The freshly steamed buns wafted an irresistible aroma, causing the two children doing their homework to pause. Soon, a pair of dusty cloth shoes appeared before Si Nian. She looked down to see a face staring up at her, mouth practically watering.
Across the table, the child gazed at her, dazed and entranced, eyes fixed yet too timid to reach out.
Zhou Yuehan was about seven or eight years old, just in first grade, but his small frame made him look no older than four or five. His thinness accentuated his large eyes, and his cheeks were marred with dry, cracked patches. His tiny hands, gripping the edge of the table, were grubby, fingers covered in painful-looking hangnails—hardly what one would expect from a child living in such a fine house.
A soft smile touched Si Nian’s almond-shaped eyes. She picked up a bun and blew on it deliberately, watching as the boy’s gaze followed her every move. Then she held it out to him.
"Here, eat."
"Don’t be afraid. Let’s eat together."
She kept her voice gentle, knowing full well how wary these children were of women.
The moment she spoke, Zhou Yuehan’s face lit up with unrestrained delight. He grabbed the bun and immediately brought it to his mouth.
But in the next instant—smack!—the bun was knocked from his hand and onto the floor.
Zhou Yuedong swiftly pulled his younger brother behind him, his expression fierce and fearful as he glared at Si Nian.
Before leaving, Aunt Liu had warned them—this woman was here to steal their father.
The last woman had tried to poison their food, nearly killing Yuehan.
This one couldn’t be trusted either!
Si Nian was startled, and Zhou Yuehan stood frozen, on the verge of tears as he stared at the bun—bigger than his palm—now lying in the dirt.
"Gege," he whimpered.
"You can’t eat it," Zhou Yuedong muttered through clenched teeth.
Yuehan trembled and fell silent.
Meanwhile, Yaoyao burst into loud, frightened sobs.
Si Nian felt a mix of shock, frustration, and pity—for the children and the wasted bun. But she remembered the novel’s description of Zhou Yuedong: inherently suspicious, slow to trust, and deeply sensitive.
After suffering abuse from several women, the older boy had learned not to expect kindness. Of course, he’d assume her goodwill was a trap.
Well.
Habits like his couldn’t be undone overnight.
Just as Zhou Yuedong braced himself for her to explode in anger—or worse, strike them—she instead stepped around them, picked up the dirtied bun, dusted it off, and took a bite.
Zhou Yuedong stiffened. Zhou Yuehan gaped, swallowing hard as he watched.
Three bites later, the bun was gone, and her stomach finally settled.
Wiping her hands, Si Nian moved to the sofa and scooped up the still-crying Yaoyao, patting the little girl’s bony back soothingly. "Don’t cry, Yaoyao. Your stepmother will make you something tasty."
Yaoyao was an easy child to calm, especially since she already liked Si Nian. Her sobs subsided almost instantly.
After drying her tears, Si Nian carried her to the kitchen and returned with a bowl of steamed egg custard. She settled the girl on her lap, blowing gently on each spoonful before feeding her.
The custard was fragrant, silky smooth, and completely free of any eggy smell, melting effortlessly on the tongue.
The moment the delicious flavor hit, Yaoyao began eating eagerly, mouth open wide for more.
It was nothing like when Aunt Liu force-fed her.
Zhou Yuedong and Zhou Yuehan were stunned at the sight.
That woman actually made steamed eggs for Yaoyao.
Though there were plenty of good things at home, Aunt Liu would always eat the best portions herself or take them away, leaving only scraps for them.
Their father was too busy, working from dawn till dusk.
Zhou Yuedong didn’t want to trouble him or speak up, afraid of retaliation.
Yet this woman had just arrived and was already giving Yaoyao good food.
No, that couldn’t be right—she must be pretending!
A year ago, the woman their father had brought home was the same. At first, she had patted his head and called him adorable.
But later, in her greed for the Zhou Family’s wealth, she had poisoned their food, nearly killing all three siblings.
She was eventually driven away by their father.
When Aunt Liu first came, she had also treated them well, cooking delicious meals every day.
But once their father became too busy to notice, she grew careless—the food turned bland and meager, leaving him and his brother constantly hungry.
He had even seen Aunt Liu secretly taking the meat their father left at home, but he dared not say anything. Without her, there would be no one to care for their little sister.
Zhou Yuedong endured in silence, telling himself that once he was older, just a little older, he could take care of Yaoyao himself.
But now, their father’s new wife had arrived, and to him, it felt like a bolt from the blue.
