The old man felt a pang of sorrow watching his granddaughter remain silent and withdrawn. He certainly didn't want the child to harbor any lingering anxieties.

Pointing toward the warming branches of the yang tree, he said, "Go on, go down with your sister-in-law and keep busy. I'll stay here with the girl for a while." Cheng Ying didn't even lift her eyes, focusing solely on her young male cousin.

Ignoring the old man's suggestion entirely, Cheng Ying operated under the principle that the less she said to him, the fewer mistakes she would make. There was no ill will intended; resentment was truly unwarranted.

After all, Cheng Ying hadn't truly grasped the original owner's own feelings. Yang Zhi was an obedient person, listening not only to her mother-in-law but also to her father-in-law, doing whatever she was told.

She turned and left immediately. Meanwhile, although Chi Wu was young, he was already adept at reading moods.

Upon hearing the old man's words, he automatically followed Yang Zhi out. His aunt looked at Chi Wu with a flicker of internal conflict.

Such an sensible boy—when compared to her own reserved niece—made the niece seem less appealing by contrast. She worried her niece would be at a disadvantage.

She glanced towards her sister-in-law (the old man’s daughter-in-law); it was better to speak her mind, after all, a biological daughter was paramount, and others didn't quite measure up. This point absolutely needed to be addressed.

Seeing his daughter-in-law and daughter depart, the old man faced a ten-year-old child and suddenly didn't know how to begin. If he spoke too deeply, the child wouldn't understand; if he spoke too lightly, the child wouldn't take it to heart, especially since this child already carried a burden of unresolved issues.

Fortunately, this old man was also open-minded. "Girl, how is it?

Isn't little cousin very handsome?" Cheng Ying looked at the old man and replied, "Mm, little cousin looks quite lovable." The old man narrowed his eyes. "If you find him lovable, tell your mother to get one like him later." If Cheng Ying had been a less sensible child, she might have been easily swayed.

He didn't necessarily oppose his own mother having another child, but it couldn't be done carelessly, nor could it be done with just anyone. At the very least, it needed to be within a relatively stable environment.

"Grandpa, if you want a child, you can just have one. You can't just give him away!

Little cousin is so good; how could you just hand him over to someone else? Ying'er doesn't want him anymore." A vein throbbed on the old man's forehead.

"Girl, Grandpa never said I was giving Little Cousin away to you." Cheng Ying stayed silent, reasoning that she didn't talk much anyway. The old man found talking to himself tiresome, but fortunately, at that moment, the small child on the kang bed woke up.

A child between three and four years old was undeniably the most endearing sight. Cheng Ying’s entire focus shifted to her little cousin.

In this era, finding a genuinely clean and unspoiled child was rare. She could tell that her aunt must be very attentive to the boy.

Watching the two children playing so well together, the old man sighed. "Girl, don't blame Grandpa.

Your mother's temperament—she truly can't manage alone. When your Grandma passes away, what will the two of you do?" What the old man considered was certainly valid, but sadly, his judgment was lacking.

When choosing a spouse for his daughter, he should have picked someone merely adequate. He had selected an excellent match, but why hadn't he considered whether his daughter could manage him?

If Cheng Ying had any true complaint, this was it. She blamed Grandpa for his poor judgment: first, picking a short-lived man, and now, picking one without blessing and who was emotionally distant.

She held her little cousin's hand, stroking the child, deliberately avoiding the old man's probing conversation. "Call me older sister, quick, call me!" Even coaxing the child was laced with a subtle threat; that was just Cheng Ying's nature.

Cheng Ying noticed the old man looking quite awkward. Talking to himself was uncomfortable, and this man was, after all, her own mother's father.

Maintaining a good relationship was necessary. Cheng Ying asked, "Grandpa, why did it have to be Wu Zi's father?" She thought this when asking, giving him the benefit of the doubt.

Cheng Ying was genuinely curious why her stepfather would marry a woman who already had a child—and even agree to become a live-in son-in-law. The old man realized from his granddaughter's choice of address that this family unit had definitely not integrated smoothly.

The girl hadn't even called him 'Dad.' "That man, Wu Zi's father, is a good person. Years ago, when Grandpa was confined to the cowshed, I got to know Wu Zi's dad.

Back then, we were all being criticized in the township. Wu Zi's dad was raising a child by himself—it wasn't easy.

Wu Zi was often sick back then, and Grandpa helped him out. We two men had endured hardship together; his character is beyond reproach." Cheng Ying thought to herself: repaying kindness with obligation—wasn't he afraid of a massive backlash later?

The old man continued, "We got along for two years. When policies loosened, those two men moved to your village.

Although the place was remote, compared to the township, they suffered far less. Grandpa wouldn't harm you.

Your mother raising you alone was difficult enough. Wu Zi's dad, bringing up a child by himself in an unfamiliar place, and the villagers here being so exclusive—it was even harder for them.

Moreover, now that Wu Zi is older, even enrolling him in school is difficult, with hurdles here and there. That's why Grandpa introduced your mother to Wu Zi's dad.

Ying'er, based on that, they won't mistreat you." The old man was deeply frustrated to be sharing this with a child. Cheng Ying thought: his intentions were good, but didn't he realize that people's hearts change constantly?

Who would be tied down for a lifetime over such a small favor? Seeing the old man sigh inwardly, Cheng Ying realized how hard it must have been for him to find a son-in-law.

