Si's Father: "?"
Zhang Cuimei: "??"
Zhou Zedong addressed Si Nian as "Mom" for the first time, trembling like a leaf.
It wasn’t just shyness—there was fear and unease too.
His younger brother could speak and easily won Si Nian’s affection.
So Si Nian didn’t mind him calling her "Mom."
But Zhou Zedong wasn’t likable. Everyone said he was strange, hard to get along with, and had a bad temper...
Si Nian probably didn’t like him either...
At that moment, he didn’t dare look up to see her reaction.
In an instant, Zhou Zedong regretted it.
He shouldn’t have called her that on such an important day, in front of so many people.
After all, he wasn’t her biological child. Would she feel embarrassed?
The thought made his small hands tremble, nearly dropping the bowl of soup he was holding.
The next second, a pair of warm, delicate hands steadied it.
Zhou Zedong looked up in surprise at Si Nian’s gentle expression.
"Thank you, Xiao Dong. Here, this is a red envelope for you."
She placed a thick red envelope into his rough, slightly reddened palm.
Zhou Zedong was still young, but with just a glance at his hands, Si Nian noticed the intricate lines and calluses—a child who had already endured hardship.
And he was only ten.
Her heart ached. The eldest child was always quiet, rarely speaking, and she often struggled to connect with him.
She had unintentionally overlooked him.
Only now did she realize he, too, needed love.
Though he never showed it, deep down, he longed for their attention.
Zhou Zedong’s eyes shimmered with unshed tears as he clutched the red envelope, overwhelmed.
"Th... thank you..."
Seeing the bride handing out red envelopes, and Zhou Zedong being the first to receive one, the other children grew restless.
Led by Shitou, a group of kids swarmed around Si Nian, staring up at her eagerly.
"Auntie, you’re so pretty today, like a fairy!" Shitou shamelessly flattered.
The other children chimed in: "Auntie is the most beautiful bride we’ve ever seen!"
"Shitou said you cook really well, gave him White Rabbit candy, and even let him ride a bike. You’re the best, Auntie! We love you too!"
The Second Child, hearing that Si Nian had come downstairs, hurried over with Yaoyao in his arms. When he saw the other kids showering her with praise and noticed his older brother holding a red envelope, he panicked.
Pushing through the crowd, he racked his brain before blurting out:
"Mom! I love you the most!"
The onlookers laughed, their eyes filled with warmth and envy at the heartwarming scene.
Si Nian chuckled. "You little sweet-talker."
She handed red envelopes to the Second Child and Yaoyao first, then distributed the rest to the other kids.
Next, she gave them a handful of candies.
Peeling one, she fed it to Zhou Zehan, who was holding Yaoyao, then bent down to pinch his cheek.
"Xiao Han, you’ve worked hard."
"Not at all!" Zhou Zehan beamed, savoring the sweetness in his mouth, his heart bubbling with joy.
Mom had peeled the candy just for him! So sweet!
She peeled another and offered it to Zhou Zedong, who had been stealing glances at them.
"Xiao Dong, have one too."
Zhou Zedong’s face flushed. "Give it to Yaoyao," he muttered quickly.
His selfless devotion to his siblings touched Si Nian.
In the past, whenever she gave them treats, he never ate his share—always saving them for his brother and sister.
Such a kind and thoughtful child.
If not for the cruelty he faced in his early years, he might not have grown into the cold, distant man he became in the future.
With proper guidance, he could achieve great things.
"Xiao Dong, you have it. Yaoyao is too young—too much candy is bad for her teeth."
Hearing that, Zhou Zedong hesitated no longer and took the candy.
Si Nian watched him for a moment.
Zhou Zedong tightened his grip on the candy. "D-Dad needs my help. I’ll go now."
With that, he scurried off—only to bump into someone.
Looking up, he saw a vaguely familiar face but couldn’t place her.
Yet the woman recognized him immediately, her tone laced with disbelief.
"Zhou Zedong? How...?"
Lin Sisi’s question—"How could you have changed like this?"—died in her throat.
"Who are you?" Zhou Zedong asked, puzzled by the way she stared at him, as if she knew him well.
Had they met before?
Under his questioning gaze, Lin Sisi broke into a cold sweat.
She barely stopped herself from saying something reckless.
But the scene before her was unbelievable.
Lin Sisi never imagined the Zhou family’s children would be so different from the ones she remembered in her past life.
For a moment, she wondered if this was even the same Zhou family she had married into.
The brooding, withdrawn Zhou Zedong was calling Si Nian "Mom" and accepting candy from her!
In her past life, after Zhou Yueshen’s first wife had nearly poisoned his brother, he forbade the children from accepting anything from other women.
When she married into the family, she never even shared a meal with them.
At the time, she hadn’t minded.
But now... what was happening?
Had Si Nian, in such a short time, not only changed Zhou Zehan but also won over the two boys who despised women?
Lin Sisi couldn’t believe it. She refused to.
Yet the boy who once barely spoke to women now asked patiently, "Did you need something?"
Lin Sisi’s pupils trembled. It took her a moment to reply, her voice distant.
"You... don’t remember me? I’ve been to your house before," she said with an awkward smile.
Zhou Zedong thought for a moment before nodding.
"Oh, right. You’re the one who came to discuss marriage with Dad."
He had heard the story—how Lin Sisi and Si Nian had been switched at birth, leading to Si Nian marrying his father instead.
Lin Sisi nodded. "Yes. You’re Zhou Zedong, right?"
Zhou Zedong’s expression wasn’t warm, but he remained polite.
"That was my old name. Now I’m Zhou Zedong. Dad and Mom gave me this new name. Call me that from now on."
With that, he clutched his candy and dashed off.
Zhou Yueshen was speaking with Director Li when he felt a tug on his sleeve.
Looking down, he saw his eldest son staring up at him with bright eyes.
For a second, he almost mistook him for the Second Child—Zhou Zedong never acted like this.
His voice softened. "Xiao Dong, what is it?"
"Dad, look." Zhou Zedong opened his palm to show him the candy resting in his hand.
Zhou Yueshen was puzzled. "What's this?"
Zhou Zedong's eyes curved into crescents as he smiled, his expression unexpectedly radiant. "Mom peeled this for me..."
Just finished correcting the typos—these two chapters were from Lin Sisi's perspective, so she mistakenly referred to the child as Zhou Yuedong. Don’t let it confuse you. The eldest child mentioned he changed his name, so this misnomer won’t appear again in the future.
