Seeing his wife walk away with Grandma, Yang Ming hurried to catch up to the horse cart. He couldn’t let the two of them walk all the way back—it was quite a distance, and Grandma was getting on in years. Besides, he was also worried about his wife.
Yang Ming drove the cart up to the two women, and said to the elderly lady, "Grandma, please get on."
Grandma glanced at Yang Ming with her eyes and continued walking forward. She had not forgotten how her grandson had just chickened out. When had her grandson ever stood up to her before?
Xiaoxiao and Yang Ming exchanged a look. This old lady sure could hold a grudge. Xiaoxiao quickly called out, "Grandma!"
Grandma stopped in her tracks when she heard Xiaoxiao’s call and asked anxiously, "Daughter-in-law, what’s wrong?"
Pretending to be unable to walk any further, Xiaoxiao said to Grandma, "Grandma, I can’t go on. Let’s take the horse cart back, okay?"
Upon hearing that Xiaoxiao wanted to take the cart, Grandma, without a second thought, scolded Yang Ming, "Aren’t you coming over? Didn’t you hear your wife say she wants to ride the cart?"
"Eh, coming!" Yang Ming happily agreed. His wife knew how to handle things. No one could deal with this old child.
Stopping the cart at their feet, Grandma disdainfully told her grandson, "Aren’t you going to help your wife onto the cart? You have no sense at all."
"..." Grandma, who’s your real grandson here? "Coming."
Xiaoxiao felt like bursting into laughter seeing Yang Ming’s deflated look in front of Grandma. As Yang Ming helped his wife onto the cart, the two exchanged meaningful glances and communicated with their eyes.
"Help Grandma onto the cart," Xiaoxiao said, laughing, after getting on.
As Yang Ming helped Grandma onto the cart, she was still reluctant, stubbornly saying, "If it weren’t for your wife wanting to take the cart, I wouldn’t be caught dead riding in your cart."
"Yes, yes, yes, it’s all thanks to my wife’s influence that Grandma is willing to ride in my cart."
After speaking, Yang Ming also got on the cart, whipped the reins, and shouted, "Let’s go!"
The cart started moving, and seeing the helpless expression on Yang Ming’s face, Xiaoxiao felt a pang of conscience and began to coax Grandma, "Grandma, don’t be mad at my husband anymore. He may have been a bit harsh earlier, but he meant well."
Grandma remained silent, and Xiaoxiao pretended to cough twice. Yang Ming immediately took the hint and said, "Grandma, I was wrong. I definitely won’t talk back to you in the future. Please don’t be angry with me."
Only then did Grandma relent, "Daughter-in-law, I’ll stop being angry if you sing a song for Grandma."
"..." Oh, this old lady, acting just like a child. "Alright then, Grandma, I’ll sing you a bit of Er Ren Zhuan, ’A Lover’s Enchantment.’
"Ahem!" Clearing her throat, Xiaoxiao began to sing, "On the first watch of the night, the moon shines on the flowered wall, the little servant girl is so sad..."
Yang Ming, driving the cart at the front, was in high spirits, listening to his wife sing the tune. Traveling on a country lane, this kind of contented life was exactly what he had always wanted.
Soon the cart arrived at the elder brother’s house. The three of them got off, and while they thought taking Grandma back would be the end of it, she took Xiaoxiao’s hand as soon as she stepped down, "Daughter-in-law, come inside quick. Grandma hasn’t had enough of your singing."
Xiaoxiao and Yang Ming exchanged a glance. His wife would have to endure a little longer, "I’ll come for you tonight."
And so, Xiaoxiao was wrapped up by this old child the whole day, while Yang Ming went to the rented courtyard to find Yang Qiu and Li Fugui, as he still had matters to attend to. These had already been delayed for many days.