Rebirth: A Cinderella's Counterattack

Chapter 103: Chapter 97: Top-notch Relatives

”Let’s ask mom when she comes back tonight, oh and I brought you a gift, and Peking duck too. You start cooking, we’ll have Peking duck for dinner tonight.” Luo Qianqian pushed those messy thoughts to the back of her mind, deciding that worrying about them now was like worrying about a sky that’s not falling.

When Mother He came home with Luo’s Mom, tired from the day, and pushed open the door, she saw the table already set with food, and the three kids still bustling in the kitchen. She was so moved and said, ”Qianqian, you guys are back.”

”Mom!” Luo Qianqian rushed to Luo’s Mom and rubbed her arms back and forth, acting spoiled, ”Qianqian missed you so much~”

”Mom, hurry and change so we can eat. Dinner tonight is personally prepared by master chefs He Wenyu and Luo Shufan, and I helped serve the dishes too.” Luo Qianqian, seeing the stunned look on Mother He’s face, let go of Luo’s Mom’s hand and pulled Mother He inside.

”Those kids.” Luo’s Mom, seeing her children returned safely, finally had her worried heart settled, took off her coat, and sat at the table, saying, ”It’s been a long time since we’ve had such a lively dinner.”

”Hehe, and we have a specialty from the Capital City—Peking duck~~~” He Wenyu said, bringing the last dish to the table, looking at Mother He and asking, ”Is dad not coming home today?”

”Ah...” Mother He, looking at the food in front of her and thinking of her husband back at the old house, suddenly lost her appetite.

”Let’s eat first, we can talk later,” Luo Qianqian said, placing duck legs into the bowls of Luo’s Mom and Mother He with a beaming smile.

”Right, let’s eat first.” Luo’s Mom and Mother He, having been hungry all day, cleared the food on the table with the speed of a whirlwind.

Luo Qianqian and Luo Shufan couldn’t help but click their tongues; the amount they ate was astonishing!

”Mom, please tell us what happened while we were gone?” Luo Qianqian asked after the two had finished eating and they had cleared the table.

”Ah, Xiao Yu’s grandfather and his uncle’s family came over,” Mother He said with a weary look.

”What happened with the factory? And why open a store?” Luo Qianqian had thought about discussing her grandfather’s family matters with Luo’s Mom upon her return, but the current situation had complicated things, making it difficult to start.

”I’ll explain,” Luo’s Mom, seeing her friend’s troubled expression, began, ”I’m not exaggerating, but that family is really something else. They first made trouble at Brother He’s workplace, forcing him to find them a place to stay. Then they heard about Yueran’s factory and barged in, demanding Yueran get a job for their sister-in-law, threatening not to leave. I don’t know who let it slip that I had helped Yueran get his job, so they came to me demanding that I resign to let that woman take my place. Just then, the factory was discussing layoffs, so Yueran quit in frustration, taking three months’ severance pay. Seeing Yueran leave, and still, that woman caused a scene, I just gave up my place.” Luo’s Mom’s face bore a look of indifference, but Luo Qianqian, knowing the family from her past life, understood that the issue was probably blown out of proportion, prompting Luo’s Mom and Mother He to resign in exasperation.

”Did that woman end up working there?” Luo Qianqian didn’t expose the truth, knowing her mother wished to protect her from too much knowledge.

”How could she? They’re laying off, not hiring. That would be delusional,” Mother He scoffed.

”What about the store?” Luo Shufan frowned.

Meanwhile, Luo Qianqian was thinking about how to get Mother He to cut ties with that family so as not to get dragged into anymore trouble, risking Xiao Yu being unfairly maligned.

”Everyone said it was tasty, and we do have a sewing machine at home, so I thought, maybe this could be a business option since you guys aren’t short on pocket money,” Mother He said somewhat apologetically.

”Mom, there’s an issue. ’Fragrance Comes’ is fine, it’s just about sourcing ingredients, but ’God Luo’ is only because of the job at the garment factory, right? If we have to pay for the materials, wouldn’t it be uneconomical?” Luo Qianqian quickly pointed out the key issue.

”Don’t worry, the factory was going to throw out those fabric scraps anyway. I’ve talked to the factory manager; we can pick up some fabric each month and give them a little money just as a gesture, since they’re nearly bankrupt anyway,” Luo’s Mom chimed in.

