The Stepmother’s Counterattack: Raising a Child in a Bygone Era
Chapter 103 Slapping Shen Baolan in the Face

Chapter 103: Chapter 103 Slapping Shen Baolan in the Face

"Dad, I’ll get you some more rice."

"Shuhuan, eat more leeks, they’re good for a man’s body."

"Mom, have you had enough to eat? Have some more soup to help with digestion."

"Xiaohao, come on, eat more meat, so you can grow tall and strong."

Shen Baolan at the dinner table tonight was like a completely different person.

Usually, as soon as she sat down, she would start devouring her food like she hadn’t eaten in eight generations, but tonight she changed her ways, attentively taking care of one and pleasing another, making the Zhou family suspect she was possessed.

To their amazement, the Zhou family still found Shen Baolan’s attempt to curry favor quite pleasing, including Ma Sufen.

Although Ma Sufen was thoroughly annoyed with Shen Baolan, the wicked daughter-in-law, she didn’t hesitate to boss her around when it came to work.

Shen Baolan, like a robot, was completely obedient, doing whatever she was told; even when Ma Sufen was bossing her around, she did not get angry. Instead, she took the initiative to hand Ma Sufen water.

"Mom, have some water to moisten your throat."

Faced with Shen Baolan, who was like a knife’s edge, Ma Sufen also completely lost her temper.

After currying favor with her mother-in-law, Shen Baolan turned her head to please her husband.

Although her husband’s appearance was far inferior to Pei Yang’s, and he was quite average in that regard, he was still much better than Pei Yang, who was a pillow that’s all show and no substance.

"Shuhuan, I was wrong before, I now realize my mistakes, from now on I’ll listen to everything you say, I won’t go west if you tell me to go east, let’s live a good life together."

While speaking, Shen Baolan moved closer to Zhou Shuhuan, her hand even reaching into his clothes, deliberately softening her voice to a coquettish whisper, "They say, after three months we can... you know..."

Zhou Shuhuan, expressionless, shook off Shen Baolan’s "salty pig hand" and got up to put on his clothes.

Shen Baolan, supporting her clumsy waist, was full of confusion, "What are you doing?"

"Going out."

"Going out for what? It’s so late."

What responded to her was Zhou Shuhuan’s cold back, and the sound of the door closing.

Shen Baolan, in frustration, punched the bed a couple of times before she could only lie down to sleep.

Zhou Shuhuan didn’t actually have anywhere to go, but he was annoyed staying at home, and even more annoyed at the sight of Shen Baolan.

Although it had been half a year since they had been intimate, he felt no reaction or desire towards Shen Baolan’s advances, but rather found them disgusting.

Once out of the apartment building, he randomly chose a flowerbed to sit down on and silently started smoking.

It was also by coincidence that from where he sat, he could just about see the Pei family’s balcony.

Through the light shining from the living room, he could see the plants and flowers on the balcony, as well as the clothes, shoes, and mop that were hung out to dry.

The three-meter-square balcony was packed full yet neatly arranged, a pleasing sight to behold.

A good woman like her was supposed to live a happy life, but she happened to be stuck with an ineffectual man.

If it had been any other woman, they probably would have caused chaos long ago, refusing to live such a hard life anymore.

But she didn’t kick up a fuss, living quietly and guarding her little home. How could such a gentle and kind woman be so unlucky?

Zhou Shuhuan felt he was going crazy, worrying about his good brother’s wife instead of attending to his friend who was unwell.

He knew it was wrong, but he couldn’t help himself.

Yet he could do nothing, other than to hide like now, in a dark and deserted corner, secretly peeping, full of regrets and melancholy.

He had imagined countless times, if he had married a wonderful wife like her, he would have gone to any lengths to give her a good life.

—

Seeing Ma Sufen and Shen Baolan heading out together to buy groceries, the residents of the housing complex couldn’t help but exclaim how unusual it was.

Could the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law, who were like water and fire, actually gotten along now?

Soon, everyone knew the reason behind the "reconciliation" between the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law.

Shen Baolan was so solicitous towards Ma Sufen that she was almost on her knees, licking Ma Sufen’s toes.

Beside being shocked, all the onlookers in the residential compound deeply admired Ma Sufen. An old sister asked Ma Sufen for advice on how to control her daughter-in-law, hoping to make her kowtow and fawn over her like Shen Baolan did.

