The Stepmother’s Counterattack: Raising a Child in a Bygone Era
Chapter 563 - 562 Regret Not Doing Sooner

Chapter 563: Chapter 562 Regret Not Doing Sooner

Hearing the words of the eldest Liang son, all eyes in the family instantly fixated on Liang Kean.

"I can’t go."

Liang Kean’s refusal left his mother both heartbroken and despairing.

Wiping away her tears, she began to speak in a tone reminiscent of stale green tea, "Kean, Mama doesn’t blame you, this is my own doing, I deserve it."

The two older brothers couldn’t bear to see their mother cry like this, and took turns trying to persuade Liang Kean, insisting that he must plead with Shen Hongmei no matter what.

"Kean, to tell the truth, this trouble Mom’s in is partly your fault too. If it weren’t for your blind date with Shen Hongmei, our family wouldn’t have gotten involved with her."

This sentiment was echoed by the whole family.

With no choice left, Liang Kean had to reveal Shen Hongmei’s warning.

"If I go find her again, she will go to my boss. If the factory learns about what Mom did, how will I ever have the face to stay there?"

What his mother feared most was exactly this, and now she truly regretted ever provoking Shen Hongmei.

...

After finishing work at noon, when everyone in the office had gone to the cafeteria, Shen Hongmei grabbed her bag and left the factory, heading towards the black Santana parked at the street corner up ahead.

When she arrived at the Santana, she looked around to make sure there were no familiar faces before quickly opening the car door and getting in.

"Brother Zhao, did you need something from me?"

Zhao Dafa was amused by her cautious behavior, "Can’t I come find you if there’s nothing urgent?"

Shen Hongmei felt slightly embarrassed, "Of course, you can."

Only then did Zhao Dafa start the car, satisfied, "Let’s go eat first, I’m starved."

Shen Hongmei directed him, "Turn right at the second intersection; there’s a Pickled Vegetable Dumpling Restaurant that’s pretty good. I eat there often. Today, it’s my treat."

After saying this, she felt a bit embarrassed.

The previous times they had eaten out, it had always been Zhao Dafa who paid. Now that it was her turn, she was only inviting him to eat inexpensive dumplings.

"How about we switch to another place? I know a donkey meat restaurant..."

"No worries, let’s have the dumplings. I want to see what your favorite dumplings taste like," he responded.

Shen Hongmei couldn’t help saying, "I guarantee you won’t be disappointed."

"I believe that."

"You haven’t even tried it yet. What if it’s not to your liking?"

Zhao Dafa gave her a meaningful look, "Taste is a very personal thing."

Shen Hongmei felt her face heat up and her heart race.

"Like when I often dine with government officials and real estate moguls to discuss business, I have to cater to their tastes, happily eating even if I don’t like it."

So, he was talking about work.

Shen Hongmei smoothed her hair to cover up the awkwardness of her overthinking.

"But if I’m eating with you, even if the food isn’t good, I would still be genuinely happy," he said.

The heat that had just subsided from Shen Hongmei’s face surged back up again.

There’s a saying among the people that an old house on fire is exceptionally dangerous because the blaze spreads too quickly; you never know what might ignite next.

To summarize, an old man in love is like an old house on fire—hopeless.

...

While eating dumplings, Zhao Dafa also filled Shen Hongmei in on the case.

"The court has officially filed the case and issued a summons to the Liang Family. They’ll probably come to you again, so be prepared mentally," he said.

Shen Hongmei snorted, "If they dare come, I will repay in kind, and go to their workplace to find their bosses!"

Seeing her so defiant, Zhao Dafa felt reassured and brought up the subject of having dinner at his house.

They had previously made plans, but they were postponed when Zhao Dafa had to take a sudden business trip.

"Do you have time this Saturday?"

Seeing Shen Hongmei nod, Zhao Dafa said, "I have to meet a leader Saturday morning, and I’ll probably have a lunch gathering. After we eat, I’ll come pick you up."

"Mm."

...

As soon as Shen Hongmei returned to the factory, she sensed that everyone was looking at her oddly, even gathering in small groups to whisper among themselves.

She quickly found out the reason from Pei Qiuxia.

Someone had seen her dining with Zhao Dafa at the dumpling restaurant.

As the saying goes, you can’t hide what burns bright. Her secretive meetings with Zhao Dafa had long been the subject of behind-the-scenes gossip at the factory.

In the afternoon, when Shen Hongmei went to the restroom, she overheard someone mention her name just before she reached the door—

"...She’s so young, getting involved with a man so much older. It’s all about his money."

"She’d prefer a younger man, but young guys wouldn’t give her a second look."

"You don’t know the half of it. She’s got some serious skills. Zhao used to have a partner but was somehow persuaded to leave her for Hongmei."

"Really?!"

"Look at her age. It’s not easy to find a partner, but instead of being open about it, she hides because she feels guilty."

Hearing this, Shen Hongmei stepped into the restroom.

Upon seeing her, the group of female workers gossiping quickly dispersed, pretending nothing had happened as they prepared to leave.

"Employee handbook, page three: no idle chatter unrelated to work during work hours. All four of you, come to the office after work to sign a penalty form."

The four of them changed color but had nothing to say.

After all, the regulations were clear. Even if Shen Hongmei was seeking revenge, they had no choice but to accept their bad luck.

"What’s so great about her? She is just taking advantage of having President Shen’s support."

"Keep your voice down!"

"I’m not afraid of her. If it comes down to it, I’ll just quit. It’s not like this is the only place to make money..."

Listening to the voices fading away outside, Shen Hongmei impassively arranged her hair in front of the mirror.

"I heard you threw your weight around in the restroom."

By the time Shen Hongmei reached Shen Mingzhu’s office, she had already been teased about the incident.

Shen Hongmei spoke sheepishly, "They broke the rules. I was just doing my job."

Shen Mingzhu was noncommittal. "You handled it well, but how long do you plan to keep sneaking around with Zhao?"

Shen Hongmei said with distress, "I haven’t made up my mind yet."

"You and Zhao are both single, which should make dating completely aboveboard. By skulking around, it’s as though you have something to hide, which naturally invites gossip and speculation," Mingzhu continued.

After a pause, Mingzhu added, "It’s about time you gave Zhao a status. He may not say it, but that doesn’t mean he doesn’t care. Remember, men need a sense of security too."

Before she knew it, it was Saturday.

Shen Hongmei had weekends off, but even on Saturdays when she had nothing to do, she would stay at the factory, read or do something else, and catch lunch at the cafeteria.

When Zhao Dafa came to pick her up in the afternoon, she specifically asked him to park at the factory’s main gate.

"Aren’t you afraid of being seen by the factory workers?"

Facing Zhao Dafa’s teasing smile, Shen Hongmei explained with a slight blush on her face, "It wasn’t that I was scared before, just concerned that if things didn’t work out between us, I didn’t want to be the butt of jokes."

"Then I’ll have to make sure that doesn’t happen."

Seeing Shen Hongmei’s puzzled look, Zhao Dafa added with a smile, "...I won’t let you be the subject of ridicule."

The sunlight outside the car window was brilliant, much like the man’s radiant smile, making Shen Hongmei’s heart pound.

The car soon stopped at the entrance of the market.

The two got out of the car and walked into the market. They hadn’t gone far when they ran into Zhou Hui coming out of the market, carrying a big bag of stuff.