The Stepmother’s Counterattack: Raising a Child in a Bygone Era
Chapter 233 - 232 Playing the Rascal Together

Chapter 233: Chapter 232 Playing the Rascal Together

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After speaking, he glanced at Shen Mingzhu, who was looking at him with moist, apricot-colored eyes. Pei Yang turned and joked with her, "Having a daughter is quite nice. One boy is enough to drive me crazy; another one, and I’m afraid I might be pissed to death."

Shen Mingzhu really had no solution for the frequent incidents of Pei Ziheng getting on Pei Yang’s nerves.

Despite the father and son being entirely different in temperament, with Pei Ziheng being detached and introverted and Pei Yang being open-minded and cheerful, the two of them always managed to butt heads when together.

Pei Ziheng humphed, "It’s because you’re too dumb."

"You’re smart, you’re capable, so why didn’t you bring home a ’Triple-A Student’ award at the end of the term?"

Shen Mingzhu, hearing this, immediately put aside her mood for watching the spectacle, while pulling her son into her embrace she glared at Pei Yang, "What are you talking about? If you can’t speak nicely, don’t speak at all."

As a man, Pei Yang naturally wasn’t as sensitive and attentive as Shen Mingzhu and didn’t think there was anything wrong with what he’d said.

A big man should be able to bear such setbacks and criticism. What else can one expect from him?

However, seeing that Shen Mingzhu was unhappy, he stopped talking about it.

Shen Mingzhu touched her son’s soft and smooth cheeks, comforting him in a gentle and soft voice, "It’s alright. You finished first in your class at the end of the term, which is quite an achievement. Let’s let other students have the ’Triple-A Student’ title for now. Otherwise, if they have nothing, it would be too pitiful, right?"

Pei Ziheng pressed his lips together, "Mom, I’ll definitely earn the ’Triple-A Student’ title next year."

"If you get it, great; if not, it’s also okay. Your dad, he has never been chosen as a ’Triple-A Student’ from childhood to adulthood, and he’s still living just fine, isn’t he? Learn from him, even if you don’t earn it yourself, it’s okay. When you become a father in the future, just be strict with your son."

Pei Yang: "..."

Adopting the mindset of ’if you can’t beat them, join them,’ Pei Yang eagerly asked the mother and son what they wanted to eat, offering to go buy it.

It was already past lunchtime, but since Shen Mingzhu had been asleep, nobody felt like eating.

He and his son could skip a meal, but his wife and the baby shouldn’t go hungry.

Shen Mingzhu had little appetite, but thinking of the small life inside her, she asked Pei Yang to buy some light and nutritious meals.

After eating, Pei Yang, who wouldn’t take no for an answer, insisted that she lie down instead of sitting.

Once she lay down, Shen Mingzhu soon found herself summoned to a meeting with the Lord of Dreams.

Pei Yang watched over her for a while, then called Pei Ziheng out of the hospital room.

"You watch over mom well. I’ll go check on the factory."

"Mhm."

"Call if anything happens, do you remember the factory’s number?"

"I remember."

"Then recite it back to me."

Pei Ziheng emotionlessly recited a string of numbers.

Pei Yang, satisfied, ruffled his head, "Good boy, you’re going to be a brother now. You need to be a man, take good care of mom and your sister."

Pei Ziheng’s usually pale face took on a rare serious expression, "I know."

After watching Pei Yang’s tall figure walk away, Pei Ziheng returned to the hospital room, quietly gazing at Shen Mingzhu’s peaceful, sleeping face.

"Cough! Cough!"

Suddenly, another patient in the same room coughed violently a few times.

Seeing Shen Mingzhu’s frown, Pei Ziheng gave the patient a cold glare, then climbed onto a stool by the bed, knelt down, and stretched out his hands to cover Shen Mingzhu’s ears.

This way, mom wouldn’t be disturbed.

...

As soon as Pei Yang arrived at the factory, the workers all gathered around him.

"Factory Manager Pei, didn’t Manager Shen say she would distribute our wages this afternoon? Where is she?"

