She let out a small breath of relief, but deep down, she was still afraid Zhuang Chaoying would beat their son too harshly.
After spending a miserable while in the room, unable to sit or stand at ease, she finally remembered to light the stove and cook.
She did not know how much time had passed, but before the water in the pot had boiled, the shouts of children running wild came from outside.
Then laughter as clear as silver bells drifted in through the corridor.
Huang Ling recognized her daughter's voice. Without even putting the rice in the pot, she hurried out of the kitchen and, sure enough, saw her daughter returning with her two sons.
Seeing her eldest son there lifted half the weight from her heart. Then her gaze swiftly landed on Zhou Cheng.
There were no marks on his face, and his expression was perfectly natural, without the slightest sign of being afraid to come home.
At that, the heart that had hung in suspense all day finally settled.
Lowering her voice, she pulled Zhou Cheng aside and asked, "Jingcheng, did your dad see you when he came home this morning?"
"He did."
"He didn't hit you, did he?"
"No."
Huang Ling was a little surprised. Knowing Zhuang Chaoying, she had expected Zhou Cheng to receive a sound beating for wrecking Grandma's birthday banquet, no matter what. Had he actually come around after spending a night at the old Zhuang family home?
"Your dad really didn't hit you when he came back?" She still was not quite sure.
Zhou Cheng shook his head, looking perfectly candid. "He really didn't. He was going to, but I reasoned with him."
"Huh?" Huang Ling could not help raising her eyebrows. "Oh? What sort of reason did you give your