"Our chores, Grandma, aren't for you to do yourself. Later, I'll bring some scrap wood from the yard. If you find the kang isn't warm enough, just stoke the stove a bit more; the firewood is supposed to be convenient too. Stuff the firebox, and it can keep warm for most of the night."

Chi Wu had arranged everything for the old woman's winter needs.

The old woman was utterly pleased; this was the child she had raised, so thoughtful and considerate. "I'll go with you."

Chi Wu raised an eyebrow. "This task doesn't require your strength. If I weren't sincerely showing off, just to let you see how capable I am, I would have had the craftsmen handle it all."

With that, he went out to work. The meaning was perfectly clear: he was deliberately showing off, boasting a little.

Watching Chi Wu's retreating figure, the old woman praised him to Cheng Ying, "See? It's different when you have a man in the house. We women don't have to worry our heads about things like this."

Cheng Ying replied, "You see how good he is. I’ve figured it out too—he's doing this specifically to curry favor with you."

The old woman said, "That’s because our Wuzi is considerate."

Cheng Ying countered, "He himself said he's doing this to please you."

The old woman retorted, "You dense girl. Why would my old self be the one Wuzi is trying to please? Why? Can't you figure it out? He’s doing it for his wife! Don’t start stirring things up. Go cook for Wuzi properly; make a couple of hearty dishes. This is physical labor, after all."

"Done. Pork stew with vermicelli, I guarantee it’ll be a main course."

The old woman watched them with a cold eye. Yingzi's demeanor towards Wuzi hadn't changed at all; there wasn't even a little warmth between them. This truly worried her. What on earth was going on between these two frustrating children? They didn't want an engagement, but no one was forcing them, right? It was something they brought upon themselves. The old woman simply couldn't understand.

If they were willing to get engaged, why would their relationship remain so cool afterward, without any warmth?

Before returning to the village, Chi Wu picked up Aunt Gan and her son, along with the accompanying auntie. This combination offered a certain peace of mind. With the auntie there, the old woman wouldn't have to do any work herself.

As for Uncle Gan, he was busier every day than the two legitimate bosses combined.

Meat, vegetables, grain, firewood—Chi Wu had prepared plenty for the old woman. Even the house's plumbing had been thoroughly checked.

He didn't relax until he confirmed there were no places where standing water could freeze in the pipes.

Cheng Ying said, "It's a good thing our home is a courtyard house with its own well. If we lived in an apartment building, Wuzi would probably be digging trenches to check the water pipes for you. Do you have to make such a fuss?"

The old woman glared. "When you're not working, don't speak with such a cold tone. Look how busy Wuzi has been these past few days."

Chi Wu replied, "We’ll be gone for almost a month, and it’ll just be the three of them at home. Of course, we need to check everything carefully. If it really freezes, who will Grandma ask for help?"

Cheng Ying said, "I can't argue with you two. I’m going to go play with my little brother."

Aunt Gan commented, "It’s been overcast for days; if it snows now, it’ll certainly be a heavy snow."

The old woman said, "A timely snow promises a good harvest. We country folk aren't afraid of that."

Cheng Ying considered that heavy snow would indeed be troublesome. Wuzi was right to take precautions. "Why don't I hold the ladder while you check the roof? We don't want the snow to cave it in."

The old woman shot back, "Is that any way to speak? Why don't you just sew your mouth shut with a rope?"

Chi Wu reassured her, "Our house is fine, it was newly built. You can be a hundred and twenty percent at ease. If it does snow, Grandma can just close the doors and stay comfortably inside watching the grandson. If the electric blanket isn't enough, we still have firewood."

The old woman exclaimed, "Oh, he's really taken after me! Look at how thorough Wuzi is in managing things."

Aunt Gan even said, "If my son is half the man Wuzi is in the future, I’ll be content."

The old woman was beyond satisfied.

The next morning, Chi Wu and Cheng Ying loaded a cart full of things, preparing to return to the village.

The old woman instructed the two youngsters, "The sky is heavy with clouds. Call us when you get home. If the roads are bad, find a hotel to stay in for the night."

Cheng Ying assured her, "Don't worry, Grandma. By the time we leave, the snow will probably be falling back home. It’s perfect for us to hunker down in the village for the winter."

The old woman said, "Mhm, travel slowly. If the snow is heavy around the New Year, don't come back. I’ll have your Aunt Gan and the others to keep me company; it will be lively. Don't go back and forth unnecessarily, you hear?"

Chi Wu promised, "Grandma, don't worry. I drive skillfully. If the snow melts slowly, we won't come back until the second month of the lunar year; we're not in a rush. We understand."

"Good, just reassure me. Remember to call!"

Ultimately, she packed a thermos of hot soup for the two of them to take along before watching them leave. "Sigh, knowing it’s going to snow, and they still insist on going back."

Aunt Gan explained, "It’s alright, Mom. Wuzi is just worried that if the snow really hits and traps them here, he won't be able to visit Yingzi's father's grave during the New Year."

The old woman sighed, "It’s just that this child is so considerate, it makes my heart ache. I say, it's only Wuzi. He and Yingzi are inherently a matched pair."

Aunt Gan thought to herself how pleased the old woman was with Wuzi, even using the phrase "a matched pair."

Chi Wu noticed the sky was very dark and hurried along the way. Sure enough, light snow began to drift down halfway there. And once it started, it didn't stop.

By the time they entered the county seat, the snow was much heavier. When he opened the car door, the snow piled up past his knees.

Cheng Ying looked at the road conditions worriedly. "Let's stay here."

Chi Wu countered, "Let's rush back. The snow on the road hasn't frozen yet, so it's a bit easier to drive. The roads from the township to the village aren't maintained. We should get to the village now while it's manageable; otherwise, you'll have to walk half a day home later."

