Indeed, upon hearing those words, Yang Zhi was so enraged she burst into tears, grabbing the broom and chasing Cheng Ying with it, swinging wildly and viciously.

Cheng Ying’s face turned deathly pale as she shrieked, "Mom!" and bolted.

A smart fighter avoids immediate trouble; a solid whack from that broom would genuinely hurt.

Her mother was an honest person; if she picked up that broom to strike someone, she would truly strike, with no fake moves at all—it would hurt terribly.

Cheng Ying was genuinely afraid; she hadn't been hit in decades.

It wasn't fear of embarrassment now; it was fear of the pain.

People are slow-witted; in moments of real danger, the brain just won't cooperate.

Cheng Ying ran, Yang Zhi chased and beat, and now the scene was quite the spectacle.

It was the middle of a scorching summer day when everyone usually rested, so plenty of people came out to watch.

Cheng Ying wailed, "Grandma! Save me! My mom is going to beat me to death!"

Cheng Ying truly believed her honest mother would deliver real blows, and she was genuinely terrified, focused solely on finding a safe, reliable place to avoid the beating. It was easy to guess who was most dependable in Cheng Ying's heart.

She hadn't considered how furious her grandmother would be if she found out about this.

Cheng Ying ran all the way home, tears and snot streaming down her face.

This wasn't embarrassing; she was still young, and as for embarrassment, Cheng Ying couldn't afford to care.

The old woman and Chi Wu arrived home to find no one there, so they tidied up Chi Wu a bit and came out to cool off.

Chi Wu had wanted to keep the old woman indoors, but lacking much skill, and being tongue-tied, he simply stayed beside her, enjoying the breeze.

Seeing Cheng Ying run towards them like that, with Yang Zhi right behind her, they knew something was terribly wrong.

The old woman had never seen her granddaughter in such a state; her little feet seemed to be flying! She shielded her granddaughter behind her and shot a sharp glare at her daughter-in-law, "What are you doing?"

Seeing her grandmother, Cheng Ying immediately dissolved into tears, burying herself in the old woman's embrace and sobbing.

Yang Zhi approached, seeing the old woman; frankly, she was exhausted from running too.

She leaned on the broom, panting, "Mom."

The old woman demanded, "What are you trying to do? Is Yingzi bothering you?" The words clearly favored her granddaughter.

Yang Zhi started, "Mom, she took the tiger skin—"

Saying this, Yang Zhi suddenly remembered; this matter could not be known to the old woman.

Cheng Ying also recalled that Grandma would never forgive her for this, and immediately stopped crying, carefully shifting a step closer to Chi Wu, hoping to hide behind him.

The old woman's body stiffened. "What about the tiger skin? Yingzi, did you ruin it?" Her voice was piercingly sharp.

Cheng Ying shivered again, realizing that no matter how close people were, they wouldn't allow you to act recklessly; when punishment was due, these people wouldn't hold back in the slightest.

The scene fell silent; it wasn't just the family—a crowd of onlookers had gathered.

The old woman roared, "Speak quickly!"

Yang Zhi trembled, truly intimidated by the old woman, "I bought it. I gave the money to the production team to exchange for the mountain field."

This wasn't intentional; it was a spontaneous reaction from the old woman in her anger.

Cheng Ying thought to herself, this summarizes everything; she’s told the whole truth.

The old woman's hands shook. "Yingzi, is that true?"

Cheng Ying worried, "Grandma, don't be angry. Grandma, are you alright?"

For the first time, the old woman turned her anger onto her granddaughter, "True?" That tone—Cheng Ying finally understood what it was like to be treated as a class enemy.

She nodded instantly out of fright. Cheng Ying had always known she feared her grandmother, but she never realized she was as meek as her own mother when facing the old woman—a little scare and she confessed everything.

The old woman's head buzzed with fury. The child deserved a beating; she was spoiled, utterly spoiled! "Spoiled, all spoiled! You think because it’s yours, part of your dowry, you can just move it as you please?"

