Second Aunt-in-law: "I saw the smoke coming from your chimney and figured you must have arrived, so I came over to check. You just got here. Come stay at my place; this room won't warm up for a whole day just by burning the stove."

Chi Wu: "Second Aunt-in-law, we arrived a little while ago. The kang is already warm, and we just finished eating. Please come inside and rest. We’ll come visit you properly in a couple of days."

Cheng Ying: "Second Aunt-in-law, let’s go inside and warm up."

Second Aunt-in-law was now extremely warm toward Cheng Ying and Chi Wu. She figured, if she couldn't ask for anything else, at least she could have someone guide her son when he went to school in the future. To put it bluntly, with the two of them, even if their child became successful, they wouldn't know where to send him for the best education.

Then she looked at Cheng Ming. With the relationship between the two families being so strained, wasn’t he still staying next to the Old Madam during school time?

Cheng Ming was the only one in the village who went to university, but there were others in the surrounding ten miles who went to vocational or normal schools.

Go ask around outside—how much money did they pay just to get one student admitted?

But look at the Elder Brother’s family; how much did they actually spend on Cheng Ming, the university student? It was even less than what Cheng Tie spent to attend the normal school.

That was all thanks to Yingzi’s connections, wasn't it?

Only the Elder Brother’s wife shamelessly went around saying that their Mingzi got in because he brought grain rations with him. How embarrassing.

Second Aunt-in-law understood things clearly. She wasn't afraid of losing face; if her son could benefit from Yingzi's connections, she certainly wouldn't be like the Elder Brother’s wife—she definitely wouldn't care about saving face.

Of course, Second Aunt-in-law was never someone who worried about preserving her dignity.

That was beside the point. Second Aunt-in-law focused intently on drawing closer to the Old Madam. "Oh dear, why are you two being so distant? You just got back, and you should have come to my house first, with the cold stove and hearth! You shouldn't have waited until everything was settled to come over. Truly thoughtless. Oh, the village still doesn't have bus service; how did you manage to get back?"

Cheng Ying told the truth. "We walked back."

Second Aunt-in-law: "You must have suffered! Why didn't you call ahead? I could have had your Second Uncle and Dun’er come pick you up!"

Chi Wu: "It’s fine, Second Aunt-in-law. It’s not that far. We only started walking when we reached the ridge." Saying this, the group entered the house.

Second Aunt-in-law spotted Cheng Ming. "Oh, Mingzi is here too! Tonight, both of you come to my house for dinner, don't just make do here!"

Cheng Ming: "Okay." This kid would latch onto almost any offer of food.

After speaking, Second Aunt-in-law patted the surface of the kang. "Good, it's not too cold."

Cheng Ying was continuously reshaping Second Aunt-in-law’s impression of her, moving her image closer and closer to that of an ideal, virtuous wife. "Is Second Uncle home?"

Second Aunt-in-law: "Of course, he is. What else would he be doing if he wasn’t home?"

Cheng Ying: "Later, Wu Zi and I will come over to see Second Uncle. It’s just that the things Wu Zi bought for Second Uncle weren’t brought over; they got held up in the township because of the heavy snow."

Second Aunt-in-law: "What are you talking about? Your Second Uncle is happy to see the two of you, or is he happy to see the things?"

Chi Wu: "Definitely the people." Cheng Ming laughed, a bit uncharitably.

Cheng Ying quickly intervened. "Second Aunt-in-law, I heard Old Aunt just had a baby boy. Have you all gone to see him yet?"

Second Aunt-in-law: "We have, we’ve all been. I originally planned to go ten days later, but now that it’s snowing, I probably can’t make it. When the baby is a month old, your First Aunt-in-law and I will go see Old Aunt. If you two want to go, you need to check the date. Don’t just go whenever; understand?"

Cheng Ying: "Grandma told me. I understand. Tomorrow is the tenth day, right? We don't know if we’ll be able to go."

Second Aunt-in-law: "What’s the rush? Look at this snow. Your Old Aunt isn’t an unreasonable person; she’ll understand. By the way, you’ve been traveling all day; rest well at home tonight. Wait until dinnertime to go see your First Uncle and Second Uncle. Don't tire yourselves out; no one will fault you for resting, understand? And tell Mingzi to let his parents know, that would be even better."

With that, she started tidying the table along with Cheng Ming, then literally dragged Cheng Ming away. That was considerate of her.

Chi Wu felt that next time he returned, giving Second Aunt-in-law a 100-jin sack of rice would be worth it.

Cheng Ying: "Now we can rest. Traveling all day was genuinely tiring."

Chi Wu spread out the bedding and burrowed inside. "It’s much warmer. Hurry up and get in."

Cheng Ying wasn't being coy. In the middle of deep winter, the Old Madam, she, and Chi Wu all kept their feet under the same thick quilt.

Lying down close to Chi Wu, she could stretch out her limbs—this feeling was wonderful.

Chi Wu was sweating, and it had nothing to do with the heat from the kang; this was considered sharing a quilt with Cheng Ying.

Even though they were both wearing thick clothes, it still excited Chi Wu. The significance was different.

Chi Wu didn't dare turn his head to look at Cheng Ying. He slightly tilted his head toward her direction, then a little more.

Cheng Ying lay there perfectly still, which gave Chi Wu courage. Chi Wu didn't dare do anything reckless, though.

But Cheng Ying was thinking: if Chi Wu did make a move now, would she still kick him as hard?

This question was absolutely worth contemplating.

Chi Wu called out contentedly from the side, "Yingzi."

Cheng Ying replied without inflection, "Mmm."

Chi Wu genuinely couldn't tell if there was any difference in the sound of Yingzi's reply.

