"Kakak Keempat, aku tahu ini pasti berat untukmu! Terima kasih sudah datang untuk memberitahuku semua ini."
Mu Dashan menatap adiknya di hadapannya dengan perasaan haru. Tidak ada yang tahu lebih baik darinya betapa sulitnya kehidupan cabang keempat. Ini bukan sekadar masalah uang, tetapi tetap berada di Keluarga Mu Tua berarti terus-menerus diperintah dan diperlakukan tidak adil oleh orang tua mereka. Diperintah bukanlah masalah terbesar; masalah terbesarnya adalah hidup tanpa harapan.
"Kakak Ketiga, hari sudah larut. Aku akan kembali bersama ibu Xiaxia. Kalian susunlah strategi, dan jika ada apa-apa, mintalah saran pada Shuangshuang dan Fengzi. Mereka masih muda dan tahu lebih banyak daripada kita!"
Mu Dashan mengangguk berulang kali. Ia menatap kepergian Mu Dajiang yang kembali ke desa, pikirannya masih kacau untuk waktu yang lama. Tak lama kemudian, Lu Yuanfeng mendekat dengan pedati lembu, dan Mu Shuangshuang pun melompat turun.
"Ayah, apa yang dikatakan Paman Keempat sampai terburu-buru begitu?" tanya Mu Shuangshuang.
"Ah, soal kita membuka restoran sudah ketahuan oleh Bibi Tertua, lalu dia mengadu pada kakek-nenekmu. Mereka ingin menagih uang pensiun lebih awal!" jelas Mu Dashan. Meminta uang adalah masalah yang bisa jadi besar atau kecil. Apalagi dengan watak Nyonya Tua Mu, siapa yang tahu berapa banyak yang akan diminta, persis seperti singa yang membuka mulut lebar-lebar. Wajah Mu Dashan tampak tegang dan cemas. Ia menghela napas panjang, bingung harus memutuskan apa.
"Ini mudah saja. Jika kakek-nenek ingin uang pensiun, bukan tidak mungkin. Berapa pun yang disumbangkan cabang lain, kita akan menyumbang jumlah yang sama. Kapan pun mereka memberi, kita akan memberi! Soal Bibi Kecil... jangan harap bisa mendapatkan satu keping pun dari cabang kita. Siapa yang pernah dengar kakak sulung harus menghidupi adiknya? Lagipula, Bibi Kecil tidak gila sama sekali; dia sehat walafiat, jadi kenapa semua orang harus menanggungnya?" Mu Shuangshuang menyipitkan mata.
Bukan berarti Mu Shuangshuang tidak punya uang sekarang, tetapi meskipun punya, ia tidak akan menggunakannya untuk menghidupi orang tidak berguna seperti Mu Xiangxiang. Kakek dan nenek hanya tidak tahan melihat cabang ketiga hidup mapan, jadi ia tidak akan sebodoh itu membiarkan cabang ketiga dijadikan kambing hitam.
"Bibi Kecilmu tidak gila? Bagaimana mungkin? Kalau dia tidak gila, kenapa dia memotong rambut Bibi Keduamu? Tadi pagi aku melihat Bibi Keduamu memakai kain hitam melilit kepalanya. Saat melihatku, dia langsung lari ke kamarnya," tanya Mu Dashan.
"Justru karena dia memotong rambut Bibi Kedua, aku yakin Bibi Kecil tidak gila! Dia membenci Bibi Kedua karena selama dia sakit, Bibi Kedua terus mencari cara untuk menyiksanya, membuat suaranya terdengar seperti pria."
"Menggunakan alasan berpura-pura gila untuk menyiksa Bibi Kedua adalah langkah yang sah, sebuah strategi yang digunakan Nenek untuk mencegahnya menikah dengan Keluarga Qin."
