The Stepmother's Counterattack: Raising a Child in a Bygone Era-Chapter 63 - Staying with Her to Live Through the Days

Chapter 63: Chapter 63 Staying with Her to Live Through the Days

Chapter 63 -63 Staying with Her to Live Through the Days

Someone said something, and suddenly dozens of pairs of eyes in the family living quarters turned towards the entrance all at once.

After riding on a train for a day and a night, Shen Mingzhu was exhausted and could hardly wait to go home and lie down to rest.

But as soon as they entered the gate of the family living quarters, she found a courtyard full of people giving them a three-person salute.

It gave her the feeling of walking down the red carpet under the gaze of the audience, and she subconsciously straightened her back even more.

Suddenly, a round “object” rolled to Shen Mingzhu’s feet.

Upon closer inspection, who else could it be but Shen Baolan!

After not seeing her for half a month, she had gained another layer of fat.

Just as Shen Mingzhu was about to mock her, Shen Baolan dashed towards Pei Yang in one fell swoop, her face full of shock, as if she had seen a ghost.

“Pei Yang!?

Why have you come back?”

Pei Yang stared at the woman in front of him for a while before he hesitantly spoke, “You are?”

“Me?

You don’t recognize me?

Shen Baolan!”

Pei Yang looked puzzled, “Shen Baolan?

Who’s that?”

“Pfft!”

Shen Mingzhu couldn’t hold it in and burst out laughing, which made Pei Yang glance at her, as if wondering what Shen Mingzhu was laughing at.

Pei Yang had truly forgotten who Shen Baolan was.

Initially, during the blind date, he had only glanced at a photo, and Shen Baolan’s name was something he had heard from the matchmaker a couple of times.

Moreover, once Shen Baolan had not taken a fancy to him, he quickly got married to Shen Mingzhu and then hurried off to Xicheng Port, completely tossing Shen Baolan out of his mind.

Now that the person had suddenly appeared before him, he really couldn’t remember her.

Seeing that Pei Yang had genuinely forgotten her, Shen Baolan’s face turned red and white, providing quite the spectacle.

With a resentful gaze, she stared at Pei Yang, “I’m from Shenjiagou.

You and Zhou Shuhuan even visited my house back then.”

Upon mentioning the blind date, Pei Yang remembered, and his expression turned to one of disbelief.

That was because the Shen Baolan standing in front of him was so unlike the girl in the photograph, she was hardly recognizable.

He greeted Shen Baolan verbally, but inwardly he wondered if the Zhou family had struck it rich, given the good food they must have provided to fatten up a daughter-in-law to such roundness in just half a year.

“I’m pregnant!”

Guessing Pei Yang’s thoughts, Shen Baolan hurriedly explained.

“Congratulations.”

Pei Yang responded briefly, then wanted to take his wife and son home.

First, he wasn’t acquainted with Shen Baolan, and second, all the people in the family living quarters were watching.

He didn’t want to stir up idle gossip with Shen Baolan.

However, Shen Baolan stubbornly blocked his way, “Pei Yang, why have you come back?”

Pei Yang felt it absurd.

Did he need to report to an outsider about returning home?

“Came back to visit relatives.”

After saying that, without giving Shen Baolan a chance to speak again, he said to Shen Mingzhu, who was watching the drama, “Let’s go,” and then quickened his pace, striding past Shen Baolan.

Shen Mingzhu couldn’t care less about Shen Baolan either, and she led Pei Ziheng following behind Pei Yang.

As for Pei Ziheng, he cast a thoughtful look at Shen Baolan.

The family of three quickly walked away.

Shen Baolan stood there, supporting her waist, staring dumbfounded at Pei Yang’s tall and majestic back, unable to recover for a long time.

Pei Yang had actually come back.

Why did he come back?

The people in the family living quarters watching Shen Baolan’s dispirited state could not stop snickering to themselves.

“Tsk, tsk, tsk, look at her, her eyes nearly sticking to Pei Yang.”

“Indeed, as soon as she saw Pei Yang, she pounced like a dog after a bone.

She has never shown this much interest in Zhou Shuhuan.”

“Strutting around with a big belly, not even knowing to avoid suspicion.

Pei Yang doesn’t even want to pay attention to her, yet she’s still insisting on getting in his face.

These country bumpkins really have no shame.”

“What was she thinking?

Originally, she was the one who rejected Pei Yang, choosing Zhou Shuhuan instead.

