Chi Wu spoke quickly and urgently, his words sharp and forceful, each sentence hitting the mark precisely.

Cheng Ying’s expression shifted several times; she couldn’t help but wonder if the boy had planned this, lying in wait for her.

Yet, Cheng Ying genuinely agreed with Wu Zi: the Old Matriarch had a keen eye for people. "I was just saying, look how worked up you are. I was thinking of having you meet the Old Headmaster."

Chi Wu: "I already went. Didn't you?"

Cheng Ying blushed. "I went too! I just didn't know you hadn't gone. So, what do you want to eat? I’ll start preparing it."

Chi Wu: "Stop right there. Don't try to sidestep this. Yingzi, let me tell you, if you make Grandma sad, if you dare do things behind her back—do you think that’s right? Do you think you’re being fair to Grandma? Who are you being fair to?"

Cheng Ying was close to tears. When did this child become so persistent? "I didn't! I won't! I will definitely listen to Grandma."

Chi Wu: "I will listen to Grandma too. Yingzi, we’re older now, and Grandma is old. We can’t think that just because she’s old, we can fool her. That’s wrong. That kind of behavior invites divine retribution."

That was rather heavy talk. Cheng Ying glanced at the sky; thankfully, it was clear, or she would have felt a genuine chill. "Can we not be so serious?"

Chi Wu: "I feel sad for Grandma; I feel distressed for her sake. I've been so good to you, and you’re thinking of doing things behind Grandma’s back that she wouldn't approve of. Remember how important that tiger skin was to her? You sold it, and did Grandma say a word? Ever since then, I decided I would never make Grandma sad again, never lie to her again."

Chi Wu’s words struck Cheng Ying deep in her heart. Watching her face, Chi Wu thought, I don't believe appealing to emotion won't change your stubborn mind.

Cheng Ying said sincerely, "I won't lie to Grandma. I was truly just messing around with nothing better to do. Can we stop talking about this?"

Chi Wu took a deep breath, looked at Cheng Ying, and let out a cold snort, looking particularly smug. "You must keep this in your heart. Remember all the good things Grandma has done."

Cheng Ying nodded, her demeanor incredibly earnest. "I know." She was one step away from admitting she was wrong.

Chi Wu turned to go flatter the Old Matriarch. Since he was guiding Yingzi to listen to the Old Matriarch, he couldn't let the Old Matriarch become an obstacle to his own plans.

Chi Wu’s planning was meticulous.

In Cheng Ying’s eyes, it was no wonder Chi Wu had been treating the Old Matriarch better and better lately, learning how to cheer her up so skillfully. It turned out the boy remembered his obligations. He remembered Grandma's kindness—a child who valued loyalty and gratitude!

Cheng Ying felt a flicker of pride; after all, she was the one who guided the boy's development.

She genuinely didn't feel like she’d walked into a wolf’s den.

After the fifth day of the Lunar New Year, the craftsmen started arriving one after another, including the new ones Cheng Ying had hired locally. The adjacent courtyard was already housing about ten men.

Fortunately, the layout of the adjacent courtyard mirrored their own. Both were two-courtyard compounds; aside from the storefront in front, the back rooms were spacious enough for lodging.

Moreover, Cheng Ying had completely covered the adjacent courtyard with glass panels—for rain protection, fire prevention, and security.

If it weren't for Grandma’s aversion to stuffy, non-ventilated spaces, Cheng Ying would have covered her own courtyard too.

Of course, the most crucial aspect was that the entire complex was now functioning as warehouse space, saving so much worry.

The furniture shop's opening coincided with the slow season right after the New Year, so there weren't many buyers. It wasn't until after the fifteenth that Brother Li came and selected a large load of furniture, filling an entire large cart.

Cheng Ying promised, "Brother Li, you can bring things back for exchange."

Chi Wu felt that offering such flexibility in sales was a surefire way to lose money.

Brother Li, however, wasn't shy about the deal. Although they hadn't signed a contract, the three of them settled all the terms professionally.

All of Cheng Ying’s furniture pieces bore the label: "Northern Solid Wood Furniture."

Watching cart after cart of furniture being hauled away, the Old Matriarch felt an immense sense of relief, yet also worry.

Supporting over a dozen workers wasn't something that could be managed lightly; the Old Matriarch was fretting.

Before Cheng Ying returned to school, everything had been running smoothly, and things looked promising everywhere.

However, a vexing issue soon arose. Several furniture shops had opened on their relatively quiet street.

Although they weren't as large as her own shop, they were still an irritant.

Chi Wu's mood soured noticeably. Although Cheng Ying was also displeased, she understood business: if her venture was successful, someone was bound to try and muscle in. She soothed the Old Matriarch and Chi Wu. "It’s fine. Competition drives development. They can't outdo us."

Chi Wu: "I’m not angry about that. I’m angry because their furniture styles are almost identical to ours."

He glanced toward the adjacent courtyard as he spoke, suspecting one of the craftsmen might have leaked information.

The Old Matriarch sighed the same way. "This isn't new, dear. People always want to live better than others. There’s no reason only you should make this money and no one else can."

Cheng Ying: "Mm, don't overthink it. We only have a few styles. Even without the craftsmen telling anyone, anyone familiar with the trade can replicate them after seeing them twice. Don't make a fuss. This isn't bad; at least we won't have to advertise, and everyone who buys furniture will know to come here. For the long run of the business, what matters is our inherent strength, not this."

Chi Wu: "I’m still upset." He then walked out.

Cheng Ying thought how nice it was to be young enough to throw a tantrum so freely; she supposed she was getting old now.

The Old Matriarch comforted Cheng Ying. "It's alright. We’ve already recouped our initial investment. At worst, we just won't buy the car."

