Edward looked at his wife with curious eyes, because he didn't know what her true character was truly like. Was she too kind, or maybe too rational, that she seldom lost her temper in every situation? Being kind was good, but sometimes it could also cause you trouble, because others would find you a softie, and begin to harass you.
"Okay! Mom, I understand, and I'm very sorry. Please forgive me," apologized Justin in a low voice. He instantly recognized his mother's angry face, and Justin hastened to say sorry; otherwise, push-ups would wait for him as his punishment.
"Justin, you're a boy, and should be more broad-minded. Don't hold grudges against others just because of a mere trifle, or otherwise, you're just as bad as those who have hurt you." Daisy began to moderate her tone, but it was still harsh enough to show Justin that he did something wrong.
"Okay, okay, cut it out! It's the first time that Mark has come to visit us, and I'm sure that he's not here for your criticism. Let's leave, so that Justin and he can have some fun." Justin glanced at Edward with sad eyes, a hint asking Edward to get him out of trouble, but Edward wasn't sure whether his words would work or not. Daisy seemed to be in a really bad mood.
She frowned, and stopped focusing on Justin. She then turned around and gave Mark a piercing stern look, because she was sure that Mark had told her son everything that had happened in the military base; otherwise, Justin wouldn't have known so many details.
Mark backed up a few steps, startled by the angry look Daisy projected on him. Whenever those angry eyes appeared, it meant that she was really mad at him, and that he would be severely punished during their drill training. 'Justin, you're killing me!' thought Mark to himself.
It wasn't the first time that Daisy had caught Mark red-handed. She squinted at him, and said, "Mark, I have no idea you could be such a gossip! You've been at my home for such a short time and have already talked something about me behind my back. I wonder whose accompanying officer you are, mine, or Justin's?"
"Mommy! Please don't be mad at Mark. He didn't tell me anything, I begged him to," said Justin. He knew that he was near trouble himself, but he still wanted to defend Mark.
"Don't worry, because both of you will be duly punished. Now, listen to me! Attention! Mark, 100 push-ups for you, and Justin, 50. Now, go to the garden, and no dinner before you finish," ordered Daisy, with a stone-cold face. She had to punish them to make them know that what they had done was wrong.
Edward looked at Justin and Mark with his mouth opened as they ran towards the garden. 'Oh, God! I knew she is in a bad mood today, I just knew it. Even my words failed to work their charm on her. They even made things worse...' thought Edward.
"Well... I think that maybe you are too hard on them. After all, it is the first time that Mark visits us, and you just gave them a corporal punishment. Is that really okay?" spoke Edward carefully. He knew how his wife was when she was mad.
"You don't agree on how I deal with this gossip thing? Maybe I should have given you the corporal punishment first." It seemed weird that such a cutting remark could come out of Daisy's mouth. Actually, she had been fidgeting around all the time since she heard the name Ouyang. She was worried that something bad was going to happen, and then came the gossip thing, and her bad mood fueled up even more, and she naturally took it out on poor Justin and Mark.
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