"That’s your uncle," the old lady felt her granddaughter was too cool, "He’s not an outsider. Your mother still relies on him." This was a subtle way of telling her granddaughter not to be so petty.

Cheng Ying felt Wu Zi was happier; sometimes, extra lessons were actually good. "Grandma, get them two large sheets of paper.

That would be more popular than roasting a small chicken." The old lady huffed, "You insensible child. Now that this person has entered the city, even their temperament has followed these city folk.

Girl, let me tell you, one must never forget their roots!" Cheng Ying thought, where did that come from? Isn’t this blowing the issue out of proportion?

"Grandma, we’ll eat what we eat, let’s not worry about them." Yang Zhi came over from the backyard. "Yingzi, is there any more of that fruit wine?" Cheng Ying stared—what a huge jar of wine it was—it was gone.

"This is a group of drunks." Yang Zhi smiled subtly, took the fruit wine, and walked toward the backyard. Having her own mother host these people was somewhat taxing, but that was her mother's battlefield, and Cheng Ying couldn't help much.

After all, her mother was going to spend the rest of her life with these people; there had to be some reciprocal interaction. The old lady sighed, "What kind of people are these?

Can they get full just by breathing cold air?" Cheng Ying looked at the group of lunatics in the backyard and felt the cold for them. Even though it was the end of February, the weather wasn't warm.

They were dressed quite nicely, yet they stood outside enduring the wind. No wonder the old lady couldn't figure out who these people were.

In the village, they looked like a bunch of crackpots. Cheng Ying said, "Grandma, there are all sorts of people in the world.

Dad deals with these kinds of people; what they value is elegance." The old lady shook her head. "This is truly elegant.

Look at them; one gust of cold wind tomorrow, and half of them will have lost their voices. Let me see if we have any pears left.

I need to boil some pear water for Wu Zi's father. He’s the one who talks the most, oh my.

You didn't see him just now, mouth wide open facing the wind; my throat ached just watching him." Cheng Ying felt her grandmother was truly extraordinary. After a pause, she replied, "Definitely.

Is he treating?" What was she even talking about with Grandma? So speechless.

Cheng Ying finally understood the generation gap between them. By the afternoon, when Yang Zhi returned carrying things, everything was empty.

Cheng Ying thought, finally, the gathering was ending. "Mom, have these people had enough fun?" Yang Zhi nodded.

"Mm, rural folks enjoy excitement, but these people get crazier when they play. They’re much more chaotic than the hullabaloo in our village." This was her own mother saying something sharp for a rare moment.

Cheng Ying could actually detect a hint of temper in her voice. "There’s something going on," she said.

"Mom, I’ll go help you clean up. You and Dad can’t manage both, right?" Yang Zhi pursed her lips, clearly unhappy when Chi Yong was mentioned.

"Go ahead." Then she went inside to tidy up without stepping outside. Cheng Ying frowned.

Her mother was throwing a mood; this was the first time. Virtue and gentleness were her mother's defining qualities.

She must have been provoked. Cheng Ying, wearing the layered-sole shoes her grandmother had made, moved lightly through the Crabapple Garden.

She had to admit, having so many trees was bad for visibility. Cheng Ying heard a woman’s delicate, gentle voice from a distance.

Before seeing the person, she heard such saccharine tones: "Sister-in-law is truly refined. Look at this courtyard; Brother Yong is blessed." Cheng Ying secretly chuckled.

An affair brewing, and calling him 'Brother Yong'? It sounded sickeningly sweet.

Chi Yong’s tone was indifferent. "Your sister-in-law is an honest person, kind-hearted." With just those few words, the woman’s voice shifted.

"Are you blaming me?" Cheng Ying felt like she had stumbled into a melodramatic soap opera. This wasn't true love, was it?

This was truly aggravating. Chi Yong said, "What's past is past.

Anything said now is superfluous. I have a wife and children now, and I’m living well.

Blaming? Not really." Cheng Ying felt this statement was decent; it honored her mother’s efforts over the years.

The woman retorted, "It’s past, and what about these years of feeling you had for me?" This was a rather progressive woman, daring to pester a married man. It seemed the moral education of the past few years hadn't stuck well enough; utterly shameless.

Chi Yong said, "Su Lan, you’ve had too much to drink. I’m married, and your sister-in-law is wonderful.

Everyone has their youthful indiscretions; what’s gone is gone." In one sentence, he attributed whatever happened years ago to youthful folly. As they say, young people are good because they can make mistakes—though it’s best if they don’t make major ones.

The woman clearly didn't agree; her voice grew sharper. "A country woman, and one with a child.

She is not worthy of you." Cheng Ying felt that based on this single sentence, this woman wasn't on the same level as her mother. Calling her a rival was overestimating her; she wasn't in the same league.

Chi Yong’s voice held a trace of anger. "That’s my wife.

So what if she’s a country woman? Country women are simple and sincere.

At least she didn’t abandon me. She married me for who I am; country women have good character." The woman’s voice changed instantly.

This kind of verbal slap was forcefully twisted around. "You still blame me?" Cheng Ying got a headache.

What kind of woman was this? So self-centered, and exhibiting a 'Mary Sue' complex.

Who does she think she is? He wasn't blaming you; he was cursing you, okay?

She walked over with slightly louder steps, directing a sickeningly sweet smile at Chi Yong. "Dad?" Chi Yong felt his hand tremble, genuinely chilled down his spine.

His daughter was even harder to handle than his wife, especially when she called him 'Dad'—it made his heart race. Nothing good comes from that.

