Chapter 12

The steward gave her a long look. A carriage was a means of transport, it could be used at home, loaned out, or sold for cash.
Bedding, rice, and flour were daily necessities; the white silk and bolts of cloth would allow them to make several outfits, inside and out taken care of.
Besides, the terms weren’t harsh. Officials’ families usually gave the same amount as a New Year’s gift, this was a peaceful, face-saving solution.
She really was clever.
The ones caught in her snare had no one to blame but themselves.
“All right.”
He felt oddly exhilarated, he couldn’t be the only one to suffer, could he?
Mu Zicheng’s eyes flashed. “Send the same message to the Chen family, and follow this list,” he said.
He would also break the engagement!
The second steward left with the coachman in silence, his figure a little desolate.
The officials watched the whole affair in silence, their eyes opened wide.
“Wow, Third Miss Mu is no ordinary person,” someone murmured.
Officer Zeng raised an eyebrow but wasn’t surprised.
A friend had once told him about the girl, bold, resourceful, and daring; if she had been born a man, she would have been a remarkable statesman and general.
What a pity.
At the same time, the Fang family gathered and discussed her as well.
The eldest young master of the Fangs was moved. “Third Miss Mu’s tactics are impressive. The second branch will rise on her momentum.”
The fourth young master snapped back, “At this point, rise? Survive long enough to reach Liangcheng would be a blessing from a previous life.”
“Wait and see. I have faith in that girl,” Eldest Master Fang said, his eyes brightening. “Fourth brother, why not marry her yourself?”
The fourth young master was terrified. “Brother, don’t be ridiculous. I could never handle such a tigress… Father, why are you looking at me like that?”
The head of the Fang household looked disdainful. “She wouldn’t take you anyway. If you were useful, I’d give you to her in a heartbeat.”
In a family’s downfall, the one who could hold up the sky and shelter kin, that was the kind of wife every household needed.
If there’s a daughter like that, what more could a husband ask for?
Sigh, envy is futile; better to raise grandchildren well.
Fourth Master Fang: …Is this even my real father?
Mu Wanqing didn’t care what others thought. She cheerfully helped Madam Qian into the carriage. “Mother, come sit. You won’t have to walk so hard from now on.”
The mule cart looked plain outside and the cabin wasn’t large, but the interior was neatly arranged. A long bench was nailed in for two people to sit.
If you squeezed, four people could press in cheek to cheek, though one must consider the mule cart’s load limit.
In a corner a small cabinet had been fitted, topped with a little red-clay stove. A brown earthen kettle sent up tendrils of steam. One drawer held teacups, a teapot, and tea leaves; another held snack boxes. Inside were savory flatcakes and steamed rice cakes.
These were the comforts the indulgent second steward had prepared for himself; now they all belonged to Mu Wanqing, and she was overjoyed.
Madam Qian grew happier the more she looked, trying out the bench, it was quite sturdy. “Wanqing, you’ve done well. This trade was worth it, even better than a carriage.”
Her feet had been worn raw; she’d thought she wouldn’t survive the journey. She was discouraged, until they offered her a mule cart.
At a time like this, a means of transport was the most practical thing; when it came down to it, it could save a life.
She felt suddenly electrified, full of confidence about the future.
Yes, between hope and despair there was only a mule cart’s difference.
No, what they’d really been missing was a bright, capable, quick-witted daughter.
Mu Wanqing also sat down; mother and daughter fit neatly, and it wasn't so cramped.
She picked up a piece of flatbread and sniffed it, but didn't touch it.
"Once we get there, we'll lay a few quilts on the floor, that'll soften the bumps. We can sleep whenever we want. Put an oilcloth over them and we won't have to worry about rain."
They had to reach Liangcheng before March; autumn would stretch into spring, and the farther northwest they went, the colder it would get. They had to prepare thoroughly before then.
"Get ready for winter, too. Buy a few sets of clothes..."
The money she wanted, it was secured!
The transport she wanted, it was secured!
If they stocked up on supplies, the journey wouldn't be so hard. The only question was whether the money would be enough.
Whether her two brothers could break off the betrothal to trade for supplies, that remained to be seen.
She was used to keeping the initiative in her own hands; she couldn't count on others.
Listening to her plans item by item, the anxious hearts in the second household settled.
Unconsciously, she had become the backbone of the second household.
Madam Qian smiled and interrupted, "I can sew. I'll make the clothes, ready-made garments cost several times as much. We don't have much silver; we must budget carefully. It will also take money to settle us in when we arrive."
She could sit in the mule cart and sew; it wouldn't be tiring.
Mu Wanqing thought the plan workable. "Then you make a few sets for the whole family, and make more shoes and socks, we'll wear out many pairs on the road."
The mule cart was small; with two people inside and one needed to tend the harness, the other two would have to walk. They could take turns.
"Buy some rice and flour too. With this little clay stove, I can make simple meals."
Everyone's eyes lit up. Mu Ziang nodded excitedly. "That sounds great. I still want Gold-Fleck rice."
"Fine." Mu Wanqing could cook all kinds of food, the eight great regional cuisines, street snacks, anything.
In her previous life she didn't play games, follow celebrities, or shop; besides studying, her greatest passion was cooking. The steaming, everyday bustle of food comforted her loneliness.
