To the outside world, the details were hidden, but Old Man Chi knew that his wife was practically ushering those young ladies right through their front door.

Yet, observing his grandson's wife's demeanor, he surmised that she understood the unspoken message perfectly: "Your grandmother and I are old now; we won't be able to look after you two much longer. It’s up to you two to stand united. Yingzi, Wuzi's future is in your hands."

It was at this moment that showing one's stance became crucial, even if slightly belatedly.

Old Man Chi had intended to play the sentimental card, expressing his lingering concern, but Cheng Ying seamlessly took over: "Grandpa, please don't worry. Wuzi and I grew up together since we were teenagers; we've managed all these years this way. Wuzi is a dependable man, someone who can be relied upon. We will manage our lives just fine going forward."

That single sentence left Old Man Chi speechless. She already regarded his grandson as completely hers; what was the point of him rambling on?

And what she said was quite right—it implied that it was none of their business, practically telling the old man to stop worrying.

Chi Yong lingered by the kitchen doorway, leaving it slightly ajar. While working, he kept one ear tuned in, listening intently. Chi Yong couldn't quite articulate whose side he was subtly rooting for by listening in this way. Perhaps it was just the fear that his daughter might anger his father, prompting him to intervene at the right moment.

Chi Yong subtly glanced at his father's expression; whether to step out or not was a genuine dilemma. His daughter was never one to be trifled with.

Yang Zhi asked, "What are you doing? Relax, our daughter is dutiful; you don't need to worry."

Chi Yong felt that with a slight rhetorical polish, that statement was almost flawless. His daughter was indeed filial, but that devotion was reserved for Old Madam Cheng and her own mother. Others received reciprocal treatment based on their performance—that was non-negotiable.

Take his own father, for instance. Chi Yong admitted he had never treated Cheng Ying as his own daughter. But Cheng Ying’s dealings with him, Chi Yong, had always been strictly transactional: when his services were needed, he received equivalent compensation. Over the years, they hadn't managed to grow even slightly closer.

Of course, there had been exceptions recently. Even Chi Yong couldn't pinpoint why, but his daughter had shown a minuscule, unexplainable closeness toward him. This manifested primarily when she needed him to draft designs: she hadn't bought gold jewelry for his wife, hadn't bought nice things for his son, and hadn't brought him, her father, any gifts.

Don't underestimate this detail; it was Cheng Ying's specific way of expressing affection. Normally, a daughter wouldn't ask for favors like that; it would be a cash transaction.

Chi Yong had learned this deeply over the years. When someone offers you things, it means they don't fully consider you family.

Yang Zhi said, "What are you staring at, still lost in thought?"

Chi Yong managed a forced smile, "I was just afraid Yingzi might flatter Dad too well, what if the old man gets overjoyed?"

Looking at the direction of his concern, it mirrored the affections of his wife.

Yang Zhi pursed her lips and chuckled—this was praise for their daughter, and a mother was naturally pleased. "Actually, what makes me happiest is that Wuzi married Yingzi. You have no idea, I feel so much more at ease. Back then, I worried constantly: what if my daughter married into a family with a difficult mother-in-law? With Yingzi's temperament, she’s never been one to take abuse. I am her biological mother; how could I not understand? Now, I myself am Yingzi's mother-in-law and her biological mother, so how can I not be relieved? I even thought that later, when I find a more docile wife for Xiaoye, Yingzi won't have any in-law friction with her sister-in-law. I could sleep soundly and wake up smiling."

Chi Yong hadn't realized his quiet wife harbored such deep-seated intentions, even willing to sacrifice her own son for her daughter's sake.

Chi Yong wasn't sure if his Xiaoye was being watched over more closely by the old madam or by his wife—either way, it was worrisome.

However, Chi Yong would never voice this. His wife needed appeasement. "Can I interpret this to mean that Wuzi marrying Yingzi has stabilized my marriage? To protect my daughter from being bullied by her mother-in-law, you've decided to hold onto me and not let go, haven't you?"

Hearing this in the kitchen, even the cleaning lady nearby smiled. It took nerve for Chi Yong to joke about himself like that.

Yang Zhi blushed, shifting the conversation from their daughter back to herself. "What nonsense are you spouting? Stop being improper!"

Chi Yong looked at his wife’s apple-red cheeks and genuinely wondered how a woman in her forties could maintain skin like that. He had never seen his wife slathering jars of products on her face. Truly, heaven had favored her.

He subtly closed the single gap in the kitchen door.

It was best to let his father and son sort out their own affairs; what business did he, the son, have interfering? In his wife’s words, he just needed to know how to interact with his daughter-in-law.

Looking on the bright side, with such an elder sister protecting him, it would be difficult for his Xiaoye to be bullied later. In Chi Yong's estimation, Cheng Ying was the type of person you could trust even after death.

Well, that thought was slightly unsettling.

Chi Yong decisively cut off that line of reasoning. My son is still young. I plan to live to be a hundred, with children and grandchildren surrounding me. His son should look to his father, why point to his sister?

Still, if anything happened to him, Chi Wu and Cheng Ying would certainly treat his son well. It was time for them to repay him; that boy Chi Wu had gotten off easy.

