Both Grandma and Cheng Ying understood that the Old Aunt held a grudge because the Second Aunt hadn't allowed Yingzi to sit on the heated brick bed for dinner.

Cheng Ying thought to herself how lucky she was to have encountered people with fundamentally good hearts.

Inside the room, Yang Zhi remained silent, only uttering a single "Ma" as if waiting to hear what the old lady had to say.

The old lady sighed, "Forget it. We got together to be happy, but seeing any of you just makes me feel choked up. Let's just have our own family meal. It’ll be enough for your aunt to get acquainted with Wu Zi’s father."

This was the old lady’s reluctant choice. When the whole extended family gathered, not a single one was good; they were all sowing discord. It was better to let her daughter rest quietly at home for a couple of days.

Cheng Ying heard a loud thud and guessed it was the Old Aunt throwing something, as she was the only one in that room with that kind of status.

Yang Zhi said, "Ma, I'll go prepare. Auntie, I dried some preserved vegetables for you; I'll make you those savory pancakes you love."

This was clearly an attempt to appease her. Then, silence fell.

Cheng Ying heard the door open and figured her own mother had come out.

The old lady said, "Why is your temper so strong? It's a good thing Yingzi’s mother is so patient."

The Old Aunt grunted, "My house doesn't have preserved vegetables!"

The old lady said, "For Yingzi's sake, being a woman isn't easy."

The Old Aunt’s voice dropped low, "Ma, remember how wonderful my third brother and his wife were back then? I just don't understand how she could bear to marry him off. Didn't he adore my third brother?"

The old lady let out a long sigh, "Girl, living life isn't easy; your third sister-in-law hasn't had it easy either."

The Old Aunt said, "Tomorrow I'll go see my third brother, Ma."

Then they heard the sounds of two women crying inside the room; presumably, both missed their son.

Cheng Ying, standing outside, was somewhat infected by the emotion. The old lady likely only showed her feelings about her son in front of her daughter.

Cheng Ying’s eyes grew a little misty, unsure where this feeling came from.

She sniffled, stretched her stiff feet, and after a while, finally went inside.

She saw her own mother, eyes slightly red, tending the fire in the stove. Hot water was boiling in the pot, and beside it sat a large basin filled with preserved vegetables.

As for what kind of preserved vegetables they were, Cheng Ying couldn't tell.

To Cheng Ying, those dry leaves all looked the same, holding no distinction.

Cheng Ying asked, "Ma, what delicious thing are we making? I'll go into the room to stay with Old Aunt."

Yang Zhi replied, "Mm, your Old Aunt is in the room."

Cheng Ying composed herself and pushed the door open, "Old Aunt."

The two women inside, with even redder eyes, said, "Yingzi, come quickly, let Old Aunt have a good look at you!"

Cheng Ying walked over confidently. "Old Aunt, I've grown taller!"

The Old Aunt exclaimed, "Indeed! Good thing Old Aunt made your clothes with extra room, or you wouldn't be able to wear them." As she spoke, she pulled out a pair of trousers from a bundle behind her. "Hurry and try them on."

Cheng Ying looked at the bright red trousers, feeling like crying inwardly. What kind of feeling did wearing bright red pants give?

She sincerely preferred the blue, diagonally striped cloth pants, but she still tried to be polite. "Old Aunt, these pants are really beautiful."

Cheng Ying said those words through clenched teeth.

Then she started putting them on. Cheng Ying exclaimed, "They fit perfectly!"

The Old Aunt beamed. "Of course! Old Aunt adjusted them based on your cousin’s size!"

Cheng Ying thought that her Old Aunt had inherited her own grandmother's skillful hands, but her taste was questionable—bright red pants, so utterly common and garish.

The old lady chimed in, "My granddaughter looks better in brighter colors."

Cheng Ying felt a chill in her heart; so, the mother and daughter shared similar taste.

The Old Aunt asked, "Yingzi, did your Grandma ever mention me? Did she miss me?"

Cheng Ying thought about it; her own old lady truly hadn't mentioned this daughter of hers.

She shook her head honestly, "No."

The Old Aunt was displeased and looked at her own mother with grievance, "Ma?"

The old lady said, "A married daughter is like spilled water; why would she miss you? Just stay home and take good care of your in-laws. Don't worry about home affairs, and don't meddle. I have your three sisters-in-law to look after things here. Live your own life."

Cheng Ying thought this was a good mother who only wanted her daughter to be well; not mentioning or missing her was a good thing.

The Old Aunt scoffed, "Hmph, Yingzi is still an unmarried girl." This was envy, diverting trouble elsewhere.

Cheng Ying quickly countered, "Auntie, in the future, I plan to find a son-in-law who will marry into Grandma's family."

The Old Aunt gasped, "Oh, who did you get that audacity from? How can you say such shameless things so openly?"

The old lady interjected, "Just like you!"

The Old Aunt fell silent, then said mournfully, "I knew you wouldn't approve of Li Ding. That’s why I didn't let him come along, for fear of upsetting you."

Cheng Ying realized that her own grandmother disapproved of her Old Aunt’s in-laws, which explained why she never brought them up.

The old lady snorted, "It was your own choice; you’ll bear the consequences later. You married so far away, I might as well pretend I don't have you as a daughter. Don't bring up anything else during the New Year; just stay home peacefully for a couple of days."

The Old Aunt’s face darkened; after so many years, her own mother still held the same attitude.

Cheng Ying interjected quickly, "Grandma, in the future, Yingzi will definitely be obedient. If you say east, I won't go west. Let's not make Old Aunt angry."

The Old Aunt pinched Cheng Ying’s arm. "You little brat, are you trying to undermine me?"