Cheng Ying looked at the heavy snow falling outside. "How can we drive?"

Chi Wu said, "We'll drive slowly; it’s fine, there aren't many cars."

Cheng Ying insisted, "Let’s stop somewhere with a phone so I can quickly call Grandma and let her know we're safe. Otherwise, she won't be at ease."

Chi Wu suggested, "Let's wait until we reach the township. If Grandma hears about this from your uncle's house, she’ll worry even more."

"No, this snow is too heavy. We must call now." Cheng Ying had seen on the news that heavy snow could become a disaster. The phone lines might not even be working by morning.

Chi Wu conceded, "Then you tell her the truth, and we’ll call Grandma again when we reach the township."

"Okay, I understand."

Chi Wu pulled over. He and Yingzi got out to stretch their legs; driving for almost a full day was tiring.

Cheng Ying spoke into the phone, "Grandma, we’ve reached the county seat, just letting you know so you don’t worry."

The old woman on the other end exclaimed, "Finally, you called! Are the roads easy to travel? The snow here has gotten very bad."

Cheng Ying replied cheerfully, "The roads are fine, don't worry. We're driving slowly and will be in the township soon. Don't worry about us; just take care of yourself."

The old woman instructed, "I know. Drive slowly. If the roads get bad, just stay in the county seat. The daughter of Old Sun at the west end of our village married into a family in the city. Just trouble them for a night; don't take risks."

The roundabout way she put it made Cheng Ying dizzy just listening.

Cheng Ying managed, "Okay, we will. You just stay safe at home."

"Where’s Wuzi? I need to speak to Wuzi."

Cheng Ying handed the phone to Chi Wu.

Chi Wu reassured her, "Grandma, don't worry. I'll drive slowly. Just pretend Yingzi and I are out sightseeing; we aren't rushing. We’ll call you again when we reach the township."

The old woman cautioned, "You must be careful!"

Chi Wu replied, "We know. Grandma, it's slippery outside because of the snow. You must stay inside as much as possible. Ask Auntie to sweep the courtyard clean, and only go out for a short stroll. Don't go to the park. If Yingzi and I aren't with you, don't go out alone."

Cheng Ying listened to the two of them chat. You wouldn't think the old woman was so frugal with money that she would spend this much time on a phone call. Cheng Ying was impressed; if it were her, she would have hung up long ago.

Chi Wu hung up the phone. "It's a good thing I prepared enough supplies for Grandma. She won't need to leave the house for ten days to half a month."

Cheng Ying nodded, admitting that Chi Wu was better than her in this regard.

Chi Wu urged, "Let's go quickly before the windshield freezes over completely."

The two drove slowly through the wind and snow. Chi Wu draped his overcoat over Cheng Ying’s lap; it was cold outside, and even with the car's heater, their feet were freezing.

Cheng Ying gathered her spirits and watched the road with Chi Wu, as visibility was poor. The car windows kept fogging up with condensation. Cheng Ying wiped the windshield every so often, allowing them to advance, stopping and starting. "This is some heavy snow."

Cheng Ying said, "I'm desperate. Let's not drink this soup yet; we can barely see out of the car."

Chi Wu had intentionally bought a bowl of hot soup for Cheng Ying from a small restaurant; she couldn't suffer. "You drink it. I'll pull over later and open the windows for a bit."

Cheng Ying refused, "Forget it, we’ll both freeze to death. Getting home fast is what matters."

Chi Wu mused, "If your maternal aunt knew we were coming back, she’d surely have a small mountain chicken stew waiting for us."

Cheng Ying replied, "I was afraid my aunt would worry, so I didn't tell her we were coming in advance."

Chi Wu agreed, "I was also hoping to drive straight back to the village. If we had stopped to eat at my aunt's place, we’d definitely have to walk back to the village tomorrow because of this snow."

Cheng Ying tried to find humor in the situation. "At this speed, it feels like we’re riding in an ox cart from the old days."

Chi Wu joked, "Don't insult my driving skills."

Cheng Ying looked at Chi Wu, who was trying to keep his spirits up. "I’ll drive."

Chi Wu laughed. "Don't make fun of me. With your skill, maybe on a normal day, but if you held the wheel right now, who knows where the two of us might end up."

Cheng Ying fell silent. Looking at him from the side, she felt Chi Wu seemed very responsible at this moment.

Cheng Ying patted her own face, thinking, What am I daydreaming about?

Chi Wu glanced sideways at Yingzi. In truth, with only the two of them here, even if it were snowing sharp needles outside, Chi Wu felt it would still be romantic. "Yingzi, when was the last time we saw snow this heavy? Was it the year we raised the sheep?"

Cheng Ying replied, "It hasn't snowed this heavily in several years. If it keeps up like this for another two hours, we’ll have to walk home; the car will be completely buried.

Chi Wu imagined a leisurely walk in the snow would be quite beautiful, but looking outside, this blizzard wasn't ideal. Heaven wasn't cooperating.

They drove slowly, and by the time they neared the township, it was already dark.

The landscape was dotted with scattered lights.

When Chi Wu parked the car in the township's public yard, the vehicle completely stalled. The exhaust pipe was practically frozen shut.

Cheng Ying suggested, "Let's find a place to stay here."

Chi Wu disagreed. "It’s only a dozen li to home. Let’s go there. In this weather, it definitely won't be warm outside. Let’s walk faster; it won’t take long to reach Grandpa’s house."

As he spoke, Chi Wu began wrapping something around Cheng Ying's neck.

Cheng Ying protested, "Alright, you’re just increasing my load and making it harder for me to walk in the snow! You don't need to wrap me up so thickly."