"Go away! Children shouldn't speak without thinking!" Yao Shiling scolded. "Get out of here, or the cows will get tired of eating and throw all over you in their feed."

"Okay." Wen Qing smiled as she came out of the cowshed and asked, "Mom, Liangliang, when is Pengpeng coming back?"

"Almost done, school will be over soon."

As soon as he finished speaking, Wen Peng, carrying his schoolbag, ran into the yard like a whirlwind, his red scarf askew.

"Big sister, are these bricks?" Wen Peng asked, looking at the bricks on the tractor.

“Yes.” Wen Qing smiled and stepped forward to remove Wen Peng’s red scarf.

"Don't solve it, I need to be a Young Pioneer for a day, and I can solve it after school in the evening."

“…Okay, I’ll fasten it for you,” Wen Qing said.

Wen Peng raised his head and craned his neck to make Wen Qing straighten the knot, then asked, "Big sister, are these bricks from our family?"

"Um."

"Are we going to build a tiled house?"

"Um!"

Wen Peng's eyes lit up as he said, "We can live in tiled houses from now on, Big Sister. Do you know what? Our classroom is still a thatched hut. The school only has one tiled house that serves as the teacher's office. I've been there. It's so clean, and there's no dust. Second Brother's classroom is a tiled house, and Second Brother's school is all tiled houses. It was built by the government."

Wen Qing laughed as she listened: "Why didn't Liangliang come back with you?"

"His teacher went overtime again, and I couldn't wait, so I came back first."

"Wenpeng, put down your schoolbag and go get some water for the uncles unloading bricks." Yao Shiling held onto the wooden basin, afraid to leave, lest the ox knock it to the ground and break it.

"Okay." Wen Peng threw off his schoolbag and ran towards the main room.

At this moment, Aunt Wang and the others finished work one after another, and were greatly surprised to see the blue bricks stacked as high as a person.

"Wen Qing, are you going to build a brick house?" Aunt Wang asked.

Wen Qing smiled and said, "Yes."

Aunt Wang, Sister Zhou, and others were filled with envy. You see, there wasn't a single brick or tile house in the entire Shuiwan Village. They were all mud houses made of mud mixed with wheat chaff, built according to the weather. In Shuiwan Village, they were commonly known as "thatched huts".

However, Aunt Wang, Sister Zhou, and the others were not jealous as before. Instead, they asked with great concern, "Wen Qing, how much does each of these blue bricks cost?"

"Four points," Wen Qing replied.

"So many bricks, how many?"

"Twelve thousand bricks, enough to build two brick houses."

So many bricks? Aunt Wang, Sister Zhou, and the others gasped in surprise. Looking up, they saw another tractor chugging along, carrying tiles.

“And there are tiles too!” Aunt Wang and Sister Zhou said in unison.

Wen Qing laughed: "How can anyone live without tiles?"

"How much is a single tile?" Aunt Wang asked again.

Wen Qing truthfully replied, "Three mao and two fen per tile, about seven hundred tiles for two rooms would be enough."

Upon hearing this, Aunt Wang rushed forward, grabbed Wen Qing's arm, and said, "These tiles and bricks must have cost a lot of money, Wen Qing. Let me tell you, don't hire workers to build the house. Find your Uncle Wang and Brother Zhou. They both know how to build houses, and it's free. As for cement and stuff, just buy a dozen or twenty pounds to fill the brick joints. Clay mixed with wheat chaff is very sturdy. Leave everything to your Uncle Wang. You don't need to worry!"

Wen Qing was surprised that Aunt Wang was so open with her, and she was happy: "Okay, then I'll trouble Uncle Wang and the others. But I have to pay them. The price is sixty-five yuan for one room and one hundred and thirty yuan for two rooms."

"It's free, it's free!" Aunt Wang waved her hand. "I'll tell your Uncle Wang right now, and he'll find a few people this afternoon to lay the foundation and build your house."

"Thank you, Aunt Wang," Wen Qing said with a smile.

