"Shuang, why are you being so polite with us? We’re all old friends here!"

"Exactly, we won’t stay for dinner. Just being here, chatting with Si Niang and Aunt Bai, is a blessing for us!"

"..."

Mu Shuangshuang smiled at Yu Si Niang, and Yu Si Niang understood her intention.

"Ladies, stay for dinner here, and call your men over, let’s all eat together!"

Yu Si Niang’s words brought more smiles to the women’s faces.

Nowadays, most families in the village don’t have much money, managing just to feed their own is already commendable.

Being invited to a meal is a highly face-gaining matter.

However, everyone knows that even if it’s prestigious, you can’t really go.

With just a few mouths from each family, you could easily eat up another family’s food supply in no time.

That’s a significant loss for any family!

"Si Niang, no need to persuade us further. When Shuang and Fengzi get married, then invite us over, and we promise not to refuse!"

The women wouldn’t stay, and Mu Shuangshuang couldn’t force them.

So she brought out some snacks to share with the women.

While they continued chatting, she went to the kitchen to brew some cold tea and made a couple of pancakes, placing them in a basket to take over to Lu Yuanfeng and the others.

It’s not planting season now, so walking along the road, she could still encounter quite a few village folks.

Everyone greeted Mu Shuangshuang warmly, and she responded to each greeting.

When she arrived at the training ground, there was no sign of the villagers.

Looking over, Mu Shuangshuang saw two men and an old man working up a sweat on the training field.

Lu Yuanfeng was sparring with Cheng Dagang.

Xing Beichen was squatting in a horse stance nearby.

Mu Shuangshuang wasn’t sure how long this had been going on, but Xing Beichen’s body looked like it was trembling, as if he could collapse at any moment.

Lu Yuanfeng and Cheng Dagang were exchanging blows, but any keen observer could see that Cheng Dagang’s stance was more stable than Lu Yuanfeng’s.

More importantly, Mu Shuangshuang noticed that Cheng Dagang seemed to be consciously guiding Lu Yuanfeng’s punches.

The three were so engrossed in their activities that no one noticed Mu Shuangshuang’s presence.

After standing by for a while, Cheng Dagang finally spoke up.

"Take a break!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Xing Beichen fell to his knees, and Lu Yuanfeng wiped the sweat from his forehead.

But soon, he walked over to Mu Shuangshuang.

"Shuang, what brings you here?" Lu Yuanfeng asked.

"I came to see you guys and brought you some food—freshly made corn pancakes with a bit of meat sauce, and some cold tea!"

As Mu Shuangshuang spoke, she began to uncover the cloth on the basket.

"Elder Cheng, Beichen, come over quickly and have some pancakes!"

At the mention of food, Cheng Dagang rushed over in a few steps.

As he got closer, the aroma of corn and meat wafted from the pancakes.

"Smells so good, hang on, I’ll go wash my hands!"

There was water at the training ground, as Mu Shuangshuang had placed two large water jars there. Every morning when training began, she had Xing Beichen and Lu Yuanfeng fill a water jar with a wooden bucket.

By evening, she would use that water to irrigate the vegetable patch not far away.

After washing his hands, Cheng Dagang casually wiped them dry on his clothes a few times.

When he reached Mu Shuangshuang’s side, he grabbed three pancakes from the basket with one hand.

Mu Shuangshuang had made a total of twelve pancakes, which should be enough for everyone.

After a short rest, Lu Yuanfeng and Xing Beichen joined in to enjoy the pancakes.

Taking a light bite, the flavors of corn and meat sauce burst out.

Cheng Dagang savored it immensely; while eating, he praised Mu Shuangshuang: "Shuang, your cooking is quite something. You should be my daughter, so you can cook for me every day!"

"As long as Elder Cheng likes it!" Mu Shuangshuang smiled.

"By the way, that silly boy—did you teach him that peculiar martial arts?" Cheng Dagang suddenly asked.

Mu Shuangshuang hesitated, then nodded, "Yes, but I was just messing around with it!"

"Great! Then later, spar with me!" Cheng Dagang said.

Lu Yuanfeng became anxious when he heard this: "Elder, that’s not okay. Shuang is just a girl and doesn’t have the stamina. I... I’ll spar with you, I know how to use Shuang’s techniques to fight you!"

Having sparred with Cheng Dagang before, Lu Yuanfeng knew well of Cheng Dagang’s strength.

He would not allow Shuang to take such a risk.

"Oh dear, what are you thinking, boy? Don’t I know this little girl doesn’t have my stamina? I’m just curious about the difference between the things she and you can do!"

"Even so, what if she gets hurt? Better to spar with me; you can train me however you want!"

Lu Yuanfeng was still unwilling.

Understanding his stubbornness, Cheng Dagang shifted his attention to Mu Shuangshuang.

"Girl, spar with me, how about I tie my hands? Will that work?"

Cheng Dagang had a fondness for novelty; Lu Yuanfeng’s shoulder throw in the morning piqued his interest.

Upon asking further, he learned it was Mu Shuangshuang who taught it.

And many other moves had come from her as well.

Of course, Cheng Dagang wanted to see for himself!

"Tying your hands isn’t necessary, but I have a condition," Mu Shuangshuang said.

"What condition?" Cheng Dagang became interested.

Lu Yuanfeng tugged at Mu Shuangshuang’s hand, shaking his head at her.

"I haven’t thought of it yet!" Mu Shuangshuang said.

Then she turned to Lu Yuanfeng and said, "Fengzi, I also want to test Elder Cheng’s skills, and move my muscles a bit!"

To keep anything in top condition, it needs constant practice!

If Mu Shuangshuang didn’t keep practicing the skills she learned at school and in the training camp, she might forget them soon.

As Cheng Dagang finished eating, Mu Shuangshuang did some warm-up exercises.

Stretching and leg extending couldn’t be avoided.

After a stick of incense’s time, she was slightly sweating but managed to loosen her joints, just as Cheng Dagang finished his pancake and stood up.

He walked towards Mu Shuangshuang.

Lu Yuanfeng followed but was halted by Cheng Dagang after a couple of steps.

"Rest assured, I won’t hurt Shuang!" Cheng Dagang assured repeatedly.

Afraid of Lu Yuanfeng’s reluctance, he continued, "I’m your master, you must listen to what I say!"

Only then did Lu Yuanfeng stop, although his gaze remained on Mu Shuangshuang.

Xing Beichen understood Lu Yuanfeng the most.

When the woman you love, even if it’s the master intending to spar, or the emperor wanting to beat her, it would still hurt too much to accept!

So he said, "Fengzi, don’t worry. If he really dares to hit her, we’ll jump in together. I refuse to believe we can’t take him down!"