"Hah, this isn't my skill," said Grandma Cheng, adhering to a country custom of being pleased but outwardly modest. "This is Yingzi’s own doing, from last year."

The old principal smiled broadly at Cheng Ying, his eyes gleaming with light.

Truthfully, having a small apprentice skilled in such arts wouldn't be bad; at least then, during the New Year, the apprentice wouldn't need to buy wine to pay respects to the master.

Cheng Ying smiled demurely. I am well, and I will be better in the future, she thought, not minding letting the old woman bask in a little premature pride.

Chi Wu took a sip of wine. "The wine brewed by my wife is delicious. Truly, I don't mind showing off my wife right now."

Of course, that thought was something he only dared to voice internally.

Old Man Chi asked, "I heard that when you two were fixing up this small courtyard, you also claimed a piece of land. Is it ready? What are you planning to do with it?"

Cheng Ying looked at Chi Wu, and Chi Wu answered, "It’s been cleared. We brought saplings from another province and hired people to plant them."

Old Man Chi remarked, "That’s fast work. What kind of saplings?"

Chi Wu replied, "Crabapples, and two other varieties."

Old Man Chi chuckled. "Are you planning to harvest fruit then?"

Cheng Ying corrected him. "No, they are for blossoming—ornamental. The fruit probably won't be of much use."

The old principal drank, and Old Madam Chi nodded, thinking, Well, it’s not entirely common or vulgar. Crabapple blossoms are quite beautiful, even if the choice of flower is a bit conventional.

Old Man Chi mused, "So there's no yield from them." He thought the girl was too impractical, even extravagant, spending so much money just to look at them.

Chi Yong thought to himself that his own daughter was nothing like that; it simply wasn't her nature.

Chi Wu interjected, "The saplings are very good, with significant ornamental value."

After dinner, Old Man Chi specifically led the group over to inspect the land.

It was a substantial area, over five mu. Once the back gate was opened, they were greeted by an expanse of green.

The saplings were planted two meters apart, each displaying a unique posture.

Old Man Chi could only marvel at how the child had grown up to be so clever. The selection of saplings—even though they weren't blooming yet—showed that every single tree possessed a distinct form.

How to put it? It made one want to sink into the space, deeply immersed, much like a woman encountering a man she deeply admires. She yearns to be absorbed in him, captivated by his unique bearing, discovering his subtle beauty.

Old Madam Chi couldn't help but wish she possessed such a crabapple garden. It was simply the garden of her dreams.

The old principal asked, "Are you preparing a backyard garden?"

Cheng Ying smiled wryly. "I'm a commoner. I was thinking of selling the saplings. Grandpa Chi, do you think anyone would be interested?"

Old Madam Chi’s face paled; vulgar, shameful. They were clearly not the same sort of people.

The old principal said, "Good wine needs no bush, and a clever girl has foresight. I heard the central park is expanding; they will certainly need saplings. Your selection here is just a little too singular, though."

Chi Wu added, "On the outer perimeter, there are also colorful trees, like Ginkgo."

Old Man Chi glanced at his grandson, noting that Chi Wu was truly treating this as his own project, investing considerable thought into it.

Cheng Ying explained modestly, "This is just a sample here. The trees on our family's mountain plot have more variety and relatively larger quantities."

Yet, Cheng Ying was confident that when the season arrived, she wouldn't even need to advertise; just wait and see how many buyers would flock there.

Old Man Chi decided the young Miss Cheng had excellent business acumen; this venture was far from ordinary.

The old principal sighed. "A true paradise. To have such a space in the middle of this busy city is wonderful. You've certainly invested heavily; you spare no expense."

Cheng Ying pursed her lips. Even men of letters couldn't keep their conversation away from money; it seemed all sentient beings were ultimately bound by commerce.

Chi Wu was filled with pride. This was Cheng Ying’s vision—creating not only beautiful surroundings but also a profitable venture.

A success on all fronts. Who else possessed such capability? The woman he had chosen.

By the time Cheng Ying saw her guests off, the day was already fading.

It was all because these visitors lingered over every stone, examining it for a long time. Cheng Ying had never encountered visitors who were so persistently glued to their seats.

The old lady was so warmly attentive she almost didn't know how to react. These city folk lacked decorum; no one behaved so forwardly familiar in return visits.

Old Madam Chi, usually so reserved and noble, didn't strongly oppose staying at Yingzi's home. Although the person might be a bit common and occasionally irritating to look at, the environment was superb. She just couldn't fathom what kind of twisted thinking lay in the girl's mind.

Once Chi Wu and Cheng Ying had seen the guests out, they didn't need to discuss it; they briefly greeted the old lady and left.

When they returned, they had found two workers for the old lady at five yuan a day, including room and board.

The old lady’s expression at that moment was one of near collapse. "You've truly become landlords now, with live-in help! Yingzi, this is going to lead to trouble!"

This was what the old lady muttered while examining the contract Cheng Ying had brought back.

Chi Wu smiled with extreme composure, yet felt incredibly delighted inside. He and Cheng Ying were simply an unparalleled match. Look how their minds worked—they anticipated each other without a word needing to be spoken. The pair then contacted a craftsman to start preparing for the furniture sales.

In truth, Cheng Ying didn't want to simply train someone else’s future workforce.

It was difficult enough to secure a craftsman with genuine skill. If such a person, possessing their own expertise, decided to jump ship, who would she appeal to for justice? Such things were difficult to prevent in any era.

Therefore, Cheng Ying offered the craftsman an outrageously high daily wage, but countered it with an extremely strict contract, specifically detailing penalties for breach.

