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

Chapter 393

When Si Nian and Zhou Zedong got up, Second Child was exhausted and fast asleep on the sofa.Si Nian was a bit puzzled, "Did Little Han not go back to his room last night? Why is he sleeping here?"

Zhou Zedong thought carefully and said uncertainly, "He did, didn't he?"

The first thing he subconsciously did after getting up was to sweep the dust off the floor in the house.

Because his younger sister and brother both liked to crawl around and play on the floor, if the floor wasn't cleaned every day, they would get their clothes dirty.

However, the mop was actually still dripping wet, and there were traces of water from the faucet on the floor.

At this moment, even someone as smart as him was a bit confused.

Could his younger brother have become so diligent that he got up early in the morning to clean up?

When Si Nian heard about this, she also felt quite amazed.

Consequently, she drew a little red flower in Second Child's little red flower chart.

A child who usually liked to sleep in actually knew to get up early and clean; of course, he had to be rewarded.

When Second Child woke up, he found he had earned an extra little red flower.

He was completely thrilled.

He hadn't expected that getting up early to jog would earn him a little red flower. At this rate, wouldn't his little red flowers soon surpass his older brother's?

It was just that getting up alone was so boring. His dad didn't like to talk, and he was a chatterbox, so holding his tongue all morning was agonizing.

So, Second Child immediately ran out to find Jiang Jiu, saying he wanted to teach him martial arts.

Jiang Jiu was instantly tempted, and the two agreed to wake up at five o'clock the next morning.

This way, they could both learn and have someone to chat with. It was simply too wonderful.

Just as the two were discussing it, they saw a man walk out of the Fang family's house next door, carrying some things in his hands.

Jiang Jiu was a bit surprised, "Who is that?" It was the first time he had seen a man at the Fang house.

Second Child said, "I know, that is Fang Bowen's dad."

Jiang Jiu was shocked, "Fang Bowen's dad? Fang Bowen has a dad? I thought he only had a mom."

Second Child asked in confusion, "Why do you say that?"

Jiang Jiu whispered secretly, "Look, Fang Bowen's surname is Fang, and Auntie Fang's surname is also Fang. I heard that only children without dads take their mother's surname. Look at me, my mom and dad got divorced, so I took my dad's surname, and my little brother took my mom's surname."

Second Child was astonished.

Then if that man wasn't Fang Bowen's dad, could he be a fraud?

He immediately rushed over and blocked the man who was about to leave.

The man paused slightly. His hair was a bit long, covering his eyelids, and he wore gold-rimmed glasses, making it somewhat hard to read his expression.

However, it was only brief before he spoke first, "Little boy, is something the matter?"

Second Child asked suspiciously, "Uncle, is Fang Bowen really your son?"

The other party paused, "Why do you ask?"

"Because Fang Bowen takes his mom's surname. Is your surname also Fang?"

At these words, the man let out a low chuckle, "Of course, little Bowen is indeed my son. It's just that your Auntie Fang and I aren't married. As for the specific reasons, children shouldn't know."

Second Child looked at him, half-understanding. He could sense that this man didn't seem like a bad person, but he still felt something was weird, though he couldn't put his finger on it.

"Then what about Fang Bowen? Where is he? I'll ask him."

He tilted his head and looked toward the house.

The other party was silent for a moment and said, "Little Bowen is sick. I took him to the hospital yesterday, and he's still there now. Do you want to go see him?"

Second Child also knew that Fang Bowen was sick; he always looked sickly. The last time he and Jiang Jiu brought him food, Fang Bowen said he didn't want it, but in reality, the lunchbox disappeared after they left.

Then he was nowhere to be seen.

He rolled his eyes and came up with an excuse, "Little Jiang's lunchbox was left with him. We aren't going to see him, just to ask for the lunchbox back."

The man smiled, "Alright."

Second Child ran back home to tell Si Nian.

When Si Nian heard that Fang Bowen's dad had come home, she was also very surprised.

She watched her son pack snacks into his schoolbag, followed him out the door, and looked suspiciously at the man outside.

The man was looking down at an expensive watch on his wrist. He was wearing a custom-tailored suit that looked very pricey at a glance.

He was a wealthy man.

He was about the same age as Zhou Yueshen, but compared to Zhou Yueshen's sharp edge, he was much more restrained and gentle.

Si Nian stepped forward, and the other party immediately noticed her.

He paused first, then greeted her, "Hello, you must be Teacher Si, right?"

Si Nian was surprised, "Yes, and you are?"

The man chuckled softly, "I am little Bowen's dad, Xiao Yi. When I took him to the hospital last night, he mentioned you."

Si Nian understood, but it was still a bit awkward. She had sent Fang Hui to the police station herself, and now she was waiting for trial. Yet her husband had returned and was greeting her.

