Chi Wu puffed out his chest with pride, doling out two thousand yuan to the old woman every month. "This is for our household expenses; from now on, they come out of this," he declared.

The old lady pursed her lips and smiled. It wasn't about the amount; it was about the child knowing their duty to support the family.

And only after giving the money to the old lady did Chi Wu hand over his savings book to Cheng Ying. If the old lady wasn't happy, she’d be strange indeed.

The same old saying applied: it wasn't the sum, but the granddaughter's status in the household that mattered. Whoever controlled the finances was the head of the house, the one who called the shots.

This conclusion, the old lady felt, was the crystallization of years of life experience, and it couldn't be wrong. Cheng Ying watched the two of them, finding the display rather affected.

And then there was her own grandmother. When Cheng Ying gave her grandmother her savings book, it contained only that small stack of two thousand yuan, yet she hadn't seen the old woman look half as gleeful.

Was the feeling upon seeing a bankbook different from seeing physical cash? Cheng Ying couldn't fathom it.

The old lady exclaimed, "Oh my, Wu Zi is so capable! Which family gets this much for living expenses every month?" Cheng Ying countered, "I used to give that much too." The old lady snapped, "Go on, shoo!

What's it to you?" Cheng Ying thought to herself, Does she have to be so utterly blind to the facts? The old lady was getting on in years and forgetful.

Better not to argue with her. Chi Wu’s face flushed.

He had never considered this issue before; he realized he had been living off Cheng Ying for years—a kept man. He had always been supported by Ying Zi.

Chi Wu blushed shyly, thinking that if he said that out loud, he’d already be Ying Zi's man. He suddenly remembered how he had eaten and worn whatever Ying Zi provided since childhood.

Chi Wu grinned, a little lewdly. Cheng Ying glanced over.

"What are you thinking, grinning so hard you're about to drool?" Chi Wu retorted, "Mind your own business. Grandma, when are we heading back to the village?

I need to book the transport in advance; we can't haul all this stuff back ourselves." The old lady looked at him. "Look at your grandma.

When is your grandpa free? We'll go ahead and prepare.

Do you need me to go and formally invite them?" Chi Wu declared, "No need. I'll go.

Why would you have to bother?" The old lady hesitated. "It might not be appropriate for you to go.

I really should go and invite them formally. What if your grandpa finds fault with it?" Chi Wu insisted, "It’s fine if he finds fault.

If they don't come, Grandma and I will go. I am the main event; my arrival is what matters." The old lady looked at Chi Wu and couldn't help but dote on him.

If you were looking for a husband through a matchmaking event, you wouldn't find someone like Chi Wu even with a lantern. And yet, he was so eager!

It was truly Cheng Ying's good fortune. The old lady even wondered if her granddaughter had planned all this beforehand.

Otherwise, how could it have gone so smoothly? Cheng Ying glanced at Chi Wu, noting how quickly he changed.

And the sheer effort he put into winning over his grandmother. She knew Chi Wu was usually quite reserved and stubborn in front of his own grandmother—wouldn't utter a word if not pressed—but here, he had become quite the chatterbox.

It must truly be fate. Cheng Ying was genuinely tired of watching the pair.

One was delighted to be easily fooled, and the other was delighted to do the fooling. Let them have their fun.

Looking at the acceptance letter in her hand, Cheng Ying started to worry again. If Grandma found out about this later, it would be another mess.

She’d surely get scolded again. Chi Wu had been generous enough to let the matter go at the time, but she still had to handle the follow-up work.

She truly dared not show it yet; she’d wait until school started. Cheng Ying locked it away in the cabinet—out of sight, out of mind.

Besides, this wasn't the only thing troubling her. What was one more burden?

After showing off his success with his son to Uncle Gan, Cheng Ying took the child of her sworn brother and headed back to the village by car. Following them was a double-cab pickup truck Chi Wu had borrowed from a friend, driven, of course, by Sun Pangzi.

Inside were all the things the old lady had purchased in the provincial capital, ready for the banquet they planned to hold back home. Watching the old lady and Auntie Gan chatting animatedly in the back, Cheng Ying looked at the baby in her arms with a wry smile.

Anyone who didn't know better would think she was taking a child back to her maternal home. Did those two in the back have any sense of propriety?

How could they be so carefree? Cheng Ying called out, "My dear nephew..." The old lady corrected her, "You’re skipping a generation, Big Brother." Cheng Ying pursed her lips.

Calling him nephew was already letting the boy take advantage. Chi Wu chimed in, "Are we skipping?

I’ve always called him Big Nephew, following Ying Zi’s lead." The old lady scolded, "You two, stop talking nonsense and embarrassing me." Holding the child, Cheng Ying felt like the nanny for the two noblewomen in the back. This was supposed to be her engagement trip home, but it felt more like heading home to suffer.

The "big nephew" in her arms surely felt slighted too, pouting and looking like he was about to cry. Cheng Ying cooed, "Oh, don't cry, don't cry, I'll give you money later." Chi Wu chuckled.

"That’s for coaxing Xiao Ye; that trick won't work on him." Cheng Ying sighed, "My method worked on everyone from Miao Miao to Xiao Ye, but now that it’s applied to him, it fails. Can you believe how difficult this child is to handle?" Auntie Gan chimed in, "Tell me about it!

When the child wasn't born yet, I waited with bated breath to see him, counting the days. Now, after a month, he’s given me dark circles under my eyes, and now I just find him annoying when I see him.

Ying Zi, you have to take care of him for a few days so Auntie can properly relax." Cheng Ying asked, "Is that how a mother acts? Can you be that irresponsible?" Auntie Gan, who came from a government office background, spoke with refined skill.

