"It's up to you." Xiao Shanhe agreed without thinking, and lowered his head to continue fiddling with his mortise and tenon box.

Shen Huanxi felt that he had been nervous for nothing.

This man wasn't even angry about his ex-wife taking away his pension, let alone the fact that his stepdaughter didn't take his last name.

After all, Chang'an and Changning are not his biological daughters.

"Pack your things. I won't bother you anymore." Xiao Shanhe said and went out.

Shen Huanxi just noticed that the luggage that she had asked Pan Jianguo to bring earlier was now placed in her room, and it seemed that Xiao Shanhe and Zhang Guifen had not touched it.

She took out her clothes and put them in the closet one by one.

To be honest, she felt that the Xiao family's financial situation was quite good in this day and age.

Yunnan is a fairly large city in the northwest. The Xiao family has their own yard and two shops in the city, and Xiao Shanhe also receives a pension of 20 yuan a month.

But even so, Lan Linxiang disliked Xiao Shanhe's poverty and ran away with Su Liming.

But think about it, we are now in an era of rapid economic development, opportunities are everywhere, even if you have never been to school, as long as you find the right way and are willing to work hard, you can achieve great success and make a lot of money.

Xiao Shanhe and Lan Linxiang are both college students.

It is not easy to get into university these days. Those who can get into university have high IQs. Most of these people can do very well in this era. Perhaps Xiao Shanhe, who has disabled legs, is not as good as his college classmates.

What's more, Lan Linxiang remarried Su Liming.

Shen Huanxi was also very clear about how rich Su Liming was.

Therefore, Shen Huanxi also understood Lan Linxiang. Everyone has different choices. Just like in this life, she was willing to give up her wealth and power and just wanted to protect Chang'an and Changning. Everyone has the life they want.

I just don't know what kind of job Xiao Shanhe does.

To be able to receive the pension, he must be a state-owned enterprise, and he cannot be a "desperate criminal" as others say.

But she didn't dare to ask.

Xiao Shanhe injured his leg at work. By asking such a question, isn't she just rubbing salt into the wound and irritating him?

There is a long way to go, and we will live under the same roof from now on. One day we will know.

…

When Zhang Guifen came back with Xiao Yutang and Xiao Yuzheng, Shen Huanxi had already prepared lunch.

Xiao Yutang covered his buttocks and walked with a limp, obviously having been severely beaten.

Xiao Yuzheng didn't cover his butt, but seeing how he timidly hid behind Xiao Yutang, he must have been scolded a lot.

Zhang Guifen felt embarrassed when she saw that Shen Huanxi had already prepared the meal.

"Huanxi, how come you've already prepared the meal? Actually, it's still early. I can still have time to prepare the meal if I come back now. I would be so embarrassed if you prepared the meal already.

It’s all the fault of these two little bastards. They hid in the abandoned granary and made me look for them so hard! But I finally found them at this late hour! What a troublemaker they are!”

As he spoke, he glared at Xiao Yutang and Xiao Yuzheng.

Shen Huanxi quickly told her to stop talking.

"It's okay. We're a family, so it doesn't matter who cooks. The child is still young, so just give in."

"Who is still a kid? I am an adult! I know who is good and who is bad! Also, who is your family?"

"Xiao Yutang, shut up. Do you want to eat or not?" Xiao Shanhe said in a low voice.

Xiao Yutang was startled, but he didn't move away and crossed his arms across his chest.

"I won't eat it! I won't eat what she cooks! This is my house! Not hers! I'm talking to you! Mr. Shen! Don't use my kitchen and don't live in my house!"

Xiao Shanhe glanced at him.

"This is my home. I built the house. She is my wife. My wife must live in my home. If you don't want to live with her, get out. Be careful not to be kidnapped by traffickers."

When Xiao Yutang heard Xiao Shanhe say this, his body trembled.

A while ago, there was a child with broken arms and legs begging in a department store. People said that he was abducted by traffickers, who cut off his arms and legs and used him as a tool to beg for money.

Xiao Yutang was afraid, but he still remained stubborn.

"I won't go out, but I won't eat what she cooks either!"

Zhang Guifen grabbed the broom and went to beat Xiao Yutang again.

"You piece of junk! You don't listen even when I hit you or scold you. Are you doing this to piss me off?"

"Then hit me! Hit me! People say that if there is a stepmother, there will be a stepfather. It turns out that what they say is true! There is also a stepgrandmother. Hit me, hit me, stepgrandmother!"

Xiao Yutang limped away and hid behind the water tank in the yard. He squatted down, only sticking out half of his head, and shouted at Zhang Guifen.

Zhang Cuifen chased after him with a broom, but after hearing what he said, she couldn't bring herself to do it.

It was dinner time, and neighbors were looking over here with their bowls in hand, watching the excitement.

Zhang Cuifen put away the broom awkwardly.

"I'll let you go today, but don't push your luck."

Only then did Xiao Yutang come out from behind the water tank.

Shen Huanxi went over and took the broom from Zhang Guifen's hand.

"Let's eat first. The food is getting cold."

As he said this, he put the broom under the eaves.

Seeing that some neighbors were looking into their yard, Zhang Guifen ignored them and grabbed Xiao Yutang and Xiao Yuzheng's arms on the left and right, and dragged the children into the house, making the two boys grimace in pain.

