The Stepmother’s Counterattack: Raising a Child in a Bygone Era
Chapter 720 - 719: Good Things Come to Those Who Follow Pei Ziheng

Chapter 720: Chapter 719: Good Things Come to Those Who Follow Pei Ziheng

Xiahou Dun sighed, "Ziheng, everything else is negotiable, but studying is really too hard for me. Even if I repeat a grade three times, I still might not be able to get into college!"

"Indeed, indeed," Liu Shan nodded vigorously like pounding garlic.

Pei Ziheng looked at the two of them and curved his lips, saying, "You have to take the exam whether you can pass or not. I’ve already found you a tutor. Starting tomorrow, you don’t need to attend evening self-study; instead, you will go to the teacher’s house for supplementary lessons."

Upon hearing this, the two inwardly complained but dared not disobey.

Despite his young age, Pei Ziheng’s high IQ and scheming and ruthless methods made them both admire and fear him.

Pei Ziheng turned to Liu Shan, "Go back and tell your dad that Chief Wang from the Budget Office is getting transferred in February next year. If he has any ambitions, he can start making moves now."

Liu Shan was startled, then nodded excitedly, "I’ll tell my dad as soon as I get back."

Xiahou Dun looked at Liu Shan sitting in the passenger seat with envy.

Over the years, under Pei Ziheng’s guidance, Liu Shan’s father had risen two ranks from a marginally important clerk in the Finance Bureau to the deputy head of the Construction Office.

If he could succeed in taking the position of head of the Budget Office this time, it would be as good as securing a seat in the Finance Bureau, paving the way for a smooth career ahead.

However, Pei Ziheng had been good to his own family as well.

His dad, Xia Zhendong, was originally just a guy fixing cars on a stand, but then Pei Ziheng invested money for his dad to open a motorcycle repair shop. Later they started dealing in second-hand motorcycles, and eventually moving into second-hand cars. Now, his dad was the boss of Jetrun Trading Company, specializing in imported cars, and business was booming.

The automotive industry was booming, but the import tariffs were frighteningly high.

Pei Ziheng thought of a way for Xiahou’s father to ship the cars that were purchased to other tax-free countries for a round trip before bringing them back into the country, which saved a substantial amount in tariffs.

With this method, Xiahou’s father had been making a killing for the past two years.

This was another significant reason why he and Liu Shan trusted Pei Ziheng.

Following Pei Ziheng meant reaping benefits.

...

Linghua Hair Salon.

As Zhu Linghua wrapped curlers in a customer’s hair, she groused about the annoyance from the morning, "...Always making a mountain out of a molehill, she even came to the school to make a fuss. Seriously, I’ve never seen such a person in my life. If she’s so precious, then don’t go to school at all, just keep her at home where no one can touch her – wouldn’t that solve everything, right?"

"True, boys will be rowdy, it’s inevitable. Mine is a little rascal too."

The customer’s agreement gave Zhu Linghua a satisfying sense of camaraderie as she continued to spout her dissatisfaction with Shen Mingzhu,

"Someone so aggressive and abrasive like her, no matter how pretty, it’s useless. She’s bound to be dumped by her man eventually! But I’ve got to admit, her man really is handsome, just my type!"

She chuckled mischievously after speaking.

The customer was curious to know just how attractive he was.

Just as Zhu Linghua was about to describe, she heard her son’s crying outside the door.

Turning her head, she saw her son covered in mud, with muddy footprints all over his clothes, one strap of his backpack torn and dragging on the ground, crying breathlessly.

Zhu Linghua, distressed and neglecting her work, asked, "Qiang’er, what happened to you? Did you fall down?"

"They kicked me and burned my homework book, wuu wuu wuu..."

Upon learning her son was bullied, Zhu Linghua was furious, and immediately called the class teacher, Xie Wenxiu.

