corner of the kitchen before finding herself a seat.