The Stepmother’s Counterattack: Raising a Child in a Bygone Era
Chapter 681 - 680: Siblings Making Their Way in the Capital

Chapter 681: Chapter 680: Siblings Making Their Way in the Capital

As the weather cooled down, the two grapevines in the Pei Family’s courtyard were at the tail end of their harvest.

Every bunch was so ripe it turned purple, and if not picked, they’d all fall to the ground and rot away.

Taking advantage of the weekend, Shen Mingzhu called Pei Wenping over to pick grapes and help Cui Lianying clean the squash vines and trellises.

Upstairs on the terrace.

Zhao Yun and the siblings Pei Ziheng and Pei Tang were eating grapes while watching the adults tidy up the yard below.

"Ziheng, lend me some money," Zhao Yun asked.

Pei Ziheng lifted an eyelid, "Am I your dad?"

"Dad!"

"..."

Pei Tang, who was eating grapes, started coughing, and Pei Ziheng helped her pat her back while feeding her water.

After drinking water, Pei Tang rolled her eyes at Zhao Yun with a speechless look, "Brother Hei Xiong, you are really becoming more and more shameless."

Zhao Yun teased her with a laugh, "Do you want some? I’ll sell them to you."

"I don’t want them, don’t even think about scamming my money," she retorted.

Zhao Yun clicked his tongue, kids these days were getting harder and harder to deceive.

Once she caught her breath, Pei Tang picked a grape bigger than her eyeball and was about to pop it into her mouth when Pei Ziheng took it away.

"Enough, you’ve already had your ten," he said.

Mature grapes are high in sugar, so Shen Mingzhu had set a limit of ten grapes a day for Pei Tang.

"Brother, just one more, just one, okay?" she wheedled.

There probably wasn’t a brother in the world who could resist such a sweet plea from his sister.

Pei Ziheng split the grape in half, giving one to Pei Tang and keeping one for himself.

Having successfully gotten the grape, Pei Tang’s almond eyes curved into crescents, "You’re the best, brother."

Pei Ziheng patted her head indulgently, "Go brush your teeth."

"Oh."

Those with mild tooth decay could have a small amount of sugar, but they needed to brush their teeth thoroughly afterwards to prevent worsening the decay.

After brushing her teeth, Pei Tang bounced back cheerfully, picking up the earlier topic, "Brother Hei Xiong, if you’re short on money, why don’t you ask Uncle Zhao for some?"

"A man must stand by his word. I said I’d earn my own pocket money, so of course, I can’t ask my dad for more," he stated.

Then with a wolfish grin, he coaxed Pei Tang, "Guoguo, how about lending your brother some money to spend?"

Pei Tang took two strategic steps back, with an earnest expression, "You haven’t even paid back the money you borrowed before! It’s easy to borrow again if you repay what you’ve borrowed."

Zhao Yun felt embarrassed, "I didn’t say I wouldn’t pay you back. It’s just that business is slow recently. Once I get some business, I’ll repay you first."

"First? Have you borrowed money from someone else too?"

Zhao Yun: "..."

Are first-graders’ brains really working this well nowadays?

"Brother Hei Xiong, what do you need the money for?" Pei Tang asked, propping up her cheek, full of curiosity and adorableness.

"To go to the Capital, of course. Jingshu is competing in such an important contest, and as her most important man, I must be by her side," he declared.

The siblings were already used to Zhao Yun’s love-struck ways.

The trip from Fengcheng to the Capital was hundreds of kilometers. The back and forth travel costs plus accommodations would amount to at least four or five hundred.

This amount of money was insignificant for Pei Ziheng; he could easily cover it for Zhao Yun, but it is better to teach a man to fish than to give him a fish.

"If you’re short on money, find a way to earn it, don’t just borrow from one to pay another," Pei Ziheng advised.

Having heard his counsel, Zhao Yun began to ponder.

Five minutes later.

"Ah, I’ve got it!" he exclaimed.

Seeing how quickly Zhao Yun came up with a way to make money, the siblings were both very curious and expectant.

"I could sell blood. Last time during the medical check-up, the doctor said I have some R-negative blood or something. He said it’s pretty rare, so my blood should be worth quite a bit, right?"