Once Old Man Chi recognized Cheng Ying's stance, he became exceedingly polite and warm toward his granddaughter-in-law, hoping to secure her loyalty before his grandson returned, lest the young man be completely swayed away by her.

He had no choice but to placate her, lest he be blamed by his own wife later. What a situation—their recently mended relationship had taken a step back internally, but thankfully, his wife didn't fully grasp the nuances. Persuading one side was better than having neither side understand him.

This wasn't exactly comforting. Why, at his age, did he still have to worry about such things? Old Man Chi felt life was tiring for the first time.

Old Man Chi only needed to appease one side. Why was it so tiring being a man? At his age, why was he still so exhausted? People said one should enjoy a blissful retirement surrounded by grandchildren.

It could only be attributed to not having a sensible, understanding wife. A man, no matter how long he lived, was destined for worry and toil if that were the case.

How important a sensible, good wife was! Old Man Chi, despite his age, never understood the root cause of his lifelong toil.

Chi Yong said goodbye to the elders with his wife and daughter. His own mother was effusively warm, revealing nothing—she was a woman of pride, not calculation. His father managed a strained smile; he was the one perpetually cleaning up his wife's messes.

Chi Yong felt his father's life was exhausting precisely because he never met a wife who didn't create trouble. Even though Old Man Chi didn't fully grasp it, his son watching from the sidelines understood perfectly. Looking at Yang Zhi beside him, he cherished her even more. Such a wife was rare.

At least his own wife never caused him trouble. What a wonderful virtue that was.

Cheng Ying glanced back one last time, having only one thought: she could not let Wuzi live such a tiring life in the future. They must strive to be more considerate, causing their own man no distress. A good woman should emulate her own standard.

Cheng Ying puffed out her chest proudly, feeling she deserved the top spot if they were handing out awards for good women. Although she hadn't technically entered the ranks of "women" yet, her ideological awareness was spot-on—a model good woman, hands down.

When Chi Yong drove his daughter home, he tried to mediate between his parents. "Did Wuzi say when he’s coming back? Don't take too much to heart what your grandma says. She has that kind of temper and doesn't hold grudges; interacting with someone like that actually has its advantages."

This was a son who understood. Cheng Ying felt Old Madam Chi was fortunate; her husband, son, and grandson all understood things clearly. "Why should I argue with her? Wuzi is mine. If he does well, I’ll visit more often; if he doesn’t, I’ll visit less. If she truly angers me, I’ll just drag his grandson into making a baby. Once I produce a great-grandchild, I won’t let her see it—that’ll drive her mad. Why bother arguing with her?"

Listen to that—what a mischievous child. This was her way of saying she wouldn't stoop to their level in a dispute.

Chi Yong said, "You are truly magnanimous."

Yang Zhi interjected, "Go on, stop talking nonsense! A young girl shouldn't be talking about having babies!" Then, turning to Chi Yong, she tried to smooth things over for their daughter: "We all know Mom is straightforward. When I married you, Yingzi's grandma told me and Yingzi..."

Chi Yong, even from the back of his head, could guess why his daughter analyzed his mother that way—it must have been a guide on how to deal with a mother-in-law. How could his own wife be so guileless? She told him everything! He glanced at his daughter and realized what a blessing it was for him, Chi Yong, to have such a virtuous wife, one who remained honest despite growing up in such an environment.

Then he looked at his wife. What was she thinking? Why did she assume his daughter was so naive, knowing nothing about anything?

Only Yang Zhi dared to speak like that, daring to treat Cheng Ying like a mere child. What kind of entity was Cheng Ying, really?

Both Chi Yong and Cheng Ying looked at Yang Zhi. Living together day in and day out, only her own mother still believed she was a little girl. Cheng Ying was touched by this unwavering trust.

I really am a pure soul, so misunderstood by the world! My own mother trusts and protects me so completely, and most importantly, I haven't betrayed that trust! "Mom, you believe in me so much!"

From that statement, Chi Yong derived a crucial lesson: his son hadn't succeeded yet. What a waste of potential, what sluggish action!

Yang Zhi blushed. "What are you saying? You're being shameless. Until you're married, my daughter is still a young lady. If anyone dares say otherwise, I'll have your grandmother go talk to them!"

Cheng Ying felt her elation fade; so that wasn't quite the situation.

Chi Yong felt his wife was just like that. Others would bring up their husbands when arguing, reasoning, or even shouting in disputes. His wife, however, always brought up her mother-in-law when defending herself.

This offered Chi Yong absolutely no sense of accomplishment. "Wife, I can back you up too. Why are you so dismissive without even trying?"

Chi Yong genuinely wanted to tell his wife that he was not inferior to Yingzi’s grandmother; he was perfectly capable of handling things.

Yang Zhi was stubborn and relied on precedent. Besides, they were family—whoever was stronger managed things, no need to be polite. "It's better to let Mom handle these matters."

She truly felt that Chi Yong was not on the same level as her own mother-in-law.

Yang Zhi had a blind adoration for her mother-in-law's debating skills, mainly because Yang Zhi had never witnessed her mother-in-law face defeat. It left a psychological imprint.

Chi Yong felt his greatest failure was that he didn't occupy as high a position in his wife's heart as his wife's first mother-in-law.