The Stepmother’s Counterattack: Raising a Child in a Bygone Era
Chapter 500 - 499: Shen Hongmei Goes on a Blind Date

Chapter 500: Chapter 499: Shen Hongmei Goes on a Blind Date

"Long time no see, Mr. Ning, you look even more distinguished than before."

As Shen Mingzhu looked at Ning Yuan, dressed in a dark green silk shirt, suit pants, and pointed leather shoes, she approached him with a smile to make pleasantries.

Ning Yuan pulled down his sunglasses and gave her a charming look, "How have you been recently?"

Shen Mingzhu gestured around with her hand, "As you see, I’m getting by."

Following her gesture, Ning Yuan surveyed the restaurant’s decoration and layout, his face showing both admiration and interest.

"Not bad at all. I heard about your new restaurant’s opening, and I made a special trip back from Hong City. How about that, pretty considerate, huh?"

Shen Mingzhu nodded gratefully, "Thank you for the honor, Mr. Ning."

During the conversation, Yan Yi and Zhong Qing entered the restaurant together.

Compared to the last time they met, Zhong Qing’s belly looked even bigger, and her face showed a hint of exhaustion.

Shen Mingzhu hurried over, supporting Zhong Qing from the other side, "It’s so hot today, and it’s hard for you to get around, you should be resting at home."

Zhong Qing gave her a smile, "I might skip for others, but for your new restaurant’s opening, I definitely had to come."

On the other side, Yan Yi leaned in slightly, greeting her with a smile.

"Long time no see."

Shen Mingzhu returned the smile, "Welcome, I’m honored by your presence, you and Qingqing."

After a pause, she added, "And congratulations are in order; you’re about to be promoted to fatherhood."

Yan Yi nodded, "Thank you."

Shen Mingzhu led the three of them to a private room, made tea personally, and prepared a sweet-and-sour plum drink to whet Zhong Qing’s appetite. She then excused herself to continue attending to other guests, without much time for further chat.

Today was the trial opening, and all the reservations had been made by regular customers; none could be neglected, not to mention she needed to find time to supervise in the kitchen.

The day’s dishes were mostly new, and she was worried that Shen Xiangnan might make a mistake amidst the busyness.

Time flew by in the hustle and bustle.

"Qian, have all the customers left?"

Waitress Qian Xiuping, pushing the cart to clean up, walked into the kitchen, prompting Shen Xiangnan to question reflexively.

Qian Xiuping nodded excitedly, "They’ve all left, the last table just left, President Shen and Manager Julie saw them out personally."

At those words, Shen Xiangnan and the kitchen staff all let out a long sigh of relief.

The trial opening’s first day had ended successfully.

Shen Xiangnan walked around the cart once more to see the plates were almost empty of any leftover food, feeling a surge of happiness.

If the customers ate all the food, it meant they approved of the taste.

With the customers gone, marking the end of the business hours, everyone dutifully began to clean up the kitchen and the stoves, preparing to clock out.

Before long, Julie walked in with a beaming smile.

"Hurry up, everyone. Once clean-up’s done, President Shen is taking us out for late-night snacks."

Cheers erupted throughout the kitchen.

Half an hour later, all the employees from the new restaurant gathered at a kebab shop not far from their restaurant, filling several small tables.

She had tried the kebabs from this shop before; the flavor was delightful, and the meat was fresh.

In this weather, it was all too easy to end up with sour or smelly meat from the night before—a serious health hazard.

Before the kebabs were served, Shen Mingzhu briefly summarized the day’s work, then raised a glass of beer to show her gratitude and encouragement to all the staff. After that, she excused herself early, claiming she had matters to attend to.

A good manager must learn to maintain a distance from the employees.

One must not be too detached, nor too familiar, losing authority in the process.

The following days of the trial opening went smoothly. Although there were several unexpected situations, in the end, they were all resolved without much trouble.

In particular, Han Zibin’s performance was a surprise to Shen Mingzhu. Whenever confronted with a troublesome and difficult female customer, Han Zibin’s intervention ensured peace was restored.

