Aunt Gan knew this was merely comfort. "You really know that, huh?"

"I really do. My father was a traveling folk doctor; he had some knowledge in this area. I could inherit at least half of the family's expertise."

Chi Yong looked at his wife; she had become significantly more cheerful lately.

She could even joke with people now.

The old lady felt uneasy hearing this topic. Since moving to the city, she rarely looked in the mirror.

This was because she had always been obsessed with physiognomy. When scolding Yang Zhi, she often called her a wasteful daughter-in-law, saying she had a wasteful look.

Alas, after looking in the mirror, the old lady felt that the biggest mistake of her latter half of life was judging people by their appearance.

Her own face truly did not look blessed; no wonder she had been widowed in her later years.

Since then, she had never scolded Yang Zhi again. Of course, Yang Zhi was already someone else's daughter-in-law now, so the old lady no longer had the standing to criticize her.

Moreover, even if Yang Zhi was wasteful, it wasn't wasting their family's resources anymore.

Yang Zhi wasn't good at reading faces; otherwise, she wouldn't have been unwelcome at home.

Aunt Gan, who worked in a government unit, was very skilled at reading expressions, and now everyone watched her mood.

Although she didn't know why, the old lady's expression was clearly unhappy, so she decided to drop the subject. "Let's hope so. Children are a matter of fate; you can't force it."

Her tone was a bit disappointed, so Yang Zhi naturally followed the lead to keep the conversation going, never mentioning physiognomy again.

The old lady washed several pennies clean and put them inside the dumplings. "Let's make a good omen."

Uncle Gan chuckled. "These things will probably be eaten by our family's God of Wealth."

Chi Yong felt a knot in his stomach. What was 'our family'? Who said 'our family'? You are surnamed Sun, aren't you?

Chi Yong said, "Mom, you always think things through. This will liven things up a lot."

When it came to flattery, no one was better than the other.

Fatty Sun announced, "Alright, I'm going outside to join the merriment and soak up some good fortune."

The old lady replied, "Go on, go on. Have a good time, and keep an eye on those three. If no one watches them, they'll go completely wild."

Chi Yong felt like he had punched cotton—there was no resistance, no satisfaction.

Fatty Sun didn't dare take the challenge.

Ever since the old lady recognized the godson, Chi Yong had felt unsettled, unable to find his place.

After wrapping the dumplings, the old lady looked at the clock, past ten. "Zhizi, I'll cook a bowl of dumplings for you two first. Eat them and then head home. It's not right for just two old folks to be here during the New Year. Which family isn't lively and bustling? It was fine with just the three of us in previous years, and this year we even have you and Dongzi's couple."

"Mom," Yang Zhi started.

Chi Yong frowned. Was he really being shown the door?

The old lady got down to start the fire and waved her hand. "As a daughter-in-law, you must always think ahead; it's not good to let things be said out loud. Don't worry about me; I understand what needs to be understood. You just focus on living well, don't get angry, and make sure you and Chi Yong get along better and better—that's all that matters."

Aunt Gan looked at the old lady, truly impressed in her heart. What family had such a sensible old lady?

She busied herself around the old lady. "Zhizi, I'm here for you, no need to be polite. Just don't mind me stepping on our Mom's toes too much."

It was a rare chance for her to enjoy the feeling of having an elder to care for. Just as Fatty Sun had said, she had everything now; she only lacked someone to show filial piety toward.

Chi Yong and his wife and son ate their dumplings before the old lady sent them off. Of course, Fatty Sun acted as the driver and took them home.

Chi Wu was busy; he was taking Cheng Ying around to visit others.

Chi Yong looked at the brightly lit courtyard behind him, held his own son who was reluctant to leave, and said sincerely to his wife beside him, "I won't feel bad about this anymore. I was just being petty. The old lady's side should be this lively; we've done too little for her."

Yang Zhi was bewildered; she didn't know where this sudden sentiment came from and couldn't grasp such depth.

Then Chi Yong started feeling amused; his wife never overthought things and just lived her life solidly.

He addressed Fatty Sun, who was driving ahead. "Brother, you're showing filial respect on my behalf. I was just a little jealous of how much the old lady likes you; don't take it to heart. I'll get over it soon enough."

Fatty Sun laughed foolishly. "It's fine, we're family. I know I haven't exactly been 'proper' before, so I understand why you felt weird. It's good that you can see reason. What I lack is a place to look forward to during the New Year and holidays. What I said is true; looking at the old lady makes me feel close to her—it's destiny."

"Yes, it's all destiny. My old lady is a good person, truly a good person, and a clear-headed one too. You have good taste," Chi Yong replied.

Fatty Sun beamed. "Yeah, I feel like I hit the jackpot."

The two men reconciled just before the New Year's bell rang.

And inexplicably, Yang Zhi, hearing this, was astonished looking at Chi Yong. When did this happen? Why didn't I know? Someone like Chi Yong could actually be jealous of others? She truly hadn't seen any evidence of it.

Chi Yong had also come to terms with it. He had parents, but he couldn't be with them during the holidays. Having someone like Fatty Sun stay near the old lady was a form of compensation, a blessing, a matter of fate.

In one sentence, one look, Chi Yong resolved the confusion that had been troubling him for over two months.

From now on, having more relatives, having another brother, wasn't a bad thing. At least when it came to eating, drinking, and having fun, Fatty Sun was much better than him.

Fatty Sun, up front, didn't immediately realize the hard-won approval he had gained. He thought Chi Yong was just being polite on the surface.

