The Stepmother’s Counterattack: Raising a Child in a Bygone Era
Chapter 181: Shining Brightly in One’s Own Domain

Chapter 181: Chapter 181: Shining Brightly in One’s Own Domain

"Do you want some?"

Zhong Qing opened the box of mooncakes and looked up to ask Yan Yi across from her.

Yan Yi politely waved his hand to decline, "I don’t like sweets."

Zhong Qing nodded, picked up a mooncake, unwrapped the sealed bag, and elegantly took a bite. After chewing carefully, her eyebrows and eyes curved gently, and satisfaction spread across her face like a cat that had gotten a taste of dried fish.

Yan Yi picked up the agenda from the glass coffee table and placed it in front of Zhong Qing, "This is the schedule for the engagement day. Take a look, and if there’s anything you find unsuitable, feel free to make changes."

Usually, Zhong Qing would set down the mooncake in her hand as a matter of etiquette and upbringing, but today she did not.

She merely glanced at the agenda and continued eating her mooncake while speaking to Yan Yi, "No need, I trust your arrangement. I have no objections."

Yan Yi didn’t mind either.

After all, the two were only cooperating, going through the motions to preserve the face of both families—that was sufficient.

It seemed he didn’t want to interrupt her eating, so Yan Yi didn’t speak anymore afterward but quietly sipped his tea while looking out at the view from the balcony.

After finishing the entire mooncake, Zhong Qing picked up her cup of tea to wash down the sweetness in her mouth and then, with a look of contentment, spoke to Yan Yi, "The mooncakes Mingzhu makes are indeed delicious. It’s a pity you don’t eat sweets."

Yan Yi turned his head, "You’ve met her?"

"Yeah, not only did we meet, but we also became friends."

A hint of coldness flashed in Yan Yi’s thin eyes, "Miss Zhong, I think our cooperation shouldn’t involve others."

Zhong Qing propped her cheek, a playful look on her face, "If you’re worried that I might harm her, that’s unnecessary. I find it strange too. I’ve never deliberately sought her out, yet I always seem to bump into her by chance—it must be fate."

"...The more I interact with her, the more I appreciate and like her. Sometimes, I feel like she’s a little plant growing in the wilderness, with a rebellious and vigorous spirit unlike us, who have been carefully cultivated by our families like pampered flowers. You give her just a little water, and she grows strong and resilient."

"In her, I sense freshness and fun, and I can’t help but be drawn to her. At the same time, I’m also curious to see what she will become."

Perhaps sensing that Zhong Qing truly meant no harm to Shen Mingzhu, Yan Yi did not continue the conversation and instead let his gaze settle on the box of mooncakes on the coffee table, "Actually, trying one now and then wouldn’t hurt."

As soon as he said that, he reached out to take one.

However, Zhong Qing swiftly covered the box and hugged it close to her chest like a treasured possession, "These were given to me by Mingzhu. If you want some, you can ask her yourself or buy them."

Saying this, she casually tossed him the leftover mooncake wrapper.

Yan Yi: "..."

...

When Yan Yi returned to his residence in the city center and was changing clothes, he felt a piece of wrapper in his pocket and couldn’t help but smile wryly.

Moments later, he sat on the couch and called Ning Yuan.

"Are you free? Get me a few boxes of mooncakes."

With a lazy voice, Ning Yuan answered from the other end of the line, "I’ve got plenty of mooncakes here. I’ll bring some over in a bit."

Yan Yi frowned, "Who wants your mooncakes, they taste bad."

Ning Yuan teased, "Then whose mooncakes taste good? Just say the word, and I’ll bring them to you from heaven and earth, deal?"

Ignoring Ning Yuan’s banter, Yan Yi looked at the wrapper and recited the name and address of the mooncake factory.

"What flavor should I get?"

"You decide."

"Got it."

The next day, while Yan Yi was at work, Ning Yuan sauntered into his office.

"Hey, Yan, I’ve got the mooncakes. Where should I put them?"

Yan Yi glanced at him coolly, as if to say the question was idiotic, "Just carry them up and leave them here."

