Love Burned, She Rose Unscathed

Louisa's face turned sour in an instant.

Norris chimed in, "Oh, right, I just used this mop in the bathroom and haven't had the chance to wash it yet. But it should be fine, our toilet isn't that dirty, no big deal. Louisa shouldn't mind, right?"

Mind? As if!

"Oops! Dad, did you forget..." Roseanne chimed in, "All the leftovers from dinner last night? I dumped them in the toilet. Even though I flushed, it still felt kinda greasy..." "Louisa, do you think you might smell a bit like... sewer water now?"

The father and daughter duo, with their back-and-forth, managed to gross Louisa out completely. Her previously smug expression turned as dark as a burnt pan in no time. "You-you guys-" She sniffed, almost convinced she could actually catch the scent of sewer water that Roseanne mentioned on herself.

"Just you wait!"

With those words, she stormed off.

A shower! She needed one immediately!

In that moment, Roseanne felt like she was "the ancient Greek goddess of mops"!

Madge, witnessing her daughter's antics, felt a mix of satisfaction and disapproval: "Ladies shouldn't be waving mops around, it's not becoming."

"Well, she asked for it..." Roseanne said, her eyes scanning the scattered wisteria flowers on the ground, feeling a pang of sadness. Norris started cleaning up quietly and said, "When the weather clears, I'll fix the flower trellis and move it to a better spot in the yard." He figured it was better to avoid making a fuss over trivial matters, especially if it wasn't a question of principle.

not see Madge go through this kind

said, "Dad, don't you think

to act this way today, she'd dare to do it

she herself said, anything under five grand, and the cops won't bother. No

can we do? We've been neighbors for decades. I know what kind of person she is better than anyone. But we live here, see each other every

the situation, "Let it go. She's made a scene before, and we've always kept our dignity. Let's not stoop to her level." "But..." Roseanne pondered, "What

off her suggestion as child's

Where then? Move

was almost too daunting

real estate prices had skyrocketed. With their savings, they could

the faculty housing close to Norris' job was

the Christmas greeted them with a clear morning after a night of snow, the

Madge were awake,

millet porridge, pan-fried buns,

up, "You've got a bit of

eyes, "Our daughter's cooking

my genes? The talent runs

sure, it always comes back to