The Stepmother's Counterattack: Raising a Child in a Bygone Era-Chapter 72 - What does your inability to chase a wife have to do with me
Chapter 72: Chapter 72: What does your inability to chase a wife have to do with me?
Chapter 72 -72: What does your inability to chase a wife have to do with me?
At dinner time, Zhou Shuhuan was quite surprised to see the seat next to him was empty.
Ever since she got pregnant, Shen Baolan had an extraordinarily good appetite, always the fastest one to the dinner table.
Sometimes by the time he sat down, Shen Baolan had already finished half a bowl of rice.
Today, however, was quite the anomaly.
“Where’s Baolan?”
While scooping rice, Zhou Shuhuan asked casually.
Ma Sufen, with a pained expression on her aged face, gestured with her mouth towards the room, “She’s inside, mumbling all day long, acting as if she’s been possessed.”
Zhou Quanxiong remarked, “She might be sick, right?
Shuhuan, go take a look.
If she’s really feeling unwell, she should visit the clinic.
Don’t let the child in her belly catch any illness.”
Zhou Shuhuan put down his chopsticks and got up to return to the room.
As soon as he entered, he heard Shen Baolan lying flat on the bed, staring blankly at the ceiling, murmuring, “Why is it different now?”
Indeed, she was muttering nonsense.
Zhou Shuhuan walked over and surveyed her suspiciously before calling her to come out and eat.
Shen Baolan responded, though her voice was weak and listless.
“I don’t want to eat.
Just eat your meal, don’t mind me.”
“Even if you don’t want to eat, the child in your belly needs to.”
“Skipping a meal or two won’t kill anyone.”
After saying that, she turned over, presenting her back to Zhou Shuhuan.
Zhou Shuhuan stared at her barrel-like waist and basket-like buttocks, feeling a sense of disgust, and no longer wanting to deal with her.
He had just taken a couple of steps to leave when Shen Baolan suddenly turned over and called out to him, “Zhou Shuhuan.”
Zhou Shuhuan turned around.
“Go and do business.”
“You are destined for wealth.
If you go into business, in just a few years, you will make a fortune!”
Although his wife’s abrupt words perplexed him, any man would feel pleased hearing such things, and Zhou Shuhuan was no exception.
“What madness is this?”
Though he scolded her, his tone was not harsh.
“Really, I saw it in a dream.
You became a wealthy businessman.
You not only bought a car but also a western-style house.
Our whole family started living the good life.”
It was like a bucket of cold water had been poured over his head.
Zhou Shuhuan had thought that his wife believed in his ability to run a business, which was why she said what she did.
To find out it was only a dream…
Dammit, a dream.
He was so furious that he didn’t want to speak with Shen Baolan anymore and turned to leave the room.
Shen Baolan put her shoes on and chased after him.
By the time she reached the living room and saw the dishes on the dining table, smelling the aroma of the food, Shen Baolan suddenly felt hungry.
She went to the kitchen to grab a bowl and chopsticks and started to eat at the table.
Shen Baolan hadn’t eaten at noon, and once she started, she couldn’t stop.
She wolfed down three bowls of rice in quick succession and swept the dishes clean like a whirlwind passing through.
The Zhou family members were all stunned by her eating.
By the time they snapped out of it, not even a leaf of vegetable remained on the table, just some scraps and leftovers.
Zhou Hao hadn’t had enough to eat and now there were no more dishes.
He pouted and cried non-stop.
Zhou Hao wasn’t the only one; both Zhou Shuhuan and Zhou Quanxiong hadn’t had their fill either.
Ma Sufen, in a fit of anger, threw several nasty glances at Shen Baolan before going to the kitchen with a sullen face.
She chopped up a plate of pickles and cracked a couple of eggs into the wok, stir-frying them together to provide something extra for the father-son duo to eat.
Full and content, Shen Baolan slumped on the stool, holding her belly, and began to coax Zhou Shuhuan to go into business.
Zhou Shuhuan didn’t say a word, but Ma Sufen got so angry she nearly fell over backward.
Just a couple of years ago, her son had landed in jail because of his business dealings, which broke up their family and ruined his future.
She detested the very thought of business; she’d rather her son live a humdrum life, supported by her and her husband than have him dabble in business again.
