Chapter 6

The next day, Zhang Rui woke up early, excited to prepare a room for his daughter.

At that time, Tian Jiao was still sleeping soundly in bed.

Although they shared a room, Zhang Rui had thoughtfully placed a winter quilt between them, considering she was a girl. She slept covered with a thin quilt, lying flat on her back with her hands on her belly, in a well-behaved position.

What happened yesterday had shocked her. She had gone to bed very late and didn’t hear anyone else wake up that morning. She slept on until now.

As the sun warmed her, Tian Jiao kicked off the quilt, sat up, rubbed her eyes, and looked at the old dark wall. Instinctively, she called out, “Dad!”

Zhang Rui, who was busy on the other side, heard her and immediately shouted back, “Hey, Dad is here. Wake up. I’ll get you some sweet potatoes and eggs!”

Tian Jiao nodded but then remembered she was alone in the room, so she called out loudly: “Okay!”

With a smile, Zhang Rui gladly put down what he was doing, went outside to wash his hands, and then entered the kitchen.

He placed the boiled eggs and steamed sweet potatoes into a pot with water to warm them up. They should still be hot by the time he took them out.

However, when he opened the lid, his face immediately fell. He slammed the lid shut and rushed to knock on Zhang Zhi’s door, growling, “Ding Yushu! Open the door! Did you take the eggs?”

Zhang Rui banged on the door with his big hands, creating a loud noise. Anyone who wasn’t deaf could hear it. However, he feared scaring his daughter, so he didn’t knock too hard. His expression turned cold as he threatened in a low voice, “Open the door quickly, or I’ll kick it down!”

Tian Jiao, who had just put on her clothes, emerged from the house, looking confused: “Dad, what’s wrong?”

Zhang Rui turned to her, and his cold expression instantly transformed into a smile: “It’s okay, go rinse your mouth.”

After saying that, he turned back to continue knocking on the door, silently cursing. Was this woman a ghost who starved to death in her previous life and came back to steal? Why was she stealing even the children’s food?

In this state, Tian Jiao definitely wouldn’t believe it if he said it was fine. However, her mind was still a bit foggy, and she didn’t notice Zhang Rui’s initial words. She rubbed her face and stepped outside.

As soon as she exited, she saw her second aunt, sporting two braided pigtails, entering the yard. Tian Jiao hurriedly called out, “Dad, the second aunt is here.”

Ding Yushu had been out for a while and returned, thinking it was nearly time for her mother-in-law to start cooking. However, she didn’t expect that the little girl had just gotten up.

Feeling irritated, especially after hearing the loud noise upon entering the courtyard, she glared at her and snapped, “What nonsense are you spouting, you little brat? Are you asking for a beating?”

Tian Jiao shot her an angry look and snorted. She thought her second aunt deserved a beating. Her mouth itched with the urge to curse.

Zhang Rui paused from kicking the door and sneered inwardly, realizing she had gone out to hide. Furious at her audacity to scold his daughter, he turned around and yelled, “Ding Yushu, who are you talking about? I think it’s you who deserves a beating!”

After saying this, he rushed out but quickly turned back to shut the door, instructing Tian Jiao to stay inside: “Stay here and don’t come out.”

It was better not to let the little girl witness what might happen, to avoid frightening her.

…

“Dad, what are you doing?” Tian Jiao asked, alarmed by his sudden actions. This was the first time in over ten days she had seen Zhang Rui so angry.

But he was too strong for her to stop him, and in a few seconds, Zhang Rui had pushed her inside, shut the door, and then turned to chase after the woman who had already fled.

Fortunately, the houses in this rural area were somewhat worn down. Years of use had created sizable gaps in the doors. Standing on tiptoe, she could see outside through the hole.

Tian Jiao furrowed her brow and observed intently. If that second aunt bullied her father, she would curse at her!

Suddenly, she felt a sharp pain at the back of her head, as if someone had hit her lightly. Tian Jiao grimaced and covered the back of her head, whispering in a frustrated tone, “Tian Dao Dad! Don’t bully Jiaojiao!”

In the simple living room, she was alone. Who else could hit her except Tian Dao?

Though he was invisible, Tian Jiao could sense him nearby. After she spoke, she felt someone rubbing her head, but the force was a bit strong, almost too much, as if he was both upset and trying to soothe her. Poor girl; she had only been walking for a short time but was already thinking about others.

“Dad! Stop it~~” Tian Jiao muttered, pouting and swatting away the invisible hand. She grabbed the door, leaned in, and peered outside.

