The Stepmother’s Counterattack: Raising a Child in a Bygone Era
Chapter 572 - 571: The Background of He Liyi

Chapter 572: Chapter 571: The Background of He Liyi

"Hongmei, over here."

Seeing Zhao Dafa waving to her from not too far away, Shen Hongmei walked over with a tray full of food.

Zhao Dafa stood up to take the tray from her hand and casually asked, "Where’s Xiaoyun? Where did he run off to again?"

"He went to the restroom."

After sitting down, Shen Hongmei returned the money clip to Zhao Dafa immediately, thinking of the photo inside, a faint warmth rising to her face.

"I didn’t spend your money, I promised to treat Xiaoyun to fried chicken, and we should keep our promises in front of the children."

Hearing her say this, Zhao Dafa nodded with a smile, "You’re right, today I’m also lucky to have Xiaoyun’s presence, getting a meal out of it."

Shen Hongmei chuckled: "I didn’t know what you liked, so I ordered the same as Xiaoyun."

"That’s fine, I eat everything."

As he spoke, Zhao Dafa picked up a cup of cola and placed it in front of Shen Hongmei, "Eat."

Shen Hongmei looked towards the restroom and said, "Let’s wait for Xiaoyun, he’s been gone a while now, should be back soon."

Zhao Dafa looked at her, "I’m worried you’re hungry."

"Not really that hungry, I ate quite a few snacks and fruits while we were playing chess."

Upon hearing this, Zhao Dafa changed the topic and started chatting about family matters with her, "Your sister is going to take the college entrance exam next year, right? How are her grades?"

"Not bad, she should have no problem getting into a teachers’ college."

Zhao Dafa nodded, "Why not transfer her to a school in the city, find a better one, it’d be good if she could get into an undergraduate program."

The two chatted for a little while when Zhao Yun came back in a hurry.

The three of them started eating.

Zhao Yun took a big gulp of cola and frowned, asking, "Why didn’t you add ice?"

Shen Hongmei looked at him, "Aren’t you feeling uncomfortable in your stomach? It’s better to drink it at room temperature. It’s getting cooler now, try to drink less cold stuff."

Zhao Yun couldn’t just admit that the stomachache was an excuse he had made up and had no choice but to drink the room-temperature cola he despised.

To an outsider, this was just a trivial matter, but such attentiveness and thoughtfulness deeply moved Zhao Dafa.

This was also where Shen Hongmei differed from Zhou Hui.

Zhou Hui would order a heap of her son’s favorite foods without caring whether they might upset his stomach, simply indulging and spoiling him without limit.

After a hearty meal, Zhao Dafa suggested going to see a movie.

"The lunch today was a treat from your Aunt Hongmei, she said she promised you and couldn’t break her word. This afternoon, I’ll treat you both to a movie."

Upon hearing this, Zhao Yun thanked Shen Hongmei with surprise and then made an excuse about having plans with Pei Ziheng.

"You two go ahead, I’m heading home to get some sleep, playing basketball with Ziheng this afternoon."

Knowing that his son was deliberately creating some private time for him and Shen Hongmei, Zhao Dafa happily accepted the gesture.

The two of them got Zhao Yun a taxi and then walked hand in hand towards the cinema.

Halfway there, they encountered a boy selling roses, fifty cents a flower. Zhao Dafa bought the entire basket, leaving the flower boy grinning from ear to ear.

Zhou Hui and He Liyi crouched in wait like thieves all afternoon, failing to witness the expected argument or breakup, instead getting a face full of public displays of affection.

They were nearly furious.

Zhou Hui said sarcastically to He Liyi, "Weren’t you confident that your plan was foolproof? In the end, it was completely useless, they’re still happily sweet together, unaffected in the slightest."

He Liyi was also frustrated and couldn’t help but curse Shen Hongmei, "She turned out to be more tolerant and better at pretending than I thought, thick-skinned too. Who knows how much resentment she’s holding inside!"

Zhou Hui didn’t want to hear any of this, she was only interested in results.

"Give me the ten thousand yuan you promised me, our partnership ends here."

