Around five or six in the afternoon, Chen Lao Er and Li Yu Mei returned home one after another. One sat in the dining room talking to her youngest daughter about the furniture they had decided to have made, while the other went into the kitchen, as if she was about to make something delicious!

At 6:30, when it was time for dinner, Chen Xihua saw a plate of stir-fried greens and a plate of cucumber and scrambled eggs on the table, while Chen Xiaoliu had a large chicken leg in his bowl!

Very well, I've fooled... no, it's time to teach my younger brother a lesson!

After everyone sat down, Chen Xihua put the chicken leg into her empty bowl, then got up, carried it into the kitchen, washed her hands, grabbed an empty plate, and came out again!

"Fifth Girl, you're really lawless! You have no manners at all! You even steal your brother's food! It's outrageous! What sins have I committed to give birth to such a wicked girl!" As soon as Li Yumei saw Fifth Girl take the chicken leg, she stood up and started nagging and cursing for a while. It has to be said that her cursing was quite vicious!

Chen Xihua sat down again and tore the chicken leg meat off with her hands, placing it on an empty plate. Fortunately, Li Yumei had originally planned to stew it for Chen Xiaoliu, so the chicken leg was tender and easy to tear off!

She didn't argue with Li Yumei. Instead, she handed the chicken bone to Chen Xiaoliu and pushed the chicken leg meat to the center of the table. Chen Xihua picked up a piece of chicken with her chopsticks and put it in the bowls of her eldest and fourth sisters. Her second and third sisters would automatically take some without her asking. As for whether Chen Lao Er and his wife would eat it or not, she didn't care!

Chen Xihua turned back for a closer look and saw the chubby little boy munching on the bare chicken bones with a blank expression. Hmm, there was still hope. Her heart softened, and she finally had a change of heart. She picked up a large piece of chicken with her chopsticks and put it in Chen Xiaoliu's bowl, smiling at him as she said...

"Wow, whose good child is this? I just told him the story of Kong Rong sharing pears this afternoon, and he already knows to share the chicken drumsticks with his sisters tonight!"

"Fifth Sister, it's me, Xiao Liu!" Chen Baohua was pleased by her fifth sister's words and shook her head smugly!

"Little Six, you're such a good boy, now it's time to eat!"

Li Yumei was about to curse again when Chen Lao Er interrupted her with, "You can't even shut your mouth while eating!" The chicken legs she had finally bought and cooked for Xiao Bao had been eaten by those brats; she had no taste for them at all!

After the meal, Chen Xihua pulled Chen Xiaoliu to the bench and started to flatter and praise him!

"Little Six was great today, he knew how to share! From now on, if your parents secretly give you any cookies, cakes, or snacks, remember to share them with your sisters, okay?"

Eating alone is not good behavior; we're all family, good things should be shared!

She even made sure to say the words "secretly" and "alone" very loudly, so the whole family could hear!

The Chen family: "..."

"Okay, I know, I'm a good boy!" Chen Baohua nestled in his fifth sister's arms, waiting for a while. He got a little impatient and kept squirming from side to side, wondering why she hadn't kissed him yet!

Chen Xihua was amused by his awkward movements and it took her a while to realize what was happening. She kissed him on the cheek.

This time, Chen Xiaoliu didn't run away, but he was still blushing!

Then, Chen Xihua took out a small red flower that she had cut out from scraps of floral fabric that afternoon from her pocket, stuck it with a grain of rice, and stuck it on Chen Xiaoliu's forehead. "I'm giving Xiaoliu a little red flower as a reward. Only good children get one!"

Chen Baohua jumped up with joy and ran into the room to get the mirror that her mother often looked in. Then she skipped out with a silly grin on her face!

"Fifth Sister, the little red flower is beautiful!"

"Isn't it beautiful? If you listen to your fifth sister and be a good child, your fifth sister will give you a reward!"

...

Over the next few days, Chen Lao Er went to the furniture store. After another ten days or so, the bed, desk, sofa bed, and screen cabinet that he had ordered were all finished!

Mr. Hu, the owner of the furniture store, said that the furniture could be moved back that afternoon, but since the Chen family ordered a lot of furniture, the store would deliver it directly.

From morning to noon, the Chen sisters were cleaning the house. They dismantled the two old beds and moved them to the hallway, as well as the long benches in the dining room, which they planned to sell cheaply to the furniture store later!

In the afternoon, as the sun began to set, Mr. Hu, the owner of the furniture store, drove his small truck to the residential area. When he arrived downstairs, many elderly women from the textile factory came over to watch, including Grandma Chen.

Chen Lao Er took his two eldest daughters downstairs to help. Chen Xi Hua saw Grandma Chen talking to Chen Lao Er in the second-floor corridor!

Uncle Chen's family lives in the east side of the residential area. Some time ago, Grandma Chen was slightly ill and rarely came out, so this was the first time Chen Xihua had met Grandma Chen. She was a short, thin, white-haired old lady in her sixties.

Previously, because her maternal grandmother had just passed away, Chen Xihua was not comfortable visiting other people's homes!

