Chapter Seven: Grandpa Seemed Like a Hero Descending from the Heavens on a Seven-Colored Cloud

Luo Yan broke free from Hua Li’s embrace and trotted over, climbing onto Sun Bailing’s lap. She poked at the ledger in his hands with her tiny finger, babbling, “Food, food!”

Using someone else’s money to perform acts of charity while leaving their wife and child to starve—is that really charity? Hah, that’s more like an act of cruelty.

Sun Bailing looked at Luo Yan’s emaciated, stick-thin hands, then at the entries in the ledger showing dozens of yuan spent here and there, and realization dawned on him instantly. He slammed the ledger onto the table, reached into his pocket, and fished out a White Rabbit creamy candy to feed to Luo Yan.

Luo Yan took the candy, ran back to Hua Li, and stuffed it into her mother’s mouth. “Eat, Mommy. Then you won’t be sick anymore.”

Sun Bailing’s gaze followed the child. Seeing both mother and daughter as thin as refugees, he brought a heavy palm down on the table.

“Comrade Liu Jingqiu, doing good deeds is certainly commendable, but no one supports you being generous with someone else’s money. This matter ends here.”

Sun Bailing turned a stern gaze toward Luo Shicheng. “Starting today, one hundred yuan of your allowance will go to Comrade Hua Li. Furthermore, the position at the supply and marketing cooperative must be returned to her. As for Comrade Liu Jingqiu’s job, I will make other arrangements.”

Wow, Grandpa Sun is truly incredible! He is absolutely worthy of being called Grandpa.

Luo Yan fed the candy to the weeping Hua Li, hoping to keep her blood sugar up so she wouldn’t faint again.

“Grandpa, Grandpa…” She scurried back to Sun Bailing, threw herself into his arms, and wrapped her small hands around his neck, calling out to him affectionately. “Grandpa, Yan-yan loves you.”

Sun Bailing, lost in the sound of her calling him Grandpa, wore a gentle, smiling expression that Luo Shicheng had never seen before. Luo Shicheng looked at Luo Yan with a scrutinizing gaze.

Liu Jingqiu was livid. She had prepared for this for so long, even drafting the ledger in advance. Even if she couldn’t earn a commendation for her “good deeds” from Sun Bailing, she had hoped to at least keep her job and get Luo Shicheng to increase her allowance. Yet, just because of Luo Yan’s few words about food and calling him “Grandpa,” she had lost her job, and the allowance was gone too. How were she and Xiao Tong supposed to survive now?

Liu Jingqiu cast a venomous look at Luo Yan, then gritted her teeth and feigned agreement. “I had no idea that Comrade Hua Li had given me her job while suffering so much herself, starving the child to the point that she needed handouts from strangers. This is indeed my fault. I will go tell the leadership immediately that I am returning the job to Comrade Hua Li.”

While the words sounded like obedience to Sun Bailing, she was implying that if they were so starved without the job, how could she, Liu Jingqiu, possibly be any better off?

Furthermore, if someone was secretly giving Hua Li money because the child was starving, one couldn't help but wonder what the relationship was between that person and the child. Anyone with half a brain would be suspicious. And what was this nonsense about “giving back” the job? It was Hua Li’s job to begin with!

Oh, the smell of “green tea” was so thick it almost knocked Luo Yan over.

As soon as Luo Shicheng heard the words “handouts from strangers,” his face darkened. He said to Liu Jingqiu, “I was the one who agreed to give you the job. Besides, I give her one hundred yuan every month; even without a job, she and the child won’t starve. You just focus on your work at the cooperative and take good care of Xiao Tong. You don’t need to worry about anything else.”

He had defied his superior’s orders right to his face; this “scum father” had more nerve than most. However, it was likely that the fifty yuan had made him suspicious, leading him to wonder if she was someone else’s child, which was why he was acting out against Sun Bailing. After all, he was still her father, and her future comfort depended on him, so Luo Yan decided to wait and see.

Sun Bailing pointed an angry finger at Luo Shicheng. “Luo Shicheng, have you lost your mind? I’m not your father or mother. When I make a decision, it’s not up to you to argue. I said the job is going back to Comrade Hua Li, and it will. If you’re not happy, you’ll just have to deal with it.”

Grandpa looked like a hero descending from the heavens on colorful clouds! Luo Yan’s mouth dropped open in an ‘O’ shape. Although she looked pathetic right now, that had nothing to do with Sun Bailing—it was just that he was a warm-hearted man who felt pity for them.

This time, Luo Yan called out, “Grandpa!” from the bottom of her heart. She gently patted Sun Bailing’s chest, her eyes filled with sincere and touching concern. “Don’t be angry, don’t be angry. You’re a good grandpa.”

The child was so sensible and filial—far better than those stubborn boys of his own. Sun Bailing’s stern face instantly bloomed into a smile.

Hua Li, who had been crying her heart out, saw her daughter coaxing Sun Bailing, not only reclaiming her job but also securing a monthly allowance from Luo Shicheng. Her three-and-a-half-year-old daughter was fighting for her with everything she had; if she, as a mother, remained weak, how could she face her child?

Hua Li swallowed the candy, feeling a surge of strength. She stood up from the sofa and bowed deeply to Sun Bailing. As she straightened up, tears streamed down her face. “Thank you, sir, for upholding justice for me.”

“However, I must say one more thing: I was truly framed. Also, Comrade Luo Shicheng, no matter how much you resent me, the child is innocent, which is why I had to reclaim my job. As for the person who gave me the fifty yuan, I truly do not know him. He only gave me money this one time; it had never happened before. I promise you, sir, I will find this person, uncover the truth of what happened back then, and clear my name. I will not let you down.”

Initially, Sun Bailing had worried that Hua Li was too weak to stand up for herself, but hearing these words, he felt deeply relieved. “Good…”

Sun Bailing nodded. His words were directed at Hua Li, but his gaze remained fixed on Luo Shicheng. “Young people make mistakes. A comrade who recognizes their faults and corrects them is a good comrade. I hope you can put aside your grievances, forgive Comrade Hua Li, and give the child a complete home.”

Luo Shicheng thought, *Are you talking to her or me? Besides, I’m no fool—why should I help raise someone else’s child?* He pretended to be deaf and refused to respond.

*My spineless mother finally has some backbone,* Luo Yan thought. *But the scum father looks furious; he must still think Hua Li cheated on him.* Luo Yan’s eyes darted around.

“Itchy…” Luo Yan scratched the back of her neck repeatedly.

Hua Li hurried to take Luo Yan from Sun Bailing, blocking her hand and gently rubbing the spot with her fingertips.

Luo Shicheng caught a glimpse of a birthmark on the back of Luo Yan’s neck. Its shape and color looked like a peck mark. This type of pinkish birthmark, known as a “stork bite,” usually fades over time. Now, it was only the size of a fingernail, barely visible unless one looked closely.

*Could it really be such a coincidence that it’s Hua Li? And why would that yellow-toothed man give her money?*

Luo Shicheng couldn’t make sense of it, his heart in a tangle of knots.

Liu Jingqiu also noticed the birthmark and gasped. “I heard Sister Wu say that the man wasn’t wearing his clothes properly, and you could see a red birthmark on the back of his neck. How does Yan-yan have one too?”