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

Chapter 448

Her parents called, hesitating and humming and hawing as they tried to borrow money from her.Si Nian immediately knew something must have happened.

Because in all the time she had been married to Zhou Yueshen, her parents had never asked her for money.

For them to actually ask, it had to be something very serious.

Sure enough, under her pressing, her mother finally admitted over the phone, "Your brother got into a car accident while trying to save someone. He needs a huge sum for surgery right now. We've emptied our pockets and still can't scrape enough together. We had no choice but to call you, otherwise I really didn't want to trouble you."

Lin's mother choked up as she spoke. Since her daughter was pregnant, she originally hadn't wanted to tell her about such things for fear of making her worry, especially since they lived so far apart.

But right now, her son desperately needed surgery. If they couldn't gather enough money and do the surgery soon, the doctor said he might end up disabled.

Lin's mother was truly out of options, which was why she had to ask her daughter for a loan.

Si Nian's face paled upon hearing this.

Because in the novel, her brother had indeed gotten into a car accident.

But she hadn't expected that even though she had changed some of the plot's direction and her brother no longer had to work as exhaustingly hard to make money as before, he would still end up in an accident.

And the situation was exactly the same as written in the novel.

She immediately said, "Mom, what are you saying? That's my brother. You should have told me the moment it happened. Don't talk about troubling me."

After saying that, Si Nian didn't have time to ask for more details and immediately went out to wire the money herself.

In this era, things weren't as convenient as before, and it took a long time. Although one could use telegraphic transfers, or wire transfers for short, the transaction fees were high.

Right now, Si Nian couldn't care less about the high fees; she just needed to send the money back first.

In the novel, her brother ended up disabled precisely because his leg injury was severe and he didn't receive surgery in time.

If he had the surgery promptly, it could definitely be saved.

At the very least, he wouldn't become a disabled person at such a young age like in the novel.

With such a major crisis happening at home, Si Nian was truly worried.

But she couldn't just leave the children behind; they still had to go to school.

Zhou Yueshen had been busy with new electrical appliances lately and didn't have time to look after the children either.

Si Nian could only fret helplessly, planning to discuss the matter with him when he returned.

In the afternoon, when Zhou Yueshen came back with groceries, Si Nian told him about it.

Zhou Yueshen's expression grew solemn upon hearing the news. Seeing her distress, he said, "Don't worry. I'll have Yu Dong find someone to go check on him. It will take time for the money you sent to arrive anyway. I'll ask him to front the money over there first, to ensure your brother gets treated in time."

As he spoke, he patted her head and went to call Yu Dong.

On the other end of the line, Yu Dong originally wanted to tease him for actually remembering his old brother-in-arms, but as soon as he heard about Si Nian's brother's accident, he turned serious.

He had spent time with Lin Xiao in the past, so they could be considered friends.

However, ever since he went back home to inherit the family business, they hadn't seen much of each other.

He hadn't expected such a massive incident to occur.

With Yu Dong's help, Si Nian breathed a sigh of relief.

She knew that although Yu Dong was often playful and not serious, he was absolutely diligent and reliable when it came to getting things done.

Zhou Yueshen comforted her, "Rushing back now won't help matters. It's better to wait and see how the situation develops before making any plans."

If they rushed back in a panic, not to mention the children, they also couldn't just abandon their work here.

Besides, neither of them were doctors. If they went back, they could only wait around helplessly.

It was better to monitor the situation first.

If things didn't work out over there, they could always arrange for him to be transferred here for treatment.

Hearing him say this, Si Nian felt much more at ease and nodded in agreement.

Today, the children were once again dropped off by a luxury car.

Si Nian remembered this car; it belonged to the Xiao family. Xiao Bowen had visited her house before and had come over with the kids.

But why was it here again this time?

Looking through the car window, she saw Xiao Bowen's grandmother occasionally glancing back at the children with a loving gaze, which left her feeling somewhat puzzled.

For no particular reason, and considering their relationship with Xiao Bowen wasn't exceptionally close, this person was simply being too kind.

The children stepped out of the car.

"How come you took Xiao Bowen's grandmother's car back again? Hurry up and thank her."

The children expressed their gratitude, "Thank you, Grandma Xiao."

"Oh, you're too polite, too polite. I was originally just taking Bowen home today, but I happened to run into the children, so I dropped them off along the way."

After Grandma Xiao finished speaking, she smiled at Si Nian and said, "I heard all about the two children doing business from Bowen. Don't worry, I've already spoken to the principal about it. In the future, whatever ideas the kids have, just let them go ahead and do it. I'll take responsibility for them!"

"Yes, Mom, Mom! The teacher told us today too. From now on, my brother and I can do business at school, and no one will ever report us again."