Aunt Wang waved her hand and left Wen Qing's house with Sister Zhou and the others, discussing as they walked:

"Wen Qing has made money!"

"Don't be jealous and come up with any bad ideas. Hasn't Wen Qing helped our village enough?"

"Of course I'm not envious. I'm happy for her. Since Wen Qing came along, our Shuiwan Village has become much richer than other villages."

"I'll have my husband come and help Wen Qing build the house later."

“I’ll also call my husband over.”

At the same time, Yao Shiling finished feeding the cows and came over to ask, "Wen Qing, you're not really going to let Wang Da and the others build houses for us for free, are you?"

"Definitely not, they'll pay you," Wen Qing said with a smile.

"That's good. We can't owe anyone anything."

"knew."

After staying at home for a while, Wen Qing went to the team leader's place for a short while and talked to him about the shoes.

Wen Qing handed the team leader a pair of new shoes and explained that Fengqing was expanding and demand was increasing, so the Fengqing shoe factory also needed to expand. He said it didn't have to be limited to Shuiwan Village; they could hire people from other villages.

"Wen Qing, don't worry, I'll definitely handle it well," the team leader said. He hadn't expected Wen Qing's business to be so good, and it was only getting better. The shoes he directed to make always sold out, of course, it was because Wen Qing's designs were so good. In any case, his enthusiasm was growing stronger.

Wen Qing smiled and said, "Captain, I'm very relieved. You've worked so hard to make Fengqing Shoe Factory more and more standardized."

"Not at all, you're the one who's been working hard."

Wen Qing smiled.

After discussing some factory matters with the team leader, Wen Qing prepared to leave. The team leader's wife, grateful to Wen Qing, insisted that he stay for dinner.

"Wen Qing, I specially went to the city to buy this meat. You absolutely have to stay and have a meal," the team leader's wife said.

Wen Qing tried every possible excuse before the captain's wife finally agreed to release him.

When Wen Qing returned home, Yao Shiling had already prepared the meal. She had specially used yeast to steam a pot of fragrant white steamed buns, which smelled delicious and sweet.

"Big sister, big sister, hurry up and eat some white flour buns!" Wen Peng shouted.

"Sister, you're back." Wen Liang, as always, appeared mature and sensible.

Wen Qing asked, "Liangliang, did you steam these buns?"

Wen Liang replied, "I'm just kneading some dough."

"You're great," Wen Qing said.

"Go wash your hands and eat." Yao Shiling came out of the kitchen with a plate of stir-fried potato slices, a bowl of bean paste, and a small dish of chili oil: "There's porridge on the stove, bring it over."

"Okay." Wen Qing went to wash her hands, and after washing them, she took two bowls of porridge and sat down at the table. She broke off a piece of steamed bun, dipped it in chili oil, and put it in her mouth.

"Don't eat like that, it'll hurt your stomach!" Yao Shiling said, but Wen Qing's steamed bun dipped in chili oil was already in her throat, so Yao Shiling added, "Just like your dad."

Just like your dad... This startled Wen Qing, and her throat instantly burned, and even her stomach felt hot.

"Big sister, what's wrong?" Wen Peng asked.

Yao Shiling chimed in, "Did you get burned by the spiciness? Quickly drink some porridge to wash it off."

Wen Qing obediently lowered her head and drank her porridge, but she couldn't calm down.

After lunch, she didn't stay long before going to the county town to ask Master Yan to have someone in the county town give her the phone number of the assembly department at Fengqing Shoe Factory in Shuiwan Village, since Yao Shiling's family also had an assembly department.

Master Yan agreed, and Wen Qing took a bus to the city. She didn't go back to Greenland Garden, but went to the city hospital instead.

She registered and found a doctor.

Seeing that she had a rosy complexion and seemed to be in good spirits, the doctor asked suspiciously, "Are you here for a medical checkup?"

"Um."

Are there any cases?

No, this is my first time watching it.

The doctor sat down in the chair and said, "Sit."

Wen Qing said thank you and sat down.

The doctor asked, "Where does it hurt?"

