Chapter 192 Growing Wildly on Its Own
Tang Mingli was clearly surprised when her daughter firmly answered that it equaled 4.
I clearly told you the answer this morning, but you can't calculate it or remember it? You seem a bit slow.
For a fleeting moment, Tang Mingli felt a pang of worry.
He immediately cursed himself for thinking that way.
A three-year-old child cannot be understood or expected from an adult perspective. Besides, apart from the fact that 1+2 equals 4, my daughter is very clever in all other aspects of her life. How could she not be smart?
She's just worried too much.
After analyzing the situation in her mind, Tang Mingli felt she had figured things out. She smiled and discussed with her daughter, "Honey, how about we go to the East Gate to see Auntie today?"
"good."
Fu Yu is happy that she can go out.
Tang Mingmei's house is in the same area as theirs, but because her uncle and aunt and their child haven't moved here yet, and because the new store has just opened and she has a lot of things to do, she has always lived in the new store area.
After arriving in Shenzhen, Tang Mingli and her group planned to visit their cousin in Dongmen to see her and check on the new store. However, they had only been there for two days when they returned to Guangcheng.
It just so happens that Fu Ci is away these days, so she might as well take her family out for a walk and explore Shenzhen, this special economic zone.
During breakfast, Tang Mingli told her family about her plans.
Mr. and Mrs. Fu didn't want to move around much, so they chose to stay at home and watch TV.
Fu's mother was worried about Tang Mingli taking the child to such a crowded place alone, so she chose to accompany her.
With the family divided into two factions, Tang Mingli was somewhat worried.
Grandpa Fu said to her, "Your grandma and I are old, but not so old that we can't take care of ourselves. You can go out without worry, don't worry about us."
Madam Fu also said, "Yes, what could your grandfather and I possibly do at home? You should also go and see your cousin. She came to Shenzhen from Guangzhou all by herself. Although Fu Ci is taking care of her, it's still not easy for her."
That's exactly what Tang Mingli thought.
My cousin's farthest trip in her life was probably those two years she spent working in the countryside. Now she's come to Shenzhen alone to make a living, and I wonder if she's adapted well.
The three boarded a bus that went directly to Dongmen Station, and twenty minutes later they appeared in what is now, and will remain for decades to come, the most prosperous commercial district in the Shenzhen Special Economic Zone.
Tang Mingli only had a general idea of the new store's address. Fortunately, at this time, Dongmen was not as big as it would be twenty years later.
After wandering around for about thirty minutes, I saw that obvious sign.
In an era filled with flashy billboards, Fu Ci's simple signboard stands out remarkably.
They arrived early; the clothing store had just opened.
When I came in, I saw Tang Mingmei adjusting the arrangement of some clothes.
Even though they were facing away from the shop door, it was as if the back of their heads had been activated by radar. As soon as Tang Mingli and her two companions stepped in, they turned around with big smiles on their faces.
Upon seeing that it was Tang Mingli and the other two, Tang Mingmei's smile became even brighter.
"Auntie, Mingli, what brings you here? Oh, Xiaoyu is here too."
Fu Yu also sweetly greeted her, "Auntie."
"Good girl." Tang Mingmei subconsciously wanted to touch Fu Yu's chubby face, but then realized that her hands were dirty and quickly stopped herself.
After entering, Tang Mingli quickly glanced around and noticed that only her cousin was there. She asked, "Why are you alone? Didn't you hire any staff?"
Tang Mingmei smiled and said, "Thank you. There's still about half an hour before it's time to start work."
Tang Mingli said "oh," and understood what was going on.
My cousin just arrives at the store early every day to tidy it up.
Tang Mingli said to her, "You're so dedicated."
"I live upstairs, what's this about being dedicated or not?"
Upstairs was a warehouse, and there was also a room and a bathroom. Tang Mingmei thought that since she lived alone, she might as well live here, which would save her the time of commuting every day.
