Chi Wu watched Cheng Ying, clearly reluctant to leave. When he had departed previously, she had been so hesitant. “Yingzi, we will definitely come back. Your father is here, your mountain tract is here, and we still have our old house.”

Cheng Ying was pleased the young man understood her sentiment. “That’s for sure. You have to come help me during summer and winter breaks, or how will we manage the autumn harvest?”

Chi Wu felt he had overthought things; this girl didn't need comforting. She didn't seem to feel at all like he had when he left.

Chi Wu didn't consider that Cheng Ying’s move to the city already had everything arranged—her housing sorted out. How could that compare to the frantic state of mind he’d been in? For her, this was more like a triumphant return.

The two finalized all the necessary arrangements. After several days, Cheng Ying finally brought up the matter while watching television one evening with the old lady. “Grandma, I used your name to secure a place in the city. I feel, for your granddaughter here, that the high school in the county just won’t cut it anymore. If I want to get into university, I need to aim for bigger places.”

The focus of the Cheng family matriarch landed squarely on household matters, completely bypassing the subject of academics. “My name... you bought a house? You bought one?”

Her question sounded a little foolish.

Cheng Ying replied, “Mmm, I bought it.”

The old lady exclaimed, “Oh, what a big deal! Why are you only telling me now? Why didn’t you consult with me first? Did someone trick you?”

Cheng Ying felt she would never catch up to the old lady’s line of thought; the direction her concerns took was always completely unexpected.

“Grandma, don’t worry. I am sharp enough. I’m the one who usually fools others; it’s very hard for anyone to fool me.”

The old lady, agile despite her years, kicked at Cheng Ying—a genuine swift kick. “You think you’re so clever? You little fool! How much money did it cost? What’s the place like? Did you hire a geomancer to check it out? Houses are not to be bought rashly!”

“Grandma! I came back to bring you to the city. I don’t dare live there alone. Don’t say you won’t come, or I’ll get upset with you! And that house—it took all my money, tens of thousands!” She had to say it this way.

The old lady started up from the kang bed in agitation, scrambling to put on her shoes. “I’ll get upset with you too! You think you’re so smart, running off by yourself? I can’t be at ease if you’re wandering around! You’re just a child—why didn't you say something sooner? Moving isn’t something you decide in a flash. I need a few days to pack things up. Ah, you wasteful child! Tens of thousands! How big a pile is that? Are the houses in the city lined with gold? Isn’t this swindling? My chest hurts!”

Cheng Ying’s heart settled. She had genuinely feared her grandmother would be too attached to this mountain hollow; she had been uncertain inside.

As long as Grandma complained about her chest hurting, it meant the pain hadn't truly set in yet. It was definitely the pain of losing money.

Chi Wu relaxed as well, knowing that Cheng Ying cared about him, but even more, he knew she cared about the old lady more than she cared about him.

If the old lady had refused to go to the provincial capital, Cheng Ying wouldn't have dared to go to school herself.

Chi Wu understood this perfectly now.

“Grandma, it’s late. Let’s deal with the packing tomorrow. There isn't much to pack. It’s the middle of summer; we don’t need to bring quilts. When we get to the provincial capital, you can make new ones. Besides, we’ll be coming back for holidays, so the house shouldn’t be left without bedding, right? Just bring simple clothes. Chi Wu drove back, so it’ll be convenient to carry them. The rest is Grandma’s necessities, the big fish in the vat outside, the grain, the liquor—and bring the cash. Grandma, is there anything else?”

This was to soothe the old lady.

Chi Wu added, “Now that you mention it, it really isn’t much.”

The old lady looked at the two troublesome children and couldn't be bothered to speak. This was moving house; if only it were that simple. “You two know nothing! Get up and help me pack, pack! If you two just leave like this, who will look after the house over there?”

Cheng Ying thought, The house doesn’t have wheels; it truly can’t be moved. “No, Grandma, it’s fine, I locked the door.”

The old lady grew worried. “You silly girl! What did I teach you? We’re newcomers there, how can you be so trusting? I can’t be bothered to talk to you about it. Hurry up and pack so we can leave quickly. All those things bought with so much money—I won’t feel safe. I’ve seen maybe a few ten-thousands in my whole life!”

So, the old lady fussed over the contents of the cabinets the entire night. Finally, the item she kept closest to her body was a piece of tiger skin. Watching this, Cheng Ying felt a pang of guilt. What Grandma treasured most was still her second son.

“Grandma, we are coming back. We can’t take everything, or we won’t have a place to stay when we return. It would be best if we didn't touch this room. Wu Zi and I will come back often; it needs to feel like home. We should just take what we need for the journey.”

The Cheng family matriarch touched the tiger skin with one hand and stroked her granddaughter with the other. “You, you just want to cause a fuss. My body is still strong; how many more years can I fuss around with you? Did you tell your father?”

“I did. I told Dad yesterday when I went over. If it’s for the sake of studying, Dad will definitely support it.”

“Mmm, you child. What were you saying just now? That the county can no longer hold you? You mustn’t speak like that; you’ll let others laugh at us. Even if it’s true, you can’t say it.”

Cheng Ying nodded along. How long was her grandmother’s reaction time? They had been busy all night, and only now did she bring up the topic of studying.

It seemed that in the face of daily necessities and money, Grandma was willing to push academics to the back burner.

The next day, Cheng Ying and the old lady went to Second Uncle’s house to arrange for Second Uncle to look after Cheng Ying’s land for the time being.

As for Grandma’s land and trees, the old lady called her two sons together and told them that each would manage a portion for a year, and when she passed, the three brothers would divide it equally, effectively sending the two sons away.

