The Stepmother’s Counterattack: Raising a Child in a Bygone Era
Chapter 212 - 211: Enemies on a Narrow Road

Chapter 212: Chapter 211: Enemies on a Narrow Road

Shen Mingzhu wandered around the corridor like a headless fly for a long while, but she couldn’t find the way downstairs; she turned back to look for Zhong Qing but couldn’t even find her room.

Just as she hesitated about whether to knock on a random room and ask for directions, the door to the lounge behind her suddenly opened.

She turned her head, and, lo and behold, what small world.

Wu Mei, looking surprised, gave Shen Mingzhu a once-over and immediately began to interrogate her, "What are you doing here?"

Shen Mingzhu sneered, "If you can be here, why can’t I? Is this your house?"

The old woman Wu Mei was arm-in-arm with glared at Shen Mingzhu displeasedly, "What’s with that attitude?"

"Whatever your attitude is, that’s what mine is."

"Whose relative are you?"

"I’m from every direction."

Shen Mingzhu had the self-awareness to realize that any guest at tonight’s banquet could be a big shot she couldn’t afford to offend. After retorting, she turned to make a getaway, but Wu Mei was persistent, lunging forward to grab her.

"You’re not going anywhere until we clear things up!"

"Just who are you related to? You couldn’t possibly have sneaked in to freeload, could you?"

With her shoulder strap gripped by Wu Mei, Shen Mingzhu couldn’t walk away even if she wanted to, feeling both irritated and angry inside.

Zhong Qing could change faces in the blink of an eye, akin to being bipolar, and on top of that mishap, she ran into the annoying Wu Mei. She should have known better than to attend this crappy engagement party.

"What does it matter to you whose relative I am? Let go of me!"

"What, you’re trying to run because I exposed you? Godmother, let me tell you, this woman, don’t be fooled by her dressed up appearance; she’s actually a rural woman who only managed to marry into the city by becoming a stepmother. She even insulted me earlier, asking me to be her nanny."

The old woman, upon hearing this, looked at Shen Mingzhu with even more hostility, "Who exactly do you belong to? If you can’t explain, we’ll have to have someone throw you out."

Shen Mingzhu, a person who preferred to avoid conflicts and keep peace, was just about to say she was a guest from the bride’s side when the sound of crisp heels clicking on the floor came from behind.

Yan Su approached slowly and, observing the trio causing a scene, inquired without any hint of emotion, "What’s going on here?"

The old woman immediately went over to Yan Su, "Little Su, you’ve come at the right time. This person has been skulking around here, and when asked whose relative she is, she couldn’t answer properly. She’s probably here to take advantage. Better just throw her out."

Wu Mei hastily echoed, "Miss Yan, I know this woman. She’s just a rural woman and definitely doesn’t have the standing to be at a place like the Yan Family’s."

Yan Su stared at Shen Mingzhu for a moment, and with a tone betraying neither happiness nor anger, remarked, "Indeed, some people do not have the privilege to stand here."

Wu Mei burst into glee, forcefully shoving Shen Mingzhu, "Did you hear that? Get lost already. Or do you want to wait for Miss Yan to have someone throw you out?"

Upon hearing this, Yan Su turned her head and instructed the butler behind her, "Uncle Hua, do as she says, throw the person out."

Dong Hua nodded and turned to fetch some people.

Wu Mei, wearing an expression of schadenfreude, couldn’t wait to witness Shen Mingzhu’s disgraceful ejection.

Shen Mingzhu’s mood at this moment could only be described as "f*cked over by life," clearly she had left the house without consulting the almanac, she slammed right into bad luck!

"No need, I can leave by myself."

Having said that, she turned to leave but was stopped by Yan Su, "What’s the hurry?"

If I’m not hurrying to leave, am I supposed to wait for you to have someone throw me out?

Yan Su was stunned by the huge eye-roll Shen Mingzhu gave her.

In all her life, she had never had anyone dare to roll their eyes at her to her face.

Just then, the butler Dong Hua came over with two burly bodyguards.