Shen Huanxi was busy telling Zhang Guifen to be gentler and not to hurt the child.

Xiao Yutang was still angry, but he didn't understand why his father and grandmother were angry today, beating and scolding them, but the stepmother, who was said to be the worst by others, was so gentle.

Isn't it said that a stepmother is as poisonous as a venomous snake?

Chang'an and Changning were already sitting at the dinner table. The two girls didn't dare to move or speak.

Zhang Guifen also pushed Xiao Yutang and Xiao Yuzheng onto chairs and told them to sit down and hold their chopsticks.

Shen Huanxi cooked braised pork, sweet and sour fish, smoked chicken and stir-fried vegetarian dishes with rice and pepper.

Zhang Guifen's eyes widened.

"You were just helping me last time, and I didn't know you were such a good cook. I feel really bad for you buying so many dishes and cooking for me. This is only your first day here."

Shen Huanxi smiled and shook his head.

"Mom, there's nothing to be embarrassed about. This is my home from now on, and it's my duty to buy things for you."

Xiao Yutang and Xiao Yu were listening nearby and were also a little surprised.

They thought Shen Huanxi only bought the big red apples, but it turned out that he also bought vegetables, and bought so many of them.

The two children looked at the sumptuous dishes on the table and couldn't help swallowing.

Shen Huanxi handed the chopsticks to them.

"I asked your fathers. Tangtang likes braised pork the most, and Zhengzheng likes smoked chicken the most, so I made them for you. Come and eat them."

Xiao Yutang looked at the chopsticks handed to him by his stepmother but did not reach out to take them.

He swallowed again and pushed her chopsticks away.

"I won't eat anything you cook."

After saying that, he also helped Xiao Yuzheng push the chopsticks back.

“We don’t eat it.”

"Didn't the other little boys in the box steal your books today? If you don't eat and grow tall and strong, you will be bullied by them in the future." Shen Huanxi said.

Hearing Shen Huanxi say this, Xiao Yutang and Xiao Yuzheng thought about how they were bullied by the kids in the alley today.

I also remembered the time when Shen Huanxi helped them vent their anger.

"Also, don't you think your stepmother is bad? What if you don't eat more and grow up, and then you get bullied by me, your stepmother, in the future?" Shen Huanxi added.

Only then did Xiao Yutang fiercely snatch both pairs of chopsticks and hand one of them to Xiao Yutang.

"Then consider it as what we owe you! When we two brothers make money in the future, we will pay you back for the meals we ate at your place!" His tone was also fierce.

Shen Huanxi smiled and nodded.

"Okay, then I hope you two will be successful and make a lot of money."

Xiao Yutang paused with his chopsticks in his hand, lowered his head, picked up a piece of braised pork and stuffed it into his mouth.

Why did he feel a tightness in his chest? He wanted to continue to be aggressive, but he couldn't.

Why is the stepmother different from what they imagined?

Shen Huanxi was always so gentle and soft, making him feel like he was punching cotton, which was not pleasant at all.

Also, why does this stepmother cook so deliciously?

Xiao Yutang and Xiao Yu were eating voraciously.

Come to think of it, their mother never cooks. Before their parents got divorced, their grandmother always cooked for them. They have never eaten the food cooked by their mother...

But she is still my biological mother, and no biological mother can be better than my stepmother.

"Dang!" Xiao Yutang was full and threw the bowl on the table. Seeing that Xiao Yuzheng had also finished eating, he pulled Xiao Yuzheng and ran out.

The two children didn't say a word. Zhang Guifen wanted to stand up again, but was pulled back by Shen Huanxi.

"Mom, there is a long way to go. Didn't the children just say it? If you have a stepmother, you will have a stepfather and a stepgrandmother. The children already think so in their hearts. If you still scold them, they will think so even more. Don't provoke the children's resistance."

"That's true." Zhang Guifen nodded.

"And Comrade Shanhe, you too, don't be so harsh on the children, give them some time."

Xiao Shanhe also nodded.

…

In the evening, after washing up, Shen Huanxi entered Chang'an Changning's house.

Chang'an Changning was sitting on the kang reading and painting. When he saw Shen Huanxi come in, he pointed at the dim five-watt light bulb hanging on the ceiling.

"Mom, so this is a light bulb! It's much brighter than candles and kerosene lamps!" Chang'an said, his tone full of curiosity.

Shen Huanxi walked over, sat on the edge of the kang, and touched the child's head.

"Yes, this is a light bulb. In the future, we will have brighter lights at home, fluorescent lights, incandescent lights, you will know later."

"Yeah!" The two girls nodded, looking expectant.

"How is your new home? Do you like it?" Shen Huanxi asked again.

Chang'an and Changning both nodded.

"I like it! The new house has running water, so mom doesn't have to go to the well to fetch water anymore, and it won't be so hard."

"Yes! There is a big kang, electric lights, and a wardrobe. The new father and grandmother are both very nice!"

"It's just that the new older brother and younger brother are not very nice, they are so fierce..." Chang Ning said, lowering his head.

Shen Huanxi's heart skipped a beat when he saw the two girls suddenly look disappointed.