The Stepmother’s Counterattack: Raising a Child in a Bygone Era
Chapter 509 - 508 She Definitely Hasn’t Given Up on You

Chapter 509: Chapter 508 She Definitely Hasn’t Given Up on You

That evening, at the Seafood Restaurant.

Although Zhao Dafa said he wouldn’t make a big fuss, he still booked the largest private room and set up five tables.

As soon as Shen Mingzhu got out of the car with the child and Shen Hongmei, Zhao Yun greeted them with a beaming smile.

"Aunt Mingzhu, Aunt Hongmei."

Shen Mingzhu asked him to take Pei Ziheng and Guoguo inside first, then she went to open the trunk and, together with Shen Hongmei, carried the gifts.

Once inside the private room, Zhao Dafa cheerfully accepted the gifts and loudly told Zhao Yun to show them to their seats.

"Aunt Mingzhu, Aunt Hongmei, you can sit here, my dad saved you good seats."

Shen Mingzhu joked, "What’s so good about them, can we eat two extra dishes or something?"

Zhao Yun chuckled, "My dad has arranged for a song and dance performance. Your seats are right in front of the stage so you can watch the show while you eat. It’s really nice."

No wonder there was a stage right in front, she had thought it was for ease of speaking, but it turned out to be for a song and dance performance.

But then again, as the standard of living of the people as a whole has risen, so has the demand for leisure and entertainment.

Just this year, Fengcheng has opened over a dozen karaoke bars, and the number of pubs and dance halls is beyond count.

And the competitive song and dance performances have become one of the major competitive strategies of big restaurants.

By seven o’clock, the guests had mostly arrived, and the dishes began to be served.

Zhao Yun, who was originally sitting diagonally opposite, suddenly got up and sat down between Shen Mingzhu and Shen Hongmei, "Aunt Hongmei, let’s switch places; I want to sit with Ziheng."

To the left of Shen Hongmei was Shen Mingzhu and to her right was Pei Ziheng.

Shen Hongmei didn’t think much of it and got up to change seats with Zhao Yun.

As soon as she sat down, Zhao Dafa came walking over to their table.

Shen Hongmei looked left and right, realizing that there was an empty seat next to her, but there were also two empty seats at the next table.

She wasn’t sure if Zhao Dafa was going to sit at her table or the one next to it, so she didn’t move.

It was not until Zhao Dafa pulled out the chair next to her and took a seat that she got up and moved to the next table.

Shen Hongmei’s change of seats caught the attention of quite a few people.

Shen Mingzhu hadn’t expected Zhao Dafa to sit at their table, and just as she was about to smooth things over for Shen Hongmei, Zhao Dafa himself spoke up to defuse the awkwardness.

"Eat, eat, eat, we’re all family here today, no need to be formal."

So the guests started picking up their chopsticks to eat.

Shen Hongmei then belatedly realized that her act of changing seats had caused Zhao Dafa to lose face, and she couldn’t help feeling uneasy.

She should have known better than to come.

Midway through, Shen Mingzhu took her daughter to use the restroom.

When they returned from the restroom, Zhao Dafa stopped Shen Mingzhu at the door of the private room.

"Mingzhu, let me ask you something. Did I upset Hongmei in some way? She seems to have quite an issue with me lately."

He spoke very diplomatically.

Considering how Shen Hongmei had changed seats in front of several tables of guests, it was pretty good of Zhao Dafa not to get angry.

Shen Mingzhu herself had been planning to seek out Zhao Dafa to explain things on Shen Hongmei’s behalf to keep their families’ relationship from souring.

But now that Zhao Dafa had eagerly approached her, it made her realize something.

Shen Mingzhu let her daughter back into the private room first before she briefly explained what had happened with Zhou Hui at the factory.

"Hongmei probably just wanted to avoid creating any misunderstandings, which is why she was keeping her distance from you. She’s young and might not handle things in the best way, so I apologize on her behalf to Brother Zhao."

Zhao Dafa had never imagined there was such a story behind the situation and stood stunned for quite a while before regaining his composure and exchanging a few pleasantries with Shen Mingzhu, and then he headed to the restroom.

After using the restroom, Zhao Dafa didn’t rush back to the private room but instead found a secluded spot to smoke.

