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

Zheng Ruidong pulled Zuo Jinyue aside, holding up the new dress he had made for Tingnan, and excitedly gestured with it, his former shyness completely gone.

At first, Zuo Jinyue listened patiently, but later, as they started chatting, she took Ruidong into the room, found paper and pen, and began to draw as she spoke.

Du Hongxue eventually joined their conversation. After all, he hadn't been idle all these years; in recent years, Shanghai's fashion had become more stylish and open, with a wide variety of styles.

“Ruidong, this dress you designed is very beautiful, but it can only be worn in summer. Have you considered wearing it in winter?” Du Hongxue suggested a new idea.

Zheng Ruidong listened attentively, “Although pants are the best way to keep warm in winter, wearing them every day inevitably gets a bit dull. You want to dress Tingnan up beautifully, right? We can use woolen fabric to make her a beautiful long dress, or a cotton skirt. If the fabric is thicker, and Grandma knits her a pair of long stockings, it will definitely look very pretty. Besides, I feel like Tingnan doesn't seem to be very afraid of the cold…” Du Hongxue had indeed seen many women wearing skirts in winter. He didn't know if they were cold or not, but they were always a beautiful sight to behold.

Zheng Ruidong seriously considered his suggestion, as his knowledge of fabrics was very limited. Du Hongxue promised to collect various clothing books and find different fabrics for him after returning to Shanghai. Zheng Ruidong immediately accepted this enthusiastic older brother.

How would it be transported? Du Hongxue said he could handle it; he had the connections. He would send it to the county seat and have Tingnan pick it up. Tingnan had no idea that she was being used as a "laborer."

Zheng Xiangqian watched as the three men chatted animatedly, their younger brother completely forgetting about him. He turned his gaze away and sat down to listen to the conversation of the Gao Haoran, Zuo Renxin, and Song Wanli brothers, which also proved to be very beneficial to him.

The experience accumulated by the older generation, especially the sights and sounds of Gao Haoran and Zuo Renxin who had traveled all over the country, broadened his horizons and made him particularly envious of the outside world. He was determined to work hard to do his job well and go out into the world.

Qian Shuzhen, along with Song Xiuying, Yang Sumei, and Zhao Xiaojuan, got along very well. Zhao Xiaojuan was holding her youngest daughter, Song Yali. She had been so busy having and raising children these past few years that she hadn't had a chance to do any handicrafts. Her eldest son, Song Mingli, was six months to three years old, her second son, Song Mingcheng, was two, and her youngest daughter, Yali, was only one. Now, with both her sons listening to Nan, she was chatting with her daughter about women's topics.

Alright, let these unreliable adults relax. Ting Nan is taking a group of children to prepare dinner.

Fortunately, "Brother Nan" is now quite famous, and even the troublemaker Song Mingfu obediently follows his orders. The dishes had already been arranged, and at Nan's command, the children immediately rushed over to help, making a fuss, some even more than helping, while others were busy tending the fire, peeling garlic, and picking scallions.

The eldest, Song Mingxiang, is not even four years old and can't do much. Ting Nan lets them be, keeping them in the kitchen as long as they don't cause trouble or disturb the adults.

Tingnan was in charge of chopping vegetables and cooking, while her aunt, Yi Dani, had become quite skilled at tending the fire and had become Tingnan's right-hand woman.

There are a lot of people today, so we need to cook a few more dishes. After busying ourselves for half a day, the food is finally ready to be served, and the adults are still chatting away.

When Mingxiang went to invite the adults to the table, they felt a little guilty looking at the two large tables full of dishes, thinking that the children had been tired.

Then I thought: the child is sensible and has known how to be filial to his elders since he was little. We are all blessed! We smiled at each other and said, "Today is a good day. Let's have a drink and continue chatting and laughing."

Seeing everyone so happy, Ting Nan thought of her lonely master in the nursing home and decided to discuss with Song Wanli whether they could bring Liu Dayong to their home.