The Beautiful Stepmother from the Eighties: Marrying a Factory Director to Raise Kids

Chapter 451

Whether that warning had taken effect or not, Zhou Zedong rarely ran into Grandma Xiao after that.Most of the time, a driver would drop Xiao Bowen off at school.

The Zhou family also entered a peaceful period.

Si Nian's belly was getting bigger and bigger, and the children were all being very careful.

Yaoyao was no longer as clingy with Si Nian. In the past, she would constantly stick to Si Nian and want to sleep with her. Si Nian would coax her to sleep, and then Zhou Yueshen would carry the little dumpling back to her own room.

The little girl was forgetful; she would wake up and forget everything.

But now that her mother's belly was big, and seeing her father and brothers acting so cautiously, she understood. She knew her mother had a little brother or sister in her tummy, so she was careful too.

Si Nian was still woken up by her daughter for breakfast in the morning.

Her pregnancy was comfortable, partly because of her good health. She could eat and drink well, rarely experienced morning sickness, and her complexion was getting better and better.

Si Nian had initially been a little afraid, as some people had severe and frightening pregnancy symptoms.

Whenever she scrolled past those kinds of videos, she would instinctively skip them, not daring to watch.

When it came to her own turn, she would sometimes even get scared in her dreams.

But after getting used to it, it seemed like no big deal.

"Mommy, older brother says it's time for breakfast," Yaoyao said, lifting her round little face as she saw her open the door. After speaking, she carefully touched Si Nian's belly and said in a milky voice, "Good morning, little brother or sister. You have to grow up quickly today too."

Si Nian smiled and stroked her daughter's soft hair. "Okay, let's go eat."

Yaoyao nodded and reached out to pull her.

At the dining table, Yaoyao sat down, put on her little bib by herself, and pushed the eggs toward her mother. "Mommy, brother steamed eggs for you and me. They're delicious."

Second Child also came in yawning. Rubbing his eyes, he said, "Mom, you woke up earlier than me today."

Si Nian laughed. "You have the nerve to say that? If you don't eat soon, you'll be late."

The biggest symptom of her pregnancy was probably lethargy. She wanted to sleep as soon as she was full, and sleeping for over ten hours a day wasn't enough.

So she had been waking up late recently.

But because the children had to go to school, Si Nian still tried her best to wake up early and have breakfast with them.

After all, she didn't want to wait until the children left to eat a cold breakfast all by herself. That would be too pitiful.

Zhou Yueshen hadn't come home again last night; the man was simply too busy.

Whatever. Seeing a man every day could get annoying anyway; it was fine if he didn't come back.

Si Nian was clingy with Zhou Yueshen, but strictly at night.

As soon as day broke, she assumed her independent persona.

She was practically two different people during the day and at night.

She felt like pregnancy was making her a bit schizophrenic.

She couldn't finish that many eggs, so she scooped a large spoonful for each of her two sons. "Next time, don't just steam eggs for me and your sister. You two should eat some too. You need more protein to grow fast."

Even though the family was wealthy now, the children still maintained their frugal habits.

Whenever Eldest Child cooked, he would always save the best for her and his sister.

He and his younger brother couldn't bear to eat it themselves.

Sometimes, if their sister couldn't finish, Second Child would take the leftovers and shovel them into his mouth.

It was quite heartbreaking to watch.

While frugality was a good thing, with their current living conditions, it was completely unnecessary.

They could eat whatever they wanted.

"Mhm, Mom, it smells so good and tastes great, but it's not as good as yours," Second Child added at the end.

This wasn't the first time he had stepped on his brother to praise Si Nian.

Zhou Zedong was used to it and just glanced at him.

He decided that tomorrow morning, he wouldn't wake his brother up. He would let him be late and get punished by the teacher to stand in the corner.

Just as the family finished eating and was getting ready to leave, they heard the barking of Da Huang outside.

Zhou Yueshen was back.

Si Nian and the children, who were carrying their schoolbags, walked out the door and saw Zhou Yueshen pinching Da Huang's mouth, stuffing something inside.

Da Huang was behaving very obediently. Normally, it would turn its nose up at anything other than meat offered by others.

But when it came to whatever was in Zhou Yueshen's hand, Da Huang would obediently open its mouth even if it were poison.

After swallowing, it even seemed to think it was tasty, pawing at Zhou Yueshen's hand to see if there was more.

"Dad, what yummy thing did you give Da Huang? I want some too." Second Child immediately trotted over and curiously patted Zhou Yueshen's pocket.

Zhou Yueshen clapped his hands to dust them off, glanced at his gluttonous youngest son, and said in a low voice, "Dad gave Da Huang deworming medicine. Do you want to eat that too?"

The little hand Second Child had just slipped into his pocket instantly froze.

