"I'm not worried about that at all. The people I've chosen are top-tier, exemplars in the industry; they have too much reputation to risk," Cheng Ying stated.

"Yingzi, your cousin-wife doesn't have much to do at home. Why don't you have her come over to help? She doesn't need to manage many people—just collect payments and handle the accounts. What do you think?" asked the eldest aunt.

"No, that won't work. I'm not short-staffed here. Besides, if your eldest daughter-in-law comes, can you bear to have your eldest son and her living apart? Aren't they supposed to be trying for a baby soon?" Cheng Ying countered.

"Look at you, such a difficult child! I wasn't just thinking of having your eldest cousin come over, too, but his transfer is complicated. Why don't you see if you can find someone to look into it for us?" the eldest aunt pressed.

Cheng Ying focused on the practical issues. "Where would they live?" That was a far more pressing concern.

The eldest daughter-in-law chimed in with a well-laid plan, "We don't have children yet, so we could just squeeze in with Mingzi for now, and see if we can arrange for a dormitory room at the hospital later." Such an astute calculation, Cheng Ying thought.

Cheng Ying nodded, genuinely impressed by their forward-thinking. "You should go back, Aunt. Stop thinking about this."

She then took out a stack of cash, "If you feel this money is unwarranted, you can take it back. Just pretend this never happened. I'm doing this so that our family's children might have a little support in the future, even a little bit. I never intended to raise Grandma's grandsons to be lazy and dependent on this, living off of it. I have professionals managing it; we don't need family members. If you truly want to be involved, you must change careers immediately. Study medicine, and if you become recognized in the field, I will hire you at a high salary. Nothing else will suffice."

The eldest aunt’s face stiffened, and the eldest daughter-in-law’s jaw practically dropped. "How can you say such harsh things? Who am I coming here to help? This is out of goodwill!"

The eldest aunt interjected, "Yingzi, that's your cousin-wife. Mind your tone. We aren't outsiders; we're entrusting this to you. Isn't your cousin-wife trustworthy?"

"I trust outsiders more. You should take this money back. Then, sign over those shares to me; we'll nullify the agreement right here, in front of witnesses." Let's see if they aren't afraid of this.

The eldest aunt, predictably, did not reach for the money. "I've gone too far. Yingzi, forget it. If you don't want us involved, we won't interfere. Just pretend your aunt never said anything. However, your uncle doesn't know about this."

The eldest daughter-in-law’s expression soured. "Good intentions bring no reward. If someone misleads you down the line, you'll know who to blame."

Cheng Ying continued, "You don't need to worry. At the end of the year, we'll bring in a specialized auditing department to review the books together. It will cost some money, but everyone can rest assured, preventing future ambiguities. It's also about building trust with the employees."

The eldest daughter-in-law flushed. When she had persuaded her own mother-in-law to come, this was exactly the reason she used: saying there were so many accounts, and if it was all just Cheng Ying's word, how could they know if anything was falsified? They needed someone trustworthy on the inside to watch.

They were clearly shrewd people; she had pointed it out directly.

Cheng Ying then turned to the eldest aunt. "Aunt, Mingzi has it tough in the city. He's trying to find a girlfriend, but without a house or a car, no one will consider him. You bought a house for your eldest son; shouldn't you be preparing something for Mingzi too? You can't just stop caring for him because your eldest son has a house. Why don't you find some money—maybe enough for a car for Mingzi? That would be about the same cost as the house for your eldest cousin. It would save Mingzi the hardship of squeezing onto the bus every day; you have no idea how much he suffers."

The eldest daughter-in-law’s face instantly changed. This sister-in-law is not to be trifled with. How much income did the family have that she would bring up buying a car?

The eldest aunt replied, "We just bought a house and invested in shares; where would the money come from now? He can just live in his house for now." Look at the blatant favoritism toward all the parents' children, poor Mingzi.

Buying the house was for the eldest cousin, and the shares are split between the eldest and second eldest cousins. You can't think like that, or Mingzi will hear it and resent you, Eldest Aunt. Cheng Ying's words were purely designed to sow discord.

The eldest daughter-in-law remained silent, unwilling to utter a word. Her mother-in-law could say she had no money, but if she repeated that sentiment, her mother-in-law would turn against her first. So, despite her anxiety, she stayed quiet.

