Chi Wu pouted. The old man had been completely misled by Cheng Ying. She did well on the test; why worry about what people said?

Cheng Ying, "Grandpa, I won't argue with you anymore. Winter is coming, and it’s getting colder, so cold you can't even stretch out your hands. That’s why school let out so early. Grandma's home alone, and I'm worried. Wu Zi, let’s go home and gather some firewood."

Grandpa was still a bit displeased, but seeing his grandchild so sensible and thoughtful was rare. "Fine, go back. Don't worry about the scores; I'll take care of that. I'll fetch the results for you later. But don't forget to come back so everyone can see what the top scholar looks like."

Cheng Ying, "No problem."

Chi Wu, "Is there even a need to recognize her? If Yingzi hadn't done well, she wouldn't even need to come back. You’d just wait to be embarrassed along with them. You two show off at the alley entrance every day; who doesn't know you two?"

Grandpa fell silent and led Miao Miao away. Why was this child so unlovable?

Cheng Ying, "Grandpa, don't worry, I definitely won't let us bring shame upon ourselves. Goodbye, Miao Miao."

This comment made Miao Miao clutch Cheng Ying’s hand and refuse to let go; Grandpa couldn't pull her away. "Sister, I’m going with you. Where is a wife who doesn't follow her man?"

This child had been learning too much.

It wasn't Miao Miao's fault. In front of anyone, the child called Cheng Ying his wife. Imagine adults teasing a child like that: anyone who saw the adorable Miao Miao would ask, "Oh, Miao Miao, where's your wife?" And then they'd say, "A man's wife always follows him."

So, Miao Miao remembered.

Cheng Ying pulled out a dime and just as she handed it to Miao Miao, the child tugged Grandpa and walked away.

Cheng Ying mused, "I just don't get it—does this brat care more about his 'wife' or the money?"

Chi Wu, "Candy. Whether it's money or a wife, Miao Miao just wants to trade it all for candy."

How could those words be so pithy?

Cheng Ying sighed. It seemed that even a perfect upbringing didn't guarantee flawlessness.

Stupid kid, he’d give up his "wife" for candy.

Chi Wu and Cheng Ying went home the very day the exams finished. Old Mrs. was unsurprised to see the two children. If Cheng Ying had stayed away for a couple of days, that would have been strange.

Chi Wu felt completely relaxed after the test and cracked his knuckles, saying to Cheng Ying, "Before the river freezes over, let’s catch a few fish. It’s getting cold, so they won't spoil."

Cheng Ying strongly supported Chi Wu's idea. The child was sensible, family-oriented, and knew how to manage their lives. "That’s a good idea. Otherwise, winter will be too hard to endure."

Old Mrs. looked at her two vexing children. "All you think about is eating! Am I starving you two? I have several roosters saved for you; isn't that enough for you to cause trouble? That water outside is icy cold; be careful or you’ll get sick."

Cheng Ying’s mouth watered when she heard about the little roosters. "Really, Grandma? You’re willing to part with them?"

Old Mrs., "You troublesome child, am I that stingy? When have you ever craved meat and I haven't managed to get it for you?"

Cheng Ying nodded; that was true. As long as Grandma had something, she never let them go hungry.

Looking at Chi Wu beside her, the even more exasperating child, his eyes were already fixed on the chicken coop, drooling.

Cheng Ying, "Our table culture can only become richer! Let's go, Wu Zi, let's go catch some fish." Then, looking at Old Mrs., "Don't worry, we won't be fools and touch the water carelessly. We definitely won't fall ill."

Chi Wu's eyes were glued to the chicken coop, practically sticking to it. However, compared to the chickens they raised themselves, fish naturally raised in the wild were more suitable for the dinner table. Eating those felt guilt-free, like they were gained for free. So, it was better to trouble the fish first.

Cheng Ying pondered. If her private dimension could raise a couple of big carp, they wouldn't have to go through this trouble. A carp spirit, raised for a whole year, served no purpose—truly useless. Heartbreaking; trash; couldn't keep up with the times. Her dimension was ahead of its time!

The weather was cold, and the fish stayed sluggishly among the reeds by the bank.

Chi Wu walked along the bank, searching everywhere with the large scoop net. It wasn't difficult. With patience, they could net four or five in half a day. And they were all big fish; small ones didn't count. This showed the environment was healthy and that there were few idle people around, otherwise, it would have long been depleted. It wouldn't be their turn as children.

Cheng Ying held the creel, finding it quite boring just waiting for Chi Wu to scoop the fish. She continued with her hobby of collecting stones. She had been putting any pretty stone she saw into her dimension for quite some time now, and it had no limits. If Cheng Ying thought a stone was nice, she put it into the dimension, regardless of whether it was useful or not. Since the dimension had space and it cost no effort, it was certainly better than growing fields of radish flowers and cabbage flowers. Without Cheng Ying paying attention, a huge pile of stones had accumulated in the dimension.

That evening, their haul was plentiful. Old Mrs. looked at the two children and thought that she was truly getting old. See how these children came back with several fish just from going to the river. No matter how nimble Old Mrs.’s hands were, she didn't have that skill.

Old Mrs., "Are these fish stupid? Were they waiting for you to catch them? How could there be so many?"

Cheng Ying, "Of course. I just stood by the water, and the fish were too reluctant to leave, captivated by my gaze. So, it was easy for Chi Wu, wasn't it?" She nudged Chi Wu, "It was all thanks to me, you know?"

