"I didn't want her to go to jail, so I gave you a chance."
Cheng You blinked innocently. How could she be such a heartless person?
Cheng Tianhua took out a bank passbook. "Your mother's money is all here. I haven't touched it since I got it back from your Aunt Lian."
Cheng You didn't rush to take it. The matter wasn't over yet.
"Besides this, I want one more thing. Song Yulian should have told you."
Cheng Tianhua patted his pocket and asked, "What do you want the household registration book for?"
"It's none of your business what I want it for."
"If you don't explain, I can't just give it to you."
Cheng You was amused to the point of anger. The household registration book was her own.
Since it was her property, why couldn't she have it?
"Dad, I'll be frank with you. If you want me to help Cheng Tao, I have only these two conditions: my mother's dowry and the household registration book."
Cheng Tianhua's face turned grim. "Then I'll be frank with you too. You can only choose one of these two. Cheng You, it hasn't even been a full year, and you've threatened me countless times during this period. Do the math yourself!"
As a father, he had completely lost his authority in front of Cheng You. He had retreated again and again, with no bottom line. This time, even if Cheng Tao went to jail, he would hold firm. He had to keep something to control Cheng You.
Cheng You looked at him intently and finally chose Jiang Qing's dowry.
"I don't want this passbook. Go to the bank and withdraw the money for me."
Cheng Tianhua compromised. "Then when will you handle Cheng Tao's matter?"
Cheng You smiled. "Whenever Dad gives me the money, I'll help her then."
Cheng Tianhua put the passbook away and turned to leave. He stopped at the door.
He turned back to look at Cheng You, his eyes dark. "Cheng You, it seems you've really decided to break all ties with me, to disown your family. When did you become such a sharp person, with nothing but profit and schemes in your eyes? What's the point of having money if you're like this? No one will ever truly love you."
Cheng You's expression changed slightly, and she instinctively wanted to retort. But Cheng Tianhua didn't intend to listen any further. He strode away. With that turn of his back, it seemed to sever the father-daughter relationship between them.
Cheng You stared blankly at the doorway, her mind in a daze. She stood alone in the courtyard for a long time, not moving, until her legs grew weak. She blinked her stinging eyes. There was no need to take Cheng Tianhua's words to heart.
A figure reappeared at the empty doorway. Tall and imposing, with a cold demeanor.
Seeing Qi Chengyan, Cheng You's chilled heart finally calmed down.
"What's wrong?"
Cheng You pouted and burst into tears, throwing herself into his arms. His embrace wasn't comfortable at all, it was stiff, but it gave her a sense of security. Large, hot tears landed on his hands. Qi Chengyan's eyes flickered slightly, and he whispered, "Who bullied you?"
Cheng You sniffled, like a child who had been bullied and was running home to complain. "He refused to give me my household registration book. I can't open my shop without it. What should I do?"
As she spoke, she felt more wronged, her tears flowing uncontrollably. Cheng You wiped her tears again and again, her eyelids getting red from rubbing. She wasn't usually this prone to crying, but she couldn't help it.
Qi Chengyan cradled her head, pulling her into his embrace and holding her tightly. "Don't cry."
"I don't want to cry, but I can't help it," Cheng You whimpered. She was like a wounded little beast, licking her wounds. Qi Chengyan sighed helplessly and brushed the hair stuck to her face behind her ears. "What did he say to you?"
Cheng You claimed not to care, but in reality, she had never given up on the role of "father." She still longed to have a father. Seeing Cheng Tianhua pour his heart and soul into Cheng Tao still made her feel sad. While feeling sad, she self-destructively broke ties with Cheng Tianhua.
Cheng You pursed her lips. "Will you hate me?"
Qi Chengyan looked down at her, her nose tip red, making her look rather comical. "I like you. I like you very, very much."
Cheng You pressed further, "And in the future?" A simple declaration of liking wasn't enough to give her a sense of security. She desperately needed someone to tell her that they wouldn't abandon her.
"Youyou, the future is too long. I'm six years older than you. I might not live to see the future before you." He dared not make a promise about the future. "As long as I'm alive, I won't leave you."
Cheng You hooked her little finger. "Then pinky swear."
"Pinky swear."
"Seal it with a kiss."
Qi Chengyan chuckled softly. "A kiss should be here." Their lips met, entwining in a tender embrace.
...
Cheng Tianhua couldn't wait and hurried to the bank to withdraw the money. The dowry left by Jiang Qing was over fifteen hundred yuan. He didn't dare to embezzle it and withdrew it all. Cheng You's meticulous nature, coupled with her connection to her maternal grandfather, meant she would definitely know how much dowry her mother had left. Cheng You counted the money in front of him, and he estimated it was roughly the same amount.
"Now that you have the money, you have to make sure the health center stops pursuing Cheng Tao's matter."
Cheng You's lips curved. "Dad, I'm not like you. I'll definitely do what I promise." She wanted the money back, purely because it was Jiang Qing's dowry. If she were truly greedy, with the more than fifty thousand yuan savings she had from Qi Chengyan, what was this little over a thousand yuan?
When Song Yulian found out that the dowry had returned to Cheng You's hands, she rolled her eyes and fainted from anger. The money she had hidden for so long, not only did it go back to Cheng Tianhua, but it was also taken by Cheng You! She fiercely grabbed Cheng Tianhua's arm, her eyes bulging with rage. "Not a cent was left, all of it went to Cheng You!"
Cheng Tianhua comforted her, "It's just money, we can earn more later."
Song Yulian shrieked, "That's over a thousand yuan! How long will it take you to earn that much money! Cheng Tianhua, Cheng You is your daughter, but isn't Cheng Tao? Look at her, she's still lying in bed because of Cheng You!"
Cheng Tianhua's face changed drastically, and he roughly pushed her hand away. "It's precisely for Cheng Tao that I gave her the money!" He strode out. After a few steps, still agitated, he wanted to say more. "Song Yulian, this is Jiang Qing's dowry. Go and ask around, is there any reason for a newly married stepmother to covet the dowry of the first wife!"
Song Yulian's heart was filled with anger and hatred. "At that time..."
"Don't mention that time! It wasn't that I didn't want to marry you, it was that you didn't want to marry me! I'm saying this one last time, from now on, Cheng You has nothing to do with our family. None of you are allowed to provoke her again, do you hear me!" Cheng Tianhua's face turned red, clearly furious.
Song Yulian was startled by his ferocious expression and was speechless for a moment. Cheng Tao quickly ran out from inside and stopped Song Yulian. "Mom, just give it to Cheng You, don't argue anymore." Cheng Tao was feeling guilty at the moment. It was for her that the money was handed over.
Seeing her pale face, Cheng Tianhua's heart softened a little. "Cheng Tao, from now on, whatever Cheng You does is none of our business. Don't provoke her again. Later, Dad will give you another two hundred yuan. Go back to the Zhao family, apologize sincerely to your mother-in-law, and don't do anything foolish."
Cheng Tao felt as if her heart had turned to ashes. She had been beaten like this, and Cheng Tianhua was just letting it go.