Uncle Gan was worried about Aunt Gan being uncomfortable, and even more worried about Aunt Gan being caught in the middle. You have your own husband on one side, and your own parents on the other; what is a wife supposed to do? Uncle Gan never mentioned this in front of Aunt Gan. He felt it was unmanly.

Aunt Gan used to think that smoothing things over between the two sides was her duty; the closer her husband and her own family were, the better.

But now, Aunt Gan didn't think that way anymore. She also had a son now. Her son needed care too, needed the doting affection of grandparents, even if it was spoiling.

Seeing other children being spoiled by their grandparents made Aunt Gan envious. Even if it was just spoiling, her own child lacked it. Her paternal grandparents passed away too early, so there was no point in dwelling on that; there was no choice regarding circumstances. But her maternal grandparents were still alive!

Since she gave birth, her parents had visited, looked at the child, and only offered a couple of lukewarm words. If you were to call it affection, it was certainly not there, let alone spoiling.

Over time, Aunt Gan’s heart grew cold. She had her own home and child; there was no reason for her child to be treated so coldly. The child was Aunt Gan’s untouchable boundary. She could tolerate anything directed at her, but if they didn't care about her child, then there was no need for these familial ties. Even her own parents wouldn't act this way, and any sensible person would argue that, regardless of how high one’s official rank was.

Especially today, when her son called out "Goodbye, Grandpa, Grandma," the elders just waved their hands casually, sending the child away.

Aunt Gan truly felt a coldness spreading from the inside out. When Uncle Gan brought up the issue, Aunt Gan’s tone became chilly: "Politeness is enough. Whether they are happy or not is their business; we shouldn't dwell on it. As long as the three of us are fine, and the old lady is fine, that’s what matters. Haven't they managed well all these years without me, their daughter, just fine?"

Uncle Gan immediately sensed something was wrong: "Wife, it's the New Year. We shouldn't be angry with anyone. I'm here."

Aunt Gan sighed, "Perhaps because my mother and father have many children, whether I am there or not doesn't matter to them." To Aunt Gan, these were heavy words. When she first got together with Uncle Gan, conditions were harsh, and when their first child was lost in utero, Aunt Gan hadn't even spoken like this. This time, she was truly hurt.

Uncle Gan, deep down, completely agreed with those words. His in-laws were truly despicable. It didn't matter how they treated him; they had never shown any tolerance toward his wife, all because she hadn't severed ties with him back then. A husband never forgets that. The depth of affection he felt for his wife was matched by the depth of cold indifference he perceived from her parents.

If only those two had offered their daughter a bit of support back then, would Sun Pangzi have been able to embrace his grandson right away? Could he have embraced his son sooner?

But he could never voice this realization. Sun Pangzi had suppressed this thought for so many years, never sharing it with anyone. They were his wife’s parents, and because of his wife’s deep feelings, he couldn't say it.

Of course, since his wife now held this realization, he still had to counsel her: "It’s alright. Old people are stubborn; they will eventually recognize how good you are."

What Sun Pangzi said was courteous, but it certainly didn't come from the bottom of his heart.

Aunt Gan continued, "I’ve been trying to reason with myself for so many years, and only today did I realize my thinking was flawed. I'm not that noble. I'm quite selfish. I can’t stand seeing my son appear inferior to others. If it were anyone else, I could let it go, but not them. Look how young Bao Bao is, smiling so genuinely at them, and what attitude did they have? That was my son’s pure heart! I can’t bear to see it hurt. It will be this way from now on."

Sun Pangzi had a realization: for years, his wife hadn't shown much reaction to the cold treatment from her mother-in-law, but when it came to their son, his wife was enraged, standing up for him! He felt he didn't measure up to his son.

This realization, admittedly, wasn't entirely positive, but looking at the three of them—the two younger, clueless ones playing happily, wrestling over a feather—

The one who did understand was in a terrible mood. He quickly stepped in: "So my wife is protective! That has nothing to do with work. If anyone says my wife’s work isn't good, I’ll argue with them! Both father and son are lining up behind your career."

Aunt Gan’s troubled mood eased with this comforting talk. "From now on, I’ll spend more time with the children. Regarding work, I’ll try to reduce the hours. When our Bao Bao is doing well, that’s when I’m truly doing well. Work isn't that important."

Uncle Gan quickly objected, "No, don't say that. It’s too tiring! Your work isn't just work; it's an honor. Your father and I are relying on you to back us up; imagine how impressive that sounds! To use Yingzi’s words, from your side, our son is a second-generation official. From my side, our son is a second-generation rich. Our son is a 'Specially Enhanced Second Generation'!"

Aunt Gan feigned annoyance, "Stop it! If you hadn’t given me that opportunity back then, would I have focused so much on my career? I thought I was taking your slot, and if I didn't do well, I would have let you and the opportunity down."

This was actually the first time Aunt Gan had mentioned this reason externally, and Uncle Gan had no idea that she took her serious work ethic from that underlying sense of obligation. He felt terrible for unintentionally putting such immense pressure on her.

He felt deeply sorry for his wife; this invisible pressure had been so huge. "Oh, why think so much? Even now, I'm more enthusiastic about trivial nonsense than about work. If it weren't for setting up some guarantees for our son, I’d still prefer my little shop in the bird and flower market. Don't overthink it. The three of us shouldn't be separated by this nonsense. Who could be closer to us than we are to each other?"

