Miao Miao, however, didn't take the money, standing resolutely by Cheng Ying’s side. “I’m going with my sister-in-law,” she declared.

Cheng Ying looked at her aunt. “Auntie, let Miao Miao come with me. I won't let him freeze.”

“No way. Your mother just got pregnant; how can she possibly have the energy to watch him? He’ll just cause trouble.”

“Auntie, I’ll look after Miao Miao. My mom doesn't need to.”

“Still no. Even if your heart isn't troubled, it’s still not allowed. There will be plenty of chances later.”

It was clear the aunt was determined not to let her son go with her daughter-in-law. Cheng Ying crouched down and embraced Miao Miao. The two were reluctant to part. “Miao Miao, you should eat the candy first. Even if you eat the candy, big sister will still take you. But you can’t call me sister-in-law anymore. If you don’t call me sister-in-law next time you visit, I’ll take you. Understand?”

Miao Miao’s eyes filled with tears. “I just want to go with big sister right now.”

The sister-in-law immediately stopped calling out.

Cheng Ying sighed. “I can’t, you know. Big sister can’t make decisions in Auntie’s house. Auntie is fighting you away from me!”

The aunt spat from behind her. “You unlucky kid, hurry back now! It’ll be dark soon. Take good care of your mother for a few days, and don’t you dare upset her, understand?”

Then she pulled her own son toward her. “Haven’t even gotten a wife yet, and you’re already trying to sell your own mother off!”

What kind of talk was that?

Cheng Ying left, still looking back with reluctance.

Chi Wu sneered. “Didn’t you enjoy being called ‘wife’ so much? Why are you making Miao Miao change how he addresses you?”

The question was barbed, though Chi Wu was unaware of how much joy his words actually carried.

Cheng Ying replied, her voice lingering, “Big sister is getting old; I need to protect my reputation.”

Chi Wu felt he couldn't follow Cheng Ying’s line of thought. She was crazy. What reputation could someone like Miao Miao possibly tarnish?

Hurrying as fast as they could, Cheng Ying and the others arrived home just as darkness fell.

Chi Yong met his father-in-law at the edge of the village. Seeing the old man arriving in the fading light, he finally showed a flicker of shyness. “Old man, you traveled all this way in the dark just to make this trip for me.”

Cheng Ying got out of Chi Wu’s car and winced hearing Chi Yong speak.

How could this man be so shameless? He was the one who rushed to fetch them, after all.

The old man said, “Let’s go quickly, why be so polite? She’s my own daughter.”

Chi Yong rubbed his face. Your own daughter has my own child in her belly; how can I not be polite?

He glanced at his little brother-in-law behind them, feeling immensely satisfied. It wasn't hard to see that even though the old man treated him well, this brother-in-law treated him far better than he treated Yingzi’s own father.

Chi Yong always believed that perhaps the missing child between him and Yang Zhi was the reason. Now, it was settled. He and his little brother-in-law shared a blood tie. One must admit, even the cleverest people sometimes get stuck on one point.

Chi Yong led his father-in-law ahead.

The uncle, Chi Wu, and Cheng Ying followed behind. If the stepfather hadn't come out so far to greet them, they would have ridden the car right to the door. Now, they had circled half the village; it was like a public parade.

Villagers coming out in the twilight to visit heard the greetings: “Oh, in-law, come to see your daughter?”

The old man greeted them back, and from his familiarity, it was clear he visited this area often.

Turning back, Cheng Ying heard someone whisper, Why does Old Man Yang dare to come back? Has Yingzi’s grandmother accepted this relationship again?

Cheng Ying pursed her lips, her face clouded with worry. She didn't need to think hard to know her family was the current topic of gossip in the village. Forgive the village—with no television or other entertainment, gossip was all they had.

Since her own grandmother had agreed to let the maternal grandfather visit, the formalities had been met. As soon as the maternal grandfather entered the house, the grandmother came out to greet him. “In-law, please come in quickly!”

The maternal grandfather grinned widely. “Grandmother-in-law, don’t bother yourself. I’m not an outsider. If I visit often, won’t I just be adding trouble for you?”

The man was shameless; this sounded like a rhythm of dropping by regularly to cause trouble! Cheng Ying could see her grandmother’s slightly stiff expression even in the dim light. Was the maternal grandfather deliberately trying to provoke her? Did this old man just need a chance to show off?

Old Man Yang began, “Grandmother-in-law, we are true relatives now, in-laws through our children. No need for so much ceremony. My daughter is your daughter. Are you trying to be distant with me?”

This sounded like he was trying to reconcile the past. It was rare for her maternal grandfather to be so broad-minded in this matter.

The old woman replied, “I know the character of an in-law. It’s all for the children’s good. Let’s say no more. Go see Zhi Zi. If you don't examine her, we won't feel settled.”

If the old woman hadn't forbidden her daughter-in-law from moving, Yang Zhi would have been out of the west room long ago. She wasn't that delicate.

But Chi Yong didn't dare. Her pregnancy was one thing, but he had gone through so much trouble to have one child. This was non-negotiable. So, despite her own father arriving, Yang Zhi was kept from leaving the room under the suppression of the two elders.

The maternal grandfather went straight into his daughter’s west room.

The entire family, including Cheng Ying, stared as the grandfather extended his thin, dry hand and placed it on his mother's wrist. After a long moment, Old Man Yang calmly declared, “The pulse confirms pregnancy, no doubt.”

Cheng Ying asked immediately, “Boy or girl?” She was treating the old man like an ultrasound machine.

Chi Yong also gazed eagerly at his father-in-law.

The maternal grandfather scowled. “I don’t have that skill.”