"Again with Fu Qiang, day after day, there’s no peace with him as a student. I’m really unfortunate,"

After the call, Xie Wenxiu couldn’t help but complain to her husband.

Her husband casually asked, "What did he do this time?"

"He didn’t cause any trouble, but he was bullied by some older students. His mother is so angry she said she’s coming to the school tomorrow to demand an explanation."

Her husband delightedly said, "Isn’t this what they call ’good and evil eventually meet their reward, the way of Heaven always comes full circle?’ His son used to bully others, and now it’s his son’s turn to taste being bullied."

Xie Wenxiu said, "Isn’t that the truth? Just you watch, there will be more trouble tomorrow."

...

The very next morning, Zhu Linghua took her son and sought out Xie Wenxiu.

With Fu Qiang’s identification, several students were quickly called to the office, but all of them denied bullying Fu Qiang.

Zhu Linghua was furious. If it hadn’t been for Xie Wenxiu and others holding her back, she probably would have hit the students.

"Call their parents here. I want to ask how they discipline their children. If they don’t apologize today, this isn’t over! Also, the school must punish them. Each one has to write a self-criticism and a letter of assurance!"

Zhu Linghua thought she could imitate Shen Mingzhu and intimidate the bad students.

However, the students just pushed and kicked each other, laughing and joking without a care, not taking her seriously at all.

Following the school’s notification, the parents of the students began to arrive one after another.

The first to arrive was a lawyer.

As soon as he came, he directly asked Zhu Linghua if she had any evidence to prove that Fu Qiang had been beaten and bullied by his child.

In addition, the other parents included the wife of a deputy director of the transportation bureau, a lady who was a private enterprise owner, and officials from the education bureau.

Each of them was an individual not to be trifled with by the Fu Family.

After a commotion, Zhu Linghua, not only failed to get justice for her son, but she also had to apologize to them.

She had no evidence of their children bullying her son, nor did she have the guts to confront these parents.

Yet the matter did not end there.

Fu Qiang was not only still being bullied by several senior students but was also becoming increasingly isolated and ostracized by his classmates due to his past arrogance and tyranny, leading to his personality becoming more sullen by the day.

By the time school resumed in spring the following year, Pei Tang had not seen Fu Qiang again; he heard that Fu Qiang had transferred to another school.

But that’s another story.

...

On the day of Laba, Qin Jinlian came into town to deliver the Laba porridge she had stewed for her brother and sister.

As soon as she saw her, Shen Mingzhu noticed that Qin Jinlian’s eyes were a bit red, as if she had been crying.

"Today I saw Liu Cuihua. Her son pulled her back from the hospital with a wooden cart. She was so thin, just skin and bones, her mouth crooked, her eyes askew, unable to move or speak."

For the first time, Qin Jinlian spoke of Liu Cuihua without anger and Schadenfreude but with a sigh of sadness.

However, Shen Mingzhu knew very well that Qin Jinlian’s emotions were not out of sympathy and compassion for Liu Cuihua but out of fear of aging and death.

"You don’t need to worry too much. At your age, you should live each day as it comes. Who knows? Maybe one day you’ll pass away in your sleep, without any pain."

Qin Jinlian was overwhelmed by her insincere consolation, "You might as well just anger me to death. That way, I won’t be a bother to you!"

After venting her anger, she then asked about Shen Chaobei, her eldest son, "It’s the end of the year. Is your big brother coming back to Fengcheng for the New Year?"

"You know the phone number for your big brother, you can call and ask him yourself if he’s coming back."

Qin Jinlian murmured, "After so many years, your sister-in-law still holds a grudge over the past?"

Shen Mingzhu glanced at her, "A grudge over a lost child, an irreconcilable enmity."

Qin Jinlian left with a pang of pain in her heart after being rebuffed by her retort.

No sooner had Qin Jinlian left than Pei Wenping came to the office on her heels, bringing up the matter of Pei Qiuxia and She Zheming’s matchmaking.