The Stepmother’s Counterattack: Raising a Child in a Bygone Era
Chapter 169: Shen Baolan is Captured

Chapter 169: Chapter 169: Shen Baolan is Captured

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Seeing He Tao squeezing out from the crowd, Shen Baolan was dumbfounded, "What did you say? My Shuhuan came up to look for you?"

He Tao walked up to Zhou Shuhuan, casually throwing an arm over Zhou Shuhuan’s shoulder, laughing as he explained to Shen Baolan and the onlookers in the hallway—

"My TV has been flickering on and off these past few days, so I asked Shuhuan to come over and take a look when he had time. I didn’t expect such a farce to happen. Pei Yang’s wife, I’m sorry, it’s all my fault for not making things clear earlier, causing you to be implicated."

So that was it.

At that moment, everyone’s gazes towards Shen Baolan were filled with mockery and condemnation.

After all that chaos, you didn’t even understand the situation and came here causing an uproar, truly laughable.

"Shen Baolan, apologize!"

Faced with Shen Mingzhu’s reasonable demand, Shen Baolan played the scoundrel, "Who made you not clarify things sooner? Can you blame me?"

Having said that, she wanted to make a quick getaway.

Shen Mingzhu sneered, "Shen Baolan, if you dare not apologize today, I’ll take you to court tomorrow. I mean what I say!"

Shen Baolan turned around, her face scornfully twisted, "Shen Mingzhu, do you think I was born yesterday? I won’t apologize, and I want to see what you can do about it!"

After speaking, she pushed through the crowd and clattered down the stairs.

"Alright, disperse everyone, it was all a misunderstanding."

Under He Tao’s direction, the onlookers gradually dispersed, each returning to their own home, finding their own mothers.

"Taozi, thanks."

Zhou Shuhuan uttered quietly, the meaning well understood between them.

He Tao knowingly smiled, nodded at Shen Mingzhu in greeting, then went upstairs to his home.

"Pei Yang’s wife, my apologies for troubling you."

After Zhou Shuhuan finished speaking, he prepared to go downstairs, but was stopped by Shen Mingzhu, "Brother Zhou, go back and tell Shen Baolan this; she has half an hour to come up and apologize, or else I’ll call the police."

Zhou Shuhuan paused, nodded his head, and without saying anything more, turned and went downstairs.

Upstairs at the He Family’s place.

Feng Huiying was somewhat dissatisfied as she chided her husband, "You shouldn’t have meddled in this. It didn’t need to cause such a fuss. And that Zhou Shuhuan too, knowing full well his wife is a gossip, should avoid suspicion."

He Tao looked at his wife with playful eyes, "You know what kind of person Shuhuan is. Even if he had the desire, he wouldn’t have the courage."

"Appearances can be deceiving, and who knows what those two might have done in private without telling you?"

He Tao laughed, "Whatever they did, I actually know..."

When Zhou Shuhuan came up to see Shen Mingzhu, He Tao just happened to be smoking in the stairwell, "...Shuhuan didn’t even enter the door, he just stood outside, asked about the food factory’s matters for a while, and left."

Upon learning the truth, Feng Huiying’s resentment towards Shen Mingzhu turned into sympathy, and she groused about Shen Baolan for a while, "... Zhou Shuhuan is really unlucky; his previous wife ran off leaving their child behind, and now this one is only causing trouble..."

He Tao thought to himself: You can say that again.

...

"Why are you only coming down now? I’ve been waiting for you for ages."

Downstairs, Shen Baolan hadn’t left; she was just waiting at the entrance of the apartment building.

As soon as Zhou Shuhuan came out, she eagerly approached him, her face showing no remorse or self-reproach for misunderstanding her husband.

Suddenly feeling powerless and lost, Zhou Shuhuan wondered, was there any point in maintaining this marriage?

Zhou Shuhuan relayed Shen Mingzhu’s message to Shen Baolan, but Shen Baolan didn’t take it to heart.

"If she’s capable, let her sue. I really want to see if she can win against me!"

Seeing her attitude, as indifferent as a pig being scalded, Zhou Shuhuan didn’t bother saying another word and went straight back to his room after arriving home.