His own wife’s expression softened. “Oh? I thought you were all-knowing. Turns out there are things you can’t see either.”

The maternal grandfather sighed. “Grandmother-in-law makes things difficult. Forget a traveling doctor like me; even the Imperial Physicians rely on guesswork about 80% of the time. This relies on intuition. If I guess wrong, I’ll embarrass myself.”

Cheng Ying interjected, “But isn’t it said that traditional Chinese medicine can tell the gender from the pulse?”

“I can tell from the pulse whether the baby in your mother’s belly has strong vitality or not, but nothing more,” the old man confessed.

Chi Yong asked, “Old man, how are they—the mother and child?” Here, ‘mother and child’ definitely excluded Cheng Ying.

“They’re fine. No need to be so delicate. If she can get up and walk, she should walk around. Just don’t lift or carry heavy things. Country folk believe in rugged rearing.”

Chi Yong was displeased. It had been so hard for his wife to conceive! If something happened, who would be responsible? However, he couldn't argue with his father-in-law face-to-face. It was fine as long as he reminded his own family to be careful afterward; as long as the baby’s vitality was strong, that was what mattered.

The old man then said, “Yong Zi, later, go see a doctor at the Chinese medicine clinic where you got your diagnosis before, just to be sure.” This was actually a reasonable suggestion.

The grandmother agreed.

Chi Yong nodded. “Yes, I remember. When we go to the county seat later, I’ll send a telegram to my mother so the old doctor can take a look too.”

Chi Wu asked, “Why not let Grandpa look?”

The old man smiled benignly. “Grandpa’s skill isn’t quite there. It’s a specialized field. Your Grandpa here can only feel the pregnancy pulse.”

With that, the grandmother spoke up. “Alright, let’s eat. Everyone’s been running around all day.”

A table had already been set up in the east room. After her own father’s semi-professional assessment, Yang Zhi had already gotten off the kang, helping to set the table, pass chopsticks, and carry dishes. This woman truly couldn't sit still.

Since his wife went out, Chi Yong’s heart had been floating in his throat, unable to settle. “Dad, you two stay put, I’ll go out and check things.” Then he rushed to snatch work from behind his wife. His central idea was: for my peace of mind, wife, you'd best not do anything at all.

For the first time, Yang Zhi felt a negative sentiment toward her husband. Why was he so annoying? Did he have to be so shameless? Was such a small thing worth all this fuss over?

Yang Zhi failed to grasp the heart of an older man who had faced difficulty conceiving. The satisfied man doesn't know the hunger of the famished—that saying applied here. Who could understand the feeling of Chi Yong, a man in his thirties, watching seventeen- and eighteen-year-olds in the village have sons? This bitterness could only be understood through personal experience; others couldn't grasp it.

The maternal grandfather hadn’t stepped foot in his daughter’s home for two years since arranging a husband for his daughter. This was because his in-law grandmother hadn't welcomed him; he had been spat out by the community back then, and many in the village had gossiped behind his back. But Old Man Yang endured it all for the sake of his daughter’s future happiness. Now look—his daughter was doing well, and Yingzi even had someone to look out for her. And he could still visit as a relative!

This was simply a man’s perspective; the mother-in-law, as a woman, had been shortsighted in this matter. Thus, the maternal grandfather's state of mind was one of smug satisfaction.

Chi Yong drank with his father-in-law but still insisted his wife sit on the kang. Chi Yong stated plainly, “The two children are on the ground; what are you busy fussing for?”

Yang Zhi’s face was dark; she didn't even want to acknowledge him.

Cheng Ying thought to herself, What a fast change. She’s immediately turned into a wilted cabbage. They made quite the pair. Still, seeing her stepfather so genuinely happy, Cheng Ying decided not to argue with him. We understand the desperate yearning for a child in middle age.

The grandmother accompanied her in-law at the table. “It’s a blessing you came over. Otherwise, my heart wouldn’t feel settled.”

The old man replied, “No trouble at all. As long as Grandmother-in-law doesn’t push me away, I can wear down the doorstep of my daughter’s house.”

The uncle chewed his food. His own father had always been shameless; Yang Yi was used to it.

The grandmother felt that her in-law’s words were hard to respond to; she genuinely didn't want to see this old man frequently. “In the future, you don’t need to come here to see your daughter. Zhi Zi will be moving to the city with Yong Zi. You can just go straight to the provincial capital.”

Among villagers, in-laws could joke, and the bounds were quite wide.

Everyone, including Chi Yong, felt a jolt upon hearing this. The matter hadn’t been finalized yet.

The grandmother simply told Chi Yong to bring out the letter from the Chi family. “You all read this and see what they mean. I, an old woman with half my body already buried, dare not make the decisions. If I delay the children’s future, I won't have the face to see anyone in the grave.”

Cheng Ying thought, What’s the big deal? Do we need to use this method of using connections to move to the city? Still, she appreciated her grandmother’s thoughtfulness. It explained why she had insisted her maternal grandfather come, even putting aside such deep-seated grievances; it showed how much she cared about Cheng Ying.

The old man looked at the Chi family letter and had only one feeling: the Chi family was not honorable. They were not as honorable as his own respected in-law grandmother. This was an attempt to leverage the Cheng family a bit!

He looked at his own son and then at his own granddaughter. Fortunately, this one was promising, and this one had her own mind; otherwise, he feared he might have failed his own respected in-law grandmother. Despite Old Man Yang’s eagerness to find a matchmaker for his daughter, when it came to comparing the two grandmothers, old friendships were more reliable.

The old man looked at Cheng Ying and made his choice, speaking clearly, “This decision still rests with the children.”