Both bodyguards were as tall and well-built as Pei Yang, and her small frame wouldn’t stand a chance, so Shen Mingzhu very sensibly prepared to show weakness to Yan Su, "Miss Yan, I..."

Her words were cut off as Yan Su pulled her aside, "Don’t block the way."

Shen Mingzhu: ???

A gust of wind passed, and the two stoic bodyguards walked past her, one on either side, hoisting up Wu Mei and taking her away.

"It’s not me, you’ve got the wrong person, it’s her..."

Wu Mei struggled in panic, but it was to no avail.

Watching as Wu Mei was taken away by two bodyguards, the old woman hastily sought help from Yan Su, "Oh my, why are they taking my goddaughter away? Please, tell the bodyguards to stop, she’s my goddaughter."

Yan Su looked at the old woman in front of her, "Auntie, I have told you many times before, it’s your business who you want to take as your goddaughter, but don’t bring some messy people to the Yan Family."

The old woman muttered weakly and defensively, "I just wanted to bring her here to see the world, I didn’t intend to lead her to you."

"This is the last time, if there’s a next time, please stay at home and enjoy your old age, and don’t run to the Yan Family again."

The old woman left, feeling snubbed, and walked away dejectedly.

Only Yan Su and Shen Mingzhu were left in the corridor.

The two looked at each other, the atmosphere strangely silent.

Ah, such a headache, Yan Su covered her forehead and walked away.

Shen Mingzhu hurried to follow.

After walking one in front of the other for a while, Yan Su stopped and turned back, "Why are you following me?"

"I can’t find the way downstairs."

"..."

Yan Su looked at the delicate beauty in front of her and felt an even greater headache coming on.

At this moment, she didn’t know that Shen Mingzhu was invited by Zhong Qing and thought it was her brother who had invited her.

Yan Su led Shen Mingzhu to the passageway downstairs, "Go down here and you’ll be at the banquet hall."

"Thank you."

Shen Mingzhu sincerely thanked her and stepped down the stairs.

Yan Su watched her petite and graceful figure walking away and couldn’t help but call out a reminder, "Don’t wander off, go back early after the meal."

Shen Mingzhu turned back and smiled at Yan Su, "Okay."

Yan Su was startled by her smile, her eyelids twitching. What on earth was her brother trying to do, had he gone mad?

...

Seeing Shen Mingzhu return safely, both father and son sighed in relief.

"We thought you got lost, if you didn’t come back, Ziheng and I were about to post a missing person notice," Pei Yang joked.

"I did get a bit lost, but I met a kind person who showed me the way."

Shen Mingzhu breezed past the harrowing experience of the past half-hour as if nothing had happened, casually waiting for the banquet to start.

At 7:30, the engagement ceremony began.

First, the parents from both sides took the stage to give speeches, and then the engaged couple went on stage to receive the attention and congratulations of the guests.

Being too far away, Shen Mingzhu couldn’t see the expressions of the people on stage clearly, but she could faintly sense that Zhong Qing seemed to be looking in her direction.

The engagement ceremony ended, and the banquet officially began.

The table featured everything from the air, the land, and the sea, all top-quality ingredients cooked by first-class chefs, to call it a feast for the gluttonous was no exaggeration.

An engagement banquet is not like a wedding banquet, there’s no tedious process like toasting, but the soon-to-be couple still followed their parents with glasses in hand, mingling with important guests or personages at the banquet, which was, in the end, the ultimate goal of a high-society marriage alliance.

Resource exchange, a union of strengths.

But none of these were of any concern to Shen Mingzhu—she was busy devouring the food with her father and son.

This meal cost her a small gold bar; she had to get her money’s worth.

As the meal progressed, the other people at the table gradually began mingling with glasses in hand, but only the family of three sat steady as a rock.

However, both Shen Mingzhu and Pei Ziheng had small appetites and could no longer eat, leaving only Pei Yang with his fighting spirit.

The mother and son sat silently watching him eat.

After a while, even Pei Yang couldn’t eat anymore, and Shen Mingzhu, dragging her family along, planned to leave.

Just as they got up, Yan Yi came over with a glass in hand.

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