After clarifying the situation, the police looked at Shen Jianhua and his wife and said, "Although this is a family dispute, since she is the top student in the city and is underage, you have an obligation to support her. Considering your temperaments, the child does not wish to return home, and boarding school is a form of protection for her. You must provide living expenses for her on a regular basis. If you don’t understand the law, we will explain it to you in a bit."
Zhou Lanfang couldn’t believe it, after all this trouble, Shen Mianmian had spent all the money and was still asking her for more? She was so angry she could hardly breathe, and gave Shen Jianhua a forceful slap, "This is the trouble you brought back. Aren’t you going to say something?" ᴛʜɪs ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ ɪs ᴜᴘᴅᴀᴛᴇ ʙʏ 𝓷𝓸𝓿𝓮𝓵⟡𝓯𝓲𝓻𝓮⟡𝓷𝓮𝓽
Shen Jianhua was not stupid; he also realized that the police were on Shen Mianmian’s side, and it was impossible to take her back home. He had raised this child for so many years to no avail.
From what Mianmian said, she had also spent all the money.
After providing for her so many years, now that Mianmian knew her own background, she was even more determined to sever ties with them. Any more child support he paid would be in vain. He couldn’t be that big of a sucker anymore.
Thinking this, Shen Jianhua clenched his teeth and said bluntly, "Officer, let me be frank with you! She’s not actually my biological daughter. My wife can’t have children, and I picked her up. If you don’t believe me, ask around; the whole village knows. I’ve raised her until now, and that’s as far as I can go. From now on, we’re cutting off our father-daughter relationship. I’ve been raising a thankless wretch all these years, and I don’t want any child support, either. I can’t afford to take care of this child anymore, and she shouldn’t come to me for tuition or living expenses. We’re even."
Upon hearing Shen Jianhua’s words, He Nan’s expression darkened slightly, and his gaze fell on Shen Mianmian, worrying in his eyes. Although she always acted sensible and clever like a little fox, after all, she was just a sixteen-year-old child.
Could she bear such news?
The police had not expected such a relationship behind the scenes, thinking how could this couple, who were quite ordinary-looking, have such a beautiful and talented daughter, and yet not allow her to go to school.
They had initially thought it was the result of favoring sons over daughters, but it turned out she wasn’t even their biological child.
"You picked her up, but you can’t just abandon her. Now that her household registration is with you, she is your daughter, and you have the obligation to raise her. When you’re old, she will also have the responsibility to take care of you. Relationships can’t be dissolved just because you want them to be."
Shen Jianhua and Zhou Lanfang were stunned. Did this mean they couldn’t get rid of her now, that Shen Mianmian was stuck to them?
What kind of situation was this?
The two were so angry they were almost smoking.
Compared to them, Shen Mianmian didn’t fare much better. Because of what Zhou Lanfang said before her death in her previous life, she always thought she was Shen Jianhua’s illegitimate daughter. But looking into Shen Jianhua’s eyes, he didn’t seem to be lying.
Did he say this just to avoid paying her living expenses, or was he telling the truth?
After thinking it over, Shen Mianmian decided to ask for clarification, "So I’m not your illegitimate daughter?"
"What illegitimate daughter?" Shen Jianhua was infuriated whenever he saw Shen Mianmian, "I’ve always lived an honest life; where would I have an illegitimate daughter?"
Shen Mianmian blurted out, "But Mom said I was a child you had with another woman."
"That’s all her paranoid guessing."
Shen Jianhua thought she had heard this from Zhou Lanfang, while Zhou Lanfang thought Shen Mianmian had accidentally overheard it.