Chapter Thirteen: On the Future

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Thinking about dividing up the pork, Yu Qian recalled the so-called film and television festival awards in the entertainment industry of her previous life. In the beginning, they seemed authoritative, but later on, they became no different from distributing pork. This was why, in her country, those who weren’t involved in fan circles only recognized international A-class film festivals and the Oscars.

The year she died, one formerly prestigious television award was mocked for giving the Best Actress trophy to an actress starring in a low-reputation remake of a foreign drama. The festival ended up being nicknamed the “Water Festival,” and the Best Actress was called the “Water Queen.”

Lost in random thoughts, Yu Qian was gently nudged by the student next to her. She snapped back to attention and realized that certificates were being presented for the senior grades.

Unlike the lower grades, the senior grades were announced in reverse order. Now they were awarding second place, which had gone to the dark horse from County No. 1 Primary School.

“Now only first place remains. I believe all the students and teachers are eagerly awaiting the announcement. I won’t keep you in suspense—first place goes to Yu Qian from Grade Four, Class One of Experimental Primary School! Please come up to receive your award!” The deputy director beamed at Yu Qian.

Although she already knew her first place was practically assured once she stepped off the stage, Yu Qian was still excited when her name was called. In both her past and present lives, this was the first time she’d received such a major award.

She clutched her certificate tightly, smiling as she posed with the judges for photos.

After a month of tireless practice, today she harvested the beautiful fruit of her efforts. Only now did Yu Qian truly understand that nothing comes for free; rewards only come from hard work.

In her previous life, she hadn’t worked hard, so she failed to get into her dream university and didn’t land the job she wanted.

She hadn’t been strong, so she lost her loving father, and eventually, her beloved mother as well.

She was reborn, yet still clung to the idea that having a “golden finger” meant she didn’t need to try. Now, standing here, seeing her mother’s proud expression and her teacher’s satisfied gaze, Yu Qian finally understood the meaning of her second chance at life.

A life granted anew was not meant to be wasted again.

One cannot live only for oneself.

Here, for the first time, Yu Qian wanted to consider what she should do with her future.

...

Back at school, the principal handed the prize money to Wen Yu. First place came with a thousand yuan—more than a semester’s tuition.

Since they’d won awards, the school gave the winners an afternoon off.

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Yu Qian followed her mother out of the school gates and onto the street. Wen Yu intended to buy her daughter a few nice clothes.

East Avenue was lined with stores considered “brand-name” for this era—not luxury goods, but well-known enough in the county. Brands like Semir, Duoyi, and Xtep were popular among young people and priced just right for local budgets.

Wen Yu brought her daughter to this street, but since Yu Qian was still young, even though she was quite tall, she still went into the children’s clothing stores.

Wen Yu originally planned to buy her daughter some cute, pink dresses, but then remembered that her daughter’s mental age was over twenty. She decided it was better to let her choose the style she liked herself.

Yu Qian didn’t say much, and after a round through the store, she picked out a set: a white short-sleeved T-shirt, dark blue jeans, and a black baseball jacket. She tried on the size, and it looked good. Wen Yu paid for it.

At the next store, Yu Qian spotted a light blue dress and a denim jacket.

...

By the end, Yu Qian had chosen four outfits, and Wen Yu hadn’t interfered—she simply paid for everything.

Wen Yu was quite pleased with her daughter’s taste: simple, elegant, and unadorned.

“Is there anything you’d like to eat? Let’s have dinner before going home,” Wen Yu said, noticing it was already past five. By now, there wouldn’t be any fresh vegetables at the market, so it was better to eat out.

“Sure, Mom. I want fish—it’s been so long since I had fish,” Yu Qian replied. She loved fish. When Wen Yu was at home, she cooked fish for her every few days. Now that Wen Yu was gone, her grandfather’s fish wasn’t tasty, and he wouldn’t let her cook it herself, so she hadn’t had any in ages.

Yinjiang River split the city in half, and both banks were lined with farm-style restaurants, famous for their fish dishes.

Zhang’s Fish Hotpot was an old brand here, open for over twenty years, known for generous portions and great flavor. They ordered two jin of spicy silver carp. The mother and daughter sat by the window, looking out at the river, quietly whispering to each other.

“How’s the business at the store? Are you and Dad getting used to it?”

“Very well. The styles are fresh, the quality is good—how could business not be good? Your dad is perfect for sales; he can strike up a conversation with anyone who enters.”

“What about the online store?” Yu Qian asked.

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“Sales aren’t good. It’s a new shop with no reputation, and it’s not a brand store, so the prices aren’t low. Few people buy.” Thinking of their TB shop, Wen Yu felt troubled.

The physical store did well since customers could see and touch the goods, so they knew the price was justified. But online, the photos looked nice, yet buyers didn’t know the quality; the prices were high, and if the actual product wasn’t good and couldn’t be returned, it’d be a big loss. For all these reasons, Red Powder Beauty thrived as a brick-and-mortar business, but the online store was so slow that the customer service girl spent her days idling.

Yu Qian considered the reasons behind successful online shops in her previous life, and after thinking about their situation, offered Wen Yu a suggestion: “Since the physical store is doing well, you and Dad and the staff can mention, casually or intentionally, that we also have a shop on TB. Tell customers that if they don’t want to go out, they can place orders online.”

Wen Yu mulled it over. “That’s a good idea. Those customers have already bought from the store, so they wouldn’t worry about the quality when buying online.”

“Exactly. They know the quality, and after receiving the goods, they’ll leave good reviews. That way, you won’t have to worry about reputation.”

“Alright, I’ll discuss it with your dad when we get home.”

“And, Mom, you need to ensure quality at the factory, and have Uncle Cao keep a close eye on the contracts so there are no loopholes.”

“Got it. Speaking of Cao, there’s something I want your opinion on.”

“Hmm?” Yu Qian was surprised, not expecting any issues with Lawyer Cao.

“Cao wants to invest some money and partner with us.” Wen Yu explained the situation succinctly.

“How much? What share does he want?” Yu Qian tapped her fingers on the table.

“Fifty thousand yuan, for a twenty percent share.” Wen Yu watched her daughter fall silent and didn’t interrupt, quietly mixing the dipping sauce.

Fifty thousand—while not much in the future, it was considerable now. Her parents had worked for several years and only saved seventy or eighty thousand. When they opened the store, the initial capital was just over two hundred thousand, but the store itself belonged entirely to her parents. After more than a month in business, if things were as good as her mother said, the store’s value was surely more than two hundred thousand. Wanting twenty percent for fifty thousand was a bit too ambitious.

“Ten percent. If he’s willing, fine. If not, forget it,” Yu Qian decided.

Wen Yu looked up, and seeing her daughter’s resolve, nodded. “Alright. Let’s eat the fish.”