flstandardbreds Chapter 356 - 189: Reaction
Chapter 356 - 189: Reaction
Laicai grinned smugly. ’I can be a good boy too,’ he suddenly thought. ’When you do something wrong, you shouldn’t cry and throw a tantrum. If you just admit it honestly, everyone likes you. That’s so much better.’
’Yeah, I’d better not be naughty anymore, or Juhua won’t like me. Look how nice she is to Laishou. If I behave a little better, Qingmu and she will like me too.’
Mrs. Wang went to get a pair of clean shoes and helped her grandson change. She watched with a smile as the two little boys beamed with joy.
Just then, Lin Family and Yang Dezhi came in with the dishes and called everyone to dinner.
Juhua saw that Lin Family’s eyes were red. ’Looks like Second Uncle scolded her in the kitchen,’ she thought. She paid it no mind and went to eat with her brother.
Lin Family saw everyone eating while her son was still standing there. She looked at him, seeming to want to speak but holding her tongue. In the end, she didn’t dare utter a word.
Yang Dezhi had given her a harsh scolding just moments before.
She regretted it. ’I’d already decided not to provoke Juhua,’ she thought. ’But when I saw Laicai getting scolded, I got anxious and forgot all about it. And look, I’ve paid the price again.’
Seeing her looking at their son, Yang Dezhi feared she would stir up trouble again. He shot her a glare and said, "Laicai can eat later. Is he going to starve to death from standing for a little while?"
But Laicai chirped gleefully, "Dad, you guys go ahead and eat. Don’t worry about me. I don’t want dinner anyway—Juhua said she’s making spicy and sour noodles for me later!"
After saying that, he leaned back against the wall and stood up ramrod straight, looking as if standing in the corner was something to be proud of.
Yang Dezhi and Lin Family were quite surprised.
Mrs. Wang chuckled. "Juhua said that since Laicai was so obedient today and admitted he was wrong, she’s going to make noodles just for him."
Laishou reminded her unhappily, "Juhua and Qingmu said they’d make some for me, too."
Mrs. Wang quickly said, "Alright, alright, Laishou gets some too. Laishou, you’d better eat less dinner, or you won’t have room for the noodles later."
The moment Laishou heard that, he pushed his bowl away and declared he wasn’t eating anymore.
Yang Dezhi was delighted to see his son was no longer sullen and was now happily taking his punishment. ’Juhua’s method is pretty good,’ he thought. ’I should try it myself in the future.’
He picked up Laishou’s bowl, poured the leftovers into his own, and sighed theatrically. "I don’t get any noodles, so I guess I’ll just have to eat Laishou’s leftovers."
Hearing this, Laishou quickly grabbed his father’s shoulder and whispered into his ear, "I’ll share some with you later, Dad. I won’t let Juhua see."
Yang Dezhi almost spat out the mouthful of food he was chewing. He quickly stifled his laugh. Seeing his younger son’s sweet, considerate expression, he joyfully called him a "good son."
A bitter feeling churned inside Lin Family. ’I really don’t get it,’ she thought. ’If Laicai is being so obedient, why does he still have to stand in the corner? And if he’s being punished, why make special noodles just for him?’
But no one bothered to explain it to her.
After dinner, Juhua used the spicy cabbage she had brought with her to cook two large bowls of spicy and sour noodles for Laicai and Laishou.
Whether it was because he truly loved the taste of the noodles, was hungry from standing for so long, or because today’s reward had been hard-earned, Laicai ate with extraordinary gusto. After finishing his own portion, he even ate what Laishou had left over, drinking every last drop of the spicy and sour broth.
Juhua felt that since the boy was being so unusually well-behaved, she should strike while the iron was hot and impart some life lessons to him. ’Whether it works or not,’ she thought, ’at least I’ll have done my best.’
So she played with the two children for a while, telling them stories. When they were completely absorbed, she would weave in simple moral lessons, guiding them patiently. She talked until her mouth was dry, thinking to herself, ’This teaching business really isn’t for everyone.’
Their last night at their grandmother’s house drew to a lively close. Juhua didn’t know if she would clash with Lin Family again in the future, but it looked like her second uncle was keeping a tighter rein on his wife, so the chances of conflict were probably much lower.
「On the fifth day of the new year,」 they returned home. When Yang Family and Zheng Changhe heard that a verbal agreement for a marriage had been made with the Liu Family, their jaws dropped.
Zheng Changhe complained, "Why didn’t you send someone to come back and tell your mother and me? The two of you just went and arranged Qingmu’s marriage just like that?" He was quite displeased. ’A son’s marriage is something the father should be there to arrange, of course.’
Juhua and Qingmu exchanged wry smiles. ’Dad’s jealous. He’s jealous of our eldest uncle.’
Juhua quickly went to him and took his arm, doing her best to console him. She repeated what their grandmother had said, explaining to her parents that it was only a verbal discussion for now. They would still need to bring a matchmaker to formally present the betrothal gifts.
Yang Family jabbed Zheng Changhe with her elbow and chided, "It’s not like they chose some random family. We know the Liu Family’s daughter. It was only because her parents were being foolish that things got delayed. Then Liu Fugui asked my mother to propose the match, but back then, Qingmu said he wanted to wait a couple more years to get married, so we never brought it up. Stop being angry. Let’s hurry up and get things ready for the betrothal gift ceremony."