Chi Yong let out a breath of relief; it was good that the man understood.

But then again, this was the first time he’d understood so clearly—a true blessing from heaven, that the old lady could still see a reasonable son while her eyes were open.

Uncle-Father’s tiger eyes welled up, his voice choked, "Second Brother, let’s first discuss how to prepare for the Old Lady's affairs later." There was still a knot in his heart regarding Chi Yong; he only glanced at him, not calling out his name.

Second Uncle-Father felt even worse, unable to bear hearing this.

He immediately squatted on the ground and began sobbing.

Chi Yong, however, spoke up, "Everything the Old Lady needs was prepared by herself when she was clear-headed.

What she is wearing was sewn by her own hands, and what she uses was picked by her.

As for the piece of lumber in the backyard that the Old Lady herself favored, it was prepared long ago.

We just need to find a few people to set it up.

Eldest Brother, Second Brother, please look and see if there is anything you are dissatisfied with or anything that needs supplementing." This opinion had to be secured; those two were the actual sons.

Frankly, no matter how good the things Chi Yong and Cheng Ying had prepared were, if the Eldest and Second brothers weren't satisfied, Chi Yong would have to listen to them and start anew.

Currently, the only ones capable of thinking things through properly were Uncle-Father and Second Aunt-Mother.

Everyone else was out of the loop.

Hearing this, Uncle-Father and Second Aunt-Mother thought, what is there left to prepare? They have thought of everything completely.

Chi Yong said, "Eldest Brother, we haven't been in the village long and aren't familiar with the customs.

Regarding finding the master craftsman, that will have to be arranged by you." Uncle-Father looked at Chi Yong with complex emotions.

Hate? He couldn't bring himself to feel it.

Not hate? Yet, there was still a lingering sense of unwillingness.

His own mother, whom he had been close to for half his life, had become so estranged.

If one were to say it had nothing to do with Chi Yong arriving at this house, Uncle-Father simply wouldn't accept it.

But if one were to say it had something to do with him, he hadn't blocked the doorway preventing them from showing filial piety to the Old Lady.

Every step was walked by themselves.

Uncle-Father closed his eyes and sighed; it was too late to say anything.

The Old Lady was already like this. "At least let me do my part for the Old Lady.

I will arrange it.

When should Mom return, and how should you prepare things?" Second Uncle said, "I'll go pick her up." Chi Yong and Yang Zhi exchanged looks. "Second Brother, Mom is still awake; you want to bring her back now?" They meant that there was no need to go, as the person was about to arrive home.

But they couldn't say it that way.

Uncle-Father said, "Stay here and prepare for the Old Lady; stop talking about it." Yang Zhi replied, "Yes, we’ll listen to Eldest Brother." To be honest, Yang Zhi truly breathed a sigh of relief when the eldest spoke that way.

The burden on her heart lessened considerably.

Their family lacked nothing in terms of money or connections for handling affairs.

Although Cheng Ying wasn't living in the village, she never missed any major or minor village events, always sending contributions through the Village Chief or Second Grand-Uncle.

During the New Year, they ensured all necessary courtesies were exchanged.

If their family had an issue, they wouldn't actively cause trouble, even if they didn't offer help.

The only lingering concern was the relationship among the actual brothers.

Now, it truly couldn't be better.

Yang Zhi felt as if a bundle she had carried on her back for over a decade had just been lifted off.

Chi Yong said, "Also, if the Old Lady were to pass away suddenly, we have no idea how to prepare, or how much to set aside; we still need Eldest Brother and Second Brother to discuss it." Frankly, this was just courtesy; it would be enough if the three families could sit together harmoniously.

Otherwise, preparing extra things wasn't really a burden.

Uncle-Father said, "On our side, we only have your sister-in-law's maternal relatives, and your eldest nephew’s wife’s family might come.

The rest are villagers." Second Aunt-Mother said, "My mother's family will also send people.

None of them are outsiders, so anything goes.

However, her paternal grandaunt will certainly come; we just don't know if their family will come.

We’ll need to arrange that when the time comes." If Uncle-Father hadn't kicked Second Aunt-Mother just now, she would surely have said that his paternal grandaunt coming wasn't their relatives, but the sister of the three of them.

Having many relatives from the maternal side truly boosts one's prestige in the village, so in Second Aunt-Mother's eyes, the eldest’s side gaining an extra set of relatives now was quite a show of face.

Having just received a sharp lesson, she kept quiet, but everyone knew from that movement that Eldest Sister-in-law had something to say.

No one paid her any mind.

Yang Zhi said, "On my side, it’s just my brother’s family; not many people." This truly sounded weak.

Chi Yong looked at his wife.

Too honest. "Yes, people from our two workplaces are too far away to come." The meaning was perfectly clear: sending the Old Lady off at home meant many social obligations couldn't be fulfilled.

However, Chi Yong felt it was pointless for him, a man, to argue with a woman.

His wife’s fighting spirit was entirely used up battling him; when placed alongside the two sisters-in-law, she was simply overpowered.

Chi Yong recognized this realization poorly.

He glanced at Yang Zhi, then turned and started discussing matters seriously with the two elder brothers.

The arrangement for the coffin began quickly.

Finding a few extra craftsmen meant the work was done in a single day.

Moreover, the material Cheng Ying had prepared was excellent—a single solid piece that didn't require splicing.

When the old carpenters saw the wood, they offered praise; such material was hard to find these days.

