The old lady’s comprehensive check-up revealed no physical ailments whatsoever. It was simply that, due to her advanced age, every result was borderline.

The doctor’s sole recommendation was that maintaining a cheerful disposition was paramount. The old lady declared outright, “See?

You’ll have to humor me more from now on.” Then, with an air of supreme confidence, she took the lead, striding out. Her hurried pace alone betrayed how much she truly disliked being there.

Seeing that the old lady was sound, both Chi Wu and Cheng Ying felt a wave of relief, and they began showing her around their campus. Whenever they encountered someone they knew, Chi Wu would introduce them proudly: “This is my grandmother, and this is my wife.” This display left the old lady speechless the entire way.

Based on Chi Wu’s forthright manner of introduction, she could tell that he wasn't involved in any shady dealings at the university. He introduced his wife so openly, unafraid for anyone to know he was already married.

Finally, when Chi Wu took the two women to the factory he and others had recently developed, the old lady regarded Chi Wu as the most successful young man on campus. Look how capable my child is.

How remarkable! Cheng Ying genuinely worried that the sheer prominence of B University—a place breeding talent—would completely overshadow Chi Wu in the old lady’s eyes.

Cheng Ying blamed herself; she hadn't exposed the old lady to enough of the world, otherwise, her grandmother surely wouldn't see only Chi Wu and have no room for anyone else. Cheng Ying remained mostly in attendance, but she noticed that Chi Wu was truly swamped; the few days he spent with them were time brutally carved out of his schedule.

While touring the factory, Chi Wu was practically swarmed. All sorts of problems required his immediate resolution.

Cheng Ying understood the initial stages of such an undertaking; she felt both pride and a pang of sympathy watching him. When the old lady and Cheng Ying were ready to leave, Cheng Ying insisted Chi Wu shouldn’t see them off.

“I’ve driven here by myself before. Aren’t you confident I can take Grandma back?” Chi Wu insisted, “It’s fine, I’m not that busy, not for these few days.” Cheng Ying cut him off.

“Alright, all that fuss of going back and coming back again—even if you wanted to, I wouldn’t. I’m planning on leaning on you for another fifty or sixty years.” This remark sent Chi Wu into such a happy frenzy he almost forgot his own name.

Never mind driving back—if Cheng Ying had said she would fly back, Chi Wu would probably have believed her. Beating his chest, he assured his wife, “Don’t worry.

Not just fifty or sixty years—seventy years of absolute security!” Cheng Ying thought to herself, By then, you’ll be an eighty or ninety-year-old man. I wouldn’t bother leaning on you even if you offered; I’d complain about all the wrinkles.

They left, carrying a pile of souvenirs, the old lady and Cheng Ying driving away in their own car. It took Chi Wu at least two hours to realize his wife had driven home by herself.

As a man, Chi Wu felt distinctly inadequate. But then again, it meant his wife understood and cared for him, didn’t it?

A secret thrill described Chi Wu’s current state of mind. Of course, if there had been an opportunity for Chi Wu to let out a few loud shouts of elation, it would have perfectly expressed his feelings, but alas, there were too many people around.

Chi Wu had to suppress it internally, suffering an emotional injury. What choice did he have?

A man has to provide for his family, and his career was expanding rapidly—such were the drawbacks. Chi Wu realized for the first time, What good is earning all this money if it’s just traded for time I don’t spend with my wife?

It’s a loss; it doesn’t add up. Meanwhile, Cheng Ying’s journey home with the old lady turned out far more wonderful than Chi Wu could have imagined.

The two of them were playing freely outside. Cheng Ying discovered for the first time that, despite her advanced age, the old lady suffered from motion sickness, yet she still yearned so deeply for the outside world.

So, Cheng Ying resolved that since getting out was rare, they had to let the old lady have her fill of fun. Her travels became almost aimless: wherever they saw something nice, they stopped; if there was a famous historical site, Cheng Ying didn't mind taking a slight detour.

Now that she knew the old lady held a secret desire for a grander world, Cheng Ying was determined to satisfy it. The grandmother and granddaughter had an absolute blast, reaching the point of forgetting all about home.

The old lady’s motion sickness was no obstacle; whenever she felt ill, they would simply find a spot to rest and take some commemorative photos. It could be said that a journey that should have taken a single day of driving stretched into more than four, and they arrived home just as the new school term began.

Their nightly communication with Chi Wu became a source of deep frustration for him. The two women had gone wild playing.

He almost wished he’d driven them back himself just to be safe. Instead, they had abandoned him and run loose across the world.

This was enough to make any man longing for his wife utterly miserable. When the two returned home, Cheng Ming, upon seeing the stack of photos retrieved from the photo studio, harbored even greater resentment than Chi Wu: “Why couldn’t that car fit just one more person?

You two just left, why couldn’t you wait for me for a couple of days? At least I could have played bodyguard or carried a bag.” He sounded so mournful, as if he wanted to yank out a few strands of Cheng Ying’s hair; their sibling bond was clearly lacking.

The old lady, however, completely failed to grasp Cheng Ming’s gloom. “Next time, next time Grandma will take you.” Cheng Ming knew he couldn't blame his grandmother; it was all Cheng Ying’s fault for not thinking of him.

Otherwise, how could she have gone off on her own spree? “Grandma, you need to have a good word with Yingzi.

Look how completely she’s lost herself in fun. School starts tomorrow, do you think her mind is on her studies?” This was blatant slander.

