"Eat meat, eat more." Luo Hongjuan’s chopsticks hadn't stopped moving since she sat down, continuously loading Wang Qiqi’s bowl. Song Yao was doing the same; soon, Wang Qiqi’s bowl was piled high, mostly with meat.

"Qiqi, you’ve gotten too thin. Are you pushing yourself too hard? From now on, Mom will cook for you every day. I’ll make sure you become plump and rosy," Luo Hongjuan had thought about this for days. Knowing her son and daughter-in-law absolutely wouldn't accept her money, she decided to become their logistical support during this time, ensuring the children had no worries behind the scenes.

Wang Qiqi felt helpless about this. Looking at the sheer quantity of food, she felt immense pressure and had absolutely no appetite. "Mom, Sis, please stop giving me meat. Meat isn't even expensive in the States." She paused. "Mom, you’ll cook for us every day? Uh..." Wang Qiqi wondered if her mother-in-law planned to cook at their place or commute daily—that would be so embarrassing.

"Come over here to eat." Luo Hongjuan had initially intended to impose on herself, making the daily round trip between the shop and her son's home to cook for them. But then she considered Song Yao’s family of three—how would they eat? They couldn't always dine out; besides wasting money, restaurant food was fine occasionally, but not every day.

Come over to eat? Wang Qiqi thought this would drown them in work. Commuting would take over an hour just for a meal, wasting so much time and potential earnings. Furthermore, if she came over, what about Shi Man? Wang Qiqi decided to punt this problem to Han Tao, letting him discuss it with his mother.

Tao Tao, sitting nearby, saw that his beloved mother and Grandma were completely ignoring him to dote on his aunt. He immediately felt neglected. His lower lip trembled. "You all don't love me anymore." The little fellow crossed his arms, humming petulantly to show he was very angry.

The adults present burst into laughter upon hearing the child's words, matched with his aggrieved expression. "Tao Tao, how can you be so adorable?" Wang Qiqi thought this action resembled something a soap opera heroine would do. The question was how a child so young could watch so intently, or rather, retain and mimic the gestures—that required some deliberation.

Song Yao and Gong Peixing first laughed heartily, rarely seeing their son strike such a cute pose. But as they laughed, both stopped abruptly, exchanging a look of shared terror and lingering fear.

"Sis, you noticed it too, right?" Wang Qiqi whispered into Song Yao’s ear. "You see it when you watch those Taiwanese dramas. Tao Tao saw it." Children pick things up incredibly fast, but the issue is whether what they are learning is actually good stuff. "You wouldn't want to end up with an effeminate son in the future, would you?" Although Tao Tao's current behavior didn't seem severe, it could evolve. If the situation wasn't emphasized now, and if Tao Tao did turn out like the character Wang Qiqi mentioned, Wang Qiqi couldn't accept it.

Song Yao was startled by Wang Qiqi’s words. She strongly wanted to assert that Wang Qiqi was overthinking things, that her son wouldn't become like that. But recalling her son's recent behavior, she fell silent. "It seems we need to pay close attention." Before, when her son sat quietly beside her watching TV, Song Yao just thought he was well-behaved. Now she realized this situation might not be ideal. Song Yao couldn't imagine her son becoming a sissy; she felt like she might actually cry.

"You need to be more mindful when you watch TV from now on." Gong Peixing never cared much for Song Yao constantly watching those Qiong Yao dramas and Taiwanese romance shows. But Gong Peixing was outnumbered; he couldn't oppose his wife while also offending Luo Hongjuan. This time, Qiqi had completely solved his problem. "We should let Tao Tao watch military news and dramas." Gong Peixing preferred that genre, but the rented place only had one television.

Song Yao knew her husband would seize this opportunity to benefit himself; she was exactly right. "Eat your dinner, and properly manage your son. Didn't we agree that you would be the one primarily responsible for raising our son?" Hmph, if he wants to rebel, he should check if he has the capacity to do so.

Wang Qiqi gave Song Yao a thumbs-up for her decisive response. Gong Peixing, pacified by Song Yao's words, obediently went to look after their son. Song Yao withdrew her attention once her husband was no longer hovering nearby. "Are you still splitting the profits by percentage for the money you earn now?" Song Yao had wanted to discuss the collaboration with Wang Qiqi before, though she felt she might be overstepping. Still, she couldn't just ignore it, as it concerned her career development. She had left everything behind in her hometown to develop here. If Qiqi and the others fell out and stopped the purchasing business, Yang Jing could still find a job as a bookkeeper. But Song Yao had considered many scenarios and didn't know what she would do. Although her livelihood was secure—the monthly rent was enough for her to live comfortably—Song Yao could never accept such a passive existence.

