"Look at this traitor! Your sister Xiaoyu pays you a salary, and I'm hiding what she eats, and you still find it out." Qi Si laughed and scolded, deliberately saying the opposite to annoy Qin Xiaoyu, but his eyes were full of admiration. The waiter left happily.

"Does your third uncle have any big business opportunities? Could you please help us siblings out?" Qi Si poured a toast to his third uncle, then got back to the main topic.

"I have a batch of steel."

"Pfft." Qin Xiaoyu choked on her own. This third uncle is something else. He was just selling plaster statues on the street, working hard for Mao Baqi's profit, and in the blink of an eye, he has sold steel worth tens of thousands of yuan.

"I'm not sure about this steel. After Xiaoyu got into a speculation case last time, I'm not confident anymore." Qi Si was a little scared.

“Now it’s a planned economy, everything is allocated. Some people can get their hands on scarce resources. A single note can get them several tons of steel. It’s not a big deal,” Qin Xiaoyu said after a moment of thought.

"Look at my niece! She has such a broad perspective." Uncle San exclaimed, and Qi Si blushed, scratched his head, and remained silent.

“My brother is so focused on the restaurant that he doesn’t look outwards. If he were to look outwards, his vision would be much broader than this,” Qin Xiaoyu quickly spoke up for Qi Si.

"Hey sis, I'm telling you, I won't object to whatever you do. I'll give you the money you need. We're on good terms, so don't go back in there." Qi Si was still worried.

"You can rest assured about that. My goods are from a reliable source and all come with proper invoices. I can't let Xiaoyu take any more risks," Uncle San immediately assured her, patting his chest.

After chatting for a while, Qin Xiaoyu understood that her third uncle had a source of goods, but he couldn't sell them because of cash flow problems.

Qin Xiaoyu knew in her heart that as long as she found someone, it would be guaranteed to work, but since the matter hadn't been settled yet, she couldn't give her third uncle a guarantee.

After having dinner with her third uncle, Qin Xiaoyu took him home.

"Third Uncle, have you heard about my house construction?"

"I've heard about it. You little rascal, you're really something!" Third Uncle was genuinely happy for her.

“I’m planning to continue building next year, as time is a bit tight this year. Your place will also be under construction next year, so it’s a good time to move upstairs.”

"That's great! We've got your niece's help!" Uncle San slapped his thigh with delight, but then hesitated and said, "I'm moving, but what about your grandma?"

This question left Qin Xiaoyu speechless.

Deep down, she felt more hatred than love for that grandmother. During her most vulnerable and helpless years, they had subjected her to all sorts of abuse.

Seeing her expression darken, her third uncle understood and stopped talking.

"Little Fish, your uncle can't live in this building," the third uncle said as he got out of the car, and then headed into the alley.

Qin Xiaoyu didn't drive away immediately. She had been through a lot during this time, and when she looked at this alley again, she no longer hated it as much as before.

Third Uncle is a very filial son. Since Grandma doesn't live in an apartment, he won't move. Qin Xiaoyu understands his thoughts, but there are some hurdles that need to be overcome slowly.

After being told by her third uncle that she had been thinking about it, Qin Xiaoyu was eager to try again. Although she was doing very well now, she still needed to expand her horizons. However, she couldn't take too big a step, or she might end up making a mess of things.

Since Madam moved in, the Zhou family has become much livelier. Deng Jianyan has gone away for two months to study, so Zhou Yue brought the two children back. Although Grandma Hanhan is staying at her cousin's house, she still remembers Madam's cleaning duties and comes over to tidy up from time to time.

She's a hard worker, always looking for something to do and never sitting still.

She quickly tidied things up, which solved a big problem. Only Xiao Chen was left as a guard, and he had to drive. With such a large house, there was a lot of work to do, and even if Qin Xiaoyu wanted to, she couldn't manage it all.

Feeling bad about it, Zhou Xing's mother invited Hanhan's grandmother to stay for dinner, and before long, the table was almost full.

Tang Long and Feng Qin used to come over occasionally, but now they come even more often.

Commander Zhou also liked the two children; they were both clean, polite, and spoke appropriately.

Since Tang Long started learning from Zhou Xing's mother, he has undergone a complete transformation. What was once a naive, immature boy has become a composed young man, nearly 1.9 meters tall. His daily work pedaling a tricycle and carrying loads has given him a muscular physique, which is undeniably impressive. His face naturally exudes a refined elegance, yet he wears a black eye patch at an angle, giving him a mysterious and enigmatic air that inevitably attracts the attention of many girls.

My cousin's wife originally said that this eye would hinder her from finding a wife, but now there are quite a few men eager to marry him.

Tang Fengqin and Wang Lei, on the other hand, had gone public with their relationship. She had finished her college entrance exams and was no longer a high school student. The two could now date openly.

Wang Lei used to be a regular at the Zhou family's house. He would come to play every day when he was in school, and sometimes he would even stay overnight. But they became estranged after they grew up, as they all had jobs and were busy with their own lives. Now, when he came back, he was full of vigor and had a girlfriend by his side.

Zhou Xing's mother could only feel sad in her heart. Zhou Xing was not so lucky. That child had a hard life. Thinking about this, she felt even more sorry for Qin Xiaoyu and spoiled her even more.

The old lady's condition worsened, and after more than ten days of suffering in the hospital, she was given a critical condition notice.

After setting the fire, her uncle had already fled. It was Qin Xiaoyu who found someone to take her to the hospital. The former nanny, who had come to work, stared blankly at the burnt-down house. Qin Xiaoyu immediately sent her to the hospital and then called Ding Xiaojie.

These past few days, the professor's older brother's family has been taking care of things, and it was Ding Xiaojie who brought the message.

Qin Xiaoyu didn't tell his wife, and took Grandma Hanhan out the door. Although his wife was a woman who had seen a lot in life and didn't have much affection for Grandma Hanhan, older people are always saddened by such things, so it was better to pretend to be oblivious and just assume that Grandma Hanhan was somewhere barely surviving.

The old lady was already thin, and the fever made her even more frail. She was wrapped up like a mummy, and the only thing that could move was her eyes, which darted around with a look of reluctance.

"Sister-in-law, you've had enough of this life, go in peace," Grandma Hanhan said, seeing how much she had suffered.

But the old woman just wouldn't close her eyes, staring blankly, unable to speak. After a long while, Qin Xiaoyu noticed that the only finger she could move was pointing straight up, like a number.

Professor Qin Xiaoyu's older brother had only visited her once since she was hospitalized, and her cousin had never come. After hesitating for a moment, Qin Xiaoyu still made a trip to Hengchang.

"I'm not going, that's fine," my cousin said calmly.

"She's the one who gave you life, after all. If she doesn't close her eyes now, she probably still has some lingering thoughts," Qin Xiaoyu advised.

"What are you chanting for? You almost killed my son!" My cousin's wife still grits her teeth in hatred.

“Sister-in-law, you’re different. If my brother doesn’t go, he won’t have a peaceful life for the rest of his days. Let him go.” Qin Xiaoyu sighed.