Chapter 430

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Main Character:

Shen Yao

Looking at her daughter turning away in a huff, Cheng Qi had one shoe half-off and didn't know what to do. Huh, could it be that this time he really had misunderstood?

*Ding ding*

The transferred points were received, followed by two sticking-out-tongue emojis. The heart Cheng Qi had in his throat instantly settled. Sure enough, he wasn't wrong.

Shen Yao came out carrying the prepared dishes. Seeing Cheng Qi still standing dumbly at the doorway, she hurriedly stretched out her hand to beckon him over.

She told him about Manman passing her graduation today, adding that she would also need to take Manman out tomorrow. "Will there be any issues with the mercenary team?"

Cheng Qi subconsciously shook his head. "The mercenary team has been taking student missions these days.

Manman's matter is simple. Come with me tomorrow, register, and you can set off."

Setting down the half-drunk water, Cheng Qi only then noticed Manman's eyes, which looked excessively bright. He rubbed Manman's hair with a mix of amusement and heartache.

"Not afraid of hardship, not afraid of toil? Those mutant beasts are very aggressive."

Nowadays, small and medium mercenary teams rarely take long-term missions, focusing instead on short- to medium-term ones, operating within the safe zones designated by the base.

The Lei Mercenary Team has expanded recruitment in recent years. Cheng Qi also relied on his own ability to secure the captain position. Every mild season, he goes out on two to three long-term missions, more than half of which are base assignments. He knows best how ferocious these mutant beasts are.

Manman is good in every way, but if he had to choose himself, he still couldn't bear to let her go.

"Dad, I want to try. Besides, my grades in every subject at school are excellent." Mere mutant beasts will surely be captured effortlessly.

Shen Yao ladled two bowls of soup and brought them over. "Eat while you talk."

Manman picked up the bowl and gulped down two mouthfuls, pressing her palms together in a pleading gesture.

Cheng Qi: ……

Cheng Qi shook his head. "You... alright then. Since you're willing to go, go ahead."

Either way, he would be going out with her. He could surely protect his daughter.

After dinner, Manman did her routine practice.

The first-floor space at home kept getting larger. For Manman's convenience, Shen Yao even tore down several wardrobes that weren't very useful.

*Whoosh whoosh whoosh—*

Manman drew the bow and shot arrows. Every arrow hit the ten-ring.

She worked up a full body of sweat and ran to shower. Like a doll that had used too much electricity, she rubbed her eyes and went back to her room to sleep.

Shen Yao shook her head and quietly discussed with Cheng Qi about simply choosing a relatively more difficult mission for this outing.

"Your daughter has audacious guts. Since childhood, she's dared to do anything, fearing neither heaven nor earth. I worry that one day she'll accidentally capsize."

Raising children is all debt. No matter how obedient the child, there's endless worry. Just this one child at home has caused Shen Yao to worry off who knows how much hair.

Cheng Qi held Shen Yao and soothed her softly. In his heart, he thought choosing too difficult would be a loss; when they returned, he'd still feel heartache. Better to let nature take its course and follow everyone's arrangement.

Shen Yao stood up and took out the wooden box placed in her space.

So many years had passed. The things in the wooden box, added and subtracted, still left quite a few.

She took out two energy stones and handed them to Cheng Qi. Shen Yao hurriedly got off the bed and ran next door to wake Manman.

"This is a pearl. Just wear it around your neck. No matter who asks, you must not tell. This is an energy stone. Keep it safe yourself. You must not tell anyone."

Manman, forced to open her eyes while still groggy: ……

!!!

"Mom, where did you get these?" Wow, our family is actually this rich? Even the energy stones from textbooks exist here.

As for the pearl Shen Yao mentioned, it had already been overlooked by the big-hearted Manman.

It's just a pearl. She used to wear them around her neck or wrist all the time. Little did she know that the pearl Shen Yao took out this time was a far more precious energy pearl. Ordinary pearls couldn't compare at all.

"Alright, put them away and hurry to sleep. Early rise tomorrow." Shen Yao finished her instructions and left hugging the wooden box. When she returned to the bedroom, she saw Cheng Qi with a helpless face.

His wife ran too fast and he couldn't catch up. Cheng Qi felt a subtle strangeness in his heart.

Seeing his wife finally return, Cheng Qi hurriedly pulled her onto the bed to rest.

"What's the rush? There's still time tomorrow. Besides, she's just a child. We both..." As Cheng Qi got older, he increasingly had a nagging tone.

Shen Yao pursed her lips, holding back laughter, but ultimately couldn't help a *pfft* of laughter.

She collapsed into Cheng Qi's arms. Shen Yao slowly raised her head, her hand touching the other's slightly stiff cheek. "You know it all, Steward."

Cheng Qi: ……

"Sleep. Early rise tomorrow."

Lights out, lying down. Cheng Qi pulled Shen Yao into his arms. Like every previous time falling asleep, it was incomparably reassuring.

Early the next morning, with food and drink prepared, Shen Yao stood by Manman's side, repeatedly instructing her not to leave anything behind.

"Going out with Dad. If something comes up, ask Dad. If Dad isn't there, watch your own safety. You must absolutely not put yourself in a dangerous situation."

Looking at Manman, Shen Yao couldn't help but speak. The more she spoke, the more there was.

Before she could stop, Manman turned around, hugged Shen Yao, and started acting spoiled with a grin.

Shen Yao's heart suddenly softened. She raised her hand and lightly patted Manman's back. "Cheng Xi, this time going out, do not rely on anyone."

