Mu Dashan trembled as Yu Si Niang brought the egg drop soup to his lips. The aroma of the egg and the scent of scallions made his mouth water. Mu Dashan felt his mouth was now filled with the tempting allure of the soup.
The smooth, tender soup passed through his throat, mixed with the egg drops. This might have been the best soup Mu Dashan had ever tasted, and the most delicious egg drop he had ever eaten.
After a few sips, Mu Dashan looked satisfied. The scar on his brow softened with his smile, making it less menacing and adding a gentle touch.
In the room, only the sound of Mu Dashan gulping down the soup could be heard, prompting Little Zhi and Xiao Han to swallow their saliva eagerly. Mu Shuangshuang handed them two bowls and mentioned casually.
"Hurry and eat so you can sleep. Tomorrow, big sister has tasks for you."
Little Zhi and Xiao Han each took a bowl of soup, imitating Mu Dashan’s way of gulping. They quickly finished and licked their lips, still wanting more.
"Sis, it’s so delicious!"
"Yes, I’ve never had such good soup before!"
Seeing the two little ones not stingy with their praise, Mu Shuangshuang felt deeply satisfied. She walked to the kang, where Mu Dashan had already drunk half the soup. For the rest, Yu Si Niang was tearing buns into pieces and placing them in the soup.
The white bun skin and the condensed meat filling seemed to give the egg drop soup a new appearance, but surely the taste was as good as ever.
The five of them finished dinner one by one, about the time it took to drink three cups of tea. Mu Shuangshuang cleaned up the dishes, took them to the kitchen, and washed them. Just as she was about to heat up half a bucket of water, Yu Si Niang came into the kitchen.
She seemed to have something to say, her eyes filled with affection as she looked at Mu Shuangshuang, hesitating to speak.
"Shuangshuang, the thing you mentioned last time, I’ve thought it over. I think you’re right, this family of ours..."
Yu Si Niang’s words brought a smile to Mu Shuangshuang’s face. Although Yu Si Niang hadn’t finished, she knew it was what she wanted to hear.
That day, when family separation was mentioned, Yu Si Niang was against it. Now, she brought it up herself.
Obviously, it must be because of the big incident with Mu Dashan today. The Old Mu Family members were so black-hearted that they even hesitated to call a doctor. Perhaps Yu Si Niang felt that if it weren’t for Mu Shuangshuang, today Mu Dashan might have been gone.
In ancient times, women didn’t really have many pursuits. The husband was heaven, and the son was earth. They were filial to parents, respectful to elders. But in the end, the heaven above them was still a man. If you hurt her man, it was like destroying her heaven. To rebel against it was quite normal.
"Mother, now is not the time to talk about this. When we go to the market in a couple of days, we’ll discuss it carefully."
Separation is no small matter, especially since Old Mu Family treats Mu Dashan like a horse and ox. If it were brought up, Mu Shuangshuang knew better than anyone how it would be. Not that it would be too difficult, as long as someone made a fuss.
The joy finally showed on Yu Si Niang’s face.
"Mother, there’s one more thing I need to discuss with you." Mu Shuangshuang said to Yu Si Niang calmly.
"What is it? Just tell me."
"I want to move to the room next door." The so-called next door room used to be the Old Mu Family’s woodshed. Later converted to a new kitchen, the woodshed was moved behind it, leaving the room adjacent to Mu the Third empty.
After all, Mu Shuangshuang was thirteen years old. It was somewhat inconvenient to always share a room with Mu Dashan. Besides, once she moved over, some good things could be stored in that room. That room was actually bigger than the room the Mu Family’s Third Branch was living in, so it would be no problem to accommodate someone.
"But there’s no kang there; it’ll be cold in winter." Yu Si Niang hesitated, thinking it would be better for her girl to sleep by her side.
"Mother, I’m a big girl now. It’s not appropriate to always sleep in the same room with father and mother. Besides, Little Zhi can accompany me. As for where to sleep, don’t worry. I’ll just ask around the village if anyone has an unused bed."
Since it’s summer, it will be a while before the kang is needed. Besides, she’s not used to the hard kang. There’s nothing bad about sleeping on a bed.
"If it’s just a bed you need, your Aunt Xiao Yun’s family has one, but the bed planks have fallen out, so you’ll have to chop some wood and make the bed planks yourself. If your father were well, he could cut a tree and make the boards for you in a morning, but your father..." Yu Si Niang sighed, heart aching.
"Don’t worry about this, I’ll handle it. It’s just a few boards; it won’t be difficult for me."
While speaking, Mu Shuangshuang already allocated tomorrow’s tasks.
The next morning, Yu Si Niang was caught by Old Mrs. Mu to make breakfast, while Mu Dashan, still not fully recovered, rested in bed. Several times he tried to get up but was stopped by Mu Shuangshuang.
She explained to Mu Dashan at length.
"Father, you should really take care of yourself. Only when you are well can this home be at peace."
Mu Dashan had a moment of daze. When did his daughter grow to be someone so sensible and meticulous, even cooking so skillfully? Remembering the egg soup from last night, Mu Dashan felt another wave of satisfaction.
Seeing the man’s expression, Mu Shuangshuang knew he wouldn’t get up lightly anymore.
Mu Shuangshuang began to tidy up the next door room.
After all, it had been a woodshed, and the mess was as anticipated. Looking at the scattered firewood piled everywhere, Mu Shuangshuang picked them up one by one and carried them outside.
It took two hours for Mu Shuangshuang to clear all the clutter.
"Wow, it’s so clean now. Sis, you’re amazing!" Complimented Little Zhi with a satisfied smile and a thumbs up.
"Alright, you’ve been with sister almost all morning, and your clothes are soaked with sweat. Why don’t you rest?"
"No way, sister wouldn’t let me help with the cleaning, but I can at least watch!" Little Zhi pouted proudly. "Besides, mom said this is Little Zhi’s room too, so Little Zhi should watch over it."
Mu Xiaohan stood aside, watching the two bicker, feeling inexplicably envious.
Just as he thought this, Mu Shuangshuang walked up to him. "Xiao Han, help sister fetch a bucket of water. Aunt Xiao Yun and Uncle Yu should be here."
Mu Xiaohan smiled with joy and dashed towards the Old Mu Family’s kitchen at lightning speed. Despite being scolded by Mrs. Lin, it didn’t affect his mood.
His smile spread to a certain arc, making his handsome face all the more charming.
This kid will surely become a captivating enigma in the future, so enchanting even at such a young age!