The Stepmother’s Counterattack: Raising a Child in a Bygone Era
Chapter 85: Do You Look Down on My Pei Yang?

Chapter 85: Chapter 85: Do You Look Down on My Pei Yang?

During dinner, Pei Wenping secretly observed Pei Yang and Shen Mingzhu to see if the couple had had a conflict.

However, having observed them all evening, she found no issue between them.

Pei Yang helped Shen Mingzhu with her food several times, and Shen Mingzhu ate what was offered, looking sweet and harmonious, with no sign of conflict.

So, it wasn’t because they had a disagreement that they were sleeping in separate rooms; had they been doing so all along?

This conclusion left Pei Wenping with a lump in her throat.

After dinner, Pei Wenping gave the motorcycle keys to Chen Yi, asking him to take the two kids home first, while she stayed behind to help clean and tidy up.

By the time they finished, it was already 10:30 PM, and Pei Yang walked Pei Wenping downstairs, taking the opportunity to dispose of the garbage.

Once downstairs, Pei Wenping pulled Pei Yang out of the residential compound before opening up.

"What the hell is going on with you and Mingzhu?"

At first, Pei Yang played dumb, but when Pei Wenping pointed out that she had noticed they were sleeping in separate rooms, Pei Yang had no choice but to spill the truth.

Learning that Shen Mingzhu was unwilling to share a room, Pei Wenping’s first thought was whether her younger brother had done something wrong to upset Shen Mingzhu.

Pei Yang cried foul, setting aside any embarrassment, and rattled off various ways he had tried to please Shen Mingzhu recently.

After listening, Pei Wenping didn’t know what to say.

Given her brother’s personality, it was already remarkable that he had gone to such lengths.

Her husband, Chen Yi, with his gentle and considerate nature, hadn’t even washed her feet.

"Did you ask Mingzhu about it? Why doesn’t she want to share a room with you?"

"She said she doesn’t dislike me, just that she’s not used to it yet, and asked me to give her more time."

——

That night, Pei Wenping lay in bed tossing and turning, unable to sleep, which also kept Chen Yi awake. Eventually, the couple sat up and started to chat.

"...Old Chen, do you think, maybe Mingzhu has some other ideas?"

Chen Yi looked at her amused, "Asking me that means you’ve already got that idea in your head."

Pei Wenping felt a bit depressed, "Originally, you know, I fully supported her ambition coming from the countryside and all. But now, it seems like having too much ambition isn’t good either; her heart’s gone wild, she doesn’t even want to live a good life..."

Chen Yi consoled her, "Don’t be so pessimistic. I saw today that Pei Yang and your sister-in-law got along quite well, and Pei Yang seemed happy too. Let the married couple work things out on their own; we should worry less."

Pei Wenping gave him an annoyed look, "Of course you’re not worried, he’s not your brother."

"What are you talking about? How is Pei Yang not my brother?"

"If you really considered him your brother, you wouldn’t be so indifferent."

Chen Yi didn’t know whether to laugh or cry, "What else can I do, run over to the Pei Family with a knife to their necks, forcing them to share a room?"

"I can’t be bothered to talk to you!"

Pei Wenping turned over, lying on her side with her back to him, in a huff.

Chen Yi leaned over to look at her, "Are you angry?"

Pei Wenping kept her eyes closed and said nothing.

Chen Yi sighed helplessly, "If you really can’t let it go, why not just ask your sister-in-law directly? Only by getting to the root of the problem can you come up with a solution, right?"

Pei Wenping opened her eyes and gave her husband a look, "Now that sounds like an idea."

Chen Yi smiled, "Not mad anymore, are you?"

Pei Wenping snorted and turned to face him, "Let’s sleep, turn off the light."

"At your service."

----

After breakfast, Ma Sufen led her grandson downstairs, planning to chat with the old sisterhood and swing by the vegetable market to pick up some groceries.

Just as she got to the ground floor, she saw a group of old sisters huddled together, deep in lively conversation.

She quickly sent her grandson off to play with the other kids in the residential compound while she happily waddled over to eavesdrop on the gossip.

"What are you all talking about?"

Upon seeing her, they all chimed in, one after another, to talk about Shen Mingzhu’s self-study diploma.

Ma Sufen scoffed after hearing this, "Just let her boast. Others struggle over their books for years without success, but she, a middle-school educated housewife, spends her days at home looking after kids and doing chores, without attending any classes, and she passed university? She must be kidding."

"Sufen, you just don’t know, do you? This is a new educational system from the last two years. You don’t have to attend classes at school; just study at home, and after that, take a unified exam. Those who pass get their university diploma."

Ma Sufen looked astounded, as if a new world had been revealed to her, "You can study like that?"

"Didn’t Pei Yang just treat everyone to dinner yesterday? That was to celebrate his wife scoring good grades. Your Zhou Shuhuan went too; if you don’t believe it, go home and ask Zhou Shuhuan."

"Who would make up such tales? It would be nothing but an embarrassment to be exposed."

There were also sisters poking fun at Ma Sufen, "Sufen, you’re just sour. Both daughters-in-law come from the same village, but Pei Yang has quite the eye for talent. He picked a wife who is not only virtuous and capable but also so talented. She is about to become a university graduate. In comparison, the one at your house is leagues behind."

Ma Sufen immediately lost face, "Don’t mention that jinx to me, I will get upset with anyone who does..."

Seeing her like this, everyone kept mum but snickered behind her back.

That evening, when Zhou Shuhuan got home from work, Ma Sufen immediately asked him about Shen Mingzhu studying for her degree through self-study.

Having learned it was true, Ma Sufen was stunned.

"How on earth is that young woman so remarkable?"

Indeed, how remarkable she was. Not only was she good-looking and pleasant, but she also knew how to earn money and manage a household, possessed excellent cooking skills, and was ambitious, seamlessly obtaining a university diploma without drawing any attention.

The more outstanding and perfect Shen Mingzhu appeared, the more she highlighted Shen Baolan’s inadequacy.

"If only you had married Shen Mingzhu back then, we could have had a university graduate as a daughter-in-law. With a stepmother like her teaching Xiaohao, he would surely grow up to be successful," Ma Sufen lamented with deep regret.

Zhou Shuhuan’s heart was a complex mix of emotions.

If only he had not been so shortsighted back then, if only he had looked a little longer, maybe Shen Mingzhu could have truly become his daughter-in-law.

----

On the weekend, Pei Wenping invited Shen Mingzhu to the outskirts of the town for a hot spring visit.

One car couldn’t fit seven people, so they decided not to bring the three kids and left them with the grandparents in the Chen Family, allowing the couples to have a day for themselves.

This era’s hot springs didn’t have as many variations as in later years; it was just an open-air large pool, divided in the middle by a curtain, with men on one side and women on the other.

The men wore trunks, and the women wore tank tops and shorts.

At the men’s pool, Pei Yang’s broad-shouldered and narrow-waisted physique made all the men green with envy, while at the women’s pool, Shen Mingzhu’s fair skin and slender waist similarly evoked admiration and jealousy among the women.

Even Pei Wenping found herself unable to take her eyes off Shen Mingzhu’s smooth, jade-like exquisite figure.

Pei Wenping’s figure was actually not bad either; she always watched her diet, and being young and tall, she stood out at the workplace.

But compared to Shen Mingzhu, who had not given birth and still retained the light, tender figure of a young girl, she still fell short by a wide margin.

After soaking in the pool for a while, Pei Wenping led Shen Mingzhu to a secluded spot to whisper.

"Mingzhu, do you look down on my Pei Yang?"

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