"Ayah, Ibu, Yuanfeng, coba pikirkan... Pada hari Bibi Kecil membuat kekacauan besar di pesta pernikahan sepupu Da Lang, kenapa tidak ada yang menyalahkannya? Bukankah itu karena Nenek bilang Bibi Kecil 'gila'? Nenek merancang skenario paling menyedihkan untuk Bibi Kecil, memamerkannya di depan semua orang, dan menuai simpati. Semua orang terlalu sibuk merasa kasihan sampai lupa menyalahkannya," analisis Mu Shuangshuang dengan tenang.
Mendengar penjelasannya, semua orang setuju bahwa argumen Mu Shuangshuang masuk akal. Mu Dashan berkata, "Ah, benar juga. Nenekmu sampai melakukan trik kejam seperti itu hanya untuk menghentikan Bibi Kecil menikah dengan Keluarga Qin. Kalau begitu, bukankah seharusnya mereka tidak perlu setuju sejak awal? Bodoh, benar-benar bodoh!"
Mu Shuangshuang menggeleng, "Rencana ini bukan dari Nenek. Paling banter, dia hanya bisa memikirkan cara agar Bibi Kecil kabur. Ide berpura-pura gila, dia tidak akan terpikir." Mu Shuangshuang mengenal Nyonya Tua Mu dengan baik. Meski wataknya buruk dan tidak masuk akal, ide-ide Nyonya Tua Mu biasanya primitif dan kasar. Rencana ini terlalu rapi, bukan sesuatu yang bisa dipikirkan sembarang orang. Menurutnya, di Keluarga Mu Tua, hanya tiga orang yang mungkin merancang skema ini: dirinya sendiri, Mu Dade, atau Nyonya Jin.
Setelah berpikir, Mu Shuangshuang menyimpulkan bahwa dalangnya adalah ibu Liu Zian, Nyonya Song. "Jika bukan Nenek, lalu siapa?" tanya Mu Dashan.
Mu Shuangshuang memaparkan kecurigaannya dengan alasan yang jelas. Yu Si Niang sampai menutup mulut karena terkejut. "Ya ampun, Shuangshuang, Liu Zian tampak seperti orang baik. Ada apa dengan ibunya? Cabang kita tidak pernah menyinggungnya!"
"Ibu, menyukai seseorang tidak butuh alasan, tapi membenci seseorang pasti punya alasan. Ibu Liu Zian secara alami berhati picik dan selalu salah paham soal hubungan antara Liu Zian dan aku. Dia pasti khawatir aku akan menyeret Liu Zian jatuh, jadi dia ingin Liu Zian menjauh dariku."
Mu Shuangshuang merasa sangat dirugikan dalam masalah ini. Ia bahkan jarang berbicara dengan Liu Zian, dan ia pernah berbuat baik dengan menabung biaya perjalanan untuk ujiannya. Jika tahu akan ada masalah seperti ini, ia pasti tidak akan membantu. "Hati wanita memang yang paling berbisa; kita harus tetap waspada!" ujar Mu Dashan.
Tak disangka, komentar itu membuat Mu Shuangshuang dan Yu Si Niang tertawa. Mereka saling berpandangan, merasa ucapan Mu Dashan cukup lucu. "Kita pulang dulu dan dengar apa yang akan dikatakan kakek-nenek. Lagipula, kita sudah punya rencana; nanti kita sesuaikan dengan keadaan!"
Pedati lembu Lu Yuanfeng melaju menuju desa, langsung masuk ke halaman cabang ketiga. Tentu saja, ini tidak luput dari perhatian Keluarga Mu Tua. Begitu Lu Yuanfeng mengembalikan lembu kepada Wang Fugui, anggota Keluarga Mu Tua langsung menyerbu. Saat itu, barang-barang yang dibeli di kota masih ada di atas pedati. Beras, garam, dan minyak terkumpul cukup banyak.
"Hei, Shuang, dengar-dengar kau punya restoran sekarang? Beritahu Bibi Kedua berapa banyak yang kau habiskan untuk restoran itu, dan apa sisanya? Apa kau menjual resep busuk itu?" Nyonya Lin bergegas maju, menjadi yang pertama bertanya.
