The renovation was only halfway done when it was suddenly stopped. The workers were angry and felt sorry for Qin Xiaoyu, so they abandoned their work and left.

Many windows haven't been installed yet, and now it's the rainy season, so the house is a mess from the rain, and the boards are soaked. If the plumbing isn't fixed before winter, the house will be ruined. Not only will it require a major renovation after moving in, but it might even damage the main walls. Then the walls will be covered in mold, which will be a huge problem.

If he grits his teeth and renovates the entire house on his own, but doesn't find a wealthy patron like Qin Xiaoyu, the renovation money will be wasted, and no one will give it to him.

"Xiaoyu, tell me the truth, is this school going to be opened or not?" When Captain Chen heard that Qin Xiaoyu wanted to rent a house, he was completely on her side and was considering her best interests.

"The school can't be opened anymore. First, I want to leave that circle completely. Second, it would be difficult to open it again. It would cause a diversion of my mentor's team. It's pointless to share food in the same pot."

“Then we don’t need this house anymore, it’s useless,” Captain Chen said decisively.

"Brother, if we manage to get this house ready before winter, is it possible to clean it up?" Qin Xiaoyu now had a new idea.

"Sure, that's easy! Hey girl, don't just throw money around because you're feeling soft-hearted. I know your personality. If you're not running the school anymore, why are you building this house?" Captain Chen immediately sounded the alarm.

"Brother Chen, my money didn't grow on trees, so don't worry. Call the guys back to continue the renovation, but I need to change the style. I'll give you the blueprints tomorrow." Qin Xiaoyu planned to buy the house, but her thoughts weren't quite clear yet; she needed to think it over carefully.

Qin Xiaoyu returned from the sock factory very late. She turned into a grocery store on the way, but it was already closing time. She could only hurriedly grab some dried tofu and garlic sprouts.

The store was state-owned and closed at a set time. It was completely impartial and closed at night, regardless of who came, including the emperor or anyone else.

Because they had accepted Qin Xiaoyu's ticket, the cashier did the accounting again, looking utterly displeased. It was as if Qin Xiaoyu wasn't a customer coming to buy things, but rather someone who was causing trouble.

Now both children are in the care of Grandma Zhang. Usually, she takes the younger sister, Hanhan, directly to her house after school, and then brings Qin Xiaoyu back home in the evening when she estimates that Qin Xiaoyu will be home soon.

Qin Xiaoyu planned to go home and cook dinner before picking up the brother and sister, but when she opened the door, she was greeted by a wave of heat.

The aroma of pan-fried ribbonfish wafted from the kitchen.

Ribbonfish was a luxury item these days, and she wasn't skilled enough to buy it. Needless to say, Grandma Zhang subsidized it again. Since she came to take care of the child, she initially only tentatively bought the child small snacks, but later became more and more generous, and now she's completely open to it.

"Mommy!" Hanhan rushed over with her little sister. The two children's faces were flushed, as they had just been playing around in the house.

"You're back? Wash your hands and get ready for dinner," Grandma Zhang said, peeking into the kitchen.

"Grandma Zhang, I really don't deserve this. Why are you cooking for me? Taking care of the child is hard enough for you." Qin Xiaoyu said with a look of fear.

“I’m happy to do it, so what?” Grandma Zhang always spoke with a forced tone.

"Okay, okay." Qin Xiaoyu obediently went to wash her hands, and the two children had already helped set the table with the bowls and chopsticks.

Grandma Zhang took off her apron and prepared to go home.

"Don't go! Eat here before you go back." The mother and her two children rushed over and pulled her back.

"I'm just an old nanny, I'm not going to bother with you anymore." Grandma Zhang said awkwardly, grabbing her coat to leave. It seems that even while working as a nanny for the Zhou family, she always knew her place and didn't consider herself a member of the Zhou family.

"Grandma Zhang, I'll say something you might not like to hear. Who hired you as a nanny? Did I give you a single penny or what? It's all out of kindness." Qin Xiaoyu pressed her down to sit without further ado.

She had tried talking to Grandma Zhang before, wanting to give her some wages. The old lady got furious, and it was only after Qin Xiaoyu coaxed her gently that she was able to calm her down.

She realized that Grandma Zhang's arrival wasn't something Commander Zhou could easily persuade to do.

She came entirely for Zhou Xing. She had raised him herself, and loved him almost like her own child. He had been hurt outside, and she didn't know what had happened to him, so she could only come to Qin Xiaoyu for some comfort.

When Zhou Xing brought Qin Xiaoyu over last time, she gave him a hard time and tried her best to break them up. Looking back, she felt guilty towards the child, so this is her way of making amends.

That way, if Zhou Xing returned safely, she would have something to report.

Qin Xiaoyu's mind was full of renovation plans. As soon as Grandma Zhang left, she spread out straw paper on the table and started writing and drawing.

Hanhan and her younger sister were both easygoing children. They washed up by themselves and even brought over Qin Xiaoyu's foot bath water. Without her saying a word, Hanhan took her younger sister to bed.

Qin Xiaoyu worked until late at night before finally finishing the sketch.

Looking at the drawing, which was filled with drawings, she remembered what the Cat Emperor had said: "This is my empire. Don't look over there. We haven't conquered that place yet." She couldn't help but chuckle.

That refers to the coal yard. She marked those two words on the edge of every picture, knowing she would get it sooner or later. What Qin Xiaoyu set her sights on, she wouldn't let go of.

She picked up the draft and continued revising, but before she knew it, her eyes were closing. She leaned over the table, thinking she would just doze off for a little while and then get up to continue, but her eyes were already closed.

The phone rang suddenly, sounding particularly abrupt in the dead of night. Qin Xiaoyu jolted awake, reached for the receiver, and found it completely silent except for the sound of breathing.

"Who is it?" Qin Xiaoyu was startled, imagining a dramatic scene unfold. Was Bai Weiwei trying to intimidate her? Or had some enemy come knocking on her door?

The other party remained silent, offering no response whatsoever.

"Are you sick in the head?!" Qin Xiaoyu shouted angrily, slamming the microphone back into place.

The next day, after sending the two children away, she went to negotiate with Director Hong.

"I'll continue renting the house, but I probably won't be able to use it this winter, so the rent will start from next March. How about that?" Qin Xiaoyu asked directly.

"Young lady, you're starting to rent in March, which means there are still several months to go. If someone else wants to rent, should I rent it or not?" Director Hong immediately put on airs when he heard that Qin Xiaoyu wanted to rent a room.

“If someone wants to rent it, just rent it to them. You don’t need to wait for me,” Qin Xiaoyu replied readily.

“But for Captain Chen’s sake, I, your brother Hong, can’t do such a thing, can I? How about you start renting now? I’ll give you a discount for the first few months.”

Upon hearing Qin Xiaoyu's words, Factory Director Hong became frightened. If they couldn't rent out coal even in good season, no one would rent it in the dead of winter. He regretted speaking up. Just the cost of coal for the entire winter was something not everyone could afford.

"I said, if we're going to rent, it has to start next March. But if Brother Hong is sincere about cooperating, it's also acceptable for me to move in in October to finish the renovations." Qin Xiaoyu also had her own plans.