Cheng Ying cried for a while and then felt better. Thinking about it now, she couldn't even figure out why she had been so emotional, why she had cried just then.

Chi Wu was so anxious he felt like he was boiling over. His wife was impossible to placate. Then, just as suddenly, his wife was fine and told Chi Wu, "Just assume I was having a moment; I'm fine now." With that, Cheng Ying climbed onto the kang to sleep, not saying much more to Chi Wu.

Chi Wu just watched Cheng Ying for a long time before snapping back to reality. He felt useless; she had been clutching his hand and weeping just moments ago. He couldn't help himself and tugged at Cheng Ying's arm, "You're okay now?"

Cheng Ying simply said, "Sleep." And just like that, things calmed down between them.

Cheng Ming had wanted to say a few words to both Chi Wu and Cheng Ying, but unfortunately, neither of them gave her the chance.

Forget it, she thought. She had grown up with Yingzi and Wuzi; they knew what kind of people they were. There was no point in talking. She needed to focus on sending her own mother away first.

And then there was that sister-in-law. She hadn't worked this hard just so someone else could move into her house. This place was meant for her and her wife. They could welcome her mother and father, certainly, but absolutely not her elder brother and sister-in-law. Cheng Ming felt she still had plenty to worry about.

The Eldest Uncle’s wife showed up at Cheng Ming’s apartment the very next day. Although it wasn't as large as Cheng Ying's place, it was a building, and it was a house her son had genuinely secured. Frankly, the sight of it was comforting, and more importantly, it allowed her to stand up straight in the village. The Eldest Uncle’s wife was unhappy about coming to the city because all her former social standing was gone—who else in the village had a child this capable? Of course, Cheng Ying didn't count; she wasn't a child, she was a menace.

Miss Yun Xue, however, was sharp. No matter what, the younger brother-in-law's apartment would never be hers as the sister-in-law. If the Eldest Uncle’s wife hadn't been so insistent, she would have preferred to stay with the Old Madam.

After all, a new house she couldn't see or touch was never as tangible as a gold bracelet she could actually hold. It wasn't about being short-sighted; it was about truly understanding what was worth coveting and what wasn't.

When Cheng Ming left with the Eldest Uncle’s wife, she exchanged a look with Cheng Ying.

Cheng Ying winked back, trusting that the two of them understood what was meant.

After seeing those two off, Sister Rong let out a sigh of relief. "Finally gone. I barely slept a wink."

Cheng Ying laughed. "What’s wrong, Sister Rong? You seemed more nervous than I was. I've never seen you this tense when guests visit before."

Only when she saw that there were only the four of them—no others—did Sister Rong speak up. "When other guests come, no one stares at the Old Madam's wrist with such glittering eyes. But this girl… she was flattering the Old Madam, and it was giving me palpitations. If the Old Madam had generously gifted it right here in front of you all, that would be one thing. But if not, what am I, the one serving her, supposed to say when I'm wrongly accused?"

Cheng Ying burst into laughter. "No, no, that won't happen, Sister Rong. Rest assured, something like that won't occur."

Chi Wu even shook his head in agreement.

Sister Rong looked incredulous. "You know a person’s face, but not their heart. How can you two, who are so young, trust an outsider so completely?" Usually, the two kids weren't this foolish.

Cheng Ying shook her head and continued smiling. "We don't trust Yun Xue; I trust my own Old Madam."

To prove her point and put Sister Rong at ease, Cheng Ying immediately approached the Old Madam. "Grandma, can I borrow your bracelet for a couple of days?"

The Old Madam instantly tucked her arm away. "Not giving."

Sister Rong froze, stunned.

Cheng Ying turned to Sister Rong. "Sister Rong, you certainly never tried asking the Old Madam if you could take it off, did you?"

Sister Rong’s face flushed red. "Why would I ask her about that?" If she had actually tried, the situation would have been even murkier.

Cheng Ying spread her hands. "See? You worried for nothing. Even I can't get her to agree."

