Chapter 775 - 399: Worrying Days Are Ahead

Chapter 775: Chapter 399: Worrying Days Are Ahead

He moved the broken basket to one side and said to her, "Look at this. That old cat, sneaky as anything, went and had four kittens in the drawer of our console table. I was just wondering where she’d gone. She was pregnant and I hadn’t seen her for days, so I figured she must have gone off somewhere to have her litter. Who would have thought? I opened the drawer to find something today and discovered she’d already given birth. She sure knows how to pick a spot. I had several packets of vegetable seeds in that drawer. She dragged in a scrap of cloth to make a nest and had her kittens right there."

Looking at her still-crying grandson, she added, "This child is so mischievous. He wants everything he sees. When he saw me take the kittens out, he immediately wanted to grab them and play. Tell me, could I let him? So he started crying, and once he starts, he never stops."

Juhua squatted in front of Banli, frowning at the little boy. His face was beet-red from struggling, he was sobbing uncontrollably, and teardrops clung to his eyelashes. He looked utterly pitiful.

Just then, Huai Zi returned. He handed Cong to Pu Pao and reached out to hold Banli, saying, "What does Banli want? Don’t cry, Daddy’s here to hold you!"

Juhua quickly stopped him. "Don’t pay any attention to him. We can’t spoil him and encourage this temper. The next thing you know, he’ll be asking for the stars from the sky, and you’ll go and pluck them for him, won’t you? Don’t think he doesn’t understand. If you give in to him today, he’ll cry even harder the next time he wants something."

He quickly said, "He understands, of course he understands! He was crying right at me, ignoring Grandma Liu and Pu Pao. Wouldn’t you say this kid is a clever little devil?"

Juhua glared at the little boy with a stern face. "You want to grab everything, just like your Uncle Laicai when he was little. Those kittens were just born. If you really grabbed one, you’d squeeze it to death, wouldn’t you? Look at your big brother Jing’er. Why isn’t he a crybaby like you?"

She had a bad feeling. ’This son of mine is definitely not going to be easy. Once he can walk and run, who knows what kind of trouble he’ll get into? There are plenty of worries ahead.’

Little Jing’er, who was over a month older, seemed to have heard his name and giggled at Juhua. The little boy was really well-built. He was only a little shorter than Hulu, with a flat back of his head, a squarish, slightly dark face, and was very cute.

After hearing Juhua, Grandma Liu chuckled and said slowly, "No matter how mischievous he is, he’s just a baby. Isn’t it normal for him to want to grab whatever he wants? He can’t understand you scolding him, Young Madam, but he can read your expression. See? He feels wronged. He’s pouting and doesn’t dare to cry anymore. Aiyo! He’s scared of you!"

Sure enough, Banli pouted and looked sadly at Juhua. His pitiful, wronged expression made Pu Pao and the others burst out laughing.

Huai Zi couldn’t help but laugh, too, but he also felt sorry for his son. He had Pu Pao put Cong in the cart next to Banli and said to Cong, "My girl, pat your brother. Tell him not to cry. It’s so embarrassing for a boy to cry like this! Look, big brother Jing’er isn’t crying."

Of course, Cong didn’t understand her father’s words, but having eaten and slept beside her brother since birth, she recognized him. Seeing Banli crying, perhaps out of curiosity, she couldn’t help but reach out and touch his face. Her hand came away wet with tears, which slid down, and then she clutched Banli’s hand.

Banli stopped crying. He held his little sister’s hand with both of his, and the two siblings tangled together, gurgling and cooing. In an instant, his tears turned to laughter.

Juhua quickly wiped the tears from his face, muttering under her breath, "What a disgrace!"

Huai Zi gave her a smile and coaxed gently, "He’s still little, isn’t he? If he’s still this mischievous when he’s older, I’ll be the one to discipline him."

Juhua couldn’t help but laugh, feeling she was acting like a child herself, with none of a mother’s proper sense. She sighed, "It’s all Hulu’s fault—he’s too obedient and easy to care for. It makes me see Banli acting up and I can’t help but compare them."

Grandma Liu reached her hand behind little Jing’er’s back and gave him a scratch. The little child sat perfectly still, grinning with a look of pure comfort and enjoyment on his face.

She knew Juhua was very patient and meticulous with the children, and that she was just complaining offhandedly. So she said to her kindly, "Every child has their own good qualities; you can’t compare them like that. You’re raising them through all the dirty work, and that’s what brings life to a home. A house without children is just dreary and dull. Look at our courtyard—with three children here, the adults have energy for everything. Just you wait, Young Madam. When these little ones can run, it’ll be even livelier!"

Juhua shuddered at her words, her scalp tingling. ’Of course it’s lively with children, but it comes at a price. The price is that the parents have to plod along like old oxen, chasing after a pack of little rascals.’

Aunt Liu came out of the kitchen, dusting herself off and laughing. "Has the little trumpet stopped? We’re so used to hearing him laugh that it’s almost strange to hear him cry so hard for once. My Jing’er did well; he didn’t start crying along with him. If they both started, now *that* would be a racket."

He joked, "Jing’er is a bit older and drinks more milk, so of course he’s more sensible, right?" Everyone roared with laughter.

After laughing, Aunt Liu asked, "Lady, should we eat in a little while, or right now?"

He said, "Let’s wait a bit. His father will be back soon."

So, Aunt Liu and Juhua first fed the babies and put them to sleep. Only then did Zhang Dashuan and the others return from the Old Village Ancestral Hall.