The old woman looked left and right, clearly searching for a suitable weapon.

Cheng Ying followed the old woman’s gaze and saw the broom in her mother's hand.

The old woman snatched it from her daughter-in-law's grip and hauled it over, showing no hesitation whatsoever.

Cheng Ying reacted too slowly; mainly because she was still catching her breath from the run, she let out another cry, "Mom!"—was this relaying the punishment?

Chi Wu, who was behind them, was quick, but the child was foolish; instead of pulling Cheng Ying away, he shielded her instead.

The blow landed squarely on Chi Wu.

However, Cheng Ying didn't escape unscathed; the broom had many little twigs and branches. Since it was summer and she wore light clothing, streaks of red welts appeared on her arm.

Cheng Ying was so angry she wanted to cry; it would have been better to take one solid hit, as this sporadic pain was worse.

But could she blame Chi Wu for blocking the broom for her? No.

With this loss suffered, Cheng Ying couldn't dwell on it; she had to run. She grabbed Chi Wu and fled.

The child was being foolish; why did Chi Wu have to get involved?

The old woman didn't have the stamina of her daughter-in-law, and besides, her grandmother had bound feet and couldn't run far before needing to rest.

Cheng Ying’s escape turned rather desperate; she even lost a shoe.

Chi Wu urged, "You run. No one will hit me. I’ll pick up your shoe for you. When Grandma calms down, I’ll find you back home. You hide well, okay?"

Cheng Ying was so moved she almost cried; he was like a true brother. She nodded, "Mm."

In that moment, Cheng Ying looked at Chi Wu as a relative, the closest person imaginable.

Cheng Ying found a shady spot to wait while Chi Wu returned.

It’s impossible to keep secrets in a village like this; within half a day, everyone knew that Cheng Lao San's girl was brazen enough to steal family property and sell it.

That reputation was terrible, but in less than half an hour, a new rumor emerged: Cheng Lao San's girl was filial; she stole the family heirloom to sell it, and got cheated in the process. The money she got was all given to the village, just so her father, Cheng Lao San, could have his own plot of land for his grave.

When this spread, the younger generation called the girl foolish, but the elders called her righteous. Considering Cheng Lao San died unmarried, he couldn't be buried in the ancestral plot—he was a wandering spirit. It was a blessing to have such a daughter, otherwise, he wouldn't rest peacefully.

Cheng Ying’s existence was truly extreme, intensely controversial.

Things at Cheng Ying's house were even more chaotic. The Team Leader, Cheng Shan, arrived with Chi Yong, and so did the Old Team Leader. Everyone in the village knew about this tiger skin belonging to the Cheng family.

The old woman was furious with both her daughters-in-law; that tiger skin was kept as a memento, and her granddaughter had stolen it—this was a major affair.

The Old Team Leader and the New Village Head intercepted them halfway. The old woman, who was busy instructing the child with the broom, was met by the Old Team Leader: "Old Sister-in-law, don't be angry. This is my fault. When Yingzi came to me, I should have informed you first."

The Old Team Leader added, "Niece-in-law, the child is filial; she has you and her father in her heart. Ease your mind. Material things are dead, but the child went through so much."

The old woman truly had no idea what was happening; she seemed quite stunned.

If the old woman hadn't had such a sturdy constitution, free from high blood pressure or cerebral hemorrhage, she would have collapsed right then.

By this time, the Eldest Uncle, Eldest Aunt, Second Uncle, and Second Aunt had all arrived.

Hearing that it was three thousand yuan—what a figure that was! It was heaven-sent money!

The Eldest Aunt practically loathed Cheng Ying; why her? A prodigal girl!

The Second Aunt’s expression looked ready to curdle into ditch water. They were all the old woman’s grandsons and granddaughters; why was only Yingzi allowed to buy things?

Unfortunately, with so many people arriving, they didn't have a chance to speak.

