Cao Yuan originally had an older brother and a younger sister, but neither were raised to adulthood, so he appeared to be an only child, although that wasn’t the case.
As for his in-laws, his father-in-law was from another place and his mother-in-law was a local. His father-in-law’s relatives rarely interacted, but the relatives on his mother-in-law’s side still kept in touch, so visits during the New Year were necessary, and that’s how Xiao Xiao received her New Year’s money. ɪꜰ ʏᴏᴜ ᴡᴀɴᴛ ᴛᴏ ʀᴇᴀᴅ ᴍᴏʀᴇ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs, ᴘʟᴇᴀsᴇ ᴠɪsɪᴛ novel✦fire.net
"Then you tell Mom, how will you handle this money?"
"I want to save it, Mom. Can you get me a savings book? I want to deposit it in the bank, so in the future, I can use it for my education."
"Don’t you want pretty clothes or good food?"
"Doesn’t Mom already buy those for me? So I don’t need to use my money, right?"
Mingxia found her daughter’s response amusing yet remarkable, and she gently tapped on her daughter’s forehead, "You’re such a smart little thing. Okay, let’s head to the bank now and get you a savings book. We’ll bring the household registration book, and if we can use your name, we will; if not, we’ll use Mom’s name. You don’t mind, right?"
Xiao Xiao shook her head, "I don’t mind, as long as Mom doesn’t take it. How much wages are you planning on giving me this winter break?"
"You little money hoarder, how about five hundred yuan? Fair enough?"
Xiao Xiao hadn’t expected so much; she certainly wouldn’t compare with her older brother, who needed it to find a sister-in-law, unlike her, as hers was just for herself. So, five hundred yuan was more than satisfying.
Eventually, they really did go to the bank and including the previous New Year’s money, Mingxia rounded up the amount for Xiao Xiao, totaling one thousand. The savings book was in her own name, but as they didn’t offer accounts for little children, they would wait until she had her own ID card to get her one.
Once the savings book was sorted, Xiao Xiao took it and kept it herself.
Girls should be well-provided for, especially those living in big cities, as they need to broaden their horizons.
That’s why she tried her best to satisfy her daughter’s needs for clothes, books, movies, and participating in school outings, whether in spring or autumn.
Only by ensuring the child does not feel inferior in basic living needs, could she grow into a radiant and healthy individual.
She and Cao Yuan were usually busy, but no matter how busy, they took time daily to check on their daughter’s homework, her piano practice, and her overall situation at school. Sometimes, they even visited the school to talk to the teachers because as parents of a girl, they ought to be extra attentive.
Especially since Xiao Xiao looked so much like her—beautiful, bright, and kind-hearted, having been elected an excellent class leader for four consecutive years. Mingxia saw her daughter’s excellence and deeply appreciated the legacy left to her by nature.
Although Xiao Xiao’s grades weren’t always top of her class, she was consistently among the top ten. Perhaps her rough, early childhood involving much upheaval made her mature quicker than her peers, giving her significant leadership skills. It seemed the role of class leader would mark her elementary years.
Just as Gong Mingxia had imagined, as the occupancy rates at Shuiyunjian gradually increased and the office building opposite officially opened, their business saw a steady upward trajectory, earning one thousand yuan a month initially, and at the one-year mark, rising to six thousand, sometimes even reaching ten thousand yuan.
With business doing well, they naturally felt happier. With the children’s summer break arriving, the first profit split of 2003 came through, although it dipped to fifty thousand yuan.
The previous month, she had already sent sixty thousand yuan to Meng Xiuying. Mingxia personally ran around the renovation market, choosing materials herself, which was quite exhausting.
This burden, Mingxia felt, should not be borne alone, so after Xiao Xiao and Cao Yang had started their summer break, she once again called a family meeting.