In the dead of winter, ever since Cheng Ying went on break, her "Godfather Uncle" hadn't left their house.

He visited more diligently than her own mother, and the flowers and plants in her sunroom hadn't been sent back to the space for advanced training in ages. Cheng Ying had to admit, having Godfather Uncle around saved her considerable worry; her grandmother truly lacked a green thumb for gardening. She'd have been better off tending to two small beds of bok choy herself.

Godfather Uncle was completely absorbed in the flower room, never coming out. God-aunt was gentle and virtuous, keeping the old lady company with chatter. They came over right after work, but they weren't freeloaders; rice and white flour were precious commodities in those days, and Godfather Uncle always brought hundreds of pounds home. Not to mention all the various vegetables and subsidiary foodstuffs. Cheng Ying thought the man treated their house like his own kitchen.

Since Godfather Uncle became a regular, Cheng Ying noticed distinctly she had gained weight. This Godfather Uncle, with his culinary skills, had conquered both her and Chi Wu. Despite disliking the man generally, she sincerely didn't dislike his cooking.

Cheng Ying seriously suggested, "Uncle, why bother fussing with flowers? You should just open a restaurant."

What Godfather Uncle said was truly cutting: "My skill—you think just anyone can eat it? They'd be overwhelmed! I'm not serving people."

Cheng Ying retorted, "You are lofty indeed. You'd rather serve these clueless things. We admire your mindset."

Cheng Ying was referring to the fish and the plants, genuinely not including her own family among the 'clueless things.' Before she could finish, the old lady swatted her, "You’re the one who's clueless!"

Cheng Ying almost cried, "How hard did you hit me?" She rubbed her shoulder, thinking the old lady must have a vendetta against her.

The old lady regretted it a bit, admitting she hit too hard, "Who told you not to watch your mouth?"

Cheng Ying shut up. Godfather Uncle was currently serving her family; wasn't that implicitly criticizing her? She deserved the smack. God-aunt simply smiled elegantly on the side.

Cheng Ying walked away dejectedly, muttering, "I'm just here to get yelled at."

Grandma shot back, "Stop being lazy! Go into the kitchen and work with your uncle. I won't talk about you anymore. If you had your uncle's skills, you wouldn't worry about finding a good husband. Hurry up and get in there and learn something!"

Cheng Ying took a deep breath. They really were family. Such fine skills, only used in this domestic sphere with no room for broader application—it was disheartening. None of them knew how to truly manage their lives.

Outside the door, Cheng Ying watched Godfather Uncle preparing the pig's head. The man had only just brought in half a pig. He claimed that New Year's provisions had to start being prepared now—and it was only the beginning of the twelfth lunar month.

Cheng Ying teased, "Uncle, with your figure, eating like this, is that okay?"

Godfather Uncle grumbled, "Can you not demotivate me? Can you let your uncle eat comfortably?"

Cheng Ying worried about the fat man developing the three highs, fearing the old lady would outlive him—that would be a huge blow. "Are you drinking the honeysuckle I gave you?"

Godfather Uncle replied, "Your stuff is good; I'm drinking it. But I don't have much left; someone snatched it."

Cheng Ying admired his generosity. "We have plenty here. If you run out, just come and get some. That stuff should be useful for someone with your condition affecting various organs."

Godfather Uncle rolled his eyes. "Girl, when will you treat your Godfather Uncle with the same attitude you treat your stepfather? If I died then, I could rest in peace."

Cheng Ying looked at the fat man, then at their courtyard wall. "You'd better die with regrets."

The fat man was furious. He pressed the glowing-hot iron rod hard onto the pig's head. "I only did that one thing, didn't I?"

Cheng Ying challenged, "Do you have the guts to go in there now and mention the one thing you did?"

The fat man shut up. The old lady knew about that incident; her godson would be in jeopardy. She understood Sun Pangzi a little; she was the standard loving matriarch, fiercely protective.

Cheng Ying handed the heated iron rod to the fat man, and the two of them started singeing the pig hair.

Cheng Ying mumbled, "If I mastered this skill, I wouldn't worry about finding a good husband. At least they wouldn't just ask me to buy pig's head meat."

Godfather Uncle burst out laughing. "Stop talking nonsense. Your Grandma just wants you to learn a couple of your uncle's signature dishes so you have something presentable."

The two were silent, only the sound of sizzling breaking the quiet.

Inside, the old lady held her god-daughter-in-law, admiring her endlessly. "Lanzi, Mom has never gotten along so well with a daughter-in-law. This relationship is truly fate. Mom has three sons, and their wives all have their own quirks. If you talk about obedience, Yingzi's mother was the best—she did whatever you said without complaint. But when it comes to connection, definitely not. Yingzi's mother barely speaks above a whisper. The other two daughters-in-law need no mention. Mom never thought that in her old age, she would meet such a compatible daughter-in-law."

God-aunt smiled delicately. "Mom, you've praised me so much, I’ll be too embarrassed to go back to our hometown! If I get too proud, it's all because you encouraged me."

The old lady laughed heartily. Cheng Ying thought this woman truly was quick-witted. Looking at Godfather Uncle, she wondered how he managed to get such a wife. Based on appearance, they really didn't match. Based on inner beauty, the gap was likely even wider, since Pangzi was not exactly a good person.

Cheng Ying, feeling gossipy, asked, "I heard Auntie has a higher education degree?"

