The Stepmother’s Counterattack: Raising a Child in a Bygone Era
Chapter 374 - 373: Forge Paths Through Mountains, Build Bridges Over Water

Chapter 374: Chapter 373: Forge Paths Through Mountains, Build Bridges Over Water

Zhao Yun stared at Pei Ziheng with his eyes wide and his mouth agape, speechless for a long while.

Pei Ziheng looked up, his eyes darker than ink.

"Liang Xiaowen is your sister, but if you want to seek justice for her, I’m always here to accompany you," he said.

Zhao Yun came back to his senses, "She’s my sister, but you’re still my brother."

Compared to Pei Ziheng’s underhandedness and his tit-for-tat attitude, what shocked him even more was that Pei Ziheng could be so accurate.

To think he could hit whoever he wanted with such a big basketball, that was just too awesome.

Zhao Yun added, "It’s her own fault for bullying the young, she deserves the lesson."

With that simple statement, he had made his position clear.

Between his sister and his brother, he chose his brother.

The corners of Pei Ziheng’s lips curved up slightly.

He had deliberately told Zhao Yun the truth as a way of testing him, and the outcome was evidently very satisfying to him.

"Ziheng, how did you do it? To be able to make every shot, teach me too!"

Pei Ziheng’s answer was concise: "Practice more."

Zhao Yun: That’s the same as not saying anything.

But, he and Pei Ziheng were good brothers, if Pei Ziheng was awesome, by rounding up, that meant he was awesome too.

Thinking this way, Zhao Yun cheered up again and laughed like a simpleton.

...

Liang Xiaowen used to love hanging around the Pei Family, and she would always pester Pei Ziheng to help her with her studies.

But ever since Pei Ziheng hit her on the head with a basketball, she never visited the Pei Family again and would even avoid him at all costs.

...

"Wenping, the Friendship Mall is having a summer clothing clearance sale these days, we’re planning to check it out after work, are you coming?"

Pei Wenping smiled at her colleague, "You guys go ahead, I need to make a trip to the post office."

Upon hearing this, several colleagues in the office teased her with smiles, "Ah, we forgot today is the 15th, your Chen Yi must have sent money home again, right?"

"Pei really has the good fortune; a handsome man, talented, earns well and takes care of the family. Yueyue always sends money home, he’s the rare perfect man that’s impossible to find even with a lantern."

"Yeah, If my husband was half of what Pei’s is, I’d be satisfied too."

Hearing the envy of her colleagues, Pei Wenping’s smile was faint.

If it was a year ago, she probably would have thought the same.

Having a career, love, and a family—nothing could be more blissful than this.

But now, the phrase "perfect man" only made her feel ironic and ridiculous.

After work at noon, Pei Wenping bid her colleagues farewell and rode her scooter to the post office.

She took the letter, opened it, and when she saw the amount on the money order, Pei Wenping couldn’t help but be startled.

After hesitating, Pei Wenping fished out her address book from her bag and found Chen Yi’s number.

"Hello, who’s this?"

When Pei Wenping heard the familiar voice on the other end of the phone, she felt a moment of confusion.

Since Chen Yi went to Shanghai City, although he frequently called home, she had been intentionally avoiding talking directly to him.

This was their first phone call since Chen Yi left home.

"Hello?"

Pei Wenping cleared her throat, "It’s me."

"Wenping?"

On the other end of the line, Chen Yi’s voice was filled with surprise, then he asked with concern, "Is something wrong at home?"

"Nothing’s wrong at home, I got the remittance slip you sent, why is the amount so large?"

Upon learning that she had called specifically about this, Chen Yi laughed, "Don’t worry, it’s my legitimate income, I wrote a script for the company, and last month’s movie release did well at the box office, so the company gave me a bonus."

"I see," Pei Wenping responded unenthusiastically, "I wasn’t worried about you."

"Right, I was being presumptuous," replied Chen Yi.

His temperament was as gentle as ever, his voice affectionate.

In the past, Pei Wenping would have enjoyed this interaction with her loved one, but now, she just felt uncomfortable and awkward.

