"Yingzi, you should have gone to see Wu Zi long ago. This is important business. Grandma will prepare some things for you to take to Wu Zi later."

"No need, Grandma. I'm going to bring Wu Zi back for summer vacation. Haven't you forgotten?"

"Time truly flies, doesn't it? Good times pass so quickly. Back in those days, the whole year felt like such a drag."

Cheng Ying hadn't noticed recently how much the old lady seemed to enjoy reminiscing. No one had said anything to her about it either. "Grandma, what's gotten into you?"

"I just feel like life is too good now, too comfortable. You know, I don't even have to cook for the family anymore. What am I even supposed to do with myself from now on?"

Cheng Ying understood—it was the malaise of having too much leisure. "Grandma, what else do you want to do? You go for a walk with Grandpa in the morning, watch us in the afternoon so we don't mess around too much, and then you watch Mingzi in the evening, making sure he gets home on time. I think your days are quite full already. If you want to find something else to do, that's fine. I need to make two pairs of trousers. Now that your legs are better, you can finally use the sewing machine."

The old lady glared at her granddaughter. These tasks could be done with her eyes closed. Thinking about it, she was idle all day, with nothing substantial to do.

"I just feel so empty inside."

"Don't worry, Grandma. I'll have Mingzi quickly find you a granddaughter-in-law soon. You can watch your great-grandchildren; that will be interesting, right?"

Cheng Ming scoffed, "Pointing that out is useless. Why don't you and Wu Zi just hurry up and have a child to keep Grandma company?"

Before Cheng Ying could say anything, the old lady’s palm slapped across. "That's your sister! What nonsense are you spouting? Your sister is still in school. Don't give stupid advice."

Both Cheng Ming and Cheng Ying understood the old lady's meaning. No matter how well the two young ones got along, having children had to wait until after university graduation. Grandma’s intentions were firm; nothing should interfere with her granddaughter’s future.

"Grandma, you don't even want me to work, so why are you so concerned about my studies?" Cheng Ying wasn't eager to have children, but she couldn't fathom the depth of Grandma's thinking.

"Silly child. Chi Wu is already a university graduate. If you ruin your studies because of having a baby, how will you ever stand beside Wu Zi in the future? Don't be foolish."

Cheng Ming nodded in understanding. Grandma certainly had a clear ledger in her mind.

Cheng Ying felt it was a great honor to have such an old lady carefully planning things out for her.

"Yingzi, Grandma needs to discuss something with you. What do you think about Sister Rong?"

Cheng Ying quickly interrupted, "Please don't mention her, Grandma. Sister Rong's family has it so hard. I heard Sister Rong is single-handedly supporting her child's schooling while also caring for her widowed mother-in-law. How can life be that difficult for them?"

Cheng Ming chimed in conspiratorially, "A while ago, I heard Sister Rong say that if she hadn't found this job with you, her daughter wouldn't be able to continue school. Yingzi, perhaps you should look into giving Sister Rong an extra raise. Think about it, her whole family depends on her."

The old lady fell silent. If they took away that last shred of security, it would be truly wicked.

"Exactly. I'll give Sister Rong another fifty yuan raise next month."

"What about her husband? Isn't he home?"

Cheng Ming looked at Cheng Ying and winked. "Her husband? I heard Sister Rong's husband isn't exactly diligent."

Cheng Ying thought this kid Cheng Ming was excellent; he could spin such a tale. And he wasn't afraid to ask Grandma directly—could you really ask someone's wife to her face if her husband was no good? Grandma would surely keep such thoughts bottled up.

"Yingzi, can't you have Sister Rong do something at your company?"

"It wouldn't be right, Grandma. Sister Rong is older; what could she do? Besides, the employees at our company are all trustworthy. It's not that we don't trust Sister Rong, it’s just that her husband seems unreliable."

The old lady looked at her granddaughter; this involved family reputation. It wasn't easy to employ someone when their domestic situation was messy. "Then perhaps forget it. Just let Sister Rong keep working here at home."

Cheng Ying sighed in relief. "Grandma, I heard that Dry Auntie's little brother has lost weight recently."

The old lady frowned. This was serious. "What happened? Didn't Dry Auntie say he was doing fine?"

"Dry Auntie's nanny recently went home. The new one isn't quite familiar with the little brother yet. That's why he’s lost weight. When your legs were better, you could go over and check on him. Now that you are like this, Dry Auntie doesn't dare bring the little one over to bother you. You see, the poor child is suffering."

The old lady was truly alarmed. This was a child she had watched being born. "Oh dear, I wondered why Dry Auntie hadn't been visiting much lately. I thought she disliked me! So that's what it is. Hurry up and call Dry Auntie, tell her to come home immediately and stop hiring people. I’m sitting here idle! With Sister Rong lending a hand, how could the two of us not manage the child?"

Cheng Ying thought to herself that this would just increase Sister Rong’s workload, but since she was giving Sister Rong a raise anyway, and given there wasn't much actual work at home, it was fine. Sister Rong was essentially here to keep the old lady company. As long as the old lady kept Sister Rong around, it was okay. If it was just the old lady alone, Cheng Ying wouldn't be able to study with peace of mind.

