Chapter 9 : I say, are you blind?

The second and third sons were both anxious.  

“What should we do? Will she be like the last stepmother and secretly beat and scold us?”  

As soon as these words were spoken, all the children shuddered, as if recalling the horrifying events from a few years ago.  

Back then, when Zhou Tingyue had just brought them home, the eldest and second child were around five or six years old, old enough to remember things clearly. Even the youngest was three or four years old and still had faint memories.  

The sudden loss of their parents had been a devastating blow.

So, their attitude toward him had been anything but friendly, and his new wife at the time was constantly making a fuss and causing trouble.  

Behind his back, she would secretly beat and pinch them.  

They were always covered in bruises, and even the youngest, who was still just a baby in a cradle, was not spared.  

She had taken an embroidery needle, sharpened it to a thin, sharp point, and pricked the baby whenever she cried.  

The needle was so fine that even the puncture marks were barely visible.  

Although Zhou Tingyue tried to come home as often as possible to take care of them, he couldn’t be there every day. Naturally, he never noticed anything unusual.  

He only thought the fourth child was just particularly fussy and cried a lot.  

At the time, the children resented the woman deeply and secretly plotted ways to deal with her.  

Sure enough, after a while, she couldn’t take it anymore.  

She started demanding a divorce from Zhou Tingyue.  

Thankfully, her divorce application was approved quickly.  

The moment she left, the children secretly cheered.  

As time went by, they slowly realized that Zhou Tingyue had truly been good to them all along. His kindness wasn’t just out of obligation, it was genuine.  

For the first year or two, they resisted him. But over time, they opened their hearts and came to accept him as their real father.  

They had thought their little family would finally settle into a peaceful, stable life.  

But then, they heard the news, he was getting married again.  

How could they not be afraid?  

The painful memories they had long buried came rushing back.  

The youngest child didn’t fully understand, but hearing her brothers’ worries made her uneasy.  

“Big brother, what should we do?” she asked in a small voice.  

As the eldest of the siblings, Zhou Cheng’s slightly childish face darkened with determination.  

“Don’t worry,” he said coldly. “Big brother has a way to make her leave, just like the bad woman before!”  

Then, he motioned for his younger siblings to gather around and whispered his plan.  

Hearing his words, their eyes lit up.  

“Okay! We’ll listen to you, big brother!” they all nodded eagerly.  

—  

Meanwhile, Zhou Tingyue waited for his marriage report to be approved before boarding the ship inland.  

Fortunately, due to his special circumstances, the approval process had been expedited. What would have taken at least a week was completed in just five days.  

During this time, he also made a call to his parents in Beijing.  

The fact that he had adopted four children had nearly driven his parents to fury in the past.  

Although they weren’t unreasonable people and understood that he had done it to repay a debt of gratitude, as parents, how could they not worry about their own son?  

A promising marriage had fallen through. He had gotten divorced. Now, he was raising four children alone.  

To them, it felt as if his life had been completely ruined.  

His mother, Shen Xiu’e, had been so enraged that she fell ill from stress.  

Because of this, Zhou Tingyue had rarely returned home in recent years. He didn’t want to remind his parents of their disappointment.  

But this time, his marriage was a big deal.  

No matter what, he had to inform them.  

After all, marriage was a good thing.  

He believed that once they heard the news, they would be happy for him.  

That was indeed the case. When Shen Xiu’e received his call, she was clearly surprised.  

“What? Say that again, son? What are you going to do?”  

Zhou Tingyue smiled helplessly.  

“I might be getting married! I’m telling you in advance so you won’t worry!”  

Hearing his words, Shen Xiu’e was so overjoyed that she nearly burst into tears.  

“Did I hear that right? You said you’re getting married?”  

Before Zhou Tingyue could respond, he heard his mother’s excited voice shouting into the receiver  

“Old Zhou, come quickly and listen to what our son just said! He said he’s getting married!!”  

There was some rustling on the other end, and it was obvious that his father, Zhou Runde, was just as excited.  

Then, his father’s voice, attempting to sound serious, came through  

“Ahem, Tingyue, did you say you’re getting married?”  

Zhou Tingyue chuckled and replied,  

“Yes, I’m taking leave in the next couple of days to go back to Beijing and visit her family to propose. If she agrees, we can get the marriage certificate soon! My marriage report has already been approved!”  

Hearing this, the elderly couple couldn’t hold back their tears of joy.  

Shen Xiu’e quickly reacted and asked eagerly, “Son, is the girl from Beijing too? What’s her name? Where is she from? How old is she?”  

Without thinking much, Zhou Tingyue told them Song Shiwei’s name and home address.  

—  

Meanwhile, Song Shiwei kept waiting and waiting, but before Zhou Tingyue arrived, something strange happened.  

That day, she was planning to go to the sales counter by the door to check if there was a letter or a call for her.  

On her way, she ran into a middle-aged woman carrying a basket of vegetables.  

Though the woman wasn’t dressed particularly well, she was very neat, and her hair was carefully combed clearly someone who paid great attention to her appearance.  

What caught Song Shiwei’s attention, however, was that the woman kept glancing at her from time to time as she walked.  

But then, she would quickly look away, her expression uncertain.  

Song Shiwei found this behavior very strange.  

At that moment, Song Yingying had just gotten off work and was riding her bicycle in their direction.  

They happened to be at a fork in the road. The woman was too focused on looking at her and wasn’t paying attention to where she was walking, while Song Yingying was cycling at a fast speed.  

Just as Song Shiwei was about to warn them, the two of them crashed into each other!  

With a loud bang, Song Yingying’s bicycle toppled to the ground, its rear wheel still spinning. She had fallen hard onto the pavement, while the woman had been hit even worse, she was thrown against the curb, crying out in pain, “Ouch! Ouch!” as her basket of vegetables scattered all over the ground.  

Song Yingying was furious. Her knee was probably bruised, and it hurt badly, but she gritted her teeth, pushed through the pain, and quickly got up.  

Pointing at the woman on the ground, she snapped angrily,  

“Are you blind? You weren’t even looking at the road while walking! You must be crazy, you nearly got me killed!”  

But Shen Xiu’e, who was still lying on the ground, was in so much pain that she struggled to catch her breath. It seemed like she had sprained her waist.  

Seeing the hostile girl standing in front of her, unwilling to back down, she tried to stand up, but a sharp pain shot through her waist, making it impossible to move. Her face turned pale.  

“Young lady, don’t be so quick to scold me. Could you help me up first? I think I sprained my waist!”  

But Song Yingying refused.  

“Stop pretending! What do you mean ‘sprained waist’? You’re just trying to scam me for money! I’m telling you right now, I’m not someone you can bully! Get up!”  

However, Shen Xiu’e was in so much pain that cold sweat broke out on her forehead, and her face turned as white as a sheet.  

She couldn’t even get a word out.  

Meanwhile, Song Yingying continued ranting non-stop beside her.  

Shen Xiu’e’s head was pounding from the noise, and before she knew it, her vision went black.