Chiyong didn't dare speak up much in front of the old lady; after all, anything he said, the old lady disliked hearing, perhaps believing he held no authority in this household. In reality, the old lady never thought Chiyong had any say anyway. That glance she gave was merely a sweeping one. Still, no matter what, Chiyong would be the head of the household from now on. This was largely due to the old lady’s own sense of proprietorship.

Yangzhi glanced at Chiyong before saying, “Ma, I know you’re getting on in years, but I’ve never run this house. Besides, Wu Zi’s father and I need to go out and earn work points. You’ll have to bear the trouble of managing things, Mother.”

Cheng Ying knew her own mother was saying this only to make the old lady feel better. But this also showed her mother was filial, perhaps a little naive, and lacked ambition. It seemed more reliable to rely on Grandma than on her own mother. Her own grandmother had run things for most of her life; stepping down the ladder of power would certainly be difficult for the old lady, who was used to being in charge.

Taking the money from her mother’s hand, Cheng Ying placed it into the old lady’s palm. “Grandma, you’re not looking after me anymore?”

The old lady looked at her granddaughter, then shot a glance at Chiyong beside her. She swiftly took the money. Of course she had to keep an eye on things. With a step-father came a step-mother, so Grandma had to watch out for her granddaughter, just in case. Chiyong had children with him, after all.

Cheng Ying turned her head away, truly understanding the meaning behind the old lady’s glance aimed at the step-father. Yangzhi was embarrassed. The old lady’s action was too obvious. Chiyong paid it no mind; being treated this way by the old lady wasn't a new experience.

Seeing that the major decisions for the household seemed mostly settled, he stood up, rubbed his hands together, and said, “I won’t go to the county seat today. I’ll return the cart to the production team first. If I need it tomorrow morning, I’ll borrow it again from the team.”

This man was pragmatic. Even the old lady nodded in approval. Yangzhi nodded too. Keeping the mule tethered overnight was unsafe; if anything happened, they couldn't afford the loss. The old lady’s expression faltered for a moment, and she nodded woodenly. “It’s fine, everyone go to sleep. I’ll watch over Yingzi here.”

Hearing the old lady’s words, Yangzhi didn't dare linger. Nor did she ask for the money currently beneath her daughter. She lowered her head and left with Chiyong, looking rather flustered no matter how you looked at it. For Yangzhi, being able to manage her own small life was something she had longed for; the feeling of relief made her feel comfortable both in body and spirit. Never mind being well-fed, at least from now on no one would criticize her.

Outside, she saw Chi Wu lying by the entrance, went over, and stroked his head. “Tomorrow we’ll get a full meal.” Then she thought for a moment that she wasn't the one in charge yet, bit her lip, and corrected herself, “We should be able to eat until we’re full.” It wasn't a certainty.

Chi Wu was happy. So simple. He didn’t know about the big events happening at home. The possibility of a full meal made him genuinely happy, even if it was just an uncertain hope. Children at this age were easily satisfied, as were the adults around them.

The large room felt much emptier than usual. Cheng Ying knew this was partly psychological. In reality, nothing was missing except for the contents of the cabinet locked by Grandma. With only her mother gone, Cheng Ying felt a pang of sadness in the room. Her own grandmother was hurt, and it was all her fault.

Cheng Ying lay on the kang, watching her grandmother busying herself nearby, as if the recent events hadn't happened at all. Only Cheng Ying knew the deep sense of loss in the heart of the grandmother who had managed the household her whole life. There was also the old lady’s disappointment in her son. Arguably, her disappointment in her eldest son surpassed that of the second daughter-in-law. After all, the son was her own flesh and blood; the old lady certainly hadn't expected her son to make such a choice at a critical moment.

Cheng Ying felt a wave of guilt toward her grandmother. If not for her, perhaps this illusion of harmony could have lasted until the old lady’s dying day. But her own mother’s life was truly too difficult.

To say Cheng Ying had deep feelings for her biological mother, whom she had only known for a few days, would be a lie. But when one's own vital interests were at stake, that was real. With an uncle like that and an aunt like the other, Cheng Ying was certain that if they lived together, her mother would end up serving as a long-term nanny. What hope would she, a daughter dependent on a single mother, have? Especially with that second daughter-in-law. Cheng Ying’s resolve hardened the moment she thought of the second aunt. To endure this moment of pain meant a future of happiness would surely be beautiful.

Cheng Ying said, “Grandma, let’s rest. I’ll get up early tomorrow to make you breakfast.” Cheng Ying felt that anything she said was hollow compared to the powerful actions of her grandmother throughout the night. After all, her grandmother had set aside her grandson and even her son to defend her granddaughter.

To the old lady, it sounded like her granddaughter was feeling distressed. “Yingzi, it’s alright. From now on, you have Grandma. We three—mother and daughter—won’t starve.” The old lady hadn't even counted Chi Wu and his father in that group. In the old lady’s heart, only her granddaughter and daughter-in-law were truly family. Perhaps even the daughter-in-law was only barely counted as family.

Cheng Ying’s eyes grew watery. She’d been sentimental these past few days. Heaven knew Cheng Ying was never one to cry needlessly. She never had anyone she could cry to openly. In this life, she was lucky to have someone who cared enough for her to witness her tears. “Grandma, I want you to hold me.” Her words came out muffled, as if speaking from the bottom of her nose.

The old lady sat cross-legged on the kang. Her granddaughter’s voice sounded off; perhaps her cold hadn't cleared up. “Yingzi, are you feeling unwell somewhere?”

