Back to the ‘70s: My Life as the Trouble-Maker's Bride

Justin stubbornly twisted his neck away, refusing to greet Annette.

Bonnie was furious and gave Justin another pinch. "You little brat, what's wrong with you? Hurry up and call her!"

Annette didn't know why, but understood that forcing a teenager to do something against his will often caused rebellion. "It's fine, no need to call her."

Bonnie was displeased. "This kid needs a spanking. He was so happy when your uncle Stuart came back, now he's mute when he sees you?"

Stuart frowned and stopped Bonnie from scolding the boy further. "Let him rest first."

Bonnie grabbed Justin's ear and twisted it, forcing the taller boy to bow his head, struggling with a grimace. "You little troublemaker, growing up fast. Come on, home."

Justin was still resentful. He glanced at Annette hatefully and muttered under his breath, "Damn spy."

Bonnie punched him again. "Who are you cursing? Think you're grown now?"

Annette was half-amused, half-bewildered. Where had this 'damn spy' insult come from?

Stuart apologized, "I'll talk to him later."

Annette shrugged it off. "It's okay. I just wonder why he hates me. I don't think I've met him before."

Stuart was also surprised. Justin had never met Annette, nor the previous Annette.

Feeling tired, Annette turned back and lay on the kang (heated brick bed).

Stuart stayed outside a while. After Bonnie finished fussing over Justin, Stuart called him out. They walked toward the edge of the village.

The fifteen-year-old Justin was already 5'7", but skinny like a pole, his head hanging low as he followed Stuart.

Neither said a word until they reached the hill outside the village. Stuart turned to Justin, "Why do you hate her?"

Justin stiffened his neck. "Uncle Stuart, she's so pretty because she's an enemy spy sent to fool you."

Stuart frowned. "What nonsense is this? Speak properly."

Justin was defiant. "Then why were you so close with Laura? Why didn't you marry her? Why marry the city devil instead?"

Stuart's tone hardened. "What does Laura have to do with this? Speak properly. She's your aunt now—not a spy or a devil."

Justin looked more hurt. "Then why does everyone say you and Laura were dating? Laura cried secretly many times when she found out you got married. She's so good, but you didn't marry her. The village calls you a heartless man."

Mentioning that, Justin's eyes reddened. If Annette wasn't a spy, why would his uncle have such a bad reputation?

His heroic uncle couldn't have any stain on his name.

Stuart frowned. He didn't want to explain things that never happened, believing rumors die with the wise. But now it seemed worse than he thought. "Who told you that I dated Laura?"

Justin looked at his uncle in disbelief—he didn't even admit that?

Thinking about Laura's tears and waiting all those years, bringing treats home, but Stuart wouldn't even admit it because of that woman.

Stubborn, he twisted his neck away, refusing to meet Stuart's gaze or answer.

Stuart realized this needed clearing up. It didn't matter to him personally, but he wouldn't let Annette suffer such slander without explanation.

On the way back, they met their great-uncle Derek gathering firewood. Stuart told Justin to go home first; he would help Derek.

Annette, lying awake, was startled by Bonnie's loud call. "Annette, you up yet?"

Annette replied and opened the door.

Bonnie came in with a plate of peanuts, sunflower seeds, and red dates. "I brought these back from my family. Not much in the countryside."

Annette politely invited her in.

Bonnie sat beside the kang with the plate. "Mom said you all were coming back; I didn't believe it at first. If I'd known you came yesterday, I wouldn't have gone to that wedding."

Annette wasn't sure how to respond. "It's okay. We're not in a hurry."

Bonnie hesitated but then said, "I heard you're planning to split the family?"

Annette nodded. "Yeah, that's the plan."

Bonnie was a bit envious. "Splitting's good. But living in the city, it's the same either way. You live your own life."

Unlike them, always stuck in one pot, no one dared mention splitting.

Though Bonnie was feisty, she dared not bring it up because Charles, the eldest, believed the oldest son must live with the parents and manage the family money.

And the youngest, Carl, was lazy and always took advantage. His family got the least work points and the fewest grain, so they were against splitting.

Annette didn't fully understand Stuart's reason for splitting, just smiled and listened without comment.

Bonnie chatted a while, then went to prepare dinner.

Annette, with nothing to do, gathered dirty clothes to wash at the well.

Justin returned angrily and sat inside. He told his two younger brothers playing cards, "Don't call that woman Auntie. Think about how good Laura was to us."

The two younger ones didn't think much. "But she is Auntie."

Justin glared. "I said no. If you call her Auntie, you're a traitor!"

The two stopped talking instantly. No one wanted to be a traitor.

Justin saw Annette washing clothes through the window and got a bad idea.

He went inside, picked up the tabby cat sleeping by the kang, grabbed some leftover firecrackers from the cabinet, and tied them to the cat's tail.

He cracked the door open, squatted, and lit the firecracker, aiming the cat toward Annette.

The firecracker exploded; the cat yelped in fright and ran wildly toward Annette.

Annette was crouching and startled by the noise. Before she could react, the cat charged at her, and she fell backward, landing hard on her bottom.

Justin and his two brothers laughed loudly at the door.

Annette was instantly furious. If they dared bully her, bullying a cat was nothing.

She got up and dragged Justin outside. "Go! Catch that cat and apologize! Or fight me one-on-one!"

Bonnie heard the noise and came out of the kitchen, angry, holding a rolling pin. "You little brat, didn't you get hit enough?"

Annette didn't hold her back. This kid was too infuriating.

Suddenly, someone rushed in. "Bonnie, you can't hit him like that. You'll hurt the kid."

Blocking Justin, it was Laura herself—a surprising sight for Annette.