The Stepmother’s Counterattack: Raising a Child in a Bygone Era
Chapter 536 - 535 Jia Yuemei Catches Adultery

Chapter 536: Chapter 535 Jia Yuemei Catches Adultery

Yang Lizhen returned home and saw her mother-in-law on the couch with a cold look in her eyes; her face immediately broke into a smile.

"Mom, I’m back."

Meng Huifang called her grandson Lin Xiaobao over and gave him a thorough once-over, making sure there were no bumps or bruises, before she started scolding Yang Lizhen with disdain—

"Going out to buy groceries and taking so long... Look at the way you’re dressed, with your neckline open and your face made-up—whom are you trying to seduce?"

Yang Lizhen put down the groceries in her hands and explained, "Mom, you’ve misunderstood me. I just want to look good when I go out so I don’t embarrass you and Zhichong. Everyone laughs at me for being a country girl, but I’m determined to spruce myself up, so people know I’m living the good life since I got married here, right?"

Her kind of sophistry somehow pacified Meng Huifang a bit, "Alright, go cook, and be quick about it. Look at the time. Move faster next time you go out, don’t dawdle just to buy some groceries."

"Okay, I’m going!"

Yang Lizhen immediately bustled into the kitchen, tied on an apron, and got to work.

Once the meal was ready, Meng Huifang took Lin Xiaobao to eat first, while she went to attend to her husband Lin Zhichong.

"The rice is too mushy."

"The potatoes are a bit bland."

As Lin Zhichong enjoyed being hand-fed by her, he kept critiquing, and Yang Lizhen responded with a smile, promising to pay more attention next time.

By the time Lin Zhichong was sated, the grandmother and grandson outside had also finished their meal.

A pot of potato stew with meat and a pot of sour vegetable glass noodle soup were left with nothing but soup and scraps.

Seeing Yang Lizhen silently clearing the dishes, Meng Huifang, while peeling a pear for her grandson, cast a sideways glance and chided her, "It’s your own fault for not being quick enough, always dragging your feet and doing a slapdash job. You can’t blame anyone else if there’s no food left."

"You’re right, Mom."

After responding, Yang Lizhen headed to the kitchen.

Meng Huifang watched her retreating figure, feeling a surge of satisfaction.

Before Yang Lizhen had even walked through the door, she had inquired about her past and knew about Yang Lizhen’s laziness and gluttony at her former mother-in-law’s house. Therefore, she was determined to keep a firm grip on her.

"Hmph, that’s all she amounts to."

Yet, before she could delight in her victory for two minutes, she smelled the fragrance of oil wafting from the kitchen.

Meng Huifang hastily thrust the pear into her grandson’s hand and hurried into the kitchen.

"What are you doing?"

Yang Lizhen "pop" cracked an egg and dropped it into the hot oil, then turned around with a smile in response to Meng Huifang’s question, "Frying eggs."

After saying that, "pop," she cracked another egg into the pan.

Meng Huifang felt her blood pressure rise.

"There’s still rice in the pot. I’m frying a couple of eggs to make do for a meal. I’ll cook more dishes tonight to ensure there’s enough."

As Yang Lizhen spoke, she flipped the eggs.

Meng Huifang glared at her for a while, then turned and went to Lin Zhichong’s room, closing the door behind her as she entered.

Yang Lizhen glanced at the closed bedroom door and sneered inwardly, thinking she wanted to control her? No chance!

...

"...That Lin fellow got into a car accident last year, became paralyzed, and will be bedridden for the rest of his life. His ex-wife abandoned him and their child and ran off after getting a divorce. Yang Lizhen was originally hired as their housekeeper, but after only a few months, she married into the family and became the daughter-in-law."

After finishing, Shen Hongmei added a line, "She’s not picky, willing to marry even a paralyzed man."

Shen Mingzhu didn’t want to comment on Yang Lizhen’s choice; it was a case of willing striker and willing sufferer—nothing more to say.

