The Stepmother’s Counterattack: Raising a Child in a Bygone Era
Chapter 498 - 497: Rejecting Zhao Dafa

Chapter 498: Chapter 497: Rejecting Zhao Dafa

"President Shen, aren’t you taking too much of a risk by keeping Han Zibin?"

Though there was a non-compete agreement, forbidding him from engaging in related work for three years after resignation, Han Zibin was the young master of Fushunlai. He could easily not work at all and directly use Shenji’s strengths to make up for Fushunlai’s weaknesses. They had no way to use the agreement to restrain Han Zibin.

Facing Julie’s concerns, Shen Mingzhu calmly smiled, "Don’t worry, I dare to keep him because I’ve already considered the consequences."

If Han Zibin could do as he said and be a loyal person, then she wouldn’t mind cultivating him for her own use.

But if Han Zibin really was a spy sent by Fushunlai, she would surely give as good as she got and give Fushunlai a stabbing chill.

As for Fushunlai’s signature dishes, she wouldn’t say she could replicate them 100%, but getting 80 to 90% right was not a problem.

...

With the restaurant’s opening imminent, Shen Mingzhu also didn’t neglect her self-study exams.

During the noon break and in the evenings, she would study together with Shen Hongmei.

Studying together was more motivating, and Shen Hongmei could ask her about any knowledge points she didn’t understand.

Today, Shen Hongmei was clearly out of sorts, sitting for several minutes without flipping even half a page.

"Is the pressure getting to you lately? If you really can’t concentrate, go take a nap at noon, there’s no need to force yourself."

Shen Hongmei quickly snapped back to reality, "No, that’s not it."

"Then you’ve come across some issue?"

Shen Hongmei’s face showed a hint of distress, "This morning, Ma Chao called me."

Shen Mingzhu raised an eyebrow, "What does he want from you now? He’s a married man now, you’d better keep your distance from him to avoid trouble."

"His father-in-law has connections to help him switch to a permanent teaching position, but he needs money to smooth things over. He’s asking me to lend it to him."

"How much?"

"He wants to meet to discuss it, probably at least a thousand. For three or five hundred, he wouldn’t need to come to me."

Shen Mingzhu looked at her, "What are you thinking?"

"I don’t know, I feel a bit sorry for him. A grown man, earning just over thirty yuan a month, he can’t even support his family."

Shen Mingzhu scoffed, "Even if he’s reduced to begging, it’s not your place to offer charity. This is the path he chose for himself. To put it bluntly, this is the retribution a scumbag deserves."

"If he hadn’t abandoned you back then because he disliked the poor and loved the rich, he might already be a university student by now."

Shen Hongmei was left speechless.

If she hadn’t broken up with Ma Chao, she would definitely have supported him through retaking his exams.

"If you’re prepared for the possibility that the money you lend might be thrown into the water, then you can lend it."

Shen Hongmei instinctively defended Ma Chao, "He will pay it back."

Shen Mingzhu laughed coldly, "Has he paid you back for the expenses you previously incurred on his behalf?"

Shen Hongmei faltered, "He doesn’t have the ability to pay me back yet."

"Even if he’s unable to repay now, has he ever given you his word to settle the old accounts first and then give you an IOU?"

"If he had the guts to acknowledge this debt in front of your family, even if he never pays it back till he dies, I’d still consider him a man!"

Shen Hongmei was once again at a loss for words.

The weather was turning hot, and Shen Mingzhu’s anger rose as she spoke. She reached for her cup to drink some water, only to find it empty.

Shen Hongmei quickly took the initiative to fetch the kettle and poured water for her.

The kettle was filled with warm jasmine tea, ready to drink as soon as poured.

The refreshing fragrance of jasmine tea significantly soothed Shen Mingzhu’s anger.

"Do you want to test a man’s character?"

"How do I test it?"

Shen Mingzhu smiled as she laid out the method, and Shen Hongmei pondered thoughtfully.

...

