"I'm...I'm sorry, I know I was wrong, I'll never do it again."

From childhood to adulthood, no matter what happened, Pingping had never been disciplined by her mother like this before. Seeing the woman get angry, she was so frightened that she burst into tears.

Although she softened her words, her hatred for Shen Niannian only intensified. After apologizing, Pingping ran out of the office crying, and the woman's shouts after her were useless. Fearing something bad might happen, she abandoned everyone in the room and chased after her.

The principal kept apologizing to Jiang Yu, and also scolded the head of the teaching department. He promised to give them an explanation for the matter, and that the best course of action for now was to treat the wound on Shen Suisui's hand.

"Please give me a leave slip, Principal. I'll take my child home today. Also, I hope some staff members will be criticized to prevent them from causing a major problem later."

Jiang Yu gave the timid, bald man a meaningful look, said something cryptic, and then pulled the child away. The headmaster was so frightened that cold sweat poured down his forehead.

"Of course, but I still hope to find a doctor to come and check Sui Sui's wound, in case it gets infected, it will be difficult to treat later."

The principal insisted on letting Shen Suisui stay to see a doctor, partly because he was worried about pressure from higher-ups, and partly because he was genuinely afraid that if there were any aftereffects, the nature of the whole matter would change.

After much pleading and cajoling, Jiang Yu finally agreed to go to the nearby hospital for a check-up. The principal and Teacher Chen accompanied him throughout the process. Before that, he had sent the head of the teaching department back to write a self-criticism.

At the hospital, doctors were disinfecting and bandaging Shen Suisui's hand. The shocking wound gave the principal an idea. He decided to take some time to thoroughly rectify the school's atmosphere.

Shen Suisui didn't utter a single cry throughout the entire process, and even the doctor couldn't help but praise her for being so strong.

When Shen Ying arrived, the doctor had already bandaged her up, prescribed several days' worth of anti-inflammatory medication, and instructed Jiang Yu not to get her wet, and to avoid moving around too much, among other precautions.

In the hospital, many people were drawn to the man's features and upright demeanor. Even the nurses couldn't help but whisper among themselves; this man seemed extraordinary, the ideal type for many.

The first to see him was Shen Niannian, who rushed out and pounced on him before he even entered the house. People in the corridor, seeing that the child was a miniature version of the man, looked at him with envy.

Shen Ying carried Shen Niannian into the house, and when he saw Shen Suisui's hands wrapped up like a rice dumpling, his face turned ashen.

The principal kept apologizing, saying he bore a lot of responsibility, which made the man frown deeply. He'd heard that the classmate who fought with his daughter came from a powerful family and was extremely arrogant in town, with many people daring not to speak out against him.

Although that classmate apologized to her on the surface, a child raised by such a family is bound to retaliate later.

But it's alright. If something like this happens again, he will not tolerate it.

......

It was already afternoon when the family of four left the hospital. Since they hadn't had lunch, Jiang Yu decided to take the two children out for a nice meal.

Although the food at the state-run restaurant was delicious, Jiang Yu didn't want to go because of the previous conflict. After hesitating for a while, the man slowly spoke:

"There's a pretty good restaurant near the military base; you could try it."

Previously, when the military had events and entertained leaders, this was often the first choice besides state-run restaurants. Besides its proximity, the food was delicious, hygienic, and reasonably priced.

Jiang Yu, holding Chen Suisui's hand, froze for a moment, unsure how to respond. This wasn't just about having a meal; people came and went in the military, and someone would always recognize a man. How should she introduce herself?

She waved her hand, and after thinking for a long time, she finally came up with a lame excuse.

"No, I have work to do at the shop, and it's inconvenient to be far away."

The man didn't insist any further and found a nearby restaurant for a quick bite. After the meal, he took the child home, while Jiang Yu went back to the shop to continue her work.

Because she had spent a long time in the morning, Jiang Yu immediately started working on the sewing machine as soon as she got back to the shop. There were still customers coming to pick up their clothes for the evening party, and she needed to finish them before then.

Not long after, a distinguished guest arrived at the door. From the moment she entered, she looked the shop's decor up and down, nodding in satisfaction.

"Sister Xue, what brings you here?"

Jiang Yu put down her work, stood up, and pushed a stool next to her, somewhat shocked. Li Xue hadn't had a chance to come and check on the shop since it was being renovated. She'd finally found the time and made a special trip to take a look.

Of course, the main reason is that I also want to have a piece of clothing made.

"Jiang Yu, I knew you had a knack for business. Now that I see it, you're definitely not simple."

Li Xue knew she hadn't misjudged her, and nodded with satisfaction, indicating her approval. During their conversation, she revealed her other purpose.

"Hey girl, the army has some activities going on recently, and they need to make performance costumes for the cultural troupe. Has Brother Shen Ying mentioned this to you?"

Li Xue is a very insightful person, and because she often deals with various departments, people in the military like to consult her about all sorts of trivial matters.

She always manages to pinpoint problems and suggest improvements, and everyone gives her face, whether in the family compound or the military base.

Now that I've met Jiang Yu, who's just my type, I think of her for all the good things that happen, all so that I can have a bigger platform for development.

"No."

Jiang Yu shook her head, understanding Li Xue's purpose. Wasn't this just someone coming to introduce her to business—a definite sugar daddy!

However, aside from meals and their two children, she and Shen Ying rarely had anything else to talk about.

Li Xue pondered for a moment, then dismissed it:

"That's true, those men are all roughnecks, they don't really know what to talk about in everyday life. By the way, can you design a performance costume that will really catch people's eye? If you can, I won't let them go to a big factory."

The clothes in the factory are all exactly the same; they're not new at all.

In previous years, when I bought clothes from clothing factories, the designs by those designers were very generic and couldn't compare to Jiang Yu's designs at all.

Moreover, this event is to represent the city in the provincial capital, and if we win first place, it will bring glory to Commander Zhang.

"Of course, no problem. But you need to tell me what kind of show you want to perform, and I'll send you a few sample pictures to choose from."

Jiang Yu's stage costumes are something she excels at. Recently, she has been studying the popular clothes of this era and has found that by making slight adjustments to the original designs, they can become wildly popular.

"That's great."

Hearing her confident demeanor, Li Xue was overjoyed. In her opinion, Jiang Yu's clothing was bound to be a masterpiece from the start, and it would probably sell like hotcakes.

"However, there is one thing. To prevent any unexpected events, you may need to go to the provincial capital with Brother Shen Ying. The price is negotiable."