“I’m going with you too. I brought two pairs of shoes for Jiajia, but neither of them are thick because it’s getting cold.” Zhou Xing’s mother picked up Jiajia.

Having only been away for two years, I've already forgotten just how cold the Northeast really is. I brought all my clothes and shoes, but the wind still seeps right through me when I go outside. Qin Xiaoyu wanted her child to get some exercise, but Zhou Xing's mother wouldn't allow it. She thought it was the kind of cold that even a grandmother would think you're feeling.

Fortunately, my cousin's wife prepared a lot of clothes for her grandson, from now until he's six or seven years old, so she just grabbed a few pieces and that was enough for Jiajia.

I added a cape-style children's coat on the outside, wrapping the child up inside, keeping out the wind and rain, perfect for taking the child out on cold days.

It's only a ten-minute walk from their home to the clothing mall, and it was nearly noon with sunny weather, so they walked instead of driving.

My cousin-in-law rushed to hold little Jiajia in her arms, freeing them up.

Qin Xiaoyu had left quite a few clothes here, so she picked out an autumn outfit and put it on. A thin wool A-line coat with large checks, high-waisted sheepskin boots, and a beret tilted to the side—she looked exceptionally eye-catching.

This area happened to be near the coal mine's residential complex, and most of the residents were acquaintances who had met through various channels. They would greet each other and come over; everyone knew that President Qin had returned.

"You're dressed like a little foreigner. You've worked so hard year after year, yet you don't look old at all." The cousin-in-law looked at Qin Xiaoyu, unable to get enough of her.

"Sister-in-law, you should dress up a bit. You've been lazy lately. I'll get you some cosmetics tomorrow." Qin Xiaoyu didn't mean to wrong her sister-in-law. Her hair was already a bit gray, and she was only in her forties. She hadn't taken care of herself.

"I don't care about cosmetics anymore. I have children and grandchildren, and I'm perfectly content. As long as nothing changes, I'll just watch my children grow up day by day, and that'll be enough for me." My cousin-in-law sighed, a sigh of happiness.

“Sister-in-law, what you said is so true. If I had thought this way earlier, I would be even happier now,” Zhou Xing’s mother suddenly said.

"How could you be happier than you are now..." The cousin-in-law started to say, but then realized something was off and swallowed her words. Zhou Xing's mother was thinking about Qin Xiaoyu and Zhou Xing's marriage, and now she was holding Zhou Xing's child. She didn't dare to continue the conversation and silently followed behind.

Qin Xiaoyu tightened her grip on Zhou Xing's mother's arm and held her hand firmly; there was no point in saying anything more between the two women.

It wasn't the weekend, so Qin Xiaoyu didn't think the mall would be too busy. But looking at the packed bicycle shed, she knew there were quite a few people inside.

The first and second floors were both Sun Moon Clothing counters. The sales assistants all wore uniform navy blue work clothes with white shirts underneath and matching bow ties. Their hair was neatly pinned up at the back of their heads. This outfit made them look a bit like flight attendants. Qin Xiaoyu looked at her cousin-in-law and smiled.

These uniforms were within my cousin's job scope; she was the one who designed and manufactured them.

My cousin's aesthetic sense has reached its limit, but it's enough to deal with a small town in Northeast China.

"This is the daily turnover," my cousin-in-law said, pointing with her fingers.

"Now that we're putting on autumn and winter clothes, let's clear out the summer inventory too," Qin Xiaoyu instructed, looking at the stock distribution.

"What clearance? There's inventory being cleared out! After your mishap in Paris, we don't have enough to sell at home, and people are coming from all over to get supplies. The other day I went to Factory Manager Fei's place, and she begged for mercy on the phone, saying she really had no stock, couldn't get any stock, and couldn't get it no matter how much money she offered. She said the warehouse had been emptied! She even wanted to get some from me, and I had to protect her to keep it."

"I underestimated it."

Qin Xiaoyu really didn't expect that, with the show becoming so popular, she would actually feel intimidated.

The first and second floors house the Riyue Clothing counters, while the third and fourth floors are rented to small vendors selling miscellaneous brand fashion items from various regions. Most of the tenants here are laid-off workers, and the rent is only symbolically charged as an encouragement to start their own businesses.

The fifth floor has no high-rise rooms, only counters selling a wider variety of things, from daily necessities to needles and thread, shoes, hats, socks, and scarves. They have to go up to the fifth floor to buy children's shoes.

My cousin's wife led them to the elevator. These days, everyone takes the elevator for convenience.

Qin Xiaoyu had repeatedly instructed that elevators were prone to problems, and that the best one must be used, regardless of cost. That's why her uncle spent a lot of money to get it from abroad.

The elevator ride was very smooth, and Qin Xiaoyu was satisfied.

On the third floor, the elevator stopped briefly. A woman with white hair, wearing a blue work uniform, carrying a dustpan and mop, tried to come in, but for some reason changed her mind and hurried away with her head down.

"This woman looks familiar," Qin Xiaoyu blurted out.

"It might be because of our neighbors; there are more and more people being laid off these days. I told them to be more lenient with the age limit when hiring, so that women in their forties can also have jobs. We also hire temporary workers according to the season, so it's flexible."

"Sister-in-law, you're getting more and more skilled."

"I learned it little by little from you, didn't I? What do I know?" my cousin-in-law said with a smile.

There were quite a few people on the fifth floor, coming and going, and they all looked familiar. Ever since she saw the female cleaner, Qin Xiaoyu had been feeling a bit dazed.

Zhou Xing's mother walked towards a children's shoe counter, and the saleswoman, with sharp eyes, called out "Little Fish!" and pounced over.

"Sister Mei." Qin Xiaoyu gave her a warm hug.

"You're back! It's been so long since I've seen you. I missed you so much." Yao Mei took her hand and looked her up and down. "You've become even more beautiful. Did you eat Tang Sanzang's flesh? You're getting younger and younger."

Yao Mei was a friend Qin Xiaoyu met when she was down on her luck. She helped her a lot, and such a friend is the rarest. It's hard to find someone like her again. How can one make true friends when one is in a high position? So Qin Xiaoyu cherishes her all the more.

"Sister Mei, you're just teasing me. I'm so tired I don't even look like a human anymore. Did you rent this counter? You should use your time to help me."

“Why would I rent it? My sister rented it. She was laid off and has nothing to do, so I rented a counter for her. She goes out to pick up goods these past two days, and I took time off to come and watch it for her for a couple of days. There are fees for this; it's not worth it if she doesn't set up a stall.”

"I happen to have some children's shoes, Mom, why don't you let Jiajia try them on?" Qin Xiaoyu pointed out a few pairs of shoes.

"Your third child is already so big? Time flies." As she spoke, Sister Mei pulled out a few shoe boxes from under the counter and showed the shoes to Zhou Xing's mother. "Try on a few pairs that fit and take them to the child. I, as the aunt, haven't bought any gifts for the child yet."

"These shoes are really good quality." Zhou Xing's mother looked at them with a critical eye, and was quite satisfied. But in the blink of an eye, she frowned and covered her stomach.

"My stomach isn't feeling well, can you look after the baby?" Zhou Xing's mother said, placing the baby on the shoe stool by the counter and jogging towards the restroom on the side.

"Mom, I'll go with you." Qin Xiaoyu quickly took two steps after her.

"It's alright, you go ahead and do your work, I'll be right back." Zhou Xing's mother waved her hand behind her back. Seeing that she was agile, Qin Xiaoyu figured it shouldn't be a big problem, so she didn't follow.