Chi Wu shut up. Anyway, he didn't want to go into the city; staying in the village was perfectly fine, and being with Cheng Ying was fine, too.

In other words, their family was doing just fine; why did they have to go into the city?

Chi Wu felt a little resentful toward his own grandparents. It was all their fussing.

Cheng Ying’s most important mission when visiting her maternal grandfather was to reassure him on behalf of her mother.

Of course, going out to show off with the old man was also a necessity.

By the time Cheng Ying’s maternal uncle got off work, the old man had already paraded her around enough.

Basically, nowadays when they went out, no one didn't know this girl was Old Man Yang’s granddaughter—she aced her exams, was stunningly beautiful, and had an excellent temperament; she was a filial child. All this praise was spread by her maternal grandfather.

Chi Wu blushed hearing this. How could the two of them be so thick-skinned, to brag so openly?

It was a mercy that Cheng Ying could stand behind the old man with a straight face, letting him boast.

Cheng Ying’s maternal uncle frowned when he saw his niece, then swept her into a fierce hug.

Yang Yi felt that this child, who lacked a father, had suffered too much.

His niece was so lovable; how could the Chi family’s old man and woman be so blind?

Going into the city with them would actually be doing them a favor.

If Cheng Ying knew what her uncle was thinking, she would probably nod along—indeed, they were lucky; what blind old folks, to have such a bright, lovely, sensible, and polite granddaughter?

Compared to Chi Wu, their own situation felt rather plain.

Unfortunately, Cheng Ying and her uncle were not telepathically linked. Cheng Ying felt that her uncle must have made some difficult choices and felt deeply guilty toward her, which explained his attitude.

Maternal Uncle Yang pulled his niece into the west room.

And just like that, Chi Wu was rejected outside the door by the pair of them.

In Yang Yi’s view, if their family didn’t value my granddaughter, why should I value your useless grandson?

The only reason he hadn't thrown Chi Yong and Chi Wu out was to show respect to Chi Yong; it proved his Old Yang family was sensible.

That’s why he didn't show Chi Wu any warmth back then.

Cheng Ying felt that her uncle, thin and lean as he was, had gripped her arm so hard that the wrist turned red from the sheer exertion.

Her aunt tried to smooth things over outside. Her husband, despite having a job, seemed to be losing his touch with social graces.

They always said capable people had odd tempers; they just didn't know how to flatter others.

In the aunt’s heart, her husband definitely possessed great ability; otherwise, why would he be so aloof?

Her admiration for her husband instantly soared another level. “Wuzi, never mind those two. Go play with Miaomiao for a bit; we’ll be eating soon!”

Chi Wu glanced at the closed door of the west room. What choice did he have but to submit? He looked at Miaomiao, who was also shut outside, and found a strange sense of balance. At least he wasn’t the only one left out.

Chi Yong motioned for his niece to sit down. He immediately began to encourage and comfort her. “Yingzi, don’t feel inferior. We are not worse than anyone else. If Chi Yong dares to treat you badly, your uncle will take care of you.”

Cheng Ying felt that her aunt was the more diplomatic one. “Aunt said Uncle treats me like his own daughter.”

Chi Yong said, “Yingzi, you don’t need to be so sensible. You’re still a child.” Her uncle felt a pang of sadness. If Yingzi’s own father were still alive, she wouldn't have to watch other people’s expressions so carefully.

The Chi family’s old couple seemed untrustworthy.

Chi Yong’s heart swung violently like a scale. He wanted his niece to escape the mountain valley, so she wouldn't have to toil in the dirt, but he also pitied her for the suffering of living under someone else’s roof; that kind of hardship was not easy to bear.

Chi Yong said, “Yingzi—” The words that followed felt hollow. Then he said, “Uncle treats you well. I treat you better than Miaomiao.”

Cheng Ying thought to herself, If you hadn’t said that, I wouldn’t drag down my own mother, but the prerequisite was that her mother had to be well off.

Her uncle asked, “Yingzi, did your mom say when she’s leaving?”

Cheng Ying shook her head. “I don’t see any movement. Wuzi’s dad is going about his business, and my mom hasn’t brought it up either. I don’t know what they’re arranging. But Chi Wu will definitely leave; his old lady won't let go easily. As for Wuzi’s dad, he’ll probably leave too. My mom and grandma support my mom leaving. Uncle, I already told Grandpa; even if I do go out, I’m not rushing it in the next two years.”

Her uncle looked at his niece with deep sorrow. A fortunate child should only be eating and playing; why should she have to worry about such distressing matters?

Sometimes Yang Yi regretted letting his sister marry into such a family. No matter what, his niece was being looked down upon; he had failed his brother-in-law.

Yang Yi had a deep, lifelong bond with Yingzi’s father; their friendship during hard times was truly strong.

So Yang Yi was very quiet. In Cheng Ying’s view, her uncle didn't know how to phrase things properly.

No matter what, telling his niece not to stay with her biological mother so as not to disturb her happiness was difficult to say out loud.

Cheng Ying genuinely understood. “Uncle, I’m fine. I have a huge mess of things back home to deal with. Besides, with my grades, it’s not just city schools vying for me; even schools in the capital would be fighting over me. If I move to the city in the future, it will be glorious, and it certainly won't be worse than this situation. We’ll take the proper path.”

“You have spirit, Yingzi. But this matter still depends on Wuzi’s dad’s final say.”

