This whole situation was orchestrated to pit the two of them against each other. The plan was quite successful. It’s unlikely those two will ever show up here again.

Cheng Ming looked mournfully out the window. "I never thought I’d one day play such an aggravating role."

Cheng Ying declared, "I didn't ask you to. I genuinely intended to introduce someone to Second Sister."

Cheng Ming shot Cheng Ying a dark, displeased look. "Hmph. No loyalty. What's wrong with blocking for Big Brother?"

Cheng Ying was equally unhappy. Why were these two brothers exactly the same—both utterly unreasonable? "Oh, I spit on that! You morally bankrupt thing, why didn't you block for him? Do unto others as you would have them do unto you! How can you be so utterly lacking in virtue, asking me to take the heat for someone else?"

Cheng Ming felt a knot in his stomach. "Is it the same for me? Can I avoid my mother? Are you afraid of my mother? If you just let her nag a bit, it would pass. What can she really do to you? Is it the same for me?"

The noise they were making was so loud it sounded like it could peel the roof right off. He couldn't even handle his own mother, and now he had the nerve to argue.

Chi Wu thought to himself, So, the internal conflict has begun. The external threat is dealt with; now it’s time to sort out the domestic issues.

He quickly stepped in front of his wife. "Alright, stop shouting, both of you. Do you want the whole village to know? This is fine as it is. If this girl truly cares for your brother, she won't be back. If she does return, it means she looks down on your brother and really wants a college graduate. In that case, we won't bother with her either."

Cheng Ming huffed and turned away, refusing to look at the two conspiring spouses. Zero loyalty.

Cheng Ying moved closer. "When you start dating, as long as you like the person, I’ll help you make it happen, okay?" She was using conciliatory language now.

Cheng Ying knew perfectly well that her relationship with Cheng Ming was different from that with Cheng Tie.

Cheng Ming finally let his expression soften. "You remember that."

Cheng Ying replied, "I definitely will," finally managing to appease him and send him off.

Cheng Ying inwardly thought, I owe them nothing; why did I get tangled up in such messy business?

She confided in Chi Wu, "The girl was nice. Their relationship looked like it was more than a year or two in the making. It’s a shame; you can’t always be together just because there are feelings involved."

Chi Wu was unimpressed. A girl who falls for an irresponsible man—that’s just bad judgment on her part; you can’t blame others. "That’s true. A man needs confidence to pursue a woman he likes. Someone like Cheng Tie isn't fit for the job. Not every man gets to be with the woman he desires."

Cheng Ying glanced at Chi Wu. He must feel incredibly confident right now. He certainly had a solid foundation beneath him.

Cheng Ying sighed, "Destiny brought them together, but fate kept them apart."

Chi Wu puffed out his chest proudly, "We have both destiny and fate on our side."

Cheng Ying couldn’t be bothered with him. She turned and went inside to rest. Dealing with those two had taken up most of the night; no wonder she felt so vexed.

However, what Chi Wu said did resonate with her. Their own bond was forged by Chi Wu’s relentless efforts—that much was undeniable. No wonder Chi Wu dared to speak so confidently. This fate of theirs... she actually felt quite good about it. It was certainly better than encountering someone like Cheng Tie, who knew he shouldn’t provoke trouble, couldn't handle his own mother, yet went around creating trouble anyway. Wasn’t that irresponsible?

In retrospect, Chi Wu’s intervention this time was far more successful than the last. Those two never visited again.

Since Cheng Ying and Chi Wu had some breathing room, they took advantage of the quiet days to visit the homes of the master craftsmen at their factory, aiming to boost employee morale.

It wasn't until the twenty-fifth of the twelfth lunar month that the phone line finally connected. Cheng Ying immediately called the Old Madam.

They hadn't been in touch for over half a month; she wondered how worried the Old Madam must have been. Thankfully, the call went through, and the Old Madam sounded very energetic.

She especially praised Chi Wu repeatedly, saying that if he hadn't made such thorough preparations, they would have suffered terribly. It had snowed so much that every household had to come out and clear the drifts, and it took three full days for things to normalize, and the snow had been falling on and off the entire time.

The Old Madam kept chattering about the good things Chi Wu had done, making Cheng Ying almost mention that the children from her paternal aunt’s family hadn’t managed to secure a match.

Seeing Chi Wu listening nearby, Cheng Ying said nothing.

The Old Madam instructed them not to return until the roads were safe and clear, warning them not to drive recklessly. She told them not to worry, as she had Uncle Gan to keep her company, and that Chi Yong and his wife were also home, so things were lively.

After hanging up, Chi Wu told the Old Madam, "Grandma, don't worry. Yingzi is doing well; I’m here."

Chi Wu had meant to say, I’m here to take care of Cheng Ying, but given Cheng Ying’s temperament, if he had said that outright, he might have received a stern reprimand.

He kept it concise in the end. After ending the call, the two immediately called the elders on Chi Wu’s side.

Chi Wu’s grandmother was not nearly as amiable. After all, their trip to the Cheng family had resulted in them being snowed in, and they had been out of contact for half a month. Chi Wu’s grandmother’s words carried clear undertones of dissatisfaction.

Cheng Ying froze on her end of the line, pretending not to understand, responding gently and obediently.

Chi Wu took the phone. "Grandma, we’ll be back in a few days. Don't worry. You two take care of yourselves. If there’s nothing else, I’m hanging up now."

His meaning was clear: he didn't want his grandmother continuing to insinuate things about his wife.

It was Old Man Chi who finally took the phone and gave them some well-meant instructions before hanging up. He looked speechlessly at his wife; knowing their grandson loved visiting, why would she say things that pushed him away?

