"Do you really think she'll be happy staying with you?"
"You're good for nothing except making Hand-pulled Noodles. Are you planning to let her starve out on the streets with you?"
"I must have been blind back then to ever fall for you!"
In the lavishly decorated living room, a man in a tailored suit roared at the woman sitting silently on the sofa, his voice laced with arrogance and undisguised contempt.
The man was Lin Fanglong. The woman was Su Zhu. Their marriage was broken, and now they were fighting for custody of their daughter, Chenchen.
"Su Zhu, I'll give you one last chance to change your mind. Let our daughter stay with me, and I'll transfer this apartment to your name."
"Right now, apartments in this complex are selling for 50,000 per square meter. This one's 150 square meters—you could sell it for six or seven million. Spend wisely, and you'll live comfortably for the rest of your life."
"If you agree, sign the papers right now."
"Of course, you can also go to court and fight for marital property. You might end up with a lot of money. But the child—she will definitely be given to me."
"And when that happens, you won't ever get to see her again."
"All the money in this house was earned by me. If you try to take anything, I'll only look down on you even more!"
"I don't want a single cent," Su Zhu finally lifted her head and said calmly to Lin Fanglong. "The house, the car—I don't want any of it."
"I'll walk away with nothing."
"But—"
"I must take my daughter."
"Tch," Lin Fanglong sneered. "You want to take your daughter and go beg on the streets?"
"Su Zhu, you're so selfish. You're incompetent, and now you want to drag our daughter down with you? That's not love. That's destruction."
"She's not just your daughter. You can't just take her away. Let her decide for herself!"
"But let's make one thing clear—if she chooses me, you walk out of here with nothing. No house, nothing. You better think this through!"
As soon as he finished speaking, the door to the child's room swung open. A little girl around three or four years old, delicate and adorable like a fairy, ran out.
Her eyes were red as she ran straight to Su Zhu, clutching her arm tightly, tears streaming down her cheeks.
"Mama, I want to stay with you. Please don't leave Chenchen behind, okay Mama?"
Su Zhu scooped the little girl into her arms, gently wiping her tears as she whispered, "Don't worry, Chenchen. I won't leave you behind. We'll go together."
Seeing his daughter choose Su Zhu, Lin Fanglong's suited figure stiffened. His face turned pale, then red, and he growled through clenched teeth, "Figures. Like mother, like daughter. You're just as cheap. Go ahead, go beg on the streets!"
"Get out! Get out!"
"Lin Fanglong," Su Zhu smiled, her smile full of confidence, "Don't worry. We won't be begging on the streets."
"In fact—"
"It won't be long before we're living better than ever—hundreds of times better than now!"
"Stop acting like you're the savior of the world. Nobody dies just because you're not around."
"I'll see you at the Civil Affairs Bureau tomorrow at 10:30 a.m."
"Chenchen, let's go."
With that, Su Zhu picked up Chenchen, grabbed the packed suitcase, and walked out the door without looking back.
"Su Zhu, keep bragging! That's all you're good for!"
"Let's see how you come crawling back to me tomorrow. Just wait and see!"
Bang! Crash...
From inside the house came Lin Fanglong's hysterical screams and the sound of shattering glass.
But Su Zhu, already in the elevator, heard none of it.
She wasn't bluffing. Just moments ago, as Lin Fanglong tried to threaten and bribe her into giving up custody of Chenchen, she had remembered the Compendium of Varied Classical Arts, the of ancestral skills passed down in The Su Family. Her father had entrusted the manual to her before he passed.
Su Zhu came from a family of noodle artisans. Their craft had been passed down for generations, covering not only noodles, but also steamed buns, dumplings, pastries—and, more importantly, a secret seasoning technique that made the food irresistibly delicious. From a young age, she had received thorough training from her elders. Though later set aside due to life's distractions, the foundation had long been laid.
That was the confidence behind her decision to give up everything—except her daughter!
I, Su Zhu, can do far more than just make Hand-pulled Noodles!
Outside the complex, Su Zhu hailed a taxi with Chenchen and headed straight for Xiangyang Street, just beyond the North Third Ring R
On that street was a Hand-Pulled Noodle House she owned, passed down by her parents. The shop was named A Bowl of Noodles.
Before Chenchen fell ill, Su Zhu had been running the Hand-Pulled Noodle House herself.
When Chenchen turned one, she was diagnosed with a rare case of aplastic anemia.
To care for Chenchen, Su Zhu sold the flourishing Hand-Pulled Noodle House and devoted herself entirely to looking after her and managing the household.
Meanwhile, Lin Fanglong was busy with his career.
As his business grew more successful, he began to look down on Su Zhu, who no longer held a job. At home, he was either cold or constantly picking fights.
For Chenchen's sake, Su Zhu endured everything and poured her energy into finding a compatible bone marrow donor.
Luckily, with the help of Chenchen's attending physician, Ouyang Yunjian, they actually found a match.
The transplant was successful, and Chenchen was discharged from the hospital.
Just one week after her release, Lin Fanglong couldn't wait to bring up divorce.
Su Zhu didn't object and didn't try to stop him. She didn't want anything—just her daughter.
Over the past two years, Lin Fanglong had been busy working and socializing, barely spending any time at home, while Chenchen had spent most of her time in the hospital. There wasn't much emotional connection between them.
That's precisely why Chenchen didn't choose him.
As for the money spent on Chenchen's treatment over the last two years, Lin Fanglong contributed very little.
Su Zhu had sold both apartments and the car her parents left her. More than two million yuan had been spent, and she was left with just around ten thousand.
Ten thousand might not be much—but for Su Zhu, who possessed the family's secret craft, it was enough!
Half an hour later, Su Zhu got out of the cab at the back entrance of the Hand-Pulled Noodle House. She took out the key, unlocked the door, and walked in with Chenchen.
The previous tenant had gone bankrupt just last month. Owing three months' rent, they left behind all the kitchen appliances and tools, which were handed over to Su Zhu.
Everything was already in place. With just a bit of tidying up, she could open shop anytime.
Behind the store were three single-story rooms. After the shop was sold, they had been left unused. Fortunately, Su Zhu had kept them clean.
There were beds and furniture inside. Su Zhu brought Chenchen to the mall to buy bedding and daily necessities, and just like that, they had a temporary home.
"Chenchen, you've suffered so much following Mama." Once everything was set, Su Zhu hugged Chenchen, heart aching.
Chenchen shook her head sensibly. "Mama, I'm not afraid."
"As long as I'm with you, I'm not afraid of anything! Your Hand-pulled Noodles are the best in the world!"
"Good girl," Su Zhu rubbed her daughter's head, full of tenderness. "Mama promises—she'll give you a better life."
This book comes from：m.funovel.com。