Having finished the gossip, Shen Hongmei started talking about serious matters, "I spoke with Huang Ju, told her to start shadowing Qiuxia from tomorrow as an assistant. She was so delighted she didn’t stop asking if I was joking with her."

Well, who wouldn’t be happy?

Both of Shen Mingzhu’s former assistants—one had become the human resources manager, the other a cashier—were significant positions with real authority.

Being an assistant to Shen Mingzhu meant a likely chance for future heavy use.

As closing time approached, Shen Mingzhu received a call from Feng Huiying.

By the time Shen Mingzhu arrived at the train station, Feng Huiying and Han Zibin were standing next to a pile of flat, rectangular bamboo baskets.

"Mingzhu!"

"President Shen."

Both were clearly delighted to see Shen Mingzhu.

"Sister Feng, Little Han, you’ve worked hard!"

Shen Mingzhu was equally happy and immediately went over to one of the bamboo baskets, lifted the lid, and looked inside—

The baskets were packed with lively green-shelled crabs, each weighing a hefty half a pound.

"We did as you said, first lining the baskets with a layer of straw, then a layer of mud, and added some sesame seeds and crushed eggs. We placed ice underneath and watered them every five hours," explained Feng Huiying, cheerfully speaking beside her.

Shen Mingzhu picked up one of the hairy crabs, and from its snapping claws, one could tell its freshness was extremely high.

Shen Mingzhu immediately arranged for people to move the bamboo baskets onto a truck and transport them to the two Shenji stores.

This was all for the purpose of constructing water tanks, a task she had previously arranged.

While unloading, Shen Mingzhu did a quick count; out of a thousand hairy crabs, thirty-seven had died.

This mortality rate was perfectly acceptable.

All these hairy crabs, carefully selected from Yangcheng Lake, weighed more than half a pound each.

Feng Huiying and Han Zibin had been out of sight for this period, busying themselves with this task.

Although there were local hairy crabs in Fengcheng, their flavor couldn’t compare to those from Yangcheng Lake.

The clear water of Yangcheng Lake, rich in various natural minerals, results in hairy crabs that are especially sweet and tender, the cream of the crop among crabs.

That evening, Shen Mingzhu picked out ten hairy crabs, along with the crab pickles she had made previously, to prepare a lavish table and welcome back Feng Huiying and Han Zibin.

It must be said, the Yangcheng Lake hairy crabs were truly delicious; even Shen Mingzhu, who had tasted delicacies from all over, indulged with great relish.

But she also had to restrain herself, as this batch of hairy crabs were her trump card for attracting customers during the Mid-Autumn Festival.

The next day, the team led by Julie successfully returned to Fengcheng after their external training.

Before the Mid-Autumn Festival, Shenji reopened for business.

The Mid-Autumn crab feast unveiled grandly by Shen Mingzhu received rave reviews from the customers, with reservations for the private dining rooms fully booked every day.

Apart from the influx of customers due to the new menu items, Shen Mingzhu also noticed that the staff who had returned from training in the Capital were behaving quite differently; they walked tall and worked with more enthusiasm and warmth. While serving the customers’ crab-peeling service, they would confidently share a few of their experiences and sights from the Capital.

And this positive energy, in turn, inspired the other employees, resulting in a significant overall improvement in the work atmosphere from before.

What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.

Adversity hadn’t brought Shenji down, instead, it stood firmer and taller.

...

"You came home late at night, didn’t even sit down, and now you’re running out again. Did some witch bewitch you?" Jia Yuemei said, irritated, as she saw Shen Xiangnan getting ready to leave just after taking a bath.

"You go to sleep; I’ve got a card game to play," replied Shen Xiangnan shortly before stepping out the door.

Jia Yuemei watched his back with a sense of unease. It was just a card game, yet he had to take a bath and change his clothes.

This behavior had been ongoing for a while.

Glancing at Erya, who was asleep on the bed, Jia Yuemei took the keys, locked the door from the inside, and followed Shen Xiangnan out.