Cheng Ying snorted. A stubborn refusal to admit defeat was only going to lead to misery. If people weren't talking to him, wasn't that because no one was talking to him?

Chi Wu mysteriously grabbed Cheng Ying's arm. "There are thieves in our village."

"How do you know?"

Chi Wu, agitated, spoke and gestured wildly. "Today, when I went to gather firewood, I was late. They had already taken all the good spots. So, I carried my basket further up the mountain. I saw those kids from the Old Cheng family—they had gathered several huge piles of firewood, really, so much. Then, those kids were only halfway up the mountainside playing, but when they came down, all that firewood was gone. They suspected me at first, but they saw how small I am, figured I couldn't possibly move it. Everyone said it must have been someone who could carry several hundred catties."

Finishing his account, Chi Wu nodded vigorously. "Seriously, you didn't see it. So much firewood! It must have been the person in the village who earns the most work points; no one else has that kind of strength."

Then, Chi Wu leaned in conspiratorially. "There are only a few people in our village who can carry several hundred catties."

Cheng Ying forced a strained smile. Heh, he accidentally became a thief.

She had figured that no matter how capable Chi Wu was, he couldn't have gathered that much firewood himself. It turned out it belonged to others. She had only meant to help Chi Wu transport it, not realizing she had taken the wrong load. So many children loved laboring. Still, what was eaten couldn't easily be spat out; she might as well keep this windfall.

Cheng Ying, troubled by this thought, tried to clear the name of the most capable person in the village. "You only know it was someone who could carry several hundred catties? You think someone that capable would stoop to stealing firewood from a few kids? They probably just forgot where they put it and are afraid to tell their parents, so they're spreading rumors."

Chi Wu grew excited. "Maybe, but I really saw them stack up the firewood, and there was a lot of it!"

Cheng Ying thought to herself, This space really can't be used carelessly, or they'll burn me as a monster. From now on, she resolved to use the space as little as possible. Who knew what kind of people were lurking in those remote corners of the mountain?

She glared at Chi Wu. "I'm going to gather firewood too. Why didn't I see any?"

Chi Wu looked confused. 'You went too?'

Then he turned to look at the woodpile. He had to admit, it was quite a bit more firewood. This girl was really capable. Looking at Cheng Ying, Chi Wu was almost incredulous. "Are you running a fever?"

Cheng Ying snapped back irritably, "You're the one with a fever!"

Chi Wu felt a bit awkward, realizing the girl was actually willing to help him work. He quickly said, "If you're willing to go, come with me next time. We can look out for each other."

Cheng Ying raised her chin. Little brat, I don't need company. But she was also afraid of wolves. It was probably better to go together. "Fine. But I won't help you then." She said it with an air of exaggerated coolness, displaying the genuine innocence of a ten-year-old girl.

Chi Wu lowered his head and felt the sock in his pocket, deciding not to argue with Cheng Ying. He turned and carried the wood into the house. Cheng Ying felt completely ignored. It left a sour taste in her mouth. How could this boy, still so young, be so deep at night?

When the old lady returned, Chi Wu had already reheated the leftover rice from the morning that Cheng Ying hadn't eaten. The old lady's face held a clear joy.

Cheng Ying greeted her grandmother warmly. "Grandma, why are you so happy?"

The old lady said, "Come here, Yingzi, look what Grandma made for you! I knew this cloth would make handsome trousers."

Cheng Ying watched as her grandmother pulled a cloth bundle from under her arm. Sure enough, it was a pair of blue twill trousers.

Chi Wu, who had been waiting with them in the main room for dinner, quietly slipped away into the west room. For Cheng Ying, who was mentally over thirty, a pair of trousers didn't hold that much allure, so Chi Wu’s small movements didn't escape her notice. So, this kid has some hidden depths.

Cheng Ying praised her, "Grandma, your hands are so skillful! You made these in just half a day."

"That's because the village chief has a sewing machine. Two quick passes with that thing, and it’s done. It’s just not as exquisitely finished as when I sew it by hand."

Cheng Ying looked at her grandmother. This rare bit of semi-automation had just been put down.

The old lady continued, "Yingzi, look at your Aunt Pingzi. She found a husband in the city. She has a job there, and this sewing machine was an allocation from her factory. Your cousin Pingzi directly got it for her mother. That's one machine in our whole village."

Cheng Ying could hear the envy dripping from her grandmother's words.

She quickly declared to the old lady, "Grandma, when I find a husband, I'll get you a big sedan, and I promise to make you the first person to use it!"

The old lady tapped her granddaughter’s back. "You little chatterbox, what nonsense are you speaking? Do you think I'm buying you off? Don't let this slip outside, or who will dare propose marriage for you later?"

Cheng Ying looked at her grandmother with a feeling of exasperation. She was only ten; talking about marriage was surely too early. How had she already reached the age where proposals were discussed?

She tugged on the old lady's sleeve. "Then you don't want the sedan?"

