“That won’t do. There’s no way to do business like that. Jiang Jiang, I know you trust me, but we’re doing business, and we have to follow the rules,” Tao Ying insisted.

"Okay, you can pay a 30% deposit first, and then pay me the balance after you've sold most of the goods. If you sell well, you don't need to come over; I'll ship them to you by train. If there are any new arrivals, I'll bring a few with the package." Jiang Jiang's impression of Tao Ying improved even more.

“Okay, let’s sign the contract.” Tao Ying nodded.

After breakfast, Tang Xiao returned to his unit, and Tang Xuan also left.

Jiang Jiang took Tao Ying on a tour of the garment factory.

There are many factories around here, so I also visited a hat factory and a shoe factory.

We don't need to buy many of these; let's just test the waters first.

Tao Ying picked out more than thirty styles of clothes and pants, taking them according to size, with only two pieces of each size, the largest and smallest.

After calculating the final amount, the total cost was four thousand yuan. Jiang Jiang insisted that Tao Ying go back and transfer the money.

"Come visit me sometime when you have time," Tao Ying said, giving Jiang Jiang the address.

"Don't worry, Sister Tao, I'll definitely go when I have time," Jiang Jiang replied with a smile.

Tao Ying didn't take too many items at a time, totaling ten large packages, which Tang Xuan helped arrange for by train transport.

He then used his connections to buy Tao Ying a soft sleeper ticket.

"Xiao Tang, how much is it?" Tao Ying asked, taking the ticket.

"Aunt Tao, my uncle paid for this; he should thank you." Tang Xuan didn't ask for any money.

"What does this have to do with me?" Tao Ying couldn't help but laugh.

“How can it be nothing? You’re a great contributor,” Tang Xuan insisted.

"Fine, then I'll shamelessly accept it." Tao Ying didn't try to tear it up again.

"This isn't shamelessness; my uncle would practically kowtow to you twice," Tang Xuan said with a smile.

Before leaving, Tao Ying asked Jiang Jiang to take her to a hair salon.

I got a perm, which was quite popular at the time. It had a big curl at the top and the bottom was permed into an inward curl.

Paired with black pants, a green polka-dot shirt, and square-toed leather shoes that Tao Ying specially changed into, she looked very modern.

After Jiang Jiang and Tang Xuan showered her with praise, Tao Ying sent a telegram to Wang Baomin, and then the two escorted her to the train station.

As Tao Ying boarded the train this time, she couldn't help but marvel at the benefits of power.

A soft sleeper berth—that's not something just anyone can afford.

They'd rather leave it empty than sell it.

Tao Ying's bunk is the lower bunk, and she is all alone.

This time, Jiang Jiang threw away the tattered cloth bag and replaced it with a leather suitcase, which was popular at the time.

She acted like a wealthy lady from a powerful family.

No one boarded the bus along the way. When the bus arrived at its destination after the holiday, Tao Ying saw Wang Baomin waiting outside from afar.

With her big eyes searching around, Tao Ying stood in front of Wang Baomin with the box in her hand.

Wang Baomin even went to the side.

"Wang Baomin, are those two holes under your eyebrows for breathing?" Tao Ying was taken aback as soon as she said it.

Moreover, she genuinely felt a sense of belonging in Guangzhou. Although life in Guangzhou was good, Tao Ying did not feel a sense of belonging.

This land, and these children, are their true home.

Although she said she didn't want to accept aging twelve years in an instant and that she didn't want to accept becoming a mother to several people, she had actually accepted these children in her heart and regarded them all as family.

"Mom??!?!" Wang Baomin stared wide-eyed at the incredibly fashionable woman in front of him, unable to believe his eyes.

Is this my own mother? Is she possessed by some kind of demon?

"What 'Mom'? Hurry up and go pick up the goods. Has anything been going on at home lately?" Tao Ying slapped Wang Baomin fiercely.

Wang Baomin “…”

"Okay, Mom, I'll take the suitcase. What did you buy? How much money did you bring? Did you run into any bad guys?" As soon as Wang Baomin heard the familiar scolding and the familiar maternal love, he instantly forgot all his messy thoughts.

“What danger could an old woman like me encounter? Is everything alright at home? Has Li Caixia come looking for you again?” Tao Ying was unwilling to tell Wang Baomin about the human traffickers.

It's only making the children worry about things that have already happened.

“She came to me twice. Once she came to the supply and marketing cooperative and I chased her away. The second time was on my way home from get off work. She cried and grabbed the seat of my bicycle, saying that her family wanted to marry her off to a widower who was almost forty years old, had three children, and had lost two wives, all for a dowry of five hundred yuan,” Wang Baomin said truthfully.

"Don't you want to work anymore? Don't you want to keep your 'three turns and one sound' (referring to a radio, a sewing machine, and a radio)?" Tao Ying asked.

"That's what I asked her too, and she just kept crying. So I told her that if she came looking for me again, I would call the police and say she was being a pervert." Wang Baomin said, sounding a little embarrassed.

After all, that's not very manly of you to treat a girl like that.

But if he did that, he was afraid that Li Caixia would become attached to him.

The scene when the Li family came to our door that day was terrifying.

Wang Baomin didn't want to be associated with the Li family, nor did he want to become their blood money bag.

"That's right. If you dare to pity her, I'll kick you out and make you even more pitiful than her. Pitying a complete stranger will bring you a lifetime of misfortune," Tao Ying said fiercely.

We are very satisfied with Wang Baomin's performance.

"Mom, I won't do it, please don't." Wang Baomin quickly begged for mercy.

"There's a lot of stuff, so we'll hire someone to help us carry it out and then put it directly in the shop," Tao Ying said, not wanting to elaborate further.

"Mom, it seems like someone is pursuing my sister," Wang Baomin whispered to Tao Ying.

"Your sister told you?" Tao Ying immediately became alert.

Daughters are different from sons, especially since Wang Chunni is easily influenced.

“No, I just went to pick up my sister from night school and saw a man in a white shirt and glasses who looked to be around thirty years old walking next to her. My sister didn’t seem too keen on talking to him. When I went over, he nodded to me and then left. I asked my sister, and she said he was a classmate from night school and wouldn’t say anything more.” Wang Baomin quickly explained clearly.

"Didn't Baoshan say anything?" Tao Ying asked, frowning.

“Originally, Baoshan and Chunli were the ones who picked up my sister. A week ago, Baoshan told me that he had a lot of homework in his senior year of high school and asked me to pick up my sister. He told me to go early every day. When I got there, I found out.” Wang Baomin confessed honestly.

"Let's go pick up the goods first. After we finish eating today, we'll go find your sister and see what kind of person she is." Tao Ying said sternly.

The reason for the excessive homework was clearly because Wang Baoshan realized something was wrong and was afraid that if he arrived late, Chunni would be tricked, which is why he sent Baomin instead.

"Okay." Wang Baomin followed obediently behind.

When all ten large bags were brought down, Wang Baomin was completely stunned.

Tao Ying hired all the people when Wang Baomin took over the project.

"Mom?" Wang Baomin called out.

"Hey girl, you seem to have a pretty good relationship with your stepson, huh?" one of the men hired by Tao Ying asked cheekily.