Chapter 4 Zhizhi Strikes Back
"Tch, girl, is this the money-loser you brought along?"
The older sister-in-law, holding her precious son, looked at him with a mocking gaze, "As expected of someone from the village, he has no manners at all. If he's so capable, why is he still in my house? He should just go out and live on his own!"
Little Zhizhi blinked her big eyes, not understanding where this aunt with the pointed mouth and monkey-like face got her sense of superiority.
"If I'm a small money-loser, then wouldn't Auntie be a huge money-loser?"
"You! I'll tear your mouth apart!"
This was the first time that Huifang, the eldest sister-in-law, had been scolded by a child, and she was furious.
"Why waste your breath on them!"
Deng Chun grew impatient and stepped forward, intending to shove the mother and daughter out.
Jiang An strode into the house and grabbed Deng Chun's arm.
"Why can't we talk things out? What's the point of resorting to violence?"
"Commander Jiang...?"
Deng Chun saw who it was and immediately fell silent.
He never expected that Jiang Anchao, who was usually indifferent to their family, would get involved.
After Jiang Anchao turned his head to confirm that Zhizhi was alright, his gaze fell on Deng's father.
"I heard a noise outside, so I came to check it out."
Sang Zhizhi tugged at Jiang Anchao's trouser leg and poked her little head out, "Uncle, they're going to hit the children, Zhizhi is so scared!"
Deng Chun, embarrassed and angry, retorted: "What nonsense are you spouting?!"
"That's exactly right!" Little Zhizhi, though small, was quite precocious, and she seriously counted on her fingers, "I heard it all: this stern-faced uncle called Mommy 'water spilled from a cup,' this white-haired grandpa took sides, and that aunt with the glare..."
She exaggeratedly held up five fingers, "She rolled her eyes at Zhizhi five times, Zhizhi could barely see her pupils anymore!"
The little cub, with its incredibly cute face, listed everything in its unclear, babyish voice, making everyone in the Deng family turn pale and red in turns – quite a spectacle!
Sang Zhizhi was initially puzzled as to why her mother, who already lived in a small villa, would have to go to Sangjiapo to suffer.
As a result, he secretly eavesdropped at the door and understood what was going on.
My maternal grandparents favored boys over girls. My eldest uncle was selfish, my aunt was mean, and my second uncle's family, who never showed up, were just sitting on the property and had no intention of letting go.
They forced their wonderful stepmother to go to the countryside and sacrifice herself for the entire Deng family.
Now that life is better, they want to turn their backs on their stepmother, fearing that she might move in and get a share of the house in the future.
hateful!
What a despicable family!
Sang Zhizhi secretly made up her mind that she must protect the best stepmother in the world!
I'll never let those bad guys bully me again!
With Jiang Anchao present, Deng Chun dared not make a move. He suppressed his anger and gritted his teeth, saying, "Commander Jiang, don't listen to her twisting the truth. We didn't bully Deng Qiu!"
"You mean she's a three-and-a-half-year-old child, making baseless accusations?"
Jiang Anchao sneered, his tone suddenly turning cold, "She's still a child, how could she lie?!"
He turned to look at Deng's father seriously and couldn't help but say something fair.
"Uncle Deng, do you know why Deng Qiu got divorced? It's because that scoundrel of a man was having affairs outside and got the widow pregnant. He was so eager to force Deng Qiu to divorce him and make room for him. It doesn't matter if Sangjiapo is poor and hard-working, but I've seen that man. I'm disgusted by his shameless face. How can a woman like her handle that?"
Deng's father remained silent.
The atmosphere in the living room was incredibly somber.
Sang Zhizhi understood that during the planned economy era, food coupons were scarce, but she had the means to ensure she had enough to eat and drink.
They weren't interested in the meager treats from the Deng family, since they didn't seem as fresh and delicious as the fruits and vegetables in the space.
Little Zhizhi walked up to her white-haired grandfather and asked earnestly in her childish voice:
"Grandpa, I can sweep the floor and wipe the tables. My mom and I won't eat at your house, as long as we can register our household there, is that okay?"
Father Deng looked at the tiny cub that only reached his thigh, its big eyes blinking adorably.
It doesn't look like a rural area at all.
On the other hand, Huifang, although she gave birth to a son, was dark-skinned, stupid, dull, and had a bad temper.
Deng's father only met him once, yet he was already able to draw a comparison.
This comparison made him feel even worse.
So the grandson raised by his own family is not as good as the one who grew up in that poor mountain village.
Mr. Deng felt uneasy, and after receiving a threatening look from Huifang, he dared not say anything more.
Sang Zhizhi realized that her mean-spirited aunt was giving her a meaningful look, and her tone became even more serious.
"Auntie, the country encourages educated youth to return to the city in order to develop production, liberate minds, and open up more opportunities in both urban and rural areas. You're stopping Mom from registering her household registration because you want to prevent her from working, from getting food from the government, and from going to school. Are you going against the policy and against the people?"
"I don't!"
Huifang never expected the little boy to speak so incisively. If such a big label were to be put on him...
Not only will she lose her job, she'll probably be arrested as well.
Deng Qiu was surprised and delighted that her sweet child was backing her up.
The entire Deng family was speechless with shock at these words.
Deng's father looked at Deng Qiu with a deep gaze, and after thinking for a long time, he closed his eyes.
As if making a decision, "Deng Qiu, there really is no place for you in this house anymore. Now you have two options: either you go back to Sangjiapo and live a good life, or I'll find you a divorced man in Suzhou. He'll register your household, but he definitely won't take care of the child you brought with him, so you'll have to send the child back!"
This was his biggest concession.
But to Deng Qiu, it sounded particularly ridiculous.
"I will never abandon Zhizhi!"
"I won't abandon my mother!"
The mother and daughter spoke in unison.
Sang Zhizhi took her stepmother's hand, wanting to share some warmth with her.
Deng Qiu suddenly realized that there was no point in staying here and getting entangled any longer.
She pulled out the letter of introduction she had finally managed to obtain from her pocket, held it up in front of her parents, and declared, "If you won't let me register my household, I'll find a way myself. From this day forward... I sever all ties with the Deng family!"
She reached out to tear up the letter of introduction.
This was originally a hope that could lead her to a new life, but now it has been destroyed by her own family.
[Ding!]
The pendant around Zhizhi's neck suddenly made a soft sound.
It was like some kind of reminder.
"etc!"
Sang Zhizhi quickly grabbed her stepmother's sleeve. She took the letter of introduction, and her eyes immediately lit up.
"—It's a marriage introduction letter!"
A seemingly casual remark caused a stir among the entire audience.
Deng Qiuzai carefully read the contents of the letter.
It turns out the village chief issued the wrong letter of introduction; he wrote her and Jiang Anchao's marriage certificate instead!
"Uncle Jiang, do you want a wife and daughter?!"
Sang Zhizhi's hopeful gaze fell on Jiang Anchao.
This uncle is tall, handsome, responsible, and even wears a military uniform. If he were to become Zhizhi's father...
Jiang Anchao stood there, stunned and unable to recover from the misunderstanding for a long time.
But when he looked into Deng Qiu's tearful eyes, he didn't know where the courage came from.
He walked straight up to Deng Qiu, his steady voice carrying a serious tone:
"Comrade Deng, my parents are retired and receive a monthly pension of 150 yuan. They have two sons. If you don't mind, let's get married. You and Zhizhi can register your household in my area. I promise you'll never have to deal with bad people!"
I will never let you associate with bad people!
On the same day, the man in front of her confessed his true feelings twice.
The last time was just an act.
This time... ...it was to save her from dire straits.
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