The eldest aunt avoided the topic of money; it was too distressing. It seemed like ever since the children grew up, money had just been pouring out, and each expense was bigger than the last. "Yingzi, Mingzi still hasn't found a suitable partner."

"It’s hard for a city girl to find a match without a house, isn't it? You know Mingzi only makes that fixed salary. Even though he has a house now, it’s empty, isn't it? He can't rely on anything else. You really need to worry about this more," Cheng Ying advised.

"Oh, you're right. We can't cause Mingzi any trouble right now; finding him a wife is the priority," the eldest aunt conceded.

Cheng Ying nodded. "I wonder, if the eldest cousin and his wife move here, what happens if he meets someone? Is that house just Mingzi’s, or does it belong to both brothers? With so many people living in the city, it won't be big enough for everyone."

The eldest daughter-in-law truly couldn't stay silent any longer. "The sister-in-law is so thoughtful. She ensures the siblings live close and thinks of everything for Mingzi."

Cheng Ying wiped her nose. "What choice do I have? Didn't Aunt already give all her attention to you? I have no place to ask your cousin-wife to compromise here. I won't say anything further." The meaning was crystal clear: it’s time to leave and stop scheming.

When Old Madam Chi returned, she warmly invited the eldest aunt to eat. But no matter how one looked at it, the moods of the mother and her children were far from good.

After seeing the eldest aunt off to Mingzi's place, Chi Wu cautiously asked Cheng Ying, "This wasn't a big issue; we anticipated this, right? Don't be angry; it's not worth it."

Cheng Ying, sitting in the car, waved it off. "Angry about what? Mingzi is the one who should be bothered. Besides, I swear I'm not angry. I don't know why, but if your eldest aunt hadn't made this visit, I would feel off all day. I actually think it's good for her to visit every now and then; it makes me look connected to the village. Otherwise, how would life seem? As if my life in the village was ages ago. What does that make me?"

Chi Wu thought to himself that she was intentionally making things difficult for herself. She had a good life but insisted on manufacturing some annoyance. He had never seen a wife curse herself like this. "As long as you aren't angry, it's best to keep the rest to yourself. Let's keep things pleasant between us."

"I didn't mean anything else, really. It's just that I wonder how long your eldest cousin-wife will keep up this meddling. It’s a shame that such a shrewd person like your eldest aunt was so easily swayed by her. Mingzi definitely won't eat well tonight."

"You're intentionally taking pleasure in others' distress. Mingzi probably resents you for this now. That might be why he's unwilling to work at the clinic," Chi Wu remarked.

"I won't stoop to his level. After all that, I even fought for a car for him. Hmph. By the way, has our son been very well-behaved lately?" Chi Wu was momentarily stunned by his wife's sudden shift in topic, then casually replied, "Well-behaved? Quite well-behaved."

Cheng Ying narrowed her eyes. "What do you mean by 'well-behaved? Quite well-behaved'? That doesn't sound right to me."

"Do you really want to hear it?" Cheng Ying shot back, "Nonsense, he’s my son!"

Chi Wu sighed. "To be honest, your son hasn't gotten a teacher to call me in for a talk, so he’s been obedient in that regard. However, your son gave his great-grandfather's and grandfather's phone numbers to the teacher. They’ve probably all been invited over. You can interpret it however makes you feel better."

Cheng Ying's mouth fell open. "A genius! My son is actually that quick-witted. He truly is my son!"

Chi Wu nodded. "It's rare that you can be so cheerful about it."

Cheng Ying immediately realized her perspective was skewed. "That little devil! I need to have a serious talk with him. What kind of terrible habit is that?"

Chi Wu retorted, "Why is the child from Uncle Gan's family always so obedient? Why do you favor him so much? Now that he's here with us, I surrender."

Cheng Ying huffed. "You can't think that way. He's just a child. From now on, the children are under my jurisdiction; don't worry about it." Chi Wu looked up at the sky, wondering if this was truly manageable.

