The Stepmother's Counterattack: Raising a Child in a Bygone Era-Chapter 876 - 875: Setting a Trap

Fucheng had different customs and practices than Fengcheng, and the locals here did not like using nicknames. Moreover, Zhou Fu found the nickname "Yuanbao" to be too rustic, so he stopped using it after moving here and never told anyone around him.

Hearing Shen Baolan loudly calling out his nickname in front of all the school students made Zhou Fu feel extremely embarrassed.

Qiao Ya also seemed to have just noticed Shen Baolan who had fallen to the ground and said in surprise, "Ah Fu, hurry and help your Aunt Lan."

"Ah Fu, do you know this beggar woman?" a male classmate asked gossipingly.

Zhou Fu, mortified, wanted to deny it, but Qiao Ya, with a cheery smile, explained, "Yes, she is a relative from our family, who came from a village in Dongbei. It’s been many years since we’ve seen her. She specially came to the school to see our Ah Fu."

"I’m not, I am Yuanbao’s..."

"Shut your mouth! And don’t come looking for me again. I don’t want to see you at all. Your appearance makes me sick to my stomach!"

Seeing his own son rudely interrupt him and wanting to have nothing to do with him, Shen Baolan felt as if countless steel needles were piercing her heart, causing an excruciating pain.

If before arriving she had held onto fantasies and expectations about her son, at this moment, she finally realized, with clarity and despair, that her son truly did not plan to acknowledge her as his mother.

Her dreams of being valued through her son shattered.

...

Outside the school gate.

Qiao Ya handed Shen Baolan a thick envelope, her face carrying a victorious smile, "You saw it too. It’s not that we are unwilling to let him go; rather, Ah Fu himself does not want to go back with you. It wasn’t easy for you to come here, and you’ve suffered a lot over the years. Here is ten thousand from me personally as a small token of care—take it and live well back home, and don’t come back again."

Shen Baolan gritted her teeth, "Zhou Shuhuan is heartless and ungrateful, causing me to end up in this state; and you’re no better, stealing my man and still delusively thinking of taking away my son. Don’t think you can dismiss me with such a small amount of money!"

"If you think it’s too little, then forget it. Consider me nosy."

Qiao Ya scornfully put the money back into her bag, "Brother Zhou won’t give you a penny. And don’t talk about how Brother Zhou harmed you. When you got divorced, you and Gao Hualiang teamed up to set a trap and swindled Brother Zhou out of over five million."

Shen Baolan cried out of anger, "That money was all swindled by Gao Hualiang, I didn’t get any!"

"That’s your own fault for being blinded by lust and inviting the wolf into your home! Heaven is fair. Just as Gao Hualiang could betray Brother Zhou for his own interests, he could just as easily stab you in the back for money, such a simple principle. Didn’t your mother teach you that?"

Though Qiao Ya’s words were harsh, they were also the truth.

But if Shen Baolan had the awareness to reflect on her own faults, she wouldn’t have ended up as she did today.

"Ms. Qiao, spare me these useless talks. Zhou Shuhuan has ruined me and turned me into a cripple. You stole my man and my son. Either give me ten million, or I will fight you relentlessly. I have nothing to lose, and even if I die, dragging you two down with me would be worth it!"

Qiao Ya laughed, "Fine, then we’ll just wait and see."

"Fine! Just you wait!"

The next morning, Shen Baolan ran to the electronic factory gate where Zhou Shuhuan worked, holding a megaphone and broadcasting to passing pedestrians and factory workers the story of her divorce with Zhou Shuhuan and Qiao Ya’s rise as the other woman.

Shen Baolan thought she was being clever, but she underestimated Zhou Shuhuan’s ruthlessness and resolve.

Within half an hour, she was taken away by the police for picking quarrels and provoking trouble, disrupting social order, and undermining production operations.

When Shen Hao arrived at the police station later, he was informed that Shen Baolan was not only going to be detained for fifteen days but also fined two hundred.

That evening, Zhou Shuhuan entertained the police station chief at Fucheng’s finest restaurant. During the meal, he also added two local specialty items to the trunk of the chief’s car.

After finishing the social commitments and getting home, it was already midnight.

"Is everything taken care of?"

"Um."

Zhou Shuhuan patted Qiao Ya’s hand on his shoulder and said contentedly, "Thanks to your method, we can finally have some peace for a while."

While massaging his shoulders, Qiao Ya chuckled and said, "I told you, I would help ease your worries. But all these years, she’s just grown older without growing wiser, still as foolish as before. A few provocative words from me, and she took the bait."

Zhou Shuhuan sneered coldly, "She’s always been like that, thoughtless and heedless, doing foolish things that hurt others without benefiting herself. Whenever I think about the days I spent cleaning up her messes, it feels like a nightmare."

Qiao Ya comforted him with a few words and then said, "Although she’s been locked up, her elder brother is no simpleton."

Zhou Shuhuan turned his head to look at her and asked, "Do you have an idea?"

Pleasured by the admiration and expectation in his eyes, Qiao Ya leaned forward and kissed his lips, "Leave these minor matters to me. Just focus on your career."

"Dear, you’re working hard."

"There you go again, I’ve told you not to be so formal with me. We’re a family. I take care of the home, you handle the outside, we support each other in harmony, and that’s how life gets better."

Moved, Zhou Shuhuan embraced her, burying his face in her soft chest, feeling an indescribable sense of happiness and satisfaction, while complicated thoughts inexplicably popped up in his mind.

He had chosen wrongly once, letting go of such a good woman like Shen Mingzhu to Pei Yang.

Fortunately, heaven had been kind to him and sent a wise and virtuous partner like Qiao Ya to his side.

In this life, he and Pei Yang were even, neither superior nor inferior.

...

Early in the morning, Shen Hao was already waiting at the entrance to Zhou Shuhuan’s residence.

He wasn’t foolish and could guess that his sister’s detention was related to Zhou Shuhuan. He wasn’t there to make trouble, but to plead for Zhou Shuhuan to show mercy.

Knowing Shen Hao was outside, Qiao Ya instructed the nanny to let him in.

When Shen Hao entered, Zhou Fu was just leaving for school. Seeing him, Zhou Fu glared angrily:

"Why are you here again? I’ve told you I won’t go back with you. Can’t you stop bothering me?"

Disrespected by his own nephew, Shen Hao felt upset but he didn’t have time to dwell on it. He said, "I’m not here for you," and walked past Zhou Fu into the villa.

Zhou Fu stared at his retreating figure, curious about his purpose, but reminded by the nanny, he reluctantly left for school.

...

"Have you not had breakfast yet? Care to join?"

In the living room, Qiao Ya courteously invited Shen Hao.

On the rosewood round dining table, an array of breakfast items was spread out, most of which Shen Hao couldn’t name. The air was filled with an enticing food aroma.

Ravenous, he reluctantly shifted his gaze away from the table and said to Qiao Ya, "Where’s Shuhuan? I need to talk to him."

"Brother Zhou came home late last night and is still resting upstairs. I know why you’re here. Let’s talk in the study."

Once in the study, Qiao Ya pulled out the envelope that Shen Baolan had rejected:

"I personally sympathize with your sister’s predicament and regret what happened. Here’s ten thousand, a small token of my thoughts. Accept it and go live peacefully back in Fengcheng, without harboring unwanted fantasies. It’s best for everyone to be happy. Otherwise..."

With a slight chill in her smile, Qiao Ya said, "You should know, the detention center is full of troublemakers and brawling is common. It’s easy for someone to get injured, or even lose a life."