Shen Qiqi stood in the corner of the room, her hand gently brushing across the rough wall. This was the prototype of her dream workshop, but now it was empty, like a blank canvas mocking her embarrassment.

Money, start-up capital, stood before her like a huge mountain.

She scratched her hair irritably and sighed deeply. She looked so sad, like an eggplant hit by frost.

Seeing this, Lu Qing put his arm around her shoulders lovingly and whispered in her ear, "Qiqi, don't worry. There will always be a way out when you reach the mountain. Let's work together to find a solution." The warmth of his palm passed through her thin clothes like a warm current, which slightly soothed her anxious mood.

"Oh, that's easier said than done!" Shen Qiqi spread her hands helplessly. "A good cook cannot cook without rice. Now there's not even a shadow of 'rice' to be found. A good cook has become a poor cook."

"How about...discuss it with Second Uncle?" Lu Qing suggested tentatively, with a hint of hesitation in his tone.

He knew his second uncle's character, he was stubborn and conservative, he would not give up until he reached the Yellow River and he was not a true man until he reached the Great Wall. It was harder than climbing to the sky to get money from him.

Shen Qiqi smiled bitterly: "I thought of that, but... well, let's take it one step at a time."

The two men came to Uncle Lu's room. Before they could say anything, Uncle Lu took the initiative to speak: "What are you doing here? Are you going to do something weird again?" He sat on the chair with his hands on his chest, like an iron tower, exuding an aura of keeping strangers away.

Shen Qiqi took a deep breath and forced a smile: "Second uncle, we want to discuss something with you, about the small workshop..."

"A small workshop? What small workshop? I think it's just a mess!" Uncle Lu interrupted her without hesitation, "Isn't it better to just focus on farming? You have to do these fancy things. It's a complete waste of time!"

"Second uncle, this is not a random act. This is for the good of our family..." Shen Qiqi patiently explained, her eyes sparkling and her tone firm, like a burning flame trying to melt the iceberg of Second Uncle.

"For the good of our family? I think it's for your own good!" Uncle Lu blew his beard and glared, "Don't try to play tricks on me. I'm telling you, you can't touch a single cent of our family's money!"

Seeing that the two were about to quarrel again, Lu Qing quickly stepped out to smooth things over: "Second uncle, don't be angry, Qiqi is also for..."

"You followed her in making trouble!" Uncle Lu was even more furious. "All of you are really..."

Before he could finish his words, a clear child's voice suddenly came from outside the door: "Mom, I want the new one..."

Lu Qing's daughter came bounding in, clutching a crumpled piece of paper. She pointed at the colorful pattern on it and cried out in a baby voice, "Mom, I want this! Xiaohong in my class has it, and I want one too!"

Shen Qiqi took the paper and saw that it was printed with a set of the latest pencil cases, the kind with a combination lock, which was definitely considered a "luxury item" in the 1970s.

She couldn't help but smile bitterly. This little guy really brought up things that were not related to the topic.

"Baby, this... our family is in a bit of a financial difficulty right now. Can I buy it for you later?" Shen Qiqi tried to coax her daughter in a gentle tone, but she couldn't hide the powerlessness in her tone.

When the little girl heard this, her lips pursed and tears fell like pearls from a broken string. She cried out, "I want it! I want it! Xiaohong has it, why don't I have it!"

Lu Qing quickly picked up his daughter, patted her back gently, and comforted her softly: "Be good, don't cry, don't cry, Daddy will buy you a better one next time, okay?"

The daughter's crying echoed in the room, like fine needles piercing Shen Qiqi's heart.

She knew that Lu Qing's comfort was only a temporary measure. With the current situation at home, they couldn't even afford basic living expenses, let alone a better pencil case.

Just when everyone thought Shen Qiqi would compromise and meet her daughter's needs first, she made an unexpected move.

She squatted down, wiped the tears from her daughter's face, and said firmly, "Baby, Mom is setting up a small workshop now and needs a lot of help. Are you willing to help Mom?"

The daughter stopped crying and blinked curiously: "Small workshop? What is it?"

Shen Qiqi smiled mysteriously, "This is a place where you can make a lot of magical things, just like... Doraemon's pocket!" She paused and continued, "If you are willing to help Mom with some things within your ability, when the workshop is built, Mom will reward you with a pencil case that is more beautiful than Xiaohong's. How about it?"

The daughter's eyes suddenly lit up, she burst into laughter and nodded vigorously: "Okay! I'll help Mom!"

Lu Qing looked at Shen Qiqi. He didn't expect that his wife could come up with such a "kill two birds with one stone" method, which not only solved his daughter's crying problem, but also let her participate in the family business.

Uncle Lu snorted coldly, "I think you're just daydreaming! What can a child do to help?"

Shen Qiqi ignored Uncle Lu's sarcasm. She took her daughter's hand and said mysteriously, "Baby, let's go prepare the 'secret weapon' now!"

"Secret weapon?" the daughter said excitedly. "What is it?"

Shen Qiqi whispered a few words in her ear, and her daughter's eyes widened even more. She held Shen Qiqi's hand tightly, as if she was afraid that she would suddenly fly away.

"Mom, let's go!" The daughter pulled Shen Qiqi and ran out, looking so impatient that she looked like a happy little bird.

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