The Stepmother’s Counterattack: Raising a Child in a Bygone Era
Chapter 241 - 240 Hu Guifen Reaps What She Sows

Chapter 241: Chapter 240 Hu Guifen Reaps What She Sows

Despite Du Juan’s vehement denials, the seed of suspicion had already been planted in the workers’ hearts, and it was not something she could dispel with just a few words.

Pei Yang suddenly asked Hu Guifen, "Auntie Hu, so it was you who reported the factory."

Hu Guifen looked around and, seeing that the workers were on her side, staunchly admitted it.

"Yes, I reported it. I couldn’t stand watching you and Director Shen misbehave, I was removing a harm to the people."

"You’re talking nonsense!"

Du Juan was so furious that she wished she could rush over and tear Hu Guifen’s mouth open.

Just then, Pei Ziheng, who had been standing quietly by Pei Yang’s side, crisply said, "This sack was indeed brought back by my mother."

In an instant, all eyes turned to him.

Du Juan, with her eyes nearly splitting in rage, exclaimed, "Ziheng, don’t talk nonsense!"

Pei Yang, frowning deeply, chided his son in a low voice, "Children shouldn’t meddle in adults’ affairs."

Hu Guifen, not expecting that Pei Ziheng would assist her at this moment, immediately said to the Food Administration Bureau and the other workers, "There, you all heard it, didn’t you? Even Director Shen’s son admits it, this rice husk sack is indeed Director Shen’s!"

The workers instantly exploded in uproar.

"I can’t believe it. Director Shen is actually this kind of person, he doesn’t even want his conscience to make money!"

"I quit. I’d rather starve to death than earn this conscience-wrecking money!"

"Yes! I quit too!"

A few workers were filled with righteous indignation.

Shi Guangsheng, who was hiding at the entrance of the food factory watching the drama unfold, couldn’t help but nearly laugh himself to the ground.

This Mr. Pei actually had such a foolish son—it was like heaven was helping him too!

Huang Yuan also reveled in Pei Yang’s misfortune, waiting to see him go down. That way, he wouldn’t have to humble himself to buy apple soft candy from Pei Yang and could also explain himself to his young boss when he got back.

Both harboring their own thoughts, they continued to watch the drama.

"Auntie Hu, are you hard of hearing? What I said was, the sack is my mother’s, not the stuff inside."

Facing Pei Ziheng’s black, unemotional eyes, Hu Guifen felt a sudden jolt in her heart, and subconsciously blurted out, "If the sack is Director Shen’s, naturally the rice husk sack inside is also Director Shen’s."

Pei Ziheng tilted his head, a look of innocent confusion on his face, "But, the stuff inside is clearly cardamom, not any rice husk."

After saying this, he looked up at Pei Yang and asked, "Dad, what are rice husks used for? Are they something bad?"

"Yes, they’re harmful drugs to the body."

Pei Ziheng seemed to understand, then asked again, "Then Auntie Hu says what’s inside the sack is rice husks, and insists that the rice husks are mom’s. Does this count as her falsely accusing my mom?"

Pei Yang, staring at Hu Guifen, sneered, "It counts, how could it not."

The conversation between father and son led to a brief silence at the scene.

The workers looked at each other.

Director Bai immediately opened the sack he was holding, and the other staff from the Food Administration Bureau also came over to identify the contents of the sack.

"Director Bai."

An older staff member whispered, "This actually seems to be cardamom."

The female staff member who searched the sack urgently said, "How can that be? This looks exactly like the image of the opium husk in the herbal medicine book."

"Cardamom does indeed look similar to rice husks, but the surface of rice husks is smoother, not this wrinkled, and besides, rice husks have a stigma at the top, which cardamom does not have."

In fact, among the staff from the Food Administration Bureau, there might have been those who recognized the cardamom in the sack but lacked the courage to speak up.

Director Bai and the female staff member were both from well-to-do families, spoiled from birth, and lacked basic life knowledge.

This was embarrassing.

While the Food Administration Bureau staff were not paying attention, a worker quietly approached and, upon seeing the contents of the sack, immediately shouted to the others—

"This is cardamom, come and see!"

One stone stirred up a thousand ripples; several other workers, including Du Juan and Shen Chaobei, hurried over.

"What rice husk, it’s clearly cardamom!"

"Yeah, this is Caoguo! It’s a spice for stewing soups and dishes."

"Hu Guifen, open your damn eyes and look clearly, where is the rice husk?" Du Juan berated Hu Guifen furiously.

