Chapter 6 The Gloomy Little Darling of the 70s

"You've suffered."

Shen Ci felt a pang of pity. She knew the child had suffered, but she hadn't expected it to be this bad. He was practically turning into a bitter gourd!

Growing up in such an environment and under such conditions, let alone becoming a villain, it would be considered extremely merciful of Zhou Huai to have endured until he grew up and then turned evil.

Zhou Huai tried to force a smile to please his mother, whom he was meeting for the first time, but he couldn't manage to. He was even worried and afraid that even as her son, she might not be able to come up with so much money.

"I'm fine."

Don't agree to their demands. I'll go with you myself. Don't give them any money.

Zhou Huai spoke somewhat hastily, afraid that if he reacted too slowly, Shen Ci would give an answer, and he was afraid to hear that answer.

Worried about money? Shen Ci was a little surprised. This child didn't wear his heart on his sleeve. When he first saw him, he even seemed like a dull child.

She raised her hand and naturally ruffled Zhou Huai's hair.

When my fingertips ran through my hair, what I touched was not soft and smooth, but dry and brownish strands, like withered grass in late autumn, lacking nourishment.

That was caused by years of lack of care and malnutrition.

"Don't worry, I won't give it to you."

She stopped abruptly as she finished speaking.

The system data briefly described him as a villain with a deep mind, a cunning heart, and destructive tendencies.

Such a person, seemingly cold and hard, may be the one most prone to overthinking.

So she leaned slightly forward, softened her voice, and spoke more gently.

"It's not that they're unwilling to spend money on you, it's that they don't deserve it."

Her gaze fell into his still somewhat dazed eyes, and she spoke each word earnestly, as if making a promise.

"They didn't take good care of you."

If you can't even take care of a child, why do you expect to get money? You're just daydreaming.

After saying that, she turned and walked to the other side.

Zhou Huai remained frozen in place.

The brief and unfamiliar touch on his head seemed to linger, warm and gentle, like a feather falling into his desolate and silent world, stirring up a ripple.

He stared blankly up at her, only to see the hem of her dress fluttering as she turned away.

He didn't expect her to ruffle his hair, and he certainly didn't expect her to explain herself to him.

He had never been treated so carefully and attentively before, as if he too could be vulnerable, cared about things, and deserved to be taken care of.

A strange warmth, tinged with bitterness, suddenly rushed into my chest.

Zhou Huai lowered his eyes, his fingers unconsciously clenching and then slowly loosening.

"One thousand yuan?"

Haha, your family is really something. They could have just robbed you, but they still had to come up with a reason.

Captain, listen to this yourself, is it reasonable?

I am Zhou Huai's mother and his guardian. Even if the matter goes to the police station, the child can still be taken away.

Fellow villagers, thank you for taking such good care of the child over the years. He will always remember the kind people who have helped him.

"That's all for now, we should be going."

Shen Ci cupped his hands in greeting to everyone. Of course, the child would remember. He would remember to take revenge on anyone who had bullied him, even if decades had passed!

When the boss speaks, what else is there to say?

Before Zhou Zheng could even exchange a few words with his wife, he quickly stepped forward to help Zhou Huai carry his bundle, leading the way for the mother and son.

"Uncle, this is my job, so please don't make things difficult for me."

And don't stop the child. If you truly love your child and want what's best for them, then don't prevent them from enjoying a comfortable life with their mother!

Zhou Zheng said honestly that he wouldn't hesitate to pay five yuan a day, even if it were his own father, let alone his distant cousins. He felt guilty about earning five yuan so easily.

He wouldn't dare accept the five yuan without some challenge.

"Zhou Zheng! Who exactly are you from?!"

"Why are you siding with outsiders?! Don't you even know who you are?! What good will it do you to help this woman?!"

Zhou Da felt a surge of anger rising to his head. How could there be such a person who would help others instead of his own family?

"benefit?

There are plenty of advantages, lots of them. Forget it, you can't beat me, don't try to fight a losing battle.

Zhou Zheng thought about it seriously and said, carrying the bundle in one hand and pushing the bicycle with the other, protecting the mother and son behind him, and blocking the Zhou family members who wanted to come up and stop him.

The captain took a puff of his pipe, and through the swirling smoke, he frowned, his gaze shifting back and forth between Shen Ci and Zhou Zheng. He could tell that Zhou Zheng was following the girl's orders.

He knew exactly what kind of people the Zhou family were; they were troublesome, greedy, and would never give up easily.

Which member of Zhou Dayou's family is easy to deal with? If they were truly kind, how could they have treated their own grandson so cruelly, leaving him thin as a skeleton, like a piece of firewood dried up by the wind?

As the brigade leader, he didn't seek absolute fairness, but rather to minimize major issues and resolve minor ones altogether. This village belonged to the same clan, and even if the blood ties were broken, the blood was still connected; it was not advisable to push things too far.

Spending money to avert disaster is often the easiest way.

"How about giving me a little something? Just a token, and it'll be over..."

He added, his voice hoarse from the smoke.

But there was no wavering in Shen Ci's eyes.

Why should she give it to them? Why should those who abused the children and pushed Zhou Huai into the abyss get the benefits?

If she really gave it to him, she wouldn't be helping Zhou Huai, but rather indirectly condoning their evil and bullying this already wounded child in another way.

"Captain, I won't give you a single penny of this money."

Her voice was clear and uncompromising.

"Don't even mention a thousand dollars, they won't get a single penny. If they really want money, they can burn more paper money when they die."

Upon hearing this, Zhou Dayu's veins bulged, and he charged forward with his fist raised, only to be kicked away cleanly by Zhou Zheng, falling back into the crowd in a sorry state.

"However..."

Shen Ci changed the subject, her gaze sweeping over the growing number of villagers gathered around her.

"I plan to donate a bicycle to our production team in my personal capacity!"

The crowd fell silent instantly.

"This vehicle will be used for communication within the production team to support our team's progress."

"If the officials can use it, the villagers can borrow it in emergencies. Everyone has unexpected problems sometimes. Whether it's a headache or fever, a pregnant woman about to give birth, or needing to get to the hospital or get medicine, having a car always makes things much easier."

She looked at the captain, her tone sincere.

What do you think?

To truly save a person, it's not enough to just feed them; you must also illuminate their heart, which has been neglected for too long.

She didn't come to give him charity; she came to fight for justice and dignity for him.

In an instant, the crowd erupted in chaos.

"Donating bicycles?! Really?! Then our team will be the first in the commune to do so!"

"Shen Ci is such a kind-hearted girl! I knew she wasn't an ordinary person!"

"Captain! What are you waiting for! Say yes already! My wife is due to give birth at the end of the year, and I'm worried about how to get her to the hospital!"

"This is a donation for the whole team! Whoever needs it can use it! This is a fantastic thing!"

The whole village was in an uproar.

Bicycles! Those are precious items. The whole village can't even scrape together three. Normally, you can't even borrow one. Now, Shen Ci is actually donating one to the collective. This is truly benefiting every household.

This is a truly philanthropic person!

Zhou Huai stood quietly at the edge of the crowd, his eyes lowered.

But his fingers curled slightly, and his heart burned.

He understood.

She wasn't trying to smooth things over or show off; she chose this method for his sake, which saved face, thoroughly humiliated the Zhou family, and benefited the villagers as well.

For the sake of the bicycle, the villagers wouldn't make things difficult for him. They used the benefits of the bicycle to get the whole village to stand up against the Zhou family.