When Shen Hongmei arrived at the restaurant, Ma Chao was already there, and he had ordered the dishes too, one meat, one vegetable, and one soup. Although the selection was simple, they were all to Shen Hongmei’s taste.

As they ate, Ma Chao talked to Shen Hongmei about the difficulties he had faced in the past two years, his expression filled with frustration.

Shen Hongmei kept recalling Shen Mingzhu’s warning in her mind: With men, don’t just listen to what he says, watch what he does.

"...This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. An old teacher has to retire early due to health reasons leaving a position vacant. Several substitute teachers like myself want to grab it, but my father-in-law helped me pull some strings. As long as the money is in place, I’m set."

"Hongmei, you know my family’s situation. I still haven’t paid off the debt from our wedding, and I really can’t come up with the money. Otherwise, I wouldn’t come to you. I’m too ashamed to ask you."

But you still asked.

Shen Hongmei looked at the person in front of her and found that he had aged more than she had imagined, with a faint stubble on his chin, his cheekbones gaunt, and his eyes no longer the pure and sincere of his youth but filled with ambition and desire.

He had changed, and so had she.

In the past, she had been blind to all of this; her affection had gilded him in a golden shine, making him dazzling and gleaming among the masses.

But now, she found him so ordinary, so worldly.

Seeing Shen Hongmei’s unwavering gaze, Ma Chao instinctively thought she still had lingering feelings for him, and he felt a secret thrill of joy.

He diligently picked up a piece of the meat with his chopsticks and placed it in Shen Hongmei’s bowl. "Hongmei, have more, you used to love this."

Shen Hongmei indeed liked the meat, but at that moment, she had lost her appetite.

"Ma Chao."

"What’s up?"

"When you were in high school, there were a few times when you couldn’t afford the tuition, and I paid it for you. Every semester, I also gave you some extra living expenses. I’ve calculated it, and altogether it was about two hundred more or less, let’s just call it two hundred. When can you pay me back?"

Ma Chao was stunned.

Shen Hongmei smiled, "If we had become something, of course, this money wouldn’t matter. But we didn’t, and I am not obligated to pay for you, am I?"

Eventually, Ma Chao came to his senses and nodded hesitantly, "Yes, I... I will pay you back later."

Shen Hongmei still smiled, "No worries, I’m not in a hurry."

Upon hearing her say that, Ma Chao breathed a sigh of relief, but in the next second, he heard her say—

"Could you write me an IOU? Set the repayment date for two years from now. Two hundred isn’t a lot. You should be able to pay it back in two years, right?"

Ma Chao was stunned again, and looked at Shen Hongmei for a long while without saying a word.

Shen Hongmei pulled out a notebook and pen from her bag, "Here, write it on this."

Realizing Shen Hongmei was serious, Ma Chao’s face began to look somewhat ugly.

Two hundred yuan was not a small sum for him.

"Hongmei, I have to go back and discuss this with my wife; after all, I’m a family man now. If I write an IOU privately, it would be hard to explain to my father-in-law."

"Well, I’m going to talk to her now, I should get going."

After saying that, he got up and left in a hurry.

Watching Ma Chao’s retreating figure, as if a ghost was chasing him, Shen Hongmei let out a self-mocking smile. She had no more desire to eat and prepared to leave, carrying her bag, but the owner stopped her to settle the bill.

Although it wasn’t much, Shen Hongmei was nevertheless extremely annoyed. After paying, she also asked the owner to pack up the leftover food.

After exiting the restaurant, Shen Hongmei headed towards the bus station. She hadn’t gone far when she was suddenly startled by a honk from behind her.

Turning around, she saw it was Zhao Dafa.

"Hongmei, heading back? Want a ride?"

Although Zhao Dafa was amiable and enthusiastic, Shen Hongmei still had a significant shadow cast over her due to the incident where Zhou Hui came to pick a fight.

"No need, Brother Zhao, I’m thinking of doing some shopping."

Zhao Dafa nodded and drove off.

After watching the Santana disappear around the corner, Shen Hongmei quietly breathed a sigh of relief.

However, Zhao Dafa in the car was left muttering to himself.

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