The Stepmother’s Counterattack: Raising a Child in a Bygone Era
Chapter 231 - 230 Shen Mingzhu Faints

Chapter 231: Chapter 230 Shen Mingzhu Faints

The employee who requested leave was surnamed Hu, named Hu Guifen, a very honest and down-to-earth rural woman, who usually didn’t gossip or chatter, so Shen Mingzhu had a good impression of her.

When she learned that Hu Guifen’s mother was seriously ill and wanted to visit her hometown, Shen Mingzhu readily approved the leave request.

After Hu Guifen left, Shen Mingzhu found Shen Hongmei to inquire about Hu Guifen’s family situation.

Shen Hongmei and five other workers lived in the employee dormitory, interacting from morning till night, so she knew the workers’ family backgrounds very well.

From Shen Hongmei, Shen Mingzhu found out that Hu Guifen had a mother suffering from tuberculosis.

In the afternoon, when Hu Guifen returned to the factory, Shen Mingzhu asked about her mother’s condition with concern.

Hu Guifen replied, "I bought some medicine and took it back; she should start to improve after taking it for a couple of days."

Shen Mingzhu nodded, then asked what medicine she usually took, saying she knew people at the hospital who could help buy it.

Hu Guifen was startled, then gratefully recited a few medicine names. Shen Mingzhu took notes, planning to ask Li Bing when she had the time.

...

Walls have ears, and the news of Shen Mingzhu’s food factory receiving a large order spread quickly through the residential compound.

"This time Pei Yang’s family will surely get rich, suddenly getting a big order for three thousand pounds, that’s why they are working overtime every day to rush the job."

"She was recruiting temporary workers in the residential compound not long ago, just for this? Ten hours a day, only for two yuan, too stingy."

"What do you know? The work hours are long but not tiring; you just sit there peeling apples, you don’t have to do anything else, and they provide two meals, it’s quite a good deal."

"What? Just peeling apples? If I had known it was so easy, I would have gone to do it too."

Shen Baolan listened to a group of people chatting while cracking sunflower seeds and felt that the seeds tasted sour in her mouth.

Shen Mingzhu, that wretched woman, why does everything she does always succeed?

She managed to earn money again.

The more she heard, the more upset Shen Baolan got, so she decided to leave the residential compound and take a walk, planning to pick up Zhou Hao from kindergarten when it was about time.

During her stroll, Shen Baolan ran into Mystic Ma.

"Mystic Ma, what are you busy with?"

Mystic Ma gave her a once-over, thinking that Shen Baolan had also supported her business before, so she decided to return the favor.

"It’s cold; don’t loiter outside too much, you might disturb the ’fetal breath’."

Shen Baolan was shocked, dropping a cascade of seed shells on the ground, her eyes bulging: "What do you mean?"

Mystic Ma didn’t mince words, grabbing her hand to take her pulse, then dropped the bombshell "You’re pregnant" before walking away elegantly.

Shen Baolan stood stunned for over ten seconds before she came to her senses, touching her belly almost wanting to laugh to the heavens.

She was pregnant again? Ha ha!

What does it matter that Shen Mingzhu is so capable and can earn so much money? Without a son, she has no hope or reliance for the rest of her life, she is not as good as her.

...

Shen Mingzhu heard the news of Shen Baolan’s pregnancy from Feng Huiying’s mouth.

Feng Huiying had also started working as a temporary worker at the food factory, and during lunch, she would always chat with her about the goings-on of the residential compound.

"What about you, any news?"

Shen Mingzhu shook her head awkwardly.

Her December menstruation hadn’t come, and she had been planning to go to the hospital for a check-up, but right after New Year’s Day, her period arrived.

"It’s okay, everyone’s body is different, some get it early, some get it late, you’re so young, there’s plenty of time."

Feng Huiying comforted her like a concerned big sister, "Besides, with the factory being so busy now, if you really got pregnant, you wouldn’t be able to take care of everything. In fact, it’s a mess—you’d be better off not getting pregnant right now."

Shen Mingzhu couldn’t help but laugh.

...

Thanks to the collective efforts of all the factory workers, they had finally completed the production of 3,000 kilograms of apple gummies on the 22nd.

