The Stepmother’s Counterattack: Raising a Child in a Bygone Era
Chapter 491 - 490: Zhou Hui Comes to Seek Justice

Chapter 491: Chapter 490: Zhou Hui Comes to Seek Justice

Before Shen Mingzhu could open her mouth to question, Zhou Hui preemptively slapped the earrings down onto her office desk.

"Mingzhu, our families have a longstanding relationship, and I won’t beat around the bush. I hope you can manage your employees better. If there’s a next time, don’t blame me for not showing everyone mercy."

Shen Mingzhu motioned for Pei Qiuxia, who had followed her in, to leave first.

Once the office door closed, Shen Mingzhu picked up the earrings from the desk and shook them, "I have a hundred or so employees. Who are you referring to?"

"Whoever the earrings belong to, that’s who I’m referring to."

"This style is quite common; plenty of people wear them. On what grounds do you determine they belong to my employee?"

Zhou Hui snorted coldly, "Aside from Shen Hongmei, who else could have been in my Dafa’s car?"

"Even if it was Hongmei, what’s the problem? My sister and I have also ridden in Brother Zhao’s car. If one day we dropped something in Zhao’s car, would you suspect us too?"

Zhou Hui angrily said, "Mingzhu, that’s easy for you to say while you’re not in the hot seat. If one day you found jewelry in Pei Yang’s car, would you still be as calm as you are now?"

"If I encountered such a situation, I would first get to the bottom of the facts, rather than coming over solely based on suspicion. Sister Hui, forgive my bluntness, but by doing this, you’re not only showing distrust towards Brother Zhao, but you’re also hurting Hongmei’s character."

"Just for riding in Brother Zhao’s car once, I have to face your groundless suspicions and slander. It seems I should keep my distance from your family in the future."

Zhou Hui was choking with anger, "You can’t just lump everything together like that."

"Why not? Hongmei and I are of similar age. If you can suspect her today, you might suspect me tomorrow, and maybe my older cousin next time. Ah, I should call my older cousin right now, tell her not to chat with Brother Zhao anymore, let alone take his car, to avoid being wrongfully accused by you."

Seeing Shen Mingzhu reaching for the phone, Zhou Hui became somewhat flustered.

She knew all too well how much Zhao Dafa valued his relationship with the Pei Family. If their relationship were to be affected because of her, her plans for getting the certificate would surely fall through.

"Mingzhu, I admit I was impulsive, but you can’t blame me entirely. Shen Hongmei, at her age, isn’t married and leaves personal belongings in my Dafa’s car. If it were you, wouldn’t you be irritated, too?"

"Not at all. First, I trust my man, and second, I trust Shen Hongmei."

Zhou Hui, having gained no advantage, left dejectedly.

Stepping out of the food factory’s gate, she looked back at its sign, full of resentment.

Shen Mingzhu, you’re just relying on your youth and beauty to keep a man’s heart.

Just wait until you’re old and faded, let’s see if you can stay as arrogant as you are today.

...

Back in the office.

"President Shen, did you call for me?" Shen Hongmei asked as she entered.

Shen Mingzhu pointed to the earrings on the desk, with a calm tone, "Your stuff."

Shen Hongmei picked up the earrings both shocked and elated, "So it was you who found them. I thought they were lost. I was so upset last night, I couldn’t sleep."

Although Shen Hongmei’s income wasn’t low, she was reluctant to spend money on herself. The gold earrings were actually a birthday gift from Shen Mingzhu, and she cherished them greatly.

"It was Zhou Hui who brought them over."

Shen Mingzhu briefly recounted Zhou Hui’s accusatory visit in a succinct manner.

The joy Shen Hongmei felt at regaining her lost item was diluted by about seventy to eighty percent, "... If I had known, I wouldn’t have taken Brother Zhao’s car. President Shen, I’m sorry, I didn’t think it through. I won’t take rides from others again."

Shen Mingzhu nodded, consoled her with a few words, and then let Shen Hongmei go back to work.

She knew very well that Zhou Hui’s fuss was nothing but a pretext to vent her irritation about something that had happened a few days earlier.

In the past, Shen Mingzhu had been willing to tolerate Zhou Hui out of regard for the Zhao father and son.

But with one incident after another lately, she was also quite irate, wishing that Zhao Dafa would swiftly ditch such a persistent nuisance.

...

The next day, at the Shenji Branch Store chef recruitment scene.

Julie stood in front of the applicants lined up in two rows. "Since its opening, Shenji has been selling uniqueness and novelty, and all our dishes must be kept strictly confidential. Therefore, all kitchen staff are required to sign a three-year non-compete agreement. Once the agreement is signed, it will have legal effect, and violators will be pursued for legal responsibility," she said.

After finishing, Julie distributed photocopies of the non-compete agreements to each job seeker.

After reviewing the terms of the non-compete agreement, the applicants started whispering to each other.

"Not being allowed to do the same job for three years after resigning is a bit of an overbearing clause, isn’t it?"

Someone protested dissatisfiedly.

Julie looked at the person. "Shenji’s remuneration is leading in the entire industry. In addition, we offer holiday benefits, birthday benefits, a free annual health experience, and a comprehensive internal promotion mechanism. As long as you are willing to work diligently, there is no worry about lacking opportunities for promotion and salary increases."

"Of course, the choice is mutual. If anyone finds the agreement too harsh, they can leave now."

After some commotion, one-third of the applicants had left.

Julie briefly explained the rules of the interview then led the people to the kitchen.

In the kitchen, Shen Mingzhu was discussing the taste and presentation of new dishes with Shen Xiangnan. When they saw Julie leading people in, they stopped talking.

"This is President Shen, the behind-the-scenes owner and founder of our Shenji," Julie introduced.

Hearing Julie’s introduction, the applicants called out to her as "President Shen," with expressions of curiosity, respect, and amazement on their faces.

It had been said that the lady boss of Shenji was very young and pretty, but seeing is believing after all.

The woman’s skin was whiter than snow, her bright eyes and teeth gleamed, and her long hair was simply tied into a bun at the back of her head with a white jade hairpin.

The snow-white shirt was tucked into apricot-grey wide-legged pants, her waist was slim and elegant, with a demeanor that was both delicate and charming.

Shen Mingzhu glanced over the group of applicants, then nodded at Shen Xiangnan. "Let’s begin."

The interview process was simple.

Shen Xiangnan first demonstrated how to cook a dish.

The job seekers, grouped in threes, were to complete the dish within the allotted time.

Shen Mingzhu, Shen Xiangnan, and Julie graded the dishes, and the top six were retained.

After nearly two hours of competition, six applicants stood out.

The other participants who were not selected also received a consolation prize: a large snack gift package from their own company.

"First of all, congratulations to everyone for officially becoming a part of Shenji. Currently, our chefs are divided into four levels: Apprentice Chef, Chef, Head Chef, and Executive Chef. Starting tomorrow, you will undergo a training period of half a month at the main store," she said.

"After the training ends, there will be an assessment. The person with the highest score will be directly appointed as Head Chef, and the second and third-highest scorers will be official Chefs. The rest will be Apprentice Chefs..."

After announcing the promotion mechanism, Shen Mingzhu left first.

Her current focus was mainly on Shenji’s new dishes and new store renovations, leaving the rest to Julie and Shen Xiangnan to manage.

The two did not disappoint her expectations, managing Shenji efficiently.

...

After several days of careful thought, Zhao Dafa finally made a decision.