Chapter 135: Coaxing

Chapter 135: Chapter 135: Coaxing

In the courtyard, Fang Juxian’s face twisted with anger as she watched Zhang Minzhen disappear into the kitchen without a backward glance. She stood rooted to the spot, silently seething, determined to get her hands on that meat bun recipe no matter what. ’Even if I don’t use it myself, I could sell it to He Ji for a hefty sum, couldn’t I?’

Just as she was scheming, she saw her brother-in-law emerge with a large bowl of meat buns. Her eyes instantly turned red with envy. ’We’re all sons of this family, so why does the eldest branch always get to take more from the old folks? My family already took two buns each, just like everyone else. The old woman clearly said that was the limit, and the rest were for their dinner tonight. So how can he just walk away with another huge bowl?’

But thoughts were just thoughts. She didn’t have the guts to confront her brother-in-law and could only watch helplessly as he left. She clenched her fists, about to go find her third sister-in-law to complain, when she spotted Gu Nuan Nuan. She grew excited. ’How could I have forgotten about this little brat?’ She immediately rearranged her expression into what she believed was a kindly smile and walked over. "Oh, if it isn’t our dear Nuannuan! You’re so clever these days. Come on, come inside with Auntie. I have some tasty treats for you."

As she spoke, she grabbed Gu Nuan Nuan’s hand and started pulling her along.

"What kind of treats do you have in your room, Auntie?" The moment Fang Juxian grabbed her hand, Gu Nuan Nuan knew exactly what she was up to. Her first instinct was to struggle, but then she had another thought. ’Instead of avoiding her and letting her keep trying, it would be better to just shut her down once and for all. That way, she won’t keep pestering me.’ Having made her decision, her eyes darted about as she asked with feigned curiosity.

"You’ll see when we get there! I guarantee they’re special treats you might not even get for the New Year." Fang Juxian said, feigning mystery. Inwardly, her heart ached at the thought of giving up her stash of leftover peanuts, sunflower seeds, candies, and dried longans. ’But that should be enough to trick a kid,’ she thought. ’You have to bait the hook to catch the fish. Once I have that recipe, I’ll be eating and drinking whatever I want!’

"Really?" Gu Nuan Nuan nodded, deliberately putting on a greedy expression. "Auntie, you can let go. I can walk by myself. You’re pulling too hard, it hurts."

’I’m barely even pulling. So delicate,’ Fang Juxian muttered, awkwardly letting go. When she saw Gu Nuan Nuan pout as if she were about to get angry, she remembered she was supposed to be coaxing the girl and quickly changed her tune with a placating smile. "Oh, but girls are supposed to be delicate! It’s a good thing. Doesn’t your grandma always say that girls should be spoiled, just like your cousin? Hehe."

"My mom says the same thing. That girls are meant to be spoiled," Gu Nuan Nuan replied, rubbing a wrist that didn’t actually hurt at all. She mirrored Fang Juxian’s fake smile.

"You’ve seen peanuts, sunflower seeds, and candy before, so you know how delicious they are. But I have something even better that you probably don’t recognize." Once they were in her room, Fang Juxian stopped being stingy and brought out her entire hidden stash of snacks. As if presenting a treasure, she picked up a dried longan, held it in front of Gu Nuan Nuan, peeled off the hard shell, and popped the fruit into the girl’s mouth. "Delicious, right?" she asked, watching her expectantly.

"It is delicious." Gu Nuan Nuan nodded. The unassuming little fruit was wonderfully sweet. "Auntie, are all of these for me?"

"For you. They’re all for you. But first, you have to tell Auntie how you make that bun filling. Just tell me, and all of this will be yours, okay?" Seeing Gu Nuan Nuan’s nod, Fang Juxian grew ecstatic. She pushed the pile of snacks forward, urging her in a tempting tone, "Hurry up and tell me. The moment you do, Auntie will get some paper and wrap all of these up for you to take home and enjoy."

"..."

Gu Nuan Nuan stared at the treats, putting on a show of being conflicted and saying nothing. Her silence made Fang Juxian anxious. "Hurry and tell Auntie the recipe! Once you tell me, they’re all yours. You can eat them however you want!"

"On second thought, I don’t think I want these... You should keep them for yourself, Auntie. My mom told me my recipe for the bun filling is really valuable. With it, she said we could buy a house someday—not just in town, but even in the city! When my mom gets rich, I’ll be able to eat as many tasty things as I want, whenever I want. Auntie, did you think you could trick me just because I’m a kid? Did you really think you could get my recipe for just a few snacks?" Gu Nuan Nuan giggled, then spun around and dashed away in a flash.

"Who does that damned girl take after, being so devilishly clever?" Fang Juxian cursed, watching Gu Nuan Nuan flee. It was too late to grab her. She rushed to the doorway only to find the girl had already vanished. Stomping her foot in frustration, she was so consumed by her anger that she didn’t notice her younger son peering from the side of the door. His eyes were glued to the snacks inside the room, and he licked his lips with longing. "Mom, I want some of those too."

"Get lost! It’s not a holiday. What makes you think a kid like you gets to eat snacks?"

Only then did Fang Juxian notice her son by the door. She irritably shoved him aside and slammed the door shut. Whenever her husband, Zhang Weihong, went to help others, the main food they received was a fixed portion. Things like peanuts, sunflower seeds, candy, and dried longans were what he managed to squirrel away, a handful or two at a time, bringing them home in his pockets. It was such a small amount that she couldn’t even bear to give much to her own nephews. She felt the stash was barely enough for herself; if she shared it with her three children, what the hell would be left for her?

Once Gu Nuan Nuan was a safe distance away, Cao Cao’s childlike voice suddenly echoed in her mind. "Master, it’s so pitiful being your aunt’s child."

"There are far more pitiful people in this world," Gu Nuan Nuan replied with a smile, not feeling a shred of compassion. "Other families’ business is none of our concern. There’s no need to sympathize with any of them."

’This aunt of mine is completely self-absorbed,’ she thought. ’She’s the type who cares for no one but herself, not even her own children. Logically, her children should grow to resent or even hate her for it, right? But the world is a strange and unreasonable place. In my last life, after my aunt’s three children grew up, not a single one of them hated their neglectful mother. Instead, they all grew to despise their doting grandparents—the very people who secretly gave them treats. They hated them with a passion, all of them feeling that their grandparents owed them, that what had been given was nowhere near enough...’

Gu Nuan Nuan scoffed. ’Compared to my cousins from the second uncle’s family, my cousin Zhang Laodi from the third uncle’s family is the one who’s truly pitiful.’

Recalling the tragedy that befell her third uncle and aunt’s family in her past life, Gu Nuan Nuan couldn’t help but feel a wave of sorrow.

Because her third aunt was extremely superstitious, her cousin Zhang Laodi, who was always quiet and withdrawn as if she didn’t exist, had a very difficult life. She was secretly abused by her mother, and the situation didn’t improve even after her younger brother, Zhang Tianci, was born. Her cousin Laidi finally endured until she was old enough to be married, on the very verge of escaping her mother’s clutches. But as fate would have it, that was precisely when her brother, Zhang Tianci, fell ill.