All the heavens begin with the love in the courtyard.

A forced relationship won't be sweet, but how will you know if it's sweet or not if you don't try it?

Han Chunming felt that in a relationship with Qi Siqiao, he had to be the dominant one, otherwise the girl might slip away from him. Relationships are something that you get used to after a few times.

Han Chunming held Qi Siqiao's hand and continued strolling through the park. Seeing that she couldn't shake him off, Qi Siqiao finally had no choice but to give in and let Han Chunming hold her hand. The frost on her face had long since melted away, and her little face remained rosy.

The two strolled around for another half hour. Seeing that it was almost time, Han Chunming asked Qi Siqiao if she was hungry.

Qi Siqiao blushed and nodded.

Han Chunming made thorough preparations for this date, with money and tickets all ready. The two found a state-run restaurant, ordered three dishes and a soup, and spent six yuan and forty cents to solve their lunch problem.

After dinner, Qi Siqiao wanted to go home. Seeing her somewhat troubled look, Han Chunming felt that he had indeed gone a bit too far on their first date. He had originally planned to take things slowly, but in the end, he still resorted to his domineering CEO tactics.

If Qi Siqiao hadn't been worried about retaliating against Master Huang, the young girl probably would have slapped him twice already. Fortunately, after a morning of interaction, Han Chunming had gained some understanding of Qi Siqiao and had also made a plan in mind.

Han Chunming didn't make things difficult for Qi Siqiao any further. He rode his bicycle and took Qi Siqiao all the way to the textile factory's residential compound in Balizhuang. Qi Siqiao was still working at the textile factory and was already a full-time employee.

He also asked Qi Siqiao to pass on a message to her father that he would personally visit him next Sunday.

Han Chunming didn't give Qi Siqiao a chance to refuse. His attitude was very tough. After giving his instructions, he rode his bicycle, turned around and left without even looking back.

Qi Siqiao watched Han Chunming's retreating figure, almost bursting into tears. This guy was too domineering; pretending to be pitiful was useless. Thinking about how she had been controlled all day, Qi Siqiao felt a sense of loss and anxiety.

Chapter Fifteen: Retiring from the Life of a Crafty Person

Han Chunming hummed a little tune as he returned to the courtyard house. On his way back to Cheng Jianjun's house, he happened to see them having lunch.

It's already 4 PM, and the Cheng family is only just starting to eat lunch. It seems their lives are in a lot of chaos right now.

Han Chunming glanced into the house and saw Cheng Jianjun looking out as well; their eyes met.

Han Chunming returned a smile, but Cheng Jianjun's expression was as cold as frost as he watched Han Chunming push his bicycle past his house.

Han Chunming glanced over and saw that all four members of Cheng Jianjun's family were there. His father, Cheng Qinghua, had obviously just returned, looking exhausted. He was eating a steamed bun with his head down, a far cry from his former imposing manner.

Han Chunming smiled and shook his head, humming a little tune as he ignored him.

He brought this on himself. That old scoundrel Cheng Jianjun will probably remember this lesson vividly and never forget it.

It's easier to change mountains and rivers than to change one's nature. Who knows if it will change in the future? Who cares?

However, Han Chunming underestimated Cheng Qinghua's abilities. In just one week, his father was back at work and reinstated to his original position.

I heard he only received a serious warning once, and his other positions remained unchanged. It seems that his two weeks of running back and forth were not entirely useless.

After Cheng Qinghua was fine, Cheng Jianjun was even more fine and continued to go to work as usual. He still shamelessly clung to Su Meng, but Su Meng's impression of him was obviously worse, and she rarely spoke to him.

However, Su Meng rarely spoke to Han Chunming anymore. Ever since she saw Han Chunming and Qi Siqiao together, Su Meng's arrogant temper had resurfaced, as if she had truly given up on Han Chunming and hadn't spoken to him for a week.

According to the plot of the original novel, the two of them should not speak to each other for at least three years. However, now that Qi Siqiao is in the middle, Han Chunming is not sure if Su Meng's capricious personality will lead to new ideas.

Su Meng pursued Han Chunming but was rejected by him; Cheng Jianjun pursued Su Meng but was rejected by her. Was this outcome due to a lack of fate, or was it the fault of all three of them?

In short, this intensified Cheng Jianjun's hatred for Han Chunming. Now that the two met, Han Chunming clearly noticed that Cheng Jianjun's gaze was somewhat strange, and the old schemer was obviously plotting something again.

Han Chunming didn't take it seriously. It wasn't like a few years ago. The market had gradually returned to normal. Besides, he didn't have anything that could give Cheng Jianjun any leverage. His family background was clean. At most, Cheng Jianjun could find a way to get his father to let him off this temporary job.

It would be better to be unemployed. Han Chunming wasn't particularly satisfied with his job; commuting to work by bicycle for two hours every day was exhausting.

Not only does he have little freedom, but his meager salary isn't even enough to buy him a soda. Han Chunming is also considering whether he should find a job with more freedom.

