What choice did she have? But even though the yield wasn't high, the advantage was the fast seasonal change, which at least provided enough for her to tinker with fruit wine.

The only drawback was that the fermentation effect inside the spatial dimension wasn't great; this kind of thing still needed to be exposed to the open air. This was a double-edged sword, then.

So, the fruit wine Cheng Ying produced over the past two years was somewhat high-yield. Because others only saw that she hadn't brought back many wild fruits, but the wine extraction rate was high.

Cheng Ying thought to herself, cheating wasn't easy. Who told her that blooming and fruiting was an inevitable process? Even though the fruits weren't tasty and were small, the advantage was their sheer quantity. The only comfort was that she no longer needed to pick them herself; a mere thought could pile them up. Otherwise, it would exhaust her to death.

Cheng Ying had once considered that if the brewing didn't work out, she might have to resort to making vinegar. It was a choice made out of necessity.

As the car drove onto the section of road reserved for greening in the county seat, Cheng Ying boasted to the old lady, "Grandma, see? That's our family's colorful tree over there. Isn't it beautiful?"

The old lady scoffed, "There really are some who don't know quality; daring to plant this thing by the main road. It's truly shabby."

Cheng Ying felt that talking about this with the old lady was just setting herself up for disappointment.

The education of discouragement had never stopped with the old lady.

This old lady couldn't grasp the feeling of self-satisfaction Cheng Ying felt.

Chi Wu interjected, "Grandma, this is the scenery of our county. Although there are many of these trees where we live, there aren't any in the county seat."

The old lady sighed, "These city folks are truly pitiful; they've never even seen this."

Chi Wu scratched his head. How broad-minded this old lady was.

By the time they reached the provincial capital section, the old lady had mostly regained her spirits. "These buildings are truly tall. It really is the provincial capital; it's much bigger than the county seat."

Cheng Ying nodded in agreement; at least the old lady's logic was sound. "Grandma, once we get settled and tidy, Wu Zi and I will take you to see all the fun places in the provincial capital."

The old lady asked, "How much will that cost?"

The muscles in Cheng Ying's face twitched slightly. "It won't cost anything, Grandma. We’ll just walk around. See the sights."

"That would be wonderful! When we go back to the village, I'll have a good chat with your Third Auntie."

Cheng Ying looked at her own old lady. With your physique and your motion sickness, you're still thinking about running around?

But she couldn't say that to the old lady right now. "That would be wonderful. If you're in a hurry, you can write a letter to Third Grandma. I can write it for you."

"That costs too much money! I know, a stamp is several fen. Let's wait until we get home to talk about it."

Chi Wu thought that Cheng Ying was truly the old lady's granddaughter; they thought about things in the same way. They were never separated from money.

Then Cheng Ying felt that her own old lady still needed to be guided towards something more sophisticated and grand. Look at herself—never so vulgar. Was money a problem for her?

Clearly, there was a gap in their understanding of the family's standing.

The old lady wasn't happy for long. The road was too far, and she passed through more than one bustling area. She got tired of it; it wasn't novel anymore.

So, by the time they actually arrived home, the old lady felt like her whole body was falling apart. As she got out of the car, she said only one thing to Cheng Ying: "Ying Zi, once you’ve chosen your school, try not to make things difficult. Grandma’s old bones can’t handle this kind of fortune. I never want to ride in a car again; it’s too much suffering."

Cheng Ying helped the old lady alight right at their doorstep, her heart aching for her. "We'll both attend university here. No more running around, rest assured, Grandma."

Looking out, there were three neat, street-facing houses along the wide road.

The middle one was the entryway, with a jet-black main door that looked quite imposing. It looked expensive just by sight.

Chi Wu used his key to open the door. The old lady’s steps were a little unsteady, but once she stepped into the courtyard, a satisfied smile spread across her face.

It was almost identical to their old home, except the outer courtyard wall had become three rooms.

The old lady was genuinely relaxed. The entryway was bright, as Cheng Ying had hung large mirrors on both side walls.

The old lady deliberately checked her reflection. To be honest, she was slightly dissatisfied. The mirror at home was small, and she had never seen herself so clearly before.

From now on, she would never again say that Ying Zi's mother had an unfortunate appearance. Wasn't that criticizing her own fortune?

No one knew that this was the old lady’s realization while looking in the mirror. Otherwise, Cheng Ying would surely have nodded in agreement. Although the old lady's dentures were set and her cheeks were plumper, with fewer wrinkles and a fairer complexion, her countenance still carried a hint of harshness. Cheng Ying really couldn't do anything about that.

Outside the entryway, the center of the courtyard was paved with bluestone leading the way. On either side of the path were two large water vats, one and a half meters in diameter and a meter high.

The old lady lovingly touched them. These were good things; at least her fish would have a place to settle down.

Cheng Ying quickly let go of the old lady and scattered her fish into the vat.

In the large vat across the way, Cheng Ying had already placed two large Koi carp, which were much more beautiful than the ones the old lady had brought.

The old lady looked genuinely fond of them. "Ying Zi, wasting money again. Two were enough for me to raise."

"It's fine, Grandma. I just happened upon these things; they were free." This was true; you couldn't buy them even if you had money.

Cheng Ying thought to herself that she had plenty. This was just the old lady's small hobby; she could certainly support it.

On the east side of the courtyard was a well. Beside it grew a tree whose flowers were incredibly beautiful—Cheng Ying didn't know what kind it was.

