The Stepmother's Counterattack: Raising a Child in a Bygone Era-Chapter 51 - Keep Protecting Me Like Today

Chapter 51: Chapter 51: Keep Protecting Me Like Today

Chapter 51 -51: Keep Protecting Me Like Today

“Xiuzhu, what’s the matter with you?

Don’t you understand the saying ‘guests should be treated with respect’? freewebnσvel.cѳm

Do I need to teach you again?

Where has all that reading gone to?”

Hearing her niece ramping up her criticisms, Wang Huizhen couldn’t hold back her ire and scolded her.

Although Wang Xiuzhu was reprimanded, she didn’t get angry at all; instead, she felt quite smug.

Seeing Shen Mingzhu sitting dumbly on the couch, not saying a word, Wang Xiuzhu was convinced that Shen Mingzhu felt humiliated and terribly embarrassed.

“Sorry, Shen Mingzhu, I usually like to joke around.

That just now was just a joke, you’re not really angry, right?”

Shen Mingzhu came back to her senses and revealed a mysteriously faint smile, “It’s okay.”

Wang Xiuzhu was forcibly dragged into the kitchen by Wang Huizhen.

“hello darkness, my old friend, I’ve come to talk with you again…”

The music that suddenly filled the living room stopped the aunt and niece in their tracks.

Both turned around in surprise to see Shen Mingzhu standing in front of the turntable, her delicate white fingers moving away from the needle.

Seeing Wang Xiuzhu’s incredulous face mixed with disbelief, Shen Mingzhu smiled faintly, “Compared to Beethoven’s Moonlight Sonata, I actually prefer this song, ‘The Sound of Silence’, the theme song of the movie ‘The Graduate’, and also one of my favorite movies.”

Wang Xiuzhu was dumbfounded.

After a brief moment of surprise, Wang Huizhen quickly recovered and said to Shen Mingzhu with delight, “Oh, what a coincidence!

Pei Yang also likes this song.

This record was brought back by him from abroad especially to be placed here.

Every time he comes over, he has to play it.

It’s said that ‘It takes one to know one’; I didn’t expect you and he would have such rapport, no wonder you could become husband and wife.”

This time it was Shen Mingzhu’s turn to be surprised.

‘The Sound of Silence’ was a song she had sung with classmates during her high school graduation ceremony; her fondness for it stemmed more from familiarity.

It was unexpected that a random choice would hit upon Pei Yang’s favorite song.

However, seeing Wang Xiuzhu’s face contorted in disbelief, Shen Mingzhu felt particularly thrilled inside.

Thinking that Wang Xiuzhu would behave herself from now on and not make any more trouble, Shen Mingzhu was caught off guard when, during the meal, seeing Shen Mingzhu pick up a shrimp and eat it directly, Wang Xiuzhu couldn’t help but burst into laughter.

“That’s not how you eat shrimp.

You have to peel the shell first.

You can’t eat the shell and the head, only the meat from the tail.”

Shen Mingzhu gave her a cold look, bit the tail of the shrimp, pushed the meat down with her tongue, and then spat the head and shell onto the table, saying while eating, “I like to eat it this way, I can’t be bothered to get my hands dirty.”

Wang Xiuzhu snickered, “If you’re too lazy even to peel a shrimp, what can you actually do?”

Before Shen Mingzhu could retort, a piece of tender shrimp meat appeared in her bowl.

She looked at Pei Ziheng with surprised gratitude; he had an impassive face and was intently continuing to peel shrimp.

Looking again at Wang Xiuzhu’s jealous face, Shen Mingzhu almost burst out laughing triumphantly.

She placed the shrimp meat into her mouth with deliberately slow motions, extravagantly clapping her hands while chewing.

“Ah, it’s so delicious.

How could there be such delectable food in this world.”

Wang Xiuzhu glared at her, “Shen Mingzhu, you’ve gone too far!

Pei Yang married you so you could stay at home and look after the child.

