The Cheng family head even put on a "dying man sitting up in shock" act.
Just moments before, he was weak and listless. Upon hearing the guard report that his legitimate son and daughter-in-law had found a large batch of supplies and had already registered them all,
He suddenly sprang up from the bed. Instantly, his headache vanished, his limbs felt strong, and he was full of energy. He urged the guard, "Quick, quick, go bring me the inventory ledger. I want to take a good look!"
The guard immediately complied.
Before long, he returned with the ledger and handed it to a maid to take inside.
Immediately after, his laughter could be heard, clearly overjoyed by the sight of so many supplies. He exclaimed several times, "My son is truly worthy of being my son! With these things, we won't have to worry for quite some time!"
The Cheng family head's previously twisted face relaxed. He happily instructed the guard to call his eldest son over, saying he wanted to praise him thoroughly!
The guard naturally agreed and left.
Outside, everyone had already learned that their young master and mistress had discovered a cave full of supplies. Such incredible luck was unheard of.
Servants, with beaming faces, surrounded the young couple, showering them with praise.
Cheng Kai Chun, who had been slacking off in a corner, immediately joined the throng upon hearing the news. He exclaimed, "Young and promising! The younger generation is formidable!" He frequently gave Cheng Hao a thumbs-up and clasped his hands in admiration!
Cheng Hao offered a polite, business-like smile and made a few humble remarks. He then tried to pull Su Miao Miao away to avoid the crowd, genuinely unable to bear their overwhelming enthusiasm. However, he was then summoned by a guard, and upon hearing that his adopted father wanted to see him, he sighed deeply.
Su Miao Miao also wanted to go along.
Cheng Hao, however, asked her to go back and put on a thicker coat. He himself walked out wearing only a thin outer robe, warning her with his eyes not to wander off before he left.
Here we go again.
Su Miao Miao rolled her eyes towards the sky but obediently went back to find a warmer outfit, and also retrieved his coat. She then went to find him, carrying the clothes.
As soon as she stepped out of the carriage, she saw Cheng Hao returning from a distance, a wooden box cradled in his arms. The young man's elegant figure walked directly into her heart. The wind lifted the hem of his robe, stirring her emotions as well.
Her heart felt like a bird had flown into it, fluttering wildly.
Looking at that familiar figure.
It was merely a difference between then and now. It felt as though all twenty-plus years of his past were overlapping, from when he was a toddling child to his current upright posture like a green pine. A feeling of a lifetime in a glance, she imagined, could be no more than this.
But his footsteps were always so resolutely directed towards her.
Never changing.
Su Miao Miao watched, somewhat dazed, and suddenly felt incredibly fortunate. Others might wander through life, perhaps making many mistakes before finding true love, or perhaps enduring all sorts of hardships and still not finding a sincere person.
But from the moment she was born, fate had bound him to her.
She had him from birth.
How fortunate she was.
As soon as Cheng Hao returned, he saw Su Miao Miao with a flushed face, looking somewhat hesitant to meet his gaze. He casually placed the box aside, reached out, and touched her forehead. It wasn't hot, so he then gently touched her cheeks with the back of his hand.
They felt warm.
"What's wrong? Are you feeling unwell?"
Cheng Hao leaned down to look at her, examining her closely, but found nothing unusual.
As he was wondering.
Su Miao Miao directly hugged his waist, feeling inexplicably shy. She buried her face in his embrace and murmured with a touch of coyness, "Thank heaven, thank the matchmaker!" Her voice came out muffled.
But it couldn't conceal her joy.
Although Cheng Hao sometimes couldn't keep up with her train of thought, he understood that she had likely thought of something again. Yet, his emotions always kept pace with hers.
If she was happy, he was happy.
"What is it? Suddenly, are you having intermittent bouts of remembering how good I am?"
Cheng Hao stroked her hair while indulgently letting her hug him, his words playful but his actions always gentle.
This time, Su Miao Miao didn't bicker with him. Instead, she tilted her head to look at him, smiling like she had found a treasure, her sweetness palpable. She readily admitted, "Oh, I love you so much, why are you so good?"
This was her suddenly reviewing all the memories from childhood to the present.
Confirming once more.
Her own family couldn't be as good to her as he was. Having him around was so reassuring!
Cheng Hao felt warm from her embrace and equally soothed in his heart. "You love me now. Earlier, I remember someone rolling her eyes at me?"
Su Miao Miao burst into laughter, her smile wide. "Do you have eyes on your back?"
Cheng Hao chuckled along, reaching up to pat her head. With her around, life indeed felt vibrant. Su Miao Miao was truly a light in his otherwise dormant world. Without her, he might have lived his life rigidly, mechanically, and perhaps a very short life at that.
Therefore, he couldn't imagine a world without Su Miao Miao; how bleak it would be.
He seemed to hear his mother's stern reprimands again, those report cards she could never be satisfied with, always someone better than him, his peacemaker father, and the constant encouragement to try harder next time. The clamor caused him a moment of tinnitus.
The invisible pressure was suffocating.
He often wondered, if they couldn't fulfill their parental duties when he was young, letting him grow up wild, why then criticize his life when he was older.
Imprisoning him in a cage named by blood ties.
Returning to his parents' side, when he was still financially dependent, was a long nightmare. Oppression and suffocation had been constantly eroding him.
It was Su Miao Miao who forcefully tore open the cage and pulled him out with her.
Even though she was also bloody.
After they became financially independent and moved out of their parents' home, their relationship slowly improved. They understood that their parents didn't not love them, but they used the wrong methods. However, neither of them intended to forgive. It was just that with the passage of time, they were less inclined to dwell on the past and decided to look forward.
"Su Miao Miao, I am also very honored to have met you. Please continue to guide me in the future."
Cheng Hao couldn't quite utter those sentimental words. Instead, he leaned down and kissed her eyes. Su Miao Miao tilted her head back, foolishly happy and carefree.
"Alright, stop messing around. Go inside, I have a good thing for you."
"What good thing?"
"Your father-in-law gave it to me."
"Ha!"
She scoffed derisively.
Su Miao Miao's subsequent words were not spoken aloud, but she sincerely grumbled that he was hardly worthy.
Cheng Hao patted her head and urged her to go into the carriage. "Do you really want to catch a cold? Hurry up and get inside. It's something good, it'll blind you."
Su Miao Miao's interest was piqued. She quickly climbed back into the carriage, sat down by the bed, and gestured for him to hurry and give it to her.
Cheng Hao handed it over casually, then went to light a charcoal fire, to boil some water and warm the room. The weather had turned so cold that one couldn't sit still without charcoal, indicating a drastic drop in temperature, making it difficult to warm hands and feet.