《Rebirth: Inheriting Millions In The Eighties》


 Chapter 1: Arriving at the Late Eighties_1

    Chapter 1: Chapter 1: Arriving at the Late Eighties_1


    "Bao''er, if anything happens to you, how am I supposed to go on..." a mournful woman''s voice arose.


    The woman, dressed in patched clothes, had eyes swollen as walnuts from crying and was surrounded by five young boys, who were also in tears.


    In front of them lay an old wooden bed, under a dingy quilt, a little girl in a coma.


    Her complexion was as pale as paper, her breathing weak, her eyes tightly shut.


    Ever since falling into the water, the little girl had remained unconscious.


    The doctor said that if she didn''t wake up today, it was very likely she would never wake up again.


    "My poor child!" The woman burst into tears again.


    The wailing of six people was almost enough to shake the heavens.


    Originally busy assimilating the memories of her original self, Xia Ningxing was disturbed to the point of sighing, seeming to accept her reality, and finally resigning herself to opening her stinging eyelids to look at the six unknown faces before her, "You all, stop crying..."


    No sooner had she spoken than Mrs. Xia excitedly hugged her, tears pattering down on her face, "Bao! You''ve finally awoken, I was so scared."


    "Little sister!!"


    In this era, most families preferred sons over daughters, but the Xia family was different, favoring daughters over sons.


    At the Xia family, Ningxing was a little princess, loved by her mother and cherished by her brothers¡ªwasn''t she the fattest in the family?


    "Thank you, Mom." Ningxing felt a warm feeling in her heart seeing how Mrs. Xia cared for her, and the panic of being in a strange new world dissipated significantly.


    "Why be so formal with your mom!" Mrs. Xia lovingly touched her head and then, as if changing her face, turned sternly to the five scruffy boys, "You lot better look after your sister well. If anything happens to her again, I''ll thrash every one of you, do you hear me!?"


    If it weren''t for those rascals failing to keep an eye on Bao''er, she would never have been pushed into the river.


    The most infuriating thing was that the perpetrator wouldn''t even admit it!


    Due to a lack of evidence, the matter had to be dropped in the end.


    The five boys shivered and quickly raised their little hands, promising, "We know, Mom. From now on we''ll definitely keep an eye on little sister."


    Only then did Mrs. Xia go to the kitchen with peace of mind to start the soup.


    After she left, Xia Ningxing cast a glance at her five newfound brothers.


    "Little sister?" Seeing her round, grape-like eyes staring at them, the five brothers immediately tensed up, fearing that she might have developed a new problem.

 Chapter 2 - 2 Embrace the Tycoon_1

    Chapter 2: Chapter 2 Embrace the Tycoon_1


    Xia Ningxing spoke, her voice soft and laced with a hint of the frailty of illness, "Brothers, do you know who saved me yesterday?"


    The reason the original owner of the body had fallen unconscious was due to her catching crayfish by the river with a group of kids. She had caught a big one, and when a girl wanted it and she refused to give it up, she was pushed into the river by that girl.


    After falling into the water, the kids were all terrified and ran away, leaving a passerby to save her in the end.


    But since the original owner''s body had already cooled, she had no memory of the rescuer''s face.


    The person saved her life, after all, she ought to offer thanks.


    The brothers chimed in unison, "It was Lu Tingli, the brother from the family next door..."


    "Oh... Eh! Wait a minute! Who did you say?!" Xia Ningxing initially took no notice, but then suddenly realized something.


    "Lu Tingli ah..."


    Xia Ningxing''s apricot eyes widened in disbelief.


    Fuck!!!


    She should be aware that Lu Tingli was the novel male lead she most wanted to marry!


    Upon further thinking, the year 1990, Peach Blossom Village... this was clearly the background described in "The Path to Becoming the Male Lead''s Top Tycoon"!


    So?


    She not only had traversed to another time but also into this novel?!


    This was a novel for male readers, written from the male protagonist''s perspective, without a female lead. It narrated how the male lead rose from being a poor village boy to become the world''s richest tycoon. It was just that at thirty years old, he was diagnosed with an incurable disease and passed away, leaving behind a massive inheritance with no one to claim it.


    And Lu Tingli was the tragically early-deceased male lead in this book!


    In fact, the reason for such an ending was that the author felt he was too exceptional and that no one could match up to him, so he just decided to let him die!


    That''s simply morbid...


    Just look at those serene and handsome features, carved with expertise, with sharp contours, jade-like skin, and eyes shining with the brilliance of stars, a high nose bridge, pale thin lips.


    Even the world''s greatest painter couldn''t capture such a youth.


    Of course, looks aren''t really important. What''s important is!


    He!


    Is the future world''s richest tycoon!


    A titan in the business world!


    A freak in the financial sector!


    A genius in the world of scientific research!


    A big shot in the internet industry!


    He holds the global economic lifeline!


    Confronted with such a future legendary tycoon, Xia Ningxing could only feel her legs trembling with excitement, her eyes shimmering with teary brilliance, almost fainting.


    Before one knew it, Xia Ningxing had already run up and shamelessly hugged the future tycoon''s legs, with her babyish voice she said, "Lu, thank you for saving me yesterday."


    Lu Tingli''s action of carrying water paused as he looked down at the child beside his leg, only then noticing the little one in the yard.


    "Hmm?"


    He was initially bemused, seeming to have no recollection of who the child was, then he remembered the neighbor''s kid who had inadvertently been saved by him in the pond the day he was reborn.


    "You''re welcome." His voice was cold and indifferent as it issued from his throat, a maturity in his gaze that made him appear far older than a child of his age.


    Xia Ningxing had to look up to meet his gaze, her eyes slyly bright, "Life is more precious than anything else, how can I not be grateful?"


    ???


    Lu Tingli frowned, "So what do you want to do?"

 Chapter 3 - 3 Protect the Tycoon_1

    Chapter 3: Chapter 3 Protect the Tycoon_1


    "Of course, I must repay you well," said Xia Ningxing, thumping her chest with a heroic spirit. "In the future, whenever Lu needs my help, I will go through fire and water without hesitation!" She was determined to cultivate a good relationship with her future ally, Lu Tingli.


    Lu Tingli: "..."@@@@


    That was an exaggeration.


    Besides, what use could a little kid like her be?


    Lu Tingli frowned and continued to draw water, simply too lazy to pay her any mind.


    "Lu, I''ll help you, I''ll help you!" Seeing this, Xia Ningxing wasn''t embarrassed by being ignored; instead, she enthusiastically stepped forward to pull the rope.


    But the rough rope was too coarse, and as soon as the little girl gripped it tightly, the palm of her hand was chafed raw.


    "Hiss!"


    Xia Ningxing couldn''t help but gasp in pain; her body was too young and delicate, and the pain brought tears to her eyes involuntarily.


    In the June sunlight, her small, tender body trembled, with glistening tears falling like beads off a string from her reddened eyes. Her nose twitched, making her look all the more pitiful.


    Her tears made Lu Tingli feel a bit ashamed.


    Seeing her defend him, the five brothers showed looks of grievance, as if to say without words: Girls always fall for outsiders, always for outsiders!


    They were there to help her, yet she was protecting the very culprit.


    Realizing the misunderstanding, Xia Ningxing quickly explained: "This isn''t Lu''s fault, I just accidentally scraped my hand."


    "So you can''t hit him!!"


    "I see now," the five brothers finally understood, then became concerned again: "Bao''er, how bad is your hand, is it serious?"


    Facing the concerned eyes of her five brothers, Xia Ningxing quickly shook her head: "Don''t worry, brothers, it''s just a little scrape, it''s nothing."


    No sooner had her words ended than Mrs. Xia''s voice came shouting from next door, "Bao''er, Bao''er, time to come home for dinner!"


    "Mom''s calling us for dinner!" Xia Ningxing immediately said, "Let''s hurry home."


    "Okay..."


    "Lu, see you next time." Before leaving, Xia Ningxing didn''t forget to give him a bright, beaming smile.


    Lu Tingli was expressionless, continuing to fetch his water.

 Chapter 4 - 4 Chicken Soup_1

    Chapter 4: Chapter 4 Chicken Soup_1


    Xia Ningxing hadn''t even reached home with her brothers when she smelled the rich scent of chicken soup.


    How delicious!


    "Bao''er, drink it while it''s hot," Mrs. Xia said, scooping up only one bowl from a large pot and passing it to Xia Ningxing.


    The bowl was full of chicken meat.


    As for her five brothers, each of them had a bowl of mushy porridge and tough, chewy bread, without even a piece of chicken bone.


    They ate while silently drooling over the chicken soup and chicken meat in front of Xia Ningxing.


    They all really wanted to eat it, but they sensibly didn''t say anything, because they knew their sister needed the chicken soup even more, having just woken up from several days of unconsciousness. How could she recover without it? Hadn''t they noticed that she had lost weight all around, even the extra flesh on her belly was gone?


    Seeing how understanding her brothers were, Xia Ningxing suddenly found it hard to swallow her share of food.@@@@


    To Xia Ningxing, who had tasted all sorts of delicacies from around the world, chicken soup was nothing special, but for a poor farming family in that era, it was something they might not even have once a year during the New Year celebrations.


    "Bao''er, why have you stopped eating?" Seeing her suddenly pause, Mrs. Xia looked at her with concern, and when she followed Xia Ningxing''s gaze, she thought the five boys were affecting her meal and immediately scolded them sternly, "What are you looking at, you worthless bunch? If you don''t want to eat, then scram and don''t disturb your sister''s meal!"


    The five little boys were so frightened that they shuddered and uniformly diverted their gazes away from the chicken soup.


    "Mom, serve some for the brothers too," Xia Ningxing sighed softly.


    Her face twisted with anguish, she conceded, "Alright, alright... Drink up, Bao''er. Am I not going to serve them now, is that not enough?"


    With that, she got up and went to the kitchen.


    When Mrs. Xia brought the chicken soup, her face was a picture of distress, her teeth gritted in pain, "Each and every one of you is so greedy, what sin did I commit to have born you five good-for-nothings!"


    The five brothers wore sheepish and fearful expressions, not daring to reach for the chicken soup.


    Xia Ningxing held her forehead with a look of helplessness, "Mom, no more scolding the brothers!"


    As soon as Mrs. Xia''s beloved daughter spoke, she swallowed back all the curses bubbling up in her throat and acquiesced, "Fine, fine, I won''t scold anymore. Eat, everyone keep eating."


    Only then did the five brothers dare to pick up the chicken soup in front of them. However, they didn''t drink it right away but instead found a large bowl to pour out more than half from each of their servings.


    After doing so, they cautiously brought the bowls back to their lips and sipped gently as if they couldn''t bear to just drink it, savoring every taste.


    Xia Ningxing didn''t understand their actions, "Brothers, why did you pour out half of it?"


    "To save it for little sister to drink tomorrow!" the five brothers said in unison.


    "No need, really no need, there''s still some in the pot!" Xia Ningxing hurriedly waved her hands, shaking her head.


    But the stubbornness of the five brothers exceeded her imagination, "That won''t do!"

 Chapter 5 - 5 Delivering Chicken Soup to the Big Boss_1

    Chapter 5: Chapter 5 Delivering Chicken Soup to the Big Boss_1


    Finally, Xia Ningxing admitted defeat and could only go with them.


    However, Mrs. Xia was extremely happy, muttering to herself, "It''d be even better if they didn''t eat any at all! That''s exactly what I''m hoping for!"


    That way, her Bao''er could drink a few more bowls!


    Xia Ningxing: "..."@@@@


    The brothers, who hadn''t tasted chicken soup for several years, looked at Xia Ningxing with red, teary eyes after finishing it¡ª


    "Sister, you really are the best sister in the whole world!"


    "My sister is super awesome!"


    "Love you, sister!"


    "Sister, I will definitely spoil you for your whole life!"


    "When I grow up, I''m going to marry you."


    Each of the five brothers spoke from the bottom of their hearts.


    "..." Look at these rainbow farts, even more impressive than those fans she used to have!


    Xia Ningxing was genuinely touched.


    However, speaking of fans, Xia Ningxing couldn''t help but think of herself in the real world. She wondered how her sudden death was being handled.


    Although rejected, Xia Ningxing, with skin as thick as a city wall, not only pretended not to hear but also blinked her clear eyes and said, "Hm? You''re saying you really want to drink it? In that case, Brother Lu, take your time drinking it. I''ll be heading back now!"


    "..." How can there be such a shameless kid?


    By the time Lu Tingli came to his senses, the little girl had disappeared like a whirlwind.


    Lu Tingli''s gaze fell upon the fragrant chicken soup before him, a trace of confusion faintly surfacing in his eyes.


    He distinctly remembered that in the last life, the little girl from the neighboring house wasn''t so enthusiastic about him, so why did it seem like she had suddenly changed into a different person?


    And this eager-to-please attitude made him feel like she was up to something!


    -


    The next day, Monday, Lu Tingli went to school.


    Don''t think that just because he''s eleven this year, he''s only in the fourth grade.


    In the rural areas at that time, children typically started school late and the importance of education wasn''t emphasized. The thinking was to keep the children at home for a few more years to help with farm work, believing that going to school wouldn''t amount to much, so they could delay as long as possible.


    The school was at the foot of the mountain.


    Xia Ningxing was also supposed to go to school, but Mrs. Xia, worried about her fragile health, insisted on keeping her home to recuperate for a few days.


    But Xia Ningxing, who had no phone and no computer, couldn''t stay put. She timed it so that she could pick up the future tycoon from school at the end of his day.


    To build a good relationship, of course she had to make every effort to curry favor and remain visible!


    She had wanted to see him off to school in the morning, too, but she had gotten the wrong time for when school started here, and by the time she arrived, he had already left.

 Chapter 6 - 6 The Big Boss鈥檚 Fan Girl_1

    Chapter 6: Chapter 6 The Big Boss''s Fan Girl_1


    Before she left, Xia Ningxing opened her wardrobe and changed into a new dress.


    The pale pink, floral dress made Xia Ningxing''s skin appear as white as snow, and her black hair was braided into two innocent fishbone braids, which were now hanging over her shoulders.


    Under her long, distant-like eyebrows were a pair of clear, sparkling eyes, and her dense lashes resembled little fans, fluttering solicitingly for affection.@@@@


    Her delicate nose sat proudly, and her red, pouty lips were as charming as cherries hanging from a branch.


    Such a pretty and delicate little bun, if she were in a later era, would become instantly famous with just a short video.


    After getting ready, Xia Ningxing skipped out the door with a basket in her arm.


    The sunny June weather was perfect, the air was refreshing, and the countryside paths were full of unknown flowers; a gentle breeze brought waves of fresh fragrance.


    A fifteen-minute walk brought her to the village''s primary school.


    Despite it being dismissal time, in those days picking up children wasn''t popular, so very few parents were around except for the string of students exiting the school.


    Xia Ningxing trotted up to the front with her little legs.


    In the shabby primary school, Lu Tingli, with his bag, hadn''t yet come out when he spotted a girl in a floral dress waiting at the school gate from a distance.


    "Lu! Lu!"


    Xia Ningxing spotted him too and waved.


    If not for her sensefulness stopping her mouth in time, Xia Ningxing''s motives would have been revealed to the world. She quickly swallowed and then put on an innocent and puzzled expression, "You saved my life; I want to repay you!"


    Her twinkling eyes blinked and her long curled eyelashes fluttered, her beautiful features were as delicate as a doll''s, irresistibly evoking the desire to protect her.


    Lu Tingli couldn''t help but frown again and repeated, "I''ve told you there''s no need to be polite, I don''t need your repayment."


    "But if I don''t do something to repay you, my conscience won''t be at ease!" Xia Ningxing said, sounding distraught while covering the area of her heart.


    "..." He couldn''t find a reply to that.


    This was the first time Lu Tingli, who once reigned over the business world, was at a loss for words, especially when dealing with a child.


    Forget it, let her be. Once the child loses interest, she won''t make a fuss anymore.


    Just then, a stout girl with a fierce face and hands on her hips walked over, mocking Xia Ningxing, "Shameless! Lu Tingli is already sick of you, and yet you persist, bah!!"


    This girl''s name was Zhao Pangya.


    She was the very person who wanted to steal the original host''s lobster, the main culprit responsible for pushing the original host into the river and causing her death.


    Xia Ningxing narrowed her eyes; initially, she was considering how to avenge the original host, but now the opponent had delivered herself to the doorstep.


    Her smile deepened, but her eyes remained utterly cold, "Who are you calling shameless?"


    "Obviously, you!" Pangya said without a second thought.

 Chapter 7: The Lesson that Killed the Original Host_1

    Chapter 7: Chapter 7: The Lesson that Killed the Original Host_1


    "Oh... so it''s the shameless one cursing me!" Xia Ningxing drew out her words with deep meaning.


    "You dare to trick me!"


    Pangya realized she had fallen into a verbal trap, but before she could say anything else, she saw Xia Ningxing suddenly pulling on Lu Tingli''s sleeve, gesturing for him to look towards the lakeside.


    "Lu, look at the pond over there, how lush the lotus flowers are blooming, and the lotus pods next to them, such a big one!"


    "Shall we go pick them? I heard the lotus seeds are especially delicious!" she purred to him like a kitten.


    But Lu Tingli clearly saw a flash of cold light in her eyes.


    This kid is not simple.


    "Let''s go, let''s go, let''s hurry!" Seeing that he did not respond, Xia Ningxing simply dragged the young man along.


    "Stop!"


    Pangya had also seen the palm-sized lotus seeds and was immediately envious, stepping in front of Ningxing, who was about to pick the pods.


    Xia Ningxing glared at her: "What do you think you''re doing?"


    "I saw the lotus pod first, you''re not allowed to pick it!" Pangya shouted righteously, hands on her hips.


    She was dark and sturdy, about twelve or thirteen years old, older and taller than Ningxing, looking quite imposing when she acted fierce.


    This was the rage left over from the original owner inside her.


    She had done nothing wrong; she simply hadn''t given Pangya the large lobster she caught, and just because of that, she lost her life.


    How could she not hate!


    "A child has fallen into the water!"


    "Save her! Quick, save her!"


    Now was the time when school finished, and some parents who were picking up their children, as well as passersby, saw Pangya flailing in the water and quickly went down to rescue her.


    Pangya was pulled out of the water barely alive, but her life was not in danger.


    Xia Ningxing felt no regret for not being able to take Pangya''s life.


    Because if Pangya truly had died, it would have caused her a lot of trouble. The families would certainly argue, and the villagers would feel that if it weren''t for her mentioning the big lotus pod, Pangya might not have tried to pick it and consequently lost her life. After all, the deceased cannot be blamed.


    People wouldn''t blame the dead, so the living would be the ones held accountable.


    So, a lesson was enough.


    "Pangya really got what she deserved!" At that moment, Xia Ningxing withdrew her gaze, blinking her innocent eyes like a pure bystander.


    She turned her head to look at the cool young man beside her, "Lu, let''s go."


    Unexpectedly, the young man stood with his hands behind his back and said indifferently, "You did it on purpose."@@@@

 Chapter 8 - 8 The Big Boss Has a Good Set of Values_1

    Chapter 8: Chapter 8 The Big Boss Has a Good Set of Values_1


    "What do you mean ''on purpose''?" Xia Ningxing feigned ignorance.


    Lu Tingli''s dark eyes swept over her, and he slowly bent down, lowering his voice, "The loud exclamation that you had found a shower head was actually to catch Pangya''s attention, so she would go to the riverside to pick the lotus heads, and then wait for her to fall into the river."


    The young boy''s breath was clean and cold, spraying near her ear, like a feather brushing past.


    Xia Ningxing pursed her lips, "Lu! You can''t slander me like this. Everything that happened was entirely her own doing. I didn''t intentionally lure her there, she went of her own accord!"


    She certainly wouldn''t admit it; she didn''t want her image to plummet in the eyes of a future big shot.


    Seeing her denial, Lu Tingli couldn''t help but snort softly and said, "Actually, it''s only right that you taught her a lesson. She almost got you killed."


    If it hadn''t been for him passing by and seeing what was happening, and jumping in to save her in time, she might have ended up cooling in this pond by now.


    So now, he didn''t think there was anything wrong with what she did.


    "Can''t be bothered with you!"


    Lu Tingli was once again at a loss for words and just let her be. After all, he couldn''t bring himself to actually hit her, could he?


    Not long after the two of them walked one after the other on the countryside path, Xia Ningxing''s five older brothers appeared halfway down the road.


    "Sister! Why did you run off without telling us?"


    They rushed up to her frantically, their eyes red with concern.


    Heaven knows, when she disappeared, how worried and panicked they had been, fearing that she would have an accident again like last time.


    "Uh... sorry, I forgot." Xia Ningxing touched her head in slight embarrassment. She had forgotten that she was currently just a little baby, so she had not informed them before leaving.


    "Never mind, just remember to do so in the future." The brothers couldn''t do much since their sister admitted her mistake; they naturally chose to forgive her.

 Chapter 9 - 9 Be Reserved in Front of the Big Shots_1

    Chapter 9: Chapter 9 Be Reserved in Front of the Big Shots_1


    "Sister, we should go home now. You can''t run off like this anymore," the older brother said, not forgetting to cast a wary glare at Lu Tingli, as if he were some kind of kidnapper.@@@@


    Lu Tingli: "..." That''s just absurd.


    It was Xia Ningxing who had taken the initiative to seek him out.


    "Mm-hmm," Xia Ningxing nodded, then waved to Lu Tingli, "Lu! See you tomorrow!"


    See you tomorrow?


    Lu Tingli frowned slightly. Did this mean she would come to pick him up from school tomorrow?


    This kid was really annoying... ¨q(¨s^¨t)¨r


    After returning home, just as the Xia family finished their dinner, a string of curses suddenly came from outside the courtyard.


    "This wretched Xia family, causing such trouble, actually led to my Pangya falling into the river, oh my, my poor child has a fever of almost forty degrees!" Pangya''s mother was standing in the Xia family''s yard with her hands on her hips, cursing away.


    "You crazy woman, what are you yelling for? Looking for trouble?" Mrs. Xia was not to be trifled with either; she grabbed a broom and charged out.


    Pangya''s mother glared at her, "Isn''t it because of your nasty daughter that my Pangya fell into the water!"


    "This is called retribution coming when the time is right!"


    "Brought it on yourself, yet dare to come to my house and make a scene!"


    In the end, Pangya''s mother was beaten and chased out, stumbling and sputtering, having come with the intention to extort some money, now instead injuring herself.


    And so, the fierce reputation of Mrs. Xia grew even more.


    "Mom, don''t be angry, don''t be angry." Xia Ningxing, witnessing this scene, had red-rimmed eyes and trotted over with her short legs, softly patting her mother''s back, filled with emotion.


    "Bao''er, why are you about to cry? Did Mom scare you just now?" Mrs. Xia squatted down and hugged her awkwardly, suddenly regretting how fierce she had been.


    Damn that woman, if it weren''t for her, she wouldn''t have ruined her good image in Bao''er''s heart!


    "No, it just feels so good to have Mom protect me," Xia Ningxing choked up a little.


    In the past, whether it was in the orphanage or when she entered the entertainment industry, every time she was bullied, the only one to protect her was herself.


    Even if someone was willing to protect her, it was only for her money, fame or beauty.


    This was the first time someone had been willing to protect her unconditionally.

 Chapter 10 - 10 Going to School with the Boss_1

    Chapter 10: Chapter 10 Going to School with the Boss_1


    "Silly girl, don''t cry, don''t cry, Mommy will protect you for your whole life!" Mrs. Xia said with a loving gaze, holding her soft and fragrant little body tightly.


    She was her treasure, and she would risk her life to protect her for a lifetime.


    "Big brother will protect sister for her whole life, too!"


    "Second brother will as well!"


    "Third brother too!"


    "And fourth brother, fifth brother!"


    All five brothers also ran over one after another.


    "Alright!"


    Xia Ningxing felt so moved she didn''t know what to do.


    From then on, they were her real family.


    She would definitely repay them well.


    Two days later.


    Xia Ningxing could go to school.


    Does he have to be so annoying to girls?


    Xia Ningxing started school earlier; she is now eight years old and in the second grade.


    What is taught in the second grade is nothing more than addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, and pinyin.


    For a straight-A student to learn these, it''s simply... indescribable.


    Xia Ningxing was sleepy and bored, feeling that it was uninteresting, so when the school bell rang at the end of the day, she quickly grabbed her backpack and ran to Lu Tingli''s classroom to find him to go home with!


    The second grade and the fourth grade finish school at the same time. Just as Xia Ningxing ran to his class, Lu Tingli had also already come out with his backpack.


    "Lu! Let''s go home together later!" Xia Ningxing ran to his side like a little rabbit, murmuring, "Otherwise, if a little kid like me runs into a bad person on the way home, what should I do?"


    "So you think if there''s a bad person, I can beat them?" Lu Tingli couldn''t help but remark.


    Ah, this...


    Xia Ningxing looked at his body, not much bigger than hers, and suddenly found herself at a loss for words.


    "Anyway, anyway, it''s safer to go home together," Xia Ningxing scratched her head, forcefully coming up with a reason.


    Lu Tingli shrugged his shoulders and did not refuse, but he added, "If I''m not mistaken, your brothers are probably waiting for you at the school gate right now."


    Although he wasn''t close to the neighboring Xia family, he was well aware of how much they treasured that little girl.

 Chapter 11 - 11 Offering the Good Stuff to the Boss First_1

    Chapter 11: Chapter 11 Offering the Good Stuff to the Boss First_1


    True to expectations, when the two reached the school gate, Xia Ningxing''s five brothers were all there to pick her up after school.@@@@


    "Sister!!" As soon as they saw her come out, the five brothers called out in unison, swarming up to her and surrounding her with all sorts of eager attentiveness.


    The eldest brother handed her water, "Sister, you must be thirsty after a day of classes, drink some water quick."


    The second brother gentlemanly took her backpack from her shoulder, "I''ll carry the backpack for sister."


    "I''ll give sister a shoulder massage." The third brother raised his hands and gently massaged the young girl''s shoulders.


    The fourth and fifth brothers stuffed a meat bun into her hand, "Sister, eat. This is what your brothers got by picking up scrap today."


    Huh?


    Is this the legendary "I''ll pick up scraps to provide for you"?


    "Thank you, brother!" Xia Ningxing''s heart overflowed with gratitude, and then she broke the bun into seven pieces.


    "Brothers, let''s eat together." Xia Ningxing didn''t want to hog it all, so she shared it with them, and then gave a piece to Lu Tingli too, ingratiatingly saying, "Lu! You eat too!"


    When there''s something good, one must certainly offer it to the boss first!


    "No need." Lu Tingli glanced at the five brothers who were staring him down menacingly and refused with a strong will to survive.


    He could guarantee, if he dared to eat that bun, he would immediately be beaten into a bun himself.


    The family was in dire financial straits, so apart from her, none of the five brothers had spent even a day in school.


    "Brothers, I will find a way for you to go to school too!" Xia Ningxing declared with determination on her face.


    How can one get by without an education!


    "Bao''er, don''t listen to your fifth brother''s nonsense, we don''t want to go to school..." The most composed eldest brother shook his head, saying he didn''t mind, yet his eyes were unmistakably tinged with dimness and bitterness.


    Going to school is the fastest way to change one''s fate. To say they didn''t want to go to school was impossible, but they also knew the reality of their household situation very well.


    If sister went back and mentioned this to mother, mother would surely be very angry.


    "Yeah sister, we don''t want to go to school." The fifth brother also realized he had spoken out of turn and quickly corrected himself.


    With only mother earning money at home, they could barely bring in a hundred yuan a month.


    Food, drink, toilet, fuel, rice, oil, and salt, electricity and water bills¡ªwhat didn''t cost money? Affording schooling for one person was already a stretch.


    The second, third, and fourth brothers also said, "As long as sister can go to school, that''s all that matters, we don''t mind."


    Xia Ningxing pursed her little lips and said no more, but in her heart, she became even more resolved¡ªshe had to get her brothers to school!


    As for the problem of money, she would take care of it.


    Just as Xia Ningxing covertly planned to earn money, trouble struck at home.

 Chapter 12 - 12 Mom Lost Her Job_1

    Chapter 12: Chapter 12 Mom Lost Her Job_1


    Xia Ningxing and her five brothers returned home only to see their mother, always proud and strong, never one to cry even if she bled, sitting on the doorstep, her tears flowing uncontrollably like pearls from a broken string.


    Ningxing was shocked and rushed over, "Mom! What happened!"


    "Mom! What''s wrong with you?" Her five brothers followed suit, pouncing on her.


    Although their mother was not particularly fond of them on normal days, she was still the best mother in their hearts.


    "Bao''er!" Seeing her obedient daughter, Mrs. Xia felt an even deeper sorrow and hugged her soft and fragrant little body, "Mommy, mommy has been laid off by the factory boss, I''m unemployed..."@@@@


    Her voice choked for a long time before she could utter a complete sentence due to her overwhelming sadness.


    Without a job, how would she buy candy for her Good boy?


    Their dad had said he was going off to start a business, only to disappear for several years without any news, let alone sending money back home.


    Now, how would her family survive!


    Hearing this, Ningxing quietly breathed a sigh of relief.


    She had been scared to death thinking something terrible had happened.


    "It''s just unemployment, it doesn''t matter," she said, extending her small fair hand, stroking her mother''s head like a wise old soul, comforting her.


    "Bao''er, you are still young, you don''t understand," her mother assumed she didn''t really grasp what being unemployed meant, thinking it was just a casual reassurance.


    "..."


    Xia Ningxing was speechless and stifled.


    She desperately wanted to tell her mother that she came from the real world of 2019, where working in a factory was the least promising thing to do, "Rise up and do business to pick up gold!"


    At that moment, Ningxing quietly followed, squinting her eyes slightly and picking up a rock to hit Pangya''s mother on the head.


    Hmmph, dare to bully her mom, they had to pay a price!


    "Ow!" Pangya''s mother screamed in pain, "Who the a**hole hit me with a stone!"


    Turning her head, she saw no one behind her; Pangya''s mother could only curse a few words and reluctantly accept this loss.


    After Ningxing came back from teaching the scum a lesson, she heard Mrs. Xia say, "I''ve decided, I''ll go look for work in town tomorrow."


    Mrs. Xia clenched her fists, psyching herself up.


    It was just a matter of losing the job; she was able-bodied and could simply go out and find another one.


    "Mommy, I have a way to make money, don''t worry," Ningxing held her hand.


    "Good, when our Bao''er grows up, you can earn money and spend on mommy," Mrs. Xia subconsciously thought her daughter was talking about supporting her in the future.


    "..."


    Ningxing didn''t say anything more, because she knew her mother wouldn''t believe an eight-year-old girl could earn money.


    After dinner, Ningxing lay on her little bed, looking at the dilapidated mud ceiling of her house, she sighed and began to ponder over making money.


    She had been negligent, always thinking that as long as she clung to the male protagonist''s coattails, she could reach the pinnacle of life.


    But now, the male protagonist was just a child and probably struggling to get enough to eat and wear himself.


    So, while it was good to please the powerful, she had to rely on herself for now.


    As for how to make money...

 Chapter 13 - 13 Earning Seed Money by Acting_1

    Chapter 13: Chapter 13 Earning Seed Money by Acting_1


    Actually, this era was most suitable for doing business, especially in their kind of small, n-tier city. Many people were still immersed in the old thinking that speculative trading would get them thrown into jail, so there were few sellers, but many buyers.


    This is also what later generations would say, that in the eighties, one could become a millionaire just by setting up a street stall.


    And she also had an ancient perfume recipe.


    In the past, whether it was she or her master who made the perfume, a single bottle could be sold at sky-high prices, which goes to show just how popular the perfume really was.


    But doing business required capital.


    The Xia family''s rice jar was nearly empty, let alone capital.


    It seemed she had no choice but to follow the old path and earn some initial funds by acting.


    But her body was now only eight years old, which meant limited roles and no fame. She estimated that not even extras would want her.@@@@


    While Xia Ningxing was worrying so much her hair might start falling out, today''s newspaper was delivered by the postman.


    Originally, subscribing to the newspaper wasn''t something the family did, but Xia Ningxing had ordered it with the pocket money she saved up over time in order to understand this world better.


    After all, in this era, mobile phones and computers were not yet widespread, and news could only be obtained through television and newspapers.


    Xia Ningxing casually flipped through the newspaper, and coincidentally, on the back page, she stumbled upon a casting call for actors.


    Moreover, the age requirement was just 5 to 10 years old, which she fit perfectly!


    This was just like having a pillow thrown at you when you''re dozing off!


    Xia Ningxing quickly sat up straight and began to read carefully.


    "Where does Bao''er want to play?" the eldest brother asked subconsciously, "Is it okay if your brother takes you?"


    Xia Ningxing knew that if she really went to act, she wouldn''t be able to hide it from her eldest brother, so she simply said, "Brother, I actually want to go to an audition, to act and earn money."


    Expecting that her brother would not stop her after hearing "earn money," and might even accompany her, she was surprised to find that not only did he try to stop her, but he even got angry.


    "You can''t go!"


    His normally soft and young face became stern with widened eyes, furrowed brows, and tightly pursed lips. Even his tone was scolding, "Bao''er, no fooling around. You''re too young to go out and make money. Don''t worry about the money; mom has already found a job washing dishes."


    "And your eldest brother, I''ve already planned to learn a craft from the master. That way, I can make forty or fifty yuan a month."


    How could she, a girl, go out to make money? They would rather dote on her!


    "But big brother, are you really content with this kind of life?" Xia Ningxing remained quiet for a moment after hearing his words, then lifted her doe-like eyes and questioned him from the soul.


    It wasn''t that she looked down on craftsmanship, but she was clearly in a position to change the Xia family''s situation. So why should he give up his future?


    "I..."


    The eldest brother opened his mouth to say he was content, but his throat felt as if it was seized by an invisible hand, rendering him unable to speak.


    If he asked himself, could he truly be content?


    No! Of course not!


    But what could be done about it?


    As the eldest brother of the family, how could he not be aware of their circumstances?

 Chapter 14 - 14 Big Brother is Really Nice_1

    Chapter 14: Chapter 14 Big Brother is Really Nice_1


    Seeing that he was hesitant yet wavering, Xia Ningxing redoubled her efforts, "Brother! No matter what, I must go out and earn money!"


    "I want you to be able to go to school like me! To live another kind of life! To pursue a future that belongs to you!"


    "And Mom, every day after work her hands are swollen and chapped, big brother, it breaks my heart, I don''t want her to have to work so hard!"


    As Xia Ningxing spoke, her voice couldn''t help but choke up, and when she had made up her mind to treat them as her real family, Mrs. Xia became her own mother!


    Seeing a mother work so hard, how can her children not feel heartache.


    Xia Ningxing''s eyes turned red, and she raised her little head to meet his gaze, her tone allowing no room for rebuttal, "In any case, I must pursue acting, and if you disagree or if you tell Mom, I will never speak to you again for the rest of my life! I mean what I say!"


    To deal with a brother who is overprotective, there is no threat more formidable than this!


    "Don''t, little sister..." Sure enough, upon hearing this, big brother got anxious immediately, cold sweat breaking out on his forehead.


    "Alright, alright!" Xia Ningxing was just trying to scare him, but now that she saw her goal was reached, she immediately retracted her intimidating appearance, stood on tiptoes, patted his shoulder, and in a soft, mushy voice said, "Then I''ll be going."


    Big brother couldn''t rest easy letting her go out alone, "I''ll go with you. What if you, a little child, run into bad people!"


    "Big brother is so nice!" The little girl threw herself into his arms, overjoyed, rubbing against his chest like a little kitten.


    A free assistant delivered to the doorstep, why not take advantage!


    Soon, the casting began.


    Everyone lined up and started to go in one by one.


    The director of the drama, Xu Tian, although not a famous director, was notoriously picky, treating his work as if it were his own child, not allowing any flaws.


    As a result, many children didn''t meet his standards.


    And of course, he didn''t hesitate to lambast one after another¡ª


    "What are you acting out, with eyes as lifeless as a dead fish!"


    "You too, your expression is stiff and dumb, are you a wooden mannequin?"


    "As for you, I asked you to act in a crying scene, to cry like a pear blossom bathed in rain, not to cry like you''re at a funeral!"


    Even though Xia Ningxing was standing some distance away, she could still hear the director''s harsh voice scolding people, truly very strict, not going easy on them because they were children, but instead pointedly highlighting their errors.


    Xia Ningxing thought that perhaps it was precisely because of his demanding expectations for the script and the actors that he had won the Academy Award for Best Director.


    But just because Xia Ningxing understood didn''t mean others did.


    Especially the young actors who were verbally lashed, left feeling completely worthless.@@@@

 Chapter 15 - 15 Lecturing the Girl_1

    Chapter 15: Chapter 15 Lecturing the Girl_1


    The young actors who were scolded couldn''t keep their dignity and burst into tears, rushing into their parents'' arms like fledglings seeking comfort.


    "What kind of crappy director is this? What''s wrong with our children to be scolded so fiercely? Go eat shit!" the parents grumbled indignantly.


    The elder brother couldn''t help frowning, his face filled with concern, "Sister, maybe we should go back."


    He didn''t want his sister to end up being scolded to death.


    "Don''t worry, brother. I''m confident in myself. I won''t get scolded, and I''ll be selected too!" Xia Ningxing knew very well what he was worried about. At that moment, she clasped his hand, blinking her eyes reassuringly as she spoke.


    The brother couldn''t help but sigh.


    At this moment, a sneer came from beside them, and Xia Ningxing turned her little head to see a girl about ten years old, with a fair and pretty face, now arrogantly tilting her chin up and giving her a disdainful glance.


    Though she was just a child herself, she insisted on speaking with the tone of an adult, "Little brat, boasting like that you''re not afraid of twisting your tongue?"


    In such a competitive setting, girls tend to feel threatened upon seeing another girl prettier than themselves. Seeing that she came dressed in such a rustic outfit, probably from some backwater village, they surmised her acting skills couldn''t be much either. Listening to her bragging just now filled them with scorn.


    "I won''t allow you to talk about my sister like that!" As soon as someone dared to insult his sister, the elder brother instantly became angry, staring at her with eyes as fierce as a provoked beast.


    The girl was startled by his gaze and instinctively took a step back.


