Aunt Gan was very generous, holding nothing back from the old lady and recounting everything about that year exactly as it happened.

It made Uncle Gan, whose face was usually round and rosy, flush a deep crimson. The way he looked at the old lady lacked a certain measure of conviction.

Fortunately, the people nearby showed some deference; the matter was only discussed between the three of them inside the room.

After hearing Aunt Gan’s words, the old lady looked at Uncle Gan. Aged and addled, my mind is failing—I actually welcomed a thief into my home.

The old man’s face—the cheekbones, already thin, seemed to quiver uncontrollably.

Aunt Gan couldn't tell what the old lady was about to do.

Then, the old lady burst out laughing. "Why didn't you say so earlier? You said this ill-fated boy was always doing unreliable things. The biggest scoundrel I've ever encountered in my life was this matter! You say there’s nothing to it, yet I couldn't help but bring it up and gossip a bit. What a misunderstanding this caused; if I had known, I wouldn't have spoken so carelessly."

The old lady wasn't exaggerating. Back in the village, she could spend half the day with the aunties and grandmothers, hands on hips, chatting away. But in the city, she lacked that convenience.

Her neighbors all worked; even if she had no sense of shame, they didn't have the time to stand with hands on hips and chat with her.

So, the old lady was lonely. She would pull out that old thief story to pass the time and indulge her tongue. Otherwise, who would she criticize?

Cheng Ying outside the door was smiling with such carefree delight; a joy only she could truly understand—it was the joy of conquering loneliness. She watched as Uncle Gan, still blushing from the old lady’s laughter, could barely straighten his back.

Uncle Gan was too ashamed to approach. His fat face was squeezed tight, like a rotten persimmon. "What did you mean by that?"

Cheng Ying replied, "Grandma usually scolds people by calling them 'ungrateful wretches who can't bear children.' How could you do something so wicked? That emphasis was practically identical to the old lady’s personal recorded sermons."

Uncle Gan’s face darkened. For years, the old lady had used his past misdeed as a whetstone for her lectures. That was why Uncle Gan hadn’t dared reveal a single detail for so many years.

Aunt Gan, watching the refreshingly straightforward old lady from inside, felt a surge of relief. How many elders were this clear-sighted? "I told you he was unreliable in those years; you have no idea how much I tried to make you see. Fortunately, I met you; otherwise, I don’t know where we would have ended up. After the trouble we had that year, I never thought he could recover, let alone thrive as he has today. I thought..."

Saying this, Aunt Gan almost couldn't continue. Her eyes reddened. The hardship of the young couple, having lost their support and without children, surviving to this point—how could others truly comprehend it?

The old lady sighed. "Ay, what are you talking about? Who hasn't stumbled and fallen in life? Since we’ve passed it, there's no point dwelling on it. But I still have to tease him about it. Look at his build; how dare he try to climb a wall? How dangerous!"

Fatty Sun entered the room. "You might as well say my character needs improvement. How could you disparage my physique in front of my wife? That’s quite unkind of you, Grandma."

See? He still had complaints. Cheng Ying felt that if Uncle Gan’s thick skin were put under an iron, the grease might drip off. It was substantial.

Cheng Ying also felt the old lady had missed the point. Perhaps it was her age, perhaps she was growing muddled, no longer so vehemently hating evil. She was criticizing Uncle Gan’s physique instead of his thievery. That meant she was criticizing the thief for having subpar skills!

However, she was treating Uncle Gan with surprising leniency. The original old lady would have already swept him out the door with one swift motion.

The old lady looked at her godson; she couldn't believe such a steady young man could have done such an unreliable thing.

When Uncle Gan left, the old lady fished out several beautiful fish from the large jar for him to take. "Take these. They’re treasures. Our family doesn't lack these. It was just two fish, don't let it happen again next time, alright?"

Uncle Gan’s face could have started a dyeing workshop, but now that it was out in the open, he felt a sense of release. "Mom, can we not mention it anymore?"

The old lady replied, "What's there to fear? We’re all family here. If you like them, take them. If you had told me sooner, would I have let Yingzi bully you like that? I bet Yongzi has been giving you grief over this for years, too. Why didn't you tell your mom earlier?"

Uncle Gan’s eyes welled up. "It's because I was afraid you'd throw me out!"

The old lady scoffed, "Do I look like I enjoy being around villains?"

Cheng Ying remained silent on this matter, knowing that her own grandmother truly did possess a sharp tongue.

Especially now that the old lady was older, the flesh had melted away from her face, leaving only a thin layer of skin that revealed her true countenance. Cheng Ying sometimes felt a pang of sadness. She wished the spatial dimension could erase her wrinkles, but she couldn't magically make the old lady gain weight.

Watching the old lady age day by day, seeing the dead fish in the space made Cheng Ying’s heart ache. No one could escape birth, aging, sickness, and death; the spatial dimension wasn't omnipotent after all.

Uncle Gan sighed. "At that time, I felt you couldn't tolerate any grit in your eye."