She fell silent for a moment.

Sensing her mood, Chen Yi immediately changed the subject to ask about things at home and the children.

They talked for more than ten minutes without realizing it.

When Pei Wenping hung up the phone, she couldn’t help but space out for a moment.

Time and distance seemed to have diluted the barriers and resentment between them.

But even though she no longer harbored resentment towards Chen Yi, neither did she feel any love for him.

More than husband and wife, she and Chen Yi were like partners sharing life’s duties, each fulfilling their responsibilities and striving to maintain the integrity of a family.

After withdrawing the money, there was still some time before work, so Pei Wenping rode her scooter to the food factory.

...

At the food factory, upon learning that Pei Wenping hadn’t eaten lunch, Shen Mingzhu led her to a small restaurant nearby.

"Big sister, did you come to see me for something?"

While waiting for the dishes to be served, Shen Mingzhu asked with concern.

Pei Wenping took a sip of her tea, "Nothing much, just came to talk to you."

Although she had many friends, some of whom had been close since childhood, when she had something on her mind, the first person she thought of was Shen Mingzhu.

It was probably because she felt that Shen Mingzhu’s thoughts resonated more with her own.

Pei Wenping discussed with Shen Mingzhu how Chen Yi sent money home punctually every month and also shared some of her thoughts.

"I originally thought that once the kids were grown, I would divorce him and we could each live our own lives. But now thinking about it, getting along like this isn’t too bad either."

"But then again, to just forgive him like this seems too easy on him. Sigh, I’m quite conflicted inside, so I came to talk to you."

Shen Mingzhu actually understood Pei Wenping’s dilemma; after all, they had shared so many years of emotions, and Chen Yi was truly repentant.

Letting go, detaching, and leaving behind is easier said than done.

"Big sister, you really don’t need to make a decision right now. Build roads as you meet mountains and bridges as you encounter waters, take one step at a time, time will give the answer."

"You’re right."

Pei Wenping looked at her, and a smile appeared on her face, "I just knew I couldn’t go wrong in coming to you. With what you’ve just said, I feel like the knot in my heart has been undone."

However, Shen Mingzhu was quite curious about how much money Chen Yi had sent back this time to cause Pei Wenping, the seasoned accountant, to lose her composure.

"Two thousand."

No wonder.

It’s about the annual income of an average working-class family.

Pei Wenping placed a piece of meat into Shen Mingzhu’s bowl with her chopsticks, "Eat up, who cares about him, anyway, he said it was legally earned. I’ll spend what I have to. I’m treating you to this meal today."

Shen Mingzhu laughed, "Then should we drink a bit to celebrate?"

"I still have work this afternoon."

She paused, then added, "How about just a little?"

Shen Mingzhu nodded with a smile.

...

When Shen Mingzhu returned to the factory, Pei Yang had just gotten back not long ago, standing in the office with his collar pulled open, cooling off under the ceiling fan.

Seeing her come in with flushed cheeks, Pei Yang didn’t pay much attention, assuming it was the heat.

"Come and have a cool off."

"Sure."

Shen Mingzhu threw her purse onto the sofa, staggered toward him, and was embraced fully by Pei Yang.

"Have you been drinking?"

Smelling the alcohol on her, Pei Yang was somewhat amused, his gaze tender as he looked down at her.

"Who did you go drinking with in the middle of the day?"

"With big sister."

Shen Mingzhu leaned into his embrace, her head gently rubbing against him as her body was as soft as a kitten, her voice tender and weak as she told Pei Yang about Chen Yi sending money back.

Hearing Chen Yi’s name, the smile on Pei Yang’s face faded somewhat, yet looking at his wife’s innocently inebriated state, his heart couldn’t help but soften.

"How much did you drink?"

"Not much."

"Not much is how much?"

Shen Mingzhu felt dizzy, her eyelids heavy, all she wanted was to close her eyes and sleep, but the man kept chattering in her ear incessantly.

So annoying.

Better to shut him up.

Shen Mingzhu lifted her head, cradled the man’s face, and kissed him.