Anyone who dared to encourage her son to go into business was her sworn enemy!
Ma Sufen snatched up the chopsticks and hurled them fiercely at Shen Baolan, “You home-wrecking, bad omen, had too much to eat and feeling stuffy, huh?
We finally had a few days of peace, and here you are, spouting nonsense.
If you don’t want to live in this house anymore, then get out!”
Although the chopsticks were thin, being hit in the face still hurt, and Shen Baolan’s temper flared up; with her stomach pushed out, she started arguing with Ma Sufen.
The mother-in-law and daughter-in-law refused to give in to each other, making a scene that turned the household upside down and was known to everyone in the residential compound.
Pei Yang’s family of three had just returned from the Chen Family, loaded with big and small bags, and passed by the Zhou family’s apartment building when they heard the commotion upstairs, leaving Pei Yang clicking his tongue in astonishment.
“Is Shuhuan’s wife really this fierce?
Auntie Ma is quite the expert at arguing.
When I used to bully Shuhuan as a kid, she could stand under my apartment building and curse all night long, never repeating the same thing.”
Shen Mingzhu imagined the scene and couldn’t help but laugh out loud.
Once home, Shen Mingzhu began organizing the meat and vegetables they brought back from the Chen Family.
Knowing that they had no vegetables to eat, Pei Wenping had gone out of her way today to ask a friend from the meat joint factory to help secure two pounds of pork, one pound of beef, and half a chicken.
The vegetables had been bought by Chen Yi, who borrowed a car from the film studio and drove out to the suburban farms.
Pei Wenping, the elder sister, was fierce and outspoken, but she was genuinely helpful when it came to matters of importance.
The meat and vegetables they got would be enough for the three of them for several days, and by the time they finished, the vegetable market would probably be open for business.
After putting away the meat and vegetables, Shen Mingzhu took out the new children’s sportswear for Pei Ziheng to try on.
Having raised the child for half a year, Shen Mingzhu had some experience; the sportswear was a bit large for Pei Ziheng now, but it would fit perfectly after he grew a bit more next year.
Pei Yang held his son as they went for a spin, continually praising Shen Mingzhu for her good taste, and then encouraged Pei Ziheng to thank Shen Mingzhu.
Pei Ziheng was obedient and immediately said his thanks to Shen Mingzhu.
But Pei Yang was not satisfied, “Thank who?
Who is she?
Can’t you call people properly?”
Pei Ziheng pursed his lips, “Aunt Mingzhu.”
Shen Mingzhu’s smile crinkled her eyes, “Good boy, don’t mention it.”
Afterward, the family of three went through their evening routine methodically — washing up, washing their feet.
In an era without water heaters, people had to go to public bathhouses to bathe during the winter.
Shen Mingzhu wasn’t used to it at first, but after taking a bath at home once and nearly freezing to death, she began going to the bathhouses as well.
After washing their feet, Shen Mingzhu went back to her room.
Only when she closed the door and lay down on the bed did she breathe a long sigh of relief.
While washing her feet, she kept thinking about what she would do if Pei Yang suggested sleeping in her room and how she could gently refuse him.
After all, she had just accepted a large gold bracelet from him that afternoon, which made it somewhat awkward to say no.
She raised her wrist and watched the golden bracelet shine in the light against her pale skin.
At dinner, both Pei Wenping and the Chen family had praised Pei Yang for his taste; they said she looked good with the gold bracelet on.
She also thought it looked quite nice.
Shen Mingzhu shook the gold bracelet on her hand, her mouth curving up unconsciously.
In the adjacent room, Pei Yang and his son Pei Ziheng were staring at each other.
Pei Ziheng looked disgusted, “How long are you going to sleep in my room?”
Pei Yang replied confidently, “You have to ask your mom.”
The word “mom” caused an obvious startlement in Pei Ziheng.
Seeing his son’s expression, Pei Yang also became serious, “Zixing, your dad will only ever have one wife in this life, and regardless of whether you acknowledge it or not, she is your mom.”
Pausing for a moment, he added, “It’s because you refuse to call her ‘mom’ that she won’t let me sleep in her room!”
Pei Ziheng: ???????
You can’t win over your wife, what’s that got to do with me?
