Cheng Ying, Aunt Chi Wu Gan, and the older woman were watching television inside. They weren't sure what the old lady and Sun Pangzi had discussed, but when Chi Wu and Cheng Ying came out to build a fire later, around ten o’clock, they noticed the fire pit had been reshaped—the center was hollowed out, with bricks stacked high in the middle, topped by a basin filled with lard.

Cheng Ying remarked, "Uncle, you cook fire with such style, making a perfect circle."

Sun Pangzi shot a resentful glance at the unlucky kid. "It takes serious effort to smoke this pork this well. If the taste falls short, it's because of that basin of oil right in the middle."

Chi Wu said, "Uncle, that’s frugal of you. Auntie works hard for her money; don't waste it foolishly." This single sentence managed to diminish Sun Pangzi completely.

Sun Pangzi roared in anger. Did this wicked child just speak? "I rely on a woman for support? You ill-fated brat, get your facts straight!"

Chi Wu was unconcerned. He and Cheng Ying sat by the fire, chatting, completely ignoring Sun Pangzi. If you’re unhappy, then I’m happy. That’ll teach him for making Yingzi drive in this cold.

Sun Pangzi had fire but no outlet for his rage. Besides, having roasted by this fire pit for half the day, he was genuinely parched and his temper was already high; he was irritable even without anger.

Cheng Ying handed Sun Pangzi a thermos of water infused with honeysuckle and dried orange peel—excellent for reducing inflammation and internal heat.

Chi Wu flicked his eyes toward Sun Pangzi, leaning sideways against Cheng Ying, his gaze filled with open provocation. This was his response to Sun Pangzi’s challenge from noon.

Cheng Ying assumed the half-grown boy was leaning on her because he was finally relaxing after two exhausting days, now warm by the fire. She didn't say anything, casually letting Chi Wu rest against her.

Sun Pangzi wished he could kick Chi Wu right into the flames. I wasn't even arguing with you, so why are you showing off to me? If you have guts, go show off in front of the old lady, or in front of your own parents! Unlucky kid.

Sun Pangzi turned his face away. Out of sight, out of mind.

Cheng Ying simply shrugged her shoulders. "Tired, are we?"

Chi Wu closed his eyes and feigned a yawn. "Sleepy."

Cheng Ying said, "Then let's go inside and sleep. We’ll be busy tomorrow. With half a side of pork this large, we can’t not treat people."

Chi Wu sighed, "This man is just looking for trouble; he can’t even have one quiet day."

Cheng Ying patted his arm. "Alright, wait until the first lunar month, and I'll let you rest properly then."

Chi Wu scoffed. "Rest for what? I’ll be busy. Yingzi, let me tell you, once the first month hits, I’ll be running around. Our solid wood furniture shop is just too low-class; we need to upgrade it to the Northern Solid Wood Furniture Company, at the very least."

Cheng Ying felt a pang in her heart. This was the child she had helped raise; truly one of a kind. We only went out for a short trip, and look at the perspective we gained. They go out to eat, drink, and play; what do we bring back from our travels? Advanced concepts! "Fine, tell me if you need money."

Chi Wu thought to himself, Now that’s a woman. To support his decisions immediately without even asking a single question. A man needed a woman behind him who believed in him unconditionally. If he didn't marry Cheng Ying, who else would be worthy? He gazed silently at Cheng Ying’s profile, so devoted and immersed.

Sun Pangzi glanced over from the side, wincing as if he had a toothache. But the conversation between those two was something a grown man like him couldn't possibly interject into. How could the gap between people be so vast? He was almost forty—well, six or seven years older than them—but even if he couldn't catch up to these two troublesome kids, he certainly couldn't let them pull too far ahead, or he’d lose face.

Sun Pangzi scrutinized his past thirty-odd years and felt they lacked class; he certainly didn’t have the same drive as those two kids. Sun Pangzi’s life goals had just received an involuntary acceleration.

When Cheng Ying woke the next morning, she was greeted by a garden fragrant with steam and the sound of lively activity outside. She saw Sun Pangzi’s eyes were bloodshot red.

It was quite startling. "Uncle, you didn't sleep all night? That must have been exhausting."

Sun Pangzi replied, "How could I sleep? I’m telling you, the most important thing when making something is putting your heart into it." He felt a huge sense of accomplishment from staying up all night to cure half a side of pork.

Cheng Ying couldn't comprehend a foodie’s ambition. She’d eat it if offered, but she didn't have the time to go to such lengths just for food—not like when they struggled just to fill their stomachs.

Cheng Ying smacked her lips. "Can I have a taste?"

Sun Pangzi held up his knife. "I’ve been waiting for my dear niece to have the very first bite! Didn't you see? Everyone else is drooling, but I haven't touched it." Cheng Ying saw Cheng Ming and the others circling the fire pit, clearly licking their lips.

She looked at Sun Pangzi sideways. "You need something from me, don't you?" Favor shown without established affection always meant a request was coming. She knew Sun Pangzi too well for anything less, which made her scrutinize his actions.

Sun Pangzi sputtered, "You little girl! I’m just being kind to my niece, how could you twist my meaning like that? You’ve broken my heart!" He then carved a piece from the best, most flavorful spot and delivered it directly to her lips.

Cheng Ying looked at him again, resisting eating the meat right at her mouth. Some things needed to be clarified; many talented people had stumbled because they couldn't control their mouths. Lessons needed to be learned. "Are you truly not asking me for anything?"