    Xia Ningxing didn''t get angry, but instead, she wore a smile that wasn''t quite a smile, crossing her tiny arms and staring at her with beautiful almond-shaped eyes, her voice milky and soft, "Do you dare to bet with me then?"


    "What wouldn''t I dare!" the girl snorted coldly, also crossing her arms. She was taller and older than Xia Ningxing and looked down on her from above, "What are we betting on?"


    "Let''s bet on who''ll be kept in the upcoming audition," Xia Ningxing suggested with a tilt of her eyebrows, looking charming despite her young age and the old-fashioned dress she wore, "The one who isn''t selected has to call the other ''Granny.'' What do you think?"


    Daddy now feels that it''s an insult to compare himself with trash like you!


    "Next," the director called out.


    The brother nervously swallowed, his forehead streaming with cold sweat, as if he were the one about to perform, speaking incoherently, "Sis... sister... your... it''s your turn."


    "Don''t be nervous!" Xia Ningxing reassured him with a soft, soothing smile, then stepped forward.


    She politely greeted, "Hello, Director."


    Director Xu had initially been unconcerned, but upon looking up his eyes widened in astonishment at the sight of the little girl''s face.


    How could there be such a stunning little creature!


    Fresh and tender like a sprout just pushing through the soil, in a dress with tiny flowers, adorably naive and pure, her skin flawlessly smooth enough to burst with a puff, her eyebrows curving delicately like distant hills, her eyes brimming with bright light, her lashes dense and long as butterfly wings, her nose delicate, and her slightly upturned lips a pale pink.


    Still carrying baby fat, her petite frame soft and cute, emitting the enchanting milky scent unique to babies, she was irresistible¡ªeven making one want to take her home.


    She was simply the perfect candidate he had in mind¡ªat least in terms of appearance.


    But could her acting match up?


    "Please start your performance," Director Xu ordered, keeping his gaze on her. Despite his rising expectations, his stern face betrayed no hint of his thoughts.


    Xia Ningxing slipped into character in a second.


    Without speaking, her starry eyes fixed ahead, as if the couple ready to adopt her were right there. She displayed a look of longing mixed with uncertainty, and her cautious voice was almost heartbreakingly soft, "Can you... adopt me?"

 Chapter 16 - 16 16 Do You Think Its Not Enough_1

    ?Chapter 16: Chapter 16 Do You Think It¡¯s Not Enough?_1 Chapter 16: Chapter 16 Do You Think It¡¯s Not Enough?_1 Her acting instantly brightened Director Xu¡¯s eyes.


    A smile almost overflowed from his face, as if he had been drawn into the plot, and he couldn¡¯t help but interact with her, ¡°You¡¯re so mischievous and naughty, I wouldn¡¯t want to adopt a kid like you.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    The audition no longer contained this part, and while most actors would have been frozen on the spot, Xia Ningxing wasn¡¯t.


    Her lips pressed tightly together, her slender frame trembling slightly, and teardrops like pearls off a string kept falling from her reddened eyes.


    She didn¡¯t cry out loud, just silently shed tears, as if abandoned by the whole world, or as if she had fallen into a dark, bottomless pit.


    Heartbreaking for those who heard, tear-jerking for those who saw.


    There were many actors who could act, but few who could truly move the audience.


    Her brother felt like his heart would break at the sight of her tearful appearance, wishing he could present the whole world to her just to make her stop crying.


    ¡°Good! Good! Good!¡± Director Xu clapped his hands three times excitedly, patting her head, ¡°Young lady, that was some fine acting! The role is yours!¡±


    Her acting was comparable to that of an award-winning actress!


    The girl originally waiting on the side turned pale and then red with her childlike face, looking as if she were a palette of colors, both embarrassed and annoyed.


    She had thought the role was in the bag, only for this little rascal to come out of nowhere.


    Damn it! Truly infuriating!


    ¡°Thank you, Director.¡± Xia Ningxing dried her tears, stepped out of her acting state, and smiled graciously as she thanked the director.


    ¡°Kid, what¡¯s your name, and where are your parents?¡± Director Xu was now crouching in front of her, his gaze kind and level, a far cry from the coldness and seriousness of moments before.


    ¡°My name is Xia Ningxing, and this is my guardian.¡± Xia Ningxing pulled her brother to her side.


    Her brother was already fourteen or fifteen, a bit nervous, but still composed, ¡°Hello Director, you can speak directly to me if there¡¯s anything.¡±


    Children from rural areas mature early, and the mind of a fourteen or fifteen-year-old boy is often far beyond that of peers, almost equivalent to an adult¡¯s.


    Director Xu nodded and cut straight to the chase, ¡°Let¡¯s discuss the payment for the film. Your sister Xia Ningxing will be playing the childhood role of the female lead, with about a month of scenes. As for the payment, let¡¯s count it by day, twenty yuan a day.¡±


    Although the young girl in front of him was a newcomer, she had a pleasant face and good acting skills, so Director Xu didn¡¯t want to underpay her.


    ¡°How... how much?¡± Upon hearing the sum, her brother¡¯s eyes widened, completely stunned, and he even stammered.


    Twenty yuan a day?


    Wouldn¡¯t that amount to six hundred yuan for a month?


    My God!


    That was more than all his family¡¯s income combined for half a year!


    ¡°Do you think that¡¯s too little?¡± Director Xu, seeing him staring and thinking he was dissatisfied with the amount, stroked his chin and offered another figure, ¡°How about thirty? How¡¯s that?¡±


    If it were anyone else bargaining with him, he would have walked away immediately, but Xia Ningxing was different ¨C she was the spitting image of the young female lead he had been imagining!


    He had been searching for so long to cast the young female lead, and having finally found someone satisfying, he really didn¡¯t want to miss out.


    ¡°!!!¡±


    Thirty yuan a day, nine hundred for a month!


    That was equivalent to nine months of his mother¡¯s work in the factory!


    Her brother swallowed hard in excitement.

 Chapter 17 - 17 17 This is way too much_1

    ?Chapter 17: Chapter 17 This is way too much_1 Chapter 17: Chapter 17 This is way too much_1 ¡°Fifty bucks, that¡¯s the most I can offer!¡± Director Xu, seeing that he still hadn¡¯t spoken, couldn¡¯t help but get a little anxious and upped the offer again.


    Fifty!


    Fifty dollars!


    Now he could earn in a month what his mother made in the factory in a whole year and a half!


    Big brother was almost fainting.


    So much, so much money!


    ¡°It¡¯s settled then, I¡¯ll act,¡± Xia Ningxing said, seeing that her big brother was out of it and probably not dependable, so she agreed for herself.


    Fifty dollars a day for an unknown child actor at the end of the eighties, when the average salary was a hundred or two hundred, was already quite good. Those with no fame whatsoever were only making three or four dollars.


    ¡°Good! Can you read? This is the script! We start shooting the day after tomorrow, right here. Make sure to memorize your lines, and if you can¡¯t read, have someone who can teach you,¡± said Director Xu as he handed her the script.


    ¡°Got it, Director,¡± Xia Ningxing nodded her little head, indicating that she was all ok.


    While the two were talking, the girl who had made a bet with Ningxing was trying to sneak away with her mother.


    Ningxing caught a glimpse of them from the corner of her eye and grabbed the other party with her hand: ¡°Hold it right there!¡±


    The girl looked up only to meet Ningxing¡¯s smirking gaze, which immediately made her feel guilty.


    Ningxing reminded her, ¡°Where do you think you¡¯re going? Call me ¡®grandma¡¯ before you leave!¡±


    ¡°...I, I don¡¯t want to!¡± The girl, though only a ten-year-old child, also had a sense of shame, and there was no way she would do it. She stomped her feet and started crying outright.


    Well, where was this acting before?


    Ningxing couldn¡¯t help but roll her eyes.


    The girl¡¯s mother saw her precious daughter crying and immediately panicked, shoving Ningxing¡¯s hand away and glared at her: ¡°You little brat, get lost.¡±


    Big brother, the overprotective brother that he was, couldn¡¯t stand it and snapped, ¡°Your daughter is the little brat! Not keeping her word! Bad child!¡±


    ¡°Tsk, brave enough to compete but too scared to face the consequences!¡± Xia Ningxing, on the other hand, just flipped them off directly, and seeing the liver-colored faces they made, she couldn¡¯t help but curl her lips.


    Some people just love to look down on others and have no idea how high the sky is or how deep the earth is¡ªthey need to be taught a lesson!


    To prevent them from offending someone important in the future and being unable to get out of the trouble they caused, ah, it¡¯s just a pity that her well-intentioned advice was completely lost on them!


    With the air of someone who got away with something, Ningxing hummed a tune and dragged her brother onto the bus home.


    On the bus, Ningxing flipped through the script.


    The series was of the youth genre, telling the story of a girl who grew up in an orphanage and, after being rejected for adoption time and again, was finally taken in by the neighbor of the male lead. The mischievous and adorable girl falls in love at first sight with the boy next door.


    Then she sets off a series of amusing and awkward efforts to chase after him.


    Until they grew up and finally ended up together.


    It was a warm and sweet TV series that could make the heart flutter.


    ¡°Sister!¡± Just as Ningxing was pondering over the script, her big brother, as if he had just snapped back to reality, swallowed and couldn¡¯t help but ask her for confirmation, ¡°Is what the director said about fifty dollars a day true?¡±


    ¡°Yes, what about it?¡± Ningxing blinked her clear eyes, looking at him confusedly.


    Big brother: ¡°Isn¡¯t that too much?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s too much about it.¡± Ningxing shrugged nonchalantly.


    In the past, she made millions for each scene, with a total of several billion for a whole film. Now it was only fifty bucks for a whole day. Even in the future, that would only be equivalent to a couple of thousand¡ªpractically negligible.


    ¡°Sister, you¡¯re really calm,¡± Big brother said, patting the back of his head while feeling somewhat inferior.


    Xia Ningxing pursed her lips and smiled, then continued reading the script.


    As they were nearing home, Ningxing finally put away the script. Her dark eyes turned to her big brother, and with a slight sigh of worry, she said, ¡°Brother, don¡¯t tell mom about this, otherwise she won¡¯t agree to let me act to earn money.¡±


    If Mrs. Xia found out she also had to do wire work in this show, she would probably never allow her to act.


    She didn¡¯t want her plan to make money to be ruined by her own mother.

 Chapter 18 - 18 18 The Arrogant Boss_1

    ?Chapter 18: Chapter 18 The Arrogant Boss_1 Chapter 18: Chapter 18 The Arrogant Boss_1 ¡°Don¡¯t worry, little sister, your brother will cover for you,¡± Lu said reassuringly.


    Bowing his head, he gently stroked her fuzzy hair with his hand.


    In one evening, Xia Ningxing had thoroughly devoured the script.


    For the following month, Xia Ningxing did nothing but film, film, and still more filming.


    Her brother became virtually an assistant, fetching tea and water, taking care of her so well that it saved Xia Ningxing a lot of trouble.


    Her acting was skilled and natural, explosive when it needed to be and gentle when required, remarkably resilient, not at all like a newcomer to the field. Nearly every scene was aced in one take, and if not, it was usually someone else¡¯s fault.


    This made Director Xu exclaim, ¡°Little friend Xia Ningxing, is this really your first time acting?¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± Xia Ningxing blinked her moist eyes.


    She wasn¡¯t lying, woof, this body was indeed acting for the first time!


    ¡°Then you¡¯re truly a born actor.¡±


    Xia Ningxing responded modestly, ¡°Not at all, not at all.¡±


    One must remain low-key!


    Otherwise, they¡¯ll attract jealousy!


    ¨C


    Lu Tingli counted the days and suddenly realized the ¡®little creature¡¯ from next door hadn¡¯t been pestering him for almost half a month.


    And she was always sneaking around with her brother.


    So, while he was relieved, he also couldn¡¯t help but become curious.


    What in the world were these two up to?


    Logically, he shouldn¡¯t be so childish, but he was still a child himself and had trouble controlling his impulses.


    So...


    ¡°Hey, Xia Ningxing.¡±


    One day, Lu Tingli pretended to water plants at his door when he saw the little creature and her brother holding hands, ready to leave, and casually called out to her.


    The young boy in a black shirt and pants stood tall, his height making him stand out amongst his peers, and his black hair shimmered faintly in the sunlight. His eyes, deep as a valley, were fixed on the little girl.


    ¡°Lu!¡± Xia Ningxing immediately saw a vision of large bills in her eyes and became excited. She eagerly shook off her brother¡¯s hand and scampered over to him with a sycophantic smile, her eyes nearly squinted into a slit, ¡°Lu, did you call me?¡±


    Come to think of it, this was the first time he had initiated a conversation with her!


    ¡°Hmm... what have you been up to recently?¡± Tingli asked casually.


    With obedience, Xia Ningxing answered, ¡°I¡¯ve been filming, Lu.¡±


    Lu Tingli furrowed his brows slightly, puzzled, ¡°Why?¡±


    A child should be playing, not filming.


    Xia Ningxing blinked her watery eyes, ¡°To make money.¡±


    Lu Tingli fell silent, then remembered that her mother had been laid off and their household must be struggling, ¡°Where are you filming?¡±


    ¡°Ping¡¯an Road 1-12, but you can¡¯t tell anyone, okay!¡± Xia Ningxing batted her watery eyes, her voice soft and cute.


    ¡°Oh, I thought you might be involved in something detrimental to the era¡¯s progress with all your early departures and late returns, but now I can relax,¡± Lu Tingli said with a stern face and an indifferent tone, explaining why he had taken the initiative to speak to her.


    After speaking, he walked away with hands behind his back, as if that were the whole truth of the matter.


    Xia Ningxing narrowed her eyes and watched the young boy¡¯s receding figure, raising her hand to give him the finger.


    He was clearly concerned about her yet made up excuses!


    Such a tsundere!


    ¡°Little sister, what¡¯s so great about that stinky boy? He¡¯s always acting like he knows everything. We should get going,¡± her brother said loudly, unable to hide his jealousy after she stared at another boy for so long.


    Xia Ningxing, however, was startled and immediately stood on tiptoe and covered his mouth, looking earnest yet severe, ¡°Brother, I won¡¯t let you talk about Lu like that! Lu is the best, the very best in the whole world!¡±


    Did her brother no longer value his life, daring to speak ill of the big boss!


    Not far away, Lu Tingli heard the siblings¡¯ conversation and he snorted softly to himself.


    It seemed his rescue hadn¡¯t been in vain after all.


    Big brother¡¯s tears: ¡°...¡±


    Girls are extroverts!


    Today they were filming a winter scene.


    So at the moment, Xia Ningxing was dressed in thick cotton clothes, her forehead¡¯s black hair wet with sweat and clinging to her skin, her fair little face red from the heat, ready to start shooting.


    Wearing a cotton-padded jacket in the sweltering heat was as uncomfortable as one might imagine!

 Chapter 19 - 19 19 Concern from the Big Shot_1

    ?Chapter 19: Chapter 19 Concern from the Big Shot_1 Chapter 19: Chapter 19 Concern from the Big Shot_1 Big Brother watched her looking as if she¡¯d been fished out of the water, his heart aching and clenched, his face mournful, and his hand shaking the fan in his hand like a motor, trying to cool her off as much as possible.


    At that moment, the director called out, ¡°Xia Ningxing dear, it¡¯s time to start filming!¡±


    Xia Ningxing stood up: ¡°Coming!¡±


    During filming, local residents who heard that a TV show was being shot nearby would come to watch in their free time to pass the dull moments, among them was a boy wearing a duckbill cap.


    Lu Tingli had originally come to the city to buy books, but then he remembered she was filming here and, considering they were neighbors, decided to have a look.


    Today he was dressed in a black short-sleeved shirt and black trousers, his dark eyes visible beneath the brim of his cap, now fixated on Xia Ningxing behind the camera.


    Seeing her drenched in sweat, he frowned involuntarily, reminded of his own pitiable appearance selling goods on the hot streets during the height of summer.


    Both of them were struggling in their own ways.


    Lu Tingli sighed softly, his heart filled with a touch of pity, and pulled a folded note from his pocket, giving a crew member some money to buy her a few bottles of iced water and popsicles, leaving the change as a tip for running the errand.


    The crew member, seeing he could earn such a generous tip, went off smiling broadly to make the purchase.


    And why didn¡¯t he go himself? Of course, he didn¡¯t want her to spout a bunch of rainbow farts of gratitude at him again. Humph, that¡¯s just how tsundere he was!


    ¡°Ningxing dear, someone asked me to buy some things for you.¡± Soon, the crew member came back smiling broadly, arms full of iced water and popsicles.


    Xia Ningxing was startled, ¡°Who sent these?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know him, but he¡¯s probably a fan of yours, a boy about ten years old or so,¡± the crew member said.


    A boy about ten years old?


    Could it be...


    Is it Lu Tingli!?


    Xia Ningxing instantly leaped up from her chair in excitement, standing on her tiptoes and scanning the area, her sharp eyes catching a glimpse of a familiar figure hiding in the crowd.


    It really was him!


    Xia Ningxing was instantly filled with joy. Though she eyed his future inheritance, she truly did want to be his childhood friend.


    Seeing that her extended friendship was reciprocated, how could Xia Ningxing not be happy.


    She wished she could rush up to him now and pat his shoulder.


    But she couldn¡¯t, she had to keep her cool!


    Keep cool!


    A tsundere and arrogant person like him would probably never come back if she exposed him.


    Xia Ningxing forcibly restrained herself, withdrawing her gaze and pretending she hadn¡¯t seen anything.


    While filming, knowing that Big Brother was watching, Xia Ningxing tried harder than ever to show just how great she was, so she gave her all that day. Her intensity in several scenes even overwhelmed her co-stars, leaving them unable to respond.


    Director Xu was nearly grinning from ear to ear; a fifty-one-day actor was performing better than others who had been paid a thousand or even more.


    Worth it!


    In early August, Xia Ningxing finished all her scenes.


    And earned herself fifteen hundred yuan.


    On the day of the wrap-up, Xia Ningxing was surprised to find that Lu Tingli had finally stopped sneaking around and made a bold appearance on set.


    ¡°Lu! What are you doing here?¡± Xia Ningxing¡¯s eyes sparkled with surprise, her brows and eyes smiling as she bounced up to him.


    ¡°Just passing by, don¡¯t get the wrong idea,¡± Lu Tingli said indifferently, glancing at her, arms crossed as he forced out an explanation.


    ¡°Oh! I see,¡± Xia Ningxing nodded her little head softly, her eyes misty, not bursting his bubble to keep him from getting angry and embarrassed.


    What a ¡°passing by¡±!


    Go on, keep fibbing!


    Lu Tingli had no idea he¡¯d already been found out.


    He then said, ¡°I heard you wrapped up shooting?¡±


    ¡°Yep,¡± Xia Ningxing nodded.

 Chapter 20 - 20 20 Preparing for Business_1

    ?Chapter 20: Chapter 20 Preparing for Business_1 Chapter 20: Chapter 20 Preparing for Business_1 Lu Tingli pondered for a moment, ¡°Acting is very tiring. If you want to make money, you can discuss with your family about doing some business.¡±


    In those days, doing business was like picking up gold from the ground.


    Basically, street vendors back then could later become millionaires or start their own companies and factories.


    If it had been someone else, Lu Tingli wouldn¡¯t have bothered to give advice about whether she was acting or engaging in some other labor¡ªnot a word.


    Whether it was hard work or whether it made money had nothing to do with him.


    But Xia Ningxing was different.


    She genuinely considered him an old childhood friend, a good buddy, so he had to respond in kind.


    He always did this, repaying those good to him twice over, no matter who it was.


    As the saying goes, if you¡¯re going to help someone, help them all the way. So, Lu Tingli continued, ¡°If you are thinking about doing business, Lincon City has cosmetics factories. You could get your family to wholesale lipsticks and makeup to sell at our city markets¡ªit¡¯s profitable.¡±


    At these words, Xia Ningxing couldn¡¯t help but freeze.


    It wasn¡¯t that what he said was wrong, but rather¡ª


    The person who should be engaging in cosmetics trading was him!


    The book described it like this: When he was in his teens, a sudden change in his family¡¯s circumstances led him to join his uncle in wholesale trading of lipsticks and other cosmetics in Lincon City. After making a sum of money, he started buying land, taking on construction projects to build skyscrapers at a time when real estate prices were skyrocketing, and he virtually became rich overnight. He then founded a real estate company.


    Afterward, he went abroad to study and came back to establish the first online shopping mall in the country, and how profitable online shopping is, is self-evident.


    He then ventured into scientific research, electronics, artificial intelligence, jewelry, fashion, film and television, and countless other sectors...


    He created numerous business legends, making significant contributions to the development and progress of the era, and became a legendary figure in the history of finance and economy.


    Two years later, he topped the list of the world¡¯s billionaires, shocking the world!


    But now, he was actually teaching her the method to make her first bucket of gold?


    What was going on?


    Why was the plot of the novel becoming so disoriented?


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Lu Tingli asked, noticing her strange expression as she looked at him, slightly frowning.


    Xia Ningxing bit her finger, thought for a while, and then still raised her watery eyes to ask, ¡°Since this can make money, don¡¯t you want to do it?¡±


    She didn¡¯t want to disrupt the path the male protagonist was meant to take.


    Otherwise, what would happen if the big shot lost his vast fortune?


    She was still counting on him to leave her some inheritance in the future, to live comfortably without any effort.


    ¡°No need,¡± Lu Tingli shook his head indifferently.


    After being reborn, he didn¡¯t want to tread the same path. Trading stocks was more than enough to make him a lot more money.


    At that time, everyone thought that stock trading was deceiving, no different from gambling, and many families even had major disputes over it. Those who dared to trade stocks were waiting for their families to fall apart!


    Therefore, the stock market was simply perfect for making money.


    Xia Ningxing blinked. Although she didn¡¯t know why he wasn¡¯t following the plot as set in the book, she could tell from his tone that he seemed to have other ways of making money.


    So Ningxing didn¡¯t dwell on it any longer, her eyes and eyebrows curving up with a smile: ¡°Then thank you, Lu. However, I plan on going into the perfume business.¡±


    ¡°Perfume?¡± Lu Tingli raised his eyebrows slightly, nodding, ¡°That¡¯s very good as well.¡±

 Chapter 21 - 21 21 Fifteen Hundred Yuan in Hand_1

    ?Chapter 21: Chapter 21: Fifteen Hundred Yuan in Hand_1 Chapter 21: Chapter 21: Fifteen Hundred Yuan in Hand_1 Seeing the big shot praise her, Xia Ningxing quickly stroked his ego, ¡°Thank you for your kind words, Lu! With your support, my business must flourish!¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    His tongue was as sweet as honey. Lu Tingli crossed his arms behind his back and shook his head helplessly.


    ¡°I¡¯ve got other things to do, so I¡¯ll be off now.¡±


    ¡°I was just about to head back too, let¡¯s go together!¡±


    Just as Xia Ningxing tried to follow, her eldest brother who had been listening for a while pulled her aside and asked three soul-shaking questions, ¡°Sis, are you sure about starting a business? Can you really make money selling perfume? What if you end up losing money? Wouldn¡¯t it be better to save this money for your education in the future?¡±


    There was nobody doing business in their village!


    Nobody in generations past had engaged in business either.


    Xia Ningxing: ¡°...¡±


    That¡¯s why we¡¯re so poor!!!!!


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, we won¡¯t lose money,¡± Xia Ningxing tiptoed and patted her elder brother on the shoulder.


    As someone with experience, she knew very well how much girls loved things like perfume.


    Even in an economic downturn, cosmetics like perfume or lipstick sold even better, an effect known as ¡°the lipstick economy.¡±


    Especially since the scent of Ancient Perfume was so unforgettable that once it was made, there was no way business would be bad.


    ¡°Let¡¯s discuss it with Mom when we get home,¡± Xia Ningxing decided firmly and would not take no for an answer.


    Her brother sighed softly, knowing he couldn¡¯t sway her.


    Don¡¯t be fooled by his young sister¡¯s age, she was small in stature, but stubborn as a mule; once she made up her mind about something, she wouldn¡¯t change it easily.


    While the two of them were still on the bus, Xia Ningxing didn¡¯t know that her money-making had already been broadcast by someone named Wang.


    Wang was also from Peach Blossom Village, and since he didn¡¯t have a steady job, he wandered everywhere, and upon hearing that there was a movie shoot on Ping¡¯an Road in the city, he went there to see what was happening.


    Unexpectedly, his curiosity led him to discover Xia Ningxing, a child from the same village.


    Seeing her behind the camera acting in the film, he became extremely curious and went up to ask around. Once he found out that she played the childhood version of the female lead and had made one thousand five hundred yuan in a month, he was astonished!


    Being a bit gossipy, he started spreading the word as soon as he returned.


    ¡°Incredible! Incredible! The Xia family¡¯s little daughter is going to be a big star! She made one thousand five hundred in a month!¡±


    ¡°What? One thousand five?¡±


    ¡°Are you joking?¡±


    His shouting caused the villagers who were sitting in the shade under the trees to stand up and come closer with their eyes wide open.


    Most of them had worked hard all year and couldn¡¯t make that much!


    Yet here was an eight-year-old girl who had easily done it in one month!


    That was simply unbelievable!


    ¡°Is that really true?¡± Many people were skeptical.


    ¡°Of course it¡¯s true!¡± Wang gave them a disdainful glance.


    ¡°But how can a child make so much money?¡±


    ¡°She was selected by a big director to play the lead role, of course she can make that much!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s awesome!¡±


    Just at that moment, someone with sharp eyes spotted Mrs. Xia cycling back from work. They immediately shouted, ¡°Mrs. Xia Jianren, you¡¯re so blessed!¡±


    ¡°Blessed? We¡¯re so poor we can barely afford food, and I just lost my job recently; where¡¯s the blessing in that? Stop mocking me!¡± Mrs. Xia glared at them in annoyance.


    Really, when you¡¯re poor, anyone thinks they can pick on you!


    Wang quickly smiled wryly and waved his hands, ¡°No, no, that¡¯s not it. I¡¯m serious. It¡¯s your Bao¡¯er who made one thousand five hundred yuan!¡±


    ¡°What!?¡± Mrs. Xia was stunned, almost falling off her bicycle.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t know?¡±


    ¡°I had no idea...¡±


    Seeing that she genuinely seemed unaware, everyone then recounted the story to her.


    Of course, there were those who were jealous and made sarcastic and bitter remarks about how girls shouldn¡¯t seek the limelight.

 Chapter 22 - 22 22 Starting a Business_1

    ?Chapter 22: Chapter 22 Starting a Business_1 Chapter 22: Chapter 22 Starting a Business_1 Mrs. Xia¡¯s mind had already been blown by the news, and she couldn¡¯t pay attention to the envious remarks of others. She remounted her bicycle and practically floated home, her face a mix of excitement and sadness, happiness and the urge to cry.


    One thousand five hundred yuan!


    That was equal to a year and a half of work at the factory!


    For a family like theirs, it was a fortune!


    It was all because she was useless... that she let her young daughter go out to make money.


    She heard that Ningxing even wore a cotton jacket, did diving, and performed aerial stunts on wires...


    How dangerous and hard that must be!


    When had her treasure ever suffered like this!


    By the time Xia Ningxing and her brother returned, Mrs. Xia¡¯s face was streaked with tears.


    ¡°Bao¡¯er! It¡¯s all because I¡¯m useless! That¡¯s why I let you go out to make money!¡± She hugged her fiercely, her hot tears falling on her daughter¡¯s delicate neck, crying uncontrollably, her voice hoarse and strained to the point of nearly losing it.


    ¡°Mom, you mustn¡¯t talk about yourself like that,¡± Ningxing sighed softly, lifting her hand to wipe her mother¡¯s tears away.


    Ningxing had already heard the village gossip about her acting and earning money as she came home. At the time, she had guessed that her mother might be distressed about it, but she hadn¡¯t expected such an emotional reaction.


    Indeed, a devoted mother to her daughter!


    Mrs. Xia continued to cry, then as if she thought of something, she fiercely grabbed a stick nearby, preparing to beat her eldest son, an expression on her face as if she wished she could beat him to death: ¡°It must have been you, you little brat, inciting your sister to go out and make money. I¡¯ll beat you to death!¡±


    The eldest brother was scared witless: ¡°I... I didn¡¯t...¡±


    Before he could finish, Ningxing hurriedly intervened, ¡°Mom, don¡¯t blame big brother, it was my own decision to go act and make money, it has nothing to do with him!¡±


    Mrs. Xia didn¡¯t believe it: ¡°Bao¡¯er, you¡¯re still defending your brother!¡±


    ¡°Really, it¡¯s true...¡± Ningxing¡¯s small face was full of helplessness as she took the stick from her mother¡¯s hand.


    ¡°Regardless, you are not allowed to go out and earn money anymore, I can support you, send you to university. How can a girl be exposed to the public like that!¡± Mrs. Xia wouldn¡¯t listen to explanations, eyes brimming with tears, she said, ¡°As for the money you¡¯ve earned, I will help you save it in the bank, to be used for your education.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Ningxing shook her head, expressing her own plan, ¡°Mom, I don¡¯t mind if you want me to stop acting for now, but we should use this money to start a business!¡±


    Ningxing briefly explained the prospects, development, and huge profits of the perfume business.


    ¡°Start a business!?¡± Mrs. Xia, upon hearing this, reacted like a rabbit in a tiger¡¯s mouth, frightened pale, and waved her hands hurriedly as she gasped for air, ¡°That¡¯s speculative and unscrupulous, a shameful way to earn a living, and you could even get arrested for it!¡±


    In those days, the collective had only dissolved a few years prior, and everyone believed they should be eating the public grain and took pride in working at factories, looking down on individual entrepreneurs.


    Little did they know, many developed cities were bursting with shops and street vendors, and computers had even emerged.


    Of course, you couldn¡¯t blame the people here for their ignorance; it was due to the lack of information. The world outside had undergone earth-shattering changes, and yet many were still unaware of what was happening.


    Unable to hold back a sigh, Ningxing knew that such fixed mindsets weren¡¯t easy to change, especially for someone like Mrs. Xia who lived in a remote rural area. So she said patiently, ¡°Mom, it¡¯s been several years since the opening up, doing business is no longer seen as squatting and fraud, and you wouldn¡¯t be arrested for it. On the contrary, doing business is now the most profitable occupation.¡±


    Wait until later, when businesspeople would be revered as influential figures!


    Dare to look down on them, and they could bankrupt you in minutes!

 Chapter 23 - 23 23 Agreeing to Do Business_1

    ?Chapter 23: Chapter 23 Agreeing to Do Business_1 Chapter 23: Chapter 23 Agreeing to Do Business_1 ¡°But we¡¯ve never done perfume business before... Nope, nope...¡± Mrs. Xia still looked terrified.


    Not to mention that none of her ancestors had ever been in business, there wasn¡¯t even a single entrepreneur in their village. How could she start!


    Xia Ningxing tried to persuade her gently, ¡°Who is born knowing how to do business?¡±


    ¡°Still can¡¯t do it!¡±


    Mrs. Xia was still afraid of losing all her money.


    For Mrs. Xia, Xia Ningxing¡¯s suggestion was like pushing a child who hadn¡¯t been weaned yet to go out and do business to support themselves; she naturally felt incapable.


    ¡°Alright then...¡± Just when Mrs. Xia thought she had finally managed to convince her stubborn little creature, Xia Ningxing changed her tune:


    ¡°Since Mom doesn¡¯t want to do business, I won¡¯t force it. Just that tomorrow I will go out to look for a drama to act in again, hanging from wires is so scary, oh. A thin wire tied around you, dangling high up in the sky, swaying Yoyo, you could fall at any moment...¡±


    Xia Ningxing¡¯s words grew more and more exaggerated.


    Mrs. Xia¡¯s heart almost twisted into a chrysanthemum. The thought of her beloved daughter getting into an accident turned her vision dark. She hurriedly clutched her chest and interrupted, ¡°Bao¡¯er! Stop talking! Stop talking!¡±


    She gritted her teeth, ¡°Fine! I¡¯ll listen to you and do the perfume business! Just as long as you don¡¯t go acting again, we can do anything!¡±


    If any of her five rascally sons dared to threaten her like this, she would have already sent them reeling, but with her daughter, she only had spoiling her in mind!


    ¡°Mom is the best!¡± Seeing her give in, Xia Ningxing¡¯s rosy face instantly beamed with a smile, and she hurled herself into her mother¡¯s arms, then lifted her face and planted a kiss.


    Watching her daughter¡¯s happy expression, Mrs. Xia suddenly felt that even if they lost that fifteen hundred, what did it matter!


    However, now that they were truly considering doing it, she wanted to know how, ¡°Do we need to find a perfume factory to wholesale perfumes and resell them?¡±


    Xia Ningxing said, ¡°No, we¡¯ll make our own!¡±


    If they were just buying and selling on, others could do just the same. When so many people started doing the same business, there wouldn¡¯t be any profit left. So if they were to do it, it had to be something others couldn¡¯t imitate.


    Even if the market became saturated, they could still have brisk sales.


    ¡°But how will we make that stuff?¡± Mrs. Xia got scared once more and shook her head quickly. Forget making perfume, she had never in her life bought a proper bottle of perfume!


    The five brothers also looked clueless. To be honest, if it weren¡¯t for their sister mentioning it, they wouldn¡¯t even know that there was such a thing as perfume in the world.


    Was it water that emitted fragrance?


    Or was it something else?


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Mom, I can make it.¡± Just as Xia Ningxing finished speaking, she caught a glimpse of Mrs. Xia furrowing her brows, looking at her skeptically. Her heart skipped a beat.


    ¡°Bao¡¯er, I remember you¡¯ve never even seen what perfume looks like, how could you possibly know how to make it?¡±


    As expected!


    Trouble had arrived!


    Now, given her persona as a simple rural little creature, how could she possibly know how to make perfume?


    Xia Ningxing broke into a sweat, her mind racing. Perhaps she could lie and say she learned it from a book?


    While Xia Ningxing hesitated, Mrs. Xia slammed the table and declared, ¡°I¡¯ve got it, it¡¯s because our Bao¡¯er is a genius!¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    You have to admit, that¡¯s some serious daughter control!


    This is the halo bestowed upon characters by the author.


    Like the Good Luck Halo, where the character¡¯s luck is just explosive.


    Or the Daughter Slave Halo, where the daughter is always supreme!


    Xia Ningxing perspired a little.


    ¡°Mom, actually, I read about it in a book.¡± In the end, Xia Ningxing still gave an explanation, making the situation somewhat more plausible.

 Chapter 24 - 24 24 Designing the Bottle Body_1

    ?Chapter 24: Chapter 24 Designing the Bottle Body_1 Chapter 24: Chapter 24 Designing the Bottle Body_1 ¡°Just by looking, if one can learn, that is also genius!¡± Mrs. Xia spoke like she was blowing rainbows.


    ¡°Right, sister is a genius!¡±


    ¡°My sister is the most amazing sister in the world!¡±


    ¡°Sister is invincible!¡±


    ¡°Sister is awesome!¡±


    ¡°Love sister!¡±


    The five brothers also joined in, praising her one after another.


    Xia Ningxing¡¯s face turned red as she listened, feeling embarrassed and unworthy of such praise. She quickly interrupted them, ¡°Alright, alright, let¡¯s talk about serious things. Tomorrow, let¡¯s go to the glass factory and order a batch of perfume bottles!¡±


    To make perfume, you need containers.


    The glass factory could customize these, and since there was such a factory in the city, there would be no need to go far.


    Though Mrs. Xia agreed to the business venture, when it actually came time to start, she couldn¡¯t help but sigh and said with some reservation, ¡°Bao¡¯er, even though I¡¯ve agreed to the business, I don¡¯t believe this will make money. So I will still go to work tomorrow. Your brothers will accompany you.¡±


    In those days, three to five-year-olds were treated as if they were over ten, and those over ten were treated like adults, so Mrs. Xia felt at ease letting the brothers take Xia Ningxing with them.


    ¡°No problem.¡± Xia Ningxing nodded cutely, knowing that unless she truly made money, Mrs. Xia would never quit her job easily.


    After finishing dinner, Xia Ningxing sat at the table, her pale little hands fished a pencil and notebook out of her backpack, and she began to draw the design for the perfume bottle.


    The packaging of the perfume is also a crucial part!


    It can account for up to forty percent of the customer¡¯s attraction!


    The dim, old-fashioned lightbulb gave off a weak glow, its warm, smoky-yellow light enveloping the little creature. She bit her pencil, slightly frowning, as if dissatisfied, then seemed to think of something, and her delicate features instantly burst into a smile. Her little hand moved swiftly across the paper.


    Soon, a beautiful perfume bottle appeared on the paper.


    Small and square, without any superfluous decoration, the bottle had a gradient purple body, luxurious yet youthful.


    ¡°Bao¡¯er, it¡¯s so late, hurry and sleep,¡± Mrs. Xia, who got up at night, saw her still sitting at the table and couldn¡¯t help frowning, urging her, ¡°Children need their sleep to grow; you can¡¯t stay up late!¡±


    ¡°I know, mom.¡± Xia Ningxing had just finished drawing; she smiled at her with her pale, soft face and rubbed her slightly reddened eyes from staying up, yawned, and climbed into her little bed with tears induced from yawning.


    Mrs. Xia, who had gotten up, lay down beside her, vigorously fanning with a bamboo fan, afraid that she would get too hot, her gaze filled with tenderness.


    Outside the old house, frogs croaked.


    Fireflies flitted around with their lanterns.


    A good night¡¯s sleep followed.


    Early the next morning, Xia Ningxing and her five brothers took the design to the glass factory to order the perfume bottles.


    After negotiating the price, they settled on fifty cents per bottle.


    They ordered five hundred.


    In about half a month, all would be delivered.


    With the perfume containers secured, Xia Ningxing then brought her brothers to gather many ingredients for making perfume¡ªvarious flowers, herbs, essential oils, and the like.


    Being an ancient, handmade method, it required several steps to complete.


    And then it needed to settle and sit still.


    So by the time all the perfume bottles were delivered, the perfume still wasn¡¯t ready.


    It would take another three days.


    When the three days passed, Xia Ningxing eagerly pulled her brothers to the cellar, her rosy cheeks filled with anticipation, ¡°Brothers, the perfume is ready. Let¡¯s go bottle it.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go, sister!¡± As soon as they heard this, the five brothers immediately dropped what they were doing, their faces alight with excitement, and pulled her to run into the cellar.


