Chapter 22: Bad Guys Get What They Deserve
But she never lied.
"Shanshan, can you tell what kind of medicine was added to this water?"
He didn’t ask how she knew, only what the medicine was.
This surprised Shanshan a little.
But she didn’t overthink it and leaned in to take a sniff.
The moment her nose neared the water tank, a fishy, bitter smell rushed into her nostrils.
"It’s the kind of medicine that gives you constant diarrhea! Uncle, Auntie, you absolutely cannot drink this water!"
She pinched her nose and staggered back, a look of disgust on her face.
To Zhang Yunhua, the water had no smell.
But to the child’s nose, it was absolutely foul.
"Well now, that Cao Daqiang! Playing dirty tricks behind our backs?"
Zhang Yunhua had a short fuse.
"I’m going to settle the score with him right now! I’ll make it so he won’t even dare to hold his head up when he walks through the compound!"
She abruptly rolled up her sleeves and turned to storm out.
Yang Dapeng grabbed her by the shoulder, his voice low and heavy.
"Yun Hua, don’t be impulsive! We have no proof. If we storm over there, he’ll just turn around and accuse us of slander, and things will get even messier. We can only swallow this and be more careful in the future."
"But we’re just letting it go? That’s so infuriating!"
Zhang Yunhua stomped her foot in anger.
With her personality, how could she tolerate such humiliation?
But when she glanced over at Shanshan, who was cowering timidly by the doorframe with glistening eyes, her anger gradually subsided.
Shanshan listened quietly to their conversation, her chest tight with anxiety.
Her uncle and auntie were so good to her.
’Why?’
’They clearly did nothing wrong, so why do they have to just swallow their anger and endure it?’
’No!’
’Bad people have to face retribution.’
’If you won’t do anything, I will!’
Unfortunately, she had already used up yesterday’s allotment of Spells.
She clutched her cuffs, her eyes glinting with indignation.
「The next day.」
Just as the sky began to lighten, Shanshan slipped quietly out the door.
She crouched in the shadow of a tree near Cao Daqiang’s front door, watching as he yawned and stepped outside.
The instant his right foot landed, she flicked her finger.
A wisp of green light wrapped around the old injury on his ankle.
Just as Cao Daqiang crossed the threshold, a sharp pain shot through his ankle, nearly causing him to fall flat on his face.
"Ouch... Did I twist it again while walking yesterday?"
He frowned, glancing down at his ankle.
’It’s an old injury. If I take sick leave again, it’ll probably start gossip.’
’Forget it. I’ll just grit my teeth and bear it.’
He acted as if nothing was wrong, straightened his back, and started walking forward.
But his ankle felt as if a nail had been driven through it, and the pain made his forehead break out in a cold sweat.
He tried desperately to walk steadily, but his foot wouldn’t obey, wobbling left and right as his gait grew more and more crooked.
When Yang Dapeng saw his strange appearance, he grinned and quickened his pace to catch up.
"Hey, if it isn’t Captain Cao?"
He deliberately raised his voice.
"My, what happened to your foot? It got worse overnight? You weren’t up to something shady last night, were you?"
"Wha—what are you talking about!"
Cao Daqiang’s heart skipped a beat, and his face instantly went pale.
He thought the little secret he had been hiding for two years had been discovered.
Seeing his rattled expression, Yang Dapeng knew he was onto something.
A corner of his mouth twitched into an increasingly chilly smile.
"Tsk, tsk, Captain Cao. That’s a delicate foot you’ve got there. Could it be you didn’t sleep well with your wife last night and accidentally stepped in a weasel’s den?"
When they got to their unit, he made a point of telling the story to a group of their comrades as a joke.
"You guys should have seen it! Captain Cao was walking like he was on stilts, lurching three times to the left, swaying five times to the right, just like a drunk old lady! HAHAHAHA!"
Hearing this, the group roared with laughter.
Cao Daqiang could only force himself to explain through the embarrassment.
