"This is crimson, I remember the Captain's third wife's grandmother had a gown just this color. Grandma, Mama is being dutiful to you, you absolutely must wear it. We aren't any worse off than the third wife."

The old lady was inwardly delighted, pursing her lips without saying anything.

The sound of a bolt being drawn on the outer door reached them. The old lady, whose mood had been quite good moments before, immediately became conflicted.

Cheng Ying felt she treated her grandmother with absolute devotion.

It could be said that every ounce of her sharp, exquisite mind was focused on the old woman, yet she still couldn't fathom what was wrong with her.

Why the hesitation? "Grandma, let's go to sleep, it's already so late."

The old lady gazed at Chi Wu lying snugly under the quilt, already on the verge of sleep, hesitating to speak, the conflict evident on her face.

She was practically reaching out to shake Chi Wu awake.

Chi Wu had always been the type to fall asleep the moment he was under the covers. Hearing the two women fussing, Chi Wu found it bothersome, and he never interrupted.

Cheng Ying glanced at her grandmother, then towards the door of the west room, and finally understood why the old lady was conflicted.

No way, her own grandmother was actually considering waking up Chi Wu and sending him to sleep in the west room?

To disrupt the long-awaited reunion of a married couple? Oh, my dear Grandma, let's not do this. No matter who it was, they would come to resent you for it. This really shouldn't happen.

Cheng Ying immediately extinguished the lamp and snuggled into her grandmother’s quilt. "Grandma, my back feels tight, rub it for me."

Her grandmother had always prioritized her eldest granddaughter. She quickly pulled her granddaughter under the covers, and then began to gently rub and massage Cheng Ying’s back.

Cheng Ying said, "Grandma, when I was at school, were you alright alone at home?"

This was just idle chatter, meant only to distract her grandmother from thinking about Chi Wu.

The old lady paused, thinking, wasn't that true? Her granddaughter had school tomorrow; she couldn't be kept up late. "Hurry and sleep, you can't afford to oversleep tomorrow."

Cheng Ying replied, "Grandma, I can't sleep."

The old lady moved her hand outside the covers and, like soothing a child, began to tap gently on Cheng Ying's shoulder, tap, tap, tap. "Sleep now."

The rhythm was incredibly soporific.

Cheng Ying didn't know when she fell asleep, but she was woken by her grandmother shaking her.

Cheng Ying thought to herself that she couldn't have slept more than two hours; it was far too early.

When they went out, the moon was still hanging in the sky.

"Grandma, do we have to go to school this early?" Cheng Ying asked, looking utterly unrested.

The old lady said, "Ming Zi and the others are already waiting at the village entrance. You stick close to them. Lunch is in your lunchbox; heat it up if you get hungry. Understand? Come back early after school, don't wander off. There are wolf cubs outside, be careful they don't snatch you away. Understand?"

This wasn't meant to frighten her; they absolutely had to stick with the main group.

Cheng Ying nodded and left, her greatest reluctance being leaving the warm covers.

After Cheng Ying and the others left, Chi Yong said from behind the old lady, "Mother, starting tomorrow, I'll take the two children to school; they won't have to get up so early."

The old lady waved him off. "Other people's children go to school this way too. We can't just be sending and fetching them two—people will gossip. Besides, it will take up too much of your time."

This was about letting the children integrate into the larger collective. Chi Yong understood this; his Wu Zi indeed needed to socialize more with the village children. But his daughter couldn't be subjected to it; with her delicate nature, her feet would probably be blistered just from today’s trip back.

Chi Yong insisted, "It won't take much time."

The old lady waved her hand and went back into the house.

Chi Yong naturally returned to the west room, dragging his wife with him.

The old lady stared at the closed door for a long time before finally getting back onto the heated brick bed to rest.

As for the walk, Cheng Ying’s feeling was that it was far, very far. And having to walk there and back every day, she was certain she couldn't sustain it. This path to education was proving too arduous.

Then, when she saw the temporary schoolhouse, Cheng Ying’s feeling was one of utter shock.

Completely appalling. It was a large shed, drafty on all four sides, with individuals sitting on small wooden stools, no desks in sight. The blackboard was a small piece of wood painted with ink. Moreover, in front of every small stool, there was a patch of sandy ground intended for practicing writing.

Cheng Ying was stunned for a full half hour before she recovered.

Why did it exude such an aura of a poverty-stricken mountainous region? It was like being on a film set. Of course, if you tried to imagine it in a grand, sophisticated way, it was a scene worthy of a 'hero,' perhaps suggesting a future (martial hero) might emerge from here. But Cheng Ying looked at the small sticks on the makeshift desks and figured that was unlikely; heroes in those stories usually stood to write.

When the teacher finally arrived and distributed the new textbooks, Cheng Ying looked at what they called books and felt a wave of despair. Furthermore, their class was a mixed one—forty or fifty children all studying together, grades one through three in the same room. She heard that grades four and five shared a room next door, clearly visible through the cracks, and the teacher there could be heard perfectly well.

Cheng Ying flipped through the textbook; she genuinely didn't need to learn any of this material. Chi Wu, however, looked quite pleased. Cheng Ying mused that in this kind of teaching environment, she herself could be the teacher. Going forward, she really shouldn't trouble herself with the daily trek over. However, this couldn't be rushed; it required slow persuasion, given how much her grandmother valued learning.

