The Stepmother’s Counterattack: Raising a Child in a Bygone Era
Chapter 259 - 258 Godmother

Chapter 259: Chapter 258 Godmother

Shen Baolan paid no attention to everyone’s teasing; her mind was preoccupied with one thought: Pei Ziheng was picked up by Pei Yang, so who were Pei Ziheng’s real parents?

If they knew how handsome Pei Ziheng had grown up to be and how well Shen Mingzhu had raised him to be both sensible and smart, they might be tempted to take Pei Ziheng back.

If Pei Ziheng’s real parents came to claim their son, there would certainly be a good show!

Thinking this, Shen Baolan felt a malicious glee and couldn’t wait for Pei Ziheng’s real mother to show up the next day to fight with Shen Mingzhu over the boy.

...

The birthday party continued until five o’clock in the afternoon before ending.

After sending all the children away, Shen Mingzhu started cleaning up with Pei Ziheng. Zhao Yun also volunteered to stay and help, pestering Pei Ziheng for a turn on his new skateboard the whole time.

No matter how much he begged, Pei Ziheng flatly refused.

Seeing that Pei Ziheng adamantly disagreed, Zhao Yun resorted to acting brashly; as soon as Pei Ziheng wasn’t looking, he picked up the skateboard and ran outside with it.

Pei Ziheng, furious, chased after him with a dark scowl on his little face.

From the window, Shen Mingzhu watched the figures, one big and one small, chasing and playing with a mix of amusement and helplessness.

All the balloons from the birthday had been taken away by the children, leaving only the streamers and paper ribbons on the ceiling, which required someone to stand on a table to take down. Shen Mingzhu decided not to deal with them, opting to wait for Pei Yang to handle it, so she focused on cleaning up the tables and the floor.

By evening, the sunset had turned half the sky crimson.

Zhao Yun sat on Pei Ziheng’s bed, his youthful face betraying his envy as he watched Pei Ziheng intently play with his skateboard.

"Pei Ziheng, your mom is really good to you, not only throwing you a birthday party but also giving you a skateboard."

Pei Ziheng’s lips curled slightly, but he remained silent, finding it hard to disagree with Zhao Yun’s comment.

"If only I had such a nice stepmom too."

Pei Ziheng looked up with a cold expression, his eyes filled with caution and warning.

Zhao Yun couldn’t help fantasizing, "Maybe Aunt Mingzhu could adopt me as her godson! Then we could have the same mom!"

"In your dreams! Don’t even think about it!" Pei Ziheng coldly rejected the idea.

Zhao Yun got upset, "Aren’t we still best brothers? Shouldn’t best brothers share their fortunes and face troubles together?"

Pei Ziheng put down the skateboard, stood up, and simply said to Zhao Yun, "Come with me," before turning and walking out of the room.

Confused, Zhao Yun followed behind Pei Ziheng.

"Where are you taking me?"

Without a word, Pei Ziheng led Zhao Yun to the front door, pulled it open, and gave Zhao Yun a push outside.

"From today on, we are no longer friends!"

Bang.

Staring at the closed door, Zhao Yun: "..."

So petty!

Shen Mingzhu was preparing dinner in the kitchen when she heard the commotion and came out. Seeing her son standing alone at the entrance, with no sign of Zhao Yun, she instinctively asked, "Where’s Zhao Yun?"

"He left."

Hearing her son’s grumpy response, Shen Mingzhu walked over with concern and asked gently, "What’s wrong? Did you have a fight with Zhao Yun?"

Pei Ziheng seriously replied, "I’ve broken off our friendship."

Shen Mingzhu chuckled inwardly and purposely asked, "Just because he played with your skateboard without permission?"

Pei Ziheng didn’t want to explain the reason, "Anyway, don’t let him into our house again in the future, I don’t like him."

Shen Mingzhu had never handled conflicts between children and felt at a loss for a moment. Just then, someone outside started opening the door with a key.

As the door opened, Pei Yang couldn’t help but smile seeing the mother and son at the entryway, "Are you welcoming me?"

The next second, Zhao Yun squeezed in behind Pei Yang, bursting into the house with a cheerful shout, "I, Hu Han San, have returned!"

Shen Mingzhu laughed.

Pei Ziheng immediately darkened his face, "Get out."

Pei Yang, oblivious to the reason, smacked his son on the head, "What are you saying, have some manners."

