Chapter 1683 - 1678: Thick-Skinned

"Second Aunt, you sure have some nerve. It’s the first I’ve seen someone openly asking for something!" Mu Shuangshuang said bluntly.

"Shuang, what are you saying? We’re family, that’s why I’m asking. If it were someone else, I couldn’t be bothered!"

While speaking, Mrs. Lin styled herself as if she were doing Mu Shuangshuang a favor by wanting her things.

Upon hearing this, Mu Shuangshuang laughed heartily a few times.

"Second Aunt, I think you should find a job!"

"What job?" Mrs. Lin was baffled by Mu Shuangshuang’s sudden suggestion.

"A job selling your face. I’ve seen shameless people, but never someone this shameless!" Mu Shuangshuang declared.

She wouldn’t pamper Mrs. Lin. Besides, these clothes were bought for her mother. Why should Mrs. Lin lay a finger on them?

"Hey, I say, girl, why are you so stingy? It’s just a piece of ragged clothing. Even if you gave it to your Second Aunt, so what?" Mrs. Lin said through gritted teeth.

Mu Shuangshuang chuckled coldly. "Second Aunt, have you ever heard this saying?"

"What saying?" Mrs. Lin asked irritably.

"If it’s mine and I’m willing to give it to you, then I’ll give it to you! If I’m not willing, even if I throw it away, you can’t pick it up!" Mu Shuangshuang said with a domineering air.

Having said that, she took advantage of Mrs. Lin’s distraction and yanked at her body.

Mrs. Lin, startled, instinctively reached out to steady herself against the wall.

Taking the chance, Mu Shuangshuang snatched back the clothes that Mrs. Lin had been holding with her other hand.

Then, she retrieved several more pieces of clothing that she had purchased from under Mrs. Lin’s bedding.

With the clothes snatched from her, Mrs. Lin acted like she’d gone mad. "You nasty girl, why are you so stingy? I am your Second Aunt, and it’s just a piece of clothing, don’t you have the heart to part with it?"

"Second Aunt, let me tell you, I really won’t part with it! If you want these clothes, either save up and buy them yourself or go ask Mu Qingqing!" Mu Shuangshuang replied.

"Qingqing? Oh right, I’ve been keeping an eye on your uncle, and you haven’t told me where that dead girl is! Is she married now? Who did she marry?" Mrs. Lin inquired.

"I can only tell you that she married into a family with the surname Sun and is probably moving to the county soon. However, the Sun Family is a prominent household, so it’s best not to seek out Qingqing; she won’t acknowledge you as her mother!" Mu Shuangshuang said.

"You’re full of it! If she dares not to recognize me, I’ll take her life!" Mrs. Lin retorted.

Mu Shuangshuang’s lips twitched, refusing to argue further with Mrs. Lin.

If it were Mu Qingqing, she indeed wouldn’t acknowledge Mrs. Lin.

"Shuang, you just said that dead girl married into a prominent family surnamed Sun? Do you know the name?" Mrs. Lin suddenly softened.

If the girl truly married into wealth and became a young mistress, she might just benefit from it!

"Second Aunt, ever heard the saying? Getting something for nothing is not sustainable. If you want to leech off Qingqing, you’ll have to think of a way yourself. Otherwise, if you always rely on others, you won’t even know when starvation hits!" Mu Shuangshuang stated.

"You..." Mrs. Lin was infuriated again.

She jumped up to argue with Mu Shuangshuang, "You little wretch, you’re truly heartless, bullying me like this? You... you..."

"What? Want a fight?" Mu Shuangshuang showed her fists.

"I... I..." Mrs. Lin knew she was no match for Mu Shuangshuang and didn’t dare to brawl with her.

"Get out!" Mrs. Lin pointed to her room’s door.

Mu Shuangshuang rolled her eyes. "Second Aunt, you say it so easily. Why don’t you roll out and show me how?"

That made Mrs. Lin almost jump off a building in anger.

She took several deep breaths, trying to calm herself down and ignore Mu Shuangshuang, to slowly let the anger dissipate.

At this moment, Old Mrs. Mu poked her head in from outside. Seeing Mrs. Lin’s flushed face, she chided, "What are you hiding in here for? There are so many chores at home, and you’re not doing them?"

"Mom, this nasty girl, she..."

Mrs. Lin prepared to make her complaints.

But before she could finish, Old Mrs. Mu interrupted dismissively, "Why are you still standing there? Aren’t you going to cook? The kitchen is cold, so are you planning on letting the whole family starve tonight?"

"Mom, I..."

"Humph, you’ve always been lazy and shirking work. Still the same now! You hopeless woman should just take some rat poison and end it all!"

Old Mrs. Mu scolded her, and Mrs. Lin didn’t dare to talk back.

Defeated, she went to do her chores.

Before she left, she shot Mu Shuangshuang a glare.

Mu Shuangshuang didn’t care at all and didn’t even bother to glance at Mrs. Lin.

"You’re the same! You have no business coming to our Old Mu Family without any reason. This place isn’t for people like you!" Old Mrs. Mu said.

"Grandma is right. This is where the officials reside! Us commoners have no right to live here!" Mu Shuangshuang jested with a grin.

Old Mrs. Mu picked up on the sarcasm in her words and retorted, "Don’t get too cocky! My eldest is my son, so nothing will drive us out! If you’re waiting to see us fall, it’s going to take a while!"

"I hope so!!"

Leaving those words behind, Mu Shuangshuang, with her clothes in hand, walked out of the Old Mu Family feeling triumphant.

In the front courtyard, she ran into Mu Dade.

Mu Dade glared at her, and Mu Shuangshuang rolled her eyes back at him.

She left a parting comment, "Uncle, I’m just waiting for you to fall from heaven into hell!"

Mu Dade’s face flushed red with rage at her words.

"You dead girl, don’t get too cocky. Your demise will come soon!"

Mu Dade muttered to himself and then went to find the carriage driver to meet Mrs. Jin.

Since everything was out in the open, there was nothing left to lose. The timing was perfect to also discuss his daughter’s engagement.

Mu Dade arrived outside Mrs. Jin’s small courtyard and knocked for a long time before gaining entry. It wasn’t until he had the driver climb over the wall and open the gate that he could get inside.

The first thing he did was head straight for Mrs. Jin’s room.

He found Mrs. Jin sitting on the bed, crying, surrounded by clothes cut into shreds and broken vases.

Mrs. Jin held her face in her hands, sobbing.

"Yinyin..." Mu Dade called softly.

Mrs. Jin lifted her head, and seeing Mu Dade made her even angrier!

"Why are you here? Why not find your little Xiao Jiao? Why aren’t you coddling that woman?" Mrs. Jin accused.

"Yinyin, what are you talking about? I’m your husband! What does Ruan Xiao Jiao have to do with me?" Mu Dade frowned.

In his heart, though he had an inkling of the truth, his face remained the same.

"Still pretending, are you? That wretched girl told me! You and she are still entangled, even... even the child in her belly is yours!"

The last part was something Mrs. Jin made up.

Mu Shuangshuang had never said such a thing, only that there was some ambiguity between Ruan Xiao Jiao and Mu Dade.

"You believe that nonsense? Do you know what that woman did today?"