    Afterward, they worked together to move ten barrels out from the cellar.

 Chapter 25 - 25 25 The Taste of Happiness_1

    ?Chapter 25: Chapter 25 The Taste of Happiness_1 Chapter 25: Chapter 25 The Taste of Happiness_1 Xia Ningxing opened the cap of one of the perfumes, and as soon as she did, a rich fragrance immediately rushed to her nose.


    Top notes: The light scent of jasmine, bright and sparkling.


    Middle notes: Peach, grapefruit, a fresh fruity aroma.


    Base notes: White musk, smooth texture, happiness and good fortune.


    Inhaling the scent, she closed her eyes slightly, and it was as if she could taste the sweetest part of a watermelon, sweetness reaching her heart; and the sweet and sour orange soda from the little store, chilled and refreshing; wrapped in a blanket in bed without a care in the world, the cool breeze of an air-conditioned room, the lazy ten minutes between classes...


    So many wonderful scenes appeared in her mind.


    It was a scent that could make one feel happy.


    Upon smelling it, she couldn¡¯t help but want to smile, feeling life was all sweetness.


    Even though Xia Ningxing had made countless bottles of this perfume, every time she smelled this scent, she couldn¡¯t help but feel incredibly happy.


    What¡¯s there to fear in transmigration!


    So what if she lost the title of movie queen?


    Who cares if the two billion in the bank in the real world is gone!


    This babe can still make waves in the late eighties!


    And... there¡¯s a billion-dollar inheritance, a childhood friend, and a big shot waiting for her in the future.


    Everything¡¯s perfect!


    Xia Ningxing, an old hand, was intoxicated by the fragrance, not to mention the five brothers who were smelling it for the first time; at this moment, each of their faces appeared to bloom with flowers.


    ¡°It smells so good! I feel so happy right now!¡±


    ¡°I feel like I just ate a chicken leg.¡±


    ¡°I feel like I¡¯ve eaten a Manhan banquet!¡±


    ¡°Pah, I feel like I¡¯ve found gold!¡±


    Xia Ningxing was pulled back to reality by their voices and saw they were comparing with each other, her watery eyes filled with laughter and tears, she couldn¡¯t help but interrupt them, ¡°Brothers, stop joking around, let¡¯s get these bottled up.¡±


    Perfume is a volatile substance and cannot be left open for too long.


    ¡°Alright!¡±


    When it was time for serious work, the brothers stopped messing around and carefully funneled the perfume into the bottles.


    The bottles had been sterilized at high temperatures.


    The shelf life of the perfume was three years.


    The durability was also very high; if sprayed in the morning, it would still be fragrant by midnight, just with a varying intensity.


    Most importantly, no one could imitate the perfume she had crafted by hand!


    After filling five hundred bottles of perfume, the eldest brother wiped the sweat from his forehead and looked at Xia Ningxing, ¡°Sister, how do we sell these perfumes?¡±


    The other four brothers also looked at her with wide eyes.


    Though Xia Ningxing was young, the calmness and wisdom she exhibited often made people overlook her real age, naturally making them seek her advice when confronted with problems.


    Xia Ningxing pondered for a moment.


    In fact, she had also been thinking about the issue of selling routes these days.


    Opening a store was not an option without money.


    And pitching to department stores, not to mention the rent for space and booths was expensive, but also like cosmetics, to get into department stores, it was necessary to have a brand and a quality inspection report; otherwise, if customers bought your products and caused problems, the stores would be in trouble too. However, getting a quality inspection report and registering a brand would cost at least three to five thousand yuan, and they still didn¡¯t have the money.


    So, it might be better to set up a street stall.


    She had visited the city when she had been shooting on location downtown and noticed that this city was much poorer and more backward than the late eighties in reality. On a street with department stores and supermarkets, there were hardly a few people selling things.


    It must be because the author didn¡¯t do much research when writing and made the late eighties sound more like the mid-eighties!


    After that, Xia Ningxing told her brothers about the decision to set up a street stall.


    Everyone is poor now, so even if it¡¯s street stall goods, the vast majority of people won¡¯t disdain it.


    After earning money, they would then create their own brand and pursue a high-end route.

 Chapter 26 - 26 26 Visiting the Tycoon to Borrow a Car_1

    ?Chapter 26: Chapter 26 Visiting the Tycoon to Borrow a Car_1 Chapter 26: Chapter 26 Visiting the Tycoon to Borrow a Car_1 The brothers had no objections, smiling and nodding their heads, ¡°We¡¯ll listen to our sister.¡±


    No sooner said than done.


    Xia Ningxing said, ¡°Then let¡¯s set up our stall tomorrow, just in time for Qixi Valentine¡¯s Day. Business should be really good!¡±


    ¡°Whatever sister says!¡± The brothers naturally agreed, but they seemed to have thought of something and scratched their heads with a troubled expression, ¡°But how are we going to set up the stall without a car at home?¡±


    The Xia family only had one bicycle, which Mrs. Xia used for commuting to work.


    Moreover, a bicycle wouldn¡¯t be useful. It¡¯s not convenient for carrying goods.


    Surely they couldn¡¯t just push their stuff all the way there or ride in the village¡¯s ox cart?


    Both options were very inconvenient.


    Xia Ningxing touched her chin, a lightbulb going off in her head, ¡°No worries, I¡¯ll borrow one from Lu!¡±


    She had noticed an idle tricycle in the yard of the big brother¡¯s house when she visited before.


    Having made up her mind, Xia Ningxing took her little short legs and ran to the big brother¡¯s house.


    ¡°Lu!¡±


    Seeing that the door to his bedroom was not closed, Xia Ningxing called out, and then her little head sneakily peeked in. Her watery eyes glanced around the room and finally settled on the desk.


    Lu Tingli was sitting at the desk at that moment.


    ¡°Why are you here?¡± Lu Tingli furrowed his brows when he saw her, his lips thinning as he nonchalantly grabbed a book to cover something on the desk.


    Despite his quick action, Xia Ningxing still saw it.


    It was a stock subscription certificate!


    !!!


    No wonder he quit the wholesale cosmetics business, he had switched to stock trading.


    Although a child trading stocks sounded like a fairy tale, Xia Ningxing was not at all shocked. After all, he was the male lead!


    With a golden finger given by the ¡®author¡¯s mom,¡¯ he was the genius kid with an IQ of 250... surrounded by a halo of the protagonist!


    So it was no surprise when the protagonist did anything revolutionary and shocking.


    It was just too damn enviable!


    If she had that halo, there would be no need for the miserable acting and setting up stalls.


    Lu Tingli, who could not possibly imagine that the child before him had transmigrated and was secretly envying his protagonist¡¯s halo, thought she had seen nothing. He swiveled his chair to face her with his usual indifferent voice, ¡°You need something?¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± Xia Ningxing snapped back to reality, her voice soft and tender, looking up to meet his gaze, ¡°Lu, can I borrow the tricycle from your house for use tomorrow?¡±


    ¡°To do business?¡± Lu Tingli met her gaze.


    Xia Ningxing blinked, ¡°Hmm hmm!¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡± After all, the tricycle was just gathering dust at home.


    Seeing his quick agreement, Xia Ningxing passionately blew rainbow-colored flattery, ¡°Lu! How can you be so nice! You are truly a role model for mankind! The pride of the world! I¡¯m proud to have you as a neighbor!¡±


    The more she spoke, the more addicted she became, like she couldn¡¯t stop at all.


    Lu Tingli¡¯s face remained expressionless as he raised his hand to wipe off the spit she had sprayed on him, his handsome face darkening slightly. These past days, he had heard more flattery from her than he ever had in his lifetime.


    She was definitely a flattery pro!


    ¡°You can go now.¡± Forgive him for not being able to take any more.


    ¡°Okay, Lu! When I make money, I¡¯ll treat you to a meal!¡± Not waiting for a response, the little girl ran out, not even giving Lu Tingli a chance to refuse.


    Lu Tingli couldn¡¯t help but snort softly, crossing his arms and leaning back in his chair, his words slipping out carelessly, ¡°As if I¡¯m interested.¡±


    Latter on... delicious indeed!

 Chapter 27 - 27 27 Being Laughed At_1

    ?Chapter 27: Chapter 27 Being Laughed At_1 Chapter 27: Chapter 27 Being Laughed At_1 It was just beginning to dawn, with a few stars still hanging at the edge of the sky, when Xia Ningxing and her five older brothers, covered in morning dew, rode their tricycle out of the house.


    Since the man-powered tricycle had limited carrying capacity, only Ningxing and her fifth brother were sitting on it, with the eldest brother riding it.


    The third and fourth brothers had no choice but to follow on foot.


    Originally, Ningxing didn¡¯t want everyone to go, as it would be too tiring to walk when there wasn¡¯t enough room on the vehicle, but her brothers insisted on coming along regardless.


    They had just reached the entrance of the village when they overheard some idle villagers gossiping.


    Particularly Pangya¡¯s mother, who now raised her thick, disorderly brows, crossed her arms and snorted through her nostrils, ¡°Hey, I heard you¡¯re going into business? Selling some dog-fart perfume that you can¡¯t eat or drink, who would buy that!¡±


    There¡¯s no wall in the world that can totally block the wind. When the glass factory delivered the perfume bottles, some nosy villagers had asked around, and thus everyone in the village knew that the Xia family was starting a business.


    Because of this, there had been a lot of gossip, and people thought Xia Jianren¡¯s family had gone mad.


    ¡°They had a good life and they¡¯re not satisfied, starting a business like that, not afraid of going broke.¡±


    ¡°Exactly!¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s there to fear about losses? Didn¡¯t their capable daughter earn fifteen hundred bucks not long ago? Even if they do lose money, they can just have the daughter earn it back!¡± Pangya¡¯s mother¡¯s tone was sharp and mean, her eyes red with jealousy, yet she couldn¡¯t help but express her sour grapes, ¡°Letting a child go out and make money by acting in films, it¡¯s sinful, isn¡¯t it!¡±


    ¡°Ha! As if your ugly daughter could find a director willing to cast her in a film!¡±


    Upon hearing this, the five brothers glared back in anger.


    It was one thing to curse their business early in the morning, but to speak about their sister was utterly intolerable!


    ¡°You brats dare to talk back to your elders, I¡¯ll beat you to death!¡± Pangya¡¯s mother glared, bent down to remove the shoes from her feet, and aimed to throw them at the brothers.


    ¡°Go ahead and hit one of us if you dare!¡± Xia Ningxing stepped forward, her gaze ice-cold and devoid of any warmth. She casually crushed a stone in her hand, the crushed stone falling through her fingers like sand.


    Pangya¡¯s mother was dumbfounded and immediately shut her mouth.


    Where did this demon come from, with such monstrous strength!


    Xia Ningxing had possessed supernatural strength even before she was transported into the book, and that strange power had followed her here.


    At this point, Pangya¡¯s mother didn¡¯t dare to utter another word and timidly put her shoes back on her feet.


    Xia Ningxing tossed away the broken stones and sat back on the tricycle, patting her eldest brother, who was at the front riding, ¡°Brother, let¡¯s go.¡±


    The tricycle continued its journey toward the city.


    But along the way, the five brothers clearly had lost the high spirits they had when they set out.


    After all, anyone would feel bad after having a bucket of cold water poured on them like that.


    Children are still children, unable to control their emotions after a few mocking words. Ningxing, an old hand at dealing with this sort of thing, sighed and coached them with a metaphor, ¡°Brothers, if an animal barks at you, would you get angry because of that?¡±


    ¡°How could that be possible, why would we stoop to argue with an animal!¡±


    ¡°Right!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just an animal.¡±


    All five brothers replied in agreement.


    Ningxing¡¯s lips curled into a gentle smile as she raised an eyebrow, ¡°Then why are you still angry now?¡±


    All five brothers were taken aback at once.


    Indeed.


    Why were they bothered by a bunch of animals!


    Any lingering unhappiness quickly dissipated.


    Seeing smiles returning to their faces, Xia Ningxing slightly curled her lips.


    They were almost at the downtown area.


    Seated on the small chair on the tricycle, Ningxing surveyed the surrounding environment, preparing to choose a suitable spot for setting up their stall.


    The street opposite the shopping mall had a large flow of people, and due to Valentine¡¯s Day, there were also many couples.


    There were only a few street vendors, though.


    If this were in the future, the streets would be filled with stalls selling roses and gifts.


    Once Ningxing had decided on a specific location, she immediately raised her hand to signal to her eldest brother who was focused on the tricycle, ¡°Big brother, let¡¯s set up our stall on the street opposite the shopping mall.¡±

 Chapter 28 - 28 28 Hunger Marketing_1

    ?Chapter 28: Chapter 28 Hunger Marketing_1 Chapter 28: Chapter 28 Hunger Marketing_1 ¡°Alright, Bao¡¯er!¡± Big brother doesn¡¯t understand much, but the moment he hears his sister speak, he immediately stops the cart.


    Xia Ningxing and the fifth brother jump off the cart and start to set up the stall.


    They erect the stand and arrange the perfumes.


    Everyone works together, and it¡¯s all done in less than ten minutes.


    Now, more and more people are out and about shopping.


    It¡¯s just that their stall hasn¡¯t attracted many customers yet.


    Xia Ningxing isn¡¯t worried; instead, she opens up a bottle of perfume and sprays a few times into the air.


    The scent of Ancient Perfume instantly spreads out, like a pot of top-tier wine, lingering in the streets and alleys for a long time.


    This type of perfume not only has a high endurance but also a wide spread.


    Then, the young girl parts her lips and shouts in a tender, cutesy young voice, ¡°Selling perfume! Selling perfume! Free samples!¡±


    ¡°Buy three get one free! Limited to the first hundred bottles!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t miss out on this opportunity if you are passing by!¡±


    The milk-sweet loli voice is just too adorable.


    ¡°Bao¡¯er! How can we sell things like this! It¡¯s one thing to offer free samples, but to give away products for free! We¡¯ll lose so much money!¡± Hearing this, the big brother immediately panics, quickly covers her mouth, thinking that his little sister is indeed too young and simply doesn¡¯t know how to do business.


    ¡°Big brother...¡± Xia Ningxing is caught between laughter and tears, lifting her soft little hand to pry his big hand away: ¡°Don¡¯t worry, there will be no losses. The ¡®buy three, get one free¡¯ is a promotional tactic, making customers feel like they¡¯re getting a good deal, and ¡®limited offer¡¯ is about creating scarcity.¡±


    ¡°What? Creating scarcity?¡± Big brother understood the first part, but the latter concept completely boggles him.


    He¡¯s only ever heard of people and animals getting hungry, never that marketing could be ¡®hungry.¡¯


    Xia Ningxing patiently explains: ¡°In short, it¡¯s just a sales strategy, creating the illusion of a product being in high demand, thus selling more quickly and in greater volume.¡±


    ¡°So that¡¯s how it is!¡± Big brother still doesn¡¯t quite grasp it, but then he praises her, ¡°Little sister is truly well-read, you know everything!¡±


    Xia Ningxing feels ashamed.


    This term, if placed in later times, could be easily found with a simple search on Baidu.


    By now, quite a few customers have arrived, some drawn by the novelty of the promotion, some by Xia Ningxing¡¯s cute voice, but even more are attracted by the fragrance.


    ¡°How come your perfume smells so good, it¡¯s so nice!¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ve never smelled such a good perfume even in department stores!¡±


    Xia Ningxing¡¯s face blooms with a smile as she says, ¡°This is a unique secret formula, wow!¡±


    ¡°Dear beautiful sisters, feel free to try any perfume you like,¡± says Xia Ningxing, her brows and eyes curving, gesturing to everyone.


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll give it a try!¡±


    It¡¯s free, so why not use it!


    One of the ladies picks up a light blue perfume and sprays it, immediately feeling the refreshing fragrance and a cool and refreshing sensation as if she is on a pristine iceberg, holding a spring in her hands, chilled to the core.


    The scent is refreshing to the heart, instantly dispersing the summer heat.


    The lady¡¯s eyes widen in surprise, ¡°This perfume is amazing, it even has a cooling effect!¡± Unable to resist, she sprays a couple more times, immediately feeling even cooler.


    Xia Ningxing speaks up, ¡°This is ¡®Extreme Cooling Perfume,¡¯ made from extracts of mint, cool leaves, watermelon, and dozens of other flowers and even herbs, for mental stimulation and heat relief.¡±


    ¡°Is that so...¡± The lady nods, half understanding, then asks, ¡°How much are you selling this for?¡±


    Xia Ningxing replies in a soft voice, ¡°Five dollars a bottle.¡±


    Excluding the cost of materials and the time spent, they actually earn about three dollars per bottle.


    If her master from the real world knew that she was selling his Ancient Perfume at a stall for such a low price, he would be furious enough to come through time just to chop her down!


    Not to mention that top-grade Ancient Perfume could fetch up to one billion per bottle on the black market, even the most basic Ancient Perfume, like the ones she¡¯s making now, would sell for around ten thousand in the real world!


    Converted to current currency, that should also be around three hundred dollars at least, but now... five, five dollars!!!

 Chapter 29 - 29 29 Perfume Bestseller_1

    ?Chapter 29: Chapter 29: Perfume Bestseller_1 Chapter 29: Chapter 29: Perfume Bestseller_1 However, despite this price, the young lady still hesitated with a pained expression: ¡°It¡¯s a bit expensive...¡±


    Five dollars was nearly two days of her salary!


    Xia Ningxing didn¡¯t lower the price, but smiled warmly as she introduced the offer: ¡°Miss, we have a promotion going on right now, buy three, get one free, limited to a hundred sets only.¡±


    ¡°Buy three, get one free?¡± the young lady exclaimed in surprise.


    This meant that if she bought three bottles, she would get another bottle of the same kind for free. Thinking about it this way, it seemed like she was getting a bargain!


    Who wouldn¡¯t take advantage of such a steal!


    Buy!


    Absolutely buy!


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll take three bottles!¡± As she said this, the young lady picked out three perfumes she liked and swiftly paid fifteen dollars. The most important thing was the look on her face that said she got a huge deal.


    The five brothers were almost stupefied by this maneuver.


    She thought buying one bottle was expensive a moment ago, so why did she feel like it was a bargain to buy three at once?


    ¡°See that? That¡¯s the power of a promotional strategy!¡± Xia Ningxing winked at her brothers and whispered.


    Amazing!


    The five brothers were already giving their little sister a thumbs up in their hearts.


    Because of the ¡®limited to a hundred sets¡¯ offer, everyone eager for a good deal quickly started buying.


    Actually, the promotional strategy was only part of it; more importantly, they felt the perfume was worth buying more of.


    Gradually, Xia Ningxing¡¯s stall attracted a lot of people.


    And those who hadn¡¯t gathered around yet, upon seeing the crowd at Xia Ningxing¡¯s stall and smelling the extremely intoxicating aroma, were all curious and ran over to see what was being sold.


    As a result, after seeing the products, the women were immediately enchanted by the scent of the perfumes while the men turned into ATM machines!


    And most people were buying them in batches of three bottles to take advantage of the deal.


    Fortunately, there were many people at Xia Ningxing¡¯s stall, each with a clear task, and they managed to keep up with the pace.


    Xia Ningxing was responsible for introducing the names and ingredients of the perfumes.


    The eldest brother and the second brother were in charge of collecting and giving change.


    The third brother handled the packaging.


    The fourth and fifth brothers were responsible for restocking.


    By the end of the day, the initially mountainous stock of perfumes had decreased by a fifth!


    That¡¯s over a hundred bottles!


    After deducting the costs, this meant they had earned...


    ¡°Five, ten...a hundred, two hundred, three hundred!¡± When closing up the stall, the eldest brother had already counted the profit several times, his fingers trembling as if he held a hot potato instead of money.


    Oh my goodness!


    They had actually earned three hundred dollars in a single day!


    That¡¯s more than three months¡¯ salary at the factory!


    The second, third, fourth, and fifth brothers surrounded the eldest, protectively enclosing him, swallowing nervously and watching their surroundings with vigilant eyes, as if afraid someone might suddenly sprint from a corner to rob him.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go home, let¡¯s hurry home!¡± the eldest brother hurriedly stuffed the money into his innermost pocket, his voice shaking: ¡°This place is too dangerous, what if someone comes to rob us!¡±


    Xia Ningxing couldn¡¯t help but feel a bit amused as she glanced at the government building across the way, thinking who would dare to rob in front of a government building¡ªit was as good as throwing one¡¯s life away. She reached out to pull her anxious brother: ¡°Before we go home, let¡¯s stop by the supermarket. We¡¯ve run out of rice, flour, oil, salt, soy sauce, and such at home.¡±


    The eldest brother slapped his forehead with a chuckle: ¡°I would have forgotten if Bao¡¯er hadn¡¯t mentioned it, let¡¯s go to the supermarket first then!¡±


    After that, he got on the tricycle, carrying his siblings toward their destination. Originally, he wanted to take everyone to any small supermarket or even a market would do.


    But Xia Ningxing, with her keen eyes, spotted a large chain supermarket.


    ¡°Big brother, let¡¯s go there!¡±


    She had been there for so long, but since her family was so poor, she hadn¡¯t really had the chance to enjoy snacks.


    Now that she had made some money, how could she not treat herself well!

 Chapter 30 - 30 30 Face-Slapping_1

    ?Chapter 30: Chapter 30 Face-Slapping_1 Chapter 30: Chapter 30 Face-Slapping_1 ¡°We¡¯re going here, huh...¡± The elder brother lifted his gaze to the supermarket, and from the tall building and its decor, he guessed that the items inside were certainly not cheap. With a slight frown, yet thinking of his sister¡¯s request, he gritted his teeth in consent, ¡°If Bao¡¯er wants to go, then let¡¯s go!¡±


    The elder brother pedaled the tricycle across the road, heading towards the large supermarket opposite.


    After stopping, he didn¡¯t get off, but instead turned to his siblings and said, ¡°You all go have a look, I¡¯ll stay here and watch the bike.¡±


    There were goods on the bike, so it needed to be watched over.


    And in those days, there was no such industry as car watching.


    Xia Ningxing tugged at his shirt, her eyes brimming with water as she looked at him, ¡°Then big brother, what do you want to eat? I¡¯ll buy it for you!¡±


    The elder brother waved his hand, ¡°Don¡¯t worry about me, I don¡¯t need anything.¡±


    Though they had made some money, it still needed to be spent sparingly.


    However, Ningxing didn¡¯t have this realization, and at this moment she was dragging her four brothers to go on a shopping spree.


    Of course, the one who went craziest with buying was actually Ningxing herself.


    The shopping basket was almost too full to fit anything more.


    ¡°Sister, this is way too much.¡±


    ¡°Indeed.¡±


    The four brothers exchanged glances.


    ¡°Is it too much? At most, it¡¯s just fifty bucks, right?¡± Ningxing had been looking at the prices while picking out items.


    Fifty bucks and that¡¯s not considered a lot!?


    The brothers almost fainted.


    You should know, their family¡¯s daily expenses for several months combined would not exceed fifty bucks!


    After paying, the five little ones each carried out a big bag from the supermarket.


    ¡°Why did you buy so much!?¡±


    Upon seeing them come out, the elder brother hurriedly went up to help.


    When he saw bags filled with an assortment of snacks, his eyes almost bulged out, and he involuntarily swallowed, like a puppy eyeing a delicious bone.


    For children from a poor farming family, even a two-cent stick of gum was a luxury, let alone things like chocolate biscuits.


    But as much as he craved, he still had to scold when needed.


    ¡°You little brats really don¡¯t know what¡¯s good for you, even though we¡¯ve made some money, we can¡¯t spend it recklessly!¡± The elder brother said as he placed the items on the bike, his expression stern as he lectured the four younger brothers, instinctively thinking they were the ones who had bought the items: ¡°It¡¯s easy to go from frugality to extravagance, but hard to revert back, what if our business doesn¡¯t do well in the future!¡±


    The named boys couldn¡¯t help but touch their noses, looking at one another in dismay.


    Ningxing came out awkwardly, ¡°Well, big brother, actually, these are all my purchases. Jianren, and the third, fourth, and fifth brothers didn¡¯t really buy anything.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    The air suddenly filled with awkwardness.


    Clearing his throat, the elder brother gently patted her fluffy little head and quickly changed his tune, ¡°Oh, so Bao¡¯er bought these, huh? Well done!¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Okay, that¡¯s pretty sycophantic.


    Ningxing decided she should learn more from her big brother, and then go flatter the big shots.


    As they were nearing home, the village gossips were still at the entrance, as if they had been waiting specifically for them to return.


    This time, as they saw them riding the tricycle back, someone deliberately asked loudly, ¡°Hey, Xia Jianren¡¯s kids, how much did you make from the business this time?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, do tell!¡±


    ¡°Let us have something to envy too!¡±


    Each one of them, although saying this with their mouths, had a mocking tone in their eyes and expressions.


    Could country bumpkins who¡¯ve farmed for generations really do the perfume business?


    They wouldn¡¯t be laughing if they ended up losing even their underwear!


    This world always has such people who, as a matter of course, think that if they can¡¯t do something, others must not be able to do it either.


    ¡°...¡±


    The five brothers didn¡¯t make a sound, adhering to the principle that ¡°wealth should not be flaunted.¡±


    If they told them, what if they too started selling perfumes and competed for the market?

 Chapter 31 - 31 31 Long Live My Sister_1

    ?Chapter 31: Chapter 31 Long Live My Sister_1 Chapter 31: Chapter 31 Long Live My Sister_1 As for Xia Ningxing, she couldn¡¯t be bothered with these people.


    The more they remained silent, the more everyone felt they had hit the nail on the head, believing they were guilty and ashamed.


    ¡°Just as I thought, how can selling perfume make money? It¡¯s not edible or drinkable!¡± Now Pangya¡¯s mom was boasting proudly, her eyebrows almost flying off her face.


    There¡¯s a kind of person in this world, just like Pangya¡¯s mom, who relishes when others are suffering, wishing everyone else a miserable death as if it somehow highlighted their own happiness.


    ¡°That Xia family¡¯s Jianren is just showing off with his little bit of money!¡±


    ¡°Exactly, wouldn¡¯t it be better to save those fifteen hundred yuan? Instead, they just have to lose it all until they¡¯re destitute, right?¡±


    ¡°What are you all talking about? Who said they lost money? I saw it myself in the town today, their stall was swarming with people, I bet they made at least two hundred yuan!¡± At that moment, a young man riding a bicycle came over and rolled his eyes at the crowd.


    ¡°Really? No way!¡± How could everyone believe that?


    This was almost more than they earned in several months!


    ¡°What reason would I have to lie!¡± Seeing that they still didn¡¯t believe him, Huzi¡¯s dark face nearly turned red with frustration.


    At this point, Xia Ningxing, who had been silent, felt she couldn¡¯t stand it any longer; it was time to make their faces swell with embarrassment.


    So she lifted the tarp covering the tricycle and took out two jellies, handing them to the young man with a smile, ¡°Here, Huzi, have some jelly, don¡¯t mind them.¡±


    ¡°No, no need, Bao¡¯er, you eat it yourself!¡±


    The young man called Huzi almost drooled at the sight of the jelly, swallowing several times before he could barely utter a refusal.


    Good boy, these were worth several yuan each.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡± Ningxing said smilingly, directly and unmistakably placing the treats into his bicycle basket, and then told her older brother to ride the bike home.


    At this, the group sitting under the tree felt as if their faces were literally swelling up.


    Because...


    When she lifted the tarp, they clearly saw a cart full of rice, flour, and a variety of snacks.


    Egg cakes, biscuits, chocolate, malted milk, and more...


    My God!


    So luxurious!


    If they hadn¡¯t made money, could they afford to buy all this?


    And to buy so much all at once?


    Pangya¡¯s mom¡¯s face almost twisted with jealousy, wishing she could pounce and snatch it away.


    Meanwhile, at the Xia family home.


    Mrs. Xia had already come back from work and was wandering in the yard, organizing her thoughts about how to comfort Bao¡¯er, whose business she thought had not gone well.


    The more she thought, the more engrossed she became, and when they returned, Mrs. Xia immediately stepped forward and said, ¡°Bao¡¯er, it¡¯s alright, it doesn¡¯t matter if you didn¡¯t sell them, don¡¯t be sad, Mom can support you, and I can also send you to uni...¡±


    She hadn¡¯t finished saying the word ¡°university¡± when her voice came to an abrupt halt.


    Her beautiful almond eyes stared incredulously at the food packed in the cart, her mind going blank.


    ¡°This... this...¡± It took Mrs. Xia quite a while to come to her senses, almost at a loss for words, ¡°Did you guys make money?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Mom.¡± Ningxing, holding her rough hand, walked towards the house, sharing with her the day¡¯s business dealings.


    After listening, Mrs. Xia was initially stunned for a few seconds, clearly in disbelief.


    It took her a while to process, but then she pinched Ningxing¡¯s arm excitedly, lifting her up and spinning around: ¡°My Bao¡¯er is really a genius! So smart! So capable!¡±


    ¡°Long live my sister!¡±


    The five brothers stood by, grinning foolishly and applauding.

 Chapter 32 - 32 32 Let Mom Participate in the Business_1

    ?Chapter 32: Chapter 32: Let Mom Participate in the Business_1 Chapter 32: Chapter 32: Let Mom Participate in the Business_1 Xia Ningxing¡¯s small body twirled in the air, her brows and eyes curving into crescent moons just like Mrs. Xia¡¯s, as she felt the thick blood ties of kinship in this moment.


    How wonderful!


    Even if she were given more money now, she wouldn¡¯t want to go back to the way things were!


    ¡°Mom, stop spinning me, I¡¯m getting dizzy,¡± Xia Ningxing said, as she felt stars swirling around her head, watching Mrs. Xia twirl her around as if she¡¯d taken an exciting drug.


    ¡°Okay, okay, I¡¯ll stop spinning, let go of Bao¡¯er!¡±


    Mrs. Xia released her with reluctance.


    After coming down, Xia Ningxing noticed Mrs. Xia¡¯s hands, rough and whitened from working in the restaurant, and felt a sharp pain in her heart. She gently massaged her mother¡¯s larger hands with her small ones, and her voice, though childlike, was filled with determination, ¡°Mom, quit your dishwashing job at the restaurant, and come do business with us tomorrow!¡±


    ¡°Yeah, Mom!¡±


    ¡°Quit it, selling perfume makes good money!¡±


    Before Mrs. Xia could speak, her sons chimed in with agreement.


    Seeing the concern in her children¡¯s eyes, Mrs. Xia bit her lip and finally made up her mind, ¡°Alright.¡±


    ¡°Hooray!¡±


    Laughter and joyful voices filled the Xia family home.


    With Mrs. Xia joining in, the perfume business got even better.


    Because...


    Mrs. Xia was beautiful, and standing in front of the stall, she instantly became a stunning sight, comparable to the effect of a celebrity endorsement.


    Apart from the Valentine¡¯s Day, when the foot traffic allowed them to make a big profit of three hundred yuan, they usually brought in around one hundred and fifty yuan.


    While it wasn¡¯t as much as Valentine¡¯s Day, making one hundred and fifty yuan daily was still a significant amount.


    It equaled the pay from a month and a half of factory work!


    However, using Lu¡¯s family¡¯s tricycle every day was quite embarrassing.


    These days, a tricycle was akin to a car in later generations, a big ticket item for a household; it wasn¡¯t right to borrow someone else¡¯s vehicle every day.


    So, once they had saved enough money to buy a tricycle, Xia Ningxing suggested, ¡°Mom, brothers, let¡¯s buy a tricycle. We can¡¯t keep using Lu¡¯s all the time.¡±


    Mrs. Xia also had the same thought, and she immediately nodded in agreement, ¡°Sure, no problem, let¡¯s buy one after we close the stall.¡±


    Even though she and Mrs. Lu were still close friends, it wasn¡¯t right to take advantage like this.


    No sooner said than done, after packing up the stall, Xia Ningxing, her mother, and her brothers went straight to the vehicle dealership.


    In the bike shop, there were many bicycles, priced around two to three hundred yuan.


    Human-powered tricycles were priced at over six hundred yuan, something ordinary families would not easily afford.


    Mrs. Xia had originally intended to buy a tricycle, but when she saw the price, her heart couldn¡¯t help but waver. Six hundred or more for one¡ªwasn¡¯t that just too expensive!


    Looking around the shop, Xia Ningxing saw no electric or fuel-powered tricycles, only motorcycles, which not only had high prices, but Mrs. Xia probably wouldn¡¯t dare to ride even if they bought one.


    So be it, for now they would buy a human-powered tricycle, and later on, they could simply buy a car.


    After some thought, Xia Ningxing pointed at one of the many vehicles, a silver-white tricycle, ¡°Mom, let¡¯s buy this one!¡±


    Mrs. Xia saw the price tag ¡°six hundred and fifty¡± and involuntarily gasped!


    If this had been before they started their business, she¡¯d have to work hard for over half a year with no spending before she could afford it!


    But now, considering their current earnings and the necessity of having a vehicle, Mrs. Xia bit her lip and hardened her resolve, ¡°Okay, we¡¯ll go with Bao¡¯er¡¯s choice, let¡¯s buy this!!¡±


    After negotiating with the owner, they settled on a final price of six hundred and thirty yuan.

 Chapter 33 - 33 33 Asking the Tycoon Out for a Meal_1

    ?Chapter 33: Chapter 33: Asking the Tycoon Out for a Meal_1 Chapter 33: Chapter 33: Asking the Tycoon Out for a Meal_1 After getting the new tricycle, Mrs. Xia rode the new vehicle carrying Xia Ningxing.


    The eldest brother rode Lu¡¯s tricycle, taking the fourth and fifth brothers with him.


    As for the second and third brothers, they were on bicycles, having ridden one to do business that morning; there was no helping it, the manpower tricycle simply couldn¡¯t carry so many people.


    In those days, whether in the city or countryside, a tricycle was an enviable thing to have.


    When they were nearly back to their village, the people who had been idly chatting by the roadside nearly had their eyes pop out at the sight of the Xia family¡¯s shiny and flashy brand-new tricycle.


    Whose new tricycle is this!


    Have they struck it rich or what!


    ¡°Who¡¯s riding the bike?¡±


    ¡°It seems to be the wife of Peach Blossom Village¡¯s Jianren Xia.¡±


    ¡°Wow, that¡¯s something else! The other day, I passed by the place selling those tricycles, and I saw one going for over six hundred yuan. Weren¡¯t they nearly too poor to eat, and didn¡¯t the wife just get laid off? Where¡¯d they get the money to buy this?¡±


    ¡°How could they be out of money? They¡¯re running some perfume business now, making a hundred yuan a day!¡±


    ¡°Jianren Xia is truly impressive, I heard he started doing business away from home years ago.¡±


    ¡°What does Jianren have to do with it? The perfume business was started by his wife on her own.¡±


    ¡°A woman can be that formidable?¡±


    The villagers gossiped with a mix of admiration and envy.


    Among them was Pangya¡¯s mother, almost green with envy.


    She had thought that by inciting the factory manager to lay off Lin Lan (Mrs. Xia) from the textile plant, her life would become unbearably hard.


    But now, who knows how fat her wallet was, and she had ended up making her more successful instead.


    It completely backfired!


    Unsatisfied!


    So very unsatisfied!


    And oh so envious!


    If Lin Lan could do it, she, Xu Caishua, could do it too!


    Jealousy flashed in Pangya¡¯s mother¡¯s eyes.


    Mrs. Xia just happened to glance over and caught the envious look in Pangya¡¯s mother¡¯s eyes, prompting her to let out a scornful chuckle.


    So what if she had urged the manager to fire her?


    She was living just fine right now!


    She was making even more money than before! She still had ways to make money!


    Of course, all thanks to her dear daughter!


    After returning home, Xia Ningxing pushed the trike belonging to Lu¡¯s family and called out to Mrs. Xia, who was cooking in the kitchen, ¡°Mom, I¡¯m going to return the tricycle to Lu¡¯s family.¡±


    ¡°Go ahead, just be careful and don¡¯t fall,¡± Mrs. Xia said, coming out of the kitchen with vegetables to wash, as she rubbed her daughter¡¯s little head and instructed.


    Lu Tingli was seated in the living room writing, when suddenly, he heard a noise outside. He stood up from the sofa, took the thermos cup filled with goji berries from the table, and walked outside while sipping from it.


    ¡°Lu, I¡¯ve returned the tricycle to your family,¡± Xia Ningxing, who had already placed the tricycle in their shed by now, cheerfully looked back at him as he looked her way.


    ¡°Mm.¡±


    Lu Tingli put down his cup, his voice as indifferent as the goji berry tea in his hands.


    Standing under the corridor, the remnants of the sunset bathed his handsome face in a warm glow.


    The juvenile features seemingly filtered through softness, were noble and detached, intimidating to behold.


    One could imagine how striking he would be when grown up.


    Xia Ningxing bounded over like a rabbit, her forehead glistening with a few beads of sweat, and in her childlike voice said, ¡°Lu, thank you for lending us the tricycle. We agreed to take you out for a meal once we made some money. Do you have time tomorrow? Let¡¯s go eat!¡±


    ¡°Not necessary.¡±


    Lu Tingli rejected her outright.


    ¡°Why?¡± Xia Ningxing¡¯s rosy lips pouted, her eyes brimming with disappointment.

 Chapter 34 - 34 34 Cooking for the Boss_1

    ?Chapter 34: Chapter 34 Cooking for the Boss_1 Chapter 34: Chapter 34 Cooking for the Boss_1 ¡°Eating out isn¡¯t hygienic, and I don¡¯t need you to treat me to a meal,¡± Lu Tingli said indifferently, and then turned to go back inside.


    ¡°Don¡¯t go!¡± Xia Ningxing jumped in front of the boss to stop him, ignoring the second half of his sentence, and pouted, ¡°If you think eating out isn¡¯t sanitary, then how about I cook for you personally!¡±


    ¡°No...¡± Alright.


    Before Lu Tingli could finish his refusal, Xia Ningxing had already run off, ¡°It¡¯s decided then, I¡¯ll cook for you tomorrow!¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Lu Tingli watched her retreating figure and couldn¡¯t help but furrow his brows.


