Chapter 3 — Invincible Stepmother

One afternoon, Manh Hanh secretly knocked on my door, carrying a plate of juicy red strawberries, washed and beautifully arranged like in the advertisement: "Miss... thank you. You kept your word and didn't tell dad. But... scum like them, the next time I meet... I will still fight!" At that time, I was chewing strawberries, my mouth didn't have time to talk, so I raised my thumb straight up and signaled: "Yes, that's cool. If you have the courage... next time, do it yourself, don't force her to rescue you." Manh Hanh smiled and scratched his head, his ears were red, awkward like an elementary school kid: "Hehe... don't worry." 8 In this house, the most obedient person is definitely Manh Quang. The boy was just in elementary school, not yet at the age of rebellion. Normally, he just follows his older brother and sister unconditionally. When he stops causing trouble, he is as good as a little cat, doesn't make noise, doesn't cause trouble, and can be called the gentle cotton ball among the three of them. But unexpectedly, one day my homeroom teacher called me to come to school to have tea and "talk". The reason is... Manh Quang likes to wear dresses, and every day he changes to a different model, all sparkly lace dresses with stones, in general, limited edition princess doll level. The teacher frowned, his voice filled with worry: "Manh Quang's parents, I think he may have problems with gender perception. You should take him to a psychologist." Manh Quang stood next to him, his face sad, his eyes red, his voice as small as a mosquito calling out: "I know I'm a boy... But boys don't like to wear dresses?" His eyes looked at me with wide eyes, clearly afraid that I would also deny him. I smiled, gently patted his head, turned to the teacher, and calmly replied: "Thank you for your concern, but I don't see a problem with Manh Quang's wearing a dress. On the contrary, I think he wears a very beautiful dress. Our school does not require uniforms, so children have the right to dress as they like." After seeing off the teacher, I drove Manh Quang home by the YADEA mini electric vehicle. Although Manh Canh Tu had prepared a luxury car and a private driver for me, thinking about finding a parking space plus being stuck in rush hour traffic, I decided to stay loyal to my electric bike: compact, nimble, and able to cut through traffic jams like the wind. This was Manh Quang's first time riding a tram. The whole journey he was extremely excited, his arms tightly holding my waist, his trembling voice asking as if to confirm for the last time: "Do you... do you really think my dress is beautiful?" I replied seriously: "It's beautiful! Hey, where did you buy it? Buy me another adult size set." Even though I'm... no longer a young woman, my soul is still intact! Manh Quang smiled widely and excitedly replied: "I ordered it online! When I get home, I'll order a set for you!" At the gate, I stopped the car. The boy secretly held my hand. When I caught him, he quickly covered his mouth with his hand and secretly laughed, his cheeks as red as tomatoes. "Miss... I have many beautiful dresses, do you want to see them?" No money lost? Of course you have to nod your head! I seriously nodded: "I want it, I definitely want it!" The boy's eyes lit up, as if he had just found an ally with similar interests. Manh Quang is indeed different from the "standard boy" model in the eyes of adults, but I feel... loving beauty does not discriminate between genders. I can only blame those dresses for being so beautiful, but I absolutely cannot blame her. 9 From then on, I continued to lie still and enjoy life. Working for so many years, every day is a rush busy, now I just want to slow down a bit. Spend the whole morning watching your favorite entertainment shows. Take a nap at noon without anyone bothering you. Get up in the afternoon and eat a bunch of snacks without worrying about gaining weight. Really... so happy that I want to cry. And this happiness, from the day the three little bears stopped causing trouble, doubled! Manh Tu — the eldest sister — finally finished her novel, and used her first royalties to buy me a gift. Manh Hanh still... doesn't like studying very much, but at least he doesn't skip class and doesn't fight anymore. One time he muttered dissatisfiedly: "It can't be that every time... everyone assumes it's my fault!" I pretended not to hear, because I knew... this is called "growing up silently". As for Manh Quang, he is still the same as before, drawing designs every day, even sketching a whole collection of dresses himself. The little boy ran over holding the drawing, his eyes shining like stars, excitedly boasting: "In