Old Man Chi was pleased, but his pleasure stemmed from his own son. If someone like Cheng Ying could score first place, it must have been due to his son’s tutoring.

Otherwise, in this household, who else could have guided such an outstanding child? The old man’s logic, if strictly examined, wasn't exactly flawed, but she didn't know about the concept of rebirth.

Cheng Ying hadn't taken the conventional route; she possessed her knowledge entirely on her own, truly having nothing to do with his son. Whom could he blame?

Blame the old man for never having read web novels. In this era, such things didn't exist; at most, a volume of folk tales might mention the spirit returning to a borrowed corpse.

Forgive the Chi family's narrow scope of knowledge. Old Madam Chi murmured, "It's not entirely a disgrace.

If only my son's wife were as intelligent." This set the bar rather high for Yang Zhi. Chi Yong looked to the sky; perhaps his daughter took after his wife’s ex-husband.

His own wife was hopelessly obtuse, the kind that never brightened up, incomparable to his daughter. His mother was overthinking things, dreaming too grandly.

Chi Yong shook his head, saying nothing. A slow wife had her merits, advantages his mother hadn't yet appreciated.

After all, with a wife like Yang Zhi, the mother-in-law/daughter-in-law conflict was practically nonexistent—she was so yielding. Of course, besides Chi Yong, few others would grasp the benefits of a simple wife.

Old Man Chi held deep respect for his old wife, especially one who had endured hardships alongside him. However, this was his son's choice.

It wasn't just about choosing a wife; it was about choosing character, choosing conscience. As a father, Old Man Chi felt gratified; this was a matter of integrity.

He counseled his old wife, "As long as the children are happy and stay by our side, what can’t we get through? Look at the wife ahead of us, look how she treats Wu Zi.

If you changed the wife, could you guarantee our Wu Zi wouldn't suffer? We are both advanced in years.

In the future, Wu Zi will still rely on Chi Yong. Having someone like this is our fortune.

Try to look on the bright side." Old Madam Chi glanced at her daughter-in-law, who was treating the two children impartially ahead of them, and who appeared even more assertive than the children’s own mother. She quietly shut her mouth.

This daughter-in-law couldn't even fully manage the children; what help could she truly offer her son? She genuinely disapproved.

But the old man was right about one thing: they were getting old. How many years could they truly look after Chi Wu?

If they got a different wife, there was no guarantee she would treat their Wu Zi this well. The title 'stepmother' was always viewed with scrutiny, no matter where it appeared.

The son did have his reasons. It was all for the sake of the family.

The old lady started feeling aggrieved for her son again. Since ancient times, the eldest grandson and the youngest son belonged to the grandmother.

Now, with the youngest son and the eldest grandson sharing the focus, one of them was bound to feel wronged. This was tormenting the old lady.

She looked at her tall and handsome son. "For the sake of my grandson, I feel I’ve wronged Yong Zi.

Why should this be?" It was the same sentiment: her son deserved better than this wife. The old man countered, "Why?

Because she helped us when we were in danger. Because she has been so forbearing 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 outcomes of those who met bad people in the past few years? Treat Yang Zhi kindly; regard her as a benefactor." What the old man said was merely a way to quell his wife’s complaints.

Since there was no room for maneuver left, they had to accept reality. Family harmony was crucial for a family like theirs; he couldn't allow his old wife to continue harboring ill feelings toward her daughter-in-law.

This was an old man who prioritized the bigger picture. Even if he personally disliked his daughter-in-law, he had to stand by his son in front of her.

As a head of the household, Old Man Chi acted correctly. Up ahead, Yang Zhi was focused solely on her mountain plot.

Regarding the three behind her, Yang Zhi had come to terms with it; she couldn't control their thoughts; she would let fate decide. She was merely waiting for one decision.

If Yang Zhi’s outlook seemed too passive, too pessimistic, it was a consequence of the times and her own circumstances. For Yang Zhi, Chi Yong hadn't reached the level of love yet.

Rural women didn't really harbor concepts of grand romance; it was just about living day to day, about finding mutual understanding and striving together toward a settled life. As a divorced woman with a child, she held few advantages, especially after learning that Chi Wu was not Chi Yong’s biological son.

Yang Zhi felt uneasy facing Chi Yong. This was the cumulative effect of years of societal judgment.

In this era, a remarried woman was often scorned. Never mind marrying a man like him.

Despite the firm tone of his mother's words, Yang Zhi knew who truly benefited from the arrangement. This situation actually lightened Yang Zhi's burden mentally: since it wasn't up to her to decide, she would simply listen and wait.

Yang Zhi felt that whatever Chi Yong did for her was what he should do. Those who are meant to leave cannot be kept; there were no grounds to chase anyone away.

If he stayed, well, she had already benefited everything she could; there was no reason to kick him out. Yang Zhi had accepted it, and thus, she relaxed.

Toward Chi Wu, Yang Zhi felt pity. A child this old, without a mother or father, was far more pitiful than her own daughter.

