Chi Wu even wondered if it would be fine as long as a tail didn't sprout, or if he didn't turn into a fish upon encountering water; this was clearly the result of the folklore about fox spirits, so forgive Chi Wu for not imagining his wife as an immortal. She truly didn't seem like one. Immortals were supposed to be noble, devoid of desire.

His own wife was very much someone who lived life day-to-day; there wasn't a hint of that ethereal quality about her. Of course, she wasn't much like a fox spirit either, otherwise, she wouldn't have managed to keep him so firmly tied down—that teacher still hadn't managed it, had she? My wife is human.

Chi Wu glanced back to see Cheng Ying stepping out; there was so much to manage outside. This wasn't the time for such thoughts. Cheng Ying rubbed her eyes, thinking of the old woman lying outside, and a knot tightened in her stomach again.

It ached with sympathy. She went out crying, never having dwelled on the matter. Was that even an issue?

Funerals are always sorrowful; the living must bid farewell to the dead. In the village, this rite was called xing li (performing the rites). When the time came for the rites for the elder, the Eldest Uncle, bringing a host of sons and grandsons, including two great-grandsons, knelt beside the old woman’s bright red coffin.

This was the reciprocal offering to those performing the rites for the deceased, known as the filial sons’ return gift. Cheng Ying cried and kowtowed so hard she lost all sense of direction. It was at this moment that Chi Wu’s matchmaking status became apparent.

He was kneeling among the group of filial sons. If a maiden from the family, like the Old Aunt, were performing rites, she would be kneeling opposite the old woman, and Cheng Ying and Mingzi would be together to return the courtesy kowtow to the Old Aunt. Before the rites began, the Eldest Aunt had already said, "Yingzi doesn't need to kneel; I can see she isn't well." That statement was utterly manipulative.

It was Yang Zhi who immediately shot it down: "Yingzi and Wuzi are establishing the third branch household; even if they have to crawl, they must go perform the return rites." To think that Yang Zhi was this assertive just once and silenced the Eldest Aunt completely. Cheng Ying, with her notoriously sharp temper, was spared from entering the fray; her simple mother had handled it all. Watching his wife like this, Chi Yong had only one thought: his wife was only now displaying her queenly charisma in middle age.

This woman changed in an instant; their household was now firmly under her command. He would never get back the gentleness his wife once possessed. It was all due to his own petty jealousy and fussing; there was nowhere to buy regret medicine.

The Eldest Aunt, rebuffed by the usually soft-spoken Third Wife, was left speechless—it truly felt stifling; this had never happened before. The Second Aunt chimed in, "Eldest Sister-in-law, Yingzi was married in through matchmaking; she is establishing the third household. Her seniority was evaluated by the village.

If you don't let her perform the filial sons' return gift, are you suggesting she should perform rites for our family?" The Eldest Aunt huffed, "Hmph, wasn't I just looking out because I saw Yingzi wasn't feeling well? You are all good people, and I am the villain, am I?" The group exchanged a glance, but no one paid her any mind. She had to stir up trouble to assert herself, didn't she?

Just seeking attention. Cheng Ying originally thought she could handle things. Although her crying made it a bit difficult to speak, since the Second Aunt and her own mother had sorted things out, Cheng Ying settled down.

The Eldest Aunt was truly detestable; Cheng Ying couldn't fathom her thinking, interpreting it as a form of resentment against those who were better off—she simply couldn't stand seeing others happy. Finally, when this group of descendants performed the rites for the old woman before she was moved to the ancestral ground, Chi Wu couldn't even think about their two children; he had to control his wife first, knowing Yingzi definitely couldn't endure this. This moment truly revealed who cared more, who felt the deeper cut.

The Old Aunt and Cheng Ying wept earth-shatteringly. Outsiders merely commented, "See? The biological daughter and granddaughter cry one way; the daughter-in-law’s tears are always fake." How wrongly those four daughters-in-law were judged.

Firstly, there was the Dry Aunt, who was genuinely weeping, feeling true affection for the old woman. But the Dry Aunt was restrained; she couldn't cry with such lack of decorum as the Old Aunt. Then Yang Zhi was also crying, genuinely crying; this old woman was no different from her own mother, and she sincerely intended to show filial piety.

But Yang Zhi was never one for grand displays; even her tears were choked and stifled, as if she feared others seeing them. Then there was the Second Aunt, who was also truly weeping. While her feelings weren't as deep, the mother-in-law hadn't burdened their family much.

As long as you didn't pick fights or actively seek trouble, she was a decent mother-in-law. Crying was necessary to look respectable—she was genuinely weeping. And finally, the Eldest Aunt: "How can my crying be worse than these two?" So she bellowed with all her might.

Alas, people always believe a daughter's grief and a daughter-in-law's grief are two different things, so they never believe your tears are real. This was the difficulty of pleasing everyone, a truly hateful situation; it didn't matter how you cried. By this time, the Eldest and Second Uncles had composed themselves.

They shared a singular focus: ensuring their mother’s passing was dignified and well-managed. As sons, they hadn't managed to provide much for their mother during her life, so this gesture of respect had to be fulfilled. Of course, seeing Cheng Ying and Chi Wu exhibiting such devotion, they couldn't help but feel moved.

One could truly see what was genuine. For instance, the Eldest Uncle watched his own wife weeping intermittently; it simply wasn't on the same level as Yingzi's grief. It wasn't embarrassing, perhaps, but it was certainly less respectable than simply staying quietly put.

With eyes closed, at the village chief's declaration of 'Rise,' the courtyard filled with earth-shattering cries as the old woman was carried away. Truly, they would never see her again. Cheng Ying sobbed uncontrollably.