With that one statement from Cheng Ying, Chi Wu's life was about to descend into chaos—truly, feathers flying everywhere. Chi Wu silently calculated: three days, maybe three days, before his family’s feather duster would have to assert its authority, all because his son was too disappointing and he had a daughter deliberately dragging him down.

Lately, the most frequent action Old Madam Chi took was covering her head when she saw her grandson, and covering her face when she saw outsiders. She couldn't help it; life was too lively. Whenever any elder from the neighborhood saw her, they couldn't help but envy her, "Oh, Old Madam Chi, your life is certainly rich with flavor! Look how lively it is every day!"

They all lived in the same complex; they were all acquaintances. Old Madam Chi truly didn't want to go out anymore. She couldn't bring herself to tell Cheng Ying that regarding the children's discipline, outsiders were not allowed to watch the show; discipline was something done behind closed doors. Only Cheng Ying allowed the children to run all over the courtyard, chasing each other. It was certainly lively, but profoundly embarrassing, and completely against Old Madam Chi’s style.

"I’ve never been so embarrassed in my life. I feel ashamed even greeting people," Old Madam Chi lamented.

Old Master Chi was more philosophical. "What's there to be ashamed of? Do you know how many people envy how energetic our grandson, granddaughter-in-law, and great-grandchildren are? They all say your life is full of flavor!"

"They're just mocking you. Yingzi is great in every way, except she has no patience with the children. Why must she resort to hitting her own children? Can't she talk to them nicely?"

"When it comes to managing them, does talking work?" Old Master Chi countered.

It was clear he was resolutely siding with his great-grandchildren. "If you can't stand it, go talk to the two kids yourself. Don't use me as a pawn; I won't fall for that trick."

"You're really no fun. If I say something, I say it. I was a mother too; how can I not know how to raise children better than Yingzi? They have to listen to me!"

Old Madam Chi deliberately chose a beautiful, sunny day. When Cheng Ying returned from work, she began, "Yingzi, Chi Shuo and Cheng Le are older now; children need their dignity. Can you stop hitting them at the slightest provocation?"

Cheng Ying sighed. "Grandma, I want to educate them gently too, but I can't! Today I just promised their teacher I would discipline them properly. Do you know what they did?"

Hearing this made Old Madam Chi's heart ache. Her grandson was too lively, and his mind worked too fast; it was truly hard to guess what trouble he could cause. "He burned his textbooks and his classmates' textbooks because they were planning a picnic on the lawn."

"What were the teachers doing? How could they let children play with fire? That's so irresponsible!"

Cheng Ying’s face darkened. "Our Chi Shuo brought the lighter to school. Grandma, if this continues, Chi Wu will seriously suggest setting up a separate school for them, and they won't even want our children there anymore. The teachers are already furious with me!"

Old Madam Chi bit back the retort that the teachers had bad tempers, unable to voice it.

"I really don't understand what goes on in his head every day. If he isn't causing me trouble, is he unhappy?" Cheng Ying wondered aloud.

Old Madam Chi thought to herself, You are the one unhappy with the child! Poor great-grandson!

The conversation ended there. There was truly no way to intercede for the unfortunate child; how could she even begin to argue? Old Madam Chi had been rebuffed like this several times.

Life in the household proceeded at its unhurried, chaotic pace. Cheng Ying's small clinic was thriving. Firstly, Cheng Ying spared no expense, hiring renowned doctors who brought their own patient base. Secondly, the medicinal herbs Cheng Ying supplied were genuinely effective.

Especially her maternal grandfather’s ancestral prescription—it was miraculous, curing ailments almost instantly. This single factor opened a fantastic door for the small clinic. As her grandfather often remarked, the only regret was that his patients never needed to stay in the third-floor ward; they got better so quickly, there was no need for such fuss.

When the year-end dividends were calculated, the profits were evident. The eldest aunt made one declaration: from now on, no matter who asked, she wouldn't dare withdraw her shares; she would happily live out her retirement on that ten percent stake. She even started looking at Cheng Ying more favorably.

Her uncle only learned during the dividend distribution that his family held a twenty percent share—which seemed quite large. Cheng Ying simply stated that with Grandfather’s ancestral secret recipe, it wasn't too much at all.