Luo Hongjuan, though silent, ate quietly while intermittently serving food to Qiqi and Tao Tao, yet her ears were fully tuned to her daughter-in-law's reply. Gong Peixing also listened with divided attention to how Qiqi would respond.

Wang Qiqi had intended to discuss this with Song Yao only after consulting with Zhu Lina and the others. But since Song Yao asked now, Wang Qiqi decided to hash out the arrangement with her. "Here's what I'm thinking: for the branded items, the effort isn't too great; a trip to the mall is enough to procure them. However, finding those more interesting clothes or jewelry requires significant time spent searching. So, splitting by a fixed percentage feels a bit..." Wang Qiqi felt her own judgment wasn't the best. Shi Man had better fashion sense than her. Zhu Lina was incredibly busy—she absolutely didn't have time for shopping trips—even buying her own clothes involved a quick mall run once per season. As for the two men, forget it; they were only brought in to help solve capital issues; they could handle simple branded goods purchases, but nothing more. Considering this, Shi Man was clearly at a disadvantage this time. "For the small items this time, I added an extra two percent for Manman for you. I plan to give my extra one percent share to Manman." Wang Qiqi saw no need to hide the cost price from Song Yao.

"One percent?" Song Yao considered the figure acceptable. "Have you discussed this with Zhu Lina?"

Wang Qiqi shook her head. "She's swamped this entire summer. She needs to gain a deeper understanding of her family’s company." Zhu Lina had been performing well at the Beijing branch over the past few years. Annually, in year-end summaries, her profitability and company expansion metrics consistently ranked among the top, which quieted some of the dissatisfaction from older executives regarding Zhu Lina's capabilities. However, the better Wang Lina performed, the unhappier Zhu Lina's relatives became; the more capable the heir appeared, the less chance they seemed to have. And Zhu Lina’s father was putting even more effort into cultivating her. "I plan to talk to Zhu Lina before confirming anything with Shi Man." With five shareholders, Wang Qiqi and Han Tao were aligned. This arrangement, clearly favorable to Shi Man, wouldn't be opposed by Shi Man or Feng Xuanxiang. The key factor was Zhu Lina's stance.

Song Yao nodded, then suddenly asked Wang Qiqi a question. "In your business up to this point, have you ever considered the possibility of Zhu Lina withdrawing?" While Zhu Lina contributed significantly at the beginning, her role in this partnership had diminished over time; she contributed less effort than even the two men. Song Yao asked this to gauge Wang Qiqi's perspective, especially since they weren't exactly poor anymore.

Zhu Lina withdrawing? Song Yao's question startled Wang Qiqi. Honestly, losing Zhu Lina would mean higher dividends for the others, but it wasn't that simple. "Sis, honestly, among the five of us, how many are truly relying on this venture for money?" Only Shi Man seemed to be in a tighter spot, but Feng Xuanxiang was more than enough for her. Everyone felt that maintaining their current relationships was paramount. "Sister, when friendships reach a certain level, if there's no mutual benefit involved, how long do you think the friendship will last?"

Although everyone felt that too much financial entanglement could sour friendships, if there were no dealings, how often would they interact, especially after marriage and having children? Interactions would become sparse.

Song Yao recalled her college friends. Perhaps they contacted each other more before marriage, but as their paths diverged—marriage, children—contact became rare. Even when they made an effort to gather for a meal, those less well-off often felt unable to hold their heads up in front of their successful old friends, leading to fewer and fewer meetups. "That’s true. Eating, eating."

In the following time, Luo Hongjuan and the others carefully inquired about the new house. Tao Tao, overhearing Qiqi mention the large garden in the US house, exclaimed, "Wow, Auntie Qiqi, you’re living in a villa! Auntie Qiqi, you're so rich!" Tao Tao said with envy. "Dad, I want a garden too. Grandma’s old house had one." In Tao Tao’s memory, it was a place where he could run around and play. But their current living space was so small—the rooms tiny, the living room small, no upstairs or downstairs—little Tao Tao was finding it hard to adjust.

"Your dad doesn't have that capability right now." Gong Peixing’s expression soured slightly. He knew that a villa in Beijing was incomparable to their old house back home. He might have to sell all his Beijing properties and still not afford one villa. But if he did that, how would he handle the mortgage payments? Gong Peixing felt immense pressure. Earlier, he thought the house Qiqi bought in the US was very expensive, but now, after converting the figures, he felt Qiqi's house wasn't that costly after all—a detached villa with two and a half stories and a garden. His wife was right: why show off with a villa domestically? If you want to show off, go buy a house in the US; it’s high-end, stylish, and costs less.

