Born in the 1980s, she was remarried and became a stepmother; a cold, rough man doted on her, pinchi

Chapter 66 Fighting
Sunlight spilled onto the bluestone path on campus, creating dappled patterns.

The old locust tree on campus swayed gently in the breeze, like a kind old man witnessing the children's growth and play.

However, in this seemingly peaceful corner of the campus, a storm was quietly brewing.

Shi Ning hung her head, and her steps became sluggish and slow.

Her clothes were dusty, her hair was a little messy, and her little face showed obvious tear stains and grievances.

In the corner of the classroom, she sat alone in her seat, her shoulders trembling slightly. The gazes from her classmates ranged from sympathy and curiosity to indifference.

During recess, a few mischievous boys were playing on the playground when they accidentally bumped into Shi Ning.

Shi Ning was holding her beloved notebook in her hand. It was the first notebook Jiang Man had bought for her, and it was her most treasured possession.

But the laptop fell to the ground after being bumped, and one of the boys stepped on it in the chaos.

Shi Ning picked up the notebook with a pained expression; a dirty footprint was already imprinted on it.

She couldn't help but complain a few times, but the boys not only didn't apologize, they also mocked her as a "coward" and a "stingy person," and even shoved her a few times.

Shi Ning was outnumbered and powerless to resist, and could only weep silently amidst their laughter.

When Shi An saw the dust and tear stains on her clothes, his eyes instantly turned cold. He gently grasped Shi Ning's shoulders and asked with concern, "Ningning, what's wrong? Who bullied you?"

Shi Ning looked up and saw her brother's concerned eyes. Tears welled up in her eyes again, and she sobbed as she told Shi An what had happened.

Shi An frowned deeply, a surge of anger rising within him. He offered Shi Ning a few words of comfort, then turned and walked towards the boys.

The boys were a little scared when they saw Shi An walking towards them aggressively, but they didn't want to show weakness in front of others.

One of the boys, who seemed to be the leader, retorted, "Shi An, what do you want to do? This is between us and Shi Ning, so don't meddle."

Shi An looked at him coldly and said, "You bullied my sister, that's my business. You must apologize to her!"

The boys refused to back down and even said some unpleasant things in a defiant manner.

Shi An could no longer contain his anger. He clenched his fists and rushed forward to fight with the boys.

In an instant, dust filled the playground as students gathered around, some shouting "Stop fighting!" while others watched nervously from the sidelines.

The homeroom teacher, Ms. Zhang, was grading homework in her office when she heard the noise outside. She quickly put down her pen and rushed to the playground.

When Teacher Zhang saw the chaotic scene before him, his face turned very ugly.

He loudly stopped the fighting children, and then took Shi An and the boys to his office.

Looking at the several children in front of her, who were covered in dirt and panting, Teacher Zhang felt helpless and angry.

He severely criticized their behavior, pointing out that fighting violated school rules and regulations and was a very wrong thing to do.

Shi An lowered his head, still angry, but he knew he had gone too far.

The boys muttered amongst themselves, trying to defend themselves.

Teacher Zhang knew he had to inform the parents, so he picked up the phone on his desk and dialed Jiang Man's number. Upon hearing Teacher Zhang's words, Jiang Man was startled, a sense of unease washing over her.

She hurriedly locked the door and rushed to school. All the way, Jiang Man felt uneasy.

She had no idea what had happened to the children, and all sorts of bad thoughts kept running through her mind.

She quickened her pace, almost running, to get to school.

When Jiang Man walked into the homeroom teacher's office, she saw Shi An and the other boys standing there, and her heart was slightly relieved.

Teacher Zhang told Jiang Man the whole story in detail. Jiang Man looked at Shi An with a mixture of reproach and heartache in her eyes.

She walked to Shi An's side, gently raised her hand as if to hit him, but ultimately lowered her hand and just sighed deeply.

Jiang Man turned to Teacher Zhang and apologized: "Teacher Zhang, I'm sorry, I didn't educate my child well and caused you trouble."

Teacher Zhang quickly said, "Comrade Jiang Man, it's inevitable that conflicts will arise between children. We can work together to educate them properly. Although they were wrong to fight this time, Shi An was trying to protect his sister, and his intentions were good. It's just that his methods were wrong."

Jiang Man nodded, then looked at the boys and said, "Kids, no matter what happened, fighting is not the solution. You should apologize to each other and remain good classmates."

After hearing Jiang Man's words, the boys realized their mistakes and lowered their heads to apologize to Shi Ning.

Looking at them, Shi Ning's grievances gradually dissipated, and she whispered, "It's okay, I forgive you too."

Shi An felt much relieved when he saw that his sister had forgiven them.

He walked over to Jiang Man and said softly, "Mom, I was wrong. I shouldn't have fought. I will handle things properly in the future."

Jiang Man looked at Shi An and said with relief, "Anzi, you are the older brother, and it is right for you to protect your younger sister, but you must do it in the right way. We cannot resort to violence to combat violence; we must learn to solve problems peacefully."

After leaving the homeroom teacher's office, Jiang Man led Shi An and Shi Ning along the campus path. Sunlight shone on them, lengthening their shadows.

Holding the two children's hands, Jiang Man said earnestly, "Children, in this world, we will encounter many difficulties and setbacks, but as long as our family is united, there is no obstacle we cannot overcome. You must study hard and become useful members of society in the future."

Shi An and Shi Ning nodded earnestly, holding Jiang Man's hands tightly, as if drawing endless strength from their mother's hands.

At night, Jiang Man sat on an old rattan chair and sighed softly.

Qin Yishen noticed Jiang Man's emotions. He put down the newspaper in his hand, walked over to Jiang Man, sat down, and gently held her hand.

"Xiaoman, did something bother you today? You look a little tired."

Qin Yishen's voice was deep and gentle, and his eyes were full of concern.

Jiang Man looked up at Qin Yishen and told him everything that had happened at school during the day.

From the story of Shi Ning being bullied at school, to Shi An fighting with her classmates to help her sister, and then to her going to school to handle the whole series of events, her words carried a hint of helplessness and concern for the children.

Qin Yishen listened quietly, his brows furrowing slightly.

The innocent faces of Shi An and Shi Ning flashed through his mind, and a complex mix of emotions welled up inside him.