Could it be she regrets it now?”

“Looking at the pot while eating from the bowl.”

Pei Yang returned home and dropped his luggage before suddenly turning around.

Shen Mingzhu and Pei Ziheng, who followed him inside, were both startled.

“What’s wrong?” Shen Mingzhu asked.

Pei Yang looked at her, half-joking, half-earnest, “Are you a bit foolish?”

“You’re the fool,” Shen Mingzhu retorted, puzzled by the insult.

“What did I do?”

“It’s exactly because you did nothing—that’s the problem.

Just now, I was entangled by that Shen Baolan, and you didn’t help me out,” Pei Yang said with a hint of complaint in his tone.

Suppressing a laugh, Shen Mingzhu said, “She wanted to catch up with you.

If I had interfered, wouldn’t the whole family courtyard be gossiping about how jealous and petty I am?”

Pei Yang frowned in dissatisfaction, “Don’t talk nonsense, I have nothing to reminisce with her about.

Today was the first time I met her.”

Shen Mingzhu was somewhat surprised.

She had thought Pei Yang pretended not to recognize Shen Baolan out of a desire for revenge or a prank.

When Pei Yang and Zhou Shuhuan went to Shen Baolan’s house for a blind date, Shen Baolan chose Zhou Shuhuan, which must have hurt Pei Yang’s pride.

“Didn’t you meet Shen Baolan during the blind date before?”

Pei Yang briefly recounted the events of the blind date day and then curiously asked about his buddy Zhou Shuhuan, “What’s Shuhuan been up to lately?

Is he busy making a fortune with business?

Seems like he’s keeping his wife pretty well.”

The house was as cold as an ice cellar.

Shen Mingzhu changed her shoes, immediately turned on the heating, went to boil water in the kitchen, and then finally sat down on the sofa to rest.

Meanwhile, she began telling him about the important events that had happened at the Zhou family over the past six months.

After hearing everything, Pei Yang exclaimed in amazement, secretly grateful for Shen Baolan’s refusal to marry.

That woman was just too much trouble.

He was often away from home, and who knows, one day he might come back to find his home had been turned upside down by her.

His Mingzhu, on the other hand, was gentle, generous, and virtuous, always meeting his expectations in every way.

With these thoughts, the gaze he laid on Shen Mingzhu grew a few degrees warmer.

Feeling uneasy under the man’s gaze, Shen Mingzhu made an excuse to pour water and went to the kitchen.

Seeing her leave, Pei Yang also stood up and carried his luggage into the bedroom.

As soon as he entered, he paused for two seconds, then put down his luggage and started to carefully examine the bedroom.

The luxurious curtains had been replaced with light purple little florals, the bed linens were pink and blue checked pattern, and a dressing table sat in the corner of the room by the window, with a desk beside it.

In addition to these, the bedroom now contained many more small items and decorations.

For instance, vases, cacti, table lamps, photo frames, books, and so on.

Compared to before, the bedroom now had a greater sense of warmth and scholarly aroma; it also carried a light fragrance, reminiscent of an ancient lady’s boudoir.

Though he had no idea what an ancient lady’s boudoir was like, he imagined it must resemble this.

Pei Yang bent down to touch the soft and clean bed sheets before lying down on them.

Soft, clean, and more comfortable than he had imagined, his nose also picked up a faint fragrance, identical to hers.

A home with a wife, he thought, really was different from one without.

He just wanted to lie there forever, never leaving, and simply live his days by her side.

Pei Yang thought this as he lay there with his eyes closed.

Shen Mingzhu came out of the kitchen with a thermos, noticed that the man wasn’t in the living room, and the luggage was gone as well.

Guessing that he must have gone to the bedroom, she put down the thermos and headed that way.

The moment she reached the bedroom door, she saw the shameless man sprawled out on her bed.

Yes, her bed.

Not just the bed—the bedroom, the house, even the stepson next door, she had come to regard them all as her own possessions.

And Pei Yang, the man of the house, seemed like an superfluous decoration instead.

Just like now, seeing him lying on her bed, she felt an inexplicable sense of unease as if her territory had been invaded.

“Pei Yang.”

Pei Yang opened his eyes and stared at Shen Mingzhu standing at the bedroom door for two seconds, then raised his hand.

“Come in and talk.”

Shen Mingzhu walked over, about to speak, only to be unexpectedly pulled onto the bed by the man.