The Stepmother’s Counterattack: Raising a Child in a Bygone Era
Chapter 131: Shen Chaobei and His Wife Move to the City to Make a Living

Chapter 131: Chapter 131: Shen Chaobei and His Wife Move to the City to Make a Living

When Shen Xiangnan returned to Shenjiagou, Qin Jinlian immediately asked him to show his skills and steam some egg cake for her to taste.

The couple had been selling egg cake for two months, and she had only tried it once; she was still craving the flavor.

No wonder they could make so much money; the egg cake was indeed delicious, fragrant, and soft. After just one bite, the rich flavor of the eggs lingered in the mouth for an entire day.

Now that her second son had learned this skill, he could rely on it to make a fortune in the future, and she could live a life of good food and comfort.

Qin Jinlian was so pleased with the thought that she couldn’t stop smiling.

However, Shen Xiangnan couldn’t feel any happiness at all. "Mom, my little sister said that unless it’s a matter of life and death, we shouldn’t go to her anymore."

Qin Jinlian paused for a moment but then dismissed the concern with idle chatter. "Just listen to her talk. She’s just speaking out of anger. It’ll be fine after a while. She’s just like me, with a sharp tongue but a soft heart; she’s the most tenderhearted."

Shen Xiangnan was not as optimistic as Qin Jinlian. He could feel that Shen Mingzhu was serious, and that she really wouldn’t get involved with him anymore.

He was deeply upset, but at the same time, he knew that it wasn’t Shen Mingzhu’s fault; it was his own.

If it hadn’t been for him, his little sister wouldn’t have married so early, becoming a stepmother for someone else’s child.

Although she married into a city life of comfort, being a stepmother was not easy, especially with the added responsibility of looking after her original family’s numerous problems.

It was only natural for his little sister to resent him.

Qin Jinlian’s happiness was in no way tied to Shen Xiangnan’s sorrow; her mind was entirely occupied with thoughts of making money.

The skill had been learned, but purchasing the necessary equipment would cost a fair amount of money, as would all the other miscellaneous expenses.

However, since the neighbors, the eldest couple, were no longer in this business, it was the perfect opportunity to pass their equipment on to her second son.

——

"Chaobei..."

Qin Jinlian lifted the curtain and saw the couple packing things up, surprised. "What are you doing?"

Du Juan responded faintly with a "Mom," before saying, "Chaobei and I are preparing to find work in the city."

"To the city?"

Qin Jinlian was so shocked she forgot what she’d come for, staring at the eldest couple, "If you go to the city, what will happen to the house? And the crops in the fields?"

Shen Chaobei spoke up, "Mom, I was planning to discuss this with you and Dad tonight. If you and Dad want to farm Du Juan and my land, you can. If you don’t want to, I’ll find someone else."

In those days, farmers regarded land as life itself, and it was common for fierce disputes to break out over a small patch of land.

With the fertile farmland that Shen Chaobei owned, if word got out, there would be plenty of people fighting to farm it.

Qin Jinlian hurriedly grabbed Shen Chaobei’s hand, "Chaobei, you must think it through. Don’t be fooled by how well-dressed your little sister is. It’s tough for us rural folks to get by in the city. At home, we have food and shelter from farming. Life in the city costs money at every turn, not to mention, what sort of jobs would you do once you’re there?"

Du Juan replied, "Anything’s fine as long as we can earn money. As long as it’s not illegal, no matter how hard or tiring, we’ll do it."

——

Shen Jianguo arrived home at mealtime, only to find the house dark and silent, which puzzled him greatly.

Normally at this time, his partner would have already set the table for dinner; what was going on today?

Shen Jianguo lifted the curtain to enter the room, switched on the electric light, and saw his partner sitting on the kang bed, staring blankly as if her soul had been taken.

"Who upset you this time? It’s getting dark and you haven’t started cooking; aren’t we eating?"

Shen Jianguo complained unhappily, then glanced toward the room in the west. "Did Xiangnan’s wife go back to her mother’s home again?"

It wasn’t surprising that Shen Jianguo was dissatisfied. Over the past two months, Yang Lizhen’s visits to her family had been too frequent, heading there every so often.

