The Stepmother’s Counterattack: Raising a Child in a Bygone Era
Chapter 217 - 216 You’ll Know Whether I Can Make It or Not

Chapter 217: Chapter 216 You’ll Know Whether I Can Make It or Not

"What? Pei Yang’s wife has struck it rich?"

"How did she do it?"

"How much wealth did she make?"

The onlookers swarmed around the speaker, all talking at once, eager to hear the news firsthand.

Shen Baolan stared intently at the person’s lips, her heart pounding with nervous excitement.

Shen Mingzhu made a fortune?

How could that be possible, it must be fake.

Just as she thought this, she heard the person speak in a mysterious tone, "Last year, the Pei family worked with Fushun Cake Factory on the mooncakes, right? This year, the sales were so good they couldn’t believe it, and they got a bonus of 1,400 yuan just from that."

"Hiss—"

The crowd of onlookers drew in a breath of cold air in unison.

Darling, to sit at home doing nothing and still earn money, and as much as 1,400 yuan?

Take our residential compound for example, the average annual income is only five to six hundred yuan, and that’s from working dawn till dusk all year long without a break.

"That must be an exaggeration, she hardly ever went to the cake factory, why would the boss give her so much money?"

Shen Baolan couldn’t help but voice her doubts.

She just couldn’t accept the fact that Shen Mingzhu had made so much money.

The person glanced at Shen Baolan and said cheerfully, "You’re actually right. The owner of the cake factory really didn’t want to give away so much money for nothing, so he pulled some tricks and kept the larger share, only giving a small portion to the Pei family. It was Pei Yang himself who had to go and argue with the owner to get the money back."

The onlookers envied it so much it was indescribable.

1,400 yuan!

No wonder they dared to let the husband resign, they had the confidence to do so!

Even if the couple did nothing at all, they could live well each year just on the dividends from the cake factory!

Shen Baolan was almost overflowing with jealousy, her own failure was sad enough, but the success of her rival made her feel even worse.

But even though her heart was sour, she said disdainfully, "It’s just over a thousand yuan, what kind of wealth is that? It’s not even enough to pay off her bank loan. I don’t believe she can sell her mooncakes so well every year."

The person smiled cryptically, "If over a thousand isn’t much, what if it’s increased by another two thousand?"

Shen Baolan was stunned, "What do you mean?"

The person then recounted the tale of Shen Mingzhu severing her partnership with Wang Hongcheng, who paid her a one-time fee of two thousand yuan for the use of her recipe.

The surrounding people exploded with gossip.

"So, in this one Mid-Autumn Festival, the Pei family has earned 3,400 yuan!?"

"Yes, in our residential compound, no other wife can make money like she can, can they?"

As they spoke, the person deliberately cued Shen Baolan, "Shuhuan’s wife, what do you say?"

Shen Baolan’s face turned alternately red and white, unable to say a word.

3,400 yuan, Shen Mingzhu made such a big sum of money quietly.

Shen Baolan’s heart was as sour as if it had been soaked in a pickling jar for eight hundred years, almost to the point of crying.

We all have one nose and two eyes, come from the same village, have the same surname, why should all the money go to Shen Mingzhu alone?

3,400 yuan, even if Zhou Shuhuan became a regular worker, he would have to work for four years without spending a dime to earn that amount.

She had come today to show off to the people in the residential compound about Zhou Shuhuan’s regular position, hoping to put Pei Yang and Shen Mingzhu down a peg and to have her moment of triumph, but instead, she was upset by Shen Mingzhu’s 3,400 yuan.

Just as everyone was admiring and praising Shen Mingzhu, the person suddenly changed tack and began to disparage her:

"Pei Yang’s wife indeed has some ability, but she’s just a bit short-sighted."

Everyone’s interest was instantly piqued.

"How so?"

"Pei Yang’s family had just broken off their partnership when the next thing you know, they signed a big order with Hengxing Company for mooncakes, agreeing to supply twenty thousand boxes next year. If we go by the previously agreed profit-sharing, just from this deal alone, Pei Yang’s family would pocket four thousand yuan."

