After listening to Mu Shuangshuang’s analysis, Zheng Zhi also felt that what she said made sense.
"In that case, we can count this as having done something big! I just hope that when the vegetables in this plot grow up, the effects you talked about will really show!" Zheng Zhi said.
"Don’t worry, maybe the villagers will follow along and start growing vegetables too?! Oh right, there’s a woman in this village I know, shall we go take a look?" Mu Shuangshuang asked.
"Alright!"
Mu Shuangshuang led Zheng Zhi to Zhuangzi’s family.
When she got to the yard gate, Zhuangzi’s mother was in the courtyard washing clothes.
Her face broke into the smile of someone meeting an old acquaintance after a long separation, and she called to Zhuangzi’s mother, "Granny, I’ve come to see you!"
Hearing the voice, Zhuangzi’s mother looked up, and instantly cried out excitedly.
"Shuangshuang, how come you’re here? Hurry, go sit inside!"
After speaking to Mu Shuangshuang, she raised her voice and shouted toward the daughter?in?law in the back courtyard.
"Eldest daughter?in?law, quick, quickly pour tea, Shuangshuang’s here!"
In a moment, Zhuangzi’s sister?in?law came out.
She was holding a tea bowl in her hands, and in the other hand, a teapot.
Seeing Zheng Zhi beside Mu Shuangshuang, and the servant following behind, she hurriedly said, "You all go sit in the house first, I’ll go get two more tea bowls!"
Zhuangzi’s mother wasn’t particularly enthusiastic toward Zheng Zhi and his servant.
But toward Mu Shuangshuang, the more she looked the happier she became.
"It hasn’t even been that long since we last met, and you’ve grown so pretty!" Zhuangzi’s mother said cheerfully.
Hearing that, Mu Shuangshuang’s cheeks flushed red.
"Granny, you shouldn’t praise people like that! Let me introduce you, this is Zheng Zhi, and the one following behind him is his servant, Wang Fu.
The dry fields in your village, all of them have been rented by me and Zheng Zhi to grow vegetables!" Mu Shuangshuang said.
"So it’s you, I was wondering who rented so much land to grow vegetables!"
Zhuangzi’s mother burst out laughing.
She had always been a very outgoing person, and seeing someone she liked, her mood became all the better.
Mu Shuangshuang followed them into the house, drank tea, and Zhuangzi’s mother brought out some snacks to eat.
That treatment, in Zhuangzi’s sister?in?law’s words, was something even their own grandson might not enjoy.
Mu Shuangshuang sat for a while, chatted for a bit, and saw Zhuangzi.
Her former second brother?in?law.
Compared with before, Zhuangzi had matured quite a bit.
Seeing Mu Shuangshuang, he would even take the initiative to greet her now.
Back then, whenever he went to the Old Mu Family, he couldn’t be bothered to look at the third branch, much less greet her or her parents.
Zhuangzi had grown a lot thinner; in the past, he was basically a walking ball of meat.
But now, not only was he thinner, he was darker too, and his body looked much sturdier.
He must have done a lot of work at home.
"Shuangshuang, I heard you opened a restaurant in town, I still haven’t properly congratulated you!"
"Uncle, if you have time, come take a look, I’ve got plenty of good things there!" Mu Shuangshuang said politely.
"Heh heh, alright!" Zhuangzi nodded, then after a moment suddenly asked, "By the way, I heard the rest of the Old Mu Family went to the county, how are they doing now?"
Zhuangzi asking about the Old Mu Family on his own initiative was beyond Mu Shuangshuang’s expectations.
But then she thought about it and felt Zhuangzi really had figured things out.
He could treat the people of the Old Mu Family the same as he would anyone else.
Without thinking much, Mu Shuangshuang said, "They’re doing quite well! My eldest uncle became a county magistrate, and my second uncle and fifth uncle are helping my eldest uncle now!" Mu Shuangshuang said.
"What about Zhenzhen?" Zhuangzi asked.
"My second aunt has already remarried."
Hearing that, Zhuangzi let out a breath of relief.
Back when Mu Zhenzhen had made a huge fuss at home, Zhuangzi had hated her at first.