Hmm... Could it be that he didn't know about Fang Hui yet?

She quietly observed the man; he indeed bore some resemblance to Fang Bowen.

The man seemed to see through her thoughts and said, "I already know about what happened between you and Fang Hui. However, I don't plan to intervene. After all, this was indeed her fault, but she is little Bowen's mother in the end, so I hope Teacher Si can show some mercy."

Si Nian was even more surprised. So he already knew?

His wife had gotten into such trouble, yet this man could still be so calm?

Si Nian was truly shocked, but the other party looked very wealthy. If he really wanted to help, Fang Hui definitely wouldn't be in any trouble.

Si Nian's judgment of people was still very accurate.

For Fang Hui to come to an unfamiliar place as a single mother, live in such a big house, and send her son to the best school—it was absolutely impossible to do that just on a reporter's salary.

But since Fang Bowen took Fang Hui's surname, and the fact that the man didn't show a hint of emotion when mentioning Fang Hui, Si Nian instantly seemed to understand something.

She nodded, "If she has the sense to apologize and compensate, I naturally won't hold a grudge. As for the rest, whatever the law decides is what counts."

The other party gave a slight nod and didn't say much else.

He looked like he had no intention of discussing it further.

Si Nian felt slightly relieved and looked at her son and Jiang Jiu.

"Go on, come back early."

The hospital was quite close to here. Plus, since the other party had immediately taken Fang Bowen to the hospital upon arriving, he definitely cared about the child and wasn't a bad person.

Si Nian also felt safe letting the two children go along to visit.

Second Child and Jiang Jiu couldn't understand what the two adults were talking about and were still discussing what they had brought.

However, Second Child said to Si Nian, "Mom, I'll just go ask for the lunchbox and come back," using a tone that suggested he wasn't close to Fang Bowen at all.

Si Nian smiled and nodded.

The man hailed a car, and the two children immediately squeezed in, then waved goodbye to Si Nian.

Si Nian watched them leave before heading back into the house.

Just then, Captain Li called her to inform her that the court session would start tomorrow.

Because the evidence was complete, there would definitely be no problems on her side.

Upon contacting the Fang family, she found that no one from Fang Hui's side had any intention of coming over.

Fang Hui could only choose to appeal after the verdict was given.

The Sunshine Daily had already halted its sales, tactfully stating that all profits would be used to compensate her, and they came forward to explain the rumor-mongering incident.

The newspapers should be out by now, and they asked if she had seen them.

Si Nian really had not seen them. She was currently guiding Eldest Child on how to stew soup, while also teaching Yaoyao how to write.

After Captain Li hung up the phone, she asked Eldest Child to go buy some newspapers.

Sure enough, Eldest Child bought back a few newspapers, all of which contained the clarification statements and apologies that Sunshine Daily had rushed out overnight.

In addition, another newspaper wrote about how she was framed by her adoptive parents' family after becoming the provincial top scorer in sciences, along with interviews with Captain Li, the principal, and others.

Principal of No. 2 High School: "Yes, they were simply jealous that Student Si won the top scorer title. Jealousy twists people's true nature."

Captain Li: "According to a relative, A certain Zhang, the motive for the crime is suspected to be that Comrade Si achieved the top scorer title while the Si family's own daughter only got average grades, which infuriated the other party into holding a grudge against the victim. The suspects have been brought to justice, and we hope the public will stop causing harm to the victim..."

Si Nian almost burst out laughing.

Several consecutive newspapers corroborated this matter, and some newspaper agencies even stepped forward to express their support for her, stating they believed in her character, and so on.

Although she did not know who was helping her behind the scenes, judging from the situation, the storm surrounding this incident should soon pass.

...

Second Child and Jiang Jiu only realized upon arriving at the hospital that Fang Bowen's situation was not as simple as they had imagined.

He was actually still unconscious.

The two had even brought a Gobang set, planning to play chess with Fang Bowen.

Seeing Fang Bowen lying on the bed looking so tiny, with tubes inserted into his body and his small face terrifyingly pale, the excitement they had felt all the way there instantly vanished into thin air.

The two only knew that Fang Bowen had been sick for a long time, but they did not expect it to be this serious.

Xiao Yi led the two quiet children to sit down on the side, and then heard Zhou Zehan ask, "Uncle Xiao, is Fang Bowen okay?"

Xiao Yi gave a slight nod. "He is fine, he has passed the critical stage."

His expression was slightly grave. Fang Bowen's condition had originally been just a common cold, but because it went untreated for a long time, it had developed into pneumonia.

It was extremely severe.

When he went over yesterday, he found the child coughing incessantly with a stubborn high fever.

Surprisingly, there were only a few cold medicine boxes in the house.

Fang Hui was nowhere to be found, leaving only a nanny behind.