Cheng Ying sniffled. “It’s nothing, I just slept too much during the day and can’t fall asleep now.”

The old lady breathed a sigh of relief, withdrawing her hand from Cheng Ying’s forehead. She sat next to her granddaughter, rhythmically patting her back.

Cheng Ying asked, “Grandma, aren’t you sleeping? It’s already past midnight.”

The old lady’s eyes looked distant; it seemed she had something weighing on her mind. “Yingzi, you sleep. Grandma will watch over you.”

Cheng Ying knew her grandmother surely couldn't sleep because she was upset. Otherwise, at this hour, the old lady would already be outside causing a scene. Seeing her grandmother like this, Cheng Ying almost preferred the sight of the old lady dealing with a lively, fussing daughter-in-law. It wasn’t that Cheng Ying was heartless; it was that the old lady looked heartbreakingly sad.

Cheng Ying’s guess was right; the old lady couldn't sleep, and it would be strange if she felt comfortable. But it wasn't like she hadn't considered going out to make trouble. If she could forget other things, she couldn't forget this. The old lady was conflicted now. After all, if they were to separate now, she and her two women were like orphans without a man to anchor them, even a man earning seven-tenths of the points counted as support for the household.

The old lady let out a long, silent sigh. At least this man was someone they had married into the family. She supposed she would have to turn a blind eye from now on. The more she thought about it, the more vexed she became.

Cheng Ying looked at her grandmother, her heart twisting with worry. She didn't want to sleep alone either. “Grandma, how about I keep you company and we chat?”

Grandma said, “That’s fine. As long as you’re okay, Grandma is fine with anything. I know our Yingzi is thoughtful, sensible, and knows how to care for Grandma. Grandma understands that. It was bound to happen someday. I just didn’t expect your eldest uncle to have such a hard heart.”

Cheng Ying clutched the old lady’s hand. “Grandma, I will be filial to you from now on, and Uncle will be filial to you too.”

Grandma said, “I know. It’s not that the eldest isn't filial, it’s just that he loves his own children more. Everyone has children now; Grandma understands. Yingzi, don't hate your uncle. You'll understand when you have children someday.”

Cheng Ying nodded. She didn't need to wait until she had children; she understood now that human nature was inherently selfish. If someone were saintly enough to abandon their own child to save another's, Cheng Ying wouldn't understand it. For Cheng Ying, the idea of inherent human goodness had become a relic of decades past.

Cheng Ying said, “Grandma, our lives are going to get better and better from now on. I will definitely be filial to you. A few days ago, when the team was fishing, I heard people say that the city has movies now, and even theatrical performances. Grandma, we’ll go see the excitement when the time comes.”

Grandma replied, “That would be wonderful! Grandma heard about tanghui performances when I was young, but it was really lively. It’s just so far away.”

Cheng Ying zoned out for a moment. Her grandmother really did love spectacles. Cheng Ying said, “It’s not far. I heard the movie projectionists travel from village to village. Maybe they'll come to our village sometime soon.”

The old lady’s mood was finally diverted somewhat by her granddaughter. “Yes, that would be excellent. Only our Yingzi knows how to be dutiful.” Saying this, the old lady stood up and took a round ball from the corner of the kang. Even under the kerosene lamp, it was a mass of white fluff.

Cheng Ying’s eyes widened. “Grandma, you've already spun it into yarn?”

The old lady pursed her lips, the wrinkles on her face visible. “No, this is only half. But it’s enough to make you a pair of socks.” The old lady took out four thin wooden sticks. Cheng Ying didn't know when Grandma had prepared them. Cheng Ying immediately knew her grandmother had whittled them herself.

She watched as the old lady skillfully began knitting the socks. Cheng Ying looked at the old lady’s movements with a bit of suspicion. “Grandma, you know how to do this?” Her question was slightly probing.

The old lady’s hands paused. “I saw the young female comrades of the Red Guards using this back in the day. Your Grandma is dexterous; I learned it just by looking. Yingzi, wait for your socks.”

Cheng Ying nodded. She really was skilled. To learn something just by watching—what kind of ability was that? She had been thinking about finding an opportunity to try knitting herself. Well, it seemed Grandma would take care of everything.

Cheng Ying pulled the quilt around herself and sat up. “Grandma, let me spin the yarn for you.”

The old lady said, “Hurry up and get warm. Don’t catch another chill.”

Cheng Ying pulled on her padded jacket. “Grandma, I can’t sleep. I’ll work on it with you.”

Seeing her granddaughter looked quite energetic, the old lady pulled out a small cloth bundle from beneath the covers. Mother and daughter began working—one spinning yarn, the other knitting socks. Cheng Ying was working so she could wear the socks. The old lady did it because having something to do kept her mind from racing with troubling thoughts. The two worked until the kerosene in the lamp ran out before they stopped.

By then, Cheng Ying already had one sock on her foot. The old lady’s movements were swift; one sock didn’t take much time at all. Cheng Ying realized the old lady was clearly an experienced hand, though she didn’t dare ask further. Instead, she smugly put the sock on and couldn't bear to take it off.

Cheng Ying suddenly felt her vision darken. “Grandma, why is it dark?” Forgive her; she genuinely didn't know that a kerosene lamp needed fuel added to it.

The old lady set down her knitting needles and slapped her thigh. “Oh, what suffering! How could I forget the lamp was lit? How much kerosene we must have used halfway through the night!”

Cheng Ying’s expression went blank again. “Grandma, it’s fine, it’s already been used anyway.”

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