The Stepmother’s Counterattack: Raising a Child in a Bygone Era
Chapter 576 - 575 Chastising Yu Jin’e

Chapter 576: Chapter 575 Chastising Yu Jin’e

After dinner, Yu Jin’e and Shen Zhong joined Zhao Dafa for tea and a chat in the courtyard.

Shen Jiagen went out with the remote-control car that Zhao Dafa had given him, beaming with joy to show off to his friends.

Shen Hongmei and Shen Hongju were cleaning up in the kitchen.

"Hongju, have you been under a lot of academic pressure recently?"

At the dinner table, Shen Hongmei had clearly noticed Shen Hongju’s low spirits.

"It’s okay; there are plenty who are more competitive than me in school, especially the top student of our class. He only sleeps three hours a day; even the teachers say he’s acting recklessly."

Shen Hongmei hastened to say, "You shouldn’t do that. Grades are important, but if you wear yourself out, everything becomes pointless."

"Mhm, I know."

"Are you getting along with your classmates? No one is bullying you, are they?"

Shen Hongju had always been introverted and shy, and Shen Hongmei worried that she might be ostracized by her peers at school and too reticent to share it with the family, just keeping it to herself.

"Not at all. It’s our last year, and everyone’s too busy with revision and focusing on their grades to bother with anything else."

That made sense.

For rural kids, the college entrance examination was the only way to change their destiny.

Shen Hongmei was reassured and excitedly began to talk about the school where Shen Hongju was about to attend as a sit-in student.

After she finished speaking, Shen Hongju spoke up quietly, "Sis, I don’t want to sit in."

"Why not? Do you know how many people wish they could get in but can’t? Once you’re at Yucai High School, you’re halfway through the door to university. If your foundation wasn’t solid enough, Yucai wouldn’t have accepted you."

"I’m afraid that if I don’t get in or don’t do well, I’ll disappoint you all."

"Don’t think nonsense; with your good grades, it’s impossible for you not to get in."

"But what if I don’t?"

Hearing this, Shen Hongmei turned around, "What’s the matter all of a sudden? You’re talking so negatively; you weren’t like this before. Didn’t you say you were determined to get in?"

Shen Hongju hung her head, her youthful face filled with distress, "Sis, I’m so envious of you."

"Mom and Dad always nudge me, telling me to take you as a role model. They think since I study more books than you, I should be more successful than you in the future."

Shen Hongmei then understood that she was the source of her younger sister’s gloom.

Inevitably, the two sisters were compared by their parents and relatives.

For Shen Hongju, who was in adolescence and felt only confusion and uncertainty about the future, this comparison was a heavy burden.

"You’re envious of me, but I’m envious of you for being able to study and go to university. Look at our village, so many girls who want to study don’t get the chance. They have to drop out of school early to work, and without a diploma, they can only do the hardest and most tiring jobs. As they get older, they have to marry, and they never have the freedom or the choices in life."

"Hongju, although your studies are hard and tiring now, you’re already very fortunate compared to them."

"Don’t listen to what others say, and don’t care about it; just focus on your studies, and get into a good university."

"When you’re out there, with the vast sky and broad sea, you can study the major you like, do the job you enjoy, date the guy you’re fond of, get married, have children, and no one can dictate your life."

School teachers also emphasized the benefits of education, but they never painted the picture as beautifully and attractively as Shen Hongmei had, inspiring longing and aspiration.

At this moment, Shen Hongju suddenly had direction and a goal for the future.

With her worries cast aside, she became lively and cheerful again, "Sis, your husband is really good to you."

Shen Hongmei wrung out the loofah rag as she scrubbed the edge of the pot and spat, "This is his very first visit today, how can you tell he’s good?"

"During dinner, he helped you pick dishes, and before the meal, Mom, worried that your brother-in-law would be hungry, specially brought out fried peanuts for him to eat, and he gave all the peeled peanuts to you, I saw everything!"

"You sure have sharp eyes."

"Indeed, my eyesight is really good, I could see whether your brother-in-law treats you well or not in just one glance."

Shen Hongmei’s cheeks burned with embarrassment, but her heart was sweet as if she had eaten sugar.

In the afternoon, Zhao Dafa and Shen Hongmei set off back to the city, but the news that the Yu family found a golden son-in-law spread like wildfire.

Relatives from both the Shen and Yu families came in droves, some to verify the truth, some to offer congratulations, and others seeking help with favors.

...

When Shen Mingzhu got off work and arrived home, she saw Yu Jin’e standing at the doorstep with two bulging snakeskin bags at her feet.

Seeing her come back, Yu Jin’e immediately greeted her with a full-faced smile.

"Mingzhu, you’re finally back. I’ve brought you some new sun-dried peanuts from this year, along with some free-range chicken and duck eggs. Oh, and there’s also a jar of wild honey that Hongmei’s dad harvested when he went up the mountain. It’s not worth much; it’s just a little token of appreciation for speaking of a marriage for my Hongmei."

To city dwellers, these were all desirable goodies, and Shen Mingzhu gladly accepted them and invited Yu Jin’e in for a drink of water.

However, Yu Jin’e declined, "No need for water, I have other matters to attend to. I’ll come by some other day when I’m free to have a proper chat with you."

As she said this, Yu Jin’e lifted her foot to leave.

Shen Mingzhu called out to her, "Aunt Jin’e, you seem to be in such a hurry, is there something urgent? Shall I give you a lift?"

"That would be really nice. I’m going to meet Xiaozhao for dinner at Ginkgo Building and have a word with him."

Shen Mingzhu took the items back to the yard, got in her car, and drove Yu Jin’e to the Ginkgo Restaurant.

On the way, she easily found out the real reason behind Yu Jin’e’s trip to the city.

Bringing her the gifts was just a side trip; her main objective was hoping Zhao Dafa would find jobs for several of her nephews and nieces.

Shen Mingzhu slowed the car down and began chatting about domestic matters with Yu Jin’e, "Aunt Jin’e, do you know why Brother Zhao broke up with his previous fiancée?"

Yu Jin’e was naturally very interested.

Shen Mingzhu casually told her how Zhou Huiai was calculating and narrow-minded, picking and choosing the details like it was all fun and games.

"...Aunt Jin’e, though Brother Zhao appears easygoing and amiable, he has a very clear mind. He can see whether someone is after his money or is sincerely willing to spend their life with him, better than anyone else."

"Zhou Hui was kicked out because of her greed. Some things, Brother Zhao gives willingly, but asking for them outright is a different matter."

"Once or twice is no problem, but if one keeps asking, feelings slowly begin to sour, and in the end, one might end up like Zhou Hui did, parting ways on bad terms."

Yu Jin’e’s expression flickered with uncertainty.

At the restaurant with Zhao Dafa, Yu Jin’e only asked about her youngest daughter Shen Hongju’s transfer to a new school and didn’t mention a word about getting jobs for her nephews and nieces through Zhao Dafa.

Her daughter was of marriageable age and had finally latched onto a sought-after son-in-law; she couldn’t afford to mess this up.

When she got back, Yu Jin’e relayed everything Shen Mingzhu had said to her, word for word, to Shen Zhong.

The couple was worried.

If they didn’t help, they would offend their relatives; if they did, and the son-in-law became upset, leading to complications with their daughter, wouldn’t that be throwing away everything they had worked for?

After discussing it all night, the couple came up with a brilliant solution.

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