Chapter 7

Hearing a cat meowing outside, Qian Jianing, who was doing her homework, suddenly froze. She slowly looked up at the window shrouded in darkness. Chen Kai had called out a few times without anyone coming out, and seemed to be getting impatient. He wanted to knock on the door but was worried that Qian Jianing’s father might be home. He paced back and forth outside the front gate twice, then picked up a rock from the ground and threw it inside, hitting the tricycle with a crisp “thud.”

Qian Jianing stood up. What must come would come. Since he was here, it was better to make things clear once and for all. She opened her room door just as Qian Guosheng also came out of his room. Seeing the gloomy look on her face, he thought she had been disturbed by the noise outside and smiled, saying, “You go back inside, I’ll go out to see what’s going on.”

“It’s probably a stray cat that jumped over the wall,” Qian Jianing smiled. “I’ve just finished an hour of homework—my wrist is a little sore. I thought I’d go for a short walk to stretch a bit. You go back, I’ll go take a look.”

Qian Guosheng looked at her hesitantly, seeming a bit worried. “How about I join you for a walk?”

“No need, Dad.” Qian Jianing gently pushed him back inside with a smile. “Go talk to Mom. I’ll just wander around outside and won’t go far.”

She put on a pair of comfortable sneakers, pushed open the gate, and stepped outside. Chen Kai, who had been hiding behind a tree, saw that no one was following her, and quickly ran over and pulled her by the hand into a nearby alley.

Qian Jianing forcefully shook off Chen Kai’s hand, visibly annoyed. “What are you doing?!”

“What do you mean by this?” Chen Kai was a bit dumbfounded by her attitude, but then remembered that with her around, he didn’t have to spend money on skating, movies, or sodas. Taking a deep breath, he put on what he thought was a loving smile. “What’s wrong, Jianing? Weren’t we fine before the holidays? Did I do something to upset you? Don’t be mad, just tell me and I’ll change—how could I not, I like you so much.”

“Enough, Chen Kai, stop being disgusting!” Qian Jianing took two steps back in disgust, widening the distance between them. “I was planning to let things drift apart naturally, but since you came to me, I’ll be clear: I don’t like you anymore. Please don’t come looking for me again.”

Chen Kai’s smile froze. At that moment, he was just an eighteen-year-old boy, not yet skilled at putting up a front. Her blunt words filled him with anger. “What’s up with you all of a sudden? Did your family find out about us and lecture you? Don’t worry, we’ll just be more careful next time.”

Qian Jianing looked at him calmly. “It has nothing to do with my parents. I just realized dating you is completely meaningless. Your interests, your way of dealing with people, your life goals—they’re completely different from mine. I’ve already wasted two months on you, and I don’t want to waste any more time.”

Chen Kai ruffled his hair irritably, seemingly unable to understand what had just happened. Before the break, Qian Jianing had been crazy about him. How had she gone cold after just one month of not seeing each other? Could it be…

He looked up, his face full of unwillingness, and asked, “You’ve fallen for someone else, haven’t you? Does he look like some actor?”

Qian Jianing suddenly chuckled. She had always known she had been blind in her past life, but hearing Chen Kai’s words now, she felt she’d not only been blind—her brain must’ve been trampled by pigs. That she had ever liked such a shallow man was utterly baffling.

With a tired sigh, Qian Jianing felt mentally and physically exhausted. “It’s not because of someone else—I just really dislike you now. We have nothing to do with each other anymore.” With that, she turned to leave.

Unwilling to be dumped just like that, Chen Kai ran up and grabbed her shoulder. “I won’t break up with you!” he said as he moved to hug her. Qian Jianing instinctively grabbed his arms and, with a strong tug, flipped him over in a shoulder throw.

Chen Kai was thrown to the ground so hard he was utterly dazed. Qian Jianing herself was a little stunned—she hadn’t expected she had that much strength. Meanwhile, Chen Kai, not even sure what had just happened, was staring at the spinning sky, every inch of his body aching.

Looking at Chen Kai curled up at her feet groaning in pain, Qian Jianing’s eyes held a hint of disdain. “What’s wrong? Can’t handle losing your free sugar mama?” she sneered. “Chen Kai, you needed your girlfriend to pay for your dates—how do you even have the audacity to be in a relationship? Even I feel embarrassed for you.”

