The Stepmother's Counterattack: Raising a Child in a Bygone Era-Chapter 30 - It’s Not That I Despise the Poor, It’s Just You I Despise
Chapter 30: Chapter 30: It’s Not That I Despise the Poor, It’s Just You I Despise
Chapter 30 -30: It’s Not That I Despise the Poor, It’s Just You I Despise
When Shen Baolan learned that her husband had bought Shen Mingzhu’s mooncakes, she was already furious.
Then, hearing that Shen Mingzhu had charged her husband three yuan, Shen Baolan was almost spitting blood with anger.
“Good for you, Shen Mingzhu, conning money even from me!”
“I won’t let this go!”
Shen Baolan didn’t even bother to make dinner, she grabbed the mooncakes and stomped downstairs to confront Shen Mingzhu.
Shen Mingzhu had just packed up her stall and was preparing to go home when the two ran into each other in the residential complex.
“Shen Mingzhu, have you no shame?
My man took pity on you and tried to help out your business, and look at you, savagely overcharging people you know?
A few measly mooncakes and you charge three yuan?
You think your mooncakes are made of gold?
I won’t let this slide today unless you give me an explanation!”
It was getting dark, and some residents who had finished their dinner early were sitting by the flower beds, enjoying the cool night air and chatting.
Seeing a quarrel brewing between the two, they quickly gathered around to watch.
“What’s going on again with the Zhou family’s daughter-in-law?”
Seeing a crowd gathering, Shen Baolan got even more worked up and loudly broadcasted how Shen Mingzhu had swindled her husband’s money.
“Look at these, just a few shoddy mooncakes.
Out there, at most, they sell for one yuan, and she had the nerve to charge three yuan.
Everyone, please judge this for yourself, isn’t Shen Mingzhu utterly heartless?”
After understanding the whole story, the onlookers started to discuss Shen Mingzhu’s wrongdoing.
“Pei Yang’s family, wanting to earn money through your skills is fine, but you can’t cheat your old acquaintances.
We all live in the same complex; what you did was really not decent at all.”
“Exactly.
Those mooncakes are just too expensive.”
Seeing everyone siding with her, Shen Baolan felt triumphantly vindicated, feeling the resentment she had been harboring for days finally dissipating.
Shen Mingzhu looked at those who complained about the expensive mooncakes, “It’s true that the mooncakes I sell are not cheap, but there is a reason for the price.
Everyone tasted them this afternoon, who dares to say they aren’t delicious?”
After Shen Mingzhu set up her stall in the afternoon, many people came to see what was happening and tried the mooncakes, which were indeed delicious.
“The taste is great, with genuine ingredients.
Is it so outrageous to sell them at a higher price?”
At that, no one dared to call them expensive anymore.
Only then did Shen Mingzhu turn towards Shen Baolan, “I’ve been clear about my prices; I haven’t swindled or deceived anyone, and I certainly didn’t force your husband to buy them.”
Shen Baolan wouldn’t listen to her explanation, “Cut the crap, Shen Mingzhu.
I want a refund; I don’t want these mooncakes!
If you dare not to refund me, I’ll go to the Bureau of Industry and Commerce to file a complaint tomorrow.
Don’t blame me when they crack down on you for price gouging!”
“Refunding is fine, as long as the goods haven’t been unpacked or damaged, I’ll refund you.”
Shen Mingzhu agreed to the refund not out of fear of a report, but because she didn’t want to get entangled with Shen Baolan any longer.
She even decided she didn’t want to do business with the Zhou family in the future to avoid any further disputes.
But Shen Baolan thought Shen Mingzhu was scared by her threats and felt smugly pleased with herself.
Shen Mingzhu took the mooncakes, looked at them, and counted out two yuan and seventy cents to give to her.
Shen Baolan immediately screamed as if her feathers had been ruffled, “Why just two yuan and seventy cents?
My husband clearly gave you three yuan.
Just like that, thirty cents have gone missing.
Do you think you’re Zhou Bapi?”
Shen Mingzhu sneered, “I sold eight mooncakes, and you’re returning seven.
What about the one you ate?
Should I pay for that myself?”
Only then did Shen Baolan remember that they had eaten one with red bean filling at home.
“Three yuan for one lousy mooncake, why don’t you just rob people?”
“What’s it to you?”
After throwing the money at Shen Baolan, Shen Mingzhu picked up her market stall goods and continued on her way home with Pei Ziheng.
When Ma Sufen learned that her daughter-in-law had gone to settle accounts with Shen Mingzhu and got back the money for the mooncakes, she was so pleased that she couldn’t stop smiling, incessantly praising Shen Baolan’s capability.