If it weren't for putting on a show for his mother, Han Chunming probably would have quit by now. After all, he got this job through Cheng Jianjun's father's connections.

The relationship between the two families has now broken down. Although the Cheng family hasn't said anything yet, they will eventually use this as an excuse to find a reason.

If the two families quarrel, the Cheng family alone will be enough to make the neighbors side with them, since jobs are really hard to find these days!

But none of that matters now; my own life's most important thing is finding a partner.

It was another Sunday, and Han Chunming carried gifts to Huang Wuye's house. Huang Wuye had moved to a new house again. Moving to a new house was not unusual. Even rabbits have three burrows, let alone Huang Wuye, that old fox.

However, this time Qi Siqiao led him there. Although Master Huang had anticipated that Han Chunming would come, his expression was noticeably more unpleasant than the previous two times.

Last week, when Qi Siqiao told him that Han Chunming would be coming this week, Master Huang was stunned and immediately asked for details.

Only after asking did he learn that Han Chunming had actually seduced his daughter, and in a way that was almost forced upon him. Huang Wuye's first reaction was that this was outrageous! Outrageous!

Fortunately, this time, Qi Siqiao came over to comfort Master Huang and told him about some things Han Chunming had told her.

For example, the college entrance examination may be reinstated in the future, at which time I can go to university, and Han Chunming wants Master Huang to retire from his life of crime, etc.

After listening to his daughter's words, Master Huang fell into deep thought for a long time.

He had been thinking about it for a long time this week and had been waiting for Han Chunming to come to his door.

He knew his own identity was a ticking time bomb, but he didn't know whether it would explode.

Having spent his entire life in low-level jobs, he has reached this position only because he has no control over his own destiny.

Retiring from the criminal life sounds wonderful, but if I ever have even the slightest thought of quitting, those bastards will probably tear me to pieces.

Although he had taken in many godsons and apprentices throughout his life, the only person he could truly trust was his daughter, who was by his side. He couldn't trust anyone else.

Old Master Huang, who is nearly seventy years old, has accumulated an astronomical amount of wealth in his lifetime. No one knows how much wealth he truly has except himself.

The most crucial point is that he has no blood-related children in his life. If he announces that he is retiring now, his godson will probably try to squeeze him dry. In addition to his godson, his enemies will also try to take advantage of him.

Even if he distributed that wealth to his godsons, who would believe that it was all his wealth?

So, Master Huang was already powerless to control his own destiny. He could only rely on his power of intimidation to maintain his position until one day, when he finally exploded!

Of course, he has been making some preparations over the years, both for himself and for his daughter Qi Siqiao, but ultimately he still doesn't have a foolproof way out.

When Huang Wuye saw Han Chunming for the third time, he was in a bad mood. Han Chunming was carrying a bag of vegetables and acting as if it were his own home. He immediately asked where the kitchen was.

Han Chunming prepared a table full of dishes, all of which looked, smelled, and tasted delicious. He then respectfully opened the fine wine he had brought and poured a full glass for Master Huang.

Seeing Han Chunming's attitude and the table full of delicacies, Master Huang's expression improved. He was also somewhat surprised that this young man had such culinary skills.

Today, we are at Master Huang's place, which is in a somewhat remote location, close to the outskirts of the city. It is a detached house with its own gate.

The original owner was a lame old man, whom Master Huang called Third Uncle. The old man was very sensible. He sat in the chair without saying a word, as if he were deaf. He didn't say much either, which showed that he and Master Huang had a long-standing friendship.

Another person was the most trusted of Huang Wuye's godson brothers, a middle-aged fat man who was almost fifty years old.

The man had an honest face, but Han Chunming could see the fierceness in his eyes at a glance. He was clearly a man who was good at hiding his true intentions.

Including Master Huang and Qi Siqiao, there were five of them eating together today. Qi Siqiao sat next to Han Chunming, and occasionally looked at Han Chunming with a slightly evasive gaze.

Qi Siqiao was somewhat surprised to see the table full of dishes. She hadn't expected this guy to have such good cooking skills. It was truly amazing. It seemed that he had more secrets than she had imagined!

Han Chunming picked up the wine bottle. This was good wine. Yesterday, he was ordered by his mother to go to the general store to buy a bag of salt. Han Chunming saw a dusty wine box on the top shelf of the general store.

Han Chunming glanced at it and found it somewhat familiar. It looked like Moutai, and it was even an old Moutai. Judging from the dust, it was at least quite old.

Upon asking the owner, I learned that it really was Moutai. This liquor had been stored for over ten years, and only two bottles had been sold. These days, few people drink Moutai, mainly because it's expensive.

The owner is also a wine lover. He doesn't want to sell this Moutai, which is over ten years old, even if it's cheap. He simply keeps it and plans to drink it when his daughter gets married.