"Second son, why did you make so many beds? How much did that cost? You and Yumei are both laid off and don't have jobs. You need to be careful with your money and save it all. Xiaobao will need it for school later!" Grandma Chen nagged, blaming her second son for wasting money!

"Auntie, it's not expensive. My Hu family's furniture store is the most affordable. We only make a small profit on labor costs. Your son's ride here only cost a little over three hundred yuan!" Mr. Hu, who had just gotten out of the truck driver's seat, immediately interrupted Chen Lao Er to say something, as it was a good opportunity to promote the furniture store.

"Everyone come and see! This is a new bunk bed, eighty yuan apiece, not fifty yuan for a regular bunk bed. A folding sofa is sixty yuan, and this simple desk is ten yuan each. It's perfect for families with many children!"

"This Chen Lao Er is really willing to spend money. More than three hundred yuan at once, that's a month's wages!"

"He has a lot of children, six in total. I heard that his youngest daughter from the countryside has also come back. He needs to buy more beds! But this bed is really nice, it doesn't take up much space!"

"The one who was sent to the countryside to be raised right after birth, we thought Chen Lao Er's family didn't want him anymore?"

"How could we not want her? She's seven or eight now, but in ten years or so, she can get a dowry when she gets married. It's such a good deal, and his daughter is beautiful too!"

"Too……"

After listening to the commotion for a while, Chen Xihua went back to her house. She overheard that the Wang family, who lived to the left of her house, were also planning to buy the bunk beds. Apparently, the Wang family had four children.

Just then, Chen Lao Er and his family also brought up the furniture. Grandma Chen followed and saw Chen Xihua, saying, "This must be Wu Yatou!"

After hearing Chen Xihua call out "Grandma", Grandma Chen went to cuddle with her grandson!

By the time the Chen family had moved all the beds up and set them up, it was already dark!

That night, Chen Xihua was finally able to sleep alone. For the past two weeks, the three sisters had been crammed together during the hottest part of the summer in the south—it was unbearable!

When it came to choosing where to sleep, the eldest and fourth sisters chose the lower bunks, while the second and third sisters slept in the upper bunks. They were all very satisfied, and Chen Xihua was also very satisfied!

The sofa bed in the dining room will be used as a sofa chair for now!

...

"Chen Lao Er, don't sleep yet. Do you really want to support several girls through junior high school? That'll cost a lot of money, a thousand or two a year! If we don't let the older one or two go to school, it should be fine, right? There are plenty of uneducated people in the countryside!"

Li Yumei was heartbroken. This summer vacation had cost her more than 1,500 yuan. Although more than 1,000 yuan was the fine she paid a few days ago to register her son's household registration, she was willing to spend it for her youngest son. However, the furniture cost more than 300 yuan, and when school starts in September, she will have to pay 600 to 700 yuan for each of her five daughters' semesters, plus the book and miscellaneous fees. That's 1,000 yuan in total. All of this was money she shouldn't have spent!

"Of course we'll support her! Didn't Xiao Wu say that we'll support her for nine years of compulsory education, even if we have to sell everything we own? You've probably gotten a feel for Xiao Wu's temper lately. If we don't support her education, and she causes a scene that everyone knows about, she'll become a laughing stock, and in the end, we'll still have to support her. This is a county town, do you think this is some rural village?"

"Besides, if you don't have money, you have to find a way to earn it. Actually, studying more is also good. I didn't work hard enough back then and didn't get into university. A few days ago, I went to my junior high school reunion and found that there was a big difference between those of us who got into university and those of us who didn't!"

Chen Lao Er was also a bit sentimental. He, Chen Jianshe, wasn't such a bad person. Was he really going to end up unable to support his children? He needed to think carefully about what kind of business to make! The plan to open a restaurant didn't seem quite right; neither he nor his wife had the skills!

"I'm going to sleep now, I'll talk about it tomorrow. I've moved several loads of furniture, I'm exhausted!"

Have a good night's sleep!

When Chen Xihua woke up in the morning, she felt refreshed and her head injury didn't hurt much anymore. It was almost healed and she could barely feel it anymore. However, there was a tuft of hair missing from the back of her head, and a small stub had just started to grow back. But since she had long hair, it was not noticeable when it was covered!

"Big sister, did you sleep well last night? Fourth sister, is it comfortable sleeping alone?" Chen Xihua asked with a smile when she saw that her four older sisters had just gotten up!

"Fifth sister, I slept very well!" Chen Chunhua nodded with a smile. Her second sister used to be a restless sleeper, kicking her arms and legs around, but now she could sleep soundly until dawn!

"Fifth sister, this is great! I can turn over and toss in my sleep whenever I want!" Chen Xiuhua's voice was a little soft, but you could tell she was very happy and admired her fifth sister even more!

"Xiao Wu, why didn't you ask me?" Second Brother Chen Jinhua was getting a little anxious!

“That’s right, Xiao Wu, I’m here too!” The third sister, Chen Meihua, although she didn’t quite like her, didn’t want to be left out.

