From Folly to Fortune：I Rewrite My Life After Rebirth!-Chapter 882 - 878: On the Same Wavelength (First Update)
Aunt Zhang was holding the written Spring Festival couplets, chatting idly with Mu Dade.
Mu Dade responded patiently, and the two of them were talking and laughing.
The people waiting behind Aunt Zhang were becoming increasingly impatient.
Someone urged, "Aunt Zhang, since you’ve finished writing, hurry up and go put up the couplets. We are all still waiting for the head of the Mu Family to write our couplets."
"Exactly, occupying the latrine without using it, it’s been almost as long as it takes for four cups of tea. If this goes on, it will be lunchtime already.
If we’d known, we should have just gone to town for them. We might have been back by now," someone complained.
Aunt Zhang replied irritably, "Then go to town for them. What’s the matter with waiting here? No one begged you to stay, seriously, all you men nagging like women, it’s driving me crazy!"
Aunt Zhang was quite brazen; the villagers dared not make a fuss in front of Mu Dade, so they lowered their expectations and said to Mu Dade:
"The head of the Mu Family, it was Old Mu who had us come here for free couplets, that’s why we’re here.
Otherwise, we could go to town, and by lunchtime at the latest, we’d be back, and it would only cost five large coins.
It’s not that we can’t afford five coins. Neighbors, you see how brazen Aunt Zhang is, and yet you don’t do anything about it; we really can’t stand it."
Someone in the village stood up and spoke fairly.
Initially, they hoped Mu Dade would say a few good words; everyone knew Mu Dade’s status and didn’t want to offend him, but if it was too humiliating, they would rather forgo this windfall.
"Everyone, please wait a bit. I, Mu Dade, will definitely help everyone with the couplets today. If not, how about you all leave your red paper at my desk, and I’ll do them one by one?"
Someone sighed, holding their red paper, and walked away.
Elsewhere, the third branch’s courtyard was bustling, with Zhu San, who helped build the academy for the third branch, bustling at the forefront.
Upon reaching the third branch, he couldn’t help but complain to Mu Dashan about this matter.
Who was right or wrong was clear to Mu Dashan too, but both he and his wife were coarse people and had never done meticulous tasks like writing or painting.
Every one of them, apart from sighing along with Zhu San, couldn’t think of any other way to help.
"If only we had someone who could write and draw, then we wouldn’t have to be subjected to the humors of the head of the Mu Family!" someone sighed.
But what’s the use of sighing? There’s still no one to write the couplets.
It so happened that Lu Yuanfeng returned with a load of manure, heard about this matter, and after thinking for a bit, he placed the manure bucket by the third branch’s latrine and went into the kitchen to talk to Mu Shuangshuang about it.
The two exchanged a knowing smile, and instantly, both had an idea.
"Shuangshuang, how about we go find Mr. Luo to write free couplets for the villagers?" Mu Shuangshuang suggested.
Mu Shuangshuang’s mouth curled gently, and her big, bright black eyes were full of mischievous animation.
"That’s exactly what I was thinking!"
Mu Shuangshuang took a basket, and she and Lu Yuanfeng quietly left the third branch. They then split up: Mu Shuangshuang went to the vegetable garden to pick some greens, while Lu Yuanfeng went to Fu Wu’s house to borrow a cart.
Neither side wasted any time. In the time it takes for two sticks of incense to burn, Lu Yuanfeng drove the cart to Luohe Village with Mu Shuangshuang.
After a few simple words with Luo Juren, he agreed to accompany Mu Shuangshuang to Er Gui Village.
The greens they brought were returned untouched.
But when Mu Shuangshuang drove away, she left the basket and the vegetables in Luo Juren’s courtyard.
On the way, Mu Shuangshuang briefly explained the reason for the events to Luo Juren, and mentioned that her uncle was also a scholar.
Fortunately, Luo Juren didn’t say much.
When they arrived at Er Gui Village, outside the third branch’s courtyard, Mu Shuangshuang led Luo Juren inside.
Everyone gathered around at once.
"Shuang, what’s going on, why is there someone arriving by cart?" It wasn’t Mu Dashan or Yu Si Niang who spoke first, but Aunt Zhao Yun instead.
Aunt Zhao Yun had previously planned to save money by having a couplet written at the Old Mu Family, but ended up being frustrated with nothing gained and had just been complaining to the villagers.
Mu Shuangshuang smiled and introduced Luo Juren, "This is Luo Juren from Luohe Village, like my uncle, this year’s scholar. I invited him to write free Spring Couplets for everyone."
After hearing this, the villagers looked at Luo Juren as if he were a novel sight.
Mu Dade was the first scholar and scholar in the village; other than that, they hadn’t heard about anyone else being scholars or jurens.
Even Liu Zian, many people didn’t know him.
"Shuang, you really have skills, in just a blink of an eye, you’ve managed to invite a scholar," Zhao Gouzi laughed.
"Uncle Gouzi, let’s get to work and try to have everything done before noon," Mu Shuangshuang said.
As she spoke, Zhang Yutou and Mu Dashan entered the house, removing the kitchen door plank and using it as a table.
The third branch didn’t have a study desk; if Luo Juren wanted to write Spring Couplets for everyone, it would have to be on a table and a door plank.
And just a single chair.
The conditions were, of course, extremely simple.
"Luo Juren, we’ll bother you, and you can have lunch with us," Mu Dashan said.
Luo Juren blushed slightly, embarrassed, "Uncle, I’m not much older, you don’t have to call me juren, just call me Luo Bai."
"What? Radish? Who’s named Radish?" asked Da Long, who hadn’t heard clearly from the side, suddenly asking.
Everyone couldn’t help but burst into laughter.
Zhao Yun’s face turned crimson, pretending to hit her son Da Long, stopped by Luo Bai.
"Auntie, don’t hit him, when educating a child, you should reason with him."
Then Luo Bai squatted down and said to Da Long in a soft voice, "My name is Luo Bai, Luo as in the Luo River, Bai as in white. If you have time, I’ll teach you to write!"
Hearing this, Zhao Yun’s heart swayed towards Luo Juren.
Mu Shuangshuang had already told Zhao Yun about Luo Juren’s character, but words were just words; seeing was believing.
Now, having met him, she realized that although Luo Juren was young, he was polite and patient, making Zhao Yun feel assured to send her son to Mu Shuangshuang’s private school.
Mu Dashan and Zhang Yutou laid the table, then placed a piece of red paper on it.
Only then did they start writing for everyone, with Xiao Han helping to grind ink, stealing glances to learn how Luo Bai wrote.
Mu Shuangshuang lined everyone up, first writing the Spring Couplets, and for the others, she planned to deliver them to each family in the afternoon.
In the third branch, because everything was orderly, they finished writing the Spring Couplets quite quickly.
Moreover, because Luo Bai spoke little but worked swiftly and neatly, those who were still waiting at Mu Dade’s to have their couplets written, also came over.