No wonder Shen Hongmei refused to ride in his car last time and didn’t want to sit with him tonight.

After learning the real reason, he felt a distaste for Zhou Hui, but he was also relieved that he had made a clean break from her quickly.

Otherwise, with Zhou Hui’s reckless character, there was no telling how much trouble she would have caused and what messes she would have gotten into.

In the private room.

Seeing that Zhao Dafa was not around, Shen Hongmei left her seat and came over to Shen Mingzhu, "Mingzhu, could you join me later in toasting Brother Zhao? I want to apologize to him."

Shen Mingzhu did not mention that she had already explained to Zhao Dafa outside the room, "Sure."

It wasn’t long before Zhao Dafa came back.

Shen Mingzhu gave Shen Hongmei a meaningful look.

Understanding the signal, Shen Hongmei stood up, glass in hand, "Brother Zhao, I..."

She stopped halfway through her sentence when she noticed that Shen Mingzhu was still sitting steadily and had no intention of standing up to toast. She was slightly stunned but quickly continued her speech.

"Brother Zhao, I toast to you, wishing you a happy birthday, good health, and success in everything."

Zhao Dafa stood up with a smile to clink glasses with her, "Thanks a lot. Relax, there’s no need to be nervous. I am not a man-eating tiger; you don’t have to be afraid of me."

This seemed to smooth over the earlier incident involving Shen Hongmei’s change of seats.

Shen Hongmei nodded in gratitude and drank her glass in one go.

Seeing this, Zhao Dafa also tilted his head back and drank.

Shen Mingzhu’s gaze went back and forth between the two of them, a faint smile playing at the corner of her lips.

...

Shen Mingzhu had originally thought that after the birthday party, Zhao Dafa would take some action.

But half a month passed, and Zhao Dafa remained silent.

Shen Mingzhu couldn’t help but wonder if she had been wrong in her assumption.

That weekend, Zhao Yun came over to the house to do homework with Pei Ziheng. Seizing the opportunity when delivering fruit, Shen Mingzhu casually asked about Zhao Dafa’s whereabouts.

"Xiaoyun, has your dad been busy lately? He ordered several boxes of mooncakes from us. Can you ask him whether he will come to the factory to pick them up himself or if I should deliver them to his company?"

Nibbling on a piece of cantaloupe, Zhao Yun replied vaguely, "He’s gone to Jin City. I haven’t seen him for a long time."

Having figured things out, Shen Mingzhu didn’t inquire any further and only smiled, telling Zhao Yun to come over if he ever felt bored at home alone.

Without hesitation, Zhao Yun agreed eagerly; he would love to move into the Pei Family residence.

In Jin City, Zhao Dafa was also helpless. The project here was a major collaboration with the government, with tight deadlines and high demands, necessitating his personal supervision. The matter with Shen Hongmei had to be put aside for the time being.

...

Shen Hongmei had just stepped out of the stationery store with office supplies when she ran into Liang Kean walking over, laughing and talking with a young girl.

The girl seemed quite young, probably not even twenty years old.

Shen Hongmei hadn’t decided whether to greet Liang Kean or avoid him when he saw her.

"Hongmei, what a coincidence."

After a brief moment of surprise, Liang Kean smiled and greeted Shen Hongmei.

Shen Hongmei nodded, feeling awkward and unsure of what to say.

Liang Kean also felt the awkwardness, "Well, I have to catch a ride. I’ll be going now."

Shen Hongmei felt relieved, "Goodbye."

"Goodbye."

After walking a distance, Shen Hongmei couldn’t resist and looked back.

At that moment, the girl walking with Liang Kean also turned back to look at her.

Their eyes met, and Shen Hongmei immediately turned her head away, feeling her face grow hot.

Shen Hongmei had initially taken quite a liking to Liang Kean, but after the Liang Family looked down on her for being from the countryside, her interest in him faded.

She was just curious whether Liang Kean’s new companion was from the countryside or the city.

"Third Brother, she’s still sneakily looking at you. She definitely hasn’t given up on you," Liang Xiling teased, having glanced back and noticed Shen Hongmei’s gaze after learning that Shen Hongmei was Liang Kean’s matchmaking prospect.