Step by step, a gentle breeze leads to a smooth path

"Of course, Uncle, I still have to come back to practice my skills and go to school!" Ting Nan said in a low voice.

"Hmph, if you don't go to school and practice your skills, you won't come back?" Song Wanli was still fuming.

"How could that be? I've said it before, my home is here."

That's more like it. Song Wanli's anger vanished instantly, and he asked indifferently, "Ahem... So when do you plan to go? Who will go with you?"

"Ah! I don't need anyone to accompany me. I want to go next week during the holiday. Everyone's in school now, so I should pay my tuition earlier." Ting Nan looked at Song Wanli in disbelief.

Then she added, "I'll only stay one night and come back on Sunday afternoon, so it won't interfere with my school."

"Okay, be careful. If you need anything, have your grandma prepare it. If you don't have enough money, just let me know." Song Wanli said, standing up and walking into the room with his cane.

The others exchanged bewildered glances. Was that it? No storm at all?

Well, although it was unexpected, it's good, after all, these two are not easy to fool.

What a day! I'm so tired, time to wash up and go to bed!

The fact that his smuggling scheme was exposed so unexpectedly made Song Tingnan feel relieved.

Now that the busy farming season is over, Grandma and Auntie are both free, so Tingnan discussed it with them. She bought some rubber bands and asked them to sew them at home using scraps of cloth.

They were paid by piecework, split 40/60, with Ting Nan taking 40%, responsible for buying raw materials and selling them.

Qian Shuzhen and Zhao Xiaojuan both disagreed, thinking it was taking advantage of the child. But Nan said that even brothers should keep clear accounts, and money must be divided when doing business together.

Moreover, Song Wanxing didn't agree with his wife doing this, and Zhao Xiaojuan was under pressure.

Ting Nan had great faith in their skills; Qian Shuzhen's aesthetic sense was impeccable, and she was sure they could give her a big surprise.

You know what, even though Tingnan saw how hard her grandmother worked sewing, she raised the price by two cents, and they were still scrambling to sell it; demand couldn't keep up with supply!

When Zhao Xiaojuan received her first sum of money, she cried tears of joy. She could earn money on her own now, and she felt her spine straighten out a bit. Fortunately, she persevered.

She was thinking of staying up late to do more work and earn more money. But Nan controlled the quantity, saying that scarcity makes things valuable. Zhao Xiaojuan listened to his advice; she now quite believed in listening to Nan.

Tomorrow is Saturday. Looking at the halo around the moon, Tingnan thinks it will be a good day—sunny enough, but she has already decided to go back after passing her uncle's road. The heat doesn't matter.

That night, Nan pretended to be calm, but couldn't sleep and didn't dare to toss and turn, afraid of disturbing Teacher Zuo who shared the bed with her.

I continued practicing before dawn, then attended a half-day class with Teacher Zuo. After lunch, I prepared to go out, as the midday sun was even more intense.

"Tingnan, come here!" Grandma beckoned to her as if it were the first time they met, and once again, she unfolded the handkerchief layer by layer and gave Tingnan ten yuan, brand new.

Qian Shuzhen knew that Tingnan liked brand-new money, so she would pull it between her hands, making a "buzzing" sound—a very pleasant sound. She was such a little money-grubber, it was quite cute.

Song Tingnan tried to save every penny, whether it was one cent, two cents, or five cents, and it eventually became a great fortune.

Ting Nan walked over and took it with both hands, deciding not to keep it together this time.

She didn't buy anything for her mother, brother, or sister. They hadn't seen each other for so long, and she didn't know their sizes for clothes or shoes. She decided to just give them money directly.

Before leaving, Song Wanli handed Tingnan an oil-paper umbrella and took out twenty yuan from his pocket: "Tell your mother to come back to her parents' home when she has time."

Then he asked, "Are you sure you don't need me to come along?"

“Uncle, no need. Now that I can read and write and know martial arts, I can go anywhere by myself.”

Song Wanli nodded, turned and left.