She gave him one last contemptuous glance before walking out of the alley. Originally, she had hoped to break up peacefully, but she hadn’t expected Chen Kai to cling so shamelessly, so she hadn’t been able to resist mocking him. Qian Jianing had lived with Chen Kai for a few years in her previous life and knew his personality well. She knew her harsh words would make him hate her, but that was far better than being endlessly entangled. She never wanted to have anything to do with him again.

She quickly made her way to her door, took a few deep breaths, steadied her emotions, and finally pushed the door open and locked it behind her. Qian Guosheng had been sitting in the courtyard waiting for her. Seeing his daughter return, he couldn’t help but smile. “You’re back.”

“Yeah.” Qian Jianing knew he had probably figured out some of the situation, but for the sake of her dignity, he pretended he knew nothing—he didn’t even mention it, choosing instead to sit in the courtyard staring anxiously at his watch as he waited for her.

Her eyes grew hot and misty. She coughed lightly and forced a smile. “Dad, it’s fine now. I’m going back to my room to study. When school starts again, I’ll bring back first place for you.”

Seeing the determined look on her face, Qian Guosheng finally let out a sigh of relief. “Don’t push yourself too hard. Get some sleep early, okay?”

Back in her room, seeing the books laid out on her desk, Qian Jianing instantly left thoughts of Chen Kai behind and immersed herself in her studies. Treasure Bowl had also, for once, quieted down. Getting into a good university not only meant gaining knowledge—it also meant broadening one’s horizons and building valuable connections. In this regard, Treasure Bowl and Qian Jianing were completely on the same page.

After finishing reading a book, Qian Jianing glanced at the clock on her desk. There was still more than half an hour before Food Elder’s class. She stood up to stretch and, taking her cup, went to the living room to get some warm water. Just as she opened her door, she heard muffled arguing coming from her parents’ room. She paused and walked toward their door.

Inside the room, Li Wanzhen glared furiously at Qian Guosheng. “I’m doing just fine at work. Why should I be the one to go home? Qian Guosheng, let me tell you, stop pretending to be some kind of saint all the time. Look at all those wives of leaders—nothing’s happened to them, and they’re still going to work every day. You’re just a deputy, who do you think you are constantly preaching self-sacrifice?”

Qian Jianing immediately understood what it was about. The cotton textile mill that both Qian Guosheng and Li Wanzhen worked at wasn’t doing well. With the burden of a large family member workforce, the factory was struggling to keep going. For people like Li Wanzhen, even during good times, they only had about half a month of real work in a month; now in the summer off-season, there was often no work the entire month.

The factory didn’t want idle workers to drag it into collapse, so they planned to lay off some of the female workers. Dual-income households were the first candidates for dismissal. Qian Guosheng was ideologically “red and upright” to the extreme—he was always the type to jump in first when there was hardship, and to yield to others when there were benefits to be had.

Back when the factory was allocating housing, Qian Guosheng kept giving up his turn—to newlyweds rushing to get married without a home, to families crammed for space, even to families quarreling and looking to split up. In the end, after all his self-sacrifice, the family of four was still squeezed into a run-down flat when Qian Jianing turned ten.

As his wife, Li Wanzhen went from silent support in the early days to flying into rage at the mere mention of the topic. Eventually, Qian Guosheng realized he had neglected his family’s needs and solemnly promised he would never give up their spot for housing again. But even after making that decision, the family waited two more years in vain. Rumors eventually spread in the factory that from now on, workers would have to solve their housing issues on their own—the factory would no longer be involved.

The house the Qian family now lived in was bought after the reform and opening-up. Li Wanzhen had spent all her savings and even borrowed money from relatives and friends to buy it. That was why, in her past life, Qian Jianing always felt her father was useless and was reluctant to talk to him.

Now that the factory was planning layoffs, and with salaries still stable regardless of workload, nobody wanted to quit. At the same time, the factory, still in the early stages of reform, didn’t dare take drastic measures and instead tried to persuade a few ideologically conscious workers to voluntarily accept compensation and leave. But no one was dumb—older employees were just hanging on until retirement, and younger ones weren’t eager to venture out into the unknown. Half a month into the mobilization efforts, not a single person was willing to take the lead and resign.

