Reborn in the 1980s: I became a stepmother in the 1980s

Part 87 Xiaohan calls mom

Stunned, Sinan asked, "What did you call me?"

Realizing he had blurted out "Mom," which he had always hesitated to say out loud, Zhoutue Han froze in panic. It seemed like such a simple word, yet saying it felt incredibly difficult.

His face went pale, fearing that his stepmother might be disgusted with him. He remembered how he used to misbehave and caused her to be pushed by Granny Liu. People outside looked down on them, thinking they were burdens.

Desperately seeking support, he looked at his older brother, Zhoutue Dong.

Zhou Yuedong's jaw tightened, speechless.

When those two words slipped from his brother's lips, it felt like a bolt of lightning had struck him. The air grew heavy with silence. Even Yao Yao, playing on the sofa, sensed that something was amiss and looked over with a puzzled expression, nibbling on her biscuit.

Sinan noticed the sudden change in the boys' faces and realized her reaction might have frightened them. She bent down to touch Zhou Yuedong's head, his short hair feeling stiff under her fingers. She could feel the tension in his scalp.

She softened her voice and smiled, "Say it again, Zhoutue Han."

Wide-eyed, Zhou Yuedong's pupils trembled, "Mom... Mom?"

"You're such a good boy," Sinan praised, offering him a candy as a reward. Although they had plenty at home, she rarely gave them candies, aware of the risks of tooth decay from eating too much sugar.

"Alright, let's go mushroom picking," Sinan said, trying to break the awkward atmosphere and divert the children's attention. The two boys immediately followed her, excitedly forgetting the awkward moment.

Only the two children had helped out around the house, so as a token of appreciation, Sinan rewarded them each with two candies. The boys were so well-behaved that even if she didn't give them candies, they would never sneakily take any from the cupboard.

Zhou Yueshen might not be as attentive, but his teachings were definitely good. Zhou Yuedong, overwhelmed with joy, eagerly took the White Rabbit candy from Sinan's hand.

"Do you know where there are a lot of mushrooms, Zhoutue Han?" Sinan asked, ruffling his hair again.

Zhou Yuedong nodded vigorously, taking a few steps forward, his eyes sparkling with the desire to go with her, "Mom, I know! I can take you there."

"Great, Zhoutue Han will go with Mom," Sinan's heart melted. This charming little guy was just too adorable. She finally understood why mothers loved their children so much. Now, she was beginning to feel that same bond.

"Mama, Mama!" Little Yao Yao seemed to have heard something and reached out for a hug, her words a bit unclear.

Whenever Sinan had free time, she would teach Yao Yao to call her "Mama", but this was the first time it had actually worked. She hadn't expected that Zhoutue Han's call would influence Yao Yao too.

Zhou Yuedong quickly went over to hug his little sister, stealing a glance at Sinan. He wanted to go too, but was too embarrassed to ask.

Sinan had originally wanted only Zhoutue Han to accompany her, thinking it would be troublesome to bring Yao Yao along for a mountain hike. But when she met Zhou Yuedong's pleading eyes, she found herself unable to refuse.

"Xiaodong, hold your sister's hand, and we'll all go together," Sinan said.

Zhou Yuedong's eyes lit up as he nodded vigorously.

As Sinan led the three kids towards the door, Da Huang, their big yellow dog, stood up.

Sinan thought, *Not again.* Seeing Da Huang, who had been chained up and kept at the door during their absence, wagging his tail and heading their way, she couldn't help but feel sorry for him.

So, with a grand gesture, Sinan decided to bring the whole family along!

Da Huang was freed from his chain and joyfully wagged his tail, circling around them. Both Zhou Yuedong and Zhou Yueshan loved Da Huang and even let Yao Yao ride on his back.

Zhou Yueshan fetched a small basket and quickly returned, saying, "Mom, I'll help you carry it." His eyes sparkled, brighter than the rising sun.

Smiling, Sinan nodded, and the family set off towards the nearby mountains.

It had rained heavily the night before, and the mountains were still shrouded in mist. Although it was already late, people were still working in the fields.

Sinan suddenly realized, Zhou Yueshen's family didn't seem to farm? In an era where almost every family farmed, Zhou Yueshen had never mentioned it.

Sinan was curious. She actually liked the idea of having a small garden to grow vegetables and fruits.

Happiness Village was nestled against the mountainside, and the Zhou family's home was close to the village entrance, just a short walk to the foot of the mountain.

Despite the dampness of the mountain, with the mist still heavy even at noon, Sinan had been worried that the kids might find it difficult to walk. But it turned out she was the one struggling.

After climbing for a while, Sinan was drenched in sweat, her clothes sticking to her body from the heavy mist. Meanwhile, the two boys and the dog, carrying Yao Yao, were walking ahead without breaking a sweat.

Sinian caught her breath, resting her hands on her hips. When she noticed the kids looking back at her, she quickly straightened up, trying to appear nonchalant.

After walking for another ten minutes up the mountain, Sinian wiped her sweat and took a closer look around. The mountain was abundant with resources, especially during this harvest season. She could spot some wild berries, vegetables, fruits, and mushrooms. However, the most noticeable wild berries and apples had already been picked clean by the children.

Sinian also spotted some Codonopsis roots, but most of them had already been dug out.

"Well, the villagers aren't fools; there's no chance for others when it comes to resources," she thought.

However, the common mushrooms were still relatively easy to find. After all, everyone was busy with farming during this season and had no time to pick mushrooms.

While she was busy picking mushrooms, she heard a scream from Yueshan.

Startled, Sinian quickly stood up and rushed over. "What's wrong, Yueshan?"

"Mom, Da Huang killed a rabbit!" Yueshan pointed at a wild rabbit lying dead on the ground, with tears in his eyes.

Sinian was shocked. The rabbit weighed at least six or seven pounds. Da Huang had killed it instantly without any struggle. At that moment, Da Huang was firmly gripping the rabbit's neck, ignoring Yueshan's pleas to let go.

Da Huang was, after all, a wild Tibetan Mastiff, naturally aggressive. Though raised by humans, being back in the wilderness, encountering wildlife made it lose control. Its fierce appearance with bared teeth was quite intimidating.

Sinian quickly pulled Yueshan close to her, regretting bringing Da Huang along. But fearing that the sight of Da Huang eating the rabbit in front of the kids might frighten them with its bloody scene, she mustered her courage and scolded, "Da Huang, let go now!"

To her surprise, Da Huang, who had been tolerating Yueshan's hits and shouts in anger, actually released its grip and looked up at her, nudging her affectionately.

Sinian patted Da Huang's head. Hearing Da Huang's grumbling from its throat, she suddenly felt that it was almost like dealing with a child. She sighed with relief.

After tossing the rabbit into the basket, just as she was about to continue mushroom picking, Da Huang suddenly bit onto her pants, pulling her to the side.

Sinian hurriedly followed, and Da Huang started digging out a burrow from a mound. Three or four baby rabbits were huddled together inside, trembling in fear, looking pitiful.

Sinian: "..."

In the end, Sinian ruthlessly placed the baby rabbits into the basket and carried them home. Forget about the mushrooms, tonight they'd have spicy rabbit stew!

As the family joyfully arrived home, they saw a woman standing at the doorstep.