Seeing this, Han Chunming immediately took out two hundred yuan and bought the case of Moutai. The owner had bought it for a few yuan a bottle back then, and now he was selling it for several times the price. He sold it happily and even helped Han Chunming wipe the dust off.

Today we're visiting my father-in-law's house, so naturally there's plenty of good wine. Although Han Chunming isn't a big drinker, he occasionally has a few sips.

Han Chunming filled everyone's glasses with wine before raising his own glass and addressing Master Huang.

"Fifth Master, please forgive my uninvited visit today. This glass of wine is for you, and I wish you good health and many more years to come!"

Han Chunming, beaming with joy, toasted Master Huang like a junior.

With a sullen face, Master Huang reluctantly picked up his wine glass under the pleading gaze of his daughter, Qi Siqiao.

Han Chunming lowered his glass slightly, clinked glasses with the other person, and then drank it all in one gulp.

Seeing Han Chunming's attitude, Master Huang felt a little better. He knew that Han Chunming had used threats and intimidation during their previous two meetings.

The first time was a semi-threatening act; he extorted two thousand yuan from me. The second time, he crushed a glass bottle with his bare hands to intimidate me.

This time it's even worse. He actually used semi-coercive methods to force his daughter to submit to him, and he even dared to come to their door. This is simply outrageous.

Today, Master Huang had already made two plans in mind. The first was that if Han Chunming forced his daughter to submit to him again, he would risk his life to die with this young man. No matter how powerful he was, could he be more powerful than a bullet?

Another option is that if Han Chunming's attitude is better and he really has a way to solve his problem, then having a good talk with him wouldn't be a bad idea.

The most crucial point is that Master Huang has also come to a realization this week: he's getting old, and retiring from the criminal life is inevitable.

If he were to withdraw, Xiao Qiao's safety would be his biggest concern.

However, he didn't have anyone around him who could protect Xiao Qiao. Although this young man was somewhat domineering, he didn't seem to be a cruel person, judging from his actions and appearance. Perhaps, if possible, he could entrust Xiao Qiao to him.

Han Chunming finished his drink and said with a smile.

"Everyone, pick up your chopsticks and try my cooking. I'm not bragging, but you can't find this kind of culinary skill here in Yanjing!"

Han Chunming's words were indeed a bit too much, and everyone's attention immediately turned to the dishes on the table. Master Huang raised his hand and shouted to the lame old man opposite him.

"Third Uncle, please start eating first!"

The lame old man didn't stand on ceremony. He picked up his chopsticks, grabbed a piece of braised pork, and stuffed it into his mouth, looking like he was going to eat it in one bite.

Han Chunming was full of confidence. Today, since his main goal was to please his father-in-law, he cooked the meat and vegetables a little too tender. This braised pork was fatty but not greasy, didn't stick to his teeth, and was soft and delicious, making it perfect for the elderly.

Seeing the old man put a piece of braised pork into his mouth, everyone else also looked at him with interest.

This old man was quite ruthless. He stuffed a huge piece of braised pork into his mouth, his cheeks bulging out. The problem was that he didn't have many teeth left, and the way he chewed it was rather comical.

Fortunately, the old man was a decent person. After eating Han Chunming's braised pork, before he had even finished chewing, he gave Han Chunming a thumbs-up and then picked up another piece of braised pork with his chopsticks.

Seeing this, Master Huang Wu couldn't help but feel curious. He picked up his chopsticks and reached for a bowl of roast chicken next to him. Seeing this, Han Chunming quickly gestured to Qi Siqiao next to him to start eating.

Qi Siqiao looked up at Han Chunming, gave him a shy glare, then picked up her chopsticks and began to pick up a small piece of fish. She carefully put the fish into her mouth, chewed it a few times, and then her eyes lit up. She looked up at Han Chunming again.

Han Chunming looked at the little girl's eyes, which evoked pity in him. Han Chunming subconsciously reached out and patted her head. This action made the other party, Master Huang, cough a few times.

Han Chunming quickly realized what was happening, put his hand down, smiled, picked up the wine bottle again, and filled Huang Wuye's glass.

Han Chunming's culinary skills temporarily won over everyone. Even Qi Siqiao's eyes sparkled as she ate with great focus, especially the steamed sea bass in front of her, which she loved and kept picking at with her chopsticks.

The meal was extremely enjoyable. Although Han Chunming had prepared eight dishes and a soup, everyone ate it all up and looked very satisfied. Master Huang even burped repeatedly. Seeing this, Qi Siqiao quickly went to pour tea!

After a hearty meal, the lame old man tactfully left, leaving only Huang Wuye's godchildren. Han Chunming took the tea handed to him by Qi Siqiao, casually crossed his legs, and savored a sip.

Master Huang sipped his tea, but his eyes kept glancing at Han Chunming without saying a word, clearly waiting for Han Chunming to speak.

Han Chunming took a sip of hot tea, let out a satisfied burp, and without any hesitation, smiled broadly at Master Huang.

"Fifth Master, now that we've finished our meal, let's get down to business!"