novelnext Chapter 373 - 197: Changes (Part 2)
Chapter 373 - 197: Changes (Part 2)
She brought out snacks like rice candy, melon seeds, and peanuts, setting them before the two children while praising them generously, "Laicai has really become so sensible! He even knows to play with his little brother now."
Mrs. Wang smiled benevolently. "Ah! It’s like Laicai saw the light all of a sudden—he’s so much more sensible now." She looked at her grandson as if he were a piece of fine jade.
Laicai, embarrassed by their praise, felt his face flush. He sat primly, peeling and eating peanuts with a gentle air. He didn’t scatter the shells, either, instead tossing them all into the trash can—a little basket Juhua had asked her father to weave from bamboo strips. Every now and then, he would even pop a peanut into Laishou’s mouth. The sight of him being so well-behaved struck Juhua as incredibly odd and unsettling.
’I hope he’s not swinging to the other extreme,’ she thought. ’If he starts putting on this prim and proper act all day just to please the adults, that would be even worse!’
So Juhua said to Laicai, "If you want to play outside, you can take Laishou into the courtyard. Just don’t run around recklessly, or you might fall into the well, and that would be terrible. It’s fine for kids to play; the main thing is not to cause trouble. Just be careful. Sister Juhua doesn’t expect you to sit still all day."
Hearing this, Laicai’s eyes lit up with surprise. He smiled sheepishly. "I’ll rest for a bit first—my butt hurts from the cart ride. I’ll take Laishou out to play in a little while."
Mrs. Wang quickly said to Juhua, "Cover the well properly. We don’t want them getting carried away while playing and running over to fool around with it."
Laicai quickly promised, "I’ll stay far away from the well, and I won’t let Laishou go near it either."
Juhua nodded, delighted. If the boy had truly turned over a new leaf, it would be a blessing of immense merit. She’d have to burn three sticks of fine incense to give thanks.
Yang Family tied on an apron, rolled up her sleeves, and took out the cured pig’s head and offal. She said to Juhua in a flurry, "We’ll have a lot of guests tomorrow. These two dishes need to be cooked tonight, and the steamed pork with rice flour needs to be prepared too. Once these main dishes are done, tomorrow will be much easier. We’ll just have to cook some salted fish and stir-fry a few vegetable dishes."
Watching Yang Family bustling in and out like a whirlwind, Juhua laughed. "Mom, we’ve been cooking pig’s head and offal for months now, right? It’s not difficult. We can do it after we eat. There’s no need to be in such a rush. Let’s make dinner first."
Mrs. Wang looked at the beaming Yang Family and chuckled. "Your mother isn’t really in a hurry, she’s just excited. Her daughter-in-law is visiting tomorrow, and she wishes she could cook all the dishes for our new in-laws tonight."
Yang Family, embarrassed by her mother’s teasing, smiled. "Alright, let’s make dinner first, then."
After dinner and some light preparations for the next day’s guests, the family gathered with their grandmother to talk about their new in-laws.
Zheng Changhe was grinning from ear to ear. He said cheerfully to Juhua, "Yunlan is a fine girl. Juhua, your new sister-in-law is a good person, you can rest assured she’ll treat you well. It’s just her little brother who’s a bit... a bit immature. Oh boy! Once Yunlan joins our family, her parents are going to have a real headache—that kid is going to be a handful."
He was smiling so broadly his eyes nearly vanished. Being a decent man and in high spirits, he didn’t say anything harsh like his son’s future brother-in-law wouldn’t amount to much, merely that he was immature.
Seeing her parents so happy, Juhua exchanged a smile with her brother and asked playfully, "Are you sure you judged them right, Dad?"
Zheng Changhe replied hastily, "My judgment is sound. I’ve lived for decades; I’ve certainly met more people than you have. Yunlan is a good one. Her father is a bit simple, and that young Yungen is a little weak-willed."
Yang Family shot him a look. "Oh, listen to Mr. Know-it-all!"
Just then, Laicai piped up, "The other day, Yungen told me he doesn’t want his family to be related to yours at all. He doesn’t like Brother Qingmu, and he doesn’t like Sister Juhua. He said Sister Juhua is a fierce sister-in-law, and his own sister is sure to suffer after she marries into your family."
Everyone in the room fell silent for a moment, then burst out laughing. Zheng Changhe and Yang Family had already heard from Mrs. Wang about how Juhua had played a trick on Liu Yungen, so they figured the boy was just holding a grudge.
Yang Family looked at her daughter with a smile and chided playfully, "See? You really offended him. You child, you don’t give people any face when you speak..."
But there wasn’t a hint of real blame in her tone, only affection.
The truth was, Yang Family used to worry because her daughter was so timid and shy around people. It got to the point where she was afraid to take Juhua out, fearing she’d be wronged. But now, not only was her daughter no longer afraid of anyone, she had even scolded someone to the verge of tears. Yang Family was secretly thrilled. She couldn’t wait for her daughter to become even fiercer so she would never be bullied in the future.
She didn’t know that Liu Yungen had actually cried after Juhua left; otherwise, she would have been even more pleased.
Zheng Changhe was also beaming with pride, his face blooming into a wide grin. He didn’t even offer Juhua a token lecture for the sake of appearances. Instead, he shot her a look of praise and encouragement, as if to say, ’You tell them, daughter. Dad’s got your back.’
Juhua pursed her lips, hiding a smile at Laicai’s words. ’My brother’s future brother-in-law really is immature. To think he’s still holding a grudge. The little brat, daring to talk bad about me behind my back. Just you wait until I get a chance, I’ll show you what’s what.’
She asked Laicai, "Why did he suddenly start talking to you about that?"
Laicai immediately explained to Juhua in earnest detail, "We were playing together, and I accidentally stepped on his foot, so he pushed me. I told him we’re about to be relatives, so we shouldn’t argue. But then he got all huffy and said all that."
He then added, trying to curry favor, "I told him that if he dared to say anything bad about Sister Juhua again, I would tell on him. He didn’t dare say another word after that."
He practically worshipped Juhua—’Even Liu Yungen is scared of her!’
Juhua had no idea what the boy was thinking and continued to praise him. "Ah, Laicai, you’re so sensible. You know it’s not good for relatives to fight. Yungen is older than you, but he doesn’t even understand that. Pay him no mind. If he bullies you, just go and tell Sister Yunlan."
Laicai nodded again and again. He felt that he was gaining more and more attention and affection from everyone, which only strengthened his resolve to be obedient and well-behaved.