It seems he has the makings of a great general.
With him protecting their daughter, Meng Shaode could rest in peace, no matter where he died.
He quietly pulled the woman a few steps aside, "This child is truly remarkable."
"You're so sure he's good? He's holding your daughter. Do you know what he's thinking? What if he's a scoundrel?"
Thinking of her infertility in her past life and how hard it was to have a daughter, only for her to be in someone else's arms now, Cai Lihua felt uneasy.
"Don't worry. I don't know about other things, but I know that a man who dares to bully our daughter must have a big heart and know how to cherish women."
This was Meng Shaode's own conclusion from his life experiences.
A man who could conquer cities with his might on the battlefield, yet be completely dominated by his wife at home, was a rarity besides himself.
"You're bragging about yourself," Cai Lihua hissed in a low voice.
"Pretty much," Meng Shaode scratched his head.
"Oh, please. You'd lord it over us for days even after bringing back a wild game," she said, then instinctively covered her mouth.
Had she just implicitly approved of Tuobayan?
Cai Lihua quickly changed her tune, "I mean, you'd boast for days even after bringing back a wild game."
As they were speaking, the grass curtain stirred, and Ajiu appeared before them, her eyes swollen.
Meng Shaode and the woman exchanged a look.
Cai Lihua quickly regained her composure, "Daughter, you're grown now. Dating is normal. It's okay, as long as you like him."
After saying this, Cai Lihua felt a pang of pain. Her precious daughter would soon belong to someone else.
If Tuobayan didn't treat Jiu'er well, she would definitely march over with a knife to demand an explanation for her daughter.
"Yes, yes. Daughter, you're grown. You decide these things," Meng Shaode chimed in.
Ajiu was suddenly startled. That wasn't what she meant. "Mother, I mean, I want to go with Xiao Yan to Menghua City."
"..." The couple was stunned.
"Where else is safe? The Great Chieftain said that King Qi would definitely come back with reinforcements. There will be war at any moment."
The couple didn't know what to say, their eyes filled with anxiety.
Ajiu fell silent upon hearing this.
Tuobayan said with a smile, "With me here, Uncle and Aunt, don't worry. I will build the grandest house and the most luxurious carriage in the world. I will protect Jiu'er completely."
Tuobayan, however, was smiling carefree, as if nothing in the world was a big deal.
This left Cai Lihua stunned, both in hearing and in sight.
Was he trying to abduct her daughter so soon? Absolutely not.
Cai Lihua's rationality vanished. She paced back and forth with her arms crossed.
"The grandest house is the imperial palace! You, Tuobayan, I finally agreed to let you develop feelings for each other, and you're in such a hurry to take my daughter away?"
"The imperial palace?" Tuobayan frowned and pondered, "What is the imperial palace?"
Ajiu, whose small stature only reached Tuobayan's chest, sighed and hung her head.
Alas... the conversation had strayed again. Ajiu felt that if her parents talked with Tuobayan any longer, they might go mad.
As expected, Meng Shaode and Cai Lihua were bewildered.
That didn't seem to be the point they were trying to make.
Meng Shaode gritted his teeth and squeezed out a few words from his throat, "That's where the emperor lives!"
He then turned and walked away in a huff.
He never dreamed that such an idiot could have taken Menghua City.
Why wasn't he beaten to death when he left?
"Hey, Mother, Father, so you agree? I'm setting off tomorrow morning." Ajiu took a couple of steps forward.
Meng Shaode and Cai Lihua stopped and looked back at their daughter.
She stood beside Tuobayan. The height difference was significant, but Tuobayan stood with one hand behind his back, his gaze fixed on Jiu'er.
They were both experienced. Such an emotion where the entire world revolved around one person could not be hidden.
The couple exchanged a knowing glance.
"Go," Cai Lihua, suppressing her heartache, quickly covered her mouth and turned away from Ajiu.
Meng Shaode, however, stepped forward. "You rascal, you've hit the jackpot. If you don't protect my daughter well, I'll forge a diamond drill and drill you to death."
"Uncle Meng, don't worry. We have plenty of diamonds, they're useless." Tuobayan's words, though seemingly casual, almost made Meng Shaode pinch his own philtrum in anger.