The benefits given to the senior doctors earned Cheng Ying a thorough scolding from her colleagues. "Hey, we didn't realize! Your clinic is truly impressive. My old lady earns more in a month now than I do!" A plump colleague chimed in, "My old lady now looks down on how little I earn. Yingzi, you can't be so generous; you're destroying domestic harmony!"

Cheng Ying smirked. "Don't be jealous. If you want a plaque with my clinic's name on it, you're welcome anytime." In those days, although people envied high earnings, very few were willing to give up their stable government jobs. They only said things like that.

The old hospital director floated over from nearby. "Stop joking around at the workplace."

Cheng Ying muttered slyly, "Do you think the Director is constantly on guard, worried I'll poach staff from our hospital? Why does he always appear from an unexpected angle and startle me like that?"

The plump colleague remarked, "A petty person is always worried."

Cheng Ying gritted her teeth and cursed under her breath. It's impossible to be a good person.

During the New Year visit back to the village, Cheng Ying unexpectedly received a warm welcome from the eldest aunt. Her heart soared. Even if it was a result of the shares, maintaining a good relationship felt worthwhile.

The eldest aunt also had an agenda: she needed Cheng Ying to help arrange matches for Cheng Mingyuan and Cheng Ming. Cheng Ying thought, Is it appropriate for me, a younger sister, to worry about my elder brother's romantic prospects? Is the eldest aunt confused?

The second aunt whispered to Cheng Ying, "Your eldest aunt is getting anxious. If Mingzi doesn't find a partner soon, her eldest daughter-in-law will pack her bags and move in with her husband’s younger brother."

Cheng Ying didn't know where the eldest daughter-in-law got such thick skin. "She's lost her mind!"

When paying respects to her father by burning paper offerings during the New Year, Cheng Ying prepared several paper beauties for him, constantly murmuring, "Just make do for now, Dad. If you find someone suitable, that’s best, but don't wait for Mom. It's unlikely to happen."

Especially when visiting her grandmother's grave, Cheng Ying recounted every troubling and pleasant event. "If you see that I'm doing alright, please forgive me. I didn't intentionally occupy your granddaughter's body; it was just the right timing, wasn't it? It must be fate between us as ancestors and descendants. I treat you like my own grandmother; you must understand, right?"

Chi Wu had no idea what his wife was muttering about in her trance. In any case, he couldn't let his wife freeze outside on such a cold day. He came over and helped Cheng Ying up. "It's alright, Grandma is definitely happy to see us doing better."

Cheng Ying thought, That's true, but there are still vexations. She needed to inform her eldest and second uncles that his mother would not be buried back in the village after she died. Such matters were huge in the village.

So, after the fifth day of the first lunar month, Cheng Ying formally prepared a banquet, inviting the village chief, the eldest uncle's family, the second uncle's family, and even the paternal aunt's family. It was rare for Cheng Ying to stay in the village until the fifth, so the gathering was lively. However, when it came to the main topic, the first person to object was the paternal aunt, Cheng Shengxia.

Cheng Ying had just begun, "My mother is working outside the city now and probably won't be returning to the village."

The paternal aunt demanded, "What does that mean? Didn't she leave a long time ago?"

"It means, she doesn't plan on coming back," Cheng Ying clarified.

Cheng Shengxia, truly the old lady's biological daughter, flipped the table instantly. "Cheng Ying, you are surnamed Cheng; you are your father's child. Don't think throwing around a little stock makes you superior to us! What, are you using shares to settle your mother's posthumous affairs? If Yang Zhi had the guts, she'd tell me herself! I've never seen someone so ungrateful! What is marriage? How close were she and my brother back then? How can she forget him so easily? Now she's playing at eternal devotion? When she was with him, why didn't she think of today? If she remarries, fine, she remarries, but she must be brought back here for burial, even if she dies!"

Cheng Ying covered her ears, thinking the paternal aunt's combat power was extraordinary. If her real mother were here, this would already have escalated into a full brawl. "Aunt, what are you saying? Mom didn't mean it like that."

"What did your mother mean? I know what she’s up to the moment she turns her backside! Let her tell me herself if she has the nerve! What, are all men treasures now? What about my brother?"

The second aunt chimed in, "Yingzi, this isn't for you to decide. Make your mother say it herself."

