The Stepmother’s Counterattack: Raising a Child in a Bygone Era

Facing the joint enforcement visit from the Industrial and Commercial Bureau and the police station, Shen Mingzhu quickly calmed down after a brief panic.

"Officers, your timing is impeccable. We just discovered counterfeit products of ours in the market, and all the items are here."

Looking at the mountains of spicy strips and dried tofu, an enforcement officer from the Bureau scoffed sarcastically, "Very well-informed, indeed. We’re still investigating on our end, and here you are, already gathering up the evidence against yourselves."

Another said, "It wouldn’t be ’a thief crying stop thief’, would it? Earning dirty money and now, when caught, you’re trying to shift the blame. With your tiny, shabby factory, is it really worth someone’s effort to fake your products?"

Shen Mingzhu did not rush to defend herself but instead picked out her factory’s products and placed them alongside the counterfeit ones to make a comparison, pointing out the differences one by one.

"Our spicy strips and dried tofu have been well-received since they hit the market, with sales climbing each month. To be honest, compared to the other products from our factory, the profit margins for spicy strips and dried tofu are the lowest. We really have no need to ruin our reputation for a meager benefit."

To the officers from the Bureau, Shen Mingzhu’s explanations sounded like mere sophistry, which they were all too familiar with.

They had even seen ones more ruthless than Shen Mingzhu, who would kneel and kowtow, swear and curse, adamantly claiming their innocence. However, upon investigation, they would turn out to be heartless and unscrupulous, utterly disregarding the consumers’ safety – utterly despicable and hateful.

"Enough, there’s no need for more words. We will find out the truth through our investigation."

The Bureau immediately issued a suspension of production and business operations, and all the factory workers were expelled from the premises.