Cheng Ying was tidying up the yard. Her uncle-in-law had bought a live pig from the village and was going to process it right there at home.

Cheng Ying felt her uncle-in-law must have a special connection with pigs; he hadn't even finished the half carcass he got from the city, and now this.

That pork took up quite a bit of space, and Cheng Ying cursed Sun Pangzi for being so needlessly dramatic. To bring home a live pig for just a few days—did he think they could eat it all?

The old lady was sitting by the door, soaking up the sun. Auntie Gan was inside the kitchen, sorting out yesterday's remnants. Cheng Ying looked at the scene and felt a strange sense of familiarity. Before her own parents had come to the city, their home must have looked much like this; Back then, life was tough—no, extremely tough. But they were still quite happy then, with purpose in their lives. Who would have thought that times would change so much, And now she was seeing it replicated with Uncle Gan and Auntie Gan.

Cheng Ying hoped Auntie Gan would be as lucky as Chi Yong and manage to conceive a baby after resting here for a while. For a woman, being childless was the greatest regret.

As for Sun Pangzi, Cheng Ying wanted nothing to do with him. That fellow was just too much trouble, too full of schemes. Just look at how he had managed to sweet-talk her Elder Uncle and Second Uncle.

Cheng Ying didn't want to watch Sun Pangzi manipulating people. "Grandma, Auntie will definitely have Wu Zi and the others eat lunch before they come back. I'm heading up to the mountain now; I won't delay dinner with Grandma."

The old lady said, "Have you prepared things for your Second Great-Uncle? It’s been almost a year since I last saw him; I miss him dearly. If he isn't busy, have your Second Great-Uncle come down the mountain for dinner."

Cheng Ying replied, "Yes. I know; everything is ready, especially the wine I brought for Second Great-Uncle. Don't worry; with that one item, my Second Great-Uncle will be delighted."

Sun Pangzi emerged from the kitchen. "Wife, watch the medicine yourself. I'm going up to the mountain field with my grand-niece to take a look."

Cheng Ying shot back, "What about your pig? Aren't you going to watch over it? They’ll be delivering it soon."

Sun Pangzi replied, "I arranged with the people; they’ll slaughter it and deliver it. Leaving it in the yard won't be an issue." Then Sun Pangzi rubbed his hands together. "I just want to see what the mountain where the ginseng is planted looks like."

Cheng Ying had no choice. She drove Sun Pangzi’s car, taking Sun Pangzi himself up the mountain. Cheng Ying asked, "Big Mountain Gully, what's your real motive?"

Sun Pangzi was quite frank. "Didn't you all say our family grows ginseng? I’ve never seen it. I’m just coming along to broaden my horizons."

Cheng Ying scoffed, "If you want to see that, come back in the summer. What can you see in the winter? You lack knowledge."

Sun Pangzi grumbled, "It’s not comfortable for you unless you’re criticizing people, is it? Let me see the mountain field my niece is talking about."

Cheng Ying warned, "Then buckle up. I’m driving carefully because I’m worried you won’t handle the mountain road. You’d best take it easy."

When they reached the mountain, Sun Pangzi truly understood the difficulty of the road. He finally realized where his niece got her driving skills from. "Oh dear, Niece, let's walk instead," he suggested.

Cheng Ying said, "Didn't you want to broaden your horizons? Let's go, walk. We won't get home until this afternoon."

By the time they reached the upper slopes, Sun Pangzi felt like throwing up. These mountain roads were brutal. It was a miracle Cheng Ying could even drive the car up; the path was barely wide enough for all four wheels.

Sun Pangzi exclaimed, "If I had known you had this skill, I would have slept soundly when I went to the capital."

Cheng Ying replied wryly, "Surprise for you. Next time, you can sleep all you want." Sun Pangzi didn't think that sounded like good news at all. He decided not to dwell on it; it was only making himself miserable.

Second Great-Uncle called out, "Yingzi, I knew you’d be back."

Cheng Ying greeted him, "Second Great-Uncle, how have you been? I brought you some wine from the provincial capital."

