The Stepmother’s Counterattack: Raising a Child in a Bygone Era
Chapter 382 - 381: A New Venture - Shenji’s Private Kitchen

Chapter 382: Chapter 381: A New Venture - Shenji’s Private Kitchen

The father and son didn’t go home but sat on the curb at their doorstep.

The street was shrouded in the murky glow of the streetlights, occasionally a cool breeze would stir, carrying a rustling sound.

Zhao Dafa fumbled for his pack of cigarettes and with a snap, lit one up.

Zhao Yun reached out his hand to him.

"What for?"

"Let me have one."

Zhao Dafa was stunned for a moment, then flew into a rage the next second and took off his shoe, "You little rascal, you’re just a whippersnapper and you’re already trying to smoke! How about I give you two shoe soles, huh?"

Zhao Yun stood his ground, moving his face close to Zhao Dafa, "Just kill me with smoking then. If you kill me, you can have a new son with Auntie Hui."

Zhao Dafa’s anger dissolved in a woosh.

He pinched out the cigarette he had just lit and laid his hand on his son’s shoulder with a gentler tone, "Xiaoyun, rest assured, I may not have any great skills, but I will certainly do what I’ve promised you. If you don’t like having younger siblings, I won’t have any. Having you as my son in this life is enough for me."

Zhao Yun looked at him, "Would Auntie Hui agree to that?"

Zhao Dafa squeezed the back of his neck, "Don’t trust your dad? Don’t worry, I’ve already settled it with your Auntie Hui."

Zhao Yun snorted but didn’t speak again.

"Xiaoyun, Dad hopes that in the future you can let go of your prejudices and get along well with Auntie Hui and Xiaowen."

Zhao Yun replied irritably, "I don’t like her. She’s always putting on airs, petty about this and that, and there’s Liang Xiaowen, the pest, always fawning and playing cunning tricks. There are so many women out there, why do you have to choose her? Can’t you learn from Uncle Pei and find me a stepmom as gentle and kind as Aunt Mingzhu?"

"You think I don’t want to find a woman like your Aunt Mingzhu?"

"Blah blah blah, it’s just that you’re no good."

Zhao Dafa was huffed by his son’s words, "If you’re so capable, go find one yourself."

Zhao Yun was full of confidence, "Just you wait and see. When I get married, I’ll definitely marry someone like Aunt Mingzhu, both gentle and pretty, and also virtuous and capable."

Zhao Dafa was amused by his son’s daydreaming, "You little rascal, you’re thinking of getting married before your whiskers even grow in."

"Anyway, I’ve already decided. Either I won’t get married, or if I do, I’ll marry someone like Aunt Mingzhu."

Zhao Dafa looked at his son for a long while and finally sighed, "There’s only one woman like your Aunt Mingzhu in the world; you can’t expect everyone to be like her. I’ve never required you to meet Ziheng’s standards, either. Nothing is perfect in this world, and living life is the same."

...

"Mom, can you give birth to the baby in your belly? What if it’s a little brother?"

Inside the room, upon hearing that Zhou Hui didn’t intend to have the baby, Liang Xiaowen couldn’t help but plead.

She might not genuinely wish for a younger brother or sister, but her excessive cleverness and precociousness made her very aware that only if Zhou Hui had a child with Zhao Dafa could she firmly establish herself in this family.

Zhou Hui, looking forlorn, rubbed her belly, "I can’t; your brother doesn’t like it."

"I don’t like him either! Why does he get to be so domineering, and why does Dad have to listen to him?"

Zhou Hui quickly covered her daughter’s mouth, "Xiaowen, don’t speak like that in the future, and certainly don’t let your Uncle Zhao hear it, got it?"

Seeing her daughter nod, Zhou Hui let go and started lamenting, "Xiaoyun is your Uncle Zhao’s real son after all. We are outsiders in the end."

"But don’t worry, Xiaowen, Mom will make sure you take the Zhao surname and become the true daughter of the Zhao family."

She had agreed to terminate the pregnancy as leverage in exchange for the opportunity for her and her daughter to stay in the Zhao family.

...

Before my eyes, another Mid-Autumn Festival had arrived.

For Shen Mingzhu, this year’s Mid-Autumn was a year of a great harvest.

The total sales of mooncakes reached forty thousand boxes, ten times that of the previous year, bringing in nearly four hundred thousand in revenue. After deducting costs and taxes, the net profit amounted to fifty thousand.

Together with the profits from other products and branches, the net profits for August and September exceeded sixty thousand.

After distributing dividends to the two shareholders, Du Juan and Pei Wenping, Shen Mingzhu personally took home forty-five thousand.

She had made careful plans for this sum.

Out of it, thirty thousand was used to redeem the property deeds for three houses.

With the remaining ten-plus thousand, she planned to invest in the catering industry, which she had previously promised Shen Xiangnan.

After the Mid-Autumn Festival, Shen Mingzhu rented a piece of land on the outskirts of the southern part of the city to open a private restaurant.

The main reason for choosing the outskirts of the southern part of the city was its affluent economy; most families had cars, making transportation relatively convenient, and the location was quiet, free from disturbances.

Another reason was that having the restaurant in the outskirts would allow direct purchase of fresh ingredients from the nearby villagers.

Even more so, given the chance in the future, she could build a farm specifically for supplying her private restaurant nearby.

But that was a plan for the future. At present, her main goal was to get the private restaurant up and running first.

Renting the land was easy, but using agricultural land for catering wasn’t legal, so she first had to file a report and wait to receive the relevant permit before proceeding.

However, this was no challenge for Shen Mingzhu. With her current connections and relationships, getting a permit was as simple as eating and drinking.

Once she got the permit, Shen Mingzhu immediately called Shen Xiangnan and Jia Yuemei to her house, presenting two plans for Shen Xiangnan to choose from.

One was to lend him some money to open the restaurant, with Shen Xiangnan bearing all profits and losses. However, this would be the last time she helped him start a business, regardless of the outcome, she wouldn’t help him again in the future.

The other plan was for her to lead as the big boss of the restaurant, with Shen Xiangnan acting as the manager. She would give Shen Xiangnan a fixed salary, plus ten percent of the shares.

If the restaurant lost money, Shen Xiangnan could still get his fixed salary.

If the restaurant made money, besides the fixed salary, Shen Xiangnan would also get a ten percent profit share.

After discussing, the couple chose the second option.

And this was within Shen Mingzhu’s expectations.

...

Shen Mingzhu named the restaurant Shenji Private Kitchen, overseeing everything from the environment to the dishes.

The farmyard featured red bricks and black tiles, with a five-room main house, three rooms each in the east and west wings, plus an additional four outbuildings, making a total of twelve private rooms.

Each private room was decorated with different elements, mainly focusing on traditional Chinese culture.

For example, paper cutting, shadow plays, moveable type printing, textile weaving, and stone milling soya milk, etc., corresponding tools and materials were provided in the rooms for guests to try their hand at learning these folk arts.

...

I never expected the engagement banquet on Huxin Island to be so astonishing, let alone imagine that this time, for Zhuang Xueqi and Ning Yuan’s wedding, the Ning Family went all out and chartered a massive luxury cruise ship.

The cruise ship set sail from Xicheng Port, passing through the Bohai Sea, the Yellow Sea, and lasting a total of three days.

The guests attended the wedding while also exploring the marine culture and historical relics of the north.

For this wedding banquet, Shen Mingzhu only brought Pei Ziheng along, while Pei Yang stayed home to look after the food factory and the daughter.