"You..." Ji Yanjun couldn't believe Wen Qing would distance herself from him. Although she used to have a bad temper and was easily angered, she was also very gentle and had a soft heart. As long as he went along with her and coaxed her, everything would be fine. What was wrong with her today?

Wen Qing looked up at Ji Yanjun: "Ji Ningzhi told you, right?"

"What?" Ji Yanjun asked.

Wen Qing looked at Ji Yanjun and said, "Our marriage is off."

"I disagree!" Ji Yanjun immediately stated.

Wen Qing looked at Ji Yanjun and almost blurted out, wanting to ask him why he was unwilling to part ways amicably now, when she was the one catering to him in the past life, he was entrusted by her second uncle, and he didn't like her.

She paused for a moment, then said, "As for my second uncle, I will explain it to him when I visit his grave next time. You don't need to feel guilty."

"It has nothing to do with my second uncle."

Wen Qing looked at Ji Yanjun again.

Ji Yanjun was also looking at her.

Wen Qing finally spoke: "Ji Yanjun, dating is a matter for two people, but breaking up is something only one person can do, and it doesn't actually require your consent. I've said my piece today, so let's leave it at that." After saying that, Wen Qing turned around and walked in the other direction.

Ji Yanjun reached out and took her hand: "Qingqing."

Wen Qing instinctively tried to swing her arm, but she couldn't shake it off no matter what she did.

Just then, Master Zhu and Master Ye arrived from outside the factory, looking at Ji Yanjun and Wen Qing in surprise.

Wen Qing and Ji Yan were both taken aback.

"You guys..." Master Zhu had just started to speak.

Ji Yanjun immediately let go, and Wen Qing retreated repeatedly. Then she walked quickly towards the garment factory, saying as she brushed past Ji Yanjun, "I mean what I say."

Ji Yanjun froze, a dull pain suddenly shooting through his chest.

Master Zhu and Master Ye looked bewildered. Master Ye stammered, "We...we came to...have...eat with Consultant Wen..."

Before Master Ye could finish speaking...

Suddenly, Ji Yanjun kicked the wooden bucket next to him, slamming it into the pool with a loud bang, and his face immediately darkened.

Master Zhu and Master Ye were startled.

The two had known Ji Yanjun for a long time, and thought that although Ji Yanjun was not talkative, he should have a good temper. They had never seen him so angry before. What did Consultant Wen do to him?

A moment later, Ji Yanjun seemed to realize that Master Zhu and Master Ye had just been there. He straightened the wooden bucket he had kicked over, turned around, and said, "Master Zhu, Master Ye, I'm sorry. Please tell Uncle Tang that I have something urgent to attend to and I have to leave first. I'll treat him to a meal another day to apologize in person." After saying that, he called his companion out of a factory building with a stern face, got into the truck without saying a word, started the engine, and drove off with a roar from Tang Quan Garment Factory.

Master Zhu and Master Ye both looked completely bewildered.

"Do Yanjun and Wen Qing know each other?" Master Ye asked.

Master Zhu: "I don't know."

"Yanjun just pulled Wen Qing's wrist."

"You can't say things like that carelessly. Wen Qing is still young and a girl. She'll need to find a husband in the future. Her reputation is important."

Master Ye immediately fell silent, pretending he hadn't seen anything. But secretly, he wondered, "Could they be dating? Wen Qing's ability to anger Ji Yanjun like this is quite impressive."

At this moment, Master Zhu walked into the factory to find Wen Qing.

In contrast to Ji Yanjun's fury, Wen Qing stood calmly in front of the tailoring table, carefully measuring and drawing lines on a piece of fabric.

"Wen Qing," Master Zhu called out.

Wen Qing looked up and smiled, "Master Zhu, have you eaten?"

"No." Chef Zhu smiled. "Mr. Tang asked me to invite you to Limin Restaurant for dinner."

"No, I've already eaten." Wen Qing pointed to the white porcelain jar on the table and said, "Look, I've cleaned the jar thoroughly. You guys eat. While we're at it, I'll break down the process of making clothes so we can finish them quickly."

Master Zhu repeatedly agreed, secretly observing Wen Qing. He found that Wen Qing showed no unusual expression, remaining calm and gentle as ever—truly an extraordinary girl. However, due to the impact of Ji Yanjun pulling Wen Qing earlier, he couldn't stay in her presence for long. So, after exchanging a few polite words, he hurriedly went to Limin Restaurant with Master Ye.

A short while later, Tang Quan came to invite Wen Qing again.

Wen Qing was forced to say that she was really full and would throw up if she ate any more.

Tang Quan then gave up.

The carefully prepared dinner ended up being eaten by Tang Quan, Chef Zhu, and Chef Ye.

Wen Qing was busy. As soon as work started that afternoon, she began discussing the division of tasks on the assembly line with Master Zhu and Master Ye in order to improve the quality and efficiency of the clothes.

By 3 p.m., everything was basically settled, and the rest could be left to Master Zhu and Master Ye. In other words, Wen Qing completed three days' worth of tasks in two days.

Wen Qing found Tang Quan and said, "Uncle Tang, that's about it for today. We can officially start making the clothes tomorrow. I'm going home now, and the workers will finish the finished products tomorrow, okay?" She also wanted to go to Aunt Xiao's tailor shop to take a look, and while she was at it, she wanted to go home and make another pair of shoes to sell for a few yuan. In another month or so, Wen Liang, Wen Peng, and she would have a lot of tuition, miscellaneous fees, and school supplies to pay. In addition, she also had to pay her own dormitory fees and meal fees. She also wanted to spend thirty yuan to buy a set of school uniforms for each of Wen Liang and Wen Peng, so she wanted to earn as much as she could.

