Old Man Chi felt gratified, but his gratification stemmed solely from his own son. For Cheng Ying to score first place, it must have been entirely due to his son tutoring her. Otherwise, within this household, who else could have cultivated such an outstanding child? The old man's reasoning, strictly speaking, was not flawed, but he was entirely unaware that concepts like reincarnation existed in the world. Cheng Ying had simply bypassed the conventional path; her knowledge was entirely self-contained, bearing no relation to his son whatsoever. Who was to blame? Blame the old man for never having read online literature. In this era, such things truly did not exist; at most, a folk tale might mention borrowing a corpse to revive a soul. Forgive the Chi family for their narrow scope of knowledge.

Old Madam Chi sighed, “It’s not entirely disgraceful, though I wish my son’s mother had been as clever.” This expectation placed a rather high demand on Yang Zhi. Chi Yong looked up at the sky; perhaps his daughter took after his wife’s previous husband. His own wife was profoundly dense, the unawakened sort, incomparable to their daughter. His own mother was clearly overthinking things, wishing for something far too beautiful. Chi Yong shook his head, saying nothing. A simple wife had her merits, benefits his own mother had yet to appreciate. With a wife like Yang Zhi, conflicts between mother-in-law and daughter-in-law were practically nonexistent; she was meekly submissive. Of course, perhaps only Chi Yong could truly grasp the advantages of a simple wife.

Old Man Chi held deep respect for his aging wife, especially one who had endured hardships alongside him. However, this was his son’s choice. This was not merely his son choosing a wife, but a choice regarding character and conscience. As a father, Old Man Chi felt a sense of pride—this was a matter of integrity. He gently counseled his wife, “As long as the children are happy and stay with us, what difficulty can’t we overcome? Look at the previous daughter-in-law, look at how she treated Wu Zi. If we had another wife, can you guarantee our Wu Zi wouldn’t suffer? Think about it—we are both growing old. In the future, Wu Zi will still rely on Chi Yong. Having someone like her is our good fortune. Try to look at the brighter side.”

Old Madam Chi glanced at her daughter-in-law up ahead, who treated the two children with absolute impartiality, and who appeared even more assertive than the children's own mother. She quietly closed her mouth. Such a daughter-in-law couldn't even be fully managed by the children; how could she possibly help their son? She genuinely disliked her. But the old man was right about one thing: they were old now, and how many years could they truly look after Chi Wu? Changing wives would not guarantee the same treatment for their Wu Zi. The term 'stepmother' was always subject to scrutiny, wherever it appeared. The son did have his reasons. It was all for the sake of the family, the old woman thought, and she began to feel aggrieved on her son’s behalf again. Since ancient times, the eldest grandson and the youngest son were the old woman’s favorites; now, between the youngest son and the eldest grandson, one of them was bound to feel wronged. Wasn’t this torturing the old lady? Looking at her handsome and upright son, the old woman lamented, “For the sake of the grandson, I feel I’ve let Yong Zi down. Why should he?” It was still the same thought: her son deserved better than such a wife.

The old man countered, “Why? Because she helped us when we were in danger. Because she showed tolerance toward our son and grandson. Because she has a good heart! Old woman, this is fortune; not everyone encounters such good people. Do you forget the endings of those who had bad luck a few years ago and met villains? Treat Yang Zhi kindly; regard her as a benefactor.” The old man’s words were merely a way to subdue his own wife. Since there was no room for maneuvering left, they must accept reality. Family harmony was crucial for a family like theirs; he couldn't allow his old wife to maintain ill feelings toward her daughter-in-law. This was an old man concerned with the bigger picture. Even if he personally looked down on his daughter-in-law, he had to stand firm for his son in front of her. As the head of the household, Old Man Chi was behaving correctly.

Yang Zhi, positioned ahead, focused entirely on her patch of mountain land. Regarding the three people behind her, Yang Zhi was philosophical; she could not control their thoughts, choosing instead to let things drift along as they might. She was merely waiting for their decision. If Yang Zhi’s outlook seemed too passive or pessimistic, it was a product of the times and her own circumstances. For Yang Zhi, Chi Yong had not yet reached the level of love. Rural women rarely possessed a concept of romantic love; it was simply about managing life, about the two people being of one mind and earnestly striving toward their future together. As a divorced woman with a child, she held no advantages, especially after learning that Chi Wu was not Chi Yong’s biological son. Yang Zhi felt deeply insecure around Chi Yong. This was the result of years of societal judgment; in this era, a woman remarrying faced severe condemnation. Let alone marrying a man like him. Regardless of the stern tone of his own mother, she knew in her heart who was truly benefiting from this arrangement. This situation actually lightened Yang Zhi’s burden: since it wasn't up to her to decide, she would simply listen and wait. Yang Zhi believed that whatever Chi Yong did for her was what he was obligated to do. If someone meant to leave cannot be held back, there was no reason to keep them—she lacked the means. If they stayed, well, they had taken advantage of everything offered; there was no sense in chasing them away, right?

Yang Zhi had accepted this, and thus relaxed her grip. Her feeling toward Chi Wu was one of pity. A child this age, without a mother and father, was far more pitiful than her own daughter. So, along the way, she took excellent care of Chi Wu, also feeling that perhaps she wouldn't have the chance to care for this child much longer. Thus, she became even more devoted. “Wu Zi, if I had known about you earlier, well, I would have treated you better. You must study hard from now on, do you understand?”