Although they were being a little dishonest in manipulating Grandma, the two siblings would have to talk to Dry Auntie later and tell her to quickly dismiss the nanny and leave the child with Grandma. How wonderful that would be.

Cheng Ying worried about what Dry Auntie would think. She had a worrying old lady on her hands. Perhaps she really should have had a child sooner; it would have been so convenient to give it to Grandma to occupy her time.

Cheng Ying got up early, packed the big and small bundles Grandma had prepared, and set off. Cheng Ying had said they didn't need to bring these things, but Grandma insisted, saying they were local goods, 'specialties' to let Wu Zi’s teachers and classmates taste.

Cheng Ying had no more to say. Grandma was intentionally making sure she showed up at Chi Wu’s school. Furthermore, early that morning, Grandma brought Cheng Ying a pair of low-heeled little sheepskin shoes. "Wear these today, okay?"

Cheng Ying finally understood Grandma's intentions. This was a calculated public appearance, best done once so everyone knew Chi Wu had a beautiful young wife waiting at home. That way, her grandson-in-law would be safe.

Cheng Ying put on Grandma's shoes and whispered near her ear, "So scheming."

Grandma was annoyed. "What are you saying? I’m just afraid you’ll embarrass yourself outside!"

Cheng Ying quickly tucked her own thousand-layer-sole shoes into her spatial pocket while Grandma wasn't looking. What a joke—such a long drive, and she had to wear comfortable shoes, or she’d suffer.

It was already evening when Cheng Ying arrived at Chi Wu’s school.

Cheng Ying checked her watch; how coincidental, it was exactly dismissal time. She wasn't sure if she would run into Chi Wu and waited from a distance. On such a huge campus, she figured the chances of them meeting were slim. Cheng Ying greatly missed having a mobile phone; no need to wait like this. She had come all this way just to wait foolishly.

Cheng Ying took out the things she’d prepared: a bag of fruit, a bag of snacks, and a net bag containing two 'Big Brother' cell phones. They looked clumsy, but these things were just starting to become popular, and they were convenient after all. Her Uncle Gan had pulled strings to get them from the South.

Cheng Ying felt that as a young girl, it wasn't appropriate to carry them so conspicuously in her hand, so she kept them in the net bag, alongside the one she intended to give Chi Wu. The items didn't look excessively heavy.

Cheng Ying and Chi Wu didn't exactly share a deep spiritual connection. After waiting at the gate for a long time without seeing any sign of Chi Wu, she changed back into her own shoes. She had hoped to present herself to Chi Wu as a graceful, delicate young wife. But no, the conditions didn't permit it. Walking across such a vast campus in those low heels would be too much for her to endure.

Driving in was out of the question; she couldn't risk giving people the impression that Chi Wu was being kept by a rich woman. Cheng Ying was utterly depressed. She didn't realize how conservative this era was, how people's minds hadn't yet become so corrupted.

Putting on the thousand-layer soles, Cheng Ying felt much more comfortable. After all, she was used to wearing them. Carrying her bags, she locked the car and walked onto the campus. She asked the gatekeeper for Chi Wu’s dormitory and made her way there by asking directions along the route.

Her attire actually made her quite popular as she walked and asked. Standing there, she looked spirited, with beautiful hair, a bright face, and an elegant figure. If it weren't for the distinct regional style of her shoes and the two large net bags she carried, she could easily have been the campus beauty—at least the class beauty. But walking in like this gave off the impression of a farm girl coming to find someone—a simple, natural girl-next-door type, which was also quite appealing.

Cheng Ying thought the students here had good taste; several people had already come over, perhaps trying to figure out who she was looking for. What discerning students! Cheng Ying felt quite pleased; no one had approached her like this on her own campus. It was a prestigious university, after all; their standards were high.

Then she encountered a tall, handsome young man. Upon hearing she was looking for Chi Wu, he immediately offered, "Hey, little sister, you here for our Wu Zi? Follow me, I’m in the same dorm as your Wu Zi brother."

Hearing the term "Wu Zi brother," Cheng Ying felt a toothache coming on. This handsome guy was quite the joker.

"Thank you," she replied sweetly, following the handsome guy directly to her man's dormitory. During the walk, the handsome guy repeatedly turned back to sound Cheng Ying out. Cheng Ying looked at him; he was quite charming, but he was Chi Wu’s buddy, so teasing him was inappropriate. She had to hold back. It was rare to meet someone whose way of speaking matched hers so well. What a shame. Fate hadn't allowed them to meet before she was married. She dared not think about it further, fearing Chi Wu would get angry with her. Cheng Ying managed to send him off with just a smile. The man became even more attentive to the girl-next-door type. What a beautiful girl—just standing quietly beside you, as obedient and demure as possible. It was exactly what he desired. How could Chi Wu have such a wonderful girl? To think that Chi Wu was practically her elder by marriage, yet they shared such a connection. RS