Chi Ye had truly been experiencing the harsh realities of earning every grain of rice lately.

Chi Yong complained to the Old Lady, "Our courtyard is a bit small. If we still had the five mu of land behind the house, I guarantee this boy would fully experience the hardships of the common folk."

The Old Lady replied, "The child is young; his bones haven't fully formed. Letting him see and try a little is fine, but we mustn't work him too hard. Heavy physical labor is out of the question." Novel "Novel chapter update fastest"

What she was actually telling Chi Yong was that by overworking the child, he wasn't truly learning hardship; she wanted Chi Yong to ease up a bit.

In such a small, dilapidated yard, how could the child possibly be exhausted? Chi Yong was spoiling the boy too much.

The Old Lady was speaking ironically. She had strayed off-topic.

Anyway, when Chi Yong recalled the days right after the family division, concerning the arrangement for Chi Wu to marry into the Cheng family and the fact that Chi Wu essentially belonged to the Cheng family now, he completely let go. Why fuss? He himself was already part of the Cheng family. Why worry about his son running off with someone from the Cheng family?

He could even sit down with the Old Lady and reminisce about the feelings they had when they first joined the Cheng family.

It was practically a deep dive into the family's past emotions. Chi Yong, thick-skinned as he was, wasn't afraid of awkwardness. He even clapped Chi Wu on the shoulder and told him, "Dad is just sharing some experience with you. You’ve landed a good time."

Then, looking at the Old Lady, he murmured quietly to his son, "The Old Ladies nowadays are much more reasonable." Of course, this was only meant for the two of them to hear.

Chi Wu’s thoughts drifted back and forth with everyone else’s reminiscences. Unfortunately, the smile on Chi Wu’s face seemed a bit too pleased. "That’s right, Grandma has always been haode to me."

Chi Yong’s cheeks flushed. "Those old fire pokers back then really whipped my backside." This child has completely been won over by the other side.

Chi Wu downed a mouthful of wine. In the same situation—being married off through adoption—why was his experience so much worse? Was it a flaw in his character (wenti)?

He watched the Old Lady fill Chi Wu’s bowl to the brim. What kind of life had he led back then? Before he even finished this wine, Chi Yong was starting to feel the effects.

Chi Wu said, "Grandma, you eat too. I actually think those years were pretty haode. Back when Dad and I were in the sheep pens, we never had hot congee. By the time Dad brought it back from the communal kitchen, it was always cold."

The Old Lady said, "Ah, speaking of which, since our production team’s communal kitchen had fewer people, life was quite haode."

Chi Wu replied, "Mhm, the most delicious thing I ever ate was the fish that year. You don't zhidao, Yingzi and I, when we were hungry back then, Yingzi would take me to pull wool from the sheep, and we could even get a bowl of sheep's milk from the ewes."

Chi Yong exclaimed, "How can you be so heartless? I risked so much stealing that sheep's milk for you!"

Yang Zhi asked, "You did that? Why haven’t I ever heard you mention it?"

What kind of person was Chi Yong? He immediately flushed red, glared at his son, and snapped, "It was unavoidable back then! You live off the land, right? That saying is absolutely true!"

Cheng Ying snorted, "Oh my, Uncle, why don't you say, 'The local soil nurtures the local people'?"

Chi Wu felt these two were interfering; he was the one talking! "The sheep’s milk you gave me tasted fishy."

Chi Yong shot back, "The milk she gave you tasted fragrant!"

Chi Wu continued, "Yingzi never let me know where she hid the bowl. But no matter when my stomach growled, she could always produce one. She’d siphon some milk from the ewe for me. I don’t zhidao what Yingzi mixed into the sheep’s milk, but it didn't taste fishy. Plus, I always drank first, and Yingzi drank afterward."

Chi Yong felt his son was too much. He’d never seen anything like it.

Cheng Ying’s face reddened slightly. This wasn't just for Chi Wu; it was because she herself tended to be picky when she had options. "Ah, it’s all my fault. I’m afraid of the fishy taste. I let you drink first just so I could taste it first, worried I hadn't put enough almonds in to mask the flavor. Besides, I heard eating too many almonds upsets the stomach, so I had you test it first."

Chi Wu went numb. This sweetness was impossible to analyze further. He looked at Cheng Ying with eyes full of grievance. Why did you have to say it out loud? Wasn't it better for me to misunderstand?

Chi Yong and Yang Zhi stared at Cheng Ying. Cheng Ming and the Old Lady stared at Cheng Ying too. No one spoke. Why did this unlucky kid have to say that?

Finally, Cheng Ming slapped his hand on the table, breaking the silence. "Fine! You two never called me along when you were doing that. Were you two the only ones of your age?"

Cheng Ming was genuinely angry. They had all lived through that era and gone hungry, yet these two hoarded food for themselves.

Cheng Ying retorted, "You didn't share the roasted beans with me when you cooked them at home either!"

Chi Wu countered, "I saw the bird eggs you kept in your pockets—did you share those with us?"

When it came to dealing with outsiders, these two actually showed a good degree of coordination.

The previously harmonious atmosphere had suddenly turned into internal conflict, fracturing them completely.

The Old Lady said, "Enough! All of you eat properly. You’ve certainly learned some things! What is all this fuss about?"

The Old Lady decisively cut off the topic, otherwise, it might have escalated into bloodshed.

After eating, Chi Yong drove his wife and child away. They agreed to come back early tomorrow morning to pick up the young couple and take them to see the other elderly ladies.

Cheng Ming had drunk a bit too much, so he would take a car home tomorrow and rest early.

