The Stepmother’s Counterattack: Raising a Child in a Bygone Era
Chapter 342 - 341: The New Year’s Money Incident

Chapter 342: Chapter 341: The New Year’s Money Incident

Zhao Dafa gave red envelopes with New Year’s money to Pei Ziheng and his siblings and the twins, all four children received one.

As per the tradition of reciprocity, Shen Mingzhu and Pei Wenping also gave New Year’s money to Zhao Yun and his siblings.

Upon receiving the red envelopes, the twins immediately handed theirs over to Pei Wenping for safekeeping.

Guoguo was still young, so her New Year’s money was kept by Shen Mingzhu, while Pei Ziheng kept his own.

Zhao Dafa had always been generous, letting the children spend their New Year’s money as they wished.

Zhao Yun pocketed the red envelope upon receiving it, but Liang Xiaowen opened the red envelopes from Shen Mingzhu and Pei Wenping right there and then.

One had fifty, the other, five yuan.

"Mommy, this red envelope only has five yuan..."

Liang Xiaowen’s voice wasn’t loud, but it was enough for everyone present to hear.

The harmonious atmosphere was instantly filled with silence and awkwardness.

And the most embarrassed of all was Pei Wenping, because the five-yuan red envelope was from her.

Rural children would beam with joy for New Year’s money of fifty cents or a yuan.

In the city, an average gift of New Year’s money for children would be one or two yuan, and a bit more generous would be three to five yuan.

Pei Wenping knew that the Zhao Family was in good financial shape, so she stuffed five yuan into the red envelopes for Zhao Yun and Liang Xiaowen.

It wasn’t until she was managing the twins’ red envelopes from Zhao Dafa that she realized she had given too little.

The red envelope from Zhao Dafa was thick and heavy, likely no less than thirty.

She had intended to give Zhao Yun and his sister additional ones later, but she hadn’t expected Liang Xiaowen to pull such a move.

"You child, what nonsense are you spouting? Five yuan and you still think it’s too little, you’re really spoiled," Zhou Hui scolded her daughter and then turned to Shen Mingzhu and Pei Wenping with an apologetic smile, "The child is ignorant, please don’t take it to heart."

Shen Mingzhu smiled lightly, "She’s still young, there will be chances to teach her manners in the future."

The implication was, if the child didn’t know any better, shouldn’t you as the adult?

You didn’t stop her when she was opening the red envelope, either.

Zhou Hui’s smile stiffened for a moment, and just as she was about to speak, she heard her stepson hum to her daughter, "If you think it’s too little, you can give it to me, I don’t mind at all."

Pei Ziheng too looked at Liang Xiaowen, "In the countryside, five yuan is enough to pay for a semester’s tuition. If you donate it to children who can’t afford to go to school, they would be very grateful."

"You’re all picking on me!"

At the end of the day, Liang Xiaowen was a young girl with thin skin, unable to maintain her composure in such a public setting, and she ran away crying.

Zhou Hui, feeling apologetic, excused herself to the others and went after her daughter.

Zhao Dafa patted his knees as he stood up, laughing heartily in an attempt to smooth things over, "What a trifle matter – New Year’s money is just a gesture of goodwill, it can be high or low, don’t take it too seriously."

"Sister, Xiaopei, I still have to visit another house, so I’m heading off first. You go on with your business," he said.

Pei Yang was busy changing her daughter’s diaper, while Shen Mingzhu stood up to see the father and son off.

Her hand rested on Zhao Yun’s shoulder as they headed out, casually chatting with Zhao Dafa, "Brother Zhao, we’ve been so busy these few days we haven’t been able to host you properly. Give us a few days to catch our breath, and then we’ll invite you and your wife over for a proper meal at our place."

Zhao Yun cheered first, "That sounds great! I love Aunt Mingzhu’s cooking the most! Aunt Mingzhu, can you make roast duck? I really love the roast duck you make; it’s even better than what the restaurants serve."

"Sure, what else would you like?"

Zhao Yun rattled off a list of dish names, amusing Zhao Dafa who then scolded him, "You rascal, when it comes to food, you’re so eager, but I haven’t seen you work this hard on your studies."

"You’re one to talk; you haven’t studied as much as me," Zhao Yun retorted.

Zhao Dafa was left breathless by his son’s retort and turned to Shen Mingzhu, "This naughty boy has never listened to me and doesn’t like to study. He’s only improved because he has been following Ziheng and learning from him."

"Sister, since our children get along so well, how about we become sworn families?"