Sister Rong looked at the Old Madam, unsure whether to feel relieved or heartbroken. "Old Madam, you truly trust them."

Chi Wu added, "Uncle Gan knows too—the Old Madam guards those two things."

Sister Rong sighed. "I really worried myself sick over nothing."

Cheng Ying helped the Old Madam back inside to bask in the sun. Chi Wu grabbed his bag and drove off to earn money to support the family.

Sister Rong was left washing clothes, cooking, and cleaning the house. If the Eldest Uncle’s wife could have left earlier, Cheng Ying would have returned to her usual peaceful days.

When Chi Wu came back at noon, he found the mother and daughter sunning their feet in the warm room. "What new exercise is this?"

Cheng Ying quickly helped the Old Madam put on her socks. "Grandma says her toenails are too short, and they need sun to grow faster."

Chi Wu nodded, then squatted down to put shoes on the Old Madam. "Grandma, sunbathing won't make these grow."

The Old Madam declared, "If they don't get sun, they won't grow," and then walked away.

Cheng Ying said, "See? I'm just keeping her company."

Chi Wu turned to his wife. "Seriously, the sun won't make them grow. You need to tell our son that you can't mislead him about these things; he's just a little boy."

Cheng Ying nearly collapsed with laughter. "They won't grow, don't worry. No amount of sun will make them."

Chi Wu teased, "Just keep fooling around with Grandma."

Cheng Ying replied, "My grandma only knows how to fool around. If she ever stopped, I wouldn't even know what to do with myself all day."

For the first time, Chi Wu felt that having children was the right decision. Hearing his wife say that, he realized if anything ever happened to the Old Madam, his wife would lose her center of gravity.

It was a painful realization.

Sister Rong called out, "Time to eat! If you two don't move, the Old Madam will get anxious and start without you!"

Cheng Ying responded, "Alright, we're coming. The Old Madam is starting to care less and less about me."

Chi Wu helped the heavily pregnant Cheng Ying to the table. "Has the Eldest Uncle’s wife left yet?"

Cheng Ying replied, "Probably not. No matter what, she'll stop by to say goodbye to the Old Madam before she goes."

Chi Wu frowned, displeased. "How about I skip work tomorrow? I'll see the Eldest Uncle’s wife out. You rest inside."

Cheng Ying scoffed. "Am I someone so spineless? What would I be afraid of? Besides, if things went poorly, the Eldest Uncle’s wife might come back to the village and blame me for everything."

Chi Wu insisted, "Even so, the Eldest Uncle’s wife won't speak well of you. It’s all the same."

Cheng Ying countered, "No, the Eldest Uncle’s wife couldn't very well tell the villagers that she came to the city to demand a house from me and I refused. She doesn't have that much nerve."

Chi Wu’s anger flared. "If she won't say it, I will! I’ll go to the village myself and ask the village head for the original division of assets. I’ll make sure she keeps her reputation intact in the village, that she keeps a good face there."

This clearly agitated Chi Wu.

Cheng Ying and Chi Wu didn't wait for the Eldest Uncle’s wife, but they did wait for Cheng Ming that evening.

Cheng Ming walked in holding two boxes, handing them to the Old Madam. "Grandma, Mom was rushing for the ride and couldn't come see you, so she asked me to bring these."

Only then did she turn to speak with Cheng Ying and Chi Wu. Cheng Ying eyed the boxes. "These must have cost a fortune. Why buy such expensive things?"

Chi Wu added, "She's not an outsider."

Cheng Ming rubbed the back of her head. "Mom respects elders, of course. But not visiting Grandma felt inappropriate, so she asked me to bring a little something."

Cheng Ying pursed her lips and smiled. "Come on, Mingzi, you know that’s not your mother’s style just by looking at these things. You should save those two months' salary for when you get married. You’ll have a sister-in-law soon, and life will get harder. You need to save your own nest egg."