Cheng Ying thought, Why should a stepfather with no blood relation decide my life? Just to make him look good?

But she couldn't retort that to her uncle right then, or she’d just seem like a rebellious child. “Mm, this matter—even the stepfather can’t decide alone. My surname is Cheng; his is Chi.”

This was the second time Cheng Ying had said this today, showing she had already prepared her counter-strategy.

Chi Yong hadn't thought that far ahead; he just felt his niece hadn't forgotten her roots, which was a good thing.

Remembering who gave birth to and raised her made for a good child. “Yingzi, that is true. None of us can decide this alone. We still don't know how their family handles things. If he doesn’t have the ability to get us into the city, then thinking about it is useless.”

Cheng Ying looked at her uncle and smiled, but she sincerely doubted that an old man with such an imposing aura lacked this small bit of capability. It didn't seem likely.

The pair were just amusing themselves for a moment.

Chi Yong declared, “But I’m putting it on record: wherever Yingzi is, Uncle will look after you just as much as Miaomiao.”

Yang Yi was merely providing a fallback option for his niece.

To Cheng Ying, her uncle’s declaration felt like emotional coercion. He was so afraid she would go with her biological mother and cause trouble. The misunderstanding between the pair was huge.

It was fortunate that Cheng Ying was open-minded; she had no intention of following her mother into the city in the first place. Otherwise, she might have resented Yang Yi her whole life.

This just proved that some things needed to be discussed openly. Never assume; misunderstandings happen constantly.

Yang Yi’s heart full of concern for his niece had been warped into something else entirely by her, unbeknownst to him.

He was a man of reserved emotion. Ever since seeing Chi Yong’s parents, he had been re-evaluating this newer brother-in-law. If things really went south, he had already prepared to raise his sister and niece himself, though he hadn't mentioned it at home yet.

Emotionally, Yang Yi wanted his sister to be happy and have a fulfilling romantic life, but that didn't mean forcing things relentlessly; such happiness wouldn't last long.

So Yang Yi had contingency plans. If Yang Zhi showed any reluctance, Yang Yi would firmly support his sister in making a clean break. Divorce wasn't the end of the world; remarriage or marrying a third time made little difference to him.

The Yang family had endured public criticism once for their daughter’s sake; they could withstand it a second time, as long as his sister and niece were happy.

Therefore, what he said to his wife was somewhat exaggerated, very diplomatic.

If it came down to the wire, Yang Yi was quite capable of letting go; what hadn't he seen in those years?

To repeat: because of his sister, his family had been gossiped about once, so they weren't afraid of being criticized again, as long as his sister and niece were well.

Now, the only conflict was that his sister’s well-being clashed with his niece’s.

If it weren't for considering his niece’s fragile heart, Yang Yi wouldn’t think that living with him would cause his niece suffering.

But that wasn't for him to decide; it depended on whether his niece had any lingering reservations.

Cheng Ying's trip to her uncle’s house only provided her with some emotional comfort.

Of course, Cheng Ying didn't fully appreciate the heartfelt concern from her uncle and aunt, perhaps because she was inherently a bit small-minded herself.

She truly didn't believe there were people in the world who were that good; she judged others by her own measure.

Cheng Ying didn't dwell on this, though. If she were in her uncle’s shoes, she didn't think she could do better.

At least her uncle still looked out for her. If it were Cheng Ying, it would be: first cousins are close, second cousins are related, and by the third generation, forget it. I don't owe my niece anything.

When Cheng Ying and Chi Wu left, her uncle and aunt held onto her, saying only, “We are here for you, even more than your mother is!”

Grandpa Yang watched his granddaughter leave without saying much. This girl had a big heart; what they said didn't matter much to her anyway.

Chi Wu felt aggrieved. Why did it seem like Yingzi was abandoning him for her biological mother?

And Miaomiao’s look at Chi Wu was off, too. This must be because the child overheard the adults talking. He sensed that his usually close relatives—his maternal grandparents’ family—now held some prejudice against him.

As they walked, tiny snowflakes began to drift down. Chi Wu, however, was wearing the thick padded coat knitted by his grandmother and didn't feel the cold at all. “Yingzi, are you cold? I’ll take off my padded coat and let you wear it.”

Cheng Ying’s back was slightly stooped, shivering from the cold. “Fine, aren’t you cold? I’m wearing a sweater, and we’ll be home soon.”

Chi Wu looked back at Cheng Ying behind him; the handlebars of the bike were slipping wildly. “Serves you right for being vain. I told you to wear the padded coat earlier; you just had to show off.”

Cheng Ying glared. “Was I trying to show off just because I wanted to wear a sweater? Didn’t you see my padded coat? When we get home, you can switch with me. I’ve been smothering myself in that thing all day.”

Cheng Ying’s vision blurred. It was all because the old lady had such peculiar taste.

Chi Wu thought about Cheng Ying’s brightly patterned padded coat and wondered if it would even fit him. “Still vain. As long as it keeps you warm, what’s with all the demands?”

The words sounded so selfless.

Cheng Ying snorted coldly. “As long as it’s warm, right? Fine, I’ll embroider two huge flowers on your sweater later.” That threat landed perfectly.

Chi Wu immediately changed his tune. “I was just worried you’d be cold.”

Cheng Ying shivered as she got off the bike, sighing inwardly. She wasn't fated to enjoy comfort; heaven was forcing her to be Chi Wu’s laborer. “Alright, get down and move around; you won’t be cold then. I’ll lead you.”