Definitely nothing good. Chi Yong replied, "Yingzi is here." Cheng Ying said brightly, "Dad, how did Uncle and the Aunties enjoy themselves?

When you have time, bring your colleagues over again, and I’ll prepare in advance." Chi Yong was delighted. Judging by her voice, his daughter wasn't angry, so she probably wouldn't cause trouble.

"Oh, the blooming season only lasts so long. These people just love this; Yingzi, you mustn't get annoyed later, okay?" Cheng Ying smiled sweetly.

"How could I? They're Dad's colleagues.

Oh, right, Mom is waiting for you at the front to greet the uncles and aunties." Chi Yong said, "I’ll go right now." He rubbed his nose. His daughter hadn't mentioned anything else, so Chi Yong didn't dare say anything.

As for the woman, it was better if his daughter hadn't seen her. The woman clearly didn't agree; she needed to assert her presence.

"This must be Cheng Ying. Hello, I'm Su Lan; I'm your father's classmate, and now his colleague." Cheng Ying had originally intended to ignore this woman, but it seemed that wasn't possible; the woman wouldn't allow it.

Cheng Ying turned. "Auntie, you’re here!

I’m sorry, I didn’t even see you." The woman’s face darkened. Such poor eyesight at this age?

An ill-mannered, small-minded country girl who hadn't been taught properly. She straightened her back slightly.

"It doesn't matter. Auntie finds this place beautiful.

I feel completely immersed in the atmosphere." This meant she blended in with the scenery, so it wasn't Cheng Ying's fault she hadn't been seen. Cheng Ying felt a pang of sourness—trespassing in her crabapple grove!

Chi Yong felt his jaw ache. An old vine trying hard to pose as a tender young shoot.

It was unbearable to listen to. He rubbed his nose again.

He’d said what needed saying. If they couldn't listen, it wasn't his fault.

Cheng Ying looked at Chi Yong standing among the crabapple trees; he was more beautiful than the woman opposite him. No wonder he attracted romantic attention.

But this wasn't the time for internal war. Cheng Ying felt using her hometown dialect was best.

This woman was making her feel excessively sour. "Indeed, Auntie.

Wearing those trousers, combined with your complexion, I thought there was an extra crabapple tree here that just hadn't blossomed." She was intentionally comparing the woman’s skin tone to tree bark. Chi Yong interjected, "Yingzi, how can you speak like that?" Su Lan was quite resilient to insults.

"It’s fine, the young girl has poor eyesight. I won’t stoop to her level." Cheng Ying maintained her sweet smile.

"Auntie is indeed broad-minded." Su Lan corrected her, "I'm not married yet. Please call me Auntie." Cheng Ying feigned embarrassment.

"Oh, I’m so sorry. I didn't realize you were that old and still unmarried.

All the girls in the village are holding babies by this age. Please forgive my ignorance." Cheng Ying knew firsthand how vicious that blow was to a woman past her prime.

She realized she was using a tactic others had used against her; perhaps it was a bit dishonorable. The woman looked at Chi Yong.

"If my boyfriend had come back sooner, perhaps we would have children too." Cheng Ying thought her mother had met her match; this woman was troublesome. This unmarried woman was dead-set on wrecking someone else's marriage.

And bearing children? Sister, even if you met your boyfriend, you couldn't lay eggs.

"Auntie, you must be Dad's senior, right? You look much older than Dad." Chi Yong looked up at the sky, wondering why it was so beautiful.

Luckily, it was his daughter talking; if it were his wife saying this, she would have been wronged and had to hold it in, which would have made him feel terrible. "Little girl, this is the baptism of time.

Only at this age does a woman gain flavor." Cheng Ying felt that if this person weren't trying to steal her mother's man, she might even befriend her. It was rare to meet someone who could talk to her like this; she admired her greatly.

Loneliness! "Auntie, actually, I think time only baptizes our wisdom and experience, not our skin and wrinkles." Chi Yong continued looking up at the sky.

This child needed to be managed; why was her speech so venomous? She was pointing out the woman's aged skin and wrinkles.

Su Lan looked at the girl as if she wanted to bite a piece of flesh off. "Youth passes quickly; nothing is that perfect.

Little girl, enjoy yourself while you’re young; you'll get old too." Cheng Ying felt the woman had amazing tenacity. She turned and looked at Yang Zhi, who was walking over from the other end.

"Not necessarily. Heaven always favors those with more beautiful hearts.

Look." When Yang Zhi approached, she saw the atmosphere was tense, but she still smiled gently. "Yingzi, your uncle’s guests have all gone into your shop.

Go attend to them. Mother doesn't understand them well and can't introduce things properly." Her words were so simple and sincere.

Chi Yong looked at his wife. She was three years older than him, yet she looked younger.

Was it really true, as his daughter said, that Heaven favored good people? "Mm, Zhi Zi, you must have been exhausted today, right?" Yang Zhi pursed her lips, her smile fading slightly.

She was a little upset, but she wasn't good at getting angry with people. "Mm, we’re all family; it’s what should be done." She added quietly, "If I weren't helping you, I'd be helping Yingzi." Chi Yong raised an eyebrow.

She was angry; otherwise, she wouldn't have added that last part. "Oh, you’re tired.

Are you complaining to me?" Yang Zhi couldn't tolerate this—public flirting. He didn't have the thick skin for it, and even if he didn't care about the other woman, he had to care about his daughter.

She turned and said, "Yingzi, hurry up and go." Cheng Ying took her mother's hand. "Oh my, Mom, how did you grow up?

How is your skin better than mine? Did you steal immortal elixir?"