The Stepmother's Counterattack: Raising a Child in a Bygone Era-Chapter 834 - 833: Destruction Begets Creation

Time flew by, and before long it was May.

Looking at last month’s revenue statement, Du Juan couldn’t help but furrow her brows, "It’s already May, and this year’s mooncake coupon sales aren’t even one-tenth of last year’s."

Mai Qiu explained, "We’ve tried discount promotions, buy-three-get-one-free, every method possible, but the sales just won’t pick up. Many of our regular customers have said they’re tired of our mooncakes and want to try the new flavors from Hong City and Wan Province."

"This won’t do," Du Juan closed the file and said succinctly, "Notify the marketing department, meeting at two o’clock this afternoon."

Mai Qiu obeyed and left.

About ten minutes later, Mai Qiu came back to the office, puffing with anger, and couldn’t help but vent to Du Juan about what she had seen in the marketing department:

"No wonder performance isn’t improving, several salespeople were just fiddling with the microcomputers in the office, not even going out. Are they expecting performance to fall from the sky?"

Du Juan frowned, "I’ll talk to Chaobei about this separately, and have him properly manage his team."

Mai Qiu was still infuriated, "I really don’t understand what Deputy Director Shen is thinking. With the factory’s business being so dire, she should be thinking of ways to increase revenue, not messing around with these useless things. She’s not telling the real issues from the trivial ones. Isn’t it time to first think of ways to stabilize the factory’s operations and construction?"

Du Juan casually remarked, "I guess only she knows what she’s thinking."

Implicit in her words was that she also couldn’t comprehend Shen Mingzhu’s thoughts and actions.

To think a bit deeper, it was also a tactful way to express her lack of understanding and disagreement with Shen Mingzhu.

Shen Mingzhu’s intentions could be summarized in a phrase, "No destruction, no construction."

Since deciding to return to work at the food factory, she had been planning a grand strategy in her mind.

Upgrading office automation was just the first move in her game.

...

In the study.

"Wife, wife!"

Shen Mingzhu was tutoring her daughter with her homework when she heard Pei Yang, who was practicing typing in Wubi, quietly calling her. Annoyed, she mouthed back:

"What is it?"

Pei Yang gestured for her to come over with a crook of his finger.

Shen Mingzhu got up from her seat and walked around the large desk to join him.

"I don’t know how to break down these characters."

Looking at the "I love my husband" the man was pointing at, Shen Mingzhu rolled her eyes wordlessly but still sat down and quietly broke down the root components of the characters into a notebook.

After understanding that office automation was an inevitable trend, Pei Yang also decided to upgrade the office equipment in his company.

During this period, he turned down all social engagements and returned home every day after work to learn about microcomputers with Shen Mingzhu.

"So that’s how it’s typed."

Seeing the "I love my husband" that Shen Mingzhu typed into the blank Word document, Pei Yang smiled like a cat that had stolen a fish.

"Let me try."

With that, he leaned forward to embrace Shen Mingzhu in a half-hug and slowly typed out on the keyboard: I love you, wife.

After typing these five characters, he looked down with some pride at Shen Mingzhu, "How’s that, I didn’t make any mistakes, did I?"

Shen Mingzhu chuckled, "Not bad."

Their conversation distracted Pei Tang, who was doing homework across from them; she dropped her pen and scurried over to join in the fun:

"Mom, Dad, what are you laughing about?"

"We’re teaching Dad how to type. Have you finished your homework?"

Pei Tang strategically ignored the latter question, her eyes wide with wonder as she looked at the densely packed Song font on the microcomputer screen:

"Dad is so awesome, he can type so many characters already. Mom, will you teach me to type too?"

Shen Mingzhu patted her head, "Finish your homework first."

"There’s only a little bit left, so you teach me to type a sentence first, and then I’ll go do my homework."

"What word do you want to type?"

Shen Mingzhu pulled her daughter into her arms, gently brushed the unruly stray hairs on her forehead and temples behind her ears, and softly asked.

Pei Tang stared at the last few characters Pei Yang typed on the screen, her pretty eyes spinning before she crisply said, "I love Mom and Brother the most."

"The word ’我’ is comprised of the strokes 丿+扌+乚+丿, and the corresponding keys are TRNT..."

As Shen Mingzhu explained how to break down the character root, she simultaneously typed a line of text in the blank document.

Typing is really fun, Mom, I want to learn computers after I finish my homework."

"Mmm, go do your homework first."

"Oh."

Pei Tang, obediently ready to head back to the opposite side, was caught by Pei Yang who playfully slapped her bottom, "Little ingrate, you just love your mom and brother, don’t you love Daddy too?"

"I love Fugui and Daddy too!"

After saying so, she ran back to the other side, leaving Pei Yang so annoyed he couldn’t help but quietly complain to Shen Mingzhu, "Does my standing as a father in her heart rank lower than a dog’s? Believe it or not, I’ll send Fugui away tomorrow just to avoid being irritated."

Shen Mingzhu glanced at the man, "Instead of complaining here, you better think about where you might have upset your daughter."

Upon hearing this, Pei Yang was sullen, "Forget it, I won’t stoop to quarreling with a little kid like her, I’ll keep practicing typing."

Seeing the man’s guilty look, Shen Mingzhu chuckled secretly.

Later that night, while helping her daughter wash her hair in the bathroom, Shen Mingzhu casually brought up the subject:

"Why did you deliberately annoy Daddy in the study earlier?"

"It’s his fault for dropping me off at the wrong class in the morning. I’m almost in fourth grade, and he still thinks I’m in second grade."

Understanding the reasons behind it, Shen Mingzhu was both amused and frustrated.

For the past three years, she had been taking care of her daughter’s food, clothing, accommodation, and education, while Pei Yang was basically aloof from these responsibilities.

...

That night, before going to bed, Shen Mingzhu talked with Pei Yang about taking their daughter to school.

"On odd days you take her to school, and on even days I will. Does that sound okay?"

Pei Yang showed a hint of shame on his face, "As a father, I’m quite incompetent, not even knowing what grade my daughter is in."

"It’s not just your fault. I too didn’t consider carefully and overlooked the fact that Guoguo also needs her father’s company. Luckily, we’ve realized it in time and still have the chance to make up for it."

Pei Yang held her hand, "Apart from school, we should also take turns helping with homework, one day each. We can’t let you bear all the burden."

Shen Mingzhu naturally wouldn’t refuse when the man was willing to share the responsibilities.

The next day.

Pei Tang got dressed after waking up and was ready to go downstairs to wash up. Passing by her brother’s room, she heard strange noises inside and, led by curiosity, pushed the door open—

"Wow!"

"Ah!!!!!"

Pei Tang was nearly scared to death by Zhao Yun, who sprang out from behind the door.

Once she came to her senses, she rushed forward and began a flurry of "A-button" attacks. fгee𝑤ebɳoveɭ.cøm

"Brother Hei Xiong, you scared me to death!"

Zhao Yun showed his big teeth, bent down to pick her up, and spun her around, "Silly Guoguo, did you miss your brother?"

"Ouch, you hit my head, put me down!"

Hearing the clear collision sound, Zhao Yun quickly put her down, his large palm-like hands cradling her round, small, and soft head, "Did it hurt when you bumped it? Heh heh, Guoguo, you’ve grown quite a bit, not like the little short winter melon you used to be."

His remark "short winter melon" almost made Pei Tang’s eyes pop out in anger.