As it turned out, the village head had gathered them to announce a notice from the government office: the old Emperor of Jing Country had passed away. The Third Prince had ascended the throne and changed the reign title to Yongping. The current year was now the first year of Yongping. The common people were required to observe three months of mourning for the late Emperor, during which time no weddings, birthday banquets, or other celebrations were permitted.

Juhua let out a long breath. ’He’s finally dead,’ she thought. ’I wonder how capable this new Emperor is. I just hope he’s not some fatuous, incompetent fool, or my peaceful days will be over.’

Huai Zi, however, was worried about Yangzi’s exam. If a special examination was granted by imperial favor, would he have enough time to prepare?

The death of an emperor didn’t have a huge impact on the villagers in this remote area. It just meant that families with happy occasions to celebrate would have to wait a few more months.

In the afternoon, Juhua, Aunt Liu, and Pu Pao cleaned the kitchen. They carefully wiped down the cupboards and countertops, and dusted off all the jars and pots used for pickles. The cutting boards, steamers, pot lids, and other items were taken to the well to be scrubbed, then left in the sun to dry.

Pu Pao complained as she worked, "Mother, why is there still so much dust in this room when I sweep it every day?"

Aunt Liu, who was wiping a large earthenware jar of chili paste, laughed at her words. "Well, why do you eat every day? And three times a day at that?"

Juhua burst out laughing. "Pu Pao, some of the dust blows in from outside, some kicks up from the stove, and some rises from the nooks and crannies in the corners. That’s why you have to give the whole place a thorough cleaning inside and out every so often. That’s how you keep it fresh. Otherwise, it doesn’t matter how many times a day you sweep the floor. My mother used to say, ’Sweeping without cleaning the edges is like sweeping a thousand times a day for nothing.’ It’s because if you let dust build up in the corners, it’ll fluff up and float everywhere when the weather is dry."

Aunt Liu said, "Pu Pao, you should listen carefully. These are the words of someone who knows how to run a household. Some people only sweep the middle of the room. They don’t stick the broom under the bed or the cabinets, and they don’t move furniture or clutter out of the way. Tell me, for someone like that, what’s the use of sweeping multiple times a day? If a girl like that gets married and becomes a daughter-in-law, her mother-in-law won’t be pleased."

When the conversation turned to marriage, Pu Pao blushed and fell silent. While she swept, she moved all the stools, big and small, to the open space in the middle and cleaned all the corners. To keep the dust from flying up, she even sprinkled a little water. Aunt Liu nodded and praised her.

While they were busy, Meizi came over, cradling her young son in a sling against her chest and carrying a sewing basket. She called out, "Juhua, are you busy?"

Juhua peered out the door and smiled. "Well, look who it is. You’re a rare sight. What brings you over for a chat today?"

It was no wonder she said so. With each of them now having two little ones, their lives were much busier, and they certainly didn’t have the leisure they once did. Even though they lived next door, they usually only exchanged a few words when they ran into each other at the doorway. The times they could sit and chat like they used to were few and far between.

Meizi came up to her with a smile and pouted. "What free time? I’m busy at home. But Liu’er’s mother came over to talk to my mother-in-law, spouting all sorts of nonsense. I didn’t want to listen and got annoyed, so I came to find you. Besides, I have to find time to finish these shoes for Jingwen anyway."

She saw that Juhua and the others were wearing headscarves and peeked into the kitchen. "Are you guys doing a big clean-up? Aiyo, I’ve come at a bad time."

Aunt Liu quickly said, "We’re almost done. Young Madam, you just go ahead and do what you need to. Pu Pao and I will be finished as soon as we take out this rubbish."

Juhua looked around and saw that they were indeed almost finished. She took Meizi out to the courtyard, drew water from the well to wash their faces and hands, and patted the dust off their clothes.

Meizi found a stool and sat down, patting her son as she mused, "Sigh! Being a mother is just so busy. Otherwise, in this kind of weather, not too cold and not too hot, we could be doing needlework together, just talking, or going up the mountain to pick mushrooms. How carefree that was."

Hearing her words, Juhua couldn’t help but recall a time a few years ago when a group of girls went up the mountain to pick wild bamboo shoots. She said nostalgically, "Isn’t that the truth? The other seasons are fine, but in the spring, I just love being outside." Then she tried to comfort Meizi, "Once these little ones are grown up, we can take them out to play with us. Won’t that be even more lively?"

Meizi had already taken out a small shoe and started sewing the upper. Hearing Juhua, she shot her a glance, her face full of amusement. "You make it sound so easy. By the time the older ones can run, new little ones will have been born. Who knows when it will ever end."

Juhua watched her, her little son bundled to her chest in a large cloth sling, her hands still busy making the shoe. There was no hesitation in her nimble movements. The once charming and naive girl had finally transformed into a capable wife. Juhua walked over, brought a stool, and sat down across from her. "Put your son in the cart. You’ll be more comfortable. Banli isn’t awake yet anyway. It must be exhausting to hold him while you work."

Meizi nodded. "I was going to have his grandmother watch him," she said as she undid the sling. "But after I fed him, I was too lazy to take him over, so I just brought him with me." She placed the little child in the cart to sit, stretched her arms, rubbed her shoulders, and let out a long sigh of relief before sitting down again.

Juhua also found some small clothes to work on. The two hadn’t gotten together in a long time, so they began to whisper and share secrets.