Er Ya followed behind Second Great-Uncle. "Oh my, that's a fine thing!"

Cheng Ying looked around for Sun Pangzi, but he had locked the car doors tight, glaring at Er Ya as if she were a class enemy.

Cheng Ying urged him, "Uncle, this is our Second Great-Uncle. Get out and talk to him. Don't let Second Great-Uncle say you’re ill-mannered."

Sun Pangzi finally understood; this girl was intentionally giving him a hard time. He was afraid of dogs, so he wouldn't dare get out no matter what.

Sun Pangzi regarded Second Great-Uncle with a solemn expression. "Hello, Second Great-Uncle. This creature is truly majestic." Sun Pangzi couldn't help but compare her size to the two wolves he had restrained that night.

Second Great-Uncle was amused. "Er Ya, go back."

Er Ya clung to Cheng Ying’s side, refusing to leave. "Er Ya must have only started barking because she didn't recognize our car’s sound; that's why she didn't come to greet me," Cheng Ying said, describing the dog as if it were human. Second Great-Uncle nodded in agreement. Sun Pangzi wondered internally, Why is this dog so personified?

Cheng Ying clarified, "Second Great-Uncle, this is my Grandma’s godson."

Sun Pangzi’s face flushed. He genuinely didn't dare leave the car.

Second Great-Uncle chuckled, "You naughty child. Is my big brother-in-law afraid of dogs? It's fine. Er Ya is intelligent; she grew up with Yingzi since she was small."

Sun Pangzi felt like crying; he knew the girl harbored deep malice toward him. This dog must be working in league with her.

Sun Pangzi stammered, "Second Great-Uncle, I’m not afraid of dogs, but this one... its size—that's a wolf! It must be a wolf!"

Cheng Ying burst out laughing. "Enough, don't disgrace yourself. If you’re afraid of dogs, just say so. You don’t need to insist our Er Ya is a wolf. Magnifying the enemy only elevates your own standing. You don't need to do this; don’t lose face in front of outsiders." Then she patted Er Ya. "Go, pull him out."

Sun Pangzi hadn't taken her words seriously, sitting firmly inside the car. Who knew? It was supernatural! That dog—no, that wolf—was possessed! It actually managed to use its teeth to open the car door!

Sun Pangzi's eyes widened in disbelief, thinking, I’m face-to-face with a wolf! His eyes started to glaze over, ready to faint at any moment.

Cheng Ying warned, "If you faint, I’ll have Er Ya drag you into the wolf pack."

Sun Pangzi instantly sobered up. "See! I told you it was a wolf!"

Cheng Ying couldn't be bothered to look at him. Sun Pangzi addressed Er Ya, "Please, don't trouble yourself. I’ll get out myself; you really don’t need to help me."

Then he carefully maneuvered himself out, walking around Er Ya. The dog didn't even bother to snap at him. He followed closely behind Cheng Ying’s heels, not daring to stray even a step.

When they reached Second Great-Uncle's dwelling, Sun Pangzi saw about a dozen wolves caged nearby. His legs truly went weak. There really was a wolf pack here.

Sun Pangzi stammered, "Is this a fire pit?"

Cheng Ying retorted, "You insisted on following; I didn't tell you to jump in."

Sun Pangzi thought, I regret it now, okay?

Sun Pangzi sat obediently on Second Great-Uncle's heated brick bed (huokang), not daring to move an inch. Cheng Ying spoke with Second Great-Uncle, and then the two of them reviewed account books and chatted.

Sun Pangzi finally realized the scale of his grand-niece's enterprise.

Second Great-Uncle said, "The land in this village, and the neighboring one—wasteland and barren mountains—we managed to contract it all. Policies are looser these past two years, and with the right conditions, it didn’t cost much money."

Cheng Ying praised him, "You have foresight. If I had waited until I returned, the opportunity would have long passed."

Second Great-Uncle, seeing an outsider present, avoided discussing inviting people to eat or networking. He just handed Cheng Ying a small notebook. "You look at this yourself."

Cheng Ying understood immediately. Second Great-Uncle meant there were things he couldn't say in front of an outsider.

