"Damn it, if I die, I'll haunt you as a ghost!"
Jian Shuangshuang's words were full of vigor, her eyes glaring more fiercely than copper bells.
The resentment in her eyes shocked even Mr. Mu.
For a moment, the room was so quiet you could hear a pin drop.
Old Mrs. Mu's mouth twisted in anger, and Mrs. Lin was so shocked that her jaw dropped.
Yu Si Niang rushed forward, holding the unconscious Jian Shuangshuang and crying endlessly.
Zhang Huai Shu's feet eventually didn't step out the door.
He thought about it and came back, taking out two patches of medicine from his kit.
"Consider these as a gift from us, whether this girl lives or dies is none of our business; we've done a good deed."
The two patches of medicine were worth fifty copper coins, enough for a day's dose; Zhang Huai Shu indeed did more than enough.
Yu Si Niang took the two patches of medicine, gratefully thanked him.
"Boil five bowls of water into one bowl, take it half an hour after meals."
After saying that, Zhang Huai Shu prepared to leave.
At that moment, Mr. Mu hesitated a bit.
The talk of ghosts and gods was always a taboo for the villagers, some gods help, while some ghosts harm.
Especially little ghosts, maybe more terrifying; his granddaughter's scream was too shrill, her gaze too frightening.
Even Mr. Mu, who had lived many years, felt a bit afraid.
"Never mind, get the medicine, old lady, go to the room to get the silver, four hundred big coins."
Mr. Mu sighed and said to Old Mrs. Mu.
"What?" Old Mrs. Mu snapped back, her mind quickly returned.
"Xiangxiang's dad, are you out of your mind? Four hundred copper coins, how much good food can that get us for the Old Mu Family?
A single egg is worth just three copper coins, and you're spending hundreds like they're eggs. I disagree."
Faced with money, Old Mrs. Mu didn't agree.
But her straightforward rebuttal was clearly undermining Mr. Mu's authority.
The affairs of the house were decided by Mr. Mu, how could he tolerate a woman talking back?
So Mr. Mu also got really mad, today the silver must be given out, no matter what, or else they'll all think his words mean nothing.
"Are you rebelling, you troublemaking woman?
If you keep talking, get back to the Liu Family, we don't have rebellious kinds in the Old Mu Family!"
"Xiangxiang's dad, what do you mean? You want to drive me away for a few hundred copper coins, and that rotten thing lying there?"
Mr. Mu's harsh words didn't silence Old Mrs. Mu; instead, they gave her more reason to cry out loudly.
She stomped her legs and started to make a scene, rolling on the ground, causing a cloud of dust to rise in the room.
Mr. Mu and Zhang Huai Shu, being close, were choked with dust and coughed loudly.
"Cursed life, can't be lived this way...
Oh heaven, the old lady has worked like an ox for this family, taking care of it with all the mess and trouble... no conscience..."
Old Mrs. Mu rambled on, from marrying into the Mu Family to taking care of her son.
Everyone present had their faces turning blue and white, each looking on in sighs watching Old Mrs. Mu make a scene, even breathing quieter than usual.
The more Old Mrs. Mu acted up, Mr. Mu felt even more disgraced.
Daring to make a scene in front of outsiders was clearly disrespectful to him.
"Enough! If you don't stop this nonsense, I'll divorce you today!" Mr. Mu shouted fiercely.
Upon hearing this, Old Mrs. Mu not only stopped but quickly got up from the ground.
Without bothering to dust off her legs, she promptly exited Mr. Mu's third son's room.
Mr. Mu always meant what he said, and Old Mrs. Mu knew deep down that if she were to be divorced over such a trivial matter, she'd certainly be laughed at by the people of Er Gui Village.
Not to mention that life would be tough, she might not even have a place to go, so after much consideration, Old Mrs. Mu decided to compromise, would just deal with those lazy women later.
"Bah, you'll all get what's coming to you eventually."
Once outside, Old Mrs. Mu spat emphatically and then walked toward her own room.
Four hundred copper coins were like her lifeline, worth over a hundred eggs, eighty days of wages, and even three months of the second son's wife sewing couldn't earn this money.
Along the way, Old Mrs. Mu felt like half her flesh had been dug out alive, it hurt immensely.
Once inside her room, she looked around, making sure no one followed, then locked the door.
Only then did she squat down, and fished out four hundred big coins from a pile of jars and pots.
It took about the time of two sticks of incense to count four hundred big coins, the copper coins in her hands going from initially cold to now hot and burning.
Mr. Mu sent the fourth son of Mu Family to urge eight times before Old Mrs. Mu reluctantly left her room.
The copper coins wrapped in black cloth made a clattering sound with every step Old Mrs. Mu took.
Old Mrs. Mu used to love hearing the clatter of copper coins before sleeping; in her words, it was a cure-all, could refresh the mind, and improve sleep...
But now, it was like a deadly omen, every step felt like descending into hell.
"Bah, they're all troublemakers, better off dead."
Beside her, the fifth son of Mu Family, tried to say a word to help the third brother's family, but knowing his mother's hand, he swallowed his words whole.
"Take it, take it, eat and quickly get rolling to work, don't think you can hide here to be lazy, just know how to suck the old lady dry.
Someday you leeches will drain us dry, shouldn't have let the third marry you, bah, what rubbish."
To vent her anger, Old Mrs. Mu threw the four hundred copper coins at Yu Si Niang's forehead, immediately causing a big bump.
But Yu Si Niang didn't care about her injury at all, she quickly picked up the copper coins and shoved them to Zhang Huai Shu.
"Uncle Zhang, I beg you!"
Zhang Huai Shu glared at Old Mrs. Mu who ordered him to leave, then took the silver.
"I don't have that much medicine in my kit; later, send someone from the Old Mu Family to pick it up from my house."
After leaving this note, Zhang Huai Shu prepared to leave.
Old Lady Liu Mu wouldn't have it, "Hey, you cunning old scoundrel, daring to cheat the old lady's money!
Is it a lie to take my money when you have no medicine? No, today I'll report you to the village chief for swindling."
"Enough, get back to your room, stop embarrassing yourself, Old Mu Family has lost enough face today."
Outside, the Old Mu Family always seemed harmonious and friendly, now this was seen by an outsider.
Going out to say it, the Old Mu Family wouldn't need to walk around the village, they'd be drowned in others' spit.
Old Mrs. Mu curled her lip, intending to say something but eventually swallowed her words due to fearing Mr. Mu's earlier threats.
She gave a cold humph and then walked outside.
Mu Danyan hurriedly followed, not forgetting he still wanted an egg, fearing his cooked duck would fly away, he asked.
"Mom, you mentioned boiling an egg for me tonight..."
Before he finished his words, Old Mrs. Mu burst into insults.
"Eat, eat, what about eating, they've bullied your mom, why didn't you say a word?
Don't even think about eggs tonight, not even a shell; if I hear you wanting eggs again, I'll skin you."
Mu Danyan looked aggrieved, this time the duck in his mouth really flew away.