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

Part 60 Why can't your lower body be as hard as your body?

Sinian blushed, feeling a bit awkward now that they were embracing. She reached out with her fair and slender arms, slipping them around his lean waist, fingers intertwining with his.

The road wasn't great, so they had to be careful. Despite the helmet, the wind was still quite strong. Sinian took a light breath, her breath unexpectedly feeling hot. Her starry eyes beneath the helmet trembled slightly.

It was just an ordinary motorcycle, but somehow, he made it feel like riding a luxury bike.

As they rode, pedestrians turned their heads to look at them. Their eyes showed envy at the sight of the brand-new black Honda King 2nd generation. Men envied the motorcycle while women envied the woman on the bike. In this era, having a Honda King made it so much easier to impress.

Taking it out for a ride felt no less thrilling than driving a small car. Sinian had never had a boyfriend in her past life, so she'd never experienced the feeling of being picked up and dropped off by a boyfriend, especially on a motorcycle.

But now, she seemed to understand. This feeling... wasn't too bad.

She lifted her eyes to look at the man in front of her.

He was tall, with a broad back. Sinian only needed to lower her head slightly, and most of the wind was completely blocked, replaced by the faint scent of fresh mountain spring water from him. Her arms tightened subconsciously.

He wore a simple army green tank top, highlighting his arm muscles. They weren't overly exaggerated but had just the perfect curve, firm and well-defined. Through the fabric, she could feel the hardness and solidity of his muscles, even faintly sensing the contours of his abdominal muscles.

Sinian sighed softly, feeling a bit regretful in her heart: "Why can't a man's lower body be as firm as his upper body?"

Despite that, such well-defined muscles were not something you'd encounter every day. Sinian, who had never touched a man's abdominal muscles before, couldn't resist moving her fingers a bit.

In an instant, he tensed up. His breathing became heavier, his voice low and husky, carrying a hint of warning, "Sinian, don't move."

Sinian felt awkward. She had just touched him lightly; his reaction was as if she was some innocent maiden.

As they left the city area and the traffic dwindled, the motorcycle's speed picked up. Modern motorcycles were quite fast.

Sinian screamed a little, too scared to move, holding onto his waist tightly, pressing her face against his back.

"Zhou Yue Shen, slow down..." Her voice was soft and melodious when she called his name.

Zhou Yue Shen's gaze remained focused on the road ahead, and he eventually slowed down a bit.

"Don't be afraid," he said, his voice calming.

After a while, Sinian felt that he was indeed skilled at riding. Even on this rugged mountain road, he managed to keep her from being jolted around too much.

Sinian could feel her nerves calming as she relaxed into the ride. Zhou Yue Shen's speed was both fast and stable, even surpassing the speed of the vans on the road.

What would usually take an hour and a half by car to the city took less than an hour with him, and soon they were approaching the entrance to the village.

The peaceful village amplified the sound of their motorcycle. People working in the fields turned their heads to look, their eyes widening at the sight of the two.

The envy in their eyes was palpable. The Zhou family had indeed struck it rich. Their large house was only built two years ago, and now they had even bought a car...

While people would often say that Sinian's marriage into the Zhou family as a stepmother figure would lead to a miserable future, considering the present circumstances, who in the neighboring villages lived as comfortably as she did?

Brief happiness was better than a lifetime of hardship.

Especially the women her age working in the fields who had once looked down on Sinian, thinking she was only after wealth and status. But with all the recent changes in the Zhou family, with everyone bringing home bundles of goods, living a more comfortable life each day, and Sinian not even needing to work the land anymore—being escorted home from the city by Zhou Yue Shen on a new motorcycle—who wouldn't be envious?

Looking at themselves, they still had to rush to finish their fieldwork before the rain came, not daring to take a breather.

Thinking about it, they realized how fortunate Sinian was.

Their thoughts then drifted to the matters between the Zhou family and the Liu family.

Liu Aunty had returned today, and she had brought Zhou Tingting with her.

Zhou Tingting had an argument with Si Nian. It's said that Si Nian wouldn't let her enter the house. As for Liu's aunt, it's understandable since she did something wrong. But why shouldn't Zhou Tingting be allowed to enter her own family's home? After all, it's her maternal family!

The villagers hadn't really thought about this before, but seeing how comfortable Si Nian seemed, they couldn't help feeling a bit jealous. These thoughts magnified in their minds, and some even imagined themselves in such a situation, marrying out and being blocked from returning home by an outsider.

"I think Si Nian might have some issues. I get Liu's aunt, but why not let Zhou Tingting in? I heard she was blocked at the door!"

"She's being too assertive right after entering the family. She'll regret it later."

"She's taking advantage since there are no in-laws to control her!"

"I also feel something's off about this woman. Remember the previous wife of the eldest Zhou? They barely shared a room after a year of marriage, let alone going out shopping, dining, or driving her around. Haven't you noticed the eldest Zhou has been visiting home more frequently lately?"

"It's because she's pretty and charming. What man could resist her?"

"But I heard she's not being faithful. I saw her talking with Li Mingjun in front of Zhou's house yesterday, and her outfit was quite provocative."

"Is that true?"

"Would I lie about what I saw with my own eyes?"

"She's shameless. Zhou, the eldest, can't satisfy her, so she's hooking up with someone else..."

Meanwhile, Si Nian was unaware that simply riding a motorcycle back with Zhou Yue Shen had led to malicious rumors about her. It's the way things are in this era: if you're not doing well, people look down on you for being poor; if you're doing too well, others envy you, thinking you must have used some improper means to achieve it.

At the entrance of the Zhou family's house, Zhou Yue Han was sitting under the eaves, working on his homework outside with a wooden stool. Despite his young age, he already seemed troubled, with his little brows furrowed in thought.

Zhou Yue Dong was cleaning the yard, and there was a calmness in his expression that bore a resemblance to Zhou Yue Shen. He was disciplined, always finishing his homework quickly so he could help his younger brother with his, and then find other tasks to occupy himself. Sometimes he'd accompany his sister, sometimes clean, or help with laundry for his younger siblings.

At just ten years old, achieving so much was quite commendable for a child. Apart from school, he dedicated all his time to his immediate family, never playing with the other village children. He was introverted and often kept to himself, so he hardly had any friends in the village.