The Stepmother’s Counterattack: Raising a Child in a Bygone Era
Chapter 772 - 771: Impossible to Apologize to the Assailant

Chapter 772: Chapter 771: Impossible to Apologize to the Assailant

No one expected Shen Mingzhu to suddenly make a move, pinning Mother Guan to the office desk like pressing down a chick, and everyone was stunned.

After two seconds of silence, Mother Guan let out a pig-slaughtering scream, "She’s hitting someone... mmph!"

Shen Mingzhu casually picked up a towel from the office desk and stuffed it into Mother Guan’s mouth.

Yu Lilan uttered a sigh; that was her towel for wiping down the tables and chairs.

But seeing Shen Mingzhu’s off-the-charts display of force, she swallowed the words that came to her mouth.

She knew this idea was wrong, but she felt an unspeakable excitement and relief in her heart.

Resentment extends beyond the immediate issue, and she was also quite annoyed at Mother Guan’s unreasonableness. Every time Guan Jiayu caused trouble and a parent was called in, Mother Guan would always put up an attitude of "My daughter did no wrong; it’s always someone else’s fault," even accusing her of being against her own students.

This time, Mother Guan truly met her match.

Yu Lilan kept her thoughts, which should not be shared with outsiders, to herself and didn’t speak up to stop Shen Mingzhu’s "violence."

Seeing her silence, the other teachers in the office hesitated and remained quiet as well.

Who doesn’t like to watch a good show?

Guan Jiayu was both shocked and scared seeing her mother pinned to the table by Shen Mingzhu.

She had never seen such a fierce mother before, a real tiger mom.

Fearing that she too would be hit by Shen Mingzhu, she burst into tears, "I was wrong, I won’t speak ill of Pei Tang ever again, I won’t say it anymore."

For her young age, she sure knew how to adapt to the situation.

Shen Mingzhu sneered inwardly and said coldly, "Bow to my daughter Pei Tang and apologize, promising never to speak ill of her again."

Guan Jiayu dared not disobey and obediently bowed to Pei Tang, saying sorry.

Shen Mingzhu then turned her gaze to the other two little girls.

They were so terrified by Shen Mingzhu’s sharp gaze that they quickly bowed and apologized to Pei Tang before Shen Mingzhu could even speak.

"Teacher Yu, how about each of them writes a thousand-word self-criticism and reads it in front of the whole class? What do you think of my suggestion?"

Looking at Mother Guan, who was still being pinned to the table, Yu Lilan gave an embarrassed smile, "I think that’s no problem."

"So is the matter resolved for today?"

"Mm-hmm."

Yu Lilan thought to herself, If I said no, would you pin me to the office desk as well?

Shen Mingzhu let go of Mother Guan.

Mother Guan, like an enraged rooster, lunged at Shen Mingzhu aiming to scratch and claw, but Shen Mingzhu pulled her daughter aside and dodged, causing Mother Guan to overshoot and fall flat on her face.

"Ha ha ha!"

The students gathered at the door of the office burst into uproarious laughter.

After all, Guan Jiayu was only seven years old, with a thin skin. Seeing her mother made such a fool of herself, she felt both ashamed and angry, her cheeks flushing red.

Shen Mingzhu did not mock Mother Guan, but pulled her daughter over in front of the students:

"My daughter Pei Tang has been enthusiastic and kind-hearted, diligent and eager to learn, understanding and polite since she was little. She has encountered bad people, but that is not her fault, nor does it overshadow the fact that she is well-rounded in both character and learning."

"If you are willing to be her friend, I will treat you with respect, but if any of you think she’s an easy target and do or say anything to hurt her, I will pursue the matter to the end and will not let it go easily."

The entire crowd of teachers and students were intimidated by Shen Mingzhu’s powerful declaration.

"What a shrew, you’re nothing but a shrew!"

Shen Mingzhu responded with a light laugh, "Yes, that’s right, I am, so don’t mess with me."

