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

Chapter 449

These two children had already made quite a bit of money buying and selling things themselves. The other day, when she was changing the quilts, she packed it up, and it was quite heavy.It was almost full.

Yet now, he was only willing to part with one note. It was easy to see how deep his love for his future little brother or sister was.

Si Nian felt a warm glow in her heart. Although these children weren't her biological ones, she felt they were even better than if they were.

Their transformation gave her a great sense of validation.

After all, she used to be an adult who hated bratty children.

Sometimes, just hearing children make a fuss would annoy her.

But the good behavior and understanding of these kids showed her that there are many, many good children in this world.

They needed someone to love them, and they knew how to cherish affection even at such a young age.

If you treated them well, they would want to repay you a hundredfold.

Such children were simply angels.

Just looking at him made Si Nian feel warm inside.

Very warm.

Si Nian said, "If you are true friends, a birthday gift isn't about how much it costs, but the thought behind it."

"As long as it's from you, even if it's not worth much, I believe Xiao Bowen will cherish it."

Second Child understood and nodded. He immediately stuffed his one-dollar note inside, then rummaged through a nearby cabinet until he found a stone.

He held it up to Si Nian and said, "Mom, this is a stone I picked up by the stream in Xingfu Village. It can even sharpen knives. Sometimes when my pencil sharpener gets dull, I grind it a bit and it works great. I plan to give him a piece."

He thought to himself that this was something he was giving from the heart, and it didn't cost any money. It was the best of both worlds!

Si Nian didn't know whether to laugh or cry.

"As long as you're happy."

On Fang Bowen's birthday, Si Nian led the three children over.

The car drove for about ten minutes before arriving at Fang Bowen's house.

Fang Bowen's house was very large, a European-style villa.

The surrounding houses were all similar villas, and just looking at them, you could tell the families were wealthy.

Si Nian wasn't someone who had never seen rich people before. After a brief moment of surprise, she took the hands of the curious children and walked in.

Although the house was big, besides a few maids, there was only Xiao Bowen and his grandmother.

The house felt large, empty, and lacking vitality.

There were some balloons and "Happy Birthday" signs pasted around.

It was obvious that the hosts also valued the child's birthday.

Right now, Grandma Xiao was helplessly talking to Xiao Bowen, who was wearing a little suit.

Xiao Bowen didn't seem very happy.

Seeing Si Nian and the others arrive, Grandma Xiao felt a bit embarrassed. "I'm so sorry to let you see this joke."

"What's wrong?" Si Nian asked in confusion.

Grandma Xiao sighed helplessly, "Bowen said he wants to make his own cake, but I don't know how to make one. I told him I'd have someone deliver one, but he wasn't happy. He said Xiao Dong and Xiao Han make their own cakes."

Si Nian paused for a moment after hearing this, then smiled helplessly. "So he wants to make his own cake. Isn't that simple?"

Xiao Bowen's face turned red. He had originally wanted to make a cake with Zhou Zedong and Zhou Zehan, but he didn't expect his grandmother to say that none of them knew how.

They had to buy one.

He didn't want a bought cake.

In the past, his mother always bought him cakes. He'd blow out the candles and eat it all by himself, which wasn't fun at all.

He wanted to have a different birthday, just like Eldest Child and Second Child.

"Mom, Mom, I know how to make a cake! I'll make it with him," Second Child volunteered. Although he claimed to know how, he had only made one once, and he had even lost to his brother.

Si Nian smiled. "Ms. Xiao, can we make it at your house? I know how to make a cake. It's very simple. If we have the tools, letting the kids make it themselves will be very fun."

She guessed that Xiao Bowen had seen Eldest Child and Second Child make their own cake for their birthday and wanted to try it too.

Grandma Xiao said, "If you want to make it, that's easy. I'll call someone to bring the ingredients over right away. It's just that Bowen said he wanted me to teach him, and that's really hard for me."

Si Nian nodded, and soon someone brought the tools.

Si Nian went into the kitchen. Having money was great; the kitchen was even bigger than her living room.

It had areas for both Western and Chinese cuisine.

This was the 1980s, but Si Nian felt like she had returned to her own era.

For someone who loved to cook, a kitchen like this was simply fantastic.

Grandma Xiao hurried to have people help. She felt very embarrassed that Si Nian, who was pregnant, had to help teach her grandson how to make a cake.

Originally, she wasn't happy about letting the children hang around outsiders, but after observing for a while, she realized that Si Nian and Zhou Yueshen, this young couple, had indeed educated the children very well. No wonder Bowen always came back muttering about what the two brothers did today and what they were going to do tomorrow, every word filled with envy.

When she first found out about this, she only thought about how to get the child back.

But after being scolded by her son, she had let it go.

She didn't want to repeat the tragedy of her eldest son.

The more Grandma Xiao looked at Si Nian, the more she liked her. She even asked if she had any sisters she could introduce to her son.

Her son had been set up by Fang Hui back then, and she had come to their door with the child, trying to threaten them.

