Chapter 24: Setting Off Before the Competition

There was no suspense in securing the spot to represent Sichuan Province in the competition—it was also the only spot allotted to Meizhou. Yu Qian was the youngest child on the team, and the school was uneasy about her going to the competition alone. The principal pulled some strings with the county’s education bureau and managed to get Teacher Zeng added as a chaperone for the Sichuan Provincial team.

Originally, Wen Yu had wanted to accompany her as well, but she simply couldn’t spare the time. Thanks to the popularity of traditional clothing, Red Powder Beauty’s modern line had also taken off. Yu Qian had scoured many fashion concepts from the future and transcribed them for Wen Yu, who then taught a few members of the design team. Though their designs were not yet top-tier, they were quite impressive in the domestic market. Some lesser-known celebrities, unable to secure sponsorship from major brands, were happy to approach them for custom-made outfits or to purchase off-the-rack designs.

With all this, Wen Yu found herself increasingly busy and unable to accompany her daughter to the competition.

On November 14th, Teacher Zeng took Yu Qian to the provincial capital’s assembly point. After registering and confirming their departure time, worried she might be nervous, he took her to Shuangyang to see her parents.

The family’s own company was growing at breakneck speed, and the original small storefront could no longer accommodate all the staff. Gritting his teeth, Yu Wen took out a loan from the bank and rented two floors at Shuangyang Business Center—one for management and staff, and one dedicated to the design team. The old store had been renovated; the wardrobe area remained much the same, but the former office was transformed into a showroom for traditional and formal attire.

“Sweetheart, don’t be nervous about competing in Yun Capital. Just do your best. It’s wonderful if you win a prize, but if you don’t, it doesn’t matter. There’s always someone better, and the educational level in many other provinces is higher than ours. Think of this as an opportunity to learn and exchange ideas,” Wen Yu said softly, pulling her daughter close.

“Mama, I know. I’m not fixated on winning. Besides, mentally I’m barely a few years younger than you and Dad, so relax,” Yu Qian replied, wrapping her arms around her mother’s.

“And what if you’re in your twenties mentally? You’re still my daughter, aren’t you?”

“Of course! No matter how tall I grow, I’ll always be your daughter.” Yu Qian had shot up this year and was nearly 1.5 meters tall already, while Wen Yu stood at just 153 centimeters. It was certain that Yu Qian would surpass her mother’s height, and perhaps even challenge Yu Wen’s, who was close to 1.8 meters.

“Mischievous!” Wen Yu tapped her daughter’s forehead gently. “Call me when you arrive to let me know you’re safe. Tell me how the competition goes, and before you come back, let me know both your departure and arrival times. I’ll come pick you up at the airport.”

With that, she handed Yu Qian a flip phone. “I’ve been so busy, I forgot you’re used to always having a phone in the age of the internet. It only occurred to me when you were heading to Yun Capital. If you need anything, call me.”

“I will, I promise. And don’t worry about me—I may never have been to Yun Capital, but I’ve been to Sea City before. No matter how impressive Yun Capital is, it can’t be more complicated than Sea City a decade from now.” Holding the phone, Yu Qian steadied herself before replying, “I’m going to talk to Dad for a bit. You keep Teacher Zeng company, alright?”

She turned and examined the phone carefully, recognizing it as the wildly popular Moto V3 in ice blue—a beautiful but expensive model. Compared to other phones at the time, which cost a few hundred or a thousand at most, the Moto V3, priced at over four thousand, was definitely a luxury device. In her previous life, Yu Qian had only bought her first phone for provincial training and art exams in high school, by then already a smartphone, and it had cost just over eight hundred.

Carefully, she put the phone in her bag, marveling at how, having lived again, she was using a four-thousand-yuan luxury phone at age ten, when the iPhone 7 she’d bought in her past life had only cost six thousand.

“Uncle Cao, where’s my dad?” Upstairs in the office, Yu Qian didn’t find Yu Wen and so turned to ask in the next office.

Cao Yuan, known as Lawyer Cao, had initially invested fifty thousand for a ten percent share in the company. At first, he’d thought he was on the losing end, but as time went on, he realized what a bargain it had been; now his assets were worth over a million.

“Your dad should be in the meeting room. He’s seemed preoccupied lately, though I’m not sure why,” Cao Yuan answered after a moment’s thought.

“Thank you, Uncle Cao.” Yu Qian pushed open the meeting room door to find Yu Wen, looking troubled as he pored over some papers. “Dad, what are you up to?”

Having transitioned from running a studio to managing a company, Yu Wen was starting to feel out of his depth—he simply lacked the education needed. There was so much he didn’t understand and no clear path to improve. Seeing his daughter, he brightened, realizing he’d been overthinking things. “Come here, sweetheart, I need your advice.”

Curious, Yu Qian took the papers from him and saw they were night school flyers. “Why are you looking at these?”

“Because I didn’t study much as a kid and now I lack the education. Managing the company, I feel powerless in so many areas. I thought about enrolling to learn more.”

“But these won’t help much. Night schools mostly cover basic education. What you need is finance and management, and that’s only taught at universities.”

“So what should I do?” Yu Wen’s face fell.

Yu Qian pondered, trying to recall how business owners in her previous life improved their education.

After a few minutes, she noticed Yu Wen looking utterly defeated, and she had to stifle a laugh. “Dad, why are you giving up already? It’s not hopeless.”

“What else can I do? I can’t exactly go take the university entrance exam.”

“You’ve built up some connections this year, haven’t you? Reach out and see if you can audit some classes in a university’s finance or management department. If that’s not possible, ask around for a good professor and invite them to teach you privately.”

“Will that work? Won’t I get kicked out for auditing classes? And would a professor agree to come teach me?”

“You won’t get kicked out. If you do get into a class, take it seriously and ask questions after class. If you invite a professor, be polite and show sincere intent—they’ll be willing to teach you.”

Yu Wen gave her a delighted kiss on the cheek. “See, a daughter who’s been to school is different—quick on her feet! I’ll look into it as soon as the weather clears.”

Yu Qian tilted her head. “Anything else, Dad?”

“Nope, that’s all!” Yu Wen beamed, then asked with a smile, “Aren’t you supposed to be leaving for your competition? What brings you here?”

“I’m leaving when the weather clears. Teacher Zeng brought me over to see you and Mom in case I was nervous.”

“My daughter is so capable—how could you be nervous? Go and show them what you’re made of. Bring home first prize and leave the others in the dust!” Yu Wen said with pride.

Yu Qian couldn’t help but laugh and cry at the same time; her father had so much faith in her. “Dad, some provinces have much better education than ours, and some of their kids have had bilingual education since childhood. They’re way ahead of me—it’s not so easy to win.”

“I don’t want to hear it. In my eyes, you’re the best and the brightest.” Of course Yu Wen knew; after years working away from home, he was well aware how advanced the schools in big cities were. He just wanted to give his daughter confidence and let her know that, in her parents’ hearts, she would always be the best.