When Xiaohua heard him say that, she immediately stopped smiling.

She said irritably, "I'm not a coward, why do I grin like an idiot every day?"

"A smile makes you ten years younger, and it's never a bad thing to laugh more!"

He Yan flattered her.

After Xiaohua and He Yan delivered the items inside, Xiaohua inevitably received a long lecture from Ye Dazhuang.

In the end, He Yan rescued her. Xiao Hua had a dinner party that evening and had to leave early, as He Yan needed to pick up the child later.

He Yan told Ye Dazhuang about the important matters. They had also hired a caregiver for Mao Dani. He wasn't worried about Mao Dani's condition at the hospital, since the caregiver was a hospital employee and could handle any situation.

"Is your dinner party tonight with Xu Xiangqian from Hongsen Manufacturing?"

Xiaohua nodded: "This person is rather difficult to deal with. He's been dragging his feet for quite a few days now. He's interested in investing in us, but he seems to look down on women! So, when it comes to signing the contract, it feels like he's deliberately playing me for a fool. But there's nothing you can do; you need the money in his pocket. If you can't bear this grievance, who can?"

Last time, we almost signed a contract, but at the last minute he changed his mind and said he wanted to think about it some more. Xiaohua didn't even go back to her hometown to bring her mother to see a doctor so she could sign the contract with him. In the end, the contract still wasn't signed.

Xiao Hua no longer wanted to deal with Xu Xiangqian. She always felt that doing business with this kind of person was not very pleasant, and she herself was not the kind of person who liked to fuss over trivial matters.

However, she and He Yu have not yet found anyone else to invest in them, and time is running out.

Everyone else is expanding, but their school doesn't have the money to expand. They're afraid they'll fall behind, and in the end, the market will be almost completely taken by others, leaving them with nothing.

They might not even have the chance to drink porridge in the end, so this money is very important to them.

This time, Xu Xiangqian had his secretary contact them on his own initiative, saying that he had made up his mind and would finalize the matter tonight, and that he would definitely sign it.

Of course, if the agreement isn't finalized and the money hasn't been transferred, then things aren't set in stone and there's always room for change.

Therefore, Xiaohua didn't dare to have 100% hope.

"I hope you can successfully sign the contract tonight. People in this world are so diverse, there are all kinds of people. Don't take others too seriously. But I think you're not the kind of person who would take other people's words and opinions to heart. You, Ye Xiaohua, don't care about other people's opinions and perceptions of you."

"You're absolutely right. I've never cared what others think of me. Life is ultimately for yourself, not for others. Life is like drinking water; only you know if it's hot or cold. If you care too much about others, you'll live a very tiring and unhappy life."

This is also Xiaohua's reflection on life over the years.

People say that as you get older, you learn more and more. In reality, it's just that as you get older, you experience more and more things, and some things force you to understand certain truths.

I checked the time and realized that if I drove to drop Xiaohua off myself, I might not have enough time to pick her up from kindergarten.

This makes the roads very rushed, and driving in such a rush can easily lead to accidents.

"Xiaohua, you should take a taxi home by yourself. I'm afraid I won't have enough time to pick up the child."

Xiaohua nodded: "Yes, you should hurry up and pick up the child. If you don't arrive soon, the child will feel wronged and cry again because no one is coming to pick him up."

“Our Kang’an doesn’t cry easily. She’s a very strong little girl, just like her mother!”

While praising his own daughter, He Yan also took the opportunity to flatter Xiao Hua.

However, Xiaohua found these words quite agreeable. Compared to other children, Kang'an was indeed a relatively strong child who rarely cried.

Kang An knows that her mother had a hard time taking care of her and working to earn money to support her since she was little, as she had been raised by her alone since childhood.

Therefore, Kang An has always been a very well-behaved, obedient, and sensible child. Sometimes, his sensibility even makes Xiao Hua feel heartbroken.

People often say that overly sensible children are actually the ones who suffer more. When it was just Xiaohua and Kang'an, how could Kang'an not suffer?

That's why she's so sensible!

Thinking back to the time when she and Kang An depended on each other for survival, to be honest, it would be a lie to say that she had no resentment towards He Yan at all.

Looking back now, she still harbors some resentment towards He Yan, but she has learned to let go and gradually move on. It doesn't mean that it's all gone.

"Do you know why people are strong? It's because they have no one to rely on or depend on, so they have no choice but to be strong, whether they are adults or children. When it was just Kang An and me, who depended on each other for survival, I only had Kang An and Kang An only had me, so we had no choice but to be strong."

Xiaohua's smile faded, and she became very serious.

He Yan didn't dare to look at him, lowered his head slightly, and whispered, "I'm sorry."

Xiao Hua checked the time and realized it was indeed getting late. If they delayed any longer, it would affect He Yan's ability to pick up the child.

"If you really feel guilty, then treat the child even better. You owe the child, but you don't owe me anything!"

He Yan took a deep breath and looked at him: "It's all owed."

He will spend the rest of his life making it up to them, mother and daughter.

Xiao Hua takes this very seriously. She and He Yan were never really like a couple, and they aren't anymore, so He Yan doesn't owe her anything. However, He Yan has always been the child's biological father, and the three years he missed were a debt he owed to the child.

"Call me after you finish dinner tonight, and I'll come pick you up."

"We'll see. If He Yu and I aren't too drunk, we can just take a taxi home ourselves."

Xiaohua's liver ached at the thought of the drinking party that evening.

He Yan said with some concern, "Don't drink so much, try to drink less."

She was helpless too!

"Who wants to drink too much? But isn't it unavoidable? I hate that the most. Business deals can't be made without drinking."

After Xiaohua got into a taxi, she thought that once the school got better and better and she wasn't so short of money, she would definitely buy a car and hire a driver for herself. After all, how could a boss not have his own driver and car?

Sigh, when will she ever become a big boss who spends money like water?

Wasn't it said that the 1990s were a golden age? As long as you had a brain and were willing to work hard, you could make a fortune. She thought she was smart enough and willing to work hard, so why hadn't she made a fortune yet? Instead, she was still begging and pleading for money everywhere.

Starting a business is really too difficult; it's tough, tiring, and heartbreaking!