"Sister Lotus!"
Of all the older brothers and sisters, Gou'er's favorite is Lotus. Lotus used to take care of him more and was very attentive to him. Otherwise, Gou'er wouldn't have wanted to buy flowers for Lotus to wear whenever he had money.
Lotus was equally delighted to see the dog return. She bent down, picked him up, and spun him around.
"Dog, we were so worried when we heard you were in trouble. Luckily, you were safe when your uncle came back."
Lotus kissed her on the cheek, looked her up and down, and found that she hadn't lost weight, but had actually gained some weight, which put her mind at ease.
"Hehe, Sister Lotus, I'm fine. I even found my dad! My dad's back! He's taking us to live in a big house, and the yard is so beautiful! Next holiday, I'll take you all there to play!"
Lianhua had always longed to visit the prefectural city, but she rarely had the opportunity. Now that she knew that Aunt Jiu Niang's family had settled in the prefectural city, she also began to yearn for it.
Just then, Madam Qin stood at the door and called them in. A group of children entered the room excitedly, their eyes lighting up when they saw the gifts on the table.
Lotus, Youya, and Tingya each went to collect their own beaded flowers and skincare products. Tingya was still too young to use rouge, but Lotus and Youya each received some, and they all beamed with joy.
The dog proudly presented the writing brush, ink, paper, and inkstone he had bought, saying, "These are gifts I bought for my brothers!"
"Wow!"
Lei Zi and the others were also very happy, because not only were there writing brushes, ink, paper and inkstones, but also some books they had never read before. However, these were not the storybooks that He Jiu Niang had chosen that had nothing to do with studying, but rather collections of poems and articles by famous authors.
Madam Qin smiled and said, "As the older brothers, you've been accepting gifts from your younger brother all this time. You must take better care of him from now on, understand?"
"We know! We'll buy a gift for our little brother next time too!"
They also made a lot of money during this time. With their own savings, they had more confidence in their words and naturally wouldn't take advantage of their younger brother for nothing.
The adults smiled with satisfaction as they watched them. The prosperity of a family is inseparable from the achievements of its children.
Only through brotherly love and respect can this prosperity continue.
Sun said to Lianhua, "Your Aunt Jiu Niang said that she knows you have always wanted to go to the prefectural city to make your way in the world. Now that you have a place to stay in the prefectural city, it is more convenient, and there are many shops in the city. You should hurry up and train one or two people to replace you, and then go to the prefectural city to do business."
Lianhua couldn't believe what she was hearing. She stared blankly at Madam Sun for a long while before asking, "Really...really?"
Qin was also somewhat surprised and said, "Mother, Lianhua is still young. She should just stay in the county town and try her luck. Third brother and sister-in-law are quite busy in the prefectural city. If Lianhua goes there, she will only cause them trouble."
Lotus was initially quite happy, but upon hearing her aunt's words, she instantly sobered up.
Yes, the shops in the prefectural city aren't all his; they're opened by Aunt Jiu Niang in partnership with someone else. They're all staffed by that other partner's people. If she just showed up there so abruptly, she definitely wouldn't be accepted.
"Yes, Grandma, I... I'll stay in the county town and take care of the shop there first."
She suppressed the bitterness in her heart and decided to prioritize the overall situation.
As someone with experience, how could Madam Sun not see through her little scheme? She smiled and said, "Your Aunt Jiu Niang said you are smart and resourceful. It's a waste of your talents to stay in the county town. Sending you to the prefectural city is also to properly cultivate you and make you even more outstanding. With your intelligence, you will definitely be even more outstanding in the future."
Mrs. Sun gently patted her hand, treating her like her own granddaughter.
Lianhua didn't know how to answer, so she subconsciously looked at Qin Shi. Qin Shi smiled and said, "Go if you want to. Be clever when you get there, help your Aunt Jiu Niang with her work, and don't let her down."
"Yes, don't worry, Auntie, I will!"
Lotus immediately smiled. She wanted to see the world, improve herself, and earn more money to repay her family.
That's what she said, but He Jiuniang's premise was that she had to sort out things in the county town first and find someone to take over her job before she could feel at ease going to the prefectural city to develop her career.
Yu'er listened from the side, seemingly oblivious to the fact that it had nothing to do with her, and hurriedly asked, "Grandma, what about me? I just started doing business with Sister Lianhua. What will I do if Sister Lianhua goes to the prefectural city?"
She tugged at Sun's skirt, her face showing great anxiety. Clearly, she also wanted to go to the prefectural city. Children are always full of curiosity and anticipation for new places.
Seeing her daughter making a fuss, Qin quickly pulled her aside and said, "You're still young, so just stay home and don't think about anything else!"
Her niece would have to trouble her third brother's wife to look after her when she went to the prefectural city. If her daughter went with her, she would be too ashamed to face anyone.
Madam Sun, however, thought differently and asked Lianhua, "How has You'er been behaving at the shop these past few days?"
"Of course it's excellent. Youyou is smart and capable. She learned how to do accounting and bookkeeping at home, so she didn't need much teaching when she went to the shop. She's quick and efficient and can already serve customers independently. The shop has been doing well lately, and Youyou has been a great help."
Madam Sun nodded in satisfaction and said, "Then you can go to the prefectural city to broaden your horizons. As for the county town, just find a few well-behaved girls from the village to keep an eye on things. You all should make some plans during this time."
This was not a decision made by Madam Sun on the spur of the moment, but rather something He Jiuniang had mentioned beforehand. She meant that Lianhua, Lu Xiaoyang, and Youya could all go. These children all had a knack for business, and sending them to the prefectural city to be properly nurtured might bring them some unexpected surprises.
Qin was used to being honest and dutiful. Hearing her mother-in-law say this, she hurriedly said, "Mother, please don't spoil her. It's already troublesome enough for Third Brother and Third Brother's wife to go over there. How can we let You'er go too? Let's just forget about it. It's fine for her to stay in our own shop."
Qin Shi still didn't want to trouble others too much. Although they were from the same family, they had already separated now, and her third brother and sister-in-law had their own things to do in the prefectural city. It would be too embarrassing if both of her children went.
"Second son's wife, that's not right of you."
Sun disagreed, saying, "In the past, our family didn't have the means. Even if a child was talented and capable, it wasn't easy for them to succeed. Now that such a good opportunity is here, you won't let the child go out."
Qin waved her hand and explained, "No, Mother, I... I just felt it was too much trouble for my third brother and sister-in-law..."
“What’s the big deal? The children are all grown up and don’t need much care. It’s just a matter of adding a couple more bowls and chopsticks. If you really feel bad about it, just treat them like you would at home and give them money for food and lodging.”
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