When Song Yao drove Wang Qiqi home, she also got out of the car. "Manage your son well today. I'm having an all-night chat with Qiqi." Song Yao said this, meeting Gong Peixing’s confused gaze.

Gong Peixing looked at his son, who was slumped over Luo Hongjuan in the back seat, dozing off. He opened his mouth. "I have to manage the kid alone?" Oh heavens, Tao Tao would throw a tantrum when he woke up tomorrow morning without his mother. Gong Peixing doubted he had the ability to placate his son.

"I have faith in you." Song Yao was going to find Wang Qiqi, and besides, she desperately needed a breather. Since arriving in Beijing, she had been running at full throttle, busy with this and that. Honestly, even in her sleep, she dreamed of constantly running, running. Song Yao felt this was because she was busy with the shop during the day, spending nights planning how to grow the business, all while raising a child. Song Yao felt utterly exhausted. She used to criticize her parents for not being attentive enough when raising children, but now she genuinely wanted to pull her parents to Beijing just to handle school drop-offs and pickups. Therefore, Song Yao urgently needed a space of her own.

Wang Qiqi hadn't expected Song Yao to accompany her home today. Just as she was about to object, she felt Song Yao tightly grasp her hand. "Brother-in-law, I’ll trouble you tomorrow." Wang Qiqi wondered privately if her brother-in-law had done something to upset Song Yao.

The moment Wang Qiqi opened the door, Song Yao darted inside. "Finally, a quiet space." A large room, no toys or comic books scattered everywhere in the living room, and a kitchen and bathroom that were sparkling clean—unlike their place, where it always looked like no one had cleaned up, filled with trash or the child's things. "Qiqi, I’ve always dreamed of having a large house. It doesn't have to be extravagantly decorated, but it must be cozy, like this one. And a small bar counter, so we can share a couple of drinks at night." It was a shame; their house in Beijing was large, but Song Yao knew some things couldn't revert to how she wished they were.

Wang Qiqi placed her things in the bedroom and noted, as expected, how clean the house was. Han Tao and the others had already vacated the apartment they rented, and some furniture had been moved directly to the rental Song Yao’s family occupied. Hearing Song Yao’s sigh, Wang Qiqi inwardly wondered why her sister-in-law had so many lamentations. "What's wrong? Sis, it's been a while since I’ve seen you sentimental; it’s a bit unlike you." The sad Song Yao in Wang Qiqi’s memory belonged to the Song Yao of her previous life, definitely not the Song Yao of this life. "Want some red wine?" Wang Qiqi pulled a bottle of red wine from the bar counter and waved it at Song Yao.

"Yes!" Song Yao called out unceremoniously, collapsing onto the sofa. "This sofa is so comfortable, even better than the one I bought when I got married." The texture and the feel of the leather captivated Song Yao, but she knew she wouldn't be able to afford a sofa like this in their new home for years. "When my Tao Tao grows up and is completely sensible, I'll buy one."

"Growing up brings its own set of troubles." Wang Qiqi opened the wine, carried two glasses to the sofa. Honestly, this was the first time Wang Qiqi and Song Yao were drinking so quietly, with no one else present to push drinks, just drinking at their own pace. Wang Qiqi couldn't recall the last time she had such a moment sharing secrets with Shi Man and the others. "In the past, Manman and I often sat here like this, drinking wine and talking about happy or unhappy things, but now..."

"It's okay, Sis will keep you company from now on. Qiqi, do you know? Since coming to Beijing, I feel so tired..." Song Yao quickly finished the wine in her glass and poured herself another. "Sometimes I wonder what I'm working so hard for. I’m so tired, so tired."

"I used to tell my husband that once things got easier, we'd travel around and see different places, just like you do, Qiqi, visiting various locations. But now people say I’m rich. Yes, I am wealthy, but I still dare not relax. I have so many loan payments; I constantly worry that if I slack off even a little, my husband and I could be back to square one..." Song Yao’s words spilled out, perhaps from the alcohol or years of accumulated stress. "When things get a bit easier later, and the loans are mostly paid off, we still plan to buy a house in the US; that’s another huge sum. Qiqi, when does this end?"

Although Song Yao appeared slightly intoxicated, Wang Qiqi noticed her eyes were clear. "Human greed is endless. Like when we bought the commercial properties; I never planned on it, but I ended up buying them anyway, increasing our debt and using up most of our cash." Wang Qiqi had a sense of financial insecurity. According to Shi Man, if Qiqi's savings dropped below a certain figure, she would feel extremely uneasy, as if the end of the world was coming. While it sounded exaggerated, it truly reflected Wang Qiqi’s feelings about money.

