Chapter 52 - 52 52 No Money and Still Want to Learn to Rob by Force
The Stepmother’s Counterattack: Raising a Child in a Bygone Era
Chapter 52: Chapter 52: No Money and Still Want to Learn to Rob by Force Chapter 52: Chapter 52: No Money and Still Want to Learn to Rob by Force Shen Mingzhu rolled her eyes and without turning her head, called into the room, âPei Ziheng, someoneâs here for you.â
Pei Ziheng was still asleep, and at the sound of Shen Mingzhuâs call, he sat up groggily with bleary eyes, looking towards the doorway.
Wang Xiuzhu waved at him with a beaming smile, âZiheng, time to get up!â
Pei Ziheng looked at her expressionlessly, displeasure written on every part of him, right down to his hair.
Displeasure from being woken up.
Wang Xiuzhu glanced at the washbasin and toiletries in Shen Mingzhuâs hand and said, âI want to have a word with Ziheng.
Why donât you step out for a while?â
Shen Mingzhu rolled her eyes, told Pei Ziheng âIâll be right back,â and left.
Wang Xiuzhu, acting as if she was already familiar with the place, stepped into the dormitory.
Her face bore a gentle and kind smile, âZiheng, let me take you to play on the steamboat, would you like to go?â
Pei Ziheng pursed his lips in silence, but the displeasure on his face seemed to lessen a bit.
With a look of victory, Wang Xiuzhu thought to herself, naturally, no child could resist the temptation of a steamboat.
âNormally, children are not allowed on the ship, but I especially asked an uncleâs friend to make an exception and let us go on board for a while.
This is also the ship your father usually works on.
You must want to see the place where your father works, right?â
There was no denying that Wang Xiuzhuâs proposal was irresistible to Pei Ziheng.
Added up, across two lifetimes, he had never seen the environment where Pei Yang worked, and he truly wanted to go and see it.
âWait a moment, Iâll get dressed,â he said.
Seeing him relent, Wang Xiuzhu was elated, âLet me help you get dressed.â
âNo need, I can do it myself.â
Looking at Pei Zihengâs aloof and pretty little face, Wang Xiuzhu secretly thought this child was so difficult to deal with.
He must have been spoiled by Shen Mingzhu, that countrywoman.
Once she became Zihengâs stepmother, she would definitely teach him to be a well-behaved and polite child.
Thinking this, Wang Xiuzhu gave Pei Ziheng an even more tender and kind smile while fishing for information, âZiheng, do you usually dress yourself?
Doesnât Shen Mingzhu help you?â
Pei Ziheng gave her a white look, âIâm not disabled.
Why would I need someone else to dress me?â
Wang Xiuzhu was taken aback, âBut youâre still young; you should be taken care of by adults.
Your father married her exactly for that reasonâto take care of you.
Otherwise, she has no value in this family.â
If Shen Mingzhu was the same malicious woman from his past life, indeed, she would not have been necessary.
But she was different; she wasnât the same as that malicious woman.
âYouâre wrong.
Auntie Mingzhu has other values in this family,â he retorted.
Wang Xiuzhu was about to ask what value that could be when she heard Pei Ziheng say, âWith her here, those crooked melons and cracked jujubes with ill intentions wonât have a chance to step through the doors of my house.â
Wang Xiuzhu: ââ¦â
She almost suspected that Pei Ziheng was implying something about her, but how could that be?
He was only four years old, and a four-year-old child wouldnât understand these things.
It must have been Shen Mingzhuâs doing.
She always knew this woman wasnât as simple as she seemed on the surface!
To actually teach a child all this nonsense.
It seemed inconceivable that a countrywoman could be so scheming.
She absolutely couldnât let Pei Yangâs child be ruined by this calculating woman!
Meanwhile, Shen Mingzhu who was washing up didnât have the slightest clue that she had just been firmly saddled with a huge scapegoat.
âAre you dressed?
Letâs go,â said Wang Xiuzhu.