    This person is way too presumptuous!


    If Xia Ningxing said she would cook for the boss, then she would; the very next morning, she ran to ask what dishes he liked.


    ¡°Lu, what dishes do you like? Just tell me, I can make anything for you!¡±


    Lu Tingli¡¯s head ached a bit. He had clearly said several times that she really didn¡¯t need to thank him for the matter with the tricycle, but she still insisted.


    After sighing a long and helpless sigh, Lu Tingli looked down at her figure, far from reaching the height of the stove, with a questioning look, ¡°Are you sure you can actually cook?¡±


    ¡°Of course, children from poor families take charge early!¡± Xia Ningxing said, already standing on a little stool and starting to scrub pots and rinse rice.


    Although she was a big star, she often cooked herself because she truly loved food.


    Lu Tingli was silent for a moment.


    Right, it wasn¡¯t the future anymore. It was the eighties, an era where even a child could be part of the workforce. It was normal for a few-year-old child to light a fire and cook.


    ¡°Lu, quickly tell me what you actually like to eat!¡± Xia Ningxing had poured the rinsed rice into the rice cooker and turned around with a smile to ask him.


    ¡°Something light and for health will do.¡± After a few months of knowing her, Lu Tingli was fully aware that she was a very stubborn and persistent person, realizing that today she was absolutely determined to cook.


    So, just let her cook...


    Better that than having her use this as an excuse to pester him again.


    ¡°Light and healthy, huh... Okay then...¡± Xia Ningxing¡¯s expression became slightly complex as she glanced at his ever-present health tea and couldn¡¯t help but cast a somewhat pitiable look in his direction.


    Sigh.


    Poor boss, to have encountered such a wicked author.


    ¡°Xia Ningxing, what¡¯s that look for? If you can¡¯t cook, then never mind,¡± the boss said, seeing her furrowed brows and somber, complex expression, and couldn¡¯t help but offer her a way out.


    ¡°No, no, I can cook!¡± Xia Ningxing took back her gaze and went out to buy groceries first.


    Since the boss wanted something healthful, she decided to make dishes like dried goji berry rice, sweet dates and yam soup, stir-fried fish, cold mixed wild vegetables, and tofu and pork rib soup...


    After buying the ingredients, Xia Ningxing washed and chopped the vegetables, and finally prepared to set the fire for cooking.


    However, Xia Ningxing had never used a stove that required lighting the fire by herself, and she fumbled for a long time without getting it to light properly, managing only a few sporadic flames.


    In the end, Xia Ningxing simply lay down by the stove, pouting her rosy lips to blow into it to see if she could make the sparks bigger.


    Well now!


    In the end, the fire hadn¡¯t grown any larger, but she had inhaled a face full of straw ash, which fell all over her face. Her originally snow-white face was now all black, resembling someone who just crawled out from under a pot. Her lungs suddenly felt uncomfortable, and she couldn¡¯t help coughing violently, ¡°Cough cough cough!¡±

 Chapter 35 - 35 35 Big Shot Lends a Hand_1

    ?Chapter 35: Chapter 35 Big Shot Lends a Hand_1 Chapter 35: Chapter 35 Big Shot Lends a Hand_1 The breath she expelled while coughing brought out more ashes from the bottom of the pot, making her little face increasingly black.


    Lu Tingli, usually expressionless, couldn¡¯t help but crack a smile now.


    ¡°I, I really can cook, it¡¯s just that I don¡¯t know how to start a fire.¡± Seeing him trying not to laugh while staring at her, Xia Ningxing touched her nose awkwardly.


    ¡°Forget it, I¡¯ll start the fire.¡± Lu Tingli shook his head, reverted to his impassive poker face with a touch of resignation, and walked over to squat in front of the stove.


    He expertly grabbed a handful of straw, lit it with a match, stuffed it into the bottom of the pot, followed by some wood, and the flames suddenly surged, burning steadily for a long time.


    Xia Ningxing watched the flames dancing cheerfully under the pot as if silently mocking her for not knowing how to do something as simple as lighting a fire.


    Feeling embarrassed, she then bent her sparkling eyes and spoke in a soft and sticky voice to thank the boss man, ¡°Thank you, Lu, for helping me.¡±


    Such a smile would have been attractive and adorable like a little white rabbit before but matched with the soot-covered face right now... it was nothing short of disastrous.


    The boss man said, ¡°You better go wash your face first.¡±


    ¡°Ah?¡± Xia Ningxing hadn¡¯t realized what he meant yet, but when she accidentally caught a glimpse of her reflection in the water vat, she immediately covered her soot-blackened face and dashed outside.


    Ah! How could she have lost her image in front of the boss man!


    After washing her face repeatedly at the tap and making sure there was no trace of ash left, Xia Ningxing walked into the kitchen but still looked somewhat abashed as she faced the boss man.


    ¡°Weren¡¯t you going to cook? Are you going to or not?¡± Seeing her hesitating, Lu Tingli glanced at her with an expression that said, ¡°If you¡¯re not going to cook, then just leave. Don¡¯t waste my time.¡±


    ¡°Cooking, cooking!¡± Xia Ningxing stopped overthinking and focused on preparing the meal for the boss man, trying to regain the image she had lost earlier.


    Although Xia Ningxing couldn¡¯t light a fire, she handled the cooking deftly: stir-frying, seasoning, everything flowed smoothly.


    Soon, the aroma filled the air.


    After the last dish was ready, Xia Ningxing looked down at Lu Tingli, who was still tending the fire, ¡°Lu, go wash your hands. It¡¯s time to eat!¡±


    ¡°Mhm.¡±


    Lu Tingli stood up and headed outside.


    Every dish was colorful and fragrant.


    After washing his hands, Lu Tingli sat at the table, picked up his chopsticks, and fetched himself a piece of stir-fried fish.


    The fish melted in the mouth, delicately flavorful, with a fresh and smooth broth, cooked perfectly, not too tough or too tender.


    This fellow¡¯s culinary skills were quite remarkable, at least many times better than Mrs. Bei¡¯s (Mrs. Lu¡¯s)!


    Xia Ningxing sat across from him, eating gracefully and daintily.


    Um... She had to maintain her image in front of her childhood friend!


    Lu Tingli glanced at her unintentionally and the image of a soft, white little bunny sitting in his territory, munching on a carrot with puffed cheeks, popped into his mind.


    Seeing him looking at her, Xia Ningxing blinked and picked up a clean pair of chopsticks to select a piece of boiled beef for him, ¡°Lu, have some.¡±


    ¡°Mhm...¡±


    ¡°Is it good?¡±


    ¡°...It¡¯s decent,¡± Lu Tingli replied.


    The bright gleam in Xia Ningxing¡¯s eyes was one of vivacity from being praised, ¡°Then have more.¡±

 Chapter 36 - 36 36 Washing Dishes for the Big Shot_1

    ?Chapter 36: Chapter 36: Washing Dishes for the Big Shot_1 Chapter 36: Chapter 36: Washing Dishes for the Big Shot_1 After the meal, Xia Ningxing took the initiative to pick up the dishes, standing up like a virtuous and well-behaved child. Her eyes, watery and innocent, blinked as she sensibly said, ¡°Lu, I¡¯m going to wash the dishes.¡±


    ¡°I can do the washing,¡± Lu Tingli suddenly rose, walked over to her, bent down, and snatched the dishes from her hands.


    Although using children as labor was normal in those days, he, a man who had returned from the new century, still believed that such chores ought to be done by adults.


    After he took the dishes away, Xia Ningxing also came back to her senses, her face cradled in her hands, her eyes watery and sparkling as she spared no effort to sing his praises, ¡°Lu, you¡¯re so nice! When you grow up, you¡¯re definitely going to be a great man for a family to have around the house!¡±


    Hearing this, Lu Tingli¡¯s thin lips twitched violently, and his eyelids couldn¡¯t stop fluttering. He turned back with an expressionless face and retorted, ¡°...you think too much. I¡¯m just worried you might break my family¡¯s dishes.¡±


    This guy was the type to climb up a pole at the slightest encouragement and to start a dye shop with just a bit of color thrown his way¡ªa real bootlicker!


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s getting late; you should head home, or your mother and brothers will start worrying,¡± Lu Tingli advised, glancing at the sky.


    ¡°Okay then, goodbye, Lu,¡± Bao¡¯er said, leaving the yard, which instantly fell silent.


    As the sun set, Mrs. Xia and her five sons returned on a tricycle.


    ¡°Mom! Brothers!¡± Xia Ningxing, originally feeding the chickens in the yard, scattered all the rice in her hand and then ran to meet them with her little short legs, all smiles, ¡°How was business today?¡±


    ¡°Not bad, more than two hundred yuan,¡± Mrs. Xia said, beaming with joy.


    ¡°Mom, you¡¯re amazing!¡± After blowing her share of rainbow farts, Xia Ningxing finally got to the point, ¡°Dear Mom, I heard that the elementary school registration starts tomorrow!¡±


    She hadn¡¯t forgotten about her brothers needing to go to school.


    Upon hearing this, all five brothers instantly lifted their heads, eyes wide, collectively looking at Mrs. Xia with eyes full of hope and trepidation.


    Mrs. Xia acted as if she hadn¡¯t noticed, smiling and stroking her head, ¡°Bao¡¯er will be in fourth grade when school starts, just continue on; there¡¯s no need to re-register.¡±


    ¡°Mom, I¡¯m talking about my brothers.¡± Xia Ningxing could clearly see Mrs. Xia was playing dumb.


    Mrs. Xia casually said, ¡°Oh... there¡¯s no need for them to go to school.¡±


    Even though their family¡¯s financial situation had improved, she had never considered sending the five rascals to school. The boys could just work on the farm at home. What was the point of going to school and wasting money?

 Chapter 37 - 37 37 Conditions for Brothers to Attend

    ?Chapter 37: Chapter 37 Conditions for Brothers to Attend School_1 Chapter 37: Chapter 37 Conditions for Brothers to Attend School_1 Xia Ningxing couldn¡¯t help but frown as her mother¡¯s preference for daughters over sons was too strong, which was unacceptable, ¡°Mom, I know you don¡¯t like the brothers and thus don¡¯t want them to go to school, but ¡®within books, there are houses of gold.¡¯ If the brothers could get an education with their intelligence, they¡¯d surely find good jobs and make lots of money!¡±


    ¡°Then they could provide for you in old age and for me too!¡±


    In order to get her brothers to school, Xia Ningxing tried to appeal to their emotions and reason, her rosy little mouth non-stop in movement.


    Mrs. Xia¡¯s expression began to soften a bit, ¡°That seems to make some sense.¡±


    However, she was not swayed because her sons could provide for her in her old age but because she felt she couldn¡¯t take care of Bao¡¯er all her life, yet her brothers, who were about her age, could stay with her for life and take care of her for life.


    Seeing this, Xia Ningxing immediately threw a look at her brothers, signaling them to plead as well.


    The brothers were quick to catch on, now with snot and tears, each word sincere.


    ¡°Mom, please let us go to school. We will work hard to repay you and our sister in the future.¡±


    ¡°Please, Mom.¡±


    ¡°Let us go to school, Mom. We¡¯ll be forever grateful to you and our sister.¡±


    All five brothers had eyes full of desire for schooling; for people like them, only education was the way to change their fate.


    No one wanted to stay in this insignificant mountain village forever, nor did they want to toil in the fields, facing the loess and turning their backs to the sky for the rest of their lives.


    ¡°Mom, just agree!¡± Seeing her still hesitating, Xia Ningxing simply turned on the charm, her clear apricot eyes twinkling, filled with hope.


    ¡°Ah! You child!¡± Mrs. Xia couldn¡¯t help but sigh, unable to withstand their nagging, she finally gave in, ¡°Alright, if you want me to agree, it¡¯s not impossible, but you have to write a pledge to me first!¡±


    With that, Mrs. Xia lifted her eyes and glared at the several ¡°stinky boys¡± before her.


    ¡°What kind of pledge?¡± Xia Ningxing couldn¡¯t help but frown.


    Mrs. Xia replied, ¡°It¡¯s that your five brothers must sign and promise that they will give nine-tenths of their future earnings to you!¡±


    Hearing this, Xia Ningxing almost fainted, such an unequal treaty was just too much!


    If Mrs. Xia weren¡¯t her own mother, she probably would have started cursing by now.


    Growing up in such an unequal family can cause great psychological shadows on a child, and it is very likely to lead to psychological problems later on. She didn¡¯t want her brothers to be burdened with such issues.


    ¡°No way, Mom, that¡¯s absolutely not okay, too excessive!!!¡± Xia Ningxing would never let her own brothers sign such a thing.


    It was downright oppressive and humiliating!


    But before she could finish, the five brothers interrupted her.


    ¡°Mom, we agree!¡±


    ¡°Even if you didn¡¯t say it, Mom, when we earn money in the future, we will never forget our sister¡¯s great kindness!¡±


    ¡°Right!¡±


    ¡°We will never forget our sister!¡±


    The five brothers said in unison, clearly having made up their minds.


    ¡°Brothers!¡± Xia Ningxing stood aside, her little face almost creased into a chrysanthemum, sighing continuously, idiots, a bunch of big idiots!


    Why are there such dumb brothers in the world!


    ¡°Then it¡¯s settled,¡± Mrs. Xia said with a huff, glancing at them dismissively before suddenly softening her tone and tenderly saying to Xia Ningxing with lowered brows, ¡°Bao¡¯er, since you can read, help Mom write five pledges.¡±


    After finishing, as if something came to mind, Mrs. Xia added, ¡°And don¡¯t you think about fooling me because I can¡¯t read. I can have someone who can read check it.¡±


    Xia Ningxing couldn¡¯t help but hold her forehead, knowing that if Mrs. Xia said she could do something, she definitely would, so she had to abandon any idea of tampering with the pledges.


    ¡°I understand, Mom.¡±


    Oh well, what does it matter if they sign such an oppressive and humiliating agreement? In the end, she just wouldn¡¯t take her brothers¡¯ money.

 Chapter 38 - 38 38 Buy them all for me_1

    ?Chapter 38: Chapter 38 Buy them all for me_1 Chapter 38: Chapter 38 Buy them all for me_1 After making up her mind, Xia Ningxing quickly wrote five promissory notes and handed them out to each of her five brothers.


    The five brothers each used a black ink pen to stain their thumbs and then pressed them onto the papers.


    ¡°Mom, we¡¯ve signed,¡± they said.


    Mrs. Xia glanced at them, took the promissory notes, and tossed them a hundred dollars, her indifferent attitude as cold as that of a stranger: ¡°Go register yourselves tomorrow. Don¡¯t think I¡¯ll accompany you; I don¡¯t have the time!¡±


    She was already heartbroken about sending these five money-losers to school, let alone taking a day off to accompany them to register.


    In your dreams!


    ¡°We know, Mom. We¡¯ll go by ourselves,¡± the five brothers said, knowing their mother disdained them. They didn¡¯t get angry or make a fuss, but were especially well-behaved.


    Ningxing couldn¡¯t help but feel sympathy for them, and in her gentle, babyish voice said, ¡°I¡¯ll go with my brothers tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re such a good sister!¡± The brothers instantly beamed with joy and reached out to pat her little head.


    Xia Ningxing, like a fluffy little animal, basked in everyone¡¯s affection.


    The next day, Mrs. Xia went to set up her stall, while Ningxing and her five brothers went to register.


    They had once accompanied Mrs. Xia to register Ningxing, so they were quite familiar with the process.


    Even though the brothers had never formally attended school, they had secretly learned by peeking through the windows of the schoolhouse and had some basic knowledge.


    The school therefore placed the fifteen-year-old eldest brother in sixth grade.


    The thirteen-year-old second and third brothers were put in fifth grade,


    and the eleven-year-old fourth and fifth brothers in fourth grade.


    Registration was easy and soon done. After that, Ningxing extended her little hand to lead her brothers to buy backpacks, stationery, and other learning materials; school was starting in a week, and these essentials needed to be prepared in advance.


    ¡°Bao¡¯er, let¡¯s just forget it and you buy for yourself,¡± the eldest brother said, immediately shaking his head vigorously.


    Mother was already unhappy about them going to school, and she would disdain them even more if she saw them buying those things.


    ¡°Yeah, sister, you go ahead and buy. Brother can use the old backpacks and pencils from your house,¡± the other four brothers also hastily added.


    Ningxing could clearly see their concern, and gripping their hands, she forcefully led them on, patting her little chest with bravado: ¡°Buy! I¡¯ll buy for everyone! I¡¯ll shoulder any trouble that comes, don¡¯t worry!¡±


    ¡°Sister! You really are the best sister in the whole world!¡± The five brothers wished they could spoil her to the heavens.


    With new backpacks and stationery in hand, the brothers treasured them dearly, holding them carefully, afraid of getting them dirty.


    Watching them, Ningxing couldn¡¯t help but think of the days she had lived luxuriously; she wouldn¡¯t cherish designer bags worth hundreds of thousands and would sometimes even use them to carry vegetables smeared with mud.


    Ah, such extravagance!


    But... how she missed it!


    When Mrs. Xia returned in the evening and saw the five ¡°useless boys¡± each with a brand new backpack and boxes of stationery, her eyes nearly burst with anger, and she scolded, ¡°You lot, just a drain on finances, I should never have let you go to school! Wasting money! We have plenty of Bao¡¯er¡¯s old backpacks at home, aren¡¯t they good enough? Must you have new ones? Do you think money is easy to come by?¡±


    The five brothers immediately hung their heads, looking like they had done something wrong.


    ¡°Mom, we¡¯re sorry...¡±


    ¡°Mom!¡± Ningxing said, exasperated, as she walked over with her short little legs, ¡°I insisted on buying these things for my brothers. If you want to scold someone, scold me.¡±

 Chapter 39 - 39 39 Pangyas Mother Comes to Steal the

    ?Chapter 39: Chapter 39: Pangya¡¯s Mother Comes to Steal the Business_1 Chapter 39: Chapter 39: Pangya¡¯s Mother Comes to Steal the Business_1 Mrs. Xia¡¯s belly full of curses suddenly vanished into thin air, her face changing faster than anything: ¡°Hey! So Bao¡¯er bought it for her brother! Bao¡¯er is so sensible! Such a good girl! Come here! Mommy wants to give you a kiss!¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    After planting a kiss on Xia Ningxing¡¯s soft, pale little face, Mrs. Xia did not forget to warn her five little brats, ¡°Your sister is so good to you, if you dare to be not good to her in the future, I¡¯ll beat you to death!¡±


    ¡°We won¡¯t, we promise, we will treat her even better than ourselves!¡± the five brothers hastily swore.


    Xia Ningxing felt warmly inside, stretching out her little arms to hug her brothers, ¡°I believe in you, brothers!¡±


    With the soft, fragrant little sister in their arms, the faces of the five boys reddened with excitement, wishing they could keep her in their pockets and carry her around all the time.


    ¡°Alright, let go of your sister, haven¡¯t you heard that boys and girls should keep their distance!¡± Mrs. Xia couldn¡¯t help feeling jealous, and she came up fiercely to pull them apart, dragging Xia Ningxing into her arms to take her for a bath.


    When Xia Ningxing first arrived, she was embarrassed to let Mrs. Xia help her bathe, but after getting used to it, she realized... having someone help you bathe is truly comfortable!


    After school started, Xia Ningxing and her five brothers couldn¡¯t help with the stall every day, but they still came over to help every Saturday and Sunday.


    On this particular Saturday morning, there were not many people on the street yet, but there were considerably more vendors.


    Just as Xia Ningxing and her family had finished setting up their stall, they noticed that several other vendors who had just finished setting up their own were also selling perfume, just like them.


    ¡°How could these people steal our business!¡± Mrs. Xia muttered somewhat displeased.


    Xia Ningxing didn¡¯t feel much about it and ran to her side, comforting her with her cute, milky voice, ¡°Mommy, everyone wants to do a business that makes money. It¡¯s normal for them to follow suit, but they can¡¯t replicate our products. Even if there are many stealing our business, our sales will not be affected, don¡¯t worry.¡±


    These small vendors all wholesaled perfume from other places; the scents were quite ordinary. Although they could make a bit of money, they would definitely not affect their family¡¯s business.


    Mrs. Xia understood this all too well; it was just that she felt somewhat unhappy at heart.


    If merely seeing other people enter the same business made Mrs. Xia slightly upset, seeing Pangya¡¯s mother also starting to sell perfume like her nearly blew her top.


    That¡¯s right!


    Pangya¡¯s mother, green with envy over her profitable perfume sales, had started imitating her.


    At that moment, Pangya¡¯s mother was setting up her stall and even sneakily greeted them with her narrow, beady eyes, ¡°Oh my, what a coincidence, Lin Lan, we¡¯re colleagues again!¡±


    Pangya¡¯s mother was simply jealous of Mrs. Xia making so much money every day, so she outright quit her job to sell perfume too.


    She had been better than Mrs. Xia when they worked together at the factory, so she arrogantly thought that she would certainly not do worse in business, and might even surpass her by a lot!


    ¡°Pah!¡± Who would care to be colleagues with someone like you!


    Mrs. Xia spat in her direction, shot her a few glares, and if it weren¡¯t for selling on the street, she would absolutely have had a big fight with her!


    Xia Ningxing, sitting on a small chair, gave Pangya¡¯s mother a cool and indifferent glance before moving her gaze away, with an air of complete disregard, as if looking at an ant.


    In fact, that was indeed the case.


    As time went by, the street gradually became more crowded.


    Pangya¡¯s mother¡¯s greasy face forced a smile as she started her pitch: ¡°Selling perfume! Selling perfume here! One yuan a bottle! Buy three, get one free! Limited to a hundred bottles!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t miss out as you pass by!¡±

 Chapter 40 - 40 40 Pangyas Mothers Stall is Smashed_1

    ?Chapter 40: Chapter 40 Pangya¡¯s Mother¡¯s Stall is Smashed_1 Chapter 40: Chapter 40 Pangya¡¯s Mother¡¯s Stall is Smashed_1 Hearing this familiar line, several brothers were immediately infuriated, ¡°Not only are they stealing our business, but they¡¯re even using the same sales tactics as us!¡±


    Have they no shame at all?


    However, what was comforting and surprising was that hardly anyone went to buy from Pangya¡¯s mother.


    According to the customers...


    ¡°It¡¯s so cheap; who knows if it might be poisonous, and the scent isn¡¯t even pleasant!¡± A young lady whose friend, attracted by the low prices, wanted to check out Pangya¡¯s mother¡¯s stall, was promptly dragged to the Xia family¡¯s perfume stall by her.


    ¡°Come buy from this one, I¡¯ve bought several bottles from here before, the scents are super nice, some can even refresh you or dispel summer heat, and the fragrance lasts the whole day without dissipating!¡±


    Seeing her friend praise it to the skies, she couldn¡¯t help showing a skeptical look, ¡°Really? Are you serious!¡±


    ¡°Do I look like a shill for the seller, going as far as to make up lies just to make you buy something?¡± The young lady rolled her eyes at her, ¡°If you don¡¯t believe it, just try it yourself and take a sniff!¡±


    Seeing a customer, Mrs. Xia quickly greeted them warmly, her demeanor as tender as when she dealt with Bao¡¯er, ¡°Beautiful lady, please try it; if you like it, buy it, if not, it¡¯s fine.¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡± The other person nodded and took out a bottle of perfume to try.


    After confirming the fragrance was indeed as good as her best friend had described, she immediately decided to go halves with her friend on a purchase, three bottles plus one for free¡ªthat is, four¡ªfor seven and a half bucks each, getting two bottles each.


    Having made the first sale, business at the Xia family¡¯s stand started getting better and better.


    Seeing that the Xia family¡¯s stall was still bustling while her own hardly had anyone, Pangya¡¯s mother couldn¡¯t help stamping her foot in frustration and called out loudly once more, ¡°Perfume for sale! Cheap and good-quality perfume here!¡±


    Her voice was very loud, and her pitch so harsh and piercing that it made people¡¯s eardrums ache.


    A lot of people complained, ¡°Does that woman across the way have an issue? She¡¯s shouting so horribly!¡±


    ¡°Exactly, it hurts my ears!¡±


    Despite the complaints, there were still some people tempted by the cheap prices who went to buy from Pangya¡¯s mother.


    After all, the price of one bottle from the Xia family¡¯s stand was comparable to buying several from Pangya¡¯s mother!


    With Mrs. Xia and five brothers, the stall was well managed; Xia Ningxing was at that moment sitting on a tricycle, swinging her little legs, her arms encircled, and her water-like eyes gazing at Pangya¡¯s mother¡¯s stall, a cold sneer unbefitting her age crossing her naive face.


    Selling perfume so cheap, who knows how inferior the ingredients used are, not even fearing that customers might get poisoned using them.


    It¡¯s known that most perfumes on the market are not exactly floral extracts but are composed of chemical substances, and if they come from small workshops, the quality is even worse, potentially even toxic.


    At this, Ningxing must swear, she had only casually criticized in her heart at the time.


    But who would have thought...


    Someone actually got poisoned from using the perfume sold by Pangya¡¯s mother!


    More accurately, they had an allergic reaction and developed hives. (Indeed, inferior perfumes can cause allergies, wow!)


    It happened one afternoon a month later when everyone was setting up their stalls as usual.


    Unexpectedly, a girl wearing a mask came up and flipped over Pangya¡¯s mother¡¯s stall.


    ¡°You nasty woman, what kind of crap are you selling? It made my whole body break out in a rash!¡± The girl cursed and ranted, not content with just upsetting the stall; she also stomped fiercely on the perfume bottles on the ground.

 Chapter 41 - 41 41 Handling_1

    ?Chapter 41: Chapter 41 Handling_1 Chapter 41: Chapter 41 Handling_1 Pangya¡¯s mother was not one to have a good temper either. At this moment, seeing someone vandalizing her stall, her eyes nearly split with rage as she cursed back, ¡°You cheap slut, are you sick in the head or what? How dare you smash my stall!¡±


    ¡°Your perfume caused my allergy!¡± The girl, seeing the perpetrator still daring to swear and curse, her eyes nearly bursting with fire, said this and stretched out her hand to remove the mask from her face.


    The onlookers couldn¡¯t help but gasp when she took it off.


    The girl had particularly attractive features, clearly a great beauty, but her face was covered with small red spots, and her neck was also a swath of red.


    She then rolled up her sleeves, revealing a similar rash of red spots on her arms.


    ¡°If I had known your perfume was toxic, I wouldn¡¯t have taken it even if you beat me to death!¡± The girl grew more and more distressed as she thought about it, tears streaming down non-stop.


    She was a girl who loved beauty, just that her family wasn¡¯t well-off and couldn¡¯t afford the good stuff. She thought she might as well buy a cheap one to make do, as long as there was some fragrance on her body.


    But who could have imagined that the next day she would feel an unbearable itchiness and large patches of redness on her body, and when she went to the hospital, the doctors said it was urticaria caused by an allergy.


    They then asked if she had eaten something or used something that caused the allergy.


    But her diet was always the same, so it couldn¡¯t be due to the food she ate.


    As for the things she used... She suddenly remembered the perfume she had bought some time ago.


    To verify if it was the perfume causing the allergy, she sprayed some more on her arm, and indeed, the hives got even worse!


    What did this prove?


    It proved that the perfume was the culprit causing her urticaria!


    ¡°Hurry up and compensate, or this matter isn¡¯t over!¡±


    The girl pointed at her, her face wet with tears like rain on pear blossoms.


    Pangya¡¯s mother never imagined that selling perfume could cause trouble. Plus, with people around her pointing and whispering, her face turned from green to white, but she wouldn¡¯t admit it, ¡°You say you¡¯re allergic because of the perfume from my stall, but do you have any proof? It¡¯s not like mine is the only perfume stall here. Maybe you used someone else¡¯s.¡±


    ¡°I only bought from your place!¡± the girl insisted unwaveringly and took out the perfume she had bought from her stall not long ago, placing it in front of her.


    Yet this was by no means clear evidence, nor could it prove that the perfume was the cause of her allergy.


    Pangya¡¯s mother felt emboldened by the lack of evidence: ¡°Young lady, don¡¯t slander people without proof!¡±


    ¡°You!¡± The girl was choked with anger, ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll call the police and let them handle this!¡±


    ¡°This... this trivial matter isn¡¯t worth bothering the authorities over!¡± The moment Pangya¡¯s mother heard about calling the police, her eyebrows knotted tightly, revealing her nervousness.


    After all, she had bought the perfume from a small workshop. When she had purchased the stock, she had seen how dirty and chaotic the workshop was, with flies and mosquitoes everywhere. It could very well cause an allergic reaction.


    ¡°How about this? I¡¯ll give you ten bucks and we¡¯ll call it even!¡± Partly out of guilt and partly wanting to minimize the issue, Pangya¡¯s mother begrudgingly took out ten yuan and threw it to the girl.


    But the girl almost rushed up to slap her, ¡°Ten bucks? Are you dismissing me like a beggar?¡± She sobbed, ¡°I almost had my face ruined! I¡¯ve spent dozens at the hospital these past few days!¡±


    ¡°You just wait here, I absolutely must report this to the police today!¡±


    When the girl said she would report it, she really did, and soon the authorities arrived.


    Seeing the officials coming, Pangya¡¯s mother switched faces, slapping her thighs and wailing as if her life was on the line, making those who didn¡¯t know any better think the victim was her, ¡°Officer Uncle, you have to stand up for me! There¡¯s absolutely nothing wrong with the perfume I sell, I use it myself! See, I¡¯m completely fine!¡±


    ¡°If your perfume wasn¡¯t the problem, how could I possibly get hives from an allergy!¡± The girl retorted, refusing to back down.


    At this point, both sides argued back and forth, each making their own case.

 Chapter 42 - 42 42 Pangyas Mother is Fined_1

    ?Chapter 42: Chapter 42 Pangya¡¯s Mother is Fined_1 Chapter 42: Chapter 42 Pangya¡¯s Mother is Fined_1 ¡°Everyone shut up, what are you arguing about!¡±


    Seeing that the two were almost coming to blows, the police couldn¡¯t help berating them and, after understanding the situation, directly provided a solution, ¡°This matter can be easily handled. Just take the perfume for an assessment to see if it¡¯s really toxic or not. If the assessment indeed shows that there is a problem with the perfume, then the stall owner Xu Caishua will bear the costs of the appraisal and the medical expenses of the other party. Otherwise, the buyer will have to bear the costs and also compensate for the damaged perfume.¡±


    ¡°I agree!¡± The girl had no objection, after all, she had already tested it and knew her perfume was the problem, so she wasn¡¯t worried.


    Pangya¡¯s mother, however, was rather conflicted, her lips moved but she dared not say more in front of the authorities.


    If she refused, that would imply she had a guilty conscience!


    Then the authorities would definitely think there was something wrong with her perfume.


    But why should she feel guilty? She used the perfume herself and she never had a problem, what an exaggerated fuss over nothing by that wretched girl!


    Determined, Pangya¡¯s mother gathered her courage, ¡°I agree as well!¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Seeing that neither party had objections, the authorities nodded and took notes.


    The results of the assessment came out three days later, confirming that the perfume sold by Pangya¡¯s mother was indeed a low-quality, toxic product that could cause skin allergies.


    Therefore, she was responsible for the allergic reactions of the victim and had to compensate the victim with one hundred yuan for medical expenses, as well as fifty yuan for nutritional fees, fifty yuan for mental distress, one hundred yuan for loss of work time, and also pay for the appraisal fee of five hundred yuan, totaling eight hundred yuan.


    ¡°My dear mother, eight hundred yuan?¡± Upon hearing this, Pangya¡¯s mother¡¯s legs gave way, and she collapsed on the ground, frightened. Eight hundred yuan could have taken her several years to save, but now it had to be given away for nothing.


    At this point, Pangya¡¯s mother was so angry she pounded the ground and howled like a pig being slaughtered, ¡°What sin have I committed, where would I get the money to pay? Might as well send me to prison, since there is no money to give!¡±


    Who would have thought, she hadn¡¯t even earned the capital yet, and now she had to unexpectedly repay eight hundred yuan!


    This was draining her family¡¯s entire savings!


    ¡°Stop howling, we¡¯ve gone through your family¡¯s accounts, and you can afford to pay eight hundred yuan,¡± the police said, exasperated by her shrewish behavior.


    The police station was conveniently not far from the pedestrian street and at this moment, people on the street could witness this spectacle.


    Everyone remembered the perfume allergy incident from a couple of days ago and now gathered around to watch.


    Xia Ningxing was among them.


    After the police instructed Pangya¡¯s mother to produce the eight hundred yuan, her husband, red-eyed with anger, pointed at her and cursed furiously, ¡°You ruinous woman! Why don¡¯t you just die! Trying to do business like Lin Lan! What business can you do? Are you even a match for one of Lin Lan¡¯s toes?¡±


    ¡°Idiot! You should be the one to die!¡±


    Witnessing this scene, Xia Ningxing couldn¡¯t help but cross her arms, with a look that was somewhere between a smile and a sneer.


    What was this?


    An ugly imitation?


    Attempting to draw a tiger but ending up with a dog?


    In any case, the embarrassing story of Pangya¡¯s mother spread throughout Peach Blossom Village.


    When Xia Ningxing and her family packed up their stall to head home, they heard everyone discussing the matter.


    ¡°Hey! Tune in for a very important news announcement!¡±


    ¡°Did you hear? That big daughter-in-law from the Zhao family in Peach Blossom Village, Xu Caishua, copied Xia Jianren¡¯s wife in selling perfume, guess what happened, not only did she not make any money, she actually had to compensate eight hundred yuan to someone else!¡±


    ¡°Eight hundred yuan!?¡±


    ¡°Yes! That¡¯s right!¡±


    ¡°Actually, it¡¯s more than that, I hear she spent over two hundred yuan on inventory, and now it¡¯s all been destroyed by the authorities.¡±


    ¡°Oh my, that¡¯s nearly a thousand yuan. If my wife was that wasteful, I would have beaten her to death!¡±


    ¡°If you don¡¯t have the ability, don¡¯t take on such delicate tasks. You had a proper job and left it to do business!¡±


    ¡°I bet she was just jealous of Lin Lan!¡±


    ¡°I think so too.¡±

 Chapter 43 - 43 43 How come she seems to be my benefactor_1

    ?Chapter 43: Chapter 43 How come she seems to be my benefactor_1 Chapter 43: Chapter 43 How come she seems to be my benefactor_1 Mrs. Xia was overjoyed to hear these words, and she couldn¡¯t help complaining to Xia Ningxing and the others, ¡°You know, Xu Caishua was from the same village as me, and our families were neighbors. She¡¯s been competitive since we were kids, always wanting to outdo me in everything. It was so annoying!¡±


    ¡°She even persuaded the factory manager to fire me!¡±


    Thinking about all this made Mrs. Xia¡¯s teeth itch with hatred.


    Back then, working in a factory was a matter of great pride, pretty much like being a white-collar worker in later generations.


    ¡°But I have to thank her, if she hadn¡¯t gotten me fired, how could I have started a business and become my own boss?¡± During these days of running a stall, Mrs. Xia¡¯s mindset and thoughts had undergone a significant change.


    Thinking that running a stall is speculative and shameful is complete bullshit!


    Making money is the absolute law!


    ¡°Oh my, why do I feel like she¡¯s become my benefactor? Maybe I should go thank her personally one of these days?¡± Suddenly, Mrs. Xia¡¯s tone changed, and she had the audacious cheek to act as if she was grateful.


    If Pangya¡¯s mom was here, she would definitely have kicked her flying.


    Seeing her so happy she was almost flying, Xia Ningxing curved her lips and spoke, ¡°Mom, the situation with Pangya¡¯s mom will somewhat affect our business too. We should get the perfumes appraised tomorrow. When we set up the stall, we can display the quality inspection reports, so customers will feel assured when they buy.¡±


    The goods from street stalls are inherently untrustworthy, and with this incident, people were even more wary, but with a quality inspection report, it would be different.


    ¡°But a quality inspection costs five hundred yuan!¡± Mrs. Xia truly felt the pinch.


    ¡°Spending five hundred yuan could attract more customers, Mom, does it still hurt to part with the money?¡± Xia Ningxing analyzed with a smiling face.


    Mrs. Xia thought about it and beamed, ¡°That¡¯s true, no pain, no gain. If you¡¯re not willing to spend a little money, you can¡¯t make big money!¡±


    With the quality inspection reports, as soon as customers saw that Mrs. Xia¡¯s perfumes contained many precious ingredients and even had the effect of refreshing the mind and nourishing vitality, they were even more willing to open their wallets, and business got better and better.


    Later, with Xia Ningxing¡¯s suggestion, Mrs. Xia started wholesaling lipsticks, bags, and other items to sell alongside the perfumes.


    She also learned many sales techniques from her.


    The business was better than ever, making an average of around three hundred a day.


    The villagers were green with envy.


    Especially since it was time to redistribute the land again, some couldn¡¯t resist making snide remarks, ¡°Hey, Mrs. Xia Jianren, you¡¯re going to be a businesswoman now, you probably look down on farming, right? How about you don¡¯t take any land when it¡¯s time for the redistribution?¡±


    ¡°Am I taking your family¡¯s land?¡± Mrs. Xia glared, ready for a fight!


    ¡°Do I not have the right to claim land just because I run a business?¡±


    ¡°Which leader made that rule?¡±


    ¡°You brain-dead piece of crap!¡±


    The person who was scolded left with a face flushed with embarrassment and a sense of defeat.


    Redistribute land?


    Xia Ningxing blinked her eyes, only then remembering that Peach Blossom Village would acquire new farmland every few years, which would then be distributed to those who didn¡¯t have land yet.


    For example, in Xia Ningxing¡¯s family there were eight people.


    But since Mr. Xia, Mrs. Xia, and the eldest brother had gotten land many years ago, they were not eligible this time.


    That is to say, only Xia Ningxing and her four brothers would get land this time.


    One mu each, a total of five mu.


    On the day of the land distribution, the village chief used a loudspeaker to gather everyone at the entrance to the village.


    Land redistribution was a big affair for rural residents, so Mrs. Xia didn¡¯t go to the stall that day and brought Xia Ningxing along with the five boys.


    At that moment, the entrance to the village was surrounded by dozens of people, bustling with activity.


    The village chief stood on a wide bench with a loudspeaker in hand, giving a speech.