Cheng Ying quickly cajoled, "Auntie, you married out; you are spilled water. I am one of ours, so of course, I have to appease Grandma! Besides, Grandma will be the one finding me a husband later. I will listen to Grandma."

The old lady smacked both of them playfully. "You shameless things!"

The Old Aunt chuckled happily. Having such a niece to comfort her own mother meant that her mother’s life probably wasn't too bad.

It was a pity that her third brother was so short-lived and never saw his child grow up.

The thought made her heart clench painfully. Good people rarely live long. Why was Heaven so blind?

Cheng Ying noticed the Old Aunt’s expression shift to sadder thoughts. "Auntie, why didn't Feng'er come back with you?"

The Old Aunt replied, "Your Grandma doesn't care for her presence."

The old lady shot her daughter a glare. "I care! But it's bitter cold; you shouldn't tire yourself out traveling. You should stay home and take good care of your child." With that, the old lady left.

Only Cheng Ying and her own aunt remained in the room. Honestly, Cheng Ying was a little fearful, worried she might say something revealing.

Fortunately, this aunt didn't have high expectations of her niece and didn't ask any deep questions.

Instead, she asked something very similar to what her aunt-in-law had inquired: "Yingzi, are that father and son kind to you?"

Cheng Ying nodded. "Uncle is quite good to me."

The Aunt’s expression turned serious. "Yingzi, let me tell you, no one will ever treat you as well as your own father did. You must guard that memory; your father only has you left as his bloodline. Everyone else might forget your father, but you cannot, understand? Don't let me have to disown you as my niece later."

The words were severe, but Cheng Ying truly understood this woman.

This was a continuation of familial bonds. If her own daughter forgot her birth father, who else would remember him?

Cheng Ying promised, "Auntie, I won't forget. I remember every kindness my father showed me. In the future, I will be filial to Grandma and honor my father’s share of reverence too. Auntie, rest assured, I definitely won't let you refuse me."

This was a promise not just to the living but also to the deceased, hoping that the father and daughter pair in heaven could rest easy.

Hearing her niece’s words, the Old Aunt pulled Cheng Ying into a tight embrace.

How old was this child? Other children were clueless, just playing in the mud outside, while her niece was already thinking so far ahead. If this were her brother's child, would the child have matured so quickly? It was all heartbreaking.

Cheng Shengxia held her niece and wept again. This time, she wept for the child her brother had left behind. "Yingzi, Auntie was wrong. I shouldn't have made you think so much. As long as you are well, my brother will surely be happy. Yingzi, if you ever suffer an injustice in the future, remember you have your Aunt."

Cheng Ying replied, "Auntie, it won't happen. No one dares to wrong me. Last time someone said I wouldn't be able to marry, Grandma argued with people from one end of the village to the other."

Cheng Shengxia regained her composure. "That’s true. No one dares to provoke your Grandma. Well, Yingzi, if you suffer an injustice, tell your Grandma—she'll handle it better than telling me. Yingzi, tomorrow, will you take Auntie up the mountain for a walk? Willing?"

Cheng Ying knew that her Aunt wanted to visit her birth father's grave. It was the New Year, but kinship outweighed custom; this was truly the bond between siblings.

Luckily, she had followed someone to tend the graves during the New Year, or she wouldn't have known where her birth father's grave was, and that would have been a disaster.

Cheng Ying said, "Mm, I also want to spend time with Auntie. Auntie, why didn't Uncle come?"

Cheng Ying didn't want to linger in the sad atmosphere, which felt oppressive, so she tried to change the subject.

Cheng Shengxia sighed. "Ah, your Grandma doesn't like seeing your Uncle. And someone needs to stay home. So, it’s just Auntie coming alone. Yingzi, after Auntie leaves, you must comfort your Grandma well; you can’t let her continue to dislike your Uncle so much."

Cheng Ying responded, "Understood. Should I put in a good word for Uncle?"

Cheng Shengxia laughed. "You are clever. Remember, and also, don't wear these clothes until after Auntie leaves. Otherwise, before Auntie has even finished eating at your Second Uncle's house, your Second Aunt will surely give me a difficult time. Got it?"

Cheng Ying nodded; she understood completely, though her Aunt’s wording was rather rough.

However, she knew her Second Aunt's character wasn't a secret; she was actually quite good to her own mother.

Cheng Ying could imagine her Eldest Aunt as someone whose thoughts were kept entirely hidden inside. As for the Second Aunt, she wouldn't say much, but her own mother was so straightforward.

It was no wonder the Old Aunt and her own mother were close; was this their only remaining option? The consequence was that those with deep bonds found it harder to forgive. Alas, this was troublesome.

Dinner wasn't served too early because the steamed cornmeal cakes her own mother was making with the preserved vegetables for the Old Aunt took considerable time.

At the dinner table, the Old Aunt met her stepfather for what was essentially the first time.

The Old Aunt’s expression remained sour, but she still pulled out two yuan as a greeting gift for Chi Wu—that was quite generous.

When the old lady introduced Chi Yong to the Old Aunt, she asked the Old Aunt to call him 'Brother.' Cheng Shengxia did not respond.

Cheng Ying found the situation quite awkward, but the stepfather calmly called out, "Little Sister."

She didn't hear the Old Aunt acknowledge him.

When Chi Wu called her 'Auntie,' Cheng Shengxia offered a slight nod in response.

Throughout the entire dinner, her own mother ate without ever lifting her head.

Cheng Ying thought, Does she need to look so guilty?

Yang Zhi wasn't guilty; she was simply accustomed to this demeanor around Cheng Shengxia.

For those holding grudges, the evening, lacking any entertainment, was the hardest to endure. An entire family staring at each other was utterly draining.