The Sweet Stepmother and Her Cute Cubs

As Grandma Zhuzi came out of the hospital, the more she thought about it, the more she felt that Han Cheng’s words were reasonable. 

It was right to give Zhuzi’s mother a dowry, however, she shouldn’t take away their money completely, and besides that, she also gave Zhuzi’s mother her pension every month. It may seem like it was just a meager amount, but it was a large amount after it was accumulated over several years.

Mother Zhuzi said that she remarried in the next town. Grandma Zhuzi still decided to ask for clarification. At least she had to make it clear that half of the money had to be left to Zhuzi. The food tickets had to be handed over to Han Cheng. If she didn’t make it clear, she would still come to ask for money next month.

After making up her mind, Grandma Zhuzi asked people she met on the way for directions.

……

As soon as Su Xiaoxiao heard that Grandma Zhuzi was not at home, she asked Zhuzi if his grandma would usually go out at this time.

Zhuzi shook his head and said no, as long as she was still in the school or outside, his Grandma never went out.

Han Cheng guessed that she might have gone to Zhuzi’s mother.

“Zhuzi, does your mother live in the next town?” Han Cheng asked.

Zhuzi shook his head and said, “I don’t know, but she can come back and forth every time in just half a day. She can take the money and tickets and leave.”

Zhuzi doesn’t know why his mother is like this. Sometimes she doesn’t even look at him or ask him a question.

Han Cheng estimated the distance. If Grandma Zhuzi went to find Zhuzi’s mother, she would be back at least at six or seven o’clock.

“Let’s eat first. After eating, Zhuzi will go home and have a look. If she hasn’t come back yet, Zhao Xianfeng and I will take several people and split up to find Auntie.” Han Cheng said.

This was originally an extremely delicious and comfortable meal, but everyone was worried about Grandma Zhang. Everyone’s appetite was greatly reduced. Even the little Fantuan rarely played tricks. 
The whole family ate quietly.

Zhuzi wasn’t even full, but he finished eating and said he wanted to go back home and have a look if his grandma arrived home.

Han Cheng was worried that a small child would walk back home alone in the dark, so he quickly finished eating the last mouthfuls and went out with Zhuzi.

Today’s meatloaf was a little salty. Su Xiaoxiao ran to the door and asked Han Cheng to bring some water.

“Be careful. Don’t look for Auntie all by yourselves.”

Han Cheng squeezed the back of Xiaoxiao’s hand and said, “Don’t worry, I have discretion. If I come back late, you and the children should go to bed early.”

Little Fantuan wanted to say that he would go too, but Han Cheng glanced at him: “Dad is not at home. You are the biggest man in the family. Take care of your mother and brother.”

Su Xiaoxiao: “…” Comrade Han Cheng, your son is five, not fifteen, not twenty-five!

Little Fantuan straightened his chest and patted it with his small hand. A sense of responsibility and pride came into his system: “Don’t worry, Dad, I am at home!”

Su Xiaoxiao: “…” The father and son are really….

When Han Cheng and Zhuzi’s shadows were not visible, little Fantuan asked Su Xiaoxiao a little sullenly, “Mom, would such a big person like Zhuzi’s Grandma, get lost??

Su Xiaoxiao replied: “It’s reasonable to not get lost, but it’s so late and the road is dark. It’s dangerous, she might fall somewhere because of the rocky road.” 

Little Fantuan looked down for a moment, looked up, and asked Su Xiaoxiao seriously: “Mom, Can Xiao Zhuzi be my brother? He can also be a big brother to my little brother. Can you also be little Zhuzi’s mother? I would like to give half of you to Xiao Zhuzi.”

The relationship between people depends on fate. Fantuan likes little Zhuzi very much. He feels that Xiao Zhuzi is pitiful without his father and mother. He is willing to give him half of his favorite brother and mother.

Su Xiaoxiao squatted down and touched the child’s head: “Fantuan, mother can’t recognize him as my son randomly. Your situation is different from that of Zhuzi. Your mother is gone, and I will marry your father and become the mother of you and Xiao Doubao. But Xiao Zhuzi has his mother, and whether she is good or not, she is still his biological mother. We can treat Xiao Zhuzi as a family member, but this can’t be out in the open, do you understand?”

Xiao Fantuan couldn’t understand, but he still nodded his head. 

He didn’t know how to describe his current mood, and he appears to be a little happy: “So you will only be the mother of my brother and me, not the mother of others, right?”

Su Xiaoxiao thought for a while and didn’t want to hide from the child. She replied truthfully, “Your father and I… You may have a brother or sister in the future. No matter if it’s a brother or sister, Mom will only give birth to one. So, maybe, Mom will be the mother of three children.”

In the beginning, Su Xiaoxiao thought that if she really didn’t like Han Cheng after getting along, she would divorce him and participate in the college entrance examination. 

At that time, the cubs would also grow up, but now, she is certain that she likes Han Cheng and also likes the two cubs. So, she also wants to be completely part of Han Cheng’s family, and have another child with Han Cheng. No matter if it’s a boy or a girl, it is enough for her to have three children in her life.