Shen Jianguo continued, "Lizhen’s belly is obviously growing. When you have time, talk to her about not running off to her mother’s house so often. What if something happens on the way?"

Qin Jinlian was in no mood to worry about her second son’s wife. Ever since she learned the eldest couple was going to the city, her heart felt as if it had been hollowed out, empty and forlorn.

Shen Chaobei was her eldest son, whom she had painstakingly raised from infancy, and she had watched him grow up, marry, and have children of his own.

But now, her eldest had grown wings and was about to leave his own mother, which cut her heart like a knife.

——

Shen Jianguo sat silently on the kang, puffing on his dry tobacco pipe.

Qin Jinlian watched him eagerly, "Aren’t you going to say something? Are we really just going to let them go like this?"

Shen Jianguo’s temper flared instantly, and he smacked his tobacco pipe on the kang table, "What else can we do? Chain them up and keep them here? Why are they leaving? It’s because of you pushing them! I told you to stop making trouble, did you listen?"

Qin Jinlian sobbed, "I just wanted both of my sons to be able to make money and lead good lives. What did I do wrong?"

"You did nothing wrong, everyone else is mistaken, can’t people avoid you if they can’t provoke you?"

"I..."

"Xiangnan!"

Hearing Shen Chaobei’s shout from outside, Qin Jinlian hastily wiped away the tears on her face.

Shen Jianguo gave her a disdainful look and slipped on his straw shoes before heading outside.

In the courtyard, Shen Chaobei was speaking with Shen Xiangnan, "... All this equipment is for making steamed egg cakes. Your eldest sister-in-law and I have no use for it now, so it’s all yours."

Shen Xiangnan was overwhelmed with shame, "Brother, you bought all these with money. I can’t just take them for nothing. Once I have enough funds, I will definitely repay you."

As he said it, he couldn’t hold back his sobs, "Brother, I’m sorry..."

Shen Chaobei patted him on the shoulder, "Don’t talk about that now, Xiangnan. Work hard. You’re about to be a father too, and from now on the family will depend on you to hold it up."

Shen Xiangnan nodded firmly.

Shen Jianguo watched them for a while from the doorway, then silently turned around and went back inside.

The next day, as dawn just began to break, the couple locked up their yard and set off.

Shen Chaobei carried two big bags of luggage ahead, while Du Juan followed behind holding Daya, the husband and wife stepping into the path from home, facing the dawn’s early light.

Qin Jinlian leaned on the door frame, her eyes brimming with tears as she watched the backs of the older couple disappearing into the distance, muttering something under her breath.

The departure of Shen Chaobei plunged Qin Jinlian into deep gloom for two days.

Although Shen Xiangnan felt equally saddened, he also understood the responsibilities he had to bear.

Three days later, Shen Xiangnan officially began his livelihood selling egg cakes.

At noon, Qin Jinlian finished cooking and was about to set aside an empty bowl for Shen Xiangnan, who was out selling egg cakes, when she heard a commotion in the courtyard.

She thought it was Yang Lizhen returning from her parents’ home, but as she stepped out of the kitchen, she was surprised and delighted, "Xiangnan, why are you back so early? Have all the egg cakes sold out? How much did you make?"

The midday sun was scorching, and Shen Xiangnan returned drenched in sweat.

He dropped his load and rushed to the water vat, scooping up a ladle of water and guzzling it down his throat.

Qin Jinlian happily ran to the carrier’s burden and pulled back the white muslin cloth for a look, but was instantly dumbfounded.

A basket full of egg cakes, golden brown and sweetly fragrant, yet not a spark of joy rose in Qin Jinlian’s heart.

"Xiangnan, why did you bring all the egg cakes back? Why didn’t you sell them?"

Shen Xiangnan was just about to mention it, and he was filled with frustration, "I wanted to sell them, but they have to actually sell!"

"Why couldn’t you sell them? Weren’t Chaobei and his wife selling them just fine?"

Shen Xiangnan gestured an eight to Qin Jinlian, "On today’s market, including me, there were a total of eight stalls selling egg cakes!"

What?!

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