Chapter 40: Bone-deep Stubbornness
"I’m really busy. I don’t have time to argue with you about this..."
Cao Daqiang’s face was ashen, and a cold sweat broke out on his forehead, but he kept trying to argue his way out.
As he spoke, he gave Zhang Yunhua a hard shove.
Everyone present froze at the sight.
She had stumbled right into Ling Anxun, who had just come through the courtyard gate.
His right arm was resting on the armrest, and his left hand slowly brought the wheelchair to a stop.
"You... are Cao Jiajia’s father?"
Ling Anxun’s voice was heavy.
"Then Shanshan... is she your daughter, too?"
He had heard everything.
He hadn’t missed a single word since the moment Cao Daqiang walked in.
And the most jarring thing had been the finality in Shanshan’s voice when she cried out, "Bad dad."
Cao Daqiang’s mind went blank. He couldn’t say a single word.
Zhang Yunhua didn’t care whether he answered or not. She blurted out the whole story from beginning to end in one breath.
The more she spoke, the more agitated she became, until tears finally streamed down her face.
But Cao Daqiang stubbornly denied it all.
He shot a fierce glare at everyone around him, forcing three words out from between his teeth.
"You’re all lying!"
Before the words had even faded, he turned and ran.
Ling Anxun remained where he was, quietly watching the retreating figure.
A moment later, his gaze fell upon Shanshan, his eyes filled with a complex mix of emotions.
The little girl’s small, thin body was still planted firmly in front of Yang Dapeng.
Her eyes were terribly red, but she stubbornly held back, not letting a single tear fall.
He looked at Zhang Yunhua, his voice softening.
"Tell me again, what exactly just happened? Everything you saw with your own eyes, word for word."
Shanshan stood obediently beside Zhang Yunhua, her little face tilted up as she listened intently to their conversation.
She muttered under her breath.
’Doesn’t everyone already know all this? Why do they have to keep asking over and over?’
"Then why didn’t you ask me for help?"
Ling Anxun said slowly, a hint of hurt in his tone.
"I am... your friend, after all."
Shanshan’s eyes lit up the moment she heard that.
"Mr. Ling, you’re treating us like strangers!"
Zhang Yunhua was a little embarrassed.
"How could we trouble you with such a small matter? Dapeng and I don’t want to live a life of special treatment. If we can solve something ourselves, we don’t want to bother others."
"But Auntie..."
Shanshan swayed Zhang Yunhua’s hand, her voice soft and sweet.
"Uncle is so amazing, he even dared to drive away bad dad. He can definitely help us too!"
Ling Anxun looked down at her, his gaze softening.
He could see the stubbornness ingrained in this family’s bones.
They would rather bear their burdens alone than bow their heads and ask for help.
"You’re still young, so there are some things you don’t understand. You will when you grow up. But don’t worry, I won’t let anyone bully your uncle and auntie."
"Mhm!"
Shanshan nodded vigorously.
"Uncle is a good person! Shanshan trusts you! You’re way more reliable than bad dad!"
After saying that, she stood on her tiptoes, tugged on Zhang Yunhua’s sleeve, and pleaded in a small voice.
"Auntie, I want to stay and keep you company... I’m not leaving."
The family walked home with the setting sun at their backs, their shadows stretching long behind them.
Ling Anxun stood quietly at the gate, his gaze following the three retreating figures.
"Xiao Zhou."
He spoke suddenly, his voice low.
"Go investigate whether Cao Daqiang has been involved in any bribery. Specifically, pull all of his recent accounts, expense reports, and contact lists from his work unit."
"Understood, sir."
Xiao Zhou quickly stood at attention, then turned and left.
The thought of Cao Daqiang’s impatient attitude toward Shanshan made Ling Anxun’s chest tighten with anger.
How could such a well-behaved and sensible child be stuck with a father like that?
Cold-blooded and selfish, he didn’t deserve to be a father at all!
’A man like that absolutely cannot be allowed to stay by her side!’
Xiao Zhou delivered the compiled materials that very evening.
