“What are you doing here?” Mu Shi'an stood at the door for a long moment, making sure it wasn’t a hallucination before asking in disbelief.
Both Mu Yongnian and Mu Haoxuan were somewhat afraid of their eldest brother, Mu Shi'an. The moment they saw him return, they immediately straightened up, standing as stiff as boards.
Song Nianchu noticed Mu Shi'an's expression darkening and quickly stepped forward, shielding the two boys.
“They were almost swept into the sea by the waves earlier. Don’t scare them any further.”
“Swept into the sea?” Mu Shi'an was startled.
“Yes.” Song Nianchu nodded and explained the whole incident to him.
After hearing it, Mu Shi'an's face grew even grimmer, and the two boys didn’t dare lift their heads.
“I’ve already scolded them. They won’t dare go to the shore alone again. Besides, they only went to catch fish because they were hungry.” Fearing Mu Shi'an might punish them, Song Nianchu spread her arms protectively.
At this, Mu Shi'an's expression softened slightly, though his face remained stern.
“What did I teach you before? Do you think hiding behind someone else is the way to face your mistakes?” Mu Shi'an said sternly.
Hearing this, Mu Yongnian quickly tugged Mu Haoxuan out from behind Song Nianchu.
Seeing the fear in his younger brothers’ eyes, Mu Shi'an sighed deeply.
Song Nianchu was right—they had only gone to the shore because they were starving.
“Were you scared?” Mu Shi'an’s voice gentled considerably.
Mu Yongnian nodded.
Mu Haoxuan shook his head.
Mu Shi'an chuckled helplessly at their contrasting reactions.
“Alright, I’ll take you home.”
Mu Haoxuan turned to look at Song Nianchu, his eyes brimming with reluctance.
With Mu Shi'an present, Song Nianchu couldn’t say much. She averted her gaze, pretending not to notice.
In the end, Mu Yongnian and Mu Haoxuan were taken back by Mu Shi'an.
Mu Haoxuan kept glancing back every few steps, his longing so palpable that Song Nianchu nearly gave in and called for him to stay.
After Mu Shi'an left, Song Nianchu carried the bowls back to the kitchen.
Perhaps influenced by the boys, she didn’t have the heart to cook anything elaborate. She simply stir-fried a plate of shredded potatoes with vinegar and made a cold dish with two preserved eggs.
By the time Mu Shi'an returned, Song Nianchu had just set the food on the table.
“You’re back. Let’s eat,” she called out.
Mu Shi'an glanced at the dishes but showed no particular reaction. He nodded, sat down, and picked up his chopsticks without a word.
Though he seemed no different from usual, Song Nianchu sensed something was off.
“What’s wrong? Did you get scolded after taking the boys back?” she ventured.
“No.” Mu Shi'an shook his head, clearly unwilling to discuss it further.
Seeing his reluctance, Song Nianchu didn’t press further. They finished the meal in silence.
Mu Shi'an took the initiative to clear the table—a routine they had settled into.
Song Nianchu wanted to ask if Mu Haoxuan and Mu Yongnian had been punished, but since Mu Shi'an wasn’t in the mood to talk, she held back.
Instead, she fetched hot water for a bath. When she came out afterward, she found Mu Shi'an sitting in the courtyard, hammering away at a pile of wood.
“What are you doing?” she asked, walking over.
“Looking for suitable wood to make a net-weaving machine,” Mu Shi'an replied.
“Alright, but don’t stay up too late. I’m heading to bed,” Song Nianchu said, knowing she wouldn’t be much help. Better to leave him to it than get in the way.
“Mm.” Mu Shi'an acknowledged.
Back in her room, Song Nianchu could still hear the faint clattering from outside.
She sat at the desk, waiting for her hair to dry before finally lying down.
The noise outside continued, but she didn’t disturb him, leaving enough space for Mu Shi'an before turning over and falling asleep.
The next morning, when Song Nianchu woke up, Mu Shi'an wasn’t beside her. The sounds from the courtyard suggested he was still out there.
Her brows furrowed. Had he not slept at all?
She threw off the covers and rushed outside—only to find Mu Shi'an still in the courtyard.
Before him stood a partially assembled machine.
Song Nianchu gasped in delight, circling it several times.
“You built this in one night? Does it work?” she asked excitedly.
“It’s just the frame. The internal mechanisms aren’t done yet,” Mu Shi'an explained.
“Oh.” Her enthusiasm dimmed slightly—she’d hoped they could use it today.
Then she noticed Mu Shi'an was still wearing yesterday’s clothes.
“You didn’t sleep at all?” she frowned.
“Wanted to finish it sooner,” he said simply.
Truthfully, he’d also been in a sour mood after returning from his family’s place and needed something to distract himself. Before he knew it, dawn had broken.
“It’s not that urgent. Don’t ruin your health over it,” Song Nianchu chided. “Go wash up and change. I’ll make breakfast.”
With that, she headed to the kitchen.
As he watched her leave, a shadow flickered in Mu Shi'an's eyes.
It was easy to tell when someone cared for another.
Yesterday, after taking Mu Yongnian and Mu Haoxuan home, he’d explained the situation to Mu's mother.
Her first reaction had been to grab a broom and chase the boys around the yard.
Only after he forcefully intervened did she finally relent.
He told her the boys had gone to the shore because they were hungry.
Mu's mother insisted she cooked for them every day, complaining that they were ungrateful despite her hard work.
Mu Shi'an knew his brothers—they weren’t the type to take kindness for granted.
Upon further questioning, he learned that Mu's mother had been feeding them nothing but spoiled sweet potatoes and rotten potatoes.
Growing boys got hungry quickly—one potato or sweet potato per meal was nowhere near enough.
In the past, he hadn’t said anything, as the family’s assets had been confiscated, leaving little to eat.
But he’d given Mu's mother the 200 yuan Song Nianchu had given him. It wasn’t enough for meat every meal, but they could’ve at least bought coarse rice or other grains to keep everyone fed.
Instead, Mu's mother had neglected his brothers and spent ten yuan to trade for a chicken with a neighbor.
He didn’t mind her spending money, but after cooking the chicken, she’d given a third to his father and two-thirds to Mu Jingmei.
Mu Yongnian and Mu Haoxuan got only a few spoonfuls of broth.
Mu Shi'an couldn’t understand it.
Mu's mother, however, accused him of favoring his wife over her. She sobbed dramatically, lamenting how she slaved for the family only to be hated by everyone.
Never good with words, Mu Shi'an had no response to her tears. In the end, he could only walk away.
