The Stepmother's Counterattack: Raising a Child in a Bygone Era-Chapter 819 - 818 Dreams and Delusions

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On New Year’s Eve, the sound of firecrackers echoed, and the sky glittered with fireworks. freēwēbnovel.com

This year, Shen Mingzhu did not return to Anping Town but stayed at home.

Pei Wenping didn’t go to the Chen Family’s either; instead, she joined the family of four, along with three adults and four children, which was equally warm and joyful.

"Balala Energy, I am a Little Fairy, transform!"

In the courtyard, Pei Tang and his sister, along with the twin brother and sister, played and set off fireworks together, laughing and frolicking.

Shen Mingzhu, Pei Yang, and Pei Wenping sat around a stove roasting chestnuts and peanuts, warming themselves by the fire and chatting over tea.

Bang bang!

With two explosions, the night sky nearby bloomed with two huge, dazzling golden fireworks.

The flowers were beautiful and dreamlike, almost filling the entire sky.

Pei Tang and the others stopped playing and ran outside the courtyard, looking for the best place to watch the fireworks.

Pei Wenping, concerned, followed them out.

Seeing everyone leaving, Pei Yang also pulled Shen Mingzhu outside.

Watching one dazzling firework after another rise up, Pei Tang excitedly speculated, "I know who is setting off the fireworks, it must be Uncle Ning Yuan!"

Chen Xiaolu curiously asked, "How do you know?"

Pei Tang pointed toward where the fireworks were launched from, "That’s the top of Mingyuan, I’ve been there. It’s so beautiful, just like a castle. There’s Flower Fruit Mountain and the Racecourse; you can ride horses and play."

Hearing this, a look of envy flashed across Chen Xiaolu’s face, "I haven’t been there yet."

Pei Tang held her hand with sisterly affection, "Next time Aunt Xueqi invites me, I’ll take you with me."

"Okay!"

"Do you like to ride horses?"

Hearing her brother’s voice, Pei Tang turned and, unable to help herself upon seeing her brother’s face illuminated by the fireworks, reached out and grasped his hand.

"Uh-huh, horse riding is really fun. Brother, have you ever ridden?"

Pei Ziheng pinched her chubby hand, "I’ll take you when we have time."

Before Pei Tang could rejoice, Chen Xiaochao had already come over, "If you’re going horse riding, I want to go too, take me with you!"

Pei Ziheng glared at him, "You can go, but first, call me brother."

"Brother!"

Pei Ziheng laughed meaningfully, while Chen Xiaolu rolled her eyes at her younger brother’s suck-up behavior.

Pei Tang directly scoffed, "Xiaochao, how shameless can you get, you’re older than my brother, you know?"

Pei Ziheng was actually two years younger than the sibling duo and should have been their younger cousin.

But Pei Ziheng was tall with a physique honed from regular exercise and martial arts training, presenting a much more mature and stable impression than Chen Xiaochao.

"Guoguo, you really don’t know your brother’s strength. Out there, people respectfully call him Brother Pei. Calling him brother is a win for me, understand?"

Pei Tang rolled her adorable eyes, "Whether you’re winning or not, I don’t know, but your bootlicking of my brother truly is unseemly. From now on, when we’re out, don’t call out to me; I’d rather not let people know we’re acquainted."

"I’ll still call out, Guoguo, Guoguo!"

Not far away, listening to the children’s laughter, Shen Mingzhu suddenly felt sentimental, "In the blink of an eye, eleven years have gone by."

Pei Yang wrapped an arm around her waist and replied with a smile, "Yeah, it’s been eleven years since we got married. What’s this anniversary called again?"

Pei Wenping chimed in, "Steel anniversary!"

"Right, steel anniversary. Honey, shouldn’t we commemorate it? How about a pair of steel rings?"

Shen Mingzhu glanced at her husband and remained silent.

Her thoughts were not the same as what Pei Yang had said.

Not far off, Pei Ziheng turned his head and quietly looked towards Shen Mingzhu.

In this world, only he could understand Shen Mingzhu’s thoughts and worries.