"Bibi Kedua sangat tahu berita, bagaimana bisa tahu cabang kami membeli restoran? Biar Shuangshuang tebak, mungkin Bibi Kedua memimpikannya?" Mu Shuangshuang menyeringai, tidak takut sedikit pun.
"Shuang, jangan bercanda. Kami datang hari ini untuk meminta uang pensiun kakek dan nenekmu dari cabangmu. Restoran sudah buka, pasti kau tidak keberatan dengan jumlah kecil itu! Kakak Ketiga, Si Niang, kami tidak minta banyak, hanya lima puluh tahil perak untuk pensiun dan dua puluh tahil untuk pengobatan Xiangxiang!"
"Fourth brother, I know this must be hard for you! Thanks for coming over to tell me these things."
Mu Dashan looked at his brother in front of him, feeling quite emotional.
No one knows better than him how tough it is for the fourth branch.
It’s not just about money, but staying in the Old Mu Family means being ordered around and treated unfairly by your parents.
Being ordered around isn’t even the biggest problem; the biggest problem is a lifetime without hope.
"Third brother, it’s getting late, I’ll go back with Xiaxia’s mother, you all figure out a strategy, and if there’s anything, ask Shuangshuang and Fengzi, they’re young and know more than us!"
Mu Dashan nodded repeatedly.
He watched Mu Dajiang return to the village, unable to pull himself together for a long time.
After Lu Yuanfeng drew close with the ox cart, Mu Shuangshuang also jumped down from the cart.
"Dad, what did my fourth uncle say to you in such a hurry?" Mu Shuangshuang asked.
"Ah, the thing about us opening the restaurant was found out by your eldest aunt, who then told your grandparents. Your grandparents want to demand their retirement money early!"
Mu Dashan explained.
Asking for money, this matter can be big or small.
Besides, with his mother’s temperament, who knows how much she’ll ask for this time, like a lion opening its mouth wide.
Mu Dashan’s worried face seemed to be somewhat distorted. He sighed deeply, unsure for a moment what to decide.
"This is simple—if grandparents want retirement money, it’s not impossible. Whatever the other branches contribute, we’ll contribute the same. Whenever they give, we’ll give!
As for the younger aunt... don’t even think about getting a penny from our branch. Who’s ever heard of the eldest brother needing to support the sister? And my younger aunt isn’t mad at all; she’s perfectly fine, so why should everyone support her?"
Mu Shuangshuang squinted her eyes at everyone.
It’s not that Mu Shuangshuang doesn’t have money now; even if she did, she wouldn’t use it to support a worthless person like Mu Xiangxiang.
The old lady and old man just can’t stand seeing the third branch doing well, so she won’t foolishly let the third branch be the scapegoat.
"Your younger aunt hasn’t gone mad? How could that be? If she’s not mad, why did she cut your second aunt’s hair? I saw your second aunt this morning, and she had black cloth wrapped around her head. When she saw me, she rushed back to her own room." Mu Dashan asked.
"It’s precisely because she cut the second aunt’s hair that I’m sure the younger aunt isn’t mad! She hates the second aunt because during her illness, the second aunt found ways to torment her, making her voice sound like a man’s."
"Using the excuse of feigning madness to torment the second aunt is a legitimate move, a strategy my grandma used to keep her from marrying into the Qin Family."
"Dad and Mom, Yuanfeng, think about it... On the day the younger aunt made such a big mistake at the wedding banquet of cousin Da Lang, why didn’t anyone blame her? Isn’t it because grandma said my younger aunt was ’mad’?"
"Grandma crafted the most pitiful scenario for the younger aunt, displayed it for everyone to see, and garnered sympathy. Everyone was too busy feeling sorry for the younger aunt to blame her."
Mu Shuangshuang calmly analyzed the situation for Mu Dashan and the others.
