Chi Wu stopped talking, lips pressed tight. There were inconveniences to being married that he wouldn't have minded before, but he couldn't say things the way he used to. It made him sound like... well, like that other thing. Chi Wu felt he was being overly sensitive, that his mental state wasn't adjusting well; he needed to fix it fast. Yingzi had never been an outsider to him.

Cheng Ying glanced back at her paternal aunt, who was following them. No way, was she that easy to manipulate? For her aunt to even dare think of such a scheme.

Cheng Ying shook her head, not taking it seriously at all. Besides, Cheng Ming didn't seem like that kind of person either.

She then looked at Chi Wu beside her. This boy had the sense to know what he was doing; he knew to greet her first. "How did you know?"

Chi Wu replied, "My family. What don't I know in my own home?"

Cheng Ying pursed her lips. Hearing Chi Wu say "my home" with such unapologetic certainty made her feel surprisingly secure deep inside.

Cheng Ying’s marriage was a big event in the village, after all, the Cheng family had been taken away by the large bus.

And then, when Cheng Ying returned for the New Year, having family visit made things lively. People asked, "Yingzi, why didn't your grandmother come back with you?"

Cheng Ying replied, "Oh no, Grandma is old now and didn't want to endure the travel and fuss. She asked me to send her best regards to everyone."

When the crowd gathered, someone else asked, "Yingzi, getting married so suddenly, does this mean you won't be going back to school?"

Cheng Ying smiled broadly and explained, "It won't delay anything."

Someone said sourly, "Oh, that's a good thing! Yingzi, don't hide it from your Auntie, do you have something in your belly already?"

That remark was rather crude. Chi Wu’s face darkened beside her. He knew his wife’s character; he hadn't taken advantage of her in the slightest before the wedding. His expression immediately fell, and he stealthily glanced at his wife, worried that Cheng Ying might be furious.

Cheng Ying smiled sweetly and addressed the woman, "Bless your words, Auntie. It’s true that I really want my grandmother to hold a great-grandchild soon. You know how old the old lady is now; she has no other wishes left."

The questioner fell silent. If she were pregnant, it would be seen as filial piety; what could they say against that?

It always came back to these same few topics. Only when they finally settled down for the night did Cheng Ying finally breathe a sigh of relief. "Why are people so fond of gossiping? Did you give them those two bags of candy for nothing, just so they could come over and stir up trouble?"

Chi Wu grumbled, "If I had known, I wouldn't have handed out the wedding sweets. How could they think of us like that? We are such steady people, weren't we so rule-abiding before the wedding?"

Cheng Ying shot him a cold glance. "Who is to blame for that? Who was spreading rumors when we got engaged? Do you think that issue is just over? I swear, even thirty years from now, people will still bring it up. I thought I had an extra hymen compared to everyone else!"

Chi Wu immediately plastered a smile on his face and began a serious self-critique. "If I had known, I would have been bolder and made things official. Think how wronged we were, both of us! But this just proves my inherent pure nature, doesn't it? I didn't even dare do bad things."

He then watched Cheng Ying cautiously, realizing she had finally brought up the engagement rumors. He knew it wouldn't be that easy to let go of.

Cheng Ying seriously considered it and felt Chi Wu had a point. "It’s still your fault for being timid, making me endure this reputation of being indiscreet for nothing, and I didn't even get any benefits out of it!"

Hearing his wife say that, Chi Wu felt his blood boil. "Don't worry, we can make up for it now."

Cheng Ying felt a wave of relief, grateful that their courtyard was large enough and that they were the only two people there; the driver had been called away by the Second Uncle to entertain guests. Otherwise, she would have lost all face.

She wondered why she was being so lenient with Chi Wu. She wasn't usually such a small-minded person.

As for the things needed for the ancestral graves tomorrow, Cheng Ying had completely forgotten about them.

Thankfully, when they woke up, Chi Wu had prepared everything. That feeling of having someone to rely on returned.

When Chi Wu and Cheng Ying kowtowed to Yingzi’s father, it felt like he finally assumed the role of a father-in-law; their bows were sincere and deep.

Second Uncle watched the young couple from the side, filled with quiet contentment.

These two children had essentially been raised under his watch since they were small.

Second Uncle couldn't imagine anyone else in the village who could be a better match for them.

Now that the children were married, it felt like the most natural thing in the world.

Cheng Ying handed Second Uncle a prescription. The ginseng was from their own stock; Second Uncle had brought the rest of the medicinal herbs. "Regulate yourself with this. You're getting on in years, so you must be extra careful. If there’s anything good in our garden, dig it up and add it to the prescription yourself."

Second Uncle weighed the package in his hand. It was worth more than a year’s wages he’d ever earned. These two children were like his own flesh and blood. He, an old man with a broken leg, felt like a burden in the eyes of others.

Back then, when the village elders said any nephew who would raise him could have his land deeds transferred into their name, no one had paid him any mind. But it was just Yingzi, a mere girl, who, without saying much, had provided him with so much over the years. That feeling of being cared for was a burning warmth in his heart. Now that he was old, he would stay here with his three brothers, keeping them company.

He held the things and said nothing to the couple, but Second Uncle understood everything in his heart.

Chi Wu personally went into the old woods and fetched a few mature ginseng roots for the old lady. Never mind that they had some; even if they didn't, he would have bought them for her. The old lady’s health wasn't good lately and relied entirely on such tonics.

