"You’re overthinking it," Chi Wu said. "That’s the countryside; my mother is in the city now. Everything turns to ashes in the city, don't worry, it will be yours." In truth, Chi Wu wanted to say, Dead, dead, completely gone, belonging to no one. But looking at Chi Yong's expression, Chi Wu couldn't bring himself to say it. How much his father cared about this issue, enough to make himself sick with worry.

Chi Yong said chillingly, "Even a handful of your wife's ashes, she’ll try to fight me for it."

Chi Wu felt he shouldn't bear this anger. Even if this argument came to pass, it would be decades later, right? "Dad, don't you think this question should be addressed to Yingzi? If you told my mother directly, wouldn't that suffice? If my mother says one word, wouldn't Yingzi naturally comply?"

Kicking the problem back was a good move. Chi Yong was choked up because he was afraid. He was afraid that if he asked Yang Zhi this question, he would hear an answer that was different from what was in his heart. Chi Yong truly knew how stubborn Yang Zhi was. He genuinely didn't dare to ask, and he didn't want to hear Yang Zhi's decision.

Chi Yong's face was cold. "When we are all dead, the matters after death will naturally be handled by you all, according to your wishes, of course."

Chi Wu thought to himself, How unconfident you are, and you’re really setting your son up for trouble. "Are you having a fit?" Saying that, he walked out; it was too upsetting.

This topic couldn't be discussed further. His father was clearly enjoying the good life too much, worrying about the living, and still obsessing over the dead—that was ruthless.

With Chi Yong causing such a fuss, Chi Wu couldn't even enjoy his meal.

Not long after dinner, Chi Wu grabbed his daughter and son and left. We aren't staying here to accompany his madness. What if Chi Yong actually gets an answer? Chi Wu worried; this was clearly a fuse leading to domestic conflict.

When Chi Wu lay down next to Cheng Ying in bed that night, he thought about his father's difficulties. He was his own father after all; it was best to cautiously probe first. "Yingzi, if Mom and Dad both get old someday, where will they rest?"

Cheng Ying replied as a matter of course, "I think the cemetery on the mountain is quite nice; where else would they be? My dad is quite lonely; it will be lively if we are all over there together."

Chi Wu thought, Just as I suspected. "And my dad?"

Cheng Ying burst out laughing. "One on the left, one on the right—my mother will be blessed, embraced on both sides!"

Chi Wu thought, You’re going to literally anger my dad to death. It’s over, it’s over. Don't even think about having a peaceful life.

Cheng Ying hadn't taken it seriously; she was saying it purely as a joke. Chi Yong was such a sophisticated, aloof person; why would he care about such an issue? It wasn't that Cheng Ying couldn't imagine it; it was just that the impression Chi Yong gave Cheng Ying was too sagacious; this hardly seemed like Chi Yong's type of worry.

Cheng Ying didn't know about Chi Wu’s troubles. Taking care of the two children was tiring, and she soon fell asleep.

Chi Wu tossed and turned, unable to sleep. If this issue wasn't resolved, a full-scale predictable family war was on the horizon, involving not just husband and wife, but also father and son, mother and daughter, brothers, and sisters—the relationships were a tangled mess.

Chi Wu gritted his teeth, closed his eyes, and felt resentment boil up. Why is my dad acting crazy? How could he come up with such a ridiculous question? Isn’t he intentionally sabotaging our good life?

Being a son, being a husband—how difficult it all was! It was too hard. Having a family without conflict was even harder.

After Cheng Ying emotionally accepted the old lady’s passing, life slowly began to normalize. She had the two children to thank for this; without them playing the fool and chiming in, Cheng Ying wouldn't have recovered so quickly.

Life always seems to pass quickly amidst the trivial vexations.

To help his wife emerge from the shadow of the old lady sooner, Chi Wu had recently held both children and spoken to his wife with deep emotion: "Wife, snap out of it quickly. I can’t handle this anymore. These two kids have lost their grandmother; as their mother, you can’t just check out."

Cheng Ying looked at the two children, who were clearly more demanding than before. She knew that raising children was a task spanning a hundred years; one couldn't slack off for a moment.

Then she looked at Chi Wu, whose expression was clearly haggard from being worn out by the two children. "You’ve had a hard time," she said.

Chi Wu replied, "Not hard, not hard. But the children still need you to manage them. I can’t bring myself to do it. If I don't step in, Aunt Rong and the other nanny will resign; they really can't handle them anymore. They’re finding new ways to be mischievous every day."

From then on, Cheng Ying did perk up a bit and had the energy to manage the children.

They say a parent cherishes their own children, and Cheng Ying could still feel some fondness looking at how her two children appeared, but when facing the extent of their naughtiness, that fondness vanished completely.

Moreover, the neighbors didn't cherish the two children; they were absolute terrors.

When they went out to play with other children, there wasn't a single time they didn't end up fighting, and the other kids fought one-on-one, but their children always ganged up. Now, Aunt Rong didn't even dare take the children out because no one would play with them. Great, all the neighborly relations they had managed to build over the years were about to be ruined.

When they had nothing else to do, they even used paint to scratch up other people's front doors.

The neighbor, Aunt Wang, had said, "Yingzi, I know you run a furniture factory and don't lack paint, but you can't let the children waste it like this." That was a polite way of putting it. Cheng Ying pinched her nose and apologized profusely.