"I can tell you slept well just by looking at your expressions!" Chen Xihua knew that her second and third sisters would chatter away without her even asking, unlike her eldest and fourth sisters who were more reserved. Her eldest sister might genuinely be quiet, while her fourth sister might just be a little timid.

After the Chen family had brushed their teeth and washed their faces, it was time to eat breakfast!

"Baohua's mother, make some more of the osmanthus cake you made for Xiaobao before!" Chen Lao Er went to find Li Yumei as soon as he came out!

"No, I'm not making it. Osmanthus cake requires osmanthus honey, which is very expensive, and we don't have any at home!" Li Yumei has been listless and indifferent lately; it's all because of her money!

"Just do what I tell you to do. Do you still want to make money? If you don't have osmanthus honey, go buy some!" Chen Lao Er didn't waste any more words. After eating breakfast, he went out.

I had originally found a shop for rent at the end of the street in the western part of the county, planning to open a restaurant there. After returning, I was busy with furniture. A few days ago, I asked and found out that it had already been rented. Now I have to find a new one.

Fortunately, when the furniture was made, Mr. Hu gave me 150 yuan for the blueprints of the bunk bed!

Chen Xihua was unaware that she had just returned and brought up the furniture-making matter that very afternoon, deliberately keeping Chen Lao Er busy so he wouldn't have to rent that shop. Little did she know that she had already successfully altered the plot slightly.

In the original book, the Chen family ran a restaurant at the end of the street in the West District. Soon after, a mahjong parlor opened next door. Chen Baohua went there and learned bad habits from the mahjong players. Chen Lao Er would also go there from time to time to play a few rounds!

At noon, Chen Lao Er did not come back for lunch, so Li Yumei went to buy osmanthus honey to make osmanthus cake!

Chen Lao Er didn't return until four or five in the afternoon, looking very excited!

"Baohua's mother, I've found a suitable shop on South Street in the county. It's not a big shop, and the monthly rent is one hundred yuan!"

"Why is it over there? Didn't you say before that there were shops for rent on West Street?" Li Yumei came out of the kitchen!

"That was half a month ago. Is the osmanthus cake ready yet? Come on, let me have a taste!" Chen Lao Er turned his head to look at the kitchen!

"It's ready, eat up!" Li Yumei turned around and went back to the kitchen, bringing out a plate with six square osmanthus cakes, each sprinkled with osmanthus honey, which looked very pretty!

Chen Lao Er picked one up in each hand and put it in his mouth. "Mmm, delicious...tastes great!"

After he finished eating the osmanthus cake in his mouth, he said again:

"Baohua's mother, you're not a great cook, but this osmanthus cake is absolutely delicious!"

"That's not right, what do you mean the food isn't very good!" Li Yumei raised her voice, a little proud when she heard her husband say it was delicious. "That's because my mother taught me how to make it, and I can also make water chestnut cake. Those are the two things I make best!"

"Your mother can make pastries?" Chen Lao Er was skeptical, thinking it was Li Lao Tai, that country old lady who loved to take advantage and always talked about her youngest son!

"No, it's Zhang..."

"That's right, I knew it, she's my mother-in-law!" Chen Lao Er still respected his wife, who was his adopted mother.

After all, Zhang Shuyun wasn't like many women in the countryside who were rude, verbally abusive, or threw tantrums!

Back then, he was a young man from the county town who went to the countryside as an educated youth. Among the village women in Shanghe Village, only his mother-in-law was treated better by him. She was educated and spoke elegantly! It was precisely because of this that he agreed to marry Li Yumei, this country girl!

"My mother taught me a lot. As long as you have glutinous rice flour, rice flour, and sugar, you can make all kinds of pastries and snacks. But I only like osmanthus cake and water chestnut cake, so I only learned to make those two!" Li Yumei said, a little embarrassed but also a little proud.

Chen Lao Er thought to himself, "Can't I just admit I'm lazy?" He continued, "Let's not run a restaurant anymore, let's open a pastry shop, and sell this osmanthus cake, and the water chestnut cake you mentioned!"

"I only know two kinds, is that too few?" Li Yumei felt uneasy and worried that she wouldn't be able to make money!

"It's alright, let's sell osmanthus cake and water chestnut cake first. You can figure out the rest later!" Chen Lao Er thought it was good to start with two kinds, as the cost would be lower!

With only a few days left until the start of the new school year in September, the five Chen sisters were all in their rooms rushing to finish their homework. At this time, with no children making noise in the Chen family, Chen Xihua overheard the gist of the conversation between Chen Lao Er and his wife. She was very happy; things had changed from the original story—they weren't going to open a restaurant on West Street!

In fact, Chen Xihua wasn't doing homework; she was teaching Chen Baohua to recite poems. As a graduate student majoring in business administration, it was impossible for her to do homework.

She was a top student; in her previous life, her college entrance exam scores were high enough to get her into a research-related major. But what did her dad say? 'If you go into research, who will work for me? Who will manage the company?' She was speechless, but inwardly she was furious!