Hearing her sister-in-law's call, Zhang Xuemei smiled and looked at her mother-in-law, who was touching the showerhead, and said, "Mom, eat first. Later, Xiaowan will take you outside for a walk. It's very convenient to buy groceries here."

"Okay, I'm actually hungry."

After lunch, Xu Mingjiang went back to his room for a nap, while Xu Mingwan took his mother outside for a walk so she could get familiar with the surroundings.

"I see your sock business is doing well; you even called your mom over," Xu Minghan joked with a smile.

Zhang Xuemei was squatting on the ground organizing the goods she had just received that day. Hearing this, she glanced at him and asked, "I haven't asked you yet. How are the people you recruited doing? I received so many goods today. Xiao Wan should come with me to set up the stall as soon as possible."

"Aunt Xu introduced me to someone. I'll try it out at work tomorrow. If I can handle it, Xiao Wan is yours. But where are you going to sell all these socks? Is the little park we went to before still allowed to sell them?"

Xu Minghan looked at the four or five black bags in the living room with some worry. There were too many. If he couldn't sell them, he could probably wear them until he was buried.

Zhang Xuemei shook her head. "No, I saw the notice posted at the park entrance. If you get caught, you'll be fined. I don't want to lose all the money I've earned." She guessed that other people had followed her example and set up stalls there, only to be reported.

"Where are you going? Or should I find you a place?" Xu Minghan wondered where he could set up a stall to sell these little things nearby.

"I don't need you. I've already decided. I'll set up a mobile stall and go to the areas where the older women gather." Tianyi Residential Area, where Zhang Xuemei and her friends live, is very large, encompassing an entire street of houses, with about 150 or 160 buildings.

Although it's a residential area, it's not the kind of enclosed community. It's just houses built along a long street with entrances at both ends, so it gradually developed into a small bustling area.

The best choice would have been the local market, which is always bustling with people and would never lack business.

However, the wet market sells everything—chicken, duck, fish, shrimp, etc.—and they're all dripping wet, which is inconvenient.

Zhang Xuemei had made a point of observing that there were always groups of elderly women doing handicrafts in the buildings across from her home. They were usually in small groups of three or five, and they seemed to be doing well. She assumed she was a peddler carrying a load on her shoulder.

Of course, it would be better for her to go somewhere farther away than here, but she can't leave!

When Zhang Xuemei went to pick up Panpan from school in the afternoon, she was surrounded by several parents who grabbed her hand and asked if Panpan still had the hair clips she wore.

"Panpan's mom, the hair clip on Panpan's head is so pretty! Where did you buy it? I'm so frustrated with my child, I've looked everywhere but can't find anything similar. I'm so worried."

"That's right, as soon as she got home, she asked me for a hair clip, saying that it was the one Panpan wore and that it was really pretty. I bought it for her, but she didn't want it, saying that it wasn't as pretty as Panpan's."

The parents around her were talking amongst themselves, and Zhang Xuemei understood after listening for a few minutes. She then replied with a smile, "These are all things I sell at my stall. I thought they looked nice, so I put them on Panpan. I didn't expect it to cause such a commotion. I'm so sorry!"

"Or, I'll bring one for each of the little girls tomorrow, just to cheer them up."

"No way, you're selling them for money too. How much? We can just buy some from you." A sensible parent immediately refused, thinking they couldn't just take advantage of someone for nothing!

After hearing this, the parents who were originally going to agree couldn't say anything more. In order to appease their children, they could only smile and agree.

Seeing that the leading parent insisted on paying, Zhang Xuemei had no choice but to reveal her prices: "I usually sell three hair clips for one yuan and two pairs of hair ties for fifty cents. I'll set up my stall near the primary and junior high schools tomorrow around noon, so you'll see it as soon as you pass by."

"Okay, I'll come find you tomorrow." The parents originally thought that such pretty hair clips would cost at least one yuan each, but they didn't expect that they would be three for one yuan. Panpan's mother was honest and didn't intend to sell them something expensive.

After picking up her daughter, Zhang Xuemei took her home. The little girl skipped along, holding her mother's hand, humming a nursery rhyme she had learned in kindergarten. After finishing the song, she looked up at her mother with longing eyes and asked, "Mommy, did I sing well?"

"It sounds beautiful, really beautiful! Did Panpan just learn this today? I've never heard it before!" Zhang Xuemei was very accommodating, looking at her daughter with a beaming smile.

To be honest, she can't remember what Panpan looked like when she was little. Back then, she only wanted to have a son, so she kept sending Panpan to kindergarten.

By the time things settled down, the child was already about to start elementary school and wasn't very close to the couple. It was only through gradually getting to know them that the child became closer to them.

When Panpan later asked what she was like as a child, they couldn't say anything, and could only brush her off by saying she was very well-behaved and quiet. As for photos, they didn't have any.

Thinking about this, Zhang Xuemei decided that she must record the childhood of both children this time, and the best way to do so would be through photos.

So he smiled and looked at Xu Panpan and asked, "Panpan, would it be alright if Dad and Mom took you and your sister to have your picture taken when you have some free time?"

"Take photos? Mom, is it the kind where I can wear pretty dresses? Lots of my classmates have taken photos and brought them to class. Can I take photos too?" Xu Panpan stared at her mother with bright eyes, full of anticipation.

Zhang Xuemei blinked and replied, "Of course you can. Mom and Dad will take you when we find a time. We'll make sure to take some really beautiful pictures of our Panpan."

"Oh, great! Mom, you're so good to me, I love you the most!" Xu Panpan jumped up and down happily a few times, then hugged Zhang Xuemei tightly, rubbing her little head against her chest, making Zhang Xuemei feel ticklish and unable to help but laugh.

"Alright, alright, little kitty, stand still. We need to go home quickly. Mom forgot to tell you, Grandma came today too. Did you miss Grandma?"

Zhang Xuemei knew that Panpan was mostly raised by her grandmother when she was little, so she was naturally very close to her. It had been quite a while since she had seen her since returning from the New Year, so she must miss her grandmother very much.

"Is Grandma here? Mom, why didn't you tell me sooner? Hurry up, I want to go home to see Grandma." As soon as she heard that Grandma had arrived, Xu Panpan immediately urged her mother to go home quickly.

"You little rascal, you just said you love Mommy the most!" Zhang Xuemei pretended to be angry and looked at her daughter to see how she would react.

Upon hearing her mother's words, Xu Panpan's eyes darted around, and she chuckled, "Mom, of course I like you the most! Grandma likes you just as much as you."

Zhang Xuemei tapped her forehead. The little rascal, she didn't offend anyone.