Even her biological father Cheng Qi cannot possibly protect her every single moment.

A grown cub must eventually leave the safe environment to experience violent storms, growing strong amidst setbacks and difficulties.

In the end, one must still say goodbye. In the end, one must still rely on oneself to walk out step by step.

Shen Yao watched Cheng Qi take Manman away. She raised her head to look at the sky, still bright and dazzling.

Forcing her spirits up, she picked up the back basket at the doorway. Shen Yao went out to gather.

"You, always overthinking. Weren't your words of advice to me one set after another? How come now that it's on yourself, you can't make up your mind."

Song Ling held Shen Yao's hand, spoke earnestly, then turned her head and brought up Zhuangzhuang, who was about the same age as Manman, also Shen Yu's son, Shen Zhuang.

"Little Zhuang has grown up, more sensible than when he was little. Today he's still at home keeping Grandpa company repairing the house and making furniture. Didn't you used to say I spoiled the kids? Now we've lost one," Song Ling patted Shen Yao's shoulder, pointed at the bus walking quickly ahead and hurriedly called out a couple of times.

Ten years passed, Song Ling had also grown old.

Her usually brisk steps had now slowed down to a leisurely pace.

The white hairs on her head were too many to count. Song Ling had even given up dyeing her hair, just like that, and even said self-abandonedly that it was fashionable.

The little old lady lived more and more freely, while Shen Yao herself became more and more nervous.

"Mom, what did Chen Jia's side say? She's Little Zhuang's birth mother after all. They want mother and son to acknowledge each other, surely we can't stop it."

Song Ling waved her hand. "Little Zhuang himself is clear on it. Normal contact in the future is fine. That old woman of the Chen family also got her just deserts. She's been gone for who knows how many years.

Chen Jia herself suffered in the slum district. As for me," Song Ling shook her head. "She and Shen Yu definitely have no fate. The child should just follow Little Zhuang's own wishes."

Back then they made a scene and cried too. After Chen Jia married, she successively gave birth to several children.

If you really talk about it, perhaps they're more afraid our side won't let go.

To say the two sides could meet was also a coincidence. Shen Yao privately helped avoid who knows how many times, but in the end still let Shen Yu and Chen Jia meet.

The subsequent content doesn't need much elaboration. Just as Song Ling said, since they missed each other, there was no possibility anymore. Only that child Little Zhuang suffered. Cute and obedient, making one's heart ache even more.

The mother and daughter hurried and caught the bus, squeezed to the very back and found two seats. Song Ling supported her old waist and finally let out a breath of relief.

"How's your mother-in-law's side? Has the family been making a fuss because of the kids lately?" Song Ling recalled the Cheng family's matters and asked casually.

Shen Yao replied, "Eldest Young Master took them out on a mission. Still wanting to try more."

Song Ling couldn't help muttering, "Those two kids clearly have no talent. Why insist on walking the Gene Awakening path."

Shen Yao explained softly, "Eldest Young Master and Eldest Sister-in-law are willing. Besides, that little grandson of the Zhao family has a high awakening probability. They don't want to be a head lower than others."

Song Ling:...

"Daughter, not that Mother speaks unpleasantly. This grudge has been held for ten years, still not over it?" Song Ling's tone sounded surprised, making Shen Yao feel even more awkward.

Shook her head indicating this anger could be let go, but no matter how you looked at it, it didn't seem like she could put it down.

Song Ling simply stopped talking. Already nothing to say. In-laws' matters, let it be like this.

The bus beneath them swayed unsteadily, carrying a busload of people toward the distant collection point.

Such a life was ordinary yet not ordinary. It happened every day, yet differed from every day. Everyone was striving to live.

Because Shen Yao really had no mood, today's gathering harvest wasn't much.

Only half a back basket of hawthorns and some mushrooms and wild mushrooms growing in the woods.

Fortunately, the mother and daughter weren't any gathering main force. Daily going out was mostly to move their bodies, find something to do.

Looking up and seeing the time was about right, Song Ling called to Shen Yao to sit the bus back to base together.

A round trip was two points. Carrying back wild fruits that couldn't fill you up or stave off hunger, the mother and daughter were still happy. When parting, they even agreed with each other to continue going out tomorrow.

…………

About half a month passed. The Lei Mercenary Team that should have returned had no movement.

After Shen Yao asked the system, she directly raised her heart.

"A son traveling a thousand miles, the mother worries. System, I really still can't rest assured."

The team on a mission unexpectedly met with an accident as expected. They are currently dealing with mutant beasts.

Manman is relatively safe inside, supporting each other with Cheng Qi. But because too many mutant beasts gathered around, they might very well get trapped deeper.

What to do?

Shen Yao had the system think of a way. But before they could help cheat, Cheng Qi and Manman's side encountered a turning point. A group of people drove and temporarily escaped.

Shen Yao:...

Shen Yao just paid attention to Cheng Qi and Manman's situation every day, ready to support at any time. By the time she could confirm father and daughter Cheng Qi and Manman were safe, the Mild Season was about to end. The hot wind unique to the Hot Rainy Season had already blown over.

Shen Yao saw at the base entrance once again a completely transformed Manman.

Her originally slightly chubby body had become well-proportioned. Her fair skin had turned wheat-colored. Most surprising were those beautiful eyes. Gone was the purity of her girlhood. More was the calm after experiencing life and death.

She's grown up!

She's really grown up!

The child she cared for with all her heart, after experiencing a round of hardships, the whole person was like a flower blooming in anger, becoming even more dazzling.