The Stepmother’s Counterattack: Raising a Child in a Bygone Era
Chapter 141: Running into an Acquaintance at the Police Station

Chapter 141: Chapter 141: Running into an Acquaintance at the Police Station

"Hey, Old Yan..."

As soon as Yan Yi heard Ning Yuan’s voice, he immediately interrupted, "I already said I don’t have time to come over, figure it out yourself."

He was about to hang up, however, he paused upon hearing what was said on the other end of the line.

"...You didn’t hear, huh? Manager Chen kept cursing Shen Mingzhu, calling her a ’fucking bitch,’ she was nearly crying, all pitiful and helpless-looking. It’s quite sad to see... Alright then, since you’re so busy, I’ll find someone else..."

"I’ll be there in half an hour."

Ning Yuan, on the other end, showed an "I knew it" expression and casually spewed some slick words, "Through wind and rain, I’ll be here waiting for you~"

In the Yan Family living room.

The Old Master Yan, Mr. and Mrs. Yan, along with Yan Su, sat on the sofa chatting about family matters. All eyes turned toward Yan Yi as he came down the stairs.

Madam Yan stood up, "It’s so late, are you going out?"

"Ning Yuan’s run into some trouble, I’m stepping out for a bit."

After greeting them, Yan Yi was about to walk out when his mother stopped him and handed him a photo from the coffee table.

"This is Miss Zhong from the Zhong Family, you’re meeting her tomorrow."

"Zhong Qing is about your age and talented. Our families have been friends for generations. Have a good talk when you meet, and it would be best if you could settle your affair soon."

Since the Old Master had spoken, Yan Yi had no choice but to take the photo and hold it in his hand, "I got it."

At the police station.

Although Chen Jianqiang wasn’t sure what the relationship between Shen Mingzhu and Ning Yuan was, he was very clear about one thing; he couldn’t and didn’t dare to trouble Shen Mingzhu anymore.

Thus, after giving his statement, he said he would not hold Shen Mingzhu responsible for causing him injury, and hurriedly left.

This secretly relieved Shen Mingzhu; she wouldn’t have to ask someone to come pick her up.

After signing her name, she was ready to leave, but Ning Yuan clung to her.

"Shen Mingzhu, I did help you out, after all. Are you just going to leave like this?"

"Thank you."

Shen Mingzhu was sincere, but Ning Yuan wasn’t satisfied.

"Stay and chat with me a bit. Tell me about your heroic feat tonight fighting that old lecher Chen Jianqiang. We’ll leave together once my uncle gets here. He’ll arrive in no more than ten minutes."

Not wanting to owe Ning Yuan any favors, Shen Mingzhu agreed.

She didn’t talk about her fight with Chen Jianqiang with Ning Yuan, but she grew curious about why Ning Yuan was at the police station.

Only after Ning Yuan explained did she learn that Ning Yuan had gotten into an altercation on the road with a second-generation rich kid, ending up crashing into a vegetable vendor’s stall and causing minor injuries. The vendor was now in the hospital.

The rich second generation had been bailed out, while Ning Yuan was still waiting for his uncle to pick him up.

"Here, my uncle has arrived."

Just as Shen Mingzhu was about to breathe a sigh of relief upon hearing Ning Yuan’s words, she almost choked on her breath when she saw who came in.

"Yan Yi is your uncle?"

"That’s right, don’t we look alike?"

Shen Mingzhu’s gaze shifted back and forth between their faces, as if searching for similarities, while Yan Yi took out a handkerchief and offered it to her.

"There is a wound on the back of your hand."

Shen Mingzhu lifted the back of her hand, seeing only a hair-thin cut, likely from a shard of glass.

"Do you need to go to the hospital to have it looked at?"

Shen Mingzhu replied seriously, "Better hurry up then, otherwise, the wound will have healed by then."

Ning Yuan burst out laughing.

Yan Yi silently took his handkerchief back.

——

It was already eleven o’clock by the time they left the police station. The buses had stopped running for the night, and although there were rickshaws, it was clearly safer to catch a lift in Yan Yi’s car than for Shen Mingzhu to ride alone in a rickshaw late at night.

