The Stepmother’s Counterattack: Raising a Child in a Bygone Era
Chapter 219 - 218: Do Not Trust the Friendship and Character During the Honeymoon Period (Minor Revision)

Chapter 219: Chapter 218: Do Not Trust the Friendship and Character During the Honeymoon Period (Minor Revision)

"Shuhuan, once the food factory has settled down, let’s start something else together. I know you are not the type to settle for the status quo and want to achieve great things. I understand you," Pei Yang said.

Gazing into Pei Yang’s steadfast eyes, Zhou Shuhuan did not feel embarrassed about having his thoughts read; instead, he felt a surge of relief, as if he was understood and respected.

If his goal had once been to stand out, now, on top of that, he had an added determination to redeem himself.

Only success could completely remove the stigma branded upon him, to wash away the world’s mockery and shame.

"Brother Yang, do you have any good ideas?"

"I do, and it just so happens to be related to your field..."

The brothers drank and chatted jubilantly, deep into the night.

...

Ever since Pei Yang began working at the food factory, Shen Mingzhu had hardly stepped out at all.

Every day, she was in charge of the accounts, reports, and staff management at the factory.

She could finish these tasks in half a day, and she spent most of the remaining time preparing for her self-study exams, occasionally making time for a date with Zhong Qing.

Time flowed neither too quickly nor too slowly, and December arrived in the blink of an eye.

The light autumn jackets were replaced with cotton-padded coats to fend off the cold. Although it had not yet snowed, the chilly temperature and piercing north wind made getting out of bed and leaving the house particularly difficult.

Especially on rainy, windy days, Shen Mingzhu would often stay snuggled within the warm comfort of her bedding, reflecting on herself.

Why did she choose to start a business? Was it because lying flat was uncomfortable? Was the bedding not warm enough?

But then she remembered the bank loan, the factory workers waiting for their meals, and the two men depending on her. What was there to lie about? Get up and hustle!

Today was the second of the month and also the day the monthly accounts were settled.

Shen Mingzhu had just sat down in her office when Shen Chaobei and his wife, along with Shen Hongmei, came in, all looking at her with eager anticipation.

Shen Mingzhu pulled out the account book calculated the previous night, opened it, and started reading out last month’s expenditures and income of the factory.

As soon as she finished reading, Shen Chaobei eagerly asked for the results, "Did we make any money last month?"

This was the third time Shen Chaobei had asked that question.

Shen Mingzhu’s clear apricot eyes swept over each face, she stood up, and, holding a piece of chalk, wrote down a number on the small blackboard beside her.

358.2.

"This is our net profit for November."

After a brief silence, Shen Chaobei was the first to exclaim excitedly, "Last month we made three hundred and fifty-eight?"

Shen Mingzhu smiled and nodded.

While the others were not as animated as Shen Chaobei, their expressions were nonetheless euphoric.

In September, the income broke even with the expenses. October’s gross profit was much higher than September’s, but after settling the September’s incentive bonuses for the shop owners and accounting for the uncollected debts from several new stores, the balance sheet still showed no surplus.

It was not until November, with the further expansion of the stores being stocked and the gradual recollection of funds, that money finally appeared on the books.

Three hundred and fifty yuan might seem a lot, but when divided up, it was only a bit over a hundred yuan each. But having worked hard for so long and finally seeing the money, Shen Mingzhu was excited too.

Before long, the tenth arrived—the day the food factory distributed wages.

Early in the morning, Shen Mingzhu gathered the workers in her office to sign for and receive their wages.

For the workers, today was undoubtedly a great day; they were all grinning from ear to ear.

After distributing the wages, Shen Mingzhu held a staff meeting to review the work of the past month and awarded a ten yuan bonus to those chosen as outstanding employees of November.

The afternoon was a holiday.

With the end of the year approaching and keeping cash in the dorm not being safe, giving everyone a half-day off to deposit their money at the bank or send it back to their rural homes was the best option.

After everyone had left, Shen Mingzhu called Pei Yang into the office and handed him an envelope.

"What’s this supposed to mean? I get a salary too? And it’s not a small amount."

Pei Yang took out the fifty dollars from the envelope, his expression mockingly amused.

Shen Mingzhu chuckled, "It’s your spending money. You’re always out, dealing with a bunch of small business owners, there are always expenses with social interactions."

That was true.

When meeting male shop owners, there’s always the exchange of cigarettes and such, which is the simplest and quickest way for men to build rapport.

"Thanks, boss."

Pei Yang casually stuffed the money into his pocket, pulled Shen Mingzhu towards him intending to steal a kiss, but she pushed him away, refusing with a struggle, "Stop it, we’re working, be serious."

"It’s a holiday today."

"I still have something to say."

Seeing her serious expression, Pei Yang didn’t tease her anymore and reined in his actions, "Go ahead."

Shen Mingzhu laid out the initial investment ratio and the shareholding distribution she and Shen Chaobei had with the food factory, "...As I said before, your involvement in the food factory isn’t about helping me, it’s about us creating this business together. I plan to transfer 25% of my shares to you, so you’ll also be one of the bosses of the food factory in the future."

Pei Yang rejected the offer without even thinking, "No need, honey, we’re husband and wife, what’s the difference between mine and yours?"

Shen Mingzhu looked at him with a seriousness in her eyes that Pei Yang had never seen before, "I once heard a piece of advice, to never trust the good faith and character shown during the honeymoon period, but only what’s written in black and white."

"Life is long, the road ahead is far, feelings may change, but interests are eternal."

The teasing and smiles gradually vanished from Pei Yang’s face, his tone was calm, but he was suppressing his emotions.

"Are you guarding against me, or are you preparing to split up with me?"

Shen Mingzhu had been contemplating the idea of allocating shares to Pei Yang for some time, including the percentages. She had carefully considered it and anticipated that Pei Yang might have some reactions.

But when Pei Yang’s expression showed hurt and his tone was mocking as he questioned whether she was guarding against him, her heart couldn’t help but feel unavoidably pricked.

She softened her voice to reassure him, "Pei Yang, I know it’s a downer to talk about this when our relationship is at its best, but this is reality, it doesn’t cease to exist just because I don’t mention it."

"Giving you the shares isn’t about guarding against you, but rather my gratitude and sincerity for your willingness to join me in this venture, and also a protection for you."

"Because I can’t guarantee that if one day in the future, our relationship runs into problems, I’ll be as kind as I am today, letting you have the share you deserve."

Pei Yang tugged at the corner of his mouth, "Should I thank you, then?"

Pei Yang’s extremity and sharpness caught Shen Mingzhu off guard and made her very anxious.

Because, at that moment, Pei Yang seemed like a wild beast ready to lash out at any second.

She walked over, reached out to hug him, trying to use this gesture to calm his agitated emotions.

But Pei Yang didn’t give her the chance; almost the moment she lifted her foot, he turned and strode away.

Pei Yang was tall with long legs, and he walked away quickly and urgently. By the time Shen Mingzhu came to her senses, he had already left the office.

Shen Mingzhu hurriedly chased after him, "Pei Yang!"

Pei Yang didn’t stop at her call; instead, he walked even faster and quickly disappeared from view.

Although the workers had gone out, Du Juan and her husband, as well as Shen Hongmei, were still working in the factory.

Hearing her shout, the three of them ran out, gathering around her to ask what had happened.

Shen Mingzhu couldn’t utter a word, only feeling an overwhelming sense of loneliness and loss that she had never experienced before, suffocating her.

She was somewhat bewildered, and felt like crying.

Had she done something wrong?