The old lady looked displeased even at the sight of the gold, wondering why her granddaughter’s mouth couldn't keep a gate shut. “What are you giving me for? Save it! I was actually thinking of sending some of mine over for you to use in an emergency.”

Cheng Ying felt the old lady worried about her too much. “There’s really no need, Grandma. You should keep it for yourself. People always say that when you get old, having something put away gives you peace of mind.”

The old lady looked at her granddaughter, finding comfort in her presence. “That’s for when the children are unfilial. Do I need that? Have you ever lacked anything from me? I’d rather keep them here just in case. If one day I close my eyes and can’t open them again, there will be confusion.”

Cheng Ying knew the old lady’s heart was entirely devoted to her. “What’s there to be confused about? If not for anything else, then just because of the four grandsons your eldest and second uncles have raised, giving two pieces to each of them would be appropriate.”

The old lady looked at her granddaughter, strongly disagreeing with such words. This girl had some money and didn't know who she was dealing with. “These things, you earned them. Why give them to others? You don’t feel the pinch, but I do. You have money, so save it properly. I have my own capabilities and will leave my own estate to them; there’s no reason to use my granddaughter’s money to plug their holes. Your grandmother has never done such a thing in her life. Besides, if I keep these things here, I won’t feel secure when I go out for a walk—I’d worry about thieves. Your Uncle Gan suggested I get a safe, but I thought, isn't that just telling thieves where everything is? I can’t feel at ease no matter how I think about it. You keep them.”

The old lady’s worry was quite significant.

Cheng Ying had never imagined that the things she was entrusting to her grandmother for safekeeping would cause her so much distress. “Aren’t you afraid I won’t keep them safe?”

The old lady replied with complete trust, “No. When you hide things, I’ve never been able to find them. In your room, all I’ve ever found are a few stacks of cash; I haven’t found anything else. I’m at ease with you holding them.”

Cheng Ying broke out in a cold sweat. In a family living together, what secrets could there be? It was just that the old lady and Chi Wu never asked her about certain things.

Cheng Ying pondered what inappropriate things she might have done over the years.

At this moment, the old lady had gone out. When she came back in, she was carrying an iron box that had a strange smell.

Inside the box were gold bars wrapped in red cloth, and property deeds—deeds that had been changed to Cheng Ying’s name.

Cheng Ying thought to herself that her grandmother had thought everything through completely. How fortunate one must be to encounter such a relative.

Cheng Ying wrinkled her nose. “What is that smell?”

The old lady said, “Chicken manure smell. That’s why I didn’t want to keep this stuff. You see, I feed the chickens every day, so I have to check if anyone has touched these things. It bothers me so much! If I had given them to you earlier, I would have been worry-free.”

Cheng Ying felt a little reluctant to take them back—they had been kept in chicken manure! Her grandmother truly had a unique way of thinking. How talented she was.

Cheng Ying said, “I thought you would at least have kept them in the ‘wealth and prosperity’ nest.”

The old lady thought her granddaughter was clueless, having only seen such hiding methods in movies. “That would have been too conspicuous!”

The old lady expressed pride in where she had hidden her belongings.

Cheng Ying took the old lady’s things back to her own room, washed them thoroughly in a basin for a long time, and then placed them in her Space. The old lady was right about one thing: keeping things in her Space was safe. However, not all of Cheng Ying’s possessions were in the Space.

Cheng Ying understood that her grandmother didn't dislike the gold; she was afraid that if she passed away someday, the things she held would be unaccounted for. Therefore, the next day, Cheng Ying brought back a pair of gold bracelets for the old lady. “If you like them, wear them. We wouldn't begrudge these small trinkets to anyone.”

The old lady looked at the things on her wrists and said only one sentence: “Although these aren’t as pretty as the things you gave me last time, they are sturdy and can withstand being dropped.”

This meant she was satisfied with the item. Looking at the old lady, Cheng Ying felt that no words could express her feelings.

In the old lady’s heart, the difference between the gold bracelets and the jade bracelets was simply this: gold was sturdy.

Cheng Ying thought about the five acres of land. She planned to clear it with a bulldozer and then bring in several cartloads of good soil to spread over it. It would be nice to plant an orchard with whatever the old lady liked—as long as it wasn't flowering trees. At least it would yield produce.

Her own grandmother was not the type to invite friends over to admire plum blossoms.

Consequently, when Cheng Ying’s five acres of back garden were being developed, it wasn't particularly beautiful or standardized.

This was because the old lady lived so practically; she planted two trees of whatever fruit could be harvested across the four seasons.

As people said, having seasonal fruit to eat all year round was quite good.

Cheng Ying’s Space found no use for these things, because the produce from the Space was simply not presentable enough. If those fruits grew, the old lady would probably chop down the trees and graft new ones.

When the Chi family’s old lady came over and saw the five acres of fruit trees, she remarked, “In the future, perhaps we can only visit when it snows in winter to admire the snow clinging to this entire orchard.” This implied there would be no scenic beauty to appreciate otherwise.

Cheng Ying felt that she truly was a literary person. “You really have an eye capable of discovering beauty.”

