The Stepmother’s Counterattack: Raising a Child in a Bygone Era
Chapter 96: The Despicable Thing That Does Not Abide by Women’s Virtue!

Chapter 96: Chapter 96: The Despicable Thing That Does Not Abide by Women’s Virtue!

Qin Jinlian, though resentful toward Shen Chaobei and his wife, couldn’t stop thinking about the couple’s money-making venture.

Therefore, as soon as she found out that Shen Chaobei and his wife had returned, she immediately sent Shen Xiangnan to find out what happened.

"Brother, Sister-in-law, how did it go at the stall today? Did you make any money?"

Du Juan replied with a smile, "We did, we made almost two yuan."

Shen Xiangnan might have been soft-hearted, but his personality was much like Shen Chaobei’s, a simple, kind-hearted soul without ulterior motives.

Thus, knowing that Shen Chaobei had made some money, he felt no envy but was genuinely happy for the couple and quickly ran back home to tell Qin Jinlian.

Qin Jinlian didn’t say much outwardly, but her mind was rattling with calculations.

If one market day happened every ten days, that would be twenty yuan in ten days, and aside from the busy farming seasons, there could be a hundred or so market days in a year, which meant two hundred yuan?

Making two hundred yuan a year was not insignificant.

They were making money, and not just the eldest brother; the second brother’s family should also have the chance to earn. After all, she relied on the second brother, and only if he made money could she live a better life.

At dinner that night, Qin Jinlian could not help but share her thoughts with Shen Jianguo and Shen Xiangnan.

She had thought that father and son would support her, after all, who wouldn’t be eager to make money?

However, Shen Jianguo berated her fiercely, ordering her to stop coveting what the eldest brother had.

Although Shen Xiangnan didn’t dare to scold Qin Jinlian, he also firmly stated that he wouldn’t take over his elder brother’s "rice bowl."

"Mum, just be at ease. The people in the village are all gossiping about our family, saying you’re biased, and it’s gotten to the point where I’m too embarrassed to even step outside," he said.

Qin Jinlian, angered, lashed out at both father and son, chiding them for not understanding her perspective. After her tirade, she dropped the subject.

It wasn’t that she had a change of heart; she wanted to maintain her reputation and was afraid of being drowned by the villagers’ spittle.

——

Shen Chaobei and Du Juan were unaware of the happenings in the neighboring yard; their successful first day had left them too excited to sleep that night.

Shenjiagou was under the jurisdiction of Anping Town, and they would go to the town’s market, which was held every two days, totaling ten days a month.

Consequently, apart from the ten market days, the couple had nothing to do but stay idle at home.

Anyone else might have already been satisfied.

Earning fifty yuan just from attending ten market days a month would be considered a ceiling in a poor and remote place like Shenjiagou.

But the couple was hardworking and restless by nature.

Especially having tasted the sweetness of earning, they were even less willing to idle at home.

Idling for a day meant missing out on five yuan – what a pity.

After discussing it all night, they decided to set up a stall selling egg cakes in the neighboring towns as well.

The idea was simple, but executing it was not easy.

The closest towns to Anping were Chishui Town and Pingqiao Town, thirty li to Chishui and forty li to Pingqiao.

It took an hour to walk ten li, so thirty li would take three hours, not to mention carrying loads.

They could take turns carrying the load, but that meant they couldn’t bring Daya along. Carrying a child back and forth over dozens of li would be an enormous burden.

The next day, Du Juan sought out Qin Jinlian, hoping she could look after the child while the couple was out doing business.

Qin Jinlian, opening her mouth, asked for twenty yuan as a "hardship fee."

"I’ve heard from Xiangnan, you can make two yuan a day at your stall, and well over fifty or sixty in a month. Twenty isn’t too much, right? Don’t think looking after a child is so easy. It’ll soon be spring plowing, and I can’t afford to be distracted for a moment, lest the child accidentally drowns in a ditch."

Du Juan said she would go back and discuss it with Shen Chaobei.

As soon as she left Qin Jinlian’s courtyard, Du Juan headed straight for the house of an aunt who was a distant relative of the Shen family.

