"Yaoyao, where's Yaoyao...." He let out a panicked cry.
"Big brother, brother, Yaoyao is gone! Big brother, she—she sold sister—" His shriek cut off abruptly when he saw Zhou Yuedong walking in, holding their little sister’s hand. The words "she sold sister" lodged in his throat.
Zhou Yuedong shot his younger brother a glance.
Si Nian raised an eyebrow and looked at Zhou Yuehan. "What did I do to your sister?"
Zhou Yuehan shuddered, quickly lowering his head as he stammered, "N-nothing."
"Come here," Si Nian said slowly.
Zhou Yuehan’s eyes reddened, his little legs trembling uncontrollably, his feet stumbling over each other as he swayed unsteadily. He didn’t dare go. If he did, that wicked woman would surely hit him. Wuwu, he was going to get beaten.
His pleading gaze landed on his older brother.
But Zhou Yuedong said nothing.
Wuwu, even big brother wasn’t going to protect him?
Had little sister betrayed them too? Had big brother also turned against him?
Seeing his fearful resistance, Si Nian sighed.
Was she some kind of monster?
Just as Zhou Yuehan’s legs gave out and he nearly collapsed to the floor, something was placed in front of him.
He blinked, rubbing his teary eyes to get a clearer look—and there it was. A blue backpack.
He’d seen kids at school with this kind of bag. Rumor had it only the rich could afford them. While others carried simple cloth shoulder bags, this one had two straps. Everyone envied the kid who owned one.
Zhou Yuehan rubbed his eyes again, widening them in disbelief.
"Th-this is...?"
"Your old bags were worn out, so while I was in town, I bought one for each of you. You can choose which one you want."
Si Nian pulled out the rest of her purchases from the bag before setting it down in front of the two boys.
Zhou Yuehan was so excited he forgot all about offending her earlier. He clapped his hands over his mouth, eyes shining.
"F-for us?!"
The tears that had welled up from fear now spilled over from sheer disbelief and joy.
"Yaya~" Yaoyao, seeing her second brother crying, toddled over and shoved her candied hawthorn stick into his mouth.
Unlike Zhou Yuedong, who had iron self-control, Zhou Yuehan cried openly while nibbling on the sweet treat.
Zhou Yuedong couldn’t bear to look at his brother’s lack of dignity.
Si Nian didn’t tease him either. She simply carried her things into the kitchen to start dinner.
The moment she stepped inside, she spotted the neatly chopped ribs sitting in the pot.
Her eyes lit up.
This was a luxury. Pork was expensive these days, especially ribs—most families couldn’t afford them.
She’d been meaning to ask Zhou Yueshen to bring home more meat, but he’d already taken the initiative.
Immediately, she decided: tonight’s menu would be rib hotpot!
Rib broth was nutritious, delicious, and perfect for hotpot. Best of all, it was simple to prepare.
The man was thoughtful—he must’ve worried she’d struggle with chopping, so he’d already cut the ribs into small, uniform pieces.
Besides the rib stew, Si Nian planned to make a savory soy-glazed version for the kids.
She rinsed the ribs, drained them, then boiled them in cold water with scallions and ginger to remove any gaminess.
Soon, a layer of white foam rose to the surface. She skimmed it off before removing the ribs from the pot.
Since it was getting late and stewing ribs took time, she decided to prepare the glazed ribs first to tide the children over while the broth simmered.
She heated oil in the wok, added sugar, and caramelized it to a rich amber. Then in went the ribs for a quick sear—just enough to coat them without burning. She adjusted the flame carefully.
Once evenly coated, she tossed in scallions, pepper, garlic, and a splash of cooking wine, stir-frying for a minute before adding soy sauce and basic seasonings. The absence of soybean paste was regrettable, but she made do.
She poured in water, covered the wok, and let it simmer on medium-low heat for about fifteen minutes.
Before long, an irresistible aroma filled the Zhou household kitchen.
Outside, Zhou Yuehan—still clutching his new backpack in awe—was practically drooling. His eyes sparkled. "Yay! We’re having meat again tonight!"
Zhou Yuedong glanced at him but said nothing. His brother’s radiant happiness was too pure to ruin.
Truthfully, the past few days had been like a dream. They’d eaten better in this short time than in years past.
Zhou Yuehan, overwhelmed with joy, spun in circles with Yaoyao in his arms. In that moment, he thought: If only our stepmother could stay like this forever.
Mid-spin, he found himself at the kitchen doorway.
Just as Si Nian lifted the lid to reduce the sauce.
An explosion of fragrance hit him.
Zhou Yuehan gulped audibly, feet rooted to the spot. The next second, he was right beside the wok, eyes glued to the glistening ribs.
The meat was tender, nearly falling off the bone, cloaked in a glossy, caramelized glaze as the sauce bubbled thickly...
So... so good!
He peeked at Si Nian, hesitating before asking, "A-are we eating this tonight?"
Si Nian, busy slicing potatoes for the stew, nodded without looking up. "Mhm. Hungry?"
Zhou Yuehan’s face flushed crimson. "N-no!" he stammered before bolting out with Yaoyao, cheeks still burning.
He didn’t understand why talking to his stepmother made his heart race—why he felt this strange mix of excitement and happiness. Too young to name the emotion, he only knew he didn’t dislike it. In fact... he kind of loved it.
I hope... she stays like this always.
---
Aunt Liu had followed Zhou Yueshen home, grumbling the entire way about Si Nian’s reckless spending—how she was clearly after his money, splurging on herself while neglecting the children.
She knew the kids were Zhou Yueshen’s weak spot. He might let minor things slide, but no man would tolerate a new wife wasting money so brazenly.
Yet the moment they neared the Zhou residence, the rich scent of ribs stopped her in her tracks.
"See? I knew it!" she crowed triumphantly. "She’s hoarding the good food for herself instead of saving it for the children!"
Zhou Yueshen gave her a sidelong glance before pushing the door open.
His silence made Aunt Liu assume he was furious. Smug, she hurried after him.
The moment they entered, their eyes landed on the table piled with purchases.
Before even identifying the items, Aunt Liu pounced. "See, Yueshen? I told you! Look at all this—she’s been here barely a few days and already blowing money like this! What a wasteful—"
"Dad!" Zhou Yuehan came bounding over, beaming, his new backpack strapped proudly to his shoulders.
