The Stepmother’s Counterattack: Raising a Child in a Bygone Era
Chapter 515 - 514: The Strong Dragon Does Not Suppress the Local Snake

Chapter 515: Chapter 514: The Strong Dragon Does Not Suppress the Local Snake

"Boss Shen, you don’t think that we came specially to extort money from you, do you?"

If money can settle the issue, then there’s no problem at all. The fear is when the other party doesn’t want to talk money.

Mingzhu put on a smile, "It was my lack of consideration. For important people like you and Manager Chen, this amount of money is indeed trivial. Secretary Li, what do you think about this proposal? I’ll provide you and Manager Chen with ten tables of food for free. Whenever you feel like eating Shenji’s dishes in the future, just give me a call and I’ll arrange it."

Secretary Li sized up Mingzhu then joked with Chen Jun with a laugh, "The people of Fengcheng are indeed remarkable. To see such a young, capable, and beautiful lady boss like you is quite rare in Yecheng."

Getting Secretary Li’s hint, Chen Jun said to Mingzhu, "Boss Shen, let’s forget the compensation. Secretary Li rarely visits Fengcheng, so let’s change venues. You accompany Secretary Li for a few drinks and offer an apology, and we’ll consider the matter closed."

"Secretary Li, how does that sound to you?"

Secretary Li nodded at Chen Jun with satisfaction, "That works."

Xiangnan, as a man, could see that Secretary Li had designs on Mingzhu and immediately stood in front of her.

"Secretary Li, my little sister has always had a low alcohol tolerance, falling over after just one drink. Her going would only dampen the mood. I’ll drink with you instead, I can hold my liquor."

Secretary Li gave Mingzhu a disdainful look, "Boss Shen, Manager Chen already made the offer, now it’s all about whether you’re sincere in solving the problem."

Mingzhu smiled: "Fine."

Xiangnan immediately turned back, "Little sister, you can’t go!"

Mingzhu ignored him. She asked Chen Jun and Secretary Li to please wait a moment while she went to give some instructions to her staff.

They left the private room and went into another empty one to talk.

"Little sister, you can’t go! That Li guy is obviously bad news."

"I’m not blind. Of course, I can see he is no good."

"Then why did you agree to go drinking with them?"

"If I go, the worst that could happen is probably losing my innocence and being played by that Li for nothing. Shen Xiangnan, if I end up that way, it’s all thanks to you. The humiliation I suffered today, everything I did, was all to clean up your mess."

Mingzhu did not rant or hit Xiangnan.

But each word she uttered was like a heavy punch, hitting Xiangnan hard in the heart, causing him both pain and regret.

"Little sister, I was wrong, I truly deserve to die!"

He slapped himself hard several times, then knelt before Mingzhu to confess, "Little sister, it’s all my fault, don’t go. If something happens to you, I won’t have the face to explain to dad, mom, big brother, and Pei Yang."

Looking at the red handprints on Xiangnan’s face, Mingzhu didn’t soften. Instead, she raised her hand and gave him a few more slaps.

Xiangnan didn’t dare to dodge and just knelt there, letting her hit him.

After she had finished hitting him, Mingzhu finally felt some of the blockage in her heart ease.

"What’s the use of knowing your mistake now? Why didn’t you think of the consequences when you were making them? Didn’t I tell you that dead crabs are poisonous? If a customer had an incident because of the dead crab you served, we would both be sued, and we might even end up in jail! What will you have to compensate with?"

Xiangnan cried with tears and snot, "I didn’t think that much; I was wrong. I won’t dare to do it again, little sister, I really know my mistake now."

"You stay here and reflect on this. Don’t get up until I come back!"

Xiangnan hurriedly clutched at her trouser leg, "Little sister, what are you going to do?"

"I’m going to clean up the mess you made!"

After saying that, Mingzhu kicked him aside, opened the door, and prepared to leave.

Xiangnan wanted to follow, but she turned her head and roared, "Don’t move!" at him.

...

