This was the honest Second Uncle, inquiring in the village. He had exerted immense effort, all for Cheng Ying.

Second Aunt-in-law chimed in, "Right, Mother, you'll live with us from now on."

First Aunt-in-law said flatly, "And what about Mother's two sons?"

Having spoken, she turned to Chi Yong, "Yongzi, my family has treated you well. You absolutely cannot do this—abducting someone's wife and abandoning your child. It’s immoral."

Her tone was quite blunt, yet remarkably self-righteous.

The old woman looked at her second son. She understood what her son was like, but her daughter-in-law’s character was questionable. "Mmm, I know what’s important. I didn't consult you, but I kept Yingzi here. Yingzi’s surname is Cheng; she has to burn paper offerings for her father. I cannot let the lineage of your brother’s line be cut off. No more discussion on this matter."

Chi Yong looked at the old woman, realizing she was taking all the gossip and innuendo onto herself.

He felt deeply ashamed. "Big Brother, Second Brother, if Yingzi is to pursue her studies and cannot take her household registration with her, I will find a way."

First Uncle retorted, "You say you'll find a way, but once you go to the provincial city, how are we supposed to find you?"

Chi Yong looked at the eldest brother. "Even if I go to the provincial city, my home is here. Cheng Ying is my daughter. Even if she doesn't change her surname, she is still my daughter. Can I just abandon my home?"

This phrasing was skillful, implying he had no intention of abandoning his ancestral property.

First Aunt-in-law and Second Aunt-in-law looked displeased; this was essentially telling them he wasn't throwing away his assets. "You say that so easily. You take your wife and son and leave the vast tracts of mountain holdings and the land for the old woman. You expect her to toil until she dies carrying your burdens?"

Cheng Ying sighed, knowing Grandmother must be hurt again.

These people had finally voiced their true intentions.

Chi Yong's face darkened. Even if he left, he had to safeguard the family property for Yingzi. He finally understood the child's deep attachment to the mountain holdings; she had built them up with her own hands. "Then, Big Brother, Second Brother, what is your proposal?"

His words were sharp. If you have the gall to covet others' property, you must have the courage to face me head-on, and don't blame me for stepping on you.

First Uncle had only come because First Aunt-in-law had egged him on; Second Uncle had no real intention behind this.

First Uncle spoke, "Mother is getting old. You can take Yingzi, but Mother should live with us two brothers." He avoided mentioning the property.

Second Uncle said, "Yongzi, Yingzi shows promise. If you can give her a boost, do so, for the sake of Mother and Yingzi treating you well. As for the household, we will safeguard it for Yingzi. If Yingzi doesn't amount to much in the future, she will still have some inherited property."

This statement was quite benevolent. Cheng Ying thought, he is, after all, Grandmother’s son.

Second Aunt-in-law interjected, "Of course Yingzi will amount to something."

Chi Yong looked at his two brothers. "Yingzi isn't someone I can just decide to take away; I don't have that kind of authority. We have already made arrangements at home. Even if Yangzhi and I go to the provincial city, we won't abandon the old woman and Yingzi here."

First Aunt-in-law scoffed, "Don't just talk about giving back a little money. Even if you were to provide for the elderly, doesn't daily living and care require someone to wait on them?"

The old woman looked at her eldest daughter-in-law. "Then what do you suggest? If I go with you, do I need to rip out my mountain holdings and land to take with me? Do you need to carve off a piece of my mountain wherever I go?"

The old woman had seen through these daughters-in-law. Second Aunt-in-law quickly responded, "Mother, your mountain holdings and land will naturally go wherever you go; we wouldn't keep them. Aren't they all left for the children? Besides, if Yingzi leaves, whether it’s Dun’er or the eldest son, if they are adopted under your third son's name, your third son won't be short of someone to burn incense for him."

The old woman sighed. This wasn't death; it was moving to the city, yet people were already coveting things. Who would her granddaughter rely on in the future? "Since you are all here today, I will make this clear to you all. When the family was divided, it was under the Great Collective; no one had specific plots of land, and this matter wasn't settled then. Now I tell you: my plots of land are a separate allocation made by the village. They are not mixed with the four members of Yingzi's immediate family, and they are certainly not mixed with the mountain holdings Yingzi bought with her own money. If, after I die, the state does not reclaim the land, it will be divided into three parts for you to draw lots over. If it is reclaimed, then you get nothing. I have saved enough for my own coffin expenses; I won't trouble you. When the time comes, if you remember that I gave birth to you and raised you, just come to pay respects, arrange the mourning cloths, and handle the burial. Do you understand? Yingzi and her family's fields and mountain holdings have nothing to do with me. If you don't believe me, go check the village records. I separated my own plot of land back then precisely to avoid this trouble."

She finished speaking and looked silently at her sons and their wives.

Then she continued, "As for adoption, stop bringing it up. I originally had that intention, but neither of you sisters was willing, so forget it. Now Yingzi is grown, and she has said that she will carry on the bloodline for her father."

First Uncle grumbled, "I don't care for that meager stuff of theirs. Since they are all leaving, you can’t just let Yingzi manage everything herself."

Indeed, if Chi Yong and Yangzhi left, wouldn't everything belong to Yingzi? Yingzi would eventually marry, and who would still care about this minor property after she went away to study? "First Aunt-in-law, it must be so hard for you to take Yingzi. Why don't you come live with us? If we have food, we won't let you and Yingzi starve. Otherwise, the villagers will criticize us two brothers."

He sounded truly sincere.

Second Aunt-in-law agreed, "Yes, Mother. Yongzi and his family are awful people. We two brothers cannot let people criticize us."