    Behind him was the map of the new farmland division.

 Chapter 44 - 44 44 Draw Lots_1

    ?Chapter 44: Chapter 44 Draw Lots_1 Chapter 44: Chapter 44 Draw Lots_1 Xia Ningxing lifted her eyes at this moment, her gaze passing over the enthusiastically speech-giving village chief, and landed on the land division map behind him.


    A few of those acres would soon have a wide river flowing through them; in other words, this land was going to be appropriated by the authorities to build a river channel.


    Appropriated, but not for nothing¡ªthey would compensate two thousand yuan for each acre!


    Two thousand yuan might not be much in later times, but in that era, it was enough for most people to earn in four or five years without eating or drinking, whereas planting rice and other common crops would barely earn this amount in over ten years.


    If their family¡¯s five acres... that would be ten thousand yuan!


    Although by the late ¡¯80s, the notion of a ten-thousand-yuan household wasn¡¯t too valuable, in remote rural areas, it still symbolized a wealthy landlord!


    Enough to buy a one-hundred-square-meter house in the city center of their tiny eighteenth-tier city!


    If they were to build themselves, they could construct two large edifices!


    This opportunity had to be seized!


    Xia Ningxing couldn¡¯t help but blink her eyes, which revealed a trace of shrewdness, and then she concealed it again, pretending as if everything was normal, her eyes regaining the innocent simplicity of a child.


    Finally, when everyone was almost falling asleep, the village chief concluded his lengthy speech, leading up to the day¡¯s highlight, ¡°...Now, let us decide the order in which each household will select their farmland by drawing lots!¡±


    As these words were uttered, other village officials brought over a box.


    There was a hole at the top of the box through which one could reach in to draw.


    At last, the moment everyone had been waiting for arrived, and they instantly became spirited, rubbing their hands and eager to try their luck, hoping to draw a number that would allow them to pick the most fertile land first.


    ¡°Now, everyone line up by age. Go one by one, no rushing, and those who don¡¯t line up will be disqualified,¡± the village chief said as he frowned and yelled when he saw the villagers swarming forward, nearly knocking over the lot-drawing box.


    Now that the village chief had spoken, everyone began to line up more conscientiously.


    ¡°Mom, who should our family send to draw lots?¡± asked the eldest brother at this moment.


    One person drawing lots on behalf of a family was enough.


    Mrs. Xia didn¡¯t hesitate to push Xia Ningxing to the front, ¡°Of course, it¡¯s Bao¡¯er!¡±


    ¡°Me?¡± Xia Ningxing pointed at herself, then couldn¡¯t help but shake her head, ¡°I don¡¯t think I can...¡±


    She didn¡¯t believe she had any good luck.


    After all, she had managed to end up as an unnamed extra who didn¡¯t even appear in the main text when she transmigrated into a book!


    In the present situation, she truly dared not take on such a big responsibility!


    ¡°Bao¡¯er, don¡¯t be modest. If you can¡¯t draw the lots, then who in our family is fit to? Besides, I believe Bao¡¯er is the luckiest baby!¡± Mrs. Xia, a mother with a ¡°daughter complex¡± aura, always saw Xia Ningxing as utterly perfect, without a single flaw.


    Thus, Xia Ningxing had no choice but to steel herself, ¡°Then, I¡¯m going.¡±


    The lot drawing was also organized by age; for such an important matter, parents simply wouldn¡¯t let their children participate, so now Xia Ningxing was the first to go up and draw.


    ¡°Why is Xia Jianren¡¯s family letting a child draw?¡±


    ¡°Who knows!¡±


    ¡°What good spot could a child draw? This is ridiculous.¡±


    Seeing this, everyone began to whisper among themselves, shaking their heads, already certain that their family wouldn¡¯t draw anything good.


    Xia Ningxing couldn¡¯t be bothered with these people; she held her breath at this moment and extended her fair and delicate hand into the box.


    As she reached in, Mrs. Xia and her five older brothers immediately fixed their gazes on her, filled with hope.


    Even though Mrs. Xia and the others wouldn¡¯t blame her if Xia Ningxing didn¡¯t draw a good number, she still felt an immense pressure.


    Yet she didn¡¯t have x-ray vision to see which slip of paper had the preferential numbers; in the end, she could only casually grab one.


    ¡°What number is it?¡± Mrs. Xia and her brothers rushed forward to see.

 Chapter 45 - 45 45 Old Mrs. Xia Comes to Snatch_1

    ?Chapter 45: Chapter 45 Old Mrs. Xia Comes to Snatch_1 Chapter 45: Chapter 45 Old Mrs. Xia Comes to Snatch_1 ¡°Let me see...¡± Xia Ningxing slowly unfolded the slip of paper in her palm.


    Her little heart ¡®thumped¡¯ nonstop, clearly very nervous and excited.


    Upon seeing the number on it, she almost wanted to climb onto the roof and dance with joy, her voice trembling with excitement, ¡°It¡¯s number one!¡±


    That meant their family could be the first to choose the farmland later.


    Originally, she had been worrying about what they would do if the land that was to be levied was taken by someone else, but unexpectedly, her luck was so good that she drew the first one!


    Now, the land to be levied was as good as hers!


    ¡°Wow! Little sister is really amazing!¡± the five brothers praised in unison.


    Mrs. Xia rushed over excitedly and embraced Xia Ningxing, peppering her soft little face with kisses, ¡°I knew our Bao¡¯er was a lucky one!¡±


    ¡°Stay calm! Stay calm!¡± Xia Ningxing¡¯s rosy lips curved into a smile; she clearly hadn¡¯t expected to be so fortunate either.


    ¡°Not bad at all, the luck of Xia Jianren¡¯s family is really not bad, and they will be the first to pick their plot,¡± the village chief said cheerfully on the side.


    In those days, not many people were literate, so to avoid the issue of people drawing a number but not being able to read it, village leaders would read out the numbers, telling everyone the order they had drawn.


    As soon as this was said, the peasants around them couldn¡¯t help but turn green with envy.


    Over the past year, nobody knew what kind of luck Xia Jianren¡¯s family had stumbled upon; first, they made money in business, bought a three-wheeler, and now they were even the first to pick their land in the draw.


    Originally, everyone thought that the children would definitely not draw any good numbers, but with Xia Ningxing setting the example, many peasants began to send their own children to draw.


    However, they didn¡¯t have the same good fortune as Xia Ningxing, either drawing the very last numbers or those after dozens of others.


    With dozens of people drawing lots, it would take some time, so Xia Ningxing and her family waited on the side for everyone to receive their number before proceeding with the land division.


    At that moment, an old lady with sparse white hair and bound feet came walking over quickly, and as soon as she approached Xia Ningxing and her family, she demanded in an extremely uncomfortable tone, her beady eyes gleaming with cunning and calculation:


    ¡°Jianren¡¯s wife, swap your number one spot with your eldest brother¡¯s family!¡±


    Xia Ningxing narrowed her eyes slightly, taking a look at the other party.


    This arrogant old lady was her biological grandmother, also Mrs. Xia¡¯s mother-in-law.


    Upon hearing her mother-in-law¡¯s tone, Mrs. Xia¡¯s eyebrows knotted into a tight frown, visibly trembling with anger, ¡°Mother, we drew the first one, why should we have to swap it with eldest brother and sister-in-law¡¯s family?¡±


    Old Mrs. Xia had two sons, and after the family divided, she lived with the eldest. She had always shown favoritism towards him.


    Seeing that Mrs. Xia not only disobeyed but also dared to talk back, Old Mrs. Xia became furious, banging her cane, ¡°Have there ceased to be any principles? You little wretch, how dare you talk back to me, you disloyal dog, when Jianren gets back, I¡¯ll make sure he divorces you, you hussy!¡±


    ¡°Mother! You¡¯re going too far!¡± Being called a hussy and threatened with divorce by her own mother-in-law in public, Mrs. Xia¡¯s face, thick-skinned as it usually was, now reddened with suppressed anger.


    If it weren¡¯t for the last bit of concern for her reputation, she would have strangled her right there.


    ¡°I think you¡¯re the one going too far, not listening to your elders, you little hussy!¡± Old Mrs. Xia¡¯s curse grew fiercer, ¡°Hand over the first farmland drawing right now!¡±


    In those days, the mother-in-law¡¯s status was extremely high; daughters-in-law had no choice but to flatter and endure scolding. If you dared to resist or talk back, it meant you were unfilial, ill-bred, and a wicked daughter-in-law!


    Xia Ningxing could no longer bear it; her fists tightening inch by inch, she burst out in front of Mrs. Xia, placing her small hands on her hips and glaring with her almond-shaped eyes, fiercely:


    ¡°I won¡¯t allow you to scold my mother. I was the one who drew number one, I won¡¯t swap it, and even if my mother wanted to, I definitely wouldn¡¯t agree!¡±


    She would not let Mrs. Xia carry the stigma of being a disrespectful daughter-in-law to her mother-in-law, so she took all the blame upon herself.


    Anyway, she was just a child; people would at most say she was ignorant, and they wouldn¡¯t blow things out of proportion.

 Chapter 46 - 46 46 Teaching Old Mrs. Xia a Lesson_1

    ?Chapter 46: Chapter 46 Teaching Old Mrs. Xia a Lesson_1 Chapter 46: Chapter 46 Teaching Old Mrs. Xia a Lesson_1 Old Mrs. Xia wasn¡¯t like Mrs. Xia, who favored her daughters; she actually despised girls the most, especially now that Xia Ningxing had the nerve to talk back to her, which made her disdain even greater, ¡°A worthless wretch raised by a cheap slut; absolutely not presentable, no concept of respecting one¡¯s elders at all!¡±


    ¡°Respect has to be earned, Granny, and you certainly don¡¯t qualify for it,¡± Xia Ningxing stressed the last few words, elongating the tone with full sarcasm.


    A crazy old hag, daring to speak of respect in front of her!


    I¡¯ll respect your grandmother¡¯s leg!


    ¡°You good-for-nothing, you¡¯re asking for a beating!¡± Old Mrs. Xia, who had been pampered by her children and daughter-in-law all her life, couldn¡¯t take this humiliation; she raised her walking stick to strike Xia Ningxing.


    Mrs. Xia and the five brothers were immediately alarmed and tried to stop her, ¡°Mother/Grandma, don¡¯t hit your sister!¡±


    ¡°Ah! Granny is hitting someone, help me, village chief-grandfather, save me!¡± Xia Ningxing pretended to be scared to death, but she swiftly ran to the village chief and clung to his legs.


    Getting tangled up with such an unreasonable old hag wouldn¡¯t benefit her; therefore, Xia Ningxing planned to deal with the old lady by leveraging the village chief¡¯s influence.


    The drawing of lots was proposed by the village chief, so the possibility of everyone freely changing their order was out of the question. That would be a slap in the face for the village chief, and he would never allow such a thing to happen.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on here with the Xia family, why are you hitting a child?¡± The village chief, who had been watching the drawing of lots, frowned deeply in displeasure as he saw the tiny Xia Ningxing with tears streaming down her face, and stared at Old Mrs. Xia who was raising her walking stick to hit someone.


    What is all this nonsense, creating trouble on such a good day for dividing the farmland!


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing, just, just the child being disobedient, I wanted to discipline her a bit,¡± Old Mrs. Xia had lost all her previous fierceness, not daring to speak the truth in front of the village chief, and could only offer a sheepish explanation.


    After all, asking to change the order of farmland allocation was too shameless; this couldn¡¯t be known to outsiders.


    So she secretly glared at Xia Ningxing again, ¡°You wretched girl, let go of the village chief at once and come here!¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t!¡± Xia Ningxing sniffled, hugging even tighter, and raised her tear-filled, fierce eyes, starting to complain in a choked voice, ¡°Village chief-grandfather, you have to stand up for our family!¡±


    ¡°What happened, Bao¡¯er?¡± The village chief looked down at her.


    Old Mrs. Xia, fearing that her granddaughter would spill the beans, quickly interrupted, ¡°It¡¯s nothing at all!¡±


    ¡°You be quiet!¡± The village chief was no fool; he shot Old Mrs. Xia a sharp look.


    The child was crying like this, and to say it was nothing! Did she take him for an idiot?


    Lady Xia immediately deflated like a punctured ball, not daring to utter another word.


    The village chief then bent down again and gently touched the girl¡¯s hair, ¡°Bao¡¯er, tell Grandpa, what exactly happened?¡±


    Xia Ningxing sobbed and said, ¡°Village chief-grandfather, didn¡¯t I just draw number one? Granny, she wanted us to give the first spot to my eldest uncle¡¯s family!¡±


    ¡°When we refused, she started cursing my mother with all sorts of nasty words, and then she wanted to hit me, even threatening my mother, saying that if she didn¡¯t agree, she would beat me, the worthless wretch, to death, wuu wuu wuu...¡±


    This exaggerated tale almost made Old Mrs. Xia roll her eyes and faint.


    ¡°You deceitful wretch, how dare you twist right and wrong!¡± When had she ever said she would beat her to death!


    Old Mrs. Xia¡¯s eyes were about to burst from fury as she lifted her walking stick and pointed at her, her hand trembling as if afflicted by Parkinson¡¯s disease, as though Xia Ningxing were some mortal enemy responsible for killing her father.

 Chapter 47 - 47 47 Starting selection_1

    ?Chapter 47: Chapter 47 Starting selection_1 Chapter 47: Chapter 47 Starting selection_1 Xia Ningxing then ¡°frightenedly¡± trembled thrice.


    The village chief, his beard bristling with anger, scolded loudly, ¡°Old Mrs. Xia, what era are we living in now, how can you still hold such an obsolete and regressive view that a daughter is a losing proposition!¡±


    ¡°Moreover, I arranged the draw to ensure fairness. Whichever number a family draws is the number they get. Who gave you permission to swap them in secret?¡±


    Lady Xia was typically domineering within her own family, and now, being chastised, she turned beet red with mortification, nearly hating Xia Ningxing and her mother to death.


    She felt that, had they not insisted on making a big deal out of the situation, she would never have been publicly scolded by the village chief.


    With things having come to this point, Uncle Xia, who had earlier encouraged his mother to switch the lots, suddenly felt ashamed and quickly stepped forward to pull his mother away and apologize for her, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, village chief, my mother acted impulsively.¡±


    The crowd could not help laughing, ¡°An impulsive act? Everyone in our village knows that Old Mrs. Xia favors the eldest Xia family and always bullies Jianren¡¯s family.¡±


    ¡°They drew the first lot through their own effort, why should it be swapped with yours!¡±


    ¡°Must be dreaming!¡±


    Having failed to get the number one slot for Uncle Xia¡¯s family, they already felt extremely frustrated, and now they became the butt of the joke, wishing they could just crawl into a hole.


    The village chief couldn¡¯t be bothered with their family any longer, and he lifted a hand to wipe away the little girl¡¯s tears, comforting her, ¡°Don¡¯t cry, Bao¡¯er, Jianren¡¯s wife will pick the land soon. With me as the village chief here, I¡¯d like to see who dares to switch your family¡¯s slot!¡±


    He then lifted his eyes, signaling Mrs. Xia.


    The last sentence was spoken in a very loud voice, clearly intended for certain individuals to hear.


    ¡°Thank you, Uncle Village Chief!¡± Mrs. Xia¡¯s eyes reddened slightly as she hurried forward, realizing that her own family were less reliable than an outsider!


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing but courtesy between fellow villagers,¡± the village chief waved his hand, then added, ¡°Your family still has five members without allocated land, so this time you can divide up five acres. Choose for yourself.¡±


    He pointed to a division map behind him.


    ¡°Okay, Uncle Village Chief,¡± Mrs. Xia nodded, her pretty almond-shaped eyes fixed on the map.


    Having married into Peach Blossom Village for over a decade, she naturally knew which lands were fertile.


    For instance, the three acres north of the bridge used to be an orchard converted to farmland and were said to use organic soil, yielding a high output, but just last year the owner gambled everything away overnight and couldn¡¯t continue farming, so the land reverted back to the village.


    There were also four acres south of the bridge that were productive fields. Originally, these lands had an owner, but after his death and with no heirs to inherit, the village reclaimed them.


    Even the land to the east was fertile...


    Though the Xia family was now in business and not short of money, Mrs. Xia still wanted fertile land for their later years.


    Having money didn¡¯t change her belief that having land was the true sense of security.


    ¡°Xia Jianren¡¯s wife, have you made your choice?¡± Seeing her silent for so long, the village chief couldn¡¯t help but ask.


    ¡°I have made a choice, just the bri...¡± Mrs. Xia was about to say when Xia Ningxing ran over. She stood on her tiptoes, her soft, pale hand pointing at the northwest corner of the land division map, turning her head to look at her mother, ¡°Mom, we want these five acres!¡±


    Mrs. Xia focused and quickly shook her head, ¡°No, no, Bao¡¯er, that corner land won¡¯t yield crops.¡±


    Speaking of which, it was rather strange. Crops grew on every other piece of land but not on that one, leading the villagers to quietly speculate that it was an ominous place.

 Chapter 48 - 48 48 Wastelands All Want_1

    ?Chapter 48: Chapter 48 Wastelands All Want_1 Chapter 48: Chapter 48 Wastelands All Want_1 Xia Ningxing frowned slightly, as she was someone from the new era and naturally did not believe in these superstitions. It was likely that there was just a problem with the soil quality.


    The most important thing was that they didn¡¯t rely on farming to make a living anyway. Whether the land could yield crops was actually irrelevant. What mattered was that it could be taxed.


    However, she couldn¡¯t just come out and say that the land could be taxed in the future...


    A trace of helplessness briefly crossed Xia Ningxing¡¯s still childish face, it seemed she would have to resort to shameless and unscrupulous methods!


    Suddenly, the little creature puffed up her cheeks toward Mrs. Xia and was on the verge of tears, like an ignorant child who must have candies, stamping her foot, ¡°I don¡¯t care, I want those five pieces of land here!¡±


    ¡°Bao¡¯er, that land really isn¡¯t good...¡± Mrs. Xia saw that she was about to cry and quickly squatted down to comfort her.


    The five brothers looked at each other and then decided to trust their sister, ¡°Mom, why not trust Ningxing? I feel like Ningxing has never made a wrong decision.¡±


    For instance, acting to earn money.


    Or selling perfumes.


    So this time, they were willing to trust her too.


    Xia Ningxing had thought that her brothers surely wouldn¡¯t be able to persuade Mrs. Xia, but to her surprise, Mrs. Xia blinked, nodded, and said, ¡°It seems like it!¡±


    So...


    The Xia¡¤doting mother¡¤tenderly wiped away Ningxing¡¯s tears while looking up at the village chief to tell him their final choice, ¡°Uncle, we¡¯ve decided on the five acres in the northwest corner!¡±


    ¡°But you can¡¯t grow crops on that land. Are you really sure you want it?¡± The village chief had heard their conversation before, but seeing that they had truly decided, he couldn¡¯t help but try to advise them again.


    After all, the farmland is a farmer¡¯s life.


    However, no sooner had the village chief finished speaking than the villagers below started clamoring, seemingly eager for the Xia family to choose the barren land.


    ¡°Village chief, the Xia Jianren family can now make money and have long stopped caring about farming. Since they want the barren land, let them take it!¡±


    ¡°They won¡¯t starve to death without farming, unlike us.¡±


    ¡°Exactly, exactly!¡±


    Everyone started yelling, especially those villagers who would be picking their fields last, hoping that the barren land would be selected first by someone blind to its condition.


    That way, even if they couldn¡¯t choose any good fields, it would be much better than taking over a barren land where no crops could grow!


    ¡°What¡¯s all this noise, shut your mouths!¡± Almost everyone present was speaking, and in an instant, it was as if hundreds more ducks had joined in. Overwhelmed, the village chief glared at the people below before confirming once more with Mrs. Xia, ¡°Wife of Xia Jianren, are you really sure of your decision?¡±


    Fearing that Mrs. Xia might change her mind halfway, Ningxing looked at her with wet, pitiful deer-like eyes, seemingly ready to burst into tears if she dared to go back on her word.


    Mrs. Xia clenched her teeth, ¡°Yes, our family will take the five acres in the northwest corner.¡±


    ¡°Ah... alright then, as you wish.¡± Since they insisted, the village chief didn¡¯t have much else to say, sighed, and recorded it in his notebook.


    Seeing the barren land actually being chosen, the villagers couldn¡¯t help but breathe a sigh of relief, and of course, they didn¡¯t forget to mock the Xia family.


    ¡°The Xia Jianren family must have gone crazy from doing business, even wanting the barren land!¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t they say it? They really don¡¯t care about the little money made from farming.¡±


    ¡°Tsk tsk tsk...¡±


    Old Mrs. Xia was also in the crowd. Seeing and hearing that her second son¡¯s family had chosen some barren land, her face turned pale, and with a sharp and mean expression, she spat on the ground, ¡°A family ruining piece of crap! To think such a big decision was left to a loss-making good-for-nothing!¡±


    But as she ranted, she suddenly thought of something and pulled the wife of the eldest son closer to whisper in her ear.

 Chapter 49 - 49 49 Old Mrs. Xia is up to no good again_1

    ?Chapter 49: Chapter 49 Old Mrs. Xia is up to no good again_1 Chapter 49: Chapter 49 Old Mrs. Xia is up to no good again_1 Xia Aiguo¡¯s wife was originally impatient when she was dragged over, but upon hearing Old Mrs. Xia¡¯s suggestion, a flower nearly bloomed from the smile on her face.


    Brilliant!


    Xia Ningxing didn¡¯t see their little actions; she was fixated on those making snide comments, and couldn¡¯t help but sneer inwardly, thinking that before long, she would show them what ¡°regret¡± really meant!


    They had no idea what they were missing out on!


    Mrs. Xia saw Ningxing pursing her lips, with an appearance of ¡°distress,¡± and mistook it for being agitated by everyone¡¯s words. She quickly reached for her little hand, ¡°Good Baby, let¡¯s go, we¡¯ll head back home.¡±


    After choosing the lands, there was nothing else to do; whether to stay or to leave was up to oneself.


    ¡°Wait a minute!¡± Just as they were about to leave, a plump woman with an ordinary look but shrewd eyes waddled over.


    She was Xia Aiguo¡¯s wife, and Mrs. Xia¡¯s sister-in-law.


    As soon as she started speaking, she said, ¡°Sister-in-law, since your family disdains farming and likes the wasteland in the northwest corner, how about this deal, I have two pieces of wasteland in the northwest corner, and out of family relations, I won¡¯t talk money with you. Just swap your two pieces of good land for our wasteland, what do you say?¡±


    The woman wore a smug smile, but it was full of nauseating scheming; this was precisely what Old Mrs. Xia had whispered to her earlier.


    It had to be said, they played a cunning game, swapping barren land for someone¡¯s good land!


    Mrs. Xia was so angry she almost dropped dead on the spot, trembling as she pointed at her, taking a while to squeeze out a few words through her clenched teeth, ¡°In your dreams!¡±


    Shameless!


    It was utterly shameless!


    She had never seen such relatives in her life!


    Seeing the two quarreling, the surrounding villagers all became excited and started discussing noisily, all chiming in.


    ¡°I say, Xia Aiguo¡¯s family, aren¡¯t you being too shameless, exchanging your barren land for your sister-in-law¡¯s fertile fields!¡±


    ¡°Have you no conscience at all!¡±


    ¡°I really don¡¯t get how she could say such things. If it were me, I¡¯d be mortified!¡±


    Xia Aiguo¡¯s wife¡¯s face darkened, but she still brazenly put her hands on her waist, shouting loudly at everyone, ¡°What do you mean by calling me shameless? I¡¯m being kind and well-meaning. Since my sister-in-law likes that northwest wasteland, what¡¯s wrong with me accommodating her preference by swapping it for their good land!¡±


    Such a brazen reversal of truth and falsehood.


    According to her, Ningxing¡¯s family should be grateful as if it were an act of charity.


    Mrs. Xia¡¯s face turned red from anger, wishing she could leap at her and slap her twice, ¡°Madwoman!¡±


    Did she think she was a fool?


    Would she engage in such a transaction with her?


    ¡°Oh dear, sister-in-law, how can you not recognize a good heart when you see one, like a dog that bites Lu Dongbin!¡± exclaimed Xia Aiguo¡¯s wife, feigning innocence upon seeing her menacing manner.


    Mrs. Xia¡¯s vision darkened; she closed her eyes, no longer wanting to waste more words on such a person.


    It was Ningxing who lifted her gaze, caressing her chin, and asked with seeming curiosity, ¡°Aunt, do you really want to use the northwest wasteland in exchange for our good land?¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡±


    Xia Aiguo¡¯s wife blurted out, showing her resolution.


    The amusement in Ningxing¡¯s eyes grew deeper, and her voice was soft, giving her a naive look, ¡°Okay, I just hope that aunt won¡¯t regret it oh!¡±


    Hah!


    Idiot!


    She was actually rushing to give their family money!


    They should know that the income from sowing the fields for several years won¡¯t add up to two thousand yuan!


    ¡°Bao¡¯er!¡± Seeing her actually agree to such a shameless request, Mrs. Xia was immediately anxious.

 Chapter 50 - 50 50 We Will Never Regret_1

    ?Chapter 50: Chapter 50 We Will Never Regret_1 Chapter 50: Chapter 50 We Will Never Regret_1 ¡°Mom, you won¡¯t go wrong listening to me.¡± Xia Ningxing gave Mrs. Xia a reassuring look.


    Mrs. Xia thought about how her younger daughter always had ideas and although she didn¡¯t understand why she wanted to do this, being the doting mother she was, she dreaded that a rebuttal might make her cry. So, she simply sighed and remained silent.


    It didn¡¯t matter anyway, their family wasn¡¯t lacking those two acres of land. If exchanging made Bao¡¯er happy, she would agree to anything.


    Mrs. Xia smiled so widely her cheeks were about to split: ¡°As long as you¡¯re willing to exchange, I will absolutely have no regrets!¡±


    ¡°Does grandma feel the same?¡± Xia Ningxing looked to Old Mrs. Xia, since ultimately, Old Mrs. Xia called the shots for the family.


    ¡°Hmmph!¡± At this moment, Old Mrs. Xia lifted her drooping eyelids, giving her a disdainful glance and said impatiently, ¡°That¡¯s right, as long as you exchange the land, we will have no regrets.¡±


    The smile in Xia Ningxing¡¯s eyes deepened: ¡°Verbal agreements are worth nothing, let¡¯s put it in writing!¡±


    She definitely didn¡¯t want to end up arguing with them later.


    ¡°We¡¯ll put it in writing!¡± Old Mrs. Xia and Uncle Xia¡¯s wife agreed without hesitation, as if they feared she would change her mind later.


    In the end, both families signed the land exchange agreement in front of the village head.


    At the moment of placing their handprints, Xia Ningxing thought it over, and still decided to kindly remind them one more time, ¡°Grandma, Aunt, are you really sure about this? You know once you put down your handprint, you can¡¯t have any regrets!¡±


    ¡°Whoever regrets it is a damned fool!¡±


    After exchanging a look, the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law shouted in unison, heard by everyone present.


    Fine.


    She¡¯ll just wait and see them turn into damned fools.


    Xia Ningxing watched them with amusement as they pressed their handprints, then she carefully put away the land exchange agreement.


    ¡°Grandma, Aunt, you are truly good people, thank you so much!¡± Xia Ningxing expressed her heartfelt gratitude.


    After all, who wouldn¡¯t be grateful to those bringing money to her family?


    Definitely good people!


    Uncle Xia¡¯s wife, not knowing why, felt a foreboding feeling upon seeing Xia Ningxing¡¯s near-laughing expression.


    But on second thought, barren land for fertile land was surely a good deal. What bad premonitions!


    ¡°Has this Xia family girl gone stupid? They¡¯re clearly duping her family, and yet she turns around to thank them. Has her brain been squeezed by a door?¡± someone couldn¡¯t help but sigh, looking at Xia Ningxing as if she were mentally challenged.


    Mrs. Xia was furious: ¡°Your daughter is the one who¡¯s gone stupid!¡±


    ¡°Bao¡¯er, let¡¯s go,¡± Mrs. Xia said angrily, shooting a glare at everyone and pulling Xia Ningxing away from this place of conflict.


    Xia Ningxing blinked and, walking beside her mother, who was fiercely protective, explained in a tender voice, ¡°Mom, I know you probably don¡¯t understand what I did today, but in time you¡¯ll see my purpose.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s alright, as long as Bao¡¯er is happy, it doesn¡¯t matter to us whether our land is barren or fertile,¡± Mrs. Xia said with a warm smile.


    Xia Ningxing couldn¡¯t help but marvel at how wonderful it was to have a mom who adored her daughter so much!


    As they approached their home, Xia Ningxing¡¯s gaze fell upon Lu Tingli, who was not far away.


    He was standing under a jujube tree. The lush green leaves sparkled with crystal-like light under the glaring sun, branches heavy with plump green dates, and cicadas clung to the brown bark, incessantly chirping, singing the heat of summer.


    The young boy was dressed in a white shirt and black trousers.


    The top two buttons of his shirt were undone, revealing jade-like pale skin and a delicate collarbone. Below his thick, neatly combed hair were a pair of deep, indifferent eyes, cold as a deep pool.


    Xia Ningxing¡¯s gaze continued downward, only to see in the young master¡¯s hands... another cup of goji berry tea!


    Was the young master determined to take this health regimen to the extreme?

 Chapter 51 - 51 51 Its fast_1

    ?Chapter 51: Chapter 51 It¡¯s fast_1 Chapter 51: Chapter 51 It¡¯s fast_1 Xia Ningxing lifted her eyebrows slightly before breaking free from her mother¡¯s grip. She charged toward him with all the strength in her short legs, like a fast-approaching ball, her tone sweet, ¡°Lu!¡±


    ¡°Hmm...¡± Lu Tingli looked down at the little girl who had arrived before him. After thinking about certain matters, his tone became slightly complicated. His dark eyes met hers as if trying to confirm something, ¡°I heard your family chose the five acres of wasteland in the northwest corner?¡±


    Since his family had already received land in previous years, he didn¡¯t go today.


    Even though he hadn¡¯t gone, he had heard the villagers discussing how Xia Ningxing had foolishly chosen the land in the northwest corner.


    ¡°Yeah!¡± Xia Ningxing blinked her eyes and nodded.


    He had doubted the truth of those rumors, but now that the principal herself had admitted it, Lu Tingli pursed his thin lips, his naive eyes inspecting her with a scrutinizing glance.


    That piece of land in the northwest corner would be requisitioned to build a waterway before long.


    She had insisted on choosing this plot against everyone¡¯s advice. Was it really just a coincidence?


    Lu Tingli¡¯s gaze became sharper and more intense.


    ¡°Lu... Lu, what¡¯s wrong?¡± Xia Ningxing felt her scalp tingle under his X-ray-like gaze, as if all her secrets were laid bare.


    Fearing that the male lead with a protagonist halo would notice something, although her mind was in disarray, Ningxing still pretended to be naive on the surface, as if she were merely curious about why he was asking.


    Observing her innocent eyes, any suspicions Lu Tingli had vanished instantly. He shook his head, ¡°Nothing.¡±


    Perhaps he was overthinking it; she just got a bit lucky, that¡¯s all.


    Xia Ningxing breathed a sigh of relief, and then she heard him offer a faint word of comfort.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to mind the idle talk of the villagers.¡± They will regret it later.


    The latter part, Tingli didn¡¯t say out loud; he wasn¡¯t a fool after all.


    Xia Ningxing lifted her little head, her smile revealing dimples. Her candy-sweet voice said, ¡°I wouldn¡¯t mind them at all!¡±


    In another two months, around the time of the year¡¯s end, people from above would come down to requisition the farmland for road construction.


    The harsh words they say now will only become a knife of jealousy, stabbing themselves.


    Lu Tingli looked down at her, ¡°You have quite a good capacity for psychological endurance.¡±


    ¡°Thank you for the compliment, Lu!¡±


    Xia Ningxing didn¡¯t miss any opportunity to flatter him.


    Lu Tingli snorted lightly and went home.


    After he left, Xia Ningxing was also called back home for dinner.


    What Xia Ningxing didn¡¯t know was that Lu Tingli originally wanted to buy those acres of land. But there was no helping it, he hadn¡¯t carried a single penny with him when he was reborn. He needed an initial capital to invest in the stock market, with hopes of buying low and waiting for the requisition.


    But upon hearing that the land had been chosen by Xia Ningxing¡¯s family, he immediately dismissed the idea.


    Never mind, he would let her have this windfall.


    ¨C


    The weather grew colder by the day, and the year-end was approaching.


    Every household began to prepare for the New Year, and Xia Ningxing¡¯s family was no exception.


    That day, Xia Ningxing wore a brand-new, traditional-style jacket in a warm, enthusiastic red, which made her already creamy skin appear even fairer than the widespread snow.


    Her soft, shiny black hair was combed into two bun-shaped buns, her eyelashes were thick and long, adorned playfully with snowflakes, which turned into crystal-clear dew when they melted, her nose was gracefully perched, her cherry lips were moist and rosy, and her face still had a touch of baby fat.


    If one ignored the dilapidated village courtyard she was in, one might mistake her for a princess nourished in the imperial palace.


    She stretched her chubby little hands toward the sky, catching the little snowflakes. Her rosy lips murmured, ¡°Soon.¡±


    ¡°Sister, what¡¯s coming soon?¡± Her brother asked curiously after hearing her.


    Xia Ningxing smiled lightly and said nothing.


    Of course, it was the wasteland that would soon be requisitioned.

 Chapter 52 - 52 52 Unhurried_1

    ?Chapter 52: Chapter 52 Unhurried_1 Chapter 52: Chapter 52 Unhurried_1 Xia Ningxing guessed correctly; two days later, officials from above arrived in the village in a small sedan.


    The village head warmly received them, and upon hearing that the river renovation would pass through the northwest corner of their land, he quickly led the people to the Xia family¡¯s home.


    ¡°Is anyone in Xia Jianren¡¯s home!¡±


    The village head¡¯s loud voice spread in all directions before he even arrived.


    Since it was almost the New Year, every household had someone at home. Curious, they ran out to ask what was happening when they heard the noise, only to see several men in suits and leather shoes, carrying briefcases, by the village head¡¯s side.


    They were all refined and well-mannered, with meticulously combed hair and shoes so polished they could reflect one¡¯s face clearly.


    People also saw the usually domineering village leaders with ingratiating smiles and fawning expressions.


    Without a doubt, the visitors were big shots.


    Consequently, someone unable to contain their curiosity asked, ¡°Village head, who are these people? Why are they looking for Xia Jianren¡¯s family? Did they commit a crime and are about to be arrested?¡±


    If such important figures were involved, it must be something serious!


    ¡°Nonsense!¡± The village head glared at the person irritably. How could these people think so negatively, never saying anything good, ¡°They are here from above to fix the river. Go find a cool place to stay out of the way, and don¡¯t cause trouble!¡±


    ¡°But what does fixing the river have to do with Xia Jianren¡¯s family?¡± Now the person was even more curious.


    The village head gave him a withering look: ¡°The river is going right through those few acres of land at the northwest corner of Xia Jianren¡¯s property, and they need to use it!¡±


    ¡°What!?¡±


    Upon hearing this, everyone¡¯s eyes widened in shock.


    To use the land meant it wasn¡¯t being taken for free; there would be a hefty compensation payment!


    Who would have thought the neglected wasteland at the northwest corner would suddenly become a treasure!


    If they had known such good fortune would come, they would have chosen that piece of land when they were dividing up the property!


    Thinking back on how they had all mocked the Xia family, their faces twisted with envy, and they were left with nothing but sighs.


    ¡°I heard each acre could fetch more than two thousand yuan. Xia Jianren¡¯s family is going to make a fortune!¡±


    ¡°Sigh, how can they be so lucky, making so much money in business and now even their land is getting acquired!¡±


    ¡°If you ask me, It¡¯s Xia Aiguo¡¯s family who¡¯s really unlucky, trying to get a small advantage only to suffer a big loss. They must be crying now!¡±


    ¡°You didn¡¯t remind me about Xia Aiguo trading two acres of that northwest wasteland for two acres of fertile land!¡±


    In this gossip-starved, backward little mountain village, such a sensational event naturally sparked intense discussion, and everyone was as excited as if it were their own land being acquired.


    The village head and the government officials had already entered the Xia home: ¡°Xia Jianren¡¯s family! Where are you! Are you home?¡±


    ¡°Uncle Village Head, why have you come?¡± Mrs. Xia, who was initially making perfume with Xia Ningxing, hurriedly responded and rushed out, leaving her work behind.


    Xia Ningxing followed at a leisurely pace, her cute face calm, clearly having guessed what was happening.


    When Mrs. Xia came out and saw not only the village head but several obviously distinguished men, she froze in surprise.


    Then, feeling self-conscious at the sight of her own shabby courtyard, a sense of inferiority welled up, and she felt awkward and embarrassed, standing rooted to the spot, not knowing what to do.


    It was Xia Ningxing who remained calm and composed: ¡°Grandpa Village Head, uncles, please come in and have a seat.¡±


    With an appropriate smile and a voice soft and sweet, she politely gestured for them to enter.


    Her demeanor was not at all like that of a village child, but rather that of a lady from a prestigious family.

 Chapter 53 - 53 53 Hurry Up and Deposit in the Bank_1

    ?Chapter 53: Chapter 53 Hurry Up and Deposit in the Bank_1 Chapter 53: Chapter 53 Hurry Up and Deposit in the Bank_1 ¡°The little girl is really sensible,¡± the officials suddenly exclaimed in mild surprise upon seeing such a pretty child.


    It was hard to imagine that such a barren and backward mountain village could raise such a vibrant young girl.


    Some even reached out to pat the little girl¡¯s head.


    Even in the Capital City, they had never seen a girl more beautiful than her.


    By this time, Mrs. Xia had also come back to her senses and hurriedly invited them in, ¡°Come, please come in and sit down!¡±


    ¡°Village Chief Grandpa, and all the uncles, please have some water.¡± After they took their seats, the five brothers quickly brought over sugar water and some fruits and milk candies, placing them in front of the guests.