The two unfortunate children simply couldn't be left unsupervised any longer. So, after Cheng Ying regained her spirit, the two children in their house went through a real slump for a while; there was no helping it, as their mother’s suppression was quite severe. Every day, their behinds had to meet their mother's palm. It was sheer misery.

Chi Wu felt sorry for the children. He sacrificed himself for his wife. At most, on Sundays, he would secretly take the children out for a stroll, and if the children caused trouble, he would secretly go and apologize to the offended parties. This finally eased some of his guilt; children, after all, are bound to be mischievous. Chi Wu truly understood his own children; he was completely the doting father.

The children found release through Chi Wu, and Cheng Ying felt quite content. It seemed the children were finally guided back onto the right track. Life began to feel beautiful again.

Now that the children were in school, Cheng Ying felt she couldn't keep requesting leave from the hospital anymore. She had exhausted every excuse. From the day she graduated and was assigned her post until now, the children were nearly two years old, and she still hadn't reported to work. This matter was truly impossible to broach gracefully. Even if a leader could show discretion, they shouldn't be treated with such shamelessness.

Furthermore, as someone needing to adapt to mainstream society, Cheng Ying felt it was essential to integrate into the community and throw herself into a career; this was a demonstration of self-worth.

Just because they had money didn't mean she should do nothing, right? They weren't that kind of people. Besides, with a man like Chi Wu pushing from behind, Cheng Ying forced herself to progress. So many women lost their sense of self and consequently suffered blows to their relationships and families. Preventing such a thing was crucial.

If only for the sake of her son and daughter, she couldn't let this happen in her own home. She needed to maintain a sense of crisis at all times.

Women also needed to strive forward constantly; being disconnected from society was a serious problem. If you didn't understand anything when your husband talked about matters, how could you maintain affection? Even the deepest feelings could be worn away.

Cheng Ying dressed in a very professional manner, turning around in front of the mirror. "How is it? Don't I have the charm of a professional woman?"

Chi Wu looked at his wife, then glanced at the two children, and spoke with a deep tone, as if he were about to leave for several years. "Can you bear it? Can you stand it? The children are so small, I'm busy, and now you’re going to work too. This is where the children will start suffering."

Cheng Ying rolled her eyes. "What nonsense are you talking about? Before I start work, I’ll take the kids to school, and pick them up after work. They’ll be in school while I’m at work—what’s better than that? Are you really expecting me to be a full-time housewife?"

Chi Wu was not entirely satisfied. "Why must you be managed by someone else? Why not just go to the company and create your own position? Even if you stay home, you’re not a full-time housewife; you’d be a full-time lady of leisure."

Chi Wu’s words carried weight and confidence; his wife was, naturally, a lady of leisure.

Cheng Ying said, "No. In one company, you alone are already dominant. If I go there too, wouldn't that be suppressing talent? Four years of specialized study—I have to realize some value, don't I?" This lady has ambitions.

Chi Wu pressed, "You can bear to let me struggle alone?"

Cheng Ying replied, "It's useless to argue. I’m canceling my leave today and going to work. As the indispensable man behind a successful woman, you must support me!"

Chi Wu drooped his mouth and shut up. At this point, his heart sank; once his wife decided to work, even ten oxen couldn't pull her back.

Chi Wu, who hadn't rested well, looked gloomy. "What are you wearing? Aren't you afraid your supervisor will criticize you?"

Cheng Ying looked down at herself. "What’s wrong with my attire? It’s perfectly fine, I'm a doctor."

Chi Wu looked at Cheng Ying and her professional clothes with disdain. "A white coat covers everything," meaning whatever she wore was pointless.

Cheng Ying felt that Chi Wu might have taken the wrong medicine since last night.

She decided not to argue with him, took the two children by the hand, and said, "We're leaving now."

Chi Wu stood up, grabbed his coat, and said, "I'll take you all."

Cheng Ying took the keys. "No need, the three of us will drive ourselves."

Chi Wu watched his wife lead one child by each hand and walk out, not even giving him a glance. He felt as gloomy as could be. He realized that while his wife stayed home, it was to have children and accompany the old lady. Now that the old lady was gone, Chi Wu meant nothing to her. Cheng Ying immediately walked out the door. This was a feeling of resentment, being sidelined by the old lady and the children, yet he dared not express anger.

Aunt Rong saw Chi Wu’s sour expression and quickly slipped away. The yard was large; she could tidy up somewhere else, but she certainly couldn't risk stepping on landmines here.

Chi Wu sprang up, rushed into the house, grabbed a pair of shoes, and chased after them.

He tapped on the car window. "Yingzi, you forgot these. Ah, being a doctor is such hard work. When you get to the hospital, don't forget to put these on. Don't wear yourself out; it would pain me."

The words were so saccharine that Cheng Ying felt like she wasn't going to work at a hospital but visiting a dermatologist.

However, the item Chi Wu brought was truly thoughtful. After so many years, Cheng Ying always felt that wearing these shoes was the most comfortable for her feet.

The three of them—mother and children—turned toward Chi Wu and collectively blew him a flying kiss. Chi Wu collected the reward richly as he watched the car speed away.

Then Chi Wu continued to worry, worrying for his father. Even though his father was still alive, Chi Wu had to worry about matters after his death. If this issue wasn't settled, his father’s illness probably wouldn't get better.

How long has it been, and his father still hasn't recovered? He was practically developing depression.