Xiaoxiao is lucky she doesn’t know Lin Juan’s thoughts, otherwise she would definitely have retorted.

Dongbao doesn’t like studying, isn’t it because Third Aunt spoiled him? Now he’s so spoiled that he doesn’t want to study at all. Even if Xiaoxiao said something, Dongbao definitely wouldn’t listen to her. He might even think she’s annoying.

Dongbao is not as obedient as Jiaojiao and the others. Besides, Dongbao is already a teenager, not a little kid anymore.

However, the trip to Imperial City was soon confirmed, and the date was also set.

In the afternoon, Xu Po and the others called Xiaoxiao back, and upon hearing the confirmed news, Xiaoxiao gave a faint smile.

The Old Xu Family quickly started packing their things.

In the village, people came by to ask about the trip, and upon learning that they were all going to Imperial City for the New Year, they were extremely envious. 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝚠𝚎𝚋𝗻𝗼𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝚘𝐦

Xu Jiang and his brother quickly went to get the necessary documents and bought the train tickets.

In just a couple of days, the Old Xu Family had packed everything and set off for Imperial City, making quite a big scene that the entire neighborhood came out to watch the excitement.

On Xiaoxiao’s end, once she knew they had set off, she took her parents around Imperial City for sightseeing. It was a rare chance to relax, so of course, they made the most of it.

Yin Yang carried his camera and took photos of them along the way.

Li Caixia absolutely fell in love with being photographed, wanting pictures everywhere they went. Yin Yang brought plenty of film rolls, mainly capturing his future mother-in-law.

Xiaoxiao thought this was pretty good. Her mom rarely has a hobby, and these photos will be great memories in the future.

Xiaoxiao calculated her current finances and considered buying her mom a camera, so she could take all the pictures she wanted.

She still had a considerable amount of money, which hadn’t been invested in Qingze’s enterprises yet. She could easily afford a camera, and Yin Yang surely had connections.

After developing the photos, they spent tens of yuan. Li Caixia’s heart ached, "Oh dear, why is it so expensive? If I had known, I wouldn’t have taken so many."

When she wanted to refuse, Yin Yang straightforwardly covered the cost.

"Mom, what’s up?" Watching Li Caixia quietly turn her face away, Xiaoxiao asked, puzzled.

"Honey, why are these photos so pricey?" Li Caixia whispered.

"We took quite a lot, used up so many rolls, and these aren’t cheap. Even if we don’t develop them, they’d be wasted." Xiaoxiao’s lips twitched; her mom was worried about money. It’s just like her penny-pinching and opportunistic mother.

"Should’ve taken fewer pictures." Li Caixia grumbled in regret, planning to carefully store these expensive photos once developed to prevent any damage.

"It’s okay, Yin Yang and I both aren’t short on money." Xiaoxiao smiled and shook her head. They’ve been touring around famous spots in Imperial City these days.

"Having money doesn’t mean you can spend wantonly. Next time, don’t spend so recklessly. Keep an eye on Yin Yang as well, make sure he doesn’t develop wasteful habits, or no family fortune could withstand such spending." Li Caixia started lecturing her daughter.

Even though her daughter is talented at making money, she doesn’t want her to develop wasteful spending habits. It’s crucial to have savings.

"Got it, Mom." Xiaoxiao didn’t argue much; she has regular monthly income without any worries.

After the photos were developed, Yin Yang took them to find some good food.

Li Caixia was now thoroughly impressed with Yin Yang, finding him extremely capable. He could get anything, rare eats, all kinds of high-quality daily necessities, some of which she had never seen. This trip to Imperial City was quite an eye-opener.

Back at the courtyard, Xiaoxiao was too exhausted to move. They had been exploring non-stop, yet, her mom was still energetically bouncing around.

"Mom? You’re not tired?" Xiaoming Lei voiced Xiaoxiao’s curiosity.

"Why be tired? Back then your dad and I traveled twenty miles to Qingyuan Temple to pray for your brother." Li Caixia said calmly, throwing a disdainful glance at her son. He hasn’t walked much, yet he can’t bear it. His body is much weaker than hers.

Xiaoming Hui’s mouth twitched slightly; he’s heard this story countless times. He was a product of his parents’ devoted journey to Qingyuan Temple.

Xiaoxiao hadn’t heard that story before, but wasn’t inclined to ask more; she simply wanted to rest.

There are too many photos to be developed, and they won’t be ready soon. They’ll need to wait a few days.

"The rooms are not prepared, and yet you’re still wandering around." Madam Chen said, speechless. The rooms for those visiting from back home aren’t ready yet, and many new things need to be bought. Madam Chen was reluctant.

Just for those people, they have to purchase a bunch of new bedding, it’s so uneconomical.

Even though Yin Yang brought spare bedding from their small courtyard, it wasn’t enough, and they still needed to buy a few more sets.

"Grandma, how much do you need? I’ll get it for you?" Yin Yang asked gently.

"Money’s not the issue; buying new items that’ll be unused afterward is too wasteful." Madam Chen shook her head, expressing her genuine thoughts.

"No worries, we’ll just let them take them back to use, then." Xiaoxiao spoke calmly. They’re just quilts and such, not worth much.

"It’s better to leave them here for you to use." Li Caixia pursed her lips, once again showing her miserly traits.

"Mom, you know I can’t use things other people have used." Xiaoxiao said helplessly, with a slight obsessive-compulsive need for cleanliness.

In the end, Xiaoxiao and Yin Yang went out to buy several sets of quilts and helped arrange the rooms for those visiting from home.

"These quilts are really good, honey, are you really going to give them to the second, third, and fourth families?" Li Caixia touched the smooth, soft quilts, reluctant to part with them.

"Mom, if you want, I can buy many new ones for you later. These are relatively cheap, not suitable for you." Xiaoxiao lied earnestly to her mother to avoid pettiness, as they’re just a few quilts, not worth causing trouble.

Finally, she managed to soothe Li Caixia, and Xiaoxiao breathed a sigh of relief.

Watching Li Caixia leave her room with her head held high, Xiaoxiao smiled wryly; it seems she needs to placate her mom in this way.

The date for the arrival of those from back home came quickly, and this side of the Big House had their entire family come over. Professor Song’s leg wasn’t completely healed, so neither he nor Professor Jian came; only Yin Yang was here.

A large group gathered at the train station, making a magnificent sight. With many people here, there weren’t extra seats available, so Xiaoxiao had the grandparent sitting in available spots while they stood waiting.

The train hadn’t arrived yet, so it wasn’t crowded over here.