Sun Pangzi’s bloodshot eyes widened slightly. Only then did Cheng Ying carefully place the meat into her mouth. "It’s truly fragrant."

Sun Pangzi cut a piece for himself, popped it in his mouth, and declared, "Mmm, not bad. I can finally go to sleep." He washed his hands and immediately retreated into the east room to sleep.

Cheng Ying remarked, "He couldn't sleep until he tasted it."

Chi Wu sneered, "Men are slaves to their appetites, utterly useless." He then grabbed a knife himself, carving the best parts, grease dripping from his mouth. Of course, he didn't forget to cut a piece for Cheng Ying. She thought, You’re quite the man—can’t cook, but you sure can eat. Though, she admitted, what she was eating was also delicious.

When the old lady came out, she saw the few "unlucky brats" stealing meat, mumbling while they ate, "Eating something so rich this early in the morning isn't very good for you." The old lady picked up her own basin of lard mixture and went inside. "Nobody told you to eat meat. There’s congee inside; you can have a bowl if it’s too rich."

Cheng Ying sliced off a piece of meat and trotted happily into the house. Grandma hasn't eaten yet; this won't do.

The old lady said, "Oh my, your Uncle’s skill really is excellent." Then she looked at her daughter-in-law. "You are blessed." She worried that her adopted daughter-in-law might look down on her adopted son for not having a proper career.

That evening, Sun Pangzi was outside boiling medicine with his wife. The old lady held her granddaughter, fretting, "Tell me, your Uncle is so unreliable. What if your Auntie doesn't want him anymore? He doesn't even have a child to tie him down yet. Down the road, we’ll need to make your Uncle find a proper job."

Cheng Ying thought, Are you really that worried? They’ve managed all these years; if she wanted to leave, she would have left long ago. "Grandma, aren't you good to Auntie? Aren't you afraid she’ll leave if she thinks Sun Pangzi is inadequate?"

The old lady snapped, "What are you saying? But if your Uncle doesn’t have a proper job, and considering your Auntie's position, I don't feel at ease. From now on, we all need to treat your Auntie better."

Outside, Auntie Cin Gan gave Sun Pangzi’s arm a hard pinch. Me, a woman of such dignity, and Grandma can actually think that about me. Sun Pangzi, shameless as ever, took the cue and climbed up the ladder. "Why are you pinching me? Obviously, I'm the reliable type. You’ve struck gold, dear; treat me better from now on, you hear?"

Sun Pangzi’s remark made the old lady inside blush. Speaking ill of one's daughter-in-law behind her back was not appropriate. Auntie Cin Gan was even more annoyed; how could he speak so carelessly? Hearing private conversation like this was incredibly awkward. As a highly educated professional, Auntie Cin Gan felt more uncomfortable than the old lady.

Auntie Cin Gan lifted the door curtain and entered. "Mom, please stop worrying. If you talk about Dongzi (Sun Pangzi), he could have found a good job back then, but he gave that opportunity to me. We’ve known each other since we were kids. When his family was prominent, he never looked down on me, and when my family struggled, I never left him either. We’ve been through storms together; it’s not easy for us to reach this point. Even though we don't have children, I’ve come to terms with it now. His family is gone, but my family has accepted me. But that’s now; when we were down, we had no relatives. No children is fine, don't we have Yingzi? Perhaps our future will rest on our dear niece. Don't worry, although Dongzi seems unreliable and a bit lazy, he’s never done me wrong."

Cheng Ying winked at Sun Pangzi. Impressive. His wife, who looked like such a professional woman, was declaring her love for a fatty in front of an outsider. That was something to witness these days. Sun Pangzi, the recipient of this declaration, turned bright red, utterly mortified.

Cheng Ying felt the world had become mythical; Pangzi was actually this sentimental. To ease the sudden tension, she announced, "Alright, I need to make another trip to the county town."

The family looked at her, as her statement had absolutely no connection to the previous discussion.

Cheng Ying explained, "To lighten my future burden, I need to ask the old doctor to increase the dosage of the medicine so they can hurry up and give birth to a little nephew. Otherwise, my burden in the future will be too heavy!"

Sun Pangzi cried out, "Child, how can your heart be so cold? Uncle will rely on you in the future."

The old lady sighed. "As long as you two are happy, then I was just worrying needlessly. But Dongzi, our villagers are different from you city folk. Even if you do manual labor, as long as you earn real money, no one looks down on you for earning little; they call you a person living an honest life. With your line of business—and this is just me saying it—even if you made a fortune daily, nobody in the village would call you a proper person. They’d say you’re idle and lack purpose."

Sun Pangzi gave a bitter smile. No wonder the old lady thought he wasn't worthy of his wife—in her eyes, he was just a dog-fighting, bird-luring loafer. There must be many who saw him that way. Looking at his niece beside him, compared to other people’s children, wasn't he just someone without a proper pursuit? This whole situation was a mess. Their values simply did not align.

Even Cheng Ying felt conflicted listening to her own grandmother. Sun Pangzi’s profession was so noble, so high-end, making large amounts of money, with such prospects! It was a consumption level twenty years ahead of society. Truly, their values were incompatible; it wasn't just a generation gap, there was a chasm between them. For the old lady to flat-out say he wasn't a proper person—wasn't that sabotaging his livelihood? Cheng Ying was more confused than Sun Pangzi. What was Grandma’s issue?