Old Man Chi was gratified, but what pleased him was his own son. For someone like Cheng Ying to place first, it must have been because his son tutored her.

Otherwise, in this family, who else could have taught such an outstanding child? The old man’s thinking, if scrutinized, was certainly not flawed, but he had no concept of rebirth existing in the world.

Cheng Ying had bypassed the conventional route entirely; her knowledge was entirely self-contained, having absolutely nothing to do with his son. Who was to blame?

Blame the old man for never having read online literature. That sort of thing truly didn't exist in this era; at most, a folk tale might mention borrowing a corpse to return the soul.

Forgive the narrow scope of knowledge among the Chi family elders. Old Madam Chi sighed, “It’s not entirely too shabby.

If only his mother were half as clever.” This expectation placed quite a high bar for Yang Zhi. Chi Yong looked up at the sky, perhaps his daughter took after his wife’s ex-husband.

His own wife was truly dull, the unteachable sort, not to be compared with his daughter in any way. His own mother was overthinking things, dreaming too sweetly.

Chi Yong shook his head, saying nothing. A dull wife has her merits, which his own mother hadn't yet grasped.

To have a wife like Yang Zhi meant that mother-in-law issues virtually didn't exist; she was meekly submissive in every way. Of course, aside from Chi Yong, few people could appreciate the advantages of a simple-minded wife.

Old Man Chi held immense respect for his old wife, especially having weathered hardship alongside her. 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 comforted his old wife, “As long as the children are happy and can stay by our side, what hardship can’t we overcome? Look at the previous daughter-in-law, look how she treated Wu Zi.

If we had chosen another wife, can you guarantee our Wu Zi wouldn't suffer? We are both getting old now, and Wu Zi will still rely on Chi Yong in the future.

Having someone like her is our good fortune. Try to look on the bright side.” Old Madam Chi glanced over at the daughter-in-law who treated the two children equally, and who appeared even more commanding toward the children than their own mother, and quietly bit back her words.

Such a daughter-in-law couldn't even fully subdue the children; what help could she truly be to his son? She genuinely disapproved.

But the old man was right about one thing: they were old now, how many years could they look after Chi Wu? Changing wives, and it wasn't guaranteed the next one would treat their Wu Zi this well.

The term “stepmother” invited scrutiny everywhere it went. The son did have his reasons.

It was all for the sake of the family. The old lady started feeling wronged on behalf of her son again.

Since ancient times, the eldest grandson and the youngest son were the special focus of the grandmother. Now, with the youngest son and the eldest grandson caught in the middle, someone had to suffer injustice, which was tormenting the old lady.

The old lady 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 thought: her son deserved better than this wife.

The old man countered, “Why? Because she helped us in a time of crisis.

Because she is so accepting of our son and grandson. Because she has a good heart.

Old woman, this is fortune; not everyone encounters such good people. Don't you remember the endings for those who met bad people in the last few years?

Treat Yang Zhi well; regard her as a benefactor.” The old man’s words were merely a way to quiet his wife. Since there was no room for compromise, 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 the daughter-in-law. This was an old man who considered 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 doing the right thing.

Yang Zhi, up front, was completely focused on her mountain plot. Regarding the three people behind her, Yang Zhi was philosophical; she couldn't control their thoughts, leaving them entirely to fate.

She was merely waiting for a decision from them. If Yang Zhi’s perspective seemed too passive, too pessimistic, it was a result of the circumstances and her own standing.

For Yang Zhi, Chi Yong hadn’t yet reached the point of love. Rural women didn't really have a concept of romantic love; it was just about making a life together, about the two being of one mind, earnestly striving toward building a household.

As a divorced woman bringing a child, she had no advantage. Especially after learning Chi Wu wasn't Chi Yong’s child, Yang Zhi felt deeply uneasy facing Chi Yong.

This was the cumulative effect of years of societal judgment. In those days, for a woman to remarry meant enduring gossip and scorn, let alone marrying a man like this.

No matter how hard their old madam spoke, she knew in her heart who was actually benefitting. This situation unexpectedly eased the burden on Yang Zhi’s heart.

Since it wasn’t up to her to decide, she would simply listen and wait. Yang Zhi believed that whatever Chi Yong did toward her was what she deserved.

If someone meant to leave couldn't be kept, there was no reason to hold them back—she lacked the standing. If they stayed, well, they had already taken everything they could; there was no sense in driving them away.

Once Yang Zhi accepted this, she relaxed. Her feeling toward Chi Wu was one of pity.

A child this old, parentless, was far more pitiful than her own daughter. So, she took excellent care of Chi Wu throughout the journey.

Also, Yang Zhi felt that she might not have the chance to care for this child much longer. This made her even more devoted.