The person from the other side was surnamed Liu and usually stayed at home to take care of grandchildren. She readily agreed to also look after Du Juan’s Daya for only six yuan a month.

As for meals, Daya wouldn’t eat much, so Du Juan thought that giving two or three jin of rice and flour a month would suffice.

The news quickly spread throughout the village, and Qin Jinlian, the biased mother-in-law, inevitably became the target of criticism by the villagers again.

Qin Jinlian couldn’t bother with the village gossip because Yang Lizhen had returned from her parents’ home, and she was busy tending to Yang Lizhen’s pregnancy.

——

After breakfast, Shen Mingzhu took Pei Ziheng back to the room to find clothes.

Today was Zhou Shuhuan’s father’s sixtieth birthday celebration, and just like last year’s wedding celebration for Zhou Shuhuan, a chef team was hired to host a banquet at the residential complex’s senior activity center.

Pei Ziheng had always been fairly independent in his daily life, so after she found him a set of clothes, Shen Mingzhu planned to go out, leaving him to change by himself. However, she was stopped at the door by Pei Yang, who pestered her relentlessly to pick out an outfit for him, threatening not to let her leave otherwise.

Shen Mingzhu had no choice but to go back to the wardrobe, but even after a long search, she couldn’t find anything she deemed suitable.

Pei Yang spent most of the year at sea, wearing work clothes, so his casual attire was limited and outdated, with some even showing frayed edges.

It didn’t matter much for everyday wear, but it wasn’t presentable enough for attending a banquet.

Since there was time, Shen Mingzhu decided to take Pei Yang out and buy him a brand new outfit from head to toe.

Pei Yang was tall, and Shen Mingzhu chose for him a dark teal wool overcoat with a light coffee-colored high-neck woolen sweater underneath. He wore khaki trousers and was finished off with a pair of brown leather shoes.

Dressed like this, even Shen Mingzhu had to admit that being tall was an advantage; he looked like he was born to be a clothes rack, casually radiating the vibe of a top male supermodel.

Of course, Pei Yang’s own good figure was a bonus.

She wondered if the "dog of a man" actually had abs, and if so, how many?

He had said he would show her when he got back, but she hadn’t seen a damn thing.

Shopping for clothes took some extra time, so when the family of three arrived at the birthday banquet, they were a tad late. Although the feast hadn’t started, most of the guests had already arrived and were jovially chatting away around the round dining tables.

Carrying the birthday gift, Pei Yang, with Shen Mingzhu leading Pei Ziheng, went straight to the main table to offer birthday wishes to the star of the day.

Pei Yang, handsome and with a good build, wore a crisp woolen overcoat and took long strides with his two-meter-tall frame, exuding a cool and collected style that was absolutely dashing, making the jaws of all the women in attendance drop.

As he walked by, the ladies’ eyes seemed glued to him.

Of course, Shen Mingzhu wasn’t lacking either.

She wore a wool coat in a light camel color with a black sweater underneath, paired with a wine-red wool skirt with a wide hem that resembled a lantern, and slender-heeled leather ankle boots that were both fashionable and attractive.

Pei Ziheng, led by her hand, was decked out in a sapphire blue winter coat with coffee-colored corduroy pants, and black leather boots, looking both aloof and beautiful.

Each member of this family trio was strikingly attractive in their own right.

Together at this moment, they shone like spotlights.

At the main table, when Shen Baolan saw the tall and dapper Pei Yang approaching, she was so amazed that the sunflower seeds in her hand spilt onto the floor.

When she noticed Shen Mingzhu following behind Pei Yang, her jealousy erupted like a volcano.

In just a month, Shen Mingzhu had become even more beautiful; her small face was as soft and fair as a freshly peeled egg, clearly pampered by a life of luxury.

Her fashion and style were irresistibly attractive, modern, and chic, without a hint of a rural background.

And such a lavish lifestyle should have been hers!

As well as the man Pei Yang— he should have been hers too!

Shen Baolan fixated her eyes solely on Pei Yang, reluctant even to blink, oblivious to how terrifying Ma Sufen, her mother-in-law, looked at that moment.

If it wasn’t for the inappropriate setting, Ma Sufen would have rushed over and slapped Baolan several times.

Shameless wench, without a shred of decency!

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