The Stepmother’s Counterattack: Raising a Child in a Bygone Era
Chapter 245 - 244 I Mean Well for You

Chapter 245: Chapter 244 I Mean Well for You

Pei Yang entered the hospital room, and Shen Mingzhu, Shen Xiangnan, Shen Jianguo, Shen Hongmei, and Pei Wenping all turned their eyes toward him.

They had all heard the conversation outside the hospital room.

It wasn’t a big deal for father and son, Shen Jianguo and Shen Xiangnan, and Pei Wenping being his elder sister naturally sided with him.

Pei Yang was only nervous about his own wife, afraid that she would get angry because he had confronted his mother-in-law, even though he didn’t think he was in the wrong.

"Wife, have you had dinner?"

Looking at the man’s face tinged with exhaustion and worry, and the plea in his eyes, Shen Mingzhu felt a sharp tightness in her chest and her eyes welled up with unexplained warmth.

"I ate. Did you?"

Du Juan suddenly interjected, "Mingzhu, you rest well. We’re going to head back now."

"Okay, take care on your way."

Du Juan picked up her daughter and also took Shen Xiangguo and his wife with her.

It was already too late to go back to the countryside; tonight, they could only squeeze in at their place.

Soon, only the family of three and Pei Wenping remained in the hospital room.

Learning that Pei Yang hadn’t eaten yet, Pei Wenping hurriedly took out the food from the insulated container.

Potato chicken stew and kelp bone soup.

Pei Yang, hungry after a long day, felt his mouth watering at the smell of the meat but didn’t immediately grab the chopsticks to eat. Instead, he looked up at Shen Mingzhu and asked, "Why didn’t you eat?"

"Hongmei took Dad and the others to the canteen for dinner in the evening and brought me back a portion as well."

Pei Yang handed her the soup, "Then have some soup."

Shen Mingzhu took a couple of sips from the soup, then fed some to Pei Ziheng, and passed the rest to Pei Yang.

After Pei Yang had finished eating, Pei Wenping asked about the afternoon’s candy selling.

Knowing they had sold over two hundred pounds, Pei Wenping was ecstatic, "When we get back, I’ll have your brother-in-law help market it as well, maybe we can sell another hundred pounds or so."

"Thank you, big sister."

Shen Mingzhu was the first to express her gratitude, then told Pei Yang to give twenty yuan to Pei Wenping.

Pei Wenping glared at her, "What are you doing?"

"It’s for the meals. You’ve been cooking and bringing me food every day, I can’t let you pay for it too."

"Sister, take it."

Pei Wenping accepted the money.

She worked every day, and her mother-in-law was the one busy with grocery shopping and cooking, so taking this money back would be a way to account for it with her husband’s family.

After Pei Wenping left, Pei Yang bent down and whispered to Shen Mingzhu, "I just talked to our mother, you aren’t angry, right?"

Shen Mingzhu looked at him, "Why would I be angry? You were protecting me, I’m too happy to be angry."

Pei Yang finally relaxed and quickly pecked her on the lips.

After the kiss, his face lit up with the contentment of a child who had just gotten candy.

Shen Mingzhu, her cheeks turning pink, gave him an annoyed glance, "I want to use the bathroom."

"I’ll accompany you."

"Hmm."

Watching the two walk out of the hospital room as if no one else was around, Pei Ziheng puffed out his cheeks.

On the way to the restroom, Pei Yang intentionally slowed his pace, wanting to spend more time alone with his wife and also to tell her about Hu Guifen.

"It’s true that a barking dog never bites."

Once sure that the insider was Hu Guifen, Shen Mingzhu couldn’t help but be sarcastic.

After the contract went missing, she had suspected many, including Shen Hongmei, but never Hu Guifen.

Really, Hu Guifen always appeared too honest and dutiful, which was quite deceptive.

"Wife, there’s something else."

Pei Yang also told her about how Huang Yuan had approached him to buy apple candy but was refused by him, "... Wife, I don’t want to do business with Hengxing."

Shen Mingzhu was unconcerned, "If you don’t want to, then don’t."

Pei Yang turned to look at her, "Aren’t you going to ask why?"