Cheng Ying thought her own mother was being too pessimistic; this sounded like the prelude to a farewell. Chi Wu felt distressed hearing this; he did not want to change mothers, not at all. Thinking back to the beginning of their time together, Chi Wu felt like he had just survived the hardest part, only to have the tip of the spear thrust at him. If he had to start over, the young man doubted he had the fortitude. Chi Wu’s mood was decidedly low throughout the journey; this felt like the prelude to being abandoned.

Cheng Ying asked, “Mom, is there anything left on the mountain now?” Yang Zhi replied, “Just some pine nuts. We’ll gather more later and take some back for Wu Zi’s grandparents; that can count as a local specialty.” Cheng Ying shook her head, doubting the old lady would appreciate it. “Alright. Later, Wu Zi and I can go check out my place; the pine nuts from that mountain are truly fragrant and large; I’ve compared them.” Chi Wu looked at Cheng Ying. “It’s rare for you to be so generous. I thought you had already clearly drawn your class lines.” Cheng Ying retorted, “Boundaries must be drawn, of course, but I’m thinking of you, aren't I? If you leave with your grandmother, finding another driver won’t be easy later on. I thought we could gather more for you to eat on the road.” Chi Wu sputtered, “I haven’t even left yet, and you’re already thinking about me going. You, you—” He was genuinely upset. Yang Zhi interjected, “Ying Zi, don’t bully Chi Wu, alright?” Then she turned to soothe her son, “Ying Zi is just teasing you, why are you taking it seriously?” Chi Wu complained, “Anyone would worry in this situation. Now I have no father, and it looks like I’m about to have no mother too.” He said this with great grievance. His voice was loud enough that the people behind them all heard. The old couple tasted the implications of Chi Wu’s words repeatedly in their mouths; the content was rich. Yang Zhi admonished him, “You child, look how anxious you are! That’s your uncle; no matter how you look at it, he’s the person closest to you. Why are you making a fuss? You’re gaining an extra father!” Chi Wu turned and walked forward, carrying his basket, his face etched with absolute melancholy.

Cheng Ying scoffed, “Enough showing off. You’re deliberately trying to flaunt it in my face—is your uncle better than my uncles? Having such an uncle, doesn't that make you feel incredibly pleased?” She then nudged Chi Wu in the ribs. “Isn't that right, isn’t it? You’re secretly delighted, aren’t you? You’ve already compared him to my uncles, haven't you?” Chi Wu followed Cheng Ying’s line of thought and realized he did feel rather excited. At least his uncle had raised him like his own son for so many years. Compared to Cheng Ying’s eldest and second uncles, he was much luckier. People often die of envy when compared—he had certainly found a point of comfort. Chi Wu conceded, “That much is true.” Cheng Ying thought privately, What a child; he’s building his own happiness on my sadness. Forget it; I’ll make this one sacrifice. I’ll comfort the kid. Chi Yong shook his head; his daughter’s way of thinking was always so uniquely different.

Old Man Chi looked at the little girl carrying the basket. “Later, we’ll go visit the mountain plot you mentioned. Since I rarely get a chance to come here, I must see it properly.” Chi Yong replied, “Yes, I’ll take you later. That girl has poured all her energy into that land.” Compared to Chi Yong’s easy resolution of the immediate trouble, Chi Wu was entirely gloomy. A child’s world is always so small; parents are the entire sky for a child. The problem Chi Wu faced was the collapse of his sky. It would likely take a difficult child a while to emerge from this state; extra grandparents truly couldn't replace parents. For a rough man like Chi Yong, understanding Chi Wu’s awkward adolescent sensibilities was impossible. Meanwhile, the newly acquired grandparents were wholly immersed in the joy of seeing their eldest grandson, and failed to notice Chi Wu’s depression. The old woman of the house—well, she was looking after her granddaughter too, and besides, there were too many bothersome things; Chi Wu, forgive me, I can't focus on you right now.

Yang Zhi, however, could perceive Chi Wu’s slight unhappiness. Firstly, she was unhappy too; and secondly, she didn't know how to console him. Yang Zhi wasn't inherently sharp to begin with; patting the child's head was the extent of her comfort. So, Cheng Ying naturally stepped forward to stand beside Chi Wu, constantly counseling this unfortunate child. There was no choice; having spent so much time with Chi Wu, Cheng Ying knew what the kid was thinking without even looking. Cheng Ying felt the teenager was a bit stubborn, and this couldn't be talked through easily, so she decided to take Chi Wu out to work. As for his grandparents, sorry, they’d have to wait until they returned from work in the evening to see them. Thus, the next day, Cheng Ying led the dejected Chi Wu into strenuous physical labor. The weather had turned cold, so Cheng Ying couldn't continue clearing land or planting trees. She gave Chi Wu and herself a sickle each and headed to her own mountain plot to cut brushwood. Cheng Ying had long been eyeing this area, but in the summer, the leaves were too dense to get in. This season was perfect: cut down these firewood branches, and next year, they could till this section of land and plant a batch of new saplings, creating a nursery.