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

Part 253 Three visits and rejection

As soon as the news broke, the entire teacher's office was in an uproar. Some teachers who had hoped to take advantage of Si Nian's departure and had been secretly delighted were now wearing expressions of disbelief. Especially when they heard that Teacher Wu Ren'ai had spoken up for her—no wonder Si Nian had been so audacious on her first day, ignoring Director Li and even saying she could leave anytime.

Not only did Si Nian manage to offend Director Li without facing any consequences, but he even had to go to her personally to coax her back. If she didn't return, it would be Director Li's job on the line. What did that mean? It meant Si Nian was more capable than she let on!

Everyone began to regret not building a better relationship with Si Nian sooner.

Meanwhile, when Si Nian finally got home with her drowsy little one, it was around noon. She hadn't worn high heels in ages, and just in that short time, her feet started to hurt. After a quick lunch, she felt sleepy and took a nap with Yao Yao. The two kids who had received their school uniforms and books also returned home.

Little Brother immediately changed into his new school uniform, eager to show it off. Recently, he had been running around with Jiang Jiu and noticed that there were quite a few kids his age living nearby. However, Jiang Jiu wasn't familiar with any of them.

Back in the village, when Si Nian bought him new clothes, he loved to wear them and run around, often going past his own home three times without stopping. Whenever someone asked, he would proudly declare, "How did you know my mom got me new clothes?" This made everyone in the village aware of how well Si Nian treated the two brothers, which was a big reason why many envied them.

Now, dressed in his school uniform, Little Brother went to find Jiang Jiu. Although Jiang Jiu didn't quite understand, he followed suit when he saw Zhou Zehan wearing his uniform. The two of them held hands and declared they were going out to shop.

Zhou Zedong wasn't fond of going out or making friends and never played with his younger brother or Jiang Jiu. Now, with his new books in hand, he couldn't wait to head to the study to flip through them.

After a while, there was a knock at the door downstairs.

Si Nian was still in her room when Zhou Zedong went downstairs to answer the door. He found a stern-looking middle-aged woman in a suit standing there. Instead of opening the door, he asked, "Hello, who are you looking for?"

His tone was polite yet distant. Li Fenghua, with a frown, was puzzled upon seeing him. She didn't know much about Si Nian, just that she had been valued by the school for her previous speech. But seeing the boy's young age made her wonder if he was her younger brother. She quickly raised her head and said, "I'm looking for your sister. Can you let her come out?"

Zhou Zedong glanced at her and replied, "Sorry, you must have the wrong person. I don't have a sister."

Li Fenghua was taken aback, wondering if the school had given her the wrong address. She frowned, about to ask more, but Zhou Zedong had already turned away, leaving her no chance to speak.

"Such rudeness!" she huffed, stomping her foot before continuing her search. The old district had seen many people move away, but it was still large. After wandering for a long time without finding another address with the same name, she was exhausted and drenched in sweat, deciding to return to school and report that she must have been mistaken. The vice principal looked at her like she was foolish and said, "Of course the boy would say he doesn't have a sister; he's Teacher Si's adopted son!"

Hearing this, Li Fenghua nearly fainted with anger and had to return to the door once more. This time, Zhou Zedong appeared again. Noticing the same person again, he felt some annoyance but still maintained politeness. "What do you want now?"

Li Fenghua's lips twitched in irritation as she finally understood why she hadn't liked this child earlier. Clearly, like mother, like son—both were so impolite. However, keeping her goal in mind, she forced herself to say, "I'm looking for your mother, Si Nian. Can you ask her to come out?"

Zhou Zedong narrowed his eyes, despite his young age, he scrutinized her with an intense gaze that made Li Fenghua's scalp prickle. What kind of ten-year-old looks at someone like that? It was almost eerie.

Finally, he withdrew his gaze and said, "My mom is sleeping. You can come back tomorrow."

Li Fenghua was taken aback. Ever since becoming a director, she had never faced such disrespect. Apologizing was already her biggest concession, yet this was the attitude she received! It was simply too outrageous!

Li Fenghua was so furious that she could barely hold back from shouting curses. Just as she was about to speak, Zhou Zedong turned to walk away again.

"Ahhhhh!!!" Li Fenghua screamed in frustration, "This is driving me crazy!" She almost slammed the door but knew that if she did, Si Nian would never come back. In the end, it would only be herself who suffered.

Holding onto her anger, she returned to school. When the vice principal saw she hadn't managed to bring Si Nian back, he launched into another round of mockery. "Tomorrow morning, Teacher Si has two English classes. If you can't get her back today, there won't be anyone to teach. I wonder who will be responsible then."

Li Fenghua was speechless. With her anger boiling inside her, she found herself back at Si Nian's door.

Little Brother had just returned from showing off to Jiang Jiu when he was called out. Turning around, he saw a fierce-looking woman glaring at him. That kind of gaze was all too familiar—he had seen it before from Aunt Liu, his aunt, and his former stepmother.

He instinctively took two steps back and asked, "Why are you calling me?"

Seeing the resemblance between the child and the previous boy, Li Fenghua guessed they must be siblings. She quickly said, "Si Nian is your mother, right? Can you ask her to come out? I need to talk to her."

Little Brother became even more wary; this was the same tone Aunt Liu and his aunt used when they were looking for trouble. "Yes, she is my mom. But why should I listen to you? You look like an old witch, so there's no way I'm letting my mom see you!"

"You!" Li Fenghua was almost so enraged she could choke. She had never encountered such an unruly child. Trying to calm herself, she thought, just wait until Si Nian comes back; I'll have plenty of ways to vent my anger.

Forcing a smile, she replied, "Little friend, what are you saying? Auntie has always looked like this. I might seem fierce, but I'm really nice."

Little Brother stared at her in shock. "That's really sad; you've looked this ugly since you were little. You must not have any friends."

Li Fenghua was at a loss for words. "If you're so pitiful, can you please help me and call your mom? I'll give you some candy."

"No way!" Little Brother refused. "You're a liar." His tone was firm.

"What, what?" Li Fenghua stared at him, her eyes burning with indignation. "What nonsense are you talking about? How could I be a liar?"

"You are! You're obviously a grandma, but you're calling yourself an aunt. How shameless!" Little Brother tugged at his eyelid, stuck out his tongue, and turned away, playfully slapping his backside.

"I'm not that stupid to be fooled by you." He felt quite clever now, knowing he wouldn't fall for a few pieces of candy.

"You, you stop right there! You're driving me crazy, you little brat! Ah—"