If Cheng Ying were home, she would surely say, "That was specifically saved for my own grandmother.

It's been ready for over a decade.

Good things like this nowadays might not be bought even with money." Otherwise, why would people back then have fretted so much over a single piece of lumber? Uncle-Father looked at the material and said nothing.

Whether one had sincerity or not was evident in such things.

Even though they were all people from the mountains, that material was sold back then; it truly didn't exist now.

Yang Zhi handed the red envelopes to the craftsmen for their 'joy money' (tips).

This was mandatory; no matter how deep the connection, money had to be exchanged for such matters.

The village had its customs.

Seeing Yang Zhi spending money without consulting them, Second Aunt-Mother felt significantly relieved.

The Old Lady’s good things all went to the third branch; it made no sense for the three brothers to share the sending-off expenses.

Fortunately, the third branch's wife was somewhat sensible.

She calculated that in the two days since the third couple returned, between acquiring items and calling in favors, the back-and-forth expenses already amounted to nearly ten thousand.

The Old Lady hadn't even passed away yet, and this sum was enough to send off two elders in the village.

She resolved that they would not wade into this mess.

If their family wanted to spend lavishly on the funeral, it was their business and had not been discussed with the two brothers.

By the time for settling accounts, Second Aunt-Mother was determined not to share this expense.

These past two days, Second Aunt-Mother had been silently tallying accounts in her mind.

Having no one to talk to nearby was suffocating her; this was agony.

The coffin was finished, painted with bright red lacquer, and set up right there in the courtyard.

Seeing it brought tears to people's eyes.

When the villagers saw the manner of the three brothers, they all knew the Old Lady must be critically ill.

Villagers had a custom: once a coffin was made, it couldn't be moved until the elder was placed inside; otherwise, why prepare the material and not build the coffin? With this thing sitting in the courtyard, people came over to ask questions.

When they received Cheng Ming's call that the Old Lady was returning, the lacquer was almost dry.

Uncle-Father and Second Uncle found something to cover the coffin so the Old Lady wouldn't see it immediately upon entering the courtyard, which might upset her heart.

At this time, angering the Old Lady would be fatal.

Second Uncle and Uncle-Father ran far out to the village entrance to meet the Old Lady.

The regret Uncle-Father felt now was equal to the anger he had shown towards the Old Lady then.

Thus, Uncle-Father's grief was in no way less than Second Uncle's.

Second Uncle was straightforward; comparing himself to Uncle-Father, he had less guilt, leaving only sorrow.

The Old Lady hadn't drawn her last breath yet, so even in their distress, Uncle-Father and Second Uncle couldn't let the Old Lady see them cry.

Seeing the Old Lady at the village entrance, where she could still wave to people, Uncle-Father and Second Uncle dared not approach her, afraid they couldn't restrain themselves.

These strong men in their fifties and sixties were already drowning in sorrow.

When Chi Wu and Cheng Ming supported the Old Lady into the courtyard, they saw the covered object placed in the center of the tidy yard.

The Old Lady looked at it twice, but lacking strength, she didn't ask what it was.

Cheng Ying, following behind, saw the object, flinched, and dared not enter the door.

Tears she had been holding back burst forth—must she see this? Why did it feel so ominous? Why was her heart so pained? Looking at that thing felt like a needle piercing her heart.

The feeling was entirely different from when Third Aunt-Mother had passed away and she saw a similar object.

Of course, Cheng Ying couldn't think that deeply now.

Back then, the deceased was a fellow villager; at most, they had gotten along well.

Now, the one to be placed inside was her grandmother, her own grandmother; it would be strange if her feelings were the same.

In that large crowd, no one noticed Cheng Ying at the moment; the Old Lady’s condition was the central focus.

Everyone gathered around the Old Lady.

Cheng Ying squatted near the doorway; the scene was truly heart-wrenching to witness.

When the Village Chief arrived, he exchanged a greeting with Cheng Ying at the door and immediately went inside to see the Old Lady; there was no time for separation then.

Although Chi Wu and Cheng Ming were 'supporting' the Old Lady, the Old Lady's entire body weight rested on them; she had no strength to stand steadily, let alone walk.

Thus, Chi Wu and Cheng Ming were able to free their hands to rest.

They only remembered Cheng Ying much later.

The entire family moved towards the Old Lady.

Meanwhile, the villagers passing by saw the pitiful girl squatting by the door and sighed softly once or twice.

This child was raised by the Old Lady; it was no wonder she looked like this now.

When Cheng Dong, the son of Third Aunt from the village, arrived and saw Cheng Ying’s state, she looked like a child who had been bullied.

To comfort this former classmate, he felt he couldn't just let a woman stay by the door, weeping alone. "Yingzi, the Old Granny is this age; don't take it too hard.

If the Old Granny saw you like this, she wouldn't rest easy either.

You must let her pass on peacefully." Cheng Ying looked up.

Oh my, who is this? She genuinely didn't recognize him.

Cheng Dong saw Cheng Ying’s expression and knew that esteemed people often forgot things.

She didn't even know who he was.

He thought, 'You even washed my lunchbox back then!' Cheng Dong blushed. "It's me, Dongzi.

I came to see if I could help with anything.

Go inside; the family will worry." Cheng Ying thought back.

She grew up watching them.

He was a handsome boy back then, and now he was even taller and looked reliable. "Brother Dongzi, I’ll go in now.

It’s just seeing that thing in the yard, it’s tormenting my heart; I can’t bear to look."