If he and Yingzi didn't truly have the means to support her, not everyone could lavish such care on an elderly mother.

Cheng Ming led them to the ancestral graves to pay respects to their grandfather; only then was the wedding ceremony truly considered complete.

The driver took Cheng Ming and the two of them back early in the morning, eager to return home for the New Year festivities.

Cheng Ming claimed the back-and-forth travel was inconvenient, and besides, he still had his internship. He left for the city first. In reality, he was just fed up with his own mother. He couldn't fathom what his mother was thinking; despite him having no house and no stable job, she was pushing him to get married quickly.

Cheng Ming had argued, "Where would I get married? After marrying, I can’t exactly move my wife into our house, can I?"

His paternal aunt had countered, "I think the place you live now is quite nice—three rooms! Not just for one wife, but even if you have children, it's spacious enough."

At that moment, Cheng Ming felt a chill run down his spine. He wondered if his mother was scheming behind his back in the back courtyard. He couldn't believe she'd come up with such an idea.

Cheng Ming spoke to his own mother with severe seriousness. "That place belongs to Yingzi!"

The paternal aunt retorted, "It belongs to your grandmother! Why should Yingzi live alone? Besides, before it was even formally discussed, the idea was just that your wife would stay there first. Why wouldn't he give it up? She sits alone in such a large courtyard, does she live in a different room every day?"

Cheng Ming felt he couldn't reason with his mother, so he became angry and simply left first. He regretted ever staying at Yingzi’s place if it meant facing this kind of trouble today.

He thought about how he ended up in such a miserable mess after a motorcycle accident.

Cheng Ming felt this matter had to stop with him; otherwise, Second Aunt wouldn't hesitate to try and move Dun'er over there too. What would become of the brothers then?

Cheng Ying leaned against Chi Wu, watching the scenery outside the window. Chi Wu was wholeheartedly focused on making his wife more comfortable. "I should have driven the SUV. Look how uncomfortable you are back here."

Cheng Ming’s expression darkened. He glared at the smug Chi Wu. "Can't you be more low-key in the future? Can't you stop showing off? Aren't you afraid of inviting trouble?"

He was clearly blaming Chi Wu. After speaking, he stared out the other side window, brooding in silence.

Cheng Ying glanced at Cheng Ming, then exchanged a look with Chi Wu. "This kid must have been provoked. But considering the paternal aunt’s personality, she probably said something to Cheng Ming."

Cheng Ying said nothing. If the person wasn't speaking, why should she? Chi Wu remained calm and collected. This man didn't need them to offend anyone; Chi Wu knew exactly what his own grandmother was like.

He thought about why, that year, the old lady had insisted on changing the property title.

He thought about how, apart from a set of gold bracelets, the old lady hadn't kept any money for herself.

The jewelry Yingzi bought for the old lady, whether gold or jade, was substantial, but the only things the old lady ever wore were that single pair of bracelets; she insisted Yingzi keep the rest.

She must have figured things out long ago.

When they arrived home, they saw a warm light spilling from the windows from far away.

Uncle Gan was holding his son, while Auntie Gan and the old lady were making dumplings together.

Cheng Ying exclaimed, "Oh my, why didn't you wait for us?"

Auntie Gan replied, "Hurry inside and get warm. You arrived looking about the same as every year."

Uncle Gan said, "You expect ready-made food after all that traveling. Was the trip smooth?"

Then, holding his son, he went with Chi Wu into the back room to talk.

Cheng Ming said, "I'm going to the back to change."

The old lady said, "I've got something warming up for you. I didn't know if you’d be back today, but Grandma prepared it for you first."

Cheng Ming smiled widely, like a delighted child, and went to his own room.

Seeing the three rooms again, Cheng Ming felt no joy at all; sitting there felt awkward and wrong.

He sighed and went to the front room for the New Year celebrations.

Cheng Ying warmed up and asked, "Why didn't my parents come over?"

The old lady explained, "Your parents said that from now on, they will spend the New Year together with Wu Zi’s grandparents. They'll come over on the first day of the new year to offer their respects."

Chi Wu smiled. That was good; it saved them the hassle of traveling back and forth every year. Chi Yong’s intention was that the three of them would stay home and fulfill their filial duties to their elders for Chi Wu, meaning this place was naturally where Chi Wu should perform his duties—a proper division between two families.

Cheng Ying understood this arrangement and laughed, playfully ruffling Chi Wu’s hair. "Why does it feel like you’re the live-in son-in-law marrying into my family? Poor child, used by your father to repay a debt."

The old lady’s hand, raised to stop Cheng Ying, froze mid-air.

After pondering for a long moment, she said, "It really does seem a bit like that."

Chi Wu quickly defended himself, "Grandma, Yingzi is spoiling me. I stayed in our family home because I wanted to, it has nothing to do with that debt."

Uncle Gan, overhearing, burst into laughter. "Tell us, what exactly happened back then?"

Chi Wu retorted, "Why do you care? How can grown men be so nosy?"

Cheng Ying teased, "Uncle Gan, eat a few more dumplings later, or else your stomach will be lacking nutrients later on."

Auntie Gan pursed her lips and smiled. She knew more about this matter because she was a woman. When she was in the village, she had heard the other women gossiping, but as a public servant, she genuinely wasn't one to spread rumors; she just found it amusing and didn't dwell on it.

Uncle Gan, however, was completely in the dark. Hearing Chi Wu’s retort only confirmed his suspicion that there was something going on here.