The Stepmother’s Counterattack: Raising a Child in a Bygone Era
Chapter 620 - 619: Greedy people often do not end well

Chapter 620: Chapter 619: Greedy people often do not end well

"Mom—"

As Pei Wenping stepped into the arrival hall, Chen Xiaolu and Chen Xiaochao excitedly waved and shouted at her from the crowd.

Pei Wenping looked over, gave a gesture to keep it down, and then hastened her steps, trotting towards the arrival gate.

When she reached the arrival gate, Chen Xiaochao was the first to plunge into her arms, followed by Chen Xiaolu, who pouted in frustration for half a second before squeezing into Pei Wenping’s embrace regardless.

Pei Wenping happily hugged both children at once.

Chen Yi looked down at the bouquet in his arms, smiled helplessly, and, freeing his other hand to grab his luggage which had been ignored just like him, reminded them in a warm voice,

"It’s crowded here, let’s talk in the car."

Pei Wenping nodded and, with a child on either side, walked towards the parking lot.

Chen Bo lagged two steps behind, watching the affectionate mother and sons with a smile curling up at the corner of his mouth.

...

It was already past midnight, but the streets were still brightly lit and bustling with traffic, living up to the city’s reputation as one that never sleeps.

Chen Yi found a decent pan-fried bun restaurant to take the mother and sons for a late-night snack.

While the twins were in the restroom washing their hands, Pei Wenping unexpectedly showed concern for Chen Yi’s recent situation.

Just as Chen Yi was pleasantly surprised, he heard Pei Wenping’s conversational pivot—

"The stock market has risen sharply these past few days, you must have earned quite a bit, right?"

He then realized, Pei Wenping was testing him.

She didn’t trust him.

This realization saddend him, but he couldn’t blame anyone; it was all self-inflicted.

"To disappoint you, I’ve sold all my stocks. No matter how much they rise, it has nothing to do with me."

Pei Wenping snorted coldly, "From the sound of it, are you saying that I’m hindering you from making money?"

"I didn’t think that."

"I don’t care what you think, as long as you want to trade stocks, I won’t stop you, but don’t drag our children down with you."

Chen Yi said nothing but reached into his pocket and pulled out a bank card, handing it to her.

"What’s this for?"

"The money from the stock sale is all in there, for you to manage."

Pei Wenping reached out and took the bank card upon hearing this.

"The PIN is your birthday plus our wedding anniversary."

Pei Wenping gave him a disdainful glance, saying, "I won’t touch this money. Consider it a safekeeping for Xiaolu and Xiaochao, after all, they will inherit these things in the future."

Chen Yi did not argue, instead, he smiled and asked about her recent situation.

Pei Wenping responded half-heartedly until the children returned and then disregarded him.

Chen Yi, left to one side, took on the role of "waiter," serving dishes and pouring water for the mother and sons.

The next day, Pei Wenping specifically asked Chen Yi to bring his ID card and go to the bank to transfer the money from the card to her personal account.

She and Chen Yi were already divorced, and even if Chen Yi were to lose money in the stock market in the future, this sum of money would be secure.

Though she was psychologically prepared that the sum wasn’t trivial, Pei Wenping was still startled for a second when she heard the bank teller report the account balance.

No wonder everyone was flocking to the stock market; the money was too easy to make.

But as a seasoned finance professional, she understood a truth well: high returns meant high risks, and with Chen Yi’s style of trading, it was akin to dancing on a tightrope.

...

The Zhao Family.

Shen Hongmei stood in front of the dining table, trimming fresh squid and placing them into a crystal vase.

"Why didn’t you go to class today?"

She turned around, holding her chest and scolded Zhao Dafa, who had silently approached her from behind, "Why don’t you make any sound when you walk?"

Zhao Dafa laughed, "You were too focused."

Shen Hongmei picked up the vase to show him, "How about that, pretty, right?"

"Hmm, looks good. Don’t you have a wine tasting class today?"

After getting married, Shen Hongmei’s status rose with her newfound wealth as a rich wife, attending various business dinners often. To avoid holding Zhao Dafa back, Shen Hongmei enrolled in numerous training courses to improve herself.

Originally, she had taken a stock market course with the intent of learning and understanding more, so she wouldn’t be left out of conversations during social events. Unexpectedly, she ended up making quite a bit of money.

"The teacher was busy today. Your breakfast is in the pot, Auntie Deng kept it warm with hot water."

Zhao Dafa sat at the dining table, "Ugh, I don’t want to move. Can you serve it for me?"

Shen Hongmei gave him a stern look, then put down the scissors and went to the kitchen.

Zhao Dafa laughed at her retreating figure, "Thanks, wife!"

After having his desired breakfast, Zhao Dafa watched Shen Hongmei arrange flowers with great interest and chatted with her.

"If you don’t have anything else today, why not come to the wine event with me?"

"What can I do there when you guys drink and talk business?"

"It’s a private event; spouses can come. You can broaden your horizons and expand your social circle."

"I haven’t done my hair, nor do I have an outfit ready."

This meant she agreed to go.

Zhao Dafa glanced at the clock on the wall, "There’s still time. You can do your makeup and change now, then go out for a hair wash."

"If you’re late, don’t blame me."

Having said that, she excitedly ran upstairs.

Zhao Dafa smiled as he watched her leave.

...

The gathering wasn’t large, and most people knew each other. Men and women sat together, enjoying fine food while engaged in lively conversation.

All were business folks, and their discussions revolved around the economy, current affairs, and investment.

The hottest investment topic at that time was unquestionably in stocks and futures.

When the conversation turned to stocks, the atmosphere at the event heated up.

"Among us here, the person I admire most is President Chi. Whatever stock he buys, it hits the price limit. In just one year, his wealth has multiplied several times over. He must be close to joining the ranks of the billionaires, right?"

"You flatter me; it’s just luck," he replied modestly while not denying the speculation about his wealth, which seemed to be quite accurate.

Billionaires, ah!

For a moment, everyone looked at Mr. Chi with eyes filled with envy and admiration.

"Speaking of admirable people, Mr. Zhao is one."

Someone complimented Zhao Dafa, "He was the last among us to enter the stock market. The first stock he bought was one I chose for him. Now, he has earned so much more in the stock market than I have! It’s truly a case of the apprentice outdoing the master."

The self-deprecating last remark made everyone laugh.

Zhao Dafa toasted the person with his drink and then talked about his current situation, "Actually, I’m not really playing stocks much anymore."

Hearing this piqued everyone’s curiosity.

After all, the stock market was hotter than the scorching sun overhead, and everyone was making a fortune. They couldn’t fathom why someone would choose to exit at such a time.

Was he finding the money too hot to handle?

Zhao Dafa didn’t want to say too much, as it’s taboo to dive deep into personal matters in social settings. He simply excused himself by saying he wanted to refocus on his main business.

Upon learning that Zhao Dafa had sold his stocks just a few days earlier, everyone sighed with regret.

...

After the event ended, a driver drove Zhao Dafa and Shen Hongmei home.

In the car, Shen Hongmei remembered how everyone had mocked Zhao Dafa at the event, and she felt indescribable mixed emotions.

"If you had sold those stocks just two days later, you could’ve made at least a couple million more."

Zhao Dafa, resting with his eyes closed against the seat, heard Shen Hongmei’s regret but didn’t open his eyes. Instead, he took her hand by feel and said with heartfelt emphasis,

"Hongmei, in business, one must never be too greedy. People who are overly greedy often meet a bad end."