Chapter Six: In the Embrace of the Little Baby

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A vivid image flashed through her mind: a man grabbing her hands, pinning them above her head, and forcefully entering her. Hua Li seemed to relive the excruciating pain of her body being torn apart, curling up trembling in the corner of the sofa.

Luo Yan hadn’t expected the shadow Luo Shicheng cast over Hua Li to be so deep. She hurried over with hurried footsteps, climbed onto the sofa, and embraced the sobbing Hua Li like a little kitten.

“Mommy, be good, don’t be afraid. Yan Yan’s here to hold you…”

Though Luo Yan was close in age to Hua Li before transmigrating, she was now just a little toddler, orphaned in her previous life and calling Hua Li “mom” was only natural.

The toddler’s embrace was soft and gentle, small yet offering Hua Li an unparalleled sense of security.

Gradually, Hua Li pulled herself away from the terrifying memories and clung back to Luo Yan, crying uncontrollably.

Luo Shicheng was taken aback by Hua Li’s reaction, momentarily at a loss.

“Report, Commander, Comrade Liu has arrived.”

A guard knocked and entered, ushering Liu Jingqiu inside.

Liu Jingqiu didn’t know Captain Sun but had been specially summoned to the office by him. Suspecting it was related to Luo Shicheng, she had prepared in advance.

Seeing Hua Li and her child present, she knew a tough battle was coming. She entered confidently and greeted Sun Bailin warmly.

Sun Bailin appraised Liu Jingqiu’s calm and composed demeanor, then glanced coldly at Luo Shicheng while observing Hua Li’s terrified, frightened expression like a startled little rabbit.

“Comrade Liu Jingqiu, please sit.”

After thanking him, Liu Jingqiu seemed to just notice Hua Li.

“Comrade Hua Li is here too? Before coming, I ran into your neighbor looking for you everywhere, saying someone had delivered a letter for you.”

With that, Liu Jingqiu pulled a letter from her pocket.

The envelope bore neither a recipient’s nor a sender’s address, only four large, clumsily written characters: “For Hua Li’s eyes only.”

Hua Li was an orphan with a cold personality and almost no friends—how could anyone have deliberately delivered a letter to her home? Luo Shicheng frowned.

Hua Li looked confused, took the envelope, tore it open, and pulled out the letter along with five large bills.

Feeling guilty, Hua Li glanced at Luo Shicheng, whose expression was as cold as still water, his eyes chillingly sharp.

Trembling, Hua Li unfolded the letter, which was scrawled roughly: “Don’t let the child go hungry. If you need money, come to me.”

Luo Shicheng saw it at a glance, snatched the letter away, and handed it to Sun Bailin.

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Sun Bailin frowned. “Comrade Hua Li, how do you explain this?”

In the late 1970s, a worker’s basic monthly wage was only 20 to 30 yuan. Fifty yuan was nearly two months’ pay. Who would give that much money without reason—unless there was a special relationship?

Hua Li had never seen so much money and shook her head helplessly.

“I…I don’t know.”

Luo Yan was also puzzled—this part wasn’t in the book. Where did the money come from?

Luo Shicheng clenched his fist and coldly asked Liu Jingqiu, “Which neighbor gave you the letter, and what exactly did they say?”

Liu Jingqiu appeared puzzled.

“It was Aunt Wu next door. She said her husband, Old Li, had a hole in his socks and planned to buy some at the supply and marketing cooperative. Just as she was leaving, a man with yellow teeth came looking for Comrade Hua Li. Aunt Wu said you weren’t home, so the man gave the letter to her and asked her to pass it on.

“Coincidentally, Commander Sun’s guard came looking for me and mentioned Luo Shicheng was also here. Aunt Wu told me to give the letter to Luo Shicheng to pass along…”

Liu Jingqiu nervously rubbed her hands.

“If I’d known there was money inside, I wouldn’t have accepted it. What if it got lost on the way? I couldn’t afford to pay for that.”

Hearing that the letter came from the yellow-toothed man, Hua Li’s heart clenched painfully.

She remembered the morning she ran away after putting on her clothes—she had just run into a yellow-toothed man blocking the door, whom she knocked unconscious with the door latch... Could this letter have been from him?

Hua Li discarded the letter and money, clutching Luo Yan tightly, her eyes full of terror.

What was to be done with such a timid mother? Luo Yan rubbed her forehead in despair.

Luo Shicheng recalled the man he had knocked unconscious—definitely with large yellow teeth. But why would that man give Hua Li money?

“Hua Li, who is he?”

They both bore faults. If Hua Li could simply keep the innocent child and live quietly, he might turn a blind eye, even give her a decent status. But he could never tolerate bringing men from outside into their home.

Her long-buried, unbearable past was suddenly unearthed, and the very man who hurt her had found their home. Hua Li felt as if the sky was falling and could hardly hear what Luo Shicheng said.

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Seeing Hua Li sobbing uncontrollably, Luo Shicheng irritably ran his hand through his spiky hair.

Liu Jingqiu secretly rejoiced.

“Comrade Hua Li, the leaders and Luo Shicheng are here. Don’t be afraid. If you have any difficulties, just speak up. The leadership will surely support you.”

Hua Li was already lost and overwhelmed, crying hysterically. She couldn’t even manage to answer questions, let alone prove her innocence.

Liu Jingqiu sighed sympathetically.

“Oh, us women, life is truly hard…

“For example, me—an orphaned single mother constantly entangled in troubles. Even when I do good deeds, people misunderstand me.

“At first, because I’m a military martyr’s family, I was assigned to work at the supply and marketing cooperative. Coincidentally, Sister Liu’s eldest girl had no job and was sent to the countryside.

“Sister Liu was ill and widowed, relying on her eldest girl’s help. If the eldest girl left for the countryside, caring for her young child alone would be very difficult.

“Putting myself in their shoes, I gave my job to Sister Liu’s eldest girl, took odd jobs to earn some money, and with my military martyr’s family allowance, it was enough for the two of us.

“Later, when Comrade Luo Shicheng found out, he gave Comrade Hua Li’s cooperative job to me. But rumors spread that I was having an affair with Luo Shicheng… sigh!”

Liu Jingqiu wiped away tears, her grievance seeming pitiful but not as heart-wrenching as Hua Li’s sobs, making her appear even more delicate.

Sun Bailin remained stern, unmoved.

“Since Luo Shicheng gave you Comrade Hua Li’s job, why do you still accept one hundred yuan a month in support from Luo Shicheng?”

What? The scoundrel father gave Liu Jingqiu one hundred yuan a month?! Luo Yan’s heart ached.

Liu Jingqiu answered calmly, “Comrade Luo Shicheng does give me a hundred yuan each month, but that’s because I donate most of my wage and allowance to families in greater need than mine.

“Including the money Luo Shicheng gives me, at least two-thirds goes to help others. If the leadership doubts me, I can fetch my accounting book from home—it records every expense in detail.”

Sun Bailin summoned guards to accompany Liu Jingqiu home. When she returned, she placed the accounting book on the table before Sun Bailin with a composed, dignified demeanor that caught his attention.

Sun Bailin skimmed through it roughly. The book contained dates, names of aid recipients, home addresses, and amounts given—meticulously recorded.

If it were fabricated, the addresses and names could be easily checked. So Liu Jingqiu was genuinely doing good deeds? Sun Bailin furrowed his brow tightly, holding the ledger.