"Wow~"
Suddenly, an infant's cry rang out.
It was Dabao, in Zhang Hao's arms, who had finished his milk and started crying.
"Teacher, I need to put the baby to bed. Don't forget to give me my diploma."
With that, he tossed his phone onto the bed and began soothing the baby.
"Zhang Hao, I don't believe your English suddenly got this good. Come to the school and prove it in person."
Miejue Shitai's voice came through the phone.
Zhang Hao paid it no mind; to him, nothing was more important than coaxing the baby.
……
As time passed, noon quickly approached.
By now, Zhang Hao was on the bed, having a wonderful time playing with the babies.
The seven-month-old babies could already crawl.
Zhang Hao crawled across the bed too, chasing and playing with the three babies.
"Don't let Daddy catch you! If I catch you, I'll tickle you."
"Daddy's coming!"
"Ah~ Dudu du."
The three adorable babies, looking just like little tadpoles, wriggled their little arms and legs and crawled quickly across the bed.
Zhang Hao chased eagerly behind them.
Looking at the cuteness of the three little darlings, the smile on his face never faded.
"Xiao Zhang."
At that moment, the nanny walked into the bedroom with a smile. "It's almost noon. I'm going out to buy some groceries. Call me if you need anything."
Zhang Hao replied, "Auntie, let me go."
Since the vegetable market was a fair distance from the residential complex, and the nanny was getting on in years, how could he bear to let her run around?
"It's fine, I'll go. It'll be good to stretch my legs anyway. The babies have just gotten used to you, so this is the prime time to bond with them."
Zhang Hao nodded, finding her words reasonable.
"Alright then, I'll have to trouble you."
"No trouble at all, it's what I should do."
With that, the nanny turned and walked out.
Zhang Hao continued playing with the three adorable babies.
However, only a short while later, the doorbell suddenly rang.
"Could the nanny have forgotten something?"
Wondering to himself, Zhang Hao walked over to the front door of the living room.
When he opened it, he found a middle-aged man standing outside.
"Who are you looking for?"
"Who are you?"
As Zhang Hao asked, the middle-aged man also furrowed his brows and asked back.
Zhang Hao narrowed his eyes slightly.
Since the middle-aged man asked who he was right off the bat, he must know Su Yuyan.
Could it be...
Suddenly, a thought occurred to Zhang Hao.
He carefully studied the middle-aged man's face and was startled to discover that his eyes and eyebrows bore a striking resemblance to Su Yuyan's.
"Are you Su Yuyan's father?"
Having guessed the other man's identity, Zhang Hao's tone instantly took on a hint of respect.
The middle-aged man's brows furrowed even deeper.
The next moment, a look of surprise appeared on the man's face.
"You're Zhang Hao!"
"Huh?"
Zhang Hao was stunned for a moment, his thoughts somewhat chaotic.
Didn't Su Yuyan say she hadn't mentioned him to her family?
Yet how did this future father-in-law recognize him at a glance?
Ah, right, the nanny must have mentioned it.
"Hello, Uncle. I'm Zhang Hao. It's a pleasure to meet you."
Su's father frowned and asked, "What are you doing here?"
"Huh?"
Zhang Hao was taken aback once more.
Chapter 13: What fate!
"Didn't the nanny tell you?"
Zhang Hao was full of confusion, nearly bewildered by Su's father's question.
Since he had recognized him, why was he still asking what he was doing here?
Did the nanny not make it clear?
"The nanny?"
Su's father frowned slightly. "What does this have to do with the nanny? Aren't you Zhang Zhaoyang's son?"
"You know my dad!"
Zhang Hao was inwardly shocked.
He hadn't expected Su Yuyan's father to actually know his own father.
This was way too coincidental!
What fate!
Yet just as Zhang Hao was feeling surprised, Su's father's displeased voice rang out.
"Wait! Could you be the young man the nanny mentioned, the biological father of the babies?"
Zhang Hao smiled and nodded. "Yes, Uncle. Can you believe how coincidental this is?"
"Rest assured, Uncle, I will definitely take good care of your daughter and the three babies, guaranteeing that they live a happy—"
Before he could finish, Su's father harshly interrupted him.
"You bastard! You're the one who ruined my daughter!"
"If it weren't for you, my daughter wouldn't have gotten pregnant and wouldn't have run away from home!"
With that, the look he gave Zhang Hao was filled with fury. He loosened his tie and looked ready to throw punches.
Seeing this, Zhang Hao instinctively clenched his fists.
But the next second, the thought of fighting back vanished.
After all, it was precisely because of him that Su Yuyan's life had been severely impacted.
If she hadn't gotten pregnant and given birth, she would be living a carefree life right now and could even inherit the family business.