However, Zhou Shuhuan couldn’t help but reproach Shen Baolan a few times.
Although he also felt that Shen Mingzhu’s mooncakes were expensive, having bought them, the most he would do next time was not buy them.
But making a fuss about it like this, he would be too embarrassed to face Pei Yang, and it also offended Shen Mingzhu, making him displeasing to both sides.
Shen Baolan felt that her husband was being partial to Shen Mingzhu.
She had made a scene with Shen Mingzhu to get a refund for the sake of their family.
It was not easy to earn a bit of money; why should they simply benefit Shen Mingzhu for nothing?
In the nearly one month since their marriage, this was the first time the couple had an argument.
Because of this matter, Shen Baolan felt even more resentful towards Shen Mingzhu in her heart.
With the thought that if she couldn’t be happy, she would not let Shen Mingzhu be happy either, she decided to go to Pei Wenping the next day to demand an explanation and to let Pei Wenping taste the embarrassment as well.
After returning home and seeing Shen Mingzhu silently arranging the mooncakes, Pei Ziheng kept pursing his lips.
After much struggle and hesitation, he walked up to Shen Mingzhu, “If you don’t want to cook, we can just eat mooncakes tonight.”
Shen Mingzhu glanced at her stepson and was amused by his earnest little face.
“You really want to have mooncakes for dinner?
I was just teasing you.”
Seeing her smile, Pei Ziheng breathed a sigh of relief, but at the same time, he was puzzled.
Zhou Hao’s stepmother said such harsh words, yet she did not get angry?
She must have a big heart.
Shen Mingzhu was not unbothered, but she had always been able to see the bigger picture and let go of her anger after a while.
However, regarding the price of her mooncakes, she had no intention of compromising and lowering the price.
The mooncakes outside were cheap because they had thick skins with only a layer of filling in the middle, which meant lower costs and naturally lower selling prices.
Her mooncakes, slightly bigger and more substantial, with thin skin and generous filling, had costs that were clearly defined.
She was not about to engage in a losing business.
In this era, with a low level of economic development and everyone’s wallet not so flush, it was natural for her genuine, high-end mooncakes to not be accepted immediately, but she refused to believe there were no discerning customers out there.
Early in the morning, just as Pei Wenping stepped into the dining hall, she was confronted by Shen Baolan.
Imitating Pei Wenping’s previous imposing manner from when she had come knocking, Shen Baolan ridiculed her in front of everyone in the dining hall, “Accountant Pei, it’s time you took charge of your sister-in-law.
Every day she’s setting up a stall at the entrance of the residential compound, selling mooncakes, acting poor and pitiful to scam my husband—eight mooncakes for three renminbi.
She sure has the nerve!
No wonder she spends money so recklessly every day, money must come easily to her—I’m considering doing the same!”
As a cultured individual who had worked in the cotton mill for over a decade, Pei Wenping was always addressed respectfully as “Accountant Pei,” and she had never faced such public humiliation.
Nevertheless, she was not one to let it slide, “Zhou Shuhuan’s wife, if you can’t earn this money, it’s only because you lack the ability.
My sister-in-law can earn it because she has the skill, and your jealousy won’t help.
The value of goods varies from person to person.
Some people don’t mind spending hundreds on a pair of shoes, while others can’t bring themselves to spend ten on clothing; at the end of the day, it’s because they’re poor.
Instead of wasting your time complaining to me, you would be better off thinking about how you can earn more money through your own skills.”
“Oh, so Accountant Pei looks down upon us poor folks, does she?”
“I don’t look down on the poor; I simply look down on you.
If you can’t afford something, don’t buy it.
It’s only three renminbi, yet look how pained you are.
What’s the matter, is your family short of this small amount?
Come to my office later; I’ll give you the money, consider it a treat for your child to eat.”
At this moment, the manager in charge of the dining hall hurried over to apologize to Pei Wenping, “Sorry, Accountant Pei, she’s new and doesn’t know better.
Don’t take it to heart.”
Shen Baolan did not realize the manager was trying to give her an out and insisted, “What’s wrong with what I said?
Others sell mooncakes for a dime each, why should Shen Mingzhu’s be thirty cents?
She’s inflating prices and engaging in capitalist practices; she should be arrested and thoroughly reformed!”
The manager was significantly irritated by Shen Baolan’s obstinacy, “Shen Baolan, get it straight, this is working hours.
The factory pays you to work, not to argue with others.
Do you still want your job or not?”
These words finally intimidated Shen Baolan.
Getting into the cotton mill had been through replacing Ma Sufen, and the Zhou family had spent quite a sum to arrange her position there.
If she lost her job, her mother-in-law, Ma Sufen, would be the first to let her have it!