"When exactly will it be distributed, are we getting paid today or not?"

```

"I heard the contract was lost and no one’s buying the apple candy anymore? Does that mean we can still get our wages?"

"With the factory having so much unsold inventory, could it be that it’s going to shut down?"

Pei Yang publicly promised that, regardless of whether the apple candy was sold or not, everyone’s wages would be settled by the 25th, and only then did he send the workers back to their dormitories to rest.

Before leaving, Hu Guifen also made a point of inquiring about Shen Mingzhu’s health.

Shen Mingzhu had experienced complications with her pregnancy and needed to rest in peace to avoid any disturbance. To keep it secret and avoid worry among the workers, Pei Yang only told them that Shen Mingzhu was suffering from overexertion and would recover after a few days of rest.

Lao Zhu had not left yet, partly because the goods were still on the truck and partly because he was helping Pei Yang look after the factory.

After Pei Yang had sent the workers away, Lao Zhu approached him and asked what to do with the goods on the truck.

"Brother Zhu, you’ve been a great help today, but I still need to take up some more of your time. I’ll pay you double the transportation fee."

Lao Zhu waved his hand dismissively, "Let’s not talk about that. Between us, talking money cheapens the relationship. I’m waiting for you, that’s all."

After thanking Lao Zhu, Pei Yang asked Du Juan and her husband, "Have you found the contract?"

Receiving a negative response, Pei Yang fell into deep thought.

In his view, neither the workers’ wages nor the three thousand jin of unsold apple candy were issues.

What troubled him was that the purchase contract was executed in duplicate, and Shen Mingzhu, in an attempt to lower the risk, had added a clause for a substantial penalty for breach of contract.

Now, the clause for the penalty for breach had become a sword hanging over their own heads.

If he sold the goods and Hengxing came knocking with a contract demanding the goods, his inability to provide the goods would be tantamount to a breach of contract.

Yet, if he didn’t find a way to sell the goods, he wouldn’t be able to pay the workers’ wages, and the initial investment would also be wasted.

"Pei Yang, what should we do now? You decide," Shen Chaobei said, his brows so furrowed they were nearly knotted. Although the money for producing the three thousand jins of candy came from Shen Mingzhu and Pei Yang, the inherently kind-hearted Chaobei was just as anxious and upset.

Pei Yang circled the truck loaded with goods and his usual firm and just expression gained a hint of rogue, "Since they like to play dirty, let’s all play dirty and see who can outdo the other."

...

In the purchasing department’s office.

Huang Yuan pinched a handful of fish food, feeding the fish while speaking on the phone with Guangsheng, "They came this morning; I didn’t even see them in person and made that woman so anxious she fainted on the spot."

On the other end of the line, Shi Guangsheng laughed with contempt: "A woman should stay at home and serve her man instead of coming out, showing her face, and competing with men in business. It’s about time she learned her place."

Huang Yuan laughed arrogantly, "I reckon they’ll come to me again. I hear their factory can’t even pay wages now. When the time comes, I’ll send them straight to you. Just take it easy and don’t drive the price too low, make a bit of profit, and that’s enough."

"Manager Huang, rest assured, I understand," Shi Guangsheng replied.

Just as they were speaking, the internal line rang. Huang Yuan picked it up with his other hand.

Learning that Pei Yang had indeed come to see him again, Huang Yuan couldn’t help but grin with delight.

"They’re here; I’ll update you," he said.

"Got it," came the reply.

...

"Manager Huang, it was indeed our mistake to lose the contract, but according to the terms of the contract, I’ve already delivered the three thousand jin of apples. Please take a moment to have someone sign for them," Pei Yang said apologetically, making his request.

Facing Pei Yang’s apologies and pleading, Huang Yuan responded with a sycophantic yet mocking smile, "This contract you’re talking about, I’ve never seen it nor am I aware of it. You can’t produce the original contract, and if I were to accommodate you, then everyone would follow suit and bring their goods here for me to take. What would become of me then?"

Pei Yang explained patiently, "We signed the contract with Director Song. Perhaps if you could give me Director Song’s address, I could invite him over straightaway?"

"I’m not quite sure where Director Song is at the moment, seems like he might have gone back to his hometown in Yunnan," Huang Yuan replied.

"Manager Huang, isn’t there any way to work this out?" Pei Yang asked.

Huang Yuan leisurely sipped his tea before responding with a smirk, "I definitely can’t take the goods, but it’s not easy running a small factory like yours. Let me give you a lead: go find Factory Manager Shi at Xiyuan Candy Factory. They often take in unsold stock, and he might be able to offer you a good price."