Upon leaving the private room, Shen Mingzhu calmed her emotions and adjusted her appearance before returning to Chen Jun’s private room with a smile on her face.

"Secretary Li, Manager Chen, sorry to have kept you waiting. I took the opportunity to call Mrs. Yan while I was out, which delayed me a bit."

As a Fengcheng native, Chen Jun couldn’t help but feel a jolt inside when he heard the surname Yan.

"The Mrs. Yan that Ms. Shen mentions, may I ask...?"

Shen Mingzhu gave Chen Jun a beaming smile, "That would be Dr. Yan Yi’s wife. Oh, do you know her too, Manager Chen? I’ve known Mrs. Yan for some years now, and we’re quite close."

"She’s due to give birth in a month and has been feeling quite anxious recently. I make it a point to visit and chat with her at the Zhong Family home to help her relax."

"We had arranged to meet at the Zhong Family residence at two o’clock this afternoon, but as I’m not good with alcohol, after drinking with Secretary Li, I surely won’t be able to make it. That’s why I called her in advance, to save her the trouble of waiting."

Though Secretary Li was not from Fengcheng, he was aware of the Yan Family’s reputation.

Upon hearing Mingzhu bringing up Mrs. Yan, his expression immediately turned cold. "I, Secretary Li, detest imposing on others. If Ms. Shen does not wish to drink this compensatory drink, let’s deal with today’s matter officially. Xiaochen, call the Bureau of Industry and Commerce and have them come over to handle this."

This response was exactly what Shen Mingzhu had anticipated.

Liu Yuehua had become the second in command at the Bureau this year, and with the head away for training, she had given no small amount of "respectful offerings" to Liu Yuehua over the years. Sure enough, she could smooth over such a minor matter with Liu Yuehua’s help.

However, her face showed panic. "Secretary Li, you’ve misunderstood, I didn’t mean that..."

Chen Jun signaled the hostess beside him with his eyes.

She got the hint. "Secretary Li, it’s no fun drinking with someone who can’t hold their liquor."

Another hostess joined in, "If she can’t drink, she can still eat, right? Secretary Li, why not have her finish all the fishy and rotten food on this table? That would let us vent our spleen too."

Someone like Secretary Li, with his deep and impenetrable ways, was merely posturing with his anger.

He knew full well the principle that even a strong dragon cannot oppress the local snake, and he had no intention of offending a prestigious family like the Yan Family over such a trivial matter.

The two hostesses offered him an out, and he took the opportunity to retreat gracefully.

So the matter of the toast was dropped.

But Mingzhu still had to finish the entire table of dishes.

Let alone that she had eaten lunch, even with an empty stomach, she couldn’t possibly fit an entire king crab inside.

Fresh crab meat is delightfully sweet and tasty, but dead crab reeks terribly.

When eating the first plate, Mingzhu could barely manage to swallow, but by the second plate, her entire being was suffering; every bite became increasingly difficult, as if her stomach were churning violently, on the verge of erupting the next second.

Chen Jun, intending to let her off the hook, took Secretary Li away under the pretext of dining elsewhere.

"Wow—"

The moment Chen Jun and the others stepped out of the private room, Mingzhu immediately clutched the trash can and began to vomit profusely.

Hearing the sounds of retching from the private room, Chen Jun smiled at Secretary Li: "I believe this lesson will make quite an impression on Ms. Shen, ensuring she won’t dare to take us lightly again."

Secretary Li nodded, feeling quite disappointed.

It was not often that he came across such an attractive beauty – that face, that figure, and her snow-white skin. Merely gazing at her set his heart aflutter, and to think of the delights that could be, oh, he could only imagine.

Chen Jun could clearly see Secretary Li’s lustful gaze, and he had specifically brought two hostesses along to cater to him.

"Secretary Li, Xiaoliu and Xiaokong are both known for their great capacity to hold their liquor. Let them keep you company in a proper round of drinks, and we won’t leave until we’re drunk."

Secretary Li’s eyes roved over the two hostesses, and a smile returned to his face.