But at this moment, she began to question the decisions she’d made before. Was it because she was too easygoing that Ruan Jiandang felt entitled to have them help raise his child, even to the point where the nephews were confused about their identities?
The Ruanlin family’s expression was even uglier than hers, as she rushed up and scolded Ruan Wei who was inside the room, "Ruan Wei, are you asking for a spanking?!"
Ruan Wei bit his lip and sat up, regret already forming when he saw the tears on Ruan Jiaojiao’s face.
Now that he was being scolded by an adult, he couldn’t even lift his head.
Ruan Jiaojiao looked on, her heart aching. She was just about to speak when Shu Jiao interrupted, "Jiaojiao, you and your grandmother go sleep downstairs tonight."
After saying that, she turned to Ruan Jianguo behind her and ordered, "You carry Jiaojiao down first. I’ll have a talk with Xiaowei."
Ruan Jiaojiao knew Shu Jiao’s formidable nature and agreed without hesitation, allowing Ruan Jianguo to pick her up.
Ruan Jiaojiao hadn’t been carried in a long time, and under normal circumstances, she would never allow it, but today she’d felt slighted and was a little emotionally fragile. Without a word, she snuggled into Ruan Jianguo’s embrace as he carried her downstairs.
Xiu Xi looked at the towering and imposing Ruan Jianguo, then at the tiny Ruan Jiaojiao in his arms, and finally at her own slender arms and legs, a thick disdain flashing in her eyes.
After Ruan Jianguo took Ruan Jiaojiao downstairs, Xiu Xi followed suit. The Ruanlin family looked at Shu Jiao with a complicated expression, but Shu Jiao reassured her with a nod, "Mom, you go down first. I’ve got this."
Upon hearing that, the Ruanlin family nodded her head and before descending the stairs, she cast a frustrated glance at Ruan Wei, hoping the boy would think more clearly and not follow in his mother’s confused footsteps.
Regarding Shu Jiao, including Ruan Jie, all the young boys harbored a sense of reverence towards her, perhaps because she was a teacher. Even though her manner was always gentle, their attitudes would instinctively straighten when speaking with her.
"Auntie..." Seeing Shu Jiao enter and close the door, Ruan Wei was extremely nervous, even forgetting to let the tears fall.
"Xiaowei, since you call me ’auntie,’ I won’t treat you as an outsider. Let’s have a good talk today, shall we?"
Ruan Wei, with his nerves making his lips quiver, nodded in agreement.
Shu Jiao smiled, sat down beside him, and pulled a handkerchief from her pocket, "First, wipe your tears."
Ruan Wei, reminded of his foolish crying earlier, was immediately embarrassed. He quickly took it, wiped hastily, and even blew his nose. After blowing it, his face turned beet red— he’d forgotten that the handkerchief wasn’t his own.
"It’s okay. Just wash it and return it to me when you’re done," Shu Jiao said gently, not telling him to keep the handkerchief but asking him to clean and return it, making Ruan Wei feel warm inside. He felt that his auntie wasn’t disgusted by him at all.
He nodded vigorously. Seeing the gentle auntie, he remembered the harshness he had inflicted on his sister and felt extremely guilty, "I’m sorry, Auntie. I was harsh on my sister just now. She even cried."
Back when all the brothers were still around, they had sworn to protect their sister, not to let anyone bully her. Whoever dared would get beaten.
But now, not only had no one else bullied his sister, he himself had. He truly felt guilty.