She spoke sweetly to coax her granddaughter, thinking the child hadn't experienced many setbacks.

Cheng Ying smiled, quite pleased with herself. "That won't do! The car is already ordered; we can't just cancel it. Besides, this might turn out to be a blessing in disguise. Our furniture shop might become famous because of this! Before, without any comparison, it wasn't clear how good or bad our shop was. Now, we finally have a benchmark, and I’m happy about that."

The Old Matriarch thought to herself, Why was I trying to comfort her? It was unnecessary. This girl is so proud. "Anyway, losing money or making money doesn't matter. You handle whatever you want to do. I’m going to watch the opera singers practice. Oh, and don't let this delay your studies; that’s the most important thing."

Cheng Ying nodded. "Don't worry."

That evening, she brought a potted flower to the Chi family’s matriarch as a gift when visiting.

Chi Wu: "What's the meaning of this? Why are you bringing gifts to my Grandma?"

His tone and expression clearly implied he suspected Cheng Ying had ulterior, calculating motives, like a weasel bribing someone.

Cheng Ying: "Can't I just show your Grandma some goodwill? You good-for-nothing kid, move aside."

Even though courtesy often implies a hidden request, Cheng Ying hated the thought of appearing calculating. Besides, she was just trying to keep people happy; she wished he would give her less disdainful looks.

Chi Wu: "Yingzi, our car will be arriving soon."

Cheng Ying: "Is your driver’s license ready?"

Chi Wu looked excited, clearly pleased that Yingzi was confirmed about buying the car. "It’s been ready for ages."

Cheng Ying: "Why aren't you this proactive when it comes to serious matters?"

Chi Wu exploded. "What serious matter have I neglected? The trademark registration was slow!"

Cheng Ying pursed her lips. "The name still isn't that great, though."

Chi Wu curled his single eyelids, full of pride. " 'Northern' sounds so grand!"

Cheng Ying let out a cold snort. "It ends with 'Solid Wood Furniture'."

Chi Wu fell silent. This, he admitted, was a flaw in his life's work.

Cheng Ying arrived just as the Chi family had guests.

Cheng Ying knew the Chi Old Matriarch was often embarrassed to introduce herself to distant relatives and friends, so she usually avoided visiting when company was over. But today, she truly arrived at an inconvenient time. Cheng Ying, however, was never one to shy away from trouble and walked over confidently to greet them.

The Old Matriarch: "Wu Zi is back. Perfect timing. Come meet Qingfang; she's the youngest daughter of your Great-Grandpa Sun. She's his late-in-life treasure."

Chi Wu’s cheeks stiffened as he managed a strained, smiling greeting.

Something felt off. He recalled seeing this setup during previous matchmaking attempts in the village with Cheng Ming and the others. This introduction felt similar.

Thinking of this, he glanced at Cheng Ying, realizing this kind of situation could not be misunderstood.

He then took the young girl's hand. "This is my grandson, Chi Wu, he goes to No. 1 High School. You two are close in age. Don't let us old folks confuse your titles and relationships; otherwise, you won't have any friends your own age."

The young girl was shy and demure, but carried herself with elegant poise, showing good upbringing. "Hello."

Chi Wu, generally reserved, offered a brief, polite smile.

The Chi Old Matriarch was displeased, then turned to Cheng Ying. "This is Cheng Ying. You two go play."

Cheng Ying smiled brightly. Judging only by the girl, Cheng Ying wouldn't mind her becoming a sister-in-law; she seemed pretty. The Chi Old Matriarch still had good taste, although they hadn't seen the girl's temperament yet. Introducing a potential girlfriend to a sixteen-year-old grandson—that Chi Matriarch was quite progressive.

"Hello, I'm Cheng Ying."

The Chi Old Matriarch didn't mention the entanglement between her family and the Chi family, and Cheng Ying certainly wasn't inclined to bring it up.

Chi Wu had his own agenda; he disliked it when people introduced Cheng Ying by saying they were like siblings. He was quite happy to remain silent.

The Chi Old Man watched the scene from over here, shaking his head. His wife worried too much; delaying the children's studies wasn't the worst thing, but having his grandson make more friends couldn't hurt. He continued feeding the fish.

Cheng Ying thought, No wonder the Chi family's fish are getting plumper. This old man never seems to do anything else but feed them. She wondered if she had arrived at the perfect time again, catching him feeding the fish every visit.

Chi Ye happily rushed over. "Sis! I missed you! Why did you take so long to come?"

Cheng Ying: "Fatty, I missed you too. School is starting soon, so I had to stop by and see you before I got busy with everything else."

She then pinched the little chubby boy’s cheek. "You got fatter again."

Chi Ye clung to Cheng Ying. The boy adored her, and whenever Cheng Ying was around, she always let him run wild and play. It was no wonder he was so fond of her.

The young girl nearby remarked, "You two have such a great relationship."

Cheng Ying: "Mm, the little fatty is clingy, but he has a good temper. Chi Wu is good too."

She was adding points for Chi Wu.

The girl nearby felt that Cheng Ying was implying she knew Chi Wu better than she did, which made her slightly unhappy. The moment she first saw Chi Wu, her heart had fluttered a bit. When Chi Wu’s single eyelid twitched, the girl’s face immediately turned bright red. Looking at Chi Wu’s hair, he was even more handsome than a movie star! Fifteen or sixteen was truly the age for instantaneous infatuation.

Chi Wu was not pleased that this person was engaging with Cheng Ying. He turned a cold face toward Chi Ye. "Where’s Dad?"

Chi Ye: "He's inside. He hasn't finished reading his book yet; it’ll be a while."

Cheng Ying: "You guys chat. I’ll go see him."