The Stepmother’s Counterattack: Raising a Child in a Bygone Era
Chapter 571 - 570: Sowing Discord

Chapter 571: Chapter 570: Sowing Discord

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"Do you think Zhao Ge could have done it on purpose? He’s in this business, after all. He should be clear about which properties have issues and which don’t, right?"

Shen Mingzhu offered no definite opinion. "A single property means nothing to Zhao Ge; it all depends on whether he wants to give it or not."

Even if Zhao Dafa hadn’t known there were problems with Lanxin Garden when he bought it, he could simply buy Zhou Hui another one.

In the end, giving Zhou Hui a property that can’t be transferred is a form of coercion.

Seeing Shen Hongmei in a somewhat downcast mood, Shen Mingzhu asked, "Are you worried that Zhao Ge will use this tactic against you in the future?"

Shen Hongmei shook her head. "I’ve never coveted anything from him from the beginning, so there’s nothing to worry about. It’s just that I suddenly realized Zhao Ge isn’t the person I imagined."

"I’ve always thought he was kind-hearted, easygoing, and loyal, but today I realised he’s also a person with deep schemes."

Shen Mingzhu crossed her arms, "If Zhao Ge were really as simple as he appears, he would have been devoured by the predators of the business world long ago, leaving nothing left but bones."

After speaking, she asked Shen Hongmei, "Do you regret it?"

"Not really."

Shen Hongmei bit her lip, her expression one of confusion. "I just feel like I don’t understand him at all."

Shen Mingzhu said, "Actually, Zhao Ge could have never let you see his other side, but he chose to show it to you. That’s his trust in you, indicating he is willing to let you into his heart."

"You think Zhou Hui failed because she never truly understood Zhao Ge, not because she’s stupid, but because Zhao Ge is just smarter."

"Of course, it’s not too late for you to back out now, as you’ve just started and the feelings aren’t deep."

...

After Shen Mingzhu exposed Zhou Hui as a fake wealthy lady, several of her close sisters and friends broke off their relationships with her.

Even her younger sister and brother-in-law, who had been living with her, moved out the same night.

Even though she went door to door carrying gifts and apologizing in an attempt to reconcile, it was to no avail.

And that wasn’t even the worst of it.

The more fervently those people had helped her in the past, the more they hated her now. They spread her deceitful and shameless actions far and wide, and even dug up the bad things she’d done since she was young.

Gossip is a knife.

Her little shop’s business plummeted, not to mention making a profit, it wasn’t even covering costs.

"Welcome, what would you like to eat? We have skewers, fried noodles, and pancakes."

When a customer finally came, Zhou Hui hurried to greet them.

He Liyi looked around the small shop and, removing her mask, smiled at Zhou Hui, "Nice to meet you, my surname is He."

Upon learning He Liyi’s true identity, Zhou Hui instinctively became alert and guarded.

"What do you want with me? I no longer have any dealings with Zhao Dafa!"

"Of course, I know that. Otherwise, I wouldn’t be here looking for you."

He Liyi gazed at her, "You hate Shen Hongmei, right? And I don’t want her to stay by Zhao Dafa’s side any longer. How about we work together?"

Zhou Hui scoffed, "Do you really think I’m stupid? If I help you, you’re the one who benefits. I get nothing and, on top of that, I run the risk of offending Shen Mingzhu and Zhao Dafa."

He Liyi wasn’t discouraged. "You could first listen to my plan. Besides, when it succeeds, I can give you ten thousand yuan as a reward."

"With your current reputation, it’s tough to survive in Fengcheng. With that money, moving to a new city could be a way out."

Zhou Hui’s breathing hitched.

...

"Shen Hongmei."

Seeing Shen Hongmei frown, Zhou Hui quickly said, "I’m not here to cause trouble. I plan to leave Fengcheng, and before I go, I wanted to apologize to you earnestly. I’m sorry."

As Shen Hongmei let her guard down, Zhou Hui took the opportunity to share her recent "misfortunes."

Alienated by close ones and unable to carry on with her business, even her daughter Liang Xiaowen was being isolated and ostracized at school.

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"...I have already received my retribution, and I’m willing to accept my loss, but as someone who has been through it all, I still want to remind you, never pin your hopes on Zhao Dafa, otherwise my today will be your tomorrow."

"I’m not trying to alarm you or sow discord, it’s just that Zhao Dafa will always have a woman in his heart, you and I are nothing but his pastime..."

...

"Xiaoyun, the fortune teller said, your dad’s Chinese zodiac complements mine, and he’s also full of masculine energy. If I can interact with him more, it’ll be good for my health."

"But I’m too ashamed to see your dad, so I thought of a way. You can secretly put my photo in the compartment of your dad’s wallet. I’ve asked the master, and he said this works too."

Zhao Yun rolled her eyes, "But I don’t have any photos of you."

"I’ve already prepared the photo. It’s in an envelope placed in the mailbox at the entrance to your house."

"Got it."

"Thanks, Xiaoyun. Mom just wants to spend more time with you. I don’t want to go that quickly..."

Zhao Yun hung up the phone directly, afraid he might throw up if he kept listening.

After getting the photo from the mailbox, Zhao Yun went straight to the Pei Family.

...

Weekend.

Shen Hongmei was invited to visit the Zhao Family. Compared to the last time, she could clearly feel that Zhao Yun was much warmer and affectionate towards her.

Perhaps Zhao Yun had already adapted and accepted her identity?

This realization allowed Shen Hongmei to relax a lot, and their interaction became much more harmonious. They seemed almost like real siblings.

Zhao Dafa returned home from errands and saw the two of them sitting face to face at the coffee table, playing chess. A smile couldn’t help but show on his face.

"Who’s winning?"

Zhao Yun and Shen Hongmei both turned to look at him.

Zhao Yun raised his hand happily, "I won, two out of three games, Aunt Hongmei owes me a meal of fried chicken."

Shen Hongmei explained with embarrassment, "I think slowly, and I always lose at chess or cards."

Zhao Dafa rolled up his sleeves and squatted beside her, "I’ll help you win it back."

"Zhao, if you’re going to help Aunt Hongmei, then I might have to invite Ziheng over."

Zhao Dafa paused for a moment, then put the chess piece he was holding back on the board.

"Let’s not play anymore, let’s go out for fried chicken, my treat."

He didn’t care about winning or losing, but he didn’t want to lose to a ten-year-old child in front of the woman he liked.

...

"Zhao, you go find us a spot, and Aunt Hongmei and I will order."

Upon hearing his son’s words, Zhao Dafa happily pulled out his wallet, thrust it into Shen Hongmei’s hands, and went to find a seat.

"Aunt Hongmei, my stomach hurts a bit. I want a beef burger, chicken nuggets, fries, and Coke, all in large sizes!"

After speaking, Zhao Yun ran off towards the restroom in a flash.

Shen Hongmei stared at the wallet in her hand, her mind flashing back to what Zhou Hui had told her—

Inside the compartment of Zhao Dafa’s wallet, there was a photo of a woman, the one he truly loved.

Shen Hongmei slowly opened the wallet and found the photo Zhou Hui had mentioned.

The moment she saw the photo, she was completely stunned, and the next second, her cheeks turned a shade of crimson.

In a corner of the restaurant, the incognito He Liyi and Zhou Hui were secretly watching every move of Shen Hongmei.

From their angle, they could only see Shen Hongmei’s actions, not her expression.