Coating The Mud Walls.

Tang Yu gazed at Mu Hien profoundly; this was a no-nonsense person. Her words carried weight. So, the fact of the host having hearts in her eyes with the effeminate playboy was known to everyone. She swept her gaze over all the females. Apparently, all of them were on the same wavelength about her character. Not a good sign. She had to squash this vile assumption right off the bat.

Dang it!

Tang Yu pinched the space between her eyebrows lightly. Since Feng Xuan, the fucking telltale, ratted her out, she had no other option but to resort to lying. She had to make up a series of lies on the spot. Otherwise, they would not stop chewing her ass out for her past actions.

"My stepmother spun countless tales on my moral just to spoil my image." Tang Yu said, putting a spin on the story. "No matter what I did, I always drew heavy flack for it." Tears slowly welled up inside her big eyes. Well, she had to break out all her acting skills for that. "She sees me as an eyesore. I am not a spoiled brat." She placed a hand on her chest, as she shook her head. "And, never was. Honest truth is I never wanted to leave my father. I love him very much. That's why I was going along the way my stepmother painted my picture to everyone — foolishly. I disassociated with my role of a daughter-in-law on purpose so that you guys could send me back to my paternal home, to my father."

Everyone's expression underwent a visible change, somewhat buying her crap. However, Song Huan's eyes sized Tang Yu up.

Tang Yu hated manipulating her tears, and lips with a downturned frown. Nevertheless, she was doing so in order to keep her in-laws in good graces. The rumors of her so-called romantic entanglement with the effeminate would be held over her head for a lifetime. No matter what she did for them, nothing would raise her standing in their heart. Absolutely nothing. Lo and behold, she was a justified asshole!

Eyes teary, lips trembled, as Tang Yu went on with her story, "However, my father, my fixer, was upset, finding out about the incidents. He opened my eyes and made me understand that a woman's true happiness lies in her husband, not in her father. He made me promise to be myself again." She wiped her tears with the heel of her palm gently. "How I behaved with you all was horrible. That was not my true self. I was merely pretending to be a bad person." With that, she got her point across in a few words.

The females exchanged glances with each other. Tang Yu did stir sympathy in their hearts, but they weren't able to fully believe her words. In the end, Song Huan decided to reserve her judgment for the moment. Her husband would unveil the truth in the evening anyway. "Don't wander out alone again." She gave a warning, carting everyone towards the kitchen like a kindergarten class.

….

Mu Hien walked to the edge of a pond. The bank was manually terraced by her father. Big stones were placed in the area from the dry land sloping to the open water, making 'stairs' leading down to the pond. Due to excessive rainfall, it was now full to the brim. She crouched down on the first step, filling a mud pitcher with water. Greenish moss spread across the surface of the pond, some entered into her jar too. This pond scum was the reason they couldn't use the pond for bathing for the time being.

Mu Hien absentmindedly stared at a flock of ducks walking down the pond in a row, before pecking at the moss, and cutting down the blanket weed. White water lilies were floating on the green film. They quivered, and water drops fell into their leaves as the ducks swam by.

Mu Hien didn't have her mind in any of them. Some heavy thoughts took away the peace of her heart. The mud pitcher in her hold, packed full of water began drowning, breaking her train of thoughts. She lifted it up, wrapping her arm around the narrowed neck of the water jar above its rounded body, as its bottom rested on the curve of her waist. Her willowy frame kind of staggered under the weight of the full pitcher while walking up the slope. The pond was located at the foot of hills.

Tang Yu walked up to her in order to help, just as her eyes caught the sight. "Give it to me," she said.

"No need for that, Third Sister-in-law. I can manage." Mu Hien politely refused, taking the water jar to the front yard. She flipped a mud pot upside down, placing it over an empty spot, and discarding the mire on the ground.

"What will you be doing?" Tang Yu asked, squatting beside. Curiosity was a trait she was born with.

Mu Hien took her eyes off the wet mud, and looked at Tang Yu, as she responded, "I will coat the outside walls and the mud floor right under the eaves. Rainwater has churned up the ground, I have to patch the holes." She commenced taking the rotten leaves, and small pebbles from the slosh, throwing them away.

Coating the walls with mire? The subtext piqued Tang Yu's interest immediately. "I want to learn it as well. Please, don't say no!" She proposed to lend her hand with eager anticipation.

Mu Hien stared at Tang Yu, pondering her words briefly. She carried the water jar and placed it beside the right side wall. "Alright, let's go to the cowshed then."

Cowshed? Tang Yu was perplexed. She saw the cowshed earlier, it was built right beside the chicken coop. Opposite it were the stable and pigsty. "Why should we go to the cowshed?" Was this girl planning to coat the cowshed's walls? But, it was built with bamboo woven walls.

"We need some cow dung for this job." Mu Hien replied, walking by the left side of the main abode.

"Cow dung?" Tang Yu swallowed, her spirit withering. They were not palming the worst chores off on her, were they? Nope, she brought it upon herself.