While the fireworks were beautiful, staying outside too long was indeed cold.

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As soon as the fireworks had ended, both adults and children rushed back into the house to enjoy the warmth of the heating.

Once their frozen hands and feet gained some sensation, Shen Mingzhu looked at the time and took out the red envelopes she had prepared, handing one to each of the four children.

"Thank you, Mom!"

"Thank you, Auntie!"

Seeing Shen Mingzhu distributing the New Year’s money, Pei Yang and Pei Wenping also took out their prepared red envelopes and handed them out one by one.

After receiving the New Year’s money, for the children, the New Year’s Eve was considered fully celebrated.

Pei Wenping wanted to stay up late with Shen Mingzhu, but her two children were too sleepy, so she had to take them home to sleep, as they had to visit the Chen Family early the next morning to wish the elders Happy New Year.

After Pei Wenping and her three children left, Shen Mingzhu forcefully woke up her daughter, who was nodding off like a pecking chicken, and put a New Year’s wish book and a pen in her daughter’s hand.

"You’re the youngest, you go first. What’s your wish for the coming year?"

Pei Tang picked up the pen without hesitation: I hope there is no homework during winter or summer break!

Shen Mingzhu affectionately stroked her daughter’s head, her voice gentle, "Baby, you still need to distinguish between dreams and wild fantasies."

Pei Tang replied indignantly, "Then I’ll change it. I want to become the head of the Education Bureau and cancel all homework for elementary school students in the city!"

"Go for it, I would also love to be the mother of the head of the Education Bureau."

After coaxing her daughter into laughter, Shen Mingzhu passed the pen to Pei Ziheng, "Erza, what’s your wish for the coming year?"

Pei Ziheng said, "Ladies first, Mom, you go."

"Alright then."

Shen Mingzhu took the pen back, thought for a moment, and wrote in the wish book: I hope to lose ten pounds in the coming year.

As soon as she finished, Pei Yang immediately took the pen and wrote: Don’t want wife to lose ten pounds, three at most.

He had just finished writing when Shen Mingzhu kicked him, and yet he grinned happily, showing his teeth.

Turning his head, he saw his son write in the wish book: I hope Mom’s dream comes true.

"How can you undercut me like this?"

Pei Ziheng replied, "If I were you, I wouldn’t ask that question, so as not to be humiliated."

Choked by the response, Pei Yang’s chest felt tight with frustration, "Between a son and a rebellious child, you choose to be the latter, is that it?"

Shen Mingzhu, however, happily leaned over and kissed her son on the cheek, "Thank you, Erza, I love you."

"You’re welcome."

Pei Ziheng maintained a calm expression, but the tips of his ears quietly turned a shade of red.

Pei Tang tugged at Shen Mingzhu’s arm, cooing, "Mom, I want a kiss too."

"MUA~"

Shen Mingzhu generously planted a big kiss on her daughter’s face as well.

Seeing this, Pei Yang also pitched his voice asking for a kiss, and received from Shen Mingzhu an eye roll and the silent treatment.

The next day, the first day of the lunar new year, Shen Mingzhu got up early.

After washing up and getting ready to boil water and knead dough for breakfast, Pei Yang staggered into the kitchen, yawning.

Seeing her about to make sweet rice balls, he couldn’t help but complain, "This thing’s sweet and sticky, it sticks to the teeth, I really don’t know why you like eating it."

Shen Mingzhu glanced at him, "It’s the first day of the New Year, don’t make me hit you."

He took her words to heart and immediately wrapped his arms around her from behind, his expression both affectionate and ingratiating, "Wife, Happy New Year."

"Hmm, go wash your face and brush your teeth, and wake the kids up."

"Will do."

After kissing her on the cheek, Pei Yang left happily.

Shen Mingzhu scooped up some hot water, gradually pouring it into the basin while stirring the glutinous rice flour with chopsticks.

Her skill at making sweet rice balls was something she learned from her grandmother.

In her previous life in the south, eating sweet rice balls on the morning of the first day of the Chinese New Year was a must – it symbolized a full and complete new year.