The Stepmother’s Counterattack: Raising a Child in a Bygone Era
Chapter 358 - 357 Shen Baolan Comes Knocking

Chapter 358: Chapter 357 Shen Baolan Comes Knocking

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Upon learning that Shen Mingzhu intended to raise capital to purchase the Fushun factory, Pei Wenping showed up that very night, clutching a bundle of money.

"There’s exactly ten thousand here, count it."

Although Shen Mingzhu knew that Pei Wenping had quite a bit of private money at hand, she was still surprised when Pei Wenping laid out ten thousand yuan in front of her.

"Big sister, where did you get so much money?"

Pei Wenping divided the money into two parts, explaining as she did so, "Three thousand of this is mine, the other seven thousand was left with me by Chen Yi when he left, it’s all from the income of his work over the years, he originally wanted me to save it for Xiaolu and Xiaochao’s education fund."

The tumor surgery at the beginning of the year had been very successful, but deep inside, Pei Wenping’s worries and anxieties never ceased.

As a mother, she had to prepare for the worst.

If this ten thousand yuan was invested and earned profit, the future of her two children would be secure.

If it was lost, with her brother and sister-in-law’s abilities and talents, they would surely rise from their ashes.

"Mingzhu, I’ve thought it through, instead of letting the money sit in the bank and earn that little interest, I’d rather invest it with you to make money multiply."

While speaking, she paused, looking at Shen Mingzhu with a hint of pleading in her eyes, "You know about my health condition. If something happens to me, I hope you and Pei Yang can look after the two siblings."

"Big sister, don’t talk like that, your surgery was very successful, you’re bound to live a long life," Shen Mingzhu reassured her.

Pei Wenping gave a wry smile, "I’d like to, and I’m not greedy for a hundred years, I’d be content if I could live past fifty."

Shen Mingzhu, being a mother herself, truly understood Pei Wenping’s thoughts.

Putting herself in the other’s shoes, if she were the one with a tumor, she might be even more anxious than Pei Wenping.

"Big sis, let’s make an agreement then, as long as we live, we will do our utmost to take care of the four children."

"Agreed, it’s a deal."

Pei Wenping nodded repeatedly, her eyes filled with gratitude.

Based on the current valuation of the company, Shen Mingzhu gave Pei Wenping a 6.6% equity share.

...

Half a month later, the loan from the bank was successfully disbursed.

The Fushun Cake Factory was officially renamed Meihao Food Co., Ltd.

The news reached the family compound, and once again Shen Mingzhu became the focus of everyone’s conversation.

However, unlike the idle gossip of the past, now the residents of the compound praised her to no end.

Everyone said the Pei family’s ancestors must be producing green smoke from their graves, having acquired such a capable and family-prospering daughter-in-law like Shen Mingzhu.

As everyone talked, Shen Baolan quietly sat on the side, holding her plump son.

Listening to everyone discussing Shen Mingzhu’s glorious deeds in acquiring the Fushun Cake Factory, her mood was as sour and bitter as pickles that had been marinated for over a hundred years.

She couldn’t understand it.

Despite having snatched away Shen Mingzhu’s good marriage, why was it that Shen Mingzhu still managed to lead a good life?

Both were stepmothers, yet Shen Mingzhu was able to accomplish so much and do everything well, while she could only revolve around the stove, the elderly, and the children all day long.

Since childhood, she had always been superior to Shen Mingzhu, so if Shen Mingzhu could earn money, why couldn’t she?

Shen Mingzhu’s success once again ignited Shen Baolan’s competitive spirit.

She also wanted to get a job and earn money!

However, she couldn’t make this decision alone; it had to be approved by her in-laws.

Her son was not even a year old yet and needed someone to look after him.

The Zhou family didn’t object to Shen Baolan’s idea of getting a job.

The elders were old, and with two grandsons at home, it would lessen their son’s burden if their daughter-in-law could earn money.

However, Shen Baolan would have to find a job on her own; the elders wouldn’t spend money or effort on her job search again.

Back when Shen Baolan entered the cotton spinning factory, the Zhou family had gone to great lengths, pulling strings and giving gifts.

In the end, Shen Baolan was fired after just a few months and caused a plethora of problems.

...

"Shen Mingzhu!"

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Shen Mingzhu had just ridden her motorcycle out of the factory gate when she heard someone calling her.

She stopped and turned her head to see Shen Baolan a few steps away, unexpectedly surprised.

