When Xia Jianguo and Li Chunmei returned, Xia Minmin had her eyes closed. If it weren't for the upturned corners of her mouth, they would have thought she was asleep.

Li Chunmei smiled and nudged Xia Minmin, "What are you thinking about, Minmin? You seem so happy."

"Mom, you've ruined my dream. I'm already at the point where I need to collect the rent," Xia Minmin said impatiently.

The rest is self-evident. Xia Jianguo and Li Chunmei had heard their daughter's daydreams before. Ever since she learned that Brother Wang owned two buildings and was collecting rent, she would occasionally daydream about being a landlady.

Xia Jianguo pointed to his watch and asked, "What time is it now?"

Xia Minmin: "15:38".

"It's not even night yet! And you're already daydreaming. Besides, you only have ten houses! You have a long way to go before you become a landlady."

Xia Minmin stood on the chair and patted Xia Jianguo and Li Chunmei's shoulders hard, "Mom and Dad, whether I can become a landlady depends on you."

Xia Jianguo said irritably, "Why don't you just say you'll rely on yourself?"

Xia Minmin looked serious. "Dad, you don't even know how much the housing prices in Shenzhen have changed in the past few years. The 10 houses we bought before were all in remote areas, which is why they were so cheap. Now that area is almost developed, the housing prices seem to have gone up a bit. By the time I grow up and can afford a house, I probably won't even be able to afford one in Shenzhen."

Yes, there's construction going on everywhere in Shenzhen right now, and the housing prices in the central areas have never fallen.

Li Chunmei slapped her daughter's bottom, "Is that all you've got? All you do is cause your old parents trouble. Alright, your father and I will work hard to buy you a house. You also need to study hard, otherwise we won't be able to collect rent from these houses."

Xia Minmin saluted Li Chunmei and Xia Jianguo, and said playfully, "Yes, sir!"

Li Chunmei took a red notebook out of her handbag. "Xiaomin, look what this is?"

Xia Minmin held the property certificate and looked at it again and again. "Mom and Dad, you bought the shop in the wholesale market."

Li Chunmei said, "Okay, after you go back to your hometown tomorrow, your dad and I will go to the small commodity market in the next province the day after tomorrow to investigate."

Xia Minmin said, "I know, I'll take good care of myself. Mom and Dad, please be careful when you travel, and don't flaunt your wealth..."

Xia Minmin rambled on and on, and neither Xia Jianguo nor Li Chunmei interrupted her. They knew that their daughter was only acting this way because she was worried. This was the first time the three of them had been separated for so long.

Finally, Xia Minmin stopped talking because her mouth was dry, and drank a large glass of water to quench her thirst.

Xia Minmin: "What about the small supermarket? Should they hang up a leave slip outside the door like they do when people go back to their hometowns for Qingming Festival?"

Xia Jianguo: "Yeah, there aren't many people at the small supermarket during the summer vacation, so it's fine to close it for a few days."

That evening, when Xia Minmin was packing her luggage, her suitcase was opened and placed in the living room. Clothes and books were essential items to bring, along with a lot of imported snacks from a small supermarket, which she was going to take back to her older and younger cousins.

Xia Jianguo looked at his daughter sitting on the suitcase and zipping it up, "You've packed this way too full. You can't put it down, or the snacks inside will break. Let's get a bigger suitcase!"

Li Chunmei came out carrying a large suitcase, moved her belongings over, and then easily locked the suitcase.

Xia Jianguo said, "You don't need to bring your schoolbag! Xiaomin, try to see if you can drag it."

Xia Minmin even tried lifting the suitcase horizontally without much trouble; the suitcase looked big but wasn't actually that heavy.

Li Chunmei handed Xia Minmin three hundred yuan, saying, "Keep the money safe and don't lose it."

Xia Jianguo exclaimed, "Xiaomin, you have to treat us to this extra income!"

To train Xia Minmin, Xia Jianguo and Li Chunmei gave her a one-time allowance of 1,500 yuan per year, and didn't give her any extra money at other times. That's why Xia Jianguo called it extra income.

Xia Minmin said with a grin, "Please, please, it's my treat, you pay the bill."

Xia Jianguo pointed at Xia Minmin and said, "How heartless you are, actually coveting such a small amount of pocket money from your old father."

Looking at the father and daughter's amazing acting skills, Li Chunmei could only rub her temples and sigh. The two of them were no more than six years old combined, and they would put on such a show for no reason.

Li Chunmei said seriously, "Be serious!"

"Yes." The father and daughter immediately sat up straight, as if the noise wasn't coming from them.

Li Chunmei patted her daughter's hair and said, "Xiaomin, your father and I are not going back to our hometown this time. Be careful and stay close to your sister Qing. Don't wander around alone. If you get lost, go to the police station or the public security bureau."

Xia Jianguo added, "If you are unfortunately grabbed by human traffickers, look around for shops or cars. Overturn or smash their things and make them call the police. Your parents will compensate them."

Li Chunmei said, "Mom, I know you're a good child, but don't help anyone outside, not even elderly people or young children. People these days are so malicious. What will your father and I do if something happens to you?"

Actually, they didn't want Xia Minmin to know about these dark sides of society, but they had no choice. Some time ago, they saw in the daily newspaper that a female college student had been trafficked and had not been found yet.

If a girl is abducted and trafficked, her life will only become more miserable.

Xia Minmin nodded, "Mom and Dad, I will take good care of myself. Besides, I haven't been back to my hometown many times, so even if they ask me for directions, I wouldn't know."

Li Chunmei went into the room and came out with a red envelope. "Take this red envelope first. If your uncle holds a banquet for your sister Qing in your hometown, you can use this red envelope to give as a gift. Make sure you don't get your father's name and the amount wrong."

The wall clock in the entryway chimed; it was already eight o'clock in the evening.

Li Chunmei said, "Xiaomin, it's getting late, go take a shower! Get some rest today, don't get up early tomorrow, sleep in a bit, you probably won't sleep well in the sleeper car on the train."

Xia Minmin took her pajamas to take a shower.

Xia Jianguo pushed his daughter's suitcase to the entrance and put it away, so that she wouldn't be in a panic and looking for things everywhere when she went out tomorrow.

Li Chunmei said, "The thought of her leaving our sight keeps me on edge, and I can't put my mind at ease."

Xia Jianguo poured Li Chunmei a glass of warm water and handed it to her.

Xia Jianguo said, "You'll get used to it. Once your daughter grows up, she'll fly away, and you'll have to let go of your worries. Besides, with so many family members going back together, what are you worried about? Have you forgotten that she went back to her hometown with her parents and Xiao Qing before?"

Li Chunmei, holding her cup, said, "I'm so anxious because there have been so many news reports about the abduction of girls lately."

Yes, it's true. What parent wouldn't be heartbroken to see their daughter, whom they've raised with such difficulty, disappear without a trace?