The Stepmother’s Counterattack: Raising a Child in a Bygone Era
Chapter 322 - 321 New Year’s Day, New Store Opening

Chapter 322: Chapter 321 New Year’s Day, New Store Opening

"What good is police protection going to do, will they stand guard at the restaurant entrance 24 hours a day?"

Shen Mingzhu’s rhetorical question left the three of them speechless.

"Let’s listen to our little sister, pack up and leave!"

Shen Chaobei made the decision swiftly, but Qin Jinlian felt pained about the rent paid in hard cash, "We can’t just leave like this; we have to get the landlord to refund our rent, even if it’s only half."

That’s what Shen Xiangnan thought too.

To help his younger brother with the business, the elder brother had invested his entire fortune in the noodle shop.

Now that the noodle shop had finally taken off and started making money, they ran into Cao Haigang and his gang of thugs.

No matter what, they had to get the rent back.

"Little sister, you’re the smartest one in our family. Can you think of a way to get our rent back?"

Qin Jinlian eagerly chimed in, "Mingzhu, please help your elder and second brother."

Although Shen Chaobei did not speak, his face revealed expectation, he too clearly wanted to retrieve the rent.

Shen Mingzhu ruthlessly doused their hopes, "What do you think makes the rent so cheap along this street? With such a bustling crowd, why was the shop vacant, and how did it just happen to be rented by you?"

"Jia Kui, who rented you the shop, is one of Cao Haigang’s lackeys. This year alone, the shop has been leased to four different owners."

The area was on the urban edge, a mix of dragons and snakes, with various dark forces deeply entrenched, even the government was powerless. For commoners like them to confront a bully like Cao Haigang head-on was simply courting death.

Cao Haigang claimed he was collecting protection fees, but in reality, he was forcing the two brothers out.

Once Shen Chaobei and his brother left, Cao Haigang would continue to lease the shop to the next ’sucker’ and make money off of it.

If they interfered with Cao Haigang’s income, they would inevitably face retaliation.

Qin Jinlian cursed angrily, "Damn him, how can his heart be so black? Why didn’t lightning from the heavens strike him dead!"

"Enough, cut the chatter and hurry up and pack. I’ll go call for a truck."

The noodle shop wasn’t big, just six sets of tables and chairs, along with pots and pans and such, and even a small truck wasn’t filled.

This incident dealt a heavy blow to the Shen brothers, Shen Chaobei and Shen Xiangnan.

The brothers had been full of confidence, swearing to make something of their lives to impress Shen Mingzhu.

But in just one short month, not only was the shop gone, but their money had also been lost.

...

Compared to Shen Xiangnan’s dejection, Jia Yuemei was somewhat calm.

For the initial investment in the noodle shop, Shen Xiangnan had only put in two hundred; the rest of the money came from Shen Chaobei.

Over the month, the noodle shop had earned a little over two hundred, half for each brother, so in the end, she and her husband were only out a hundred.

"So what does your little sister say about this lost money?"

Hearing Jia Yuemei’s question, Shen Xiangnan looked confused, "What do you mean?"

Jia Yuemei rolled her eyes, "The noodle shop was closed because of your sister’s advice, so she should make some gesture, right? At least help you guys get the noodle shop started again."

Shen Xiangnan hung his head in silence.

Jia Yuemei went on, "You should ask Mom to talk to your sister, either get you a job at the food factory or help you re-open the noodle shop."

Shen Xiangnan lifted his head, his face grim, "Do you think I’m useless, incapable of accomplishing anything without relying on my sister or elder brother?"

"I shouldn’t have listened to you and quit my job. If I hadn’t, I’d still be working right now, and my brother wouldn’t have been dragged into this mess, losing both his shares and his money."

"I have no face to look for my sister. I’m going to look for a job tomorrow!"

After his outburst, Shen Xiangnan turned over in bed, turning his back to Jia Yuemei to express his dissatisfaction.

Although Jia Yuemei was cunning, she was not as foolish as Yang Lizhen, who would have foolishly argued with Shen Xiangnan at such a time.

She climbed into bed, reached out and wrapped her arms around Shen Xiangnan’s waist from behind, softly coaxing, "Why are you upset? I’m suggesting you go to your sister for our future."

Seeing Shen Xiangnan’s lack of response, Jia Yuemei whispered again, "I have some good news to tell you, I’m pregnant... "

Shen Xiangnan jolted around, his face brimming with surprise, but soon he seemed to think of something and said with uncertainty, "You’re not lying to me, are you?"