There was also a mountain grape trellis that covered half the eastern courtyard, making the yard look lush and green, and pleasantly cool.

Cheng Ying had specifically asked people to build the grape trellis high so it wouldn't block the courtyard's light.

Chi Wu remarked, "These grapes are growing so well. They weren't this big when we left."

Cheng Ying thought, Well, did you see how many days I spent diligently watering them?

On the west side of the courtyard were the vegetable patches Chi Wu had cultivated himself. The cucumber vines and beanstalks were thriving.

However, they would need another ten days to half a month before they could eat cucumbers.

Peppers, eggplants, and tomatoes were planted all around, packed densely.

The old lady looked towards the east side and was even more pleased than with the west side. "This is good. Living in the countryside, those flowers are pretty to look at, but this is what’s truly practical."

"It’s just the three of us. If we plant too much, it’ll go to waste. Half the courtyard is enough. This area is nice for Grandma to stroll around in."

The old lady looked at the east side, genuinely delighted. "Mmm, very nice. And these few large stones are even better; they look just like the ones in our village."

Could Cheng Ying say that the old lady had excellent eyesight? She remembered every striking stone in the village.

But weren't they brought from her spatial dimension? She had picked one large one to place in the center, to be used like a table.

Four stones with distinct shapes and flat tops were placed around the large stone, making the area under the grape trellis particularly comfortable.

Cheng Ying felt that if she were to retire, this place would certainly be a treasure.

Chi Wu asked, "When did you find these stones, Ying Zi? I never noticed."

Cheng Ying retorted, "Can your eyes even see stones?"

Chi Wu circled the stones several times. "But they truly are quite attractive. Who knew stones could have such character?"

Cheng Ying didn't want to dwell on this issue. She had only brought a few convenient conditions here, and these two were still sharp-eyed about everything. Life wasn't easy, and living with secrets was even harder. No wonder so many people went crazy; it was probably all from repression.

Chi Wu suggested, "Grandma, let’s go inside to rest. You’ve been tired all day."

The old lady nodded. Cheng Ying unlocked the inner door again and helped the old lady onto the kang bed in the east room.

The old lady’s only feeling was familiarity and comfort. The layout was similar to home, but it was more spacious, and the furnishings looked more pleasing. "You two must have spent a lot of money. Look at this furniture; it’s brand new, right?"

Cheng Ying replied, "No. It's pear wood. We just paid for the shipping and labor, and had someone custom-make it."

This was the truth; Cheng Ying wasn't impressed with store-bought furniture.

Their village had plenty of pear wood; furniture made from it was much more beautiful, and it was hardwood.

The old lady felt much more affectionate towards this furniture. At least it was something that came from their own village.

Then she looked at the mat on the kang; it was the reed mat she favored. Why did everything feel so much like home?

The old lady finally found a sense of belonging.

"Grandma, what do you think?" Cheng Ying asked.

The old lady hummed. "Mmm, it's very nice, but just looking at it makes me feel like money was spent. I’m sitting on a pile of money; my heart feels uneasy."

Cheng Ying looked at the old lady, unable to offer much comfort. "Grandma, we manage our life quite steadily. Please put your heart at ease."

What was Chi Wu doing at this time? Chi Wu had gone to the backyard to pen the chickens.

The old lady asked, "Ying Zi, I didn’t see a place for me to keep chickens for quiet tending, and I didn't see an outhouse either."

This only showed that the old lady was a practical woman; food, drink, excretion, and micturition were truly important matters. The old lady was only concerned about these things.

Cheng Ying pulled the old lady, saying, "Grandma, you trust me too little! We've lived together for several years, how could I forget something like that? It’s in the back courtyard."

Forgive the old lady; she hadn't noticed the back door when she entered the main house, so she truly didn't know about the existence of a back courtyard. "There’s a back courtyard? This yard is even bigger than the one in our village."

"Of course, Grandma. You don't know, the back courtyard was all cleared out by Chi Wu. Other than those three rooms, there wasn't anything properly tidied up. Wu Zi said the back courtyard is being kept as a warehouse for storing things."

"I must go see." She reached for her shoes, ready to get off the bed.

"Grandma, rest, rest! This is our home; when can't you see it? Don't rush. Chi Wu went to pen the chickens for you. Rest assured, we have everything. Never mind raising chickens for quiet tending; even if you wanted to raise a pig, there’s a place for it."

"I don't want that. With just a few of us, we can't eat that much. If we slaughter a pig, we have to treat guests, and that’s not worth it. Don't bring that thing home!"

Cheng Ying hugged the old lady, nearly collapsing with laughter. This was her own grandmother. "Grandma, this is the provincial capital. Even if we wanted to treat guests, we don't know anyone. You can have whatever you want; don't worry about anything else. Does your granddaughter lack money?"

As she said this, Cheng Ying's eyebrows flew up high.

This earned her a swift kick from the old lady. Cheng Ying thought to herself, Thank goodness her feet are small, but the surface area for impact is small, so it still hurts.

She looked at the old lady, "The most correct thing I ever did was throwing away the feather duster from home."

She said this with resentment and grievance, her small eyes conveying indignation and dissatisfaction.

The old lady leaned back on the pillow to rest. "Dream on! I brought my chicken feather duster with me. Once I've rested, I'll make a switch and tell you not to get cocky. I’ll discipline you."

Cheng Ying was astonished. When did the old lady pack a feather duster in her luggage? This looked like she was determined not to abandon violence.

PS: Please vote! Please give pink tickets! RL