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

Part 207 I can only rely on them.

Zhang Qian, completely at a loss for words and unable to come up with a retort, found herself stuck with an unspoken "you" on the tip of her tongue. She was so frustrated that her eyes rolled back in exasperation.

The surrounding gazes only fueled her anger and humiliation further. She couldn't believe how outdated these people were, making a fuss over something as simple as a meeting. In her view, people in the city were much more open-minded and wouldn't think twice about such things.

Thinking about it, Zhang Qian considered these people to be hopelessly conservative. After all, she planned to marry into the city eventually, so their opinions didn't matter to her.

Si Nian's comments must have been out of jealousy. Zhang Qian reasoned that despite being married to Zhou Yue Shen and dealing with three children, she was constantly scrutinized and felt like a mere nanny. It was indeed a tough situation.

With this realization, the frustration Zhang Qian felt dissipated, leaving her with a sense of relief.

The bus was running slow, taking over two hours to reach the city. Si Nian was awakened by her excited children, and the whole family got off the bus and headed straight to the department store.

Si Nian had a clear goal in mind—first, she would take the kids to buy winter coats and other cold-weather clothing. The weather in the city was also cold, so the new winter collection was already out. Though the clothes were quite expensive, Si Nian didn't worry about the price; she bought whatever she liked.

Watching their mother spend money like this, both the eldest and second eldest children were concerned. They wondered if their father would go bankrupt with all this spending. They felt they needed to start earning money earlier to help out, worried that if their father went bankrupt, they would have to support their mother.

When Si Nian took them into the women's clothing store, the second eldest hesitated for a long time, clutching a twenty yuan note, before running over to Si Nian. Holding the money nervously, he looked up at her and said, "Mommy, buy yourself some clothes."

After he said this, his face turned bright red. Si Nian preferred wearing lightweight down jackets, which were quite a luxury in this era and very expensive. The boy wasn't embarrassed; he was ashamed because he felt his money was too little. He couldn't even afford to buy his mother a piece of clothing, and he felt useless.

Si Nian was momentarily stunned, while the sales clerk nearby began to smile with envy, saying, "Oh, your son is so considerate. I'm envious!"

Zhou Yue Dong also approached, looking even paler. "Mom, I only have fifteen yuan."

His face displayed a clear sense of inadequacy. Because his aunt had previously given his younger brother five yuan, he felt that even his brother had more money than he did. As the elder brother, he felt he was falling short compared to his sibling.

Zhou Yue Dong's face was filled with self-reproach.

Si Nian looked at her two little ones with a broad smile. "That's wonderful. It's so touching that you want to buy clothes for Mommy. You're both such good boys."

The two children glanced at her shyly. Seeing that she didn't mind their lack of money, their tense expressions relaxed a bit.

"Mommy, I'll buy you lots and lots of clothes in the future."

"Yes, I want to earn a lot of money like Daddy so Mommy can spend however she likes."

The two kids were so endearing that people around them couldn't help but look at Si Nian with envy. It was no wonder she looked so young; she had such considerate and loving children.

Meanwhile, the mothers who saw this felt a pang of jealousy, thinking about how their own children didn't listen and caused them endless worries. They felt old beyond their years because of it. Their frustration led them to give their own ungrateful children a stern reprimand.

The children were left confused, wondering why their parents were so upset.

Si Nian had bought so many things, mainly winter essentials, and spent quite a bit on clothes alone. After running around all afternoon, she had finally purchased everything on her list.

Checking the time, she realized it was getting late and decided to find a nearby place to eat while waiting for Zhou Yue Shen to pick them up.

Yao Yao had fallen asleep on her shoulder, softly snoring. Meanwhile, Zhou Yue Dong and Zhou Yue Shen were still excitedly clutching their gifts, energized like they had been injected with adrenaline.

Just as Si Nian was about to take them to get something to eat, a familiar, mocking voice came from behind her. "Oh, isn't this Si Nian? What a coincidence to run into you here. Are you too scared to go into the department store? Afraid you can't afford anything?"