The Stepmother’s Counterattack: Raising a Child in a Bygone Era
Chapter 247 - 246: A Fly Does Not Target an Intact Egg

Chapter 247: Chapter 246: A Fly Does Not Target an Intact Egg

Shen Mingzhu approached the flower vase and stared at the bare stems for quite some time, feeling both exasperated and amused.

"Where are the petals?"

Pei Yang honestly took out a handful of bright red rose petals from his pocket and said pleasingly, "I know you like flowers, so I picked them up for you. I’ll dry them at home for you to make tea with."

Shen Mingzhu lightly pinched a petal, which had a rich color and a velvety texture—it was a type of dark red rose from Yunnan.

Besides being highly ornamental, the dark red roses were also edible.

When she first saw this bunch of roses that afternoon, she had a plan in mind. She never expected that during the short time it took her to wash her face, the man would impatiently strip the petals bare.

"Bring the petals back, rinse them with cool boiled water and hang them up to dry, I have a use for them."

After saying this, she added, "If there is one petal missing, you’ll see how I’ll deal with you."

"Mommy, I’ll help you supervise Daddy. If he doesn’t listen, you can beat him with a feather duster."

"Such a good child."

Pei Ziheng happily received a kiss from Shen Mingzhu, his little face flushing with joy.

Pei Yang could only look on with envy and resentment.

...

The next day, just like before, Pei Yang went to the hospital early to join Shen Mingzhu for breakfast, and after finishing, he went to the factory to continue selling candy with Shen Chaobei and Du Juan.

The cotton mill area had many factories and workers, so Pei Yang asked the couple to keep selling there.

He, on the other hand, took Shen Hongmei to the Ocean Shipping Company.

Pei Yang’s father had been with the Ocean Shipping Company for nearly thirty years, and with the support of Lin Guofu, his mentor, and the influence of the older generation, Pei Yang had managed to set up a stall right outside the company’s gates.

"Candy for sale! Authentic Marshal Red apple gummies, top-quality and even better prices, guaranteed to taste great."

"Try before you buy; if it’s not delicious, it’s free. Five yuan for two jin. Come have a look!"

Pei Yang was good at his job while at sea and was well-liked. Knowing that he had set up a stall outside the company, many workers took time out of their busy schedules to support his business.

In no time, he sold twenty or thirty jin, leaving Shen Hongmei beside herself with joy, unable to close her smiling mouth.

"Brother Pei Yang, at this rate, we could sell out our hundred jin of candy by the afternoon."

"Once they’re sold out, we’re done."

"Right on!"

While the two were chatting, another customer approached the stall.

Pei Yang was busy weighing and packing the candy, while Shen Hongmei took care of greeting customers, "Buying candy? These sour and sweet apple gummies are chewy and springy. Try them before you buy!"

Shen Hongmei eagerly handed over the plate filled with loose apple gummies, but the person didn’t even look at it, their eyes locked intently on Pei Yang.

"Pei Yang."

Pei Yang looked up and was somewhat surprised to see Wang Xiuzhu standing in front of his stall.

"Why did you quit your job? Was it Shen Mingzhu who made you do it?"

"It has nothing to do with your sister-in-law; I just don’t want to be running around outside all the time."

Intentionally moving to the other side of Shen Hongmei, Pei Yang didn’t want to get too close to Wang Xiuzhu, but she circled halfway around the stall and wound up beside him again.

"You were so passionate about working as a sailor, and it wasn’t easy for you to become the second officer. How could you just give up like this? Did Shen Mingzhu not let you go to sea anymore?"

"I really don’t understand why you married such an ignorant, selfish country girl who only knows how to hold you back."

"She lost your seaman’s certificate, caused you to be demoted, and when the sea area where the Tai’an had its accident was so dangerous, she didn’t stop you and let you go to your death. Now she’s made you quit your job, she’s basically ruining your life!"

Pei Yang initially had no desire to talk much with Wang Xiuzhu, but hearing how every word and sentence were slandering his wife, his expression grew cold.