So, she took exceptionally good care of Chi Wu along the way. Moreover, Yang Zhi felt she might not have the chance to look after this child much longer.

Thus, she redoubled her efforts. "Wu Zi, if I had known you earlier, well...

I would have treated you even better. You must study hard from now on, do you hear?" Cheng Ying felt her mother was being too pessimistic; this sounded like prelude to a farewell.

Chi Wu felt awful hearing that. He didn't want a new mother, not at all.

Thinking back to their initial days, Chi Wu felt as if he had just survived a difficult period, only for the tip to be snipped off the bud. If he had to start over, the young man doubted he had the resolve.

Chi Wu’s mood was truly terrible throughout the journey; this felt like he was about to be abandoned. Cheng Ying asked, "Mom, is there anything left on the mountain now?" Yang Zhi replied, "Just some pine nuts left.

We'll gather more on the way back to give some to Wu Zi's grandparents; consider it a local specialty." Cheng Ying shook her head; the old lady might not appreciate it. "Fine.

Later, Wu Zi and I will go to my place. The pine nuts there are from the old mountain; they are 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 sorted out your class allegiance." Cheng Ying countered, "Distinctions must still be made, but I'm doing this for you.

If you leave with your grandmother, finding another driver won't be easy later on. I thought collecting more now would be good for your journey." 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 intervened, "Ying Zi, don't bully Chi Wu, okay?" Then she turned to soothe her son, "Ying Zi is just teasing you.

Why take it seriously?" Chi Wu complained, "Wouldn't anyone worry if it were them? I have no father now, and it looks like I'm about to lose my mother too." He sounded utterly aggrieved.

His voice was too loud; the others behind them all heard it. The old lady and the old man mulled over Chi Wu’s words, their meaning rich with implication.

Yang Zhi scolded, "You child, look how anxious you are! That is your uncle.

No matter how you look at it, he's the person closest to you. Why the fuss?

You’ve gained another father!" Chi Wu shouldered his basket and walked ahead, his face clouded with definite melancholy. Cheng Ying scoffed, "Enough showing off.

You’re doing this on purpose to flaunt how much better your uncle is than mine, aren't you? Having such an uncle, doesn’t that make you secretly delighted?

You’ve already compared him to my uncles, haven't you?" She poked Chi Wu in the ribs. "Haven't you?

Are you thrilled? You've been comparing them for ages, right?" Chi Wu followed Cheng Ying’s line of thought and found himself rather excited.

After all, his uncle had raised him like his own son for so many years. Compared to Cheng Ying's first and second uncles, he was far luckier.

Comparing yourself to others often leads to envy, but finding a point of comfort truly helped. Chi Wu conceded, "That is true." Cheng Ying thought to herself, What a transparent child.

He’s building his own happiness on my sorrow. Fine, I’ll sacrifice a bit this once to comfort the kid.

Chi Yong shook his head; his daughter’s thoughts were always so unconventional. Old Man Chi looked at the little girl carrying the basket.

"Later, we’ll go visit the mountain plot you mentioned. Since I’ve come all this way, I must take a good look around." Chi Yong replied, "Yes, I'll take you later.

That girl puts all her energy into that land." Compared to Chi Yong’s ease in resolving the immediate issue, Chi Wu was completely depressed. A child’s world is small; parents are the entire sky for a child.

Chi Wu was facing the collapse of his sky. It would be difficult for a troubled child to recover quickly; newly acquired grandparents could never replace parents.

For a rough man like Chi Yong, he couldn't truly understand Chi Wu’s complicated adolescent emotions. And the newly acquired grandparents were entirely immersed in the joy of seeing their eldest grandson; they failed to notice Chi Wu’s gloom.

As for the old lady in the house, she was looking out for her granddaughter; besides, she had too many troubles of her own. Chi Wu, I'm sorry, I can't attend to you right now.

Yang Zhi, however, did notice Chi Wu’s unhappiness. Partly because she was unhappy herself, and partly because she didn't know how to comfort him.

Yang Zhi wasn't naturally quick-witted; patting the child's head was the extent of her consolation. So, Cheng Ying naturally stepped up beside Chi Wu, continuously counseling the unfortunate child.

She had no choice; having spent so much time with Chi Wu, she knew what he was thinking without even looking. Cheng Ying felt the boy was being stubborn, and reasoning wouldn't work.

So, she decided to take Chi Wu out to work. As for his grandparents, sorry, they were too eager to see their grandson, and she’d see them after work that evening.

The next day, Cheng Ying took the despondent Chi Wu and plunged them into heavy physical labor. The weather had turned cold, so Cheng Ying couldn't clear more land or plant more trees.

She gave Chi Wu a sickle, and they headed to her plot to cut firewood branches. Cheng Ying had long eyed this area, but in the summer, the dense leaves made it impossible to navigate.

This time of year was perfect. By cutting down these brushwood branches, they could clear the land for the next year and plant a batch of new saplings, creating a nursery.