From Folly to Fortune：I Rewrite My Life After Rebirth!

”Sleep on the floor?” Mrs. Jin’s words reminded Mu Dade.

Right, how could he have forgotten!

Back then to save money, the courtyard he rented was really not big at all.

Three tiled rooms and a utility room.

He and Mrs. Jin would definitely be sleeping in one room.

The two girls would also take one room, and the remaining one was for his parents.

Even if the utility room was cleared out, there still wouldn’t be enough space for all the people from the second and fourth branches.

If they couldn’t fit, then naturally they’d just leave!

”Yinyin, you have a good rest, I’ll go talk to them right now. This matter, I must drive a few of them off first and free up some space for us!” The corners of Mu Dade’s mouth curled into a very sinister smile.

Mrs. Jin had been on the road the whole day and was truly exhausted. Since Mu Dade said so, she was at ease.

She lay down on the bed and fell asleep in no time.

Mu Dade went to the main hall to discuss the housing issue with Mr. Mu.

He hadn’t expected his words to be overheard by Mrs. Lin.

Mrs. Lin barged straight into the main hall and shouted loudly, ”Big Brother, this isn’t such a big deal. You and my sister‑in‑law share a room, my father and mother share a room!

Ying and Dan share a room! As for that utility room, it’s dirty and broken anyway. I’ll take a bit of a loss, let our second branch make do with that room.”

Mrs. Lin had just looked at the utility room and thought it actually seemed quite big.

If it was tidied up, it would be just right for her to live in there with Gou Dan.

Even if Daddy Gou Dan came in a few days, they could still fit, and they might even have plenty of space left over!

”But what about Fourth? And that girl Xianglan, how is she going to be arranged?” Mu Dade deliberately asked with a concerned face.

”Let the fourth branch live in the main hall! Xianglan is a maid, she can just find some kitchen or stove room to sleep in, anywhere will do!” Mrs. Lin said.

”Second sister‑in‑law, this... isn’t good! The main hall is originally the place to receive and entertain guests, how can people live there? What’s more, it’d be our own family!” Mu Dade’s face looked a bit ugly.

”Big Brother! I know you care about the fourth branch, but there’s no other way now. You can’t possibly have the fourth branch leave just because there’s no place to live, can you?

Besides, the fourth branch isn’t the kind to put on airs! Your main hall can’t be worse than a cowshed, right?

Back then the third branch even stayed in a cowshed, and now aren’t they doing just fine? They’ve got an inn and a school.

If the fourth branch goes to live in the main hall, maybe in the future they’ll be just like the third branch and strike it rich!”

Mrs. Lin chattered on by herself, saying a whole bunch of things, good and bad, all by her own mouth.

In his heart, Mu Dade hated her to the bone, but could only awkwardly explain patiently to Mrs. Lin, ”I never meant to make Fourth leave, I just...”

”Then that’s settled! Father, am I right or not? Living in the main hall is still better than living on the streets, isn’t it?”

Mr. Mu thought for a moment and nodded.

”Eldest, your second daughter‑in‑law is right. Given our family’s current situation, aside from sleeping on the floor, there’s no other way!

If you feel it affects you entertaining guests, then every morning at first light, have the fourth branch pack away their bedding early!”

Mr. Mu took two drags on his dry pipe and then made his decision.

Mu Dade couldn’t openly contradict Mr. Mu to his face.

He swallowed the anger for the time being.

At the same time, he wrote this debt entirely on Mrs. Lin’s account. Sooner or later he’d make that woman taste his power.

”Father, I think if we’re having Fourth sleep in the main hall at night, we should at least talk to him. Let him understand that I, as his elder brother, am useless and can’t provide him with a room of his own!”

Mu Dade spoke words that sounded extremely upright and proper.

To anyone listening, it sounded as if he was blaming himself over the fourth branch’s housing problem.

Mr. Mu thought so as well, so he dropped the idea he’d originally had of fighting for a better place to stay for Qin Xianglan.

After a moment, Mr. Mu said to Mrs. Lin, ”Second daughter‑in‑law, go call Fourth over!”

Mu Dajiang had just helped the Old Mu Family move all the luggage from the cart into Mu Dade’s house.

He hadn’t even had time to catch his breath before Mrs. Lin called him into the main hall.

Mu Dade hurried to speak first and told Mu Dajiang about letting him live in the main hall.

He was hoping Mu Dajiang would object.

Who’d have thought that Mu Dajiang just nodded and agreed.

”Big Brother, don’t blame yourself. Our family has many people; someone has to make a sacrifice. I can live in the main hall, and Xiao Chu can stay there with me too! It’s just that Xiaxia is a girl and already at the age to be married off.

She can’t live together with me anymore. Could we... arrange another place for her?”

”This...” Mu Dade hesitated.

”That’s no problem. The way I see it, Xia can live with Dan and Ying. Anyway, the three girls are all skinny, they won’t take up much space!” Mrs. Lin cut in again.

Mu Dade’s face changed color.

Yet Mu Dajiang still asked Mu Dade, looking troubled, ”Big Brother, is that okay?”

Even if Mu Dade wanted to refuse, he couldn’t.

He just grew all the more resentful of Mrs. Lin in his heart.

”No problem. I’ll talk to Dan Dan and Yingying later!” Mu Dade smiled.

”Alright then, that’s settled! Big Brother, when are we eating? We’re all about to starve to death!”

Mrs. Lin still spoke as rough and crude as ever.

Every time Mu Dade looked at her, he felt uncomfortable.

The more he looked, the more disgusted he felt; the more disgusted he was, the more he wanted to kick Mrs. Lin out.

But he had no choice and had to put on an extremely warm and enthusiastic face!

”It’s about ready, I’ll go take a look in the kitchen!” said Mu Dade.

This time, when Mu Dade rented this place, he’d not only rented the house but also hired two servants.

One was a gatekeeping attendant, and the other was the one who lit the fire and cooked.

After Mr. Mu found out, he told Mu Dade to dismiss the cook.

After all, when Qin Xianglan came before, she’d said she would be in charge of cooking.

Mu Dade agreed. Letting the cook go really did save him quite a bit of monthly wages!

The whole Old Mu Family crowded around a square table.

But there still wasn’t enough room; Mu Dajiang squatted at the kitchen doorway, shoveling food into his mouth.

In fact, after coming to the county, their life was not as good as they had imagined, and was even worse than in the countryside.

The countryside might not look as nice as the town, but at least there was enough space to live.

After eating, Mu Dade told the old woman who cooked that she could leave. The old woman didn’t say much, took her wages, and left.

But before she left, she didn’t clean up the bowls and chopsticks. Naturally, this big pile of filthy dishes fell to the rest of the Old Mu Family.

”Mother, Xianglan is our family’s maid. Let her do this kind of work!” Mrs. Lin was stuffed and didn’t want to move.

Plus, she was greedy and lazy; making her work was out of the question.

She’d come to the county precisely to enjoy a good life.

”Why call Xianglan? Are your hands broken or your legs broken?” Old Mrs. Mu said crossly.

”Mother, it’s just that the utility room hasn’t been cleaned out yet. You can’t possibly make your eldest grandson stand with me all night, can you?”