Xiao Fantuan’s eyes lit up, and he remembered that before Xiao Doubao was born, his mother had a big belly, and soon he had another brother.

Xiao Fantuan looked at Su Xiaoxiao’s belly and frowned: “But Mom’s belly didn’t bulge. So, there’s no brother or sister in it?”

Su Xiaoxiao became embarrassed. Come to think of it, Han Cheng and I are now in the holding hands and kissing cheeks stage. How can there be brothers and sisters there?

But how can this cub know everything?

Su Xiaoxiao didn’t say anything yet, but little Fantuan said, “I want a brother. Mom, give birth to a brother, so that, four men in the family can protect you.”

Su Xiaoxiao became speechless. How can you say you are a man when you are five years old?

“Isn’t the sweet and beautiful little sister better?” Su Xiaoxiao has two sons. She really wants a soft and cute girl for herself.

After Su Xiaoxiao spoke, she realized that she had been misled by Xiao Fantuan!

What brothers and sisters? She and Han Cheng haven’t gotten any proof of marriage at all, nor have they shared a room. Why did she tell a five-year-old cub this? However, by accident, she found out that Fantuan does not reject this matter.

“Well, let’s not talk about this, and don’t tell this to your father. If you want a brother and sister, you have to wait until you become a man.”

Xiao Fantuan: “Mom, Dad just said I’m a man!”

Su Xiaoxiao patted his head and said, “Well, man, let’s hurry to clean up.”

……

Han Cheng didn’t come back for a long time. Only when Su Xiaoxiao and Fantuan cleaned the table, washed the dishes, bathed, and recited many poems, did Han Cheng come back, and he was the only one who came back.

Su Xiaoxiao looked behind him and said, “Where is Xiao Zhuzi?”

Han Cheng put down the bottle in his hand and drank several mouthfuls of water, took a few deep breaths, and then said, “In the hospital, Grandma Zhang is in the emergency room. We have to be prepared psychologically. Grandma Zhuzi may not be able to survive it.”

The expression on Su Xiaoxiao’s face changed: “What do you mean? What do you mean she’s dying?”

Han Cheng: “Zhuzi and I heard on the way that she went to find Zhuzi’s mother. When we arrived at Zhuzi’s house, we didn’t see anyone, so we asked Zhao Xianfeng to send someone to find her. Zhao Xianfeng’s people found her in a ditch…she was dying… Probably…” Han Cheng shook his head.

Su Xiaoxiao covered her mouth, and tears could not help flowing down: “How could this happen? Where’s Zhuzi?”

Han Cheng replied: “He refused to leave the hospital.”

Su Xiaoxiao never thought that the old lady who was still alive and kicking two days ago, who was discharged a while ago and would come to their home to help her look after the children, would be gone…

Han Cheng hugged her and said, “Things in the world are impermanent. There are many situations that we can’t control. The only thing we can do is move forward through all kinds of changes. I will take a bath first and go to the hospital. Take the children to sleep first, you don’t have to wait for me to come back.”

Su Xiaoxiao understood what Han Cheng meant, and she became sadder for Zhuzi.

When they were sleeping at night, Su Xiaoxiao still told them bedtime stories, but Fantuan was not in high spirits, and asked Su Xiaoxiao, “Mom, what do you mean by gone? Will Grandma Zhuzi, like my mother, leave Zhuzi forever?”

Su Xiaoxiao doesn’t know how to explain the heavy topics of birth, aging, illness, and death to a five-year-old child. She could only say: “Fantuan, each of us has a certain number of days to stay on the earth. Some people had more time on earth, and some had a lesser amount of time. However, all of us will eventually leave Earth and go to another place. Maybe we will live on the moon, or maybe, we will become a star in the sky. Like Fantuan and Doubao’s mothers, Zhuzi’s grandmother might become a star in the sky. Although you can’t see her, she will always be watching you grow up happily in the sky.”

Su Xiaoxiao’s explanation erroneously confirmed Fantuan’s thoughts all along, and he suddenly smiled: “Mom, tell me in secret, aren’t you the little fairy sent by mother from the heavens to protect us?”

Su Xiaoxiao patted the child’s head: “The happiest thing that happened to mom is to, meet the two little angels, Fantuan and Doubao. Promise to your mother to be happy every day, and your mother will continue to watch from the sky.”

Fantuan and Doubao were finally not affected by Grandma Zhuzi’s incident, and they fell asleep with sweet smiles.

Grandma Zhuzi didn’t survive the night and left that night.

But she was able to meet her grandson for the last time and said a lot of words to bless her grandson, but in the end, she left with regrets. She told Han Cheng and Zhao Xianfeng that Zhuzi’s mother told her that she could not give birth to children at all, and don’t always think about pushing Zhuzi to her. Zhuzi was not her son. He was the son of his husband and his other woman. She just pretended to be pregnant for ten months.

Grandma Zhuzi’s last words were to ask Han Cheng and Zhao Xianfeng to find Zhuzi’s mother and entrust her with her, but to make sure that she must not change Zhuzi’s surname. Zhuzi has been in the blood of their old Zhang family all his life, and future children and grandchildren can only be surnamed, Zhang.

Grandma Zhuzi died after she finished speaking.