She couldn't love her more, her dear grandmother! The two children, seeing their mother cry so fiercely, even if they were little rascals or heartless, couldn't help but weep along. The scene was truly tear-inducing, truly heartbreaking.

Unable to bear it, the Chi family's Old Matriarch came over to comfort Cheng Ying, primarily out of concern for her grandchildren; how could they cry so much? The children didn't know whom to cling to for comfort, so she began soothing both her grandson and her daughter-in-law. Cheng Ying saw the elder woman’s distress and felt a rush of maternal warmth.

Whether it was transference or not, she clung to the Chi family's Old Matriarch and wouldn't let go. Let it be, Cheng Ying thought; let the Chi family's Old Matriarch feel her heart swell. What was wrong with a village daughter-in-law?

The feelings in the village were sincere. If she passed away and people cried like this, all the better. Chi Wu entrusted his wife to his own grandmother's care, feeling secure.

The men followed the procession to the graveyard. Cheng Ying thought to herself: If only my grandfather weren't buried in the ancestral graves, I would have her buried next to my father. Then all the loved ones would be together—that would be perfect.

However, this was one thing she truly dared not challenge. The villagers could drown her in spittle. Besides, her grandmother might not even have wanted that; this matter had never been discussed beforehand.

By the time Chi Wu and the others returned, the celebratory banquet was already winding down. After serving the final seven or eight tables of guests, the funeral rites were considered complete. Cheng Ying and Chi Wu stood together at the entrance to see off the guests—these were their friends from the city.

No one else could send them off; only the two of them needed to appear. The guests were ready to leave long ago; they were just waiting for Chi Wu to return from the gravesite so they could bid a final farewell. Chi Wu said, "Thank you all for coming to see the Old Matriarch off on her journey.

I won't say much else; we’ll gather again when we’re back in the city." Everyone understood this was a funeral, not a wedding; it was better to remain silent than to say the wrong thing. The mere fact that they came was a gesture of respect. They nodded.

"You two carry on with your tasks; don't worry about us. We didn't come here to cause trouble." Then, from the head to the tail of the village, a line of fine cars drove away. Some of the women remarked, "This is the liveliest the village has been in years, and it’s for a funeral, no less." "When Yingzi got married, we didn't see so many people from the city.

See? When it really matters, they show up." This comment carried both sourness and sweetness, depending on how one chose to interpret it. After seeing off the outsiders, the distant guests had also departed, including the maternal uncle and aunt—their entire family was gone.

All that remained were the family members bearing the surname Cheng. With the most senior person in the family gone, the cohesion of the extended family had dissolved. As the eldest among the brothers, the Eldest Uncle needed to make a statement, especially with the village chief present.

Though the old woman had been confused in her later years, when she was lucid, she had managed all necessary affairs. Her possessions now needed to be divided. The Eldest Uncle’s two sons were already in school and working; truthfully, they didn't care about the old woman's meager belongings.

Though the Second Uncle's two children were also in school, truthfully, they hadn't cost him much money. Cheng Ying was stingy about many things, but she was generous regarding her brothers' education; even though they weren't studying in the provincial capital, she hadn't let her brothers suffer. Furthermore, the Second Uncle himself had begun cultivating saplings in the last two years, so their household was quite prosperous.

They certainly didn't care about the old woman's trinkets. As for Cheng Ying, there was no need to mention it; the old woman had already given Cheng Ying everything she could. What else did Cheng Ying care about?

Was she lacking money? The Village Chief said, "The Old Sister-in-law has passed. While your brothers are all here, let's discuss the distribution." The Eldest remained silent; the Second also remained silent.

They couldn't speak on this matter. The old woman had lived with the Third Branch for years; they hadn't concerned themselves with her later life expenses at all—it was all prepared by the Third. According to village custom, whoever arranged the sending-off for the elder in their home kept the belongings.

In this moment, it was appropriate for them to remain silent. The Eldest Aunt, however, spoke up. "Regarding this matter, as the eldest branch, we should certainly say something.

We weren't prepared for the old woman’s passing beforehand; Yingzi and them handled everything. How about this: Yingzi, tell us how much money you spent, and the three families will split the cost equally." This was entirely uncharacteristic of the Eldest Aunt. If Cheng Ying hadn't lost her voice, she would have sworn the Eldest Aunt was possessed.

She merely waved her hand, and Chi Wu understood immediately. "That was our dear grandmother; preparing things for her was our duty. Mentioning money makes it seem distant.

Let Grandma have some mementos she liked; she had mentioned this before. Since the village chief is here, everyone can see." Cheng Ying took out a pair of gold bracelets. She hadn't dared to send these off with the old woman; the villagers were simple folk, but putting such valuables in the coffin would keep Cheng Ying awake at night—she feared robbery.

Unable to speak, she directly gave one bracelet to the Old Aunt and the other to the Dry Aunt. The City Iron Wife standing nearby had her eyes wide with shock. Too bad there were only two; she got none.

What a regret! She hadn't had a bad relationship with the old woman; it was just that the old woman lacked perception. Cheng Ying also felt regret.

The old woman was old and muddled; no matter how well you got along with her later on, she wouldn't remember you. It truly was beyond human ability to change that. Then Cheng Ying looked at the two children.

Chi Wu spoke: "Grandma's beloved chickens are gone; the eggs were given to the two younger ones. Grandma still has a patch of mountain land and a piece of field. Eldest Uncle and Second Uncle, please take something as a keepsake." This statement was quite appropriate.

In the countryside, mountain land and fields were often more valuable than gold; these assets appreciated in value. Even the Village Chief nodded. "Except for what belonged to your mother." Chi Wu replied, "The fact that the old woman could live with us all these years is what we gained." These words made the older people standing nearby blush.

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