As for Su Yuyan's father, he could completely understand his current mood.
His precious daughter had been knocked up and had run away from home; Su's father probably wanted to kill him right now.
"Uncle, I admit it's my fault. Beat me or scold me as you please."
With that, he stood stock-still in place.
"You brat, you think I wouldn't dare!"
Livid with rage, Su's father raised his fist, preparing to strike Zhang Hao in the face.
Yet at that exact moment, an exclamation rang out.
"Mr. Su!"
Hearing the voice, Su's father froze with his fist poised in the air. Seeing the nanny walking over with her groceries, he slowly lowered his fist.
"Mr. Su!"
Noticing the situation, the nanny hurried over to persuade him, "Please don't be angry. Let's talk this through calmly."
"Since things have already reached this point, hitting him won't solve anything."
"Besides, I can tell that Xiao Zhang is a responsible person. To take care of the babies, he even stopped going to school."
"Why not give him a chance? I believe he can definitely be a good father."
"Even for the sake of the three babies, please give him a chance."
"After all, Miss Su has had a hard life. Can you bear to see the babies grow up without a father?"
Hearing these words, Su's father let out a heavy sigh.
Yet when he looked at Zhang Hao, his anger flared up instantly.
"Stay out of this matter. Go take care of the babies."
The nanny nodded. "Mr. Su, you must think this over carefully."
With that, she walked toward the bedroom looking somewhat worried.
"You, come outside with me!"
Suppressing his anger, Su's father walked over to the stairwell.
Because looking at Zhang Hao made him entirely too angry, he simply had to beat him up!
Yet when he saw Zhang Hao walking over and prepared to strike, he suddenly hesitated again.
Because at that moment, Zhang Hao wore a calm expression, his eyes filled with determination, and coupled with that handsome face of his, Su's father suddenly found his heart softening.
"Damn it, I'm still too soft-hearted!"
"I won't hit you. Get out of here, and never come looking for my daughter again."
Zhang Hao said with a serious expression, "I'm not leaving, because I said I would take care of Su Yuyan and the three babies."
"You!"
Su's father raised his eyebrows and glared, before a look of utter disdain crossed his face.
"I get it. You must be after the money."
"Your family is bankrupt now, Zhang Zhaoyang is missing, and you've turned into a poor kid yourself."
"But let me tell you, not a chance!"
"Even if you are the babies' biological father, don't even think about getting a single penny from me!"
Zhang Hao frowned slightly, suddenly feeling an urge to beat someone up.
If the person saying this weren't Su Yuyan's father, he would have thrown hands long ago.
"Uncle, you can insult me, but you can never insult my dignity!"
Su's father let out a cold snort and raised a single finger. "One million! As long as you leave my daughter and the babies, I'll give you one million!"
Zhang Hao replied calmly, "This has nothing to do with money."
"Two million!"
Su's father raised another finger.
Zhang Hao said solemnly, "Uncle, even if you gave me two hundred million, I wouldn't leave Su Yuyan and the babies. Besides, I don't want a single cent of your money!"
"You!"
Su's father was so furious smoke practically poured from his nostrils, and the urge to punch someone returned.
Ring, ring, ring.
Suddenly, a pleasant phone ringtone sounded.
Zhang Hao took out his phone and saw that it was a call from Su Yuyan.
"Hello... what's up, Wife?"
Mindful of Su's father standing right across from him, Zhang Hao used that intimate term of address directly.
"Who is your wife?"
A voice filled with feigned anger rang out. "I just wanted to ask what the babies are doing. Can you take care of them properly?"
A smile appeared on Zhang Hao's face. "Don't worry, Wife. The babies and I are having a wonderful time. They even called me Daddy."
Just as the words left his mouth, the System's voice suddenly echoed in his mind.
"Ding: Detected that the host is lying. Teach the babies to say 'Daddy' within three days. Completion reward: three hundred thousand; failure penalty: three hundred thousand!"
"Huh?"
Zhang Hao widened his eyes, thinking to himself that the System was screwing with him again.
The babies were so tiny, how could they possibly say Daddy?
Feeling extremely depressed, he heard Su Yuyan's response.
"Tch, the babies have only met you for two days, how could they possibly say Daddy? As long as you can take good care of them, that's enough. Hanging up!"
"Goodbye, Wife."
Zhang Hao hurriedly replied and slipped his phone back into his pocket.
He looked at Su's father, only to find the older man staring at him in a daze.
"Uncle, if you're going to hit me, hurry up. I need to make food for the babies. Oh right, you should stay and eat with us too."
"Uh..."
Hearing this, Su's father instantly felt a splitting headache, unsure whether to be angry or to politely decline.
"You brat, don't think you can sweet-talk your way into me forgiving you."
