That ten-best youth brought both love and vexation to Old Man Chi, distancing them further from their grandson's wife.

Every time he saw his old wife poring over that newspaper, Old Man Chi felt utterly conflicted; nobody truly understood his heart.

Old Madam Cheng, however, was far more dramatic than Old Madam Chi. She had the newspaper framed with glass by the veteran workers right in the factory building and hung it in the most conspicuous spot in her room.

Whenever visitors came, the first thing she’d say was, "That's my granddaughter's husband." This brought her more pride than the huge red flower they awarded back in the brigade days—it was a rarity, one of only a few in the entire province.

Truth be told, Cheng Ming was even more put out by the old lady's uncontainable excitement than Cheng Ying was. Must she make such a fuss?

It's just one ten-best youth. Your grandson might be one too someday. What will you do for me then? Flaunt everything now, can't you leave some modesty behind? He seethed silently.

When Cheng Ying caught Cheng Ming’s inner monologue, she shot back, "Just this one ten-best youth has made Chi Wu seem like a cloud and us like mud. If you have the guts, go argue with the old lady. Can't a grown man avoid just grumbling behind backs? I'm already unhappy enough; I almost brushed shoulders with that thing!"

Cheng Ming immediately deflated.

Cheng Ying patted the dejected Cheng Ming. "Luckily, I'm the granddaughter. If not, the old lady might even switch you out for the grandson-in-law. I'm enduring this, you just bear with it for a few days; it will pass once the fervor dies down."

Cheng Ming lamented, "There’s still so long to go. Why did the newspaper vendor take two days off?"

Cheng Ying turned aside. "It has nothing to do with the newspaper vendor." Honestly, this man's area of impact was too wide. "You should have just told the printing press to stop publication."

Cheng Ming felt even more downcast. What kind of connection is this? His sphere of influence is bigger than mine.

Uncle Gan and Auntie Gan, on the other hand, were great supporters of the old lady. Every visit, they’d listen to her praise Wu Zi and resonate with her joy, sharing in the fun.

However, as Uncle Gan was leaving, he always asked Cheng Ying, "How satisfied is Mom with Wu Zi? If you lose him, does the old lady still recognize you as her granddaughter?"

The way Uncle Gan sighed and drew out his words was perfectly calibrated—it was deliberate sowing of discord, a calculated move to badmouth Chi Wu. Truly, Uncle Gan was deceptively wicked.

Cheng Ying countered, "If I told Grandma right now that you once vaulted over our courtyard wall and landed in the Paichusuo [Police Station], do you think Grandma would downplay this matter? Wouldn't she pay more attention to you, Uncle?"

Uncle Gan immediately clasped his hands in supplication. "You are my ancestor; have mercy on your words."

Cheng Ying felt Uncle Gan just asked for trouble. Why pick a fight with me when you have your own skeletons?

Still, when she called Chi Wu, she made sure to check thoroughly. She couldn't afford to truly let him slip away, or she’d have no one to cry to later.

Chi Wu sounded delighted. His wife was finally checking up on him; she finally realized he couldn't just be desired by others, meaning she cared for him. The level of excitement this brought him made him feel that driving all night just to see his wife and turn back was worth it. Truly worth it.

He just missed his wife too much. Why must men fuss and toil so much that they don't even have time to see their wives?

So, with just two weeks left before winter break, while everyone assumed Chi Wu would wait until then to return, he drove home, shocking the entire family. The boy was acting irrationally at the wrong time.

Instinctively, Cheng Ying sensed trouble. Chi Wu wasn't usually this reckless. "Did something happen?"

The old lady, equally worried, asked, "Is Wu Zi alright?"

Cheng Ming chimed in, "What's going on?"—asking all three of them why she immediately jumped to an inquiry without a word.

Chi Wu appeared very calm. "Didn't I just buy this car? I only drove it once. I thought I’d break it in properly."

Cheng Ming was infuriated. Must you be so smug? This is clearly deliberate showing off.

I've never seen such a spendthrift woman. I mean, you've seen men, how could you just hand someone a car like that?

Even if you have money, you can't spend it this way. Why is this wasteful woman my own sister? There isn't even a chance to poach her.

Cheng Ming had no idea this wasn't the first car Cheng Ying had given Chi Wu.

Chi Wu held his wife close, beaming inwardly. What others thought didn't matter; the key was that nothing could block his desire to see his wife.

The old lady watched their interaction and felt one thing: nauseating affection. Oh, my heavens! Are all young people these days like this?

So utterly unrestrained!

She grabbed Cheng Ming and pulled him away. "Wu Zi, you go wash up first. Come to the East Courtyard for dinner later; I’ll get Rong Sao ready."

She left without a backward glance, dragging Cheng Ming. Can't contaminate my grandson. I can't control my granddaughter—that’s her business—but my grandson is ours!

The old lady was so accustomed to calling out East and West Courtyards that she hadn't adjusted yet.

Cheng Ying teased with a smile, "Are you trying to make up for not being home for half a year by wearing out this new car?"

