Why Not Just Marry Her

Cao Cheng was a public figure, so he couldn’t just parade around with Cao Laoliu in tow.

He drove to an alley, parked the car, and then instructed someone to buy the food they wanted. They ate right there in the business vehicle.

Cao Laoliu was used to this.

She might not have understood before, but now that she was older, she knew about her fifth brother’s status. If they went out, they’d definitely get swarmed.

And if they ran into bad people, there could even be danger.

So,

Cao Laoliu didn’t fuss or cry—she just waited for the food.

Soon,

Hot, crispy fries dipped in ice-cold ice cream—one bite, and the taste was absolutely divine.

Cao Laoliu ate with a beaming smile.

Cao Cheng quietly snapped a photo and sent it to the "Happy Family" group chat with the caption: "I can’t control her. If I don’t give in, she throws a tantrum, rolling around on the ground. I only let her eat this because I was afraid she’d cause a scene in public."

"……"

"……"

"……"

Suddenly, Cao Laoliu felt a chill down her spine and turned to Cao Cheng. "Brother."

"Hmm?" Cao Cheng put down his phone, smiling. "What’s up?"

She didn’t notice anything off. "Who were you talking to?"

"Your sister-in-law," Cao Cheng said, which wasn’t exactly a lie.

Cao Laoliu lit up instantly. "Sister-in-law’s home?"

In her mind, Tang Xin was the one who spoiled her the most.

Well, of course—Tang Xin was just her sister-in-law, the least authoritative figure in the family. She couldn’t scold or hit Cao Laoliu, and whenever they met, there were always treats and gifts.

What kid wouldn’t adore Tang Xin?

As for the others—her actual brothers and sisters—they were strict.

Even though Cao Laoliu was well-behaved, she still had her little moods, and she’d been scolded more than once by her second-oldest sibling.

She was genuinely afraid of them.

"Your sister-in-law isn’t home. She’s in the capital visiting your little nephew. She’ll be back in a few days. That kid’s gotten into trouble again," Cao Cheng said offhandedly.

Cao Laoliu blinked. "Huh? What did he do this time?"

"Got into a fight."

"Again?" She was stunned.

Cao Cheng chuckled and started telling her the story.

Over there, it was a small fight every three days, a big one every five.

Though Little Cao was being groomed under his grandfather’s wing, Cao Cheng and Tang Xin could visit anytime—it wasn’t some closed-off training program.

Besides, Little Cao was still young. Right now, it was all about building connections.

To put it bluntly…

It was just a bunch of big shots’ sons and grandsons playing together.

By now, Little Cao was already showing signs of becoming the ringleader—and it wasn’t just because of his family background.

Sure, the status of one’s father or grandfather influenced the kids’ pecking order.

But that was only part of it.

What really mattered was personal ability.

Little Cao was small.

But he hit hard.

His position as the top kid? Earned with his fists.

At four years old, he led a gang of five-, six-, seven-, and eight-year-olds, running wild across the courtyards.

And when trouble followed, no one could really say much.

First, Little Cao’s grandfather’s status was unimpeachable.

Top-tier.

Second, Little Cao was just too young.

If an eight-year-old got beaten up by him and started crying, what parent would have the nerve to come after Little Cao?

So,

Within a year, Little Cao had built his own reputation in the area.

Not bad at all.

But…

There were exceptions.

Like this time. Tang Xin had come because Little Cao had hit a certain old gentleman’s granddaughter.

He even hit a girl!

Not that it was a big deal—some of the girls in these compounds were plenty tough themselves.

But this girl’s grandfather was… well, he doted on her. Plus, his status was high—same generation as Little Cao’s great-grandfather.

And he was old.

So,

Things got a little out of hand.

Of course,

No matter how heated it got, it was just kids roughhousing. No blood, no real harm done.

A few gifts to the old gentleman, sending Little Cao over to smooth things over, and it’d be settled.

But when Little Cao arrived, the old gentleman looked him up and down, then nodded. "You’ve got spirit, kid. You look like a little grown-up. So, you’re the one who bullied my granddaughter?"

Little Cao wasn’t one to be intimidated. "Yeah, it was me."

The old man laughed. "Got some attitude, huh? Fine. So, how are you gonna make this right?"

Little Cao shrugged. "What else can I do? When we grow up, I’ll marry her."

"……"

The old man nearly keeled over.

Tang Xin had come this time to apologize on her son’s behalf.

After all, the man was a founding-era figure…

At this point, he was the only one left.

The others had passed early.

This one had been lucky—he’d gotten hold of Cao Cheng’s medicine in time. Otherwise, he’d have been gone years ago.

So strictly speaking, the Cao family had done his family a favor.

Which meant things wouldn’t actually escalate.

They just couldn’t figure out where a four-year-old had picked up a line like that.

……

Little Cao’s grandfather didn’t step in. Instead, his eldest and second-eldest sisters handled it.

When they arrived and heard what had happened, the eldest sister couldn’t help but laugh. She pulled Little Cao close, pinched his cheek, and scolded, "You little rascal, who taught you to say that? That’s way out of line. You’re gonna get a spanking later."

"Dad said it," Little Cao immediately threw Cao Cheng under the bus.

"Your dad? What exactly did he say?"

"He said if I made a girl cry, it’s fine—just cheer her up. Worst case, marry her. ‘Don’t worry, I’ve got your back.’"

"……"

"……"

No one knew when Cao Cheng had taught him that.

Definitely not recently.

Tang Xin was mortified. The eldest sister, meanwhile, was thinking ahead—this marriage couldn’t happen.

Whether as an alliance or for any other reason,

This girl’s family wasn’t on the Tang family’s level.

Sure, they had this old pillar holding them up, and sure, he might live a while longer, and sure, their family seemed stable.

But…

A pillar was only a pillar because everything depended on it.

If this old gentleman passed, the family would drop at least two tiers—minimum.

And if no one stepped up after that, the decline would continue.

The Tang family was different.

Little Cao’s grandfather was exceptional, but the other branches were strong too.

So when Little Cao grew up, his starting point would be an entire region.

There was no way his marriage could be some casual affair.

The eldest sister kept these thoughts to herself, though. After all, it was Little Cao who’d proposed it—and he had hit the girl.

(Even if she’d started it by picking on one of Little Cao’s lackeys.)

But hitting was hitting.

The old gentleman, however, just chuckled. "Kid, you really mean it? You’d marry my granddaughter?"

Little Cao lifted his chin. "Yeah."

"Good…" The old man nodded.

The eldest sister quickly cut in. "Sir, about this matter—"

The old gentleman smirked. "This is between the kids. I won’t interfere."

The message was clear.

I’m staying out of it—so you should too.

The old man was sharp.

He knew exactly what hitching his family to Little Cao would mean.

Especially since he didn’t have many years left.