"And it’s not just next year, Hengxing is going to order mooncakes from the factory every year thereafter. And that’s just Hengxing, mind you. Add in the other sales, and Pei Yang’s family is easily looking to clear four to five thousand yuan a year."

"With the partnership dissolved, she took home three thousand four hundred yuan, and now she won’t see a dime from the cake factory’s earnings. Isn’t this just like losing a watermelon to pick up a sesame seed?"

People around nodded in agreement, their mouths expressing regret, but inside they felt particularly relieved.

It’s human nature to resent the fortune of others and to scoff at their misfortunes.

Who can stand to see someone nearby making a killing without feeling jealous?

During the few minutes of this gossip session, Shen Baolan’s emotions roller-coastered dramatically.

One minute she was green with envy and hate, and the next she was revelling in schadenfreude.

...

Ever since Pei Yang started working at the food factory, he and Shen Mingzhu had been commuting together every day, a regular scene of marital harmony.

But today, just as the family of three stepped into the courtyard, they "ran into" Shen Baolan.

Since the wedding, Shen Mingzhu hadn’t seen Shen Baolan at all.

With elementary school starting earlier than kindergarten, by the time Shen Mingzhu returned home in the evening, Shen Baolan would be cooking and tending to the in-laws; their schedules just didn’t line up.

After some time not seeing her, Shen Baolan had put on some weight, not enough to be considered fat, just a bit fleshier than when she successfully slimmed down.

"Shen Mingzhu, I heard you split up with the mooncake factory?"

"None of your damn business."

Shen Mingzhu rolled her eyes at her and walked away.

Shen Baolan, like a clingy dog, followed along, eyeing Pei Yang up and down.

Pei Yang was dressed impeccably today, in a black and white checked shirt, topped with a mid-length light grey coat, complete with trousers and leather shoes. His fringe neatly combed, revealing sharp and profound features, he looked both mature and unusually dignified.

Although Shen Baolan inwardly looked down on Pei Yang, she couldn’t help but be attracted by his handsome appearance.

Just as she was gazing at him, her chin was suddenly pulled in another direction.

"What are you staring at? Go home and stare at your own man!"

Meeting Shen Mingzhu’s irritated face, Shen Baolan sneered, "As if I would fancy him. He’s just a pretty face with no real use, I wouldn’t want him even as a gift."

Shen Mingzhu sneered back, "Keep dreaming, you wouldn’t get a chance with him even in your next life!"

Pei Yang, watching his wife arguing over him, felt as if he was drinking peach soda—his heart bubbled with joy.

As for Shen Baolan’s sarcasm, he wasn’t upset in the slightest.

Whether he was of any use or not, his wife knew that well enough.

Shen Baolan couldn’t understand why Shen Mingzhu treasured a man like Pei Yang, whom she deemed useless, but that didn’t stop her from taking delight in Shen Mingzhu’s misfortune.

Without delay, she told Shen Mingzhu about the Fushun Cake Factory’s two thousand box order, "...And you call that smart? All for the sake of two thousand yuan, you sold off the goose that laid the golden eggs."

"It’s my business—how does it bother you?"

"Keep pretending, but when you see others making a fortune while you can’t even get a sip of the soup, I bet you’re just choking with frustration."

Was Shen Mingzhu frustrated? Of course she was.

But it wasn’t because she missed out on the profits; it was because someone as despicable as Wang Hongcheng was making a fortune.

Truly, there’s no business without deceit!

Seeing her visibly upset, Pei Yang wrapped his arms around her and cooed, "How about I find a way to poach Wang Hongcheng’s order for us?"

Shen Mingzhu blinked at him, "You think you can?"

Pei Yang scooped her up in his arms and threw her onto the bed, then leaned over her, biting her soft earlobe with his hot tongue as if he could set her ear on fire—

"Whether I can or not, you’ll find out soon enough."

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