"You'd better get out of here!"
The baby's dirty face was full of anxiety.
But by this time, the man who had been kicked down had already gotten up. He pointed at Cheng Shanshan and cursed, "Where did this arrogant little brat come from? How dare she lay a hand on me? I think you don't want to live!"
These words made the little boy tremble, and he instinctively hid behind Cheng Shanshan. But despite his fear, he still kept saying, "Sister, don't worry about me, go quickly..."
He knew how terrifying his gambling-addicted father was; even his mother had been beaten to death because he was so violent that no one dared to approach him to save him.
As he thought of this, tears streamed down his face.
The sight of her small, trembling body reminded Cheng Shanshan of herself when she was a child. Back then, she was too naive to fight back and could only cry when Cheng Xiulan and Grandma Cheng beat and scolded her.
"Don't be afraid."
Two simple and understated words.
Cheng Shanshan reached out and gently wiped away the baby's tears. The little body was covered with hideous scars, showing how much abuse he had suffered. This made her heart ache: "Your fear will only make him more aggressive, so you have to learn to fight back."
The little baby looked up in surprise, seemingly not understanding what Cheng Shanshan meant.
At this moment, Cheng Shanshan picked up two wooden sticks from the ground, handed the shorter one to the baby, and raised it herself, pointing it at the man: "Don't you know he's made of flesh and blood too, and he feels pain too?"
"Pain my ass!"
The man's face was full of disdain as he spat on the ground: "I'm his biological father, I gave him my life, who cares if I beat him to death!"
The baby's body, covered in injuries, trembled.
Cheng Shanshan shielded him behind her, then looked at the man in front of her.
Although he looked rather old, with a strong sense of malice between his brows, she didn't know why she felt a sense of déjà vu.
However, she wasn't going to waste any more words with him and simply said to the little baby in a low voice, "Strike the snake at its three-inch mark, and beat the dog with a stick."
The little boy stared wide-eyed, not understanding what was happening, when Cheng Shanshan had already flashed in front of the man. Then, without giving him any chance to react, she swung the stick and smashed it down on him!
"He drank too much and damaged his kidneys, so he can be kicked in the leg."
"He injured his shoulder from gambling too much."
"Oh, and the neck is also very vulnerable, so this is the best way to continue the treatment."
Sure enough, the man instantly collapsed to the ground, wailing, "Ahhh, you brat..." Before he could finish speaking, the little girl suddenly walked over and smacked the man in the face with a stick.
The blow stunned the man and also made Cheng Shanshan pause for a moment.
At this moment, the little boy's dirty face was filled with hatred and determination: "From the moment you killed my mother, I've wanted to beat you up like this!"
"I... Waaah, my tooth, you little brat, how dare you lay a hand on me! I'm your father!"
The man, his face covered in blood, cried out in pain but didn't forget to continue threatening. Seeing this, the little boy added another blow with a stick: "You don't deserve to be my dad!"
Before the man could react, the little boy decisively grabbed Cheng Shanshan's hand: "Sister, let's go quickly." After saying that, he took off running with his short legs.
Upon seeing this, the man behind him shouted, "Damn it, you stop right there!"
"I'm not stupid, why should I stop?"
The little baby retorted in a childish voice, then quickened his pace.
The two ran for an unknown amount of time before the little boy finally stopped, panting. He looked behind him and asked, "He probably didn't catch up, right?"
Cheng Shanshan laughed and said, "After being beaten so badly, you don't have the strength to chase after them."
"...Pfft."
The little baby actually smiled.
But his wide smile pulled at the wound on his face, causing him to grimace. Ignoring the pain, he laughed and muttered, "So good! So good! So good! Waaaaaah..."
Suddenly, his laughter turned into tears.
Those tears, like glistening dewdrops, fell as he looked up at Cheng Shanshan with eyes full of gratitude: "Sister, can my mother see this? I finally beat that bastard for her! Won't she be happy?"
"certainly."
Cheng Shanshan half-squatted down to bring her line of sight to the little baby.
"Wow!"
The baby cried loudly.
She immediately buried herself in Cheng Shanshan's arms, as if she wanted to pour out all her grievances.
After a long while, his voice became hoarse and weak: "Sister, thank you, I...I have to go."
Cheng Shanshan frowned: "Are you going back?"
"……Um."
The little boy nodded: "My name is Fourteen, I don't have a surname." He hated everything related to that man, yet he couldn't escape this confinement.
After all, the world is vast, where can one go without him?
Cheng Shanshan looked at the little boy named Fourteen, who was only four or five years old, but whose eyes held the vicissitudes of an adult. She couldn't help but reach out and gently stroke the hair on his forehead: "Fourteen, do you know what you will face when you go back?"
"Let's fight."
The fourteenth lecture was delivered in a very relaxed manner.
That nonchalant tone revealed what he was going through every day.
As he finished speaking, Fourteen clenched his small fists: "Hit me however you want, I've had my fill today. As long as he doesn't kill me, once I'm as strong as my sister, I'll definitely pay him back like she did!" With that, he turned to leave.
Cheng Shanshan stopped him: "Since you've left, don't go back."
Fourteen's eyes were misty, yet they revealed a stubbornness: "No, I can't drag my sister into this. That person is a scoundrel. If I don't go back, my sister will be in big trouble."
"Do you think I'm scared?" Cheng Shanshan raised an eyebrow, then brandished the stick she had been holding in her hand: "My dog-beating stick is very powerful; it's specially designed to beat dogs that bite and injure people."
Fourteen met Cheng Shanshan's eyes: "But I..."
Can you cook?
Suddenly, Cheng Shanshan asked.
Fourteen nodded quickly: "Yes."
Cheng Shanshan asked again, "Do you know how to do housework?"
Fourteen nodded again.
"Alright then."
Cheng Shanshan took out a bag of dried meat: "Since you're such a clever little guy, and I happen to need a little helper, how about I use this bag of dried meat as payment? You can be my person from now on."
Fourteen was stunned for a moment, his eyes filled with astonishment: "Your people?"
"Yes, I'll provide food and lodging, but you can't just sit around doing nothing; you have to help me." Cheng Shanshan's eyes softened as she spoke. "Fourteen, are you willing?"
"..."
He is willing.
How could he possibly refuse?
But he didn't want to cause Cheng Shanshan any trouble...
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