Si Nian was slightly taken aback and asked in confusion, "Madam Xiao, why are you helping us so much?"

Grandma Xiao paused for a moment before realizing something. Her eyes flickered as she said, "Oh, you forgot. When our Bowen was over at your place before, it was all thanks to your two children taking care of him. Now that you've come to our hometown, of course we have to repay you generously."

Si Nian paused, finally remembering this matter. Put that way, it did seem to make sense.

Then she heard the other party say, "By the way, it will be our Bowen's birthday in a little while. His mother didn't raise him well, so he doesn't have many friends. He's only really familiar with your Xiaohan and Xiaodong, so I'd like to invite you to bring the two children over to celebrate his birthday."

Before she even finished speaking, Xiao Bowen's face turned red.

Si Nian initially wanted to refuse, but Second Child exclaimed in pleasant surprise, "Really? Xiao Bowen, you're having a birthday too? Congratulations, and happy birthday to you!"

"Mom, do I need to get a gift for Xiao Bowen too?"

Si Nian paused, thinking that Xiao Bowen was just like her two children. Perhaps this would be the first time someone celebrated his birthday for him.

She couldn't bear to refuse anymore.

She nodded and said, "Of course."

Xiao Bowen's eyes lit up.

After seeing off the Xiao family, Si Nian led the children into the house.

She didn't tell them about Lin Xiao's situation, afraid that they would worry.

The children were actually quite fond of the Lin family.

Fortunately, the next day, news came from the Lin family saying that the surgery could proceed.

The doctor said there was a sixty percent chance of success.

That could be considered good news.

Si Nian also breathed a sigh of relief.

She hadn't been to school lately, and Liu Nana and the others were all worried that something might have happened to her.

After finding out that Chen Haoran was her relative, they even brought some fruit over to visit her.

Because Si Nian had taken a leave of absence due to illness, when they went to ask, the teacher just told them exactly that.

As a result, when they found Si Nian's house and she opened the door, they were all stunned.

Si Nian was actually sporting a large, pregnant belly.

They hadn't noticed it at all before.

"You... this is..." The group stared with their mouths wide open in shock.

Seeing the group of people, Si Nian was also slightly taken aback.

She immediately asked, "Why are you guys here?"

She was a bit confused.

Behind Liu Nana stood Zhang Xue and Lu Yao.

Si Nian could understand Zhang Xue and Liu Nana, but what was Lu Yao doing here?

Looking at the astonished gazes of the three, she didn't feel there was anything to hide.

After all, she hadn't been hiding it at home. With her belly getting so big, they would naturally know what was going on.

It was only natural that a sudden pregnancy would surprise them.

We... we noticed you hadn't been to school for a long time and got a bit worried. We asked the teacher and found out you were sick, so we got your address from Chen Haoran and came over to see you. We never expected that you're actually pregnant!

Si Nian nodded and said calmly, Yes, my husband and I have been married for two years, so it's normal to get pregnant. But it wasn't convenient to just say I was pregnant, so I asked for sick leave.

Then what about your studies... Surprisingly, what Lu Yao cared about was still Si Nian's academic progress.

But it made sense. After all, in her eyes, the English teacher was grooming Si Nian to become a diplomat.

The teacher had connections in that field, and it was said that she could introduce her students into it in the future.

That would save years of taking the long way around.

But such opportunities were rare, and Lu Yao's dream was also to become a diplomat, which was why she treated Si Nian as a rival and refused to let go of any chance.

Hearing that Si Nian was sick, she had been quite surprised, thinking that this meant Si Nian wouldn't have time to study.

When Liu Nana asked if she wanted to come visit together, she hesitated for a moment before tagging along.

She hadn't expected her to actually be pregnant.

However, Si Nian hadn't exactly kept her marriage a secret from them all along, so although they were a bit surprised, they quickly recovered.

Si Nian glanced at her and said, I can do my studying at home.

Lu Yao choked on her words.

Meanwhile, Zhang Xue's gaze constantly swept over her.

In the past, Si Nian had kept a low profile at school and was rarely seen wearing any accessories.

Because just the clothes she wore were things they couldn't afford.

But now she noticed that the items on Si Nian's ears, neck, and wrists were either gold or jade.

One look was enough to tell they were extremely expensive.

She had previously seen her taking a luxury car to school, and now seeing her wearing gold and silver at such a young age, she was almost certain that Si Nian's family was very wealthy.

Moreover, Chen Haoran had also mentioned that Si Nian was a relative of his.

Recently, she had learned from various people just how wealthy Chen Haoran's family was.

