Chi Wu's grip loosened slightly. "Next time, don't just disappear without a word. You're a young woman; your grandmother and I worry sick when you're gone."

Cheng Ying raised her hand. Wu Zi was already so much taller than her now; she had to stretch her arm just to touch the top of his head. "Alright, I got it. Next time I'll be clear."

Chi Wu’s heart raced at the sudden intimacy, his face flushed deeply, but he forced himself to maintain a calm demeanor.

Just stay calm, stay calm. Later on, Yingzi and he would be even closer and more intimate than this; he couldn't keep blushing like this.

Chi Wu exerted all his strength to suppress the heart that desperately wanted to leap out.

Before October 1st, Cheng Ying’s furniture store rolled out a new line of furniture designs.

It could be said that people's consumer awareness was rising steadily, and business was booming even more.

The old lady now saw stacks of banknotes every day, to the point where she was almost numb.

The phrase she uttered most often was, "What is going on these days? Back then, when would I ever see such large bills? Who knew I'd live to see a day like this?"

Cheng Ying's comforting response was, "Just get used to it, Grandma. There will be more and more coming. Your granddaughter is truly capable. Buy whatever your heart desires; we genuinely don't lack money now."

The old lady looked at her granddaughter's composed manner and her method of dealing with things: she'd mix a basin of lukewarm water and go out to the roadside to wash cars.

This was a habit carried over from her life in the village.

Chi Wu would accompany the old lady, always polishing the family's car until it gleamed.

Cheng Ying thought to herself, I just hope the two of you don't scrub the paint right off.

During their leisure time, Cheng Ying and Chi Wu would take the old lady out for a stroll in the market, most often visiting the flower and bird market.

They entered a nice-looking shop; the wares here were far more varied than elsewhere, and everything looked quite respectable.

The old lady wandered around inside for a long time—she had spotted something she liked.

Cheng Ying called out loudly, "Boss!"

The shop looked good, but why wasn't anyone coming out to serve them? They hadn't been approached after all this time.

Cheng Ying called out again, "Boss!"

Only then did a person emerge from a corner, and he was half-hidden, as if holding a pipa behind his back.

Cheng Ying frowned at the recognizable, bulky silhouette. "You?"

The Fatty shielded his face with both hands. "It wasn't me!"

Cheng Ying fell silent for a moment. She had run into an acquaintance. To have a thief brazenly show his face like this was truly a disgrace to his ancestors. "This shop is yours?"

The Fatty revealed half his face. "Pick whatever you like. It’s all for you."

Cheng Ying was speechless. "I’m not here to smash and grab."

The words were unintentional, but for someone with a past criminal record, they carried unintended implications. "Miss, we've taken over this place, alright? I've already received my punishment from the People's Police. I have truly reformed."

Cheng Ying wasn't interested in his reformed status; she was more concerned with how soon he had gotten out. "How did you get out so quickly?"

Chi Wu turned his face and glared dangerously at the Fatty. He recognized the voice; this was the thief.

Chi Wu wished he could rush over and beat him up right then and there to vent some of his anger.

The old lady hadn't noticed the commotion over there, especially since the two of them weren't speaking loudly.

Cheng Ying was displeased. It had only been a few days, and he was already out? "I didn't realize. You seem to have connections. You must have spent quite a bit of money. It hasn't even been two months."

When the Fatty saw Cheng Ying and Chi Wu looking at him, he was on the verge of tears. This pair was someone he absolutely could not afford to offend. He had truly inquired about them.

The Fatty seethed with regret. Why hadn't he bothered to inquire before scaling their wall? He regretted it immensely.

Otherwise, he certainly wouldn't have dared to casually trespass over their courtyard wall.

The Fatty pleaded, "Big Sister, what more do you want from me? It was an attempted crime, and my attitude was sincere; I have truly reformed. Please let me go."

Cheng Ying thought the man was a bit slow. She hadn't said she wouldn't let him go. "Whether I let you go or not is the police's business. Don't suggest I'm the one holding you back. When I called the police initially, you agreed to it, so you can't use this as an excuse for revenge."

The Fatty shuddered, recalling that scene. He hoped no one would ever mention it again in his lifetime.

He dreaded recalling it more than being locked up. "Sister, my dear Sister, how would I dare? I still have nightmares when I think about it. It's been two months, and I still have night terrors."

Cheng Ying felt the Fatty hadn't seen much of the world. "Enough. Is that necessary? Are you a real man? Don't call me 'Sister' and get overly familiar. In our family, across eight generations, none of us have been thieves; we are completely clean. With your attitude, you're making me sound like the villain. You're taking sedatives? That has nothing to do with me. I took them for two days, too."

The Fatty fell silent. I've been taking them for two months.

No matter how he interpreted the girl's words, they didn't sound pleasant, but what could he do? He had accidentally become a middle-aged man who had taken a wrong turn.

People must never walk the wrong path. Otherwise, the brand of a thief could never be wiped clean from one's body.

The Fatty looked at Cheng Ying mournfully. "That's not what I meant. I am showing you respect."

Cheng Ying sized him up, then herself. The word 'respect' didn't quite fit. "You are respecting your former customer."

The Fatty dared not speak. Anything he said, the young girl could twist into something else.

Cheng Ying surveyed his shop. "No wonder this place looks good; you must have put a lot of effort into it. Did all this come from that same effort?"

The Fatty maintained an earnest expression. "No, no, it really didn't. Besides the fish from your house, I heard you also had some rare flowers. Tell me, in the provincial capital, whose shop has a wider variety than mine? Why would I need to look elsewhere?"

Cheng Ying: "Then you truly have discerning taste, to have targeted us."