Whenever her grandfather ate the food she had made with a happy face, she felt fulfilled.
Because of her grandfather's work, she had been free to come and go at the state guesthouse since she was a child.
The one who taught her to cook was a state banquet chef, a true master of the craft.
She'd started at a higher point than most: she had talent, she focused when she worked, and her culinary skills were naturally excellent.
Although she never chose the profession in the end, her cooking rivaled that of professional chefs.
The second household happily daydreamed about the future, while those around them took a huge shock.
Envy, jealousy, hatred!
Especially Old Madam Mu; the superiority she'd felt sitting on the flat cart vanished, and she was green with envy.
The flat cart was open, just a wooden cart pushed by people.
A mule cart had a compartment; the wind couldn't blow in and the rain couldn't soak you. Most importantly, it saved effort.
Her eyes flickered as she called over the eldest son. The two of them whispered for a long while.
Eldest Master Mu immediately brightened. "Second brother, I want to discuss something with you. Mother is getting old and not in good health; let's switch carts."
Everyone was stunned. What? Did they hear that right?
Second Master Mu rubbed his ears, doubtful something was wrong with them. "Switch to what?"
"Switch this flat cart for a mule cart..." Eldest Master Mu still spoke with the old air of superiority, as if a single light sentence could decide everyone's fate.
A mule cart wasn't that big a deal.
Second Master Mu gaped in shock. He knew they were thick-skinned, but not this brazen.
How could they say such a thing with such self-righteousness?
"Big brother, are you losing your mind? Do you think this is the past? We've been ransacked, exiled!"
Eldest Master Mu's expression froze, but he'd been steeped in official life for years and had long since learned to shrug off insults like a veteran politician.
He spoke with practiced authority. "We were ransacked, yes, but we didn't divide the family. We're one family, what is there to divide? There's no parent who isn't flawed; she is your mother too. You must show respect and obey her. Or do you hold a grudge and want to put her to death?"
With that one remark he pinned a vile accusation on Second Master Mu, a masterful tactic.
Second Master Mu was distraught. "I didn't, I wouldn't, "
Eldest Master Mu pretended not to hear. "So it's settled then."
He acted as if he were the unquestioned head of the family, not needing anyone else's agreement.
He turned to help Old Madam Mu up. "Mother, let me help you over."
Old Madam Mu looked gratified. "You're still the most filial."
Seeing she would be able to sit in the mule cart, her mood soared. She walked over proudly, chest out and face smug.
If this had been before, the second household would have been pushed down and Old Madam Mu would have been the last to reap the benefits.
Too bad Mu Wanqing was not someone to be bullied. She hopped lightly down from the carriage and smiled lazily. "Oh, Old Madam Mu, selling your granddaughter for honor again? How capable of you. You take what you fancy, do you? If you're so talented, why not go and seize the throne?"
Everyone: ...
Is this something they were supposed to overhear?
Eldest Master Mu stumbled, and not only did he nearly fall himself, he also knocked Old Madam Mu down. Caught off guard, she gasped in pain.
Eldest Master Mu looked horrified; his mind went blank.
Where was he? Who was he? What a monstrous thing to be accused of!
He sprang up and shouted in fury, "Shut up, you mustn't say such things!"
"You'd be pleased if your mother tried to steal the throne?" Mu Wanqing had no reverence for imperial power; she spoke boldly about everything.
"I'm not pleased..." Eldest Master Mu could control everyone in the Mu family, except Mu Wanqing.
He simply couldn't speak to her properly. Once she lost her temper she said anything, did anything.
And Mu Wanqing was sharp-tongued, quick-witted, and carried herself with the air of someone saying, "You're all useless, you must do as I say."
Mu Wanqing cupped her hands toward the direction of the capital. "O wise and mighty Emperor, may you reign well, for a hundred years, a thousand years. By all means do not let Mu Zhongde and his son succeed in usurping the throne. When right and wrong stand opposed to family, I choose righteousness over kin."
She wore an expression of righteous indignation. “Constables, I'm going to report them!”
The constables' faces registered mixed emotions.
Eldest Master Mu was losing it, what had he done in a previous life to deserve such a niece?
He hurriedly explained to the constables, “I am utterly loyal to the Emperor, willing to die a thousand deaths for His Majesty. Mu Wanqing, you're trying to doom our entire clan.”
He turned to his kin, “You all heard that, right? She even dares to talk about wiping out the family. We can't let her run wild like this……”
He deliberately stoked the clan's anger; sure enough, some people's expressions darkened.
Mu Wanqing sneered, “Uncle, how did you become a third-rank official? Bribe your way up with silver? Sell women to your superiors? Or did your mother personally grease the wheels by pouring drinks on your behalf? Hmm, I won't pry, it's all in the past.”
She put on a show, speaking in a strange voice, her expressions exaggerated, she was downright hilarious.
Eldest Master Mu was furious; he'd never been so insulted.
He rose to it on his own strength!
Everyone's mouths twitched, wanting to laugh but embarrassed, holding it in; the tense air suddenly relaxed.
It should have been a serious matter, but somehow the scene veered into absurd comedy.
Even though everyone knew it wasn't true, she painted the picture so vividly that their imaginations ran wild.
Just picturing Old Madam Mu dressed up seductively, personally pouring drinks had them in stitches, laughing like mad.