Ma Sufen, who was sitting by the coffee table watching her grandson draw, although puzzled by her son’s quick return, didn’t think too much about it.

Shen Baolan, as usual, put on her apron and started washing and scrubbing pots, seemingly unaffected.

"Shuhuan, it’s late at night, where are you going with your bag?"

"I’m going to stay in the dormitory for a few days."

"Why suddenly stay in the dormitory?"

"You ask Baolan. I’m too ashamed to stay at home."

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Shen Baolan, who was cleaning the kitchen, hurried out and couldn’t help calling out when she saw Zhou Shuhuan preparing to leave with his luggage.

"Zhou Shuhuan!"

What responded to her was the sound of Zhou Shuhuan closing the door without hesitation.

Ma Sufen watched the closed door of the house, then turned to look at the stunned Shen Baolan, not yet understanding what had happened.

But she soon found out, as one of her old friends specially came to tell her about the embarrassing scene Shen Baolan had caused in Building Number Five.

Ma Sufen was so angry she felt like her lungs were going to explode.

In her whole life, she had never seen a dumber daughter-in-law than Shen Baolan. Other families would hide their scandals tight, afraid of being ridiculed, but her family’s was different, as if they were worried it hadn’t caused a big enough scene.

It was disgraceful!

Just as Ma Sufen was about to take Shen Baolan to task, the police from the local station showed up at the door, asking for Shen Baolan by name.

Upon seeing the police, Shen Baolan also panicked.

"What do you want with me, officers?"

The police, with a smile that was not quite a smile, said, "Don’t you have any idea what you’ve done? Alright, come with us for a visit."

"I’m not going!"

Shen Baolan hid behind Ma Sufen, scared.

At that moment, Ma Sufen was still clueless, and at the same time, she felt panicked, worrying whether her son had caused some trouble again.

"Officer, what exactly happened? Please explain clearly."

The officer didn’t trouble the old lady much and simply stated their purpose succinctly.

"...Your daughter-in-law Shen Baolan has been slandering others. The victim reported the matter to the station and provided evidence. We’re here to take Shen Baolan back for an investigation."

Upon learning that Shen Mingzhu had indeed filed a complaint against her, Shen Baolan became both angry and anxious, and turned around, wanting to seek justice from Shen Mingzhu.

However, the police mistook her action as an attempt to resist arrest and flee, and immediately rewarded her with a pair of ’silver bracelets’.

...

Good news stays within the walls, bad news spreads far and wide.

That night, the entire residential compound knew that Shen Baolan was taken away by the station for slinging mud.

Although this matter wasn’t too serious—it was at most a scolding and a lesson from the station—it was still considered a stain on one’s life for people living in that era, a mark of ridicule and contempt by others.

That night, many people in the residential compound couldn’t sleep.

This was especially true for those who had gossiped about Shen Mingzhu, fearing that they might be the next ones the station would call on.

From then on, those in the residential compound who thought about fabricating rumors about Shen Mingzhu had to weigh their words carefully.

Unlike them, Shen Mingzhu slept very soundly and sweetly that night.

She had been busy with the food factory these days. She was aware of Shen Baolan’s scheming and slander, she just didn’t have the time or energy to deal with it.

But she kept the score and was waiting for the right moment to strike back lethally.

The moment Shen Baolan came to make a scene at her door, Shen Mingzhu was prepared, turning on the recording feature of the living room tape recorder.

Every slanderous word Shen Baolan hurled at her was clearly recorded!

...

"Officer, I know I was wrong, and I’m willing to apologize to Shen Mingzhu. Please let me go," Shen Baolan pleaded incessantly to the detention center staff after being locked up for a night, full of regret.

The detention staff, used to seeing people like her, scoffed, "Now you regret it? It’s too late! Stay quiet and seriously reflect on your mistake."

Shen Baolan felt like weeping without tears, "When can I go home then?"

"It depends on your behavior. Behave well and you might be out in three to five days; behave poorly and it could be ten days to half a month."

Shen Baolan felt a darkness before her eyes and slumped to the ground.

...

In the morning, Shen Mingzhu and Pei Ziheng were having breakfast when Zhou Shuhuan’s father came to the door carrying things.