Listening to her words, everyone agreed that Mu Shuangshuang’s statement was indeed reasonable.
Mu Dashan said, "Ah, truly, your grandma came up with such nasty tricks just to stop your younger aunt from marrying into the Qin Family."
"If it was like this, shouldn’t they have never agreed to let your younger aunt marry into the family in the first place? Foolish, truly foolish!"
Mu Shuangshuang shook her head, "This plan didn’t come from my grandma. The best she could come up with was to let the younger aunt escape. The idea of feigning madness, she wouldn’t think of."
Mu Shuangshuang knew Old Mrs. Mu well, even if others didn’t.
Despite her bad nature and unreasonable behavior, Old Mrs. Mu had her own style. Her ideas were quite primitive and crude.
This plan was refined, not something just anyone could conceive.
At least from Mu Shuangshuang’s perspective, within the Old Mu Family, only three people might come up with such a scheme.
She was one, the other two were Mu Dade and Mrs. Jin.
The couple from the first branch couldn’t wait for Mu Xiangxiang to get married and leave, and she herself wouldn’t do it either.
Mu Shuangshuang, after some deduction, ended up attributing the matter to Liu Zian’s mother, Mrs. Song.
On the day Mrs. Song came over, she gave the impression of being no pushover; yet Mu Shuangshuang couldn’t quite figure out why she would help the Old Mu Family.
"If not your grandma, then who?" Mu Dashan asked.
"I know who came up with this plan..." Mu Shuangshuang elaborated her suspicions and thoughts with clear reasoning to Mu Dashan, his wife, and Lu Yuanfeng.
Yu Si Niang was so shocked she covered her mouth.
"Oh my, Shuangshuang, Liu Zian seemed like such a good person. What’s wrong with his mother? Our branch hasn’t offended her!"
"Mom, liking someone doesn’t need a reason, but disliking someone definitely has one. Liu Zian’s mom is naturally petty-minded and she’s always misunderstood the relationship between Liu Zian and me.
She must be worried that I might drag Liu Zian down, wanting Liu Zian to distance himself from me."
Mu Shuangshuang in this matter has really suffered a big loss.
She barely even talked to Liu Zian, and she once did a good deed by saving up travel expenses for his exams.
If she had known there’d be so much trouble today, she definitely wouldn’t have lent a hand.
Even if Qingshan Town ends up losing such an outstanding scholar!
"The most venomous hearts are those of women; we should still be cautious!" Mu Dashan expressed feeling.
Unexpectedly, it amused Mu Shuangshuang and Yu Si Niang into laughter.
The two looked at each other, finding Mu Dashan’s comment rather funny.
"We should head back first and hear what grandparents have to say. Anyway, we’ve already come up with our plan; when the time comes, we’ll adapt to the circumstances!"
Lu Yuanfeng’s ox cart boldly headed towards the village, directly into the third branch.
Naturally, this couldn’t escape the notice of the Old Mu Family.
Front feet Lu Yuanfeng returned the ox to Wang Fugui, and the members of the Old Mu Family moved in.
At that moment, the goods bought in town were still on the cart.
Rice, salt, oil, together made quite a lot.
"Hey, Shuang, heard you even have a restaurant now? Tell your second aunt how much you spent on the restaurant, what’s left from it? Did you sell that lousy recipe?"
Mrs. Lin rushed forward, being the first to eat the crab and ask questions.
"Second aunt is well-informed, how did you know our branch bought a restaurant? Let Shuangshuang guess, maybe second aunt dreamt about it?" Mu Shuangshuang grinned foolishly, showing no fear of being caught.
"Shuang, don’t joke around with us. We came today to ask for mine and your grandpa’s retirement money from your branch. The restaurant’s already opened, surely you won’t mind such a small sum!"
"Third brother, Si Niang, we’re not asking for much, just fifty taels of silver for retirement and twenty taels for Xiangxiang’s treatment!"
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