Hu Guifen stared at the contents of the sack, her face filled with disbelief: "How could it be Caoguo? The sack was clearly filled with rice husks..."

"Slap!"

Du Juan rushed forward and slapped her across the face with a resounding smack.

"Dare to spout nonsense again, just try it!"

Hu Guifen, covering her face, was both ashamed and angry, yet she didn’t dare speak irresponsibly anymore.

The other workers were also startled by Du Juan’s sudden outburst, staring wide-eyed in shock.

Du Juan was furious. It was bad enough that outsiders were mistreating them, bullying them, but now even someone from their own factory had turned traitor.

Her eyes red with rage, she glared daggers at Hu Guifen, "Mingzhu was so good to you, knowing your mother was unwell, she even went out of her way to help you get medicine from acquaintances, and you repay her with such heartless, treacherous behavior!"

Pei Yang stepped forward, "You stole the contract too, didn’t you? Mingzhu trusted you. Sometimes she’d let you clean the office, and you took the key from her bag while she was away to open the safe and take the contract."

"It wasn’t me, I didn’t!" Hu Guifen denied vehemently.

"If it wasn’t you, then why were your fingerprints found on the inner door of the safe? You may not know that touching the safe would leave fingerprints, and if not deliberately wiped off, they would remain."

"Don’t be in too much of a hurry to deny it. I’ve already called the police. Whether those are your fingerprints or not will be investigated by the authorities."

The talk of fingerprints on the safe was a ruse Shen Mingzhu and Pei Yang had concocted to trick the mole.

But Hu Guifen didn’t know Pei Yang was bluffing her, thinking her fingerprints truly were on the safe. She turned pale with fear, her lips trembling, unable to utter a word.

"So, it was you!?" Du Juan, overcome with anger, grabbed Hu Guifen by the collar, "Do you realize how much effort Mingzhu put into establishing this factory, providing us rural women with a livelihood? Where did we ever wrong you, that you would cut off everyone’s means of subsistence!"

To cut off one’s livelihood is akin to killing their parents.

The workers were all inflamed with hatred, beating and cursing Hu Guifen.

If it weren’t for her stealing the contract, they would have received their wages by now and happily gone home for the New Year.

Seeing the tumult on-site, Director Bai left resentfully with his subordinates.

Mistaking Caoguo for rice husks was utterly humiliating.

No sooner had the people from the Food Administration left than the police from the local station arrived.

Seeing the police, Hu Guifen finally became frightened. She fell to her knees before Pei Yang, confessing and begging for mercy, "Director Pei, I was wrong. Please forgive me this once. I was blinded by greed. I will never dare do it again."

Pei Yang looked down at her from above, "Look around at these people who have been working alongside you and at Mingzhu lying in the hospital. When you were committing your wicked acts, did you spare them a thought?"

"Someone instigated me. It was a moment of folly..."

"If you have anything to say, go to the police station and explain it clearly to the officer in charge, and hope for leniency."

After saying this, Pei Yang pulled Pei Ziheng aside, and along with everyone else from the food factory, they watched as the police took Hu Guifen away.

...

Shi Guangsheng, who was hiding in the distance, watched as Hu Guifen was taken away, feeling a mix of anger and confusion.

How did the rice husks in the sack turn into Caoguo?

Pei, consider yourself lucky this time, but we’ll see!

Seeing Huang Yuan rushing into the food factory, Shi Guangsheng’s face was dark with malice.

The crisis averted and the traitor caught, Pei Yang felt relieved. Just as she was thinking of taking her son into the office to question him about the Caoguo, to her surprise, Huang Yuan showed up.

"Oh, isn’t this Manager Huang? What brings you here with such honor?"

Huang Yuan pretended not to detect Pei Yang’s sarcasm, "Director Pei, I’ve come to fulfill our contract. It’s all that Song Feiyu’s fault for not making things clear before he left. I understand now that our Hengxing did indeed have a deal with your food factory."

"A deal? What deal? That didn’t happen."

Huang Yuan choked for a moment but quickly continued, "Director Pei, no jokes. I’m here in earnest to fulfill the contract. How about this, you deliver the three thousand catties of apple candy to Hengxing right now, and I’ll have our finance department settle the remaining payment with you."

Pei Yang’s smile didn’t reach her eyes, "Manager Huang, you must be joking with me. When did we ever sign a contract? Where is it?"

Huang Yuan: "..."

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