Zhang Fuhai finished speaking and left, clearly impatient with their pleas.
Cheng You watched the chaos in the Zhao family, watching Cheng Tao faint from fright, and remained unmoved.
Call her heartless, call her cold, but she couldn't apply conscience to Cheng Tao.
She even wanted to add fuel to the fire.
But thinking of Qi Chengyan beside her, she ultimately decided to remain silent.
"Let's go."
Qi Chengyan stroked her head as if praising her for being good.
Cheng You wrinkled her nose and let out a soft hum.
All her sharp edges softened only for him.
"If nothing unexpected happens, I can get the household registration book this time."
It was a pity that even if she got it, she would have to return it.
She couldn't transfer her household registration out.
Cheng You suddenly thought of the method Sun Xiaowan had suggested, marrying her and Qi Chengyan.
She glanced at him and found that this man didn't seem to be in a hurry at all.
Or, was he not planning to marry her?
No matter what, Cheng You was a girl and couldn't possibly ask about this proactively, so she could only guess in her heart.
The more she guessed, the unhappier she became.
After walking for a while, Qi Chengyan realized that she had become unhappy for some unknown reason.
According to Song Jingtang, no matter the situation, if a female comrade was angry, it was because he had done something wrong.
Qi Chengyan, who could remain unfazed in any dangerous situation, panicked.
Because he couldn't find anything he had done wrong.
After all, he hadn't said a word from the beginning until now.
"I was wrong."
Cheng You suddenly stopped and turned her head to look at him.
"What did you say?"
Qi Chengyan stood tall and straight, as if reporting work to a leader.
"I was wrong."
Cheng You let out a chuckle. Qi Chengyan, who was earnestly admitting his fault, appeared a little cute.
"Then what did you do wrong?"
Qi Chengyan's expression was serious, and his voice was deep, "I haven't thought of it yet."
Cheng You huffed, "Then let me ask you, if I want to transfer my household registration out, is there any way?"
Qi Chengyan pondered for a moment.
Cheng Tianhua was Cheng You's father. Cheng You was unmarried, so in principle, her household registration shouldn't be transferable.
Unless...
Qi Chengyan's five fingers tightened, clenching into a fist.
Was that what she meant?
"What are you spacing out about?"
Qi Chengyan's eyes deepened, and he looked at her without blinking.
Marriage meant forming a new family.
After his grandmother passed away, he no longer had a home.
And Cheng You would be the one to give him a new home.
"Cheng You, wait for me!"
Qi Chengyan said, then turned and strode away.
"Where are you going!" Cheng You shouted in exasperation.
But Qi Chengyan didn't look back, walking faster and faster, and soon disappeared from sight.
Cheng You's eyes turned red with anger. "If you don't want to get married, then don't. I'm not forcing you."
It was as if she were a plague, an unwanted presence.
...
Lin Changhe was Uncle Li's father-in-law, and many people in the village knew about it.
Now that Cheng Tao had caused trouble and made Lin Changhe critically ill, this matter had become serious.
Cheng Tianhua rushed to Uncle Li's house to plead for mercy.
If investigated, Cheng Tao would definitely go to jail.
"Brother Li, just help me this once. I'll owe you a favor for life."
Uncle Li didn't even look up, casually pulling weeds in Cheng You's medicinal herb field.
Hearing his words, he roughly threw the weed in his hand onto his face.
"Who the hell wants your favor! Cheng Tianhua, take a good look at yourself. What have you been doing lately! Running around for this daughter your stepmother brought in, abandoning your own daughter, how can you even say that!"
Cheng Tianhua wiped the dirt from his face, not daring to retort.
"She still calls me Dad, no matter what."
Uncle Li spat, "Then don't Cheng You and Wen Yu call you Dad? Aren't they your biological children?"
Cheng Tianhua didn't feel ashamed at all; it was Cheng You and Cheng Wen Yu who had stopped recognizing him as their father first.
Did he have to grovel as an elder?
"Brother Li, just tell me what you want for you to help me?"
Uncle Li nudged his chin towards Cheng You, who had just entered.
"If Cheng You is willing to help you, I'll help you."
Cheng Tianhua: "..."
This was a death sentence!
Cheng You happened to overhear this and smiled slyly.
"Dad, give me the household registration book, and I'll help your precious daughter!"
Cheng Tianhua's attitude was firm, "You solve this matter first, and then I'll give you the household registration book."
Cheng You shrugged, so there was nothing to discuss.
"Forget it. Anyway, Cheng Tao going to jail won't do me any harm. It's just that the child in her belly is pitiful, suffering with its mother before even being born."
"You!" Cheng Tianhua was so exasperated with her that he was speechless.
"Cheng You, do you have any conscience? She's your sister!"
Cheng You chuckled, her slender fingers twirling a strand of hair.
"What sister? Sister from different fathers and mothers? By the way, I recently heard a joke. Someone actually said that Dad and Mom were seeing each other before they got married, and that Cheng Tao might even be Dad's daughter. I thought it was utterly absurd when I heard it. What do you think, Dad?"
Cheng Tianhua's expression changed greatly, "Nonsense!"
Cheng You pretended to agree and nodded, "Exactly! Utter nonsense! Cheng Tao doesn't look like me at all. I'm so beautiful; if she were really my sister, she should at least have a third of my beauty, right?"
Cheng Tianhua couldn't tell if she was scolding him or not for a moment.
Cheng You, fearing he wasn't angry enough, added, "Oh, and Dad, I'd like Aunt Lian to personally deliver the household registration book to me."
"You! You're simply disrespectful!"
Cheng You spread her hands and blinked innocently, "I only have eyes for those who deserve my respect."
Uncle Li saw that he was still about to reprimand Cheng You and pushed him away.
"If you want to discipline children, go home and discipline Cheng Tao. Don't point fingers at my disciple here."
Cheng Tianhua stomped out angrily, his head aching at the thought of facing Song Yulian, who would be crying, upon returning home.
For the sake of this unpromising daughter, Cheng Tao, he had been slapped in the face by Cheng You countless times!
What could Song Yulian do? She only had this one daughter, so she had to bear with her no matter what.
She had endured for so many years, so enduring a couple more times wouldn't matter.
She took the household registration book to Cheng You's house, apologized to her personally, and placed the book in her hand.
Cheng You shook the book in her hand, a smile playing on her lips.
"I really thought Aunt Lian didn't want to give me the household registration book. Now it's here, isn't it."
No matter how unwilling Song Yulian was, she could only grit her teeth and endure, her heart aching as if it were being squeezed.
She was forced to bow her head.
"Yes, I've brought it. Can you speak to Magistrate Lin for me?"
Cheng You giggled, "No problem, no problem. Cheng Tao won't go to jail, don't worry."
With her assurance, Song Yulian still felt uneasy.
A strange feeling she couldn't quite articulate.
She walked out distractedly. Lin Changhe was Uncle Li's father-in-law.
When the father-in-law was in trouble, Uncle Li didn't seem sad or upset.
Was that normal?