Chi Wu looked quite pleased, but seeing the old woman’s expression, he didn't say anything, just took the basket and went out.
Cheng Yingxin thought this boy had learned to mask his feelings; he must be out celebrating somewhere.
Cheng Ying followed the old woman and sat on the kang, listening to the lullaby Chi Yong was singing softly from the west room.
She looped her arm around the old woman’s, “Grandma, wherever you are, that’s where I’ll be.”
The old woman patted her granddaughter’s head, “Silly girl, how important school is.”
Cheng Yingxin thought that if she had insisted her studies were taught by Wu Zi’s dad, the old woman probably would have smacked her away. She pouted, “Do you really think Wu Zi’s dad taught me everything?”
The old woman glared, “What are you saying?”
Cheng Ying: “Have you ever seen Wu Zi’s dad teach me anything? At home, I’m always with you, or I’m collecting firewood with Wu Zi.”
Let’s use facts to speak.
The old woman knew the gravity of the situation, covering Cheng Ying’s mouth, “Child, my ancestor, you must never say things like that again, understand? Especially not in front of outsiders.”
Cheng Ying nodded, and only then did the old woman release her granddaughter’s mouth, “Girl, what do you mean?”
Cheng Ying: “Grandma, even if you don’t say it, I know you won’t go up to the township. And I won’t go either. I’ll stay with you. Forget about studying; if my grades are good, it’s because my brain is sharp, I read the books myself, and it has nothing to do with any teacher. If you don't believe me, just ask Wu Zi’s dad to test me later. I’ll go sign up for the exam then, but spending time at home learning how to be a person with you is more important than anything.”
The old woman agreed with the latter part—being a good person was more important than doing things well.
However, whether she could trust her granddaughter’s words still needed time to tell. “Everyone else is willing to go to school; why aren’t you?”
Cheng Ying: “A bunch of uncivilized kids, why should I go? Besides, I already know what I need to know; what can they teach me?”
The old woman tapped the back of her granddaughter’s hand, “Why so arrogant? Aren’t you afraid a strong wind will blow you away? Yingzi, tell Grandma the truth, when did you learn all this stuff?”
Cheng Ying felt that sometimes she had to make a small sacrifice of reputation. “Grandma, I usually look at Wu Zi’s dad’s books in the west room. You know I’m literate. I read his books once and memorized them. During the exam, I wrote down almost everything I knew. Who knew I would score so well?”
The old woman: “Really? Are all the books in Wu Zi’s dad’s room like that?”
Cheng Ying nodded, “Yes, all those kinds of books.”
The old woman’s face darkened further.
Cheng Ying: “Grandma, I’ll stay with you.”
The old woman: “What you do isn’t up to you, and what I say isn’t up to me either; we’ll see. As for Wu Zi’s dad’s business, don't mention it. Act like you don’t know anything, got it?”
Cheng Ying: “Grandma, Wu Zi’s dad knows so much, even the headmaster in the township is so polite to him. Will he look down on us?”
This was asking if the old woman would look down on her own daughter-in-law.
The old woman: “Yingzi, don’t meddle in adult matters. What I have a firm hold on, Wu Zi’s dad can’t overturn the sky.”
Although she said that, the next day the old woman sought out Village Head Cheng Shan and her stepson. What they discussed, no one knew, but afterward, her own grandmother started packing things, arranging for her stepson and daughter-in-law to prepare for work at the township school.
Cheng Ying wasn’t particularly concerned with their affairs; what occupied his mind was the patch of mountain land he had set his sights on. Whether going to the township or anywhere else, the foundational element was the economy. It was hard anywhere without money.
Cheng Ying had firmly decided that if he went to the city, it definitely wouldn't be like his previous life, running into walls everywhere, watching others enjoy prosperity. His goal was to accumulate wealth and enter the city with pride. They would enter the city to consume; that was a powerful root to establish. Cheng Ying had never changed this objective.
The previous life was too hard; he never wanted to experience it again—homeless, without even a decent house, constantly changing jobs, worried about prices. That was no way for people to live.
Cheng Ying often comforted himself: suffering a bit now was for enjoying life later.
Chi Yong didn’t rush into things headlong; first, he needed to arrange the village work. Since there wasn't a suitable replacement immediately, Chi Yong told Cheng Shan that the village work wasn’t extensive. If they trusted him, he could still come back on Sundays, handling things until a suitable successor was found, at which point he would hand over the duties.
Cheng Shan thought this arrangement was fine. The village was busiest in the autumn, and teachers’ schedules usually aligned with the farm work holidays. Chi Yong could truly manage this job for now.
Only then did Chi Yong ride his bike over to his in-laws’ house.
What Chi Yong said to his father-in-law, Cheng Ying didn’t know, but finding a house in the township was no longer necessary. Grandpa’s house was only ten-plus li from the township; with a bicycle, commuting back and forth daily wasn’t far. So, Chi Yong and his mother planned to stay at Grandpa’s house for now. Cheng Ying wasn't sure where they would stay, as Grandpa’s place wasn't very large.
Chi Yong explained to the old woman, “I figured we could stay there for now. It won’t be too long. If I teach well and the school intends to keep me long-term, they will definitely arrange a dormitory.”
The old woman nodded, “It’s just too much trouble for people.”