Chi Yong felt it was inappropriate for the old lady to bring him up and mock him again at this moment. "He was guilty and hiding something."

Grandma Cheng looked at Chi Yong. Even this ill-fated boy could be so unkind sometimes. "You pipe down. It’s obvious you’ve mocked Dongzi plenty over the years."

Chi Yong rubbed his nose. The old lady had been brainwashed by Sun Dongzi! His own status, having been relegated behind Chi Wu, and now even behind Fatty Sun, displeased Chi Yong greatly.

Cheng Ying strongly felt the old lady had been poisoned by Uncle Gan’s influence. She sized up Uncle Gan; he had nothing to offer, and she couldn't understand what the old lady cherished about this godson.

The embarrassing memory Uncle Gan had bottled up for years was finally laid to rest.

Chi Wu was working himself ragged outside, but he never forgot to call his wife, ensuring that even with distance, their hearts remained connected.

And when they called, they usually used the big mobile phone without worrying about the cost, precisely because the old lady wouldn't eavesdrop nearby.

However, Cheng Ying couldn't be too open during the calls, only managing a few reminders for Chi Wu not to overwork himself.

Chi Wu wanted to say a few tender words, but he feared upsetting Cheng Ying, so he kept pausing mid-sentence. Cheng Ying felt a constant, low-grade dissatisfaction.

She always wanted to find time to visit Chi Wu, but circumstances rarely allowed it.

Lately, Cheng Ying noticed the old lady slept a great deal, often closing her eyes to rest. Seeing the old lady look so listless made Cheng Ying uneasy; she preferred the image of the old lady with her hands on her hips.

After all, Cheng Ming and Cheng Ying convinced the old lady to go to the hospital for a full physical examination.

The doctor assured them the old lady was healthy, without major ailments.

Yang Zhi stayed beside her daughter, understanding the source of her worry. "Dr. Li, lately my mother-in-law seems quite lethargic and sleeps a lot. What do you think is causing this?"

The doctor glanced at the mother and daughter. "The old lady must be over seventy?"

Yang Zhi nodded in agreement with Cheng Ying that she was over seventy. But Cheng Ying corrected him, "Barely over seventy."

The doctor sighed. How many people reach barely seventy? "Even though she maintains herself well, she is still seventy years old. What spirit do you expect her to have? The saying 'seventy is rare in ancient times' didn't start with us. Moreover, the old lady suffered greatly when she was young; no matter how well she cares for herself now, she carries that foundation. Being as she is now is quite good enough. Just serve her well and care for her."

Cheng Ying felt like punching the doctor. My old lady is perfectly fine; must you utter that last sentence? Unhappy, she told Yang Zhi as soon as they left, "That doctor really can't talk."

A perfectly healthy old lady was described by him as if she had just received a critical notice.

Yang Zhi looked at her daughter and understood. She knew how much her daughter loved the old lady. Hearing someone tell her that because she was old, her body would naturally decline—that was naturally hard to accept. It was a miracle she didn't find the doctor unpleasant or the hospital distasteful.

After the check-up, Cheng Ying was in a bad mood for several days. Her calls with Chi Wu lacked energy. Chi Wu felt he couldn't neglect his wife for his career and decided to try and rush home as much as possible.

When he mentioned it to Cheng Ying, she simply told him not to worry about her and to focus on his career. What a wonderful woman.

Cheng Ying was genuinely troubled. She didn't believe Chi Wu’s return could solve this. Who had the power to grant the old lady eternal life? Even Qin Shi Huang had been buried for many years.

In the evenings, when free, Cheng Ying complained to the multicolored mother hen in her spatial dimension. One creature was stuffed and drowsy, the other listless and distracted.

If one couldn't hear Cheng Ying’s grievances, the scene looked like the perfect model for comfortable retirement.

Unfortunately, Cheng Ying’s complaints were heavy. Why is there no Fountain of Youth? Why isn't the spatial dimension a level higher?

During this period, she had actually grown quite fond of the old mother hen.

Until the old lady asked Cheng Ying, "Why have you been so busy lately? I haven't seen you much."

Cheng Ying’s spirits lifted only when she looked at the old lady. She had studied medicine, not longevity. As long as the old lady was alive, shouldn't she just make her comfortable? Besides, the old lady wasn't sick or ailing; she was just old. What was the big deal? Not just the old lady, but Cheng Ying herself would one day grow old too.

Cheng Ying came to terms with it, and the old mother hen in the space began to feel lonely. No one came to keep her company anymore.

Cheng Ying’s focus shifted entirely to the old lady, almost to the point of forgetting Chi Wu. If an old flame rekindled, it wasn't entirely impossible to manage.

Since the old lady enjoyed sleeping, Cheng Ying placed a rocking chair in the warm room and found an antique music box, letting the old lady stay wherever she was most comfortable.

When she had time, she sat beside the old lady; when busy, she attended to her duties. In doing so, she managed to restore her own peace of mind.

Although Cheng Ming didn't say much, seeing Cheng Ying's state, he understood what was happening. After all, the old lady was aging; anyone with eyes could see it.