The Stepmother’s Counterattack: Raising a Child in a Bygone Era
Chapter 643 - 642: Ironclad CEO Zhao, Ever-Changing Stepmothers

Chapter 643: Chapter 642: Ironclad CEO Zhao, Ever-Changing Stepmothers

Seeing Zhao Dafa get out of the car, Shen Hongmei snapped back to reality and turned to Yi Ling and the others:

"My husband is back. If you don’t want your family to know about the stocks, you better leave now!"

Apart from the one who was getting divorced, the others, including Yi Ling, had all been investing in stocks behind their husbands and in-laws’ backs with Shen Hongmei.

It was clear to imagine that if their husbands and in-laws knew they had lost all the household savings, their fate wouldn’t be much better.

"Go, what are you standing around for?"

Seeing Zhao Dafa enter the house, Shen Hongmei couldn’t help but growl quietly.

Not wanting to make a scene that couldn’t be undone, Yi Ling reluctantly called everyone to leave.

Downstairs, after greeting Zhao Dafa, Yi Ling turned to Shen Hongmei and said, "Hongmei, you have to take seriously what we discussed upstairs. We are waiting for your good news."

In front of Zhao Dafa, Shen Hongmei had to put on a brave face and laugh, "Okay, I will."

After personally seeing Yi Ling and the others off, Shen Hongmei returned to the living room.

Not finding Zhao Dafa in the living room, she took a moment to compose herself before heading upstairs to look for him.

In the bedroom.

The curtains were tightly drawn, the doors of the middle wardrobe were open, and the hanging clothes were piled on the bed, revealing the safe hidden behind.

Zhao Dafa was squatting in front of the safe, seemingly counting the assets.

Shen Hongmei watched blankly for a long while before she managed to call out, "Brother Zhao."

Zhao Dafa glanced at her and explained, "The company is having some financial difficulties; I need to use the money from home for a while."

Shen Hongmei walked over to him and slowly squatted down, "Is there anything I can help with?"

Zhao Dafa didn’t answer but asked about Yi Ling and the others, "What did they come to you for?"

Downstairs, Shen Hongmei had already thought of an excuse, but now facing Zhao Dafa’s piercing gaze, she felt increasingly anxious, and her prepared words faltered.

"I, they learned stock trading from me before, but the market has been bad lately, and they’ve lost all their money. They came to me for an explanation. But it’s not my fault. They wanted to trade stocks on their own initiative, and they didn’t listen to my advice."

Zhao Dafa looked down and was silent for a good while before asking her, "Hongmei, take a good look inside yourself, do you really think you bear no responsibility at all?"

Shen Hongmei couldn’t help feeling aggrieved, "If I had known it would end like this, I definitely wouldn’t have led them to trade stocks, but what can I do now that it’s come to this?"

Zhao Dafa sighed wearily, turned around, and sat down against the wardrobe door.

He spoke gently to Shen Hongmei, "Mingzhu had warned you that there are risks in stock trading. You didn’t listen, and you even dragged them into it. Did you ever consider for even a second whether they could afford to lose? What would their fate be if they lost?"

"I also reminded you later to sell the stocks you had; why didn’t you listen? Did you ever advise them to stop while they were ahead?"

"You had many chances, yet you never took them. Do you really feel you bear no responsibility at all?"

Shen Hongmei certainly knew that she bore a great deal of responsibility to Yi Ling and the others.

It was her own vanity and sense of self-importance, her desire to show off, that led to the current situation.

She just didn’t want to face it or, to put it another way, she couldn’t bear the responsibility.

Now that Zhao Dafa had pointed out her true thoughts, she felt such a deep shame she couldn’t bear to face herself.

"Brother Zhao, it’s all my fault, I don’t know why I turned out like this, I overestimated myself too much, I destroyed everything, I really don’t know what to do, I’m sorry, really sorry..."

Watching his wife cry and repent, Zhao Dafa felt melancholic, took out a pack of cigarettes, lit one, and leaned against the wardrobe door to smoke slowly.

Since marrying Shen Hongmei, his business had been increasingly successful, and he had thought that she was his lucky charm, believing he had finally married the right person.

It was only a few days ago that he learned that the smooth sailing of these years was due to Shen Mingzhu’s favor.

If he had to say who he envied the most in his life, it would undoubtedly be Pei Yang.

In fact, long ago, he had envied Pei Yang, envied him for marrying a wife who was not only intelligent and capable but also considerate and understanding.

There was probably no man who did not envy Pei Yang.

Zhao Yun sat on the bed in his room, feeling indescribably despondent.

He rushed back, intending to discuss some company matters with Zhao Dafa, but unexpectedly walked in on the couple arguing.

He wouldn’t have to get used to a new stepmother again, would he??

Indeed, Zhao was as steadfast as iron, but the stepmothers were fleeting as water.

Some time passed.

Zhao Dafa came out of the bedroom with a bag of stuff and was surprised to see Zhao Yun when he passed by his room.

"When did you come back?"

"When you two were arguing."

Zhao Dafa was taken aback, stepped into the room, and casually shut the door, "Nonsense, we weren’t arguing."

"Boss Zhao, you’re a grown man. Have the guts to do something but not to admit it?"

"Mind your own business, it’s an adult matter."

Zhao Dafa placed the handbag on the bed, took out his wallet, pulled out a Benjamin, thought about it, added another one, and handed them to him.

"I don’t want it."

Looking at Zhao Yun’s haughty little display, Zhao Dafa snorted with laughter, pulled out the last Benjamin from his wallet, and handed over all three hundred bucks he had on him.

"Still mad at your old man? Take it!"

Zhao Yun glanced at his now empty wallet and pushed his hand away, "I said I don’t want it. I’ve grown up. I’ll find a way to make money myself, you don’t have to worry about that."

Zhao Dafa was somewhat astonished, "How do you plan to earn it?"

Zhao Yun hooked the basketball off the rack and started spinning it on his fingertip as he spoke, "I took on a gig as a ringer, help people play basketball, can get fifty for winning a game."

Since entering high school, with his rapidly improving skills, many amateur basketball teams had approached Zhao Yun, wanting him to play as a ringer for them with pay ranging from thirty to fifty bucks a game.

But he hadn’t been short on cash before, so he had turned them all down.

Times had changed, and earning his own spending money through his abilities could lighten the burden on the family.

Seeing his son was serious, Zhao Dafa was stunned for a while before coming back to himself.

He looked down at the money in his hand, couldn’t help laughing, though his nose felt slightly sour.

His son had grown up and was thinking of easing his father’s worries.

He sat down, slapped Zhao Yun’s shoulder hard, and teased him, "You think you can handle it?"

"I might not be sure about other things, but supporting you will be more than manageable."

"Alright then, I’ll be waiting."

He paused, then held out the three hundred again to Zhao Yun, "Are you sure you don’t want it?"

"I’m sure."

Zhao Dafa nodded, put the money back into his wallet, "Then I’m heading out."

"Boss Zhao."

Zhao Yun stopped Zhao Dafa, who was getting up to leave, hesitated, "Are you going to divorce Aunt Hongmei?"

Outside in the hallway.

An overwhelming panic tightly gripped Shen Hongmei. She clutched her mouth, squatted against the wall, and tears fell like pearls with their strings cut, one after another, and splashed onto the floor.

Inside the room.

Hearing Zhao Yun’s question, Zhao Dafa stayed silent for a while before speaking, "Who told you that?"

"I guessed."

Zhao Yun stopped spinning the ball, seemingly waiting for Zhao Dafa’s answer.

In

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