"No matter what, I will never allow you to stay here, because you lack both the qualifications and the ability."
"Look at the place my daughter is living in, and the environment the babies are growing up in."
"As a father, you don't even have the ability to give your wife and babies a happy life."
"Whether as a husband or a father, you are completely incompetent!"
"If I were you..."
Ring, ring, ring.
The phone in Su's father's pocket began to ring.
After answering the call, he shouted furiously, "What are you good for if you can't even handle a small matter like this? I'm heading back right now!"
Hanging up the phone, he cast a cold glare at Zhang Hao.
"We'll stop here for today. I'm coming back tomorrow to find you!"
With that, he turned and left directly.
Zhang Hao stood in place, stunned for a moment.
Su's father's words just now had been like a heavy hammer, striking his heart blow by blow.
Incompetent as a husband.
Lacking the ability to give the babies a happy life.
When it all came down to it, it was still because he had no money, which led to being looked down upon by his father-in-law.
"No, I have to figure out a way to make money right now!"
Having made up his mind, he began racking his brains to think of a solution.
Chapter 14: Setting up a stall at the residential complex entrance
"I've got it!"
Suddenly, a flash of inspiration hit Zhang Hao's mind, and he thought of a brilliant scheme to make money fast.
That was to set up a street stall and sell cooked dishes.
These weren't raw vegetables, but ready-to-eat delicacies.
After all, relying on his Super Culinary Skills, he could whip up exceptionally delicious food.
Though the process would be exhausting, there was simply no better way besides this.
As for that magical System—let alone making money, avoiding penalties would already be a blessing.
No sooner said than done!
After eating lunch, Zhang Hao headed straight to the vegetable market.
He spent over two thousand yuan buying a pile of vegetables, chicken, duck, fish, and pork.
Then he bought a dozen or so rectangular metal trays from a grocery store to hold the dishes when setting up his stall.
"Xiao Zhang! What are you buying so many vegetables and trays for?"
The nanny looked at the items Zhang Hao had bought with a face full of surprise.
"To set up a stall and sell food, of course."
Zhang Hao explained with a smile, "Nowadays, breathing air is about the only thing that's free; even sleeping costs money."
"I noticed a lot of people passing by the entrance of the complex, so I thought about setting up a stall to sell some dishes and earn milk powder money for the babies."
The nanny nodded, her gaze toward Zhang Hao filled with admiration.
"Not bad, young men as capable as you are hard to come by."
"But the problem is, there are a lot of restaurants around here. Will selling stir-fried dishes right at the entrance of the complex actually work?"
Zhang Hao patted his chest with absolute confidence.
"Don't worry, Auntie, I have plenty of confidence in my cooking."
The nanny smiled and said, "Alright, then I wish you instant success. Since the babies are all sleeping right now, I'll stay here and help you prep."
"Then I'll have to trouble you, Auntie."
Zhang Hao didn't refuse.
With the nanny helping out, it would certainly save a lot of time.
Before long, afternoon arrived.
Zhang Hao had finished preparing over a dozen dishes.
Kung Pao chicken, spicy chicken chunks, braised pig's trotters, Dongpo pork, and so on.
While cooking, he also took the time to teach the three adorable babies to say "Daddy."
Perhaps because they had just started learning, the three babies could only babble *da-da*, *pa-pa*, and *la-la*, stubbornly refusing to say "Daddy."
"Auntie, I'm heading out to set up my stall. Call me if anything comes up."
Bidding farewell to the nanny, Zhang Hao embarked on his first entrepreneurial venture.
Arriving at the entrance of the residential complex, he neatly arranged the dozen-or-so dishes on a display rack.
Looking at the pedestrians walking back and forth, he began to hawk his goods.
"Folks from near and far, come take a look! Superb delicacies made with ancestral craftsmanship!"
"It's fine if you don't buy, feel free to taste for free. If it doesn't taste good, it's on the house~"
Though this was his first time setting up a stall in public, Zhang Hao felt not the slightest bit timid.
As someone afflicted with extreme social confidence, this was just a minor scene.
Yet as he shouted on, his enthusiasm gradually faded.
Plenty of people walked past, but they simply walked right by.
"Strange, why isn't anyone buying?"
"The smell is plenty fragrant, could all these people have colds?"
Just as Zhang Hao was feeling puzzled, out of the corner of his eye he spotted a figure standing not far away.
Looking closely, it was Su Yuyan.
"Hi~..."
Zhang Hao just raised his hand to wave, only to see Su Yuyan briskly walking into the residential complex.
"Uh..."
Zhang Hao instantly wore an awkward expression.
He thought to himself, could it be that Su Yuyan thought it was embarrassing and therefore pretended not to know him?
He wasn't stealing or robbing; what was shameful about earning an honest living with his skills?