    Mrs. Xia nervously fidgeted with the corner of her clothes, ¡°We country folks don¡¯t have much to offer, I hope you won¡¯t mind.¡±


    Indeed, these things were considered quite abundant in the countryside, but people from big cities might not treasure them as much.


    ¡°Where¡¯s that coming from, sister? You¡¯re too polite,¡± the officials waved their hands and laughed heartily.


    This laughter alleviated much of the awkwardness and constraint.


    Seeing that it was about time, the village chief got down to business, ¡°The thing is, Mrs. Xia Jianren, the authorities are planning to build a canal in the northwest direction for drought prevention and other purposes, and they need to requisition your seven acres of land...¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Mrs. Xia was stunned and felt as if she were floating in a dream.


    Could it be possible to requisition barren land?


    ¡°Yes,¡± the officials confirmed, ¡°Sister, please rest assured, we¡¯re acting on orders from above and we won¡¯t shortchange the farmers. We will provide a compensation of two thousand three hundred yuan per acre.¡±


    Two thousand three hundred yuan!?


    Didn¡¯t that mean her seven acres of land were worth sixteen thousand one hundred yuan?


    Could a few acres of barren land really be worth that much?


    Mrs. Xia was so shocked she almost fell off her chair.


    In fact, this amount of money was merely the sum of two months of her earnings, but for an ordinary peasant family, it was an extraordinary matter.


    Her shock was born from the feeling that she was getting an incredibly good deal; who would have imagined that the unwanted barren land could be requisitioned, and with such a generous compensation!


    This was like money falling from heaven... and it seemed to be aimed directly at her!


    ¡°Sister, what do you think?¡± the officials asked.


    ¡°I...¡± Mrs. Xia was about to speak, but then remembered that it was Xia Ningxing who had insisted on having the barren land allocated to them, so she instinctively looked at Ningxing, wanting to hear her opinion.


    Ningxing, cradling her clean chin, gave her a slight nod.


    Two thousand three hundred per acre, which was actually three hundred more than what was written in the novels.


    Although she didn¡¯t know why, it was undoubtedly a good thing!


    Without hesitation, Mrs. Xia smiled and said, ¡°We agree. It¡¯s our pride to be able to help the authorities.¡±


    Now, Mrs. Xia had lost her earlier unease, and being experienced in business, she naturally knew the right thing to say to people. Each of the officials showed a satisfied expression, ¡°Sister, your ideological awareness is commendable.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s sign the contract then.¡±


    The officials said as they took out the pre-prepared contract from their bag and laid it in front of Mrs. Xia.


    ¡°Okay!¡± Mrs. Xia didn¡¯t suspect any deceit from the officials, and without even looking, she immediately imprinted her thumbprint on the document.


    The officials then took out a stack of banknotes from their bag, ¡°Sister, please count them.¡±


    ¡°No need, no need; we trust the authorities.¡± Mrs. Xia looked at the stacks of banknotes, almost bursting into laughter.


    However, even though she declined, as soon as they had left, Mrs. Xia hurriedly carried the money back to the room, laid it on the bed, spat into her hand and gleefully began to count the money, ¡°One note, two notes, three notes... a hundred and sixty-one notes!¡±


    Sixteen thousand one hundred yuan, not one note less, not one note more, just the right amount!


    After counting the money, Ningxing heard Mrs. Xia mutter, ¡°No, no, we must hurry and deposit it in the bank; we can¡¯t keep it at home, what if it gets stolen!¡±

 Chapter 54 - 54 54 Old Mrs. Xia Wants to Renege_1

    ?Chapter 54: Chapter 54 Old Mrs. Xia Wants to Renege_1 Chapter 54: Chapter 54 Old Mrs. Xia Wants to Renege_1 Seeing Mrs. Xia take the initiative to suggest going to the bank to save money, Xia Ningxing couldn¡¯t be more relieved.


    Because when Mrs. Xia started making money from her stall and was absolutely unwilling to deposit it in the bank, she said she didn¡¯t trust her hard-earned money to just become figures in a little booklet. Ultimately, however, she followed Xia Ningxing¡¯s advice to deposit it, and when she learned that it could earn interest, her joy was indescribable.


    Just when the family was in high spirits, unexpectedly, a clump of mud fell from the roof.


    ¡°Sister, be careful!¡±


    In the blink of an eye, Xia Aiguo yelled out and dashed towards Xia Ningxing, protecting her closely in his arms, and the mud that was originally falling towards Xia Ningxing ended up hitting Xia Aiguo¡¯s back.


    Fortunately, it was just a small piece and caused no serious harm; otherwise, it would have been a disaster.


    ¡°Big brother!¡± Xia Ningxing¡¯s eyes narrowed with concern, and after seeing he was alright, she breathed a sigh of relief, then turned to Mrs. Xia, who was also frightened, ¡°Mom, let¡¯s build a house!¡±


    This house had not just dropped mud for the first time. Sometimes during strong winds or torrential rains, it would sway as if it were about to collapse, truly a dangerous building!


    Moreover, if their family were to build a house, they could actually make a good deal.


    Because in the novel ¡°The Path to Becoming the Male Lead¡¯s Top Tycoon,¡± it is written that the last two households living in Peach Blossom Village, including the big shot¡¯s family and Xia Ningxing¡¯s, would be demolished for road construction.


    So if they built it now, a few years later when it was demolished, they would receive a great sum of money!


    You could say it was a guaranteed profit with no loss.


    Although Mrs. Xia didn¡¯t know these future events, due to what just happened, she decided, ¡°We¡¯ll build! We must build a house! We¡¯ll start right after this New Year!¡±


    It was also fortunate that Xia Ningxing wasn¡¯t harmed; otherwise, Mrs. Xia would¡¯ve been consumed with guilt.


    After all, it wasn¡¯t that their family didn¡¯t have the money to build a house; they were just too busy to do it.


    However, construction would have to wait until after the New Year, as it was nearly impossible to find any laborers at this time, and so, the money would still need to be deposited in the bank.


    Yet, an unexpected event occurred.


    Just as Mrs. Xia was about to go to the bank, Xi Aiguo¡¯s wife and Old Mrs. Xia, two unwelcome visitors, arrived.


    ¡°That scoundrel Jianren¡¯s family, a bunch of black-hearted people, dare to swindle our family¡¯s precious land!¡± Old Mrs. Xia leaned on her cane, wailing to the people outside before she even entered, her chest drooping as if she had been greatly wronged.


    Inside the house, upon hearing this commotion, Mrs. Xia and Xia Ningxing, along with their brothers, exchanged a glance and hurriedly ran out.


    When they saw Old Mrs. Xia behaving so unreasonably at the door, Mrs. Xia was furious, ¡°Mother, what do you mean our family swindled your land? It was clearly you who repeatedly proposed exchanging your plot from the northwest corner for our fertile field!¡±


    ¡°Nonsense, you better switch the land back and give us our four thousand six hundred yuan for the land!¡± Old Mrs. Xia refused to be reasonable.


    Four thousand six hundred!


    That amount would take their family five years to save without spending a penny!


    Xia Ningxing stepped forward, raising her voice, ¡°Grandma, we had a written agreement between our two families, you can¡¯t be unreasonable!¡±


    ¡°You little good-for-nothing, what place do you have to speak here? What the hell is this agreement you¡¯re talking about? I don¡¯t recall signing anything!¡± Old Mrs. Xia, mimicking the technique taught to her by her eldest son, vehemently denied any such agreement as if the land exchange had never happened.


    Xia Ningxing laughed with anger, feeling that the world record for shamelessness had just been broken by her, ¡°Fine, since Grandma denies it, let¡¯s go get the village chief involved, and if that¡¯s not enough, the authorities haven¡¯t left yet, we can have them settle this.¡±


    Upon hearing this, Old Mrs. Xia became anxious, ¡°You little vile thing, don¡¯t involve outsiders in family matters.¡±


    ¡°Big brother, go and bring the village chief now to decide for us.¡±


    Xia Ningxing no longer wanted to exchange another word with such a person, and instead gave a meaningful look to her eldest brother.


    Receiving the cue, Xia Aiguo immediately broke into a run, ¡°I¡¯m on it!¡±


    ¡°You little brat, come back here this instant, you¡¯re not going anywhere!¡± The big aunt, who stood by, immediately tried to stop Xia Aiguo, grabbing his clothes and vehemently refusing to let him leave.

 Chapter 55 - 55 55 Old Mrs. Xias Coercion_1

    ?Chapter 55: Chapter 55 Old Mrs. Xia¡¯s Coercion_1 Chapter 55: Chapter 55 Old Mrs. Xia¡¯s Coercion_1 But the boys of the Xia family were not lazy either; the second, third, fourth, and fifth brothers all stepped forward together to help their eldest brother break free from the grasp of their aunt.


    Although the eldest among them was only in his teens, being boys, they naturally possessed strength, and finally, they forced her to let go of the eldest brother.


    Watching the eldest brother run away, the aunt¡¯s chubby face trembled with rage. She tried to break free from them to chase after the eldest brother, but she couldn¡¯t manage to escape their hold. In the end, she shouted, ¡°Help, the rotten kids of the Xia Jianren household are molesting me!¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Now, the brothers of the Xia family were all half-grown lads, and they understood the implication of her words. Their faces turned red and dark with embarrassment as they quickly let go of her and backed off.


    ¡°Spit!¡±


    Xia Ningxing immediately spat at her with contempt, ¡°Aunt, I beg you to have some shame, molesting you is less appealing than molesting a pig!¡±


    This was calling her worse than a pig, wasn¡¯t it!?


    The wife of Xia Jianren was so infuriated that she no longer pursued the eldest brother but charged straight at Xia Ningxing, ¡°You wretched girl! Wait till I tear your filthy mouth apart!¡±


    ¡°Who¡¯s mouth are you going to tear apart? I¡¯ll tear yours first!¡± Mrs. Xia stood in front of Xia Ningxing with a ferocious expression, like a wolf ready to devour its prey.


    The bullish are afraid of the dauntless, and the dauntless are afraid of those who are fearless. The wife of Xia Jianren deflated like a punctured ball, her face sheepish and no longer dared to make a move.


    ¡°Useless trash.¡± Old Mrs. Xia gave the wife of Xia Aiguo a cold look, then her beady eyes fixed on Mrs. Xia¡¯s face, ¡°Jianren¡¯s wife, this is your last warning. If you dare not return the land, when Jianren comes back for the New Year, I will make sure he divorces you.¡±


    As long as she could get the land back now, even if the village chief came later, it would be too late; the deed would be done!


    ¡°You know how filial Jianren is to me, how much he listens to me. If you give me the compensation money for the land expropriation now, I¡¯ll act as if nothing happened. Otherwise, just you wait!¡±


    Old Mrs. Xia was very aware of Mrs. Xia¡¯s affection for her dear Jianren, so she didn¡¯t hesitate to use it as a threat.


    And sure enough, Mrs. Xia¡¯s face changed.


    Her eyes reddened, and her voice choked, ¡°Mother, how can you be like this...¡±


    ¡°Ha!¡± Old Mrs. Xia scoffed and turned up her nose¡ªwhy couldn¡¯t she do this for money!


    ¡°Stop the nonsense. Will, you agree or not?¡±


    Under her aggressive pressure, tears started to roll down Mrs. Xia¡¯s cheeks; her face showed utter despair and struggle. She didn¡¯t want to part with the money, but even more, she couldn¡¯t bear to lose her dearly loved husband. Finally, she had to give in, ¡°I...¡±


    Xia Ningxing interrupted her, her tone cool, ¡°Mom, if you give the money to Grandma and their family, then I don¡¯t want you as a mother anymore.¡±


    She knew how hurtful her words were to a mother¡¯s heart, but she couldn¡¯t stand the idea of the Old Mrs. Xia¡¯s family getting a windfall.


    They had a contract in black and white, and she had repeatedly asked for their opinions before, all of which were affirmative. Oh, why should they now want the land back after the demolition? Did they not foresee this loss when they were eager for a windfall before?


    As for the threat of divorce, if that worthless father of hers wanted to divorce over this, then he was no good man to begin with. Let them divorce; she would help her mother find a dependable man she could rely on for life!


    No big deal!


    ¡°Bao¡¯er!¡± Mrs. Xia looked at her in disbelief, feeling a pain worse than the loss of a husband, a thousandfold more agonizing.


    Xia Ningxing turned her head away, refusing to meet her gaze.


    Mrs. Xia sobbed silently.


    ¡°You wretched girl, you have no right to speak here, shut your mouth!¡± Old Mrs. Xia, seeing that matters were about to be settled only to be ruined by her, was half mad with anger and wished she could beat her with a cane.


    Xia Ningxing crossed her arms over her chest, meeting the gaze coolly.


    Now, both Xia Ningxing and Old Mrs. Xia were waiting for Mrs. Xia to make her final decision.


    Whether to choose her daughter or her husband.

 Chapter 56 - 56 56 Mrs. Xias Choice_1

    ?Chapter 56: Chapter 56 Mrs. Xia¡¯s Choice_1 Chapter 56: Chapter 56 Mrs. Xia¡¯s Choice_1 Seeing everyone staring at her, Mrs. Xia wiped her tears, knowing that crying would do no good. She took a deep breath and said resolutely, ¡°Mother, you were the one who begged to exchange land with us, and the land we gave your family was the most fertile. We even have a written agreement to prove it. I don¡¯t think there is anything for which I should feel sorry towards your family. If you want to wait for my husband to come back and complain to him, or even want him to divorce me, I accept it!¡±


    Compared to her husband, she loved her daughter more.


    Between the two, she would obviously choose the latter.


    Xia Ningxing, not surprisingly, ran up to her and hugged her tightly.


    Seeing her own plans fall through, Old Mrs. Xia was so angry that she was beyond embarrassment and cursed, ¡°You wretched woman, you dare not listen to your mother-in-law¡¯s words? Are you trying to rebel?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s all this noise about!¡± At that moment, a stern voice came in. It was the village head, followed by the eldest brother, ¡°Old Mrs. Xia, what kind of behavior is this? It was your family who shamelessly asked to exchange land with Jianren¡¯s family, and it was done in front of me with signed documents. How can you go back on your word now!¡±


    The village head had learned the ins and outs of the situation on his way over from the younger members of the Xia family and, seeing her still so arrogant, immediately pointed at her nose and lectured.


    Old Mrs. Xia¡¯s face turned red, and she stiffened her neck, ¡°Village head, this is our family¡¯s business, don¡¯t interfere.¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you a member of Peach Blossom Village?¡± the village head shouted angrily, ¡°As long as you¡¯re a member of Peach Blossom Village for even a day, then I am in charge!¡±


    Old Mrs. Xia, left without face, knew there would be no resolution today, and could only bite her teeth in hatred and glare at Mrs. Xia before leaving, ¡°Jianren¡¯s family, just you wait and see!¡±


    If she couldn¡¯t make them divorce, she would eat chicken droppings!


    Mrs. Xia clenched her fists, knowing that this old witch would definitely try to sabotage her relationship with her husband and that her husband, being a real filial man, might just divorce her.


    The thought of being without a man sent her into a spiral of confusion, not knowing what to do.


    ¡°Mom, don¡¯t be afraid, I will always be by your side,¡± Xia Ningxing caught on to her trembling, and rushed over with her small, soft body to embrace her, comforting her in a sweet, sticky voice.


    ¡°Bao¡¯er!¡±


    Mrs. Xia squatted down and hugged her tightly, as if she were her everything, with tears falling onto her neck.


    Xia Ningxing¡¯s throat felt tight, and even though Mrs. Xia was not her biological mother, she had long considered her as such. Thinking of how she had hurt her before, Xia Ningxing felt a regretful pang in her heart, ¡°Mom, I¡¯m sorry about earlier, I didn¡¯t mean those words about not needing you.¡±


    ¡°Mom knows, mom knows it all, no apologies are needed. It¡¯s your grandmother¡¯s fault for being too excessive, and it¡¯s also mom¡¯s fault for not having the courage to stand up to her,¡± Mrs. Xia said between sobs, covering her small mouth to stop her from apologizing.


    For years, even though her mother-in-law had always been harsh and malicious towards her, she remembered her husband¡¯s instructions before he left, and she had kept silent and did not argue with her mother-in-law, thus enabling Old Mrs. Xia to become increasingly arrogant.


    Xia Ningxing smiled at her, ¡°How could that be, Mom? You did great this time.¡±


    Praised by her daughter, Mrs. Xia suddenly broke into a smile, delighted beyond words.


    Xia Ningxing held her slightly rough hand, seeming to remember something, and a smile also appeared on her face, ¡°Oh mom, there¡¯s something I need to tell you.¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡± Mrs. Xia asked curiously.


    The five older brothers also widened their eyes, waiting for her to continue.


    Blinking her eyes, Xia Ningxing responded, ¡°The TV show I filmed half a year ago has been released, and we can watch it tonight!¡±


    A few days ago, she had received a call from Director Xu, informing her of this news.


    Mrs. Xia was thrilled, ¡°Then... then does that mean I¡¯ll be able to see our Bao¡¯er on TV?¡±


    Showcasing her dimples, Xia Ningxing confirmed, ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right.¡±

 Chapter 57 - 57 57 TV Series Premiere_1

    ?Chapter 57: Chapter 57 TV Series Premiere_1 Chapter 57: Chapter 57 TV Series Premiere_1 ¡°Let¡¯s go, let¡¯s hurry and watch,¡± Mrs. Xia could hardly wait any longer.


    Although she didn¡¯t like her daughter going out to be in the public eye, working hard on filming, she felt that seeing her on the television was something to be very proud of.


    In short, it was a particularly conflicted feeling.


    Xia Ningxing quickly grabbed her, half crying and half laughing, ¡°Mom, it¡¯s only morning. The TV drama won¡¯t air until evening; there¡¯s no rush. Don¡¯t you still need to deposit the money from the land compensation?¡±


    ¡°Right, right, right, we¡¯ll go deposit the money first,¡± Mrs. Xia slapped her own head, ¡°Look at my memory!¡±


    Accompanying Mrs. Xia to the city to deposit money were also the eldest and second brothers.


    After they left, Xia Ningxing hurried out the door, nobody knew where she was heading.


    The third brother looked dejected, ¡°Can you guys guess where Bao¡¯er is off to?¡±


    ¡°Do we even need to say it? She¡¯s definitely heading to that Lu Tingli¡¯s place,¡± the fourth brother huffed.


    Waaah, he didn¡¯t want to admit that his sister liked Lu Tingli even more than she liked her own brothers, but that was the reality!


    The fifth brother couldn¡¯t help shaking his head and sighed, ¡°Girls grow up and grow outward.¡±


    Indeed, Xia Ningxing was indeed heading to the Lu Family¡¯s house.


    She wanted to inform the big boss about the premiere of her TV drama and invite him to watch it together.


    At that moment, Xia Ningxing¡¯s fair and tender face was lifted up, her long eyelashes blinked, and her little hand gently shook the hem of his clothes, she asked tentatively, ¡°Lu, are you going to watch it then?¡±


    Who would have expected that Lu Tingli, after hearing this, gave her a dismissive glance and rejected her without hesitation, ¡°Boring, I don¡¯t have the time for that!¡±


    After speaking, he went back to reading his book on health and wellness.


    The radiation from the TV is so strong, plus, the TV drama she¡¯s in only airs at ten in the evening, by which time he would have long been asleep, preserving his health!


    ¡°Okay then, if you won¡¯t watch, never mind...¡± Xia Ningxing released his clothes awkwardly, touched her little nose, turned around somewhat disappointedly, and walked away.


    Sigh!


    Previously, he had visited her on set a few times, had someone buy her water and ice cream, and even suggested that she should make a fortune in business. She thought they had already become childhood sweethearts and good friends.


    Now that she tested the waters, it turned out to be an illusion!


    Perhaps, he was just interested in poverty alleviation, and she was just too silly and naive!


    But it¡¯s okay, there¡¯s plenty of time ahead, she¡¯ll work hard to become his good friend.


    Lu Tingli noticed her sadness and his brows furrowed involuntarily; he moved his thin lips, about to speak, but by then, the little girl had already run off.


    Forget it.


    He definitely wouldn¡¯t watch!


    ...


    Ten o¡¯clock at night.


    Xia Ningxing¡¯s family of seven was gathered in front of the TV, their eyes filled with anticipation.


    Their home television was a newly purchased large color TV¡ªquite impressive. When they first got it, almost everyone in the village was green with envy.


    When ten o¡¯clock struck, the drama ¡°Childhood Sweethearts¡± began to air.


    The brothers were ecstatic, ¡°Our sister¡¯s about to appear!¡±


    ¡°Hurrah!¡±


    ¡°Aaaah, so exciting!¡±


    ¡°Oh my god, our sister is so beautiful in the drama!¡±


    ¡°But why is our sister an orphan in it? She clearly has brothers and parents!¡±


    ¡°You fool, that¡¯s just what the plot demands!¡±


    As the drama aired, the five brothers became even more vocal with their commentary.


    ¡°Bao¡¯er is so beautiful.¡± Mrs. Xia, looking at Xia Ningxing in the TV, vibrant and beautiful as a little princess in a Western dress, was utterly dazzled and couldn¡¯t help but pull her into her arms, ¡°When summer comes, I¡¯ll also buy you such a pretty lace Western dress.¡±


    By then, her Bao¡¯er would definitely outshine all the girls in the village¡ªno, in the entire city!


    Xia Ningxing obediently nodded in her arms, ¡°Thank you, mom! You¡¯re the best!¡±


    ¡°If only your father were here too, but he¡¯ll be back soon, probably in the next couple of days.¡± Mrs. Xia thought of her husband, a gentle and wise smile appeared on her face, her eyes nearly brimming with pink bubbles.


    Just like a girl falling in love.

 Chapter 58 - 58 58 The Entertainment Company Wants to Sign

    ?Chapter 58: Chapter 58: The Entertainment Company Wants to Sign Xia Ningxing_1 Chapter 58: Chapter 58: The Entertainment Company Wants to Sign Xia Ningxing_1 Daddy?


    Xia Ningxing felt no reaction to this.


    She tried diligently to search through the original owner¡¯s mind for any recollections of her father, only to find her memory was a blank space. Indeed, how deep could the memories of an eight-year-old child be of a man who was seldom home?


    Xia Ningxing shook her head, no longer concerning herself with this insignificant person.


    The drama ¡°Childhood Sweethearts¡± had only been moderately popular in the novel, but the TV series took off when Xia Ningxing, with her good looks and acting skills, became the new lead.


    As a result, the originally moderately popular TV show became a huge hit!


    Even when Mrs. Xia went out to set up her stall, she was surrounded by a crowd of people, all clamoring to buy perfume and... request her daughter¡¯s autograph.


    Many regular customers had seen Xia Ningxing at Mrs. Xia¡¯s stall, so they all knew that Ningxing was her daughter.


    Adhering to the principle that the customer comes first, Mrs. Xia promptly agreed, promising to bring them her daughter¡¯s autograph.


    When Mrs. Xia returned home, she sat in front of Ningxing, who was busy blending perfumes, leaned over, and, touching her little head, said, ¡°Bao¡¯er, you¡¯re so famous now. Everyone¡¯s asking for your autograph. I, I said yes on your behalf. Are you upset?¡±


    Mrs. Xia¡¯s face suddenly looked embarrassed when she thought of the number of autographs requested.


    It was all because she was too greedy. As soon as the customers mentioned they¡¯d buy a large quantity of perfume if they could get her daughter¡¯s autograph, she had excitedly agreed without a second thought.


    Xia Ningxing gently shook her head and said with a smile, ¡°Why would I be?¡±


    Mrs. Xia breathed a sigh of relief and quickly said, ¡°Well, they want five hundred autographs!¡±


    The smile on Xia Ningxing¡¯s face froze: ¡°...¡±


    Wait, is it too late for her to get angry now?


    Just kidding! Of course, fans should be pampered!


    The popularity of the drama attracted many entertainment companies to Director Xu, inquiring about Xia Ningxing¡¯s information, and they hurried to the remote village to sign her.


    ¡°Miss Xia Ningxing, our XX Entertainment Company is very sincere in inviting you to join us. We...¡± Blah blah blah!


    ¡°Little cutie, we¡¯re from SS Entertainment Company...¡±


    ¡°Darling, we¡¯re from WW Entertainment Company...¡±


    Each person was falling over themselves to introduce their company and its benefits, even promising resources, as if they were afraid someone else might snatch her away.


    Mrs. Xia couldn¡¯t help but frown on the side, instinctively glancing at Ningxing.


    Although she truly didn¡¯t want her to act anymore, she was still willing to respect Ningxing¡¯s wishes because she could see how much Ningxing really loved acting.


    She did not want to deprive her daughter of her hobby for her own selfish reasons.


    ¡°Everyone, please quiet down for a moment.¡± Ningxing, overwhelmed by the noise and with a headache, raised her voice and said, ¡°First of all, I am grateful for your visit, but I don¡¯t plan to sign with any company.¡±


    She rejected them very bluntly, as if she had made up her mind long ago.


    ¡°Ah? Why?¡±


    Now, the several companies that were almost at blows were stunned, all looking at her, puzzled.


    Was it because they didn¡¯t offer good enough terms?


    ¡°Because... I¡¯m going to be a boss myself in the future!¡± she said in her soft and tender voice, her clear eyes brimming with determination.


    Before she entered the book, she had been young and naive, deceived by a company into signing a contract that was no different from a life indenture, exploited in various ways, and eventually worked to death on set.


    She¡¯d had enough of the evil capitalists exploiting her!


    This time!


    She was determined to be the evil capitalist herself, to taste what it was like to have others toil and give their all for her!


    So how could she possibly let these people sign her!


    She would start her own entertainment company and make it her strongest support!

 Chapter 59 - 59 59 Mrs. Lu Wants Xia Ningxing as Her

    ?Chapter 59: Chapter 59: Mrs. Lu Wants Xia Ningxing as Her Daughter Chapter 59: Chapter 59: Mrs. Lu Wants Xia Ningxing as Her Daughter The representatives of various companies fell silent at her words.


    Some were shocked, some secretly despised her, others scorned...


    A few companies, unwilling to give up, couldn¡¯t help but to confirm with her, ¡°Xia, are you really not considering it any more?¡±


    ¡°Not considering it!¡± Xia Ningxing¡¯s refusal was resolute; unless she was brain-damaged, she would never sign with a company.


    ¡°Well, alright then.¡± The representatives from the more amiable companies simply sighed and left.


    The less friendly ones rolled their eyes at her, ¡°Pah, you think you¡¯re some big star just because you got a little famous? Starting your own company and being a boss! A hillbilly from the boonies, spouting big words without fear of twisting your tongue!¡±


    ¡°Say that again, I dare you!¡±


    Mrs. Xia and her five sons had already picked up their shovels and hoes, glaring at the others as though ready to take them down at any moment.


    The adversaries ran off in fear, exclaiming, ¡°A bunch of brutes! Country bumpkins!¡±


    After they had left, Xia Ningxing quickly signaled to her family, ¡°Mom, brothers, don¡¯t get upset over such people. Put down the tools and be careful not to hurt yourselves.¡±


    ¡°Really, who was that person just now! Looking down on us like we¡¯re nothing! Why can¡¯t my Bao¡¯er start a company and be a boss!¡± Mrs. Xia put down her hoe, still fuming over the incident.


    And she resolved then and there to work hard to make money, ensuring her daughter wouldn¡¯t have to suffer such humiliations ever again.


    Actually, Ningxing wasn¡¯t angry at all. So what if she was a country bumpkin? The rural-born Lu was going to be a presence who could stomp those companies into oblivion in the future!


    A bunch of nobodies from the literary world weren¡¯t even worthy of entering Ningxing¡¯s sight.


    Besides companies coming by, there were plenty of journalists who wanted to interview Xia Ningxing, which she didn¡¯t decline. Instead, she used the interviews to promote her own perfume.


    This attracted some merchants as well, who came to the Xia family wanting to wholesale her perfumes, despite the approaching New Year.


    Mrs. Xia also leapfrogged from a small vendor to a supplier, able to take orders from home every day.


    Xia Ningxing taught her mother how to make the perfumes, but the step of scent-blending was still done by herself. It wasn¡¯t that she didn¡¯t trust her mom, but her mom, though she seemed formidable, had no cunning about her. Someone with a bit of guile could have easily tricked her out of the formula.


    ...


    As the Chinese New Year¡¯s Eve rush finally ended, the big day arrived.


    In the evening, Xia Ningxing wanted to invite Lu to set off fireworks together, eagerly carrying the fireworks and scampering into his house with her short little legs.


    ¡°Lu! Lu!¡±


    The little girl¡¯s voice was cheerful, like a magpie chirping joyfully from the branches.


    ¡°Bao¡¯er¡¯s here!¡± Mrs. Lu just happened to come out of the kitchen and met her face to face.


    ¡°Hello, Auntie!¡± Xia Ningxing immediately stopped, trotting over to her side, tilting her head up to look at her, her sweet little mouth as if coated with honey, ¡°Auntie, you¡¯ve grown even more beautiful since I last saw you!¡±


    ¡°How can your mouth be so sweet!¡± Mrs. Lu couldn¡¯t help but squat down, gently pinching her soft and pale cheeks, wishing she could steal her away, ¡°Bao¡¯er, why don¡¯t you come to our family and be our daughter?¡±


    Sigh, if only she knew back when she gave birth to Tingli how much she had longed for a girl. Once she found out it was a boy, her hopes were dashed.


    She had thought to herself that if worse came to worst, she could have another child and maybe it would be a girl, but after having that stinky boy, she was injured and couldn¡¯t bear any more children.

 Chapter 60 - 60 60 What Happened to Lu_1

    ?Chapter 60: Chapter 60 What Happened to Lu_1 Chapter 60: Chapter 60 What Happened to Lu_1 Xia Ningxing was tempted by the idea of becoming a big shot¡¯s sister after hearing this.


    But she dismissed the thought, as she knew her mother wouldn¡¯t like her becoming someone else¡¯s foster daughter, and the big shot might not be pleased either.


    ¡°Good boy, Mrs. Lu is just joking with you,¡± Mrs. Lu said, seeing the look of conflict and difficulty on her face, she quickly offered an out.


    Then Mrs. Lu glanced at the fireworks Xia Ningxing was holding and smiled, asking, ¡°Bao¡¯er, did you come to play with my naughty boy with fireworks? Though, I guess he¡¯s probably not awake yet.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Xia Ningxing¡¯s eyes widened in surprise. ¡°What happened to Lu?¡±


    Could it be that he was sick?


    If that was the case then... that couldn¡¯t be better!


    She could look after him, let him see how caring, gentle, meticulous, and kind she was!


    Mrs. Lu couldn¡¯t help but giggle as she replied, ¡°He was up all night watching the TV drama you starred in!¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± This news made Xia Ningxing happier than if she had heard he was sick.


    Tsk, tsk, tsk, some people just love to be proven wrong! They love it when it¡¯s really good!


    What happened to being bored? What happened to not having time to watch?


    ¡°Of course!¡± Mrs. Lu stroked her soft, black hair, a look of gentleness on her face, ¡°Your future mother-in-law would never lie to her daughter-in-law, right?¡±


    With the confirmation, Xia Ningxing almost flew with excitement, ¡°Mrs. Lu, I¡¯m going to go see Lu right away!¡±


    ¡°Go ahead, Bao¡¯er!¡±


    When Xia Ningxing entered the room, the young boy was putting on a sweater: ¡°Lu! Lu!¡±


    She called out cheerfully, like a lark hopping from branch to branch.


    ¡°Why are you here?¡± Lu Tingli, who just pulled on his sweater, coughed lightly, and if you looked closely, you¡¯d see his ears were a bit red, ¡°Don¡¯t listen to my mom¡¯s nonsense, I didn¡¯t watch the TV drama you starred in, and I didn¡¯t stay up all night.¡±


    The triple denial.


    Xia Ningxing blinked her clear eyes, ¡°But I don¡¯t think Mrs. Lu is someone who would talk nonsense.¡±


    ¡°Right! I didn¡¯t talk nonsense, I even recorded it on camera! Do you want me to bring the evidence out for a confrontation?¡± Mrs. Lu, who was eavesdropping outside, hurriedly intervened, poking her head in, very sure of what she was saying.


    She couldn¡¯t tarnish her reputation in front of Good Baby!


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°I just had insomnia and watched it randomly,¡± Lu Tingli had to change his story at this point, he coughed lightly and quickly made up an excuse in his mind.


    He would definitely not admit that he was hooked and forgot to sleep.


    ¡°Oh... so Lu just randomly managed to watch the TV drama I starred in, it seems we really are fated!!¡± Xia Ningxing clapped her hands with glee and smiled, applauding without bursting his bubble.

 Chapter 61 - 61 61 Dad Xia Appears_1

    ?Chapter 61: Chapter 61 Dad Xia Appears_1 Chapter 61: Chapter 61 Dad Xia Appears_1 So she changed the subject, ¡°Lu, let¡¯s go set off fireworks!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not going.¡±


    This childish act was not suited for him.


    ¡°Come on, please!¡± Xia Ningxing put aside the fireworks and crackers she was holding, then, with freed hands, she coquettishly hung onto his arm, trying to forcefully drag him away.


    ¡°Stop!¡± Lu Tingli was annoyed by her and furrowed his brows, withdrawing his arm, and resignedly slipped on his slippers, ¡°Will it make you happy if I accompany you?¡±


    He had never met anyone more bothersome than her!


    If it were in the future, if anyone dared to cling to him like this, he would make sure their entire family went bankrupt.


    ¡°Lu is the best!¡±


    Xia Ningxing tilted her palm-sized face up, her dimples appearing on her cheeks, eyes curved into pleasing crescents¡ªshe looked like an adorable little kitty.


    So cute and tender.


    Xia Ningxing grabbed his hand, and, with excitement, ran outside.


    Before crossing into this book, she had lived in a big city where setting off fireworks and crackers was prohibited, so she remembered the one time she couldn¡¯t resist and secretly set off fireworks, ending up being chased down by city management for two streets.


    But it was different here¡ªshe could set them off all night long without anyone caring.


    The night scene in the mountains was extremely beautiful, the stars and moon intertwining and shining brightly, heaps of crooked and twisted snow on the ground, and children wearing new clothes for the rare occasion, laughing and running around with crackers.


    Xia Ningxing handed a red firecracker to the boss from her pocket, blinking her clear eyes, ¡°Lu, let¡¯s start with the firecrackers.¡±


    As she spoke, she had already crouched down first, placing the firecrackers in the snow, then took out a match to light it.


    ¡°Run, run!¡± Xia Ningxing saw the firecracker core sparking and immediately let out an excited scream, pulling his hand and running forward quickly.


    Her soft, warm hand felt like a hot teapot, warming him all over.


    Lu Tingli looked up at the little girl pulling him along to run. His originally childish and impatient expression couldn¡¯t help but soften a bit, becoming even gentler than the moonlight tonight.


    ¡°Bang!¡±


    The moment the firecracker went off, snow sprayed in all directions.


    ¡°This is fun!¡±


    Overwhelmed by her childhood excitement, Xia Ningxing looked up and laughed out loud, laughing so hard that tears came out. She seemed addicted to the fun and continued to crouch down and play with the firecrackers.


    Lu Tingli couldn¡¯t help but shake his head, leaning against a tree trunk with his arms crossed, watching her leisurely.


    Indeed, she was just a child, happy with just a firecracker.


    Xia Ningxing was so immersed in playing with the firecrackers that she didn¡¯t even notice someone approaching her.


    ¡°Hey!¡±


    The man who came over suddenly bent down and scooped up the little girl playing on the ground.


    ¡°!!!¡± Suddenly suspended in the air, Xia Ningxing was stunned for two seconds, and then instinctively looked up at the person who picked her up.


    When she saw the stranger was a man in his thirties, her pupils involuntarily dilated¡ªgoodness, were kidnappers so brazen nowadays!


    She immediately fought back and threatened in a low voice next to his ear, ¡°Where did this kidnapper come from? Let go of me before I get angry, or you¡¯ll regret it!¡±


    If it weren¡¯t for the boss being not too far away, she would have definitely thrown him to the ground and stepped on his head for fun.

 Chapter 62 - 62 62 He is Your Dad_1

    ?Chapter 62: Chapter 62 He is Your Dad_1 Chapter 62: Chapter 62 He is Your Dad_1 However, even though Xia Ningxing didn¡¯t use any tricks this time and only punched him a few times, her natural strength was enough to cause the man pain. He let out a cry of surprise and could only temporarily let go of her.


    Once Xia Ningxing struggled free, she tried hard to look very scared, squeezing out a few tears, and ran crying towards Lu Tingli. She threw herself into his arms, clinging to him without letting go, seeking sympathy, ¡°Wah wah wah... Lu... someone tried to abduct me... I... I¡¯m so scared!¡±


    ¡°Stop acting,¡± Lu Tingli said with a slight sense of resignation, lifting his hand. Did she really think he was blind? He had seen her fight off the trafficker just now. Why act all timid now?


    And besides...


    This man looks so familiar!


    Lu Tingli couldn¡¯t help but lift his cold gaze to stare once more at the obviously baffled middle-aged man opposite him. His brows knitted together, clearly realizing who he was.


    ¡°He¡¯s your dad, Xia Jianren.¡±


    As he spoke, his eyes clearly flashed with a hint of revulsion, as if the man had done something disgusting to him.


    Because people in the village usually called each other by nicknames, he didn¡¯t remember at the moment that Xia Jianren was the same person as ¡®Xia Lao Er,¡¯ nor did he recall that he had once been neighbors with him.


    ¡°Ah!!??¡±


    Xia Ningxing was completely dumbfounded at this point, not because she had mistaken her own father for a human trafficker, but because...


    Xia Jianren had been mentioned in the main text of the novel!


    He was a famous food tycoon with substantial wealth¡ªthough certainly not as wealthy as Lu, the author¡¯s beloved son.


    In order to further develop his company, he really wanted to enter into a marriage alliance with Lu, but how could Lu, a committed bachelor, agree to such a ludicrous idea? After being rejected, Jianren decided to take things to the extreme and sent his daughter directly to Lu¡¯s bed, hoping to present him with a fait accompli!


    But what kind of person was Lu? The main character blessed with a protagonist¡¯s aura, the author¡¯s dear son, the center of the entire world, how could he be manipulated so easily? Lu had the man thrown out on the spot.


