Chapter 27: Mother and Father's Wild Imaginations

To strike a snake, one must hit it seven inches from its head.

The secret residence and illegitimate child in town were precisely Cheng Dahai’s "seven-inch" weak spot.

No one knew exactly what Cheng An had whispered into the ears of Old Madam Han, but her face had turned a sickly shade of grey. Ultimately, she shot a glance of pure spite at Cheng An and stormed off in a huff.

Silence returned to the small courtyard.

Once they were alone, Cheng Dashan sighed at his son. "Little Six, though your grandmother and uncle went too far this time, you really shouldn’t have brought that up..."

It is better to tear down ten temples than to break a single marriage. If that secret were ever fully exposed, it wouldn't just be Qin Dongzhi causing a scene—the entire Cheng family would crumble. Even though they had already split from the main household, they were still flesh and blood. Cheng Dashan truly did not want to see a perfectly good family destroyed like this.

"Father, this is not my fault," Cheng An said, lifting his youthful face with an expression of earnest conviction. "Master once said: 'Good and evil have their rewards; cause and effect are cyclical.' You reap what you sow! Even if I hadn't said anything, Uncle would have had to pay the price sooner or later."

"Forget it," Cheng Dashan sighed, his tone turning slightly more serious. "You have started your schooling now. Just keep in mind what you should and should not do." He wasn't truly angry; he simply felt that his son was still so young, yet already learning to play these complex games. If he didn't offer some guidance, where would it lead in the future?

"Don't worry, Father. I know how to conduct myself," Cheng An replied with a smile, quickly steering the conversation away. "Oh, I haven't introduced them yet! This is Master Du's daughter, my senior sister."

"Greetings to Uncle and Auntie Cheng," Du Qingqing said, bowing with a hint of awkwardness, clearly still reeling from the farce that had just unfolded.

"And this is the eldest daughter of the Gu family, whom we have met before."

"Greetings to both elders," Gu Xiaorou said. Compared to Du Qingqing’s shyness, the girl, three or four years her junior, appeared remarkably poised, her every gesture exuding a sense of maturity.

"You are too kind... You two young ladies are too polite," Cheng Dashan and his wife replied, feeling both flattered and overwhelmed, beaming with smiles.

Gu Xiaorou glanced at the furnishings in the courtyard and took a careful look at the couple. "Since the matter is settled, I shall not overstay my welcome. Farewell."

"Ah? You're leaving already?" Liu, lost in her own thoughts, blinked in surprise.

"Wait, Senior Sister..." Cheng An intercepted Du Qingqing, then urged his father, "Father, didn't you go into the mountains a few days ago? Did you manage to get any honey? Or perhaps some other mountain goods? Bring some for Senior Sister."

"Yes! I have plenty," Cheng Dashan said hurriedly with a grin. "Thanks to you two young ladies for your help today, we don't have much else to offer, so please, take some of these mountain goods."

"They are truly excellent, you can't buy these in town," Liu added with enthusiastic warmth.

"This... wouldn't that be improper?" Du Qingqing waved her hands, looking embarrassed. "Never mind, Little An. I came here to help, not to take things from your home."

"But when we were at the academy, didn't you take good care of me?" Cheng An took the honey from his father’s hands and smiled. "Besides, don't you like sweets? This is both sweet and fragrant; it's delicious spread on pastries!"

"But..."

"Just take it," Cheng An said, not allowing her to refuse. He shoved it into her hands and added with a feigned look of disappointment, "Or do you look down on our family?"

"How could you say that? Don't talk nonsense!" Du Qingqing pouted in mock displeasure, then accepted it with a blushing face. She added with concern, "If you don't feel safe at home, you can come find me at the Gu residence tomorrow. I'll accompany you back to the academy." She had been genuinely frightened by Old Madam Han’s behavior earlier and was worried about Cheng An facing retaliation.

"Don't worry, Senior Sister. I'll be fine," Cheng An said with a warm smile.

