twojebook Chapter 351 - 186: Proper Discipline
Chapter 351 - 186: Proper Discipline
When Juhua saw her second aunt’s old habits flaring up again, she fumed. ’How embarrassing, making a fool of herself in front of relatives!’
’A pair of shoe insoles isn’t a big deal on its own, but if I let her get away with it today, I’m afraid she’ll just keep using her status as family to bother Liu Yunlan. That would put my future sister-in-law in a terrible position!’
Juhua lowered her gaze to Mrs. Lin’s feet and said, "Second Aunt, your feet are about the same size as Sister Yunlan’s. If you can use them, so can she. Sister Yunlan was just being polite when she offered them to me; it’s not that she actually can’t use them. She’s very busy at home, and it’s not easy for her to find time for needlework. She should keep these for herself. If you want insoles, Aunt, you can just make your own."
With that said, she stared coldly at Mrs. Lin, making no attempt to hide her contempt, disgust, and determination to stop her.
’Although I can’t make my second aunt change her ways, I’m determined not to give her any chance to act like this in front of me. I’ll handle her just like I discipline Laicai—I’ll shut her down every single time, and I’ll warn her with an icy glare, too.’
This glare from her niece made Mrs. Lin’s skin crawl.
She was growing more and more hesitant to get out of line in front of Juhua. Every time she tried, her niece would unleash a torrent of words that left her speechless and utterly humiliated. Juhua had even bluntly told her that if she kept it up, she wouldn’t be welcome at their home anymore.
Juhua wasn’t the least bit afraid of offending her second uncle, Yang Dezhi.
Strangely enough, while Yang Dezhi usually gave in to Mrs. Lin on everything, a few words from Juhua were all it took to send him into a towering rage at his wife. As a result, Mrs. Lin had actually behaved herself a lot more this year.
Well, she’d only toned it down a little. As for actually changing her ways... she could try that in her next life.
Seeing Juhua intervene, Mrs. Lin gave an awkward laugh. "Oh well, never mind then. I just thought Yunlan couldn’t use them. Juhua, I’m going to get dinner started. You can wander around a bit and then come on home to eat." Without another word, she scurried into the kitchen to get busy.
’I’d better not provoke this niece of mine,’ she thought. ’Otherwise, who knows? One of these days she might actually manage to talk Yang Dezhi into divorcing me.’
Mrs. Lin’s behavior made Liu Yunlan’s jaw drop. She stared at Juhua with a peculiar expression, thinking more and more that her future sister-in-law was as sharp as a tack.
Juhua pulled her out of the courtyard gate and whispered, "Just ignore her. If you want to give something, give it to Grandma. You can’t let her get away with that kind of behavior."
Liu Yunlan suppressed a smile and nodded.
Once they were out of the courtyard, Liu Yunlan said hesitantly, "Juhua, I’ve been out for a while, so I should be heading back. Are... are you really leaving tomorrow?" Her expression was full of reluctance.
Juhua understood what she meant and smiled. "Sister Yunlan, we still have a lot to get ready back home. My brother will be back in a couple of days, but I’m afraid I won’t be able to come with him. In the future, though, whenever my grandma visits us, you should come along with her. It’s totally fine. And I’ll come see you when I have a chance, too."
Liu Yunlan nodded. She glanced at Laicai, who was tagging along, but didn’t say anything else. Carrying her sewing basket, she said her goodbyes to Juhua.
As she walked along the village path, she felt a sense of loss, and the bare tree branches seemed especially bleak.
’She could sense the deep bond between Qingmu and Juhua. Their family must be so harmonious and happy. Qingmu had told her so much about them, describing in detail even the things they planted in their yard. It made her long to be a part of that home.’
’Then she thought of Qingmu’s handsome face, his tall, straight posture, the gentle look in his eyes when he gazed at her... She couldn’t help but miss him, and she found herself eagerly hoping her wedding day would come soon.’
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Juhua led the two little ones, slowly making her way to her first uncle’s house.
Along the way, Laicai stomped right into a puddle. Muddy water splattered all over Laishou, who inadvertently acted as a human shield for Juhua. Otherwise, her outfit would have been ruined. As it was, a few drops still landed on her.
Without a second thought, Juhua rushed over, grabbed Laicai by the ear, and gave it a harsh twist before landing several hard smacks on his bottom.
But hearing the muffled THUMP THUMP, she knew the smacks couldn’t have hurt through his thick winter clothes. ’Why is it always winter when I have to punish Laicai?’ she thought in frustration.
She felt she’d let him off too easy, but Laicai’s ear was bright red from the twisting. "Ouch!" he yelped. "I didn’t do it on purpose, Sister Juhua! It was an accident!"
Juhua retorted angrily, "It wasn’t on purpose? You just have restless feet!"
She then turned to Laishou for a teachable moment. "Laishou, see? Now your clothes are all dirty. Nobody likes a messy kid. You can’t be like your brother, or else Sister Juhua won’t play with you anymore, and I won’t make you any more yummy snacks."