Chapter 1580 - 1576: Mu Dade Was Probably Involved Too (First Update)

"Fourth Uncle, there’s something I need to tell you!" Mu Shuangshuang thought, whether you stick your neck out or shrink back, it’s still the same blade—might as well be straightforward.

After all, Mu Dajiang was also Xiao Chu’s father; he had the right to know the truth.

When Mu Shuangshuang spoke like that, Mu Dajiang immediately sensed something was wrong.

His body was shaking badly, and deep down he vaguely felt it had to do with Xiao Chu, and probably wasn’t good news, but he still clung to the last shred of hope.

"Shuangshuang, what is it? You say it... Fourth Uncle is listening!" The man looked at Mu Shuangshuang with a gaze that was quite cautious.

Mu Shuangshuang felt awful, but still said, "Xiao Chu... we probably won’t be able to get her back in the next few days."

"What... what do you mean, ’probably won’t be able to get her back in the next few days’?" Mu Dajiang asked Mu Shuangshuang, eyes bloodshot.

Mu Shuangshuang could only tell the truth: "Four days ago, Landlord Jiang moved his whole household away from the county. Now... now we don’t know where they’ve gone!"

When Mu Dajiang heard this, he couldn’t even stand; his whole body jolted and he collapsed straight to the ground.

Mu Shuangshuang crouched down, wanting to help him up, yet still stopped herself.

Rather than letting her Fourth Uncle keep bottling it up, it was better to let him vent.

"I’ve already asked some friends in the government office to look for them! As soon as there’s news, they’ll inform me at once. Also, from what I heard, Landlord Jiang isn’t a harsh man, and the womenfolk in his household are very gentle!

They won’t bully Xiao Chu, so Fourth Uncle, for now you don’t need to worry about Xiao Chu’s safety!"

Just as Mu Shuangshuang finished, Mu Dajiang said, "Shuangshuang, I want to be alone for a bit, you..."

Before Mu Dajiang could finish, Mu Shuangshuang nodded. "All right! I’ll go over to Eldest Uncle’s place to check on things! I’ll leave this space to you, Fourth Uncle!"

With that, Mu Shuangshuang walked to her horse and untied its rope.

It happened to be the night market in the county now; the streets were brightly lit and packed with people.

The Lantern Festival hadn’t passed yet; at night, the main street of the county town was even busier than in the daytime.

Mu Shuangshuang counted herself lucky; she’d ridden back with Xiaxia just as it was getting dark. If she’d been delayed even a bit, riding a horse through the crowd wouldn’t have been so easy!

Just as she stepped out of the courtyard, Mu Shuangshuang heard Mu Dajiang howling.

Although the man was trying his hardest to hold it in, that sound, no different from a wild beast’s wail, was full of deep pain and self-blame.

Listening to it, Mu Shuangshuang felt uncomfortable too, her heart aching, so she didn’t dare linger and left quickly.

Walking along the bustling street, Mu Shuangshuang’s heart was a jumble of feelings, an indescribable oppression.

Right now she had no mind to keep blaming the Fourth Branch’s family for going against all the warnings she’d hammered into them before leaving for the Northwest.

Because now, the Fourth Branch had already paid the price for not listening to her.

Though the price was quite heavy, and the Fourth Branch might not be able to bear it!

But what’s done was done; at the moment, the most important thing was to first bring Xiao Chu back.

Then there was that woman, Mrs. Jin.

Mu Shuangshuang herself wanted to throw Mrs. Jin into prison and keep her there for life.

Yet she faintly felt that Mu Dade was involved in this too!

According to Mu Dajiang, Xiaxia went to find Mu Dade right away. With Mu Dade’s face-loving nature, even if he wouldn’t really pull down his own face, he would at least agree to speak with the people in the government office.

That is, do the so‑called surface work!

But this time, Mu Dade didn’t even bother with the surface work; it was obvious he had no intention of saving Mu Xiaxia.

It would be easy enough to see Mrs. Jin punished—at worst, give her a brutal beating and then go to the County Magistrate—but if this touched on Mu Dade, even if it got blown up before the County Magistrate, it probably wouldn’t hurt Mu Dade in the least.

Unless she told the County Magistrate that the child in Ruan Xiao Jiao’s belly was Mu Dade’s.

But that would be tantamount to mutual destruction; Mu Dade would be finished, and the many people in the Old Mu Family would all go to hell along with him.

And there was Taohua; in a sense, she was also someone who had followed Ruan Xiao Jiao to deceive the County Magistrate.

There was no guaranteeing the County Magistrate wouldn’t, in a fit of rage, kill two with one stroke!

Then, speaking of the Old Mu Family—right now, all these people in the Old Mu Family were living off Mu Dade.

To put it unpleasantly, if it really came out that Mu Dade had done this, Mr. Mu would definitely cover it up.

As for her several uncles, there was no need to mention them; they were all just waiting to live off Mu Dade. As if they’d ever let Mu Dade end up behind bars!

So she had to think of a well‑handled way that would make Mu Dade take punishment too, and never be able to make a comeback!

Without realizing it, leading her horse, Mu Shuangshuang had already reached the Old Mu Family’s compound in the county.

At the gate of the Old Mu Family hung two huge red lanterns, looking all festive.

But behind that festivity was nothing but filthy dealings!

Mu Shuangshuang knocked on the big gate of the Old Mu Family, but no one came to open it for quite a while.

Without thinking twice, she climbed over the wall straight into the Old Mu Family’s compound.

Then she unbarred the main gate of the Old Mu Family and led her horse in, openly and boldly!

...

Back courtyard of the Old Mu Family—

Mr. Mu and the others of the Old Mu Family, including Mu Dade, were all trying to persuade Mrs. Liu to take care of her health and go back to rest early.

Mr. Mu said, "Fourth daughter‑in‑law, you’ve already been here keeping watch for so long. It’s nearly midnight now; Shuang won’t be coming today! Why don’t you go rest first? At dawn tomorrow, you can keep watch over Eldest daughter‑in‑law again?"

Mrs. Liu didn’t move at all, her eyes fixed dead on Mrs. Jin lying on the bed.

Mrs. Jin’s hands and feet had all been cut with a kitchen knife by Mu Shuangshuang, and her hair had been hacked off as well; she didn’t dare move—any movement made her whole body ache.

She could only look pitifully at Mu Dade, hoping he would speak up for her.

Mu Dade kept signaling to Mrs. Jin with his eyes, telling her not to talk nonsense, not to act rashly.

Otherwise the two of them would be finished!

Mrs. Jin had no choice but to endure, and keep enduring!~

"Fourth Sister‑in‑law, I’ll definitely give you an account for this matter! It’s just that right now, nothing is more important than your health.

If you collapse, what will happen when Xiaxia and Xiao Chu come back? Won’t they be heartbroken?" Mu Dade tried to reason with Mrs. Liu and appeal to her feelings.

Right now he had only one thought: get Mrs. Liu to leave.

Then he could have a chance to be alone with his wife and discuss a way to handle this problem.

Before that, nothing about this matter could be allowed to slip!

Afraid things would backfire, before Mu Dade even decided to come deal with this himself, he had already locked both his daughters’ doors.

Both daughters were far from easy to handle; if they were allowed to come over, who knew if they’d beat up Fourth sister‑in‑law, then blow the whole thing up so everyone would know.

No matter what Mr. Mu and Mu Dade said, Mrs. Liu refused to budge an inch, even if it killed her.

The last time, she hadn’t listened to Shuangshuang, and ended up suffering badly; Xiao Chu still hadn’t been found!

This time, no matter what, Mrs. Liu would not go against what Shuangshuang had said!