“Mom, that’s not how it works. Cheng Tao is in this state; she’ll probably never get married,” Zhu Yan interjected from the side.
The old lady glared at her. “If she can’t get married, my Feng family will support her for life!”
Zhu Yan shut her mouth and signaled to Cheng Tao.
Don’t just sit there crying.
Cheng Tao sobbed, “I don’t want Grandma to support me, I want to get married! Everyone knows I can’t have children now, they’ll all laugh at me behind my back! I don’t want to live anymore. What kind of woman is a woman who can’t even have children!”
The old lady looked troubled. Putting aside what Cheng Tao had done before, she was still her granddaughter.
It was impossible not to feel heartbroken when her granddaughter went through something like this.
“If you still want to get married, then stop crying. I’ll have your grandfather find you a good man, and at worst, we’ll give him more dowry as compensation.”
Men in the military who were getting married for the first time would certainly not consider someone like Cheng Tao, but a second marriage would be acceptable.
Cheng Tao whimpered, “A woman like me, who has nothing, who would want me.”
Zhu Yan chimed in, “Yes, Mom, why don’t you and Dad compensate Cheng Tao more. Cheng Tao’s mother is our sister who’s been lost to us. Yao Jun and I won’t mind if you privately help her out; it’s only right.”
The old lady remained silent, deep in thought.
She had a lot of possessions. If her descendants weren’t so disappointing, she would have given them to them long ago.
But when she and the old man passed away, these things would eventually go to them anyway, the only difference being the amount.
When it was time to sleep that night, the old lady brought the matter up with her husband.
“I want to give the house we have outside to Cheng Tao. It’ll be a form of security for her future.”
That place was originally the Feng family’s old residence. It was later demolished and rebuilt and had been empty ever since.
She had always hoped she could find her daughter again. She thought that if her daughter had her own family and they reconciled, there would be a place for her to stay when she came to Yan City.
So, she had kept the house.
Now, Song Yu Lian was in prison. They had visited once, wanting to see her, but were refused.
She didn’t know if she would ever see her again in this lifetime.
Whether the house went to her or to Cheng Tao seemed the same.
The old man had no objections, only asking, “Have you made up your mind?”
“I’ve decided. This child has suffered this time; consider it compensation for her.”
The old man nodded. “When should we go to transfer the ownership?”
The old lady thought for a moment. “After a while, when Feng Xue gets married.”
For Feng Xue’s wedding, she only planned to give a token gift.
After all, her dislike for Feng Xue was evident, and given that this marriage wasn’t particularly honorable, a large dowry wasn’t necessary.
She didn’t want Zhu Yan to cause trouble again if she heard she was giving Cheng Tao a house.
“While you’re at it, have someone discreetly inquire if there are any suitable men to introduce to Cheng Tao.”
The old man hesitated. “Isn’t that a bit rushed?”
“Just inquire, consider it a comfort for the child.”
Thinking about how she had cried so much that day, the old lady felt a headache coming on.
…
July blazed like fire, the scorching sun making the ground hot to the touch.
If she didn’t have to go to school, Cheng You would have absolutely refused to go out.
Today was the final round of the Traditional Chinese Medicine competition, followed by the final exams.
This year’s college entrance examination was happening concurrently with Cheng You’s final exams.
Cheng You had mailed some last-minute study materials and a letter to Cheng Wen Yu in advance.
She had done all she could; the rest depended on his performance and stability.
Cheng You, carrying the freshly acquired paternity test results, went out and first visited the Qi family.
When Lin Sao opened the door, she asked, “Where’s Zhen Zhen?”
“Zhen Zhen went out to play with Qin Xiao Yun.”
On such a hot day, running around outside, she had gotten quite tanned.
Cheng You blinked. “We agreed she was going to the pharmacy with me today.”
“Then I wouldn’t know.”
Cheng You nodded. “Then another day.”
Anyway, they were playing in the military compound; she wouldn’t get lost.
She didn’t bother with Zhen Zhen anymore and rode her bicycle to the bus stop to catch a bus.
On such a hot day, she was too lazy to move, and even for short distances, she preferred riding her bike.
The bus stop was crowded, with people pushing and shoving to get on.
The influx and exit of passengers created a bottleneck, and soon Cheng You was drenched in sweat, feeling even more irritable.
She was petite and was almost swallowed by the crowd.
Before she could even board the bus, she heard a voice from behind her: “Excuse me, sir, what do you have in your bag? Could you open it for me to see?”
Before she could turn around, there was a shove, and a few curses followed.
Someone pushed her from behind, and Cheng You nearly fell.
Before she could see clearly, someone pushed forward with a large red, blue, and white bag.
Just as Cheng You was about to shout, she felt a sharp pain on her instep as the man carrying the bag stepped directly on her foot.
Anger surged through her, driving her to instinctively grab the man’s collar and pull him back forcefully.
The man, caught off guard, was pulled backward, knocking over a few people, and more curses erupted.
Cheng You then noticed that this man’s entire head was wrapped, leaving only his eyes visible.
No one would believe he wasn’t a thief.
People behind her complained, “Are we getting on the bus or not? The bus is about to leave!”
At the same time, the man who had spoken earlier grabbed him and forcibly dragged him out of the crowd.
Those behind took the opportunity to surge onto the bus, leaving only Cheng You to limp, in unbearable pain, and sit by the roadside.
She forced herself to endure the heat and took off her shoe to look. Her instep had already swollen.
She couldn’t help but glare at the man who was still clutching the red, blue, and white bag tightly.
The man struggled and roared gruffly, “Let go of me! What’s in my bag is none of your business, and you have no right to search my belongings!”
Cheng You, who had been complaining about him stepping on her, froze upon hearing his voice.
Looking closer, his build, his back, and that voice—wasn’t it Yuan Yong Guo!
The sun shone brightly, and despite being drenched in sweat, her hair soaked, Cheng You felt a chill run down her spine. She stared intently at the bag in his hand.
Given its size, it could completely fit a child if someone wanted to stuff one inside.
Cheng You shouted, “Yuan Yong Guo, what’s in your bag?”
Upon realizing he had been recognized, Yuan Yong Guo stopped arguing with the man holding him and fled with the bag.
Cheng You’s gaze swept over Qiu Ting Ting’s figure and she quickly shouted, “Qiu Ting Ting, help me stop him! He’s a human trafficker!”
Qiu Ting Ting, being quite bold, didn’t care if the man was armed and directly wrapped her arms around him.
It was the only way she could think of to hold him back.
Fortunately, Yuan Yong Guo was carrying the bag, which made him move awkwardly, and she managed to hold him back for a moment.
Immediately after, the man from behind caught up and subdued Yuan Yong Guo on the ground.