Chi Yong: “Yes, and also, Ma, Zhi Zi and I will return every Sunday. The farm work at home won’t be delayed. You still need to keep an eye on things here. Once my job is settled and we get the dormitory, the whole family will move over. The school needs me now to see what I’m capable of. If something goes wrong, we might have to come back.”
The old woman: “I understand. You all focus on your work. I’m here for the house.”
Cheng Ying: “I’m not going. I’ll stay like I did in the first half of the year, stay home, and take the exam later when you go to school.”
Chi Yong: “Yingzi, school is a major event.”
Cheng Ying: “Get me a test paper, see if I can manage, and then you can arrange things as you see fit. I’ll stay home and keep Grandma company.”
The old woman: “Yingzi…”
Cheng Ying: “I won’t listen to anyone on this matter. I know my own ability. If my exam scores aren’t good, I’ll naturally go to school obediently.”
Chi Yong looked at the old woman, “Then how about this: when school starts, you first come with us to report, and I’ll see how your grades truly are, and then we’ll discuss further, okay?”
Cheng Ying: “Going for just a day or half a day is fine.”
This was quite a concession. Chi Yong touched his cheek. Where did this girl get her pride from? Why was she so haughty? What did she have to be so arrogant about? Still, her scores were genuinely something to be proud of. If the girl studied properly, she was a good prospect; he couldn't let her be stifled. “Girl, arrogance is undesirable.”
Cheng Ying: “But one must have the capital to be proud. Besides, I’m not being arrogant.”
Chi Yong stood there with his mouth open, not knowing what to say. Having a daughter could be so exasperating. If Chi Wu caused trouble, a couple of slaps would suppress him, but with a girl, you couldn't lay a hand on her. Especially since she wasn't even a blood relative, Chi Yong instinctively went easy on her.
The old woman: “Alright, if Yingzi is disobedient, I will discipline her properly later.”
Chi Yong: “Ma, the girl is smart. If her energy is channeled correctly, she will have great achievements in the future.”
This statement implied that if the girl went astray, she would be a great villain. Cheng Ying almost cursed her stepfather for being so tactless at times.
Yang Zhi, who rarely spoke, came in. “If Yingzi can keep up with the studies, then let her stay at home with Grandma watching her. Letting her focus on calligraphy at home is just as good. If we all leave, we’ll be gone for five or six days, and I’ll feel more at ease with Grandma home alone.”
This was Yang Zhi putting her daughter's company first for the old woman’s sake. The old woman was clearly displeased; looking at her daughter-in-law, her eyes narrowed, thinking about future trouble the girl might cause.
Chi Wu: “I’ll stay home too. If Yingzi can learn it, I can learn it too. Yingzi can even teach me what I don’t know.”
The old woman: “All of you, shut up! We’ll discuss this later. You all have too much free time! In these next few days, clean up the mountain land, dig up some saplings to plant up on the mountain. Otherwise, you'll be waiting for the children to drink the northwest wind!”
She was practical, thinking long-term. Cheng Ying strongly agreed. Planting trees now meant a sum of money in ten or eight years, far more promising than fragmented farming.
Chi Yong: “Ma, I was thinking about this too. The neighboring village has young pine saplings, but pines grow slowly, and the procedures for logging are troublesome. I see our mountain land is large, and the terrain is a bit flatter than others. Let’s plant poplars. In a decade or so, when the poplars mature, the children will be older, and that will be the time for steady income—money saved for the children.”
The old woman nodded, “You decide on these big matters. Before school starts, hurry up and get the trees dug out. If we can’t do it ourselves, hire people. The sooner the better; this can’t be delayed. One more year of growth is one more year of yield.”
Chi Yong: “Yes, we know.”
Yang Zhi: “Ma, we don’t need to hire people. School starts in a little over a month; we two can get the trees planted.”
This one knew how to manage a household. Cheng Ying felt exhausted just thinking about that mountain plot. Chi Yong looked at his wife but said nothing; his wife was good at managing the household—what could a man say?
Cheng Ying’s home was busy with this matter recently; Yang Zhi and Chi Yong were leaving early and returning late, spending their days on the mountain.
Of course, the Cheng Ying household also received several visitors. They had all heard that Chi Yong was teaching in the township and came to ask them to look after their own children. This included the wife of his paternal uncle (the eldest uncle). Eldest Uncle Cheng Tie was attending middle school in the township. As the saying goes, having someone in the capital helps with official matters. Now, the eldest uncle’s wife hoped that having someone at the school would make things convenient.
Cheng Ying looked at the eldest uncle’s wife and thought she practically wanted Cheng Tie to live with his stepmother and father.
Cheng Ying: “Eldest Aunt, don’t worry. My mother is so good to Elder Brother; she will certainly take care of him. Ma and they are staying at Grandpa’s house, otherwise, I could ask Grandpa to make room for Elder Brother to stay with them.”
The eldest aunt’s face flushed, “No, no, that would be too much trouble. It’s over ten li back and forth; it’s inconvenient. Just looking after him carefully will be enough.” And then she left.
The step-father raised an eyebrow, glancing at Cheng Ying. This girl was truly excellent. He, who had sat up late talking to his sister-in-law the whole night, hadn't managed to clarify anything, yet his daughter dismissed the woman with a single sentence.
Having a girl at home—an understanding girl who knew social graces—was extremely convenient; it perfectly compensated for his own wife’s shortcomings.