The Stepmother’s Counterattack: Raising a Child in a Bygone Era
Chapter 586 - 585 No Plans to Remarry

Chapter 586: Chapter 585 No Plans to Remarry

"Oh, Wenping, what are you doing? Come down quickly, it’s so dangerous!"

"There are no hurdles that can’t be overcome, being laid off isn’t the end of the world. There are so many others who have been laid off, and I haven’t seen anyone starve to death."

Shen Mingzhu was followed by a crowd of onlooking aunties and elderly women.

Seeing Pei Wenping climb over the railing, each one of them couldn’t care less about watching anymore. They clumsily helped Shen Mingzhu pull her back.

"No, I was just picking up my keys..."

Pei Wenping’s explanation was drowned out by the voices of others persuading her, but Shen Mingzhu heard it and leaned out over the railing to look.

Beyond the railing there was a circle of water-blocking eaves, about a meter wide, enough to stand on, but still dangerous.

Shen Mingzhu certainly wouldn’t dare climb over it.

She found a clothes hanger, tied it to a bamboo pole with some rope, and hooked the keys back in.

After sending off the well-meaning aunties and grannies, Shen Mingzhu closed the door and turned to look at Pei Wenping, who was sitting on the sofa.

Pei Wenping sheepishly said, "I wasn’t trying to end it all, I was just picking up my keys."

"I know you were picking up your keys, but you can’t just climb over the railing without any protection. A fall from the sixth floor would leave you beyond repair."

Pei Wenping rubbed her head and sighed, "I had a few drinks at lunch, my head was a bit fuzzy, I didn’t think that much."

Shen Mingzhu went to the kitchen and poured a cup of honey water.

After drinking the water, Pei Wenping sobered up a bit and joked with a look at Shen Mingzhu, "Scared you, didn’t I?"

"You nearly gave me a heart attack!"

"Let me take you out to dinner tonight to calm your nerves, and let’s bring Ziheng and Guoguo along too."

Shen Mingzhu agreed and then asked Pei Wenping what she was doing on the rooftop.

"Wasn’t really planning on doing anything, just felt stuffy inside and wanted to go up for some fresh air."

Seeing the concern on Shen Mingzhu’s face, Pei Wenping smiled and reassured her, "Don’t worry, I don’t have any death wishes. I just feel that life is impermanent, and nothing lasts forever."

"Loved ones will leave, families will fall apart, marriages will break, and even the so-called iron rice bowl isn’t so solid anymore. Tell me, what’s the meaning of living such a hard life if everything comes to this?"

Shen Mingzhu didn’t have an answer.

Reaching middle age, going through illness, her husband’s infidelity, divorce, and unemployment—all these troubles, if they had happened to her, wouldn’t have left her in a much better state of mind either.

"Big sister, have you considered taking a chance in Shanghai City? What’s past is past, you have to look forward. Xiaolu’s father is truly repentant. Maybe you could give each other another chance."

Pei Wenping was silent for a long time before she spoke.

"The moment I knew about his affair, my love for him died. Staying together, I would only come to hate him, resent him, despise him. I’d torture myself repeatedly in a quagmire of pain, and I’d torture him, too."

"Forgiving him would be tantamount to trampling on the sincerity I’ve shown for more than a decade."

At this point, Shen Mingzhu understood Pei Wenping’s choice and mourned for Chen Yi in silence for three seconds.

"Big sister, would you consider coming to work at the food factory? We could start a business together."

It might have been the recent job loss, but Pei Wenping wasn’t very enthusiastic.

With a self-mocking tone, she asked, "What could I possibly do if I went?"

"Whatever you want to do, you can choose," Shen Mingzhu told her.

That offer was a sign of great freedom and respect, revealing Shen Mingzhu’s sincerity.

"I’ll think about it," said Pei Wenping.

"Big sister, you just asked me what the meaning of life is. I can’t answer that for you, because everyone’s pursuit and goals are different. The value and meaning of your life should be defined and sought by yourself."

"If you’re currently without direction or goals, why not join me? Help me achieve my goals for the time being."

...

In the restaurant, after finishing discussing official matters, Chen Yi casually asked his friend if his company had any good financial-related job positions to recommend.

Upon learning that it was his wife who was job-hunting, his friend came up with a suggestion—

"My personal advice is to set up your own studio and help some private bosses and small companies with their accounting and taxes. Many of these bosses are nouveau riche who don’t understand anything, so whatever you say, they will do. The work is easy, you earn a lot, you don’t have to watch your back, and you’re not worried about being pushed forward to take the blame when something goes wrong."

Chen Yi eagerly asked for the detailed process of registering a personal financial studio and then sincerely thanked his friend.

On the way home, Chen Yi couldn’t hide his good mood and stopped at a flower shop to buy two bunches of winter sweet.

Pei Wenping used to like to buy winter sweet to put in vases at home when winter came.

After they separated, he developed the habit of loving to place winter sweet at home every season when they bloomed.

"Daddy."

Returning home, Chen Yi clearly noticed that the kids were in low spirits.

"What’s wrong, did you not do well on this term’s final exams?"

He asked with concern while changing his shoes.

Mother Chen spoke up, "Wenping called earlier."

Chen Yi was momentarily stunned.

"Mom said she’s going to stay in Fengcheng and work with Auntie," said Chen Xiaolu in a muffled voice.

The hand that Chen Yi held the winter sweet with tightened slightly.

A moment later, he turned around and smiled as he comforted the two children, "It’s okay; if the mountain won’t come to Muhammad, then Muhammad must go to the mountain. Once I’m done with work these next couple of days, I’ll take you back to Fengcheng."

Hearing him say this, the gloom on Chen Xiaolu’s and Chen Xiaochao’s faces instantly swept away, and they ran back to their rooms to pack their bags excitedly.

Chen Yi found a vase, filled it with fresh water, trimmed the extra branches off the winter sweets he had bought with scissors, and placed them in the vase.

Mother Chen, looking at the other bunch on the entrance cabinet, asked, "Why did you buy two bunches? Can you fit them both?"

"The other I’ll bring out in a while."

Looking at her son’s calm face, Mother Chen held back her words.

"Sigh, by the looks of it, she has made up her mind not to forgive you. You should let it go too; matters of marriage are predetermined by heaven. She has such a strong will, and you went and did something foolish; it’s fated that the two of you won’t end up together."

Chen Yi was silent as he arranged a vase of winter sweet before finally speaking, "Mom, I have no plans to remarry."

"What’s the point of this persistence then?"

If he didn’t remarry, he would always be Pei Wenping’s fallback.

As long as she had even a second of wanting to turn back, he would have a chance.

Even if hope was faint, at least there was something to look forward to.

He was willing to gamble on that future.

After dinner, Chen Yi, despite the snowstorm outside, took the other bunch of winter sweet and left the house.

He walked out of the apartment complex, turned left and walked a hundred meters, then entered another building unit.

As soon as he received the news of the cotton mill’s restructuring, he rented an apartment with two bedrooms next door.

Furniture, curtains, decorations—everything was arranged by him, tailored to Pei Wenping’s preferences.

Sitting on the sofa and carefully examining every item in the house, Chen Yi felt an unprecedented sense of dejection and sadness.

They would never welcome their owner, and she wouldn’t even know that a thousand miles away, there was a room that existed for her.

Outside the window, the world was a blanket of white, and inside, a heavy snow likewise swirled in Chen Yi’s heart.

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