Chapter 408: Chapter 408

Mu Dajiang brought the food home, and Xiaxia and Xiao Chu came running over.

Being young, Xiao Chu hugged Mu Dajiang’s leg right away, grinning and exposing a smile with two missing front teeth.

"Dad, what did you bring? Xiao Chu smells something delicious!"

Mu Dajiang felt a warmth in his heart, but thinking of the possible people outside, he made a gesture to Xiao Chu to keep his voice down.

On the bed, Mrs. Liu struggled to get up but was stopped by Mu Dajiang who spotted her.

"You’re still not well, rest a bit more. This is food Shuangshuang brought us, have some."

Mu Dajiang handed all the food to Mrs. Liu without reservation, but Mrs. Liu refused to take it.

"Give it to the kids, I’m already grateful to be able to lie down!" Saying this, Mrs. Liu began coughing again. "Cough, cough..."

The summer fever came suddenly, and in just one day, Mrs. Liu’s originally slim body became even thinner, her chin turning sharp.

"Jinhua, don’t worry, I’ll give the food to the kids!" Mu Dajiang handed the food to Mu Xiaxia.

Mu Xiaxia took the food, and tears started to fall.

Xiao Chu saw this and began bawling as well, making Mu Dajiang anxious. He reached out to cover Xiao Chu’s mouth.

"Don’t cry, don’t cry, if your grandma hears you later, she’ll scold you again."

Looking at the cautious man, Mrs. Liu’s tears started to fall as well.

"Jinhua, how about we split from the family after elder brother passes the examination?"

These days, Mu Dajiang had been pondering a lot. Ever since the third branch split off, life for the fourth branch had gotten harder; even when his wife was sick, she couldn’t get a proper rest.

They had to work for survival; it would be better if after elder brother passes the exam and the family moves, to get a couple of acres of land and then deliver goods in town, a better life than now.

"You really think so?" Mrs. Liu looked at her husband with hope.

Though as a wife, she should be dutiful to her parents-in-law, but life had become unbearable.

The children were nearly starving.

"Yes, I’ve... made up my mind!" Mu Dajiang nodded.

Inside the house, Mrs. Liu suddenly laughed, and Mu Xiaxia did too.

As long as they split from the family, the fourth branch would one day be like the third branch, having their own pigs and chickens, and when Xiao Chu grows older, he can also go to school.

Mrs. Liu’s smile deepened, but before she could celebrate, Old Mrs. Mu shouted loudly from outside.

"Fourth daughter-in-law, are you raising yourself for slaughter fat? At this time, the stove is still cold, the water isn’t heated, and no food is prepared. What, you want us to starve?"

Mrs. Liu’s face turned pale instantly.

Old Mrs. Mu continued to bang on the door, while Mu Dajiang asked Mu Xiaxia to hide the food and he went outside himself.

"Mom, Xiaxia’s mom is sick and still resting, so please don’t shout, I’m begging you as your son."

"Bah! For a woman, saying such degrading words, get out of the way. I’ll check if that lazy deceitful woman is really dying, if not I’ll peel her skin!"

Old Mrs. Mu said, starting to shove Mu Dajiang.

Mu Dajiang stood still, not moving an inch, letting Old Mrs. Mu hit him.

Realizing her son was protecting Mrs. Liu, Old Mrs. Mu got furious, picked up a broom from the ground, and was about to hit Mu Dajiang with it.

Mu Danian, who had gone out to relieve himself, surprisingly showed some compassion and went up to hold Old Mrs. Mu’s frenzied hands, comforting her.

"Mom, what are you doing? Let go, let go quickly!"

"Fifth, you came just in time, look at the fourth, he dared to rebel against me for a woman, he must have eaten bear’s heart and leopard’s gall, copying that heartless bunch from the third branch."

Actually, Old Mrs. Mu couldn’t do anything to the people from the third branch, so she took it out on the fourth branch.

Who told the fourth branch to be like a soft target.

If she didn’t trouble them, who would she trouble?

"Mom, my fourth brother doesn’t have that ability, my third brother’s family was enchanted by that stinking girl, besides Xiaxia can’t be compared to that stinking girl, don’t be angry."

As Mu Danian spoke, he signaled to Mu Dajiang. Google seaʀᴄh 𝕟𝕠𝕧𝕖𝕝✶𝓯𝓲𝓻𝓮✶𝓷𝓮𝓽

"Fourth brother, weren’t you going to deliver the letter to someone? Hurry up and go!"

Mu Dajiang glanced at Mrs. Liu inside the house, but his feet remained unmoved.

At this moment, Mu Danian felt like scolding him, his fourth brother was just foolish, there were plenty of women in this world if not one then another, why stick to just one.

"Fourth brother, if you don’t go, and delay elder brother’s business, what will you do?"

As soon as Mu Dade was mentioned, Old Mrs. Mu miraculously threw down the broom in her hand and said to Mu Dajiang, "Go quickly as the fourth said, the meal, you can have your wife prepare later."

Old Mrs. Mu saying this meant she wasn’t going to the fourth branch now.

Mu Dajiang was relieved.

Took the letter and quickly headed towards Lu Yuanfeng’s house.

When he returned, Mu Dajiang’s face didn’t look good, it was pale and a bit frightening.

Old Mrs. Mu got scared seeing his expression, almost feeling a pang of fear.

"Fourth, what’s with that face? What happened?"

"Mom... elder brother he..." Mu Dajiang choked as he started speaking.

"What happened?" This shocked Mr. Mu, too.

"Yes, fourth brother, speak up, choking like that, who are you scaring?"

Mu Danian who had spoken good words for Mu Dajiang earlier urged him.

Mu Dazhong who had been beaten so badly he couldn’t speak could only watch Mu Dajiang anxiously.

After a while, Mu Dajiang finally gained his composure.

"Mom, Dad, elder brother says he caught a cold in Qianzhou Prefecture, ran out of silver, and now doesn’t even have money for the exam, asking you to arrange twenty taels."

"What? Eldest is sick?" Old Mrs. Mu exclaimed, then sat down on the ground, patting her thighs continuously.

"Oh my poor son, my dear, how did he get sick..."

Old Mrs. Mu’s wailing startled Mr. Mu so much that he fell straight to the ground.

"Dad, what happened to you? What’s wrong?" The Old Mu family members hurriedly gathered around, showing great concern.

After a while, Mr. Mu regained consciousness.

The first thing he asked was for Mu Dajiang to repeat what had happened.

This time, everyone knew that Mu Dade had caught a chill but was now fine, just short on money, wanting his family to gather silver for preparing the August autumn examination.

"What do we do now, when elder brother left, that fifty taels was borrowed with a promissory note, where does the family have any silver for elder brother now!" Mu Danian, fearing Mr. Mu would put the burden on him, quickly said.

"Exactly, Dad, Mom, the family has no money left." Mrs. Lin also hurried to clear herself.

Mu Dazhong hurt badly couldn’t speak but made his stance clear with his actions.

No money, just his life!

Without money, Mu Dade absolutely can’t continue the exam.