"I want a meat bun." The little kid immediately said, being carried by his sister and constantly stretching his body to try and see the buns in the steamer.

"Minglei, do you want one?" Xu Mumu looked at Xu Minglei.

"Sis, I don’t want one." Xu Minglei shook his head. Now that the family isn’t short on money, he doesn’t have such a strong craving for meat buns anymore.

"Then let’s get one meat bun." Xu Mumu only bought one meat bun for her little brother; she wasn’t interested, and Madam Chen directly ran off to look at the vegetables being sold nearby, planning to buy some to cook for dinner.

Once he got the bun, the little guy happily started eating.

After wandering around for a bit, Madam Chen already had a bunch of green onions, a big bunch of celery, and some green vegetables in her hand. It’s not easy to have some greens to eat in the winter.

Having bought the items, Madam Chen lost the desire to keep shopping and planned to go back.

On the way, Xu Mumu noticed that there weren’t many street stalls and considered whether to persuade her parents to set one up. Even if just selling fried spicy potatoes, cold noodles, and some tea eggs, they’d surely make money.

"Granny, what’s being built over there? They’re clearing such a big space." Xu Mumu curiously asked, pointing to an area under construction.

"Oh, over there? I heard they’re building a university here, but I don’t know if it’s true." Madam Chen looked at the construction site and said calmly.

"A school, huh, no wonder the place is so big." Xu Mumu nodded. There are only two universities in the provincial capital, so building another one is entirely possible; even if it’s not a university, a college is pretty good.

When they got home, it was still early, so Xu Mumu went to the kitchen to help Madam Chen with tidying up.

"Mumu, now that you’ve graduated, what are your plans?" Madam Chen curiously asked her granddaughter; she knew universities arranged job placements after graduation.

"I’ll stay here. Didn’t Yin Yang build a laboratory in our hometown? I’ll just be busy there." Xu Mumu said with a smile.

"Didn’t the school assign you a job?" Madam Chen paused her work. Compared to self-employment, Madam Chen felt school-assigned jobs were more secure.

"They did, but I declined." Xu Mumu said calmly. The dean wanted her to go into research, but she didn’t want to be restricted. She preferred pursuing her interests without pressure, without competing with others for fame or gain.

"Why refuse it? Those assigned jobs are a secure living." Madam Chen was a bit anxious.

"Granny, the job doesn’t suit me. I’m better off working on my own here. Don’t worry, I’ll definitely make money." Xu Mumu said helplessly.

"Alright, you young ones can decide; I won’t say much. Just make sure you’re clear about what you’re doing." Madam Chen said resignedly.

"Granny, I got it. Nowadays, you can make money doing almost anything." Xu Mumu laughed.

That night, when Li Caixia and her husband came home and saw their eldest daughter back, Li Caixia hugged her warmly. It had been a long time since she’d seen her daughter, and she missed her dearly.

"My daughter has gotten thinner. Haven’t you been taking care of yourself in the Imperial City?" Li Caixia asked Xu Mumu.

"Mom, I’m not thinner; you’re the one who’s lost weight." Xu Mumu looked at Li Caixia. Her mother had indeed slimmed down a lot; she used to be a bit plump, but now she was much leaner.

"I’ve been intentionally losing weight. I saw in the newspaper that being too fat is bad for health, so I’ve been watching over the household meals." Li Caixia said proudly. She considered herself cultured now and could effortlessly understand the papers.

The benefits of being literate are numerous, and ever since she started working, she deeply realizes this.

"Were you the one who put away the candies at home too?" Xu Mumu raised an eyebrow slightly; she thought it was Granny stopping her little brother from eating so many snacks. Turns out it was her mom who did it.

"Yes, otherwise, if he keeps getting fatter, he’d turn into a little piglet." Li Caixia proudly puffed out her chest. When she first put away the snacks, the little kid fussed for a long time, but later he got better.

Li Caixia is now very satisfied with her son’s physique; it’s just right, healthier than other kids she had seen.

"Mom, you did the right thing. If little brother keeps snacking, he won’t eat much during meals. Now, being able to eat more will help him grow faster." Xu Mumu unabashedly praised her mom.

"Let me tell you, I’ve read quite a few books on raising children. When you have a baby, I’ll help you take care of it." Li Caixia said with pride, having read many books, she realized there are so many things to pay attention to in child-rearing.

Xu Mumu: "..." Her mom appeared to be implying that she should have a baby so she could experiment with the things she learned from books.

"Alright, Mom, you should also pay more attention to little brother; don’t leave everything to Grandma and Grandpa." Xu Mumu said helplessly. When the time comes, she’d keep an eye out. She felt her mom’s current state was pretty good; whatever books she read, learning more is a positive thing.

"Don’t worry. How could I not understand?" Li Caixia said confidently. It’s her own son, after all; he couldn’t possibly not be close to her.

Looking at her mother, Xu Mumu suddenly lost confidence in her. She wondered where her mom’s confidence stemmed from.

As dinner was approaching, Yin Yang and Xu Minghui finally returned. Seeing how exhausted they looked made Li Caixia feel very sorry for them.

"Quickly, have some sugar water; just look at how tired you all are." Li Caixia placed the prepared honey water in front of them. 𝓯𝓻𝓮𝙚𝙬𝓮𝙗𝒏𝙤𝒗𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝒐𝓶

"Thank you, Mom." Yin Yang smiled at Li Caixia. For the past half-year, he basically ate at her place. Although his mother-in-law had her quirks, she’s very caring towards them.

"I’ve told you many times, we’re all family, no need to be courteous." Li Caixia said with dissatisfaction as she looked at Yin Yang. She had come to appreciate her son-in-law’s abilities; she could boast about him every time she goes to work.

"Alright, won’t be courteous with Mom." Yin Yang chuckled, nodding.

"That’s the spirit. You oversee so many people, delegate your work a bit. You’re busy doing everything yourself; what are those people for?" Li Caixia, believing she knew the ropes, began imparting her wisdom to Yin Yang.

Xu Mumu twitched at the corner of her mouth as she watched, but she didn’t interrupt her mother’s speech. Yin Yang appeared to listen earnestly, clearly just humoring his mother-in-law.

The dinner was very lavish, and Xu Mumu was extremely happy eating it. Not just her, but even Xu Minglei was pleased. It wasn’t often that the family had such a feast. Ever since her mom started reading health books, the meals at home had become well-balanced with both meat and vegetables.