He asked the nanny, but she said she did not know either, because she usually only helped with cooking and sending Fang Bowen to tutoring classes.

Although the teacher mentioned he had a slight cough, Fang Hui only came back late at night every day. The nanny could not possibly wait for her to return before leaving, so she just ignored it.

She thought it was just a simple cold and cough.

Little did she expect it to be this serious.

Furthermore, the child did not say where he felt uncomfortable.

With a cold face, Xiao Yi sent the child to the hospital, which was when the pneumonia was diagnosed.

A seven-year-old child getting pneumonia; he really did not know how Fang Hui had been taking care of the kid.

Fang Hui did not return all night. After looking into it, Xiao Yi found out that the woman had been taken to the police station for spreading rumors.

Last night, in order to keep the child awake and prevent him from falling into a coma, he kept trying to find topics to talk about, asking him about his life here.

As a result, Fang Bowen's face only showed a hint of vitality when he mentioned Teacher Si's family next door.

Xiao Yi's expression was very ugly.

This was also the reason he decided to give up on Fang Hui.

Helping a woman so vicious that she could not even take good care of her own biological son would be aiding and abetting a tyrant.

And having her come here in the first place was just to investigate some matters.

Now, his objective had been achieved.

Fang Hui was entirely worthless.

Xiao Yi's gaze swept past Second Child and was quickly withdrawn.

Fang Bowen woke up in the afternoon.

As soon as he woke up, he heard two familiar voices.

He struggled to open his eyes and saw Second Child and Jiang Jiu sitting by the hospital bed, playing Gobang.

He thought he was dreaming and closed his eyes again.

Because he had dreamed of such a scene before.

He did not want to wake up right now.

It was not until a pair of warm, large hands landed on his forehead. "Are you awake?"

Only then did he uncertainly open his eyes and see the man in front of him.

He ​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‍recognized him. When he was very young, his mother had pointed to this dazzling man in the newspaper and told him that this was his father.

But she also told him that he had to study hard and become a very smart child before his father would acknowledge him.

So he had always studied very hard, and sure enough, his father had come looking for him.

Fang Bowen widened his eyes.

Second Child and Jiang Jiu immediately leaned over, staring at him with wide eyes.

"Fang Bowen, you are awake?"

"Fang Bowen, are you okay?"

"Do you want some candy?"

"I have cookies too."

He blinked hard to keep himself from crying.

He awkwardly turned his head away. "I... I won't eat your stuff."

The two children exchanged glances. "Okay then, if you do not want it, forget it."

After saying that, they put the snacks away.

Fang Bowen: "..."

After Second Child returned home, he told Si Nian about Fang Bowen.

Si Nian had heard that the child had a cold, but she had not expected it to be a severe illness like pneumonia, and she was quite shocked.

One week later.

Xiao Yi led Fang Bowen by the hand and came over carrying a lot of gifts.

Fang Bowen's face was still a bit pale, but he looked much better and was no longer coughing.

Seeing Second Child and the others, his expression was still a bit awkward.

But when he saw Si Nian, he politely greeted her first, "Hello, Teacher Si."

Si Nian nodded with a sigh. "Are you feeling better, Student Fang?"

Xiao Yi nodded, his expression solemn. "Thank you so much for your care. The child said that the cold medicine he took earlier was given by you. If it were not for your medicine, I am afraid this child would not have made it through."

Si Nian was surprised. "Cold medicine?"

Xiao Yi nodded. "The child had been running a fever on and off for a long time. He said he only felt a bit better after taking some medicine, and that the medicine was given by you."

Fang Bowen said somewhat shyly, "Yes, it was given to me by Zhou Zedong. He said that if I felt very hot all over and kept coughing, I would get better if I took it. So I took it, and then I really did get better."

He used to get fevers at night, but he got a bit better those two days when he took the medicine.

But later, when the medicine ran out, he stopped taking it, and then it started all over again.

Si Nian turned to look at Zhou Zedong, who was walking out.

Zhou Zedong was quite calm and said, "When my younger brother was sick before, his symptoms were very similar to Fang Bowen's, so I thought I would let him try taking it."

He had carefully examined that cold medicine; it could treat many problems, and even if someone took it without being sick, they would be fine.

That was why he dared to give it to Fang Bowen.

Si Nian was even more astonished.

She had thought that only Second Child would be soft-hearted enough to secretly give Fang Bowen food.

She did not expect that Little Dong would actually secretly give him medicine too.

But what she expected even less was that Fang Bowen's condition was so serious that he had contracted pneumonia.

Thinking about it for a moment, Si Nian felt her hair stand on end.

Because if Fang Bowen's father had not happened to come here and take him to the hospital, and with Fang Hui being detained, wouldn't Fang Bowen have been in grave danger?

If something really happened because of this, she would never have peace for the rest of her life!