In truth, it was only after having their two children that Aunt Gan understood this sentiment: there truly was no one closer to them than the three of them.

Because of this, Aunt Gan was even more grateful to the Old Lady; the timing of the child's arrival was perfect, allowing the couple to reach this point.

Recalling the Old Lady's past experiences was pointless now. It was better to cherish the present. "The children are so grown up now; why dwell on the past? Thankfully, we have the Old Lady; our Bao Bao still has elders to dote on him."

Uncle Gan glanced at the Old Lady beside them. "That’s the truth. You don't know; when you were confined after childbirth, our son had a fever, right? You wouldn't believe how the Old Lady stayed up all night watching him. At that moment, I thought, even if my own mother were alive, it couldn't be better than that."

Hearing this, Aunt Gan compared the Old Lady with her living mother, and indeed, there was no comparison. What he said was absolutely right.

They arrived home as they spoke. Uncle Gan parked the car and helped the Old Lady out. Seeing the dark courtyard, he declared, "There you go, Mom, you’re in for a treat! While they haven't returned, I’ll go cook some meat for you. Remember, don't tell Yingzi."

The Old Lady understood immediately upon hearing 'meat': "Mm, I won't say."

Aunt Gan chuckled, "Our Mom only listens to what she likes to hear." Uncle Gan immediately went to the kitchen to prepare a special meal for the Old Lady. Aunt Gan and Sister Rong coaxed the Old Lady to wait in the room, otherwise, the Old Lady would cling to the kitchen door, acting as if she was being deprived of food.

Only heaven knew that they all knew Cheng Ying was controlling the quantity of meat the Old Lady ate, not denying her meat entirely. If outsiders saw this, they wouldn't know how to interpret it.

Uncle Gan carried the finished rice dish topped with stewed meat into the room as stealthily as a thief. Perhaps stolen goods taste sweeter; the Old Lady smacked her lips so loudly that Aunt Gan almost thought her husband was a five-star chef; how could it be so fragrant?

When Cheng Ying and the others returned, Uncle Gan had already cleaned up everything, destroying the evidence.

Aunt Gan wiped the Old Lady’s mouth clean. She was an accomplice.

Chi Wu helped his heavily pregnant wife, "Grandma is back. Let's go sit with her."

Cheng Ying walked in, sniffed the air, and immediately targeted Sun Pangzi: "Uncle Gan, you snuck meat to Grandma!"

Sun Pangzi glared, searching around for flaws, "Impossible! I cleaned up everything."

Cheng Ying frowned, looking at the whole family. Aunt Gan felt uneasy. She turned away, certain that he had cleaned up very thoroughly.

Chi Wu asked, "How did you know? I didn't see any evidence."

Cheng Ying pointed to herself: "I'm pregnant; I can smell meat from eight li away."

Uncle Gan quipped, "Better than a hound's nose! Pregnant women have that ability too?"

Chi Wu and Cheng Ying immediately glared at Uncle Gan, "What did you say?"

Uncle Gan raised his hands, "I misspoke! My fault, won't happen again."

Cheng Ying countered, "It’s not that she’s forbidden from eating meat, but she must eat less—watch out for high blood pressure, high cholesterol, high blood sugar."

Sun Pangzi had never specifically asked about the exact meaning of the 'Three Highs.' In this era, living standards were just beginning to rise; being able to eat meat was considered a good life; they hadn't heard of so many fussy rules.

The Old Lady, worn out from the day, clutched the chicken she was holding, tugged at Sister Rong, and looked at her pale granddaughter with one statement: "I didn't eat meat."

Then she fell asleep very irresponsibly.

Sister Rong followed suit, "It has nothing to do with me."

Uncle Gan rubbed his forehead, "She's actually quite obedient." Aunt Gan struggled hard not to laugh.

Cheng Ying looked at Uncle Gan, a mixture of annoyance and amusement: "Could you perhaps settle things with your accomplice before committing mischief next time?"

Uncle Gan countered, "We are tired and need rest. Can the two of you please leave now?" He was admitting defeat and asking them to leave.

Chi Wu supported Cheng Ying, "Let’s go. Aunt Gan must be tired after looking after Grandma all day, not to mention Little Brother."

Cheng Ying pinched Sun Xiaopangzi's cheek, "Don't let it happen again." The couple finally left.

Without Uncle Gan or Aunt Gan needing to say anything, Chi Wu began to counsel his wife, "Do you remember what Grandma told Great Aunt?"

Cheng Ying asked, "What?"

Chi Wu explained, "Yingzi, Grandma is old now, and she knows it herself. When Great Aunt came, Grandma said to ask her to visit often, saying 'every visit is one less to see.'" He didn't need to say the rest; his wife was sharp enough to understand.

The inevitable march of old age was unavoidable; things would proceed as they would.

Cheng Ying turned to look at the less-than-bright night sky, her eyes blurred.

It was the first day of the new year for him to bring this up. Chi Wu also felt he chose a terrible time. "Okay, I wonder if our son is hungry. What do you want to eat? I'll go get something for you. Your Uncle Gan might have hidden some for us."

Cheng Ying replied, "He was too busy destroying the evidence; he wouldn't leave any for me. But the smell really carried."

Chi Wu mused, "If your nose is so good, does that mean our son really likes meat?"

Cheng Ying snapped, "Go away! Stop bothering me. I've only felt comfortable these past two months. If I want something, I’ll ask for it myself."