But just lying there made Chi Wu restless. What exactly did she mean? He tentatively moved a little closer, but Yingzi showed no reaction. This was maddening. Could he move even a little closer?

Chi Wu repeated her name like a monk reciting scripture, "Yingzi."

Cheng Ying simply closed her eyes, deciding not to think about anything; she was sleepy. Time to sleep. Isn't it true that spring brings drowsiness, autumn brings fatigue, summer brings naps, and the three winter months bring endless sleep? Truly a profound saying.

Chi Wu gritted his teeth, closed his eyes, quickly turned over, and swiftly rested his head in the hollow of Cheng Ying’s armpit, lying on his stomach, careful not to press down hard. "Ow! The sun outside is so bright, it’s glaring!"

Then there was silence; the world seemed to stop moving.

Cheng Ying stiffened slightly, feeling a touch of amusement. That second sentence was worse than saying nothing. She didn't move; she just kept sleeping.

Chi Wu remained stiff for a moment, then, seeing Cheng Ying hadn't moved, relaxed. He was about to laugh hysterically inside the quilt.

Yingzi hadn't reacted, meaning she hadn't objected to his closeness! Hahaha, he was overjoyed inside. He shook with silent laughter.

He almost kicked the quilt off.

Cheng Ying kicked him. Too impatient, was it necessary? "Sleep!"

Chi Wu quieted down, but his courage had grown. He lay down properly on his own side, then stretched out his arm, resting Cheng Ying’s head on his bicep. This was what a man should do; he felt much more assured. This posture was correct.

Ugh, thinking about it now made him feel weak. He had just made such a childish move. How embarrassing; he was acting like a child.

Cheng Ying felt this was exactly what 'pushing one's luck' meant.

She was tired from all the commotion and couldn't be bothered with Chi Wu, but sleeping like this was genuinely uncomfortable. She wondered what that rascal was so happy about.

They were woken up by noises outside. The sun had already set long ago.

Cheng Ying opened her eyes; she was still in Chi Wu's embrace, and their positions were much closer than when they first fell asleep. "Dun'er, what are you making such a fuss about?"

Dun'er blushed. "Hurry up and get up! What are you doing? Luckily, I saw it. Mom called you for dinner!"

Chi Wu: "Little punk, I’m your brother-in-law! This is how it should be, don’t you understand?"

Dun'er’s face turned beet red, and he fled first.

Cheng Ying didn't even spare Chi Wu a look; she got up, washed, and immediately felt much more refreshed.

Chi Wu followed behind, his face splitting with a smile, as if he had won five million.

Cheng Ying didn't know how to feel facing him. "Did you win the lottery? Hurry up! Are you going to make your elders wait for dinner?"

Chi Wu: "Mmm, I'm even happier than if I’d won the lottery!"

Then he left, looking incredibly smug. Cheng Ying felt a pang of toothache from sheer annoyance. It was just sleeping in someone’s arms for a while, yet why did it feel like they were having a secret affair?

Why was the effect so significant?

Chi Wu filled the stove with fuel before pulling Cheng Ying out the door. Naturally, he covered his wife up tightly.

The cold wind at night was harsh.

The two ate at Second Uncle's house and chatted with Second Uncle for a long time.

Then they went to visit First Uncle's house. The attitude of First Uncle and First Aunt-in-law had actually improved considerably.

Cheng Ying was happy if she had to see less of their passive-aggressive looks. After all, she knew her son was staying on someone else's territory; it was good as long as they were sensible.

What Cheng Ying feared most were people who weren't sensible; they took too much energy.

Finally, they made a quick stop at the Village Chief’s house. The Third Madam was truly old now.

She couldn't even walk properly without someone supporting her, and her speech was rambling. However, upon seeing Cheng Ying, she kept muttering about Grandma.

Cheng Ying felt a chill when looking at the Third Madam. Everyone ages; her own Grandma was best friends with the Third Madam, and their ages were roughly the same.

Cheng Ying couldn’t bear the thought of her own Grandma reaching that stage. Just thinking about it was unbearable.

The two chatted at the Village Chief’s house late into the night before walking back.

On a snowy night, the surroundings were brightly lit. Cheng Ying and Chi Wu walked together in the darkness, their moods somewhat subdued.

Chi Wu reached out and squeezed his wife’s hand. "Everyone gets old. Our Grandma is so healthy; don't worry. She can chase after you and hit you for another twenty years without a problem."

Cheng Ying looked up, lacking the energy to kick him. "That's true. People really age fast. When we went to see the movies back then, the Third Madam could still walk around the courtyard by herself."

Chi Wu: "The Third Madam’s foundational health was never good. Look at the elderly ladies in our city; many of them are still dancing the big Yangko in the park."

Cheng Ying: "That’s true. As long as a person takes good care of themselves, they can be energetic at any age."

Chi Wu: "Mmm. Our Grandma’s vitality is something rarely matched."

Cheng Ying nodded, feeling significantly better. "Especially when facing your Grandma. You wouldn't know; recently, I've realized that Grandma’s fighting power is boundless!"

Chi Wu: "Is that so? I couldn't tell. I always thought Grandma was most impressive when she was wielding the feather duster."

Cheng Ying raised her hand to hit him. "Nonsense! Look at the things she prepares for us every time we visit your house. You can tell Grandma is most energetic when she deals with your household matriarch."

Chi Wu caught Cheng Ying’s raised hand with one hand. He couldn't think about anything else; he was lost in thought, gazing at Yingzi in the dim light. "Yingzi..."

One of Cheng Ying’s hands was being held, and the other was restrained.

This feeling was truly unpleasant.

Normally, a light slap didn't bother her much. Cheng Ying looked up, not having spoken yet, when RS