The Female Lead Decides to Act Wickedly

Chapter 8: Chapter 008: Starting as a Swindler (Part 8)

He Tiantian, cradled in the arms of He Hongtu: ...

She was numb, completely numb.

She just knew that her birth parents in this life, they really, really—

She couldn’t use any harsh words because, no matter what, they were her closest kin who truly loved and cared for her with all their hearts.

”It seems I not only have to work hard to make money and properly honor my birth parents, but also to try to make up for the mistakes they once made.”

He Tiantian suddenly felt the weight of her burden grow heavier.

But that wasn’t the most tragic part. He Tiantian feared that before she could grow up and have the ability to take care of her parents and compensate the victims or society, her con artist parents would’ve already—

No, she couldn’t think any further. If she continued, it would keep her awake with worry!

An infant just a month old forcing herself into insomnia was bizarre enough. If her parents misunderstood and thought she had caught some strange illness, causing a huge fuss, that would be even more trouble.

Work hard! I must work hard!

I’ll study diligently. I’ll make extra money... Oh dear birth mother and father, please calm down a bit for the sake of me being your own flesh and blood. Otherwise, your daughter really fears she won’t make it in time!

I don’t ever want to visit you in prison!

He Tiantian was filled with sorrow and distress. Thus, even when she later discovered that her father had helped broker a deal between Grandfather San and Aunt Xu without taking a dime, there was not a hint of relief in her.

She became even more worried: Having lived with her birth parents for just over a month, the impression they gave her was that they never got up early unless there was something to gain.

The young couple, perhaps due to their own miserable childhoods, lived with a clear understanding and purpose.

Every act they undertook had a strong sense of intention behind it.

This time with the prescription drug insurance matter, it seemed He Hongtu was really just helping both sides without earning a penny for himself.

But He Tiantian had this premonition—that her father was likely planning a bigger move, and he had a deeper motive up his sleeve!

He Tiantian became even more vigilant. She wished she could watch over her birth father twenty-four hours a day.

Unfortunately, she was just too young. Only after she reached a hundred days did her sleeping hours gradually decrease, from almost twenty hours a day to about fifteen or sixteen.

And she became very clingy. Whenever her father went out to visit clients or served target customers at their homes, He Tiantian would grab onto the hem of her father’s clothes and refuse to let go at any cost.

In response, Tian Zhenzhen actually got a bit jealous, and she complained to He Hongtu, ”She’s so heartless! Day and night, I take care of her every need, feeding and clothing her, yet you’re the one she likes best!”

He Hongtu was quite pleased. ”Of course, who else do you think she is the daughter of?”

She was the very own daughter of He Hongtu. He toiled and moiled, doing all sorts of dirty and tiring jobs.

It was all to raise his daughter well so that she could lead a happy and secure life.

After selling health products for over a year and meeting with dozens of diverse families, he encountered both filial and unfilial children. He Hongtu was once worried about the possibility of raising an unfilial daughter and what he and his wife would do then.

Now, heh, He Hongtu looked down at his plump little daughter, staring at him with those trusting little eyes, grasping tightly at his clothes.

He felt like his heart was melting. He was even more convinced that his daughter would grow up to be the most filial and well-behaved child.

”All right, as long as I’m not going to a company meeting, running errands with a child in tow isn’t a big deal!”

He Hongtu simply bought a waist stool, so whenever he left the house, he hung his child in front of him.

As for Tian Zhenzhen, she used to develop clients on her own, but after becoming pregnant, she found that tag-teaming with her husband seemed to be more effective.

Some elderly people, like those whose children were abroad or in other places, were very eager for someone to visit them and share a meal.

If it were families like He Hongtu and Tian Zhenzhen’s, with households to bring along, that would be even better. It was as if the elders saw their own children and grandchildren arriving, creating the illusion of a family reunion.

Realizing the power of a ”team,” He Hongtu and his wife became inseparable, almost always seen as a trio with their daughter in tow.

”By the way, the matter back home should be almost settled by now, right?”

He Hongtu and Tian Zhenzhen were the closest of couples and business partners with aligned interests; there were truly no secrets between them.

He Tiantian in their arms was still a baby who couldn’t even speak, so the couple didn’t deliberately avoid certain topics while chatting.

And so, Tiantian came to know even more of her parents’ ”secrets.”

However, this time when she heard Tian Zhenzhen mention ”the matter back home,” for some reason, Tiantian suddenly shivered.

That bad feeling again.

She always felt like her parents were up to something sneaky.

Were they, were they planning to trick people again?

Tiantian felt uneasy, and her fair and delicate little face crinkled into a look of distress.

He Hongtu was so engrossed in discussing matters with his wife that he didn’t notice the troubled expression on his daughter in his arms.

”It’s almost done. I also got Uncle Six at the village head a sixty percent discount on his surgery fees, saved him over three thousand yuan!”

Though He Hongtu referred to him as ”Uncle Six,” there wasn’t a hint of respect in his tone.

It had to be said that what happened in the past had truly hurt him because of his relatives in He Family Village.

If it wasn’t for his plan this time, he wouldn’t want to deal with that pack of top-grade relatives in his hometown at all.

”What about Boss Huang? I heard that rumors are going wild outside, saying that he comes from Hong Kong and that his family does big business there. They say he’s investing in our county because he sees potential in our market...”

Tian Zhenzhen had met this Hong Kong businessman, Boss Huang, who spoke in an awkward Mandarin, and judging by his attire and demeanor, he indeed looked wealthy, like he was a big deal.

But she had this uneasy feeling inside.

After coming back and discussing it with her husband, it turned out that it wasn’t just her; her husband also felt there was something off about Boss Huang.

”Our market here? Heh, how could our small, broken-down county have a health product market that’s better developed than the one in the Provincial City?”

They were all sly foxes, so what was the point of playing naive in front of him?

He Hongtu sensed a kindred spirit in Boss Huang.

”...So, should we really go ahead with this?” Tian Zhenzhen hesitated.

Deceiving people was illegal.

And such things were hard to control; if they got out of hand and caused a big scene, it would be hard to wrap up later on.

Without a child in the past, Tian Zhenzhen had an air of fearlessness, but ever since their daughter came into the world, Tian Zhenzhen felt like she had gained a vulnerability.

She and her husband couldn’t afford to get into trouble. What would happen to their daughter if something unexpected happened to them?

Would their daughter have to suffer hardships and never have good days, just like they did when they were young?

”Let’s do it! Relax, I have everything planned out. I’m just taking back what’s mine, I won’t take a penny more from anyone else...”

He Hongtu held his daughter tightly and said earnestly, ”This, this is the last time!”