The Fatty was about to cry. "Can we please stop bringing that up?"

Cheng Ying: "Once a thief, always a thief; it can never be washed away. You were born into a good era. If it were in the past, the word 'thief' would still be branded on your forehead."

The Fatty said sincerely, "I truly caught a good era. I truly thank the People's Police for saving me from..."

Cheng Ying mused that there was nothing wrong with that. "Mm."

The Fatty continued reciting his script, "I thank the People's Police for promptly pulling me back from the evil path." Internally, however, he truly believed it. If the police hadn't arrived in time, he would have been facing those two wolves and the chilling iron arrows.

Cheng Ying turned away. Punishing criminals was the police's job.

Since the police believed this person was no longer a danger, why should she worry so much? "Mm, that's not bad. Auntie, pick whatever you like quickly," she said, implying she should pick and leave promptly. Though they weren't worried, they didn't want to associate with a thief for too long.

The Fatty offered, "Big Sister, please look around at your leisure, pick anything you want, don't be polite."

Cheng Ying: "I'm not familiar with you at all; don't try to force a relationship. By the way, you’re quite capable, aren't you?"

The Fatty looked embarrassed. "Where did that come from?"

Cheng Ying: "Someone incapable wouldn't get out so quickly." Her adoptive father had indeed looked out for him back then. Thinking of it now, it was no wonder her adoptive father had hesitated when speaking.

The Fatty was bashful. "I just had two good friends who could testify that I was truly going for the fish, and your lumber. It’s no big deal." He thought the girl was too sharp; she hadn't let go of the lumber issue. She was practically setting him up.

Cheng Ying: "The police exercised discretion, then."

The Fatty remained silent; he didn't dare provoke this one. He knew how much effort it had taken back then. This girl cannot be provoked.

Cheng Ying felt it was necessary to give him a warning, at least to keep him from harboring ill intentions towards their home. "Behave yourself properly."

The Fatty: "Definitely, definitely."

Cheng Ying: "And no retaliation." This point needed emphasis.

The Fatty: "You fulfilled my request, and I found what I sought."

Cheng Ying was satisfied. "Then we won't disturb you further."

Chi Wu, standing behind her, had been holding his breath. The reason he hadn't spoken was that he was wrestling with the urge to give the Fatty a beating. "Should we find someone to smash up his shop?"

Cheng Ying looked at him, wondering why Chi Wu was so violent. "Who taught you that? We are law-abiding citizens; he is the thief."

The Fatty stood by, being cornered like that, not daring to utter a sound. He resolved to educate his descendants: be good people, and never take a single wrong step.

Cheng Ying truly saw that this thief had a family and a business, and it seemed quite substantial. He was clearly a refined rogue rather than a fierce bandit, which was why she dared to jab at him a little. Otherwise, she wouldn't have dared to provoke him. As the ancestors said, better to provoke a gentleman than a petty man.

The Old Lady: "What are you two doing? Come look at this one; it's quite nice." She pointed to a large cactus.

Cheng Ying: "It really is nice, and easy to maintain," especially suitable for her own grandmother.

The Fatty came over. "If the Old Lady likes it, that's what matters. I'll have it packed up and sent over by an employee."

The Old Mrs. Cheng looked at the Fatty, sensing he was about to overcharge her; she hadn't even haggled yet.

The Fatty caught the Old Lady's gaze and knew this one was even harder to deal with—even more of a 'Big Sister' than her granddaughter. "It's not because of you and your granddaughter; it's an old acquaintance. I'm offering this to you. It’s the first time I’ve met you. I just hope you don't dislike it."

His words were slightly disjointed. Cheng Ying considered their acquaintance—it was indeed a bit old—but gifting something to pay a formal visit wasn't at that level yet. "How could we accept that? In our family, across eight generations..."

The Fatty broke out in a cold sweat, looking at Cheng Ying with pitiful eyes, interrupting her: "You are the Big Sister, you are a Bodhisattva! Please let me save a little face, alright? The police gave us a chance to reform; please raise your hand [in forgiveness]."

Cheng Ying fell silent. Could she possibly lack money? Was it appropriate for a thief to gift something the Old Lady fancied?

In the end, the poor Fatty didn't accept any money. Not only did he have his employee deliver the goods, but he also included several pots of flowers that the Old Lady had paused to look at longer.

When the employee delivered the goods, the Old Lady spoke a couple of sentences to Cheng Ying and Chi Wu: "When did Yingzi make friends with them? This relationship seems quite good. The boss is truly generous. Did we tell them our address? When making friends, one should choose honest people."

Chi Wu snorted coldly. Cheng Ying looked toward the main entrance. "Indeed."

Telling Grandma that this man was a thief? The Old Lady would probably march over to his shop and cause a scene right now. Forget it. Let it be an act of accumulating good karma. Society accepted the reformed newcomers, so perhaps she was a new kind of person too.

However, Cheng Ying was unwilling to accept anything from a thief for free.

She thought about the reason the Fatty had turned to thievery—it showed dedication. She fished out a pair of Shubunkin goldfish from the fish tank, found a broken basin at home, and gave it to the employee. "I won't take advantage of anyone. Give this to your boss."

Cheng Ying figured this way, the Fatty wouldn't keep thinking about them later. It would bring peace of mind.

It was like warding off disaster by losing a little money. Having a thief constantly fixated on you made Cheng Ying deeply uncomfortable.

The delivery boy knew nothing; he just took the item and left.

When the Fatty saw the two Shubunkin goldfish, he burst into tears, sobbing with emotion. For them, was it this hard? If it had been this easy, why would I have gone to visit them?