The Stepmother’s Counterattack: Raising a Child in a Bygone Era
Chapter 558 - 557 Capitulation

Chapter 558: Chapter 557 Capitulation

Out of duty and procedure, the police officers tried to persuade both parties to reach a settlement, which would save them trouble as well.

After hearing the police officer’s analysis of the pros and cons, Liang’s mother started to get scared too.

She was getting on in years and did not want to deal with a lawsuit.

What scared her more was the possibility of the incident affecting her sons’ jobs and futures.

But she couldn’t swallow her pride to reconcile and could only make eye signals to her daughter, Liang Xiling.

Liang Xiling, anxious to diffuse the tension, spoke up for her mother, "Officer, we don’t want to cause you trouble, we’re willing to settle."

Seeing the mother and daughter relent, the police officer turned to Shen Hongmei and Zhao Dafa.

"I’ll listen to her."

Zhao Dafa’s attitude once again gave Shen Hongmei a warm feeling.

This time she was determined to give the Liang Family a lesson.

Did they really think she was a pushover to be squeezed as they pleased?

"I won’t settle!"

After much persuasion from the officer and seeing Shen Hongmei’s unwavering stance, he had no choice but to proceed officially and take everyone back to the police station.

A police car could only fit three people, but fortunately, Zhao Dafa had his own car.

The officer took the Liang Family’s mother and daughter first, instructing Zhao Dafa to drive himself to the station.

While Shen Hongmei was gathering her things, Zhao Dafa spoke quietly to the restaurant manager for a moment before taking Shen Hongmei to the police station.

In the police car.

The two officers sat in the front, chatting idly about this and that.

Under normal circumstances, Mother Liang would have not hesitated to join in the chatter.

But now, as someone who was almost buried in the soil, dealing with the police for the first time, she felt very uneasy.

"Xiling, what do we do now? We won’t be locked up, will we?"

Liang Xiling was also very anxious.

It was her first time going into a police station.

"We shouldn’t be."

"Ask them," the mother gestured with her lips toward the two officers in the front.

Liang Xiling muster up the courage to voice hers and her mother’s concerns to the two officers.

The officer in the passenger seat replied through the rearview mirror, "This fight of yours is nothing serious, just an ordinary dispute, but now they want to sue you for defamation, for infringing on their reputation rights. That’s criminal. Apologizing and making amends is the least of your worries; you could end up in jail if it’s not handled properly."

Mother Liang was dumbfounded.

She just made a few offhand remarks, how could that lead to jail time?

"Auntie, this is not just about some offhand remarks. You spoke so disgracefully about a decent girl. If it were your daughter, you wouldn’t just let it go either."

"I didn’t say anything wrong!"

Seeing her unrepentant even at the brink, the officer didn’t bother to say more.

In the end, Mother Liang’s fate was none of their concern.

...

In the Santana car.

As Zhao Dafa followed the police car, he suddenly noticed Shen Hongmei in the passenger seat wiping away tears. He quickly pulled the car over to the side and turned to comfort her—

"Don’t be upset. Trust me, I’ll find you the best lawyer, and we will definitely get you justice."

"I’m not upset about what they said about me."

Shen Hongmei wiped her tears, and under Zhao Dafa’s puzzled gaze, she pulled out a sweater from a paper bag.

Choking up, she said, "They stepped on it and got it dirty."

Seeing the footprints on the sweater, Zhao Dafa didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.

"It’s not a big deal. Once this is over, I’ll go with you to buy a new one."

Shen Hongmei’s eyes grew even redder, and she muttered quietly, "It’s not bought, I knitted it for you."

Zhao Dafa was taken aback and stared at the sweater in her hands for a long while before he realized.

"For me?"

"Hmm."

Feeling surprised and pleased, Zhao Dafa took the sweater, unfolded it, and looked at it as he asked again, "You knitted this?"

"Hmm."

Hearing her confirm it, Zhao Dafa grew even happier, holding the sweater up to his chest.

As if that wasn’t enough, he started taking off his coat right there to try it on.

Shen Hongmei hastily reminded, "It’s dirty."

"No problem."

After speaking, he put the coat he had taken off into Shen Hongmei’s arms and pulled the sweater hem over his head.

Holding the suit jacket that still carried his body heat and the smell of tobacco, Shen Hongmei felt her heart pound.

"It’s neither too big nor too small, just the right fit, and the knitting is quite good—you can’t even tell you did it yourself. You’re pretty skillful with your hands."

"My craft is just average—it’s wearable, I guess."

Shen Hongmei was modest with her words, but her heart was filled with sweetness.

"When did you knit it?"

Zhao Dafa put down the sun visor mirror, and while tidying his collar in front of the mirror, he asked.

"Just whenever I had some spare time."

In fact, she had stayed up late into the night and had hurried to finish the sweater in just under a half-month, so she could give it to Zhao Dafa before winter set in.

Zhao Dafa folded the sweater neatly and placed it on the back seat, his warm hand holding hers as he said with some emotion—

"I don’t mind if you laugh at me for saying this, but apart from my mother, you’re the first woman to ever knit a sweater for me."

"I’m very happy and touched."

"You’ve worked hard, my silly girl."

Clever as Zhao Dafa was, how could he not know that a significant reason Shen Hongmei gave him this sweater was because of that fifty thousand yuan?

Even so, he was happy.

Shen Hongmei blushed at Zhao Dafa’s casual remark about being a "silly girl."

She suddenly remembered something Shen Mingzhu had once told her.

There’s no such thing as a journey wasted in life; every step counts.

Had it not been for Ma Chao, she wouldn’t have mastered the craft of knitting.

And just so, this craft was now appreciated and liked by the man she currently had feelings for.

"Pfft—"

Upon hearing her sudden laughter, Zhao Dafa laughed along, "What are you laughing at?"

Shen Hongmei pressed down on the corner of her mouth and said, "I recalled the way you scolded the Liang family in the restaurant, calling them thick-faced. I didn’t realize that a big man like you could gossip like a woman too."

"That’s nothing. When I deal with those tricky clients, the things I say behind their backs are even harsher."

Shen Hongmei asked out of curiosity, "So what do you all say?"

Zhao Dafa thought for a moment, then shook his head, "Never mind, I can’t be leading you young ladies astray."

Shen Hongmei’s face grew even redder, "I’m not a young lady anymore."

"In my eyes, you’re still a young lady."

"You talk as if you’re much older."

Zhao Dafa gave her a smile, "Thank you, for not minding that I’m old."

Shen Hongmei’s smile faded a little, "I should be the one thanking you, for your righteous words and for your protection."

Zhao Dafa turned the steering wheel and brought the car to a steady stop in front of the police station before turning to her:

"Out in the world, if a man can’t even protect his own woman, then he’s not much of a man at all."

Shen Hongmei distinctly heard her heartbeat.

Thump thump.

Strong and fervent.

Shen Mingzhu once asked her if she would regret missing out on a man like Zhao Dafa.

Her answer now would be: Yes!

...

It was already 8 o’clock by the time she finished giving her statement.

Looking at the sky, now thoroughly dark, Liang’s mother couldn’t help but worry about home.

She hadn’t managed to return to cook dinner, and she wondered whether the family had eaten yet.

"Officer, when can we leave?"

The police officer glanced at the mother and daughter, "You’ve gotten yourselves into trouble this time. The other party has made it clear that they want to sue you for defamation."

Hearing this, the mother-daughter duo’s faces changed.

"Officer, we, we didn’t really do anything—we just argued a bit. At most, I could apologize to her."

Seeing that Shen Hongmei was taking it seriously, Liang’s mother had no choice but to soften.

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