Chapter 72: Earning Plenty of Face
Before long, she had steadily reeled in a fat, heavy fish.
A proud smile appeared on her face as she carefully placed the fish into her small bucket.
Then, she walked step by step back to where the grandfathers were.
She stood on her tiptoes, taking the fish out of the bucket one by one and earnestly handing one to each of the old men.
"Grandpa, this is for you! The biggest fish!"
On the way home, Ling Zhenkang held her hand, his posture a little straighter than usual.
He couldn’t help but look back at his group of old buddies as he walked.
And behind him, just as he’d expected, were the envious and jealous gazes of his old friends.
"That Old Ling is just too lucky! Where did he find such a clever granddaughter?"
"Shanshan really earned her grandpa a lot of face today!"
Ling Zhenkang looked down at Shanshan, his face full of affection, and raised his voice a bit.
"Tell me, what do you want for dinner tonight? Grandpa will cook for you himself! I guarantee it’ll be so good you’ll want to swallow your own tongue!"
"Grandpa’s cooking is bad."
Shanshan pressed her lips together, her little face scrunching up. She gave him no face at all before turning and throwing herself into Ding Qin’s arms.
Ding Qin was so amused by this that she bent over laughing, her eyes crinkling into slits.
"See? Our Shanshan has the best taste! She knows what’s what! Don’t listen to their empty praise. Your cooking hasn’t improved one bit over the years. They’re all just humoring you!"
The old couple bickered all the way, going back and forth, neither willing to back down.
They started arguing at the courtyard gate, and the bickering only grew more lively.
"Everyone who eats my braised pork says it’s delicious!"
"Delicious? Last time, Shanshan took two bites and spit it out, and you still have the nerve to say that!"
They went back and forth, arguing until they were red in the face.
All the way from the courtyard gate to their front door, the sound of their voices never stopped, and neither did the laughter.
Shanshan stood to the side, covering her mouth and giggling, her small body shaking with laughter.
She would look at her grandpa, then at her grandma.
When she saw her grandpa was about to lose the argument, she would chime in with her childish voice.
"Grandpa, last time you cooked, you even burned the pot."
Or, if she felt her grandma was being too harsh, she would quickly hug her arm.
"Grandma’s the best! Her cooking is the most delicious!"
She went on like this, chiming in from the middle.
Whoever was about to lose, she would secretly help them out with a word or two.
She just loved watching them, refusing to yield to one another, their arguments so full of life.
Those days were filled with sound and warmth.
It made her feel that this family, this home, was truly warm.
The days passed one by one, life becoming smoother and smoother.
The rice container at home was never empty, there were always new clothes in the wardrobe, and the sound of laughter never ceased.
But the family always felt that a corner of their hearts was empty, as if they owed her something.
It wasn’t a lack of material things, nor was it a lack of care. It was something in their hearts.
They always felt that no matter how much love they gave her, it was never enough, could never completely make up for what she’d lost.
They knew Shanshan had lost her parents at a young age and was raised single-handedly by her grandparents.
That missing parental affection, no matter how they tried to compensate for it...
"How about this," Ling Zhenkang began solemnly during a family meeting. "The compound is holding a banquet in a few days. Ruoling, you and the other sisters-in-law should take Shanshan to buy a new dress."
"It’s our little girl’s first time appearing at a big event. We can’t have her looking shabby. She needs to look respectable and dazzling."
"Understood! Mission accepted!"
Ye Ruoling’s eyes lit up when she heard this, and her heart swelled with delight.
She and Ling Antao had been married for two years without children, which had been a source of some regret.
But ever since Shanshan came to their home, she had unconsciously started treating the child as her own daughter.
Every day, she vied to hold her, to soothe her, to feed her, tell her stories, and sleep beside her, unwilling to let go for even a moment.
But she was a soldier, and her way of doing things was crisp, efficient, and decisive.
When it came to delicate matters like dressing up, she wasn’t so confident.
So for this, she had to rely on her younger sister-in-law, Zou Hui.
Zou Hui was a painter, an artist. Her aesthetic sense was the best in the entire Ling family. She could tell what colors to wear, which shoes to match, and how to style hair with just a single glance.
No one was worried about entrusting Shanshan to her; they just had to wait for the stunning debut.
On the day of the event, Shanshan was dressed up like a little fairy. Her hair was done in two small pigtails, tied with light pink ribbons, and she wore a light blue tulle dress.
On her feet was a pair of pearl-white patent leather shoes that jingled as she walked.
When she walked into the compound’s dining hall with her aunts, the entire room instantly fell silent at her appearance.
Everyone stopped their chopsticks and turned to look, their gazes focused on her.
Ding Qin and Ling Zhenkang led her around for introductions.
Before each elder they approached, Ding Qin would smile and say softly, "This is Shanshan, our family’s little treasure."
Ling Zhenkang, meanwhile, stood with his back straight, his face beaming with pride.
Any other child would have been bewildered after a full round of greetings.
But Shanshan was different.
Shanshan remembered everyone clearly.
"Hello, Grandma. Hello, Grandpa. Hello, Uncle. Hello, Auntie. Hello, Big Brother. Hello, Big Sister. Hello, Auntie..."
But no matter how sweet a child is, not everyone will love them.
There are always people in this world who can’t stand to see others being doted on.
Especially when that affection is particularly conspicuous, jealousy sprouts quietly like a weed.
Take, for example, the chubby little boy in the crowd, Yang Wenxuan.
He was wearing a small Tang suit with a red and gold pattern. His round, pudgy cheeks were set with a pair of narrow eyes, and his nose tilted slightly upward. He was currently standing behind his mother, clutching a half-eaten sesame candy in his hand.
His gaze followed Shanshan, his eyes holding no curiosity, only disdain.
He was also six years old. He glanced at Shanshan, scoffed, and rolled his eyes.
A relative nearby heard him and was about to remind him to be polite.
But he just turned his head away, sneering, and ignored them completely.
Shanshan whipped her head around and saw Yang Wenxuan staring at her.
He immediately straightened his back.
Shanshan could tell at a glance that he was just putting on an act.
"No matter how you dress up a wild pheasant, it’ll never fly up a branch and become a phoenix."
After speaking, he didn’t forget to add a cold sneer, shooting Shanshan a sidelong glance.
"What did you say?"
As soon as Shanshan heard that, her heart clenched painfully.
Since joining the Ling family, she had been cherished and spoiled every single day.
She was no longer the neglected girl she once was.
She couldn’t bear to hear even a single word like that.
Memories of her days living in the old house in the countryside instantly flooded her mind.
No one paid any attention to her. At the dinner table, she had to watch everyone’s expressions just to take a piece of food. Even when she was sick, no one took her to the hospital.
’But things were different now!’
’She was part of the Ling family, the granddaughter her grandpa and grandma had personally acknowledged!’
Seeing that she dared to talk back, the little fatty Yang Wenxuan rushed over and grabbed one of her pigtails from behind.
Pain shot from her scalp. Shanshan cried out, and tears nearly fell from her eyes.
"I said you’re a country bumpkin! You must have used some crooked trick to leech onto the Ling family! Sooner or later, they’ll pack you up and kick you out!"
Yang Wenxuan grew more worked up as he spoke, spittle flying from his mouth.
Many people in the crowd began to whisper amongst themselves.
"That’s impossible! Grandpa and Grandma love me the most! They would never kick me out! You’re the bad guy!"
Shanshan spun around, tears welling in her eyes, but she refused to let them fall.
She wasn’t afraid of his words, but she hated them.
She hated this feeling of being torn away from her happiness.
Shanshan was so angry her eyes turned red.
Without another word, she swung her little fist and punched him.