On the way, Ning Yuan’s playful banter helped Shen Mingzhu better understand the uncle-nephew relationship between the two.

Ning Yuan’s mother and Yan Yi were half-siblings with the same father but different mothers.

The car soon stopped in front of the family compound.

"Thank you."

Shen Mingzhu said goodbye to the two of them and got out of the car. She had only walked a few steps when Yan Yi, who also got out, called out to her.

Yan Yi pointed to her face from a distance, "Remember to ice it when you get home to reduce the swelling and bruising."

Shen Mingzhu subconsciously touched her cheek. She hadn’t felt it before, but now she realized it was still a bit painful to the touch.

——

The family compound’s gate would be locked after eleven at night, and entry required the gatekeeper to open a smaller door.

Yan Yi sat in the car, tilting his head to look through the window as Shen Mingzhu chatted with the gatekeeper, went inside, and the small iron gate clanged shut. He withdrew his gaze.

Ning Yuan observed his expression and the look in his eyes the entire time and said with a tease, "Old Yan, are you especially jealous of her husband? Wishing you could replace him?"

Yan Yi glanced sideways at him.

Ning Yuan immediately leaned back tactically, "Don’t look at me like that, it makes me scared."

Yan Yi looked away and started the car. A "yes" spilled from his lips, blending with the sound of the engine, but Ning Yuan still heard it.

He looked at Yan Yi, halting his words, "Old Yan, jokes aside, do not toy with feelings."

"Not to mention she’s a married woman with a child, even if she were a single young lady, she would still have no chance of entering the Yan Family’s door."

Yan Yi remained noncommittal.

In fact, it hadn’t reached that point. At the beginning, he just thought she was an atypical rural woman. But as he got to know her and interacted more, he found her increasingly interesting and couldn’t help paying attention to her.

He had to admit, she indeed was the first woman to stir his competitive spirit and desire to conquer.

But that was all.

Yan Yi told himself this in his heart.

——

When opening the door, Shen Mingzhu unconsciously lightened her movements, not wanting to wake her son. Only when she pushed open the door did she realize the light was on in the living room, and Pei Ziheng sitting on the sofa ran towards her immediately.

"Mommy."

Shen Mingzhu closed the door, placed her keys down, and bent her head to look at Pei Ziheng who was hugging her leg.

In an affectionate tone, "Why are you still awake at this late hour?"

"Waiting for you.

Feeling the warmth called happiness rising in her heart at her son’s response, the gloom and fatigue on her mind and body also dissipated like smoke.

The smile on Pei Ziheng’s little face, however, vanished the moment he saw the injury on Shen Mingzhu’s left cheek.

"Mommy, squat down."

Shen Mingzhu did so, puzzled, until Pei Ziheng’s delicate little hand gently touched her cheek, and she realized what was happening.

"Mommy, someone bullied you." A cold little face, a tone of certainty.

Shen Mingzhu grinned, "You guessed wrong. I was the one who bullied someone else. Let me tell you a secret; I beat that person until they bled. But fighting is wrong, so don’t learn from me."

After saying this, seeing her son’s tightly pursed lips and a distressed expression like he was about to cry, Shen Mingzhu hurriedly hugged him to comfort him.

"It’s okay, sweetie, I’m fine."

Pei Ziheng leaned his little head against her shoulder, his dark eyes twinkling with a devilish coldness, "Mommy, the people who bully you should all die."

Shen Mingzhu didn’t take it to heart, thinking it was just his angry words.

——

In the morning, as Shen Mingzhu looked in the mirror, she found that although the handprint on her face had faded, it was still visible upon close inspection.

She could only use foundation to make a simple cover-up, and then applied light makeup.

Not long after leaving the house, she bumped into several mothers who were also taking their kids to kindergarten.

For some reason, Shen Mingzhu always felt that the mothers were looking at her strangely.

"Ziheng’s mom, you’re all dressed up today; are you going somewhere?"

"Why would she need to go anywhere when she’s driven around by others?"

Jiang Jing made a sarcastically mocking comment.

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