Shen Qiqi and Lu Qing walked side by side into the town's store. The dazzling array of goods did not make Shen Qiqi smile, but instead made her frown.

Colorful flags, lanterns, ribbons...

The prices of these essential items for festival celebrations have more than doubled compared to usual prices!

This is simply "taking advantage of the fire"!

"This boss is too black-hearted!" Shen Qiqi couldn't help but complain, with a hint of disbelief in her tone.

She made a rough estimate and found that if all the necessary items were purchased at that price, the funding gap for the celebration would be astronomical.

Anxiety wrapped around her like a vine, making it difficult for her to breathe.

Lu Qing patted Shen Qiqi's shoulder gently and comforted her softly, "Don't worry, Qiqi, let's think of a solution together." Although he said so, his furrowed brow also revealed his inner worries.

This sudden price increase undoubtedly put enormous pressure on their already tight celebration budget.

The air in the store seemed to freeze, filled with a suffocating feeling of oppression.

Shen Qiqi took a deep breath and tried to calm the waves in her heart.

She walked straight up to the shop owner and said straight to the point, "Boss Wang, aren't these prices a bit too high? We're buying a lot of things. Can you give us a discount?"

Boss Wang is fat, has a beer belly, and a greasy and shrewd face.

He glanced at Shen Qiqi and said with disdain: "Little girl, this is a fair price for everyone. It's a festival, everyone needs these things, so the price is naturally up. Buy it if you want!"

Shen Qiqi clenched her fists in anger, her nails almost digging into her flesh.

This boss is simply raising the price and going too far!

The surrounding customers also cast curious glances and whispered to each other, and an awkward atmosphere spread in the air.

"Boss Wang, we must be conscientious in doing business. Your price..." Shen Qiqi wanted to argue again, but was rudely interrupted by Boss Wang.

"Stop talking nonsense! My price is the market price. If you can't afford it, don't stop me from doing business!" Boss Wang waved his hand impatiently, trying to drive Shen Qiqi away like a fly.

Shen Qiqi could no longer suppress her anger. She slammed the counter with a loud "bang", which frightened Boss Wang and the surrounding customers.

“You…” Boss Wang pointed at Shen Qiqi and was so angry that he couldn’t speak for a long time.

Shen Qiqi smiled coldly, a cunning look flashing in her eyes, "Boss Wang, I have an idea..."

Shen Qiqi sneered, a meaningful arc appearing at the corner of her mouth. She cleared her throat and said to Boss Wang, "Boss Wang, I've seen your business philosophy of being honest and trustworthy. But who says we have to buy ready-made items for celebrations? Can't we make them ourselves?"

Upon hearing this, Boss Wang was stunned for a moment, then burst into laughter, rocking back and forth as if he had heard some truly absurd joke. "Little girl, are you still half asleep? With just you two? What can you possibly accomplish?"

Shen Qiqi ignored his ridicule and turned to look at Lu Qing, her eyes full of confidence. "Lu Qing, let's go to the mountains!"

Lu Qing was a little confused by Shen Qiqi's sudden change, but when he saw the confidence flashing in her eyes, an inexplicable power surged in his heart. He nodded without hesitation, and the two walked out of the store side by side.

"What's up with this third daughter-in-law?" Outside the store, several onlookers were whispering to each other, and the atmosphere of curiosity spread like ripples in the town.

"What is she going to do?" an aunt asked curiously.

"Who knows? Let's wait and see what kind of waves she will make." Another uncle said meaningfully.

The two of them jogged all the way to the foot of the mountain behind the village.

Shen Qiqi took a deep breath, feeling the fresh air in the mountains and forests, and her mood became much more relaxed.

She looked around, her eyes as sharp as a cheetah foraging for food, and soon locked onto her target - wild bamboo and colorful wild flowers all over the ground.

"Lu Qing, look, this bamboo can be used to make the frame of a lantern, and these wild flowers can be used for dyeing. We have plenty of treasures!" Shen Qiqi said excitedly, as if she saw the dawn of hope.

Lu Qing looked at Shen Qiqi's energetic appearance, and the corners of his mouth couldn't help but rise. She seemed to have endless energy and clever ideas. He felt that he liked this quirky daughter-in-law more and more.

The two of them got to work as soon as they said they would, rolled up their sleeves and started taking action.

They were busy cutting bamboo and picking wild flowers. The sunlight shone on them, giving them a golden halo. Sweat soaked their clothes, but it did not affect their interest at all.

Just when they were busy, Lu Qing slipped, lost his balance and fell to the ground.

"Lu Qing!" Shen Qiqi exclaimed, and hurried over to help him up, asking with concern: "Are you okay? Are you hurt anywhere?"

Lu Qing raised his head and met Shen Qiqi's concerned eyes. When their eyes met, the air seemed to freeze, and an inexplicable feeling quietly grew between them.

The breeze blew gently, ruffling the strands of hair on Shen Qiqi's forehead, and the atmosphere between the two gradually became ambiguous.

They realized that in the process of facing difficulties together, their feelings for each other seemed to deepen, and the feeling of happiness flowed in their hearts like honey.

"I'm fine." Lu Qing said softly, with a hint of imperceptible tenderness in his tone.

Shen Qiqi's cheeks flushed slightly, and she quickly stood up and said calmly, "Get up quickly, we still have a lot of work to do."

My dear, there is more to this chapter. Please click on the next page to continue reading. It will be even more exciting later!