Second Aunt was quite enthusiastic. “Yingzi, are you really moving to the city? Second Auntie will see you off!”

The old lady glanced at her daughter-in-law. “Yingzi is coming with me to rely on her mother; you stay here.”

Second Aunt didn't get angry. The fact that Yingzi allowed them to manage the land and trees meant her own effort to curry favor hadn't been in vain. Her own brother was indeed insightful. Second Aunt smiled cheerfully, ignoring what her mother-in-law said. “Mom, what are you talking about? Yingzi is the sister of Dunzi and the others. Now that Yingzi is going far, shouldn’t her brothers look after things? I’m just worried.”

The old lady couldn't be bothered to respond.

Second Aunt continued, “Yingzi, about your mountain tract, do you need Second Auntie to help look after it? Your Second Grand-uncle is always an outsider.”

Cheng Ying replied, “That’s not necessary. Second Grand-uncle is raising wolves in the mountains. Second Auntie, I hardly dare go up the mountain now. I heard wolf pelts are quite valuable. I wonder how many Second Grand-uncle is raising? What do you think he feeds them every day? I certainly won’t go over there.”

Second Aunt laughed. “Haha, Second Auntie was just asking. Yingzi, bring your grandma and come back to visit often. Second Auntie will come see you off later.”

Then she left. This girl, though outwardly outgoing, was pleased to have secured management over more land and trees.

Cheng Ying remarked, “Grandma, Second Auntie’s wish has come true; she finally waited for me to be successful enough.”

The expression on the Cheng family matriarch’s face shifted unpredictably. She hadn't realized her second daughter-in-law had such foresight, truly hoping to gain possession of Yingzi’s land.

Sigh. However, compared to that, the old lady was still happier about her granddaughter’s success. “Forget it; I can’t figure this out. I won’t bother thinking about it.”

Chi Wu struggled to contain himself on the side. He couldn't understand why, in the end, their family’s land and trees ended up being managed by the Second Aunt whom he had disliked the most back then.

People and affairs are truly unpredictable.

The Cheng family matriarch arranged the household at breakneck speed and left with her granddaughter and grandson. It should be noted that the old lady only took a moment to say goodbye to Third Aunt, who had been like a daughter to her for a lifetime. When the old lady heard her granddaughter had spent over ten thousand yuan to acquire a courtyard house with no one to watch it, she had been deeply unsettled. Ten thousand yuan! She felt suffocated by it.

She dared not speak of it outside, as her granddaughter already had a reputation for being a spendthrift; she couldn’t let this news spread.

Therefore, the Cheng grandmother’s heart felt like it was being cooked in oil and fire; she was thoroughly distressed. After all, their small courtyard in the village was worth a mere one thousand or eight hundred at most.

For her granddaughter’s sake, she had to guard this inherited fortune of over ten thousand yuan well, which is why their departure was so hurried.

In Chi Wu’s vehicle, apart from the three of them, the most heavily loaded items were liquor, dried vegetables, and very few bundles of clothing. What the Chi family matriarch packed most were dried vegetables and grain; these items were easy to carry and essential everywhere. The old lady originally wanted to bring the entire salt and oil containers, but Cheng Ying stopped her. “I’ll be back, won't I? If you take everything, what will Wu Zi and I eat when we return?”

The old lady finally relented.

Chi Wu brought the most liquor. If the car hadn't been small, he would have loaded everything from his own cellar onto the vehicle.

Cheng Ying didn’t have much to bring, so she carefully carried the fish that she had nurtured like a child under her own grandmother’s care.

And, of course, the few chickens in the back of the car. This part was much more streamlined; the old lady had given away most of her large flock of chickens, leaving only these few.

There weren't many left because the rest were hard to resettle.

The farthest the Cheng family matriarch had ever traveled was the county seat, back when she traveled by horse-drawn cart. She found the type of covered vehicle Chi Wu was driving novel.

However, the novelty didn't last long before the old lady realized that good things weren't meant for easy enjoyment—she got carsick.

The old lady looked dispirited. “Don’t the elders say it? If you don't have the fortune for such a grand blessing, don't recklessly enjoy it, or you’ll invite misfortune. I suppose I’m destined for the life of a horse cart rider.”

Cheng Ying felt a pang of sympathy seeing her grandmother. She pulled out some fruit from somewhere—it looked smaller than the usual ones, but it was pretty. “Grandma, have a piece of fruit; it’ll make you feel better. Look ahead.”

The old lady took the fruit from Cheng Ying’s hand but hesitated to bite into it. “You child, when did you buy this? What a waste! But this thing is truly beautiful, it looks like the wild pears from our village, just much more refined in appearance.”

Chi Wu glanced over too. Girls really did have delicate minds; he hadn’t even thought about how his grandmother might get carsick, but when did this girl prepare this?

Cheng Ying took out a few more pieces to prevent her grandmother from being too frugal to eat them. “Grandma, just take a bite first; maybe it will ease the feeling.”

The old lady looked at the pile her granddaughter had produced, and decided that no matter how pretty it was, it was food. With a loud crunch, the old lady felt her teeth ache. “You don’t know how to live your life! You don’t even taste things when you buy them? Look, it’s all just showy junk. My teeth!”

Cheng Ying looked at the old lady with a crestfallen face. You’re still carsick, yet you still have the energy to worry about economics?

However, the old lady had successfully shifted her distress from the dizziness of motion sickness to the pain in her teeth. Cheng Ying thought, The fruit in my personal space really doesn't taste that exceptional.

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