The Eldest Uncle supported the old woman, "Mom, don't be angry. I'll speak to Yingzi later. How could this child be so audacious?"

The Team Leader interjected, "Sister-in-law, you don't know. The child didn't dare tell you for fear of piercing your heart. Lao San [Cheng Ying's father] had a dream and said he has nowhere to stay. You didn't see Yingzi crying, begging me to move Lao San's grave—my heart ached then."

Hearing this, the old woman felt as if her brain was short-circuiting, buzzing loudly. She plopped down onto the ground in the courtyard, opened her mouth, and began to wail, crying so heartrendingly, shouting only, "Lao San! My youngest son!"

Yang Zhi supported the old woman, crying along, but admitting to herself that if she were in that situation, she wouldn't know what to do either—certainly not with the same decisiveness as her own daughter.

Everyone in the countryside believed in these things. There wasn't a scientific explanation back then. They didn't talk about having anxieties during the day that manifested in dreams at night in the countryside.

Only Cheng Ying could have thought of using this to build momentum.

The crucial point was that Cheng Ying was just a child; no one expected a child to be capable of such frightening manipulation. Ghosts and deities—even if you don't believe, you must respect them, and a child would never dare treat them lightly.

It took a long time for everyone to finally persuade the old woman to quiet down.

Cheng Shan said, "Sister-in-law, don't blame me. It was just my casual remark that planted the idea in the child's mind."

The old woman retorted, "It's not your fault. A mother knows her own child. Where is our Yingzi? My granddaughter?"

Yang Zhi pleaded, "Mom, I hit her, don't be angry. Stop, don't strike anymore!"

The old woman glared at her daughter-in-law. "Chi Wu, go find Yingzi and bring her back!"

Chi Wu, having learned to read the old woman's expression over time, knew this meant things were stabilizing. "Yes!"

He realized the old woman definitely wouldn't hit anyone now, especially since she wasn't holding the broom.

The Eldest Aunt stepped forward, moving from the shadows into the spotlight. "Mom, shouldn't we get the money back first? Three thousand yuan—you can't just acquire a stretch of barren mountain. The child has no sense of proportion. Yang Zhi, how could you dare sign anything? We won't acknowledge it!"

The old woman glanced at her eldest daughter-in-law, noting her transition from the background to the forefront.

The Second Aunt chimed in, "Mom, you aren't just Yingzi's grandmother. You can't do this alone."

Team Leader Cheng Shan watched the family dynamics, taking a step back. Every family has its own difficult issues; this was not their place to interfere; they would wait to see what the old woman decided.

The old woman stood up. Chi Yong brought over a stool for her to sit on.

The house couldn't fit so many people; villagers gathered outside the courtyard, all watching the excitement.

This affair had escalated; Chi Yong quietly stayed behind the Old Team Leader.

Cheng Da Bo and Cheng Er Bo adopted their signature move: squatting in the courtyard, pretending to be meek observers.

The old woman addressed them, "Da Bo, Er Bo, what do you say? Are what your wives say what you say?"

Cheng Da Bo remained silent, his meaning quite clear. Cheng Er Bo glanced at his wife and dared not speak.

Cheng Ying hadn't run far to begin with. Hearing that the old woman had stopped causing a ruckus, she was sneakily starting to walk back.

Chi Wu, who had gone out, quickly located her. He was lurking outside the courtyard with her, listening.

Cheng Ying thought, 'Riches truly move the heart; human decency is gone.' My things, the things my father gave me—does it matter if you acknowledge them or not?

Cheng Ying figured her grandmother must have cooled down by now. Moreover, she had come to terms with it: if Grandma wanted to strike her a couple of times to vent, so be it. Otherwise, getting the old woman so worked up would be worse. Why did I run away in the first place? So, she walked toward Chi Wu in opposition, having witnessed the entire process of the Eldest Aunt stepping from the background to center stage.