Cheng Ying looked at her own mother, finally finding a familiar grounding, thinking that her mother was truly someone who spoke her mind, no matter what.

Old Mrs. Chi couldn't find any joy even looking at the orchid. Whether they were outsiders or family, having them set up camp in her home permanently was out of the question. "Yingzi, try these. They are all out-of-season fruits, things you rarely see on the market. You can't just eat them casually."

If the old lady weren't such a judgmental person, she wouldn't be like Fan Xiang, always unable to restrain her mouth when dealing with Cheng Ying. This girl was the daughter of her daughter-in-law, not related to her own son by blood, which predetermined that the girl would certainly never win her affection.

Cheng Ying thought, the old lady is really not very kind; it feels so unpleasant. Why couldn't you maintain that noble reserve? What a wonderful quality you failed to nurture and promote. "Um, thank you, Grandma Chi. I will definitely try them. Mom, have you eaten any of these fruits?"

Yang Zhi replied, "A little bit, not much. I still prefer eating what’s in season. These things are so expensive; it puts a lot of pressure on my mind."

Cheng Ying coughed lightly. It seemed the old lady's display of high-class living hadn't made even a slight impact on her own mother. How could she still be so frugal?

Old Mrs. Chi’s face flushed. Things that even meticulous care couldn't cultivate properly.

Cheng Ying continued, "Mom, even though these fruits are out of season, they still violate natural rhythms. They're likely forced with chemicals, maybe ripened with rotten bananas. You're pregnant now; we should eat what's naturally available. Things with less pesticide are good; you shouldn't eat things randomly. These are better left for that greedy kid Chi Wu and me as snacks."

Yang Zhi insisted, "I haven't eaten much, don't worry."

Cheng Ying pressed on, "We absolutely cannot let the little brother in your belly suffer. It's either expensive things or good things. Uncle, what Mom eats needs to be carefully vetted; she's expecting, unlike us, who can eat anything."

Old Mrs. Chi’s expression darkened. So, the things her family spent money to buy were disdained by them? What absolute country bumpkins! "Yingzi certainly knows a lot."

That statement was dripping with sarcasm, yet Cheng Ying smiled innocently, accepting the compliment with delight. "I just read a bit more. Grandma Chi flatters me."

Old Master Chi stared intently at the Arowana in his bathtub, firmly refusing to approach. His old wife had been completely defeated. How could this girl never take a loss? Didn't she know she was standing on their territory?

Chi Yong finished carrying the last load of things. "Yingzi, why did you bring so much?"

Chi Wu panted behind him, "I made four or five trips back and forth, and you only made one trip! Are you complaining already?"

Old Mrs. Chi chimed in, "Yingzi's grandma too! What isn't there in the city? Why haul things from so far away? Look how tired the child is!" With that, she grabbed Chi Wu to wipe his sweat.

Chi Yong thought about his unyielding daughter. Why couldn't his own mother see clearly? You really can't afford to provoke this one; the key is, she isn't just anyone—this girl is forged in experience.

Cheng Ying clenched her fist. Although she agreed with the assessment internally, she didn't like hearing those words from Old Mrs. Chi. How could she say that? That was her grandmother’s kind thought! If she had money now, she’d buy her mother a house in the city so she could get whatever she wanted without having to come here and listen to things that weren't even useful. But her mother still had to live with these people; she couldn't put her in a difficult spot. While she could deliver a cool retort to the old lady, she couldn't make things too alienating. She just needed to let them know her family wasn't easily messed with, and better yet, not to mess with her mother.

Cheng Ying said smoothly, "Indeed, Old Madam also said that, so I prepared a pot of grass and two fish for Grandma Chi."

Chi Yong turned, "Yang Zhi, is dinner ready? Yingzi must be hungry."

Old Master Chi instructed, "Wuzi, help take these things to the storeroom."

Old Mrs. Chi’s face turned deep purple. The clear implication was: these weren't for you; you thought too much. How could this situation be so stifling?

Yang Zhi, completely missing the subtle undercurrents, continued, "Yingzi, what do you want to eat? Tell Mom, and I'll make it for you."

Cheng Ying replied, "I just got off the car. Whatever is ready is fine; no need to cook specially. Mom, you shouldn't be in the kitchen with your belly; maybe I should cook instead."

Yang Zhi said, "Usually, I don't, as we have an auntie at home. It's just because you're here today."

Cheng Ying thought, that's good; at least her body won't be tired, though her mind might be worn out. It was tough on her mother; the woman never suspected ill intentions from others. "Mmm, Grandma asked me to bring you some preserved vegetables. She said you craved these when you were pregnant. I’ll prepare them for you tomorrow."

Yang Zhi nodded. "That’s good. The ones bought here never have the right flavor."

Cheng Ying added, "And two jars of preserved green plums Grandma picked for you."

Yang Zhi truly couldn't read her mother-in-law's expression and nodded along with her daughter. "I'll try some tonight."

Chi Yong felt that his wife definitely wasn't intentionally ganging up with their daughter to annoy his mother. His wife didn't have the nerve or the ability for such deliberate actions. But the unintentional effect was even more infuriating. She didn't realize how jarring her words were.

Cheng Ying continued, "Mom, Grandma also got you coarse grains and mixed flour. She said while eating those things daily isn't ideal, eating them intermittently is good for a change of appetite. Keep them and eat them slowly."