Wen Qing thought for a moment and said, "Stomach."

The doctor then asked, "How exactly do you feel unwell?"

Wen Qing didn't answer, but directly stated her purpose: "Doctor, I want to have a comprehensive examination of my stomach to see if there are any hidden diseases or anything like that..."

The doctor looked at Wen Qing with suspicion again. He was a little confused about what was going on with this young girl, but since the patient had asked for it, it was better to be prepared.

"It's very expensive," the doctor said.

Wen Qing replied, "It's alright."

The doctor then examined Wen Qing using the medical expertise available at the time, asked him several questions, and finally said, "Your stomach is very healthy."

Wen Qing was relieved and thought to herself that she had been sick since she was over thirty in her previous life, so there were still more than ten years left.

"If you want your stomach to stay healthy, pay attention to your diet and daily routine. You'll have a good stomach and teeth even when you're eighty."

"Thank you, thank you, thank you doctor, I will be careful." Wen Qing said thank you, then happily walked out of the city hospital, the gloom that had hung over her all day dissipating.

Wen Qing walked lightly toward Feng Qing Clothing Store. As soon as she arrived, she saw Aunt Xiao serving a customer. The customer did not seem to be a local. The accent was unfamiliar, and Aunt Xiao and Bao Hong seemed to be having a hard time understanding it. They were having trouble communicating. Aunt Xiao was anxious, and the customer was anxious too.

"Sister Wenqing." Bao Hong ran over as if she had seen a savior: "Sister Wenqing, a customer came into the shop looking for you. He's been sitting there for a while, and Aunt Xiao and I can't quite understand what he's saying."

"I'll go in and take a look," Wen Qing said.

This customer was indeed not a local. His name was Guo Jian, and he was in the clothing business. He had read about Fengqing Clothing Store in the newspaper and wanted to order 5,000 sets of clothes from them.

"Five thousand sets!" Aunt Xiao and Bao Hong exclaimed in astonishment, their mouths agape.

"Wen Qing, did I hear that right?" Aunt Xiao asked.

Wen Qing said, "No."

Five thousand sets is terrifying; that's over ten thousand!

Is he a scammer?

Guo Jian smiled and said, "I'm not a scammer. I'll pay a deposit of 20,000 yuan first, and then we'll sign a legally binding contract. By the way, I know Ji Yanjun from your Nanzhou. He runs a transportation company, and we've been cooperating for a long time. You can ask him if you don't believe me. This time, I'd like him to deliver these 5,000 sets of clothes and shoes to Fucheng. I feel more at ease having him deliver them."

It was Ji Yanjun again. Wen Qing felt a headache coming on.

"Mr. Wen, what do you say? I'll give you three days to think it over. I'll come back in three days. If it's okay, we'll sign the contract. If not, that's fine too, right?" Guo Jian said.

Wen Qing smiled and nodded: "Okay."

After Guo Jian left, Aunt Xiao and Bao Hong couldn't stay calm.

Five thousand sets!

"More than 100,000!"

More than 100,000 yuan—how tempting! Wen Qing was very interested, but in her previous life, she had heard of many business scammers who swindled people out of their fortunes. What if Guo Jian paid the deposit but then refused to pay the rest?

Wen Qing had to start from reality, which meant finding a lawyer or someone knowledgeable in contract law.

To be honest, she really wanted over 100,000 yuan. It could solve many of Fengqing's current problems, such as making the Fengqing brand more standardized and orderly.

At the same time, she felt that the risks were high and the rewards were high, and how would she know the result if she didn't try?

She almost made up her mind before leaving: she would take this job! As for Ji Yanjun, who might be involved in this job, she couldn't refuse to let him or her breathe the same air just because she had a grudge against someone, could she?

With that in mind, Wen Qing began her next plan. She went to find Teacher Zhao, and through Teacher Zhao, she found one of Teacher Zhao's classmates, and then eventually found a lawyer who was an expert in all kinds of issues in contracts.

