These days, he wasn’t afraid of confronting Liu Yingzi.

The two of them argued back and forth, loud enough to tear the roof off.

The more Liu Yingzi listened, the angrier she became. She felt that Cao Daqiang had completely changed and no longer had any respect for her.

"Divorce!"

When Cao Jiajia heard that, her tears began to fall even faster.

She rushed into the room and gripped her mother’s hand so tightly her knuckles turned white. Her voice trembled.

"Dad... Mom... Please stop... I’ll be good from now on, I’ll never make you angry again. I’m begging you, please don’t get divorced... I can’t live without my dad, and I can’t live without my mom... SOB SOB SOB..."

She looked up at her parents, her eyes full of terror and pleading.

In the end, Liu Yingzi’s heart ached for her daughter. Seeing her in such a state, her anger instantly dissipated by half.

She sighed, pulled Cao Jiajia into her arms, and gently patted her back, comforting her in a soft voice.

"Don’t cry, sweetie. We’ll stop talking, Mommy will stop..."

The moment her mother turned to wipe away her tears, Cao Jiajia secretly glanced up, winked at her father, and quickly made a hand gesture.

Cao Daqiang got the message instantly and shut his mouth.

The father-daughter duo worked in perfect sync. One feigned being wronged, the other feigned regret, and together they managed to quell the storm over the divorce.

The room gradually quieted down, leaving only the sound of Cao Jiajia’s intermittent sobs echoing in the silence.

Cao Jiajia leaned on her mother’s shoulder, her eyes fixed on her mother’s profile, a bitter ache in her heart.

’I can’t lose this family, no matter what.’

’If my classmates find out my family is in such a mess...’

’The constant whispering and pointing behind my back would crush me, wouldn’t it?’

The junior high was holding a charity sale, and it wasn’t limited to just students from their school.

As soon as the news broke, students from other schools came flocking.

The event was set up beside the sports field, with a few long tables pushed together.

Ling Zhiwei, fresh out of his exams, heard there was a commotion and went to check it out.

"Shanshan, what kind of treasures are you planning to sell?"

He moved closer to the stall and craned his neck to look.

"Ta-da! They’re sachets! This one repels mosquitoes, this one helps you sleep soundly, and this one is the best for waking you up!"

Shanshan unzipped her schoolbag and emptied its contents.

Colorful little pouches rolled across the table, releasing a fragrant aroma.

Ling Zhiwei wrinkled his nose at the mixed scent of medicinal herbs.

He casually picked up a deep red sachet. The word "Peace" was embroidered on it in crooked stitches.

"Huh? People actually buy these little things? They don’t seem very legit. We’d be better off selling food! We could grab a few boxes of chips and soda from the school store. If we don’t sell it all, we can just eat it ourselves!"

His calculations were shrewd: Shanshan had plenty of money, so she could pay for the inventory, and he’d get to eat and drink whatever was left.

But Shanshan had already made up her mind and wouldn’t be swayed.

"I’m not selling food, I’m selling my sachets. If you want to sell snacks, Fourth Brother, then go do it yourself."

They bickered back and forth, each sticking to their guns, but neither could convince the other.

Even after arguing until they were red in the face, they still couldn’t come to an agreement.

In the end, they simply went their separate ways, one setting up on the east side, one occupying the west.

Their stalls were set up far apart, each minding their own business.

As for Ling Zhiwei’s money for inventory, he’d actually borrowed it from their grandparents under Shanshan’s name.

He had been very earnest, claiming it was to coordinate with his sister’s charity sale and that the school required a unified purchase of materials.

The second their grandparents heard it was for the kids’ school, they handed over the money without another thought.

But in reality, what Ling Zhiwei bought weren’t the materials Shanshan was using at all.

Instead, he’d bought the potato chips, jelly, and cookies he was planning to sell himself.

Luckily, Shanshan didn’t expose him on the spot.

Even though she knew what he was up to, she pretended she didn’t.

After all, making a scene in front of their elders wouldn’t do anyone any good.