Cheng Ming sighed. "I wish I hadn't wasted the money. I don't know what my mother was thinking when she picked out a sister-in-law like that; she looks like someone who knows how to manage money. Life will be tough for my brother."

Cheng Ying nodded. "You see clearly. But truthfully, your brother needs a wife like that, someone a bit more subdued. If your brother were to rekindle an old flame, how would that wife cope?"

Cheng Ming frowned. "Can't you think of something more positive?"

Cheng Ying got serious. "No joke, Mingzi, that house is yours, right? Don't let your brother use it as a marital home."

Cheng Ming scoffed. "It's an apartment assigned by the unit. Am I supposed to just give it away? Having too many friends is also trouble. They all talk about brothers helping each other out, but look at the reality—when it comes down to it, everyone looks out for themselves. Even I, with my good character, don't want to shoulder burdens for my brother. So, Yingzi, definitely don't have too many kids. One is enough. Tell your older generation to fight hard for the big things, and your small family to fight gently for the small things. But fight, you must."

Chi Wu snapped, "Shut up! Why are you disrupting the stability and unity of our family? Are we the same as them? Isn't one child enough for us? Huh?"

Cheng Ming apologized quickly. "Sorry, I forgot. You two are aiming for two children: one named Cheng and one surnamed Chi. But your family is so grand, you can have as many kids as you want. Have them! Have them! I’ll just be the one causing extra division."

Cheng Ying retorted, "That's what you said: the big family fights for the big things, the small family fights for the small things."

Cheng Ming admitted, "My mouth is rotten."

Chi Wu muttered, "I still don't know what the old people gain by wanting many sons and grandsons. Think how much less trouble there would be with only one child—how many inheritance disputes avoided! Why do people insist on making things so complicated?"

Cheng Ming looked at Chi Wu with a strange expression. "You just let Yingzi have one child, that’ll be your talent."

Chi Wu protested, "I'm not in control of my own fate! I'm carrying a mission. I’m not just having children for the sake of having children; I'm doing it for family harmony." Then he touched Yingzi’s belly. "I actually want to give her everything my wife and I worked for over half our lives. The pressure is too great; I worry the child will carry too heavy a psychological burden."

Cheng Ming finally understood. This was just Chi Wu trying to needle her. They were common folk, worrying about leaving something behind for their child. These landed gentry types worried about leaving too much behind, which made their children anxious. It wasn't the same scale of concern at all.

Cheng Ying also felt Chi Wu deserved a good scolding. "Alright, stop showing off. Let me tell you something serious, Mingzi. Don't blame me for the matter with the Eldest Uncle’s wife; I just want a peaceful life."

Cheng Ming nodded. "Just don't blame me, then. It’s all caused by money."

Chi Wu commented, "You know, the Eldest Uncle’s wife wasn't like this before. When I first came to our family, she was so good to Yingzi."

Cheng Ming's eyes grew distant. "If it was just the house in the village, my mom wouldn't have made such a fuss. But you know what the house in the provincial capital means in the village? My mom told me that if my older brother had a place in the provincial capital, it wouldn't just be girls from the town who would marry him; even girls from the county would. Plus, when people from the village came to propose to my brother, they always asked if we brothers had property in the city. My mom didn't think of it initially, but she couldn't stop the constant questioning. If you have a county girl waiting to marry your son just for the house, forget my mom—even I would be tempted."

Cheng Ying warned, "Money moves the heart, Mingzi. Let's not think wrongly. You still need to find a girl who will stick by you for you, not for your property. Believe in yourself."

Cheng Ming shot back, "Are you afraid I’ll start eyeing your house?"

Cheng Ying feigned innocence. "Not at all! I’m just considering your future happiness, brother. I never realized before how hotly contested property had become. I wish I had bought a few more properties to keep back then."

Cheng Ming sighed. "You complain about the house being noisy, yet you don't want the excitement. Enough. I’m staying out of your messy affairs."