As he stared, Shanshan seemed to sense it, raising her head in a daze and blinking.
In that instant, Cao Daqiang's heart clenched painfully.
'Before that girl showed up, everything was fine. The position was practically mine.'
He gritted his teeth, the words practically squeezed from the depths of his throat.
That had been the smoothest period of his life.
Everyone said Cao Daqiang was reliable, hardworking, and handled matters with a steady hand—the most suitable candidate for the position.
'And now look. Yang Dapeng is all recovered and even earned some merit. Who the position will go to is anyone's guess now.'
"What?"
Liu Yingzi's anxiety flared.
Her eyes flew wide, and her hand involuntarily clenched the hem of her clothes.
This position meant a higher salary, greater power, and the chance to be promoted to a cadre position in the future.
She and her husband had been planning this for years, scrimping and saving to curry favor with their superiors, always putting on a show of enthusiasm. After all their hard work to get to this point, how could they let someone snatch it away out of nowhere?
At the thought, the color drained from her face, and her lips began to tremble.
"That girl can't stay. We have to find a way to get rid of her, and fast!"
As she spoke, she unconsciously took a step back.
The more she thought, the more nervous she became, pulling Cao Daqiang back a few steps.
The pair kept their voices hushed.
Onlookers only saw them huddled together, murmuring, but couldn't make out the words.
But seeing them back away, people assumed they were tacitly agreeing with what Yang Dapeng had said.
A few neighbors they were friendly with gathered around, their faces wreathed in sincere smiles as they offered words of congratulations.
"You two never had children. This is wonderful! Dapeng is healthy again, and having a child in the house will liven things up."
Old Guo patted Yang Dapeng's shoulder and said in a gentle tone.
"You'll have someone to bring you your bowl at mealtimes, someone to call you 'Dad' when you leave the house, and the home will feel warmer. That's what a family is all about."
"That's right, isn't it, Yun Hua? Weren't you always envious of my daughter? Now you're a mother, too. You can finally stop just wistfully watching other people's kids."
Aunt Wu chimed in, taking Zhang Yunhua's hand and sighing emotionally.
"You're so right! I have my own daughter now!"
Zhang Yunhua was grinning from ear to ear, the flesh on her cheeks quivering with joy.
She swept Shanshan into her arms and gave her two big kisses.
Shanshan was naturally thin and hadn't been eating well, so her face was gaunt.
Having lived under someone else's roof for years, she was often short on food and clothing. Poor nutrition had left her a head shorter than other children her age.
But as she was hugged and kissed, her cheeks were squeezed into chubby curves, making her look all the more endearing.
Seeing the warm atmosphere, Cao Daqiang only grew more panicked.
"This is bad, Yingzi. We absolutely cannot let this child stay. We have to send her back!"
Liu Yingzi had never seen her husband lose his composure like this. A shiver of fear ran down her spine, but she nodded anyway.
"Okay, Daqiang, don't panic. We'll figure something out together. We can't let her ruin things for us!"
She would go along with it, no matter what it took.
Their family's future could not afford a single misstep.
"Yang Dapeng! That child isn't yours!"
"Captain Cao, that's completely unreasonable! You said it yourself back then—that this child had nothing to do with you. Now you come running back? Yun Hua and Yang Dapeng are adopting a poor, helpless child. How is that any of your business?"
"Exactly, Captain Cao. You have to have a conscience. It's not like you don't know that Yang Dapeng's always been frail. He coughs all year and struggles just to work. And Yun Hua, there's been no... news... for years. What's wrong with them adopting a child to have someone to rely on in the future? Do you want them to be lonely their whole lives?"
"Cao Daqiang, what are you trying to do today? Don't think everyone has forgotten what happened back then! It was you who said in front of the whole village that you didn't want this child."
In her heart, Zhang Yunhua had long since started doting on Shanshan as if she were her own flesh and blood.
Seeing Cao Daqiang go back on his word like this, his attitude changing on a whim, a surge of fury welled up inside her.
She said nothing, carrying Shanshan a few steps to Yang Dapeng's side.
'You rejected and abandoned her back then, and now you come running back to fight for her?'
'Too late!'
"Since the Cao family has nothing to do with her and her father is dead, and since we're an honest couple with a house and land—everyone in the village knows our character—we'll just go to the department and file the official adoption papers. It's perfectly reasonable and legal. Or what, are you planning to drag this to court?"
Cao Daqiang's face instantly turned ashen.
"I... I've thought it through."
Cao Daqiang took a deep breath, his hands clenched into fists, his nails nearly digging into his palms.
"Even though I didn't raise her myself, she's the child my parents saved, the one they picked up from the side of the road, braving a snowstorm and sharing their own rations to keep her alive. Out of respect for their kindness, I can't just stand by and watch her be cast adrift."
"I'll be responsible for her life. I'll get her household registration, pay for her schooling, and see her through until she's married and has a career. I won't neglect a single thing. I will take responsibility for her future. So, you don't need to trouble yourselves any further."
He spoke through a clenched jaw, his teeth audibly GRINDING.
He thought that if he just showed a little responsibility, Shanshan would be moved to tears of gratitude.
But to his surprise, the little girl didn't even glance up at him.
Instead, she just tilted her little head and burrowed her face more deeply into Zhang Yunhua's embrace.
Zhang Yunhua's heart melted at the touch, and her eyes began to sting.
She looked down at the child in her arms and couldn't stop herself from reaching out a rough finger to gently touch Shanshan's soft, pink cheek.
"Shanshan, don't be afraid. Don't be afraid... Auntie's here. No one is going to take you away. I'd give my life to protect you, I won't let anyone wrong you in the slightest."
"Mmm!"
Shanshan finally raised her head, her eyes sparkling.
"I know. Auntie loves me the most, more than anyone! I'm not going anywhere. I just want to stay with Auntie and Uncle."
A woman watching from the side saw the atmosphere ease a little, and she chimed in with a smile.
"Well now, little Shanshan, tell us the truth. Do you want to go back with... you-know-who?"
Shanshan shook her head so hard it looked like a blur.
"I don't want to! He's a bad daddy! He's the one who didn't want me first! I don't accept him! Mama, Grandpa, and Grandma said I'm a good baby, not a jinx!"
"I want Auntie and Uncle! I don't want the bad daddy!"
Cao Daqiang's expression turned grim.
"What does a child like you understand?"
He put on a stern face, trying to project the authority of a family patriarch.
"We adults are run off our feet—working, supporting the family, paying for a house, raising children. None of it is easy. But since you're family, I can't just ignore you. I'll make arrangements to have you sent back and properly settled in!"
Shanshan didn't speak again.
'She had heard every single word that Cao Daqiang and Liu Yingzi had said earlier.'
'Since you're afraid I'll affect your luck, afraid I'll bring you trouble, then I'll just grant your wish.'
'Why should my mom, grandpa, and grandma have to suffer?'
'And look at him. Not only is he living comfortably, but he gets to start a new family, marry a new wife, and have new children.'
'This is too unfair!'
'Even Heaven is unfair, always making honest people suffer.'
'A debt owed must be repaid sooner or later.'
Shanshan quietly clenched her small fists, her fingertips turning slightly cold.
'I haven't used today's Spell yet. I might as well use it on him.'