The old Mrs. Chi looked at her son. Well, her son was filial, and she truly admired the flowers, but alas, her own home lacked the space to keep them. Her balcony was already full; no matter how much she liked them, she couldn't bring them back. "No need."

Old Mr. Chi understood his wife’s thoughts. "There’s still room for one more pot on the balcony."

It must be said, old Mrs. Chi had never been dissatisfied with their housing. After the rectification, they were among the first to move into the apartment buildings. Now, looking back, the apartment building wasn't that great; a courtyard was better—at least it was convenient for keeping flowers, having space. "No, the flowers and plants wouldn't be able to stretch out; they’d suffer."

Chi Yong finally understood: his own mother also preferred a courtyard.

When old Mrs. Cheng and Cheng Ying, along with Yang Zhi, finished setting out the meal and started placing the tables, they noticed that all the flowers and plants near their chicken coop had been moved. Old Mrs. Cheng remained silent, still enthusiastically inviting the guests to eat. However, being in their own courtyard, which now felt like a model home, made her feel a bit constrained and ill at ease. She didn't dare touch anything in her own yard—it felt like a showroom.

This entire family hadn't eaten together in three or four years. The atmosphere wasn't exactly warm, but it wasn't awkward either; after all, the ties of kinship were still there.

After the meal, old Mr. and Mrs. Chi left first with their grandson. Chi Yong and Yang Zhi stayed behind to chat intimately with old Mrs. Cheng.

There wasn't much to discuss. Was the money enough? Were they accustomed to being here? Old Mrs. Cheng answered all the questions: life was going quite well.

Yang Zhi said, "Mom, if there's any work, don't do it yourself. Chi Yong and I will come over on Sunday, we can do any kind of labor."

Hearing this, the old lady pursed her lips. The current Chi Yong, the old lady felt, had grown too soft for real labor. "There are five mu of land in the backyard; if you two come back, you can handle all of it!" Her words were a bit pointed.

Chi Yong’s mouth fell open; he was inviting trouble. "What are you two fussing about? Those things weren't bought casually! What are you using them for?" He was directing his anger at Cheng Ying. Chi Yong became so agitated that his Shanghe Village accent even slipped out.

Yang Zhi reacted much better than Chi Yong. "Really? That’s wonderful. Mom, I’ll definitely come over on Sunday. This body is going to rust if I don't."

Chi Yong’s face fell; it was clear he wasn't pleased.

The old lady asked, "Yongzi, how is your health?"

Chi Yong replied, "It's all good now. Mom, don't worry."

Old Mrs. Cheng chimed in, "Well, it’s good that you’re better. A person benefits from some physical labor. You two sit around all day and have developed ailments. If you exert yourselves on five mu of land, that’s not even enough for me to handle myself! I asked you to come back so you could get some exercise."

Chi Yong felt ashamed by the old lady's words. "Mom, I understand."

Cheng Ying pursed her lips: Understand nothing. Look at his expression.

When Chi Wu and Cheng Ying saw Chi Yong out the main gate, Chi Yong said, "Buying a house is fine, but why buy land too? Isn't that making your grandmother work harder?"

Cheng Ying looked at Chi Yong with contempt—he was so docile in front of the old lady. "Without land, Grandma wouldn't feel settled. But Uncle, don't worry, the land is planted with saplings. You can come over on Sundays just to pull some weeds, nothing else."

Chi Wu remarked, "Yeah, Yingzi, these saplings you planted are quite novel. Dad, later you should look around to see if there are saplings for sale, and bring them back to our place."

Chi Yong looked at Chi Wu, thinking, Is this really one of the Chi family? Why is he so commercially minded? The Chi family was known for its scholarly pursuits! They didn't start talking about buying and selling immediately. He decided he needed to carefully vet Chi Wu’s circle of friends later.

Cheng Ying thought highly of Chi Wu; the boy was too clever, never forgetting to leverage connections and advertise. If this boy turned out badly, it would definitely be due to a character flaw, not a lack of intelligence.

Yang Zhi said, "Yingzi, take good care of your Grandma; don't be careless. Oh, since Grandma is here, tomorrow I’ll take her to the hospital for a full check-up. Seeing that she’s completely healthy will ease my mind more."

Cheng Ying was delighted by her mother's suggestion. She had already planned on it, but having her own mother accompany them, especially since it was a place her mother had worked for years and had some acquaintances, would be even better. "Okay, I'll bring Grandma to find you tomorrow."

Chi Yong said, "I'll come along tomorrow."

It was rare for Yang Zhi to utter a jest, teasing Chi Yong: "You’d better come pull weeds tomorrow."

Chi Yong stared at his wife for a long moment, unable to speak. Is this really my wife? Why is her tone so light? Since moving to the city, Yang Zhi had rarely had moments like this. Looking back at the small courtyard of the Cheng family, he realized the woman's heart must be at ease now; she had no worries. Indeed, having relatives nearby made all the difference.

After everyone left, Cheng Ying saw the old lady tidying the yard. She pursed her lips, looking unhappy. Finally, she couldn't hold back. "Sigh, people are so fussy. I just put a few pots of flowers near the chicken coop to cover up the smell—who did it bother? Look how they’ve agitated me; I feel bad taking them out. They’ve moved everything."

