Chapter 79: Reinforcements Have Arrived
Snowballs flew back and forth, drawing roars of laughter from everyone.
Ding Qin sat in the warm house, holding a steaming cup of hot tea.
Watching the rowdy children outside, she couldn’t help but laugh out loud.
The lively scene made her feel as if she had returned to her own childhood.
But Shanshan was the youngest of the group.
Even Qin Haoyu, who was about her age, was several months older.
He was well-fed and well-nourished.
Standing next to her, he was a full head taller, like a little tree.
With her short little arms and legs, Shanshan was no match for them in a snowball fight.
She had just packed a snowball and hadn’t even had a chance to throw it when someone snuck up from behind and stuffed a handful of snow down her collar, making her jump and yelp from the cold.
Even with Qin Haoyu desperately trying to shield her and fight back on her behalf, the two of them were still chased all over the yard by the other kids, without a moment to even catch their breath.
The more she fought, the more frustrated Shanshan became. Her little face was flushed red, and the tip of her nose had turned purple from the cold.
She bent down, intending to grab a handful of snow and pack a new, solid snowball.
But the moment she looked up, a big, wet clump of cold snow hit her right in the face with a SPLAT.
On a normal day, they were completely outshone by Shanshan in homework, talents, and etiquette, leaving them with their heads hanging low.
Now that they had this chance during a snowball fight, how could they possibly let it go?
Each one of them was as hyped up as if they were on steroids, specifically targeting her.
But Shanshan refused to give in.
She wiped the slush from her face, stood up straight, and pressed her lips together firmly.
This time, she packed it especially hard.
Even with her face splattered with slush, she gritted her teeth, straightened her back, and stubbornly lifted her small face.
’I’d rather turn into a snowman, a little white furball, than bow my head to them.’
Just as Ling Anxun walked in with a few of his nephews, he stumbled right into this chaotic battle.
Ling Anxun frowned slightly, but before he could call out, he was frozen by the messy scene before him.
In the yard, snow flew through the air as a dozen or so children darted back and forth, clutching snowballs of various sizes.
The moment Shanshan saw them, her eyes lit up.
She was being ganged up on by three or four kids, and half of her hair had come loose from all the dodging.
But when she caught sight of the familiar figure at the gate.
Her eyes, which had been full of misery, suddenly lit up.
’Hope has arrived!’
’The cavalry is here!’
Her little body, bundled up like a furball, shot forward with a WHOOSH.
She forgot all about the snowball fight, forgot about the slush on her clothes, and scampered toward the gate on her short little legs.
"Daddy! Brothers! Come help me! It’s a whole group of them against just me!"
Her voice trailed off into a tearful whine.
But it was more a tone of triumphant pouting.
When she reached Ling Anxun, she practically threw herself into his arms, grabbing his coattails with one small hand while pointing an accusing finger back at the yard with the other.
"They... they’re not playing fair! Four of them ganged up on me, and they won’t let me call for backup! It’s not fair!"
"Hey! That’s cheating! No adults allowed in a snowball fight!"
The words had barely left her mouth when a storm of fierce protests erupted from behind her.
The leader of the protest was the chubby kid from next door, Zhou Jiajun.
He slapped his thigh and yelled anxiously.
The kids around him immediately chimed in, dropping their snowballs and jumping up and down in protest.
"We agreed it’s kids only! Adults can’t join in!"
"This isn’t fair! Why is her whole family getting involved!?"
They were all squawking nonstop, like cats whose tails had been stepped on.
The children instantly erupted into a clamor, all shouting at once.
The group of kids who had just been ganging up on Shanshan now looked pale.
Their current nervousness was a perfect match for their earlier smugness.
They had been relying on their numbers, forcing Shanshan into a steady retreat and laughing so hard they were doubled over, certain that she would have to admit defeat today.
But now, Ling Zhiyu and Ling Zhiwei had arrived.
Who didn’t know that these two brothers showed no mercy in a snowball fight, not even to their own family?
At this thought, their arrogant demeanor instantly deflated by half.
The more fun they’d had overwhelming her, the more panicked they were now to see Ling Zhiyu and Ling Zhiwei about to step in.
A few of the kids even started to shrink back, secretly stuffing their freshly-packed snowballs back into the snowdrifts.
Others had already started looking for an escape route, muttering, "I just remembered my mom told me to come home for dinner..."
"How about we do this again another day?"
But clearly, it was too late.
Ling Zhiwei had already taken off his jacket and rolled up his sleeves, a cunning glint in his eyes.
What goes around, comes around.
A few months ago, this same group of kids would often gang up on Shanshan when she was playing alone in the yard, snatching her toys.
Or they would stomp flat the little snowman she had just built.
Back then, she didn’t dare tell her father, so she could only wipe her tears in secret and swallow her grievances.
Now, the tables had turned. The little prey of yesterday was finally getting her snow-white revenge.
The pummeling Shanshan took today was the settling of a score from the past few months of being bullied.
And today, all those days that had made her stay silent and hide away were finally being settled in this snowball fight.
Although she was covered in snow from head to toe, the corners of her mouth were turned up in a smile.
Now, it was their turn.
With a great shout from Ling Zhiyu.
"Don’t be scared, Shanshan! Your brother will get revenge for you!"
The tide of battle turned in an instant.
Ling Zhiwei was even more agile. With a duck and a leap, he fired off snowballs that were both fast and accurate, hitting three opponents in quick succession.
Seeing this, Shanshan’s spirits immediately lifted. She scooped up the remains of a half-finished snowman from the ground and hurled it with all her might, hitting Zhou Jiajun square in the back of the head and sending everyone into fits of laughter.
Once the Ling family joined in, the yard erupted into chaos.
The laughter was three times louder than before, punctuated by a chorus of shrieks.
Clumps of snow traced arcs through the air.
The adults watched from the windows, shaking their heads.
But their faces were filled with irrepressible smiles.
Ling Anxun stood at the entrance, his arms crossed.
Watching the children run wild, the corners of his mouth turned up slightly.
He had intended to call them inside for some hot soup.
But when he saw the brilliant smile on Shanshan’s face, a smile he had never seen before, he couldn’t bring himself to say anything.
’Let her go wild for once. Winter should be this lively.’
"Haha, who says there’s a difference between adults and kids in a snowball fight? Shanshan and I are the same generation, which makes me your big brother. We all grew up together, so what’s all this talk about bullying?"
Ling Zhiwei laughed the loudest, casually packing a snowball as he spoke and accurately hitting a little boy who was trying for a sneak attack.
"I’m Shanshan’s brother! Anyone who bullies her has to go through me!"
After speaking, he dived into a snowdrift and rolled around.
Ling Zhiwei was the most hyped one there. Without a second thought, he tossed his schoolbag aside and charged straight into a snowdrift to join the fray.
He didn’t even bother to take off his coat, simply loosening his tie before charging into the crowd.
Now it was their turn to be chased all over the yard, with Shanshan lugging the snowman her dad had personally built and hunting each of them down for revenge.
Ling Anxun had originally built that snowman in the morning.
It had a plump, round body, a carrot for a nose, coal for eyes, and was even wearing a little red hat.
But now, it had become Shanshan’s "weapon of revenge."
She hugged the snowman’s torso with one arm and broke off its other arm with her free hand.
"Zhou Jiajun! Do you remember stomping on my snowman?!"
"Yang Xinyu! You stole my gloves!"
Although they were covered in snow, with bits of ice hanging from their hair,
no one cried out in pain. They were all doubled over with laughter.