Even if this woman seemed kind now, he couldn’t let his guard down.
Meanwhile, Zhou Yuehan stared at the bowl of steamed eggs, swallowing hard. Between the meat buns and the eggs, he was practically drooling.
Si Nian calmly finished feeding Yaoyao and waited until the two boys had been standing so long their legs had gone numb before speaking. "I accidentally made too many buns. Eat if you want, or don’t. Just stop standing there."
These children were too wary. If you treated them too kindly all of a sudden, they’d only suspect you had ulterior motives.
Sure enough, hearing her words, Zhou Yuedong’s tense posture visibly relaxed.
Zhou Yuehan immediately grabbed a bun and stuffed it into his mouth. It smelled so good—even if it was poisoned, he’d eat it. He’d rather die full than hungry.
Si Nian averted her gaze. She preferred Yaoyao—perhaps because the child was too young to understand anything, making her easier to approach.
Seeing the little one still hungry, she pinched off another piece of bun to feed her.
But she didn’t dare let her eat too much. Aunt Liu had just fed her earlier, and overeating might upset her stomach.
Once the child in her arms was full and content, Si Nian finally began eating herself.
Her buns were packed with real ingredients. After just one, she was completely satisfied.
She didn’t eat much more—the sour, unwashed smell clinging to the child in her arms was ruining her appetite. How long had it been since this little one had a bath?
Unable to tolerate the filth, Si Nian ignored Zhou Yuedong and the ravenous Zhou Yuehan, heading straight to the kitchen to boil water for Yaoyao’s bath.
"Good girl, Yaoyao, your stepmother is going to give you a bath, okay?" Under Zhou Yuedong’s unwavering stare, Si Nian carried Yaoyao upstairs.
Yaoyao, understanding nothing, simply giggled and babbled in response.
Amused, Si Nian pinched her tiny nose before rummaging through the child’s room for a change of clothes.
But some were already too small. Babies grew so fast—their clothes became unwearable within months. Someone like Zhou Yueshen probably wouldn’t notice such details.
After filling the basin with hot water and testing the temperature, Si Nian peeled off the little one’s grimy clothes.
When Si Nian saw the lice densely covering the clothes, she instantly abandoned the idea of washing them.
Her whole body itched, and her scalp tingled with disgust.
The little girl seemed afraid of water, squirming the moment she was placed in it.
Si Nian quickly peeled a milk candy and popped it into her mouth. Yaoyao immediately stilled, her small eyes squinting as she savored the sweet treat, as if she had never tasted anything so delicious before.
"Be good, Yaoyao. If you take a bath, you get candy."
Tossing the dirty clothes into the trash, Si Nian pulled out her own body wash and carefully scrubbed the child.
She had never bathed a child before, but she had bathed her cat.
It couldn’t be that different—and her cat was far less obedient than this little girl.
The first round of bathwater barely foamed.
It was just that filthy.
Luckily, she had boiled plenty of hot water, and the weather wasn’t cold. The child seemed to grow comfortable soaking in the warmth, obediently raising her arms or lowering her head when asked.
Every now and then, she even let out soft giggles.
Outside the door, Zhou Yuedong stood listening. Only when he heard his little sister’s laughter did the tension in his expression ease slightly.
This woman probably wouldn’t act against them so soon. The last one had waited a whole month before showing her true colors.
So he still had time. In that time, he had to find a way to deal with her.
He couldn’t let his younger siblings suffer again!
Zhou Yuedong clenched his fists, his face dark with a hostility far beyond his years.
Downstairs, Zhou Yuehan had already eaten one steamed bun but didn’t dare take another. Instead, he secretly hid one and, when he saw Zhou Yuedong coming down, quietly handed it over. "Brother, eat this."
"I don’t want it." Zhou Yuedong glanced at the fragrant meat-filled bun, swallowing hard before patting his brother’s head.
Zhou Yuehan watched him nervously. "Brother… are you mad at me? I ate the bad woman’s food."
Zhou Yuehan had nearly died once from greedily eating poisoned food—he had coughed up blood, terrifying Zhou Yuedong, and the memory still haunted him. But this bun… it was so soft, so delicious, the best he’d ever tasted.
The moment it touched his tongue, he had almost cried.
His brother must despise him for being so weak-willed, so easily swayed by the enemy’s cooking.
"I promise, Brother," he said firmly. "Even if I ate her bun, I’ll never call her Mom. I won’t eat her food again. If I do, I’m a dog."
