For the first time, Xu Lu truly felt the warmth of a "big family." It was different from the affection he received from the housekeeper and maids; they genuinely liked him.

"Give me a hug." Bai Miaomiao lay on the sofa, her heels resting on the armrest, holding her phone in her hand.

Xu Lu sat back on the sofa on the fluffy carpet, holding a foreign language dictionary in his hand and looking at it intently: "Okay, Auntie, let me finish reading this." He had only just figured out the generational hierarchy.

Feng Xi and the others had to go to work as usual, but Xu Mengyu and Zheng Tianming had something to do, so they left Xu Lu with Bai Miaomiao.

"Keep me company." Bai Miaomiao put down her phone, lay on her side on the sofa, and looked at the back of Xu Lu's head. "How about we go to the zoo?"

Xu Lu closed the dictionary. He had finally met someone with a more cheerful personality than his mother: "But my mother said before she left that the weather was changing very quickly recently, and my aunt would feel uncomfortable if she went out."

Xu Mengyu had anticipated that Bai Miaomiao wouldn't be able to stay at home, so she specifically told Xu Lu not to go out before leaving.

Bai Miaomiao sat on the sofa, holding onto the edge with both hands: "How about we go get some fried chicken? I heard there's a collaboration event going on recently." Kids should all like that, right?

"Auntie, shall we go to the library to sit for a while? They have coffee and desserts there, and you can also read comics and novels." Xu Lu was worried that the fried chicken shop was too noisy. Her mother said that her aunt had a heart condition, and that she would have difficulty breathing if there were too many people around.

Bai Miaomiao pouted, clearly indicating that she didn't want to read anymore.

"Okay, let's find a fried chicken restaurant with a nice atmosphere and not too many people." As he got up, he picked up his dictionary.

Bai Miaomiao casually threw on a white long dress, and put tissues and her phone in her bag.

Xu Lu turned her head and glanced at it, then quickly ran to get the spare medicine and oxygen mask. Her mother had taught her that she must go out, so she thought she should put on these two items.

Bai Miaomiao touched her belly, a sweet smile on her lips: "I'm perfectly healthy, it's okay."

Xu Lu carried her little duck-shaped bag, putting her oxygen mask and spare medicine inside, but the oxygen cylinder was too big, so she could only carry it in her hand.

He also took a bottle of mineral water with him before leaving.

"LuLu, don't be so sensible. You can be a little naughty..." Bai Miaomiao looked at Xu Lu in the elevator.

Xu Lu, carrying his bag, looked at Bai Miaomiao and smiled happily: "Yes, I know."

But he won't do that. If he were five years old, he might cry and make a fuss, but he's eight this year.

Bai Miaomiao wanted to hug Xu Lu, but she couldn't lift him, so she could only hold his hand. He was so soft...

After arriving at the shopping street, the two started shopping. Bai Miaomiao bought a lot of clothes for Xu Lu, and the bodyguards behind her couldn't carry them all, so she gave up.

Xu Lu was carrying three bags. He didn't understand why girls loved buying bags so much. His mother loved them too; her entire walk-in closet was filled with bags, and she even had to keep the air conditioning on to control the temperature and humidity...

"Does this look good?" Bai Miaomiao tried on the little leather shoes, which had a small pearl on them.

Xu Lu examined them carefully: "Auntie, these shoes are only good for taking pictures. The heel is too hard when you walk in them, and it will rub your feet."

"You know that?" Bai Miaomiao asked in surprise.

Xu Lu nodded. Of course he knew that his mother often rubbed her heels until they bled.

The saleswoman next to her was clearly unhappy. She had tried on the clothes for a long time, and if she wasn't going to buy them, she should have just said so. Why did she have to let a child stand up and find fault with them?

"Then you should try other stores; maybe they have some that won't rub your feet."

Bai Miaomiao was holding the shoes. She was about to say, "Please wrap them up for me. I can wear them for photos. At least they look nice, so they're not useless."

Xu Lu stood up, frowning slightly: "Just do your job well. If you really can't do it, please shut up."

Who wants to spend money and then be treated badly?

Bai Miaomiao put the shoes aside and said, "Are you out of your mind?" Then she stood up and said, "I will never buy anything from your store again."

She'd already been given the cold shoulder, and now she was being asked to make money? Bai Miaomiao wouldn't do something so stupid.

After the two left the store, Bai Miaomiao took out her phone and called her father: "Dad..." She recounted the whole story.

Xu Lu followed along, complaining about how her aunt acted like a child.

Bai Heng was in a meeting when Bai Miaomiao finished speaking. He first grunted in response: "[How come I remember his family is a junk shop?]"

At least that's how he sees it.

Bai Miaomiao felt there was a communication barrier, so she hung up directly. She said she had been wronged, and her father said she had gone to the street to collect scraps.

