Juhua found it amusing to hear him call her ’sister,’ but she deliberately kept a straight face. "Forget it. Why would I hold a grudge against you? It’s good that you know you were wrong. I’m not one to hold a grudge." 𝕗𝚛𝚎𝚎𝐰𝗲𝗯𝗻𝚘𝚟𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝕞

Qingmu saw Juhua looking as if she were granting a pardon and Liu Yungen looking utterly miserable. He had a gut feeling his sister must have been teasing the boy. For some reason, even though Juhua was never one to stir up trouble, he just knew she must have been playing a trick on Liu Yungen.

Liu Yungen felt even worse after hearing Juhua’s words. ’You’re just a girl,’ he thought miserably. ’Who are you to talk about not holding a grudge, acting like you’re some kind of grown-up.’ Then again, Juhua really did give him the impression of an adult. The way she spoke was nothing like a child.

He offered his apology to Juhua and felt his task was complete. Since Juhua hadn’t said anything to give him a hard time, he immediately said his goodbyes to Yang Defa, claiming he had things to do at home, and practically fled the Yang family’s courtyard.

It was a good thing he ran off so quickly. Otherwise, Laifu and Laixi were still eyeing him, waiting for an explanation as to why he had to apologize to Juhua.

As soon as he was gone, Laixi burst out laughing. He leaned in close to Juhua and asked curiously, "Juhua, why did Liu Yungen have to apologize to you? Did he yell at you too? Oh, and why did he call Qingmu a ’jerk’?"

Seeing him fire off a whole string of questions, Juhua shot him a look and said with a small smile, "And why should I tell you?"

When Laixi saw her acting all secretive, he grew even more curious and began pestering her impatiently. In the middle of the commotion, Mrs. Wang came out from the kitchen, laughing as she asked what all the fuss was about.

When she heard from Laixi that Liu Yungen had just come over to apologize to Qingmu and Juhua, she said in surprise, "So that kid really came to apologize? The poor thing. Juhua scolded him so badly he almost cried. I bet he’ll run and hide whenever he sees her from now on. Still, that boy needed a lesson. He’s a handful, just like our Laicai."

Laixi eagerly asked what had happened, so Mrs. Wang recounted the whole story of their visit to the Liu Family.

"HAHAHA..." Everyone burst out laughing. Even Yang Defa found it hilarious and chuckled as he looked at Juhua.

Qingmu looked at his sister, thinking, ’If I end up marrying into the Liu Family, Liu Yungen is going to have a rough time.’

Life as a guest was comfortable. They just had to chat and laugh while waiting for their meals. Her aunt felt that Juhua was always busy at home, and since this was her first visit to her uncle’s house in so many years, there was no way she would let her help with the cooking. She wouldn’t even let Juhua set foot in the kitchen.

And so, Juhua enjoyed a comfortable two-night stay at her uncle’s house. It wasn’t until the fourth day of the New Year that she suggested she and Qingmu head home.

Mrs. Wang wouldn’t hear of it. She told Qingmu to go back first, saying she wanted Juhua to stay for a few more days.

Juhua quickly leaned in and whispered in her ear, "Grandma, I have to go home. When Father and Mother find a matchmaker to go to the Liu Family with a marriage proposal, we can’t have the house be empty."

Only then did Mrs. Wang nod in understanding. She turned to Qingmu and asked, "Have you made up your mind? Do you want to go forward with the marriage proposal?"

Qingmu blushed slightly and gave a firm nod.

Juhua had told him that once he was sure, he should move to get engaged quickly, lest any delays cause complications. Liu Yunlan had many suitors. If he hesitated any longer, her family might think the Zheng Family wasn’t interested in the match. Out of disappointment, they might accept another’s proposal, and that would be a real problem.

That was why Juhua had specifically asked her grandmother to pay the Liu Family a visit after they left and pass along a message saying the Zheng Family was interested in the match.

Mrs. Wang frowned at the two of them. "You two are still just kids, you don’t know how to handle things properly. If you’re so worried, then why go home at all? Just have your uncle take Qingmu over for the formal meeting. Settle this matter first, and then have your father and mother find a matchmaker to deliver the betrothal gifts later. Wouldn’t that be much better?"

Juhua was taken aback. "But doesn’t a family elder have to take him to the meeting? My brother was planning to go home and tell Father and Mother..."

Mrs. Wang cut her off, saying reproachfully, "And your uncle doesn’t count as an elder? A maternal uncle’s authority is second to none; his presence is even more fitting than your own father’s. Don’t leave. We’ll have your uncle handle it today, and you can go back and tell your mother tomorrow."

Qingmu glanced at Juhua and nodded. He said softly to her, "Then let’s just stay one more day. Besides, we haven’t told Uncle and Aunt we’re leaving yet. They definitely won’t let you go."

He understood that his sister wasn’t used to being away. She rarely left the house—or rather, she’d never really left home at all. Even though she didn’t have to do any work at their uncle’s and could just relax, she still felt a bit unsettled. Besides, as the saying goes, "There’s no place like home." And their home was so comfortable now, you could hardly call it a "dump" anymore.

Hearing her brother’s words, Juhua smiled. "That’s perfect. It’ll save us a lot of explaining later. Go on, Brother, hurry up and go talk it over with Uncle."