The Stepmother's Counterattack: Raising a Child in a Bygone Era-Chapter 803 - 802: Mother and Daughter’s Spat

"Pei Tang, Elsa and others have their own lifestyles and learning environments. The need to write for winter and summer vacations isn’t news to you today. Is the reason you couldn’t complete your homework really because it’s too much? Or is it because you overestimated yourself, thinking you knew better?"

From childhood, Pei Tang had never been reprimanded by Shen Mingzhu so sternly.

Feeling aggrieved and sad, she couldn’t help but break down crying.

"Keep crying, see if tears can solve the problem."

Shen Mingzhu didn’t comfort her daughter but coldly dropped these words and left to attend to her own matters.

As soon as she left, Elder Sister Yu and Cui Lianying hurried over to console Pei Tang.

Pei Tang had grown up under the watch of these two, almost treated as a granddaughter by them.

Especially Elder Sister Yu, who had been taking care of Pei Tang since her birth, feeding and changing her diapers, raising her until now, like a porcelain doll.

Her health was deteriorating each year, and though she could have retired, she clenched her teeth and kept working for the Pei Family because she couldn’t bear to leave Pei Tang.

After a while of consoling by Elder Sister Yu and Cui Lianying, Pei Tang stopped crying, but her mood was still low; she sat listlessly on the sofa, like a frost-stricken little eggplant.

Whenever Shen Mingzhu went to the kitchen to fetch water or passed by the living room, Pei Tang would look at her with pleading, watery eyes.

As a mother and daughter, Shen Mingzhu was well aware of her daughter’s longing and expectations, but this time she was truly a bit angry.

Angry that her daughter would consider dropping out of school just because she couldn’t complete her homework.

She also wanted her daughter to really learn her lesson.

Therefore, even though she knew her daughter wanted her forgiveness and comfort, she steeled her heart and pretended not to see.

Before long, it was noon.

Cui Lianying took care of setting the table, while Elder Sister Yu approached the sofa to coax Pei Tang, "Guoguo, let’s go eat. We have your favorite cola chicken wings for lunch today."

Just as Pei Tang rose to join, she saw Shen Mingzhu approaching and immediately sat back down.

"I’m not eating."

Seeing Shen Mingzhu stop in front of her, a glimmer of hope rose secretly in Pei Tang’s heart.

Mom must be coming to console her now~

"Good, you are self-aware, knowing that if you don’t go to school, you should learn to earn your own living and not mooch."

"From now on if you want to eat at home, you’ll need to earn it through your labor, whether it’s by doing laundry, cooking, cleaning, or even picking up trash and collecting bottles to make your own living expenses.’

"In short, we don’t support idlers in this house."

After saying that, Shen Mingzhu headed to the dining room.

Watching her cold and ruthless retreating figure, Pei Tang’s face flushed red with rage, and the next second, she ran stomping up the stairs.

At the dining table, Elder Sister Yu and Cui Lianying repeatedly tried to appease Shen Mingzhu’s anger, but were shut down by her with a single remark:

"This is none of your business."

If they were told not to interfere, that was that, but they still needed to eat.

Elder Sister Yu took an empty bowl, planning to serve some food for Pei Tang to take upstairs, but was stopped by Shen Mingzhu:

"If she’s hungry, she’ll come down to eat. If not, she’ll just be hungry."

Cui Lianying pleaded, "She’s just a child and bound to be disobedient at times. We should teach her slowly. We still need to eat, and we can’t finish all this food, can we?"

"It’s better to feed it to the dogs; missing one meal won’t kill her."

As the mistress of the house, once Shen Mingzhu had spoken, Elder Sister Yu and Cui Lianying couldn’t contradict her.

They could only wait to secretly call Pei Ziheng after they had eaten, for the whole family, except Shen Mingzhu, knew that Pei Tang listened to her brother Pei Ziheng the most and relied on him greatly.

As for her father, Pei Yang, it was better not to mention him.

