Ever since Hanxing left, Xiangyu always had some worries. Because Hanxing's fate didn't work as she knew from her previous life, Xiangyu speculated that many things would be different, and she might not be able to grasp the future tightly. Sometimes, what a person can do is truly very little! Xiangyu couldn't help but sigh in her heart.
Xiangyu was doing well in her art studies, and she had won two small awards in competitions recommended by the school. However, the teachers at the Youth Palace often said they could see that she practiced, but her paintings always lacked some childlike innocence, with a kind of lonely old age. She guessed that it probably meant beauty without soul, which made Xiangyu feel a bit at a loss, and as a result, she was not selected to participate in national competitions. But Xiangyu didn't feel too discouraged and continued to practice painting. Fortunately, her academic performance was excellent, and because she paid special attention to exercising, she was recently selected to join the school's long-distance running team, training at school early every morning, and her life was becoming more fulfilling.
During the limited opportunities to see her parents once or twice a month, Xiangyu always consciously mentioned the country's vigorous economic development and support for individual entrepreneurship, aiming to let a few people get rich first and then drive everyone to prosperity. Her parents were surprised to hear this, "What are you thinking about all day with your eight-year-old brain? Where did you learn all this at such a young age?"
"Dad and Mom, everyone wants to live a good life, what's wrong with that? I go to English classes, and the teacher also says that many foreigners will come to our country in the future, for tourism, business, opening factories, and if we learn English, we can talk with them, and know what they want to do. Our art teacher also said that there are already foreign businessmen coming to China to buy paintings, our country will definitely develop in the future, life will get better and better, so of course we have to think about it!"
"So tell me, what can we do?"
"We can, um, rent a shop to sell clothes, and you see, we kids all like to buy nice stationery, and girls like lipstick and perfume."
Xiangyu's mother laughed and covered her mouth, "You really dare to think! You want me to give up my steady job and become self-employed?"
Mr. Xiang was a little unreadable, "At your age, you should focus on studying, these miscellaneous things are not something you should worry about."
Grandma saw Mr. Xiang's stern face and hurriedly said, "Our Xiangyu is a smart and sensible child, she does well in school, wins awards for drawing, and speaks English. There is no one in the alley as good as her, everyone envies you for having such a good girl, and you still don't appreciate it, you should praise her."
Mr. Xiang felt a little embarrassed, "I didn't mean that, I just want her to focus on the right path, to study."
Although things didn't go very smoothly, there were still developments. Xiangyu's uncle was laid off from his manufacory, and in his thirties, he was idle at home. Under Xiangyu's mother's repeated urging and guidance, she, who had always been focused on her natal family, coincided with her brother losing his job. The two of them discussed it, and she secretly helped with money and effort to rent a small shop in Huixian Street. Huixian Street was a newly popular fashion street. Nowadays, many people don't go to department stores to buy clothes anymore, they like to go to places like Huixian Street, where the styles are trendy and the prices are affordable. Xiangyu's uncle went to the south of China to purchase goods, and Xiangyu also helped with suggestions, "Don't take too many varieties of colors, and don't take too many of each. It's best to have matching sets. If there are matching hats, scarves, belts, and jewelry, they should be included." As a result, the shop opened and the business unexpectedly did well. Xiangyu's uncle was overwhelmed, so he persuaded Xiangyu's mother to take unpaid leave from her job and join him.