"Okay." Tang Quan said, taking out two hundred-yuan bills from his briefcase and handing them to Wen Qing.

Wen Qing accepted the hundred.

"Take this one too." Tang Quan

Wen Qing smiled and said, "I said one, so it's one. I can't accept something for nothing." Wen Qing folded a banknote, stuffed it into his pocket, and said with a smile, "Uncle Tang, thank you. I'll be going now."

Tang Quan had always admired Wen Qing, and at this moment, her earnest and unambitious demeanor made him feel even more pity for her, realizing that she was a rare talent.

"Wen Qing," Tang Quan called out to her.

Wen Qing turned around: "Uncle Tang, what's wrong?"

"Are you interested in being a consultant indefinitely? The compensation is excellent." Tang Quan looked at Wen Qing.

Wen Qing smiled and said directly, "Thank you for your kind offer, Uncle Tang, but I really have no interest in being a consultant."

"So what are you interested in being?"

Wen Qing smiled and said, "Become a boss."

Tang Quan burst into laughter.

Wen Qing smiled and then said, "Uncle Tang, you're busy, I'm leaving."

"I send you."

"No need, I'll take the bus. I'll take the bus myself tomorrow too."

Tang Quan watched Wen Qing's retreating figure. The little girl's ponytail swayed gently, full of youthful energy. Want to be a boss? If he didn't know her, he would have thought she was daydreaming. But now he felt that it was not difficult for her.

Wen Qing, carrying a cloth bag and with her head down, stood at the intersection waiting for the bus, her mind involuntarily turning to Ji Yanjun.

In her past life, Ji Ningzhi and Zhang Fangfang often angered her. She had a fiery temper and would not only clash with Ji Ningzhi and Zhang Fangfang, but also provoke Ji Yanjun. She would often quarrel with Ji Yanjun, and after the quarrel, she would apologize immediately because she was afraid that if she didn't take the initiative, didn't apologize, and didn't contact him, there would be no future for her and him.

Thinking back on what she had just said to Ji Yanjun, Wen Qing realized that there really was no future for them this time.

Wen Qing looked up and saw a clear blue sky and white clouds above her, a beautiful sight that lifted her spirits.

This time, she truly severed ties with Ji Yanjun.

"Beep, beep..." The piercing sound of the bus horn assaulted my ears.

Wen Qing snapped out of her daze.

"Little girl, are you getting on the bus or not? Hurry up, it's five cents a person, get on and we're leaving!" The ticket seller stood on the bus, holding the door, and shouted to Wen Qing.

"Okay, okay," Wen Qing replied, and stepped onto the bus.

The ticket seller manually closed the door, and the bus swayed and drove towards the county town.

More than half an hour later, Wen Qing arrived in the county town. She went to Aunt Xiao's tailor shop first to say hello to Aunt Xiao.

Aunt Xiao said that the shop was very busy and business was particularly good, all because of Wen Qing's good reputation. Many people had pre-ordered white leather-soled sandals and cloth shoes with sewn soles, and even paid the full amount in advance. Aunt Xiao happily handed the money to Wen Qing, who, according to the rules, only charged for the shoes and gave Aunt Xiao a 30 cents commission for each pair of shoes as usual.

Seeing this, Aunt Xiao felt that Wen Qing was serious and honest, and was also very moved. She secretly vowed to help Wen Qing take good care of the tailor shop.

Wen Qing looked at the old-fashioned clock in Aunt Xiao's tailor shop. The hour hand had already passed the number four. She dared not linger any longer, so she hurriedly said goodbye to Aunt Xiao.

Aunt Xiao pulled her aside and said, "Wenqing, why don't we buy a bicycle? The county town isn't close to Shuiwan Village." "Bicycle" refers to a bicycle. Back then, many things had the word "foreign" in their names. For example, older people called matches "foreign fire" and nails "foreign nails."

Wen Qing said with a smile, "Aunt Xiao, now bicycles are all made by our own people, so we can't call them foreign bicycles anymore. Even my mother doesn't call 'kerosene' 'foreign oil' anymore."

Aunt Xiao laughed: "Don't change the subject. Buy a second-hand bicycle. I remember Liu Ma's wife bought a Phoenix 18-inch second-hand bicycle for only seventy yuan. It must be tiring for you to walk every day like this."

"I understand, I'll go back and talk to my mom," Wen Qing said.

"Okay, drive carefully."

"Um."

As Wen Qing spoke, she walked towards the main dirt road in the county town, thinking to herself that buying a bicycle would be a good idea. When she went to high school, her mother would often come to the county town; it would only take half an hour to walk, but about ten minutes by bicycle—so convenient! Liangliang and Pengpeng could ride it too. However, her mother, Liangliang, and Pengpeng probably wouldn't know how to ride a bicycle yet.

Thinking this through, Wen Qing decided to buy a bicycle, but not a used one; she wanted a new one, a Forever brand. As she walked, she pondered how to earn more money. She wanted to buy so many things, and although she had two or three hundred yuan, it wasn't nearly enough.

As Wen Qing walked and pondered, she was almost at Shuiwan Village. Just as she was about to take a detour and enter the village from the east end, she looked up and saw thick smoke billowing from Shuiwan Village, rising straight into the sky, and heard chaotic noises coming from the village.

Wen Qing was taken aback.

What happened?

She immediately focused her gaze on her own front door, where thick smoke was billowing out.

A chill ran down her spine, and she murmured softly, "Mom," before running towards the village.

Cries and shouts echoed from the village, growing clearer with each passing moment.

Wen Qing ran as fast as she could. Was it her house? Had something happened to her house? The more she thought about it, the more frightened she became. Her hands started trembling. As soon as she entered the village, she shouted, "Mom, Liangliang, Pengpeng!"