Luo Qianqian knew that in her past life, that garment factory hadn’t gone bankrupt, but it was always just scraping by at break-even.

”Where is the store located?” Luo Qianqian asked.

”Victory Street, that area is near the train station and still has many vacant storefronts for rent or sale,” Luo’s Mom had also been at an impasse with Mother He for a long time over this issue, believing that being near the morning market would be better.

Victory Street? Luo Qianqian’s eyes lit up— the commercial value there was expected to multiply many times over in a few years. She couldn’t help but silently praise her mother’s foresight.

”Eventually, because Victory Street was cheaper, they chose Victory Street.” Not only did Mother He and Luo’s Mom need to choose the storefront, but decorating and buying equipment and raw materials also cost money.

”What about the top picks? Do they know about the shop thing?” Luo Qianqian pondered and finally spoke.

”Don’t mention it. I saw them a few days ago. It’s probably just these days. ”Mother He still felt the pinch when mentioning it. If it weren’t for saving that bus fare, they wouldn’t have been spotted.

”Take us to see the shop tomorrow,” Luo Qianqian said, noticing the sadness on Mother He’s face. She hurriedly pulled out a pair of leather boots from the suitcase behind the couch, buying a pair for each, Luo’s Mom and Mother He, with her cousin’s support.

”What’s this? You’re spending recklessly again!” Luo’s Mom watched her daughter place a shoe box in Huang Yueran’s hands and another in her own, knowing the material once she opened and touched it, said with a stern face. Yet, her face couldn’t hide the delight.

”Mom, just accept it.” Seeing her godmother about to object, Luo Shufan said to Luo’s Mom, ”Qianqian won a national Silver Award, can’t she be happy and buy a gift?”

”Silver Award?” The shoe box in Luo’s Mom’s hands thudded to the floor: ”Silver Award?!!!”

Luo Shufan pulled out the medal and certificate that Old Master Luo couldn’t put down from his backpack and handed them to Luo’s Mom: ”Could it be fake? The child who won the Gold Award is also super impressive, doesn’t look that old.”

Luo’s Mom scrubbed her hands on her clothes vigorously before she took the certificate and medal, touching the three characters ”Luo Qianqian” on the certificate with tears streaming down her face: ”Good, very good.”

”Mom, you and godmother should try on the shoes. They were bought with the prize money,” Luo Qianqian stuck out her tongue at Luo Shufan and He Wenyu, signaling them not to reveal her secret, and they played along:

”Yes, Mom, Qianqian’s prize money, wearing them out will give such face.” He Wenyu flaunted the small boots Luo Qianqian had bought her: ”I’ll wear them out tomorrow, let everyone see how amazing my sister is.”

”Exactly, Mom, you can’t return Qianqian’s thoughtfulness from so far away, and the fare won’t be enough,” Luo Shufan watched his mother’s expression, knowing she was moved and not truly blaming.

”Hmph, next time don’t spend money recklessly.” Luo’s Mom turned her head to wipe her tears, placing the medal carefully on the coffee table before she took out the boots.

The two pairs of boots were the same style but different colors—one pair was brown, the other black, perfectly suiting the mothers’ aesthetic, believing darker colors wouldn’t show dirt easily.

Luo’s Mom put on the brown boots and exclaimed, ”There’s fur inside, quite warm.”

Mother He, hearing Luo’s Mom’s words, quickly picked up the boots to check. Indeed, this winter there was no fear of cold feet.

”Qianqian is really partial, why don’t I have any?” He Wenyu picked up the boots and looked them over from left to right, pouting and pretending to be unhappy, amusing both families into hearty laughter.

”Yours look good, if I bought that style for you, you wouldn’t like it,” Luo Qianqian chuckled and then pulled out another box: ”Godmother, this is for godfather. Keep it safe, don’t let anyone take it.” Luo Qianqian wasn’t planning to give the item to He’s father; if she did, it might end up being taken or stolen by some of the problematic families.

”Okay.” Mother He accepted. She wasn’t foolish; not knowing that family after nearly a decade of marriage? Were the wedding gifts and dowries ever without scheming? Acting foolish again would likely harm the girl.

Luo Qianqian, however, touched her chin, pondering how to make that particular problematic family break ties with the He family on their own?