The Stepmother’s Counterattack: Raising a Child in a Bygone Era
Chapter 758 - 757: It’s Hard to Provide Timely Help in the Snow

Chapter 758: Chapter 757: It’s Hard to Provide Timely Help in the Snow

Having lived a big half of her life, it was the first time she found herself knocking on someone’s door to ask for food. Mother Zhuang found it somewhat difficult to speak.

Hesitating, Pei Tang ran to the door with a half-eaten pizza in hand, politely greeting her.

"Cold Grandma."

Seeing the innocent and well-behaved Pei Tang, Mother Zhuang thought of her son waiting at home for food and gathered her courage to speak to Shen Mingzhu, "Shen, I would like some more pizza and apple pie, if it’s not too much trouble?"

Shen Mingzhu was somewhat surprised.

The portion she had sent over earlier was not small; it was enough to feed at least three people.

But she did not ask further and generously divided half of her own pizza and apple pie for Mother Zhuang to take back.

"Xiao Xu, here, your pizza and apple pie."

Seeing the food laid out on the coffee table, Zhuang Xu silently picked up a slice and stuffed it into his mouth.

Mother Zhuang felt relieved.

Going back and forth had not only worked up a sweat, but the aroma of the pizza and apple pie had also triggered her appetite.

She broke off a small piece of apple pie and put it in her mouth; the crust was crispy and tender, the inside soft and mellow, with a sweet and tangy flavor.

After she finished, still craving more, Mother Zhuang took another piece.

The three slices of pizza and a six-inch apple pie were devoured by the mother and son without leaving a morsel.

This was the first proper meal they had eaten in London since their arrival.

Zhuang Xu could not come to terms with the disintegration of his family, and neither could Mother Zhuang.

She had lived a life of luxury, and to face old age with the pride, status, and wealth she had valued all gone, she was already at her limit just by not seeking death or subjecting herself to misery, let alone having the heart to eat and drink.

Yet, strangely, this meal of food she would not have given a second glance, once consumed, seemed to have eased her mind by quite a bit.

...

The next day.

Shen Mingzhu finished breakfast and was on her way to class when she heard voices next door.

Since both houses were mirror image townhouses, their front doors were right next to each other, separated only by a half-height wooden fence.

In reality, the wooden fence served merely a decorative purpose and provided no real privacy.

A visitor standing at the Zhuang Family’s entrance was no different from standing at her own.

"Hi, Mrs. Pei."

The visitor was Mrs. Hunter from behind Shen Mingzhu’s house, whom Shen Mingzhu also knew.

Mrs. Hunter was a warm and outgoing person; she liked to talk for a bit with everyone: "Wow, Mrs. Pei, you have no idea how delicious the pizza and apple pie that Mrs. Zhuang made are, our whole family loves them."

Yesterday, the pizza and apple pie Shen Mingzhu brought over to the Zhuang family had been divided into portions by Lou Hua and delivered to the surrounding neighbors.

Mrs. Hunter came over early in the morning to deliver cherry pies to the Zhuang family as a thank you.

Lou Hua, holding the cherry pies, gave Shen Mingzhu an extremely embarrassed smile.

Giving pizza and apple pie to the neighbors was purely being generous on someone else’s behalf, especially since Mother Zhuang had later specifically sought out Shen Mingzhu to ask for more.

He wished there was a hole in the ground he could dive into.

Shen Mingzhu didn’t expose the truth, instead she just chatted with Mrs. Hunter for a bit and then left for her class.

When she returned home at noon, the living room was already filled with gifts sent by the Zhuang family, along with half a cherry pie.

Mother Zhuang had personally come over to explain the situation.

Shen Mingzhu graciously laughed it off, saying it didn’t matter, and if the Zhuang mother and son liked eating her baked pizza and apple pie, she’d make some more and send it over when she had the time.

Mother Zhuang sincerely thanked her.

It’s easy to add flowers to brocade, but difficult to send coal in the snow.