Ma Sufen looked at the woman with a half-smile, "If you fancy someone like her so much, you might as well take her home yourself."

"Forget it, she’s the wife your Zhou family formally married. I wouldn’t compete with you for her."

The person joked, but inwardly she despised Shen Baolan, who loved to stir up trouble and was flirtatious. She wouldn’t want such a daughter-in-law even if she came with a dowry.

Shen Baolan had a thick skin. Even though Ma Sufen didn’t leave her any dignity in public, she acted as if nothing had happened, still pressing her warm face against Ma Sufen’s cold backside, which gave Ma Sufen the satisfaction of raising her eyebrows triumphantly.

Getting cheerful, Ma Sufen’s old habit kicked in, and she started to gossip with the old sisters in the compound about the jokes concerning Shen Mingzhu and Pei Yang’s marriage.

Shen Baolan joined in too.

Thus, under the widespread promotion by the mother-daughter-in-law duo, Ma Sufen and Shen Baolan, soon the entire residential compound knew Pei Yang was good for nothing, and they pitied the little wife he had married, who, after almost a year into the marriage, was still a maiden.

——

Monday.

Shen Mingzhu, as usual, was taking Pei Ziheng to kindergarten when she unexpectedly ran into Shen Baolan, who was also sending Xiaohao to school.

Shen Mingzhu was slightly surprised.

Ever since her fallout with Ma Sufen, Shen Baolan had stopped caring for her stepson Xiaohao, but today turned out to be an exception as if the sun had risen from the west.

When Shen Baolan saw Shen Mingzhu, she flocked over like a rabid dog that had seen a bone, sizing up Shen Mingzhu’s outfit with a gloating smile.

"What’s the use of dressing up so beautifully? If you had that money, you’d be better off buying some medicine for your husband Pei Yang to cure him. Maybe that would fix his issue."

Shen Mingzhu sneered, "Shen Baolan, you’d better stay away from me, or don’t blame me for being rude."

Shen Baolan, with the defiance of a pig being unafraid of boiling water, said, "What, you dare to hit me? If you touch a hair on me, I’ll..."

"Slap!"

Shen Baolan covered her face, her eyes wide with disbelief.

"Shen Mingzhu, you dare to hit me?"

"If I felt like hitting, why would I wait for an auspicious day?"

"Ah——"

Shen Baolan shrieked in rage, immediately drawing the attention of everyone in the compound.

Seeing the two of them at it again, everyone excitedly gathered around to watch the drama, not wanting to miss the action.

Seeing the crowd coming, Shen Baolan opened her mouth intending to complain about Shen Mingzhu hitting her, seeking everyone’s support to condemn Shen Mingzhu’s violence. Instead, Shen Mingzhu began to cry out in complaint first—

"Shen Baolan, have you no shame? You used to bully me at my parents’ house, and now that you’ve married into the city, you still bully me, coveting my man day in and day out. Look at your pregnant belly, you’re about to be a mother, can’t you accumulate some virtue for your child? Aren’t you afraid your child will be mocked in the future?"

Shen Baolan, her face contorted with anger, retorted, "Don’t talk nonsense, who’s trying to steal your man?"

"You’re not eyeing my man? Then why are your eyes glued to him every day, as if you can’t peel them off? Do you think everyone else is blind?"

It was true; ever since Pei Yang had returned, Shen Baolan had been like a dog spotting a bone, almost desperate to launch herself at him.

Shen Mingzhu had been lenient before because she was generous, but Shen Baolan was really going too far, obsessed with someone else’s husband and still bullying others. Even a cornered rabbit will bite.

Shen Baolan was at a loss for words.

Indeed, she had been keen on Pei Yang before but had given up on him after learning about his issues.

Yet these disgraceful thoughts could not be openly shared, so she could only swallow the bitter pill in silence.

However, Shen Baolan wasn’t a pushover, unwilling to take a slap for nothing. She instantly ridiculed Shen Mingzhu by bringing up Pei Yang’s "problem."

"Shen Mingzhu, don’t think everyone is as foolish as you, treasuring a man who looks good but is useless. I, Shen Baolan, at least can bear children in my life. And you? Stuck with a useless man, you’ll be a widow for life, only able to raise someone else’s son!"