He immediately took a few steps back, putting distance between himself and Da Huang. "Da Huang has bugs? I know, Da Huang must have fleas, the jumping kind. I used to have them, and they would jump onto my brother too. I caught a lot back then and even kept them in a bottle, but they all died later."

Si Nian was speechless. Could he not describe it in such detail? She was truly terrified of those kinds of things, alright?

"Da Huang is dirty. Only dirty things get fleas."

"Sister, stay away from Da Huang, or they'll jump onto you."

Zhou Yueshen didn't know whether to laugh or cry. "Alright, hurry up and get in the car. I'll drive you to school."

He had indeed heard that having a dog at home could be unhygienic, as dogs could get parasites which were bad for pregnant women. So, Zhou Yueshen had stayed up late last night finding someone to buy deworming medicine.

He heard it would work quickly once ingested.

That was why he fed it to Da Huang.

Actually, ever since Si Nian came to the family, she had paid special attention to Da Huang's hygiene.

Previously, because its fur was too thick and it got a skin disease, it had been shaved completely bald. The fur that had grown back now was yellow, shiny, and very flowy.

Passersby outside would praise its coat when they saw it.

But dogs ultimately lay and rubbed against the ground outside, so they definitely wouldn't be completely clean.

Second Child darted over to Si Nian's side and said, "I'm not taking the car. I want to walk there with Mom."

Because Si Nian had said she wanted to go for a walk and drop them off at school along the way, he had specifically waited for his mother.

He didn't want to ride in the car with his dad; car rides were no fun.

Zhou Yueshen looked toward Si Nian. She had her hair pinned up and was wearing a loose dress. Even though her belly was already big, her limbs were still slender. Her skin was rosy, and her complexion looked exceptional, giving anyone who looked at her a feeling like a gentle spring breeze.

Her temperament was gentle, so all the children wanted to stick close to her.

Now that Si Nian was taking them to school, they were overjoyed.

He didn't dampen his son's spirits and said, "Alright, we'll walk there."

After saying that, he stepped forward and let Si Nian link her arm through his.

Second Child was pushed aside and wasn't very happy about it. He immediately rushed to Si Nian's other side, grabbed her hand, and said, "Mom, I'll go for a walk with you again when I get back this afternoon."

Si Nian smiled and said okay.

It wasn't far to walk from here to the school, just a ten-minute distance.

Watching the children enter the school, Si Nian finally looked at Zhou Yueshen. He looked to be in good shape.

She said, "Aren't you tired? You didn't even go rest first when you got back. I could have just walked them here; it's not far anyway."

Zhou Yueshen said softly and gently, "I'm not tired. I went to the factory last night. There was a problem with the goods, and we couldn't meet the shipping deadline, so everyone worked overtime for a long time. It was too late at night, and I was afraid of disturbing you, so I didn't come back. I slept at the factory for a few hours, and now I feel very refreshed."

Hearing this, Si Nian said enviously, "You're so energetic after only sleeping for three or four hours a day. But now, I sleep for over ten hours a day and still can't get enough. I feel like my bones have gone soft from sleeping."

Zhou Yueshen looked at her lazy expression. In fact, sleeping too much wasn't very good for her health, but Si Nian was pregnant, so this situation was normal.

Seeing her slump completely beside him, he said in a deep voice, "I'll give you a massage when we get home."

Perhaps because her belly was getting bigger, Si Nian walked slowly. Arm in arm with Zhou Yueshen, she got tired after just a short while.

The two stopped and started along the way. A walk that usually took just over ten minutes ended up taking half an hour before they reached home.

Upon arriving home, Si Nian lay down on the sofa and refused to move no matter what.

By the time Zhou Yueshen finished massaging her, Si Nian had fallen asleep again.

This situation continued for quite a long time.

Because Si Nian liked to go out for a walk every day, Zhou Yueshen would give her a massage after every bit of exercise.

He knew exactly how to adjust his strength, and Si Nian came to enjoy it more and more.

However, her days of enjoyment didn't last long. Just the day after receiving a letter saying her brother had been discharged from the hospital, a phone call came from her hometown.

But this time, the person calling wasn't a family member. Unless it was something very important, her family would usually write letters to them. After all, phone calls were too expensive, and they were more accustomed to writing letters.

The person calling was Yu Dong. His tone was very heavy, and as soon as he spoke, Si Nian's expression changed.

Si's Father and Zhang Cuimei had hired people to beat up her parents.

Her mother's head was busted, and her father's condition was even worse—his internal organs were ruptured, and his life was in danger.

Furthermore, this incident happened just yesterday when her eldest brother was discharged from the hospital.

The specific reason was that Lin Sisi had secretly taken money from the Lin family to pay for Lin Xiao's surgery, and it was said she took quite a lot.

But she hadn't told Si's Father.

By the time Si's Father discovered the money was missing, it was already too late. He believed that the Lin family had manipulated his daughter into secretly stealing money for them.

Originally, Si's Father was already frustrated and angry enough because of what happened with Si Nian.