Yang Zhi responded, "Perfect. When the baby is born, I can use these to improve our meals from time to time. Eating only fine grains every day does make one lose appetite."

Old Mrs. Chi turned to look at the flowers and plants. She wanted to say that she wouldn't dare eat anything brought by her daughter-in-law, but she saw Chi Wu beside her, and Chi Yong had fallen silent, all focused on the son and grandson.

Speaking of her grandson, the old lady exclaimed in shock, "Oh my, Wuzi, where did you crawl out from, looking like this? You’re filthy!"

This statement wasn't intentionally malicious on the old lady's part, but it was far more hurtful than anything spoken deliberately. The entire room fell silent when she said it.

Cheng Ying looked at Chi Wu. In the old lady's eyes, calling their place a "poor mountain ditch" might be accurate, so there wasn't much to get angry about. However, her own mother had also come from a poor mountain area; she couldn't let the old lady use that as fodder for jokes. "Grandma Chi, what's wrong with Chi Wu?"

Old Mrs. Chi thought to herself that she hadn't managed to embarrass anyone as successfully as she just had. But this time, her comment was genuine. "Yingzi, Grandma didn't mean it like that. Look at how you two are dressed—how can you show yourselves? Did you really travel all this way like this? Why didn't your grandmother give you proper clothes?"

Grandma Chi considered that so many people in the compound had seen them; the thought gave her a headache. The rumor about "poor relatives" being shown around would surely spread. The old lady valued her aloofness and disliked gossiping, usually avoiding troublesome matters.

Cheng Ying countered, "We traveled by bus from the county seat. If we didn't dress like this, should we dress like movie stars and invite robbers? You must agree that our heads aren't filled with sawdust, right? Can money be plastered visibly on our foreheads?"

This was a veiled insult implying Old Mrs. Chi’s mind was full of sawdust. As for money, Cheng Ying couldn't produce it, but she could produce something far more valuable. In front of everyone, she took out a small, ragged cloth bundle. "Mom, take this. When you deliver the baby, ask the doctor to prescribe some tonics, or you can exchange it for money if you prefer."

Yang Zhi opened the bundle. "Oh my! It’s this big! Yingzi, where did you find this?"

Old Master Chi rarely saw his usually calm daughter-in-law showing such surprise. He looked over and, indeed, in the worn cloth bundle were two or three things with fine tendrils. "Is this real?"

Cheng Ying stated casually, "It’s grown on our own land; I just pulled them out."

Old Master Chi’s mouth twitched. This implied their family had no shortage of money.

Old Mrs. Chi thought that she had misspoken earlier, and nothing was more important than her grandson’s safety. She blamed herself for not thinking things through and speaking hurtfully. She resolved to simply ignore the mountain girl; the core issue remained: her concern for her son and grandson. However, that ragged bundle the girl held made one hesitant to guess what else she might have.

Chi Wu piped up, "Grandma, you don't know! Yingzi’s mountain plot isn't just these kinds of grasses; she also has ones with such wide leaves—they are beautiful! Yingzi just didn't have the foresight to bring you one of those."

Old Mrs. Chi looked at the orchid she had just received. If this wasn't even the prettiest one, she felt truly conflicted. This girl wasn't someone she could just choose to ignore.

Old Master Chi knew his wife's obsession with orchids, so this was indeed a delicate matter. He shot his grandson a look.

Chi Wu shamelessly pulled Cheng Ying toward the dining area. No one dared to give Cheng Ying and Chi Wu dirty looks; even if their own matriarch was cold toward Cheng Ying, Chi Wu couldn't stand it. That was his Cheng Ying! He couldn't bear to see Yingzi being looked down upon. In Chi Wu's heart, Cheng Ying ranked above his grandmother; their shared hardship had forged an extraordinary bond. So, when Chi Wu saw the old lady admire the grass, he used it as bait. If you aren't nice to Yingzi, no one will see this thing you cherish being carefully cultivated.

Chi Wu tugged at Cheng Ying, "Yingzi, next time you pull grass, don't let it dry out. Bring back a couple for the old lady to tend carefully, okay?"

Cheng Ying looked at Chi Wu. Was this kid deliberately stirring up trouble? "Leisurely people tend flowers; lazy people tend grass. Are you trying to get the old lady to criticize me?" This was intentional non-cooperation, yet it was also heartwarming because of Chi Wu's thoughtfulness. After all, he was the one she had raised. Wait, Cheng Ying thought, you’ve only raised him for a few years.

Chi Wu reasoned, "See, you can just do it behind the old lady’s back. Just one plant for each area would be fine."

Cheng Ying was touched by Chi Wu's intentions—he wanted the old lady to be more polite to her just for the sake of the orchids. So, she played along cooperatively, "Is that something one can do behind the old lady’s back? If we planted one in every sunny spot, we'd need half the courtyard!"

Old Master Chi, nearby, sputtered out the water he was drinking. There was that much? If that were true, his wife would be determined to move to the mountain ditch permanently.

Chi Wu swallowed hard. That was quite an exaggeration. How would she explain this lie later?

Cheng Ying felt no pressure; items like that were abundant, truly flourishing. Whether true or false, to Old Mrs. Chi, they were precious. Therefore, her attitude toward Cheng Ying became deeply contradictory. She genuinely looked down on the mountain girl, yet the girl held things she lacked and desperately desired. An obsessive hobby is the easiest way to expose someone's weakness; that much was undeniable.