Chapter 383: Chapter 383

Such a lousy excuse, I’m afraid only Lu Xiao can say it.

Lu Yuanfeng didn’t speak, he just went forward to arrange the rooms one by one, then said, "The rooms are all set, anything else?"

Lu Xiao cursed him as a beast in his heart but could only leave helplessly.

Once he went out, Lu Yuanfeng locked the door; since those people liked to stay in his house, let them stay!

The washed clothes still needed to be rinsed by the creek, and Lu Yuanfeng suddenly felt a bit worried. He wondered if Shuangshuang’s stomach was still hurting, and if she had eaten the red dates or not.

Lu Yuanfeng worried about Mu Shuangshuang, and wasn’t Mu Shuangshuang also worrying about him?

Eating the red dates in the bowl, Mu Shuangshuang was thinking about what Lu Yuanfeng was doing. She felt that she had returned to normal now, and since she didn’t need to cook dinner, she finished the red dates in a few bites and went out for a walk.

Originally, she intended to go to Lu Yuanfeng’s house but felt it would be too abrupt. Unknowingly, she found herself turning toward the wing where the main house lived.

As she got closer, she heard Mu Zhenzhen’s wailing cries.

"Let me out; you people are too much. Why stop me from having a good life? Dad, Mom, let me out..."

Only then did Mu Shuangshuang remember; she indeed hadn’t seen Mu Zhenzhen for several days. She thought she had found a wealthy backer in town and wouldn’t come back, but it turned out she was locked up by Mr. Mu.

"Hey, Shuang, hurry and let me out."

Through the crack in the door, Mu Zhenzhen saw Mu Shuangshuang and began shouting at the top of her lungs.

Likewise, Mu Shuangshuang also saw Mu Zhenzhen, her hair disheveled, her face unkempt, and even her clothes were a mess.

Mu Zhenzhen loved to eat but not to tidy up, though she treated her own face like a treasure.

"Oh, Second Aunt, how did you end up locked in there? Trying out life experiences?" Mu Shuangshuang mocked.

Her second aunt and Mu Qingqing were both ingrates by nature; helping them brought no benefit and could result in getting bit.

"You damn girl, why’s your mouth so vicious? Let me out right now," Mu Zhenzhen insisted, unwilling to give up.

"No can do; since Grandpa and Grandma locked you up, it means you did something wrong. If I let you out, Grandpa and Grandma won’t let me off."

"Don’t give me all this nonsense; I know you. You damn girl, you’re not an honest type."

Mu Zhenzhen had been locked up in the room for a long time, never allowed out. She hadn’t bathed, and all her eating and other needs were done in the room, making it almost unbearable inside.

"Second Aunt, with you talking to me like that, I’m not coming over." Mu Shuangshuang rolled her eyes. This woman really had a sharp tongue.

"But if you give me some benefit, I might consider helping you open the door."

"Pah! You still want benefits? It’s good enough I’m not asking you for anything," Mu Zhenzhen refused. She did have good stuff, but those were gifts from Landlord Huang.

She was saving them to buy pretty clothes.

"None? Then I’ll be on my way." Mu Shuangshuang said as she started to leave.

"Wait, wait, damn girl, don’t go; I’ll give you money, I’ll give you money." Mu Zhenzhen rummaged around the room for a while and tossed a coin to Mu Shuangshuang.

"Second Aunt, are you treating me like a beggar?" Mu Shuangshuang didn’t pick it up, not because she looked down on the single coin, but because of Mu Zhenzhen’s poor attitude.

"You..." Mu Zhenzhen was infuriated, but under someone’s roof, she had to bow her head.

Landlord Huang still wanted to take her as a concubine.

Though the concubine title wasn’t pleasing, it came with wealth, better than a life in Old Mu Family with nothing to eat or drink.

Mu Zhenzhen preferred being a concubine to a rich man rather than a wife to a poor one.

"How much do you want then?" Mu Zhenzhen said through clenched teeth.

"Not much, just a tael of silver."

This amount was within Mu Zhenzhen’s capability, and there was risk in letting someone out; who knew, might Mu Zhenzhen turn around and bite her?

"Why don’t you go rob someone?" Mu Zhenzhen angrily asked. This text is hosted at NoveI★Fire.net

"I wish I could, but I’m afraid of a lawsuit. Besides, Second Aunt doesn’t have to give it to Shuangshuang. Anyway, Shuangshuang isn’t too keen on taking this risk," Mu Shuangshuang shrugged, looking indifferent.

"But I did hear that Second Aunt lives well in town, with plenty to eat and drink."

Subconsciously, Mu Shuangshuang made Mu Zhenzhen think of those past days, and sure enough, after a while, Mu Zhenzhen tossed a piece of silver out.

She urged, "Hurry up and open the door."

"Not so fast." Mu Shuangshuang picked up the silver and shook her head.

"You... dare to deceive me?"

When Mu Shuangshuang said ’not so fast’, Mu Zhenzhen panicked, and started to curse Mu Shuangshuang.

"Second Aunt, why the rush, looking like that, unwashed, wouldn’t it scare people if you went out ? I told you to wait a moment, it’s not that I’m not letting you out. Do you have a hairpin or wire?"

Mu Shuangshuang knew that ancient women’s hairpins were not much different from the bobby pins used by modern people; there ought to be some in Mu Zhenzhen’s room.

"I’m telling you, you better not play tricks, or you’ll pay for it."

Mu Zhenzhen went back inside the room, and this time she handed a hairpin to Mu Shuangshuang.

Mu Shuangshuang took the hairpin and tried it on the lock, fiddled with it a few times, and it opened.

Inside, when Mu Zhenzhen heard the lock opening, her heart jumped into her throat, but the person outside still didn’t open the door.

"Damn girl, what are you doing? Why not open the door?"

Mu Shuangshuang had a few final words to say; she had a feeling that after this time, she didn’t know when she’d see Mu Zhenzhen again.

"Second Aunt, are you sure you want to step through this door and live the life you want? No regrets?"

Mu Zhenzhen rolled her eyes exaggeratedly. "You’re nuts, why would I regret it? You said I could live the life I want, so less chatter, open the door."

"Second Aunt doesn’t want to wait for Elder Brother to come back and then go together to live a good life?" Mu Shuangshuang asked, not giving up.

"Do you think I’m dumb? With so many in our family, would my elder brother—selfish as he is—let everyone enjoy life? Besides, why should I rely on him, I can rely on myself."

These days, Mu Zhenzhen had thought things through. She knew very well what her elder brother and sister-in-law were like. When they sent him to study, the family was in an uproar. Even her bride price went to her elder brother, yet her brother never said a word of thanks.

Mu Zhenzhen didn’t covet those things, she knew she would have everything with Landlord Huang.

This time, Mu Shuangshuang really let go; the path was Mu Zhenzhen’s own choice, it had nothing to do with her.

"Alright, you’re free to go!" Mu Shuangshuang released her grip, and the lock fell to the floor, the door instantly swung open.

A pungent smell of feces wafted from the room, forcing Mu Shuangshuang to retreat a dozen steps, nearly suffocating.

In such an environment, it’s no wonder Mu Zhenzhen wanted to escape. If it were her, she’d run too!

Mu Zhenzhen hurriedly packed her things and soon left with her bundle. Mu Shuangshuang also returned to her own house.