Chi Wu felt a little insecure. The last time they hired help, it was only three yuan a day, covering just lunch. Now, it was five yuan plus full room and board. For such good terms, people would likely sign up to sell their labor, let alone a contract.

Cheng Ying sought out the same two master craftsmen from before. These two had developed the chair designs based on Cheng Ying’s blueprints. She valued these masters highly. Since they were highly skilled technical workers, they naturally deserved excellent conditions to ensure their loyalty.

Cheng Ying reassured the old lady. "Grandma, it’s fine. Times have changed. We are providing these people with job opportunities. Consider how old they are; they have skills but might be staying idle at home because no one hires them. If you don't find them a way out, how can you face them? Besides, we aren't landlords. The wages we offer are very high. My mother earns fifty a month working for the state; I’m offering them one hundred and fifty. There is no landlord like that! Rest assured."

The old lady grew more agitated. "That worries me even more! You are undermining the state's structure. Causing trouble in the village, with your Second Uncle being an outsider, is one thing, but now you're stirring things up outside? Yingzi, you don't know how big the world is out there; there are powerful people everywhere. Let's proceed cautiously."

Cheng Ying felt comforted. Having such an old lady constantly holding the reins meant she likely wouldn't fly too far off course; she wouldn't even be able to commit major mistakes.

"Grandma, I have you. It will be hard for me to get into trouble, no matter how much I try. Don't worry, it’s fine."

Chi Wu added, "Grandma, we know what we're doing; please don't worry."

The old lady wrung her hands. "I’m worried sick! These two reckless children, where do they get all these ideas? Are you unhappy just attending school? Are you short of money?"

With that, she hurried off to the backyard to prepare rooms for the workers, thinking, We can't let people think we are acting like landlords. Despite her scolding words, the old lady’s actions showed she would never hinder her grandchildren.

Cheng Ying murmured, "That should settle things. Before school starts, you need to make a trip back to the village. Bring some pear wood back. Get some good timber from the forest farm too; don't worry about the cost. I’ll get the front storefront fixed up; I was worried about the space sitting idle and going stale."

"Got it. I'll go back tomorrow. Don't worry about the wood. I'm familiar with Uncle Lin at the forest farm."

Cheng Ying nodded. "Yes, Uncle Lin took good care of us when we were home. We’re bothering him again."

Cheng Ying calculated in her mind: the furniture she was producing, even if no one appreciated it right now, was stored capital. Sooner or later, it would bring money; sooner or later, it would shine. For now, consider it saved wealth.

She let out a sigh of relief. This unexpected path to fortune.

Chi Wu edged closer tentatively. "Yingzi, are you running short of funds?"

Cheng Ying raised an eyebrow. "Why? Are you in need?"

"No, it's just that I think your business is bound to take off. How about this—we do it together?"

Cheng Ying looked at Chi Wu; this young man had good insight. "What about your medicinal herbs business?"

"That’s seasonal; I only tinker with that during the summer break. This," he gestured, "is proper, legitimate business. Yours is the broad, bright road."

"Fine. Consider it preparation for your bride price. But, brother to brother, we settle accounts clearly: fifty-fifty split," Cheng Ying stated.

"That's acceptable, acceptable! Whatever amount you give me, I won't complain," Chi Wu thought to himself, Whatever I earn will be yours anyway. This is just a way to get actively involved with you now, rather than feeling like he was working alone, as he often did with the herb trade.

Chi Wu gazed at the rosy glow on Cheng Ying’s face, as if he could already see a brilliant future.

Cheng Ying teased him. "Oh, we haven't even made money yet, and you're already beaming! It seems we are definitely going to hit it big."

She had a way of rationalizing Chi Wu’s actions and expressions at any given moment.

In the few days before school resumed, Cheng Ying and Chi Wu were busy again because of this new venture.

Cheng Ying worked with the craftsmen to finish setting up their own storefront first. By then, Chi Wu’s lumber had also arrived.

When the truck was unloading, a large crowd gathered at the entrance.

Although this street was quite spacious, there weren't many businesses operating here; most were concentrated in the downtown area. In this era, very few people were venturing out into the market economy.

The workers transported the timber to the backyard, where the craftsmen could work in a spacious area. The finished furniture would then be moved to the front storefront, officially making it a furniture shop.

Cheng Ying reflected that if they were selling furniture, their current space was too small. When conditions allowed, she hoped to acquire the neighboring courtyard so she could expand into a veritable furniture city—that would look truly grand.

Having a child from a well-connected family helping with the business, Cheng Ying truly appreciated the convenience. For instance, Cheng Ying hadn't lifted a finger concerning the paperwork; Chi Wu had secured the business license in just a few days. It was just that the name wasn't very appealing—too literal: Solid Wood Furniture Store.

Cheng Ying frowned looking at the registration certificate, thinking that Wuzi wasn't like the other Chi family members; his cultural depth wasn't high. She decided it didn't matter; sooner or later, the business would boom and become a large company, and the name would naturally be phased out.

She glanced at the license, put it away, and simply told Chi Wu, "In the future, if you have children, you must never name them yourselves. Find someone learned. This sort of thing affects a child’s entire life."

Chi Wu felt a pang of resentment. He had gone through the trouble of getting the license, and he had to come up with a name on the spot; getting anything registered was an achievement. He felt she didn't understand him at all.

PS: Thank you all. This month, I finally made it onto the monthly ticket rankings. Although it’s only 20th place, I am overjoyed. Thank you all so much. RP