“Selling building materials? That sounds good, but the store location is a bit hard to find. I know there’s a building materials market in Beijing. I’ll have someone go check it out. That’s a good idea, but we’ll need both of us to place orders for a more secure deal.”

Both the Bai and Yan families are involved in real estate, and on a large scale. If the two families were to leak some business from their own pockets, it would be of great help to Lin Chacha and Song Cheng, and they would basically not have to worry about the building materials not selling.

"That's what I'm planning too. Once things settle down, I can look for other orders. And once we get to know the business, customers will come to us on their own. Even without relying on the Bai and Yan families, I can keep the shop running."

At first, there was no way to rely on the influence of the Bai and Yan families, but you can't always expect others to help you get ahead. You also need to have your own plan. After you've established yourself, you still have to rely on yourself in many ways.

After Yan Xin left, Lin Xiazhu told Bai Ruan about it. Bai Ruan frowned slightly and said, "Why do we always need the Yan family's help? Isn't the Bai family powerful enough? Getting involved with the Yan family means owing them a favor. I don't think it's necessary."

If Bai Ruan hadn't mentioned it, Lin Xiazhu wouldn't have thought it was true. But now that she thinks about it, it really is true. When did she ever take Yan Xin's help to their family for granted? Besides, she was the one who brought it up first, so it was only natural that she included the Yan family in the discussion.

Even if Yan Xin and she have a good relationship, why should the Yan family necessarily help her or Cha Cha? Let alone the fact that Yan Xin doesn't have the final say in the Yan family, even if she did, there should be a limit. Lin Xiazhu patted her forehead, realizing she must have lost her mind. How could she be so unreasonable?

Seeing her frustrated look, Bai Ruan found it amusing, but when she saw Haomin hitting his head with his hand, she felt sorry for him. "Why are you hitting it so hard? You've been sleeping too much lately, so it's normal that your thinking is a little slow and you didn't think of this."

"Are you saying I'm stupid for three years after pregnancy?" Lin Xiazhu glared at him with puffed-out cheeks. If he dared to say yes, he was dead.

Bai Ru'an's expression stiffened slightly. Although that was indeed what she thought, she absolutely couldn't say it out loud. "No, how could I possibly think that about you? If you're being silly, it's someone else. Xiaozhu is the smartest." She praised him somewhat insincerely.

Lin Xiazhu stared at his handsome face for a while. Seeing that his expression was calm and not fake, she stopped worrying about it. "I'm a little hungry. I want to eat a bowl of dumplings, cooked in chicken soup, with some vegetables."

"Okay, I'll have someone make it right away and bring it up for us to eat?" In the past, she was too lazy, and apart from eating regular meals, she often had the servants bring her snacks upstairs.

"I'm going downstairs to eat. I'm not sleepy today, and I want to move around a bit." The house has underfloor heating, so she doesn't feel cold. She's wearing a loose, knee-length thick dress. Although her belly is quite big, she hasn't gained much weight elsewhere; she's only slightly fatter than before.

She doesn't look bloated at all. It's amazing that she can eat so much and not gain weight. If someone else ate like her, their weight would probably soar to two or three hundred pounds.

Bai Ru'an often liked to touch her belly, though he didn't show it on his face. But he was worried in his heart. He always felt that all the food his wife ate every day was being absorbed by the little one in her belly. He wondered if the little one had already become a big fat baby and that a C-section would be the only way to get it out.

"Why are you making that face? Do you have a problem with our baby?" Lin Xiazhu has been particularly sensitive since she became pregnant. She's fine with other people, but as Bai Ruan's closest person, she gets startled if Bai Ruan's expression is even slightly off.

"No, I'm too busy in pain to have any other emotions. I love our baby more than anything," Bai Ru'an quickly stated in a moment of urgency, her attitude firm.

Lin Xiazhu wrinkled her nose. "Including me?"

Hmm? Why does it seem like he didn't understand?

"You love the baby more than you love me, don't you?" Lin Xiazhu's eyes reddened, looking somewhat aggrieved. Did she lose favor after having a child?

Bai Ru'an: "..." Can you really think like that?

After a moment of careful thought, Bai Ru'an said cautiously, "Of course, you are my favorite. The baby is our child, and you love him too, right? You are both my treasures..."

After much coaxing, Lin Xiazhu finally managed to calm him down and smiled. She took her husband's arm and rested her head on his shoulder. "Xiao An, have I been particularly dramatic lately, always looking for trouble for you?"

Yes, she is a little bit, but he can accept it. Pregnancy will definitely make her more delicate, and he is willing to pamper and spoil her.

"Don't overthink it, nothing's wrong. The snow is getting heavier outside. Are you feeling cold? I'll get you a coat to wear." Bai Ru'an gently put her arm around her and they slowly walked downstairs.

Lin Xiazhu walked to the French windows and looked at the vast expanse of white snow falling outside. She felt a little regretful. If she hadn't been pregnant, she could have gone out to build snowmen and have snowball fights.

Having lived in Beijing for several years, she has seen snow every year, something that was rare in the south. It's not that it never snows in her hometown; it might snow a little when it's very cold, but only a tiny bit, so little that it's gone before you can even look closely. You can only see a layer of ice forming in the water tank and on a fishpond, but that ice is very thin and breaks easily when you tap it.

Those are all childhood memories. Later, as the temperature got warmer, it hadn't snowed in my hometown for many years. Occasionally, it would snow a little, but more often it would be frost. When I woke up in the morning, the mountains and rooftops were covered with a white layer of frost. It was very cold, so cold that my fingers felt like they were going to fall off. However, on frosty days, the sun was always very strong during the day, so it was relatively warm during the day. It was only cold in the morning and evening.

"What are you thinking about?" Bai Ru'an came out of the kitchen after giving instructions and saw that she was still standing by the window, staring into space, so she came over and hugged her.

"It's nothing, I just wanted to see it. After all, it hasn't snowed in my hometown for many years. Even when it does snow occasionally, it's never this spectacular. I was just feeling sentimental. Back home, it's quite cold without underfloor heating when it doesn't snow."

The damp and cold air, especially during the spring rainy season, can last for more than half a month. You won't get wet, but being wet is uncomfortable and can easily cause arthritis. When the Nanjing wind blows, water can seep out of the floor, making the house particularly damp.

If you lay more stones and raise the foundation, it will be better. Otherwise, not only will the floor be damp, but the windows and bathroom walls will also be covered with water droplets. The mirrors in the house will be blurry, and you will have to wipe off the moisture before you can see yourself.

Bai Ru'an had lived in the South for quite some time, so she naturally knew these things. Hearing Lin Xiazhu mention them, she also felt a little nostalgic.

"The houses in the county town were alright, and the river there was smaller. The river in Shanhe Town was bigger, and the houses were built along the river. At that time, it was the first time my uncle and his family had contracted to build a house, so they probably lacked experience. As a result, the floors were particularly damp when the wind was blowing from the south."

Lin Xiazhu smiled and said, "Back then, we didn't think of that. We were just thinking about building the houses as soon as possible so that we could have our own places to live. We never thought of such a comprehensive plan."

Now, both Lin Shanfu and Zhang Yu are experienced contractors; they can think of things they couldn't have before.