Fortunately, it was a sunny day, and with the doors and windows open all day, the walls finally dried. She should have waited a little longer, but in this situation, she couldn't wait even a day longer, so she moved everything back and put it in its place. Then she went out and bought some white paper and used it to cover the ceiling.

Making the paste looked simple, but it took her ages to get it right, wasting some flour in the process. Grandma Hanhan's face grew increasingly grim. Sticking the stickers was even harder; if she hadn't done plenty of crafts before, she probably wouldn't have been able to finish. By the time she finished the last corner, it was almost dark, and she realized her neck felt like it wasn't her own anymore—it truly cured her years-long cervical spondylosis.

During the day, Hanhan didn't dare go inside with her little sister, afraid that her sister would cause trouble. She only ran in at night after Qin Xiaoyu called her. When she entered, Hanhan was stunned. Her big eyes widened and her eyes were wet.

Qin Xiaoyu understood that Hanhan had never lived in such a clean and tidy home before, and she was frightened, but this was the kind of environment a child should have.

She had considered that with just over two thousand yuan in her hands, she could live comfortably for several years without working, as long as she was frugal. But her thoughts were different. She wanted to give Hanhan a better life. Although Hanhan wasn't her biological child, after spending time together after the transmigration, their bond seemed to have transcended that of a mother and child.

In the evening, the mother and her three children would wash themselves clean and climb onto the kang (a heated brick bed), covered with warm quilts that smelled of sunshine, and smile at each other. Life was simple and happy.

With the house tidied up, Qin Xiaoyu moved on to the next step: finding a job. Of course, she wasn't looking for a regular day-to-day salaried job; she wanted one that would be lucrative and offer good prospects. Private economy was about to emerge, and she had to be among the first to make her first fortune.

But it wasn't easy. She searched for two more days and became increasingly disappointed.

"I heard you quit your job at the textile factory?" Grandma Hanhan found out from somewhere and came to confront her at the door.

"Yes." Qin Xiaoyu didn't intend to hide it from her.

"You think you're so great! It was a state-owned enterprise, and you just threw it away like that? Have you lost your mind or something? You're just living off the little money Wenzhi got? You lazy good-for-nothing! I wish I could kill you!" Grandma Hanhan was scolding her fiercely, but Qin Xiaoyu pretended not to hear. She braided her little sister's sparse hair, tied it into a bow, and put it in Hanhan's arms.

"You take care of your sister and play well. Don't bully her. If anyone dares to bully her, fight back. If you can't beat them, wait for Mom to come back and get a knife to kill them!" Qin Xiaoyu's voice grew louder and louder. This was for those outside to hear. Tang Hu wanted to find an opportunity to teach Hanhan a lesson. If she wanted to protect her child, she had to scare them first.

She took a different route today than usual. She used to go to crowded places, but now she plans to just look around nearby and find a way to make a living, regardless of how crowded it is.

Ahead was a row of residential buildings, all neat and uniform brick houses. At the first house in one of the buildings, there was an inconspicuous sign that read "Hairdresser".

There are already private barbershops? That's pretty early.

Qin Xiaoyu muttered to herself. She had seen several government-run barbershops, all of which were quite large and crowded. They still used fire to perm hair, with only a very few shops using electric perms. Because fire perms were difficult to control the temperature, you could smell a burnt smell as soon as you entered the shop.

However, these shops have a problem: they open at 8 a.m. and close at 5 p.m. every day, coinciding with the workers' work hours. So, if workers want haircuts or perms, they can only go on Sundays, when it's packed with customers; on weekdays, it's practically deserted. But that's the government's regulation, and no one can change it.

Private barbershops have taken advantage of this loophole. They stay open late in the evening, and neighbors can come over and get their hair cut while chatting, which doesn't waste any time. Plus, they charge a little less than public barbershops.

It's a pity she didn't learn hairdressing; otherwise, her shop would definitely be a success. Qin Xiaoyu sighed and pushed her bicycle back home.

If you don't know how, you can learn! She's so talented, what can't she learn quickly?

Qin Xiaoyu gritted her teeth and pushed open the door of the barbershop.

"Haircut or perm?" The hairdresser was a plump woman who looked to be in her fifties, with gray hair.

"My hair is too thick, it's hard to manage. Could you thin it out for me?" Qin Xiaoyu said after thinking for a moment.

She quickly struck up a conversation with the barber. The barber looked young, but he was quite old and had reached retirement age. He used to be the head barber at Dongfeng Barbershop, the largest barbershop in the city. He opened this shop because he was bored after retiring. Because he had regular customers, the business had always been good.

"Master Wang, do you take on apprentices?" Qin Xiaoyu asked, mustering her courage.

"Yes, I've been incredibly busy all day, it would be great if someone could lend a hand," Master Wang readily agreed.

"Then do you think I'm good enough?" Qin Xiaoyu was so excited she almost jumped up.

"You? Give it a try. But remember, there's no pay until you're fully trained." It turned out Master Wang was waiting here. Qin Xiaoyu finally understood what Master Wang was up to—he'd probably find a pretext to fire her just before she was ready to graduate. They're all cunning foxes; who can you trust with stories from a ghost story?

But she can't talk about these things now. Even if she doesn't get paid, she still has to study, even if it means paying tuition.

"Okay, Master Wang, it's settled then. I'll start today." After saying that, Qin Xiaoyu stopped cutting her hair, got up and started fetching water, sweeping the floor, and tidying up the house. She was quite efficient. Master Wang was satisfied with her diligence.

The National Day holiday is just around the corner, followed by the Mid-Autumn Festival, and Master Wang's shop is getting busier. One downside is that her customers usually come after get off work, meaning Qin Xiaoyu doesn't have much to do during the day, but she has to get home very late at night.

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