Tian Dao couldn’t appear at will, which was something Tian Jiao had learned before coming to the mortal world. She knew Tian Dao couldn’t be by her side at all times.

Now that he suddenly seemed to be behind her, she would usually pull him in and act affectionately. But she couldn’t focus on that right now.

Meanwhile, the yard was in turmoil again. Ding Yushu was holding Dabao and had only run a few steps when Zhang Rui swiftly pulled her back. To prevent him from advancing, she shielded her son with her body and threatened him sharply, “Zhang Rui, are you out of your mind? If you dare to touch me, I’ll make sure your Zhang family pays for it!”

The commotion frightened Dabao, causing him to cry loudly in her arms.

Zhang Rui knew she wouldn’t dare to flee with the child in her arms, especially since she was using Dabao to intimidate him. He advanced slowly, planning to take Dabao away before confronting her: “I did touch you. Damn it, you even dared to steal my daughter’s eggs. How can I let that go?”

But Ding Yushu couldn’t just relinquish her child. If she did, she would be in danger. Clutching Dabao tightly, she yelled, “What are you doing? Let go! Help!”

The noise was harsh, and she stretched out her claws to scratch him.

Zhang Rui dodged her strikes while trying to grasp her with one hand and reach for Dabao with the other. He could handle her, but he couldn’t hurt the child.

Dabao was already crying uncontrollably, but his mother wouldn’t let him go, causing him pain.

This deadlock in the yard worried Zhang Rui. He said darkly, “Put the child down; we’ll settle this ourselves!”

“I won’t!” Ding Yushu retorted stubbornly, ignoring her son completely. She didn’t believe Zhang Rui would truly harm Dabao. The child was her assurance; as long as Dabao was with her, Zhang Rui wouldn’t dare act against her.

Tian Jiao grew anxious. Besides her father, Dabao was the person she was closest to, and she felt compelled to open the door: “Dad Tian Dao, please help me; Dabao is so pitiful.”

Did Tian Dao father just pass away?

There was silence around her.

As Tian Jiao felt a lump in her throat, the lock on the door suddenly clicked open by itself. Neither of the two combatants noticed, but Tian Jiao immediately reacted. She sweetly kissed the ethereal air and flung the door open.

After being kissed, Tian Dao instinctively reached out to “touch” his daughter, but as soon as he extended his hand, he saw her running away from him.

No one witnessed it, but the invisible entity froze for a moment, and the aching feeling gradually dissipated into the ether.

…

“Dad, let go! Dabao is crying!” Tian Jiao rushed over and tugged at him to separate them.

Zhang Rui instinctively released his grip, saying, “You guys are coming out?”

Ding Yushu quickly stepped back, saying proudly, “Don’t you know how big this girl’s appetite is? She can’t eat all this by herself. I’m just helping her eat…”

“Ah——” Before he could finish the word “eat,” she received a sharp slap to the head.

The sound of the slap startled Tian Jiao, and she widened her eyes.

Behind Ding Yushu, the fierce old lady Li Mizhen glared at her with hands on her hips, her anger spilling over: “Ding Yushu, you ungrateful wretch! Your son is crying like this, and you can’t even comfort him? Do you really want me to beat you up?”

Ding Yushu trembled, her mind foggy from the pain at the back of her head. In despair, she turned and weakly called out, “Mom…”

Li Mizhen had no intention of wasting any more time with her. She quickly grabbed the child, her face full of concern, and shot a fierce look at Ding Yushu, gritting her teeth as she warned, “Just you wait. If I don’t peel your skin off, I’m not Li!”

The old woman’s words struck Ding Yushu like a thunderbolt. Although she often acted boldly with the Zhang family, she truly feared Li Mizhen. She was the only one who might actually do it.

Zhang Rui, despite being visibly angry today, was a grown man with a generally good temper; he would never actually fight with her. He might raid her room and take some valuables, but he wouldn’t harm her. However, Li Mizhen was a different story.

Feeling wronged, Ding Yushu shot back, “Why are you blaming me? If your son hadn’t gone crazy and clung to me, why would Dabao be crying like this?”

Tian Jiao had quietly observed everything when Li Mizhen returned. Seeing Ding Yushu complain made her pout, but she soon realized there was some truth in it. She glanced between her new father and Ding Yushu, unsure whether to intervene.

Zhang Rui, his tone cold and unafraid, confronted her: “You took the eggs I left for Jiaojiao. Shouldn’t I seek justice?”

Oh, the eggs!