Pangzi beamed, puffing up like he was complimenting himself. "Of course! Didn't I tell you? Your aunt's job is almost the same as your stepfather's. I don't bother showing off, but next time, tell your dad to stop acting superior in front of me. He’s not much better than my wife."

Cheng Ying immediately regretted asking. She knew anything she said would just fuel his ego. "What a waste of good cabbage for a pig to root through!" She thought, Why not just say you’re embarrassed your wife is better than you?

Godfather Uncle’s face flushed crimson. "What did you say? I’ll deal with you, believe it or not!"

Cheng Ying raised an eyebrow. "Zhao Cai [Recruit Wealth]!"

Godfather Uncle sighed. "Fine, you win, you win. I concede."

Cheng Ying smiled triumphantly. "A big man is scared of a dog!"

Godfather Uncle shot back, "You're scared of a wolf!"

Cheng Ying retorted, "You're just afraid of being overshadowed. Don't change the breed of my Zhao Cai Jin Bao [Recruit Wealth and Treasure]."

This time they parted on bad terms, returning to the sounds of the sizzling.

The old lady turned back to God-aunt. "Lanzi, you know what kind of person Mom is. Mom came from the countryside, not educated. I can’t keep things bottled up; I say what’s on my mind. If I say something wrong, just pretend I farted, don't take it to heart."

God-aunt felt the old lady’s language was a bit too vulgar. Cheng Ying inwardly noted that since moving to the city, her own grandmother hadn't used coarse language in a long time. Why was she trying to mask herself with vulgarity now? Even Sun Pangzi was listening intently.

God-aunt replied, "Mom, say whatever you want. If you speak up, it means you don't consider me an outsider."

The old lady continued, "Lanzi, look, you two have been here for over two months, and I haven't seen a child."

The red-hot iron rod in Pangzi's hand almost burned Cheng Ying, startling her badly. She shot Pangzi a warning glare—Be careful.

God-aunt’s voice inside became drier. "Mom, it’s not that we don't want to bring children, it's just that we haven't had any children yet."

The old lady breathed a sigh of relief. "I knew it! That Lanzi... Mom can ask, why haven't you two had children? I think Dongzi is getting old enough." The old lady had privately mentioned to Cheng Ying before, wondering if Auntie looked down on Uncle, which is why they weren't having kids. With all the novelties in the city, the old lady had long wanted to ask.

God-aunt stammered, "It's not that... we both want children, it's just, it's just..."

The old lady continued her relief. "It's just that if you both want them, that's manageable. Lanzi, I'll be frank with you. I just wanted to take you two back to the village to see things. You don't know, there's an old Chinese doctor in our township who has superb skills. Wu Zi's father also had ailments, and it was the old doctor’s herbs that helped Xiao Ye. It's not that I'm anxious, but the old doctor is elderly now. If something happens to him unexpectedly, and we go late, wouldn't we miss the best opportunity?"

God-aunt replied promptly, "Mom, when should we go? Tell me, and I’ll request time off in advance. I'll listen to you on this matter. Dongzi and I don't have an elder to worry about us; we’re lucky to have you looking out for us."

"I hope you aren't angry with me. Mom has been weighing whether to say this for two months and finally dared to. I feel much better now. If there’s an illness, we’ll treat it."

Auntie's voice was nearly breaking with emotion. Cheng Ying saw Sun Pangzi’s eyes turning red with feeling, too. These two clearly had a story. She listened as Auntie and Grandma chatted.

Cheng Ying began to understand; this was essentially a domestic drama. Sun Pangzi came from a good family, but like her stepfather, he experienced a downfall in that era. Sun Pangzi was luckier than her stepfather, as his girlfriend remained loyal. However, the girlfriend’s parents didn't approve, resulting in the daughter severing ties with him. Then, during that year, God-aunt became pregnant, but the conditions were too poor, and she lost the baby. Later, when things were rehabilitated and life improved, God-aunt fell ill, and they hadn't had children since. It was a regret. Not meeting her own husband would have been an even greater regret.

Cheng Ying finally sighed, "Fate. Look at my stepfather, such a fine young man, yet he was dumped. And you, with your physique and looks, how did you end up with such a loyal God-aunt who never left? What kind of person gets what kind of destiny?"

Sun Pangzi explained, "I cherish your God-aunt; I treat her well. How do you think your aunt got her job? I made sure her family saw that having me as a husband was no worse than staying with them."

Cheng Ying understood. This man was one who threw everything on the line for the woman behind him. He was respectable and admirable.

Cheng Ying teased, "Oh, so you slapped their faces with yours, yet you still look resentful? No matter what, you managed to lure their daughter away."

Sun Pangzi retorted, "Don't talk as if I didn't really slap them; even if I had slapped them, it wouldn't have quenched my bitterness. If they had offered a helping hand back then, or at least not added insult to injury, how would your aunt's body have been damaged by the miscarriage, leaving her unwell to this day?"

This was a man whose bitterness stemmed from long-term childlessness.

Cheng Ying advised, "Your thinking is wrong. This continuous psychological burden puts pressure on your aunt. Men should have broader hearts. What you gain is your luck; what you lose is your fate—what’s the big deal? Besides, children rely on destiny. You should look at it positively. You and your aunt are still young; you will certainly have one. Even if you had a child back then, they would have suffered alongside you. It’s different now. If your aunt were to have a child now, they would be joining you to enjoy life. Don't you think that makes sense?"

She made it sound so easy. Do you know how hard it is to bring a child into this world? And she calls it 'no big deal'? Try farting one out and see!