Shen Mingzhu didn’t just watch with cold eyes as the Zhuang Family’s fortune declined, which was something she was truly grateful for.

...

Lately, Shen Mingzhu’s schedule was quite tight, so the siblings were mostly on their own at home.

After breakfast and some playtime, Pei Tang would start on his summer homework, continuing until lunch. After a nap post-lunch, he would usually draw or go with Pei Ziheng to the supermarket to buy food and household supplies.

When the sun wasn’t so strong in the evenings, the siblings would play badminton on the lawn.

Playing badminton for at least half an hour each day was a strict rule set by Shen Mingzhu for the siblings.

On one hand, it was for physical exercise, and on the other, it was to prevent myopia.

Both siblings had a tendency to decline in their eyesight—one loved watching TV and the other loved reading.

Pei Tang, sweet-looking and lively, made two friends of a similar age not long after they moved into the villa.

A blonde girl with a golden ponytail and sea-blue eyes named Elsa was a true London native.

Kona, with her sandy blond curly hair, light brown skin, and doll-like big eyes, was an Australian expatriate.

Elsa and Kona both found it puzzling and sympathetic that Pei Tang had to do summer homework every day.

Pei Tang, on the other hand, couldn’t help but envy London students for not having any holiday homework.

However, although Elsa and Kona didn’t have to do summer homework, they needed to attend many hobby classes,

such as various crafts, swimming, horse-riding, rugby, painting, and so on.

In communicating with Elsa and Kona, Pei Tang’s English improved significantly, and in the spirit of exchange, she also taught them to speak some Chinese.

In the blink of an eye, half a month had passed since the Zhuang mother and son moved in.

Both of them were having a tough time adjusting: for one, their standard of living had drastically dropped; for another, they weren’t accustomed to London’s cuisine.

Lou Hua was a professional butler, not a qualified chef. Fortunately, Shen Mingzhu was always there to lend a hand.

Strangely enough, the food Shen Mingzhu made unexpectedly always suited the tastes of the Zhuang mother and son.

In fact, every time Shen Mingzhu brought over dishes, they were made to the mother and son’s preferences, as entrusted by Zhuang Xueqi.

Lou Hua was eager to learn; whenever Shen Mingzhu was free, he would bring ingredients to her house and humbly ask for her guidance in cooking.

That day, as usual, Lou Hua came to Shen Mingzhu’s place to learn cooking.

Shen Mingzhu told him, "I’m taking the kids to M Country in a couple of days, we’ll probably be gone for about four or five days."

Lou Hua responded in agreement, but he was actually worried inside; the lady and young master would probably go hungry again during the days Shen Mingzhu was away.

However, he heard Shen Mingzhu say, "I’ll teach you a few more dishes today. Later, after they’re done, please invite Mrs. Zhuang and Zhuang Xu over. They’ve been here for quite a while; it’s time our two families got together."

Lou Hua hesitated before nodding in agreement.

His hesitation was not because he thought Shen Mingzhu’s suggestion was bad, but because he was worried Zhuang Xu wouldn’t want to come over.

During his time here, Zhuang Xu stubbornly refused to step out of the villa, which nearly drove Mother Zhuang to despair.

"Xiao Xu, Mrs. Pei from next door has invited us over for dinner, tidy yourself up and change into some clean clothes, okay?"

"I’m not going."

Zhuang Xu, his hair a bird’s nest of tangles, focused on his video game and refused without showing any emotion.

Mother Zhuang’s heart ached, and not knowing what to do with her son, she turned around and left with a heavy heart.

Upon learning that Zhuang Xu was unwilling to go out, Shen Mingzhu offered some gentle words of comfort before going upstairs to find Pei Ziheng.

"Son, would you like to take on a task for mom?"

For the first time, Pei Ziheng felt that his mother’s smile resembled that of a big grey wolf, but he couldn’t bear to refuse.

"Okay."