Second Great-Uncle continued, "I’ve been thinking; our mountain field is prime land. I can use it for planting saplings here, and then transplanting them to those contracted plots. Even though it takes more labor, it’s still cheaper than buying seedlings from outside. What do you think, girl?"

Cheng Ying agreed, "That’s what I was thinking too. I just wait to sit at home and count the money. Second Great-Uncle, you’re the one who will be busy."

Second Great-Uncle beamed, "What's there to be afraid of? My whole life I’ve been looked down upon; I never stood tall. You’re giving me this chance, letting me be successful for once too."

Cheng Ying nodded, "Yes, we have vast land and sparse population here, so the land is cheap. Contracting it now means we got a bargain. If we plant seedlings in all of it, in a few years, that will be a solid income—no worries about dowries later!"

Sun Pangzi felt his teeth ache; this 'solid income' was nothing compared to his own wealth.

Second Great-Uncle advised, "I can manage the village affairs, and your maternal uncle can handle the outside matters. But ultimately, we are amateurs. Girl, if you find suitable candidates, hire someone capable to help run things; you absolutely cannot neglect your studies."

Cheng Ying responded, "I know, Second Great-Uncle. I’m looking now, but while there are capable people, I don’t trust them. My heart is too cautious; I know myself."

Second Great-Uncle concluded, "Alright, go home for the New Year."

Cheng Ying replied, "My Grandma asked you to come over for a meal."

Second Great-Uncle declined, "What meal? It's the New Year; everyone else is on holiday, but I can't leave. Our mountain field cannot be without supervision, especially now." Ever since the ginseng matured, Second Great-Uncle rarely left the mountain field, guarding it closely.

Sun Pangzi followed Cheng Ying out. Only when the wolf pack was out of sight did he straighten his posture. Compared to a whole pack of wolves, a single wolf didn't seem so terrifying anymore.

Sun Pangzi commented, "Niece, your mountain field is truly excellent. How old are those trees? They are so tall and straight."

Cheng Ying offered, "If you admire them, you can claim some first. Don't worry; consider it my filial gesture—no charge."

Sun Pangzi asked, "Why would I claim them?"

Cheng Ying shook her head. If the villagers knew what claiming lumber meant, they'd think of coffins. Fortunately, Sun Pangzi wasn't dense; he knew the few uses for quality timber. "You girl, why do you have no sense of taboo?"

Cheng Ying ignored him and walked toward a large pine tree. She produced a small, delicate hoe from who knows where. She cleared the snow at the base of the tree, pried open the frozen soil, and dug out a dried-up little thing for Sun Pangzi. "Can't let you come all this way for nothing. Take this to play with."

Sun Pangzi’s teeth were aching, and now his jaw hurt too. This thing—she was letting him take it just to 'play with'—it was too damn imposing.

Sun Pangzi had only one thought: this niece could drag him ten streets behind in any competition. Forget flatterers; even his driving skills couldn't keep up. How vast was the gap between people? At his age, he was still playing in mud and water. The difference was huge! The reputation he had built up, the extra years he had lived—all seemed wasted.

Still, he carefully collected the ginseng root, which had already begun to form its shape. Even if he didn't use it for gifting or networking, it was still a valuable item. "If you were a little more generous, Uncle wouldn't complain."

Cheng Ying said, "Let's go. If Second Great-Uncle sees you lingering, he won't have a good impression of you."

Sun Pangzi looked at the mass of pine branches covering the mountain, then glanced at the tractor he'd seen earlier. "No, I must reciprocate. I need to get you some good food. Girl, can you drive that thing?"

Cheng Ying felt a little awkward admitting that the tractor was hers.

Sun Pangzi called Cheng Ying over, and together they loaded more than half a truckload of pine branches, both dry and wet. Then, Sun Pangzi, feeling warm, drove her car ahead, leading the way. Cheng Ying was left to drive the tractor back to the village.

Cheng Ying thought to herself, Is this his way of thanking me? He’s intentionally freezing me, isn't he? Driving a tractor in this cold winter is truly miserable.