CHAPTER 744: CHAPTER 740: THE LITTLE AUNT’S DOWRY

Early in the morning, Mu Shuangshuang pushed open the door, and what she saw was a world covered in white snow.

The snow on the ground looked like it was a few inches thick, as Lu Yuanfeng had said. Stepping on it, it creaked underfoot.

This was the first snow Mu Shuangshuang had seen since arriving in this time and place. The snow-covered world looked especially beautiful.

She wore a cotton jacket and wrapped herself in a cloak, walking in the snow.

Suddenly, Little Zhi from Mu Dashan’s room poked his head out, shouting excitedly at the sight of the snow on the ground.

"Sister, snow, so much snow! I want to find Brother Yuanbao and Brother Xiao Zheng to build a snowman. I also want Brother Xiao Han to play with me in the snow."

Because of Little Zhi’s words, Mu Shuangshuang was also eager to try. She also wanted to make snowmen and have snowball fights with Little Zhi...

But today it probably wouldn’t work; Fengzi would definitely want to go hunting in the mountains, and she had to go with him.

"Little Zhi, sister will go hunting in the mountains with Brother Yuanfeng later, so I can’t build snowmen with you. But sister and Brother Yuanfeng will prepare tools for you to build snowmen. You kids can play in the snow by yourselves.

But you must remember to keep warm. If your clothes get wet, let mother light a fire, and don’t catch a cold, understand?"

The third branch now lacked nothing for firewood. Before the snow, Lu Yuanfeng had helped gather a lot of firewood for the third branch, enough to last through the winter and even have some extra.

"Hmm! Little Zhi understands. Sister, will you and Brother Yuanfeng catch a tiger?" Little Zhi turned his head and asked.

"Probably not, we won’t go deep into the forest. Why do you ask, Little Zhi?"

"Brother Yuanbao said a few days ago that there are man-eating tigers in the mountains. I’m worried sister might encounter one," Little Zhi said.

"Haha, don’t worry, it won’t happen. I’ll go help mom in the kitchen first, you go rest for a while." Mu Shuangshuang said.

"Sister, I can’t sleep. I’m going to call Brother Yuanbao and Brother Xiao Zheng to play. Little Zhi can’t wait," Little Zhi said, wearing a floral cotton-padded jacket and getting ready to dash outside, but was caught by Mu Shuangshuang by the collar.

"You little fool, it’s coldest in the morning. You’re not even wearing a hat or gloves, and your shoes, you’re wearing embroidered shoes.

If you step on the snow, it’ll melt all over your shoes, won’t it?" Mu Shuangshuang said as she picked Little Zhi up and carried him back into the house.

Little Zhi pouted, nodding with a look of disappointment.

"When can Little Zhi go out?" Little Zhi asked, looking at Mu Shuangshuang with expectant eyes.

"First, have breakfast, then later Brother Yuanfeng will come over with Yuanbao and the others. As for where to build the snowman, you can choose your own spot."

Saying that, Mu Shuangshuang headed towards the kitchen.

In the kitchen, Yu Si Niang had already been up early, busy making breakfast.

The family didn’t have enough grain, and with the snow, it wasn’t easy to shop.

So these days, breakfast was vegetable porridge with half a small sweet potato.

The porridge warmed the stomach, and the sweet potato filled it, so at least they weren’t starving.

Entering the kitchen, Mu Shuangshuang cleared a space beside the earthen stove, forming a square circle with a few bricks.

In this circle, she placed some dry firewood, using pine needles to kindle the fire. Soon, a bright red fire was burning in the kitchen.

Yu Si Niang, watching her daughter busying around, stopped stirring the pot with the spatula.

"Shuangshuang, why don’t you go back to sleep for a bit? It’s the most comfortable time to sleep in your quilt in the morning."

"Mom, I’m not going to sleep anymore. Fengzi and the others will be coming over soon," Mu Shuangshuang said.

"Haha, it’s just that a few days ago, you were getting up quite late. Why so early today? Oh, it must be because Fengzi is coming." Yu Si Niang teased Mu Shuangshuang with a smile.

"It’s not that, I decided to get up on my own. It has nothing to do with Fengzi," Mu Shuangshuang insisted, her cheeks flushed with embarrassment.

Yu Si Niang didn’t expose her, as long as her daughter was happy, that was enough.

"By the way, Shuangshuang, your grandpa came over yesterday afternoon. He said in a few days it will be the eighteenth, the day your little aunt gets engaged. We need to make some preparations." Yu Si Niang said cautiously.

This matter had Yu Si Niang a bit at a loss. If she were to go by her daughter’s temperament, they wouldn’t even go.

"Prepare what?" Mu Shuangshuang replied with annoyance.

"Just have a family meal, and maybe set off some firecrackers to celebrate or something."

With some rest these past few days, Mu Xiangxiang had gotten a lot better. Although her voice hadn’t fully recovered, she could at least move around.

It wouldn’t interfere with her engagement on the eighteenth.

"A family meal, firecrackers? Is it really that simple?" Mu Shuangshuang doubted.

Yu Si Niang thought for a while and said, "Your grandpa wants you to help with the cooking. He said the banquet you made for your sixth uncle’s family last time was really delicious, and he also said..."

"What else did he say?" Mu Shuangshuang asked calmly.

Even though she knew that whatever the Old Mu Family said was probably no good, Mu Shuangshuang still listened patiently, determined to hear them out to the end.

"He also said to contribute some money for your little aunt’s dowry," Yu Si Niang said, standing by like a child who had done something wrong, waiting for Mu Shuangshuang to speak.

She knew her daughter was bound to throw a fit.

"Helping with the engagement banquet isn’t impossible, but my grandpa has to bring the money over. Does he want me to do everything or just cook? That needs to be clear.

As for the dowry money, I haven’t heard of it. Why would a daughter’s dowry rely on her brother and sister-in-law to provide? Didn’t my grandma hoard so much money, so much land? If there’s not enough money, then sell the land to make up for it."

With just a few words, Mu Shuangshuang made her stance clear.

If you want something done, either bring money or there’s no way.

Mu Shuangshuang had nothing good to say about the Old Mu Family.

The one time she showed any softness was when she heard Mu Xiangxiang had died, and she went to check. What did her kindness turn into?

With so many men at home, it was absurd that the old man wanted a girl to fetch the doctor late at night.

Yu Si Niang sighed. She knew her daughter would refuse.

"Mom, did you agree to my grandpa’s request?" Mu Shuangshuang asked.

"No, when your grandpa said he wanted you to be the cook, I said you’d decide for yourself, but about the dowry money, I didn’t know how to refuse, so I said nothing."

Yu Si Niang used silence as her refusal.

But Mr. Mu would likely pretend he didn’t hear it, and come back next time to ask for money again.

"Forget it, Mom. If something like this happens again, just let them come to me. I’ll handle it.

But still, Mom, you have to learn to say no. Taking a loss is a virtue, but that should be reserved for your own family.

With the people from the Old Mu Family, we won’t even give them a Copper Coin, let alone a grain of rice."

Mu Dade was already a scholar, and the third branch had split off. The Old Mu Family still wanted to exploit the third branch, they really had thick skin.

Yu Si Niang agreed with Shuangshuang’s view deep down, but whenever facing the in-laws, she felt speaking up as a daughter-in-law wasn’t right.

"Shuangshuang, don’t be upset, Mom will try... try to learn to refuse your grandpa and grandma’s requests. Didn’t you say Fengzi was coming? Is he coming for breakfast? Mom doesn’t think I’ve cooked enough porridge."