"But I still like using my hands, that’s how I get the feel!" Mu Dalang chuckled.
Perhaps he really considered Mu Shuangshuang as one of his own, so he didn’t feel awkward saying such things.
"I actually think the same, mooncakes should be eaten by hand to get the full flavor!"
"Haha..."
The kitchen was immediately filled with laughter and chatter.
Mu Dalang’s "return without success" made Mr. Mu feel embarrassed. This time, he personally came to invite the third branch over.
But before he even stepped out of the main house, Old Mrs. Mu started taunting him.
"Old man, what are you doing? If that rotten girl won’t come, then she won’t come. She’s not of the Old Mu Family’s blood anyway."
"Aren’t you ashamed, licking your old face to beg them? Aren’t you just reluctant to part with the now-rounded third daughter-in-law?"
Old Mrs. Mu’s words almost drove Mr. Mu to death.
"You old hag, can’t expect ivory from a dog’s mouth! The third daughter-in-law is my daughter-in-law; how can you say such things?"
"Why can’t I say it? With so many people in this family, you don’t care, always running to the third branch. What am I supposed to think? Our Xiangxiang is quite grown up, but I’ve never seen you care about her!" Old Mrs. Mu said fiercely.
She was now eager to peel off the third branch’s skin, so inviting them for dinner was out of the question!
Mu Xiangxiang beside her was also very agitated.
If the third branch doesn’t come, there’ll be one less family to eat mooncakes later, and she certainly doesn’t want the third branch to come.
"Dad, if you want the third branch to come, I won’t eat!" Mu Xiangxiang threatened.
"Old man, did you hear that? If the third branch comes, Xiangxiang won’t eat, and if Xiangxiang doesn’t eat, I won’t let the fourth daughter-in-law cook, none of you will eat!"
The matter of inviting the third branch for Mid-Autumn ended inconclusively.
Mr. Mu felt a blockage in his heart, preventing him from feeling better for quite a while. None of his sons or daughters-in-law even looked at him, and even though he clutched his chest, no one asked.
Mr. Mu suddenly felt uncomfortable.
Clearly, his eldest son was about to finish high school, but why did he feel like this family was becoming less of a family?
"Second daughter-in-law, don’t be lazy, hurry to the kitchen to help, we’re not raising lazy, bad wives here.
Mrs. Lin certainly didn’t want to go; the kitchen was greasy, and there was so much work to do. She was more suited to eating.
"Mother, isn’t Mrs. Liu already in the kitchen? Can’t she handle everything herself? Why go and help her? Besides, I can’t stand the smell of oil because I’m pregnant."
"I’m telling you to go, so go. This is a house full of men; you have no business speaking here as a woman."
"If you want to be lazy, don’t come into the Old Mu Family’s house. Don’t think that just because the eldest is about to become successful, you can do nothing. Let me tell you, doing nothing but eating makes you a pig, so get lost!"
As Old Mrs. Mu spoke, she pushed Mrs. Lin out, shoving her all the way out.
Mrs. Lin cursed Old Mrs. Mu outside the house before angrily walking toward the kitchen.
At this time, in the kitchen, Mrs. Liu had already shaped the mooncakes and was waiting to make more before frying them later.
Mu Xiaxia was in the kitchen helping Mrs. Liu make the food. Like Mu Shuangshuang, she asked about the method her mother used to make mooncakes.
But Mrs. Liu wasn’t as sentimental.
This family with more than a dozen mouths to feed took quite some time just to prepare the food. Mrs. Liu had been up working before sunrise.
Up until now, she hadn’t had a sip of water. The breakfast for Mid-Autumn wouldn’t be cooked separately, just the mooncakes and the fried twists or little snacks afterwards.
"Mrs. Liu, mother asked me to tell you to hurry up; the whole family is waiting for you to eat, their bellies are almost empty!"
Mrs. Lin suddenly appeared at the kitchen door, urging Mrs. Liu.
Mrs. Liu was already tired after working all morning, and this urging made her feel even more dizzy.
Looking at the already shaped mooncakes, Mrs. Lin suddenly wanted to eat them, so she hurried.
"What are you still doing? Make these mooncakes first, if you delay mother’s meal, she’ll peel your skin."
Mrs. Liu shuddered, causing her movements to slow. Mrs. Lin rushed over.
"Can’t you hear me? I said to make these snacks first; are you deaf?"
Mrs. Lin cursed and spat as she scolded, causing Mrs. Liu to dodge naturally. This dodge enraged Mrs. Lin, who grabbed something from the table and aimed at Mrs. Liu.
With a crash, the basin of mooncakes that had just been made fell to the ground.
Mrs. Liu turned pale with fright, as did Mrs. Lin. If the old lady found out, they’d be skinned alive.
Mrs. Lin immediately yelled.
"Mother, Mrs. Liu knocked all the mooncakes to the ground!"
This shout made Mrs. Liu feel like she had been struck by lightning, staring blankly at Mrs. Lin.
"Second Aunt, you’re lying. You knocked them to the ground yourself, why blame my mom?"
Mu Xiaxia loudly accused, but Mrs. Liu pulled her down, causing Mu Xiaxia to sit right on the mooncakes, dirtying them with mud, turning the white flour into "gray flour."
Old Mrs. Mu came in just in time to see Mu Xiaxia sitting on the ground, the mooncakes that had been shaped spread all over, squashed under Mu Xiaxia’s bottom.
And Mrs. Liu stood "looking panicked" nearby.
Old Mrs. Mu immediately understood what had happened.
"Good gracious, you two wasteful women, fools, dared to smash my mooncakes, I won’t spare your lives today!"
"A bunch of sows, all they do is eat, you’ve gone too far!"
Old Mrs. Mu picked up a stick from the stove and struck Mu Xiaxia.
Previously, she swore to Xing Beichen not to touch Mrs. Liu, but now all those words meant nothing, striking and scolding.
"You worthless thing, all of you in this house are equally bad; don’t these mooncakes cost money?"
Mu Xiaxia was struck, causing her leg to swell immediately.
"Grandma, it wasn’t me or my mom, it was Second Aunt, she knocked the basin over, it was her who ruined the mooncakes!"
Mu Xiaxia cried and explained.
"Mother, don’t listen to this little girl nonsense, I hadn’t even entered the kitchen. Just now I heard this mother-daughter duo discussing stealing the first mooncake. I intervened, and that’s why they’re scared."
Mrs. Lin looked at Old Mrs. Mu with a face full of grievance.
This only fueled Old Mrs. Mu’s anger.
"Greedy lot, the second daughter-in-law has spoken. What else is there to say?"
The stick slammed mercilessly onto Mu Xiaxia and Mrs. Liu, who first protected Mu Xiaxia but later both tried to escape.
The men in the house only cared about eating, paying no attention to what was going on outside.
Mu Dajiang wanted to rush out and look but was stopped by Mu Dazhong.
"Fourth brother, it’s a woman’s affair, why are you joining in?"
"Exactly, fourth brother, which family’s backyard doesn’t catch fire? As long as fish aren’t caught in the crossfire, we should just turn a blind eye!" added Mu Danian.