As soon as Chi Wu set the phone down, he grabbed the lapel of Cheng Ying’s cotton jacket and wouldn't let go.

"Let go! What are you doing?"

Looking at Chi Wu’s posture, one might think he was their grown son asking for candy—the behavior was utterly childish.

Seeing a grown man strike such a pose was hard to stay angry about. "That’s not what I meant. Grandma’s words don't count; you can’t be upset."

Cheng Ying let out a soft laugh. When had she ever taken the Chi family's Old Madam seriously? That would just be making things difficult for herself.

Given the Old Madam’s personality, if she were left to manage social interactions, the roof would probably be ripped off the house. Who could endure constantly watching her expressions and trying to keep her happy?

Cheng Ying felt it was inappropriate to say she didn't care about his grandmother, but saying she did care also felt wrong.

It seemed that whether she was angry or not made her unhappy when reflected through Chi Wu's concern.

Inevitably, Cheng Ying found herself beginning to care about Chi Wu’s feelings and didn't want to see him upset. Realizing this shift in attitude, Cheng Ying wiped a bead of sweat from her forehead. The room was just too hot.

Chi Wu pleaded, "Yingzi, you can’t condemn everyone based on one person. Besides, I married into your family; from now on, we are one unit."

That was such an irresponsible thing to say.

Cheng Ying said, "Enough, let go. What will people think? If Grandma sees this, she’ll think I’m bullying you again."

She ended up sitting beside Chi Wu. "But you have to admit, your grandmother's way of handling things is wrong. The world doesn’t revolve around her. If things continue this way, how will the family manage down the line? Your grandfather must be exhausted."

Cheng Ying was completely worried about the actual practical implications for the Chi family, but in doing so, she successfully shifted the topic.

Chi Wu replied, "Grandpa has been worrying for so many years; a few more years won't matter. As long as you’re not angry, that’s all that counts. Besides, in the future, it will be Mom who handles these things; we won't have to worry."

Chi Wu distanced himself cleanly from the issue. That was Cheng Yong’s responsibility. Why should he, a man who married into his wife’s family and focused solely on her, worry about that?

Chi Wu leaned closer to his wife. "From now on, all our family’s social interactions, I’ll leave to you. I’ll listen to whatever you say."

See? This man’s entire focus was on his own little family.

Cheng Ying considered her own temper. It was probably on par with the Chi family’s Old Madam. If she handled the social sphere, there wouldn't be many acquaintances either.

So, she fell silent. May Heaven bless her own grandmother with robust health, hopefully until her children could shoulder responsibilities, so she wouldn't have to worry about these matters.

Cheng Ying's troubled expression let Chi Wu understand: social maneuvering was also one of his wife’s weak points.

Chi Wu immediately slapped his chest in assurance. "Don't worry, I'm here. I’ll handle our family’s social relations. All my wife needs to do is keep earning money."

He made sure to highlight his wife’s strengths, ensuring she always felt confident. A good husband keeps his wife happy in every way, all the time.

Chi Wu didn't need Cheng Ying to speak; he understood his wife’s shortcomings. In fact, their current social circle in the city mostly consisted of the Old Madam’s friends from her opera-going clubs.

One could see how poor Cheng Ying was at managing social ties.

Cheng Ying had to admit that this was indeed her weak spot. Having someone who didn't look down on her shortcomings and was willing to step up—she felt that was quite good.

Looking at Chi Wu, Cheng Ying thought that any woman who had a man like him was truly fortunate.

Then, on the twenty-seventh of the twelfth lunar month, the village erupted in chaos.

No one knew which aunt first spotted Cheng Tie on a date with the girl in the village, but she immediately told the Eldest Aunt.

And oh, the commotion the Eldest Aunt caused! She was shouting and cursing throughout the village, accusing the aunt who informed her of having malicious intent. Cheng Tie was about to be assigned a job—a secure, iron-rice-bowl position—yet she was interfering with his chances to court local girls. She was deliberately sabotaging Cheng Tie’s future!

With the Eldest Aunt creating such a scene, even Cheng Ming couldn't persuade his own mother to quiet down.

Cheng Ying wasn't going out; why would she involve herself in that kind of noise?

But just because she wasn't going out didn't mean the matter wouldn't come to her. Even a clay figurine has some spirit. When a village aunt kindly informs you that your son is dating someone, what was the point of causing such a fuss?

The Eldest Aunt’s ruckus made the informing aunt angry. She immediately retorted, "What are you shouting about? I was kindly telling you! Everyone in the village knows this. Go ask around; even Yingzi and her husband, who just got back, know! Do you think your son is made of gold or silver? Because of your shrewish temper, anyone willing to step into your house is already doing you a favor!"

With that, the aunt patted her behind and left. Truly irresponsible behavior.

The Eldest Aunt, her face dark, dragged Cheng Tie along. "You tell me right now, is this true?"

Cheng Tie, the coward, remained utterly silent. Cheng Ming watched and found it painful; in the future, he wouldn't even dream of finding a wife in the village. Which family would give their daughter to him?

The Eldest Aunt redirected her anger and went straight to Cheng Ying, her tone aggressive and demanding. "Yingzi, you tell me—what exactly are your intentions? You clearly know Cheng Tie is set to get an iron rice bowl, yet you stood by and watched him date a village girl. What are you trying to achieve?"

Chi Wu’s face darkened as he watched Cheng Tie. How dare he come to his house to make trouble when he couldn't even manage to pull his own mother back?

If you can't handle your own son, you don't get to pick a fight here!