The Stepmother’s Counterattack: Raising a Child in a Bygone Era
Chapter 113: An Encounter with Yan Yi, Slapping the Face of a Provocative Customer

Chapter 113: Chapter 113: An Encounter with Yan Yi, Slapping the Face of a Provocative Customer

The speakers were two young women sitting next to Shen Mingzhu and her son. Judging by their age and attire, they seemed to be female workers who had stepped into society.

Their voices were neither loud nor soft, and given the quiet environment of the restaurant, nearly everyone could hear them and looked over in their direction.

Compared to the other tables, laden with an array of high-end dishes, the mother and son’s table appeared particularly empty and shabby.

Two glasses of lemon water, a large plate of bread slices, one green salad.

Apart from the salad, everything else was complimentary.

For a moment, all eyes that fell upon the mother and son carried a sense of peculiarity and mockery, and many even whispered and laughed at them.

In this situation, most people would likely be so embarrassed they couldn’t lift their heads, but Shen Mingzhu was no ordinary person.

She picked up a slice of bread, heavily coated with butter sauce, and handed it to Pei Ziheng.

"Son, eat, eat more."

"Thank you, Mom."

Pei Ziheng took the slice of bread but didn’t eat it; instead, he directed his dark eyes toward the two young women at the next table.

"Ladies, were you talking about us just now?"

The two young women were caught off guard by Pei Ziheng’s use of "ladies."

One of them shot up angrily, glaring at Pei Ziheng, "Who are you calling ’lady’? Are you blind? Do I look that old to you?"

Pei Ziheng’s handsome and fair little face was earnest, "I don’t know if you’re old, but didn’t your mother ever teach you that talking about people behind their backs is a rude act, and yelling and screaming in public places, disturbing others, is even more impolite? If your mother didn’t teach you this, then I’m telling you now, and I hope you can correct it in the future, ’lady’."

With the left jab of "no manners" and the right of "lacking upbringing"—all articulated with reason—the young woman was livid but unable to utter a word of rebuttal.

But the short-haired woman next to her then turned her barbs toward Shen Mingzhu.

"Your child is so eloquent..."

"Thank you for the compliment. Indeed, my son is more polite and well-mannered than the average person and does not casually comment on the rights and wrongs of others."

"You..."

The short-haired woman choked, then sneered coldly, "Since he is so sensible and polite, then he should also know that respecting elders is the most basic moral code, right?"

"Well, that’s not necessarily true. He’s only five years old—what does he know? Did you know everything when you were five?"

"But I suppose you wouldn’t know, seeing as you, an adult, don’t even have the most basic manners and upbringing. What’s wrong with me eating complimentary bread? Does it bother you? Do you own this restaurant? Why are you being so nosy?"

"Although the restaurant isn’t mine, I sure have the right to express my opinion on some disgraceful behaviors that I can’t stand, don’t I?"

"If you can’t stand it, then close your eyes. Who asked you to look?"

"You..."

The short-haired woman was infuriated.

At that moment, a waiter approached.

"Madam, your behavior has affected the other customers in the restaurant. We do not welcome such patrons. Please leave now."

The short-haired woman looked at Shen Mingzhu with schadenfreude, "Did you hear that? They don’t welcome customers like you who like to take advantage of small perks..."

"Madam,"

The waiter interrupted the short-haired woman, "I was referring to you. Please leave with your friend immediately. Thank you for your cooperation."

The short-haired woman stared at the waiter in disbelief.

The woman who came with the short-haired lady immediately fired at the waiter, "Are you mistaken? The two of us ordered two deluxe meals. We spent so much more than what her steak cost. Why aren’t you asking her to leave but instead driving us away?"

The short-haired woman also snapped back to her senses, spoke to the waiter with an imperious tone, "You’re just a little waiter, I’m not talking to you. Get your manager over here."

Saying so, she flashed her credentials. "I’m a reporter from the Fengcheng Evening News. If you don’t give us a reasonable explanation and resolution for today’s incident, we will not let this go."

She was planning to apply pressure on the restaurant by using her status as a journalist.

The waiter, not daring to offend a reporter, turned to find the manager, but just as he took a step forward, he was stopped by a refined and elegant-looking man.

"I’ll handle this, you go ahead and attend to your other duties," he said.

"Yes, Mr. Yan."

Yan Yi approached the table, meeting Shen Mingzhu’s slightly surprised gaze and began with a smile, "What a coincidence, I didn’t expect to encounter you here."

The short-haired woman’s suspicious gaze oscillated between the two.

"And who are you?"

Yan Yi turned his head to look at the short-haired woman, his expression still gentle, but his eyes devoid of mirth.

"I’m the owner of this restaurant. You and your friend have offended my friend, so please leave, and also, you are not welcome here in the future."

The short-haired woman’s face instantly soured.

"Even if you are the owner, you don’t have the right to just kick out customers who have paid, do you? Aren’t you afraid of getting a bad reputation for bullying your guests?"

Yan Yi’s somewhat narrow single eyelids quietly observed the woman for two seconds before he spoke again, his voice now carrying a hint of coldness.

"As I said, you’ve offended my friend, and moreover, you’ve disrupted the other customers. I believe that reason is already sufficient. As for your comment about paying, there’s no need for you to settle the bill today, and you can also take away the leftover food. After all, not wasting food is also a reflection of virtue."

The short-haired woman’s companion could no longer contain her anger, "To think that such a high-class restaurant would have an owner who only looks out for himself, I doubt you’ll be in business for much longer!"

Yan Yi countered with a laugh, "I’m not favoring a friend, should I favor strangers instead? That would be the real failure to distinguish between those close and those who are not, wouldn’t it?"

The two women left the restaurant in a huff, face lost and bags in hand.

The other customers in the restaurant, having seen the connection between Shen Mingzhu and her son and the restaurant’s owner, no longer took her lightly. They even came to see Shen Mingzhu’s thriftiness and simplicity as a highly respectable behavior.

To this, Shen Mingzhu only wanted to say: I just didn’t bring enough money for the meal.

Shen Mingzhu didn’t withhold her gratitude for Yan Yi’s support and defense.

Yan Yi teased, "No need to thank me, it’s better to encounter by chance than to be invited. Why not treat me to a meal?"

Shen Mingzhu declined calmly, "I don’t have money."

"If I had the money to treat you, I wouldn’t have only ordered a single steak."

As they were speaking, the steak was served—just one, placed right in the center of the table, as if silently protesting.

Really? Really? There’s just this little piece for three mouths to eat?

Yan Yi couldn’t help but laugh softly, "It seems I’ve put you in a difficult spot. I was just joking. I came with friends. Is this your son? He’s quite cute and smart."

Shen Mingzhu unapologetically accepted the compliment and signaled Pei Ziheng to call out.

"Uncle."

Before Yan Yi could respond, Shen Mingzhu said, "Your friend must be getting anxious. You should go join your friend, we’re about to eat."

Hearing the hint to leave in Shen Mingzhu’s words, Yan Yi laughed again, "Then, enjoy your meal, I won’t disturb you."

"Mm, goodbye."

After Yan Yi left, Shen Mingzhu immediately picked up her knife and fork, cut the steak into even pieces, and began sharing them with her son, one for him, one for her.

Yan Yi, a good distance away, saw this and a smile flickered in his eyes. He then raised his hand to signal the waiter.

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