The siblings were rendered speechless.

After all this time, the money-making idea you’ve come up with is selling blood?

Zhao Yun was still very excited, "Why aren’t you two talking? Were you so blown away by my brilliant idea?"

Pei Tang rested his chin on his hands, "Brother Hei Xiong, is this romance really essential? Let yourself off the hook, and spare Ren Jingshu too. Otherwise, what will you do if your future baby inherits your intelligence, huh~"

However, Zhao Yun’s thought process was peculiar and only caught the words ’having a baby,’ making him grin so wide that his teeth showed.

"The child of Jingshu and me will definitely inherit all our best qualities."

Once again, the siblings were at a loss for words.

You’re beyond hope!

...

"Go to the Capital? Why on earth do you want to go there just for fun?"

At the dinner table, Shen Mingzhu looked at the two siblings and said.

Pei Tang pouted slightly, "If we want to go out and have fun, then we just go. Why all the questions? Didn’t you and Dad go to Ao City just for fun too? We didn’t ask why."

Shen Mingzhu was left speechless by her daughter’s retort and could only glower at the instigator.

Pei Yang gave her a pleasing smile and readily agreed to the siblings’ request, "Alright, after dinner I’ll help you buy the tickets."

"No need, we’ll buy our own tickets with our pocket money."

Hearing his son’s response, Pei Yang decided to test him, asking what arrangements he had made.

Pei Ziheng took out the travel plan he had prepared in advance.

As the couple took turns reading the plan’s contents, he systematically recounted each item on the agenda.

Including the day of departure, which train to take, how to get to the hotel upon arrival, how many days to stay in the Capital, when to return, and so on.

"Mom, Dad, don’t worry, I’ll take good care of Guoguo and won’t let her out of my sight."

Shen Mingzhu was gratified by her calm and sensible son’s words, but she couldn’t help feeling melancholic.

She always remembered the image of her son as a little toddler, white and tender, smelling of milk, both shy and adorable.

In the blink of an eye, her son had grown into a handsome, lean young man.

He had developed the ability to navigate society independently and no longer needed the protection of her wings.

The quote she remembered from a book she had read stated that maternal love is a graceful exit, and despite the reluctance, one must learn to let go.

A mother’s worry is a thousand miles when her child is away.

Although Pei Ziheng had made thorough preparations for the trip, Shen Mingzhu still repeatedly reminded the siblings to pay attention to safety precautions while away from home, especially to stay alert around strangers.

Perhaps sensing Shen Mingzhu’s nervousness and concern, the siblings and Zhao Yun all listened attentively, showing not the slightest impatience.

Zhao Yun especially, felt both envious and guilty in response to Shen Mingzhu’s reactions.

He envied his good friend for having such a gentle and kind stepmother.

Admittedly, Shen Hongmei was also a decent stepmother, but in his heart, she couldn’t hold a candle to Shen Mingzhu.

His guilt stemmed from feeling that he was the reason for Shen Mingzhu’s worry since the siblings were going to the Capital just to accompany him.

All went smoothly.

After receiving the call that the three siblings had safely arrived at the hotel, Shen Mingzhu was able to relax somewhat; the rest of her worry wouldn’t ease until they were safely back in front of her.

...

Taking advantage of the moment Pei Ziheng was making the safety call to Shen Mingzhu, Zhao Yun couldn’t contain himself any longer and slipped out of the room, heading to the floor where Ren Jingshu was staying.

To be at her best for the competition, Ren Jingshu had arrived in the Capital a week earlier and was staying at this hotel.

Although he knew Jingshu’s room number, Zhao Yun did not knock on her door.

He had called her room earlier, but no one had answered, which meant Jingshu was probably out.

Finding an inconspicuous spot to stake out, Zhao Yun squatted and fantasized about how surprised Jingshu would be when she saw him.

It wasn’t long before noise came from the direction of the elevator doors.

Looking over, Zhao Yun saw a man and a woman approaching, laughing and chatting as though they were a couple deeply in love.

The man was very tall, with his hand over the woman’s shoulder, their closeness suggesting an intimate relationship.

Unfortunately, the woman was Ren Jingshu.