"How come you aren't going?" Chi Wu looked at Cheng Ying. Cheng Ying felt her skill for digging and filling pits was improving, as she’d just buried herself in another one. "None of your business.

Am I you? If I understood everything you do, you wouldn't need to go to school." Chi Wu finished his own homework, then started on Cheng Ying's. Even though it was homework from a higher grade, it posed no problem for Chi Wu; truly, not a single problem.

It just showed how shallow the textbooks really were. Chi Wu said, "Yeah, your special skill is waking up Miao Miao three times a night to pee." Cheng Ying turned and walked away. When it came to verbal sparring with Chi Wu, she found her victories becoming increasingly rare.

She wondered if she was regressing, or if this kid had improved. Better to provoke him less in the future; the boy had been so subtly sharp lately, always leaving her speechless. Chi Wu watched the large and the small person playing harmoniously outside.

The pencil in his hand snapped with a crack, and the paper in his notebook nearly tore through—he’d gripped it far too hard. His mood could only be described as heavy. When Auntie returned, she hugged Cheng Ying tightly, showering her with affection.

"Yingzi, why does Auntie love you so much? The only time all year Auntie gets to truly enjoy herself is these few days—no cooking required. This food is so fragrant; our Yingzi’s skill is unparalleled.

Whoever marries Yingzi in the future will be truly blessed!" Miao Miao’s chubby body squeezed close. "My wife, my wife!" He wouldn't let anyone touch Cheng Ying; he clung to her possessively. Auntie looked on, torn between laughter and tears, at her own son.

"Useless little brat who knows nothing, but he knows this. Stinky boy, hurry up and grow, or your wife will surely fly away!" Cheng Ying really didn't want to comment. Growing tall had nothing to do with keeping a wife; it was a matter of age difference, not height difference.

Yang Zhi looked at her daughter, quite pleased internally. She hadn't expected it to feel this way yet. Her daughter was growing up.

Thinking of the children in the village who were being married off at sixteen or seventeen, how many more years would her daughter remain at home? Yang Zhi felt a wave of reluctance. She glanced at Miao Miao; if he weren't so small, she really wished he could be for her own daughter.

Cheng Ying noticed the regret in her own mother's eyes, and the muscles in her face twitched unnaturally. How old was she, really, that her own mother was thinking so far ahead? She quickly changed the subject.

"Uncle, we have exams coming up soon. The teacher mentioned that since it gets too cold in winter, we have to bring our own firewood to school, and when the weather gets too severe, we'll just get an early holiday." Chi Yong replied, "The school conditions aren't good; of course, the students have to bring their own firewood. Middle school is pretty much the same.

I expect we’ll have to dismiss for winter break before the great river freezes over. It’s too cold for the children in the school building. Yingzi, how are your exam preparations coming along?" Cheng Ying said, "I think I’m fine.

Uncle, today the teacher praised me alone, saying my homework was done very well." Chi Yong’s expression brightened; he was quite pleased. "Good, very good. Keep up the effort." Grandpa’s mouth split wide open in a grin.

Cheng Ying lowered her head. "But Chi Wu did that homework. I’ve never actually done my homework myself." Pffft!

All the wine Grandpa had just taken into his mouth sprayed out. All that misplaced joy! This infuriating child!

He glared at Cheng Ying. "Do you have to wait until I’m drinking to say that? Look at the mess this mouthful of wine made, spraying everywhere!" He then looked down with an expression of heartache, as if he wanted to suck the expelled wine back in.

That old man cherished his liquor too much. Cheng Ying was disgusted. "And I haven't even complained about you being unhygienic!" Uncle interjected, "Dad, the point is Yingzi never does her homework!

This child, where did she get the nerve? How dare she be so careless? If you weren’t keeping up with your studies, no one would care, staying alone in the village, but you let Chi Wu do your homework!

You’re asking for trouble!" This was the first time Uncle had spoken to Cheng Ying with such sharp reprimand, tinged with Auntie's usual sternness. Cheng Ying pleaded, "Uncle, Uncle, don't be angry! I really do know it all, I swear!

I usually write characters in the sand—isn't that saving paper? Really!" As if. Uncle scoffed.

"Does our family lack those few coins? You just keep fooling around. From now on, I’ll cover all your notebooks." He then shot a look of deep grievance at his brother-in-law, Chi Yong.

Uncle internally blamed his brother-in-law for not paying enough attention to his Yingzi. Chi Yong thought, My daughter, you’re throwing me under the bus! I didn’t buy you pens or notebooks!

I’m more wronged than Dou E! Still, poor supervision was hard to escape. He admitted he’d been too busy these past two months and hadn't checked on Yingzi because he saw she was learning well.

Cheng Ying quickly said, "Uncle, I promise I’ll write it next time. Don't be angry. Just wait for the exam results, then talk to me about it, alright?" Uncle snorted coldly.

Auntie chimed in, "She deserves a beating! She really deserves a beating, this disobedient brat!" Cheng Ying realized something: despite how fierce Auntie seemed and how loudly she spoke normally, when it came down to it, Uncle was the head of the household. Look at Auntie sucking up to him now.

Miao Miao, standing nearby, declared, "Nobody can hit my wife!" Cheng Ying offered him reassurance. "Miao Miao, if I really end up unwed, I’ll definitely hold you responsible." Grandpa took a gulp of wine. "You girl, you really can ace the exam?

Don't you dare waste Grandpa’s two feet of red cloth! I’ve only used it once!" Cheng Ying waved her hand dismissively. "Small matter, won’t happen." Yang Zhi slapped her daughter's hand away.

