Although Wang Qiqi didn't entirely believe Li Cui, she still picked up the phone and called Wang Damei, relaying what Li Cui had just said, naturally omitting the part where the two discussed the Gao family matters. Wang Damei on the other end was also stunned. After a long pause, she softly said, "Qiqi, about this matter..."

"Is Bawei real?"

Wang Qiqi thought for a moment; the expression on Li Cui's face just now didn't seem fake. Whether Li Cui was trying to test her or genuinely informing her didn't matter now. Regardless of Li Cui’s intentions—to test her or to give honest news—did it matter? Wang Qiqi knew that no matter how angry Wang Damei was with Wang Dagui, he was still her younger brother. She wouldn't let her brother get a divorce, especially now that there was a chance Wang Rui might marry into wealth.

"Does your Second Uncle know about this?" In the last six months, Wang Damei had been swamped with her own family issues and hadn't had time to concern herself with Wang Dagui. In Wang Damei's mind, since Wang Rui was about to marry rich, the Wang Dagui family was about to see brighter days; what else would they fuss about besides showing off their wealth?

"I don't know. I just got home, how could I know so much? The main thing is, if they want to make a fuss about divorce, let them. It has nothing to do with me, as long as they don't end up damaging my interests." Wang Qiqi restated her position. Thinking about it gave her a headache. When others lose their parents and are left with children, relatives are supposed to cherish and spoil them, but when it came to her, it was all about the money, not the person.

Wang Damei sighed. She knew Wang Qiqi was saying this to her. "I know. Don't worry. Your home is yours, and their home is theirs. Stop thinking about stirring up trouble over a divorce to gain benefits."

After Wang Damei hung up, she sat on the sofa motionless for a long time. She knew that Wang Dagui and his wife had previously threatened divorce just to squeeze out more benefits, and every time they made a scene, her elder brother, Wang Dajun, and his wife would placate them with gifts to prevent the divorce. She never expected that Qiqi, this child, would remember all of this.

Song Yao walked out of the room carrying Taotao. For the past few days, whenever Taotao was awake, Song Yao would carry him around, talking to him. "Mom, what's wrong? Who was on the phone just now?" Surely it wasn't the Gong family calling about a full-moon celebration or something? Song Yao and her husband had already decided against hosting that banquet. Why should the Gong family reap the benefits while Song Yao’s side paid for the reception? If they wanted a party, they could host separate ones; Song Yao’s family would attend with the baby, and at most, they wouldn't pay an appearance fee.

Wang Damei sighed and told Song Yao the content of her call with Wang Qiqi. Song Yao also found it quite strange after listening. "Isn't Li Cui incredibly calculating? Why would she give up on being in-laws with a tycoon so quickly? That doesn't fit her character. I think Qiqi is right—they're probably eyeing the shop property left by Wang Qiqi’s maternal grandfather. But they are foolish; if my eldest uncle were alive, it would be one thing. But now that they are alive, giving them some money is possible, but will they give it up?" Song Yao had only one assessment for Wang Dagui: a family without brains. Wang Damei had initially wanted to call Wang Dagui to ask if he knew about this, but after hearing Song Yao's analysis, she realized it made sense. "Then I won't call your Second Uncle. What's the point of calling? Let them cause trouble; I won't cater to them. Oh right, how is Taotao today?"

Because young children shouldn't be held too often lest they develop a habit, a baby is a sweet burden when small, but that burden grows heavy later. Thus, Wang Damei repeatedly instructed everyone in the house, no matter how much they adored Taotao, not to hold him constantly. Otherwise, if Taotao became dependent on being held, the culprit would be the person who held him too much. So, after carrying Taotao out of the room, Song Yao placed him on the living room sofa, ensuring that anyone who wanted to interact with him would present their face within his line of sight.

Wang Damei's face appeared in Taotao's view, and she stared at him, constantly making funny faces. Although Taotao's expression hadn't changed much yet, he would smile back at you. "Taotao is so cute; he smiles every time he sees me." Her own grandson was so well-behaved. "Oh right, Yaoyao, your father and I have decided. We'll host a gathering when Taotao turns one year old; we won't bother with the full two months or the hundred-day mark." Originally, Song Wenbo preferred holding an event sooner, believing that if Taotao truly was..."the younger the child, the less noticeable anything would be." But Wang Damei didn't see it that way; she didn't think her grandson was an idiot; he was just a little slow to react.

"I think so too. If we hold it too soon, who knows what kind of trouble they might stir up," Song Yao agreed. "I plan to wait until Taotao is a bit older, and then I want to donate some money to sponsor a student who can't afford school—a way to accumulate some good karma for Taotao, praying heaven blesses my child." In the past, Song Yao didn't believe in such things, considering them superstition. But after the ordeal with Taotao, Song Yao believed, and she wanted to accumulate good karma.

