That was thoughtful of him. Cheng Ming set up the table, and the three of them settled onto the kang, immediately calling out, "Wuzi, what are you dawdling for? Hurry up, we're just waiting on you!"

Chi Wu, still outside, replied with feigned annoyance, Did I even agree to play with you guys?

But since they had already come all the way to his home, those words couldn't actually be spoken; the villagers would drown him in their gossip otherwise. Chi Wu maintained a dark expression outside but agreed readily enough, "Yeah, just wait, I'm coming right now. Let Yingzi touch a couple of hands for me first."

Cheng Ming was immediately provocative, his words practically begging for a slap, "We're not playing with women!"

Cheng Ying glanced at Cheng Ming, genuinely wanting to kick him out. I'm not playing with you guys either, sister. She stayed by herself at the head of the kang, watching television. I'd rather die than play with you. She wouldn't make up their fourth player.

Chi Wu only came in after five minutes. Cheng Ming complained that Chi Wu was being slow.

Chi Wu brought his wife a huge platter of sunflower seeds, peanuts, and hazelnuts, piling them right in front of Cheng Ying—this was because he feared his wife would be bored sitting alone.

Only then did he methodically join the three anxious people waiting for him.

The four of them started playing at the far end of the kang. Chi Wu sat on Cheng Ying's side.

Cheng Ying watched television while glancing at Chi Wu's hand of tiles, offering quiet suggestions.

Their focus, honestly, was less on the mahjong itself.

But Chi Wu had a sharp mind, so he didn't lose much money anyway. The crucial thing was ensuring his wife was involved and participating alongside him.

Around ten o'clock, Cheng Ying let out a small yawn. That single motion was enough for the playing Chi Wu to speak up, "Yingzi, go sleep in the East Room. The kang there should be warm by now, and the quilts have been aired out nicely."

Cheng Ying’s hand, paused halfway to her mouth, froze in mid-air.

All that time Chi Wu was outside—he had been heating the kang for her, afraid she would genuinely have nowhere warm to sleep later. How meticulous this man was.

As expected, Cheng Ming was the first to tease, "Is that necessary, Wuzi? Is there such a thing as spoiling your wife that much? Are you even a real man?"

Chi Wu glared darkly at the irritating Cheng Ming. If you weren't here, I’d be holding my wife right now. "Scram! That’s my wife, and I please myself!"

With that, he urged Cheng Ying to go to bed.

Cheng Ming shook his head, "There are times you can't control things. Learn more from the uncles and old men in the village; see how they ** their wives. You’re too timid, afraid of your wife. Shameful."

Cheng Ying couldn't even be bothered to acknowledge Cheng Ming; did he even know who his own kin were?

Chi Wu shot back, "You’ll never get a wife in your whole life if you just keep copying them!"

Cheng Ying got off the kang and carefully gathered the scattered sunflower seeds. "You guys keep playing."

Then she brought them all a huge platter of frozen pears, which she had just retrieved from the mountain.

She also brewed a large pot of tea specifically for Chi Wu before heading to the East Room to sleep.

This time, Chi Wu had insisted on sleeping with Cheng Ying in their own room; the old lady's East Room remained untouched.

Cheng Ying felt the aired quilts, smelled the charcoal brazier inside the room, and then slipped her hand beneath the mattress, feeling the scorching heat of the kang.

The corner of her mouth lifted high. When Cheng Ying finally slipped under the covers, there was even a hot water bottle at her feet, though it had cooled down slightly.

Before sleeping, Cheng Ying’s mind was filled with Chi Wu. In two lifetimes, no man had ever cared for her so deeply. It would be a lie to say her heart didn't feel warmed; regardless of what Chi Wu meant to her right now, she had to admit that no one measured up to Chi Wu. Living like this with him really was quite good.

Without pretense, no matter the nature of the feeling, it was affection, and that was the foundation of two people living together.

Currently, Cheng Ying could only think of Chi Wu's image; even in her sleep, it was Chi Wu.

They say an old house catching fire is beyond saving, but when Cheng Ying’s long-dormant heart stirred like this, it felt like an earth-shattering event. This realization was too profound.

Cheng Ying had been pondering how to make her move. However, she also understood that from start to finish, she had been completely wrapped around Chi Wu's finger, never escaping.

To be led around by a mere punk, despite being this age, Cheng Ying felt a touch of resentment—it wouldn't be easy for that unlucky kid.

When Cheng Ying woke up in the morning, Chi Wu’s large head was right in front of her face. When had he snuck over?

Cheng Ying got up to start making breakfast, but Chi Wu hadn't stirred. He must have been up tormenting the tiles half the night.

Cheng Ying tiptoed to the West Room. The three men were sprawled out, fast asleep.

Cheng Ying looked at Cheng Ming with annoyance. Even after everything, he was planning to visit Old Auntie's place today to see her child.

She started hammering on the West Room door, "Get up and eat!" I certainly won't let you sleep in peacefully.

Cheng Ming groaned, burying his head deeper into the quilt, mumbling, "Leave me alone unless you give me my money back. Otherwise, I’m sleeping here every day."

He promptly fell back asleep. Cheng Ying pursed her lips. It was clear Chi Wu had won last night. What terrible sportsmanship! Losing money and then refusing to leave.

Cheng Ying almost wanted to scoop a handful of snow and toss it onto his quilt.

Chi Wu, however, was roused by the commotion and emerged shortly after. "Why so early? Don't worry about him. He’s just a sore loser; let him sleep."

Cheng Ying asked, "How much did you actually win off him?"

Chi Wu’s face was beaming with triumph. "Not much. I guess they each emptied their pockets."

Cheng Ying was quite pleased. "You’re too ruthless!" This was just talk, carrying no real weight.