After settling the wages of the temporary workers, Shen Mingzhu stood up to check on the warehouse, but as soon as she did, everything before her went black, and she suddenly sat back down.

Pei Yang, who was taking inventory of the remaining materials, looked up to see her ashen face and hurried over with concern, "Feeling anemic again?"

The last time she had her period, she had fainted once, and had visited a local clinic. She was diagnosed with anemia caused by overwork and was prescribed some blood-enriching medicine. Pei Yang had also made her some nourishing soup to replenish her qi and blood, which seemed to have helped her recover a bit, but today, it flared up again.

Pei Yang took out a jar of donkey-hide gelatin from the drawer, scooped a spoonful, and handed it to her, then grabbed the kettle to add some hot water to her cup.

The donkey-hide gelatin was overly sweet and needed to be followed by water to wash it down.

"Feeling better?"

Shen Mingzhu collected herself and looked up at the man squatting beside her, his face filled with concern, and felt somewhat guilty, "I’m fine, I’ve just been too tired lately. After we deliver the goods, a few days of good rest should get me back on track."

Pei Yang lifted his hand to tuck a stray lock of hair behind her ear, speaking gently, "The Spring Festival is just a few days away. After we deliver the goods tomorrow, let’s give the factory a holiday. Everyone has been working non-stop for nearly a month; they’re all worn out."

That’s what Shen Mingzhu had in mind as well.

Once they received the payment for the goods, they would distribute everyone’s wages, bonuses, and New Year’s gifts all at once, giving the employees a proper Spring Festival holiday before resuming work on the seventh day of the new year.

...

The next day, by the time Shen Mingzhu and Pei Yang arrived at the factory, Lao Zhu was already there.

3,000 kilograms of goods were impossible to transport by manpower alone, so Shen Mingzhu had contacted Lao Zhu in advance.

After loading the goods, Shen Mingzhu went to the office to get the contract.

Time passed and she still hadn’t come out, so Pei Yang went to the office as well.

Upon entering the office, Pei Yang was stunned; the office that had been neat and ordered in the morning was now in complete disarray.

Shen Mingzhu was squatting beside the office desk, her eyes red and swollen as if she were a rabbit, looking at him.

Pei Yang hurriedly went over to lift her up, the back of his hand checking her forehead, "What’s wrong, are you feeling unwell?"

"I can’t find the contract. I clearly remember putting it in the safe, but it’s not there, and I’ve looked everywhere else too. I just can’t recall where I put it," Shen Mingzhu said with a voice edged with anxious sobbing.

"Don’t panic."

Pei Yang calmly soothed her, "If we can’t find it, it doesn’t matter. Let’s go deliver the goods first."

Shen Mingzhu looked at him, "Can we deliver the goods without the contract?"

"We can."

Perhaps comforted by his decisive tone, Shen Mingzhu’s emotions slowly stabilized.

Stepping into Hengxing’s gate, Shen Mingzhu appeared calm and composed, but inside, she was extremely anxious.

And hearing from the receptionist that Song Feiyu had been fired a week prior, Shen Mingzhu’s anxiety instantly magnified.

The contract was missing, and Song Feiyu, the person they had been dealing with at Hengxing, was no longer there.

Could it be a coincidence?

Shen Mingzhu felt a chill, and for a moment, her mind went blank.

"Excuse me, is Manager Huang Yuan of the procurement department in? We’d like to see him. Last month, Director Song placed an order for 3,000 kilograms of apple gummies at our Meihao Food Factory," Pei Yang said politely, stating their purpose.

The receptionist sized them up and down a few times, made a call on the internal line to check, and then, with a tone of disdain, informed them, "Manager Huang says he doesn’t know you and is unaware of any purchase of apple gummies. Do you have a contract?"

Shen Mingzhu opened her mouth to explain that the contract had been accidentally lost, but facing the receptionist’s indifferent gaze, she couldn’t say a word.

"Sorry to have bothered you."

Shen Mingzhu turned around, facing the gloomy sky outside, feeling as though all her strength had been drained, struggling to breathe, and in the next second, she lost consciousness.