Chapter 98: Chapter 59: Second Maternal Aunt (2)

Laicai heard her and seemed to understand the danger, so he abandoned the stone mill. Instead, he went to play on the large wooden bathtub, draping himself over the side. The next thing Juhua knew, he had tumbled into the tub and was squatting inside.

Juhua turned around and saw he was gone. Confused, she started looking everywhere for him.

“HAHA!” Laicai popped his head out of the tub. He bounced excitedly, slapping the wooden sides and shouting, “I’m over here! I knew you wouldn’t be able to find me.”

Furious, Juhua ran over and grabbed him. Her expression hardened. “Get out of there right now! If you break the bottom of this tub, see if I don’t give you a spanking!”

Laicai paid her no mind. He slowly clambered out and asked, “Juhua, can we eat now? I’m starving.”

Juhua thought, ’I ought to not feed you at all. This kid is just impossible.’

When Zheng Changhe finally returned, Yang Family shot him a harsh glare. Juhua had been swamped just a moment before; things would have been much easier if he’d been home, but who knew where he’d run off to.

Zheng Changhe had taken a break from his work to go for a stroll on the mountain with Zhao San, who was gathering acorns. He had no idea guests would arrive. Seeing the displeasure on Yang Family’s face, he rubbed his hands together guiltily and chuckled nervously as he helped set the dishes on the table.

Juhua saw Laicai kneeling on the long bench, chopsticks in hand, mashing and poking them randomly into the serving bowls. She quickly dished out some food for herself and went to eat by the kitchen stove. Out of sight, out of mind!

Sure enough, even from the kitchen, Juhua could hear an uproar from the main room. It was a cacophony of Zheng Changhe and Yang Family’s overlapping shouts of restraint and appeasement—a constant stream of “You can’t…” “Stop that…” and “Let me get it for you…” Clearly, that boy Laicai was causing trouble again. His mother, meanwhile, was completely silent.

That afternoon, since both her parents were home, Juhua was spared Laicai’s torments. Besides, she simply hid in the kitchen to boil the pig offal, sitting by the stove and stitching shoe soles. She didn’t go outside at all, leaving them to their chaos.

Yang Family’s voice seemed much louder today; her shouts at Laicai were nonstop.

Eventually, even Zheng Changhe couldn’t stand it anymore. He fled to the kitchen to help Juhua stoke the fire and, while he was at it, clean the pig’s head and trotters they’d gotten that day.

Seeing her father’s awkward expression, Juhua suppressed a smile.

Zheng Changhe said with a helpless sigh, “That Laicai is just too much of a handful. And his mother doesn’t do a thing to control him.” When had his own two children ever been so disobedient? He wasn’t one to brag, but they had never given him a moment of worry, not even when they were little.

Just then, they heard Lin Family speaking to Yang Family in a soft, delicate voice. “You go out every day to sell pig offal. Even with Laixi helping, he’s still just a child. Why don’t I come help you?”

Yang Family replied in astonishment, “That’s easy for you to say. Who’s going to do that mountain of chores at your house? And even if someone else does them, who’s going to look after your two children?”

Lin Family said gently, “But we have Juhua, don’t we? It’d be perfect for Juhua to watch the two children at home, right? I can go with you to sell the food, and it’ll make things easier for you.”

Yang Family’s voice suddenly shot up. “You call that helping? Looks to me like you’re just trying to cause more trouble! When I’m out selling, Juhua and her father are at home washing and cooking. It’s hard work, but we manage. If you come along, my Juhua will have to spend all her time watching your two children. Then who’s going to cook our meals and boil the pig offal? If she has to cook while watching your kids, isn’t that like taking off your pants to fart—a completely pointless hassle? It’s not like I can’t manage on my own, and I have Laixi helping, too. This is a tiny business, selling by the scoop for one cent. Our whole family works from dawn till dusk for it. You think it’s easy? And you, sleeping in until the sun is high in the sky, want to come with me? You can just forget it!”

Lin Family mumbled something unintelligible, and the voices outside quieted.

Juhua and Zheng Changhe exchanged a look, then both lowered their heads, smothering their laughter.

’Honestly,’ Juhua thought, ’I really have to admire my mother. When you’re dealing with someone like my aunt-in-law, you need a person like my mother to put her in her place. You can’t show her an ounce of courtesy. Give her an inch, and she’ll take a mile.’

That evening, Laicai started clamoring to take a bath in the wooden tub again.

Yang Family saw that her two nephews were drenched in sweat from their day of mischief, their clothes now filthy. So, she boiled a pot of water for them to take a bath. The two boys squealed and hollered so much as they bathed that it sounded like the house was full of people. Juhua was sure her home had never been this noisy.

Once everyone was finally settled for the night, Yang Family and Lin Family slept with the two children, while Zheng Changhe slept in the outer room on Qingmu’s bed. It was a good thing Qingmu wasn’t home, or there really wouldn’t have been enough room for everyone.

Lin Family had originally suggested letting Laicai sleep with Juhua.

Yang Family’s voice instantly rose again. “Laicai always kicks off his blankets when he sleeps! What if Juhua catches a cold? That poor child has already been sick several times this year. Look how skinny she is, she’s practically a beanpole! Do you have the heart to let Laicai bother her? If she gets sick again, that’s more trouble for me, and she’s the one who suffers. And for that matter, Laicai will catch a cold too if he kicks off his blankets. It’s better if we put him between us.”

Only then did Lin Family fall silent.

Juhua thought to herself, ’Thank goodness Mom didn’t agree. I’ve worked so hard to make my room feel a little cozy. If Laicai came in and started rampaging, it’d be like a bull in a china shop.’

Then, Laicai started yelling for Juhua’s little throw pillow.

Yang Family said, “Be a good boy, Laicai. Isn’t Auntie’s pillow new, too? And it’s even bigger.”

Laicai started bouncing and rolling on the bed, wailing, “I want the small one! I’m a little kid, so I need a little pillow!”

Juhua quickly brought the pillow over to the little tyrant. Otherwise, he’d make such a scene that no one would get any sleep.

Looking at the new quilt and sheets on the bed, Lin Family said with envy, “You must really be making a fortune, getting all new bedding.”

Yang Family retorted unhappily, “What kind of nonsense is that? We replace one quilt and suddenly we’re ’making a fortune’? By that logic, with all those sets of new clothes you have, aren’t you the one who’s truly struck it rich? Our old quilt was from when her father and I first got married—it’s almost twenty years old. If we didn’t replace it, we’d freeze to death. This quilt is the only new thing in this entire house. Go on, take a look! Do you see anything else that’s new?”

Lin Family was left speechless by Yang Family’s tirade.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep