"Little Fatty, I'm warning you, never say that again. Especially, you need to pay attention to yourself. Only when you value yourself will others value you. Otherwise, if others look down on you, you'll never achieve great wealth and prosperity in this life. With your self-reliance, you'll surely have a bright future. Don't let others influence you."
Ye Tiancheng spoke with earnestness, looking directly into Yan Dazhuang's eyes. Little Fatty had always listened to Ye Tiancheng, and he had indeed taken his words to heart.
"I understand, Brother Ye. I will be self-reliant and love myself. No matter how much others scorn me, I know that you have given me a noble status. I am now your good brother, the famous philanthropist and farmer industrialist. No one dares to do anything to me."
Today's conversation with Ye Tiancheng made Yan Dazhuang realize that he was not someone abandoned and unwanted. In Ye Tiancheng's eyes, he still held an important position. Just thinking about this filled his heart with warmth.
"It's good that you think that way. Don't be afraid. You have me behind you, and the entire Hou family and Su family to support you. If anyone dares to bully you, your Brother Ye is no pushover. I don't have a very good temper either."
This statement made Yan Dazhuang laugh. He had been frowning all along, but now he could finally smile. He had experienced too many setbacks recently, and it felt like a heavy stone was pressing on his heart.
"Alright, I understand. I'll listen to everything Brother Ye says."
"Good, you brat. Remember this, no one is allowed to bully you, absolutely not."
Ye Tiancheng understood clearly that this was an era where the strong preyed on the weak. If he didn't become stronger, his fate would be tragic.
Ye Tiancheng had had enough. During those days of fleeing, even an ordinary village woman could boss him around. Thinking about these incidents, one by one, made his heart ache.
It was the New Year, and Yan Dazhuang had no intention of resting. After dinner, Ye Tiancheng took away the food box and continued with his sit-ups, saying he had eaten too much and needed to exercise to avoid gaining too much weight.
Ye Tiancheng returned to join everyone for dinner and conversation. The year was passing so quickly. After the New Year, they would look forward to the new year.
It truly felt like time was flowing like water, slipping away as if it couldn't be grasped, like sand in one's hand. When one truly realized how fast it was passing, it seemed to speed up even more, becoming uncontrollable.
"Su Muxian, my daughter will be one year older next year. I hope she'll be as beautiful as you. I'm really looking forward to it."
Outside, Su Tiantian was setting off fireworks. This Su Tiantian was a distant cousin of Su Muxian. He had been here for a few days, messing around at the Su family's house, and happened to be celebrating the festival with everyone.
He had gotten them from somewhere, and they were different from the common fireworks being set off now. They weren't as dazzling or grand, but they looked quite nice.
"I love daughters so much, Brother Ye. If we have a chance to be together, and if we have children, I hope they'll be girls too. I wonder if I'll have the honor. I hope to have two girls at once. Don't look at me, I'm the only daughter in my family, but all my relatives are boys. There are too many boys in my family, and my father is frail. I hope my daughters can help take care of their grandfather when they grow up."
In such a short time, so much had changed. Su Muxian was once a frail young girl, but now she was in charge of the Su family and managed everything very well.
Ye Tiancheng knew that no matter how much he denied it, he truly cared for Su Muxian. He wished for this fairy-like woman to remain untainted by the worldly dust, to live a life of peace and joy, and never to face any more danger.
As they were talking, Su Tiantian ran in from outside, holding an unlit firework. This young cousin was very mischievous, but he bore some resemblance to Su Muxian, showing a familial connection.
"This seems to be a fake. I can't get it to light, and it even got my hands dirty."
Su Muxian glanced at Su Tiantian. His hands weren't the only thing dirty; his face was also smudged with black. He did look rather comical.
"My dear brother, how can you be so careless? You've turned into a calico cat. You're nine years old this year, not a little child. If anyone sees you, they'll laugh at you."
Su Muxian was holding back her laughter, but Ye Tiancheng burst out laughing. It was too difficult for him to suppress his amusement. This child was too funny. Children always did things that made you laugh uncontrollably.
"Ye Tiancheng, you're too much! I'm already like this, and you're still laughing at me. Look at my sister, she's at least wiping me."
Although this child hadn't known Ye Tiancheng for long, he had become very familiar with him, treating Ye Tiancheng like a brother-in-law, though he didn't call him that, just used his name.
As Su Tiantian spoke, Su Muxian was wiping his mouth with a handkerchief, allowing Su Tiantian to compare her with Ye Tiancheng. Their attitudes clearly showed the difference.
"Don't mind me. Su Muxian is your cousin, so naturally, a sister dotes on her brother. Her heart is all with you, so she'll help you wipe. I don't have a place in her heart, and I'm too lazy to show off."
Ye Tiancheng was happy to be idle. No matter what Su Tiantian said, it seemed to have nothing to do with him. Let him talk. Ye Tiancheng just wanted to manage himself.
"Fine, I see how it is. You just enjoy laughing at me." Su Tiantian, while being wiped like a three or four-year-old child, complained to his cousin, "Cousin, look at Ye Tiancheng, he just mocks me all day."
"Alright, stop complaining. It's your own fault for being clumsy and getting your face all dirty."
"I'll be careful next time."
This brother was very naughty, but he knew who was in charge of the Su family now. He didn't dare to be presumptuous with his cousin. As long as Su Muxian said something, Su Tiantian would listen.
While they were chatting warmly, there were intermittent sounds from outside. The household servants had figured out how to set off the fireworks and were doing so outside.
Su Muxian had initially promised a sleepless night, but everyone was sleeping more soundly than ever. There were voices outside at first, and then silence.
No one really intended to stay up all night. Ye Tiancheng, having drunk a little clear wine and being busy with many things recently, was actually very tired and had gone to bed early.
Later, Fatty came to find Ye Tiancheng but discovered he was already asleep. Fatty and a servant were chatting outside, not daring to disturb Ye Tiancheng.
"Oh my gosh, why is Brother Ye sleeping so early? I thought we brothers would have a drink and eat some peanuts. I brought peanuts, but I guess we can't eat them now."
Just then, Su Muxian arrived. Hearing Fatty's words, she said, "Let's talk about it when your Brother Ye wakes up. He likes spicy food, so he'll definitely like it. I'll bring it to your Brother Ye tomorrow morning."
Fatty was also quite tired and wanted to sleep with Ye Tiancheng, but Su Muxian stopped him. "Fatty, quiet down for a bit. Let your Brother Ye rest well! Ye Tiancheng has been really working hard these past two days. Don't go and disturb him."
Thus, Su Muxian persuaded Fatty to leave. Ye Tiancheng heard part of their conversation, but because he was asleep, he was half-awake and didn't hear much clearly.
He only woke up for a short while before falling back asleep. He slept very soundly. When he woke up, it was already bright outside. As soon as he woke up, he smelled the aroma of noodles.
"Brother Ye, I asked the five-star chef in the kitchen to make you beef noodles. Knowing you were about to wake up, I brought them over. Wash up and eat."
Su Muxian was serving him to the point of feeding him. Ye Tiancheng felt very apologetic.
"Su Muxian, please don't serve me like this. You just recovered from a cold and should take care of yourself. As your elder brother, I should be serving you. It makes me feel bad that you're serving me."
Ye Tiancheng truly felt embarrassed. Su Muxian was so young, and he was several years older than her. He didn't act like an elder who needed to be served. His old face also flushed with shame, and he felt genuinely bad.
"Oh, Brother Ye, don't overthink it. You know I sleep much less than others. I'm just too energetic to sleep. So, I thought I'd cook some noodles. I've eaten this beef noodle before and had the five-star chef improve it. I added some sugar and spice powder. I know you, Brother Ye, are a connoisseur of fine food, so I wanted you to try it."
Su Muxian had been a bit reserved before. After reconciling with Ye Tiancheng and becoming familiar with him again, she had become more childlike and spoke more freely.
"Alright, then I must try it and not let your efforts go to waste."
Su Muxian's little mouth was as sweet as honey, and Ye Tiancheng, being a glutton, couldn't resist. He quickly got up, washed up, and began to eat the beef noodles.
The noodles, after Su Muxian's skillful touch, exuded a different, tempting aroma. Ye Tiancheng ate a large bowl, pushing his limits, as most people wouldn't have such a good appetite in the morning. It was truly not easy.
"Brother Ye, is it delicious?" Su Muxian genuinely wanted to improve the chef's cooking skills, not just to make Ye Tiancheng feel better. "I gave some to Little Fatty brother, and he only said I could add a little more sesame oil. I haven't adopted his suggestion yet and wanted to hear your thoughts before we improve it together."
"No need for anything else. This is perfect. The best part here is the beef. It must have been braised beforehand. The flavor is incredible, beyond words."
If Ye Tiancheng's stomach wasn't so full, he might have eaten another bowl. But when his stomach was full, he truly hated that it was too small.
"Brother Ye, as long as you like it. I was initially worried it was too oily. Now, after my seasoning, it's fine to eat in the morning. That's good."
Su Muxian was naturally very happy to receive Ye Tiancheng's approval. This kind of mutual appreciation was not easy to come by. Their relationship was sometimes closer than that of friends. Without needing to say much, they could understand each other's intentions.
Seeing Su Muxian's eyes sparkle, Ye Tiancheng quickly picked up the finished bowl and headed to the kitchen to wash it. Su Muxian quickly snatched it away, and they walked to the kitchen, talking and laughing.
"It's not good, Sister Su. Ouyang Xinnuo has found us. Moreover, he brought a lot of things, various luxury goods, saying he wants to marry Miss Su."
Just as their plans were beginning, such a major event occurred. Su Muxian felt her head buzzing. She had thought that Ouyang Xinnuo had run home and, after the previous lesson, wouldn't dare to come back and cause trouble.