When his paternal aunt came over for a casual visit, she told the old woman and Cheng Ying, "From now on, Yingzi will take Mingzi’s bike to school; it’s on the way anyway."

The old woman said nothing, but the eldest daughter-in-law clearly wanted to show off, insisting on getting a bike to take Cheng Ying along.

The implication was that their child wasn't just an extra taxi service for Cheng Ying. Their family had their own transport.

The old woman understood the subtext, but Cheng Ying didn't. Riding a bike? A battered old bicycle—whose bike was it anyway?

She genuinely couldn't fathom what this fuss from her paternal aunt was about, so she decided to ignore it completely.

The old woman watched her granddaughter and thought that the eldest daughter-in-law’s subtle scheming was utterly wasted; Yingzi hadn't caught a hint of it.

Cheng Ying thought that she wouldn't have free labor anymore. She wasn't entirely at ease about relying on Chi Wu to take her to school.

Chi Wu, being so small, just didn't look like someone one could fully depend on.

So, Cheng Ying settled into a very lazy routine, taking a sick day here, taking a day off for some supposed errand there.

She ended up attending class only about one day out of ten. Since they were all community-run teachers, everyone assumed the family didn't want her to go to school because she was a girl, and thus they didn't press the issue much.

Little did they know, the old woman was frantic watching her granddaughter become so indolent. Fortunately, six months later, when the exams came, Cheng Ying's scores were truly remarkable.

Word spread that Cheng Ying’s test papers ranked among the very best in the entire township, making the honor roll.

This delighted the old woman, and the teachers suddenly began taking her situation much more seriously.

In June, just as summer vacation began, Cheng Ying’s home welcomed distinguished guests: the teachers came for a home visit.

When the teachers arrived, only the old woman was home; her stepfather and birth mother were out pulling weeds in the fields.

The old woman regarded the teachers with profound respect, even bringing out the honeysuckle her own daughter had gathered to treat them.

The teachers, being rural folk themselves, generally understood the family's situation. "Auntie, Yingzi and Wuzi are both doing well in their studies. I came to check on the children’s academic situation and their learning environment. Things are different now; boys and girls are the same—only by going to school can they make something of themselves."

The old woman beamed. "Of course! Our Yingzi is going to take the university entrance exam someday! Wuzi is doing well too."

The teacher paused, at a loss for words for a moment. Hearing this, it seemed they were quite supportive of the children studying. Why then was the girl missing so much class?

"Auntie, Yingzi’s grades for the past half-year have truly been excellent, but she has missed an alarming amount of class," the teacher stated plainly, dropping any pretense of subtlety.

The old woman worried even more than the teacher. "Isn't that the truth? Why is the child always having some little ailment?"

The old woman was protective, unwilling to let the teacher know her granddaughter was simply being lazy. She hedged her words, struggling for an excuse.

The teacher asked, "Auntie, does anyone tutor Yingzi at home?"

"How could they not? If you consider it, Wuzi’s father's education is unmatched in ten miles around. Otherwise, how could our Yingzi, who only skims the surface like this, manage to get such scores?"

The teacher was momentarily choked up again. How was one supposed to continue this conversation?

Cheng Ying spoke up, "Teacher, I’ve learned everything taught in class. Our classrooms are all connected, and I understand the questions for the fourth and fifth grades too. My home is too far from school. I was thinking, perhaps I could just come in for the exams. Could I study on my own at home the rest of the time?"

Well, this question left the teacher even more speechless. "Cheng Ying, our elementary school isn't officially recognized. That's why we have to take our exams at the township level. I will report this matter to them and see what the township school thinks."

Cheng Ying thought, it’s good if there’s room for negotiation. "Teacher, if you don't believe me, you can test me on the fourth and fifth-grade material."

At that time, there was no concept of skipping grades. If you went back, you could study less.

Of course, if you were ambitious, no one would stop you from learning more.

The old woman was inwardly pleased. Although her words made the teacher feel somewhat inadequate, in terms of etiquette and courtesy, the old woman couldn't have done better.

She absolutely refused to let the teacher leave until they had shared a meal at their house, and she insisted that Chi Yong give the teacher a ride home on the bicycle.

The old woman declared, "This is the direct superior of our Yingzi and Wuzi. If I don't curry favor with him, who should I favor? Our children are under his watch."

Hearing this, Yang Zhi nodded thoughtfully, and from that day forward, whenever Yang Zhi saw the children’s teacher, she treated him with exceptional warmth, always offering the highest level of hospitality.

Cheng Ying, for her part, saw her grandmother’s foresight as truly insightful.

Since the ice on the Great River melted, Chi Wu had been hanging around the riverbank constantly because this year, the fish they caught didn't have to be surrendered to the collective.

So, everyone with time on their hands went to the river to catch a couple of fish to improve their meals.

Ever since Chi Wu started summer vacation, the fish dish never left Cheng Ying’s family table.

Cheng Ying was starting to miss the taste of sneaking fish to eat.

No matter how good something is, eating it constantly leads to boredom.

That kid Chi Wu was so single-minded; why was he fixated on that bend in the river?