"I don’t have money now."

He Liyi’s righteous tone infuriated Zhou Hui, "Are you tricking me?"

"I didn’t trick you, I just don’t have any right now, that doesn’t mean I won’t have it later."

He Liyi looked at her, "As long as you help me secure the position of Mrs. Zhao’s, not to mention ten thousand, even thirty thousand or fifty thousand won’t be a problem."

Zhou Hui was on the verge of going mad, wasn’t this just getting something for nothing?

By the time she furiously returned to Lanxin Garden, she saw Zhao Dafa’s secretary waiting outside her home.

Feeling guilty after doing something deceitful, she couldn’t help but feel nervous, "Secretary Ren, why are you here?"

"Sister Hui, Mr. Zhao doesn’t want you to harass him and his family anymore, including Miss Shen. If there is a next time, he will retract his promise to gift this house."

Zhao Dafa’s warning undoubtedly sent a chill down Zhou Hui’s spine.

If Zhao Dafa found out that she had colluded with He Liyi and secretly instigated dissension between him and Shen Hongmei, she feared she might really lose the house.

Zhou Hui was scared and regretful. She hurriedly stopped Ren Yan who was about to leave.

"Secretary Ren, there’s something I have to tell you..."

Zhou Hui spilled everything about He Liyi’s return to Fengcheng, secretly contacting Zhao Yun, and tempting her to join forces against Shen Hongmei. She laid it all out, hoping to redeem herself through confession.

"Secretary Ren, it was all He Liyi’s idea, she said she would give me ten thousand yuan. I was confused and just did as she told me. As it turned out, she was just tricking me. She’s eyeing Dafa like a tiger watches its prey, she won’t stop until she gets what she wants, you should warn Dafa to be careful not to fall for her schemes."

...

Zhao Yun was still half asleep when Pei Ziheng’s call summoned her home.

"What’s the matter, hastily calling me over like this."

As soon as she entered Pei Ziheng’s room, Zhao Yun collapsed onto the bed, overcome by sleepiness, preparing to snooze a little longer.

Pei Ziheng casually tossed a document folder onto her, "Take a look, the life experiences of He Liyi after she left you and Uncle Zhao."

Zhao Yun’s sleepiness vanished in an instant. She quickly sat up and began looking through the materials in the document folder.

He Liyi ran away to work in Wencheng less than six months after giving birth to Zhao Yun, and the following year she married a local business owner in Wencheng, bearing him two daughters and a son.

The eldest daughter was two years younger than Zhao Yun, and the youngest son was seven years old this year.

The business owner husband of He Liyi was called Xue Guang.

Xue Guang got involved in making fake brand-name bags with a partner last year, was reported, had the factory seized, and it was shut down. He ended up with a huge debt as a result.

When it rains, it pours.

At this time, He Liyi contracted tuberculosis. Not wanting to drag down her husband and three children, He Liyi divorced Xue Guang and took on all the family’s debts.

This time she returned to see Zhao Dafa, partly for treatment and partly to renew their past relationship, hoping Zhao Dafa would help her repay her debts.

Do you think that’s the end?

Far from it.

In the month that He Liyi returned, she sent a total of one thousand yuan to Wencheng.

Naturally, He Liyi didn’t have any money on her, and all this money was the living expenses Zhao Yun gave her.

Plus, gifts like bird’s nest, ginseng, and deer antler, she turned them all into cash and sent to her husband and children.

It goes without saying, if He Liyi truly returned to the Zhao Family, she would probably empty their coffers in a few years’ time.

Utterly selfish and malicious.

"She told me she’s been working in sweatshops all these years, not even having enough food to eat. I felt sorry for her, spent all my pocket money to rent her an apartment, let her buy food and clothes, wanting her to live a decent life for a few days. Turns out she thinks I’m an idiot ATM?"

Pei Ziheng calmly consoled her, "Just think of it as taking care of your siblings, after all, her three kids are your half-siblings."

Zhao Yun burst into tears with rage, "Damn half-siblings, whoever wants them can have them. I sure don’t!"