Half a year had passed, and Shen Baolan looked as if she had aged several years. Her face was somewhat swollen, her figure had gone out of shape, and her face bore a sense of fatigue and haggardness.

As Shen Mingzhu sized up Shen Baolan, Shen Baolan was also assessing her.

A palm-sized face with delicately beautiful features, her skin was fair and translucent, shimmering with a pearl-like luster under the sunlight. Her long black hair draped down the back of her head, with a butterfly-shaped gemstone hair clip by her ear. The hem of her light green dress fluttered in the wind.

Even though they both had children, Shen Mingzhu still looked as tender and delicate as she did when she was seventeen or eighteen, like a peach blossom in full bloom at the beginning of spring.

And she had even gotten herself a Mulan motorcycle.

The Mulan motorcycle was small and convenient, what you might call the dream vehicle of every woman of the era.

After feeling the stark contrast between the two of them up close, Shen Baolan couldn’t help but feel a vinegar-like jealousy well up inside her.

"What are you doing here?" Shen Mingzhu’s tone was less than friendly.

Shen Baolan cleared her throat uncomfortably, "I heard that your factory is hiring, and I want to work here."

Shen Mingzhu almost laughed out loud, and at the same time, she admired Shen Baolan’s thick skin and courage.

"Shen Baolan, our factory is indeed hiring, but we don’t hire people with poor conduct."

Shen Baolan’s expression changed, "What do you mean by that? Are you saying I have bad conduct?"

"Not to mention the idle gossip you’ve spread about me, but also the rumors, the slander, the mud-throwing, the provocation—have you done too little of that? Shen Baolan, don’t you have any self-awareness? What makes you think that, after doing so many bad things to me, I would just forget about the past and hire you to work in the factory?"

Shen Baolan’s face turned red and white from being called out.

"Shen Mingzhu, do you think you’re such a good person? When we were kids and fought, you hit me with a stone and injured my head! You also pushed me into a ditch. If it weren’t for a villager passing by, I could have drowned!"

These were the doings of the original owner of the body, and had nothing to do with her.

Shen Mingzhu gave a smile that was not quite a smile, "Since we have such a deep feud, we might as well never deal with each other again. Don’t come looking for me in the future, because I definitely won’t let you into the factory."

Shen Baolan gritted her teeth, "Shen Mingzhu, even though we have fought since we were kids, aren’t you supposed to have some old affection for someone from the same village?"

"Between us, there is only enmity, no affection."

Having said that, Shen Mingzhu got on her motorcycle and left.

She was in a hurry to see the renovation progress of the new factory and had no time to waste on Shen Baolan.

Shen Baolan watched her ride away, her face filled with resentment.

If it weren’t for desperation, she wouldn’t have lowered herself to ask Shen Mingzhu for help.

She had been full of confidence, thinking that with a junior high school diploma and being a city resident, finding a job wouldn’t be difficult.

But while her aspirations were full, reality was bleak.

In the past half-month, she had chased down every recruitment ad in the newspaper and run through streets and labor markets, only to find no job to her liking.

At companies, they found her education too low and her lack of a particular skill.

In factories, her lack of work experience and the absence of someone to vouch for her meant that factories simply wouldn’t hire her.

The only jobs she could find were either washing dishes in a kitchen or cleaning.

Not only were they tiresome and bitter, but the wages were also low.

Her mother-in-law, Ma Sufen, seeing her unable to find a job day after day, scolded her for being useless and even declared that if she couldn’t find a job by the end of the month, she should stop looking altogether and just stay at home to look after the children.

With no other options, she had thickened her skin and come to ask Shen Mingzhu for help.

"Shen Mingzhu, what goes around comes around. We’ll just wait and see!"

Shen Baolan spat at the sign of the food factory and, filled with annoyance, turned and walked away.

When Shen Baolan got back to the Zhou family home, as soon as she entered, Ma Sufen shot her a sharp question, "Back so early, did you find a job?"

"Not yet."

Seeing Ma Sufen’s face darken, Shen Baolan hurried forward, carefully trying to ingratiate herself, "Mom, don’t worry, I’ll definitely find a job. Once I earn some money, I’ll give it all to you to manage."

Ma Sufen had been slicked over by these words for half a month and was already impatient.

Her words were laden with bitterness and mockery, "Humph, just stop looking. You’re not cut out to make money. Thankfully, our family doesn’t rely on you to bring home the bacon, or we’d all starve to death!"