Chapter 353: Chapter 187: Standing Punishment

"That’s how it should be," Juhua said. "Second Uncle, you’re a proud and capable man. You can spoil Second Aunt, but not too much. People in the know will say you dote on her, but anyone who doesn’t, seeing the way she carries on, will just say you’re scared of your wife."

Being called henpecked was something Yang Dezhi certainly wouldn’t stand for. He retorted angrily, "I just see she’s a woman and don’t stoop to her level. How could I possibly be afraid of her?"

Juhua was quick to flatter him. "I know you’re a good man who dotes on his wife, Uncle. That’s why you spoil her a little. But you have to rein it in. Laicai and Laishou are getting older, and Grandma is older still. If you don’t teach her to do more work, you’ll work yourself to death! My mother gets furious just talking about it at home. She says she has a big problem with only her old mother and brother being exhausted. Even I’m unhappy about it! If you wear yourself out and your health fails, Uncle, who will Laicai and Laishou depend on in the future? Second Aunt? Hmph, I guarantee you she’d find a new husband in a heartbeat. Don’t be fooled by how comfortable she seems now—that’s just because your family is doing well. If you really collapsed, she’d be gone faster than a rabbit."

Yang Dezhi thought about his wife’s personality. ’If I did collapse from exhaustion, she might... no, she would *definitely* do that.’

And so, he said angrily, "Don’t you worry, Juhua. Your uncle knows what to do. I’m going to discipline that woman properly."

Seeing they were just in front of her uncle’s courtyard, Juhua fanned the flames one last time. "You have to. You know the saying: ’Discipline a son to his face, and a wife in private’! You treat her so well, Uncle, keeping her skin all fair and smooth. If she had a conscience, she’d be the one serving you hand and foot. Otherwise, when Grandma is gone, who will do the laundry and cooking? And Laicai and Laishou need looking after, too."

Yang Dezhi nodded again and again. Carrying Laishou, he entered the courtyard with a grim look on his face.

Qingmu had watched Juhua chatter on the whole way, turning their uncle into a "proud and capable man." He couldn’t quite describe the feeling. He just looked at his sister, pursing his lips to hold back a smile.

With her uncle walking ahead, Juhua grinned and tugged on her brother’s arm. "Yunlan went home. She looks exhausted from all the work at her house. You should come over and see her more often, Brother."

Qingmu thought of Liu Yunlan’s rough hands, and a pang of unease went through him. He nodded. "I told her to raise an extra pig this year instead of working in the fields. When they butcher it, she can bring the meat to our house. We’ll help her cure it before she sells it so she can get a better price."

Juhua nodded. "Right! Her family grows plenty of shanyu anyway. Next year, tell her to plant some carrots, too. Then the pigs will have plenty to eat."

Qingmu just grunted in agreement. He pictured Liu Yunlan’s bashful eyes gazing at him with such trust and affection. Suddenly, waiting two more years to get married seemed like a terrible idea. ’Wouldn’t it break my heart to see Yunlan toil for two more years?’

’Sigh. I have to figure something out.’

When Laicai saw Juhua was back, he stuck his tongue out at her and asked with a silly grin, "Juhua, you’re not mad anymore?"

Juhua ignored him and went inside to warm up by the fire.

But Laicai trotted into the room, brought out a paper packet, and held it out to Juhua, trying to get on her good side. "My other grandma gave me these dates. They’re really sweet! Juhua, you have to try one."

Juhua was surprised he was willing to part with them. She stared at him for a moment, then grabbed a few of the dates and popped them in her mouth.

Laicai didn’t seem to mind the loss at all. In fact, he looked pleased that Juhua was eating his dates. He set the paper packet on her lap and insisted, "Eat up, Juhua! Have as many as you want."

Juhua almost spat out the dates in her mouth. ’What a generous offer,’ she thought. ’There’s only a handful of dates here, and he’s telling me to eat as many as I want?’

Seeing the boy was at least trying to be sensible, she decided to talk to him a bit and figure out what on earth was going on in that head of his.

"Laicai, tell me the truth. Why did you stomp in that puddle?" Juhua asked in earnest.

Laicai’s eyes darted back and forth. He looked down sheepishly, scuffing his foot on the floor. "I don’t know, either. I saw the puddle, and I just ran over and stomped in it a few times. I wasn’t thinking about anything."

’What kind of answer was that?’

Juhua was speechless. ’So he really didn’t do it on purpose. Is he hyperactive or something? Or is he just so used to making trouble that it’s become a conditioned reflex?’

Just as she was thinking this, her uncle came in carrying Laishou. He’d overheard her conversation with Laicai. Putting his younger son down, he glared at Laicai. "Are you itching for a beating? Stomping in puddles for no good reason? Look at your shoes! Now you’re making Grandma wash them again. I guess I didn’t hit you hard enough last time, huh?"

Hearing his father bring up the last time, Laicai immediately recalled the vicious beating. Terrified, he scrambled to hide behind Juhua. "I... I really didn’t mean to! I don’t know why, I just... I just..."

He was so afraid of another beating that his voice became frantic and tearful, and he couldn’t explain why he’d stomped in the puddle for no reason.

Juhua could see he wasn’t just making excuses; she feared he was genuinely in the habit of being destructive. She sighed. This kid was giving her a headache, too—she had no real experience correcting a child’s behavior.