Grandma Xiao would never accept a woman like that as her daughter-in-law.

Even though her son now had a child, he had a stable job and the family was wealthy. If a girl was willing to marry him, they would definitely let her enjoy a good life.

It was just a bit of a compromise, having an adopted son.

Si Nian smiled. "I only have one older brother and two younger brothers at home."

Grandma Xiao felt a bit disappointed upon hearing this.

The children were still talking over there. Second Child said, "Xiao Bowen, this little bow tie of yours is so stylish. It looks just like the one my sister wears in her hair."

Xiao Bowen blushed and stammered, "Idiot, this isn't a bow tie, it's a necktie. It's not the same as something as childish as a bow tie."

Yaoyao touched the bow in her hair and said in a childish voice, "It looks exactly the same."

As they talked, Si Nian told them to go wash their hands.

At this moment, Jiang Jiu also arrived.

As soon as he entered, he let out an exaggerated "Wow~".

Hearing the sound, Second Child immediately shook the water off his hands and ran out, "Xiao Jiu, over here!"

Jiang Jiu, who had been brought by Jiang Wenqing, withdrew his gaze and, seeing Zhou Zehan, said in surprise, "Second Brother, Second Brother, Xiao Bowen's house is so big! It's bigger than my house!"

Second Child also said, "It's my first time seeing such a big house too. I used to think the house in my hometown was the biggest, but I didn't expect Xiao Bowen's house to be bigger than mine."

After saying that, he pulled Jiang Jiu into the kitchen and said, "Hurry up, we're going to make a cake! Do you still remember how to make it? You probably don't remember, haha, but I still do~"

As he spoke, he was about to crack an egg into the bowl, shouting for Si Nian to watch him as he did it, "Mom, Mom, look, I can crack an egg with one hand."

With a crack, he crushed the egg in his hand.

Second Child's face immediately turned red with embarrassment.

Si Nian said helplessly, "You eat what you break. You can't waste food."

She didn't make fun of him, either.

The Second Child looked around at the other children. His older brother had already finished cracking the egg and was now rapidly beating it in a bowl with chopsticks, quickly turning the egg into a foamy mixture.

Xiao Bowen watched his brother and learned from him, mimicking his actions quite convincingly.

Looking at Jiang Jiu, he humbly asked his mother how to beat an egg.

Even their little sister was holding a small spoon, tapping away as she stirred the egg in her own bowl.

Of course, her mother had helped her crack the egg.

Yaoyao stirred for a long time but still couldn't break the yolk.

She was panting softly, looking so tired.

The Second Child was finally happy.

His sister was even worse at this than he was!

Si ​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​‍Nian taught the children how to make the cream and the cake base, and the rest was easy.

The kids each cut a small piece to decorate themselves.

Then, they had a competition to see who could finish first.

The ultimate winner, naturally, was the little culinary expert Zhou Zedong. Second place went to Xiao Bowen, third to Jiang Jiu, and fourth to Zhou Zehan.

There was no need to mention Yaoyao; her hands were covered in cream, and it was impossible to tell what she was trying to mold.

Xiao Bowen hadn't expected to actually make a cake himself. He was incredibly happy, his face beaming with joy.

He stood up straight with a proud little posture.

Plus, he had finished faster than Zhou Zehan and Jiang Jiu.

And this was his very first time making one!

Once the cakes were done, they had to wait until after dinner to eat them.

So, the children went off to play on their own.

Thinking that Xiao Bowen might like her cooking, Si Nian stayed in the kitchen to help.

After all, she didn't know what to get him for a present, so she figured she might as well help cook him a meal.

She let the children go play by themselves.

Xiao Bowen took them on a tour of his house. Every time they passed a painting, he would introduce it, saying it was from his grandfather's collection and very precious.

The others couldn't help but feel a bit puzzled. The Second Child was the first to ask, "Your grandpa? How come I haven't seen your grandpa?"

Xiao Bowen paused for a moment before replying, "My grandpa is sick. He's lying in his room."

"Then your grandpa is so pitiful," the Second Child immediately said sympathetically.

He didn't mean anything else by it; he just genuinely felt that being sick was pitiful.

Naturally, Xiao Bowen didn't mind.

As they wandered around, the Second Child and Jiang Jiu grew intrigued.

"Xiao Bowen, your house is so big and has so many rooms. It's like a maze. Don't you ever get lost walking around in here?"

"Yeah, if we played hide-and-seek here, we'd definitely never be found. That would be so much fun."

Jiang Jiu chimed in.

Yaoyao also nodded her little head. "Yeah, fun!"

After saying that, she tugged on Zhou Zedong's hand. "Brother, hide-and-seek!"

Zhou Zedong frowned. "This is someone else's house. We can't play hide-and-seek here; it's impolite."

To his surprise, Xiao Bowen's eyes lit up with interest. "It's not that we can't play. Don't worry, hardly anyone lives here. You guys can run around these rooms all you want."

And so, the group of children started playing hide-and-seek on the second floor.

