She leaned toward the second possibility: being reborn herself, adjusting from the mindset of a thirty-year-old to a teenager was difficult enough; to then be saddled with a fiancé who was practically her son—that would be a disaster piled upon disaster. She couldn't imagine how many years it would take to adapt.

For Chi Wu, there was only one possible conclusion: he and Yingzi would become engaged, live their lives together, rightfully so. An engagement in the village sealed the deal; marriage was merely a formality in the process. Though Chi Wu had lived in the city for years, their customs followed the village traditions strictly. The engagement was immensely important to him. No excuses, no deviations, no unexpected complications were permissible. He refused to even contemplate them.

It hadn't been easy for him and Yingzi to reach this point. Moreover, the sooner this matter was settled, the better. If he truly angered the old lady to some extreme degree, Chi Wu would never forgive himself. Cheng Ying wouldn't forgive him either.

In the evening, Cheng Ying called the Old Madam up for a meal. The dishes were all vegetarian, meant to cool things down. The Old Madam had no taste for the food. Just thinking about facing the Chi family's Old Madam brought her heartache, and this time, she was the one who had to be subservient. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Then she saw her own granddaughter eating quite well, even daring to pick up a dish. With a swift chopstick movement, she blocked her: "Always eating, I see." She then turned and served a chopstick full of food to Chi Wu. Cheng Ying remained silent, realizing this was a move to cut off her rations. She glanced at the Old Madam, then at Chi Wu. She felt as fragile as a young bok choy sprout. Chi Wu ate the food retrieved from under Cheng Ying’s chopsticks by the Old Madam—the pressure was immense. How much fortune he enjoyed now dictated how much suffering he would endure later. Cheng Ying was so petty; she would remember every single slight. And on top of that, she carried her own guilt. This was the worst possible scenario. Thus, the only one at that meal who could handle the mental strain and eat well—the Old Madam—was forbidden from doing so. The rest ate without enjoyment.

After cleaning up, people arrived from outside. The Chi family Old Man showed little on his face, but the Chi family Old Madam’s expression was dark enough to curdle water. As for Yang Zhi, she looked utterly conflicted watching her daughter and Chi Wu. Chi Yong, however, was fine, though noticeably uncomfortable. The entire group entered the courtyard with a stiffness that suggested they were attending a memorial service rather than a family meeting.

The Cheng family Old Madam genuinely did not know how to open the conversation. To start with an apology—that was too humiliating to bear! Thinking of the mess her troublesome child had created, the Old Madam ushered the guests inside to sit. Steelng herself, she closed her eyes. "My dear in-law, I apologize. You entrusted your child to my care, and I failed to watch her properly. I have wronged you." This statement was incredibly difficult for the Old Madam; she hadn’t spoken words of apology to anyone like this in half her life.

The Chi family Old Man saw the expression of his in-law and felt even guiltier. How much distaste must she be suppressing to utter such words? She was sensible; she was fair-minded. He then looked at his own wife, and the distance between the two women became clear. The Chi family Old Man stepped forward a couple of paces, his tone sincere. "In-law, please, don't say such things. It is we who failed to raise our child properly. For your child's sake, you show such magnanimity; it makes us deeply ashamed. Wu Zi acted improperly. I will hang him up later. You can beat him as you wish, until you are appeased."

The Cheng family Old Madam’s cheek twitched unnaturally several times, but she was ultimately a composed person. Having figured out the underlying reason, she shot a conflicted look at Chi Wu—this child was thoughtful. He knew how to protect Yingzi. The Old Madam breathed a sigh of relief. They had all watched the children grow up; if they were truly to be engaged, she supposed she could be satisfied. Besides, after considering everything, there was truly no child more promising than Chi Wu. The Old Madam finally transitioned from guilt to recognizing this as a good match. At least her unlucky granddaughter had some sense of judgment. Chi Wu had completely won over the Old Madam's heart. A man who could take responsibility couldn't be all bad.

The Old Madam said, "My in-law, what are you saying? I watched Chi Wu grow up. No one is to blame for this matter. Forget about beating anyone." As for where the true responsibility lay, the Old Madam intended to gloss over it. Since Wu Zi had presented the family narrative in a way that saved face, she would let it stand, resolving to treat Wu Zi better, even better than before, from now on.

The Chi family Old Man had never seen the Cheng family Old Madam as so noble. On matters of fundamental right and wrong, she truly understood. The Chi family Old Man said, "In-law, if you don't discipline this child, I will discipline him when he returns. We cannot let Yingzi be wronged. However, since things have come to this pass, we adults, the elders, must clean up the children's mess. Why don't we pick a date soon and let the two children finalize their engagement?" This evening's focus was supposed to be resolving the situation for the children.

The Cheng family Old Madam replied in one sentence: "I will defer to the in-laws; I have no objection." The other Old Madam said nothing. The Chi family Old Man felt that his in-law was simply too reasonable. He was grateful. The Chi family Old Man felt deeply indebted. His unfortunate child had caused this mess, and yet the Cheng family Old Madam agreed so readily, surely enduring her anger for the sake of her granddaughter. Regardless, this situation favored the girl. "In-law, whatever conditions you have, please state them."

The Cheng family Old Madam felt she had no face to state any conditions, even if she had them. "No conditions. In-law, you just set the date."

The Chi family Old Madam’s spirits plummeted upon hearing the engagement was settled so quickly. Her eldest grandson was going to have to face a country girl who wore garish floral jackets every day—it was intolerable. She forced herself to take a deep breath to control her emotions.