"I... it’s an old problem with my ankle. It’s easy to twist when the weather gets cold. It happens sometimes, really... it’s very normal."
Yang Dapeng didn’t call his bluff.
But from then on, he would shoot a sidelong glance at him every few minutes.
Being stared at like that made all the hairs on Cao Daqiang’s body stand on end.
He looked down at his documents, his hands trembling so much he could barely hold the paper.
When he handed in a report, his hand slipped, and the entire stack of materials scattered across the floor.
The more flustered he got, the more absurd his mistakes became, and the more mistakes he made, the louder the jeering laughter around him grew.
Some people whistled, some clapped, and some even imitated his walk, circling him with a limp.
He wanted to explode in anger, but his throat was dry, and he couldn’t force out a single word.
After work, Yang Dapeng plopped down on the sofa, his face blooming with a huge grin.
He took a large gulp of hot tea from his mug and recounted all of Cao Daqiang’s embarrassing moments to his wife and Shanshan.
The two of them sat on small stools, listening with great interest.
Shanshan laughed so hard her cheeks turned red and her eyes narrowed into slits.
"Oh my, that’s hilarious! Uncle, you’re too good at spinning a tale!"
Zhang Yunhua was laughing so hard she could barely breathe, and she exclaimed repeatedly,
"Serves him right! Serves him right! That’s what you call swift karma. Even heaven couldn’t stand to watch anymore!"
Yang Dapeng wiped away a tear of laughter and suddenly slapped his thigh.
"That’s right! They’re holding a talent competition soon, and they’re busy preparing the acts. They need an actor for a children’s skit. Can our Shanshan sing or dance? Do you think she could try out?"
Hearing this, Zhang Yunhua’s eyes lit up instantly.
She pulled Shanshan in front of her, examining her from left to right.
"That’s a great idea! Our Shanshan is so pretty, and her little brain works faster than a windmill. She’s sure to be chosen!"
"Uncle, what kind of act is it?"
Shanshan blinked her eyes.
"I’ve never been on stage before. I’m afraid I’ll be nervous..."
Yang Dapeng immediately perked up.
He recounted all the details he had heard at the company today.
Zhang Yunhua became more and more convinced that the role was perfect for Shanshan, muttering to herself,
"Oh, this role is practically tailor-made for our Shanshan!"
She wasn’t the only one who thought so; the entire family compound was buzzing with excitement.
Having a child perform on stage was a huge honor that would bring glory to the family.
The families all urged their husbands to pull strings and use connections just to get their child a spot.
But the organizers were prepared for this.
Early the next morning, a notice written in black ink on red paper was posted on the bulletin board.
The child actors would be chosen through open auditions, with the best performers selected. There would be absolutely no nepotism.
At once, all those who had hoped to find a loophole had their hopes dashed.
Originally, Shanshan really didn’t want to get involved in such a fuss.
A bunch of kids scrambling for a role, all noisy and chaotic, and on top of that, she’d have to memorize lines and practice movements. It was all very annoying.
But as soon as she heard that Jiajia would also be participating, her little face immediately turned cold.
She bit her lip and looked up at Zhang Yunhua.
"Auntie, I’ll sign up."
Zhang Yunhua beamed, unable to close her mouth from smiling so wide.
"Good, good, good! Our Shanshan has ambition! I’ll go fill out the form for you right now!"
On the day the list was announced, Liu Yingzi stood before the bulletin board and immediately spotted her own daughter’s name.
Right after, she saw the name written right next to it: "Shanshan."
On the way home, she grumbled to Cao Daqiang as they walked.
"Would you look at that! Is Zhang Yunhua really raising her like her own daughter? How dare she let that brat try out? That’s hilarious! A wild girl whose own parents didn’t even want her—you think she could actually get picked? In her dreams!"
"That child signed up too?"
The moment Cao Daqiang heard Shanshan’s name, his brow instantly furrowed into a knot.