"Wait a minute, girl, I'm having trouble with the accounts. Let me sort this out. You started paying rent in March, and now you're going in in October? What's going on? I really don't understand." Factory Manager Hong wasn't stupid; he immediately saw that Qin Xiaoyu was trying to take advantage of him.

"Alright, Brother Hong, let me do the math for you. You know the state of the house right now. If we don't fix the doors and windows before winter, the house will probably be ruined by tomorrow. Give me some time, I'll have someone fix it up and then get the boiler running. You've thought it through, the water pipes will freeze solid in winter, and you know how much damage they'll cause when they thaw in spring." Qin Xiaoyu had Director Hong's Achilles' heel.

How could he not understand this? A burst pipe will cause water to leak, freezing the floors above and below – that's a real ordeal. By spring, some section of the pipe might have rusted shut, and the repair cost would be more than installing the entire system.

Besides, next year that area will become a huge construction site, and I'm afraid this house will just sit there unsold.

Qin Xiaoyu signed the contract. This time, she had carefully reviewed it, making sure the compensation clauses were clearly written, and the lease was for five years. Originally, she had planned to lease for ten years, but then she thought, perhaps in five years, the sale of houses would be liberalized, and she could buy the house then. Who would still be renting then?

Captain Chen called his men over, and when they heard they were working for Qin Xiaoyu, they all eagerly rushed to join him.

Qin Xiaoyu is generous and has never wronged them. Besides, the people who do the hard work on the construction site are loyal. Last time they took money for nothing without doing any work, so they must do their job well now that they are being paid.

The building was originally intended for a hairdressing school, and the rooms were designed to be somewhat upscale. Now that's unnecessary; a simpler approach is needed: just painting the walls, cementing the floor, and opening up as many spaces as possible. Qin Xiaoyu showed the blueprints, and Captain Chen understood immediately—this was an easy job.

From petit-bourgeois to simple European style, it's just a step away.

"Hey girl, why does your design look so different?" Brother Chen made the work according to the blueprints, and it looked pleasing to the eye no matter how he looked at it.

The materials used are common and nothing new, but the overall look is quite stylish.

"That's right, how about we two do engineering projects together from now on, what do you think?"

"That's great! Working with a girl, how much money can you make?" Captain Chen was extremely impressed with Qin Xiaoyu's abilities.

We got all the doors and windows installed and the plumbing and heating systems in order before winter arrived. A gentle northerly wind brought the first snowfall.

At this time last year, Qin Xiaoyu was chatting with her barber in the salon, but in just one year, everything has changed. The Tang family has severed ties, and her barber has faded from her life.

She was counting down the days until her wife's birthday, and, unable to bear it any longer, and remembering her wife's kindness, she took the time to buy a cake and deliver it to her cousin-in-law's room.

"Go ahead, you've already bought everything, why don't you take it inside? It's like you're feeling guilty." Her sister-in-law pushed her towards the upper room.

"Where is she?" Qin Xiaoyu asked softly, afraid that Hanhan's grandmother would make a fuss again. It wasn't that she was afraid of arguing, but she felt disheartened that someone who had been so loyal to her was now acting so distant.

"Look, now he doesn't serve the madam anymore, he's always in the old lady's room, serving her tea and water, the two of them are practically inseparable. When you live long enough, you see all sorts of things." The cousin sighed, letting Qin Xiaoyu in, while she stood blocking the doorway.

My cousin's wife has made up her mind. If Grandma Hanhan comes to cause trouble, she won't tolerate it and will definitely fight back. No one will be allowed to lay a finger on Qin Xiaoyu at her doorstep.

The lady's room was dark, and she was still lying with her back to the door, her figure much thinner.

The house wasn't as clean as it used to be; the potting soil on the windowsill was cracked. It seemed Grandma Hanhan had wasted all her time in the west room and hadn't had time to clean. The lady, who had initially been energetic, was now listless and dispirited because of Qin Xiaoyu's affair.

Qin Xiaoyu couldn't help but feel guilty. She had originally wanted the old man to enjoy his later years in peace, but because of her, he couldn't have a good life.

"Little Fish?" The lady heard someone come in, but remained silent for a long time.

She turned and sat up, and the first thing she saw was the cake in Qin Xiaoyu's hand. She couldn't bring herself to say anything more defiant.

"Why did you buy this? Who even remembers my birthday?" The lady pulled out a crumpled handkerchief and wiped her eyes a few times.

"I remember, don't I?"

"What's the use of you remembering? You don't care about me anymore."

“Madam, I didn’t say I wouldn’t take care of you. Just focus on recovering. Once things are right on my end, I’ll bring you out for a trip.” Qin Xiaoyu had already made up her mind.

"Sigh, will I live to see that day?" The lady sighed, beckoned to Qin Xiaoyu, and pulled her to her side for a closer look.

"My wife has lost a lot of weight."

"Aren't you any different? What exactly did you say to that commander's son? After making such a big fuss, you just backed down like that?"

"He was injured on the front lines, and we don't know when he'll be back." Qin Xiaoyu lowered her head sadly, realizing her worries had been exposed.

"You're injured? There's nothing you can do about it. Guns are merciless, and you're far away now. You're just worrying about the two children. But if he wanted to send you a message, he would have. I'm afraid he's listened to his family and wants to separate from you, right?" Qin Xiaoyu had thought about what her wife was saying, but just thinking about it caused her heart-wrenching pain, so she didn't dare to think about it too deeply. Now, hearing her wife say this, she suddenly understood.

"What Madam says is true." Qin Xiaoyu's heart was in turmoil, and thousands of thoughts raced through her mind. Madam was a shrewd person, and she regretted not telling her more sooner, otherwise she would have fallen so hard.

"If it's still unresolved, let it be. We can't let this interfere with other things. To put it bluntly, even if he's gone, you still have to live well, right? You still have Hanhan and Xiaomei."

"This is partly my fault. I swore I wouldn't remarry, but I don't know how I became infatuated with him. Now I'll just wake up from this dream. I'll focus on my own life, and let some things go. Why bother with things I can't control?"

"Since you put it that way, I'll speak frankly. You're such a naive child. You're easily fooled by a few words. How can he possibly take care of you? I've seen it all along, but you wouldn't admit it, so I couldn't say anything more. When a man likes a woman, he'll naturally only say the nice things, and you just happened to believe it. You still need more experience; you're far from ready." His wife's words were a bit harsh, but Qin Xiaoyu took them to heart.

Hasn't she stumbled again? People really have no memory; even after two lifetimes, they still can't escape the power of love. To live a good life, one can no longer get entangled in romantic relationships.

If it weren't for Zhou Xing's incident, her branch school would have opened long ago, and what would it have been like then?

Now not only is she injured, but her two children and family have also been affected. She is truly selfish.