The Stepmother’s Counterattack: Raising a Child in a Bygone Era
Chapter 204 Who Babysits Whom

Chapter 204: Chapter 204 Who Babysits Whom

Outside the classroom, Cui Junyou’s mother sized her up for a while before speaking, "I heard you’re from the countryside? Do you have a job yet?"

Whether it was the other party’s gaze, tone, or the words spoken, they all made Shen Mingzhu feel uncomfortable.

She patiently asked the other party, "May I ask if you have any business?"

Cui Junyou’s mother let out a dry laugh, "Here’s the thing, I’m looking for a nanny for my Junyou, and I think you’re quite good with children. I’ve heard it all from Teacher Ou, your Ziheng is doing well academically. As long as you can help my Junyou achieve the same results as your Pei Ziheng, I will pay you fifty yuan a month."

"I’m sorry, I’m not interested. Please look for someone else." After speaking, Shen Mingzhu was ready to return to the classroom.

Cui Junyou’s mother grabbed her, adopting a condescending attitude, "I haven’t finished speaking. Listen to my offer before you decide, it’s not too late. My family has already hired a nanny for the household work. You just need to come to my house every day at 5 p.m. to tutor Junyou with his homework, no need for household chores. I’ll even provide you with dinner, how about that?"

Shen Mingzhu politely smiled, "I’m sorry, I really have no interest."

Cui Junyou’s mother scoffed, "Let’s not beat around the bush. Just name your price, how much do you want."

Seeing that the other party couldn’t understand plain language, Shen Mingzhu no longer held back, "One thousand per month, not a cent less."

Cui Junyou’s mother was taken aback and then angrily retorted, "Are you insane? If it weren’t for the fact that it isn’t easy for a rural woman like you to become a stepmother, I wouldn’t have kindly offered you a job out of good will. Do you think I’d come to you? I could easily spend a bit of money to hire a university student to tutor my Junyou, it’s not like you’re irreplaceable."

Cui Junyou’s mother’s rant attracted many parents, and just then, Ou Liya also arrived at this side of the classroom. Seeing a crowd gathered at the classroom door, she hurried over.

"What happened?"

In front of everyone, Cui Junyou’s mother began to publicly accuse Shen Mingzhu of being ungrateful, "...I thought she was good with children, so kindly offered her a job. All she needed to do was come to my house every evening to help Junyou with his homework, nothing else, and I’d pay her fifty yuan a month. She not only declined but also had the audacity to ask me for one thousand yuan a month, which is outrageous."

Instantly, the parents all looked at Shen Mingzhu with reproachful eyes, each voicing their criticism of her.

"Pei Ziheng’s mother, you are in the wrong here. With your rural household registration, you can only work as a temporary worker in a factory, toiling from dawn to dusk, earning only forty or fifty yuan a month. Junyou’s mother is offering you fifty just to help with tutoring. The treatment is quite generous."

"Yeah, such a good job offer, if it were me, I’d be too grateful to accept it."

"You, coming from the countryside and relying on being a stepmother to have enough food to eat, really don’t understand what you’re being pretentious about."

Homeroom teacher Ou Liya knew that Shen Mingzhu had her own food factory, but she had no intention of clearing the air for Shen Mingzhu, instead, she watched the drama unfold with interest.

Like these uninformed parents, she also looked down on Shen Mingzhu from the bottom of her heart, thinking that Shen Mingzhu was a woman who would stop at nothing to climb the social ladder, and wanted to take Shen Mingzhu down a peg.

Shen Mingzhu felt just like she had been cursed.

Just as she was about to lash out indiscriminately, Pei Ziheng suddenly squeezed next to her and said crisply, "Mom, can you hire a nanny for me too? I don’t need her to tutor my homework, just pick me up from school every day and carry my backpack for me. When I’m doing my homework, she can just help bring me tea and water."

After speaking, Pei Ziheng raised his fair little hand, pointing at Cui Junyou’s mother, "Her, let’s hire her. She looks more like a nanny. We also will offer her fifty yuan a month."

The anger in Shen Mingzhu’s stomach was instantly soothed by her son’s words.

She gave her son a thumbs-up and then looked at Cui Junyou’s mother with a beaming smile, "What a coincidence, my Ziheng has also taken a liking to you for a nanny. How about you come work as a nanny for my Ziheng?"

Cui Junyou’s mother’s face twisted in rage, "Who do you think you are, asking me to be your nanny? Are you even worthy?"

Shen Mingzhu sneered, "You think it’s natural to pay me to be a nanny, but I can’t pay you to be one? We all have the same nose, two eyes, and a mouth, who is more noble than whom?"

"My husband contracts a state-run restaurant, and he easily earns four or five thousand a year. Who are you to compare with me?"

"You’re right, I’m nothing, but at least I’m something,"

Pei Ziheng responded with calm irony, "Earning just four or five thousand a year and still bragging about it? My mom made three to four thousand just during the Mid-Autumn Festival, and she didn’t even mention it."

"Pfft~"

Cui Junyou’s mom sized up the mother and son with disdain, "I must have been mistaken to think you knew how to raise a child. You just teach your kid to boast. You say you made three to four thousand in one Mid-Autumn Festival? Probably only in your dreams, right?"

The other parents clearly didn’t believe Shen Mingzhu had that capability, and they snickered collectively.

It’s no wonder they looked down on her; the average income of common people in Fengcheng was about six hundred, and for Shen Mingzhu, a rural housewife, even finding a job to support her family was considered good enough.

Shen Mingzhu had no interest in arguing further about income; after all, keeping one’s wealth a secret was a survival tactic.

What if someone asked to borrow money from her?

Just as she was about to end the pointless dispute and return to the classroom with Pei Ziheng, someone suddenly called out to her from the crowd—

"Factory Manager Shen."

Shen Mingzhu turned around, recognizing a vaguely familiar woman but couldn’t recall where she had seen her before.

Seeing her confused face, the other woman introduced herself with a smile, "I’m Si Fuguo’s wife. Last time you visited our snack shop to deliver goods, I peeled a pomelo for you to eat, don’t you remember?"

When pomelos were mentioned, Shen Mingzhu remembered.

Adding up both her lives, she had never eaten such a sour pomelo; the mere thought still made her frown now.

Thoughts aside, she still politely exchanged pleasantries, "Sister, what a coincidence, I didn’t expect to see you here. Are you also here for the parent-teacher meeting?"

"Yes, my son is in third grade. I spotted you from a distance and thought I was mistaken, but it really is you."

While speaking, she curiously surveyed Cui Junyou’s mom, "What were you guys talking about? It sounded quite lively."

Then, a curious parent who had been watching couldn’t resist asking, "You just called her a factory manager. What kind of factory is it?"

"It’s a food factory, and it’s her own business. It’s really impressive."

Hearing this, the surrounding parents’ perception of Shen Mingzhu changed instantly.

From condemnation and disdain to shock and admiration.

So young, and she already runs her own factory?

Cui Junyou’s mom was also looking at Shen Mingzhu with a mix of astonishment and suspicion, "You have your own food factory? Are you just bragging, you?"

Before Shen Mingzhu could reply, Ou Liya, who had been enjoying the scene, suddenly spoke out, "It’s a rare bond for our kids to study in the same class and be classmates. There’s no need to spoil the harmony over a trivial matter. Ziheng’s mom, Junyou’s mom meant no harm, so try not to be too sensitive."