Shen Mingzhu hesitated, unsure of how to refuse.

Previously, when Zhao Yun had called her "godmother" a couple of times, her son had been angry for several months.

If she really acknowledged this relationship, wouldn’t her son be furious to death?

Zhao Dafa’s next words put Shen Mingzhu at ease, "Isn’t your family’s Guoguo still lacking a godparent? Why not let her be my goddaughter, and from then on, Zhao Yun will be her brother."

Shen Mingzhu did not immediately agree.

She needed to discuss this matter with Pei Yang.

Choosing godparents wasn’t something to take lightly; compatibility had to be checked through their Chinese zodiac signs first. Only if the signs were compatible could they proceed.

When Shen Mingzhu returned to the living room, Pei Wenping handed back Zhao Dafa’s red packets for the twins with a nervous expression.

"Mingzhu, I just looked at them, these two red packets are too generous. When you have time, could you help me return them?"

Shen Mingzhu pushed the red packets back, "Big sister, since Brother Zhao has given them, just keep them."

"But it’s really too much, each one is fifty, together they’re a hundred."

It was even more than her monthly salary. "Had I known, I should have asked you first and avoided this embarrassment."

Shen Mingzhu smiled, "Our financial situation is different from Brother Zhao’s to begin with. When he prepared the red packets, he must have already considered the pros and cons. We can just reciprocate the favor when an opportunity arises."

"Don’t worry, Brother Zhao isn’t the kind of person to quibble over small matters."

Pei Wenping was still worried, "But I think his wife takes it quite seriously. She almost slapped the words ’taking advantage’ on my face, making such a fuss."

"The Zhao Family doesn’t revolve around her, so just ignore her."

Shen Mingzhu had long since experienced Zhou Hui’s pettiness.

During her confinement period, Zhao Dafa brought over many expensive supplements, and Zhou Hui had subtly insinuated that she was taking advantage of the Zhao Family.

In Shen Mingzhu’s opinion, Zhou Hui wasn’t very smart.

If she were smart, she would know that Zhao Dafa’s weakness was Zhao Yun.

If she raised Zhao Yun well, whatever she wanted, Zhao Dafa would provide, right? Was there any need to worry about the little courtesies that Zhao Dafa showed to her?

...

Not far after Zhao Dafa and his son left the Pei Family, they encountered the waiting Zhou Hui and her daughter.

Liang Xiaowen had been coaxed into a better mood by Zhou Hui and was nestled in her arms, whining softly.

"Let’s go, we’ll head to your mother’s place first," Zhao Dafa called to the mother and daughter.

Zhou Hui walked beside Zhao Dafa, holding her daughter’s hand. Glancing back at the languid Zhao Yun trailing sloppily behind, she half-joked, half-scolded: "Xiaoyun really... instead of helping your own family, you help outsiders, making Xiaowen cry for so long."

"I’m endorsing justice, not favoritism."

Zhao Yun, who feared neither heaven nor earth and wouldn’t even give face to Zhao Dafa, let alone Zhou Hui, his stepmother.

Liang Xiaowen pouted coquettishly, "Dad, look at brother; he’s bullying me, and now he says he’s justified!"

Zhao Dafa smiled and gently stroked Liang Xiaowen’s head, his face wearing the look of a doting father, "Xiaowen, if your brother bullies you, I’ll discipline him. But from now on, when you receive red packets or gifts, wait until you get home to open them. It’s impolite and against etiquette to open gifts and red packets in front of others, okay? Remember that."

Zhao Dafa’s words seemed to be teaching Liang Xiaowen, but Zhou Hui felt a burning sensation on her cheeks.

If a daughter is untaught, it’s her mother’s fault. Saying that Liang Xiaowen has no manners is akin to saying that she didn’t raise her daughter correctly.

"Dafa, today’s incident was my oversight as well. I forgot to put away Xiaowen’s red packet first. I’ll be more careful in the future," Zhou Hui chimed in, and Zhao Dafa left it at that, "It’s fortunate that Sister Shen and the Pei brothers are magnanimous people and won’t take it to heart. Otherwise, the good relationship between our two families might have been damaged."

The relationship can be damaged for all I care; it would prevent the Pei Family from always taking advantage of us.

Zhou Hui complained inwardly but put on the image of a virtuous wife, "Once I’m free in a few days, I’ll take Xiaowen to apologize. By the way, the lady we saw today must be the Pei Family’s elder sister, right? It was early on the first day of the month, why was she at her parent’s house with the children?"

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