Jia Yuemei rolled her eyes at him. "Do you think I’m Yang Lizhen? I’m certainly not after your mother’s gold necklace."

The corners of Shen Xiangnan’s mouth that had closed lifted slowly again. "Really pregnant?"

Jia Yuemei got up, took her bag from behind the door, and fished out a medical report to hand to Shen Xiangnan.

Shen Xiangnan stared at the medical report for a long while before excitedly looking up, "Already two months? I’m going to be a dad?"

"Yuemei, you’re really something! You’re going to have a son for me!"

Shen Xiangnan, extremely excited, picked up Jia Yuemei and hopped off the bed, spinning circles in the room.

...

The news of Jia Yuemei’s pregnancy quickly reached the ears of every member of the Shen Family, and everyone was very happy, including Shen Mingzhu. After all, it was the joy of adding a new member to the family.

Shen Xiangnan brushed off the despondency of his business failure and, beaming with joy, went to Shen Mingzhu to get himself a new job, as he needed to earn money to support his family.

Shen Mingzhu internally supported Shen Xiangnan’s idea.

For a grown man, it was good to have ambition and a sense of responsibility rather than lying around waiting for her handouts.

Rather than making direct arrangements for Shen Xiangnan, Shen Mingzhu asked him to seriously consider what he really wanted to do.

After thinking for two days, Shen Xiangnan decided to open a noodle shop.

Shen Mingzhu upgraded his plan. "Why not open a restaurant? A noodle shop doesn’t have much potential."

"Are you going to help me open a restaurant?"

Shen Xiangnan, nearly grinning off his face, asked several times for confirmation, "Little sister, are you really going to open a restaurant for me? You’re not kidding with me, are you?"

Shen Mingzhu chuckled, "Don’t get too excited just yet, running a restaurant requires skill. First, you go learn the trade for a year. If you can do it, I’ll definitely help you start the restaurant."

"Deal!"

When Qin Jinlian learned that Shen Mingzhu was going to help her second son open a restaurant, she was naturally thrilled, but after the excitement, she began to worry about the present.

To ensure Jia Yuemei’s pregnancy went smoothly, Qin Jinlian decided that Jia Yuemei should quit her job at the food factory and stay at home to nurture her pregnancy.

With Jia Yuemei’s income gone and Shen Xiangnan earning nothing while learning his craft, how were the young couple going to make ends meet?

Qin Jinlian approached Shen Mingzhu, hoping that Shen Mingzhu could give them some support.

Shen Mingzhu put the responsibility back on her, "If the second brother and his wife can’t make money, don’t they still have you? Continue your tofu and vermicelli noodle stall business. Earning fifty or sixty a month is enough for their expenses."

"You’ve always favored your second brother the most. You wouldn’t fail to help him, would you? He’s about to become a dad, and the grandchild in his wife’s belly is our Shen Family’s hope for the continuation of the lineage."

"Mom, whether or not second sister-in-law can safely give birth to the eldest grandson for the Shen Family is up to you."

Qin Jinlian had no idea she had been played by her daughter; instead, she felt her daughter was making a lot of sense. The eldest grandson was indeed her pursuit and dream for the second half of her life.

Thus, Qin Jinlian happily began to wake up early and stay out late to earn money at her stall.

In the blink of an eye, New Year’s Day arrived.

Mingzhu Restaurant’s self-operated store chose this day for its grand opening, symbolizing a new atmosphere for the new year.

The opening ceremony was bustling with activity, and the floral baskets almost buried the entrance. Zhong Qing, Yan Yi, Ning Yuan, and even Yan Su personally showed up to support her, and Yan Su, who had been invited, also came unexpectedly.

Although Shen Mingzhu had sent an invitation to Yan Su, she hadn’t expected her to actually come.

But not only did Yan Su show up, she even brought two pairs of large floral baskets.

The mountainous floral baskets were noteworthy on their own, yet the four individuals each arrived in different luxury vehicles.

Zhong Qing’s Bentley, Yan Yi’s Jeep, Yan Su’s Maybach, and Ning Yuan’s Lamborghini.

The four luxury cars parked in a row outside the restaurant were enough to draw the eyes of the entire street. With customers flocking to the venue, drawn by curiosity, the storefront nearly collapsed from the crowd.

"Eh, isn’t that Ning Yuan? Who is he talking to? Seems like someone I’ve never seen before."

A small sedan passed by in front of the restaurant. Inside, two young women gossiped about Ning Yuan, who was chatting and laughing with Shen Mingzhu outside Mingzhu Restaurant.

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