Though happy to see Chi Wu, she still felt a pang of concern. Vacation was only two weeks away; why the rush to tire himself out like this?

Chi Wu was shamelessly bold. Since Cheng Ying had checked up on him over the phone, she clearly cared for him now, giving him confidence to express himself more openly. "Yingzi, I missed you. I'd drive back from anywhere for you."

Cheng Ying’s heart skipped a beat. She actually preferred a more reserved expression; that felt more moving for a woman, but this poor boy just didn't get it, blurting it out so directly.

And his eyes were blazing. He was clearly waiting for a shared feeling. Cheng Ying felt that faced with such a gaze, not saying anything would be a disservice to Chi Wu driving such a distance. "Well, family matters keep me tied down here; otherwise, I would have driven over to see you."

Though it wasn't "I miss you," the sentiment was clear: I want to come see you.

What feeling was this? Seeing his wife respond this way emboldened Chi Wu. Didn't they say if you give a man a look, he'll imagine you in a wedding dress? Never mind wanting the wedding night—Chi Wu was being reserved by not pushing for it.

With one hand, Chi Wu pulled, and Cheng Ying was right in his embrace. A little reunion cuddle was hardly inappropriate; Cheng Ying felt refusing him would be utterly unreasonable.

To be frank, if Chi Wu didn't make a move soon, she felt she might start making moves herself.

The two lovers hugging and cuddling wasn't excessive at all.

It was just that Chi Wu hadn't fully grasped Cheng Ying’s central idea. He was satisfied just having a private moment to exchange sweet nothings.

He treated Cheng Ying with a reverence bordering on pilgrimage, afraid to go too far.

However, their standard for romantic talk was lagging behind the times. It wasn't as unrestrained as the post-90s generation, nor even as reserved as the post-80s.

Cheng Ying and Chi Wu walked hand-in-hand; the atmosphere felt pleasant.

Cheng Ying spoke first. "Driving back like this, won't it affect your studies?"

It was perfectly acceptable for a woman to worry about her man's studies.

Chi Wu replied, "No, I've arranged everything. How are things at home?" As a man, especially one who was long absent, caring about home was appropriate.

But this was largely no longer in the realm of sweet talk.

Cheng Ying said, "Everything at home is fine. The factory has started operations; we're just waiting for the dormitory building to be completed before we move in." After this, their conversation largely revolved around the company. Cheng Ying realized this was already far from romantic confession.

Chi Wu insisted, "I really came back to see my wife; I missed you. It has nothing to do with work. It’s just that when the family is large and prosperous, it hinders couples from maintaining their emotional connection."

Cheng Ying had something on her mind and tried to steer the topic back. Chi Wu also wanted to return to that subject; otherwise, this late-night, exhausting drive would be for naught.

Unfortunately, Chi Wu was accustomed over the years to checking Cheng Ying's expression before doing anything.

Although she could be haughty, her haughtiness was relatively mild. He only dared to be a little arrogant when his wife was in a good mood.

Cheng Ying's face showed a degree of distress, making Chi Wu hesitant to speak up. As long as he could look at his wife, what he said didn't matter as much.

Chi Wu was flexible enough in his thinking. I'll follow my own pace.

Cheng Ying spoke more directly, and her approach was rooted in what she urgently needed to know, though she had been too excited by Chi Wu’s arrival to get a chance earlier. "Wu Zi, take off your shirt and let me look."

Chi Wu stared at Cheng Ying. The leap was huge. What kind of hobby is this?

Although Chi Wu admitted he also wanted to see his wife undressed, he had to confess he lacked the audacity to say his desire so openly. "Should we wait until after dinner? Grandma will be coming in soon."

Chi Wu, that proud fellow, turned crimson, stammering nervously. It wasn't that he was stingy; it wasn't that he didn't want his wife to see, but the timing was wrong. It's not that we are being petty.

Cheng Ying kicked him when she saw his expression. "Is your brain pasted over with paper? I want to see your scars."

Chi Wu felt let down. The key was his embarrassment. It was a misunderstanding—if only the scars on his leg hadn't vanished, would he have forgotten about this? Would he have misunderstood? "Why didn't you just say so clearly?"

To be honest, Chi Wu was disappointed. Why wasn't his wife as eager to see him as he was to see her? As a man, he was a little disheartened—very disheartened, in fact. If Cheng Ying’s presence weren't so commanding, Chi Wu might have gotten a bit angry, but he dared not.

Cheng Ying turned away. If she burst out laughing now, it would really crush Chi Wu's spirit. "If you’d like to take your clothes off and walk around, I wouldn't mind enjoying the view either."

Truthfully, Cheng Ying was a bit tempted by the prospect of a nude exhibition.

But, as Chi Wu said, it wasn't the right time.

Outside, the old lady, apparently impatient with how long they were inside, had already started clanging washbasins.

Heaven knows how far the kitchen was from here, but the fact that the old lady was carrying a basin into the courtyard showed how anxious she was!

Chi Wu’s face flushed deeply, and finally, a bold declaration emerged: "You wait. Tonight, I'll let you see."