Zhao Yun wasn’t angry either, smiling cheekily as he shouted toward Shen Mingzhu, "Godmom!"

Shen Mingzhu and Pei Yang were both taken aback.

Pei Ziheng’s eyes reddened with anger on the spot.

Zhao Yun left after dinner, and since today was Pei Ziheng’s birthday, the dinner was much more lavish than usual. Zhao Yun had a sweet mouth, praising Shen Mingzhu’s cooking skills while ceaselessly calling her "godmom," despite Shen Mingzhu’s protests. But he turned a deaf ear, behaving playfully and laughingly, so Shen Mingzhu found it hard to scold him out loud.

After dinner, Pei Yang rode his bike to take Zhao Yun home, and Shen Mingzhu pulled the sullen Pei Ziheng to the sofa to talk.

"Are you upset because he’s calling me godmom?"

It wasn’t too bad until Shen Mingzhu asked, but once she did, the sense of grievance in Pei Ziheng overflowed, and with red eyes, he threw his arms around her tightly, "Mom, you’re mine, no one can take you away!"

Not even his best friend!

Shen Mingzhu hugged him and comforted him softly, "Calm down, no one can take me away. I will always be your mom, and you will always be my dearest NO1 in my heart."

Pei Ziheng blinked away the wetness from his lashes, "What about my little sister?"

"Your sister is your sister, and you are you. Just as you have a mom, you also have a dad. You are my most beloved son, and my daughter is my most beloved daughter. You both are my treasures."

Pei Ziheng knew he was being unreasonable, but he really loved the way his mom coaxed him, making him feel very blessed. He wasn’t even that angry at Zhao Yun anymore.

...

At the Zhou family’s dinner table, watching Zhou Shuhuan eat silently, Shen Baolan probed as if it was casual, "Shuhuan, have you ever met Pei Ziheng’s real dad and mom?"

As soon as she finished talking, Ma Sufen, Zhou Chuanxiong, along with Zhou Hao, all turned their gazes towards Zhou Shuhuan in unison.

Zhou Shuhuan swallowed the rice in his mouth and glanced at Shen Baolan irritably, "Mind your own business about Brother Yang’s family issues!"

Shen Baolan pursed her lips, unwilling but not daring to ask more, for fear of angering Zhou Shuhuan and possibly getting slapped again.

Being a woman as well, Ma Sufen’s curiosity for gossip was no less than Shen Baolan’s.

Watching Shen Baolan be rebuffed in front of her son, she observed coldly, looking forward to the laugh. After dinner, once Shen Baolan went to wash the dishes, she immediately pulled her son aside to whisper in the room.

Shen Baolan had predicted that her mother-in-law would definitely ask her husband about Pei Ziheng’s biological parents, so although she was outwardly washing dishes, her mind was constantly paying attention to the movements of the mother and son.

As soon as the mother and son stepped into the room, she scurried to eavesdrop at the corner of the wall.

"Don’t move, hands up!"

Just as she steadied herself, Zhou Hao’s shout came from behind her.

Shen Baolan hurriedly turned around, gesturing for her stepson to go away and play, but children of his age were notoriously contrarian. The more the adults forbade them from doing something, the more they wanted to do it.

"Bad guy, raise your hands quickly, or I’ll ’kill’ you! Da da da!"

"What are you doing here?"

Seeing her mother-in-law and husband come out from the house at some point, Shen Baolan sheepishly said, "Nothing, just playing with Xiaohao."

"What play? Have you finished the dishes?"

After being scolded by Ma Sufen, Shen Baolan dejectedly went back to the kitchen.

Ma Sufen scoffed knowingly, sending her grandson downstairs to play while she continued to gossip with her son—

"Is Pei Ziheng really a child that Brother Yang brought back from outside?"

"Mom, that’s Brother Yang’s personal matter, don’t pry."

Zhou Shuhuan knew all too well his mother’s tendency to gossip and thus didn’t want to discuss the matter further.

Ma Sufen wanted to ask more, but Zhou Shuhuan just took his car keys and left the house.

After washing the dishes, Shen Baolan specially cut a plate of oranges to please Ma Sufen, "Mom, try these oranges, they’re really sweet."

After seeing Ma Sufen eat an orange, Shen Baolan hastily inquired for information, "Mom, who exactly are Pei Ziheng’s real dad and real mom?"