"Auntie, don't be angry. You're so beautiful, those shoes don't suit you at all. Let's go look at some other ones." Xu Lu said, unscrewing the mineral water bottle. Shopping was more tiring than working.

Bai Miaomiao felt that Xu Lu didn't seem like a pushover after all...

It was already 1 p.m. when the two of them arrived at the fried chicken shop. Xu Lu's legs were sore from walking. Looking back at Bai Miaomiao, she saw her sitting on a movable suitcase: "..."

Bai Miaomiao picked up the fried chicken and took several photos: [Honey, I'm already eating lunch, what about you?]

Xu Lu saw Bai Miaomiao taking pictures of the fried chicken for a while, and then putting it back.

"?"

Are you full already? Fairies really do drink dew...

Bai Miaomiao needs to control her diet reasonably, and now that she is pregnant, she should eat more nutritious foods.

When Xu Mengyu and Zheng Tianming arrived home, the sight before them as soon as they opened the door startled them.

"Are you planning to open a shop at home?" Zheng Tianming stepped over a shoebox.

Xu Lu rubbed her sore calves, while Bai Miaomiao was trying out the "pregnancy cosmetics" she had bought. Actually, she didn't believe in these things; she just wanted to try them out.

Xu Mengyu squatted down and pulled a set of Crayon Shin-chan pajamas from a bag, clearly bought for Xu Lu: "Did you go out today?"

Bai Miaomiao nodded: "Look, I bought you and Wanwan each one of those pearl hair accessories, and that bracelet too."

Zheng Tianming opened it and glanced at it: "People buy this for investment purposes. Who would be a nice person to wear a 500-gram gold bracelet?"

The jewelry store was overjoyed to have met her.

Xu Lu was both amused and exasperated. He was wearing a safety lock around his neck, a solid one that was no lighter than the 500-gram bracelet.

They got in the car and left, but the shop assistant kept waving and stuffing a lot of freebies into their hands, like hair dryers and electric kettles...

"I'm getting old, and I like these things." Bai Miaomiao said, leaning back on the sofa. Next time she goes home, she'll take some gold from her father's vault and make a peace lock for the baby.

Zheng Tianming glared at Bai Miaomiao, who was the youngest among his peers in the family: "What are we having for dinner? I'll cook."

"Fried beef, tofu soup, and stir-fried water spinach," Bai Miaomiao ate according to the doctor's prescription.

Xu Mengyu kicked her things aside and plopped down on the sofa: "Honey, I'm going to choose a location today. I'm planning to move the studio here."

Being close to home was her father's only request, and of course she had to comply.

Bai Miaomiao excitedly hugged Xu Mengyu's neck: "Then we can sleep in the same bed every day!"

"Think of something good." Zheng Tianming opened the refrigerator. The ingredients were fairly complete, but there was no tofu. He took out his phone and sent a text message to his father, asking him to bring some back when he got off work.

Bai Miaomiao hugged Xu Mengyu's arm: "How about we sleep in the same room tonight?"

Xu Lu silently packed her things, gathering all the shoe boxes together.

Xu Mengyu felt something was wrong. Bai Miaomiao had been pestering Pei Kaixin for a baby, so why was she suddenly clinging to her today?

“Mom, I saw this bag in orange when I passed by.” Xu Lu said, opening the box and taking out the bag to show Xu Mengyu.

"I'm just missing this one color!" Xu Mengyu was overjoyed.

Bai Miaomiao is a member, so she doesn't need to buy other items and can get the bag she wants faster. Seeing this, Xu Lu quickly placed an order...

Zheng Tianming glanced back and wondered what it was like to have a son who was better than his father.

Xu Mengyu's gaze fell on the lip gloss that Bai Miaomiao had placed on the sofa. How come she remembered that this brand mainly targeted pregnant women?

Bai Miaomiao leaned on Xu Mengyu's shoulder: "I really want to have a baby, so I can play with Lulu."

Upon hearing this, Xu Mengyu put her arm around Bai Miaomiao's shoulder with heartache. Bai Miaomiao couldn't have a baby; it would kill her...

"Don't think about that. Wanwan will be home from get off work soon. Let's go see a movie and sleep together when she gets back tonight." Xu Mengyu patted Bai Miaomiao's head: "Good girl."

She knew how much Bai Miaomiao loved children, but she insisted on depriving her of the right to be a mother. As her sister, how could she not feel heartbroken?

After tidying up, Xu Lu turned on the robot vacuum cleaner.

While the father and son worked, Xu Mengyu and Bai Miaomiao sat on the sofa chatting. When it came to shopping, they couldn't help but mention the saleswoman at the mall.

"This is nothing, especially after they found out you're a member, they keep adding extras. Last time I bought a bag, the extras included stickers and sticky notes." Xu Mengyu said, holding out her hand...

Bai Miaomiao leaned her face closer: "I heard you're planning to start your own clothing brand, how about I invest?"