Chi Wu finally understood why his father had been so worried; this was indeed a major issue. "Eldest Uncle, Second Uncle, my parents are still alive. Isn't this a bit early? This was just Yingzi speculating wildly."

The eldest uncle waved a hand. "Yingzi, don't forget where the salt comes from. Without your mother, there would be no you, but without your father, there would be no you either. We can't make this decision. However, forcing a mule to drink water won't work. Tell Chi Yong and Yang Zhi to come back to the village and negotiate this themselves. You kids can't handle it."

Cheng Ying thought, Making Mom come herself would be so awkward. Just the paternal aunt's attitude alone was reason enough to avoid it. "Eldest Uncle, I am my father's child. Wu Zi and I will stay close to my father in the future. As for my mother, she already has a family and children of her own."

The village chief looked at Cheng Ying, thinking the child had endured enough. "Alright, just as your eldest uncle said, we won't force anyone to do anything against their will. But Chi Yong's actions are dishonorable; he should stand up and say this himself. Children shouldn't be put on the front line. You all rarely come back; just enjoy the meal."

The paternal aunt stormed out, throwing her sleeves. "Enjoy the meal my foot! I don't recognize you from now on!" And she left. Her husband followed behind her, "Your paternal aunt just has a temper. She's closer to her brother than her siblings. Yingzi, don't take it to heart. She’ll settle down in a while."

Cheng Ying replied weakly, "You should tell my aunt not to be angry. I’m afraid if I visit your house next time, she won't even let me in."

The paternal aunt’s husband sighed. "No, she won't. Alright, you should go back. I'll go persuade her."

Before this matter could even be settled, one person had already stormed off. The eldest aunt remarked, "I never realized Yang Zhi had such hidden capabilities to cause such trouble."

The second aunt commented, "A quiet person can hide a viper. Third sister-in-law has forgotten her roots."

The second uncle added, "It was an arranged marriage initially. Later, for the sake of the children and their whole family, they agreed not to pursue the formal process. It’s not surprising she’s bringing this up now." They saw through it.

The eldest aunt shook her head. "You can know a person's face but not their heart. Chi Yong seemed decent enough usually, but look at him, stabbing people in the back. They're fighting over the deceased's matters! Our Old Cheng family was kind enough to let him stay near the third branch, yet he was plotting so deeply. And she’s unwilling to compromise!"

Furthermore, people started looking at Chi Wu unfavorably. Chi Wu thought, I'm so wrongly accused! Who was I doing this for? Which side did I offend? He is my father, after all, that's all there is to it.

Cheng Ying turned to the uncles. "Eldest Uncle, Second Uncle, I apologize for putting you in a difficult position. If my mother doesn't want to return, there’s nothing to be done. Please consider it."

The eldest uncle waved his hand. "Forget it. She married out. In the end, it's just a custom; no one dictates exactly how it must be done. Alright, go rest." He left with his wife and children, clearly dissatisfied with Chi Wu.

Cheng Ying muttered, "I told you, your father is specifically trying to trick people."

Chi Wu felt embarrassed. "But that was your mother who first caused trouble for my father, or my father wouldn't have gotten into this mess."

The couple and their two children looked blankly at the untouched spread of food. In truth, this was the first time the atmosphere had been so cold and desolate in many years.

Chi Wu looked at her. "My father made things difficult for you, didn't he?"

"It’s not really a stretch of the truth, is it? She is my own mother, after all. This whole mess, well, it’s up to the two of us to stir things up, what else are we supposed to do? If they aren't eating it, we will. Frankly, my father has been gone so many years; if he really existed down there, he would have found someone by now. He wouldn't just wait around for my mother. And your father isn’t exactly coming out ahead in this deal either."

This statement was nothing more than pure, clumsy consolation. The chubby kid from the Chi family chimed in, "Are you going to eat, or not? I still need to take Le out to play."

Cheng Ying’s face darkened. "Nothing can stop you from eating, and now you’re talking about playing too?"

The little fatty, looking utterly pathetic, led the chubby girl off to the side to munch on something while watching the two adults with a look of deep concern.

To tell the honest truth, Cheng Ying desperately wanted to slap Chi Yong. Why couldn't he just behave himself? R1152