"Well, isn't that what you're here for? I wouldn't entrust him to just anyone.

Feel free to take him and play; Auntie trusts you completely." Cheng Ying looked at the bundle in her arms. How was she supposed to "play" with such a large, fragile baby?

She couldn't touch anything carelessly. If she accidentally slapped him, the old lady would fight her to the death.

"Thank you so much for your trust. Have you discussed this with Uncle Gan?

He's so filial; he might not be willing to part with the child." The old lady, from behind, kicked Cheng Ying’s seat—through the barrier, no less—and inwardly winced at the damage to the vehicle. This was her first time being so rough!

"You need to fix that loose tongue of yours! What do you mean, 'filial'?

Is that the word you use?" Auntie Gan, sitting in the back like a superior, spoke carefully. "Actually, she didn't say anything wrong.

I have never seen your Uncle Gan treat a child this way. I wouldn't have believed it otherwise." Cheng Ying quipped, "As if he’s handling dragon liver and phoenix gallbladders." The term ‘ancestral tablet’ was too strong; she needed a different word.

Auntie Gan nodded. "Something like that.

When we didn't have children, he never once expressed to me what he truly thought about having kids. Now that the child is here, I finally understand.

Men can be so disingenuous! I never realized how much this mattered to him all these years.

If we hadn't had a child, I don't know where we'd be now." This seemed to be a moment of genuine realization. Chi Wu interjected, "That’s why it’s fate.

No matter how things happen or develop, as long as Uncle Gan and Auntie are happy, that is fate, and it must be cherished." Cheng Ying glanced sideways. Here was an opportunity for him to teach a lesson.

"Wu Zi, you certainly know how to seize an opportunity. You must be quite pleased with yourself?" Chi Wu fell silent.

Even if Cheng Ying hadn't brought up the food incident from that day, Chi Wu would have felt self-conscious. A person who has done wrong often places self-imposed shackles on their own mind; they don't need others to mete out punishment.

Auntie Gan conceded, "I give up. If your Uncle Gan wants to watch the baby, let him.

Anyway, I want a real break. Ying Zi, you and Wu Zi are free these two days, so take him.

Preferably somewhere outside the range where I can hear him cry." Cheng Ying looked back at Auntie Gan, wondering if she’d been possessed. This sounded like a stepmother's attitude; this was quite cold.

"You really are a career woman, Auntie. I truly admire you." The praise was delivered very insincerely.

Chi Wu swallowed his reaction repeatedly before saying, "Ying Zi, if you feel your career is more important, when we have children in the future, I promise I will be better at taking care of them than Uncle Gan." Cheng Ying turned her head and stared silently out the window. Why is the day so hot?

The old lady started to fret, her expression uneasy. They had just gotten engaged, and now they were talking about children.

What she feared was coming true. Auntie Gan laughed heartily.

"Haha, Wu Zi knows how to dote on his wife!" The old lady corrected her. "You talk nonsense.

Don't let her fool you; just wait until we get home. If you don't see him or hear him cry within ten minutes, you won't even be able to sleep in peace." Auntie Gan sighed.

"Mom, I finally understand what it feels like to be a mother. Thinking back on those years makes my heart ache.

I’ll bring some things for Old Doctor Dong and his wife when we get there; I need to thank them properly. I won't forget this kindness." Cheng Ying stroked the baby’s hand.

Doing good deeds without seeking recognition—that old doctor was lucky. This was all her credit, she thought.

She pinched the baby's cheek. "You better remember that." Chi Wu looked at Cheng Ying, wondering where that remark came from.

What did it mean? He didn’t understand.

Cheng Ying commanded, "Drive carefully and watch the road." Chi Wu immediately stopped his wandering thoughts. Everyone in the car was family; safe driving was paramount.

Sun Pangzi (Chi Yong) and Yang Zhi were sitting in the rear section of the double-cab. They hadn't said much during the journey.

Compared to the front, the couple in the back felt more pressure. Such arrangements weren't unheard of in the countryside, but usually, it was among families who weren't wealthy enough to afford a bride price.

For people like them, having the mother marry the father and the daughter marry the son—it sounded rather bad if it got out. Chi Yong thought to himself that he wouldn't be returning often, so the impact would be minimal.

If the child was frequently home and didn't mind, then he shouldn't mind either. As for the old lady, Cheng Ying would probably take her everywhere, so she wouldn't hear any gossip even if she wanted to complain.

He looked at his wife beside him, who seemed naive about the situation. "It's fine, what's the big deal?" Yang Zhi replied, "What’s the big deal?

For years, I’ve only been back briefly, never staying for more than a few days like this year. I was thinking of going up the mountain to gather more medicinal herbs to take back.

What do you think?" Chi Yong lowered his head. It seemed his wife had never considered this an issue.

Sun Pangzi looked at the couple beside him and nearly burst out laughing. It was no wonder people often said the two of them were mismatched.

This couple was never on the same wavelength. He decisively looked at Chi Yong, who looked prematurely aged, and then at his own gracefully moving younger sister.

It was Chi Yong who didn't measure up to his sister; he had to think that way. Yang Zhi asked, "What's the matter?" Chi Yong said, "I was just worried that it might bother you—the village gossip." Yang Zhi laughed dismissively.

"That? That's nothing.

If you don't want to hear it, just go out less. But it’s funny, isn't it?

That year, Third Sister-in-law tried to use that against someone and got shut down by Ying Zi. Now Third Sister-in-law is suffering, and she’ll probably use that very line to tease Ying Zi." Chi Yong felt that after so many years, he still didn't understand his wife well enough.

"Knowing that, you're still worried?"