Xu Mengyu pinched Bai Miaomiao's tender little face. Her skin was comparable to Lulu's, so tender that it looked like water could be squeezed out of it. "Okay, but let me tell you, I'm going for mid-to-low-end designs, low profit but high volume."

Young people these days no longer look to big brands; as long as the quality is good, the price is right, and it's comfortable to wear, that's enough.

The two sat on the sofa and became more and more excited as they talked. Bai Miaomiao was almost ready to slap her thigh and do it right away.

She'll be the head of the Bai family in the future. If she doesn't even have this much investment acumen, then the family business is in jeopardy.

The two chatted about online sales and home renovation.

"Let's just put up a big sign and clearly display the prices of the clothes," Bai Miaomiao said, gesturing as she spoke.

If placed in front of a shelf, it will look very tacky, like walking into a clothing store where you can pick anything for fifty yuan.

So put up a sign outside to tell customers about the approximate price range, so that those who are hesitant to go in because of the renovations will have a general idea.

Since it targets the mid-to-low-end market, Xu Mengyu's brand store decoration will definitely not be too bad. The problem is that people might think that the clothes in this store must be expensive and not even bother to enter, which would be troublesome.

Zheng Tianming was chopping vegetables in the kitchen, while Xu Lu sat on a small chair picking out chives: "Uncle Zheng, isn't this what they call 'armchair strategist'?"

"I don't know about armchair strategizing, but you have to call me 'Dad.'" Why can't you change your ways?

Xu Lu felt awkward. He opened his mouth, but couldn't make a sound, so he simply shut up and picked at the chives.

When Zheng Wanwan came home from get off work, she saw two people on the sofa looking at a tablet, seemingly choosing interior design options.

"Are you looking at wedding home renovations?" Zheng Wanwan said as she walked over. "You must choose one with a yard, it will be very convenient to grow flowers." She has rhinitis, but she likes to grow flowers.

Xu Mengyu showed the tablet to Zheng Wanwan: "We're looking at the clothing store's interior design."

Zheng Wanwan knew that Xu Mengyu was going to start her own clothing brand. She sat on the sofa and looked at her carefully: "Wouldn't it be more stable to start online first and then develop offline?"

You should know that renting and decorating a house requires a lot of money, and the location also has to be good.

Xu Mengyu hugged Zheng Wanwan's neck and rubbed her face against hers: "I know you can't get fat in one bite, but doing it online isn't that easy either, it requires just as much investment as doing it offline."

Zheng Wanwan put her arm around her waist: "Do you need help with site selection?" She was quite good at this, after all, she liked to observe the things around her.

"want!"

Bai Miaomiao and Xu Mengyu spoke in unison.

Zheng Wanwan tilted her head, and after learning that Bai Miaomiao had invested, she looked down at Xu Mengyu and asked, "Can I join in?"

"It's settled then." Xu Mengyu hugged Zheng Wanwan's waist. "Shall we sleep together tonight?"

Zheng Wanwan nodded without thinking. She forgot what she had promised Pei Lan to do today, and Pei Lan was eagerly anticipating it.

Zheng Tianming was listening; another heartbroken person had joined the family.

After picking the chives, Xu Lu started beating eggs: "Uncle Zheng, if I can't cook, will I never be able to get a wife?"

“Not necessarily…” Zheng Tianming felt a wave of nausea in his stomach when he thought about the food his father used to cook.

The key to having chili powder, sugar, and Sichuan peppercorns all in one pot is the fried rice.

"You're so young, and you're already thinking about getting married?" Zheng Tianming found it unbelievable. He was only eight years old, and he was already thinking about getting married in the future.

Xu Lu's face turned as red as if it were dripping blood. He quickly stirred the egg mixture with his small hands. He had just said it casually.

Zheng Tianming patted Xu Lu's head. The dishes were almost cooked, and the elders in the family had all come home from get off work.

Bai Miaomiao put her arm around Pei Kaixin's waist and told her about Xu Mengyu's clothing brand and how she had invested in it.

This really piqued Pei Xiuyan and Xu Sichen's interest, and they sat down together to start making plans...

“Dad, I’m creating a brand, not going public…” Xu Mengyu reminded him from the side, “and it’s all about low profit margins and high volume.”

"If you don't dare to throw, what kind of business can you do?" Xu Sichen said, starting to plan for Xu Mengyu.

Xu Mengyu: "..."

They opened thirty stores nationwide, hired half of the entertainment industry and designers to help with promotion, and collaborated with top luxury brands, then sold a short-sleeved shirt for forty-nine yuan.

Xu Mengyu gasped. They said it was all about small profits and quick turnover, but if they did it this way, they might lose everything.

"I'll handle the cooperation," Xu Sichen said, taking out his phone and getting right to work.

Pei Xiuyan adjusted his glasses: "I can help with the store location." The Pei Group has invested in building quite a few stores in shopping malls in recent years, which can save on rent.

Xu Mengyu: "..."

I told you, I need to come home more often.