Chapter 118
The signal system made Mu Heng and his family felt more at ease. Unlike before, when people from the main Mu household would co to ddle in their ho, they would reach the house when they were cooking with pork and beef, it was too late to hide anything.
Fortunately, those people weren’t clever enough to notice anything unusual, like the charcoal briquettes or the exceptionally good pork. Otherwise, they might have suspected where these goods ca from, which could have posed a danger to Yueqian.
For instance, this ti, their bells rang twice to warn, signaling that soone was approaching from the north. Yueqian and Mu Heng exchanged weary looks. A single bell ring ant a passerby, two rings signified soone who might cause trouble, and three rings indicated an untrustworthy person approaching.
This ti it was two bell rings, which let them know that soone likely to cause trouble was on their way. Most of the ti, the visitor who would co around this period was the botherso middle-aged woman.
They had previously heard that Mu Tian was having issues with several villagers. It started with no one helping her build a house. Previously, Yueqian had suggested to Mu Heng’s uncles that they only construct a basic shack. If Mu Tian wanted a better dwelling, she should pay the villagers to work for her.
Originally, the plan was to make Mu Tian realize that her behavior would leave her without any help. People who are only after money and are greedy would have to live a lonely life, relying solely on money to solve their problems. Unexpectedly, Mu Tian was greedier than she had thought.
Not only did she refuse to pay for labor to build her house, but Mu Tian also chose to live in a ho with flimsy wooden walls that might blow away in a strong wind. She refused to spend money on any expenses, whether it was clothes, blankets, futons, or even food and supplies.
This Mu Tian road the village like a beggar, picking up things people had discarded or didn’t use without asking for permission. She was like a scavenger. The difference was that she took things without the owner’s consent.
Although people were displeased, since she only took items they no longer used, no one confronted her. It showed that Mu Tian had so thoughts.
It was unexpected that today she would target their ho. Mu Tian certainly ca here to look for things to take back. Fortunately, she had heard the rumors about the curse on Mu Heng’s house, so she didn’t sneak around but walked toward to the front straightforwardly.
"Mu Heng, is Mu Heng ho? What about Mu Long and Mu Huan? Where are you all?" The middle-aged woman called out from the front of the house. Mu Heng looked at his wife helplessly.
The children were playing with other kids from the Mu family. They enjoyed writing characters together, which also helped them improve their knowledge. Thus, this type of play was encouraged.
So, the house was left with just Yueqian and Mu Heng. Today, Mu Heng had not gone out. After the incident with his wife, he had stopped all farming activities until the shed was completed. He expected to return to his fields the next day and resu his regular work.
"I’ll go see her. Do you want to co with ?" The young man asked his little wife. Yueqian shook her head with a faint smile. She was too tired to engage in a verbal fight with that annoying woman.
"Mmm, get so rest," Mu Heng told his wife. She hadn’t gotten much rest the previous night. Though they had gone to bed at the sa ti, a woman’s body couldn’t compare to the strength of a man.
He was already impressed that she managed to wake up early to prepare food. So, letting her rest this afternoon wasn’t a big deal. Besides, she had worked too hard today, even though she told him it was preparation for their potential move to another kingdom. If it was too exhausting, he didn’t want his wife to suffer.
His choice of becoming the governor and planning for career advancent was all to protect his wife and family. If this made his little wife more tired, he would feel guilty.
Mu Heng wasn’t an ambitious man. He didn’t hope for power for social status or anything else. He only wanted enough power to defend against his wife’s forr betrothed and the detestable Qin family. If it weren’t for his enemies constantly threatening him, Mu Heng wouldn’t pursue such tireso power.
As Mu Heng left, Yueqian actually lay down to rest. Recently, she had felt her body weakening slightly, not significantly, but since it was her body condition, she easily noticed it.
anwhile, Mu Heng felt quite annoyed having to face his late father’s older sister. At least this ti she ca openly rather than stealing like she did at other houses. Otherwise, he would have reported her to the authorities, not letting her continue such behavior.
"What are you doing at my house?" Mu Heng did not beat around the bush. He asked bluntly as soon as he saw her.
Mu Tian, who had been waiting, was looking around for the rumored sacred Buddha statue. She had heard that Mu Heng started worshiping it imdiately after the incident. She felt a bit fearful before coming here, but she was reassured by the people’ talk that as long as one didn’t intend harm toward the people of the family, the curse wouldn’t happen. This gave her the confidence to visit.
Moreover, she had already gone to every other house and taken everything she could. Mu Heng’s house was the only one left. She had heard that the workers who built the shed were allowed to take so of the vegetables around the house to bring ho to eat every day. So, she ca here hoping to take sothing as well.
