Lin Wanqiu stood at the door, quietly watching this scene, her heart filled with emotion. She recalled when her daughter first started learning to draw, she couldn't even hold a pen steadily, and the lines she drew were crooked and uneven. Now, however, she could complete a painting with such focus and even listen to her teacher's guidance to adjust her technique. This was not only an improvement in drawing skills, but also a growth in her mind—her daughter was slowly learning to do something seriously and attentively, which was more important than any award.

"Ms. Shen, you've arrived!" Teacher Wang greeted Lin Wanqiu with a smile. "Look how focused Nianxi is. She'll definitely win an award in this competition. This child is not only good at drawing, but also very kind-hearted. Yesterday, a classmate accidentally fell and cried, and she took the initiative to comfort the child with her own cookies and wiped away the child's tears, just like a little adult."

Lin Wanqiu smiled and nodded, her gaze fixed on Shen Nianxi: "It's all thanks to your excellent teaching, thank you for your hard work, Teacher Wang."

"It's all I should do," Teacher Wang said with a smile. "Nianxi is a very smart and sensible child. She learns things very quickly and is always willing to help others. All the children in the class like to play with her, and the teachers also like her very much. Last time our kindergarten organized a physical examination, she even took the initiative to help the teachers maintain order and let the children line up properly. She wasn't shy at all."

As they were talking, Chen Nianxi suddenly looked up and saw Lin Wanqiu at the door. Her eyes immediately lit up, and she excitedly raised the drawing paper in her hand and shouted, "Mom! You came to see me draw! Look at the maple leaves I drew, aren't they red?"

Lin Wanqiu hurried over, took the drawing paper, and examined it closely. On the paper, a small girl stood under a tall maple tree, holding a maple leaf in her hand. Next to her was a little rabbit. The color of the maple leaf transitioned naturally from deep red at the edges to light red in the center. Although the lines were still somewhat immature, they were full of childlike innocence and imagination. "So beautiful! Nianxi drew it so well! This is the reddest maple leaf I've ever seen!" Lin Wanqiu couldn't help but pick up her daughter and kiss her on the cheek. "My Nianxi is such a little artist!"

Chen Nianxi blushed with embarrassment at the praise, buried her head in Lin Wanqiu's arms, and whispered, "Mom, I want to paint the little rabbit white, so it looks like a little rabbit in the snow."

“Okay, Mom will color with you.” Lin Wanqiu sat down next to her daughter, picked up a white crayon, and started coloring with her. Sunlight streamed through the window, bathing the mother and daughter in warmth and brightness. Seeing this, the other children in the activity room also shouted, “I want my mom to color with me too!” The whole activity room was filled with a warm atmosphere.

After the competition, Teacher Wang announced the winners, and Shen Nianxi indeed won first prize. When she received the certificate and small prize—a pink backpack—her eyes sparkled with excitement. Clutching the certificate tightly, she ran to Lin Wanqiu and proudly said, "Mom, look! I won first prize! This is a gift for you!"

Lin Wanqiu accepted the certificate and carefully looked at the words "Chen Nianxi won the first prize in the 'Autumn Colors' themed painting competition." Her eyes suddenly welled up with tears. She squatted down and hugged her daughter tightly: "Nianxi, you're amazing! Mom is so proud of you! This is the result of your hard work. Keep up the good work!"

"Yes!" Shen Nianxi nodded vigorously, then ran to Grandma Shen's side with the certificate in her hand. "Grandma, look at my certificate! I want to get more certificates in the future to bring honor to Mom and Grandma!" Grandma Shen smiled from ear to ear, took the certificate and touched it again and again, her eyes reddening slightly. "My good granddaughter, you are so amazing. Grandma is so proud of you!"

In the afternoon, Lin Wanqiu brought Shen Nianxi and Grandma Shen home. As soon as they entered, they saw Shen Tingzhou sitting in the living room, holding a document. "You're back!" Shen Tingzhou stood up with a smile. Seeing the certificate in Shen Nianxi's hand, he immediately came over to greet her, "Oh, what's this? Did our Nianxi get an award?"

"Yes, Dad!" Shen Nianxi excitedly held up the certificate. "I won first prize in the kindergarten drawing competition! Teacher Wang even gave me a little schoolbag as a reward!"

Shen Tingzhou took the certificate, looked at it carefully, smiled, picked up his daughter, and kissed her on the cheek: "Our Nianxi is so amazing! Dad will treat you to your favorite sweet and sour pork ribs tonight, okay?"

"Great! Great!" Shen Nianxi clapped her hands with joy and skipped off to call Shen Nian'an to share the good news of her award.

Lin Wanqiu watched the interaction between the father and daughter, a smile playing on her lips. She walked to Shen Tingzhou's side and asked softly, "What document are you holding? Why are you back so early today?"

Shen Tingzhou handed her the documents, his eyes filled with joy: "This is a commendation order from the army, along with a bonus. I ended the meeting early today because I wanted to discuss something with you—you mentioned last time that you wanted to open a branch for the food shop, and I think that's a great idea. I happen to have a bonus, which we can use as start-up capital. What do you think of the east side of the city? There are many residential areas there, and the foot traffic is high, so opening a branch there would definitely be successful."

Lin Wanqiu felt a warmth in her heart. She took the document and looked at it carefully. The handwriting on the commendation order was neat and strong, and every word showed recognition of Shen Tingzhou's work. She looked up at her husband, her eyes full of tenderness: "Thank you, Tingzhou. Actually, I was thinking about opening a branch store today. I didn't expect you to be so supportive. The east of the city is indeed a good place. We can go and take a look at the store tomorrow. If it's suitable, we'll make a decision as soon as possible."

“Okay, I’ll do whatever you say.” Shen Tingzhou held her hand, his fingertips stroking the calluses on her palm. “You’ve sacrificed so much for this family and the food shop over the years. All I can do is support you to the best of my ability. Don’t worry, I’ll help you manage the branch opening. I won’t make you too tired.”

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