Chi Wu insisted he wasn't willing to exert himself that much. He spread his hands, "What choice did I have? If I didn't fleece him, would he have let me go to sleep early? Do you think I care about his paltry money?" Chi Wu looked genuinely aggrieved; Wasn't I only doing it so I could get back to my wife sooner?

Cheng Ying frowned at Chi Wu, feigning sympathy. "You really were wronged, weren't you?"

Chi Wu nodded emphatically. "Absolutely." But his hands were busy; chopping vegetables and cooking were even smoother actions for him than they were for Cheng Ying.

See? Good men are **, aren't they? Cheng Ying thought seriously. When she first treated Chi Wu, she truly hadn't meant anything else by it—definitely not raising him to use later. Truly. But right now, she felt a little guilty.

Chi Wu stated, "After we eat, I'll kick him out. Indulging him too much."

Cheng Ming, dragged out by the two of them, overheard this. "You're indulging me? Why don't you talk about indulging your wife?"

Chi Wu shot back, "That’s my wife, and I’m happy to!"

Cheng Ming felt it was pointless arguing with him. He turned to hassle the two brothers in the room. To be fair, the character and sportsmanship of these visitors weren't great.

Having lost money yesterday, they insisted on eating today, or they wouldn't leave.

Chi Wu’s face darkened considerably. "If I play with you guys again, I must be an idiot. So you all came yesterday with the express intention of fleecing me?"

He finally saw it clearly. They had come with the sole purpose of winning money. If he had lost, who could he have appealed to?

Cheng Ming looked up, resigned. He lacked the skill and had been fleeced.

Cheng Ying urged, "Eat up. Eat more; maybe you can win some back that way."

The three looked at the enormous basin of noodle soup. Even eating their fill wouldn't cover their losses. But these three were determined to balance the scales; they ate until their stomachs were painfully round before finally leaving.

Cheng Ming clutched his stomach, "Oof, why does it feel like everything is sloshing around in here?"

Chi Wu chuckled. "You ate too much broth."

Cheng Ying scolded, "Serves you right! You filled your head with noodles. Did you really need to risk your life eating that junk? Anyone seeing you would think you lost your entire fortune."

Cheng Ming spat, "Bah, don't put a curse on me!"

Cheng Ying sneered at Cheng Ming. So, he was already planning the next round. Gambling was ruinous; if she didn't cure him of this habit, it would be a wonder.

Just you wait, she thought, let him be smug for now.

After Cheng Ming finally left, Cheng Ying asked, "When did he pick up this bad habit?"

Chi Wu explained with a sigh, "It's the air outside, unrestrained; it just scatters their good sense."

Cheng Ying insisted, "This habit can't stay. They say a little gambling is relaxing, but where is the line drawn?"

Chi Wu immediately countered, "I don't have this habit, Yingzi. I was forced into it last night by them, you know that, right?"

Cheng Ying scoffed, "Move aside. If you don't have the habit, how did you manage to empty the pockets of all three of them? Are you trying to fool a ghost?"

Chi Wu protested, "That was just my natural good luck, Yingzi. I don't play this stuff seriously. If I won money, what use would it be to me? If I lost, it wouldn't be worth the effort. Why was I even sitting there? It was all the fault of that unlucky Cheng Ming."

Cheng Ying cut him off, "Enough of that. I was talking about Cheng Ming. This rotten habit must be fixed."

Chi Wu agreed immediately, "Absolutely, whatever you say goes. What rotten habit?"

Internally, he thought: If my wife doesn't care for this, I’m never hanging around with Sun Pangzi and the others again. That was too close.

He asked Cheng Ying with exaggerated piety, "Yingzi, is there anything at all you don't particularly care for?"

Cheng Ying looked at Chi Wu, her smile just as gentle, "I don't care for you."

Chi Wu's face immediately dropped. "How is that possible?"

Then he struck two poses, "A man this handsome, this valiant, this reliable—who wouldn't care for him? Tell me?" He then shuffled closer, seeking approval, "Right?"

Cheng Ying swatted him away. "Get lost! We can't go to Old Auntie's place today then. How about we go take a spin around the Timber Yard? Are you still tired?"

Chi Wu didn't get the answer he wanted and was inwardly troubled. Did Yingzi really not care for him? This question was too perplexing.

Chi Wu brightened up. "Sounds good! We should have gone to check on Uncle Lin a while ago anyway. Besides, Second Grandpa is alone up on the mountain; we can ask Uncle Lin to send someone to check on him more often."

Cheng Ying nodded in agreement. That was indeed the right thing to do.

Chi Wu packed three bags of fish, finally depleting a small portion of their stock at home.

Cheng Ying looked at the small collection with disdain. "Is this small offering enough?"

Chi Wu explained, "The heavy snow has blocked the roads back from the town, or I’d have brought some good tobacco from the truck. This will have to do. Uncle Lin isn't picky about us."

"Let's go," Cheng Ying agreed. The two of them climbed onto the horse-drawn sleigh to begin their visits. Although the snow was deep this year, they were still earlier than most years.

Chi Wu calculated that before the thirtieth, they would have several days alone together.

When it was time to go to Old Auntie's place the next day, Cheng Ming and his brother, along with Second Uncle’s Dun’er and his brother, had all arrived.

It was turning into a large family outing.

But one thing remained constant: the most numerous item they brought was fish. Everyone wanted to save face without spending much money.

Cheng Ying felt embarrassed about adding more of her own fish to the pile. She worried for her own aunt; what on earth would she do with this mountain of fish?

Cheng Ying brought along some roe deer meat to add a slight richness to the offering. Among the group of young men, Cheng Tie was the oldest. Therefore, the younger ones listened to him. Cheng Tie, this RS...