Ning Yuan looked around and clicked his tongue, "I’m worried your office won’t fit them all."

Yan Yi paused in his work, looked up, and asked, "How many did you buy?"

"Five hundred boxes, huh."

Ning Yuan said with confidence, "You told me to handle it. As the proud Ning, I have to be generous, or people might start thinking the Ning family is going bankrupt."

Yan Yi, speechless, took off his glasses and stood up to head downstairs with Ning Yuan.

"I only want ten boxes, you handle the rest." After saying that, Yan Yi grabbed the mooncakes and went back to the hospital.

Ning Yuan shrugged indifferently.

Back in the office, Yan Yi lined up the ten boxes of mooncakes and finally chose the ice skin mooncakes that he had neither seen nor heard of before.

Upon opening the mooncake box, there were a total of ten pieces inside. The mooncakes’ surface shone like mutton-fat white jade, each the size of an egg but thicker than the average mooncake, pressed with various patterns from molds.

Upon closer inspection, the mooncake crust even had words on it, which, when combined, perfectly formed a five-character poem about the Mid-Autumn Festival.

Taking a bite, the texture was soft and chewy, sweet, and carried the rich fragrance of glutinous rice and mung beans.

...

One hour later.

Ning Yuan re-entered Yan Yi’s office, clamoring for water as soon as he entered.

Yan Yi handed him a glass of water with a somewhat disdainful look, "Why are you here again?"

Ning Yuan guzzled down most of the glass of water, then wagged a finger at Yan Yi, "I didn’t come back; I never left, alright?"

After speaking, Ning Yuan put down his cup and pulled Yan Yi to the window, pointing at the medical staff downstairs.

It was getting off work time, and compared to usual, every single medical staff member was carrying a box of mooncakes today, their faces brimming with bright smiles.

"In your name, I gave each and every one of your hospital’s medical staff a box of mooncakes."

He finished, his face wearing an "aren’t I great, hurry up and praise me" expression.

Seeing that Yan Yi was giving him a cold stare and remaining silent, Ning Yuan made a hand gesture for money, "That being said, I did help you out. Shouldn’t you reimburse me a little?"

Yan Yi, none too pleased, wrote a check and threw it at him.

Seeing the amount on the check, Ning Yuan’s face lit up with joy as he pocketed it. Feeling a bit hungry, he saw the opened mooncakes on the coffee table and grabbed two.

Before eating: "What the hell are these mooncakes, so pale and unappetizing..."

After eating: "Holy crap! These mooncakes taste amazing!"

Ning Yuan devoured them enthusiastically while inquiring about the mooncakes’ origin.

Yan Yi didn’t hide it from him.

Upon learning that these mooncakes were a cooperative product with Shen Mingzhu, Ning Yuan immediately decided that the Ning’s Mid-Autumn employee benefits would choose them from now on.

The decision was based on the mooncakes tasting great, and he had this inexplicable admiration for Shen Mingzhu.

A housewife, shining brightly in her own domain with backbone and humility.

He liked that, ahem, he admired it.

...

Xicheng Port.

Lin Guofu looked at Pei Yang’s thin, pale cheeks, his eyes filled with distress and reluctance.

"Xiaopei, have you thought it through?"

Pei Yang nodded, "Master, during this month plus that I’ve been abroad recovering, I’ve thought things through very clearly. Everyone has only one life, and I consider myself lucky—I have two lives. One of them I’ve already lost in the Pacific Ocean, and with the remaining one, I want to spend it with my family."

Lin Guofu could emotionally understand his decision, but rationally, he felt it was a pity.

"Even though the search and rescue turned up no results, the head office has decided to commend and reward your entire rescue team. Your position has been restored to second officer; if you continue on this path, promotion to chief officer in two years and captain before thirty is within reach."

"A thirty-year-old captain is a rare sight on international maritime routes, both nationally and worldwide, an honor and achievement many sailors long for but cannot attain."

"Why don’t you go discuss it with Mingzhu first?"