They planned to return to the village during the upcoming October first holiday.

The Old Lady held onto Cheng Ming, giving instructions: clean up their courtyard, and bring some things from the village later. Also, the items bought for the Third Mistress should all be taken back by Cheng Ming.

The two were discussing it when Cheng Ming argued that making the round trip by car while carrying those things would be sheer torture.

If there hadn't been a gas station for dozens of miles near the village, Cheng Ming would have considered riding his bicycle back.

Chi Wu started clearing the table with Cheng Ying, his gaze fixed on his wife, eagerly leaning toward her.

If he couldn't hold her hand, just looking at her for a few extra moments was haode. These rogueish thoughts in Chi Wu were ready to blaze into an inferno.

Chi Wu was in college now; he had broadened his horizons and understood that for a relationship like his and Cheng Ying’s, their current manner of interaction was absolutely abnormal.

It had to change. He had to use the limited time of the holiday to make a breakthrough in their relationship.

Otherwise, Cheng Ying might think this casual interaction was the norm for a couple or fiancés, which would be terrible.

Chi Wu said, "Yingzi, I'll do it. You rest."

Cheng Ying didn't even glance at him. "You just want Grandma to scold me. You're trying to cause trouble for me."

Chi Wu replied, "No, how could I think that? I just... I just want to do more for you. When I'm not home, you handle everything alone; you must be tired."

What he said made Cheng Ying shrink her neck slightly. October weather was turning cold; perhaps she hadn't dressed warmly enough. "My home, my grandmother—I don't feel tired working. You don't need to be so polite."

If she didn't say that, he wouldn't have been polite anyway.

Chi Wu, thick-skinned, acted as if he hadn't understood the implication. "Yingzi, I heard you helped Grandpa and Grandma a lot. You were busy helping them move; thank goodness for you."

Cheng Ying said, "Don't mention it. That was your renovation team; I just said a few things. It’s not worth bringing up."

Chi Wu wasn't deterred by Cheng Ying’s dismissal; his eyes were still sparkling as he watched her.

Chi Wu had seen several couples in the small woods on his campus—their attitudes, their tenderness, the atmosphere—all worthy of emulation. At that moment, Chi Wu’s mind had galloped ahead to the issue of sleeping arrangements that night. He hadn't really heard what Cheng Ying said at all.

He just needed to know that when he wasn't home, Yingzi took care of his grandparents. She was a good wife, the kind you couldn't find even with a lantern—a truly good wife.

Thinking about the sleeping arrangements for the night, Chi Wu glanced at the sky; it was already dark. His speed in clearing the table accelerated rapidly.

In the blink of an eye, Chi Wu had made several trips back and forth, clearing everything off the table.

This boy’s speed had improved.

Cheng Ying said, "Aha, being outside really toughens a person up. Look at this speed! What, did you start waiting tables for others outside? No need to rush that much."

Chi Wu washed and dried his hands, then scrutinized them. Although they weren't as beautiful as Cheng Ying’s hands, they were still quite nice—long, delicate, and with remarkably clean nail beds.

If Chi Wu had a specific hobby, it was his obsession with hands. He first noticed Cheng Ying’s outstretched hand, which was so pretty, that he realized the contrast with his own. Thinking back, perhaps that was when he started paying special attention to Cheng Ying.

Cheng Ying waited for a reply but heard none after a while. "Why are you mute?"

Chi Wu puffed out his chest and adopted a superior posture. "I’m simply not stooping to your level. I’m a grown man; I have to let my wife have her way."

Cheng Ying retorted, "Stop calling me 'wife,' stop it."

Chi Wu disliked hearing that. "What should I call you if not 'wife'? You tell me," he insisted, getting serious now.

Cheng Ying felt the pleasant atmosphere completely vanish. This kid was starting to act crazy again.

Chi Wu pressed, "Tell me! If not wife, what should I call you?"

Cheng Ying snapped, "Get lost! I can’t be bothered with you." She then walked into the house.

Chi Wu followed her with a sullen face. It was a real downer to be finding trouble right after just returning home.

The Old Lady was constantly watching them. Hearing their atmosphere tense up, she immediately jumped in to save the day. "Finished cleaning up? Wuzi, what do you want to eat tomorrow? Tell Grandma, and I'll prepare it for you. These two are in school at home; you're the one who misses home cooking. You can't eat as well outside as you do at home."

Cheng Ying said, "They're going to school, learning well is what matters." This statement carried a clear note of provocation.

The Old Lady shot back, "What business is it of yours? Go on, get out of here. Wuzi, what do you want to eat?"

Chi Wu replied, "Grandma, I don't really want anything special. The boiled peanuts and broad beans you sent me were all snatched up by the bunch of guys in the dorm. When I go back to school later, just bring me some more of that stuff; they're all waiting for it."

The Old Lady beamed. "That’s great! Don't worry, we have plenty frozen in our fridge. I’ll boil them for you later; letting them soak longer makes them tastier."

Cheng Ying glanced at the two of them. That stuff—I was the one who put it in the fridge, alright? Why didn't anyone ask my opinion?

The Old Lady and Chi Wu chatted happily in the room until very late.

The Old Lady inwardly blamed her granddaughter for not speaking up. Why couldn't she be nicer to Wuzi? That unlucky child.

The Old Lady looked up; it was already past nine o'clock. "Oh my, it’s so late. You two should hurry up and rest. It’s my fault for talking too much. Wuzi, you must be tired after riding in the car all day."

Chi Wu said, "Grandma, I'm not tired. I like staying with you a little longer. I missed you while I was away." (To be continued...) (.)RU