During this time, she learned from Ji Ningzhi that Zhang Fangfang had been released from the police station, but was in extremely poor mental condition, locking herself in her house and refusing to see anyone. She also received punishment, including having to pay for 460 double-breasted wool coats and a fine of 1,500 yuan, totaling approximately 12,000 yuan.

Su Hongmei fell ill from anger.

Shen Youbang simply didn't have that much money.

Even if Zhang Fangfang sold both shops, she still couldn't raise that much money.

Ji Ningzhi was there to criticize Wen Qing.

Wen Qing retorted dismissively, "What does this have to do with me? Did I ask her to imitate me? Did I ask her to make shoddy clothes to fool customers? If you're in the right, go to the police station."

A barrage of questions left Ji Ningzhi speechless.

Wen Qing then realized that once a woman has a career and goals to strive for, she no longer cares about those trivial grudges and bickering.

For example, in her past life, Ji Ningzhi's words, "It was you who kept pestering my brother, but my brother likes Sister Fangfang," could make her angry and even make her go to Ji Yanjun to verify it.

Now, no matter what Ji Ningzhi says in front of her, she no longer feels the anger from her previous life. Instead, she looks at Ji Ningzhi as if she were an ignorant girl.

Then Wen Qing smiled and left the school, found a lawyer, and together they went to Feng Qing Clothing Store.

Unexpectedly, Ji Yanjun was also there.

Ji Yanjun looked at Wen Qing, who nodded at him under the pretext of wanting to cooperate.

Ji Yanjun nodded as well.

"Mr. Guo, I'm sorry to have kept you waiting," Wen Qing said, then looked at Guo Jian.

"No, no," Guo Jian said with a smile, speaking in awkward Mandarin, "I just arrived too."

Then Wen Qing introduced the lawyer next to her.

Ji Yanjun and Guo Jian were taken aback, then nodded secretly. It was always better to write all the details into the contract beforehand than to argue about it later. As a businessman, Guo Jian appreciated Wen Qing's approach to this.

Next, Wen Qing and Guo Jian expressed their respective opinions on the contract, including the price of the clothing, the style, the delivery time, the final payment time, and other details.

Guo Jian originally thought Wen Qing was too young to understand, so he brought a lawyer to oversee the process. However, the lawyer barely spoke a word, and it was entirely Wen Qing who did the talking, which truly impressed Guo Jian.

Ji Yanjun sat quietly to the side, occasionally glancing at Wen Qing's face and body, then listening attentively to Wen Qing and Guo Jian's discussion, not missing a single word they said.

The first draft of the contract wasn't finalized until the afternoon.

The next day was the weekend, and it took Wen Qing and Guo Jian another half day to officially sign the contract. After the contract was signed, Guo Jian immediately paid 20,000 yuan to ensure that Wen Qing's funds were sufficient to produce 5,000 yuan worth of goods. In fact, he underestimated Wen Qing again.

After Wen Qing signs one contract, she needs to sign another contract with Ji Yanjun to guarantee that the five thousand sets of clothes will be delivered to Fucheng on time and safely.

Wen Qing stated a condition, and Ji Yanjun replied, "Okay, no problem."

Wen Qing asked for another one, and Ji Yanjun replied, "No problem."

"I'll go with you then," Wen Qing added at the end. She was very reluctant to go with Ji Yanjun, but it was over 100,000 yuan, and she wouldn't feel at ease if she didn't go herself.

Feng Qing is a new brand now, and she's not so arrogant as to let Guo Jian hire a car to transport clothes to Fucheng while she sits and collects the money.

Five thousand sets of clothes were just finished when she started her winter break. So, she had to go on this trip.

Ji Yanjun glanced at her and said, "The journey will be bumpy."

Wen Qing: "I know."

“Okay then,” Ji Yanjun said.

"Sign it." Wen Qing said, signing her name on the contract and then pushing it to Ji Yanjun.

After receiving the contract, Ji Yanjun quickly wrote down his name, and the contract took effect immediately.

Guo Jianli immediately smiled and said, "Alright, everyone, it's great to work together!"