The old lady rolled her eyes. "How could I not want it? But I’m not selling my granddaughter for it. That depends on future fortune. Stop saying such things!"

Cheng Ying retorted, "You just don't want to admit you want it because you’re afraid of getting burned. People who are too concerned with appearances usually suffer the most."

This time, the old lady struck her granddaughter much harder. "You impudent girl, you dare argue with your grandmother? Go into the house and try it!"

"Ouch! Why are you actually hitting me? Don't worry, I definitely won't forget your little sedan!"

The old lady thought her granddaughter had lofty ambitions, but worrying about a sedan in this small village was impractical. She was afraid her granddaughter might take it seriously and ruin her chances of marrying well. "Don't think about sedans anymore. Girl, you shouldn't be so shameless. Understand? You can't just say these things out loud, or the villagers will shame you to death!"

"I won't, I'll only tell you."

The old lady slapped her thigh in the main room, instantly regretting the whole conversation. The girl was so stubborn; what if she actually set her sights on a sedan? Then how would she ever find a husband? Wouldn't that ruin everything? "Stop thinking about sedans, or I'll hit you again!" When had the girl she raised become so shameless? Why did she dare say everything out loud? The old lady was anxious.

Cheng Ying pulled on the padded trousers, bending over to support her waist, nearly collapsing with laughter. Grandma gets anxious too. Well, if I really went looking for a sedan in this village, I probably wouldn't get married at all. It was no wonder the old lady was worried.

Cheng Ying pulled the trousers all the way up. She looked at herself from every angle. She truly couldn't see anything special—just blue twill, with a side opening and a crotch that swung—the legendary item. Cheng Ying honestly didn't think they were that good-looking.

But as she stepped out of the east room, a smug smile was plastered on her face. "Grandma, do they look good?"

The old lady circled her granddaughter once, all previous annoyance gone. "Mm, that's my granddaughter. Doesn't she look beautiful?"

Cheng Ying's eyes narrowed with delight. "Isn't she? And Grandma's skill is excellent; you truly care about me." The last part was pure flattery.

The old lady looked at her eldest granddaughter with satisfaction. "Quick, take them off."

"Why?" Cheng Ying was genuinely confused. It took so much effort to put on a pair of trousers in the dead of winter.

"You vain girl, take them off! You can wear them for New Year's."

Cheng Ying looked down at the blue trousers. She truly didn't see why they warranted being saved only for the New Year. The old lady, however, assumed her granddaughter was reluctant to take off the new trousers. The girl is growing up; every child loves to show off. "Yingzi, be good. From now on, Grandma will make you a new set of clothes every year. You won't have to wear hand-me-downs anymore. It wasn't that we didn't have the means in previous years, but you were too small; new clothes wouldn't fit well for long."

Hearing this, Cheng Ying felt a bitterness, as if everything tasted like bitter herbs. "Grandma, I'll take them off right now. I'll wait to wear them for New Year's. Grandma, have you finished making my patterned blouse?"

The old lady's attention was immediately drawn away by her granddaughter's question. "Not yet. That cloth is thin. I'll make it when spring comes. I'll sew it by hand, and it will definitely fit better than what the sewing machine makes."

Cheng Ying truly believed this, as the patches her grandmother sewed on always seemed to possess an artistic flair. The old lady had lived in difficult times; otherwise, with her needlework skills, she would have been a master artisan.

When Cheng Ying emerged from the room again, she was wearing her old, worn cotton trousers. The old lady reached under her arm and pulled out another pair of blue twill trousers.

Cheng Ying’s eyes widened. She had just been told to wait until New Year's, why was there another pair?

The old lady’s expression darkened slightly, and she nudged her chin toward the west room.

Cheng Ying understood immediately—these were for Chi Wu. She chuckled quietly.

The old lady shook her head. Silly granddaughter, she doesn't even know how to compete. Why is this child so straightforward?

Cheng Ying pushed open the door to the west room. The first thing she saw was Chi Wu's eyes looking slightly red. Cheng Ying mused that she hadn't bullied anyone today. But this boy was temperamental; she definitely wouldn't get a straight answer out of him. She tossed the trousers directly at him. "Yours. Try them on. If they don't fit, tell Grandma, and I'll adjust them."

Chi Wu stared at the object Cheng Ying threw at him, and his eyes grew even redder.

Cheng Ying frowned. No way. Is this kid crying over a pair of trousers by himself? I really don't get it. He's still just a child.

It took Chi Wu a moment to raise his head, then he pursed his lips and looked at Cheng Ying. His eyes seemed a bit unfocused.

Cheng Ying stared at Chi Wu for a moment, appreciating him from a purely aesthetic standpoint. She usually didn't mind glancing at a handsome boy.

Chi Wu glared. "I'm trying on trousers, are you going to watch?" This was a clear warning.

Cheng Ying glared back, then turned and left. We're just giving the little boy some privacy. Cheng Ying actually felt a little reluctant to leave. At her age, even if Chi Wu stripped naked in front of her,