After the Frail Little Darling Was Raised by His Childhood Friend

[Fatherly, self-made top who wants nothing more than to give his husband a good life × Sweet, pretty, occasionally mischievous, sickly homemaker bottom]

Meng Yao was abandoned at the age of five because of his poor health. As he wandered, waiting to die, he met Zhou Chengbai.

A fortune-teller said Zhou Chengbai would have to marry a man in this life, or else his home would be in turmoil and he would die young.

But in those days, boys were treasured by their families. Who would be willing to "marry" their son off to another household?

When Zhou Chengbai brought Meng Yao home, having found him outside, Grandma Zhou was overjoyed. She could hardly wait to arrange the marriage right then and there.

Meng Yao asked timidly, "Will I get food if I get married?"

"You will," Grandma Zhou coaxed. "Once you're married, he'll be your husband. He'll treat you well and take care of you for the rest of your life."

There would be food, water, and a roof over his head. After hearing that, Meng Yao nodded at once. He was willing. He was willing to be Zhou Chengbai's wife.

Once Meng Yao nodded, the matter was settled. From then on, he would be Zhou Chengbai's wife and spend the rest of his life with him.

After they were married, Zhou Chengbai treated him well. He taught him to write, cooked for him, and stayed up all night whenever he was sick. Meng Yao couldn't walk, so Zhou Chengbai carried him everywhere.

Meng Yao thought they could live like that forever.

Then disaster struck the Zhou family. His parents passed away one after another, and Grandma Zhou died of illness. The two children were left alone, and no one in the village dared to take them in. They could only rely on each other in the old house.

Meng Yao's condition worsened, and he gradually found it harder to walk. Zhou Chengbai was determined to get him treatment, but no matter how much money he spent, Meng Yao never got any better. They went to the county clinic dozens of times, and every doctor said he couldn't be cured and told Zhou Chengbai to save his money.

Zhou Chengbai said nothing. When he got home, he packed their things, sold the house, and took Meng Yao to the big city.

If he couldn't get treatment in the county, then he would find treatment in the city.

*

After the country opened up, the economy took off and a construction boom began. The cities and counties were worlds apart, with skyscrapers everywhere. It was a golden age full of opportunities, and everyone was happily reaping the benefits of the times.

Meng Yao gazed up at the department store, its glass facade gleaming. "Brother, will we ever live in a place like that?"

"We will," Zhou Chengbai promised. "One day, I'll build you a place even grander than this, and put only your name on it."

Passersby looked at the two men in old-fashioned clothes and thought they were delusional lunatics.

Ten years later, the landmark in the center of Jiangzhou had changed. A skyscraper reaching for the clouds had been built, and every Jiangzhou resident who passed it proudly said, "This is the tallest building in all of Asia!"

And the owner of that building had the surname Meng.

*

The day Meng Yao waited to die in a cornfield, he never imagined that one day he would stand atop a skyscraper in the most expensive part of the city, with handmade carpets worth tens of thousands per square meter beneath his feet, priceless masterpieces by famous artists on the walls, and astronomical sums sitting in his bank account.

And at the very beginning, all of it started with someone reaching out a hand and saying, "Don't be afraid. Come with me."

The unluckiest thing in Meng Yao's life was being born with a frail, sickly body. The luckiest thing was meeting Zhou Chengbai on the day he was abandoned and left to wander until he died.

It's all right. With Zhou Chengbai by his side, he would never be afraid.

[Reader's Guide] 1. A rags-to-riches, hard-work story. The top is poor at first, but later makes it big during the construction boom and builds a construction company from scratch.

2. The top loves being in charge, and the bottom loves being taken care of.

3. Childhood sweethearts, both each other's first and only love.

4. Two hopeless romantics who are a perfect match for each other.

5. This story is entirely fictional. Please do not associate it with real life.

Theme: Keep striving to improve yourself, even in adversity.