Cheng Ying chose to ignore her overly dramatic brother. “Grandma, let’s rest.

You must be tired after all this traveling.” “Oh, let me talk with Mingzi for a moment. You go rest, you must be tired.

Oh, and don’t forget to find a driver. If Wu Zi wants to come back later, we can send the driver to pick him up, so Wu Zi doesn’t have to run back and forth.” Cheng Ying shook her head.

The old lady never stopped worrying about Wu Zi. Cheng Ming realized he had targeted the wrong person.

Compared to Chi Wu, he was just a thin reed. In the old lady’s heart, Chi Wu was probably practically a Cheng.

Cheng Ming, feeling deeply aggrieved, went to the kitchen in search of food. Cheng Ying couldn't refuse; since the old lady had made a request first, she needed to handle that before anything else.

Unusually, the old lady wasn't concerned with cost this time; she approached the matter purely from the perspective of family convenience and need. Cheng Ying had to seriously reflect: her grandmother really could change on a whim.

She scouted through their own company and selected someone who seemed to suit the old lady’s temperament best. Cheng Ying planned to bring the person home to serve as the old lady’s personal attendant.

As for the company’s staffing shortage, she’d let Uncle Gan worry about it; Cheng Ying’s corner-cutting was anything but timid. Upon seeing the artistic young women at the university, Cheng Ying felt her own posture straighten considerably.

No matter which 'ski' they muttered or which volumes of 'ski' they clutched, they finally had their own dedicated driver. They had finally caught up with the pace of the times.

She no longer felt out of step. Cheng Ying felt life was approaching fulfillment.

People always feel time flies fastest when they are easily satisfied. The driver hired by the Cheng family had the most strenuous task: every Sunday, he had to make the long drive to B City to pick someone up, and then drive back the next day to drop them off.

The rest of the time, the driver was mostly idle. The old lady preferred to travel by foot when she went out.

When the young mistress wanted a ride, she drove herself. Imagine the life they led!

The driver began to fear his job security was too precarious; in his downtime, he often helped the old lady tend to the orchard in the backyard. Seeing his initiative, Cheng Ying felt vindicated in her choice, praising him for being prudent and steady.

The old lady was even more pleased; having someone to work alongside made her less inclined to nap. Spring always brought a sense of vigorous growth, and seeing the old lady so much more spirited, Cheng Ying felt a deep sense of peace.

She stopped worrying about the old lady’s previous issues with lethargy and excessive sleep. Life settled into an unhurried rhythm.

However, Cheng Ying found herself missing Chi Wu more often. Randomly, Chi Wu would wander through her thoughts.

It must be said that Chi Wu was incredibly busy, so occupied he had little time to cultivate their relationship. Facing the imminent launch of the water heater market, Chi Wu felt no comfort; the cost had been too high.

It’s just a bit of money I’ve earned, yet my wife barely recognizes me. Chi Wu regretted everything.

Why did I have such sharp foresight? Why am I so good at making money?

Isn't this just punishing myself? Look at this life—not a single beloved person by my side, far from home, looking so pitiful.

This was the tone Chi Wu adopted when calling his wife while counting his money. Cheng Ying replied that if he was going to spend all his time counting money, he could stay away a few extra days; she could still bear it.

After all, a man who provides for his family is the most endearing. Because of one single sentence, Chi Wu worked tirelessly outside without regret for half a year.

The Cheng family’s old lady now understood her grandson-in-law was busy and stopped sending the driver to pick up her granddaughter. Instead, the Cheng matriarch would take her granddaughter and the great-grandchild to visit relatives.

Sometimes she would even bring Cheng Ming, and perhaps Chi Ye could tag along too. The visiting delegation’s membership was always varied, which ensured Chi Wu didn't feel lonely—his family was just too diligent in visiting him.

Cheng Ying couldn’t understand it: why had her grandmother suddenly stopped getting motion sick and started traveling so much? But Cheng Ying only thought about it; seeing Chi Wu in her mind brought her happiness.

Correspondence via letters was never the way the two maintained their affection. Although Cheng Ying possessed an air of refinement, she was fundamentally a person who preferred connection without distance.

So, despite finding the old lady's constant traveling slightly vexing, Cheng Ying remained enthusiastic about every visit to Chi Wu. The regret was that Chi Wu was always so busy; even when they arrived, he often didn't have time to spend with them.

Cheng Ying felt this was similar to the feeling when a child grows up and prepares to fly away. Money perhaps wasn't that important after all.

This was the first time Cheng Ying inwardly weighed the importance of Chi Wu against that of money in her heart. Autumn is the season of harvest, yet it always carries a tinge of melancholy.

The wilting of all things often brings more sadness than joy. By October, when all the leaves had fallen, leaving only dry, skeletal branches, a call came from the village.

Third Aunt was fading. The village chief’s eldest son said she was babbling incoherently, calling out the old lady’s name, begging for her to return for a visit.

Given Third Aunt’s advanced years, the few people she remembered were the only ones she held onto. When Cheng Ying received the call, a chilling sensation washed over her, making everything feel wrong.

To describe her feeling as grief for the passing of another would be an understatement. When the elderly Mr.

Wang from three doors down had passed, the old lady had been listless for days. Now, sending her back to see Third Aunt felt like the King of Hell issuing a summons for the old lady’s soul.

Cheng Ying worried deeply if her grandmother could survive it.

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