So she pulled him in front of her and spoke patiently. "From now on, you need to be more mindful when you play, not so thoughtless. Today, you splashed mud all over Laishou. What if you’d splashed a stranger? They’d have beaten you, wouldn’t they? You’re not a little boy anymore. Like the saying goes, ’A clever player plays with skill; a fool just makes a scene.’ Even if you’re being naughty, you can’t be reckless, or people will think you’re an idiot."

’Now, Little Shitou,’ she thought, ’his mischief has some style. It doesn’t make people dislike him.’

Yang Dezhi saw how well Juhua handled it—much better than he ever could. He usually just yelled at his son. He barked, "Did you hear what Juhua said? Stop acting like a fool who only knows how to run wild."

Laicai nodded vigorously. "I get it! I’ll definitely use my brain more when I play from now on!"

Just then, hearing Yang Dezhi’s roar, Lin Family hurried into the room. She pulled Laicai to her side, felt his hand, and shot Yang Dezhi a reproachful glare. "Why are you yelling so loudly? You’re scaring the boy! Laicai has been much more obedient this past year. You shouldn’t be so harsh with him all the time."

Yang Dezhi, having been stirred up by Juhua the whole way, was already nursing a bellyful of anger, just waiting for his wife to slip up so he could lecture her. He had barely gotten two words out at Laicai before she walked right into the line of fire.

"More obedient? If he were so obedient, would he be stomping in puddles for no reason? Look at the mud on Laishou! That’s all your son’s handiwork. I hadn’t even finished scolding him and you’re already jumping in to stop me. You’re the one who’s spoiled him rotten! From now on, when I discipline my son, you keep your mouth shut! You can’t even manage your own affairs, always giving people something to gossip about, yet you think you can raise a son right?"

Lin Family was stunned speechless by his outburst. When she saw Juhua watching her with a cold expression, she felt a keen sense of humiliation and couldn’t help but grow angry.

But then she turned and saw her younger son was splattered with mud spots. She cried out in alarm, "What on earth happened? Wasn’t Juhua with them? How did he get this filthy?"

Hearing this, Juhua wanted to strangle the woman.

Yang Dezhi roared, "It was your eldest son who did this! Why are you blaming Juhua? Are you deaf? Did you not hear a single word we were just saying? Now go get Laishou changed! Or do you expect Mother to do it? Seems to me you’re itching for a beating yourself!"

Lin Family had never had her husband shout at her so loudly. For a moment, she was completely dumbfounded.

Laishou said in his small, childish voice, "Mama, Brother stomped water all over me. Big Sister made him run away."

Those words snapped Lin Family out of her daze. She immediately put on a stern face and said to Juhua, "Juhua, Laicai is your younger cousin. He’s still little. If he does something wrong, you should talk to him nicely. What did you hit him for?"

Juhua was so exasperated by the woman she almost laughed. She swept a cold gaze over her, then yanked Laicai forward. "Tell your mother. Did I hurt you? Do you understand that you were wrong? If you do, go stand facing the wall. You’re not allowed to eat for the next two hours. If you don’t listen to me today, you are never allowed in your aunt’s house again. Juhua won’t care about you anymore. I’ll ignore you forever."

With that, she let him go, staring intently into his eyes.

Hearing his wife’s words, Yang Dezhi’s anger surged. ’Juhua was right,’ he thought. ’If I don’t discipline this woman, she’ll run amok. Saying such brainless things right in front of me! Thank goodness the only one to hear it was Juhua—my own niece. If it had been anyone else, wouldn’t we be a laughingstock?’

He was so furious he was about to lay into his wife, but then he saw Juhua turning on Laicai and was momentarily stunned.

Laicai, already scared to tears, cried to Lin Family, "Juhua didn’t even hit me hard, she just... just smacked my butt a few times... and I ran away. Juhua, I was wrong! I shouldn’t have stomped in the puddle! I’ll go stand by the wall!"

And with that, he really did go stand against the wall, though he started crying even harder.

’This is all Mom’s fault!’ he thought.

’Juhua ate my dates and even asked me gently why I stomped in the puddle. Even when Dad came in and yelled at me, she just talked to me nicely. She wasn’t blaming me anymore. She wasn’t even angry.’

’If Mom hadn’t come in and said all that, Dad wouldn’t have gotten mad, and Juhua wouldn’t have gotten mad, and she wouldn’t have threatened to ban me from my aunt’s house...’

The more Laicai thought about it, the more miserable he felt. He decided that from now on, he wouldn’t listen to his mother anymore. What Juhua said made a lot more sense.

When Yang Dezhi saw his son actually go stand in the corner after listening to Juhua, he felt both angry and dejected. He was angry because his wife was so utterly unreasonable, and he had clearly been far too indulgent with her. He was dejected because he wasn’t even as capable as a young girl—Juhua knew how to discipline a child better than he did.

Lin Family’s face, however, contorted with rage. ’The son I’ve raised all this time,’ she fumed internally, ’ordered to the wall by a single word from Juhua! And in our own home! If this were at his aunt’s house, would she have made Laicai get on his knees?’

She threw all caution to the wind and was about to unleash her temper on Juhua.

But Yang Dezhi grabbed her by the arm. "If you dare cause any more trouble," he snarled, "do you think I won’t hit you?"

Lin Family was stunned.

The commotion was so loud that Mrs. Wang came rushing from the kitchen, and Qingmu emerged from the latrine. They both asked what was happening.