Chapter 20: One Thing Leads to Another**

Jiaozi: “…”

After a long pause, at only five years old, Jiaozi was no match for Shen Yingying’s cunning.

With that little trick, Jiaozi fell for it and started hesitating, asking her, “Sister Yingying, are your ears really that powerful? Can you hear things from so far away?”

“Of course! Otherwise, how could they be called ‘sharp ears’?” Shen Yingying answered with absolute confidence and continued to play along, “I can hear everything Uncle Xie says, every word loud and clear…”

“Can you hear what others say too?”

Jiaozi’s innocent voice was tinged with some hesitation, and Shen Yingying could almost picture his worried little face behind her. She nearly laughed out loud.

She replied, “I can’t hear other people clearly, but I can hear everything Uncle Xie says. Now, tell me what Uncle Xie said to you. Let’s see if our Jiaozi has been lying…”

“Alright…” Jiaozi reluctantly agreed. His young voice recounted what Xie Fangzhu had said to him:

“Uncle Xie told me that Sister Yingying isn’t very smart.”

“She always likes to run around, and then she can’t find her way home, so he asked me to look after her.”

“If she runs away, I should quickly go to the meatpacking plant and ask Daddy for help…”

“Uncle Xie also said that you’re very timid.”

“If you get lost and can’t find your way home, you’ll cry sadly.”

“He told me to be a little hero and make sure I protect you until you get home…”

Shen Yingying: “…”

Jiaozi, still nervous, asked from behind, “Sister Yingying, is what I said the same as what you heard?”

Shen Yingying gritted her teeth, “…Yes, very good. Jiaozi is such an honest little boy. Well done!”

As she spoke, she was mentally berating Xie Fangzhu over and over again. This dog of a man, she knew something was off with him!

No wonder she thought it was strange when Xie Fangzhu called her out to have breakfast today.

He was pretending to be the good guy, making her take the little kid home. This was completely out of character for him as the cold, ruthless villain!

So he was afraid that once he went underground, she would run off, and to keep an eye on her, he had her take the “mobile surveillance device”—Jiaozi—home.

Not only that, he was saying she was stupid and acting like a fool!

It was so condescending! And did he really think a little kid could stop her if she wanted to run?

Suddenly, her rebellious side kicked in.

It wasn’t that she was actually going to run away—after all, in this era, if she tried to escape, she’d be caught and dragged back.

She just wanted to challenge Xie Fangzhu’s arrogance.

So, she said to Jiaozi, “Jiaozi, you know I’ve always gone to the cafeteria by myself and come home by myself, right? I’ve never gotten lost. Actually, Uncle Xie was just tricking you. He’s worried I’ll sneak off to the department store and buy candy, afraid I’ll ruin my teeth…”

“Really?” Jiaozi’s voice, still full of babyish innocence, seemed to consider her words seriously. After a long pause, he finally said, “It seems that way. Before, I always saw you walking alone to the cafeteria, Sister Yingying…”

“See!” Shen Yingying silently laughed, her eyes sparkling. She continued, “Jiaozi, I have a little favor to ask of you. After I take you home, I’m going to the department store to buy some candy. Don’t tell your dad, okay? I’ll buy some for you too. How about I give you half?”

Shen Yingying had expected this offer to tempt the five-year-old boy. After all, candy was a rare treat for kids—only something they’d get during the holidays.

But unexpectedly, Jiaozi rejected her immediately. Before she could finish her offer, he firmly refused, “No!”

He said, “Sister Yingying, even though you don’t get lost, I promised Uncle Xie that no matter what you say, I can’t let you run away.”

Shen Yingying: “…” This kid was so stubborn.

“Then, what if I buy you a little more? Ten pieces of candy, and I’ll give you nine?”

“I’m sorry, Sister Yingying, I can’t agree to that.” Jiaozi’s voice was firm and resolute.

Shen Yingying thought to herself, this little guy is so determined, he’s going to be a big shot when he grows up.

So, she upped her offer, “What if I get you a can of lychee canned fruit? It’s delicious! I’ll not only bring you candy, but I’ll also buy you lychee canned fruit. It’s really tasty!”

Jiaozi had eaten lychee canned fruit before, but only when he was sick; usually, his mother wouldn’t let him have it.

Thinking about how he could now have the sweet lychee canned fruit without needing to be sick, his eyes lit up.

“Sister, so you’ll give me nine pieces of candy and one lychee canned fruit, right?”

“Of course! As long as you promise not to tell your dad, I’ll buy it and bring it to you,” Shen Yingying raised an eyebrow, thinking that kids were still easy to coax.

But just as she thought that, Jiaozi’s voice came again, “Sister Yingying promised me nine pieces of candy and two chocolates, so Uncle Xie has to give me an even number. Two nines plus two twos… equals…”

He loosened one arm around her waist, seemingly making room to use one hand to count.

Shen Yingying suddenly realized something, “…What else did Uncle Xie promise you?”

Jiaozi innocently replied, “Uncle Xie said that no matter what you give me, Sister, I can’t agree to let you go anywhere else. Whatever you promise to give me, Uncle Xie will come back and give me an even number…”

Shen Yingying: “…”

In this subtle trap set by Xie Fangzhu, who wasn’t even there, Shen Yingying had lost completely.

She was frustrated, thinking to herself, what good does it do to have someone watching over her on the road? When she gets home, running away will still only take a minute.

With this thought, she felt a little better, but when they reached Jiaozi’s home, her smile dropped.

The door to Jiaozi’s house was tightly shut, and sitting on a bench next to the door was a young girl.

The girl looked to be around the same age as Shen Yingying, probably eighteen or nineteen years old, a little chubby, wearing a plaid shirt and loose pants, with two braids hanging down in front of her chest.

She had a round face, black eyebrows, and bright eyes. She was quite pretty but had a somewhat silly charm, like a “silly beauty.”

When the girl saw Shen Yingying coming on her bike, she immediately stood up with the help of a crutch.

Shen Yingying had heard a lot about this girl from others, so she recognized her as Chen Wenxing’s daughter, named Chen Qingqing. She was eighteen years old, had gone to the countryside to work a couple of years ago, and had broken her leg during her year there, which led to her being sent back on medical leave.

Since returning, no factory had been willing to hire her due to her disability, and she had been staying at home for more than a year.

It seemed that because she hadn’t been out in a long time, though her eyes were bright, they carried a sense of timidity. She looked at Shen Yingying and spoke in a tiny voice, almost like a mosquito, “Yingying… you’re back…”

The original owner had never spoken to Chen Qingqing, not even once, yet Chen Qingqing now looked like she had been waiting here specifically for Shen Yingying.

Suddenly, Shen Yingying remembered something—earlier this morning, she had overheard someone say at Chen Wenxing’s house, “I’ll make sure to keep an eye on her tightly.”

So, the one they were watching closely was her, Shen Yingying!

“…”

She was impressed—one thing led to another. Xie Fangzhu really had everything arranged neatly for her