The Stepmother's Counterattack: Raising a Child in a Bygone Era-Chapter 13 - Shouldn’t Have Expectations for This Bad Woman
Chapter 13: Chapter 13: Shouldn’t Have Expectations for This Bad Woman
Chapter 13 -13: Shouldn’t Have Expectations for This Bad Woman
Pei Ziheng gave the child a cold glance and remained silent.
Zhou Hao took the initiative to sidle up to Pei Ziheng and said, “My clothes were also bought by my stepmother.
I don’t want to wear them, but my grandmother insists I do, or she won’t buy me any toys.”
Seeing Zhou Hao’s annoyance, Pei Ziheng, as if possessed by some demon, asked, “Do you not like your stepmother?”
Zhou Hao gave a look that said “Isn’t that obvious?” and whispered to Pei Ziheng, “I’ve heard people say that stepmothers are really bad.
I definitely don’t want one.”
A malicious thought crossed Pei Ziheng’s mind, and he purposely said, “There’s nothing you can do about it, your real mother doesn’t want you anymore.”
Zhou Hao visibly became sullen, and stopped whispering with Pei Ziheng, clearly angry.
Yet Pei Ziheng’s mood suddenly improved, and he cheerfully went off to play with other kids by the sandbox.
Not far away, several aunties from the residential compound were gossiping with animated fervor.
“Coming from the same village, getting married in the same residential compound, even the kids’ clothes are identical.
Isn’t that a curious coincidence?”
“Though from the same village, these people are just so different.
Pei Yang’s girl, all delicate and tender, clearly isn’t cut out to be a stepmother.
But Zhou Shuhuan, his wife is a good catch, you can tell she’s industrious and deft.”
“Did you see the dress Pei Yang’s girl was wearing?
Tailored by that Old Li right across, it took a whole six chi of fabric.”
This remark made several people gasp.
“Heaven’s sake, six chi for just one dress?
This young lady will probably squander the little fortune of the Pei Family in no time…”
In those days, an ordinary woman would use just five chi of fabric for a whole set of summer clothing, but Shen Mingzhu had used six chi just for a skirt, no wonder people were making such a fuss.
Inside the bridal chamber.
The bride, Shen Baolan, sat on the marriage bed, covered with red bedding, while the matron of honor, women from the Zhou family, and Shen Mingzhu, along with about a dozen other women, surrounded her, praising her and keeping her company to relieve the boredom.
Although Shen Baolan was talking to others, her eyes kept darting towards Shen Mingzhu from time to time.
Shen Mingzhu wore a white short-sleeved blouse with a cyan skirt.
The design of the skirt was very unique, fitted at the waist and very wide at the hem, poofy like a partially opened umbrella, which made her waist and calves look exceptionally slender.
What drew the most attention was Shen Mingzhu’s blouse collar, which was adorned with a pretty big bow tie made of the same color silk ribbon as her skirt, and her hair was also tied into braids with a scarf of matching color.
The most amazing thing was Shen Mingzhu’s makeup.
Though everyone was dolled up, Shen Mingzhu’s face simply looked more stunning than the rest, as if she was a movie star from the picture magazines.
It wasn’t only Shen Baolan who was constantly glancing at Shen Mingzhu, the other women were doing the same.
During the feast, everyone wore their best clothes, but in a room full of women, Shen Mingzhu stood out the most.
With her white blouse and cyan skirt, her figure slim and elegant, she looked fresh and pretty, just like a lily flower, even outshining the bride clad in bright red.
Seeing Shen Mingzhu looking better than herself, Shen Baolan felt all sorts of unpleasant emotions stirring inside her, yet she couldn’t find any reason to complain.
She couldn’t very well criticize her for dressing too plainly, could she?
Shen Baolan had married into the Zhou family to become a stepmother, so people naturally drifted into talking about parenting experiences, hoping to give Shen Baolan, the new bride, some tips.
As the conversation moved along, someone began to joke about Shen Mingzhu.
“Actually, raising kids is also about natural talent.
Some have children but don’t know how to raise them, while others, who’ve never given birth, seem to have a knack for it.
I think Pei Yang’s girl is quite adept at rearing kids.
That child used to be so skinny his chin was pointy, but look at him now, not long after, and the flesh on his face has filled out, all round and rosy.
He seems even healthier than when his own parents were around.”
Shen Mingzhu, who had intended to simply be a quiet presence, wasn’t flustered when suddenly mentioned.
“I’m just feeling my way over the stones across the river, taking it one step at a time.
I’ll have to learn and seek advice from all of you in the future.”
“Look at you, being modest, no need to be, the public’s eyes are sharp as ice, they can see whether it’s good or bad.”
“Exactly, just by looking at Ziheng’s clothes, you know his mom put her heart into it.
When I saw Ziheng today, I almost didn’t recognize him.
He looks so handsome, like a little girl.”
“Of course, he’s handsome.
Didn’t you see who he’s descended from?”
As soon as these words were uttered, the atmosphere suddenly became somewhat awkward.
There are two stepmoms in this new house after all.
Without mentioning how Shen Baolan felt, Shen Mingzhu didn’t mind at all; instead, she smiled and took up the conversation, “Ziheng looks like his dad, he’ll probably grow up to be a handsome young man.”
Everyone laughed and agreed heartily, and the atmosphere returned to its lively state.
Shen Baolan smiled along with everyone else, but inside she was privately scoffing at Shen Mingzhu.
Keep laughing, when Pei Yang, that short-lived ghost, dies, and you’re left a widow with a kid to drag around, let’s see if you can still laugh.
“Mingzhu, has Pei Yang gone out to sea?”
Although she didn’t understand why Shen Baolan would give up Pei Yang, who was in better condition, to marry Zhou Shuhuan, Shen Mingzhu indeed found Shen Baolan’s behavior of wanting the best of both worlds quite repulsive.
“Baolan, today is your big day, let’s not worry about my Pei Yang.
If the groom finds out, he might get jealous.”
Shen Mingzhu spoke in a joking tone, others laughed it off without saying much, but they couldn’t help but feel speculative in their hearts.
The fact that Pei Yang and Zhou Shuhuan had gone to Shenjiagou together to meet their potential matches was not a secret in the family courtyard, but the specifics were unclear to outsiders.
Now that Shen Mingzhu had put it so plainly, the looks that people gave Shen Baolan couldn’t help but carry a bit more inquiry.
Shen Baolan realized that her words had been indiscreet and quickly tried to mend things, “Mingzhu, look at what you’re saying.
I’m just worried about you.
We grew up together, studied together, and now we’re both married into the same family courtyard.
That kind of bond is not common.”
Shen Mingzhu, seeing the situation turn in her favor, decided to quit while she was ahead; after all, it was someone else’s big celebration day, and it wasn’t nice to make it difficult for others to save face.
“Look how flustered you are, I was just joking with you.”
Shen Baolan, smiling apologetically, didn’t dare to act mischievously anymore.
Suddenly, it was time for the banquet to begin.
Little playmates were being pulled away by their parents to take their seats, and before long, only Pei Ziheng was left alone, looking pitiful beside the sandbox.
He looked around for a while but saw no sign of Shen Mingzhu in her green dress.
He really shouldn’t have expected anything from that bad woman.
He thought she had changed and wouldn’t neglect him like she did in his past life.
Just as he was fuming, a woman’s voice suddenly sounded from behind.
“What are you hiding here for?
I’ve been looking for you for ages.”
Pei Ziheng turned around and saw the beaming Shen Mingzhu and blurted out, “You’re one to talk—you’re the one who’s dumb.
Everyone else knows to look for people here, only you didn’t!”