At noon, when school let out, the people from their village gathered to eat lunch. They built a bonfire in the square outside and placed their lunchboxes onto the embers.

It was only then, as the sky brightened, that Cheng Ying fully woke from her morning haze. She saw clearly the people who had walked with her that morning: Da Yue, who had been with them when they pressed the grain mill; two other young girls she didn't recognize; her own Ming Zi and a few other children; and two older lads. There were also two younger boys. Only this few children from their village were attending school.

Cheng Ying carefully scrutinized the two older lads—broad-shouldered and sturdy, both handsome. Cheng Ying, upon seeing good-looking boys, had a tendency to stare a little blankly.

Cheng Ming teased, "Ying Zi, still holding a grudge? Aunt Sheng Lin was like that, but Cheng Mao and Brother Cheng Dong aren't like that. You can't be distant with your brothers!" In Cheng Ming's view, his sister's bright gaze looked like she was plotting revenge.

Cheng Ying blinked, wondering what he meant.

Chi Wu chimed in, "Aunt Sheng Lin who was pressing the mill that day?"

The handsome young man grinned widely at Cheng Ying. "Ying Zi, hurry and eat, or it will get cold and we won't find more firewood!" The handsome young man beside him winked.

Cheng Ying thought, what kind of connection was this? For someone like Aunt Sheng Lin to have such handsome sons—it was truly unfair of heaven. Cheng Ying found it hard to look away. "Hahaha, it's fine."

Cheng Dong added, "Ying Zi, don't mind my mother’s temper. If no one ends up marrying you, Sister, I’ll introduce someone!" This young man was cheerful, able to joke like that even in such a simple, earnest era—only cheerful people could joke so freely.

Cheng Ying looked at the young man's sunny face and strongly felt like saying, if I don't marry, why don't you marry me? Teasing a handsome young man felt wonderful. Cheng Ying's face was flushed with glee.

Chi Wu quickly asserted, "How could Ying Zi not get married? Ying Zi does all the work at our house, and she knows how to make clothes. She manages everything inside and outside the home!" Having said that, he tilted his head back—this was entirely his grandmother's strategy, supporting her granddaughter fiercely. Chi Wu was fiercely supporting Cheng Ying, not even blinking while telling a blatant lie.

Oh, this child has completely gone astray.

Cheng Ying felt shy, bolstered by Chi Wu's strong support, and couldn't let down her companions. "Yeah, that's right, I will definitely get married!"

Ming Zi's face darkened, and the three girls beside him hung their heads low. What kind of era was this? No girl dared to speak so rationally and assertively about marriage as Cheng Ying did.

Ming Zi scolded, "Eat! I won't let you talk anymore. Eat properly and don't say another word, or I'll tell Grandma when I get home!"

Cheng Ying thought, little brat, do you think I'm scared? But still, she gave Ming Zi face and stopped talking. When this group went out, Ming Zi was the leader for him and Chi Wu.

The ever-smiling Cheng Dong glanced at Cheng Ying, making her eyes go a little blank again. Oh dear, why did this boy share the surname Cheng? He was probably within the acceptable five degrees of separation from her—they couldn't marry. Otherwise, what a wonderful backup prospect he would be! Cheng Ying felt a slight pang of regret.

Chi Wu felt uncomfortable watching Cheng Ying stare at others. He resolved to tell the elders to properly instruct this girl later. How many young women or wives in the village dared to stare at someone so openly? Why was this girl staring so intensely? So undignified.

And Ming Zi was also vexed watching his sister. Haven't you seen him before? Why stare at him constantly? He moved slightly to block her view. "Ying Zi, go rinse your lunchbox." He handed the box over.

Cheng Ying looked at the lunchbox extended toward her, and her eyes glazed over again. This time, it wasn't from admiring a handsome boy; it was from annoyance. Did she still have to act as the little babysitter? So chauvinistic. But she took the lunchbox anyway. As an older woman, she could certainly manage taking care of a few little brats.

She turned toward Cheng Dong. "Do you want me to rinse yours too?"

Cheng Dong, the handsome lad, flushed, and the sunny smile on his face vanished. He stammered, "No need, my brother will rinse mine."

Cheng Ying smiled slyly, turning to look at the handsome young man. A true gentleman! He even rinsed his own lunchbox. It wasn't clear who he was saving that effort for.

Cheng Ming’s eyes were practically burning watching Cheng Ying’s expression; he was furious. "Ying Zi, what are you saying? His family's lunchbox, of course, his family rinses it! Stay out of it!"

Cheng Ying had no idea where Cheng Ming’s inexplicable anger was coming from. Chi Wu was so angry he was practically panting. Cheng Ying felt utterly bewildered. The two small girls beside them stared wide-eyed at Cheng Ying’s behavior.

Fortunately, Da Yue, who had at least spoken with Cheng Ying before, stood up and tugged her. "Ying Zi, let's go. We'll rinse the lunchboxes together." With that, she pulled Cheng Ying away.

Cheng Ying saw her own brother and Chi Wu staring at Cheng Mao and Cheng Dong with gazes as fierce as if they were confronting wolves. But why?

"Do they have a conflict?" Cheng Ying asked.

Da Yue glanced back. "Ying Zi, have you forgotten about Er Ya from the neighboring village? The fifth-grader who rinsed the lunchbox for San Pang Zi from the fourth-grade neighboring village? After that one incident, they both stopped coming to school, got engaged, and went home."