A while ago, Lin Sisi had supposedly wanted to start a business. As a result, she took some money and made a trip, but she didn't get the goods and had three thousand yuan stolen from her. Although it wasn't Si's Father's money, but his wife's private savings, Si's Father was furious when he found out and raised his hand against Lin Sisi for the very first time.

Who knows what Lin Sisi was thinking; perhaps because she felt wronged in the Si family, she began to miss how good the Lin family had been to her.

On the day of Lin Xiao's accident, she immediately offered to help raise money.

The situation was too urgent at the time, and Father and Mother Lin had no other choice, so they accepted it. They had originally planned to pay Lin Sisi back once they got the money from their own daughter.

However, Lin Sisi refused to take it back no matter what, saying it was a small compensation to repay the Lin family and make up for her past mistakes.

Later, because they were too busy taking care of their son, Father and Mother Lin ended up neglecting the matter.

By the time they realized it, Si's Father and Mother Si had come looking for trouble.

Yet Lin Sisi herself was nowhere to be found.

With no one to help explain, the situation blew up even more.

By the time he received the news, Father Lin had already been sent to the hospital for emergency resuscitation.

So he immediately called the two of them.

The situation was critical. Si Nian was so shocked that she stumbled back two steps. Zhou Yueshen hurriedly stepped forward to support her.

Si Nian's vision darkened slightly. She hadn't expected Lin Sisi to be involved in this.

Because she wasn't in her hometown, her parents couldn't contact her immediately, which gave Lin Sisi a chance to exploit the situation.

Her parents were probably afraid she would be angry, so they hadn't mentioned it before.

But it ended up resulting in such a disastrous outcome.

Couldn't Lin Sisi, that menace, just stay far away from the Lin family?

She had given up the man to her and yielded the status of the Si family's young lady. If Lin Sisi just lived her life properly, she wouldn't have it bad at all.

Why did she still have to pop up from time to time to make her presence known?

Si ​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​‌‍Nian knew deeply that wherever the female lead was, there would inevitably be conflict.

But she never expected this conflict would fall upon her parents' heads.

Her parents had been desperate to save their son. At that time, if someone was willing to give them money, they definitely would have accepted it, regardless of who it was.

How could they have anticipated such consequences?

Zhou Yueshen, standing nearby, naturally heard it too, and his face darkened.

"S-Sister-in-law, are you alright?"

Yu Dong on the other end was a bit worried.

He had also heard that Si Nian was pregnant. Originally, Mother Lin hadn't let him tell Si Nian about this, afraid she would be too stimulated, especially since she was expecting.

But Yu Dong felt that such a major incident couldn't be kept from Si Nian. Otherwise, if something happened to her father, she would regret it for the rest of her life.

So he hurriedly called to explain the situation.

"How is my dad's condition now?"

Si Nian took a deep breath and asked.

"He had emergency surgery last night. It was supposed to be over, but complications arose in the middle of the night. It's gotten worse now, and he's still in a coma. The doctors are preparing for a second surgery, b-but maybe..."

Yu Dong didn't dare to say it out loud, because the doctor had already issued a critical condition notice.

Without a signature, they didn't dare perform the surgery.

Si Nian tilted her head and buried her face in Zhou Yueshen's embrace, not daring to listen any further.

Initially, she hadn't had much affection for the Lin family, but after spending time together, she had long since treated them as her own biological parents.

Although her parents were honest, simple, and easily deceived, they had never done anything bad. They devoted themselves entirely to their children, and even though she had only just returned to them, they had never mistreated her in the slightest.

They were still so young. After toiling for half their lives, they met with such an accident before they could even enjoy the filial piety of their children and grandchildren.

She found it hard to accept.

Si Nian couldn't help but start crying.

Zhou Yueshen held her in his arms, gently patting her back to comfort her. "It's alright, Nian Nian. Dad will be fine."

Si Nian choked with sobs, unable to speak. As their biological daughter, she was far away in another land at this moment. In such a critical time, she couldn't be by her parents' side.

How could her heart not ache?

Zhou Yueshen also knew the situation was urgent. It wasn't about money anymore; his father-in-law was severely injured and his life was hanging by a thread.

They couldn't just sit and wait for death.

Seeing Si Nian unable to recover, her face covered in tears, his heart ached as if he were suffocating.

"Let's go back. Let's go back and see them."

He suddenly spoke.

Si Nian froze for a moment and lifted her teary eyes. "Then what about Little Dong and Little Han and the others?"

She was currently pregnant and had three children to look after; it was practically impossible for her to leave.

Zhou Yueshen definitely wouldn't allow her to go back alone.

Zhou Yueshen said, "I'll escort you back for a few days and then return. For these few days, we can just find someone to take them to and from school. Little Dong is no longer a child. If he knows about this, he will definitely stay at home nicely and take care of his younger brother and sister."