While no one else was home, Cheng Ying took a peek into her spatial dimension. Currently, Cheng Ying’s space was filled with acres upon acres of human saplings, followed by acres upon acres of maple saplings.

Then there were various other saplings that Cheng Ying found appealing—some she couldn't even name—she planted anything that caught her eye. Or if the wood quality was good, she would cultivate it in the space. Cheng Ying hadn't just stayed home during these months of truancy.

Cheng Ying spent her days wandering all over the family’s patch of scrubland, moving good saplings into her space for cultivation.

She also collected tree saplings with promising wood quality and planted them on her own hillside.

Cheng Ying believed that in ten years or so, these things would convert into money.

For now, she was simply putting in silent effort, accumulating capital for a future burst of success—she was waiting to soar.

Early one morning, Cheng Ying grabbed Chi Wu, who was about to run out again, and dragged the unfortunate child into cycling her out to survey some land.

Chi Wu had gained a significant amount of height over the past six months due to better nutrition.

The old woman had already let his pant legs down twice.

Chi Wu was much steadier cycling with Cheng Ying on the back. He had practiced his riding skills sufficiently over the last few months, often cycling to school by himself.

Cheng Ying sat steadily behind him. She examined her own father’s small valley closely.

The terrain here was excellent—it was relatively isolated. If she planted the ginseng saplings from her space here and managed them, it would be far more convenient.

Ginseng was an incredibly valuable item, after all. Cheng Ying hadn't planted her ginseng yet; she had secured the safety and anti-theft measures first. She couldn't let others benefit from it.

Cheng Ying had always adopted a cautious, almost suspicious outlook. Thinking the worst was always more comforting than hoping for the best.

Chi Wu asked, "Why are you here? Is someone at home bullying you, making you feel so wronged that you have to come here to cry?"

Cheng Ying looked at Chi Wu, puzzled. She was here to scout a location; why did it sound to Chi Wu like she was coming to complain about grievances?

Seeing Cheng Ying's bewildered look, the youthful Chi Wu grew agitated. "It’s not a festival or holiday, but you coming to see your father... in the eyes of the villagers, it means you’ve been wronged and have come here to weep. You, you..."

Chi Wu’s breath hitched, unable to say more. He couldn't forbid Yingzi from visiting her father's grave, could he?

Cheng Ying realized why Chi Wu had turned toward this path and why the villagers had looked at her so strangely when they passed—she finally understood what they were thinking.

Cheng Ying retorted, "Stop the nonsense. I have serious business here."

Chi Wu turned away from her, but the path ahead had been washed out by water cascading down the mountain.

Chi Wu still gestured for Cheng Ying to let him carry her across.

"No need, I'll walk myself. I wonder how powerful the current would be if this water were channeled into a proper ditch."

Chi Wu replied, "When I was herding sheep with my dad that year, I came here. Even on overcast days, the water here is fierce. It can sweep away logs as thick as..." Chi Wu pointed to a nearby tree trunk thicker than Cheng Ying.

Cheng Ying nodded. Chi Wu reassured her, "But don't worry, your father's grave is on the slope, it definitely won't be affected."

Cheng Ying pursed her lips; this boy did have some consideration after all.

Looking around at the surrounding trees, Cheng Ying was determined to claim this spot.

If she could build a small dam at the valley entrance—it wouldn't take much effort, just about two meters high—it would cause a massive transformation within this mountain valley.

Of course, extending the road was also necessary. If she couldn't transport her ginseng in the future, that would be tragic.

But all this required money. Where would the money come from? The ginseng saplings were free, but developing the mountain acreage would cost. Building roads and dams required capital.

This problem was truly thorny.

As Chi Wu cycled Cheng Ying back, Cheng Ying's mind was preoccupied with money matters, making her appear sullen and unhappy. To the villagers, the girl truly seemed to be suffering some misfortune, visiting her own father’s resting place.

Chi Wu cycled ahead with vigor, fueled by anger. The heartless girl! Didn't he treat her well? Didn't her father treat her well? She just had to cause trouble and let people see them as a joke.

Especially after seeing the mocking glance from his second paternal aunt, Chi Wu exploded. He jumped off the bike abruptly. "You can go back yourself! I’m going to the river to catch fish."

Cheng Ying asked, "Oh, still eating fish?"

Chi Wu looked at Cheng Ying with eyes full of grievance. "Mind your own business!"

He turned and walked away. Cheng Ying thought what a petulant child he was.

She wheeled the bicycle home herself.

The old woman was out visiting, and her birth mother and stepfather were likely down in the village. The house was empty.

Cheng Ying tidied up and entered her space.

Since Cheng Ying was short on cash, the first thing she did upon entering her space was take inventory of her assets.

To be honest, although there were many things in the space, few could be converted directly into money. She looked at the massive pile of corn. While it could be sold, the quantity was too small to be useful.

She checked the honeysuckle she had gathered. This had quantity, but honeysuckle grew freely on the mountain now, gathered by children by the handful; even selling it wouldn't fetch much money. The sales channel was a problem; the opportunity to convert it to cash was slim.

As for the ginseng, there was no point in mentioning it. If villagers searched diligently, they could find such saplings on the mountain. Who would value hers?