Reborn in the 1980s: I became a stepmother in the 1980s

Part 76

                     Strategy for younger sister and younger brother = strategy for Zhou Yuedong

Zhou Yuedong felt a pang in his heart. He found he didn't want to entertain that possibility. Finally, there was a woman willing to treat them a little better, and she suddenly went back to her parents' home. People who went back to their parents' home were said to either find it unbearable to stay or had fought with their dad. Was it because their dad was too indifferent that their stepmom couldn't stand it and left? Their previous stepmom used to complain about their dad being cold and not sleeping with her, saying it was no different from being a widow. So, was their stepmom also upset with their dad's coldness and left for her parents' home?

With a heavy heart, Zhou Yuedong closed his eyes.

The next day, he woke up early. He always got up half an hour earlier than his younger brother and prepared breakfast ahead of time. Before, they had limited seasoning at home, and cooking was casual. But now, the kitchen was fully stocked with everything. Their stepmom was extremely clean and organized; even the bottles of seasoning were neatly arranged, and the table was spotless.

Zhou Yuedong boiled some noodles and tried to season them the way their stepmom did. A drop of soy sauce spilled onto the table. He quickly wiped it off with a cloth and cleaned it thoroughly.

When Zhou Yueshan woke up and smelled the aroma of fried eggs, he thought their stepmom had returned and hurriedly ran downstairs to the kitchen. Instead, he found his big brother standing by the pot, scooping noodles.

Disappointment flashed in his little eyes.

Zhou Yuedong didn't know how to cook much; he used to bring sweet potatoes to school every morning. But things were different now. There was powdered milk and plenty of eggs at home. Their stepmom used to boil eggs for them every day.

After they finished the not-so-tasty noodles, Zhou Yuedong scooped out some boiled sweet potatoes and eggs from the pot into their lunch boxes. He carefully wiped off even the water droplets on the lunchbox before handing it to his younger brother.

"Brother, will sister come back today?" Zhou Yueshan asked as he put the lunchbox in his backpack.

Zhou Yuedong paused and looked at him, "You should ask dad."

Zhou Yueshan choked up for a moment. Zhou Yueshen had just come downstairs and happened to overhear their conversation. His expression was somewhat surprised. He hadn't expected that within just a month of Sinian moving in, she had completely won over the two children. The previous woman had been around for so long, yet the children had never shown such expressions of affection.

The younger one might be more adaptable, but the older one had always been mature and hard to approach. He was wary of everyone, like a young wolf protecting its territory. Yet now, he showed no signs of resistance, which surprised Zhou Yueshen.

It seemed that behind the scenes, Sinian's efforts might be even better than he had imagined.

Sinian's strategy: Win over the younger sister and brother = Win over Zhou Yuedong.

"Let's go, I'll take you to school," he said as he walked downstairs, his voice deep.

The two children quickly followed him.

"Dad, our teacher said there's going to be a parent-teacher meeting. They want parents to attend," the younger one said as he climbed onto the front of his father's motorcycle, nestling against Zhou Yueshen's broad chest.

He loved this feeling, being held by his father felt warm, comforting, and safe.

Every day when he went to school like this, everyone envied him. As they spent more time together, he grew more familiar and decided to speak up.

Zhou Yueshen paused before saying, "When is it?"

"Next Monday."

Zhou Yueshen started the motorcycle, his voice mixing with the engine's rumble, sounding somewhat deep, "Monday, I have deliveries to make."

Just as disappointment crossed Zhou Yueshan's face, Zhou Yueshen continued, "Your mom can go."

"Mom?" Zhou Yueshan chewed on the unfamiliar term, clearly still processing.

"Dad is going to marry her, she will be your mom from now on," Zhou Yueshen explained gently, a bit worried the child might not accept it. But before he could say more, he heard his son ask cautiously from his embrace, "Dad, can I call her mom?"

Zhou Yueshen nodded, "Of course."

"Will she be upset?" Zhou Yueshan asked again.

"She won't be upset."

"Will she come to my parent-teacher meeting?" If others knew he had such a beautiful mom, he'd surely be the envy of the school. Zhou Yueshan's excited face turned red.

"Um..." Zhou Yueshen fell silent this time. While Sine mentioned she'd be gone for two days, she hadn't specified when she'd return. Looking at his son's expectant face, he hesitated before saying, "Tomorrow is a holiday. I'll take you to her parents' home, and you'll find out then."

"Yay!"

Hearing they would visit Sine's parents' home, Zhou Yueshan's excitement was palpable, his voice unconsciously cheering. Zhou Yueshen could tell his son was genuinely fond of Sine. Little Yueshan was easy to please; a little kindness from someone and he'd be completely won over. Although the older brother, Zhou Yuedong, remained silent, he was clearly holding onto his father's hand a bit tighter.

Unfortunately, Zhou Yueshen couldn't see Zhou Yuedong's eyes glistening upon hearing about the visit. Snuggled against his father's broad back, Zhou Yuedong's once wary eyes seemed clear and bright.

Poor Da Huang, the family dog, watched everyone leave and then turned languidly, lying down with the pig bone Sine had given it, gnawed bright, still in its mouth. After a few licks, it closed its eyes and drifted back to sleep.

Perhaps influenced by the two Zhou kids, Sine woke up early as well. Mrs. Lin had just started preparing breakfast for her two sons when Sine got up.

Seeing her, Mrs. Lin was surprised. "Sine, why aren't you sleeping in?"

"Mom, I've had enough sleep."

Watching her two brothers eating noodles on the kitchen stools, Sine suddenly thought of Zhou Yuedong and Zhou Yueshan, who despite their better living conditions, would wake up early to cook sweet potatoes and potatoes. When she wasn't home, they probably just made something simple for breakfast. She felt a pang of pity.

Thinking ahead, once she got closer to the two boys, she'd teach them how to cook. Boys who can cook and take care of a home would find it easier to find a wife in the future. Who needs to study or get involved with the underworld? Why bother with those shady dealings?

Lin Feng and Lin Yu carefully observed her. This was Sine's second time back since moving out, and they had grown somewhat distant. The already reticent siblings fell silent again.

Mrs. Lin quickly asked Sine to sit down, serving her a bowl of noodles and adding an extra egg. Seeing that neither of the boys had an egg in their bowls, Sine sighed. In most families, boys are favored, but in the Lin family, it seemed the opposite.