"Yingzi, it’s all Mom’s fault. Someone needs to watch you at home. I'll go back to the village with you later." Cheng Ying felt the situation was spiraling out of control.

"Mom, can you be tougher than Grandma? I’m just being lazy! Uncle, I can understand all the books in the west room.

Let’s wait until after this exam, okay? Just wait and see first, okay?" Chi Yong said, "Fine. Consider it a six-month vacation for you.

If things really don’t work out after the New Year, you can just start over with Wu Zi in the same grade." Cheng Ying seized on this. "That’s exactly what I was going to say! Uncle, Wu Zi has already mastered the material for our entire grade this past half-year.

Why not just let him take the exam with us?" Chi Yong looked at Cheng Ying, then at Chi Wu. His son was a good student and could indeed handle the material of Cheng Ying's higher grade, but skipping grades had never been considered. Besides, such a thing was unheard of.

"Wu Zi, can you keep up with the lessons in Yingzi’s class?" It was the first time Chi Wu had received so much attention; his palms were sweating. "I just know how to do the homework." Cheng Ying teased, "If you know other things too, you’re a full-blown monster." Chi Yong mused, "I need to think about this. I’ll have to discuss this matter with the teacher." Grandpa downed a mouthful of wine.

"Back when I, Yang Wansong, was learning characters, I had to bang my head bloody! Now look at my granddaughter and grandson. They learn two grades in one year!

Who can compare?" The pride in his tone was so thick that even Chi Wu felt a bit embarrassed. Cheng Ying caught two things in Grandpa’s speech: one, Grandpa wasn’t smart, and learning was very hard for him (the feeling of a liberal arts major trapped in a science world); and two, even now, Grandpa still held onto his wandering-river mentality, making no real progress—what they called skipping grades, he called "learning two classes in one year." Grandpa was delighted and started drinking with his son-in-law. Chi Yong held great respect and deference toward his father-in-law, so he couldn't refuse.

The result was that before anything about Chi Wu's situation was decided, both Grandpa and his son-in-law were drunk. Uncle’s expression had remained rather grim. His mother noticed his face and hesitated for a long moment.

This younger brother, when maintaining a stern face, was quite intimidating. Furthermore, his own mother had spent a few months in the countryside and felt indebted to her daughter, since her girl had been left alone in the village; this lack of leverage was palpable. That evening, Grandpa and his son-in-law were in the yard, pontificating on history and martial arts; in Cheng Ying’s view, they were just drunk men bragging loudly.

Grandpa was even calling his son-in-law "little brother"—the hierarchy was totally messed up. Auntie had long since retreated indoors to hide, trying not to laugh out loud, as it was too disrespectful to the elders. Uncle called his own mother and took her into the side room.

Seeing his expression, it looked like he was dragging her in for a session of severe criticism and self-criticism. Cheng Ying felt her mother was being unfairly blamed for something that really wasn't her fault. Cheng Ying could imagine the scene: Uncle sternly lecturing his own sister.

In truth, her mother was wronged. With a disobedient and growing daughter like herself, what could her mother really do? If only for the fact that her mother used her entire savings to take her to the city for medical treatment just so Cheng Ying wouldn't have headaches, Cheng Ying knew her mother loved her—a boundless, protective maternal love.

Didn't she see how her mother had never resisted the family her whole life, only to launch a domestic "revolution" that night? After that incident, Cheng Ying knew: this was her mother, the person who unconditionally shielded her. She needed to show filial piety now, and continue showing it in the future.

However, if Uncle could motivate her mother to be a bit more calculating, Cheng Ying wouldn't say a word—that was certainly necessary, as her mother would have to live her own future life. Cheng Ying didn’t know what Uncle said to her mother, but after Yang Zhi finished talking with her brother, her attitude toward Cheng Ying shifted. The guilt in her tone lessened, replaced by an imposing air—a mother's commanding presence.

When speaking to Cheng Ying, her mother was much more assertive and forceful, ordering her to study hard for the exam, or else return to school with Wu Zi if the results were poor. Cheng Ying sensed her mother’s self-admonition before she even spoke; Uncle was truly formidable, providing his sister with necessary psychological groundwork. The land at Grandpa’s house was cleared within a few days, thanks to her mother and stepfather helping after finishing their own work, and everything that needed to be stored was brought in.

Cheng Ying didn't want to linger another day; she wanted to pack up and go home immediately. She missed her own grandmother and the mountain plot she had painstakingly cultivated herself. It had been several days since she’d managed to check on the mountain area, and she worried someone might mess up the hard work she’d put into it.

Unfortunately, plans never quite matched up with reality. That day, Chi Wu returned, stuttering around his words when speaking to Cheng Ying. Cheng Ying suspected it wasn't good news.

She took their little cousin on her back, carrying Grandpa with her arm, and found a quiet spot. Cheng Ying held Miao Miao with one hand and looked at Chi Wu. "Spit it out.

What’s going on?" Chi Wu’s expression was grave, mixed with guilt. "At noon, I went to the middle school to find Dad and saw someone talking with him about something." He finished speaking in a dry rush, leaving the rest hanging. Cheng Ying raised an eyebrow.

"That's it?" That wasn't news; perhaps the boy had finally lost it. Chi Yong looked at Cheng Ying. "I've seen it several times." Cheng Ying became very wary.

"A woman?" Chi Wu gave a noncommittal look—a tacit agreement. Cheng Ying felt a surge of fire in her chest. Damn it, she was being decent by not bullying others, and someone dared to come knocking at her own family’s door!