Originally, Cheng Ying and Chi Wu had been staying in the west room, but Cheng Ying feared the Old Madam would be bullied and had been eavesdropping from outside the main room. Knowing that Chi Wu had shouldered all the blame in the middle, she felt a degree of guilt toward the child. Binding him to herself for a lifetime because of this made her feel even more ashamed. How easily things could have been called off! Why force this connection? Seeing that both families were about to finalize everything, Cheng Ying lifted the door curtain and entered. Chi Wu, failing to hold her back, followed her in with a face as dark as dripping ink.

Cheng Ying declared, "I have a condition." The Cheng family Old Madam was so enraged she wanted to rip off her slippers and throw them at her. "Get out!" This was the first time she had ever been so severe with her granddaughter; even when punishing her with the feather duster that morning, her expression wasn't this harsh.

The Chi family Old Man saw how stern the Cheng family Old Madam was toward Yingzi and understood how much the matter repulsed her. But the fact that she endured it, refrained from anger, and didn't cause a scene just to resolve things for the children spoke volumes about her broad heart and dedication to her grandchild. He felt truly guilty. Yingzi was a good girl; despite her background, finding a decent match wouldn't be hard for her.

The Chi family Old Madam looked at Cheng Ying, her eyes sharp enough to shoot daggers. She had ruined her grandson’s future, and now she dared to state conditions! Before she could speak, Yang Zhi interjected, "Yingzi, out!"

The Chi family Old Man said, "Yingzi, speak. It's fine. We are all family now."

Cheng Ying stood up perfectly straight. "My family, my father's line, I am the sole inheritor of the bloodline. If we don't get engaged, we can pretend this never happened. But if we are to be engaged, I must marry into the Chi family through adoption."

The Cheng family Old Madam looked at her granddaughter with sorrowful eyes. The child remembered. Her efforts weren't in vain. But this was hardly the time to insist on this point! Didn't she see the situation? What she had done?

The Chi family Old Madam instantly turned hostile. "Then forget it. Pretend it never happened, just a misunderstanding. After all, one hand cannot clap. This isn't solely my Wu Zi's fault. As for marrying in—don't even think about it. When my eldest son passed away, wasn't his line the only blood we had left? Does our family..."

The Chi family Old Man felt his wife had hit exactly the right note, careful not to sound overly aggressive. "That's enough, don't say any more. Yingzi, this matter puts us in a difficult position."

Chi Yong sighed. As for the situation itself, he didn't see the harm; at worst, the villagers would gossip about their mother and daughter marrying into the father and son. But Cheng Ying had always been expected to marry out since childhood. Chi Yong knew his child; when they were initially thinking of cleaning up the mess for the two children, Chi Yong had anticipated this sticking point.

The Cheng family Old Madam closed her eyes. "Nonsense, don't listen to the child." She was willing to sacrifice the memory of her deceased son for her granddaughter.

Cheng Ying looked at everyone in the room, standing ramrod straight. "There is no room for negotiation. These are my terms." She stared intently at her own grandmother.

Chi Wu felt heartbroken. Where did Yingzi place him? Was she saying she would still discard him, for the sake of a dead man, for someone she barely knew? Chi Wu felt as if his heart was being scooped out with a knife. Fortunately, the child had good self-healing abilities. In an instant, he thought: well, this man is my future father-in-law, not a romantic rival. He would endure it.

The Old Madam tugged her granddaughter. "You are young, you don't understand. Be obedient."

The Chi family Old Man felt that their family was being slightly overbearing, pushing the widowed and orphaned mother and daughter. This matter was vexing. "In-law, let’s discuss this further. There must be a way. The children’s engagement must be settled." This offered a form of guarantee.

The Chi family Old Madam snapped, "What are you saying? Are you seriously suggesting my grandson should inherit their lineage?"

The Chi family Old Man countered, "Whose lineage does it matter? Isn't it still the Chi family bloodline?" He then looked at the Cheng family Old Madam’s enduring forbearance and genuinely felt his own wife should remain calm, prioritize the bigger picture. If this matter truly blew up, would his wife retain any face? Since they could think of the children and worry about reputation, why couldn't she?

The Chi family Old Man proposed, "We can take our time thinking about this matter. The children have been running around all day; let them rest. Let's leave it here for today. An engagement is a major event; it can't be decided with a few casual words. In-law, let’s deliberate slowly, no rush. How about we hold a banquet in the city, and then another back in the village?"

The Cheng family Grandma thought to herself that regardless of the conditions, the engagement was settled. Her granddaughter would have a future. As for her son’s lineage, the Old Madam genuinely couldn't worry about it now, especially since her granddaughter had acted so unexpectedly, doing something so hateful. If nothing else, considering Chi Wu’s genuine suffering and his considerate, mature heart, she couldn't argue further. "This child is being emotional; we don't need to mind her. If the two children are happy, whether we are alive or sleeping underground, both our hearts will be comforted."

The Chi family Old Man exclaimed, "Ah, my in-law is the most clear-headed. Very well, we won't disturb you further. I heard your son was blessed with a grandson recently. We two will have to come over for a bowl of celebratory wine when the time comes."

The Old Madam walked the Chi couple out, breaking into a cold sweat. The pressure had been extraordinary.

ps: Thank you for your votes, dear reader. Perhaps four updates today! Your encouragement is needed. Hurry and cast your Pink Tickets! RP