The Stepmother’s Counterattack: Raising a Child in a Bygone Era
Chapter 408 - 407 Reconciliation

Chapter 408: Chapter 407 Reconciliation

On New Year’s Eve, after cleaning the house and putting up Spring Festival couplets, the Shen Mingzhu family took their ingredients and drove to Hot Spring Villa in a rented van.

After finding out that Hot Spring Villa was still open on New Year’s Eve, Shen Mingzhu had booked a suite with a private yard, planning to spend a different kind of New Year’s Eve there.

Although it was New Year’s Eve, there were still quite a few tourists in the villa.

But most of them just came for the hot springs before heading home for the New Year’s Eve dinner. There were hardly any like Shen Mingzhu who stayed in the villa for New Year’s Eve.

When they arrived at the resort just after lunchtime, Shen Mingzhu quickly boiled a pot of noodles, topped with fried sauce prepared at home, to satisfy their hunger.

Well fed and rested, they started to take a hot spring bath.

Guoguo was young with delicate skin; worried about scalds or drowning, Shen Mingzhu specifically prepared a wooden basin, filling it mostly with hot spring water, for Guoguo to play in.

Guoguo, experiencing hot springs for the first time, was especially happy, and her laughter never stopped.

After the hot springs, Shen Mingzhu brewed some fruit tea to help everyone rehydrate, while Pei Yang got the barbecue grill going, ready to grill some meat shortly.

Shen Mingzhu had prepared the ingredients beforehand. Following the Fengcheng tradition for New Year’s Eve dinner, there was chicken, duck, fish, pork, beef, and lamb—everything that should be there.

Only, it was turned into a barbecue feast.

They grilled and ate at the same time; a small copper pot was placed right in the center of the grill, where they could boil dumplings and vegetables.

As evening fell, the charcoal fire cast a warm glow on the faces of the family of four.

Pei Yang played with the two children while Shen Mingzhu used chopsticks to place food on the grill.

As the meat sizzled on the hot charcoal, the aroma filled the air.

There came a knock on the door from outside the courtyard.

Thinking it was the villa staff, Shen Mingzhu got up to open the door.

"Smells wonderful."

Seeing the three Zhong siblings outside the door, Shen Mingzhu remained silent.

"What a coincidence, we are also spending New Year’s Eve at the villa. Why not join us? I’ve brought a lot of food too; I’ll go get it," offered Zhong Qing with a smile.

However, Shen Mingzhu did not respond, which made the atmosphere unavoidably awkward.

After a brief silence, Zhong Qing smiled and said, "We’re being presumptuous, let’s not disturb your family gathering. We’re just next door; come over if you need anything."

Having said that, Zhong Qing led Zhong Yin and Zhong Min away by hand.

Shen Mingzhu closed the door, returned to the courtyard, and glared at Pei Yang, who was obviously feeling guilty.

"Did you tell her?"

"She called yesterday, said she ordered some fresh Alaskan King Crab and would deliver some to our place today for us to taste. I just mentioned we wouldn’t be home for New Year’s Eve; I had no idea she would follow us here," he explained.

Hearing this, Shen Mingzhu didn’t ask any more questions and returned to the barbecue, placing the cooked meat into the bowls of father and son.

"Ah~ eat meat."

With her eyes fixed on the fragrant barbecued meat in the bowl, Guoguo appeared even more anxious than the father and son, tiptoeing and stretching her little legs, reaching out as far as she could.

At Guoguo’s age, she couldn’t eat barbecue. Shen Mingzhu had boiled chicken breasts and ribs in the small copper pot, but they weren’t ready yet. To avoid her daughter’s crying, Shen Mingzhu took out a teething biscuit.

The teething biscuit was baked by her, with added banana puree and milk powder, very sweet and tasty.

Guoguo usually loved them so much that she wouldn’t let go once she bit into one. Yet today, she was being difficult; even when the teething stick was brought to her mouth, she refused to open it, adamant about wanting barbecued meat. If denied, she would cry.

As the three of them worked hard to console her, suddenly, a "clatter" came from next door.