Sponsoring a student? Wang Damei considered it. "That's a very good idea. Why don't you sponsor one boy and one girl? But you must commit to this long-term; don't stop just because Taotao’s health improves."

"Don't worry, it's not a huge amount of money, and your daughter isn't poor." How could Song Yao do something so fickle, not accumulating any real karma, risking heaven taking away Taotao's existing good fortune?

Wang Qiqi had expected Wang Damei to contact Wang Dagui quickly, leading to Wang Dagui or Li Cui storming over. But after waiting three days at home, there was absolutely no movement, which struck Wang Qiqi as very odd. She wondered if Li Cui was truly set on divorce this time, but that also didn't feel right—if they were serious about divorce, why was there no whisper of it in the community? When Wang Qiqi later learned from Song Yao that Wang Damei hadn't called Wang Dagui, she was completely certain the talk of divorce was a sham.

"By the way, how did you get the money to buy a house?" Since it wasn't the weekend, only Wang Qiqi and Song Yao were out looking at properties; Taotao was with his aunt, who had taken leave, otherwise, Song Yao wouldn't have had the time or the peace of mind to go out.

Song Yao linked arms with Wang Qiqi and walked slowly toward their destination, whispering, "I took some of the rental income, and I put it into the stock market. The market is quite hot right now, so I played around with it to increase the principal. But I’m only doing it short-term; your brother-in-law and I don't really understand stocks. Having money is safer when invested in real estate." Song Yao saw how quickly money came in from the booming market and often had the thought of throwing everything into stocks to double their fortune, but Gong Peixing always suppressed that idea. Moreover, Song Yao knew her own financial limitations; no matter how tempting it was, she felt real estate was a more reliable way to make money, especially with Taotao's current situation. This made Song Yao only dare to buy rental properties; she couldn't afford losses now, and the stock market was too volatile compared to the stability of property. Of course, property appreciation was slower. Wang Qiqi was surprised that Song Yao, after earning her first substantial sum, had focused her entire being on making money. "You're amazing. By the way, does Auntie know?"

Song Yao looked around and then whispered, "No, Gong Peixing and I don't dare let her know. You know my mother; although she treats me well, if she saw Gong Peixing and me suddenly having so much money—buying a house earlier this year and now another one—she would definitely demand we pay her back." It wasn't that Song Yao didn't want to repay the money; her reasoning was that if she took the money back, she’d just deposit it in the bank, which was a waste; it was better to buy property. "Oh, and I think the properties here are quite nice; they all have elevators." Song Yao was thrilled at the thought of using an elevator to go up and down; that was something only rich people could afford. At that moment, Song Yao completely forgot that she, too, wasn't exactly poor.

Elevator buildings? Wang Qiqi looked at the surrounding environment and, recalling things in her mind, knew exactly which complex Song Yao was taking her to. It had to be said that although this complex was unremarkable now, in five years, it would be a highly sought-after rental property. The property management was excellent. Although it was an older complex, it had been designed by a Hong Kong firm, featuring underground parking with one space per unit, which was very advanced. Currently, many people didn't value this selling point, but Wang Qiqi loved it. If the parking spaces could be bought separately, Wang Qiqi felt she could hoard ten or eight of them.

Song Yao first led Wang Qiqi through the complex to survey the surroundings. "What do you think? I feel these properties are excellent for both renting out and living in." There was a small playground and a swimming pool. Song Yao's heart had been captured when she first saw the promotional poster, but unfortunately, they couldn't live here.

More than excellent, they were superb. "The housing is good, the complex greenery is also good, and the expected price must be very high, right?" Wang Qiqi stated with certainty.

Song Yao nodded. "Yes, extremely expensive—three thousand to three thousand five hundred per square meter." Gong Peixing had originally suggested they pass on such expensive properties, but Song Yao had fallen in love with them.

"Don't worry, in about six or seven years, the rent here won't be cheap, and the average property price will exceed ten thousand," Wang Qiqi confidently predicted. "Actually, if one has the money, buying storefronts outside would be more profitable."

Storefronts? This was something Song Yao hadn't really considered; for one, storefronts were more expensive and much larger in area.

"High investment, high return. Think about the shop properties my maternal grandfather left behind," Wang Qiqi reminded her. No matter how expensive the storefronts in this complex might be, Wang Qiqi planned to sweep up four or five of them. Of course, she wouldn't buy them right in front of Song Yao; that would be too terrifying and might shock Song Yao.

Even with Wang Qiqi providing examples, Song Yao lacked the nerve. Especially after the sales agent quoted the price for a storefront, she felt faint. "Qiqi, I need to go back and think about it." Even buying one residential unit plus one commercial space would exceed her budget, and by a lot.

Wang Qiqi smiled and didn't press further, walking out of the sales center under the sales agent's scornful gaze. (To be continued)