"It’s a good thing they aren't easy to come by," Cheng Ying shook her head. "That's what my old grandma always says—things you get through proper channels are always more useful. Things that come from nowhere? You can’t even show them off."

Cheng Ying said, "Grandma, it really feels like the New Year. Walking all the way from the village, every household was stewing fish, the smell of stewed meat was so fragrant."

Grandma Cheng Ying replied, "Isn't that right? A whole year, and only today is lively. You all go wash up, and then we’ll eat."

Cheng Ying wrapped her arms around the old woman's waist. "Grandma, I talked a lot with Dad, told him everything about our family. I told Dad that from now on, I'll take care of your share of filial piety for him, and I even kowtowed to him several times."

The old woman’s stiff back softened considerably upon hearing her granddaughter's words. Her voice was hoarse. "Yingzi has grown sensible. Grandma waits for Yingzi to be dutiful. Go wash your hands quickly; Grandma will bring out the food. After we eat, we still have to make dumplings."

Cheng Ying lingered against the old woman for a while before leaving. From the corner of her eye, she saw her own grandmother dabbing at her face.

It seemed the old woman had shed a few tears.

Cheng Ying thought to herself, If I had known, I wouldn't have comforted Grandma like that. She thought the old woman just wanted to hear about visiting the graves, perhaps wanting to know about the place where her own son was resting.

But instead, she had stirred up the old woman's deepest feelings. If she had known, she truly wouldn't have spoken with such understanding.

Cheng Ying touched her head, filled with regret.

Chi Yong came in from outside and shook his head at Cheng Ying. "It's alright. Go wash your hands. It always has to be like this."

Cheng Ying understood; of course, the old woman missed her son, and the feeling only intensified during the holidays. It was bound to happen this way. Ah, as long as the old woman felt some comfort, that was enough.

Cheng Ying sighed and went out. Even showing filial piety to Grandma couldn't bring her own father back to life. It was simply an unavoidable reality.

She went out to wash her hands in preparation for the meal, giving the old woman some time, believing she would understand. After all, Grandma still had her to worry about.

If only her own mother were as easygoing as Yang Zhi. Her mother didn't fret over anything; she didn't have such delicate sensibilities.

Sometimes Cheng Ying envied Yang Zhi. If her mother could secure her stepfather, her own future days would truly be comfortable. The saying "fools have fool's luck" must refer to her mother—a person destined never to worry in life.

However, this stepfather, this great "fish," wasn't something she and her mother could just catch whenever they pleased. Listening to her stepfather earlier, it seemed he was speaking from the heart. Perhaps on the Lunar New Year, the stepfather was missing his own wife and child. Everyone had it hard; 'times of celebration bring heightened longing for loved ones'—this saying applied universally to their New Year's meal.

Cheng Ying could only offer silent understanding.

The family of five sat on the kang. It was only today, over this meal, that their table looked even remotely abundant—a large bowl of stewed cabbage that actually contained a couple of slices of meat.

Yet, Cheng Ying could see that her grandmother was genuinely in low spirits. It was the first year she hadn't spent the holiday with her sons; the atmosphere was definitely lacking. Her old grandmother was doing all this for her granddaughter; otherwise, she would have gone to enjoy comfort with her eldest brother long ago. Cheng Ying imagined her eldest aunt must be a very dutiful person.

Cheng Ying picked up her bowl. There was no drink to lighten the mood; the family simply ate, which was difficult enough. Trying to liven things up felt awkward for everyone.

Cheng Ying began, "Grandma, since it’s the New Year, should I kowtow to you?"

The old woman's hand, holding her rice bowl, nearly dropped it with a clatter.

Yang Zhi tapped her daughter's hand. Why does the girl keep thinking about kowtowing today? Haven't we had enough of bowing on the mountain? "What are you saying?"

Cheng Ying clarified, "Isn't that for New Year's greetings? If I don't kowtow, will Grandma give me money?"

The old woman was amused despite herself. "Nonsense girl, don't talk foolishly; you’ll make people laugh. What kind of family do you think you are, kowtowing over everything? You're scaring Grandma to death!"

Cheng Ying inwardly thought, I was just respecting etiquette. Did I do something wrong?

Chi Yong chimed in, "Yingzi is just anxious for her New Year's money!"

That completely broke the tension. Cheng Ying let out a breath of relief. Thankfully, her stepfather was there to back her up. The atmosphere clearly improved; at least not everyone at the table was a block of wood.

Cheng Ying got off the kang. "Grandma, Chi Wu and I have something for you." She then pulled out a woolen vest from beneath the cabinet. It looked high-end, stylish, and prestigious.

Yang Zhi's eyes widened when she saw it.

The stepfather, Chi Yong, blinked, finally understanding why the sheep had been shedding so much wool lately—that was where it went. He hadn't expected the girl to be so thoughtful, giving this to the old woman.

Chi Wu’s face flushed red as he looked at everyone at the table. Firstly, because everyone now knew he was the one who gathered the sheep's wool, and secondly, he felt truly embarrassed. He had never given such a significant gift to anyone before. He glanced secretly at Cheng Ying; the girl still had a conscience, not forgetting to include him at a time like this.

The old woman took the vest, the very thing her granddaughter had spent day and night working on. Her feelings were akin to a farmer harvesting crops he had tended all year, but far more profound than the joy of a bumper crop. Her granddaughter had finally grown up, truly sensible, and knew how to care for her. Why didn't my third son have the fortune to enjoy his daughter's blessings? Looking at her granddaughter, the old woman’s thoughts were entirely consumed by her youngest son.