Ziheng is still so young, and yet you let him peel shrimp for you.

Don’t you know shrimp shells can easily cut fingers?”

“It was my own willing choice.

If you’re envious, you can let your son peel shrimp for you in the future.”

Pei Ziheng innocently and earnestly stabbed Wang Xiuzhu in the heart with his words before bowing his head to continue peeling shrimp.

Wang Xiuzhu, so angry she lost her appetite, threw down her chopsticks, stood up, and ran back to her room, slamming the door with a reverberating bang.

Wang Huizhen was both angry and helpless, forced to smile and apologize to Shen Mingzhu, who naturally said that it was no problem, very understanding.

She even thanked Wang Xiuzhu for causing trouble, otherwise she wouldn’t have enjoyed the “rebellious son,” ah no, stepson’s shrimp peeling service.

Unfortunately, after Wang Xiuzhu stormed off, Pei Ziheng reverted to his rebellious nature; he ate all the peeled shrimp himself and didn’t give her any.

Not cute at all!

After dinner, Shen Mingzhu, ignoring Wang Huizhen’s attempts to stop her, insisted on helping to clear the dishes and also helped clean up the kitchen, even taking out the trash when she left.

The more Shen Mingzhu behaved in a cultured and courteous manner, the more it highlighted Wang Xiuzhu’s lack of upbringing and manners.

After seeing Shen Mingzhu and her son off, Wang Huizhen, bristling with rage, went to her niece’s room and gave Wang Xiuzhu a harsh scolding.

“And you look down on Shen Mingzhu for being from the countryside, I think you don’t even have half her refinement!”

Already feeling gloomy, Wang Xiuzhu felt even more wronged by Wang Huizhen’s scolding.

“Just whose niece am I, yours or Shen Mingzhu’s, why are you taking her side!?”

Wang Huizhen was equally furious, “I support what’s right, not who’s related!

Look at yourself now, sharp-tongued and petty, nothing like a college student, I’m embarrassed for you!”

Wang Xiuzhu’s tears immediately flowed down, “Can’t you see her act?

She clearly knows how to use the record player, yet pretends she can’t, she’s definitely toying with me, wanting to see me make a fool of myself.

She’s a calculating woman, even using a four-year-old child.

I admit, I underestimated her, but I won’t admit defeat, I refuse to believe that I, a proud city-educated college student, can’t outdo a countrywoman!”

Wang Huizhen almost passed out from anger.

Her niece had gone mad!

—

The night was tranquil, the moon hung in the sky like a white jade plate, its gentle luminescence bathing the world below, casting the long shadows of a mother and son, one after the other.

Shen Mingzhu looked at her stepson walking ahead, his feet noisily hitting the ground, and suddenly called out.

“Pei Ziheng.”

Pei Ziheng turned to look at her, his delicate and pretty face clearly spelling out “What’s up?”

Shen Mingzhu offered him a winsome smile, “Thank you.”

“Thank you for defending me in front of others, and for peeling the shrimp for me.”

I’ve never seen a dumber woman than you.

Bullied by relatives at your parental home, bullied by Zhou Hao’s stepmom at your home, and still bullied when you come here.

Wherever you go, you get bullied.

I really don’t know how you grew up.

Pei Ziheng silently criticized her in his mind.

Shen Mingzhu, oblivious to her son’s thoughts, stepped forward to take his little hand, continuing with some happiness, “You have to protect me like you did today in the future, because we are a family, for better or worse.

If anyone bullies you, I will definitely fight to protect you too.”

You better mean what you say, hmph!

Pei Ziheng thought secretly to himself.

The next morning, as soon as Shen Mingzhu got up to go to the communal bathroom to wash up, she opened the door to find Wang Xiuzhu standing outside, and couldn’t help but sigh in her heart at this lingering presence.

Wang Xiuzhu got straight to the point, “I came today to see Pei Ziheng.”