The charity sale went off quite smoothly. 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝙬𝙚𝓫𝒏𝓸𝓿𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝙤𝓶

The school’s arrangements were very thorough.

Each class was assigned a specific area, and staff were assigned to maintain order.

The weather was pleasant, and the sun shone gently on the sports field.

Shanshan roped in Yang Changle and a few of the neighborhood aunties to help her stuff and seal the sachets. They were a flurry of activity.

Everyone sat around a long table in the activity room, their hands never stopping.

With a clear division of labor, they were highly efficient.

The night before the event, she had gone to the factory specifically to find her dad and personally tell him that he had to come.

She knew her dad was usually too busy, often too busy to even eat a proper meal.

But this time she was especially insistent, standing at his office door and refusing to leave until her dad agreed.

Even though she knew her dad was always swamped with work...

Ever since the two of them had a good talk last time, Shanshan was like a different person. She no longer bottled things up and overthought everything.

’As long as I think it’s the right thing to do, I’ll be brave and just do it.’

The gatekeeper, Xiao Zhou, remembered it very clearly.

That night, Ling Anxun was still in his office burning the midnight oil when Xiao Zhou eagerly reminded him.

"Sir, your daughter’s school is having its charity sale tomorrow. You’d better not flake on her."

"Oh, right, right! I almost forgot! I can’t drop the ball on this. Otherwise, my little terror at home will completely lose it."

Ling Anxun slapped his forehead. He had been about to pack up and go home, but now he dutifully sat back down to work overtime.

He spread the documents out again, unscrewed the cap of his fountain pen, and lowered his head to continue writing his report.

’I have to get this work finished before tomorrow morning, no matter what. If I really can’t make it, she’ll definitely be pouting for days.’

He quickened his writing speed, occasionally looking up at the clock on the wall.

Outside the window it was already pitch black; only his office light was still on.

’Sigh, what a noisy but heartwarming little burden she is.’

「Early on the day of the charity sale.」

The moment Shanshan saw her dad at the school gate, she broke into a wide grin and nodded in satisfaction.

"Dad, you’re so reliable! I’ll give you half of the money I make today!"

"I’m really striking it rich, then. Thanks for cutting me in, little boss."

The two held hands and ambled over to their stall.

They ran into several acquaintances on the way who all greeted them, remarking that it was rare to see Ling Anxun out and about. It seemed his daughter was the only one who could get him to show up.

Shanshan’s sister-in-law had helped her get ready today. Her cheeks were rosy and her pigtails were tied up playfully.

Coupled with her sweet voice and enthusiastic greetings...

In the blink of an eye, a circle of parents and children surrounded the front of the stall.

The moment they opened for business, they were swamped.

Shanshan was in charge of taking money and counting bills, putting each payment into a small metal box.

Ling Anxun wasn’t idle either. He stood beside her, handing over products and bagging them, acting as a free employee.

In contrast, the tall and sturdy Ling Zhiwei was huddled behind his empty stall, completely without customers.

Unfortunately, their stalls were close to each other. He kept sneaking glances at the crowds swarming his sister’s stall, his heart sour with jealousy, but he didn’t dare say a word.

After all, his youngest uncle was standing right there watching. If he got caught bullying the kid, he’d get a couple of sharp flicks on the forehead, at the very least.

He could only lower his head and fiddle with the snacks on his stall, his fingers rearranging the same spot over and over.

In truth, the spot was already arranged perfectly.

He kept glancing toward Shanshan’s stall out of the corner of his eye.

He saw her smiling and talking with customers, her hands constantly busy.

His own stall, meanwhile, was completely deserted.

After a busy spell, Shanshan found a moment to glance over at her fourth brother’s lonely figure and couldn’t help but cover her mouth to stifle a laugh.

She stood behind her stall and rose onto her tiptoes to get a better look.

She saw Ling Zhiwei sitting on a small stool with his chin in his hands, looking completely dejected.

"Dad, look! All the snacks Fourth Brother brought have ended up in his own stomach! Hahaha, that’s hilarious! If Grandma and Grandpa find out, they’ll definitely twist his ear."