"A Lifetime Of Heroic Dragon "

Chapter 1 I'm Back

Standing under the dilapidated, low eaves, with the setting sun casting its last rays around him, Jiang Zhihao felt as if he were in a dream. In

the dream, he had lived a complete life, only to be diagnosed with late-stage stomach cancer at the age of eighty.

At the moment of his death, he saw himself on the hospital bed, and his children and grandchildren wailing. Then time kept rewinding until he was standing in front of this door again.

Jiang Zhihao was certain that it wasn't a dream, because a dream wouldn't allow him to remember things so clearly. He could recall every single moment that had happened.

He was certain that he had been reborn.

His gaze slowly moved to the door, and Jiang Zhihao's hands trembled slightly as he turned the key.

The old door made a screeching sound as it opened. The first thing he saw was his daughter, Lingling, sitting on the floor playing with a half-broken plastic train.

Lingling had just turned four this year; she was much smaller and thinner than other children her age.

The moment he saw his daughter, tears welled up in Jiang Zhihao's eyes.

He never imagined he would see his daughter again.

The fire decades ago that killed his wife and daughter was the most painful thing in his life. No matter how hard he worked or how much money he made, he could never heal the wound in his heart.

"Daddy!"

Seeing Jiang Zhihao return, Lingling immediately jumped up from the ground and hugged his leg happily: "You're back!"

Jiang Zhihao saw her thin body and the old clothes she was wearing, which looked like they had been picked up from somewhere.

Her face, which should have been rosy, was pale. To put it nicely, she had fair skin; to put it bluntly, she was malnourished.

Jiang Zhihao squatted down and hugged the little girl tightly in his arms.

Tears streamed down his face as the man who would later create countless business miracles held his daughter, murmuring, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry..."

Lingling had no idea that her father had already lived a complete life. She reached out and gently patted Jiang Zhihao's back, her sweet, childlike voice echoing in the room, "Daddy, be good, don't cry, Lingling loves you."

Hearing her voice, Jiang Zhihao's tears flowed even faster.

"Daddy, I don't want to go to school, please don't fight with Mommy, okay?" Lingling said, hugging Jiang Zhihao's head. Her

innocent words instantly brought back memories for Jiang Zhihao of those words he would never forget.

Back then, he had been a carefree, irresponsible person, addicted to alcohol and gambling. When he lost all his money, he would ask his wife for more; when he had no money, he would get drunk and smash things.

Just the day before that fire, his wife, Zhong Jiawei, wanted their child to go to kindergarten, but Jiang Zhihao felt it was a waste of money. He hadn't gone to kindergarten when he was little, and he was still alive and well.

This led to another big argument between the couple.

Although Lingling was only four years old, she was much more mature than other children her age.

She had always envied other children who could go to kindergarten, but she also knew that her parents were arguing because of her schooling.

So, she suppressed her little longing.

For a four-year-old to do this was quite remarkable.

Hearing his daughter's warm voice, Jiang Zhihao wiped away his tears, picked her up, and said, "Daddy will work hard to earn money, and I'll send you to kindergarten tomorrow, okay?"

"Really?" Lingling's eyes lit up, then she seemed to remember something, and frowned, saying, "But...we don't have money, and we don't want Mommy and Daddy to argue."

"Don't worry, Mommy and Daddy won't argue anymore," Jiang Zhihao said earnestly.

Lingling tilted her head to look at him, and after a few seconds, she kissed him hard on the cheek, grinning, "Then Daddy is a good boy!"

At this moment, the door opened, and Jiang Zhihao turned around. When he saw who it was, he couldn't help but tremble.

Standing in the doorway was a woman with long, flowing hair, wearing a smart business suit that made her look very energetic. She was beautiful and had a great figure, especially her eyes and high nose, which made her face look very three-dimensional.

However, her expression was somewhat cold, slightly detracting from her beauty.

This woman was Zhong Jiawei, Jiang Zhihao's wife, and also the arsonist who burned down their home.

But Jiang Zhihao never resented Zhong Jiawei, because she also died in the fire.

The charred bodies of mother and daughter embraced each other, which was the most unforgettable and painful memory of his life.

Many times, Jiang Zhihao wondered how much she hated him, and how desperate she was, to choose to end her life in this way.

Zhong Jiawei carried a bag, from which wafted a fragrant aroma.

Jiang Zhihao knew that it contained the roast duck his daughter had been longing to eat.

Eighty-eight yuan a duck, his daughter had only eaten it once.

In Zhong Jiawei's pocket was a newly bought lighter, and she had prepared the gasoline at noon, keeping it in the kitchen cabinet.

Lingling smelled the aroma and immediately broke free from Jiang Zhihao's embrace, jumping down. She excitedly ran to Zhong Jiawei, rummaging through the plastic bag and asking, "Mommy, what is it? What is it?"

"Roast duck! You've been wanting to eat it, haven't you?" Zhong Jiawei smiled only for her daughter, though the smile seemed forced.

"Daddy, it's roast duck!" Lingling turned around excitedly, shouting.

Jiang Zhihao slowly walked over and stood in front of Zhong Jiawei. Looking at his wife again, an impulse surged within him to reach out and hug her, to tell her how much he missed her.

But the obvious disgust in Zhong Jiawei's eyes filled Jiang Zhihao with bitterness.

They had been sleeping in separate rooms for a long time; Jiang Zhihao came home drunk every day, reeking of alcohol, and prone to drunken outbursts. Zhong Jiawei didn't want to disturb the children.

Lingling took the roast duck, smiling brightly, "Mommy, you've worked so hard!"

Her daughter's cuteness and understanding warmed Zhong Jiawei's heart, but the thought of what she was about to do filled her with immense sadness.

As Lingling placed the roast duck on the table, she suddenly remembered something. Turning to Zhong Jiawei, she said, "Mommy, Daddy said he'll take me to kindergarten tomorrow!"

Zhong Jiawei glanced at Jiang Zhihao and said, "Is it fun to lie to a child?"

Every time she argued with Jiang Zhihao about money, he would promise something for tomorrow, but when the day came, he would change his mind.

Not only had she been deceived, but her daughter had been lied to by him countless times. He had broken his promise to take her to the amusement park countless times.

In Zhong Jiawei's heart, there was no willingness to believe her husband; she had been disappointed too much, to the point of despair. Jiang Zhihao didn't argue, but changed the subject, saying, "Let's have porridge tonight. Your stomach isn't good, so I'll cook the rice until it's very soft

; it might take a little longer."