Everyone quieted down.

Guoguo stopped crying as well, her watery eyes wide open, seemingly curious about what had happened.

"Should I go check it out?"

Seeing Shen Mingzhu did not object, Pei Yang handed his daughter to her, and went to the neighbors’ place.

In a moment, he returned, "The three siblings have never cooked before; they knocked over the pot, and Zhong Qing burned her hand quite badly."

Seeing Shen Mingzhu silent, Pei Yang teased, "You wouldn’t let them join us, and surely they’ll cause some other commotion soon."

He was met with a glare from Shen Mingzhu.

At last, Zhong Qing and her two younger brothers were called over.

They brought with them the food ingredients from the Zhong Family.

Compared to the modest selection here, the Zhong Family’s ingredients could be described as extravagantly inhumane.

Alaskan King Crab, red abalone, blue lobster, fresh oysters, and a variety of shellfish and shrimp.

Conveniently, they were all her favorites.

Whether it was sensing the unease between her and Zhong Qing, or a natural disposition to good manners, Zhong Yin and Zhong Min didn’t start eating after sitting down, despite the sizzling grilled meat making them salivate.

Shen Mingzhu used tongs to put some grilled meat in the siblings’ bowls.

"Eat up, thanks Mingzhu sis."

With Zhong Qing’s permission, the siblings immediately picked up their chopsticks, not forgetting to thank Shen Mingzhu.

Pei Yang had to look after Guoguo, leaving Shen Mingzhu to handle the grilling by herself.

Now with the three Zhong siblings added to the mix, she inevitably found herself overwhelmed, hardly able to focus on her own meal.

"Let me help you."

"You sit tight, don’t flip my grill over again."

After being reprimanded, Zhong Qing sat obediently and didn’t dare to move, whispering an apology, "Sorry for the trouble."

Shen Mingzhu silently placed two freshly grilled pieces of beef into her bowl.

"Thank you."

After swallowing the beef, Zhong Qing sincerely praised, "The beef tastes great, crispy on the outside and tender inside, savory with a hint of spice, it’d be even more perfect paired with fruit wine."

"I brought a bottle of white wine, it’s next door, I’ll go get it."

Zhong Qing quickly fetched the wine.

The wine was opened, and the light yellow liquid poured into the elegant wine glasses.

Zhong Qing handed the first glass to Shen Mingzhu.

Seeing her reluctance to accept, Zhong Qing set the glass down beside her.

"Mingzhu, happy New Year."

"This is our third year knowing each other, and I hope in our next three years, the three years after that, and the three years beyond, we can continue just like today, eating meat and drinking together."

Clink.

Zhong Qing tapped her glass against the one beside her and drained the white wine in one gulp.

The glow from the charcoal fire reflected in the depths of their eyes, and thinking of the other’s unspeakable past burdens hidden deep in her heart, a corner of Shen Mingzhu’s heart suddenly crumbled.

Putting herself in the other’s shoes, she might not have been able to handle things any better than Zhong Qing.

The incident had passed, and lessons had been learned; holding onto it was tormenting both herself and others.

Seeing Shen Mingzhu lift the glass and drink, Zhong Qing hugged her with joy.

"Mingzhu, my wish came true, right?"

"Yeah, happy New Year."

The awkwardness and discomfort that had once loomed in her heart suddenly scattered at that moment.

...

The first day of the Lunar New Year.

A group of young married women, each with a child in tow, gathered together for some leisurely chatting.

All eyes occasionally drifted to Jia Yuemei, her brand-new ’prosperity blooms’ cotton-padded jacket, red leather shoes on her feet, shiny gold earrings dangling from her ears, and a pair of gleaming silver bracelets on her wrists.

"Tsk, tsk, of all the daughters-in-law in our village, Yuemei is the most fortunate, just look at her decked out in gold and silver, nothing like that Yang girl, who dumped a sesame seed only to lose a watermelon, and still isn’t married off yet!"

Interest piqued when someone brought up an ex, Jia Yuemei chimed in, "So what is she up to nowadays?"