From humble beginnings to the pinnacle of life

Just as I was hesitating, I heard Su Qing's voice, trembling with sobs, coming from the courtyard.

"I will bear the consequences of what the future holds, and you don't need to make decisions for me. You used the one-month agreement to appease me, but now you've gone back on your word. If you insist on interfering in my affairs, then I can temporarily stay away from the Su family."

"Su Qing!" Su's father suddenly raised his voice, filled with rage.

I can't listen to any more.

Listening further will only widen the rift between Su Qing and her parents.

I took a deep breath, suppressing the bitterness surging in my heart, and pushed open the half-closed iron door.

"Click".

The slight sound of the door opening instantly cut off all the arguments in the yard.

Three pairs of eyes turned to me simultaneously.

Su Qing's eyes were red-rimmed, her long eyelashes were wet, and there were still tear stains on her face.

The moment she saw me, she stiffened slightly, and a hint of panic flashed in her eyes.

Su Qing's father was dressed in a well-tailored dark suit, with a tall and straight posture and an aura of authority that had settled down from years of business experience.

Standing to the side, Su's mother, dressed in a simple suit, had her brows furrowed and her expression grave.

The atmosphere in the courtyard froze instantly, so quiet that you could hear the wind rustling through the treetops.

I didn't avoid their scrutinizing gazes, and still carrying the bag full of ingredients, I walked into the yard step by step.

I didn't rush to speak; I first placed the bag of vegetables in my hand on the stone table next to me.

When the plastic bag touched the bluestone, a little water seeped out from the bottom of the bag, leaving a small wet stain on the stone surface.

After doing all that, I turned around to look at them, trying to calm myself down, and greeted them gently:

"Uncle, Auntie."

The two of them just stared at me silently, their expressions unfriendly, refusing to give any response.

Su Qing quickly took a few steps forward, walked to my side, and subconsciously reached out to grab my arm.

Her hands trembled slightly, as if she was afraid I would say something inappropriate in a moment of impulse, or as if she was worried about the hurtful words her parents might say.

I turned my head to her side, gave her a reassuring look, and gently patted the back of her hand.

He gestured for her to relax and not be nervous.

Then, I looked up and faced Su's father and mother directly.

"I overheard part of your conversation at the door just now."

"I know in my heart that neither of you has ever truly accepted me. That one-month agreement was just a temporary measure to appease Su Qing. To be honest, it really hurt when I heard that."

I frankly expressed my feelings without engaging in any hostile arguments.

After I finished speaking, I quietly observed the expressions on their faces, paused briefly, and continued:

"I understand your concerns. Put yourself in my shoes. If I had a daughter in the future, I would also be reluctant to let her go on a risky journey with someone who has nothing. I would be afraid that she would suffer and endure hardship in the future. I can understand this feeling of being a parent."

They continued to stare at me with scrutinizing eyes, as if whatever I said was untenable in their eyes.

I didn't back down because of this pressure, and continued, "But there's one thing I want to make clear to you both."

"I admit that, given my current family background, I am far from being a good match for the Su family. This gap is undeniable, and I will not try to deny it. But I have never intended to rely on Su Qing, much less try to climb the social ladder by leveraging the resources held by the Su family."

Mr. Su gave a cold snort and said expressionlessly, "Young man, don't speak so confidently. Do you know how difficult it is to start a business in this world? Let's not even talk about the hard barriers like background and education. Even if you have both, it's still extremely difficult to make a name for yourself."

I know in my heart that what Su's father said is the truth.

Times have changed.

When they were young, opportunities were everywhere. They were full of energy, their eyes shone with light, and they were full of expectations for the future.

But nowadays, the pressure to survive is everywhere. Most ordinary people on the streets and on buses and subways have had their sharp edges worn down by life.

It's incredibly difficult for ordinary people to get ahead.

I once saw an interview with entrepreneurs who made it onto the rich list.

The reporter asked him if he could achieve the same scale if he were put back in the present and started his business from scratch.

The wealthy man shook his head almost without hesitation, saying it was impossible.

Even if you still have the skills, you can't move forward without start-up capital; even if you get the funds, you can't replicate your past achievements.

This is reality: ordinary people face numerous obstacles when trying to turn their lives around.

I met Su's father's gaze, and this time, the oppressive aura he exuded from years of business dealings did not scare me away.

I looked into his eyes and asked, word by word:

"Uncle, I'd like to ask you, what were you doing when you were my age?"

He chuckled softly. I didn't know if he thought my question was childish and ridiculous, or simply that I was overestimating myself.

But he still answered, "At your age, I was already starting my own business on my own."

"Back then, did you ever imagine that you would build the business you have today?" I followed up with another question.

After a moment of silence, Su's father did not answer directly, but instead steered the conversation back on track: "Let's not talk about anything else, let's talk about the matter at hand."

After a brief pause, I continued, "Soon, our media company will officially open. Immediately afterward, I'll be embarking on a live-streaming hike along the Terra route. I've already obtained official approval for this route, and the route planning and contingency plans are all in place..."

Before I could finish speaking, Su's father coldly interrupted me: "Is your so-called entrepreneurship just gambling with your life?"

"What do you mean by risking your life? Dad, can't you speak properly!" Su Qing couldn't help but retort on the spot.

I gently patted the back of her hand to calm her down, then, maintaining my composure, looked at Mr. Su:

"I'm not risking my life for clicks and attention. You're right, I have neither a strong background nor an impressive academic background. To gain a foothold in the current environment, I have no choice but to work hard."

"You're right that I risked my life, but I don't think it's anything shameful. On a grander scale, isn't our country's progress today the result of generations of predecessors risking their lives and enduring hardships?"

After hearing this, Su's father fell completely silent and stopped arguing.

I didn't stop and continued, "If there's no ready-made environment, then we'll create it ourselves, little by little. I'm not complaining about the current environment; I just want to be down-to-earth and take one step at a time to forge my own path."

Su's mother frowned and said, "But the future is still uncertain. Starting a business is fraught with peril; what if we fail?"

I turned to look at Su's mother and said calmly, "The possibility of failure certainly exists; risk is always present."

"Even if I suffer a complete defeat, I will never ask the Su family for a single penny. At worst, I'll go back to delivering food and start all over again."