"Birds of a feather flock together. Hengxing’s business partners are all of the same ilk as Fushun and Xiyuan, probably not good characters themselves. We don’t need to get involved with them."

Pei Yang quietly let out a sigh of relief, his hand around her waist tightening slightly.

He said he didn’t believe in Huang Yuan’s character, but that was just an excuse. The real reason was that he didn’t want to be indebted to Yan Yi’s kindness.

His wife, he would cherish, and didn’t need other men’s overtures of goodwill.

After freshening up, Shen Mingzhu lay in bed and told the father and son to go home and rest.

Pei Yang, worried, wanted to stay with her, but she refused.

"I’m not immobile, and there are nurses if it’s really needed. Take our son home and get a good rest. I’ve already been knocked down, you can’t fall too," she insisted.

Shen Mingzhu’s logic was sound, especially since their son was at a growing age and indeed needed good sleep.

Pei Yang had no choice but to take Pei Ziheng back home.

...

Whether it was because her heart was hurt or she was too ashamed, Qin Jinlian went back to the countryside the next day and did not return to the hospital.

Shen Mingzhu was pleased with the peace and quiet.

Early in the morning, Pei Yang came to the hospital with Pei Ziheng, helped Shen Mingzhu with her washing and eating breakfast, then left Pei Ziheng at the hospital to keep her company while he rushed off to the factory.

Today was payday for the workers.

In addition to their wages, each person also received an extra two pounds of apple candy, two pounds of oil, and two pounds of pork as a New Year’s gift.

The workers were overjoyed to receive their money and gifts, heading home to celebrate the New Year.

Shen Hongmei also received her wages and goods but didn’t go home right away. Instead, she decided to stay and help sell candy.

Pei Yang was short of help, so he was more than happy to have Shen Hongmei stay, agreeing to pay her overtime.

...

At noon, Zhao Yun ran to the hospital to keep Shen Mingzhu company with his jokes and to relieve her boredom for a while. Later, when Mingzhu wanted to take a nap, Ziheng suggested he might go to the arcade with Zhao Yun for a bit.

Shen Mingzhu, hoping her son would spend more time with peers, naturally agreed.

After leaving the hospital, Pei Ziheng and Zhao Yun didn’t go to the arcade. Instead, they headed to a shabby urban village.

The two waited at the entrance of the village for a short while before a coal porter laden with honeycomb briquettes hurried toward them.

"Wait here for me."

After instructing Zhao Yun, Pei Ziheng trotted up to meet the porter.

"Excuse me, are you Uncle Shi Yizheng?"

"Who are you?"

Shi Yizheng eyed the little brat blocking his path, his weather-beaten dark face full of impatience.

He was busy delivering coal.

Pei Ziheng titled his head, "It doesn’t matter who I am. Don’t you want to know the real reason why your candy factory closed down three years ago?"

Shi Yizheng glared at Pei Ziheng, his eyes nearly bursting with rage.

However, the anger wasn’t directed at Pei Ziheng but toward the person who had framed him.

As a business owner, he was acutely aware of how wronged and stifled he had felt.

But just released from prison, he was too busy struggling for a living to have the time, energy, or ability to look into past events.

"Uncle Shi, do you want the person who framed and harmed you to pay the price? I can help you."

...

"Who is he?"

Watching Shi Yizheng constantly looking back as he walked away, Zhao Yun, curious, asked Pei Ziheng.

"Knowing too much is not good for you."

Unsatisfied, Zhao Yun complained, "Hey, Pei Ziheng, aren’t you counting me as a friend? I tell you everything, and I have helped you whenever you asked, but you keep things from me."

Pei Ziheng turned to look at him, "Kneel down."

Thinking Ziheng meant to share a secret, Zhao Yun hurriedly squatted down, only for Pei Ziheng to pat his shoulder with a tiny paw and say with solemn sincerity—

"I’m doing this for your own good."

Zhao Yun: "..."

If I told you that in my previous life I was a devil who committed arson and murder and had shared a cell with a murderer like Shi Yizheng, you would be terrified.

So, I really am doing this for your own good.