"I heard you all were kind enough to let the workers take vegetables from around the house. So why don’t you let your aunt have so too?" Mu Tian didn’t even beg; she put her hands on her hips as she spoke.
Although the vegetables belonged to Mu Heng, she acted as if they were obligated to give them to her and it would be wrong not to.
Mu Heng let out a short laugh, his frightening eyes filled with disdain as he looked at Mu Tian. He never considered her a relative. Whether during his parents’ lives or after their deaths, every encounter with Mu Tian only brought feelings of dislike and distance.
"You can take the vegetables, but it’ll be 2 copper coins per bundle. Pay up after you’re done. I’m giving you a cheap price," Mu Heng said.
"What do you an by that? I’m your aunt, and I’m not here to buy your vegetables. If you can give vegetables to the workers, you should be able to give so to your aunt too, right?" Mu Tian did not agree. She even placed her hands on her hips and shouted with her loud voice.
She assud that Mu Heng would let her take the vegetables out of his usual annoyance, not expecting him to say she could take them but had to pay.
"Who said I give vegetables to the workers for free?" Mu Heng raised an eyebrow, pretending not to understand what Mu Tian was talking about.
"Everyone knows you’re kind enough to let the workers take vegetables as they please. Oh, or is that just a rumor spread by you? No! You wouldn’t think of such a thing. It must be that demon wife of yours who ca up with this idea, right? I still haven’t settled the score with that shaless woman for getting kicked out by my parents. If it weren’t for her..."
"Have you said enough?" Mu Heng couldn’t bear to listen till the end of it. If he didn’t interrupt, he might just walk over and slap this middle-aged woman until her mouth bled.
He was not the type of man to stand by and listen when soone insult his wife, who had sacrificed for him and his younger siblings. As in previous instances, his eyes darkened and took on a nacing look. It seed Mu Tian had just rembered that insulting Yueqian, her nephew’s wife, was strictly forbidden.
Mu Heng’s protectiveness of his wife was well-known in this village and the surrounding ones. Even if soone wanted to slander Yueqian, they wouldn’t dare say it in front of Mu Heng.
"Fine, fine. But about the vegetables..."
"I don’t give vegetables to the workers for free. Those are part of their wages. If you want sothing, then work for it," Mu Heng stated firmly.
"What do you an? The workers themselves said that after work, they got vegetables from your house and were also paid," Mu Tian still insisted.
"Yes, that’s true. If you want vegetables, then work for . I’ll pay you along with giving you the vegetables," Mu Heng said, folding his arms and looking at Mu Tian, who was now deep in thought.
"You... What kind of work would you have do?" Mu Tian, despite being very lazy, loved money just as much. Previously, when she lived in the main house with the Mu family, she did no work because any money earned went to the communal pot. So, whether she worked or not, she had the sa amount of food and money, making her unwilling to do anything.
Most people thought she was extrely lazy, but Mu Heng saw it differently. He thought Mu Tian was more industrious than him. Even he never made the effort to steal a little from various houses and pick up small items from around the village to use.
Seeing her determination to save money amazed Mu Heng.
"Go pull the weeds in my collard greens and mustard green plots. I’ve arranged the plots in long rows. When I inspect the work and find that my vegetables are healthy and there are no weeds, I’ll pay you 1 brass coin per plot." In reality, this was a low wage if he were hiring soone else, but Mu Tian didn’t know that. She only heard that she could earn 1 brass coin per plot of weeding, and her eyes widened.
"Are you saying that if I weed 1,000 plots for you, I’ll earn 1 tael?" Mu Tian asked in shock. Although each of Mu Heng’s plots was quite long, she had the whole day.
Her mother still cooked and brought her als regularly, so Mu Tian could use that ti for other tasks. Even if she had to cook for herself, she only made rice porridge which did not have other process that would trouble her. She had no husband or children and lived alone, making it easy to work all day and night.
"Yes, and every day, you can take one bundle of vegetables from around my house, worth 2 brass coins, without any charge," Mu Heng lured her again. Certainly, this employnt would be quite profitable for him, so giving her an extra bundle of vegetables daily was no big deal.
"Oh, and don’t forget that the vegetables in the plots must remain intact. Otherwise, I’ll report you to the authorities for damaging the vegetables in my plots, and you won’t receive a single brass coin." Mu Heng pretended to repeat it, though he knew Mu Tian was unlikely to do that.This middle-aged woman was easy to read. From the mont her eyes widened once she heard about the paynt, Mu Heng knew he could use her imdiately.
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