Yaoyao was too little and had to run along with her eldest brother.

Zhou Zedong's stamina wasn't the best, and carrying his sister, who had grown taller and chubbier, slowed him down significantly.

He swept his gaze around, noticed a room door that wasn't fully closed, and walked over to it.

Just as he opened the door, the Second Child called out from outside, "Hide well, here I come!"

Yaoyao covered her little mouth, blinking her eyes.

Zhou Zedong wasn't really interested in hide-and-seek, but his sister wanted to play, so he couldn't refuse.

As soon as he stepped inside, he smelled a strong scent of medicine.

He turned his head and, sure enough, saw someone lying in the bed.

Even as bold as he was, he was startled.

He was just about to leave when he suddenly noticed the person had tubes inserted into their face.

He immediately thought of the grandfather Xiao Bowen had mentioned.

Could it be this elderly man?

Driven by an inexplicable thought, he curiously walked over to take a look.

The old man was skin and bones. He must have been lying in bed for a very long time; the closer Zhou Zedong got, the stronger the smell became.

It was obvious that his life was being sustained by medication.

He thought to himself, perhaps this was what they called a vegetative state?

Zhou Zehan held his breath. For some unknown reason, the person before him gave him a very inexplicable feeling.

He couldn't quite put it into words.

His heart felt tight.

He was just about to quietly pull his sister away when she suddenly tugged at him. He tilted his head to look and saw her pointing at a large group photo on the bedside table, whispering in her milky voice, "Brother, this is just like the one at our house."

Their mother had taken them to get a group photo taken before, and it was also framed and placed by the bed like this.

Thinking of those scenes, Zhou Zedong's face involuntarily softened.

He was just about to smile at his sister when his expression suddenly froze.

He abruptly grabbed the photo, making a loud noise because his movement was so forceful.

The Second Child, who was searching for them at the door, immediately pushed it open. "I found you!"

After he spoke, he saw his brother hiding something behind his back, staring at him with a dark expression, which gave him a fright.

Only then did he notice the old man lying in the bed.

He immediately covered his mouth in shock.

Oh no, had he disturbed Xiao Bowen's sick grandfather?

At that moment, someone called them downstairs to eat.

The children went downstairs and took their seats at the dining table.

The other children looked normal, with nothing strange about them.

Only Zhou Zedong remained silent, lost in thought.

But everyone was so happy right now that no one noticed.

Xiao Bowen's face was flushed red. He never expected that the hide-and-seek game he had once dismissed would be so thrilling to play right now.

He had run so fast, yet he was still caught by Zhou Zehan.

He thought that if there was a chance to play together again next time, he would definitely find a better place to hide.

Si Nian had made him a bowl of noodles. It was her signature clear broth noodles with lard, topped with a heart-shaped poached egg, looking absolutely delicious.

He immediately stood up and said, "Thank you, Teacher Si."

"You're welcome."

After everyone finished eating, it was finally time for cake.

Just after the candles were lit and he made his wish, he heard, "Happy birthday, Xiao Bowen!"

The children's smiling voices rang out, making Xiao Bowen's eyes widen as he stood frozen in place.

His eyes instantly turned red.

He had never had friends celebrate his birthday before.

It was so nice; having friends was truly wonderful!

"Xiao Bowen, this is my birthday gift to you."

"Xiao Bowen, this is from me."

"Mine."

"And me."

Yaoyao held up a milk candy and handed it to him.

Xiao Bowen, who was already on the verge of losing his composure, suddenly felt his eyes getting a little wet. He blinked hard to keep his tears from falling.

"Grandma, my, my gifts." He held the gifts in his arms, at a loss as to where to put them.

"Alright, alright, our Bowen has gifts too. Aren't you happy?"

Xiao Bowen nodded heavily.

The children cheerfully sang the birthday song to him again.

Xiao Bowen carefully put the gifts away and then cut the cake for them.

Everyone ate until their faces were covered in it.

"It's so delicious. This cream smells so good, Mom."

The Second Child was eating the cream in huge mouthfuls, which made Si Nian feel cloyed just watching him.

However, it was obvious that this cream wasn't cheap. She tasted a little bit; it was very fragrant and sweet. She couldn't blame the Second Child for thinking it tasted better than anything he had eaten before.

Although it didn't look very pretty, these were the ingredients, and no matter how ugly it looked, the taste would be the same.

Moreover, eating the cake they made themselves gave the children a great sense of accomplishment.

Xiao Bowen looked at Si Nian with admiration. He used to think that cake wasn't delicious at all and was just cold, but the one Auntie Si taught them to make was different. He had eaten so much of it. He really envied Eldest Child and Second Child for having such an amazing mother. But where was his own mother? She hadn't come to see him for a long time. He couldn't help but say, "Teacher Si, it would be so great if you were my mom. I want to learn so many things from you."

Before Si Nian could speak, Second Child immediately swallowed the cake in his mouth, grabbed Si Nian's hand, and glared at Xiao Bowen, saying, "No way! This is my mom, you can't steal her from us!"