Xu Mumu was busy on this side, and the people on the Old Xu Family’s side were even busier, with the kids occupied with their studies and the adults engaged in business.

With Yin Yang and Huo Qingze stirring things up in both the provincial and county cities here, the place was getting livelier, and more people were realizing that they could actually make money now without the fear of getting caught.

An increasing number of people were taking out things from their homes to sell or starting their own small businesses.

However, the state-owned factories were not doing well anymore.

Xu Mumu learned from Yin Yang that many small factories in the county were facing closure.

For example, the small furniture factory in the county where Xu Mumu’s cousin’s husband worked. In the rural areas, many people were making their own furniture, and the furniture styles from the provincial city factories were quite nice, leading to many furniture factories unable to continue.

After learning about this, Xu Mumu didn’t say much. Anyway, they could now do business; as long as they worked hard, they could sell anything.

The closure of the county furniture factory was imminent, as many workers were not getting paid.

Xu Mumu ran to the lab every day, but she got the update from her mother.

Rooms facing Meng Shaohua had resigned from the furniture factory; he and Su Xiu hadn’t saved much money in the past two years, but they were preparing to set up a small stall, similar to what Madam Chen and others did before.

There were indeed many small stalls in the county now, and business was quite good.

Meng Shaohua and the others didn’t plan to sell buns; too many were selling those. Instead, they sold fruits. Meng Shaohua, who knew someone from the black market, handled the purchasing, as this person had connections for fruit supplies.

"Mom, where did you hear this?" Xu Mumu curiously asked. She found it quite remarkable that her mother could still keep up with her aunt’s gossip despite being busy all day.

"It was your uncle who called to tell us," Li Caixia said calmly. She wasn’t in the mood to compete with her sister over such things; if her brother hadn’t called, she wouldn’t have known.

"Uncle called just to say this? Wasn’t there anything else?" Xu Mumu asked in puzzlement. Surely her honest uncle wouldn’t call just to gossip?

"He called to talk about a family division. Old Li’s family is splitting up, and your grandfather is now living with your uncle." Li Caixia was unfazed by Old Li’s family’s division. All the nephews were married, and though there were no major conflicts, there were plenty of minor squabbles, so splitting up was only a matter of time.

"So they split up? That’s good, actually." Xu Mumu was a bit surprised, as she remembered the Li family as quite harmonious.

"Exactly, otherwise they’d argue over every little thing," Li Caixia smirked. She knew the two sisters-in-law well enough.

"What about Grandpa? Is he unhappy?" Xu Mumu was more concerned about her grandfather’s emotions, given his age and health. She was worried the stress might make him ill.

"No worries, he’s fine. He was the one who suggested the split." Li Caixia shrugged, surprised at her father’s decision.

"I see." Xu Mumu nodded, realizing it wasn’t a big deal.

Xu Mumu’s uncle called to ask Li Caixia for advice on making money.

Li Caixia was open and simply suggested they start a stall themselves. There were many stalls in the county now, and earnings depended on their skills.

Xu Mumu stopped focusing on the Li family’s affairs, while Yin Yang discussed another matter with her. They planned to return to Lan City for the Tomb-Sweeping Day to pay respects to ancestors. Yin Yang’s parents and grandfather were all buried there. Last year was busy, so he didn’t return for Tomb-Sweeping Day.

Xu Mumu agreed readily; it was indeed time to return with Yin Yang. But since there was more than a month until Tomb-Sweeping Day, there was no rush—they could leave just a few days before.

Xu Mumu’s work hadn’t started yet; improving things wasn’t easy. The latest equipment brought by Yin Yang was very advanced and could even be used in the future, containing all the laboratory essentials.

Xu Mumu wasn’t too busy, but many of the books Yin Yang delivered were new to her and quite intriguing, so she stayed there every day, either reading or jotting down her inspirations for future designs.

The time spent reading here always flew by, and Xu Mumu saw how bustling her hometown had become, especially with the resort Yin Yang had set up. Many people came here to play and find a variety of purposes, ultimately earning a big sum for Yin Yang and the others.

The county’s museum was also under construction, and the excavation site was reaching the end of its work. Duan Yunkai had returned to the Imperial City with his teacher.

Soon it would be Tomb-Sweeping Day. Yin Yang had handed his matters over to Zhou Yunhong, and after discussing with her family, Xu Mumu boarded the train to Lan City with Yin Yang. 𝕗𝗿𝕖𝐞𝐰𝗲𝕓𝐧𝕠𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝐨𝚖

Xu Mumu didn’t particularly like train rides; the stale air and the long journey were unbearable.

If it weren’t for this being Yin Yang’s hometown, she’d rather stay home and read than travel this far.

"What’s the matter? Are you feeling unwell?" Seeing her pale face, Yin Yang asked worriedly.

"It’s nothing, just a bit of discomfort. Maybe I haven’t traveled in a while and got motion sickness. I’ll be fine after a good rest," Xu Mumu shook her head. The smell on the train bothered her, but with so many people around, she felt it was too awkward to mention, so she decided to endure it.

Yin Yang brought over some hot water, cooled it a little, and then gave it to Xu Mumu to drink.

"If you feel uncomfortable, let me know immediately," Yin Yang insisted, worried despite seeing her drink the water. Xu Mumu had always been in good health, so her discomfort was a concern.

"I’m really fine. The smell here is just a bit unpleasant, you know. I’m quite sensitive." Xu Mumu said helplessly, mentioning her sharp senses, not just smell, which were highly acute.

Even after being out of the apocalypse for years and living in this peaceful era, her abilities hadn’t dulled much.

Yin Yang said with a slight smile, planning to book an entire carriage for their return, thus avoiding any strange smells, ensuring his wife would feel more comfortable.