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

As dawn broke and the sky began to lighten, the entire city remained shrouded in tranquility.

In Shi An and Shi Ning's room, the alarm clock buzzed, breaking the tranquility.

The two rubbed their sleepy eyes and groggily sat up in bed, their faces still showing signs of drowsiness.

"I really don't want to get up, I have my final exam today."

Shi Ning yawned and muttered.

Shi An stretched and comforted him, "Get up quickly, go to the exam hall early, and you can study a little longer."

After a quick wash, the two sleepily left their room. As soon as they reached the living room, they were surprised to find Jiang Man standing next to the children's high chair, feeding Xin Yao breakfast.

"Mom, are you done with work at the hospital?"

Shi Ning asked with a look of surprise. Jiang Man smiled and put Xin Yao in the high chair, saying, "No matter how busy I am, I can't forget your final exams. My darlings, this is just a test of what you've learned this semester, so don't be too nervous. It's okay if you don't do well."

Shi An and Shi Ning exchanged a glance, a warm feeling welling up in their hearts. During this time, Jiang Man had been incredibly busy at the hospital, often returning home late at night, leading them both to believe that their mother was too preoccupied with their exams.

Unexpectedly, Mom still made time to cheer them on.

"Thank you, Mom. We'll do our best."

Shi An said earnestly. Shi Ning nodded vigorously as well: "Yes, we will definitely do our best on the exam."

After breakfast, Jiang Man helped Shi An and Shi Ning check their exam supplies, gave them a few more instructions, and then watched them leave.

As they walked to school, the sunlight gradually bathed the earth, dispelling the chill of the morning. Shi An and Shi Ning walked along, exchanging their thoughts on the key points of their review.

"Shi Ning, what do you think the last big math question will be?"

Shi An asked. Shi Ning frowned and thought for a moment, then said, "I think it might test functions. The function problems you did yesterday were quite difficult to solve."

As the two were talking, they arrived at the school gate. Students entered the campus one after another, and a tense atmosphere filled the air.

Shi An and Shi Ning entered the classroom and returned to their seats. Some students were still making the most of their last moments to review, while others were encouraging each other.

"Go Shi Ning!"

The classmate smiled and said to Shi Ning. Shi Ning returned a bright smile: "You too, we both need to keep going!"

The exam bell rang, and the teacher walked into the classroom carrying the exam papers. The classroom instantly fell silent, with only the scratching sound of pens tracing patterns on the papers.

Shi An and Shi Ning were completely focused on answering the questions. When they encountered difficult questions, they frowned and thought hard; when they encountered easy questions, they showed confident smiles.

After the morning's exams ended, Shi An and Shi Ning walked out of the exam room and stretched.

"Finally finished one exam, how does it feel?"

"It's alright," Shi An asked. Shi Ning shrugged and said, "A few questions were a bit difficult, but I tried my best. How about you?"

Shi An laughed and said, "Me too. Never mind, let's have a proper lunch first. I have an exam this afternoon."

The two went to the school cafeteria, got their food, and found a seat.

As they were eating, Chen Yu came over with his tray. "Shi An, Shi Ning, how did your exams go this morning?"

Chen Yu asked. Shi Ning smiled and said, "Not bad, how about you?" Chen Yu said confidently, "I feel great, I'm determined to get a good score this time."

The three ate their meal while sharing their feelings about the exam, their laughter echoing in the cafeteria. The afternoon exams proceeded in a tense but orderly manner.

When the bell rang to signal the end of the last exam, the students cheered, and the whole campus erupted in cheers. "Finally, the exams are over!" Shi Ning jumped up excitedly. Shi An also smiled broadly: "Yes, this semester is finally over, and we'll be second-year junior high students soon."

The two packed their bags and left the school.

Jiang Man was already waiting for them at the door. When she saw the children come out, a relieved smile appeared on her face.

"How did you do on the exam?"

Jiang Man asked with concern.

Shi Ning took Jiang Man's arm and said, "Mom, we did our best. No matter how well we did, we have no regrets."

Jiang Man patted Shi Ning's head and said, "Babies, I'm so happy that you think this way. Come on, let's go home. I'll cook you something delicious tonight to celebrate."

After returning home, Shi An and Shi Ning put down their schoolbags and helped Jiang Man prepare dinner.

The family sat around the dining table, enjoying a sumptuous dinner, their laughter filling the air.

On the day the final exam results were announced, Shi An and Shi Ning arrived at school early. When they saw their scores, they both smiled with satisfaction.

Both students made significant progress in their studies, especially Shi Ning, who achieved excellent results in both mathematics and English.

"That's fantastic, Shi Ning! You've made such great progress!" Shi An said happily. Shi Ning's face flushed with excitement: "It's all thanks to you helping me with my homework, and to Mom's encouragement."

Chen Yu also came over and congratulated them, saying, "You guys are amazing. I want to learn from you."

When Jiang Man returned home, she was very pleased to see her children's achievements: "My darlings, you have really grown up. Mom is so proud of you."

In this warm and joyful moment, the whole family was immersed in happiness.

Shi An and Shi Ning know that they will face more challenges after entering the second year of junior high school, but with the support and companionship of their family, they are full of confidence.

On the first day of summer vacation, Shi An and Shi Ning were going to take Xin Yao out to play.

Upon hearing the news, Xinyao was so excited that she danced with joy and put on her favorite little dress and carried her cute little backpack early in the morning.

The three arrived at the park. As soon as Xinyao saw the colorful flowers and lush green grass, she broke free from her older brother and sister's hands and ran over like a happy little rabbit.

Shi An and Shi Ning hurriedly chased after her, afraid that Xin Yao would fall.

"Xinyao, slow down, don't fall!" Shi Ning shouted as she ran.

"Sister, look, there are so many beautiful flowers here!" Xinyao stood by the flower bushes, excitedly pointing to the blooming flowers.

Shi An and Shi Ning walked up to Xin Yao. Shi An smiled and said, "Xin Yao, shall we take a picture together with the flowers?"

Xinyao nodded vigorously and struck a cute pose.

After taking photos, they went to the lakeside. Several small boats were drifting on the lake, and Xinyao watched them intently, clamoring to take a boat ride too.

So, Shi An and Shi Ning rented a small boat with Xin Yao and slowly rowed towards the center of the lake. Xin Yao sat at the bow, feeling the gentle breeze on her face, and giggled happily.

After playing for a while, they spread a picnic blanket on the grass by the lake, took out the food and drinks they had prepared, and began to enjoy a delicious lunch.

Xinyao ate with great relish and occasionally shared her snacks with her older siblings.

As the sun set, the three of them returned home, filled with joy and exhaustion.

Xinyao nestled in Shi Ning's arms and soon fell asleep, a sweet smile on her lips. Shi An and Shi Ning looked at their younger sister and also smiled happily. (End of Chapter)