The Stepmother's Counterattack: Raising a Child in a Bygone Era-Chapter 445 - 444 Shen Baolan’s Dream

"Look at you, feeling too good for even twenty bucks now? My little sister said that once we open a branch, she’ll let me be the head chef. Then I’ll get a 10% share of the profits from each restaurant. Isn’t that much more than just a salary raise?"

Only then did Jia Yuemei’s face light up with a smile, "That’s more like it."

She paused, the smile on her face fading slightly, "You’ve been working hard for a year now, earning quite a bit for your little sister, and all she gave you is 10%."

"I heard from the waiters in the restaurant that they’re making a grand a day now. That’s thirty thousand a month! How much do you make a month? Not even three hundred."

"If you ask me, it’s better to go solo. We could start our own place. We don’t have to compare ourselves with your little sister. If we could just sell a few tables a day, by the end of the month, we could make a tidy sum, maybe a thousand or eight hundred, right?"

Shen Xiangnan cast a sidelong glance at her, "Are you dreaming? Do you think doing business is that easy? Buying vegetables, meat, coal, oil, paying rent, wages, do you have any idea how much that all costs a month? Starting a business, do you have the money for that? Even if you do get it started, who takes the hit if it fails?"

Erya on the bed was woken by Shen Xiangnan’s loud voice and started crying with her mouth wide open.

Jia Yuemei picked up her daughter, soothing her while she said to him, "I was just saying it off the top of my head. What are you getting so mad for? Look, you’ve frightened Erya."

"Oh oh, don’t cry, don’t cry..."

Shen Xiangnan continued his tirade, "Look down at the gold earrings and necklace you’re wearing. If it weren’t for my little sister, do you think you’d be living the good life you have now? You better stop badmouthing her carelessly, or I won’t be pleasant with you."

Seeing Shen Xiangnan angry, Jia Yuemei didn’t dare say any more.

But when she lay down in bed, she couldn’t help but feel wronged.

Even though she had a child, in her man’s eyes, she was still an outsider, not as dear as his own sister, Shen Mingzhu.

She was determined to have a son. Only with a son would she have someone to rely on.

...

Winter came in the blink of an eye, and although it hadn’t started snowing yet, many people had begun wearing thick coats.

Shen Mingzhu had taken some time out of her busy schedule to drive back to the family courtyard.

She had just parked the car when she ran into Shen Baolan, who was on her way out.

It had been more than a year since the two had seen each other.

The last time they met was when Shen Baolan and Qin Jinlian had fought and ended up in the police station.

Shen Baolan had lost some weight, her skin had darkened slightly, and appeared a bit coarser, but her spirit was still strong. She was pushing a two-wheeled snack cart with a bunch of bright red candied haws standing on it.

As soon as they faced each other, Shen Baolan was taken aback, but then her gaze fell on the Volga behind Shen Mingzhu.

"Shen Mingzhu, you must have struck it rich, huh? You can even afford a car now."

Her voice was heavy with sarcasm.

Shen Mingzhu brushed aside the strands of hair stirred by the cold wind, revealing the ruby earrings that glinted blood-red, making her skin seem as white as snow by comparison.

A stark contrast to Shen Baolan’s sallow and coarse complexion.

"Not too bad, I’ve made some money. But you’re not doing poorly yourself, starting your own small business. To be honest, if you had spent more time and effort on this and caused less trouble and less gossiping, you might have been a shop owner by now. You wouldn’t need to endure the cold to sell goods on the street in this freezing weather."

Shen Mingzhu’s words hit right home for Shen Baolan.

She had been at odds with Shen Mingzhu for over twenty years and was naturally strong-willed. Now, as Shen Mingzhu found success, and she had achieved little, it was tough to swallow.

"Shen Mingzhu, don’t act so smug. If I hadn’t given Pei Yang up to you, do you think you’d be living the good life you have now? If you had any conscience, you should thank me properly and give me a fat red envelope!"

Shen Mingzhu sneered, "The night is still young, and yet you’re already dreaming? You know very well why you didn’t choose Pei Yang back then."

"The good life I have, I earned with my own two hands and ability, not from anyone’s charity, and certainly not because I married someone."

"Out of respect for being from the same village, let me give you some advice. Don’t covet what others have."

Having said that, Shen Mingzhu walked away towards Feng Huiying, who was waiting not far away.

Shen Baolan watched her back for a while before she went back to pushing her snack cart onto the street.

Four years had passed, and Shen Mingzhu had finally lived the good life she dreamed of.

Shen Mingzhu really had good fortune.

No matter who she married, she was destined to be a rich lady.

She could not prevail no matter how hard she tried, always falling short of Shen Mingzhu.

However, she would not admit defeat.

She had also started her own business, and perhaps in four years, she too would become a big boss, live in a large house, hire a nanny, and drive a car.

Imagining herself driving back to the village, being welcomed by the villagers lining both sides of the road, Shen Baolan couldn’t help but crack a smile.

Whoosh~

A gust of cold wind rushed into her mouth, making her shiver.

...

"What were you chatting about with Shuhuan’s family? You talked for quite a while."

As soon as Shen Mingzhu approached, Feng Huiying greeted her with a teasing smile.

"Just some small talk. Feng sister, why are you out here?"

Feng Huiying let out a sigh, "I was thinking about you, the busy person, so I brought it out to you. Anyway, there’s nothing for me to do at home."

"Are you off work today?"

"Laid off."

For the working class, being laid off was almost like the sky falling.

Concern crossed Shen Mingzhu’s face, "What happened?"

Feng Huiying shrugged it off with a smile, "The factory’s performance isn’t good. They started shutting down earlier this year. We’ve been working one month and resting the next until the end of the year, and for three months we haven’t received any pay. It looks like I’m going to be part of the redundancy wave."

Shen Mingzhu thought about something, but since it was too cold, she pulled Feng Huiying into the car to chat.

"Feng sister, my restaurant is planning to open a branch and we’re really in need of staff. In the beginning, it will be tough, starting as a waitress, but would you consider it?"

Feng Huiying asked about the salary, benefits, and work location in detail and said she would go home and discuss it with her husband.

"Here, this is the old jacket you wanted. I’ve patched up the worn-out spots, just that my skills aren’t great, so the repairs don’t look very nice."

Shen Mingzhu took the jacket to inspect it and nodded in satisfaction, "Pretty good. Children in the countryside don’t fuss over appearance, as long as it keeps them warm."

"Warmth is no problem, the lining is all top-quality new cotton. I was saving it to eventually make a new cotton quilt."

Shen Mingzhu put the old jacket in the back seat and handed Feng Huiying a bag of food she had prepared earlier.

"Ah, there’s no need, I haven’t even finished what you gave me last time."

Feng Huiying declined.

"Last time was last time, this is different. Take it home for your child to eat."

Only then did Feng Huiying accept it, "Then I won’t be polite."

Shen Mingzhu patted her, laughing, "Don’t be a stranger. About the job I mentioned, think it over and get back to me as soon as you can."

"Sure."

...

After leaving the city, Shen Mingzhu drove towards Anping Town Primary School.

Since winter’s arrival, she had been concerned about Xu Dani.

The second-hand clothes she had gotten from Pei Wenping were only suitable for spring and autumn, none of them thick enough for winter.

Giving Dani barefoot schooling, Zeng Fengxian probably wouldn’t care whether Dani was cold or not.

Having decided to sponsor the child, Shen Mingzhu was committed to follow through.

The old jacket from Feng Huiying was for Dani to wear through the winter.

Upon arriving at the school and seeing Xu Dani, Shen Mingzhu’s brow furrowed involuntarily.