Before long, the employees hired by the clothing store also arrived one after another.
Seeing that Tang Mingmei had almost finished tidying up, he said with great guilt, "Sister Mei, you've almost finished the work again. I might as well move in with you. When you get up, I'll get up too."
Tang Mingmei said to her, "What nonsense are you talking about? Your home is nearby, so it's definitely more comfortable to stay at home."
"Then you should at least leave me some work to do, otherwise I'll come an hour earlier tomorrow."
"No, that's so early, you won't have enough rest time."
“But since I work here, you can’t do all the work every day, you’re the store manager.”
Tang Mingmei smiled and compromised, "Okay, I'll leave some work for you to do when you come."
As they chatted and laughed, Tang Mingmei introduced her: "This is my cousin."
The employee had only been working there for a month and didn't know much about the owner behind the clothing store. Therefore, he didn't know that Tang Mingli was the owner's wife and just thought that Tang Mingmei's relative had come to visit her.
So, after greeting Tang Mingli, he very consciously took over the work and said to Tang Mingmei, "Sister Mingmei, we still have half an hour before we open. Why don't you take your relatives to the nearby area and try that famous beef offal place or something?"
Tang Mingmei thought her suggestion was good, and most of the cleaning had already been done; all that was needed was to adjust the clothes that the guests had hung up in disarray.
She asked Tang Mingli and Fu's mother, "Auntie, Mingli, would you like to stroll around Dongmen?"
Tang Mingli really wanted to, and nodded.
I'd heard of Dongmen countless times in my past life, but I'd never actually been there.
By the time she was able to work and earn money, shopping on such commercial streets was no longer popular; instead, there were shopping malls with air conditioning in the summer and heating in the winter.
However, the main reason she hasn't come is that she's busy. She works overtime every day, and when she finally gets a day off, she just wants to lie in bed and sleep to stay alive. She has no interest in shopping.
As they left the clothing store, Tang Mingmei pointed out which shops were more numerous on this side and which were more numerous on that side, clearly showing that she was very familiar with the area.
Tang Mingli jokingly praised, "Sister, you've only been here a short time, but you're already an expert in Dongmen."
Tang Mingmei accepted her cousin's praise without feeling guilty.
"If you want to do business and make money here, you definitely need to understand things clearly. Even if you don't understand your competitors, you should at least understand what kind of people will come here to spend money..."
Tang Mingmei spoke at once, and every word she said was to the point, which made Tang Mingli very impressed.
Who would have guessed that my confident, radiant, and thoughtful cousin was the same person she was ten years ago?
In her cousin, Tang Mingli truly saw the saying that life actually has a high margin for error.
It's never too late to change things and escape your predicament.
Even Xiao Fuyu, though she couldn't understand what Tang Mingmei was saying, stared at her aunt with her big, dark eyes, full of curiosity.
As soon as she finished speaking and stopped, he was the first to praise her.
"Auntie, you're amazing!"
Tang Mingmei adored her niece; she was beautiful, adorable, had such a wonderful personality, and a sweet tongue. Only a mother like Mingli could raise such a wonderful child.
She asked with a smile, "What's so great about Auntie?"
Fu Yu said with a smile, "My aunt said a lot."
"Is this great?"
“Mm.” Fu Yu nodded emphatically, and used herself as an example: “When I say I have a lot, my mom praises me for being great.”
Tang Mingmei laughed heartily and jokingly asked her cousin, "Aren't you afraid of praising the child so much that he becomes a chatterbox?"
Tang Mingli laughed and said, "There are already ten little chatterboxes."
He quickly explained to his daughter, "It means I'm praising you."
Children aren't afraid of being talkative; what's scary is when they're unwilling to express anything.
Mother Fu added, "With all that chattering, the house is much more lively now."
Tang Mingmei felt the same way. Having a child at home really makes things much more lively.
I'm starting to miss my daughter. We talk on the phone almost every day, but nothing beats meeting in person.