Chi Wu almost gagged beside her. What arrogance! "Waiting for you! I wouldn't even see the fish's tails. Hurry up and clean them, or they'll spoil."

Cheng Ying stopped teasing Grandma. She didn't want that brat Chi Wu to laugh at her. Looking at the fish, she found them quite rare. These were perfect for gifts. "Grandma, will my Aunt be visiting around the New Year?"

Old Mrs., "She’s so far away; how would I know when she’s coming?"

Cheng Ying, "Grandma, is there a river near Aunt’s house? Is it easy for them to get fish?"

Old Mrs. became reluctant to mention her own daughter. "I haven't been there; I don't know."

Cheng Ying paused her work. Was this her own daughter? How could she know so little? "Grandma, you’ve never even been to my Aunt’s house?"

Old Mrs. became displeased, her tone turning sour. "Why would I go? To bother people?"

Cheng Ying thought, no wonder Grandma never mentioned her Aunt at home. It turned out Grandma had never visited her own daughter’s home. She must really dislike her Aunt’s husband. No wonder Old Aunt had asked her last New Year to put in a good word for her with Old Mrs. It seemed their relationship was that strained.

Cheng Ying, "Grandma, don't you want to see how Aunt is living?"

Old Mrs., "Her own path is her own to walk. What good would it do to see? If she isn't living well, can I live her life for her?"

Cheng Ying, "But maybe Old Aunt is living quite well. Grandma, don't you want to see?"

Old Mrs., "I don't want to see. It's upsetting; thinking about it is upsetting."

Cheng Ying, "Grandma, let's go visit Old Aunt."

Old Mrs. stopped working on her task. She hadn't even considered it; the journey was too long, a full day’s walk, and she couldn't leave the house.

Cheng Ying, "Grandma, Wu Zi, let’s go see Aunt. What if someone is bullying her and they think our family has no one? Let’s go give Aunt some backing, okay?"

Old Mrs. looked at her granddaughter, torn by the suggestion. It was her own flesh and blood; how could she not want to see her? Even a secret visit would be nice. "Are you going to see your Aunt, or are you trying to stir up trouble?"

Cheng Ying sensed Old Mrs. was moved. She redoubled her efforts. "Grandma, you know about those men who beat and scold their wives. You can't tell just by looking. We don't know if my Aunt is living like a 'little cabbage' over there."

Cheng Ying had educated Old Mrs. on the "little cabbage" issue late at night when they slept. So, Old Mrs. truly knew what kind of life a "little cabbage" endured. She was conflicted, her heart trembling.

Old Mrs., "I can't leave the chickens unattended. Don't just go running off being restless."

Cheng Ying, "Grandma, when Aunt sees you, how happy she’ll be! Grandma, don't you miss Aunt?"

Chi Wu was beside them, killing and scaling fish, watching Cheng Ying cajole their grandmother. He knew that when the time came, he would just be the laborer, the coachman. He wouldn't escape this task.

Old Mrs. was swayed by Cheng Ying’s words but didn't explicitly agree to visit her daughter's place. Chi Yong and Yang Zhi were busy grading papers at school; with only the three of them at home, Old Mrs. was worried.

That night, for the first time, Cheng Ying didn't go to sleep before dark. Instead, she dragged Chi Wu out.

Chi Wu, "Aren't you afraid of wolves at night? You aren't scared today?"

Cheng Ying, "Isn't that why you’re here? What am I afraid of? Brother, this is an opportunity for me to show you off."

Chi Wu, who understood Cheng Ying by now, replied, "So, I’m only out here to be your shield?"

Cheng Ying, "What other use could you possibly have?"

Chi Wu turned around to go back.

Cheng Ying pulled him. "Don't! It’s just that I’m timid, and you’re a boy."

Saying this meekly, Chi Wu only felt the soft, yielding touch of her hand holding his. His heart pounded fiercely. Thank goodness it was dark, or his face would surely be red.

He thought Cheng Ying’s hand didn't look like a hand used for hard labor. Chi Wu had seen the hands of the girls in his class—dark and ugly, with dirt stuck under their nails. He thought of Cheng Ying's hand, which always seemed to glow faintly, and her nails were perfectly shaped, rosy pink. He never expected that after climbing mountains for work all year, Yingzi’s hands would be so soft. So delicate, smoother than lard—forgive Chi Wu, as he’d never seen anything smoother than lard.

As for what Cheng Ying was saying, Chi Wu hadn't heard any of it. In Cheng Ying’s view, Chi Wu responded better to softness than hardness. A few kind words and all his temper vanished, and he obediently followed her.

Also, it was a good thing she was holding Chi Wu’s hand; the village paths were full of potholes, and it really was difficult to walk, especially in the pitch dark. Cheng Ying was particularly timid; everything that moved looked like something else. The villagers were diligent, covering their newly built courtyard walls with straw mats to prevent rain damage. In the deep blackness, the shadows and sounds of the swaying straw mats terrified Cheng Ying. So, she squeezed Chi Wu’s hand tighter and tighter.

Chi Wu’s face grew redder and redder. Taking advantage of the darkness, Chi Wu secretly touched his face; it was so hot! Chi Wu quietly glanced at Cheng Ying beside him, feeling an intense flutter in his chest. As for the reason, Chi Wu hadn't figured it out. Anyway, Chi Wu was happy to keep walking like this. "Yingzi, do you know what our relationship is?"

Cheng Ying, "What relationship?"