For the old lady, those words were the highest honor. Even the Chi family elder standing nearby smiled.

When her own old lady arrived, she said, “Cousin, in the future, our family won't have to buy fruit from outside anymore. Look, we have fruit for all seasons. When the fruit ripens, I’ll have someone send some over for you all to eat fresh.”

The Chi family’s old lady wasn't sure if she was happier to eat the fruit or to see the beautiful scenery, but since this wasn't her property, she couldn't call the shots. This time, the Chi family’s old lady found the right angle: “We’ll just be happy to eat what’s ready!”

The Cheng family’s old lady said, “Don't be so polite, what kind of relationship do we have?”

Cheng Ying felt that since these people were so down-to-earth, she had little to worry about. It was rare that her grandmother and the Chi family’s old lady could accommodate each other.

Cheng Ying said, “In the winter, I’ll build a glass greenhouse in the orchard. Then Grandma can come over to sit for a while; it will still be quite atmospheric.”

The Chi family’s old lady commented, “That’s a great idea.”

The Cheng family grandmother muttered to herself that it was a waste of money, but since it wasn’t for looking at flowers and grass, she agreed, “That’s wonderful. I’ll prepare a large brazier then, I guarantee it will be warm and cozy.”

The Chi family’s old lady exclaimed, “Oh, just thinking about it makes me wish for the snow to fall soon.”

Cheng Ying’s days were tightly scheduled: placating the elders and checking on the factory’s progress. During classes, she strived for excellent grades. After all, she was competing to be named one of the Ten Outstanding Youths. She couldn't afford to have her application rejected if they investigated and found her studies lacking—that would be too embarrassing. It was going to be reported in the newspapers.

Cheng Ming had become much more sensible and could even lend a hand when Cheng Ying was tied up.

Every evening, Cheng Ying didn't forget to call Chi Wu to remind him to apply the medication.

Chi Wu looked at the scar on his leg, which the doctor said required a skin graft to remove. Under the effect of Cheng Ying’s folk remedy, it was fading more and more. He would stare blankly at the bottles and jars she gave him every day, and when he finished a bottle, he would smash it immediately.

Chi Wu didn't know why, but he just felt that this substance couldn't be known to others. He never thought about getting rich from it.

Where had his wife obtained these folk remedies? The effect was somewhat uncanny. He touched his arms and legs; they felt so smooth.

Chi Wu was diligently rubbing his leg so often that eventually, some people found out he had burn ointment.

When someone had a minor burn, they came to him asking for some ointment, but Chi Wu would rather fall out with them than give any away. He guarded the remaining few bottles of liquid more carefully than the big brick mobile phone in his hand.

Chi Wu had pondered this: the water used when his wife was in the hospital was always personally poured down the washroom drain by him. Even when the old lady offered to help, Cheng Ying never let anyone else handle it. Cheng Ying wasn't particularly diligent, but when bathing at home, no matter how late it was, she would always use a bucket to scoop the water out of the fish tank and pour it onto the vegetable patch or water the grapevines in front.

It was hard for Chi Wu not to think deeply about it. When Chi Wu saw his own scars disappearing, he immediately poured all the remaining bottles and jars down the washroom drain, not leaving a single drop.

After pouring it all out, Chi Wu felt relieved. This stuff was good, but why did it feel like trouble? Chi Wu always had a vague sense of unease about it.

The factory building was completed by November, and the workers' dormitories were nearly finished too.

During the National Day holiday, Chi Wu didn't go home; he went straight to the lumber yard in the countryside to inspect the timber. Once the factory started operations, raw materials would be essential, and for a furniture wholesaler, the timber could not be lacking.

Uncle Gan was so busy he had no time to rest, so naturally, Chi Wu couldn't be idle either.

Finally, during the break, he didn't even see his wife. Chi Wu selected the timber and had his uncle drive the truck to deliver it, then he returned directly to school.

Before the workers arrived, everything was prepared.

Uncle Gan praised Chi Wu to Cheng Ying: “It’s a good thing we have Wu Zi; otherwise, I wouldn’t have known what to do. I could have people source ordinary timber, but for this rare kind, one really has to go see it personally.”

Speaking of the fire, the most regrettable loss was the rare wood that Uncle Gan had sourced through various channels—some of those pieces were hard to come by.

Fortunately, Uncle Gan had acquired them along with the saplings, so there were small seedlings in their own mountain area. It would just take a long time for them to grow into mature trees.

Cheng Ying looked resentfully at Uncle Gan. Was making money really that important? What difference would it make to lack two types of wood? How could he keep the person working through the October 1st holiday? That was too much, “How could you order people around like that? This is a national unified holiday.”

Uncle Gan looked at his sulking niece and said one sentence, “Ancestor, I’m working for you.” Then he turned and walked away.

Cheng Ying’s resentment was ignored. Cheng Ying thought she should make some time to go see Wu Zi, but then she heard on the phone that the scar removal was complete. She hadn't seen the actual effect yet.

Cheng Ying was still a little worried. However, she was truly too busy at the moment to find the time. Never mind, she would endure it. It looked like the winter break would come in another two months.