She suddenly sighed and said, "Fu Ci loves his daughter so much, I really don't know how he usually endures the pain of missing her."
Tang Mingli understood the unspoken meaning: she missed her daughter and was deeply moved.
"Fu Ci is already working on transferring your household registration, and soon you will be able to reunite as a family."
Tang Mingmei nodded. "It's really a good thing we had Fu Ci. The whole family relocation was much more complicated than I thought."
Tang Mingli smiled and said, "It's nothing. I want to keep such a talented person like you, so it's only right that I help out."
"Outstanding talent?"
Even though she knew her cousin was just saying it casually, those five words still made Tang Mingmei's heart tremble, and she unconsciously stopped in her tracks.
However, Tang Mingli said in a serious tone, "Yes, you are an outstanding talent."
"Me?" Tang Mingmei couldn't help but laugh at herself, telling her not to make fun of her.
She's just a street vendor, how can she be considered a talent, let alone outstanding?
"I'm serious, sis, you are really, really, really amazing."
Tang Mingli used the word "very" three times in a row to emphasize it.
Tang Mingmei finally realized that her cousin wasn't just saying it casually; she genuinely thought she was outstanding.
My heart suddenly started racing, and my head felt like something was exploding inside me, buzzing loudly.
For most people, receiving such praise would likely elicit a calm response or a small sense of joy.
But for Tang Mingmei, it meant something different.
Having lived two lives, the first one could be described as a 'complete failure'. The first twenty-odd years of the second life were equally terrible compared to the first.
In her world, her cousin was always the best.
Whether in her past life or this one, no matter what kind of life she leads, my cousin has lived a very fulfilling life.
Only people like this deserve to be called excellent.
But unknowingly, she had managed to become the kind of person that her cousin considered outstanding.
For Tang Mingmei, this was not just a simple compliment; it was almost an affirmation of her life after she turned over a new leaf.
She couldn't describe her feelings at that moment; her heart was pounding, her nose was sore, her eyes were dry, and her mind was a mess.
Tang Mingli didn't expect her cousin to react so strongly to her compliment.
But when he heard her voice trembling with excitement as she asked, "Are you forgetting what I used to be like when you praise me like this?"
Thinking about the path she had walked in her life, her nose tingled with emotion.
Actually, her life wasn't easy either.
Or rather, many people in this generation have had it just as tough as she has.
In life, almost no one has enough knowledge to guide you; you grow up wildly on your own.
Not everyone is a genetic lottery ticket; how can everyone become successful on their own?
My cousin's situation is even more unique.
In an era when most families had several children, she was the only child in her family and received all of her parents' love.
She doesn't lack love, but she may not have received the right kind of love.
That's why there were so many contradictions in her over the past twenty years.
She is intelligent, but also arrogant.
She was proud and domineering.
She was confident, but also blindly so.
She is competitive and can't stand losing.
She is strong, and stubborn.
...
All her character flaws were formed day by day during her infancy, childhood, and adolescence when no one provided her with proper guidance.
No one corrected her mistakes, and she grew up like this, naturally becoming selfish and incapable of understanding others' feelings, and ultimately, naturally, she suffered a major setback in life.
Yet she was so tenacious and resilient that she managed to turn her life around.
Every woman who rises from the ashes is exceptional and admirable.
Tang Mingli replied softly, "You are completely different from before. You are shining now, and there is no trace of the past you used to be."
Hearing these compliments, Tang Mingmei could no longer hold back her tears, which streamed down her face.
Fu Yu saw this and became very nervous and worried.
"Auntie, why are you crying?"
Tang Mingmei quickly wiped away her tears and said with a bright smile, "Auntie is fine. Your mother just praised Auntie, and Auntie was so happy that she cried."
So that's how it is.
Fu Yu looked completely bewildered.
At three years old, she couldn't understand why she would cry when she was happy.
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