There was no helping it, Han Zibin simply looked too much like that megastar. With the demeanor of a refined gentleman combined with a sunny, handsome appearance, and a tall figure that almost reached six feet, which woman wouldn’t be smitten?

After the trial operation concluded, Shen Mingzhu did not immediately open for business but instead took a two-day pause.

The reasons were threefold: firstly, to review and summarize the problems encountered during the trial operation, secondly, to formally negotiate and sign a supply agreement with Boss Tang, and thirdly, to sit for her self-study exams.

Following the end of the self-study exams, the new Shenji store officially opened its doors.

To distinguish between the old and the new stores, the old store was renamed Shenji · Shangyangchun, while the new store was called Shenji · Tianxiangyin.

For a while after opening, Shen Mingzhu was at the shop almost every day to oversee things personally.

With the support of loyal customers, aided by the impressive networking of Shen Mingzhu and Pei Yang, the new store was bustling from the start, with an occupancy rate reaching up to fifty or sixty percent daily; the old store’s business was not significantly impacted either.

Shen Mingzhu’s hanging heart finally settled down, and she fully entrusted the new store to Julie and Shen Xiangnan to manage, while she turned her focus back onto the food factory.

With just two more months until the Mid-Autumn Festival, she had to dedicate herself to the sales and production of this year’s mooncakes.

Work is certainly important, but enjoying life is the true essence of existence.

On a rare weekend off at the end of the month, Shen Mingzhu drove Shen Hongmei out to go on a blind date.

The blind date was set on the picturesque Huxin Island of Riyue Lake.

Previously, Huxin Island was privately owned, but last year it was developed into a scenic area with the construction of hotels and restaurants, enabling visitors to eat their fill and enjoy a tour of Riyue Lake on a painted boat; it also offers speed boating, rowing, and other activities.

To avoid awkwardness during the blind date, both sides brought along a support group of friends and relatives.

On Shen Mingzhu’s side were Pei Ziheng, Guoguo, and Zhao Yun, while the man’s side consisted of Chen Liang and his family of three.

On the drive there, the three kids sat in the back playing happily while Shen Mingzhu chatted with Shen Hongmei to help ease her nerves.

"Has Ma Chao been in touch with you recently?"

"No."

Shen Mingzhu scoffed lightly, "See, as soon as the topic of repaying money comes up, he disappears and can’t even be found in the exam hall."

Shen Hongmei sighed, "It’s just as well, from now on we go our separate ways."

Upon reaching Riyue Lake, they still had about ten minutes before the scheduled time.

After finding a parking spot, Shen Mingzhu carefully reminded Pei Ziheng to keep a close hold on Guoguo before they all bought tickets to get on the island.

Taking a boat to Huxin Island and touring around the island costs ten yuan for a round-trip ticket.

Additional fees apply for accommodation, dining, and recreational activities.

It wasn’t long after purchasing tickets that Chen Liang and his party arrived.

As both sides exchanged pleasantries, Shen Mingzhu took the opportunity to discreetly observe Liang Kean, Shen Hongmei’s blind date prospect.

He had a decent appearance and was dressed properly, standing at about 5’9", a rather handsome young man.

Shen Mingzhu was quite pleased.

Noticing that Shen Mingzhu had already bought the tickets in advance, Chen Liang seemed particularly embarrassed.

The tickets for the three adults amounted to thirty yuan, a sum that was not cheap for ordinary people.

"Sister-in-law, I’m sorry you had to pay."

"It’s nothing; we’re all family here. It’s rare we get to have fun like this, and having a good time is what matters most."

"You’re right, sister-in-law. Let’s head to the island then."

In the midst of their conversation, Chen Liang gave Liang Kean a nudge, urging him to walk next to Shen Hongmei.

To ensure safety and order on the boat, passengers couldn’t choose their seats; they were seated in the order they boarded.

With Liang Kean and Shen Hongmei standing together, there was a high chance they’d end up sitting next to each other when they boarded.

It was an indirect way of giving them an opportunity to interact.

Chen Liang’s considerate plan paid off, as after boarding, Liang Kean did end up sitting next to Shen Hongmei.