But later, after his wife Cui’er talked sense into him, Zhuangzi figured things out.
Back then, when he and Mu Zhenzhen divorced, it hadn’t been only Mu Zhenzhen’s fault.
He himself had a great deal of fault too.
However, he was now already married to Cui’er, so regarding Mu Zhenzhen, even if it had been wrong, he could only keep on being wrong; there was no way to turn back anymore.
"Zhenzhen has been competitive and strong?willed her whole life! Back then I was too soft?eared, and did plenty of wrong things! Shuangshuang, if you ever have the chance, help me tell her I’m sorry, and I hope she can forget everything that happened in the past!"
Zhuangzi was making his biggest concession.
After listening, Mu Shuangshuang let out a long breath.
Although Mu Zhenzhen was married now, the man was Mu Xiangxiang’s man.
Listening to the words that came out of Mu Xiangxiang’s mouth, Mu Zhenzhen had married Sun Dali entirely out of refusal to admit defeat.
Since the marriage wasn’t born of love at all,
the path ahead wouldn’t be easy to walk.
Maybe she’d never find her way out of it in this lifetime.
But apart from blaming Mu Zhenzhen herself for all this, who else could she blame?
Mu Shuangshuang narrowed her eyes and said to Zhuangzi, "Since Uncle has decided to cut ties with the past, then this ’I’m sorry’ doesn’t need to be said anymore."
Mu Shuangshuang understood Mu Zhenzhen; if she were to go and pass on this apology,
chances were Mu Zhenzhen would rekindle hope.
She might even think she hadn’t done anything wrong in the past at all.
That everything had been Zhuangzi’s mother’s and Zhuangzi’s fault.
And that she herself was the victim!
Hearing this, Zhuangzi was stunned for a moment, then after quite a while he nodded, "So be it! What’s past is past!"
Zhuangzi didn’t stay long in the main room before he left; once he left, he sent his wife Cui’er over.
It was said to be to chat with Mu Shuangshuang, but in truth she was just listening to Mu Shuangshuang and Zhuangzi’s mother talk.
Without Mu Zhenzhen, Zhuangzi’s family was much more harmonious.
No quarrels, no gunpowder in the air.
Even among the three sisters?in?law, they were all polite and courteous.
In the past, when Mu Zhenzhen was around, everything she said carried thorns; if she wasn’t mocking this one, she was sneering at that one.
Life like that wasn’t much fun at all!
Now, though, things were warm and pleasant, and the days grew more festive as they went.
She chatted with Zhuangzi’s mother for a whole afternoon.
As it neared dusk, it was time for Mu Shuangshuang and Zheng Zhi to head back.
After a few more polite words, the three of them—Mu Shuangshuang, Zheng Zhi, and Wang Fu—left Dahuo Village.
Dahuo Village was close to Er Gui Village, and Mu Shuangshuang planned to go straight back to her own village.
Zheng Zhi was heading back to town; none of them were going back to the county today.
For one thing, going back now they’d definitely have to travel at night.
And the city gates would surely be closed.
Even though it was nearly the end of March and close to April, spending the night outside still risked getting sick.
After they discussed their routes with each other, Mu Shuangshuang and Zheng Zhi went their separate ways.
...
...
Mu Shuangshuang returned to the village alone; her parents had already come back to the village a few days earlier.
Heading straight for the new house of the fourth branch, Mu Shuangshuang was like a little bird that had been away from home too long, eager to fly back to the nest.
When she reached her own door, Mu Shuangshuang knocked loudly.
In just a moment, the door opened.
It was Yu Si Niang who opened it; seeing Mu Shuangshuang, Yu Si Niang was stunned at first, then said with uncontrollable joy, "My heavens, Shuangshuang, how come you’re back?"
Last time, when Yu Si Niang and Mu Dashan came back, Mu Shuangshuang had said she wouldn’t be returning for a while.
Even if she did come back, it would only be after she’d gotten the new shop in the county in order.
"Zheng Zhi and I went to Dahuo Village to look at the vegetable fields, it got late, so I came back!" Mu Shuangshuang explained.
"Quick, get inside, I’ll go make you dinner!" Yu Si Niang looked so excited she could hardly control herself.