The Stepmother's Counterattack: Raising a Child in a Bygone Era-Chapter 818 - 817: It’s Too Late for Regrets

After dinner, when all the guests had gone, Shen Mingzhu took advantage of helping Pei Wenping carry stuff back to have a quick chat about the food factory’s recent situation.

"You disagreed with cooperating with Luo Sen, and Luo Sen turned around and invested in Hui Kang. Now Hui Kang, with Luo Sen Group’s name and financial power, is frantically grabbing market share. To sell more and get Hui Kang’s subsidies, a lot of distributors have cleared our factory’s products off their shelves to display Hui Kang’s."

"In addition to Hui Kang, Lejia and Xin Zhiwei, a few competitors in the same industry, have also been making big moves lately. Lejia has partnered with Sixi Group from Wan Province and has become their exclusive distributor in the Mainland Area. Xin Zhiwei managed to manufacture alongside the foreign retail giant Bai Lefu, and their sales volume has also flipped more than tenfold."

"The impact on our business is just one aspect; quite a few of the factory workers have been poached by higher salaries, and sales are continuously declining. It’s not just Du Juan who’s under tremendous pressure—I find myself quite envious looking at our competitors thriving."

While Pei Wenping spoke, she carefully observed Shen Mingzhu’s expression.

Seeing that Shen Mingzhu remained calm without any fluctuation, she couldn’t help but feel admiration.

...

When Shen Chaobei came home with the two kids, he was surprised to find Du Juan eating noodles alone at the dining table.

"You came back early today. Didn’t you eat at the banquet?"

He approached and, seeing only a few leaves of greens in Du Juan’s bowl, said, "Eat slowly, I’ll fry you a couple of eggs."

"No need, I don’t have an appetite, just eating a little to get by."

Seeing her in a bad mood, Shen Chaobei immediately sat down, concern on his face, "Did the talk with Old Yu not go well?"

Du Juan glanced at him, "They didn’t come at all."

"Why?"

Du Juan slammed her chopsticks down, frustration radiating from her: "What else could it be, Hui Kang had their grand opening celebration today, and they all ran to Hui Kang’s!"

Shen Chaobei quickly moved close, patting her back to ease her irritation, "Alright, don’t be angry. If they had something on today and couldn’t come, we can just reschedule for another day..."

"Them standing me up for Hui Kang’s banquet today already shows their stance and attitude!"

"They can’t only sell products from Hui Kang. Old Yu has been collaborating with our factory for many years, there’s still some loyalty. If you’re too proud to deal with it, I’ll go and talk to them personally. You eat first, the noodles are going stiff."

Du Juan stared at the bowl on the table, already losing its steam, vexed, "If I hadn’t rejected Luo Sen’s investment, we wouldn’t be in this situation today."

"It’s no use talking about that now."

"Yes, it’s too late for regrets."

Then, looking at Shen Chaobei, "I didn’t go to dinner tonight, did my sister say anything?"

"No, I told her you had other engagements. I almost forgot, she told me to bring back a box of dumplings for you, with shepherd’s purse and lamb filling, personally made by her, absolutely delicious. Try some."

Shen Chaobei was about to stand and get the dumplings, but Du Juan pulled on his hand, "Leave it for now, I don’t have an appetite."

After a pause, she asked again, "Did my sister not say anything else?"

"Nope."

Knowing her husband wasn’t one to lie, Du Juan didn’t press further, but she was not pleased.

In her eyes, the factory’s current dire predicament, besieged on all sides, was all caused by Shen Mingzhu’s poor decision-making.

Yet Shen Mingzhu seemed unconcerned, showing no regret or guilt.

...

When Shen Mingzhu returned home from Pei Wenping’s, the kitchen and living room had already been cleaned up, and both Cui Lianying and Pei Ke had also returned to their own places.

"Where’s Guoguo?"

Seeing Pei Yang leaning alone on the sofa dozing off, Shen Mingzhu walked over and asked.

Hearing her voice, Pei Yang opened his eyes, heavy with the haze of inebriation, his expression filled with a sense of grievance, "All you care about is Guoguo. I’m such a big person sitting right here, and you can’t see me?"

Shen Mingzhu chuckled and gently tapped the man’s forehead, "I’m not blind, how could I not see you? I told you to drink less, now do you know how bad it feels?"

"Mhm, it feels bad, need a hug from wife."

"People in their forties still acting like children."

Shen Mingzhu gently smacked the man’s hand away and went to the kitchen to mix a cup of wild honey water and brought it out.

"I want my wife to feed me."

"Drink it or not."

Shen Mingzhu placed the cup on the coffee table, preparing to go upstairs to check on her daughter, but before she could take a step, Pei Yang pulled her onto the couch and gave her a bear hug.

Although Pei Yang was tipsy, his strength was not diminished in the slightest.

Unable to break free, Shen Mingzhu simply reached out and pinched the soft flesh around the man’s waist.

Pei Yang, with a face full of enjoyment, taunted, "Wife, are you tickling me? It doesn’t hurt at all, use some more strength."

Shen Mingzhu looked up at the sky, speechless.

Seeing she had given up struggling, Pei Yang buried his fuzzy head into her neck and said contentedly, "Wife, you’re so soft, I really like holding you like this, I could do it for a lifetime."

"Thanks for the invite, but I’d rather not."

"Why?"

"A lifetime is so long, having only you as a man, the thought alone is sickening."

As soon as she finished speaking, Pei Yang pinched her chin, turned her face, and bit her.

The man showed no mercy with his lips, and Shen Mingzhu’s felt numb with pain, so she couldn’t help but punch him, "Are you a dog?"

Pei Yang’s eyes, filled with desire, focused on her reddened lips, "Did it hurt from the bite? A kiss will make it better..."

"I don’t want it."

"You do."

From the staircase, Pei Tang watched his parents being affectionate on the couch and instinctively called out, "Mom."

After being pushed away several times, Pei Yang finally let go reluctantly.

Standing up, Shen Mingzhu gave the man a stern look and then walked to her daughter with a smile, "Baby, have you finished your homework?"

"Uh-huh."

"Let’s go, mommy will check it for you upstairs, and after that, we’ll wash up and go to sleep."

"Okay."

At the stair landing, Pei Tang unconsciously glanced at Pei Yang, who was lying on the couch, "What’s wrong with dad?"

"He drank too much and isn’t feeling well, let him sleep, ignore him."

Pei Tang nodded.

...

After Shen Mingzhu took care of her daughter and put her to bed, Pei Yang, who had drunk the honey water, had also sobered up quite a bit.

Seeing Shen Mingzhu coming downstairs, he patted an empty spot next to him on the couch with a smile, "You’ve been busy all day, come and rest a while."

Shen Mingzhu sat down on another single sofa chair, "Sobered up?"

"I didn’t drink that much to begin with."

Under the light, Shen Mingzhu’s complexion was as fair as snow, her features elegantly beautiful. Half of her jet-black hair was held up with a jade pin at the back of her head, and the rest cascaded down her shoulders, exuding an unparalleled gentle grace.

Pei Yang was particularly fond of her like this, just quietly watching her, as if he possessed the whole world.

"The food industry in Fengcheng has been turned upside down by foreign capital, with food plants struggling to survive in the cracks. I’m afraid it’s going to be tough. Have you considered going back to take charge?"

"There’s no rush, the food plant has been established for so many years, and apart from the constant ups and downs in the first two years, these past years have been smooth sailing. Prosperity tends to nurture talent, but adversity truly tempers people."

To truly see the nature of a person, look at their choices and actions in adversity.