The Stepmother’s Counterattack: Raising a Child in a Bygone Era
Chapter 687 - 686 Reported by Someone

Chapter 687: Chapter 686 Reported by Someone

"Don’t tell your master about the family matters for now."

"Yes."

After instructing the nanny, Madam Ren then turned and went back to her room.

As soon as the door closed behind her, her face clouded over with anger.

She had thought her daughter was merely throwing a tantrum and would obediently return home by evening, but she had dared to stay out overnight without her permission.

"Very well, very good, if she doesn’t want to come back, then she never has to come back!"

After cursing in anger, still not placated, Madam Ren picked up a vase from the dressing table and smashed it to the ground.

Hearing the commotion upstairs, the nanny hesitated for a moment before going to the telephone.

"Miss, you should come back. The lady has lost her temper quite badly. There’s no enmity between mother and daughter that lasts overnight; just lower your head, admit your mistake, and this will all pass."

"Aunt Hongmei, there are some things I can compromise on and others I can’t. I’m going to sleep now, goodbye."

Hearing the phone click as it was hung up, Aunt Hongmei could only sigh.

After putting down the phone, Ren Jingshu lay back on the bed, silently staring at the ceiling.

She of course guessed that her mother would be very angry and could imagine that Madam Ren would not give up easily and would use even more means to pressure her.

She was already eighteen. Madam Ren couldn’t cut off her education by claiming guardianship, the only thing she could do was cut off her financial resources.

But even so, she wouldn’t back down.

Perhaps due to exhaustion, Ren Jingshu lay pondering and soon fell asleep.

...

"Oh, you’re back?"

Looking at Zhao Dafa on the sofa, Zhao Yun felt an inexplicable twinge of guilt.

He had sworn off taking pocket money from his parents and had stubbornly lasted three months, but he’d broken his resolve tonight.

With things as they were, Zhao Yun didn’t care about face anymore and totally let go, "I took two thousand from Aunt Hongmei today, remember to pay her back."

Zhao Dafa knew Zhao Yun had asked his wife for money, but he didn’t expect it was that much and immediately glared at him.

"Where’s the money, all spent?"

"Not spent, but I gave five hundred to Jingshu."

He added after a moment, "That’s your future daughter-in-law."

Zhao Dafa was so angry he could only stare, "A brat who’s barely grown a hair and already thinking about taking a wife."

"She ran away from home because of me, of course I have to take responsibility for her. Once I finish my studies, I’ll come back and marry her."

He spoke with a prideful tone, clearly somewhat pleased with Jingshu’s undying devotion to him.

After understanding the circumstances of the girl’s runaway, Zhao Dafa’s first reaction wasn’t pride but worry.

He worried whether his son had done something to the girl to make her so determined.

He stood up and kicked Zhao Yun, "Tell me the truth, have you taken advantage of her?"

"I don’t have enough time to like her, how could I possibly take advantage of her."

After carefully observing Zhao Yun’s expression, Zhao Dafa saw he wasn’t lying and finally felt relieved.

"You both are still young, and you’re about to go study in M Country. The future between you two is uncertain. If you dare to do anything out of line and hurt her, I’ll break your damned legs."

"I know, Aunt Mingzhu has told me all this."

At these words, Zhao Dafa immediately felt a sense of gratitude toward Shen Mingzhu.

It turned out mothers were indeed more meticulous and appropriate in teaching children, something he and Shen Hongmei both had to admit to being inferior at.

...

Because of Ren Jingshu’s rebellious elopement, the entire Ren family was shrouded in a low pressure.

The housekeepers went about their work cautiously, not daring to make a noise, for fear of provoking the anger of Mother Ren.

The only one delighted by the situation was Ren Yingying, who was as happy as if it were the New Year.

With the annoying person gone, the air at home felt fresher.

After breakfast, she deliberately dallied and didn’t go to school, waiting until Mother Ren had left the house. Then she immediately ran to Ren Jingshu’s room, grabbed Ren Jingshu’s backpack, and even asked the housekeeper to help pack up Ren Jingshu’s luggage.

"Your stuff!"

Instead of getting angry when she saw her backpack and luggage rudely thrown on the floor by Ren Yingying, Ren Jingshu sighed in relief.

These were necessities, and it would cost a tidy sum to replace them. Ren Yingying bringing them out actually saved her the trouble.

Watching her bend down to pick up the backpack and luggage, Ren Yingying’s face revealed a sense of gratification and triumph.

"This is what Mom told me to give you. She said you’re not to come back again, and even if you do, she won’t let you step foot inside the door."

Her help with Ren Jingshu’s backpack and luggage wasn’t out of kindness but rather a desire to completely drive Ren Jingshu out of the house.

Ren Jingshu was well aware of this but couldn’t be bothered to expose the other’s petty thoughts.

Watching Ren Jingshu walk toward the dormitory alone with her belongings, Ren Yingying revealed a scornful, cold sneer.

Serves you right for stealing my thunder all these years!

When she returned home from school at noon, faced with Mother Ren’s furiously grim expression, Ren Yingying had already prepared to shift the blame onto Ren Jingshu.

"Sister forced me to take them for her. If I didn’t, she said she’d beat me up, and I can’t fight her off."

These words were like pouring gasoline on a fire, making Mother Ren even more furious.

Just as she was thinking about what measures to take to force her daughter back home, Director He from the dance school called.

Ren Jingshu had been reported.

"Mrs. Ren, you needn’t worry too much. The investigation team’s visit this time is just a formality. I’ve already communicated with the Sun Family, and it was Sun Liwen who voluntarily gave up her spot because of her injured foot and can’t compete."

Seeing that Mother Ren remained silent, Director He thought she was worried and continued, "The organizers also don’t want to cause a scandal. This kind of thing has happened in the past. If we really investigated every case, it would be like pulling out radishes and bringing up the mud. Resolving it peacefully is the best outcome."

"As for the Sun Family, I’ve hinted at them. As long as they help settle this matter, money won’t be a problem."

Mother Ren finally reacted, "I’ve already given five thousand before, and now they want more money? Do they think the Ren family is an easy mark?"

The ins and outs of her words clearly suggested she suspected the Sun Family had orchestrated the whole event.

Director He had also considered this possibility, but what was most important at the moment was to protect Ren Jingshu’s reputation and achievements.

She was counting on Ren Jingshu, the star pupil, to enhance her own fame and reputation, and to grow the dance class bigger and stronger.

So she continued to soothe her with kind words, "Jingshu has garnered excellent results, which is bound to make people envious and jealous. It might not necessarily be the Sun Family. What’s most important right now is not to let this matter affect Jingshu."

"Director He, I understand," Mother Ren replied.

Although Ren Yingying couldn’t hear the content of the conversation between Director He and her mother on the phone, she could roughly guess what it was about from Mother Ren’s fragments of conversation and attitude.

It must be the Capital Culture Department coming to investigate Ren Jingshu.

Ren Jingshu, Ren Jingshu, let’s see how you die this time!

In class, as the math teacher spoke with spittle flying, the homeroom teacher suddenly appeared at the door of the classroom.

"Jingshu, come out for a moment," the homeroom teacher said.

Seeing the serious expression on the homeroom teacher’s face, Ren Jingshu’s heart sank, her first thought being that Mother Ren had come to the school.

"Your family has sent a car to pick you up. You should go home first," the homeroom teacher said.

Ren Jingshu instinctively wanted to refuse upon hearing the homeroom teacher’s words, but then she heard, "The Capital Culture Department has sent people over to investigate the competition slot issue. They’re on their way. Your mother asked me to tell you that as long as you come home, she’ll take care of everything else."