The Stepmother’s Counterattack: Raising a Child in a Bygone Era
Chapter 185: I’ve Done Everything I Was Supposed to Do, Are You Going to Deny It Now?

Chapter 185: Chapter 185: I’ve Done Everything I Was Supposed to Do, Are You Going to Deny It Now?

By the time Shen Mingzhu woke up and opened her eyes, the sun was already high in the sky. She sprang up from the bed and glanced at the alarm clock on the desk.

Oh no, it’s eight o’clock!

Her son was late for school!

As she hurriedly returned to her own room, she found the bedding neatly made and both father and son were not at home, while breakfast was covered on the dining table.

Guessing that Pei Yang must have taken their son to school, Shen Mingzhu felt relieved.

After washing up, she sat down at the dining table to eat breakfast.

It was her favorite sweet potato millet porridge, steamed buns, and cold mixed vegetables.

Halfway through the meal, Pei Yang returned.

After asking, she learned that their son had arrived at school without issues and Shen Mingzhu completely relaxed.

Pei Yang washed his hands, sat down, and also scooped up some millet porridge and began eating with a steamed bun.

Shen Mingzhu eyed him, "Didn’t you eat with our son?"

"I did, but I only ate half. I wanted to save the other half to eat with you," he replied.

Looking into the man’s smiling eyes, Shen Mingzhu appeared speechless on the surface, yet for some inexplicable reason, the millet porridge tasted a bit sweeter.

While eating, Pei Yang took the initiative to tell her about the errands he had to run that day, "After breakfast, I need to go to the office to discuss a job transfer. Once that’s over, I’ll go see my sister. I didn’t get a chance to talk to her yesterday because I was in a hurry to find you, and she probably doesn’t even know I’m back."

Shen Mingzhu nodded, and asked him to pick up some dried tofu and spicy strips for Pei Wenping to bring back for the twins.

Pei Yang looked at her, "Which room do you prefer to sleep in?"

Shen Mingzhu didn’t immediately grasp the meaning of his question, "What do you mean, ’which room’?"

Pei Yang pointed at the master bedroom and the second bedroom, "I need to know which room you prefer to sleep in so I can move my things to the right room."

Seeing that she didn’t respond, Pei Yang’s smile took on a teasing tone, "I’ve done everything that should be done. Are you planning to turn your back on me now?"

Shen Mingzhu was speechless: "... What do you mean ’everything that should be done’?"

"If you agree to what’s left undone, then I can also..."

"Shut up."

Pei Yang put down the half-eaten steamed bun and chopsticks, staring straight at her without saying a word.

Shen Mingzhu said irritably, "Eat your food, why are you staring at me?"

"You told me to shut up."

"..."

I hope you starve, you damn man!

...

It was already 8:30 by the time breakfast was finished.

Shen Mingzhu had changed her clothes and was grabbing her bag, ready to head out, when Pei Yang took hold of her wrist.

In her hurry to leave and confronted with the man’s deep and handsome face, the words slipped out: "I’ll sleep in my room."

Pei Yang was briefly startled, then quickly smiled, "I got it, but that’s not what I wanted to say."

With that, he placed a stack of money and some tickets into her hand, "This is half a year’s salary for me. I was worried that you might not have enough money, so I’m giving it to you now."

Shen Mingzhu took the money, feeling a sudden warmth in her chest.

Ever since she decided to start a food factory, aside from her son and eldest brother and sister-in-law, everyone around her had been unsupportive and skeptical.

But more than the voices of outsiders, she truly cared about Pei Yang’s opinion.

She wondered if he, like Pei Wenping, thought she should just content herself with staying at home to look after her husband and child. She also considered whether he would be angry that she took out a loan to start a factory without consulting him.

In fact, she hadn’t used a single penny from the family’s savings to set up the factory.

But ever since he returned, he had not asked a single question about it and even gave her all the money he had.

"Thank you," she said.

Pei Yang pulled her toward him with a firm grip, looking down at her, "What did you say?"

"Thanks... ah!"

No sooner had the word "thanks" left her mouth than he leaned down to bite her lips hard.

