Serve as Contrast Team in a ‘Dad with Baby’ Show

Chapter 24,Part 2: — Reason for the Incident

Last Friday, after the show’s recording, Lin Momo was sent back to her home.

On Saturday, Lin Momo went to the food street and vegetable market to pick up bottles like before.

Lin Momo remembered the stipulations in the previous contract, so in order not to be recognized by others, she specially chose a time when there were fewer people out but it was later than her usual.

When Lin Momo came to this vegetable market and walked past a tobacco shop, she was about to pick up a few empty beer cans scattered outside the shop when she was caught by the shop’s boss.

He insisted that Lin Momo was a thief, saying that she stole things from the shop.

The boss dragged Lin Momo to the door of the store and used sealing tape to trap her hands on the concrete post next to the door, demanding that she return the money.

The boss shook out all the bottles and cans that Lin Momo carried in a big bag, and when he found the few coins she had from selling scrap, he insisted that she stole the 11 yuan.

People passing by saw that Lin Momo was dressed in rags, and she was carrying a dirty woven bag, and they all believed that she was a thief.

No matter how Lin Momo explained, no one believed her.

A few people couldn’t bear the scene, and chose to turn around and leave silently.

Later, the police came.

But there was no CCTV monitoring in the tobacco shop, and the monitoring coverage of the vegetable market outside was limited. When Lin Momo arrived at the door of the store, most of her small figure was blocked by the concrete post outside.

Therefore, the evidence at the scene couldn’t prove that Lin Momo stole anything, but it also couldn’t prove that she didn’t.

In the end, the whole thing could only end with mediation and critical education.

… …

The fat man in black just now was the owner of the tobacco shop.

After listening to Lin Momo’s narration, Lin Cheng was silent for a few seconds—the expression on his face could not be seen clearly under the dim lighting of the alley.

“Is this where the injury on your head came from?”

Lin Cheng remembered that when he saw Lin Momo at the company this Sunday, the girl was depressed and still had a bruise on her forehead.

Lin Momo nodded, then shook her head again.

That day, the police contacted Lin Momo’s guardian.

Unable to contact Liu Cuifang, they instead found Liu Cuifang’s son, Zhang Xiaoqiang.

Zhang Xiaoqiang was originally playing cards in the mahjong salon, but he was called to the scene reluctantly. Seeing Lin Momo, Zhang Xiaoqiang hit Lin Momo without listening to any explanation.

The bruise on her forehead came from when he knocked Lin Momo down to the ground.

“I really didn’t steal anything,” Lin Momo said earnestly, peering at Lin Cheng with a nervous look in her eyes.

She was afraid that Lin Cheng would be like those passers-by who thought she had stolen something, and he wouldn’t like her anymore.

“I know, you didn’t steal anything,” Lin Cheng responded. The tone was flat, but inexplicably reassuring.

Hearing Lin Cheng’s words, Lin Momo’s eyes lit up.

“Really? Do you believe I didn’t steal anything?” Lin Momo couldn’t wait to confirm.

“Mm, I believe in you.” Through the handful of days of getting along with each other, Lin Cheng truly believed that if the child in front of him needed money, she would earn it with her own hands and would not steal other people’s things.

After receiving Lin Cheng’s affirming answer, Lin Momo laughed through her tears: finally someone is willing to believe her!

“Thank you,” Lin Momo whispered to Lin Cheng.

“Let’s go out now,” Lin Momo tugged on Lin Cheng’s sleeve—she didn’t forget that they were still recording the show.

“Let’s go.”

The two walked out of the alley.

When passing by the tobacco shop, Lin Cheng took another look at the store.

Lin Momo, on the other hand, followed Lin Cheng docilely, still a little bit scared.

It wasn’t until they had walked a few steps away that Lin Momo relaxed. She pointed to the door of the tobacco shop and explained to Lin Cheng, “That day I was just picking up bottles at a spot nearby, and I didn’t even go near his shop…”

While talking, she remembered being treated as a thief and how the 11 yuan she worked hard for was stolen by the other party, Lin Momo’s mood fell again.

Sensing Lin Momo’s depression, Lin Cheng instinctively wanted to touch her head to comfort her.

However, halfway through raising his hand, Lin Cheng hesitated.

This was not his own child, and it was obviously inappropriate to act too intimately.

Lin Cheng’s hand stopped five or six centimeters away from Lin Momo’s head.

Just when Lin Cheng was about to withdraw his hand, Lin Momo seemed to understand his intention, and stood on tiptoe, letting the top of her head touch Lin Cheng’s palm.

The palm of the adult was warm, which made people feel unusually at ease.

Lin Momo grinned at Lin Cheng.

At this time, Lin Momo’s face was still covered with tears that had just dried up, crying and laughing at the same time, looking all ugly.

Fortunately, Lin Cheng didn’t dislike her.

… …

The two returned to the recording screen.

Seeing the interaction between the father and daughter, the audience thought that Lin Momo was frightened just now, but now she has been coaxed by Lin Cheng.

Therefore, this episode did not cause much disturbance.

The recording of the father-daughter duo continued.

They brought the purchased meat and vegetables back to the tricycle, and Lin Momo and Lin Cheng rode back to their residence.

The child’s emotions came and went quickly, and when they returned home, Lin Momo had already returned to her usual disposition.

But Lin Cheng did not forget what happened just now.

“Show me your hand,” Lin Cheng said to Lin Momo.

Lin Momo didn’t know why, but she still stretched out her palms towards Lin Cheng.

“Arms too, roll up your sleeves,” Lin Cheng said, and added, “The right side.”

Hearing this, Lin Momo obediently rolled up her right sleeve.

The moment the sleeves were rolled up, there was a darkening mark on Lin Momo’s arm.

It was left when Lin Momo was dragged by the owner of the tobacco shop just now.

Lin Cheng didn’t say anything; he took the same bruise medicine as before and applied it to Lin Momo.

At this moment, Lin Cheng noticed that something was not right: Lin Momo’s arm looked fine if one didn’t look too closely, but upon closer inspection, it could be seen that it bore faint marks.

Lin Cheng wiped away the concealer that Lin Momo had smeared on her arm, revealing the bruises and even some scars underneath.

Lin Momo withdrew her hand and quickly covered her arm with her sleeve.

“This didn’t happen that time, but before…” Lin Momo whispered.

Indeed, there were new injuries on Lin Momo’s arm, but most of what he saw were old injuries.

“How did did it happen?”

“Just by accident…”

Some of them she got when she went to pick up bottles and other scrap materials, some because she was beaten by someone, and some were made by people in school.

Lin Momo instinctively didn’t want her father to know about the bad things in her life.

T/N: Ahh poor Lin Momo (?︿??)

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