    Of course, to prevent such incidents from happening again, Lu decided to make an example out of someone¡ªmaking the Xia Group go bankrupt. Once word got out that it was this incident that led to the bankruptcy, no one else ever entertained the thought of an alliance through marriage again, fearing that they¡¯d not only fail to forge a connection but also end up making an enemy.


    It¡¯s worth noting that the daughter of Xia Jianren mentioned here is not Xia Ningxing, but a daughter born to Xia Jianren and a mistress.


    Tsk, Scum Daddy!


    Sure enough, it¡¯s Xia Jianren, a lowlife!


    ¡°Bao¡¯er, am I some sort of human trafficker? I¡¯m your dad!¡± At this moment, Xia Jianren also finally snapped out of his initial confusion. His fairly handsome face suddenly revealed a kind expression, and there was even a trace of guilt in his eyes. If he hadn¡¯t been away from home all these years, his daughter wouldn¡¯t have mistaken him for a trafficker, but this guilt was fleeting.


    Xia Ningxing stepped out of Lu¡¯s arms, her clear eyes staring at him unwaveringly, causing Xia Jianren¡¯s heart to tremble, feeling as if all his secrets were exposed.


    With a forced smile, Xia Jianren beckoned to her, ¡°Bao¡¯er, come here to daddy.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m busy!¡± Xia Ningxing rejected him bluntly, her tone extremely confrontational, ¡°Didn¡¯t you see I was just playing? Suddenly grabbing someone, don¡¯t you think you¡¯re quite rude?¡±


    ¡°You!¡± Xia Jianren hadn¡¯t expected his usually clingy little daughter to be so cold and impolite. She even dared to reprimand her own father, causing his eyes to flash with disdain.


    As expected, kids from the countryside lack manners, nothing like Meimei¡¯s Jiaojiao¡ªsensible and considerate.

 Chapter 63 - 63 63 Dislike_1

    ?Chapter 63: Chapter 63 Dislike_1 Chapter 63: Chapter 63 Dislike_1 ¡°Enough!¡± Xia Jianren, thinking of the purpose of his return, grew tired of entangling with Xia Ningxing and turned to walk towards home.


    He was dressed in a suit that day, tall and straight with long, slender legs, carrying a briefcase in his hand; he looked every bit the part.


    A beast in human clothing!


    Xia Ningxing gnawed on her baby teeth.


    Lu Tingli looked down at her little face, which was clenched in anger, ¡°You don¡¯t like your dad?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t,¡± Xia Ningxing answered without hesitation, anger threading through her eyebrows and eyes.


    Just thinking about his affair, keeping a mistress, and sending his daughter to Lu¡¯s bed made her feel disgusted to the core.


    ¡°Mm... Good, you don¡¯t like him. That way, I¡¯ll be able to deal with him without worry later.¡±


    Lu Tingli couldn¡¯t help but breathe a sigh of relief, finding it strange himself why he was concerned about the feelings of this little girl!


    Ah, being a childhood sweetheart is tough.


    However, Lu Tingli didn¡¯t know that before he could take care of Xia Jianren, a certain little girl had already dealt with him.


    Xia Ningxing was still seething with hatred for Scum Daddy in her heart, and she didn¡¯t notice his unusual behavior. It seemed like she thought of something and looked up at him, saying,


    ¡°Lu, I¡¯m going to go home for a bit. Let¡¯s set off fireworks tomorrow.¡±


    With Scum Daddy back, she really worried about her naive mother at home as well as her five brothers who had been eagerly awaiting their father¡¯s return; if they were mistreated, she could still beat someone up if she was there.


    ¡°Go ahead,¡± Lu Tingli nodded, then seemed to think of something and reminded, ¡°Right, be cautious of your dad, and if you need help, feel free to find me.¡±


    Thinking of that child¡¯s mother¡¯s fate, Lu Tingli couldn¡¯t help but rub his temples.


    Enough, he would stop those things from happening as much as possible.


    Later... Lu Tingli realized that he had greatly underestimated this little one¡ªshe alone...


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Lu. I will protect my family!¡±


    Xia Ningxing thought that his protagonist¡¯s halo sensed that Xia Jianren was no good, so she didn¡¯t think too much about it, her little legs hurrying back home.


    But when Xia Ningxing arrived home, she found that Scum Daddy was not in the living room. She searched the other rooms but still didn¡¯t see him.


    ¡°Mom, where¡¯s Scum Daddy... ahem, I mean my dad?¡± That was close; she almost let ¡°Scum Daddy¡± slip.


    It¡¯s not that Xia Ningxing didn¡¯t want to tell Mrs. Xia that Xia Jianren was a scumbag, but at the moment, she had no proof at all¡ªsaying anything would be pointless, and she might even get lectured by her mother.


    Mrs. Xia didn¡¯t see the complexity in her eyes; right then, her expression was gentle, her cheeks even blushing like a young girl¡¯s: ¡°Your dad has gone to your grandma¡¯s house. Bao¡¯er, aren¡¯t you happy to see your dad back home?¡±


    I¡¯m happy my ass!


    Xia Ningxing rolled her eyes inwardly, but she ambiguously responded, ¡°I guess so.¡±


    ¡°Sister, come over here, Dad brought back lots of tasty treats!¡±


    ¡°He even bought you a beautiful dress and a flower for your hair!¡±


    ¡°Right, come over here, sis!¡±


    Her five brothers were waving her over at that moment.


    Xia Ningxing glanced at the mountain of items on the table, pursed her lips, a hint of disgust flashing in her clear eyes, then without another glance, she went straight to her room: ¡°I¡¯m not interested.¡±


    She found things Scum Daddy bought to be dirty!


    Her five brothers looked at each other, confused by her huff, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with her?¡±


    ¡°Maybe she¡¯s just tired from playing outside,¡± Mrs. Xia guessed, seeing her climb onto the bed and lie down.


    Meanwhile.


    Xia Jianren had arrived at Old Mrs. Xia¡¯s house, his hands full of gifts.


    If Xia Ningxing were there, she would have noticed that the things he carried were twice as many as what he had left at home!


    ¡°Has he just come back?¡± Xia Aiguo¡¯s wife, who was washing vegetables outside, noticed him and the poultry and various New Year¡¯s goods he was holding. Her face lit up with warmth, and she hurriedly greeted him; anyone unaware would probably think he was her husband.


    Although she didn¡¯t care for Mrs. Xia, she was extremely ingratiating towards this business-smart brother-in-law.

 Chapter 64 - 64 64 Dad Xias Plan_1

    ?Chapter 64: Chapter 64 Dad Xia¡¯s Plan_1 Chapter 64: Chapter 64 Dad Xia¡¯s Plan_1 Xia Jianren stopped and nodded slightly towards her, greeting, ¡°Hello, sister-in-law.¡±


    ¡°Good, good, good...¡± Xia Aiguo¡¯s wife stretched her smile to her ears, then turned her head and called out loudly to the inner room, ¡°Mom! Jianren is back!¡±


    ¡°Jianren! You must have made your mother miss you so much!¡±


    Suddenly, an exaggerated shout came from inside the house, and soon after, Old Mrs. Xia was seen eagerly hobbling out with her cane.


    Like Xia Aiguo¡¯s wife, Old Mrs. Xia did not care for Mrs. Xia either, but she adored her younger son.


    ¡°My good boy has lost so much weight. Come here, come, stay and eat with your mother tonight,¡± Old Mrs. Xia¡¯s eyes were red, and her wrinkled, aged face quivered as she pulled his hand into the house.


    ¡°Little brother!¡± Uncle Xia also came out of the house, beaming with joy as he pulled him along, ¡°Tonight, we brothers will not return until we¡¯re drunk!¡±


    ¡°Sure! We will not return until we¡¯re drunk!¡± Xia Jianren laughed.


    After a few rounds of drinks, Uncle Xia couldn¡¯t help but express his grievances, exaggerating the story of the recent land acquisition to him, ¡°Little brother, that wife of yours is quite something, she swindled our land and caused my family to miss out on the compensation.¡±


    ¡°Hmph! Even when I personally went to ask her, she didn¡¯t return the land to me!¡± Old Mrs. Xia felt a painful heart whenever she thought about the matter, and quickly incited, ¡°Jianren, you need to divorce her quickly. With a son like you, what kind of woman can¡¯t you find? Why would you need such damaged goods!¡±


    She had disapproved of Jianren marrying Mrs. Xia from the beginning, as she was far too beautiful, with a crafty air and always surrounded by a group of men, not to mention her questionable relations with many of them.


    Even after marrying, she had seen with her own eyes men entangled with Mrs. Xia, it was uncertain whether the six children she bore were all mixed breeds from outside.


    Xia Aiguo¡¯s wife also chimed in supportively, ¡°Our little brother-in-law is so handsome and charming, and he does business outside too! Even if he finds another untouched girl, he can!¡±


    It must be said, although Xia Jianren was quite a scoundrel, his appearance was indeed flawless, exceptionally handsome, especially at the prime age of thirty-something, exuding a mature charm that was captivating to women.


    ¡°This Lin Lan!¡± Upon hearing the full story, Xia Jianren not only didn¡¯t find Xia Aiguo¡¯s family shameless, but he also blamed Mrs. Xia, ¡°Taking advantage over your own family, and even ignoring your mother¡¯s words, so ungrateful!¡±


    ¡°Mom, look, I¡¯ll pay for your land acquisition money in the future, but you all have to promise not to trouble Lin Lan for the time being. I will divorce her, but not now,¡± he offered.


    A calculating cold light flickered in Xia Jianren¡¯s eyes.


    A mother knows her child best, and Old Mrs. Xia immediately understood his intentions, ¡°Jianren, are you planning to get all of that little wench¡¯s money before you divorce her?¡±


    ¡°Exactly.¡±


    For Xia Aiguo¡¯s family, Xia Jianren regarded them as even more kin than his own, so he wasn¡¯t secretive with them at this moment.


    Xia Aiguo slapped his shoulder, ¡°Little brother, I wholeheartedly support you in doing this!¡±


    Jianren had always been dutiful, and if he could really swindle his wife¡¯s money, his family would unquestionably benefit greatly in the end.


    ¡°I support it too!¡± The thought of Mrs. Xia becoming a divorced woman and losing all her wealth made Xia Aiguo¡¯s wife more excited than if she had won a five million lottery prize.


    ¡°If there¡¯s anything you need help with, just speak up, don¡¯t be shy with your big sister-in-law!¡± Xia Aiguo¡¯s wife patted his shoulder.

 Chapter 65 - 65 65 Preparing to Swindle Money_1

    ?Chapter 65: Chapter 65 Preparing to Swindle Money_1 Chapter 65: Chapter 65 Preparing to Swindle Money_1 Xia Jianren lifted his glass and took a sip, toasting her, ¡°Thank you, sister-in-law.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re all family, no need for formalities!¡±


    While they were having a good time here, Xia Ningxing¡¯s home was still foolishly waiting for Xia Jianren to come back for the New Year¡¯s Eve dinner.


    It was past twelve o¡¯clock, and poor Xia Ningxing¡¯s stomach was growling nonstop, but she couldn¡¯t have dinner yet.


    Unable to bear it any longer, she issued a protest, ¡°Mom, let¡¯s assume dad has stayed at grandma¡¯s to eat, let¡¯s not wait for him anymore, I¡¯m starving!¡±


    A scum daddy, what¡¯s there to wait for!


    Moreover, he might be eating merrily this very moment!


    Mrs. Xia shifted her gaze from the door with a sigh, her heart having moved from hope to disappointment long ago. Picking up her chopsticks, she said, ¡°Forget it, let¡¯s not wait any longer, we shouldn¡¯t starve Bao¡¯er.¡±


    Actually, her husband had always had New Year¡¯s Eve dinner at his mother¡¯s house, but she couldn¡¯t help hoping ¡ª what if her husband changed this year?


    Xia Ningxing, both sleepy and hungry, hastily ate a few bites to fill her stomach, then climbed into bed to sleep.


    Alas, the first meal of the new decade, 1990, was consumed so sloppily!


    Before sleeping, Xia Ningxing didn¡¯t forget to curse out Scum Daddy. If it wasn¡¯t for waiting for him, would she have missed out on her beauty sleep?


    Was it necessary to not properly celebrate the arrival of the nineties?


    By the time Xia Ningxing had fallen into a deep sleep, Xia Jianren returned home reeking of alcohol.


    ¡°How come you drank so much again?¡± Mrs. Xia hadn¡¯t slept, guessing her husband had returned, she quickly turned over, got out of bed, and supported her husband into the house.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with drinking a few drinks for the New Year!¡± Xia Jianren let out a burp of alcohol at her.


    Despite having drunk a lot, his years of drinking outside had honed his capacity. Not only was he not drunk, but he was even more lucid. His rough hands wrapped around her waist, his deep voice laden with grown-up implications, ¡°Lanzi, it¡¯s been a long time since we last saw each other, come on, let¡¯s go to the room to talk.¡±


    Mrs. Xia understood what he meant, her beautiful face immediately blushing.


    But then she suddenly thought of the day of the land requisition when her mother-in-law threatened divorce, she hesitated for a moment before timidly asking, ¡°Jianren, did your mother say anything to you?¡±


    ¡°You mean about the land requisition?¡± Xia Jianren, aware of what she was implying, immediately changed his tone from how he acted at the Xia family¡¯s house, speaking up for her instead, ¡°Mother did talk to me about it, you have been wronged, Lanzi. My mother and they are being unreasonable. I¡¯ve already reprimanded her. Don¡¯t hold it against her.¡±


    Mrs. Xia did not see the calculating look in the eyes of the man beside her, and the words he had spoken were already well-prepared.


    She took them for truth, moved, and threw herself into the man¡¯s arms, ¡°I don¡¯t hate her, I don¡¯t hate her, as long as you don¡¯t divorce me, that¡¯s all that matters!¡±


    ¡°Fool, you¡¯re so good to me, how could I bear to divorce you!¡± Xia Jianren curled his lips, lifted his sturdy shoulders, and picked her up.


    ¡°Ah!¡±


    Mrs. Xia couldn¡¯t help but exclaim, instinctively holding onto the man¡¯s neck tightly, as if afraid of falling.


    Xia Jianren covered her lips, his eyes flashing with an unusual glint, ¡°Shush, don¡¯t wake the child, let¡¯s not disturb ourselves.¡±


    Mrs. Xia shyly buried her head in his neck.


    After they were finished.


    Xia Jianren lit a cigarette, puffing smoke rings while pulling the woman beside him closer, ¡°Lanzi, I heard you¡¯ve been selling homemade perfume since you were laid off?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± responded Mrs. Xia meekly, nodding her head.


    The gleam in Xia Jianren¡¯s eyes intensified, ¡°You must have made quite a bit of money, right?¡±


    Mrs. Xia, having no guard against him, openly said, ¡°Including the money from the land requisition, I have seventy thousand here.¡±


    Actually, there wasn¡¯t as much initially, only sixty thousand, but because Xia Ningxing advertised their homemade perfume and attracted many traders to wholesale purchase, about ten thousand were deposits they paid.

 Chapter 66 - 66 66 Tricked into the Hand_1

    ?Chapter 66: Chapter 66: Tricked into the Hand_1 Chapter 66: Chapter 66: Tricked into the Hand_1 Seventy thousand?


    Though not a large sum, it was enough for him to expand the factory and establish a company.


    Xia Jianren had been calculating in his heart, but his heavily sighed facade showed a mature handsome face covered with dark clouds, filled with visible dejection.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Mrs. Xia frowned, her eyes full of worry as they rested on him, ¡°You¡¯re sighing so deeply, are you feeling unwell?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Xia Jianren put on a convincing act, shaking his head and closing his eyes in guilt, ¡°Lanzi, it¡¯s my incompetence that has forced you, a woman, to go out and work. I thought I could make money for us by going into business, but the factory hasn¡¯t been doing well these past few years...¡±


    ¡°What can we do then?¡± Although Mrs. Xia was also a businesswoman by now, she didn¡¯t understand how to run a factory. She bit her lip and suggested, ¡°Why don¡¯t you quit running the factory? Let¡¯s sell perfume together!¡±


    ¡°Lanzi, this factory is the result of many years of my effort. I can¡¯t just abandon it!¡± Xia Jianren suddenly held his head, even his voice choking up, making him sound overwhelmingly sad. He played the role of a disheartened middle-aged man to perfection.


    If Xia Ningxing had been here, she would have felt utterly inadequate.


    Ma Dan, even better at acting than an actress!


    Mrs. Xia, seeing his distress, felt her own heart twisting in pain, more so than his; she comforted him, ¡°Jianren... don¡¯t be sad, there will always be a way out.¡±


    ¡°Lanzi, are you willing to help me?¡± Xia Jianren lifted his slightly reddened eyes, tenderly holding her delicate cheeks.


    ¡°Me?¡± Mrs. Xia pointed at herself in surprise, her face a picture of confusion, ¡°How can I help?¡±


    She didn¡¯t understand how to run a factory either.


    Seeing her take the bait, Xia Jianren couldn¡¯t wait to state his true intention, ¡°You just need to give me all the money from home. With that capital, my factory can be revived. Lanzi, you just wait. Once I¡¯ve made money, I will surely repay you double!¡±


    He spoke with passionate persuasion, as if he truly meant it.


    Mrs. Xia, already loving him and impressed by his acting, had no reason to disagree. She nestled into his arms like a bird snuggling up to its mate, acting coy, ¡°Double compensation, what¡¯s that for? You¡¯re my husband, take whatever money you need from home!¡±


    While speaking, she shifted her body, handing over the passbook hidden under the bed.


    ¡°Lanzi!¡± Xia Jianren was ecstatic inside, but also contemptuous. This woman was indeed easy to deceive, ¡°Wife, you¡¯re so good to me, I love you.¡±


    ¡°Cheesy! At our age, you¡¯re saying these things. Aren¡¯t you embarrassed!¡±


    Mrs. Xia lightly smacked him, feeling a bit shy, but her eyes clearly held sweetness.


    However, she did not see the smile on the man¡¯s face that did not reach his eyes, his cold and proud expression resembled a wild beast, ready to swallow her whole at any moment.


    ¡°However, you¡¯ll have to leave ten thousand for me. We still need to build a house, buy materials for perfume, and there are the kids¡¯ school fees once school starts again.¡± Mrs. Xia still hadn¡¯t let love completely overtake her senses.


    Xia Jianren frowned, annoyed inside. Seventy thousand was already less than he wanted; if another ten thousand were to be deducted, there¡¯d be next to nothing left!


    So, he shifted his gaze, cupping her beautiful face earnestly, and said, ¡°Lanzi, let¡¯s postpone building the house for now. Once I¡¯ve made money, I¡¯ll buy a place directly in the city. I¡¯ll move all of you there! As for the perfume materials and school fees, I¡¯ll leave two thousand for you.¡±


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll listen to you, Jianren.¡± Mrs. Xia was so beguiled she no longer persisted about building the house.

 Chapter 67 - 67 67 Make Him Spit it Out_1

    ?Chapter 67: Chapter 67: Make Him Spit it Out_1 Chapter 67: Chapter 67: Make Him Spit it Out_1 Xia Jianren looked down at the foolish woman in his arms, feeling smug deep down.


    Because he had deceitfully gotten his hands on some money, Xia Jianren felt guilty and restless at home. That¡¯s why he actually took off in his car on the afternoon of the first day of the new lunar month.


    Normally, he would have stayed until at least the third or fourth day.


    Even though Ningxing had her suspicions, she didn¡¯t really care¡ªshe was actually glad he had left.


    Mrs. Xia couldn¡¯t help but sigh, feeling a sourness in her heart, but then she thought about how her husband was out doing business, not messing around, and she immediately felt better.


    It was not until the sixth day, when they were supposed to visit their grandmother, that Ningxing found out all the money in the house was gone.


    The reason for this discovery was that Ningxing suddenly recalled an important memory from the original owner of the body.


    When the original owner was three years old, she had pneumonia. At that time, Mrs. Xia had tried to borrow money from everyone, only to be turned away. Even her malicious grandmother had bluntly said that there was no point in treating a money-losing good-for-nothing, and that it would be better off thrown away.


    In the end, it was their grandmother who had sold her gold chain to pay for the original owner¡¯s treatment; otherwise, the original owner might have long since passed away.


    Although the original owner was no longer alive, Ningxing, having taken over her body, felt obligated to show filial piety.


    And for their family now, replacing a gold chain weighing a few dozen grams was no big deal.


    So, as they prepared to set off for their grandmother¡¯s house, Ningxing, with her short legs, came to Mrs. Xia, gently grasped the hem of her clothes, and blinked her large eyes, ¡°Mom, you remember the time when Grandmother sold her gold chain to treat my pneumonia, don¡¯t you? Let¡¯s go buy a new one and give it to Grandma today!¡±


    Upon hearing this, her brothers immediately also expressed their emotions, ¡°If it wasn¡¯t for Grandma, our sister might not be with us today.¡±


    ¡°Yes...¡±


    ¡°So, Mom, let¡¯s go buy the gold chain first, then go to Grandma¡¯s house!¡±


    Her five brothers were also very sensible and knew to repay kindness with gratitude.


    ¡°This... this... Of course, I haven¡¯t forgotten about it, it¡¯s just that...¡± But Mrs. Xia was hemming and hawing, avoiding eye contact, looking guilty, before finally mustering the courage to say to Ningxing, ¡°Bao¡¯er, why don¡¯t we buy it for your Grandma after some time?¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± Ningxing asked, puzzled, frowning.


    A few hundred dollars for a gold chain, why wait?


    ¡°The family is almost out of money...¡± Mrs. Xia bit her lip and said outright.


    Ningxing and her five brothers were stunned, their eyes wide as they asked in unison, ¡°How is that possible!¡±


    Just a few days ago, she had told them they had eighty thousand, and they had even discussed building a house. How could they be out of money so soon?


    Even if it was put into a shredder, it wouldn¡¯t go this fast!


    Mrs. Xia decided to lay it all out and told them everything, ¡°I... I... I gave it all to your dad.¡±


    ¡°What!?¡± Ningxing staggered, feeling waves of darkness before her eyes, her teeth chattering in anger, ¡°How could you give all the money to him!¡±


    Ningxing was truly vexed!


    Although she could predict many things others couldn¡¯t based on novels she had read before, many details weren¡¯t explicitly written, especially for a minor character like Xia Jianren. If she had known, she would have kept a tighter grip on the money.


    She had been too careless!


    She had greatly overestimated Scum Daddy¡¯s bottom line!


    Mrs. Xia, seeing her nearly collapse in anger, hurried forward to support her, her face apologetic as she coaxed, ¡°Bao¡¯er, don¡¯t be angry, don¡¯t be angry. Your dad is an honorable man. He took the money to open a factory, not to squander it. Plus, your dad said once he makes money, he¡¯ll buy a house in the city and move us all there to enjoy life!¡±


    ¡°How great it would be to live in the city! We¡¯ll be city folks then, living in a room with a kitchen and bathroom, attending the best schools!¡±


    Her eyes gleamed with happiness and anticipation while she spoke.


    Ningxing really wanted to spit blood in her face.


    What damn good fortune!


    What probably awaited her was a divorce!


    She remembered very clearly, in the novel, Xia Jianren¡¯s wife was not Lin Lan but a woman named Meimei. As for them, they never even appeared in the book.


    So evidently, after Xia Jianren rose to success, he abandoned his wife and children and formed a new, sweet life with his lover.

 Chapter 68 - 68 68 Helping Mom Get a Divorce_1

    ?Chapter 68: Chapter 68 Helping Mom Get a Divorce_1 Chapter 68: Chapter 68 Helping Mom Get a Divorce_1 Xia Ningxing pressed her temples, took a deep breath, and forced herself to calm down, ¡°Mom, tell me how much money do we have left at home?¡±


    Mrs. Xia originally wanted to say more good things about Xia Jianren, but when she faced her daughter¡¯s cold eyes, she dared not say more, ¡°Two thousand...¡±


    Upon hearing this, Xia Ningxing¡¯s vision darkened again.


    Two thousand yuan, after buying the materials for the perfume and paying the tuition fees, there would be hardly anything left.


    No!


    She would never let this scumbag so easily swindle away their money!


    Not only did she want to get it back, but she also wanted this scumbag to pay the price he deserved!


    Once she had made up her mind, Xia Ningxing no longer complained or blamed Mrs. Xia, after all, she too was a victim.


    Instead, she began to consider how to help Mrs. Xia get a divorce.


    Yes!


    Divorce!


    Otherwise, why keep such a scumbag around just to disgust people!


    Moreover, not only did she want to divorce, but Xia Ningxing also wanted to help Mrs. Xia get as much of Scum Daddy¡¯s property as possible.


    Scum Daddy may claim that his factory is doing poorly, but Xia Ningxing knew very well that it was worth hundreds of thousands.


    However, if she directly told Mrs. Xia about Scum Daddy¡¯s infidelity and mistress, given her trust and deep love for Xia Jianren, she would definitely not believe it.


    Therefore, after giving it some thought, Xia Ningxing decided to gather evidence of Scum Daddy¡¯s infidelity, to completely disillusion Mrs. Xia.


    Of course, she was just a child and certainly couldn¡¯t do this alone, so one day, she sneaked out of the house and headed to the city by herself, intending to find a lawyer.


    It was a coincidence that just as Xia Ningxing got off the bus, her eyes caught a glimpse of a young man sitting dejectedly on a bench at the side of the road, holding a stack of resumes in his hand.


    Xia Ningxing initially only glanced at him casually and didn¡¯t think much of it, but when she saw the name on the resume, her little legs seemed glued to the ground, unable to move, and she almost cried out ¡®Dad¡¯!


    Because...


    That person was actually Qin Zicheng!


    Qin Zicheng, the renowned sharp-tongued lawyer from the books!


    He was known to turn hopeless cases around, making the impossible possible.


    Xia Ningxing never expected her luck to be so good, randomly encountering a big shot just like that!


    It¡¯s just that this future big shot of the legal world... seemed to be doing quite poorly at the moment!


    Xia Ningxing¡¯s eyes shone cunningly, and she squatted beside him, extending her chubby little hand to poke him gently, ¡°Hey, uncle! Do you take cases?¡±


    Even though he seemed in dire straits, Xia Ningxing believed in his abilities.


    His current plight wasn¡¯t due to lack of skills but mainly because of his education; he had graduated from a junior college, while companies and firms were looking for university graduates.


    ¡°Hmm?¡± Qin Zicheng turned his head and saw the little girl next to him. He couldn¡¯t help but pause and instinctively asked, ¡°How do you know I¡¯m a lawyer?¡±


    ¡°See, isn¡¯t it written right here?¡± Xia Ningxing¡¯s fair, plump finger pointed at the resume.


    ¡°What case do you want to sue for? Never mind... What¡¯s a kid doing here? Go play somewhere else, don¡¯t bother uncle,¡± his eyes first lit up with excitement, finally someone recognized his talent, but as soon as he realized the other party was just an eight or nine-year-old girl, he couldn¡¯t help shaking his head, his sense of anticipation instantly deflated.


    ¡°Uncle, don¡¯t look down on kids, I really do have a case I want to sue!¡± Xia Ningxing patted the ground and simply sat down beside him, slowly telling her story, ¡°My dad committed adultery within marriage, and he might have had a child. I want to help my mom file for divorce and get some of his property.¡±


    Her voice was very soft, like a soap bubble that seemed as if it would burst and disappear with a single blow of wind, her gaze filled with pain, as well as a steadiness and calm that belied her age.

 Chapter 69 - 69 69 Meeting the Ace Lawyer of the Future_1

    ?Chapter 69: Chapter 69: Meeting the Ace Lawyer of the Future_1 Chapter 69: Chapter 69: Meeting the Ace Lawyer of the Future_1 ¡°So, can you help me?¡± Xia Ningxing sniffled, her voice slightly choked with sobs, pitiful beyond words.


    Alas, life¡¯s all about acting!


    Qin Zicheng couldn¡¯t help but feel compassion, lifting his hand to rub her little head, ¡°Don¡¯t cry, kid, uncle... uncle really wants to help you, but you know lawyer fees are very expensive, right?¡±


    If he wasn¡¯t short on money, to be honest, he wouldn¡¯t mind handling her case for free, but right now he couldn¡¯t afford to. He was about to be evicted by his landlord for failing to pay the rent.


    Where would he find the extra kindness to help others?


    Xia Ningxing¡¯s tears turned to laughter, she patted her chest confidently and said in her childish voice, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, uncle, I have money.¡±


    Qin Zicheng was clearly skeptical, ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°If you don¡¯t believe me, then come with me.¡± Because she knew his identity, though he was a stranger, Xia Ningxing still trusted him a great deal, and now she took hold of the hem of his clothes, pulling him toward the bank across the street.


    Qin Zicheng followed her into the bank, half-believing, half-doubting, then saw her pulling out a red passbook from her cloth bag, proceeding to the counter to withdraw money.


    Qin Zicheng stayed behind the yellow line unconsciously, but when he looked up, he inadvertently saw the passbook that had just been opened and spotted many, many zeros.


    His eyes widened uncontrollably, and astonishment surged through him like a tidal wave. There seemed to be more than ten thousand yuan there!


    He had never seen so much money in his life!


    And yet, a child seemed to have it so easily!


    The reason Xia Ningxing still had so much money was because Mrs. Xia often stuffed money into her pockets, or when they set up a stall, she paid her, and it all added up over time.


    After withdrawing the money, Xia Ningxing handed him a thousand yuan, her large, innocent eyes blinking, ¡°Is this enough, uncle?¡±


    ¡°Enough... it¡¯s enough... no, no... it¡¯s too much!¡± Qin Zicheng couldn¡¯t fathom not only that she had money, but also that she was so generous, and he was stunned.


    Xia Ningxing¡¯s tender, pale cheeks broke into a smile, ¡°It¡¯s okay, you can keep the extra as a tip.¡±


    Qin Zicheng¡¯s eyes bulged, who could imagine such good fortune, and he immediately took the money, bowing very formally, ¡°Thank you, boss!¡±


    Who would turn down money unless they were a fool!


    ¡°Let¡¯s talk about the details then, Uncle Qin.¡± Saying this, Xia Ningxing, dragging him along, walked into a quiet teahouse and sat down.


    Qin Zicheng followed behind her and, after thinking for a bit, couldn¡¯t resist warning her, ¡°Girl, don¡¯t carry so much money with you when you¡¯re out alone, it¡¯s dangerous!¡±


    If it weren¡¯t for his integrity, a person with even a bit of crooked ideas could easily steal the money from a child who was barely eight or nine.


    Xia Ningxing dismissed his concerns, casually picking up a stone from the ground and with a slight squeeze of her tiny, plump hands, crushed it into dust, ¡°No problem, oh, I¡¯m really good at fighting!¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Sorry, he spoke out of turn.


    Qin Zicheng fell silent, even feeling an impulse to call for his dad.


    Xia Ningxing took a sip of her tea, continuing with business matters, ¡°Uncle, my dad¡¯s name is Xia Jianren, he runs a food factory in Moli City, he...¡± blah blah blah.


    Next, Xia Ningxing shared some information about Xia Jianren with him, and it was up to him to gather the evidence of the affair.


    When discussing business matters, Qin Zicheng was incredibly serious and didn¡¯t slack off just because she was a child, nodding solemnly, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll take care of this. I¡¯ll sort out some things today, and first thing tomorrow morning, I¡¯ll head to your dad¡¯s Moli City to look for evidence. We¡¯ll keep in touch by phone.¡±

 Chapter 70 - 70 70 Then Its Settled_1

    ?Chapter 70: Chapter 70: Then It¡¯s Settled_1 Chapter 70: Chapter 70: Then It¡¯s Settled_1 ¡°That settles it then, Uncle Qin.¡± Afterwards, Xia Ningxing also left him her family¡¯s telephone number.


    The telephone had been installed this autumn since it was always inconvenient to use the one at the grocery store.


    Having taken care of these matters, Xia Ningxing purchased a few red bean buns before taking the bus back.


    Having done something joyful today, of course she had to treat herself with good food.


    Meanwhile.


    Xia Jianren also returned to Moli City.


    He deceived Mrs. Xia by saying that he would buy a house later and bring them to the city to enjoy the good life. In fact, he had already bought a house in the city, a two-story villa with a garden and swimming pool, and even had a housemaid to serve them.


    ¡°Jianren, you¡¯re back!¡± As soon as he entered the house, the housemaid took his shoes, while the woman sitting on the sofa with a slightly bulging belly got up excitedly to greet him.


    ¡°Slow down, be careful not to fall!¡± Xia Jianren was filled with worry, fearing she might have an accident.


    The woman blushed: ¡°I¡¯m not some fragile glass bottle.¡±


    ¡°Daddy!¡±


    Hearing the commotion, the eleven-year-old girl who had been playing the guzheng in the living room also rose from her seat.


    She was dressed in a pretty and delicate lace dress, with a butterfly bow in her hair, her face pale and tender like a princess in a castle, obviously somebody who grew up spoiled, and now she ran towards Xia Jianren with a sweet smile.


    ¡°Jiaojiao! Come to daddy! I¡¯ve missed you so much these past few days!¡± Xia Jianren said affectionately, embracing the girl, his stubble rubbing against her cheek.


    ¡°Jiaojiao missed Daddy too!¡± Xia Jiaojiao said softly, her small arms wrapping around his neck and planting a kiss on his cheek.


    The joy of family togetherness and the exquisite villa lifestyle were unimaginable to Xia Ningxing¡¯s family, living in a secluded and underdeveloped mountain village.


    This was indeed a world of difference.


    After playing with his daughter for a while, Xia Jianren bent down to set her on the ground, and said with a loving smile, ¡°Jiaojiao, you go play by yourself for a bit, Daddy and Mommy have something to talk about.¡±


    Xia Jiaojiao nodded understandingly, her voice sweet: ¡°Okay, Daddy, then I¡¯ll go back to my room.¡±


    Once she left, Xia Jianren took Fang Yuemei to the sofa. With a smug smile on his handsome face, he boasted, ¡°Yuemei, I¡¯ve scammed all that stupid woman¡¯s money!¡±


    As he said this, he even made a ¡°seven¡± gesture to show her.


    Seeing so much money, Fang Yuemei was ecstatic, almost fainting with joy as she leaned into his embrace: ¡°Jianren, you¡¯re amazing. With this money, we can set up a company and recruit even more employees!¡±


    ¡°Exactly.¡± Xia Jianren, smoking and crossing his legs, took a drag, exhaled a cloud of smoke, and shook with glee: ¡°You have no idea just how easy it was to deceive her. I just sweet-talked her a bit, and she handed over all the money.¡±


    So stupid!


    Fang Yuemei¡¯s eyes and heart were filled with disdain and mockery for Mrs. Xia.


    But the moment she thought of Lin Lan still occupying the position of Mrs. Xia, Fang Yuemei¡¯s expression involuntarily darkened, and she gritted her teeth in secret, feigning a tragic demeanor.


    Her eyes rimmed red, she looked up at him pitifully: ¡°Jianren, when exactly are you going to divorce her... Please don¡¯t misunderstand... It¡¯s not that I want a status for myself... but it genuinely hurts to see our twin sons called bastards, children of a mistress, sob sob...¡±


    As she spoke, she genuinely leaned into the man¡¯s embrace and began to cry.


    Xia Jianren was afraid her crying might lead to a miscarriage, and quickly comforted her by cradling her tear-streaked face, ¡°Yuemei, rest assured, I will definitely give you and our sons a proper status. This time, I will certainly divorce her.¡±


    Previously he was reluctant to divorce because he wanted to enjoy the fortune of having two women ¨C after all, Lin Lan was truly beautiful ¨C but now things were different. He loved Yuemei more, and she was about to bear him sons, twins at that!

 Chapter 71 - 71 71 Slag Father Wants to Steal the Perfume

    ?Chapter 71: Chapter 71 Slag Father Wants to Steal the Perfume Formula_1 Chapter 71: Chapter 71 Slag Father Wants to Steal the Perfume Formula_1 Seeing his tone so certain, not like he was lying, Fang Yuemei could already be sure he really wanted a divorce now, not just humoring her as before, a look of triumph flashed in her eyes, her fingers drawing circles in his embrace, ¡°Jianren, you have to keep your word, you absolutely can¡¯t deceive me!¡±


    She pouted slightly, her voice whining and coquettish, a grown woman still playing coy.


    But Xia Jianren just ate it up, gently pinching her cheek, ¡°Don¡¯t worry.¡±


    Although the divorce made Fang Yuemei very happy, the thought of divorcing and splitting the property between husband and wife made her grind her teeth in frustration.


    Why should her husband¡¯s money be split with that peasant woman!


    That was just too unfair!


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Xia Jianren noticed her unease.


    Fang Yuemei sobbed softly, ¡°Jianren, what if your sister wants to split the property with you when the time comes?¡±


    ¡°Although I don¡¯t mind, it hurts me to see you work so hard every day to start a factory, and now you have to give her half because of the divorce.¡±


    ¡°She wishes! I will absolutely not let her get a cent!¡± Xia Jianren¡¯s voice suddenly rose, like a beast released from its cage, ready to bite to death anyone who dared split property with him.


    Fang Yuemei was startled by his vehement reaction, soothing him, ¡°Jianren, don¡¯t be angry just yet, I have thought of a way to keep her from getting a single penny.¡±


    ¡°What way?¡± Xia Jianren immediately asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s...¡± Fang Yuemei whispered in his ear.


    After listening, Xia Jianren slapped his thigh, a mix of malice and mirth in his eyes, ¡°This idea is great! I¡¯ll do exactly as you say so that she can¡¯t get a penny!¡±


    ¡°Meimei, you really are my good strategist.¡±


    Xia Jianren couldn¡¯t help but cup her face and plant a kiss on it.


    Fang Yuemei blushed coyly, burying her head again in his embrace, ¡°It¡¯s my honor to solve problems for you, Jianren.¡±


    Xia Jianren stroked her hair, then as if remembering something, he opened his briefcase, ¡°Right, I also have something for you.¡±


    He took out two bottles of perfume and handed them to her as he spoke.


    ¡°Perfume?¡± Seeing this, Fang Yuemei, who loved perfume, was surprised and delighted to come out of his embrace. She took the perfume, sniffed it at the tip of her nose, and immediately found it addictive, asking excitedly, ¡°Jianren, what brand is this perfume, why does it smell so good?¡±


    She considered herself experienced with many luxury perfumes, but none could match up to the two before her now.


