The Stepmother's Counterattack: Raising a Child in a Bygone Era-Chapter 794 - 793: Last Wish

Pei Wenping was not a pushover, and when Mother Chen wished her dead, she also had harsh words for Mother Chen:

"Of course you all hope I die, thinking that all the money would then be yours. I won’t let things go your way!"

She sneered and raised her voice, "Lawyer Bai, please draft a will for me. Should anything unforeseen happen to me, all my assets should be inherited by my two children. Until the children are of age, I appoint my brother, Pei Yang, as their guardian."

Bai Chuan wasted no words and immediately took out paper and pen to draft the will.

The faces of the members of the Chen family turned as colorful as an overturned paint palette.

Seeing that the matter was settled, Mother Chen played the emotional card, "Wenping, you’ve been married into the Chen family for so many years, and we’ve treated you well. Xiao Liang respects you as his elder sister-in-law. Can you bear to see him left with nothing?"

"Do you want me to betray Chen Yi’s dying wishes?"

Mother Chen was rendered speechless.

Tears rolled down from her eyes, "What sins have I committed to raise such a worthless thing? Even at death’s door, he was full-heartedly planning everything for you, an outsider, fearing you would suffer the slightest hardship."

Pei Wenping, who had been holding back her tears for a long time, also broke down.

Last May, Chen Yi had actually asked her:

"Would you forgive me if I died tomorrow?"

"Go die far away. Don’t bother me."

She didn’t know how Chen Yi had felt at that time, but at this moment, she only felt heartbroken to the point of being unable to breathe.

Following Pei Wenping’s request, Bai Chuan quickly drafted the will.

After Pei Wenping reviewed it, she instructed him to prepare the formal will document based on the draft.

Seeing Pei Wenping was serious, Yi Ling could no longer sit still.

"There’s no problem leaving the money to the two children, but we are their biological aunt and uncle. Why should you give the guardianship rights to your maternal family?"

"I don’t trust you."

With that definitive response, Yi Ling’s face turned as ugly as if she had swallowed a fly.

"Out of respect for having been sisters-in-law, let me advise you to learn to be content. The things Chen Yi left for the children’s grandparents are not insignificant. If you and Xiao Liang serve them well, you’ll naturally reap benefits later. Don’t set your sights on others’ money."

On the surface, Chen Yi’s will seemed cruel towards his brother Chen Liang.

But some things need to be considered more deeply.

With Chen Yi gone, the elderly couple could only depend on Chen Liang, their son.

With the money in the elderly couple’s hands, Chen Liang and his wife would naturally go out of their way to please them.

However, if the money had landed in the young couple’s lap too soon, whether they would take care of the elderly couple in the future would depend entirely on their conscience.

"Alright, let’s not say any more. Since this is Xiaoyi’s last wish, let it be so."

Perhaps understanding his eldest son’s intentions, Father Chen put a full stop to the inheritance dispute.

...

With Gu Ming’s handling, the property was quickly cleared.

The day when everything was settled coincided with the seventh day after Chen Yi’s death.

Pei Wenping took her two children to the cemetery for the memorial.

When they arrived, they found the members of the Chen family about to leave after finishing their ceremony.

Pei Wenping stood still ten meters away, not wanting to start any conflict with the Chen family on this day.

"Go greet your grandparents."

Following her prompt, the siblings went up to the grave and greeted Father Chen and Mother Chen.

Despite their many grievances against Pei Wenping, the elderly couple was still very affectionate towards their grandchildren and held their hands, talking for a long time.

Once the Chen family had left, Pei Wenping approached the grave with the offerings.

"You know your stomach is bad yet you don’t take care of your diet. Getting sick is your own fault."

Though her words were harsh, her eyes welled up with redness.

He bent down and placed the offerings he had brought in front of the tomb, "I brought a few dishes you used to love, try them."

After arranging the offerings, he took out a towel and wiped the tombstone while he incessantly muttered,

"No wonder you looked so thin during that time, you were sick and didn’t say a word."

"We’re preparing to move to a new house, and from now on, Little Yang and I will be neighbors across the street, so everyone can look out for each other."

"You are fine on your own there, don’t worry about us, I will take care of mom and dad for you."

The siblings knelt in front of the tomb, listening to Pei Wenping’s nagging and silently wept.

...

During the period of inheritance dispute between Pei Wenping and the Chen family, something else happened at Shen Mingzhu’s home.

Three years later, their home was burgled again.

This time, it wasn’t gold or silver that was stolen, but six platinum bags she kept on a display shelf in her bedroom.

The thief’s method was professional; they deliberately caused a car accident to draw the nanny out to watch, taking the opportunity to sneak into the house and steal the bags.

Shen Mingzhu reported the theft immediately and called relatives and friends one by one.

Knowing the bags were lost, everyone superficially offered their consolation, but what they truly thought, no one knew.

"At least we can have some peace for a while."

Seeing her relief as if a huge problem was resolved, Pei Yang couldn’t help but say, "Then won’t those treasures of yours never see the light of day?"

Shen Mingzhu indifferently answered, "Why not? Outsiders don’t know which bags I lost. If anything, I’ll just say I bought them again."

The theft was real, but what was stolen were just counterfeit versions Shen Mingzhu had made; She had long stored the originals in a safe at the bank.

She wasn’t foolish; keeping items worth millions at home was no different from throwing meat into a wolf den.

Additionally, warned by the inheritance dispute involving Chen Yi, she also made a will with Bai Chuan.

Should anything unfortunate occur, all her properties under her name would be equally inherited by her children, Pei Ziheng and Pei Tang.

Pei Yang asked her if she considered leaving something to Shen Jianguo.

Shen Mingzhu replied, "I know the children I raised; both siblings are kind-hearted, responsible people. They wouldn’t neglect Shen Jianguo, their grandfather."

...

Time flowed like water, never to return.

Soon it was summer vacation.

Every winter and summer vacation was Pei Tang’s happiest time, as she could see her brother Pei Ziheng.

However, while others relaxed during their holidays, Pei Ziheng worked as if his life depended on it.

After a year and a half of operation, his company successfully launched several appealing electronic products.

Products like MP3 players, repeaters, electronic dictionaries, and handheld game consoles, all were hugely popular among youths.

Pei Ziheng not only possessed a high IQ but also had an unparalleled talent and knack for business.

While other companies put all effort into perfecting a single product, he cast a wide net, creating any product that was profitable.

If he couldn’t make it himself, he would hire skilled individuals from all over, offering high salaries.

He even pioneered the opening of brand experience galleries in first-tier cities across the country, allowing tech enthusiasts to freely try and play with all products his company offered.

Considering the era, electronic products weren’t cheap, and owning one was a rarity.

Through his experience galleries, Pei Ziheng somewhat realized the dreams of many electronics fans.

Most importantly, under the fans’ word-of-mouth promotion, the company’s brand recognition and influence spread and increased at a frightening pace within the country.

Seeing the success, other competitors tried to imitate but couldn’t match the achievements of Pei Ziheng’s Future Technology.

On one hand, Pei Ziheng was willing to invest heavily; the free experience galleries boasted environments comparable to high-end clubs.

On the other hand, the products created by Pei Ziheng were more appealing in terms of design, performance, and price to the young consumer base.

Under Pei Ziheng’s efficient leadership, the company had grown from a mere fifty employees at its inception to over a thousand.

Besides, production factories and office buildings were also concurrently being built.