Seeing Pei Ziheng had put on his clothes, Wang Xiuzhu made a move as if to grab his hand, but was avoided by Pei Ziheng with a look of disgust.
âWait, Aunt Mingzhu hasnât come back yet.â
âWe donât need to wait for her.
Weâll have our fun.
After we look at the steamboat, Iâll take you to eat something delicious.
Do you like shrimp?
There are shrimp as thick as your arm, one could stuff you full,â Wang Xiuzhu said.
The more Pei Ziheng listened, the more he frowned.
âYouâre not taking Aunt Mingzhu on the steamboat?â
âOf course, the steamboat isnât for outsiders.
I also had to make a lot of effort to get Uncle Sheng to agree to let you come onboard for a bit.
She wouldnât even be able to get on if she wanted to.â
Just then, Shen Mingzhu came back to the dormitory carrying a washbasin and toiletries, and also overheard Wang Xiuzhuâs words.
Shen Mingzhu wasnât particularly interested in boarding the steamboat, but she knew how much Pei Ziheng missed Pei Yang, his father, yet she didnât trust Wang Xiuzhu to take Pei Ziheng out.
So she said to Pei Ziheng, âIâll accompany you out, and when you go on the steamboat to play, Iâll wait for you below.â
Wang Xiuzhu rolled her eyes at her but didnât say anything.
However, Pei Ziheng shook his head and sat back down on the bed.
âI donât want to go anymore.â
Both Wang Xiuzhu and Shen Mingzhu were surprised.
Wang Xiuzhu tried hard to describe how much fun the steamboat was, attempting to persuade Pei Ziheng to go out with her, aiming to win over Pei Zihengâs heart.
Ordinary four-year-old children like Zhou Hao might fall for it, but Pei Ziheng was no ordinary child.
He repelled Wang Xiuzhu with just one sentence, âI can wait for my dad to come back and let him take me and Aunt Mingzhu to play on the steamboat together.â
Shen Mingzhuâs face bloomed with a smile, while Wang Xiuzhuâs face looked as awful as if she had eaten shit.
You would think Wang Xiuzhu would finally settle down now, but no!
She was as resilient and hard to defeat as a cockroach.
âShen Mingzhu, letâs have a talk,â she said.
âLetâs talk,â Shen Mingzhu responded nonchalantly, showing no sign of intimidation.
Pei Ziheng, watching her all ready to battle, sighed silently and, expressionlessly, picked up the small basin on the balcony rail and left the dormitory.
âShen Mingzhu, name your price.
What will it take for you to leave the Pei Family?â
Oh, the audacity of the toad yawning â what a grandiose breath!
Shen Mingzhu said playfully, âGive me a reason.
Why should I leave the Pei Family?â
âI knew Pei Yang before you did.
If it hadnât been for you, Pei Yang and I would already be together.
Shen Mingzhu, youâre the newcomer, youâre the third party who came between Pei Yang and me!â
Shen Mingzhu burst into laughter at this, âSince youâve known Pei Yang for so long, why didnât you make him marry you then?
If heâd married you, there would be nothing to do with me, right?â
Biting her lip, Wang Xiuzhuâs face was full of resentment.
âShen Mingzhu, you just happened to have the luck of the draw, just that little bit earlier.
But you should know that a perfect family needs love to maintain and nurture it.
You two have no love between you; he married you just to have a free nanny for Pei Ziheng!
I hope you can step aside voluntarily, and rest assured I will do my utmost to compensate you.â
Shen Mingzhu laughed, âGive me a million, and Iâll divorce Pei Yang on the spot.
If I wait even a second longer, consider me the loser!â
Wang Xiuzhuâs eyes nearly popped out, âA million?
Why donât you just rob a bank?â
âDidnât you ask me to name my price?
Or do you think Pei Yang isnât worth that much?
Or maybe, you just donât have the money?
Really now, having no money and still trying to force your way, youâre quite the joker!â
Having successfully driven away her rival, Shen Mingzhu was in a particularly good mood, only to turn around and see her stepson, his little face puffed up with anger, glaring at her.