    Xia Jianren shrugged, ¡°No brand, this is the perfume that Lin Lan sells, and she makes it herself.¡±


    Knowing his sweetheart liked perfume, he had spontaneously taken two bottles from a stockpile when he was back home.


    ¡°She¡¯s not just buying and reselling? How could she possibly make something this high-end!¡±


    Fang Yuemei¡¯s voice could not help but rise sharply, tinged with a hint of shrill jealousy. How could a rural woman deserve to make such captivating perfume?


    When Xia Jianren first heard from friends back home that his wife was getting into the perfume business, he too thought she was just reselling, but upon returning he learned that she was making it herself, and moreover:


    ¡°I heard she has a secret formula, it seems she even got it from my daughter.¡±


    Upon hearing this, Fang Yuemei¡¯s cunning eyes began to spin, filled with schemes, ¡°Jianren, with my knowledge of perfume, this one could definitely be a big hit. Why don¡¯t you take the secret formula and let¡¯s register our own brand and produce it?¡±


    ¡°After all, such a formula wasted in that little mountain village is just a tragic waste!¡±


    Xia Jianren actually had the same intention, and the two coincided, ¡°I think so too, which is why, before the divorce, I¡¯ll get my hands on the secret formula for the perfume.¡±


    ¡°Good...¡± Fang Yuemei again buried her head in his embrace, her face showing a smug smile.


    Divorced, without the perfume formula and losing her source of income, she wanted to see how Lin Lan, that little wretch, and her wild brats could possibly continue their days!

 Chapter 72 - 72 72 Begin to Deceive Xia Ningxing_1

    ?Chapter 72: Chapter 72: Begin to Deceive Xia Ningxing_1 Chapter 72: Chapter 72: Begin to Deceive Xia Ningxing_1 Xia Jianren felt that securing the perfume formula sooner rather than later was prudent, so after spending two days in Moli City, he returned to his hometown.


    On the day he arrived home, Mrs. Xia and his five older brothers were negotiating business with clients in the backyard.


    Only Xia Ningxing was in the courtyard, playing with a little white rabbit she had found in the mountains a couple of days ago.


    Xia Jianren knew that only Xia Ningxing was privy to the perfume formula, so he headed straight for her: ¡°Bao¡¯er!¡±


    Clad in a suit and leather shoes, he stood out like a sore thumb in the dilapidated and dirty courtyard.


    A kindly smile was plastered across his handsome face, and in his hand, he dangled a snack he thought was precious, trying to lure her in: ¡°Bao¡¯er, stop playing with the bunny. Come and see what Daddy bought for you. It¡¯s chips, come and have some.¡±


    Xia Ningxing glanced over at him.


    Heh, when someone goes out of their way to offer favours unasked, they¡¯re either a crook or a thief!


    So...


    Xia Ningxing directly put her hands on her hips without giving him a pleasant look: ¡°What¡¯s so good about chips? I¡¯m sick of them!¡±


    When Xia Ningxing said this, she wasn¡¯t just bragging. Ever since her family had started making money, there was never a shortage of snacks for Xia Ningxing at home, and every time Mrs. Xia returned from setting up her stall in the city, she would always bring a variety of snacks for her.


    Her life was even more comfortable than that of kids in the city.


    ¡°Uh...¡± Xia Jianren was slightly embarrassed, but when he thought about the purpose of his visit, resentment brewed within him, yet he still forced himself to endure and crouched in front of her: ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Bao¡¯er. Daddy really didn¡¯t know that you¡¯ve grown tired of these. How about you tell Daddy what you want to eat, and I¡¯ll take you to buy it, okay?¡±


    His tone was gentle, his face smiling, the perfect image of a doting father.


    If it weren¡¯t clear to her that he was a slag father, Xia Ningxing might have actually been moved by his touching act.


    She smiled faintly, her tone sharp as she did not give face: ¡°You don¡¯t need to try to please me. If you have something to say, just spit it out. Be direct and don¡¯t waste time!¡±


    She was indeed curious as to what it was that had the slag father so keen to curry favor with her!


    Having someone so bluntly point out his motive made Xia Jianren indignant, but he just couldn¡¯t afford to break the facade. He let out a sigh that seemed helpless and reached out to stroke her head: ¡°Bao¡¯er, here¡¯s the thing. Daddy thinks the perfume from our family is especially fantastic. I heard that you have the secret formula for making it. Would you give the formula to Daddy, please? Then Daddy can use it to make a lot of money, way more than we¡¯re making now.¡±


    ¡°Then, I can buy a luxurious villa for you, Mom, and your brothers to live in, drive a four-wheeled sedan, have a chauffeur to take you to and from school, and have maids and butlers to serve you at home, leading a life like a princess.¡±


    ¡°Also, you like acting, right? I¡¯ll sign you up with the best entertainment company, give you resources, and make you an international superstar, so your name will be known all over the world...¡± and then, you¡¯ll become her cash cow!


    What a grand and delicious pie he painted in the air!


    If Xia Ningxing were really a naive nine-year-old girl, she might have given the perfume formula away without a second thought, but regrettably, Xia Ningxing was no such innocent child.


    Before she transmigrated into this book, she hadn¡¯t been very old, but she was mature at heart, crystal clear about what he was scheming.


    It wasn¡¯t enough that he had swindled money, now he also wanted to steal the perfume formula!


    Being such a con, why don¡¯t you fly up to the sky and stand shoulder to shoulder with the sun, and let the heat kill you, you beast!


    Xia Ningxing really wanted to cast aside all manners and curse at him, pointing at his nose.


    But the reality was, not only did she restrain herself, but she also handed over the perfume formula.


    ¡°Okay, Daddy!¡± she exclaimed, lifting a naive and innocent smile on her beautiful pale face, childlike and pure. Yet if one looked closely, they¡¯d notice her smile didn¡¯t reach the bottom of her eyes; it was laced with coldness: ¡°Just wait a moment, I will write down the perfume formula for you.¡±

 Chapter 73 - 73 73 Selling the Perfume Formula_1

    ?Chapter 73: Chapter 73 Selling the Perfume Formula_1 Chapter 73: Chapter 73 Selling the Perfume Formula_1 ¡°Bao¡¯er is such a good boy!¡± Xia Jianren was so excited at this moment that he didn¡¯t notice anything off. He didn¡¯t think such a small child could have any ulterior motives and simply believed this wretched girl was truly moved by his words, ¡°Daddy loves Bao¡¯er the most!¡±


    As he spoke, he reached out to stroke her head again.


    Xia Ningxing, who was oblivious to nuance, dodged it, then went into the house to fetch some paper and a pen and wrote down a perfume formula in a notebook.


    ¡°I¡¯ve finished writing it.¡± Xia Ningxing blew on the ink to dry it and then with a smile, handed the formula to him, ¡°Here you go.¡±


    ¡°My good boy, Daddy really loves you to death.¡± Xia Jianren took the perfume formula, his mouth almost splitting to his ears with joy, while in his heart he couldn¡¯t help but mock again; surely like mother, like daughter, both just as foolish.


    Despite his contempt, on the surface, Xia Jianren still acted the part of a loving father, ¡°Dad will be going now. Wait for Dad to make some money and then I¡¯ll come to fetch you to the city!¡±


    ¡°Sure, oh, I¡¯ll wait for you, Daddy. You mustn¡¯t break your promise!¡±


    Xia Ningxing watched his retreating figure and spoke innocently. Once he was out of sight, her clear eyes suddenly narrowed, and her lips curved into a cold smirk.


    I trust you for shit, you dirty old man rotten to the core!


    Inside the house, Mrs. Xia vaguely heard some noise outside. Fearing something might happen, she hurriedly came out and asked Xia Ningxing, ¡°Bao¡¯er, was there someone at our house just now? I thought I heard someone talking to you.¡±


    ¡°Hmm... Just a beggar.¡± Xia Ningxing didn¡¯t tell her that Xia Jianren had come back, to spare her from dwelling on it.


    ¡°I see, well, you play in the yard and don¡¯t wander off. There are a lot of bad people outside, understand?¡± Mrs. Xia took her at her word and tenderly instructed her a few more times.


    Xia Ningxing nodded obediently, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Mom.¡±


    Once Mrs. Xia continued with her business dealings in the back yard, Xia Ningxing, staying in the courtyard, lifted her gaze to the distant blue sky.


    Her pale little hand reached into her pocket, pulled out a piece of candy, and tossed it into her mouth. Her clear eyes showed a maturity beyond her years as she pondered over how Xia Jianren would deal with the perfume formula.


    His main business was food, and if he wanted to make perfume, he would need to build a new factory.


    If this were more than a decade later, for him having become a big boss by then, starting a perfume factory would be a piece of cake. But now things were different; he was short on funds for his food factory, so Xia Ningxing guessed that he would probably sell the formula outright.


    She was right. After considering it, Xia Jianren realized he couldn¡¯t start a perfume factory right away. Plus, the food factory needed a significant capital injection, so he found a buyer whose family had been making perfume for generations, ready to sell it.


    As luck would have it, this buyer had been planning to visit Peach Blossom Village to procure this very perfume formula.


    Once the buyer learned of Xia Jianren¡¯s connection with Xia Ningxing, he didn¡¯t suspect any issues with the perfume formula, and without even testing it first, he offered one million directly to buy it. He signed the contract and left promptly, as if worried about potential regrets.


    After all, if his family mechanized the production of Xia family¡¯s perfume and marketed it internationally, they could make at least ten million a year.


    To acquire a yearly ten million with just a one million investment was an extremely good deal, so of course, he was concerned that the other party might have second thoughts!


    However, the buyer was really overthinking it; Xia Jianren had no such foresight. Seeing the one million on his passbook, he almost bent over laughing, ¡°With this one million and the seventy thousand from Lin Lan, not only can we establish the company, but we can also expand the food factory and open a few more brands.¡±


    The thought of becoming a business tycoon in Moli City, someone everyone looked up to and envied, made Xia Jianren beam with pride. He walked with such a spring in his step that he seemed almost majestic.

 Chapter 74 - 74 74 Angry Buyer Comes Knocking_1

    ?Chapter 74: Chapter 74 Angry Buyer Comes Knocking_1 Chapter 74: Chapter 74 Angry Buyer Comes Knocking_1 ¡°Congratulations, Jianren,¡± Fang Yuemei said, supporting her slightly protruding belly, unable to stop the smile on her face.


    Flushed with the compliments he received, Xia Jianren was basking in his own pride and didn¡¯t forget to put his arms around her, sighing, ¡°It¡¯s good that all these years I¡¯ve had you by my side, strategizing for me. If it was Lin Lan, that clueless country woman, how could I have reached where I am today?¡±


    ¡°Jianren, don¡¯t say that. If you have made it this far, how could it be my merit alone? It¡¯s all because you are smart and capable,¡± Fang Yuemei shyly covered her face, pushing all the credit back to him.


    Xia Jianren was lifted to another level of elation at being acclaimed, and his smile was about to overflow, ¡°Let¡¯s go! Let¡¯s pick up Jiaojiao from her piano lesson; today, our whole family is going out for a big meal.¡±


    Just thinking that he was about to soar high in life, reaching the peak of his career, Xia Jianren could hardly wait to throw a banquet and invite the whole city to celebrate for him.


    But who would have thought, just as he was basking in his glory for a few days, he was sought out by Zheng who bought perfume!


    ¡°Damn you, Xia Jianren, you actually used a fake formula for commercial fraud!¡± That very day, Zheng, fuming with rage, brought people storming into his home, nearly bursting with anger, wishing he could strangle him right there.


    ¡°Mr. Zheng, what¡¯s happened?¡± Xia Jianren¡¯s eyes were dazed, as he looked at the furious Zheng, then glanced at the several dozen black-suited bodyguards behind him. Immediately, he swallowed nervously and hurriedly invited them in like a subservient grandson.


    Even though he still had no idea what was going on!


    ¡°What¡¯s happened?¡± Zheng yelled, spitting in his face, pointing at his nose, ¡°And you still won¡¯t admit it now! Someone! Bring the stuff for him to see for himself!¡±


    No sooner had his words fallen to the ground than a henchman immediately presented a bottle containing a yellow-brown liquid to Xia Jianren.


    ¡°What is this?¡± Xia Jianren looked at the indescribable liquid in the bottle, then opened the cap and smelled it. The nauseating odor made him feel queasy right away.


    Fang Yuemei, standing to the side, clutched her belly and started to vomit crazily, as darkness swirled before her eyes.


    My dear mother! So stinky!


    I feel like I¡¯m about to be stunk to death!


    This smell... it¡¯s even more pungent than a cesspool.


    Xia Jianren also retched a few times, quickly sealing the bottle again, covering his nose and mouth, and frowned at Zheng, ¡°Mr. Zheng, what do you mean by this?¡±


    Bringing him some sewer water to smell, is he insane?


    Seeing how disdainful Xia Jianren himself appeared, Zheng couldn¡¯t help but sneer with a sinister tone, ¡°Xia Jianren, you don¡¯t recognize the product of the perfume formula you gave me? Are you joking with me?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s impossible!¡± Upon hearing this, Xia Jianren immediately denied it, his expression even more shocked than his accuser¡¯s.


    His perfume formula, how could it produce such an odor!


    Seeing that he still wouldn¡¯t admit it, Zheng, his pectoral muscles trembling with anger and nearly bursting with the desire to strangle him alive, said, ¡°Act! Keep on acting for me!¡±


    ¡°Mr. Zheng, Mr. Zheng, calm down, please.¡± Now, Xia Jianren finally realized what had happened and quickly tried to explain, ¡°Listen to me, my recipe was personally written for me by my daughter Bao¡¯er.¡±


    ¡°You should know that the perfume recipe made by my former wife came from my daughter, Bao¡¯er, so it¡¯s impossible there¡¯s been a mistake in the formula. Could it be that the production process on your end was incorrect?¡±


    ¡°Alright then, if you don¡¯t believe it, come and see for yourself!¡± Zheng couldn¡¯t be bothered to argue with him any longer, grabbed him, and dragged him outside. A man of imposing stature and robust limbs, he lifted Xia Jianren as if he was picking up a little chick.


    Xia Jianren, his handsome face turning both dark and red, struggled, ¡°Mr. Zheng, I can walk by myself.¡±


    ¡°Hmph!¡± Zheng snorted coldly, releasing his grip as if he was throwing away some garbage.


    As if he would care about carrying him!

 Chapter 75 - 75 75 Otherwise Ill Sue You for Business

    ?Chapter 75: Chapter 75 Otherwise, I¡¯ll Sue You for Business Fraud_1 Chapter 75: Chapter 75 Otherwise, I¡¯ll Sue You for Business Fraud_1 With a clatter, Xia Jianren felt as if his bones were about to break as he hit the ground, frowning and groaning in pain.


    Fang Yuemei, who hadn¡¯t yet recovered from the shock of what had just happened, heard his pitiful scream and immediately widened her eyes, rushing over hurriedly to help him up with tears streaming down her face, ¡°Jianren, how are you? Are you hurt?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± Xia Jianren, withstanding the pain all over his body, waved her off and, with her help, struggled to his feet from the ground.


    At this moment, humiliation from the others pained him more than the physical hurt did, a torment that flayed and gnawed at him alive.


    Now, trailing behind Zheng, pushed around by his underlings, Xia Jianren couldn¡¯t help but clench his fists tight, the veins on his hands bulging.


    After all, he was a boss¡ªnever before had he been humiliated like this!


    If the recipe had no issues, that would be one thing, but if there was a problem, he would surely take Ningxing¡¯s life, the little bitch!


    As for Zheng, who had humiliated him, Xia Jianren didn¡¯t dare contemplate revenge in the slightest.


    The Zheng family had been in the perfume business for generations, with ample wealth and influence that spanned the whole of Moli City; even if he had the gall, he wouldn¡¯t dare.


    Typical of someone who bullies the weak but fears the strong.


    Following the Zheng family to the perfume factory, Zheng had immediately had someone prepare the perfume using the ingredients and steps provided in the recipe right in front of him.


    Xia Jianren watched the operator closely, double-checking the recipe with every move the operator made, worried that the error was on his end.


    Zheng couldn¡¯t help but sneer and cross his arms.


    When the perfume turned out to smell like this, he, too, initially thought his operators had made a mistake and demanded it be redone, only to find after five or six attempts, it was still the same scent!


    What did this indicate? It showed it wasn¡¯t an issue with their operators but with the perfume recipe itself¡ªit was a complete sham!


    It was even intentionally made to disgust them!


    Otherwise, why would a well-made perfume turn out not only to be shit yellow in color but also nearly indistinguishable in smell from the actual substance?


    If only they knew how Ningxing racked her brains to come up with this ¡°shit-scented perfume¡± when writing the formula; maybe they would be deeply moved!


    Three hours later, the perfume production was complete.


    Normally, it should have been left to settle, but to save time, the operator directly took the perfume out, holding their nose, eyes filled with disgust.


    Having dealt with pleasant scents all his life, he never imagined he would make several bottles of foul-smelling perfume recently!


    It truly was an eye-opening experience!


    Zheng glanced at the foul-smelling perfume and once again sneered at Xia Jianren, ¡°Now, what do you have to say for yourself!¡±


    At this moment, Xia Jianren stood there in stunned silence, his handsome face frozen in disbelief, never having imagined that the perfume would turn out like this.


    It took him a while to react, then he cried out in his defense, ¡°Mr. Zheng, there must be some misunderstanding. I truly didn¡¯t know there was an issue with this perfume recipe¡ªhow about this, wait for me to go back home and check with my original partner and daughter, to see if maybe she wrote something wrong.¡±


    ¡°No need, I¡¯ve run out of patience!¡± Zheng, his face stiff with anger, insisted, as credibility was key in business.


    To collaborate with someone who lacked integrity was something he regretted so much that his guts turned blue, let alone considering a second collaboration¡ªdefinitely a waking nightmare!


    Moreover, the fault was clearly his own, yet he blamed his wife and child¡ªcould it be that his own family would intentionally set him up for failure?


    ¡°Refund, immediately, right now!¡± Zheng barked uncompromisingly, ¡°Otherwise, I¡¯ll sue you for business fraud!¡±

 Chapter 76 - 76 76 Spit Out the Money from Selling the

    ?Chapter 76: Chapter 76 Spit Out the Money from Selling the Perfume Formula_1 Chapter 76: Chapter 76 Spit Out the Money from Selling the Perfume Formula_1 Xia Jianren kept complaining bitterly.


    Forced by the other party¡¯s power, he could only spit out the one million he had swallowed into his belly.


    Xia Jianren was filled with hatred!


    His very teeth itched with rage!


    He wished he could chop Xia Ningxing into pieces and feed her to the dogs!


    Of course, he was indeed preparing to do just that.


    After Xia Jianren coughed up the one million, he immediately drove back to his old home, kicked the door off its hinges as he stormed in, and roared, ¡°Xia Ningxing! Get the hell out here for me!¡±


    His eyes were about to split open, the whites turning bloodshot.


    His facial features were twisted like those of a wild beast about to devour its prey, chilling to the bone and instilling terror and shock in anyone who saw him.


    At the moment, Xia Ningxing was feeding grass to a little white rabbit in the yard; seeing him approach in a rage, she showed not a trace of fear. Instead, her clear eyes were smiling, seemingly mocking him silently.


    Tsk, tsk, tsk.


    How does it feel to vomit up the meat that was already in your mouth?


    Oh, it must be delightful!


    All the blood in Xia Jianren¡¯s body rushed to his head instantly, like a lit firecracker, ready to explode!


    ¡°You little rabbit scum! Cheap tramp! Worthless piece of trash throwing herself at others! You actually dared to trick me! I¡¯m going to beat you to death, you beast!¡± Xia Jianren spewed all sorts of vile and malicious words.


    The suit he wore seemed to morph into the hide of a wild beast as he picked up a sturdy stick and charged at Xia Ningxing, his eyes filled with venomous hatred as if he truly wished to beat her to death.


    ¡°Help! Mom! Brother! Help me! Dad¡¯s going to beat me to death! It hurts so much!¡± Xia Ningxing immediately dropped the little white rabbit, crying out loudly, her little legs pitifully scampering toward the house.


    If anyone had been there, they would have noticed that Xia Jianren¡¯s stick had not even come close to her; it was even a good two meters away.


    Mrs. Xia and others had not come out yet, but Lu Tingli, who was next door feeding chickens, heard the girl¡¯s scream and his pupils contracted sharply.


    Fearing that Xia Jianren, that beast worse than a pig or dog, might harm the child, he dropped the rice he was holding and ran like mad towards Xia Ningxing¡¯s home.


    When he arrived and saw Xia Jianren chasing after the child, his strikingly handsome face immediately grew stern, a surge of nameless anger welling up within him.


    Was this even a human being, beating a child like that?


    ¡°Stop it!¡±


    Although Lu was young, the skills he once practiced were still with him; in the blink of an eye, he snatched the stick from Xia Jianren¡¯s hand, threw it aside, and stood protectively in front of Xia Ningxing, his dark eyes cold as he regarded Xia Jianren as if he were looking at a corpse.


    His icy words seemed to freeze the very air: ¡°Don¡¯t you dare hit her!¡±


    ¡°Lu... I¡¯m scared...¡± Seeing a powerful figure come to her rescue, Xia Ningxing threw herself onto his legs, sobbing continuously, pretending to be weak, timid, and pitiful to gain the sympathies of the major figure.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid, I¡¯m here,¡± Lu Tingli said with a note of tender compassion, looking down at the little girl who was trembling like a quail, the fierceness in his eyes growing even more intense.


    He had never liked Xia Jianren and had once directly caused his bankruptcy.


    Although he no longer had the sweeping power he once wielded, he still had a thousand quiet ways to do him in if he wanted!


    ¡°Who is this bratty kid? Get lost!¡±


    Xia Jianren picked up the stick again, now pointing at Lu¡¯s nose, angrily shouted, ¡°You little bastard, if you don¡¯t leave now, believe me, I¡¯ll beat you too!¡±


    Xia Jianren could never have dreamed that the person he was insulting was someone he would want to ingratiate himself with in the future but would never be able to.

 Chapter 77 - 77 77 This Isnt Baoers Handwriting_1

    ?Chapter 77: Chapter 77: This Isn¡¯t Bao¡¯er¡¯s Handwriting_1 Chapter 77: Chapter 77: This Isn¡¯t Bao¡¯er¡¯s Handwriting_1 Watching him spew such nonsense, Lu Tingli¡¯s eyebrows knitted, and a cold laugh escaped his thin lips. He was about to punch him when¡ª


    ¡°You bully! I won¡¯t let you hit Lu! You! If you have a problem, take it out on me!¡±


    Xia Ningxing¡¯s eyes were misty, her hand clutching the corner of the boss¡¯s clothes trembling, she looked terrified, yet every word she uttered was in his defense.


    Whimper, whimper, whimper, she felt she was doing a great job acting!


    The boss must be so moved!


    ¡°You think I¡¯ll let you off, you little wretch?¡± Xia Jianren, thinking of the humiliation he had suffered at Zheng¡¯s hands, was about to push Lu Tingli aside to hit Xia Ningxing.


    ¡°Bao¡¯er!¡± Before he could make a move, Mrs. Xia and the five brothers rushed out.


    Seeing this scene, Mrs. Xia screamed in fright, quickly protecting her precious daughter in her arms, glaring angrily at Xia Jianren as he snarled and lashed out, ¡°Jianren! What are you doing hitting a child!¡±


    And why on earth pick the daughter to hit? Couldn¡¯t a son be dragged off to be beaten instead?


    ¡°Lin Lan, do you have any idea what this slut has done!¡± Xia Jianren, his breath ragged and eyes red with anger, said when he saw her defending Xia Ningxing: ¡°She gave me a fake perfume formula, causing me to be ridiculed and nearly embroiled in a lawsuit!¡±


    Oops!


    He got ridiculed and almost involved in a lawsuit?


    Why does this make me so happy!


    Xia Ningxing was secretly delighted, relieved!


    That¡¯s how a scumbag should be played with!


    After Mrs. Xia understood the situation, her frown deepened; Bao¡¯er had not mentioned to her about Xia Jianren asking her for the perfume formula.


    So, was this true or false?


    ¡°Bao¡¯er, tell Mom, is what your father said true? Did you really give him a fake perfume formula?¡± Mrs. Xia couldn¡¯t help asking.


    Xia Ningxing instantly went full diva: ¡°Mommy... I didn¡¯t give it to Daddy... Daddy is slandering me...¡±


    Her shoulders twitching, her face covered in tear streaks, and her little nose red from crying, she looked incredibly pitiful.


    Mrs. Xia¡¯s heart was almost breaking, she lifted her hand to wipe away her tears, ¡°Don¡¯t cry, don¡¯t cry, Bao¡¯er stop crying, Mommy believes you.¡±


    ¡°Mommy!¡± Xia Ningxing suddenly felt a pang in her nose and couldn¡¯t help but throw herself into her arms, silently whispering an apology in her heart.


    She couldn¡¯t admit it.


    Otherwise, she had no way to explain why she deliberately gave Scum Daddy a fake perfume formula to mess with him.


    And now, with her mother still unaware of Scum Daddy¡¯s true colors, she might even think her a bad child.


    She finally had a mother, and she truly cherished her.


    ¡°You little slut still won¡¯t admit it?¡± Seeing her deny it, Xia Jianren was so angry he nearly fainted, his hands trembling as he took out the handwritten perfume formula from his bosom and threw it at them: ¡°Look for yourselves! This is the dead girl¡¯s handwriting!¡±


    The eldest brother hurriedly picked it up, and after a glance, his expression became difficult to describe.


    The other four brothers also looked as if they had something to say but held back.


    ¡°Is this your sister¡¯s handwriting or not?¡± Mrs. Xia anxiously asked, eventually snatching the formula herself then sighed in relief, telling Xia Jianren, ¡°Jianren, you¡¯re mistaken, this isn¡¯t Bao¡¯er¡¯s handwriting.¡±


    Although she was illiterate, she often looked through Bao¡¯er¡¯s exercise books, so she could recognize this was certainly not Bao¡¯er¡¯s writing.


    Bao¡¯er¡¯s characters were graceful and refined, every letter emanating a comfortable feeling.


    But these characters were aggressive and slightly chaotic, with heavy strokes, so how could they be hers.


    She knew it, how could Bao¡¯er ever do such a thing to betray her own father.

 Chapter 78 - 78 78 Must Be Living in a Dream_1

    ?Chapter 78: Chapter 78: Must Be Living in a Dream_1 Chapter 78: Chapter 78: Must Be Living in a Dream_1 Fearing he wouldn¡¯t believe her, she added, ¡°If you don¡¯t believe me, you can compare it with Bao¡¯er¡¯s usual handwriting in her exercise books.¡±


    Xia Jianren of course didn¡¯t believe it, but after he compared them, he shook his head in disbelief: ¡°How is this possible!¡±


    Had he not seen her write down this perfume recipe himself, he would probably also think that this perfume recipe had nothing to do with her now.


    A cold sneer appeared on the cheek of Xia Ningxing as she nestled in Mrs. Xia¡¯s embrace. Of course, she wouldn¡¯t miss this glaring loophole.


    After all, Xia Jianren was a man who had been mingling outside all year round; at this point, there was nothing he didn¡¯t understand¡ªhe had been utterly deceived by this wretched girl.


    Utterly deceived!


    Xia Jianren ground his molars in fury, his mind rapidly searching for a solution.


    Eventually, he suppressed his rage and said with a dark face, ¡°You wretched girl, just hand over the real perfume recipe to me, and I will let this matter go!¡±


    ¡°Jianren, what exactly do you want the perfume recipe for?¡± Before Ningxing could reply, Mrs. Xia couldn¡¯t help asking the question that was weighing on her mind.


    ¡°Of course it¡¯s to make money!¡± Xia Jianren replied without a second thought: ¡°That perfume recipe is basically of no great value in your hands, but it¡¯s different with me. I¡¯ve already found a buyer who offered one million to purchase the perfume recipe!¡±


    Even though Zheng had refused to work with him again, if he got his hands on the real perfume recipe and went to beg the other party, the cooperation might continue.


    After all, who would refuse money!


    If it weren¡¯t for the fact that he currently lacked the capability and urgently needed money, he would definitely start his own perfume factory.


    ¡°One million!?¡±


    Mrs. Xia and the five brothers gasped at the number, staring at him in disbelief.


    One million ah!


    If they had that money, they would be what¡¯s known as millionaires in the legends!


    Even more impressive than the ten-thousand yuan households from the early ¡¯80s!


    It could probably fill their house to the brim!


    Seeing Xia Jianren start to make empty promises again, Ningxing couldn¡¯t help but sneer inwardly.


    What¡¯s one million!


    Even if one million now could match the tens of millions later, this sum was still insignificant!


    Blind to Mount Tai!


    She knew that even an ordinary Ancient Perfume recipe in her world had once been hyped up to the astronomical price of several hundred billion.


    It was just that the recipe was a family heirloom passed down from her master, with a rule that it could not be sold.


    Otherwise, with the thick stack of perfume recipes in her master¡¯s safe, she would have become the richest person on the global wealth rankings long ago!


    Seeing that they were tempted, Xia Jianren¡¯s heart leaped with joy, thinking there was still a chance to turn things around, and he put more effort into his persuasion: ¡°So, just give me the perfume recipe, and after I sell it, I will ensure you all live a good life!¡±


    Mrs. Xia swallowed hard, truly tempted.


    But she was also unclear about what the recipe actually was, so she simply tried to persuade Ningxing: ¡°Bao¡¯er, why don¡¯t you just give the recipe to your dad?¡±


    ¡°No way!¡± Ningxing refused without room for negotiation.


    He hadn¡¯t yet coughed up the seven thousand he swindled before, and now he still wanted to take advantage, living in a dream!


    Moreover, this perfume recipe couldn¡¯t be sold.


    Even though she was no longer in the real world, Ningxing still hadn¡¯t forgotten her master¡¯s admonitions.


    Mrs. Xia didn¡¯t expect her to refuse a chance to make money and was momentarily stunned: ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Mom, actually, this perfume recipe was given to me by an old man. I¡¯ve sworn never to sell the recipe privately; otherwise, let me be struck by lightning and meet a terrible end!¡± Ningxing knew she had to fabricate a lie related to herself in order to dispel Mrs. Xia¡¯s thoughts of selling the recipe and to stand by her side.


    (Seeing there are complaints about the female lead¡¯s mother, now the female lead¡¯s mother doesn¡¯t know the true face of Scum Daddy, and she truly loves Scum Daddy, so she believes that everything Scum Daddy does is really for the good of the family. Once she discovers the truth, she will decisively divorce him. Sobs.)

 Chapter 79 - 79 79 But Daughter is More Important_1

    ?Chapter 79: Chapter 79 But Daughter is More Important_1 Chapter 79: Chapter 79 But Daughter is More Important_1 ¡°Can you believe this?¡± Seeing her serious tone and expression, Mrs. Xia did not doubt her at all. Instead, she gasped as if shocked.


    Her attitude changed completely, and she firmly said, ¡°Then we absolutely cannot sell it!¡±


    Money lost can be earned again, but if she were to lose her daughter, she wouldn¡¯t want to live anymore!


    Mrs. Xia believed her, but Lu Tingli narrowed his eyes slightly, his sharp gaze fixed on the little girl, clearly feeling that Bao¡¯er was lying.


    Xia Ningxing couldn¡¯t help but swallow nervously, thinking to herself how terrifying this main character with a halo was¡ªnow he could even tell that she was lying!


    ¡°All those vows are nonsense, Bao¡¯er, even if you give the recipe to Daddy, you absolutely will not suffer any retribution! Good girl!¡± Xia Jianren couldn¡¯t let this baseless accusation get in the way of his fortune and immediately tried to coax her with kind words on the surface.


    But deep down, he maliciously thought that if this despicable girl were struck by lightning and met an untimely death, he would throw a banquet to celebrate.


    He hadn¡¯t forgotten how much embarrassment she had caused him.


    Xia Ningxing could see his malice and decided she wouldn¡¯t hand it over no matter what.


    ¡°Jianren! In such matters, it¡¯s better to believe they are true rather than false!¡± Mrs. Xia stood firmly by Bao¡¯er, not wanting her darling to suffer even the slightest harm.


    Then Mrs. Xia did the math for him: ¡°Actually, if you think about it, even though we could make a lot of money right away by selling the perfume recipe, when you really consider it, it¡¯s not worth it!¡±


    ¡°Right now we can clear two hundred thousand a year, so in five years, that¡¯s a million!¡±


    ¡°Foolish!¡±


    Who said anything about selling perfume with her for five years!


    He felt nauseated every second he spent with her and her useless children more than necessary!


    He wanted a divorce!


    Divorce!


    Xia Jianren was halfway to death with anger, knowing he wouldn¡¯t get the perfume recipe today, so he could only leave in a huff.


    There would be time in the future, and he did not believe he couldn¡¯t wrestle the perfume recipe from that wretched girl!


    Seeing him fail to understand them, Mrs. Xia¡¯s eyes reddened, and she felt bitter. With tears in her eyes, she looked at his retreating figure: ¡°Jianren, won¡¯t you stay for dinner before you leave?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Xia Jianren did not even turn his head back and simply drove away.


    Large tears finally rolled down from Mrs. Xia¡¯s eyes as she covered her mouth, trying to hold back her sobs.


    It wasn¡¯t like this when they were dating or had just gotten married¡ªhe had wanted to be by her side every minute of every day, and their affection had made others envious. But why did they now seem as indifferent as strangers...


    The more Mrs. Xia thought about it, the more heartbroken she became, the floodgates of her tears seeming to break.


    At this moment, Xia Ningxing felt an intense disdain for that scumbag. With such a good wife, he still failed to cherish her. She gently patted her mother¡¯s head, comforting her, ¡°Mom, don¡¯t cry. I¡¯m hungry and want to eat.¡±


    She changed the subject.


    Xia Ningxing was acutely aware of her value in Mrs. Xia¡¯s heart, knowing that only she could pull her mother out of her grief at this moment.


    ¡°Bao¡¯er is hungry?¡± Upon hearing this, Mrs. Xia stopped crying, wiped the tear stains on her face, hugged her, and put her husband out of her mind: ¡°Good boy, wait here. Mom will go and cook for you right away.¡±


    Although her husband was important, her daughter was even more so!


    That¡¯s just how much women value their children!


    But even as she cooked, Mrs. Xia¡¯s eyes were still a faint red, unable to understand how her relationship with her husband had come to this.

 Chapter 80 - 80 80 Mastering the Evidence_1

    ?Chapter 80: Chapter 80: Mastering the Evidence_1 Chapter 80: Chapter 80: Mastering the Evidence_1 Xia Ningxing stroked her chin and decided to give her some hints, so after sending Lu away, she insisted that Mrs. Xia make a table full of green dishes that night.


    At dinner time, she joked, ¡°Mom, did you know, there once was a girl whose husband cheated on her, and her best friend learned about it. Wanting to remind her but afraid to be too direct, she made a bunch of green dishes to hint that she¡¯d been ¡®greened¡¯!¡±


    Expecting Mrs. Xia to get the hint, Xia Ningxing was taken aback when she just laughed heartily, ¡°Hahaha! That¡¯s so clever!¡±


    Xia Ningxing was at a loss for words: ¡°...¡±


    So, you only find it clever, and that¡¯s it?


    Although Mrs. Xia was naive enough to miss the point, the five brothers couldn¡¯t help but glance at Xia Ningxing.


    Looking at the table full of green food, they faintly felt they knew something.


    Xia Ningxing looked at Mrs. Xia, who was eating happily, and couldn¡¯t help but sigh silently.


    It seemed that only by presenting the evidence right in front of her would she completely realize what was going on!


    As it happened, the next day the phone at home rang.


    ¡°Hello, this is Xia family¡¯s perfume shop.¡± The eldest brother thought it was another customer calling to order perfume, ¡°May I help you with something?¡±


    ¡°Uh...¡± The person on the other end hesitated for a moment, and then instinctively asked, ¡°Is this Xia Ningxing¡¯s home?¡±


    Although the eldest brother was also stunned, he quickly answered, ¡°Yes, it is. Who¡¯s calling, please?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m her friend, Qin Zicheng. Could you let her take the call?¡±


    The eldest brother agreed, ¡°Okay, please hold on a moment.¡±


    Despite not knowing who this Qin Zicheng was or how he became friends with their sister, the eldest brother still went to call Xia Ningxing, who was busy with her holiday homework.


    ¡°Bao¡¯er, there¡¯s a call for you from someone named Qin Zicheng!¡±


    ¡°Coming!¡± Xia Ningxing immediately dropped her pen, rushed to the phone, picked it up, and answered in her soft voice, ¡°Uncle Qin?¡±


    On the other end, Qin Zicheng had thought he dialed the wrong number, but upon hearing her voice, he breathed a sigh of relief and quickly said, ¡°Little sister, I have the evidence of your dad¡¯s affair in my hands now.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s been living with his mistress for many years, and they have a daughter in her teens, as well as twin boys that the woman is currently pregnant with.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve taken a lot of photos and I¡¯ve mailed them to you.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Lawyer Qin.¡± Hearing this, Xia Ningxing wasn¡¯t surprised, the delicate beauty on her face only revealing a slight sneer.


    ¡°Don¡¯t mention it, it¡¯s the least I could do.¡±


    ¡°Could you also help us draft the litigation papers, please?¡±


    ¡°No problem.¡±


    Two days later, the photos arrived.


    Xia Ningxing opened the package and saw various photos of Scum Daddy¡¯s affair as soon as she unpacked it.


    There were photos of him holding his mistress, kissing her, accompanying her to prenatal checkups, shopping spree photos... and so on!


    Xia Ningxing¡¯s chubby little hands played with the photos, figuring she¡¯d lay it all out with Mrs. Xia in a moment.


    ¡°Sis, what was the mailman doing just now?¡± The eldest brother came over, curious.


    But upon seeing those photos, his vision darkened, his heart felt like it was being gripped tightly, and he was near suffocation.


    ¡°How can this be!¡±


    He bit his lip hard, his eyes reddened as he stared at the man in the photos, then hurriedly closed his eyes as if praying for something.