Tian Jiao pressed her lips together, her stomach grumbling. She had skipped breakfast and it was nearly lunchtime.

Li Mizhen was busy soothing her grandson but was still all ears. Ding Yushu, noticing, puffed out her chest defiantly: “What’s wrong? Can your daughter eat them? It’s lunchtime; I didn’t want her to eat too much and leave food for outsiders, so I helped her eat it early. What’s the problem? Can’t I eat food at home?”

That incident happened yesterday.

Zhang Rui laughed derisively, yanking her arm again: “You can’t eat it. If you’ve eaten my eggs, you’ll return them to me!”

As he pulled her toward their room, he added, “If you don’t make me comfortable, I’ll make sure you won’t even think about eating for the rest of your life!”

His harsh words made Ding Yushu’s heart race. She forced herself to stay calm: “You wouldn’t dare!”

Zhang Rui pushed her toward the door, his expression grim: “Let’s see if I dare!”

Ding Yushu was frightened. Although Zhang Rui was a gangster with a generally good temperament, he could be truly fierce. He had caused many troubles in the brigade in the past. People who understood the Zhang family often said they had lived honest lives, so how could they have such a rebellious child?

Even though she was cowardly, Ding Yushu was compelled by Zhang Rui to open the door. It wasn’t locked, just blocked by a chair. If someone pushed hard enough, it could be opened.

With a loud crash, the chair fell over. Zhang Rui rushed inside and immediately released Ding Yushu, searching for anything she might be hiding. He felt she wouldn’t behave unless he made her bleed. Hadn’t his mother warned her enough over the past two years? Yet, she still hadn’t changed her bad habits.

Zhang Rui thought that if he backed down this time, everything Jiaojiao ate would be taken from her going forward.

Tian Jiao, watching the confrontation, was hesitant to approach and instead went to Li Mizhen to help soothe Dabao.

Zhang Rui could be quite intimidating when furious, so she felt it better to keep her distance.

While the chaos continued, Dabao was calmed by Li Mizhen. He looked up with red eyes and, spotting his favorite little sister, his face lit up as he rushed over: “Ahhh!”

Tian Jiao smiled softly and continued comforting him.

Li Mizhen didn’t stop him. After Tian Jiao held the child, she stood up, patted her behind, and pointed to a corner: “Sit there.”

“Ah?” Tian Jiao was confused. Why were they changing places?

Now, she was on the doorstep.

Li Mizhen explained patiently, “Get out of the way.”

Tian Jiao’s face fell as she felt great sympathy for Ding Yushu. She quickly took Dabao, who had just started learning to walk, to a corner. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed Li Mizhen grabbing the broom by the door with a stern expression and heading into the main room. Fear shot through her, and she hugged Dabao tightly: “Be good!”

Grandma is scarier than my new dad!!

Dabao, smiling innocently, blew bubbles with his saliva: “Puff…”

The room remained chaotic, with Ding Yushu screaming: “Don’t move! I spent one yuan on this vanishing cream! It’s worth way more than that egg!”

Zhang Rui sneered, “It’s not yours. Have you ever earned a penny in your life?”

“Let go, that’s not allowed!”

“Jerk! Zhang Rui, you’re insane!”

Suddenly, Ding Yushu’s voice faded when she was halfway through the word “human,” only to erupt into a scream: “Ahhh!”

“Ah—Mom, what are you doing! It hurts!” Zhang Rui cried out.

Li Mizhen, suppressing her fury, shouted, “One of you is Dabao’s biological mother, and the other is Dabao’s biological uncle. How can you both just make a scene while he cries? If not you, who else should I scold?”

Tian Jiao overheard everything and gaped in disbelief: Her new dad was among those getting punished?! She bit her lip, gazing pained at Dabao, and whispered, “Daddy!”

In the next moment, a figure rushed over—it was Zhang Rui, clutching his head as he fled.

Tian Jiao grasped Dabao’s hand and looked up at him, puzzled: “Dad, why did you come out?”

Zhang Rui curled his lips into a smile, raising his eyebrows proudly. “Because Dad is awesome. Are you hungry? I’ll get you some sweet potatoes.” He turned away, rubbing his arm where he had been hit twice, glancing at the two women who had rushed into the living room with lingering fear.

He had faced Li Mizhen’s beatings since childhood and had become skilled at dodging them. Ding Yushu often fought back even after being hit, refusing to let Zhang Rui bear the brunt of her mother-in-law’s fury.

Determined to project a tall and mighty image for his daughter, he straightened his posture.