When Pei Ziheng returned, Shen Mingzhu was taking a nap in the bedroom, not wanting to disturb her, he directly went upstairs.

"Guoguo, it’s me."

Hearing Pei Ziheng’s voice, Pei Tang finally agreed to open the door of her room.

"Brother..."

Seeing her plunge into his arms, tears of grievance falling, a look of indulgence appeared in Pei Ziheng’s eyes, "Let’s go inside, talk there, and don’t disturb mom."

"Mmm."

...

Upon entering the room, Pei Tang’s eyes were immediately drawn to the paper bag in his hand, "What’s that? It smells so good."

"Little glutton."

Pei Ziheng chuckled and pinched her cheek, walked to the desk, tidied up the paper and books, and then laid out the contents of the bag one by one.

"McDonald’s!"

Seeing the steaming burgers, fries, and fried chicken, Pei Tang, who was already starving, nearly drooled.

Pei Ziheng smiled, "Let’s eat first."

Pei Tang reached out halfway, then retracted, twisting her fingers awkwardly and turning her head aside, "I won’t eat so Mom doesn’t call me an idle freeloader."

Pei Ziheng smiled and turned her face back, "Mom didn’t say you can’t join me for lunch, did she?"

Pei Tang blinked, "Brother, haven’t you had lunch either?"

"Mmm, I’ve been busy since the morning. Give me the pleasure of joining me for some, okay?"

"Well, okay then!" freewēbnoveℓ.com

Pei Tang’s beautiful almond-shaped eyes curved into crescents. She reached for a chicken drumstick but didn’t eat it herself, instead offering it to Pei Ziheng:

"Brother, you eat."

Pei Ziheng’s expression paused for half a second before he smiled, taking the drumstick and pushing it back to her, "You eat, I’ll have the burger."

"Oh."

Watching his sister savoring the chicken drumstick, Pei Ziheng reined in his emotions.

Since childhood, the siblings had shared many snacks and desserts. He was accustomed to finishing left-overs his little sister couldn’t eat.

However, Zhao Yun’s reminder had influenced him and he had started to pay attention to the boundaries and distances between siblings.

Yet, he wasn’t feeling happy inside, even rather irritable.

During Pei Tang’s meal, Pei Ziheng didn’t bring up the issues between mother and daughter, almost as if he had come home specifically to eat.

Instead, it was Pei Tang who, after she had her fill, initiated the topic: "Brother, I made Mom angry today."

"What happened?"

Pei Ziheng asked gently, using a napkin to wipe the grease and bits of meat from her mouth.

"I, I couldn’t finish my summer homework."

"Do you want Mom to stay angry?"

Pei Tang shook her head.

Pei Ziheng patted her head, "Then try hard to finish your summer homework."

Pei Tang pouted unhappily, "I can’t finish it, there’s too much still..."

She continued, counting on her fingers which tasks she hadn’t completed.

After she finished talking, Pei Ziheng said, "I’ll help you with it."

Pei Tang nodded happily, and after she done nodding, she asked, "What about your work?"

Pei Ziheng sighed with a smile, "What to do? I don’t want to make Mom angry nor see you sad, so I guess I’ll have to work a bit harder, help you finish your homework first, then go to work."

Those words moved Pei Tang and made her feel guilty.

Her brother was so busy with work, still he made time to come home, cheer her up, eat with her, and help with her homework. What reason did she have to give up?

"Brother, you go work. I’ll do the homework myself."

"But didn’t you say you couldn’t finish?"

A newfound determination emerged on Pei Tang’s face, even more beautiful than a doll’s, "If I can’t finish, I’ll keep writing until I finish. Teacher said, ’One should do one’s own duties.’"

Pei Ziheng ruffled her hair encouragingly, "Then you just keep at it, and if you really can’t finish, it’s okay, your brother has got your back."

"Mmm."

Pei Tang couldn’t help but lean into his embrace, like a soft little kitten, "Brother, it’s so good to have you."