Cheng Ying looked at her own grandmother, then thought of old Mrs. Chi. The pursuits of these two women were truly different. "Grandma, if you like leaving them there, we'll leave them. I'll find you two more heavily scented flowers to keep inside, away from the coop. It’s fine."

Old Mrs. Cheng said, "They look nice, but I feel uneasy. Why don't you move them to the windowsill? Don't touch the two pots by the well. Wu Zi's grandma still has a good eye."

Chi Wu was quite helpless. He and his father had spent the whole day fussing over these few pots of flowers. Who were they irritating? Why were these two old ladies making such a fuss? It was just a few pots of grass; what difference did it make where they were placed? Nevertheless, they moved the flower pots according to the old lady’s wishes.

As for fragrance, in Cheng Ying’s opinion, nothing was stronger than the scent of honeysuckle. So, Cheng Ying, who had gone out exploring early that morning, returned holding a long, two-meter vine of flowering honeysuckle, complete with its soil ball, and a small sapling of a goji berry tree, bright red.

When the old lady saw the things in her granddaughter's hands, she exclaimed, "Oh my, this is good stuff! It feels just like being back in our village. It’s just that planting this now, at this season, might not take root." She took the plants over.

Cheng Ying replied, "It’s fine. If they don't survive, we’ll replant them next New Year."

Thus, beside the Cheng family’s chicken coop, a honeysuckle vine and a goji berry tree stood side by side. With the old lady’s diligence, the chicken coop was kept clean, and the smell in the yard was certainly gone. Moreover, it looked beautiful—flowers and fruit all in one place. Under Cheng Ying’s special care, they grew vigorously. With her spatial ability, there was no such thing as "can't take root."

The old lady’s life, accompanied by her granddaughter and grandson, had settled into a routine. Except for when Yingzi took her for medical check-ups, which made the old lady feel down, saying she was looking for trouble when she wasn't sick, everything else was wonderful. When the test results came back proving the old lady was in excellent health, Cheng Ying was also relieved. She had this one grandmother who stayed by her side unfailingly; she couldn't bear for her to have any health issues.

After all the commotion of the past few days, there weren't many days left before Cheng Ying and Chi Wu had to leave for school.

Cheng Ying woke up early and took the old lady by bus for two stops to a small park further away. This area was closer to the city center, well-greened, and featured several pavilions where some elderly enthusiasts gathered in the morning to hum and drone. Cheng Ying figured that for the old lady, this was like watching a free opera; she would surely enjoy it.

Indeed, the old lady emerged as if she had been set free and didn't return until everyone else left, though she pursed her lips then. They walked back instead of taking the bus because the old lady felt spending money was wasteful. The two of them walked back. Cheng Ying accompanied her grandmother, treating it as exercise. Back in the village, she was always running up and down mountains; this walk was surely less strenuous than that. She was truly accustomed to it.

The old lady held her granddaughter's hand, commenting happily, "Although their costumes aren't very attractive, listening to it is quite lively. These people here are really nice; they let me listen for free."

Cheng Ying understood perfectly. If you said the old lady had profound artistic cells or appreciation abilities, that would be a lie. Their old lady was just there to watch the excitement. They were truly amateurs. "They’re happy to let us watch the excitement, giving them big respect, Grandma. If you like it, we can come stroll around every morning. You just have to watch the road carefully—use the crosswalks and don't run red lights." This was Cheng Ying’s only request for the old lady: personal safety was paramount. She only had this one grandmother, and she treasured her. She walked back with the old lady so she could familiarize herself with traffic rules. They didn't care about others' safety, but their own Grandma had to be safe.

The old lady grumbled, "These city people are so strange, even dictating where to walk. I almost don't want to come out."

Cheng Ying knew it was hard for a rural elderly woman to accept new things. "Think of it this way, Grandma: they let you watch the excitement for free. Isn't it worth a little trouble walking? Just think of it as us reserving seats. Besides, it’s not hard. As long as you always walk on the side of the hand you use for threading a needle, you’ll be fine." Old ladies might not distinguish directions well, but when it came to handling a needle and thread, the old lady had no problem.

The old lady still seemed somewhat reluctant. Cheng Ying shook her head. Since she had nothing else to do, accompanying the old lady here every day wasn't an issue. Once the old lady got used to it, things would be fine.

When she returned home, Chi Wu had already gone out. The young man couldn't stay cooped up at home all the time. Cheng Ying didn't believe in tying children down, so Chi Wu was given free rein here. Besides, he had his own home. What right did she have to constantly manage the grandson of the old Chi family?

When she got back, Chi Wu wasn't there, but Chi Yong was waiting. Cheng Ying gave her own mother the key to the small courtyard. It wasn't strange that Chi Yong could enter.

Chi Yong asked, "Mom, where did you two go wandering so early this morning?"

Seeing a familiar face made the old lady extremely happy. City people didn't usually visit one another, and she had been feeling quite stifled recently. She was eager to share the news with a familiar face. "Yongzi is here! Yingzi took me to see the excitement. That place is quite nice, very crowded, and they have people singing opera. Even if their costumes aren't great, the singing is very lively."

Chi Yong understood; Cheng Ying had taken the old lady to stroll in the park. "Mmm, if you like it, go often. There are many elderly people there just like you, looking for some joy."

The old lady replied, "They look much younger than me; I wouldn't dare compare. But in the future, when we have nothing else to do, we can all go watch the fun together."

ps: Seeking Pink Tickets. RP