"Wang Xiuzhu, quitting my job was my own willing decision. I wanted to stay with your sister-in-law and child, to lead a peaceful life—it’s my personal choice. Your sister-in-law has never held me back; on the contrary, she has given me a hundred percent support and understanding regarding my work."

Wang Xiuzhu had an expression of someone deeply hurt, "Even if you want a peaceful life, you didn’t necessarily have to quit. Do you know how much effort I put into asking uncle to help you clear the relationship and arrange for you to do management at the port? If you work hard, in a few years you could be promoted to manager, and I could even get my uncle to transfer you to the maritime bureau..."

"Wang Xiuzhu."

Pei Yang cut her off coldly, "I am not your puppet, you have no right to interfere with and arrange my life."

Wang Xiuzhu, "I’m doing this for your own good..."

"That’s the good you think I need, not the good I want!"

"Do you throw away a secure and respectable job just to set up this ragged stall and let others laugh at you behind your back!"

Shen Hongmei couldn’t stand hearing this, "What’s wrong with setting up a stall? Earning a living with our own skills, what right do you have to look down on working people?"

Wang Xiuzhu glared at her, "I wasn’t talking to you!"

Shen Hongmei pouted, "I don’t want to talk nonsense with you either, but you’re standing here preventing us from doing business, are you going to buy or not? If not, just leave."

Wang Xiuzhu looked at Pei Yang and saw that he was only busy weighing and bagging sugar, ignoring her, so she said angrily, "I’ll take all this sugar!"

After speaking, seeing Pei Yang look up at her briefly, Wang Xiuzhu couldn’t help but feel a surge of triumph.

"How much? I’ll buy all this sugar."

She pulled out her wallet, thinking to herself that by buying so much sugar, Pei Yang should be willing to talk to her a bit more.

Shen Hongmei’s attitude changed one hundred and eighty degrees immediately, "Big sis..."

"Who are you calling big sis?" Wang Xiuzhu was infuriated.

Shen Hongmei promptly corrected herself, "Fine, Miss."

’Miss’ is no good either; it’s like calling someone a prostitute.

Wang Xiuzhu glared at Shen Hongmei with an ugly expression, "My surname is Wang."

Shen Hongmei was also impatient, "Are you buying or not?"

"What’s with your attitude?"

"Can’t you afford it?"

She can’t afford it? Wang Xiuzhu’s face turned red with anger, "How much?"

Shen Hongmei rattled off the calculation, "Two point five per pound, there’s still about seventy pounds here, so it all adds up to around a hundred and eighty."

Wang Xiuzhu’s complexion stiffened, "That expensive!?"

"How is that expensive? Go to the department store, ordinary fruit hard candy costs three yuan. Our candies are made from Red Marshal apples, all authentic ingredients."

Wang Xiuzhu’s face reddened as she stammered to Pei Yang, "I didn’t bring enough money with me, can I just give fifty now and the rest next time?"

Shen Hongmei rolled her eyes, "If you don’t have money, then don’t waste our time."

Pei Yang casually picked up two pounds of sugar he had just bagged and stuffed it into Wang Xiuzhu’s arms, "Take this sugar back to Master and Mistress, and if there’s nothing else, you should head back early."

Wang Xiuzhu, clutching the sugar, her eyes shining, seemed to harbour some expectations, "I came here with Uncle, we won’t be leaving until tomorrow afternoon."

After waiting for a while and seeing no response from Pei Yang, Wang Xiuzhu could only leave reluctantly, looking back three times with every step.

"Pfft! Shameless!"

Watching Shen Hongmei’s feisty manner, Pei Yang couldn’t help but chuckle.

Shen Hongmei shot him a sidelong glare, "Brother Pei Yang, flies don’t sting a seamless egg, you should really do some self-reflection."

Pei Yang: "..."

He didn’t have any seams!

Wait, he wasn’t an egg.

...

In the evening, when they returned to the food factory and added everything up, good grief, they had actually sold over seven hundred pounds of sugar that day.

Shen Hongmei and Pei Yang looked at Shen Chaobei and his wife in disbelief, "Big brother, sister-in-law, did you guys sell over six hundred pounds today?"