Chapter Six: Summer Vacation Life

After pondering for a long time, she recalled how, in her past life playing games, the silver in her inventory could be used directly. Yu Qian tapped on her account, where there were two withdrawal options: cash in hand and transfer to card.

She chose to withdraw cash in hand, entered one hundred yuan, and in the blink of an eye, a red banknote appeared in her hand, thoughtfully issued in the 2004 series.

Stunned for a moment, excitement quickly surged through her. If she could withdraw it, that meant her family was wealthy now—her parents would no longer have worries when planning for the future. The only challenge was to come up with a plausible reason for the sudden appearance of the money.

Riding on her excitement, Yu Qian rummaged through her schoolbag, withdrew another half a million, tucked it inside, and buried the bag under layers of clothes in the wardrobe, intending to give it to her mother that evening.

Once the excitement faded, she was faced with her unfinished homework. No matter how mature she felt inside, if her assignments weren't done, her mother would still give her a scolding.

"Little one, Aunt called me over to tutor you," came Yu Zhen’s voice, accompanied by a knock on the door.

"Zhen-jie!" she called out, flinging herself into her cousin’s arms, beaming with joy.

In her previous life, before her father died, the age gap had kept her distant from her older siblings. After his death, fresh out of school and clueless about life, it was her brother and sisters who helped her manage everything. Sadly, she hadn’t cherished them, remaining distant even after growing up, instead drawing closer to her grandmother’s family, who harbored their own ambitions.

Now, on her second day back, seeing her cousin, ten years her senior, Yu Qian felt content at the chance to change her future, to be closer to her sister.

She remembered that this year her cousin would sit the college entrance exam and get into the school of journalism at the normal university in the neighboring city—the same school her future brother-in-law attended. After graduation, her cousin became a reporter at the city’s television station; her brother-in-law a civil servant, who would eventually rise to the position of municipal secretary. They dated for five years before marrying, had a son and a daughter, and lived well.

Yu Zhen was taken aback by her little sister’s sudden affection. Yu Qian had always been shy and reserved around her, and despite wanting to be close, Yu Zhen never knew how to bridge the gap.

Now, with her sister clinging to her, Yu Zhen felt a surge of joy. "Alright, isn’t it hot clutching me like that? I’ll be at home until school starts, so I’ll help you with your homework."

"Okay." Yu Qian let go, gleefully taking out her assignments. "Sis, I can do all the homework. I want to learn what comes next, but I don’t have the books."

"How can you be sure you’ve got everything right? It’s not enough to do it—you have to do it correctly," Yu Zhen said, ruffling her hair.

"Then, when I’m done, you can check them for me! If I get anything wrong, you can explain it."

"Alright, and if we still have time before school starts, I’ll borrow the next books for you and teach you what’s ahead," Yu Zhen replied.

Yu Qian looked up and planted a kiss on her sister’s cheek, not shy about showing affection. "You’re the best, Sis! I love you so much!"

Yu Zhen was stunned by the kiss, but once the surprise wore off, she felt utterly delighted. Her sister must really like her!

Days slipped by, filled with time spent with her mother, doing homework, and Yu Zhen giving her lessons.

A week later, Yu Wen returned home after settling matters at the construction site.

A week before, Yu Qian had handed the half a million to her mother, using the excuse that the compensation from her father’s accident had been delivered by the same immortal who brought her home.

Holding the large sum in her hands, Wen Yu put her daughter to bed right after dinner, barely exchanging a few words with her husband, then dragged him to their room to recount the events of the past days. They needed to discuss how to break away from her family and plan for the future.

Yu Wen and Wen Yu didn’t sleep a wink that night. By the time Yu Qian awoke the next morning, the couple already had a preliminary plan, though some details still needed their daughter’s input.

"Come here, little one," Yu Wen called out, heart aching after learning what had happened in her previous life.

"Dad, I missed you," Yu Qian replied, nestling up to him—not crying, but filled with contentment and joy. Her father was here, alive and well, young and energetic. Not the wrinkled, lifeless figure in a cold mortuary, nor the handful of ashes resting alone in a grave.

"My dear girl, you’ve suffered," Yu Wen murmured. He felt nothing but pain for his daughter, raised with such care, who had endured so much hardship and misfortune.

After a tender exchange, the three gathered in the kitchen for a simple breakfast. Wen Yu went off to work, while Yu Wen stayed home to discuss the details with their daughter.

He told Yu Zhen there would be no tutoring today, then joined Yu Qian in her room to ask about the past fifteen years of the country’s development.

Yu Wen wasn’t highly educated and never cared much for books, but he was quick-witted. Just a few words from his wife were enough for him to grasp the direction they should take.

At this time, the country was not yet developed, but the economy was growing rapidly. After the 2008 Olympics in Yunjiang, the nation soared, nearly overtaking the world. The fastest-growing sector in the coming years would be the internet—changing at breakneck speed. Next would be the cultural and entertainment industries, which would rise on the coattails of the Olympics. When Yu Qian died in her previous life, no one from her country had yet won Best Actor or Actress at the Oscars, but they’d taken home many other awards. Finally, there was real estate: prices kept rising, and house values could multiply several times over.

After telling her father everything she knew, Yu Qian hesitated, then decided to reveal that she still had another half a million, though a bank card would be necessary.

Using the same excuse to persuade her father, plus plenty of coaxing, she finally got him to convert their passbook into a bank card.

She withdrew the remaining half a million to the card, leaving 270,000 in her account. This last sum she didn’t intend to tell her parents about—she had her own plans for the future and needed to keep some funds for herself.

With the money issue settled, Yu Qian threw herself back into her studies. Yu Zhen managed to borrow all the textbooks up to the end of junior high. During their sessions, Yu Zhen discovered her sister's remarkable memory—she seemed to remember everything at first glance, and her mind was sharp and quick. Delighted, Yu Zhen kept going, teaching her as much as she could.

Days slipped by, and soon it was the end of August. Yu Zhen had to leave early for university to attend military training.

By then, Yu Qian had already reached the second-year curriculum and was ready to continue studying on her own. Whatever her parents had told her grandparents, it worked: as long as her maternal grandparents were alive, they’d receive two hundred yuan each per month as a pension; if the currency value changed, the amount would rise with inflation, but everything else would be handled by her two uncles, who were forbidden from forcing Wen Yu and her husband to contribute further. This agreement was formalized in the village, and the uncles gladly accepted—it made no difference to them since their parents had always favored their sons.

As for the million yuan, after careful consideration, her parents decided the best use was to buy property, setting aside a hundred thousand to rebuild their old house. With Yu Qian’s advice, they spent four hundred thousand to buy two apartments near the county’s high school, dividing them into single rooms to rent to students. The remaining half a million was earmarked for the provincial capital—Yu Qian wanted to attend school there. The teaching quality in the county couldn’t compare, and she hoped her parents could build their future in the city, not the small town.

Half a million sounded like a lot, but in the provincial capital, it hardly amounted to much—certainly not enough for a large apartment in the city center. After days of searching in Chengdu with his wife and daughter, and hearing about the area’s future development from Yu Qian, Yu Wen decided to buy in Shuangyang District. It was technically suburban but boasted an airport, and Yu Qian said it would become a major hub, spurring the district's growth.

Yu Wen trusted his daughter. Most importantly, property prices in Shuangyang were still low—a spacious three-bedroom apartment cost less than four hundred thousand, leaving a hundred thousand to spare. Combined with their savings over the years, it was enough to start a small business.