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

Part 12 190cm tall man

Over by the pig farm, there's also a resting area for keeping watch. If it weren't for worrying about the kids, Zhou Yueshen wouldn't have needed to come back at all.

"Well, there's no need for that. I-I'm fine. This house is so big, and it's not like there's not enough space," Sinen said awkwardly.

She still wanted to get to know this person better. What if he didn't come back? How would she get to know him? Plus, this was his home. Why should she move out just because she's an outsider? She wasn't from this era, where being seen naked meant someone had to take responsibility.

Zhou Yueshen nodded thoughtfully. "This matter, it's up to you."

Possibly due to going to bed early last night, Sinen woke up early. She heard some noise outside and got up to turn on the light. She saw that it wasn't yet dawn, but Zhou Yuedong and Zhou Yuehan were already off to school in the dark.

This village wasn't small. Tucked away in a mountain valley, it was called Happiness Village, divided into three sections. Sinen's place was in the highest section, Three Team.

There was no school in the village. The only school was eight kilometers away, at the central elementary school, where students from several villages around came to study. It would take one or two hours to get there on foot.

So, children usually woke up early. It was only five o'clock now.

After a while, Sinen lost her sleepiness and left the room.

The house was large but felt empty, with dim lights and a chilly morning atmosphere, lacking any warmth.

She walked past the rooms of Zhou Yuedong and Zhou Yuehan. Because Zhou's family had many rooms, both brothers had their own separate rooms. Sometimes they would take turns sleeping with their little sister.

The door to Zhou Yuedong's room was closed, but Zhou Yuehan's was open, revealing only a small wooden bed inside. Judging by its size, it couldn't have been more than one and a half meters long. Such a small bed—would it be too cramped for Zhou Yueshen to sleep with them? After all, from her estimation yesterday, that man was at least 190 centimeters tall.

Feeling somewhat embarrassed about occupying their master bedroom, Sinen thought there were still plenty of rooms in the house. If necessary, she could just switch to a guest room and make do. However, just as she was about to check out the guest room, the door suddenly opened from inside. Both of them were startled, their eyes meeting in surprise. Sinen jumped a little.

"How...how come you're here?" She had thought Zhou Yueshen would be sleeping with Zhou Yuedong, so she had slowed down when passing Zhou Yuedong's room. She hadn't expected him to be in the guest room. She had checked the guest room yesterday—it didn't even have a bed, just a mat on the floor. It was probably used by Zhou Yueshen's workers occasionally.

Zhou Yueshen's gaze swept over her soft, fair face, his Adam's apple bobbing as he spoke with a husky voice tainted by a hangover, "I came back too late last night and didn't want to disturb Xiao Dong and the others, so I stayed in the guest room for the night. Why are you up so early?" It was only five o'clock.

The sky outside was still pitch black. Upon hearing his words, Sinen felt even more embarrassed. "I usually wake up around this time. I'm sorry for making you sleep here."

"No worries, it's all the same to me," Zhou Yueshen replied, withdrawing his gaze from her face, sensing her genuine remorse. "I need to go to the pig farm. You can rest a bit longer."

Sinen hurriedly said, "There should be some steamed buns I made yesterday in the kitchen. You can have them for breakfast."

Zhou Yueshen had actually smelled the aroma early in the morning and had been a bit puzzled by why there was such a fragrance in the house so early. It wasn't until she mentioned it that he understood. He walked to the kitchen, lifted the lid, and indeed found several piping hot steamed buns, with the scent of meat wafting out. Zhou Yueshen raised an eyebrow slightly, realizing he had underestimated her; she could actually cook. He had thought she was a delicate lady who didn't know her way around the kitchen.

Sinen heard the sound of the front door closing and a few barks downstairs. She quickly went to the second floor to take a look and saw the tall figure standing below. The Tibetan Mastiff, usually indifferent to her, was wagging its tail like a happy dog next to the man. Zhou Yueshen reached out and patted its head, and it immediately obediently lay down on the ground. Sinen looked on in amazement; she couldn't believe the dog was so well-behaved.

It seemed like her gaze was too intense, as the man downstairs suddenly looked up towards the window. Sinen couldn't dodge in time and inadvertently fell into the depths of his dark eyes. Her heart pounded wildly, and she quickly averted her gaze, her cheeks burning with embarrassment. What was she doing? Just stealing a glance, why was she feeling so guilty? What if Zhou Yueshen thought she was acting strange? Sinen chastised herself and shook her head in frustration. When she mustered the courage to look again, Zhou Yueshen had already walked away, his figure disappearing into the dim horizon.

Of course, Sinen couldn't fall back asleep. She got up and started cleaning, meticulously tidying up the floor and polishing the sofa until it gleamed. She had a bit of a cleanliness obsession, and since she was going to live here, she wanted everything to be perfect. However, the house was too large for her to clean entirely, so she focused on her own room and the living room.

After finishing, Sinen went to the kitchen to stew some porridge. When she went upstairs, she found that Yaoya had already woken up and was nibbling on her stuffed toy, leaving it drenched in saliva. As soon as Yaoya saw her, she released the toy and reached out with her tender little hands, wanting to be held.

The little one was almost two years old but still couldn't speak, which could only mean two things: either her development was significantly delayed or no one had taught her yet. Sinen was determined to teach her to speak, so she spoke slowly whenever she interacted with her. Although Xiaodouding didn't fully understand, she listened attentively.

"Brother~"

"Ya-ya-ya~"

"Daddy~"

"Yi-yi-yi~"

"Mommy~"

"Mama~"

Sinen looked at the little one with delight. "Say 'Mommy' again, Yaoya~"

"Giggles~" The little one chuckled, unable to say another "Mommy." It seemed she wasn't developmentally delayed; she just hadn't been taught yet. Sinen wasn't worried, though. The children in the Zhou family were all very smart, so she was confident Yaoya would learn.

By this time, the sky outside was already brightening. Sinen idly turned on the television, which was broadcasting the morning news. Sunlight streamed in through the front door, adding a touch of warmth to the empty house. The fresh air was something she hadn't experienced in thirty years, and each breath was refreshing.

Sinen reheated last night's dinner, pouring the sauce from the braised pork over it, soaking the rice with its rich flavor. She also taught Yaoya how to eat with a spoon, and the little one quickly caught on. As for what the dog in the Zhou family ate, Sinen didn't know how to make dog food, but she didn't want it to go hungry or go mad, so she soaked some rice and brought it out.

Next to the dog's kennel was a metal basin filled with dog hair. Sinen, who was afraid of the dog that was almost as tall as her when standing, used a stick to pull the dog bowl closer, cleaned it out, and then poured the steaming rice into it.