Unable to win the argument, Mother Guan turned to pull others for support, "You all saw with your own eyes how vicious she is. It’s no wonder her daughter hits people; it truly is like mother, like daughter. This matter can’t just be left at that!"

Shen Mingzhu replied, "You mean, you want to challenge me one-on-one? Fine, let’s go outside and find an empty spot, so we won’t disturb the teachers’ work."

Mother Guan dared not accept the challenge, as it was clear at first glance that Shen Mingzhu was trained. Though she looked refined and delicate, she was incredibly strong.

At this moment, Yu Lilan and other teachers all began to persuade Mother Guan to let it go, saying that they were all mothers of children from the same class and should be understanding and tolerant of one another, blah blah blah.

But when Shen Mingzhu took action, not a single person spoke up.

The treatment Mother Guan received in comparison was clearly biased, with Tianping favoring one side without saying a word.

Shen Mingzhu’s ferocity and domineering attitude were indeed true, but no one could help being moved and subdued by her protective love for her daughter.

In the end, under Yu Lilan’s smoothing over and favoritism, the matter of Pei Tang hitting someone was settled with Shen Mingzhu accepting ten yuan for medical expenses.

Mother Guan still wanted Pei Tang to bow and apologize to her daughter, Guan Jiayu, but was met with a fierce refusal from Shen Mingzhu:

"In this lifetime, I will never let my daughter apologize to an abuser. If you’re not satisfied, we can meet in court, and I will see it to the end."

Mother Guan’s face turned the color of a pig’s liver. Sue? What a joke. Didn’t that cost money?

"You shrew, both mother and daughter are shrews!"

Shen Mingzhu coolly retorted, "Better a shrew than someone who gets bullied."

...

As school was about to be dismissed, Shen Mingzhu simply took leave for her daughter and left the school early.

"Mom, I was wrong."

As soon as Pei Tang got in the car, she took the initiative to apologize and burrowed her fuzzy head into Shen Mingzhu’s embrace.

At school, Pei Tang was like a fiery chili pepper, but in front of Shen Mingzhu, she was as docile as a little kitten.

So cute and soft.

Shen Mingzhu held her rosy-cheeked little face tenderly, her tone so gentle it was uncharacteristic, "Where did you go wrong, hm?"

"I shouldn’t have fought with my classmate."

Although she said she was in the wrong, her tone lacked any hint of guilt or inferiority.

"My little mischievous egg," Shen Mingzhu lovingly tapped her tiny upturned nose, "Mom told you, fighting is wrong. No matter what happens, we must learn to resolve conflicts in a rational and peaceful way. But, in situations where reasoning gets us nowhere, there’s nothing wrong with using other methods to protect our own interests."

"So, in Mom’s eyes, your courage to stand up to bullying and abuse is a very brave act and is commendable."

Pei Tang, who never thought she was wrong in the first place, was even more puffed up with pride after being praised by Shen Mingzhu.

"Mom, I love you so much. You’re the best mom in the world."

As she watched her daughter sprawl out lazily in her embrace, Shen Mingzhu felt an indescribable sense of contentment and happiness.

But thinking back to the accusations and slander her daughter suffered, her mood sank again.

"Guoguo, Mom wants to ask you something."

"What is it?"

"Are there still other students at school talking about you?"

Pei Tang stretched out her tender fingers and rubbed her mother’s forehead softly, her voice soft and mellow, "Mom, don’t be angry. Those people who talk behind my back are like rats in a gutter, sneaking around doing disgusting things. They wouldn’t dare come up to me, otherwise I would..."

She made a fist with her hand, "Just like I did with Guan Jiayu, I’d make them search the ground for their teeth so they’ll never dare to mess with me again."

Shen Mingzhu didn’t expect her young daughter to have such courage and insight in the face of rumors and bullying. She felt proud and reassured, yet she was still worried about her daughter’s psychological well-being.

"They talk about you behind your back, does it make you unhappy?"

Pei Tang thought for a moment, "It used to, but not anymore."

"Why?"