So, the always selfless, factory-loving Qian Guosheng came home to try persuading Li Wanzhen himself. “The factory’s going through hard times now, and honestly, you don’t have much to do in the workshop anyway…”

“And I’m not going through hard times, is that it?” Li Wanzhen angrily cut him off. “All these years, you pushed away housing allocations, put yourself last for salary increases, picked whatever was left during holiday rations—and now that the factory’s in trouble, suddenly they remember us. Why should we be the ones to sacrifice again? Let me tell you, I absolutely will not resign. Whoever tries to make me leave, I’ll report them. Where are all those leaders who got two- and three-bedroom homes now? Hiding like turtles.”

“Look at you… I’m just trying to talk this through with you,” Qian Guosheng sighed, handing her a towel and whispering, “Keep your voice down. Don’t let the kid hear.”

Qian Jianing shook her head and gently knocked on the door, causing the sobs inside to stop instantly. After a moment, Qian Guosheng opened the door and blocked the entrance. “Xiaomi, you’re still up? Uh… your mom and I were just going to bed. Do you need something?”

Qian Jianing stared at him helplessly. “Dad, I heard everything. I want to go in and check on Mom.”

Qian Guosheng knew his daughter never favored his goody-two-shoes attitude and looked at her worriedly, stumbling over his explanation. “I was just casually talking to your mom. She’s the one who took it seriously.”

In front of their child, Li Wanzhen didn’t want to embarrass Qian Guosheng. She simply sat on the bed, wiping her tears quietly. Qian Jianing poured her a cup of warm water and told Qian Guosheng, “Dad, why don’t you sleep in my room tonight. I’d like to talk with Mom.” Qian Guosheng looked at Li Wanzhen, who didn’t even turn her head. He had no choice but to sigh and shuffle out.

After closing the door, Qian Jianing sat beside Li Wanzhen and gently said, “Mom, don’t be mad, but to be honest, I actually don’t want you to keep working at the factory either.”

Li Wanzhen looked at her in surprise. “You too? You sound just like your dad.”

“I’m not like Dad. I’m a lot more practical than he is,” Qian Jianing laughed softly and explained seriously, “Mom, you know the situation at the factory better than I do. Even if they lay off half the workers, they’re only delaying the inevitable—maybe seven or eight more years, tops.”

Qian Jianing was clear about the textile mill’s future. This had all played out in her previous life. Back then, Li Wanzhen had insisted on staying, and so her name wasn’t on the layoff list. But even after laying off a third of the staff, the factory didn’t bounce back. Its issues were too deeply rooted—not just the bloated staff—but outdated technology, a lagging production process, passive leadership, and a general lack of motivation among most employees all dragged it down. The layoffs merely delayed the collapse by a year or two.

“I understand why you think staying is safe—it feels like a guaranteed job, always having food to eat. But look at the current social environment—iron rice bowls (Government Jobs) don’t necessarily last forever. Starting something on your own might actually lead to a better life.” Qian Jianing gently persuaded, “Take just my past month selling snacks—I made in one month what you earn in a year. If you do it for two years, you’ll make your entire lifetime salary. Why keep struggling in that place?”

If it had been in the past, Li Wanzhen would’ve brushed this off as naive. But over the past month, she had seen her daughter, armed with nothing more than a cookbook, make that much money. It made her take the words to heart. After a moment of hesitation, she asked, “Do you really think the textile mill is done for?”

Qian Jianing looked at her seriously. “It’s not just your factory—even great jobs like those in the railway or power plants don’t make people millionaires just off salaries. I think now’s a good time. If you’re willing to quit, we can fix up our storage shed, make a storefront—we won’t even need to spend extra money. You could cook and sell prepared foods at home, or do what I do and sell them door to door. Either way, it’s better than earning that dead-end salary. Besides, with the way your factory leaders run things, it’s only a matter of time before they ruin it completely. By then, whether you want to leave or not, you’ll have no choice. Why not seize the moment while you’re still young and strong?”

Li Wanzhen hesitated for a long moment, then slowly nodded. “Okay, I’ll listen to you. But as the first one to set an example by leaving, I’m going to demand a hefty compensation package from the factory.”

Qian Jianing smiled and called out in her mind to Treasure Bowl: “If I invest money for my mom to start her business, does the profit count toward my Wealth Energy?”

“Fine, fine, fine! This is our investment! Since we’re putting in the money and the technology, we deserve the biggest share of the profits!” Treasure Bowl hopped around excitedly. “This is all wealth energy!”