Cheng Ying saw the atmosphere shift negatively. She had intended to ease things, but somehow it had become gloomier. "Grandma, do you... do you not like it? It’s fine; Yingzi can adjust it for you later. Maybe I can find some dye and change the vest's color. I was just worried that—" Cheng Ying didn't know how to finish.

Fortunately, the old woman quickly contained her emotions. She withdrew the hand she had extended toward her eldest granddaughter. "If it weren't the holiday, I'd give you a couple of slaps. How dare you give me junk! This thing is wonderful, so soft! Don't ever mess with it again."

Cheng Ying relaxed; so she treasured it.

Yang Zhi reached out to touch the vest. "Mom, this thing is really nice. When did Yingzi learn to make things like this?" She was a woman without a single deceitful thought. The old woman had been worried about what her daughter-in-law might say, thinking Yingzi had knitted it for her. Hearing this, she knew Yang Zhi hadn't even considered the implications.

When Chi Yong heard Yang Zhi’s words, he felt a strange sense of relief. From his perspective, having such a simple-minded wife had one advantage: his son certainly wouldn't be subjected to excessive criticism. He would surely receive far less anger from a stepmother who lacked perception. People's minds truly worked in mysterious ways.

Cheng Ying shared her mother's enthusiasm. "Isn't it nice, Mom? Grandma is still hiding a few balls of yarn for me. After the New Year, once the land is distributed, this thing can finally see the light of day. I'll sew sleeves onto Grandma's vest, and she can wear it like a sweater. How about that? Maybe I can knit one for you too afterward."

Yang Zhi nodded eagerly. "Good, good!"

Chi Yong thought to himself, My sheep! He figured the commune wouldn't collect much wool this spring. If he thought about it calmly, the flock was lucky not to have frozen to death.

Yang Zhi asked, "Yingzi, where did the yarn come from? You didn't see anything like this when you went to the city, did you?" Yang Zhi continued asking while eating; it was a completely casual inquiry. She truly wasn't thinking things through. This was a woman who did whatever she was told and ate whatever she was given. To call Yang Zhi foolish would be untrue, but she never used her brain for household management—a rare kind of calculated obliviousness. No wonder Cheng Ying said her mother was blessed with good fortune.

The chopsticks of everyone in the family, except Yang Zhi, paused mid-air. How slow-witted could someone be, asking when the yarn was bought?

The old woman recovered first. She genuinely didn't want to damage the image she held in her daughter-in-law's eyes, especially since the wool hadn't been plucked by her own hands. "Let's eat; the fish soup is getting cold."

Chi Yong added, "Yes, this fish is really fragrant."

Chi Wu ate silently.

Cheng Ying wondered if she should have a quiet talk with her mother sometime, as this yarn was definitely "not fit for public view." She worried her mother might inadvertently reveal the secret.

Yang Zhi finally caught up, "Not fit for public view? Not fit for public view... is this something illicit?"

Cheng Ying felt a pang of anxiety. Why is her reaction time so long? Is this really my mother? I wonder if I inherited this trait—it's certainly not a good one.

Yang Zhi stopped eating and looked at her daughter tensely. "What did you do?" The phrase was supposed to be stern, but coming from Yang Zhi’s mouth, it lacked any real threat. It carried a tremor, making her look like someone who needed comforting.

Cheng Ying’s face darkened. "Mom, don't shout! You'll let everyone know!"

Yang Zhi was timid and was quite startled by her daughter's sudden alarm. "You child, how could you be like this? We were just having a peaceful New Year!" She desperately wanted to snatch the vest from the old woman’s lap to destroy the evidence, or better yet, hand it over honestly to the production team. Anything was better than keeping everyone in suspense like this. In Yang Zhi’s eyes, that vest held the explosive power of a bomb. They were practically celebrating the New Year while holding a bomb—how stressful!

The old woman's face darkened. "What are you doing? Eat! This is none of your business. Keep your mouth shut. Pretend you don't know anything, and it'll be fine. No one asked you to wear it out."

The old woman was angry. Although the action was improper, it was the first gift her granddaughter had given her, making it profoundly meaningful. Seeing her daughter-in-law’s panicked state, she knew she wouldn’t amount to much. She was far behind her granddaughter, though the granddaughter’s guts were a bit too big. This matter should be kept quiet going forward; people must stick to the proper path. "Yingzi, your mother isn't entirely wrong. After the New Year, you two must focus on your studies; don't run around aimlessly, understood?"

Cheng Ying and Chi Wu lowered their heads. "Understood." Their reply was perfectly synchronized. Cheng Ying thought, We really can’t pull sheep wool anymore; the sheep will be practically naked.

Yang Zhi managed to compose herself, but her meal was no longer as savory as before. The old woman knew what her daughter-in-law was like. "Don't take it too seriously. Once the New Year passes, the collective will disperse. If you keep being startled like this, you won't be able to live your life. After the break, probably few women will be doing public work. You keep an eye on Wuzi’s dad's sheep pen for a while. Once the land distribution is done, we'll start tidying up our own plots. I wonder how much land we’ll get. Think about how we'll live, how we'll raise the children, and how we'll manage the land—don't think about frivolous things."