The old woman could only sigh repeatedly.

Cheng Ying spoke up, "I have a mother, and I have a father—two fathers, in fact. If I just go with you all, wouldn't I be allowing people to criticize my father and mother?"

Chi Yong felt that Cheng Ying was truly his daughter; her words carried so much weight, even though he was only one of those "two fathers," not the sole one.

The old woman looked at her granddaughter. The child had to face storms eventually; she decided to let go, knowing the child understood things clearly in her heart.

Second Aunt-in-law retorted, "You child, your mother and father are both leaving, and you still talk about your mother and father? You treat them like relatives, but do they treat you like one? By blood relation, no one is closer to you than your First and Second Uncles."

Cheng Ying looked at Second Aunt-in-law. It was rare for her to articulate such profound reasoning; it must have been hard for her. "That's true. When I was nearly dead, it was these 'not-so-close' people who provided the money to take me to the county town for treatment."

What Cheng Ying didn't say was: the people you claim are closest to me were busy dividing the property while I was close to death, hoping I would just die.

Hearing this, the one who blushed the deepest was First Uncle.

Cheng Ying then addressed the group, establishing her authority. "While my mother and father are away, I manage this household. Grandmother stays with me, and I will support her; I won't let my Grandmother suffer by making her work in the fields. As for my mountain holdings and my parents', as long as the state doesn't reclaim them, they are mine. No one can dig them up or take them away. My surname is Cheng; I uphold the family name for Cheng Lao San's line. When I am older, I will find a son-in-law to marry into the family to burn incense for my father."

She looked pointedly at the families of the First and Second Uncles. Don't covet what isn't yours.

First Aunt-in-law regretted her earlier thoughts. During the Great Collective, the old woman had intended to let Mingzi be raised near the third son's wife. Who could have known back then that the state would contract the land ownership to individual households? She had been scheming about this recently; being nearby wouldn't matter; an adopted son wasn't any different from a real son, right?

Hearing Yingzi's declaration, First Aunt-in-law felt deeply distressed. Cheng Ying's mountain holdings were praised by many as being built on piles of money.

Second Aunt-in-law snapped, "What do you know, you little girl? You think marrying in a son-in-law means your father has an heir? He’ll still be without a successor if it comes down to it. If you, as a daughter, burn paper for your father, he only gets half the benefit. That’s not as useful as having a son!"

This was a hateful remark, cursing her own son as having no heir in front of the old woman—a particularly vicious insult in the countryside.

The old woman was so angry her face turned purplish; she couldn't curse back because the words were vicious against her own son and granddaughter. Normally, she would have slapped the speaker across the face.

Cheng Ying’s face turned cold. "That’s fine; as long as my father gets half, that’s enough. Don't worry; whatever amount Second Aunt-in-law burns for Dun’er in the future, I will burn double or ten times that amount for my father. It will certainly be more than what Second Aunt-in-law receives."

Second Aunt-in-law’s lips turned purple with rage. "What are you saying, girl? Do you take me for dead, talking about burning paper offerings already?"

Cheng Ying picked up a nearby broom. "You just cursed my father as having no heir, and now you’re asking me not to burn paper offerings? Do you think I’m dead? If you dare say one more word, I will go burn paper offerings at your mother's grave! I will make sure your line becomes the one without an heir right now!"

Cheng Ying had a plan: burning offerings at Second Uncle’s home would be disrespectful to Second Uncle and his sons. But burning offerings at her mother’s grave—that involved no relatives of hers. She decided to act like a toad to disgust her thoroughly.

First Uncle snapped, "Nonsense! Everyone quiet down! Yingzi, put that thing down."

At this moment, Chi Yong was fiercely protective of his pregnant wife; he truly couldn't afford any more trouble.

Chi Wu, standing behind them, surreptitiously threw the fire poker he was holding. Cheng Ying was ready to move, and Chi Wu was prepared for action too. In such situations, they couldn't afford to lose ground.

First Uncle conceded, "No one cares about your meager belongings. Since Mother has spoken, let's go." At least this man still had some shred of decency.

He then led the three of them away. It had been such a pointless commotion. Life wasn't unlivable; why be so greedy for other people's things?

Second Uncle had long since given up trying to manage his wife; this was how things had been for years, and he would just have to muddle through. At least his wife’s words matched her heart, unlike First Sister-in-law’s honeyed words masking poison.

Second Uncle lagged behind slightly. "Yingzi, your Second Aunt-in-law’s mouth is just like that."

Cheng Ying replied, "I understand, but no one can call my father without an heir. This is Second Aunt-in-law; if it were anyone else, I would fight them to the death."

Second Aunt-in-law shouted back over her shoulder, "Me not saying it doesn't mean he won't be without an heir! Can you magically produce a son?"

Cheng Ying felt the urge to scratch her. "My son is my father's grandson!"

Second Aunt-in-law pouted. "Your son? Where is your son? A young girl speaking so shamelessly."

Second Uncle finally lost his temper. "Hurry up and leave! Forget Yingzi, I won't tolerate anyone calling my brother heirless! If you want a divorce, just say so! I'll send you packing back to your mother's house!"

Second Aunt-in-law wilted. This man rarely spoke, but when he did, his words were ironclad.

Cheng Ying felt vexed. This was the first time she had fought and come away at a disadvantage, failing to shout down Second Aunt-in-law and needing outside help.

The old woman patted her granddaughter. "It’s hard to deal with people!"

Chi Yong commented, "Not bad. One against two, and while slightly pressured, it wasn't a defeat."

This sounded like commentary on a soccer match. Cheng Ying thought to herself.