It seemed her grandpa doted on his daughter so much that he deliberately indebted the stepfather for her sake. This was all groundwork laid for his foolish daughter.

The old man entertained himself. "Your Grandma argued with Grandpa about this.

So, Ying'er, what your Grandma says isn't always right. She's biased toward Grandpa." Why was the old man attacking his own wife now?

Cheng Ying countered, "Grandma only praised Wu Zi for being obedient and said that stepfather had a hard time, asking me to be obedient and get along well with Wu Zi. Grandpa, that’s not right." The old man looked at his granddaughter and winked.

"Girl, don't be angry with Grandpa. That's just your Grandma's temperamental nature.

Grandpa will tell you, I had a sworn brotherhood with your own grandfather. I even cured your grandfather's illness.

I understand the character of your grandpa and grandma very well. Otherwise, why would I have married my daughter to their youngest son?

That son-in-law was handpicked by Grandpa himself." Cheng Ying turned her head, nearly laughing out loud. It turned out the two families became acquainted because her own grandfather suffered from hemorrhoids.

And that was how the marriage alliance was forged. If her own biological father hadn't died young, her mother surely would have lived a smooth and successful life.

Looking at her grandpa like this, Cheng Ying felt he was truly willing to go to great lengths for his children, and for that alone, she admired him. "Mm." The old man saw the corner of his granddaughter's mouth lift slightly and felt a measure of relief.

No matter the reason, the girl seemed lighter now. "Girl, get along well with Wu Zi from now on.

Your stepfather is a good man. If your mother has another child, your family will be much livelier." Cheng Ying thought: Grandpa probably knows Chi Yong is a good catch, otherwise, he wouldn't keep pushing his daughter to have another child to tie the man down.

Grandpa is truly despicable. Cunning.

Cheng Ying asked, "Grandpa, you can treat illnesses too? Teach me!" The old man stood with his mouth agape for a long time, unable to close it.

Being admired by a child made him genuinely happy, but admitting he could practice medicine wasn't exactly a good skill to pass on to his granddaughter. "Girl, Grandpa's 'skill' isn't anything good.

Otherwise, why was I locked in the cowshed a few years ago? We shouldn't learn that." Cheng Ying mused that her grandpa must have been locked up as a quack doctor.

"But Mom knows how; why can't I learn?" The old man looked at his persistent granddaughter. "Girl, focus on your schooling.

Once you make something of yourself later, you can learn anything. Grandpa's small tricks aren't going anywhere; you can learn them anytime, right?" This was the technique used to placate a child, which Cheng Ying scorned.

But it was true; if she wanted to learn, she could anytime. Why fret over it now?

She decided she would definitely apply to a medical school when she went to college. We'll see if Grandpa still offers to teach then.

Just then, the little cousin nestled in Cheng Ying's arms shot a stream of liquid toward the old man. Coincidentally, it hit the old man right on the chest.

When the child was voiding, Cheng Ying dared not move, and perhaps because the old man truly cherished his grandson, he didn't flinch either. Only after the little cousin finished did the old man grab a rag from the side to wipe himself down.

He pinched the little cousin's cheek. "Good luck and prosperity!

Having boy's urine on you is auspicious!" Cheng Ying finally broke into a smile, biting her lip. Was the old man making fun of himself?

The little cousin, sensing the laughter, joined in, smiling too. For a moment, the atmosphere in the room was filled with cheerful rhythm.

The aunt and sister-in-law cooking in the main hall heard the cascade of laughter and felt a sense of reassurance. The aunt had been worried that her niece and her father-in-law might grow distant.

She had been tense the whole time they were outside. Yang Zhi commented with emotion, "It's been so long since Ying'er laughed like that." The aunt looked toward the west room, where Chi Wu was resting alone.

She spoke softly, "Sister, no matter what, Ying'er is still your own daughter. Being kind to their child is our duty, our conscience, but we cannot overshadow our own biological daughter.

Being good to Ying'er is the natural way; she is the child we gave birth to." In a way, the aunt’s words were somewhat unfair to the millions of selfless stepmothers. Truly great people existed, but the majority of people were inherently self-serving.

Otherwise, why would so many great figures be held up as examples? Because they were the minority, their spirit needed to be sung about.

For rural people, these were profoundly true words. If it had been anyone else, the aunt surely wouldn't have spoken out so boldly.

But her own older sister was too honest; nagging her about what needed saying was necessary. Yang Zhi lowered her head to cook and replied vaguely, "Mm." She wasn't sure how she felt.

The aunt couldn't quite shake her worry about her honest, kind-hearted older sister. She didn't know if her words had been truly heard.

Cheng Ying genuinely adored her little cousin; perhaps they just clicked. This little cousin was as close to Cheng Ying as she was to him.

Whatever Cheng Ying asked the child to do, he did it; he wouldn't listen to anyone else. Cheng Ying looked at him and found him increasingly endearing.

She never let go of his hand. The old man watched his grandson and granddaughter growing close, and his heart filled with genuine happiness.

When the children bonded, they could go far together, especially since he was getting old. "Girl, stay here tonight with Grandpa and go back tomorrow." Cheng Ying didn't even turn her head, entertaining her little cousin while responding distantly, "My old aunt came back today." The old man replied, "Coming all this way, Shengxia won't stay home for even a day.

You all just stay here."