“Wu Zi, if I had known you earlier, well, I would have treated you better anyway. You must study hard from now on, understand?” Cheng Ying felt her own mother was too pessimistic; this sounded like the prelude to a farewell.

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

Thinking of the early days, Chi Wu felt as if just when he thought he had weathered the worst, the tip was about to be snipped off. If he had to start over, the young man felt he wouldn't have the resolve.

Chi Wu’s mood was truly quite foul throughout the journey; it felt like he was about to be abandoned. Cheng Ying asked, “Mother, is there anything left on the mountain now?” Yang Zhi replied, “Only some pine nuts remain.

We’ll gather a few more on the way back to take to Wu Zi’s grandparents; that can be considered a local specialty.” Cheng Ying shook her head, suspecting the old lady might not value such things. “Fine.

Later, Wu Zi and I will go to my place to look. The pine nuts from the mountain there are both 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 replied, “Lines still need to be drawn, of course, but I'm doing this for you. If you leave with your grandmother, finding a driver later won't be easy.

I thought gathering more here would be good 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, okay?” Then she turned to soothe her son, “Ying Zi is just teasing you; why are you taking it seriously?” Chi Wu lamented, “Anyone would worry in this situation. I don’t have a father now, and it looks like I’m about to lose my mother too.” He sounded utterly aggrieved.

His voice was too loud, and the people behind them heard it. The old couple repeated Chi Wu’s words in their minds, tasting their richness.

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 closest person to you.

Why are you making such a fuss? You’re gaining another father figure.” Chi Wu turned and walked ahead, carrying his basket, his face clearly etched with sorrow.

Cheng Ying teased, “Alright, stop showing off. You’re doing this on purpose to flaunt it in my face, aren't you?

You think your uncle is better than my uncles, right? Having such an uncle, doesn't that make you feel incredibly happy deep down?” She nudged Chi Wu in the ribs, “Isn’t that right?

Aren’t you secretly delighted? You’ve already compared them to my uncles, haven't you?” Chi Wu followed Cheng Ying’s line of thinking and realized he was indeed quite thrilled.

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

Comparing people only leads to misery; he had indeed found a source of comfort. Chi Wu conceded, “That is true.” Cheng Ying thought to herself, What a transparent child.

He’s building his own happiness on the back of my sorrow. Forget it, this sister will make one sacrifice.

She decided to comfort the child. Chi Yong shook his head; his daughter’s ideas were always this unconventional.

Old Man Chi looked at the little girl carrying a basket, “Later, we’ll go visit the mountain plot you mentioned. Since I rarely get to visit this area, I must have a good look around.” Chi Yong replied, “Yes, I’ll take you later.

That girl puts all her energy into that mountain plot.” Compared to Chi Yong’s ease in resolving the immediate troubles, Chi Wu was entirely gloomy. A child’s world is only so large; parents are the entirety of that world.

Chi Wu was facing the collapse of his entire sky. It would be difficult for the troubled child to emerge from this funk soon; the suddenly acquired grandparents simply couldn't replace parents in his eyes.

For a rough, unrefined man like Chi Yong, understanding Chi Wu’s awkward adolescent sentiment was impossible. And the newly minted grandparents were completely immersed in the joy of seeing their eldest grandson; they simply failed to notice Chi Wu’s gloom.

As for the old lady of the house, she apologized internally; she was still watching over her granddaughter. Besides, there were too many distressing matters; Chi Wu, forgive me, I can't focus on you right now.

Yang Zhi, however, could see Chi Wu’s unhappiness. Firstly, she herself was unhappy, and secondly, she had no idea how to comfort him.

Yang Zhi wasn't naturally sharp to begin with; patting the child’s head was the extent of her solace. Therefore, Cheng Ying stepped up without hesitation to stand by Chi Wu’s side, constantly trying to counsel this unlucky child.

There was no other choice; having spent so much time with Chi Wu, Cheng Ying knew his state of mind without even needing to look. She felt the teenager was a bit stubborn, and this issue couldn't be reasoned through.

So, she took Chi Wu out to work. As for his grandparents, sorry, but their yearning for their grandson would have to wait until they returned from working in the evening.

Thus, the next day, Cheng Ying led the depressed Chi Wu into strenuous manual labor. The weather had turned cold, so Cheng Ying couldn't continue clearing new land or planting trees.

She gave Chi Wu a sickle, and they headed to her mountain plot to cut firewood branches. Cheng Ying had long been eyeing this area, but in the summer, the dense foliage made entry impossible.

This season was perfect; cutting down these brushwood branches would allow them to clear this section of the mountain by next year and plant a batch of new saplings, creating a nursery.