CH 24

Lin Lan knew that he hated the original owner’s disregard of his reputation— making huge deals out of nothing and attempting suicide numerous times embarrased him as her son as he felt like she wasn’t behaving like an adult. In addition, the original owner always ranted to him that Han Qingsong didn’t send money to her, the old lady playing favourites, or the fact that she was getting picked on by everyone in the family and whatnot. With all that, he really didn’t want to be categorised with the original owner for even one second lest he was only going to have to hear her rant pointlessly again.

Lin Lan could understand and empathise with his feelings. After all, when her parents were nagging her in her previous life, she was adamant on wanting to disappear there and then.

If it weren’t for the fact that her younger brother finally got married and had children, she felt that in the eyes of her parents, he would become her responsibility. This would have meant that if he wasn’t able to get married, somehow, her parents would pin the fault on her as a failure of an older sister.

Hence, she could understand his feelings towards his parents.

Now she was most anxious about Dawang. After all, 11 years old was a very awkward age for a child. He had begun to enter the rebellious period of his youth and his world was either painted black or white. If his parents failed to become his role models or just someone that he respected, they would be pinned as adults that couldn’t understand him, ultimately becoming his enemies in life.

The ‘Chunibyo'(1) disease was a really terrible disease; everything could potentially go downhill if it wasn’t handled well.

(T/N: Wouldn’t say it’s a disease, but a mental state of mind where adolescents and teens who desperately want to stand out in any way possible, some even having grandiose delusions of having powers etc)

Otherwise, why would there be so many remarks of parents all over the world receiving hateful backlash from their children?

What’s worse was the fact that the original owner had, in a way, become his role model. If he doesn’t start to change his ways now, it would be too late.

Lin Lan felt that since she had taken over this body, she couldn’t bear the risk of ruining the reputations of the owner’s relatives. It was her duty to lead the children on the right path to avoid a final tragedy.

It was a pity that as a growing boy, he had already formed his own ideas and opinions, so she really didn’t know how to control him as a mother. Lin Lan didn’t even have a chance to prove that she wasn’t going to nag at the boy.

She was afraid that there was truly nothing she could do about Dawang.

She had no choice but to go home. At this time, all the family members came back except Dawang and they were setting the table for dinner.

As it was in the middle of summer, the table would be set up at the patio and they would eat while it’s not dark out. This act would save them the use of the oil from lighting the oil lamps.

The Han family’s second sister-in-law appeared as if she was just taken out of a vinegar jar(2) as she looked unbelievably dissatisfied with Lin Lan. If things would go her way, she wanted to use the duration of the family dinner to officially initiate an argument with Lin Lan.

(T/N: Jealousy or dissatisfaction is the same word as ‘vinegar’ in Chinese. So, unless specified otherwise, any context with the word vinegar would usually mean the two emotions)

Lin Lan felt that she was trying to push her over the edge. If this had occurred before, the original owner would have most definitely started to yell at her and wouldn’t dream of speaking politely with her. She wouldn’t try to twist her words in a roundabout way in front of so many people either.