the future... I will sew many, many beautiful dresses for you to wear!" I patted his head and smiled softly: "Thank you." A few days later, Manh Canh Tu returned from a business trip and saw three obedient children with rarely... satisfied attitudes. He looked at me and nodded slightly: "Truly the best secretary of our company." Having finished speaking, he conveniently pulled out a black card and calmly placed it in my hand. I looked at the limited number on the card, the corner of my mouth curled up slightly, as happy as winning the jackpot. The family is harmonious, the husband is handsome and has a lot of money, the three children gradually understand things, I can eat well, sleep well, spend money freely... To be honest, I am living like a "life winner"! ✨ Family life is also gradually becoming more harmonious. • Manh Tu will occasionally come to ask me: "Is this plot reasonable to write like this?" • Manh Hanh will drag me out to discuss: "Miss... can I learn more Taekwondo?" • Manh Quang happily shares crazy ideas about clothing design every day. As for Manh Canh Tu... he comes home more often, but we still don't have much to say between us. Today, while I was sitting on the sofa eating strawberries, a phone rang next to me. Thinking it was my phone, I didn't think much and instinctively picked it up. On the other end of the line was a strange woman's voice: "Manh Canh Tu, have you remarried?! It's so important, why didn't you tell me?" I stood still for three seconds, my brain spun around 360 degrees, then stammered and asked: "Who... who are you?" 10 The other end of the line was silent for a few seconds, then let out a cold, murderous laugh: "Who am I? I am the biological mother of the three children of the Manh family! And you... are the stepmother who is spoiling my children, right? The children's homeroom teacher called me to complain! I know full well what kind of person you are. Do you think I can't see? You are deliberately spoiling the three children, so that in the future you can monopolize the Manh family's fortune, right?! Don't you dare? Dream! I won't let you have your way!” Me: “…” Sorry, suddenly having a bunch of stainless steel pots thrown in my face, who can stand it? I just want to live in peace, eat well, sleep well, and grow old leisurely, so what can I do to get scolded? Taking a deep breath, I put a piece of potato chip in my mouth, chewed it and calmly turned on the microphone: "Predecessor sister, don't worry too much. Now your husband is mine, your children are mine too. I. I decide how I want to teach. Don't worry about anything, because this house has no more room for you." Having finished speaking, I played even louder, turned to Manh Quang, smiled crookedly, and signaled: "Call mom." The boy obediently said: "Mom~" The other end of the line was silent for three seconds... then "tut... tut... tut..." - the other person was so angry that he hung up. I chewed the crispy potato chips and smiled smugly: "Heh, a shrimp like you still wants to fight with me?" But before he could enjoy the joy, suddenly a dark shadow fell in front of him. I raised my head... Manh Canh Tu was standing right behind me, his face expressionless, his eyes deep. Me: “…” Dead. This is my mobile ATM, my main source of income, the one who keeps my retirement dream alive, absolutely cannot be offended! I stammered in defense: "I... I'm just joking... do... do you believe it?" He smiled slightly, shook his head, didn't blame him, just left without saying a word. Me: “???” Don't understand! Why do you laugh, don't scold, don't say anything... This feeling... is even scarier than being scolded to your face. To calm my mind, I immediately took a bag of fried chicken, another bag of chicken feet, plus a package of potato chips, and while eating, I told myself: "Calm down... eat until you're full and then move on..." After the phone call with my "previous sister", the atmosphere in the house suddenly changed completely. • Manh Tu suddenly became as good as a puppy. He no longer devoted himself to writing novels and studied vigorously every day. He said bluntly: "I didn't intentionally create an obedient image in front of you! I just thought... after taking the university entrance exam, it would be time to continue writing a novel!” • Manh Hanh is also different, he doesn't skip class, doesn't cause trouble, and even voluntarily signs up for extra classes. But of course, his mouth was still as hard as steel: "Don't think I changed because of you!" I just want to break the bad stereotype people give me!” • Manh Quang... took off the skirt and calmly said: "I think... the pants are also beautiful." Me: “…” What kind of play are these guys… playing?