"During that time, I was frantically accepting orders, and after I bought the house in the US this time..." Wang Qiqi recounted the boldest thing she did in the US, the one that infuriated Han Tao. "Honestly, Sis, do you know? Sometimes I feel exhausted too. Why do I have to push myself so hard?"

After Shi Man felt she had lectured Qiqi enough, she asked Qiqi online: Money in this world can never be earned entirely; why push yourself to that extreme? Shi Man ended with a note: Money is endless; don't wait until later to realize the money you worked so hard to earn isn't what you spend. That feeling... When Wang Qiqi read Shi Man's words, even though she had occasionally said similar things before, she had never truly taken them to heart, always feeling she was young and things would work out. But are some things truly something youth allows one to avoid facing?

"Exactly." Song Yao was shocked that Wang Qiqi had done something so risky in the US. She immediately put down her wine glass and scolded Qiqi sternly. "Don't think you got away with it just because you met a good person this time. You, sometimes you distrust people completely, as if everyone will harm you, yet other times you are charmingly naive, assuming everyone in the world is good."

Wang Qiqi certainly didn't admit to Song Yao's accusation. "I was just blinded by the desire to make money then. Actually, I was prepared." Looking back, it was a bit rash. "Han Tao later told me, what’s the point of buying endless houses? We only live in one. He and I don't have high demands for life. What good is earning more and more money?" Wang Qiqi had little interest in brand names, especially so-called designer clothes. Since she wasn't a fashionista, there was no need to buy designer apparel or bags; she was only slightly more demanding about food and drink. "Sis, calculate it in your head: if you didn't open the shop, would the savings you and Brother-in-law currently have, plus the monthly rent, be enough for you to live?"

Song Yao answered without hesitation, "Yes." Although the mortgage was high, the rental income far exceeded the monthly repayment amount. "I was just thinking of saving up money so that if a good commercial space appeared, we’d have the funds for a down payment or to pay off the loan early."

"That’s good then, Sis. You have to let go to gain. Money is spent with life. My parents passed away suddenly, but they didn't live as long as my paternal aunt. However, the places they visited and the things they ate and drank during their lifetimes were much better than Great Aunt's. You think Great Aunt lacked money? I doubt it; she was just too unwilling to spend it. And you, Sis, you are stuck in this cycle of constantly earning money to buy properties and collect rent, over and over. Anyone would feel tired." Maintaining this state for several years—how could one not be exhausted? "Come to the US with me for Chinese New Year." Wang Qiqi shamelessly offered another blank check.

Chinese New Year? Song Yao thought that was the time she should go home to celebrate, perhaps seeing her parents who she hadn't seen in over half a year. And her in-laws too; if she didn't visit them during the Spring Festival, they might say more. "Did Brother-in-law agree?" Wang Qiqi thought Song Yao was overthinking things again, causing her fatigue. Seeing Gong Peixing hesitate briefly before giving a swift affirmative answer, she was surprised.

Gong Peixing agreed? Song Yao quickly accepted. "Then our two families will go to the US for the New Year. There’s no festive atmosphere left in China anyway." There were no firecrackers allowed, and Song Yao found the social calls between relatives meaningless. It was better to take a trip to the US along the way.

Song Yao shook her head repeatedly, recounting all the places she planned to visit when she went to the States. "I have to go to New York. Last time Manman came back and said the malls in the US have so many brand names; I absolutely must go on a serious shopping spree." Song Yao's audacious demeanor made Wang Qiqi feel that the mission Comrade Gong Peixing assigned her was truly daunting. She deeply wondered if her small frame could possibly handle the situation. After all, once a woman enters a buying frenzy, can she truly listen to anyone's advice? She could only hope Song Yao would snap out of it on her own.

"I also have to take Taotao to Disneyland, and I want to go to Hollywood to see the big stars..." Song Yao didn't notice Wang Qiqi’s complexion turning a little pale, continuing to list the places she wanted to see. "I must also visit the Great Lakes. And I need to take Taotao to tour Harvard, MIT, Stanford..., setting the ambition for him to get into a world-class university from a young age."

Wang Qiqi looked at Shi Man, who was clearly in a state of manic excitement, and automatically kept her mouth shut, refraining from reminding Song Yao about whether she planned to stay in the US for one month or two. In any case, she felt that if things were to proceed at Song Yao's pace, one month would actually feel quite rushed. RS