Zhang Hongmei was half an hour late for class. There was nothing she could do; that old fox always spoke in circles, it was exhausting!

When I got back to Xinyuan after school in the evening, I felt full of energy again. Could it be that I've also fallen into the trap of being tired after school and energetic after school?

For dinner, we had eight-treasure porridge, which was cooked by Wang Xinyi. Although the ingredients were very ordinary, it was indeed soft, sticky, and sweet.

"Aunt Wang, you can cook too? This porridge is so delicious, I ate half a bowl more than I should have."

"Hehe, as long as you like to eat. I'm good at making soup. Starting next week, you should eat until you're half full every night and then drink the soup."

"That's great, I'll learn it if I get the chance."

"I will impart all my skills to you without reservation."

"I need to learn from Wang's daughter. Watching her cook makes my food taste delicious even without eating it," Aunt Li said with a smile.

"Sister-in-law Li, you're too kind. We each have our strengths. My home cooking isn't up to the task. We can complement each other, and we'll make sure Hongmei thrives."

"By the way, don't cook for me tomorrow night. I have to go to the compound. I'll head straight to L City the day after tomorrow morning and should be back by Sunday afternoon."

"Okay, we understand."

After lunch, I strolled over to the school gate again, and this time I ran into Liu Jingze.

"Hongmei, what's wrong?"

"It's nothing, just digesting after dinner. Why did you just get back? Have you eaten yet?"

No.

"Let's go home and eat. There's still eight-treasure porridge at home."

"I'm not going, I'll just grab something to eat. Why does this lady look so familiar?"

"Hehe, you're Zheng Jixian's apprentice?"

"Are you Ms. Wang Xinyi?"

"Yes, it's me. You and Hongmei?"

"Aunt Wang, we're from the same village. Brother Jingze is so good to me."

"I see."

Liu Jingze fell silent. Ever since he took Hongmei to become an apprentice and was rejected by the master, he had always felt sorry for Hongmei.

But he never expected Zhang Shouyi to find Hongmei such a mentor. Indeed, with his power, no one would refuse. Liu Jingze had never felt such a thirst for power. Now, he couldn't even find a mentor for the girl he loved; Liu Jingze felt incredibly frustrated and helpless.

“Brother Jingze, why don’t you come home with me? You don’t look well. Come home for a hot meal and a hot bath.”

"No, Hongmei, I'm going in. I have something to do." If she hadn't run into Wang Xinyi, she might have gone back with her. But seeing her reminded her of her incompetence.

"In that case, you should get some rest. I'll have Aunt Li make you some pancakes tomorrow morning so you can take them with you on the road."

"Alright, otherwise it really would be hard to endure. You guys should go back, it's getting late."

The two women walked back. Zhang Hongmei was puzzled and blurted out, "What's wrong with him? He suddenly seems like he has no will to live?"

"Hehe, he probably saw me and remembered his guilt towards you. It's okay."

"What's there to feel guilty about? Everything depends on fate. It just means that I don't have the fate of being master and disciple with Master Zheng. Why take everything on yourself? I don't feel anything is wrong."

Sigh! Those politicians lead such exhausting lives, with their minds constantly navigating countless twists and turns.

"Hehe. That's because you're so open-minded."

"I'm very petty."

"Haha, women should be petty, but it depends on where they use it."

"Aunt Wang, do you know anything about clothing?"

"What's wrong? You're alright."

"That's great! I have some clothing design sketches. Shall we go back and take a look at them today?"

"Sure, I wouldn't call myself an expert. But I can make any kind of formal dress from abroad."

"My amazing Aunt Wang, she's so capable!"

"Hehe, what do you mean by omnipotent? It's just that I'm getting old, I've seen everything, and I know a little bit about everything. I'll teach you everything I know, so you'd better study hard."

"Hehe, I'm afraid I won't learn it well. I'm more suited to the life of the cutest animal."

Wang Xinyi thought for a moment and then tentatively asked, "Pig?"

"Hehe. Yes, that's great, you can eat your fill and then sleep."

"Your ideal is lofty, and you'll have to work hard for it. This is not something that just anyone can do."

The two chatted and laughed as they returned home. After washing up, Zhang Hongmei found all the submitted design drafts in the study and handed them to Wang Xinyi.

"You see, I don't have much of a concept of clothing."

Wang Xinyi took the drawings and looked at them carefully. She also read through the entire project plan. After finishing one copy, she handed it to Zhang Hongmei to continue reading.

Surprisingly, Zhang Hongmei actually found two decent designs. Looking at the name, she realized it was Xu Tongtong, who looked down on her. Her designs were similar to the batwing shirts from her past life, but not entirely. She thought she could give these a try.

Zhang Hongmei's was placed separately, while Lu Yue's was also there. It was quite ordinary, but it was good because it was presented to the public.

Wang Xinyi saw the two designs that Zhang Hongmei had picked out. They were exactly what she had in mind.

"Hongmei, I also think these two are good, and this dress is also nice."

"Aunt Wang, I wasn't planning on making a dress. The situation is a bit unstable right now, so it's best to keep a low profile. But this dress is really nice. Let everyone discuss and decide at the meeting."

"I think this is nice, but it's probably impossible to make. I think it would be more comfortable to wear if it were made of stretchy fabric. I wonder if they have that kind of fabric now?"

"No."

"Then this plan is doomed."

"You can just attach a skirt to the bottom."

"Let's talk about it later. Aunt Wang's is too ordinary."

"yes."

"None of those will work. Let's wait for the meeting and discuss it then."

Zhang Hongmei was a little disappointed, but perhaps her expectations were too high.

It was getting late, so the two went back to sleep.

The next day, Zhang Hongmei practiced Tai Chi with Wang Xinyi, ate a piece of flatbread, drank a bowl of porridge, and then took the still-warm flatbread to school.

As soon as he sat down in the classroom, Wei Huaqiang came over and asked, "Class monitor, can I borrow your bicycle for lunch?"

"Here's the key."

"Hehe, that's great. In less than five days, our school's students will also be able to see the learning newspaper."

"Wei Huaqiang, you're very good. You still think about your alma mater even after you've left."

"How could I not think about them? My teachers have worked so hard to nurture me, always making sure that we juniors in the second year of high school are well-fed. I have to think about them as long as there is even a sliver of a way out."

"Yeah, it's so difficult. It's the same at our school. They always let us second-year students get our food first, and the cafeteria cooks always give us the thicker porridge first." Lu Yue joined in the conversation, sighing again.

"Our school was the same. In order for us to study politics, the old principal swallowed his pride and made two trips to apply for radios for us."