Chapter 738 - 381: Inconvenient to Stay

Chapter 738: Chapter 381: Inconvenient to Stay

’Something’s not right today!’

She swallowed dryly and hurried over, beaming at Juhua. "Huai Zi and Juhua, you’re back? I was just telling your mother we’d have your cousins stay the night. You all should get close. Just now, my Cailian was praising how well you make fried dough. You must teach her properly. Is this Banli? Oh my..."

Juhua ignored her chattering, her mind fixed on what she’d said before. ’Stay the night?’

’Stay one night today, and they’ll stay two nights the next time. And after that?’

’Maybe they wouldn’t even wait for next time. One of the "cousins" might "accidentally" sprain her ankle or pull a muscle, giving her an excuse to stay. Then, feelings would develop with Huai Zi over time. This was the extent of Dà nǎinai’s schemes. Or worse, maybe one of them would "accidentally" walk in on something she shouldn’t and use her reputation to force the issue. They all seemed like shabby tricks, but if actually used, they would be a huge headache for the Zhang family.’

’It wasn’t that she was being petty; their intentions were just too obvious. Setting aside the earlier farce, who, besides the closest of relatives, would send their daughters to stay overnight at someone else’s house on the second day of the New Year? And so many of them at once—seven or eight people, young and old. If they were granddaughters of the Zhang family, it might be one thing. But the strange part was, only one of the girls was a Zhang; the rest were all distant cousins.’

’Her mother-in-law, He, would never ask them to stay. Were they just planning on forcing their way in? Did they take her for a fool?’

She stared coldly at Dà nǎinai, as if trying to see right through to her very soul!

Although Dà nǎinai was still blustering, her voice grew quieter and she began to stammer, finally falling silent under Juhua’s icy gaze.

That girl Cailian still came forward with a grin to greet Juhua and Huai Zi.

Juhua ignored her. Huai Zi just nodded without saying a word. He suddenly felt like a dog trying to bite a hedgehog when faced with this group of old women and young girls—there was simply no way to engage. It was nothing like the straightforward interactions he had with men like Grandpa Wu.

Besides, he didn’t know what Juhua was planning, and he was afraid he’d mess things up if he spoke. So he simply stood beside her in silence. Only Banli was overjoyed to see He, and he broke into a wide grin.

The young girls finally sensed that something was wrong—it seemed this cousin-in-law didn’t welcome them at all.

After Dà nǎinai had finished, one of the taller girls, dressed in red, blushed and looked up. "Grand-aunt, we should be going back. It’s not far, just a short walk away. We shouldn’t crowd so many people into Auntie’s house. They have a baby here and are very busy; we’re just getting in their way."

Juhua was slightly surprised. ’This one has some self-respect. That’s good. It’ll save her from having her life ruined by clueless parents.’ Her expression finally softened into a smile. "Since you’ve said so, little sister, I’ll have someone see you off. Pu Pao, go tell your father to hitch up the ox-cart and take Dà nǎinai and the others back to Zhuangzi."

Pu Pao couldn’t have been happier to comply. She handed Cong over to He and skipped off toward the west wing.

Dà nǎinai and the others stared blankly at Juhua, seemingly not expecting her to send them away without a single question. Dà nǎinai, especially resentful, shot the girl in red a vicious glare. She forced a smile and was just about to speak to try and salvage the situation, but Juhua, still smiling sweetly, spoke again, shutting her down completely.

"Dà nǎinai, you and the young ladies have come such a long way. By rights, I should insist you stay the night. But our home is just this small courtyard with a few open rooms, not like those large estates with separate inner and outer quarters. Huai Zi and my younger brother-in-law are in and out all day. The young ladies are all of marriageable age, so it’s really not convenient for them to stay here. If they were to bump into someone they shouldn’t, or see something they ought not, and their reputations were damaged, there would be no way to make amends. My brother-in-law, well, he ’hears nothing of the world, his heart set only on his books.’ Getting him to take a concubine is impossible. And as for my Huai Zi, he has sworn never to take a concubine either. So what would the young ladies do then? Shave their heads and become nuns? Or throw themselves in a river to preserve their honor?"

Dà nǎinai was dumbfounded. ’She laid my intentions bare just like that? And put it so harshly?’

The other young girls all blushed. The one in red had vaguely suspected Dà nǎinai’s intentions, and hearing Juhua lay it all out, she was mortified. Swallowing her humiliation, she said to Juhua, "Cousin-in-law, rest assured, I would never be a concubine for anyone. We’ll go back on our own. You don’t need to arrange a cart for us."

With that, she went to the small table by the foot warmer, grabbed her cloth bundle, and turned to leave. She didn’t even call to the sisters who had come with her. When Dà nǎinai tried to grab her, she flung her hand away.

Juhua chuckled. "You have integrity, little sister. You’re a fortunate one. Not like some families, where muddle-headed parents think they’re being clever and insist on sending their daughters to be concubines, completely unaware that they’re pushing them into a pit of fire. They don’t care how their daughters will live in the future, they only covet some intangible wealth and status. By the time they regret it, it will be too late."