Thinking about how Chen Haoran was growing increasingly cold toward her, and hearing that quite a few other girls were showing interest in him, she felt a pang of regret. She shouldn't have been so reserved before; she should have taken the initiative when Chen Haoran was enthusiastic about her.

Now that Chen Haoran was acting cold toward her, no matter how hard she tried to dress up, she couldn't get him to give her a second glance. Zhang Xue knew she could no longer get close to him on her own.

So she thought of Si Nian. Hearing Chen Haoran say he had even visited Si Nian's house to pay New Year's respects, she figured that perhaps by building a good relationship with Si Nian, she could get in touch with him.

With Si Nian's help, surely Chen Haoran wouldn't reject her again, right?

Feeling her scrutinizing gaze, Si Nian looked back at her. Zhang Xue had changed so much over the past six months. Not only was she dressing much more provocatively, but she had also learned to apply makeup. Her makeup was a bit heavy, yet being on the thinner side, she gave off the feeling that she couldn't quite pull off such a look.

At first glance, it just looked like forced maturity.

Thinking back to when they first met half a year ago, when she wore her hair in braids and dressed somewhat conservatively, Si Nian couldn't help but sigh at how time could truly change a person.

Especially someone like Zhang Xue, who had just stepped into society and lacked experience.

Although she felt a bit lamentable, she didn't ask. Anyway, ever since the pastry incident, Si Nian had no intention of associating with her.

This time, she also hadn't expected these roommates, who usually harbored their own thoughts, to suddenly show up at her door.

It wasn't proper to keep them standing and talking at the door, so she led the three of them inside and poured them some tea.

The girls curiously looked around the house. The outside environment seemed average, as it was an old alleyway after all. To be honest, the path here had looked a bit rundown, and the houses were not only lower than the buildings outside but also felt oppressive.

But they hadn't expected the inside to be a completely different scene.

Wooden floors, leather sofas, a large television, a refrigerator...

These were things they had only ever seen on TV before.

Looks of amazement and envy flashed through their eyes.

They asked her when she would go back to school.

Si Nian replied, I'll wait until the baby is born. After all, it's not very convenient right now.

The girls thought it made sense. Seeing Si Nian get up to wash some fruit for them, Zhang Xue eagerly offered to help. Sister Niannian, the style of your house is so nice. It's beautiful.

Her words carried an obvious tone of flattery.

Si Nian paused and said indifferently, It's alright. Every household is about the same.

How can they compare to yours? I've heard all about it. You and Chen Haoran are relatives, and his family runs a factory selling expensive appliances like televisions. I'm so envious.

The admiration in her eyes didn't seem faked.

To be honest, among the three roommates, Si Nian had the best impression of Liu Nana, followed by Lu Yao, and she disliked Zhang Xue the most.

If it weren't for the fact that they had to see each other constantly at school, she wouldn't have even wanted to let her in today.

She could put on a polite front to host them, but she had no mood to play pretend besties with her.

I'm not too clear about that. I haven't known him as long as you guys have.

After saying that, without waiting for the other party to ask more, she walked out carrying the fruit.

Zhang Xue pursed her lips, feeling too embarrassed to ask further in front of Lu Yao and Liu Nana.

She ​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌‌‍could only sit down and join the others in asking about her health.

Si Nian answered each question but didn't initiate conversation.

The girls felt awkward staying too long. Liu Nana stood up first. Since you're fine, we can rest easy. We still have things to do at school, so we'll be leaving now.

Si Nian nodded and said, Sorry to trouble you all for coming to see me.

Don't be so polite, it's no big deal.

Liu Nana smiled. Lu Yao was merely curious about Si Nian's situation, and to be honest, she still felt a bit awkward in her heart, so she didn't ask anything.

Zhang Xue, on the other hand, was a bit reluctant to leave, seeming like she wanted to talk to Si Nian more.

She kept winking at her pointedly.

But Si Nian acted as if she were blind and simply couldn't see it. In the end, Zhang Xue had no choice but to helplessly follow the others back.

A few days later, her family called to tell them that her brother's surgery had finished successfully.

However, he might need a long time to recover.

Si Nian breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing this.

By the time she snapped back to reality, Second Child was already anxiously asking her what gift he should get for Xiao Bowen.

He repeatedly dug out two dollars from his piggy bank, only to stuff one dollar back in, asking Si Nian what he could buy with one dollar.

Seeing his stingy behavior, Si Nian laughed, Why are you only spending one dollar? It's not like you don't have money.

Second Child stiffened his neck and said, My money is being saved for my little sister and brother. I can't give it all to him.

Because he wasn't sure if it would be a brother or a sister, he always mentioned both.

He was terrified that leaving one out would be disrespectful to his future younger sibling.

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