"Come on, let's go to Auntie's for a nap. It's cold in here. Wenwen, you two sit and chat." She probably raised her voice for the last sentence.

"I think this young man is quite good. Is he the one from last time..." Grandma Hanhan came up and asked in a low voice.

"Yes, Wenwen." Qin Xiaoyu confirmed for her. Tang Wenwen, you did one thing, I'll do another; don't blame me for shifting the blame to you. Qin Xiaoyu wasn't one to be trifled with either.

"Could they be dating?" Grandma Hanhan's eyes lit up.

"Probably."

"Then why did you go to your room and buy so many things for Hanhan?" Hanhan's grandma's IQ is still online.

"Everyone has some tricks up their sleeve to please a girl, right? Knowing that Wenwen dotes on her nephew, buying her some candy is nothing, isn't it? She's rich, she doesn't care about that little bit!" Qin Xiaoyu's words dispelled all of Hanhan's grandmother's doubts, and she happily went to report to Hanhan's grandfather.

"Give me the child." The cousin-in-law took the younger sister and went into the house with Qin Xiaoyu. As she closed the door, she said to the other side, "Wenwen is a very sensible person. How did she handle this?"

"Sister-in-law, you noticed all of that?"

“I’m not stupid. She’s really confused. Isn’t she leading you into a trap? Xiaoyu, don’t misunderstand me. I’ve always treated you like a younger sister, so I’m putting myself in your shoes. We can’t afford to associate with that high-ranking official, and we can’t afford to cause trouble. It’s impossible anyway. If we end up getting into trouble, it won’t do you any good.” My cousin-in-law was always quick to speak her mind.

"Don't worry, sister-in-law, as long as I'm not confused," Qin Xiaoyu smiled.

The two of them laid out bedding for the younger sister to lie down, then sat on the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed) cracking sunflower seeds. As soon as the door opened, Tang Hu's mother walked in carrying a large bag of things.

"In this room? I was startled when I went into Xiaoyu's room, was that Wenwen's boyfriend?"

"That's right, I'll make room for you right away." Qin Xiaoyu said with a smile, making room for Tang Hu's mother to sit on the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed).

"Little Fish, I brought back some cellophane from the factory. It's all scraps. I don't know if you can use it for your perm." Tang Hu's mother opened the bag, and the cellophane inside rustled loudly.

"Wow, this is great stuff!" Qin Xiaoyu's eyes lit up. Cellophane was used to line the hair curlers, so a lot of it was used and it wasn't cheap.

"It's good that it's usable. I'll take out more tomorrow," Tang Hu's mother said with a smile.

"Your factory has a lot? Why don't I buy some? Just give me a discount." Qin Xiaoyu felt uneasy, remembering the time her cousin was fined for making electric heating caps.

“These are all scraps. They’re thrown all over the factory after we use them. The factory is worried about a fire, so they’ve held several meetings about it. If you need them, I’ll take them back for you. Why are you buying them?” Tang Hu’s mother said anxiously.

"That's right, so what if you have money? You can buy anything. If it's usable and doesn't cost money, then just use it!" The cousin-in-law chimed in, afraid that Qin Xiaoyu would give up what she had gotten her hands on.

"Okay, I understand. I'll listen to my two sisters-in-law." Qin Xiaoyu could only smile and agree.

"These sunflower seeds smell delicious! Take some back for Tang Hu to eat later," my cousin-in-law said warmly.

"These three sisters-in-law are chatting happily." Grandma Hanhan pushed open the door and walked in. Now she is not like before, always with a stern face. She is always smiling and looks much more amiable.

"Mom, come in and sit down." Qin Xiaoyu pulled her over. No need to ask, Grandma Hanhan had asked someone to talk to her about Wang Lei; she couldn't let go of anything on her mind.

Qin Xiaoyu chuckled inwardly. Tang Wenwen wouldn't get any peace and quiet now. Serves her right for making a fuss over nothing!

Tang Wenwen came to sleep over that night as usual, but Qin Xiaoyu deliberately didn't talk to her.

"Sister-in-law, Wang Lei is right. He just fell in love with someone he shouldn't have," Tang Wenwen said in a muffled voice before turning over and going to sleep. Qin Xiaoyu stared wide-eyed, unable to sleep for half the night.

She no longer has the means to love, at least that's how others see her.

After the Spring Festival, acquaintances started referring students, and by the time the school reopened on the sixteenth day of the first lunar month, there were already ten more students. Master Wang was very happy; things were going well. But Qin Xiaoyu felt a tightness in her chest. The trip south to see the beautiful, dark-skinned melon seeds had truly been a case of throwing good money after bad—gone forever. Had she really made a mistake?

Ding Xiaojie did her best; it wasn't her fault. Her cousin, who was on a business trip, said he saw the train attendant handing out sunflower seeds, and he also saw everyone carefully collecting them, with only a very few people eating them on the train. Could it be that her advertisement was too simple? Lacking in appeal?

March was drawing to a close, the most difficult time of winter in the north. The weather was gloomy, and the heating wasn't very effective. The house was damp and cold; even a little water would turn your hands red with cold.

Qin Xiaoyu felt sorry for the trainees, so she asked Captain Chen to set up a stove in each room. With long heating pipes, the rooms were finally habitable.

There weren't many customers. It was the changing of the seasons, and the dust was blowing every day, so it didn't matter whether you dressed up or not. Qin Xiaoyu and her masters were diligently teaching their students, giving them a good opportunity to practice their skills.

The sky darkened again that afternoon, and it looked like a snowfall was imminent. Qin Xiaoyu released the trainees early; some of them lived in the city and didn't stay overnight, so they made sure to get home safely before the snow started.

Qin Xiaoyu stood in front of the south window, looking out into the military compound, and unconsciously thought of someone.

Master Wang came in carrying a thermos, poured her a cup of hot water, and brought it over to warm her hands. He then touched the cotton shoes she had brought under the table.

"Where did the thick felt pad I put in for you go? It's not the right time yet, don't try to be clever, or you'll suffer when you're old. If your shoes aren't comfortable, go buy a new pair, even a pair of suede will do. I think Commander Wang's boots are quite nice... Why are you looking at me like that? Do you find me annoying?" Master Wang stopped talking.

"Absolutely, so annoying. She's like a mother, nagging on and on." Qin Xiaoyu thought of the "All Mothers Are the Same" series she watched on Douyin, and her heart was touched.

"If you're annoyed, shut up. You can stay upstairs for a bit and then come down. There's no stove in this room, it's cold." Master Wang turned to leave.

"How could I find you annoying? I'm happy! A child with a mother is a treasure. It's so good to have a mother who loves you. So what if you're a little talkative? I can put up with it." Qin Xiaoyu pulled her master over and rested her head on her shoulder, acting coquettishly.

"Child, I know you're not satisfied, but things are actually pretty good now. Don't think too much about it. Consider those melon seeds a gift." Master Wang really understands Qin Xiaoyu.

"I'm not upset about the sunflower seeds; I'm thinking about where I went wrong."

"You're too competitive. You've done so well. What's wrong with you?" Master Wang poked Qin Xiaoyu with concern.

"These two are having a private chat again." Da Liu pushed open the door and walked in. She's been coming here even more often now, enjoying her share of the profits. She admires Qin Xiaoyu immensely.

"Senior sister, why did you come here in this awful weather?"

"You've sent another student over. Go down and check on him." Big Liu has sent quite a few people here.

"Master! Master! Come downstairs quickly!" The door was kicked open.