He was just thinking that this New Year finally felt warm. Honestly, Fatty Sun hadn't truly enjoyed a happy family reunion since his own family troubles began.

Usually, he could only describe his feeling toward the holidays as 'enduring.'

After finally having a child and having something to look forward to, only to have it all gone—for a disappointed fat angel, even drinking water felt bitter.

Chi Yong couldn't be bothered to look at Fatty Sun, who was beaming in front, and kissed his son. He felt like he was deliberately trying to provoke someone, thinking that this person only spoke such nice words but didn't truly mean them.

When Old Man Chi saw his son, daughter-in-law, and chubby grandson return for the New Year, it was a lie to say he wasn't pleased.

He said to his wife, "This shows that the in-laws on the other side are sensible. From now on, you should learn from them."

Old Mrs. Chi felt terrible; those words felt harsh to her.

Being told to learn from a rural old lady was an insult, a degradation, a severe provocation.

Old Man Chi, seeing his son, daughter-in-law, and fat grandson, felt his family was reunited.

He had practically forgotten Chi Wu, who had separated and lived on his own, mainly because his grandson wasn't attentive enough.

Never mind the lively dumpling-making at the Chi family's house; Cheng Ying's home was positively blazing with activity.

Having someone like Fatty Sun, who knew how to have fun and eat well, was like turning the world upside down.

Aunt Gan, who could have sat with the demeanor of a council member in an assembly, was dragged out by Fatty Sun to set off fireworks.

The old lady planned to cook dumplings at midnight, but Fatty Sun dragged her out to the courtyard at half-past eleven to watch fireworks.

He argued, "Watching for twenty minutes won't delay the old lady paying respects to the Kitchen God."

The old lady had never witnessed such a spectacle.

Standing at the main gate, watching the children make a ruckus, she could only cover her ears.

Fatty Sun, nearly forty, was making people throw firecrackers into a large iron bucket for fun. Not only did Cheng Ying's family come out, but the neighbors were drawn out too. The noise was immense.

Cheng Ying thought to herself, there really is a gap between people. If she tried to compete with Fatty Sun in terms of fun, she would be completely defeated.

One of his ideas would take her half a year to figure out. She didn't know where his ideas came from, but it was truly lively. She watched the crowd outside, all helping to set off firecrackers for their family.

Cheng Ying retreated to stand next to the old lady, shouting over the noise, "Grandma, this year is so lively! You are truly blessed to have gained such a son. I've gained an uncle to look out for me!"

The old lady frowned. Her granddaughter's voice was too loud; she hadn't heard clearly what she said. But the old lady herself remarked, "Wasteful! So wasteful! That's all money. You should only play yourselves. Why let others have fun? Tell me, oh dear, it pains me so much. Why should we spend money and let others enjoy themselves?"

Cheng Ying's ears were better than her grandmother's. Hearing this, her mood lifted immensely. Even amidst the excitement, her own grandmother was still focused on frugality. "Grandma! The fireworks are loud! In the countryside, we talk about 'entering prosperity' (jìn xiàng, sounds like 'entering noise' jìn xiǎng). So many people helping our family set off firecrackers—doesn't that mean they are helping us bring in money? It’s a good omen!"

The old lady looked at her granddaughter. "Let's just consider it that way. You all have fun; I'm going to cook the dumplings. We can't mess up the main event. But I've never seen Aunt Gan this happy. She usually seems so reserved; to see her this joyous, that child must have had a hard time usually."

Cheng Ying thought, how can you expect a woman who holds the rank of a deputy section chief to be this silly and happy all the time? Does that look right?

She grabbed the old lady's arm. "If you want to join in the fun, you can go set off firecrackers too, Grandma, so you're not letting others benefit."

The old lady angrily waved her hand, pushing Cheng Ying aside. "That's not for me to enjoy; that will shorten my life!"

Then she spat '' several times. It was New Year's, why would a foolish child say such a thing?

Eating dumplings for the New Year, the old lady was happy because there were many people.

Though there were regrets, it was much better compared to the previous few years.

Fatty Sun, meanwhile, got drunk clutching the old lady's jar of fruit wine, repeating only that he was happy.

Later, drunk beyond shame, he just laughed foolishly while hugging his wife, making Aunt Gan terribly embarrassed. "What is wrong with this man, drinking so much? He has no self-respect."

At this point, even a council member couldn't remain calm, let alone a mere deputy section chief like her.

The old lady watched Fatty Sun beam until her teeth ached. "Enough. We are all family; it's not an embarrassment. Dongzi is happy. Wu Zi, help your uncle to the west room to rest."

Chi Wu dragged the man, but Fatty Sun threw a tantrum, refusing to let go of his wife. The scene was comical and joyous to behold.

The old lady turned her back to her son and daughter-in-law and smiled brightly at her granddaughter. "I haven't been this happy in years. Your Uncle Gan is truly childish."

Cheng Ying nodded, thinking how regrettable it was that she didn't have a mobile phone to record this.

Remembering her camera, she hurried out.

She came back in and started snapping photos of the sulking Fatty Sun. Aunt Gan thought, 'It's over.' "Yingzi, leave some dignity for your uncle!"

Cheng Ying replied, "It's fine, Auntie. I'll take beautiful pictures of you, but unless Uncle plans to keep this as a treasured heirloom, he won't be getting them back. I plan to keep them for his son and daughter-in-law."

The old lady wasn't afraid of being photographed anymore; she grabbed Yingzi and took several pictures herself.

Cheng Ying remarked, "Grandma has opened up."

PS: Asking for votes at the end of the month. Please vote! RP