After biting, he looked at her, "This is the only ’thank you’ I want. Do you still want to thank me?"

Shen Mingzhu stared at him for a moment, threw her bag and the money on the floor, raised her hand to hook his neck and kissed him fiercely.

Come at me, let’s see who’s afraid!

...

As expected, Shen Mingzhu arrived late.

Even though she had put on light makeup, the flush on her face was still unmistakable.

The moment she entered the office, Shen Hongmei’s teasing met her, "Absence makes the heart grow fonder. Even if you hadn’t come in today, everyone would have understood."

Shen Mingzhu shut Shen Hongmei up with a single sentence, "Teasing the boss? Don’t want your bonus anymore?"

The work arrangement for the day was still marketing.

With Shen Hongmei added to the team, the three of them could take turns resting during marketing outings, which was relatively easier.

During her break from marketing today, Shen Mingzhu stepped into a Chinese medicine store opposite the delicatessen where they were promoting. She bought some Chinese herbs to nourish and replenish the body, planning to make some medicinal meals for Pei Yang when she had the time.

Her man, her responsibility to pamper and spoil.

...

Pei Wenping, looking at Pei Yang’s gaunt cheeks, couldn’t help wiping away tears, "You’ve finally come to your senses... Even if you hadn’t decided to transfer, I was going to persuade you. Tell me, what’s so good about your job, always gone for a year or half, leaving your wife and child at home uncared for, and making everyone worry about you."

Pei Yang was silent, "Sister, I came to see you today also to ask you for a favor."

...

After finishing work in the afternoon, Shen Mingzhu picked up Pei Ziheng and they went home.

Previously, when Pei Yang was not around, she and Pei Ziheng would have dinner with the employees at the food factory.

Shen Mingzhu deliberately came home early, wanting to stew the medicinal meal, but when she arrived, there were already three dishes and a soup set on the dining table.

A balanced mix of meat and vegetables, nutritionally balanced.

Eating the delicious meal prepared for her and looking at the handsome face of the man beside her, a thought inexplicably popped into Shen Mingzhu’s head: Might as well keep the man at home, have someone cook and do laundry for her every day. After all, she could earn money; it wouldn’t come to the point of starvation for the two of them.

Upstairs, He Family.

The He Family’s dinner was eaten in two shifts: the first for the elderly and the children was early, usually starting at 6:30 pm, while Feng Huiying would wait for her husband to come home from work to eat together.

With neither the in-laws nor the children at home, Feng Huiying chatted with her husband about the amusing events of the Pei Family downstairs while they ate dinner.

Feng Huiying repeated Pei Ziheng’s morning words to her husband, gossiping, "What do you think, did Pei Yang go outside and get his issues treated?"

He Tao nodded, "It’s possible; I’ll ask him about it someday."

Feng Huiying pursed her lips in a smile, then sighed after laughing, "If it really is cured, that would be good, so that young Mingzhu won’t have to suffer like this."

...

After washing up and returning to the room, Shen Mingzhu saw Pei Yang organizing clothes in front of the wardrobe, and her heart inexplicably skipped a beat.

Starting from today, they were officially living as husband and wife.

Compared to her unease, Pei Yang was at ease, casually discussing with her about picking out a larger wardrobe when they were free, before lying down on the bed as if they were an old married couple.

Shen Mingzhu sat at the dressing table, finished wiping her face, then her neck, and continued on to her hands and arms.

"Are you trying to pickle yourself?"

Pei Yang lay on his side on the bed, chin in hand, teasing her nonchalantly.

Shen Mingzhu glared at him, "Mind your own business, that’s fairy stuff."

Pei Yang laughed in response, "I don’t care about fairies, I only care about my wife."

Shen Mingzhu picked up the comb and started brushing her hair, ignoring him, but the unease in her heart began to fade.

As soon as she lay down on the bed, Pei Yang cozied up to her like a puppy, and just when she thought he was about to do something shameful, he simply rested his head on her shoulder and spoke.

"I’m going to be busy with some work with friends for a while."