Zhang Hao was somewhat perplexed, but a moment later, he saw a sight that left him astonished.
He saw Su Yuyan pushing a large baby stroller as she walked over.
Inside the stroller sat the three adorable babies.
Each baby wore a lace-trimmed yellow sunhat, sucked on a pacifier, and looked around with a pair of jet-black, round eyes. Words couldn't describe how cute they were.
"Why did you bring the babies out?"
Seeing Su Yuyan approach, Zhang Hao asked with a smile, while realizing he had misunderstood her just moments ago.
"To accompany you in selling food, of course."
Su Yuyan felt somewhat touched.
She knew Zhang Hao had set up a stall at the entrance purely to make money.
If it weren't for her and the babies, he wouldn't have had to do this at all.
Thinking of this, her favorable impression of Zhang Hao grew by a few more notches.
"Oh my, these three babies are so cute."
An exclamation rang out.
Several middle-aged women who were on their way to dance the square dance were instantly drawn over by the three babies.
"Young man, are these three babies all yours? They are so adorable."
"Look at those big eyes, they look just like porcelain dolls."
"And they're triplets! Looking at how slim your wife is, I never expected her to be so fertile."
"If my daughter-in-law could have triplets too, I'd gladly give up square dancing."
Hearing the babies being praised, Zhang Hao smiled.
"Yes, Auntie. All three babies were painstakingly carried for ten months and brought into the world by my wife."
"Young man, you are so blessed! Such a gorgeous wife, and she even gave you triplets. You're destined for a life of ease."
"Young man, do you have some secret recipe? Can you share it with this auntie?"
As they spoke, several of the older women suddenly sniffed the air and looked toward the dishes on the tray.
"Mmm, this smells so good! Young man, did you cook all these dishes yourself?"
Zhang Hao smiled and nodded. "Yes, Aunties, I made them all with my own hands. Feel free to taste them—if they aren't delicious, they're free."
"Really?"
Hearing that it was free, the middle-aged women's eyes lit up instantly.
Though they had already eaten, since it was free, not eating would be a waste.
Yet after taking a bite, the older women wore looks of sheer amazement, as if they had discovered a new continent.
"Goodness, this is insanely delicious!"
"Kung Pao chicken is my specialty, but compared to what you made, mine doesn't even look like food fit for humans."
"These braised pig's trotters are so tender and waxy, with a pure fragrance. They taste even better than the ones made in five-star hotels."
"Young man, give me a portion of Kung Pao chicken, and a portion of spicy shredded pork with green peppers, to take back for my son when he gets off work."
"Give me two braised pig's trotters."
"I want a portion of boiled sliced pork in hot chili oil, and a portion of boiled fish in pickled cabbage soup."
...
The middle-aged women began scrambling to make their purchases.
Zhang Hao hurriedly took out food containers and began packing the dishes.
Such a lively scene instantly caught the attention of passersby, who crowded around in a circle.
"Wow, these three babies are so cute, and they're rare triplets!"
"The mother is so gorgeous, and the father is so handsome—they both have celestial-level looks. No wonder they could give birth to such adorable babies."
"It's not easy setting up a stall while bringing babies along. We've got to support his business."
"Boss, give me a braised pig's trotter."
"I want a portion of braised pork belly."
...
As more and more people gathered, a long queue formed.
Zhang Hao began to busy himself; though it was a bit overwhelming, his heart felt wonderful.
In less than an hour, all dozen-or-so trays of food were completely emptied.
Yet the queue was still winding along the roadside for twenty or thirty meters.
"I am truly sorry, but all the dishes are completely sold out."
"Please come back tomorrow, everyone. I'll be offering a different menu every day."
Hearing that the food was sold out, those who hadn't managed to buy any left in disappointment.
Zhang Hao opened his WeChat wallet and instantly broke into a joyful smile.
"Wife, guess how much we made?"
Chapter 15: Truly his biological flesh and blood
"How much... who's your wife?"
Su Yuyan's face suddenly flushed red.
Fortunately, she reacted quickly, nearly falling into Zhang Hao's trap.
"We made over 8,600 in total! Subtracting the thousand-plus for ingredients and trays, we netted a cool 7,000 profit."
Seeing the balance, even Zhang Hao hadn't expected to make this much.
Who would have thought that a seemingly unremarkable street stall could yield such a huge profit.
"It really is a lot. You've worked hard."
A soft, watery light rippled in Su Yuyan's eyes.
Now she understood that Zhang Hao was a man with responsibility and accountability.
"What's hard about this? As long as I can give you and the babies a better life, no amount of hardship or exhaustion is too much."
Su Yuyan's heart was stirred. While feeling touched, she also felt a twinge of shame.