He presented them with both hands.
"Sir, this is the initial evidence we’ve found, including proof of his falsified accounts and kickbacks at the grain station, as well as statements from several witnesses."
"Uncle, what’s that?"
Shanshan had run over at some point, curiously standing on her tiptoes and craning her neck to look at the stack of papers.
She had recently become fascinated with learning to read and pestered the adults every day to teach her from her little picture books.
Seeing so many words now, her eyes instantly lit up.
Ling Anxun shifted to the side so she could get a better look.
But the words were too numerous and densely packed; to her, they were completely indecipherable.
She blinked her eyes, unable to recognize a single complete word.
"It’s just a small matter. How about Uncle takes you to get some candy later?"
Ling Anxun’s tone was gentle.
"Okay, okay!"
The moment she heard there was candy, Shanshan broke into a wide smile.
"But!"
She suddenly dropped her smile and raised her index finger with a serious expression.
"Uncle has to finish his medicine first! Otherwise, you’re not allowed to go!"
Ling Anxun was taken aback for a moment, then couldn’t help but laugh out loud.
He raised a hand and gently ruffled Shanshan’s hair.
"Alright, I’ll listen to you. I’ll drink every last drop."
The medicine bowl was brought to his lips, the dark brown liquid giving off a bitter smell.
Ling Anxun frowned but still tilted his head back and drank it all in one go.
Shanshan clapped her little hands in satisfaction, her eyes crinkling into slits as she smiled.
After he finished the medicine, Xiao Zhou skillfully took the bowl away.
Then he began to slowly push the wheelchair forward.
Shanshan skipped along beside them.
She chattered away the whole time, recounting the fun things that had happened that day.
The sun was setting, casting a golden afterglow over the courtyard and stretching the shadows of the three of them long.
When Ling Zhiyu heard his uncle had arrived, he hurried out of his office.
He straightened his suit and tie as he strode toward the entrance.
As he rounded the corner of the hallway, he caught sight of the scene.
The man in the wheelchair was as calm as still water, the child beside him was laughing with innocent delight, and Xiao Zhou was respectfully pushing from behind.
His heart suddenly softened.
But before that warmth could spread through his chest, Ling Anxun suddenly raised his hand and, with a THWACK, slapped the stack of investigation materials down on the stone table in front of him.
Ling Zhiyu’s expression changed in an instant.
’He should have known.’
’When had his uncle ever paid a visit just to catch up?’
"Yes, Mr. Ling. I understand. I’ll arrange for someone to handle it immediately."
Ling Zhiyu suppressed the turbulent waves in his heart, speaking each word with forced steadiness.
He knew that once this report was submitted, the consequences would be unimaginable.
What terrified him even more was that his uncle already had all the evidence in hand.
In the end, Cao Daqiang’s superior was dismissed from his post and investigated for accepting bribes.
Meanwhile, the grassroots cadres who had truly been working hard finally received the rewards they deserved.
But as for the gift-giving, Cao Daqiang himself had never been directly involved.
From beginning to end, it had been Liu Yingzi giving money and gifts in his name.
When the matter was exposed, she insisted that she had acted alone and that Cao Daqiang knew nothing about it.
And the result?
Cao Daqiang was merely called in for a talk with his superiors and given a light verbal reprimand.
The most ironic outcome was yet to come.
Yang Dapeng was noticed by the higher-ups for his "steady performance."
He was promoted, becoming Cao Daqiang’s new direct supervisor.
For Cao Daqiang, this was more agonizing than being publicly flogged twenty times.
He couldn’t show his face in public, simmering with a rage he couldn’t vent, so he could only hide at home all day.
But Liu Yingzi and Cao Jiajia were different.
They still had to go out to buy groceries and handle daily chores.
Every time they appeared, the gazes of those around them felt like needles pricking their skin.
Some people wouldn’t say anything to their faces but would point and gossip behind their backs.
"Tsk, that’s the family. Tried to social climb and failed, and ended up crashing and burning instead."