Zhao Minggeng sighed, "Your father was indeed confused about your mother's matter."

Back then, I thought that as long as I had clothes to wear and food to eat, life was pretty good.

I never stopped your mother from giving money to her family.

Over time, your mother became bolder and bolder.

Gradually, your mother started to take everything for granted.

When your mother disregarded the lives of our family, my heart died.

It's true. Sometimes Dad just thinks...

"If your father had disciplined your mother properly back then, would she have been able to avoid doing those heinous things?"

Zhao Qingyan patted her father.

"You're overthinking it. How many years have you lived with her, and how many years has she lived with her own parents?"

The Ma family is practically composed of selfish and self-serving individuals from the very beginning.

Even if you hit her eight times a day, at most she'll be a little more diligent at work and make fewer fidgety movements.

In critical moments, they should sell us out if they can.

No one is more important than herself and her family.

Zhao Minggeng pondered it over,

"Perhaps, but this can't be undone anyway. If there is an afterlife, I will never marry your mother."

Zhao Qingyan laughed and said, "Okay, if there is an afterlife, I still won't be your daughter."

Zhao Minggeng was unwilling.

"Why won't you be my daughter? What's wrong with your father? If you won't be my daughter, whose daughter will you be?"

Zhao Qingyan laughed and said, "Go be my father's daughter."

Do you know who my father, Zhao, is? You believe me, I can learn to fly by following him!

Zhao Qingyan rarely showed such a smug expression.

Zhao Minggeng nodded.

"I believe you. With your father Zhao's elusive nature and his otherworldly demeanor, I wouldn't believe he's not a deity."

I see that Mr. Yun in our family is very respectful to your father, Mr. Zhao.

"Your father, Zhao, must be someone of considerable influence, right?"

Zhao Qingyan nodded. "Indeed."

Zhao Minggeng tore open another bag of spicy strips, stuffed one into his mouth,

"Mmm, this is the taste, this is still the best."

"It's been so long since I've seen your father, Zhao. I really miss him, honey. Do you know when he'll be back?"

Zhao Minggeng asked.

The Zhao family always thought that Zhao Han had gone on a journey.

Zhao Qingyan shook her head.

"I don't know either. Maybe I'll never see him again in this lifetime. Oh, Dad, please don't ask."

Zhao Minggeng nodded.

"I won't ask. Anyway, with his great abilities, I figure he can't have a bad life wherever he goes."

Zhao Qingyan nodded.

"Yeah. That's true. We won't live badly, but there's nothing we can do if someone does something stupid."

Zhao Minggeng looked up at his daughter and sensed that she was in a bad mood.

"My dear daughter, you've been married for several months now. When are you going to give your father a grandson to hold?"

Zhao Qingyan was immediately unhappy when she heard her father urging her to have a baby.

"If you want to have a baby, why don't you get married and have one yourself? Don't rush me, I won't have one even if you do.

My body is still that of a baby, isn't it?

I can't have a baby until I'm 18. Having a baby too early is bad for my health.

"Dad, if you're going to marry a woman, it's best not to let her have children if she's too young."

Zhao Qingyan reminded him very seriously.

Zhao Minggeng's face turned bright red.

He just noticed his daughter was in a low mood, so he quickly came up with a topic. How did it end up involving him?

"Alright, stop worrying about your father."

If your father wanted to get married, the line would stretch from the county government office in Dawar all the way to the capital of Montreux.

Who do you think I am? I, Zhao Minggeng, am a man of steel.

Is it that lust-blinded old dog?

Absolutely not.

What kind of wife should a man marry? A real man should establish his career before starting a family.

Yeah, that's about it. Pshaw, what kind of family are we talking about? I'm perfectly fine living alone."

Zhao Qingyan couldn't help but chuckle.

"Dad, it's just a few bags of spicy strips, is it really that big of a deal? You've gotten drunk from all that."

Why are you talking nonsense?

Zhao Minggeng took a sip of beer.

"This is called artistic conception; the wine doesn't intoxicate, but the person is already intoxicated. Your father's life has been worthwhile."

Who would have thought we'd have such good days?

Do you remember the severe drought a few years ago? Who would have thought that our area would experience drought again? It was terrifying.

At that time, I had no other thoughts on my mind except for trying to find food all day long.

As for the imperial examinations, becoming an official, or eating a whole roasted lamb in one sitting, I never even considered it.

Ah, these good days feel like a dream.

Dad knows, it's all thanks to my daughter.

"If it weren't for you, our family wouldn't have this good life. We're so happy."

As he spoke, he took another sip of beer and stuffed a piece of braised beef into his mouth.

Zhao Qingyan said nothing, raised her glass of water, and clinked it against her father's.

After Zhao Minggeng had eaten and drunk his fill and returned to his room to rest, Zhao Qingyan went to find the housekeeper.

"Who did my father meet today?"

Zhao Qingyan asked directly.

The butler paused for a moment, then said, "I have met one, a matchmaker from Lang County."

Zhao Qingyan understood.

This dad must be having some troubles, otherwise he wouldn't be muttering to himself while eating.

We can only ask my father about this when he wakes up tomorrow.

"Sigh, that Prince Rui is really useless. He can't even act as a matchmaker. Look at the trouble he's caused my father."

Zhao Qingyan is also prone to taking her anger out on others.

Far away in Mocheng, Prince Rui, who was playing with his son, suddenly sneezed loudly.

Then, the right to hold his son was taken away by his wife.

"Go away. You have a cold, and you're still holding your son. Be careful not to infect him."

Zhao Qinglin said.

Prince Rui was very dissatisfied.

Zhao Qinglin glared at him.

"If you're not convinced, keep it to yourself. Go see the imperial physician to check your pulse. Make sure you're alright before you come back to hold your son."

"If you dare to pass your cold to my son, you'll see."

Prince Rui shuddered at the threat from his wife.

The way his wife disciplines people... well, let's not even talk about it, it's terrifying.

Seeing that Prince Rui had left, Zhao Qinglin happily picked up her son.

"My sweet baby, Mommy can finally hold you. Your daddy is so domineering, he won't let Mommy hold you."

"Hmph, so what if we don't like your father? We can dislike him for just one hour!"

Baby: Why is it only one hour?

Zhao Qinglin: In an hour, you'll need to prepare to take a bath and go to bed. These are all your father's chores.

The imperial physician placed his hand on Prince Rui's wrist, thinking to himself,

"His pulse is as good as it gets, he's as strong as an ox."

"Why insist on taking his pulse? He's clearly just wasting his time, deliberately making things difficult for the old man."

But on the surface,

"His Highness is in good health and there is nothing wrong with him. As for sneezing, that's normal. The weather is getting colder every day."

The climate here is especially dry.

Occasional nasal discomfort or sneezing is nothing to worry about; there's no need to fret excessively.

Prince Rui nodded.

"Okay, if you say it's okay, then it's okay. Alright, Imperial Physician, go ahead and get busy. I'm going to go hold my son."