He walked them all the way to the edge of the village. Only when Du Qingqing’s figure vanished from sight did Cheng An turn back, humming a little tune with a smile on his lips.

Before he even stepped through the door, he heard his mother inside, letting her imagination run wild.

"That Miss Du is lovely, but it’s a pity she’s a few years older than our boy. The Gu girl is a better age, but..."

"We are not having our son be a live-in son-in-law!" Cheng Dashan shook his head.

Perhaps all parents in the world believe their own child is the most exceptional. The couple was caught in a whirlwind of daydreams, wishing they could marry off their son the very next day.

"Mother," Cheng An said, walking in with a smile. He feigned innocence, saying, "I think Senior Sister is the best. She is not only considerate but also beautiful. Aside from you, she is the second person in the world who has been this kind to me!"

"You ungrateful little thing," Liu said, casting a pretend glare at her son. "It’s only been a few days, and you're already siding with outsiders? If you ever get married, will you forget about your mother entirely?"

"Father..." Women's nagging was the hardest to resolve, so Cheng An quickly changed the subject. "I went to see Master Gu earlier, and he has agreed to do business with us! You should prepare yourself over the next two days; the first batch needs to be ready soon."

"He agreed?" Cheng Dashan beamed, looking at his son with profound satisfaction. He was only eight, yet already able to earn money for the family! Who else in the entire Hexi Village could boast such a feat?

Liu, however, was bewildered. "What business? Agreed to what? Tell me, what have you two been doing behind my back?"

"We weren't keeping anything from you..." Cheng An explained the ins and outs.

Liu was stunned at first, then suddenly realized. "This is a great business! You can make a good profit just by buying and selling, and it’s not even laborious!"

Overwhelmed with excitement, Liu pulled her son into a hug and planted a big kiss on his delicate cheek. *Pop!*

"Good boy! It seems sending you to school was the right choice!" she said with a radiant smile. "It's only been a few days, and our Little Six is not only doing things with logic and reasoning, but he can also negotiate business with someone as prominent as Master Gu?"

"That's right! Look whose son he is!" Cheng Dashan laughed heartily.

Cheng An wiped the saliva off his face with a smile and got down to business. "Father, for the mountain goods, just focus on the quality. Even if the price is a bit higher, you must ensure the standard."

"That goes without saying!" Cheng Dashan nodded without hesitation. "Master Gu thinks highly of us, so we certainly cannot pass off poor goods as quality ones. What kind of person would do that?"

"And what about the meat and vegetables..." Cheng An looked at his mother. "Mother, it will be hard on you, but please grow some seasonal vegetables. If we are short on anything, we can buy it from the other families in the village."

"Ah?" Liu asked, worried. "What if someone else tries to steal our business?"

"They won't," Cheng An said with a smile. "We are doing wholesale; our profit comes from the transport logistics. If they try to go to town themselves, they have to consider if the Gu family even wants their goods, and whether they can guarantee the quality. It would take a lot of time and effort—when you weigh it all up, would they even make a profit?"

"Also, Father..." Cheng An thought for a moment, then added with a smile, "In the future, when you go to town to deliver goods, you can borrow the donkey from the village head’s house. If anyone in the village needs to buy something, you can bring it back for them along the way."

"That's it!" Cheng Dashan clapped his hands in delight. "We're all neighbors. If our family makes money and they get a convenience, no one will be jealous, and the business will last!"

"Indeed! One must be educated to have a future!" Liu’s eyes were filled with pride as she sighed, "Look at our Little Six. He’s only been in school for half a month, yet he has such a sharp mind! Perhaps he really will become a scholar one day!"

They say that children and grandchildren have their own fortunes, but how many people in this world can truly escape the shackles of their original household? Had he not plotted to stir up the conflict within the Cheng family, no matter how much his parents loved him, they would never have dared to suggest splitting the family, let alone enjoy the good life they had now.

That was why Cheng An never believed in "destiny." Whatever you want, you must strive for it with all your might. Otherwise, even if you were destined to inherit a throne, it would be of no use.