Chapter 42: Make Big Money, Study More, Be Independent, and Be Ourselves! Part 1

Yue Chengqi pricked up her ears. She could hear the faint, muffled sound of sobbing. It was more accurate to say she had expected it, which was why she had pulled Su Ye away from the neighboring room.

The sense of isolation surrounding Lin Wanjia was heavy. Yet, everything else about her—from the high monthly liquid capital to the fixed assets that made Yue Chengqi’s skin crawl just looking at them, to the business talent she tried to hide but occasionally leaked out—told Yue Chengqi one thing: this woman was nowhere near as simple as she appeared on the surface.

She wasn’t a parasitic dodder flower clinging to others. That meant the wealth was her own family’s foundation. And looking at the items in her home…

It wasn’t hard to guess.

Virtually everything in the house visible to the naked eye—including that hairdryer “hunted” from the provincial capital—was a Guangzhou product. Specifically, they were all products of the Qining Group.

Goods from the Qining Group were still prohibitively expensive in the Shan Province market.

But if her family was that wealthy, why was she staying here? Why was she so lonely? Why did she need to fabricate the existence of a person to create a backstory for a child she had spent a fortune to have?

Lin Wanjia was often so lonely that it made people forget she might even have a family. If she was this capable, why didn’t her family come to accompany her?

Yue Chengqi didn’t know. But she knew that Su Ye’s truly accidental proposal was worth more than any Guangzhou luxury—it was worth a level of trust that couldn’t be bought.

It also bought tears.

She gently pressed down on the restless young girl and shook her head. “Don’t go over there. Let Sister Mingfang and Sister Wanjia be alone for a while.”

Su Ye settled down, rubbing her brow. “Should I have waited a couple of days to say it? I feel like I haven’t prepared anything yet. It feels like I’m just talking big.”

“So we’ll prepare,” Yue Chengqi said. “Didn’t they say they have two weeks? Two weeks is enough for you to cram all of this. I’ll handle the registration process. In two weeks, you’ll be Boss Su.”

It sounded easy when spoken, just the flapping of lips. But when it came time to put it into action, a sense of panic began to stir within.

Su Ye asked, “I’ll succeed, right?” She looked at Yue Chengqi, gripping her own hands tightly, looking a bit lost.

This was a huge step. It was the first time she had ever taken such a massive leap forward.

Yue Chengqi knelt in front of her and nodded.

Su Ye whispered, “I… I didn’t make a mistake, did I?”

She wasn’t asking about market dynamics. She was asking about her decision to name the business after Wanjia.

The girl scratched her head. “It just came to me suddenly. I didn’t have a complete plan. I just felt I should give Sister Wanjia something. She… she’s too important. Her family doesn’t value her, but I love her. I value her. I… I didn’t mess up, right?”

If Yue Chengqi could figure these things out, how could Su Ye, who had been with Lin Wanjia for so many years, not have realized them?

Yue Chengqi smiled slightly, gently cupping Su Ye’s face. Her thumb brushed the corner of the girl’s eye. “There’s no right or wrong in things like this. It’s enough that you did what your heart desired, isn’t it? But since you chose that name, you can’t embarrass Sister Wanjia. People further away might not know, but everyone around here will understand the connection.”

“Let’s start the tutoring. You must master this professional knowledge. Only then can you achieve what you want.”

“Okay.”

The girl grabbed another notebook and stacked it to the side. “Ah Huan, can I ask you questions whenever I have them?”

“Yes. I’ll start preparing the filing materials tomorrow morning. You just focus on studying. When I’m out running the registration, you can look after the shop.”

“Okay. Oh, and Ah Huan, can I ask Qi Sheng to come and learn with us? I think it would be very useful for her too.”

Yue Chengqi’s hand, which was tidying the desk, paused for a moment. She slowly picked up a stack of books and tapped them gently against the table to align them. She whispered, “Sure. We probably won’t be able to handle everything with just the two of us anyway.”

“I knew Ah Huan wouldn’t be stingy!” The girl turned around, hugged Yue Chengqi’s waist, and rubbed against her, speaking in a deliberately cutesy voice.

Yue Chengqi smiled helplessly, pressing her hand on Su Ye’s head to push her back toward the desk. “Get back to your books.” Inside, however, she felt a sudden chill.

It froze her from the soles of her feet to the top of her head, feeling nothing like the end of June or early July.

The Next Day

Qi Sheng sat obediently by the counter. In front of her was a page of the same handwritten notes. She watched, copied, and organized her notes just like Su Ye. After only two lines, she frowned and held up the paper. “A trademark is a name, and it needs a scope of business. So why does the business license need one too?”

“Aren’t a business license and a trademark the same thing?”

Su Ye looked up and couldn’t help but chuckle. “Little dummy Qi Sheng, big dummy Yue Huan… there are so many dummies in our house.”

Qi Sheng pouted. “What! Why?”

Su Ye shook her head and grabbed a bag of White Rabbit Creamy Candy from the side. “Look at this White Rabbit. This picture and the words—that’s the trademark. The trademark has a scope, meaning it can only be used within that scope. If it’s used elsewhere, it’s either the company misusing it illegally, or someone is stealing it. Understand?”

“Mm-hmm.”

“So the trademark protects rights. That way, if someone uses our name to do something, we can take our registered trademark certificate and go give them a smack with a hoe!”

“The business license, on the other hand, proves we are qualified to hold that trademark. It’s a record for the authorities so that if something goes wrong, they can find us. We won’t be able to run away, so everyone can feel safe and bold when buying our things!”

Qi Sheng looked thoughtful and then gave a long, “Oh! I see!”

Yue Chengqi, who was carrying things in, laughed. She had heard almost the entire explanation since entering the door. She teased, “One who just learned it last night is teaching the one who just learned it this morning. You two are certainly bold.”

Su Ye glared at her. “What’s wrong? Was I wrong?”

“No, you’re right. Very right. But there’s one thing to note.” Yue Chengqi walked over, habitually stroking Su Ye’s head. “Don’t hit people with hoes. Solve problems through legal and compliant means.”

Su Ye: “…”

While Qi Sheng was still curiously asking why she said that, Su Ye had already reacted. She slapped the hand away from her head and barked, “Go away!”

Yue Chengqi laughed and gripped the counter, leaning against it. “How’s the learning going?”

It was a pointless question because there was only one answer—

“Great, very great,” the proud girl said, preening like a peacock.

Yue Chengqi asked, “Then, do you want to establish your company as a Limited Liability Company or a Joint-Stock Company?”

“Limited Liability,” Su Ye answered instantly.

Yue Chengqi smiled.

She wasn’t worried about Su Ye at all. This girl was too smart; her mind spun lightning-fast, and she memorized things just as quickly. As long as she was willing to learn, mastering this knowledge would only take a few days.

Qi Sheng was slightly slower. She flipped through her notes and asked in confusion, “But a joint-stock company can raise money. For limited liability, can’t things like houses, cars, and technology be used as equity? Isn’t that hard to start?”

Su Ye coughed twice and tilted her head up with pride. “Because we don’t have enough people yet to start a joint-stock company! Besides, limited liability can also raise money, and we need fewer people to do it!”

Qi Sheng took a moment to process this before scratching the back of her head. “Then… do you guys need money?”

Su Ye: “Yeah, definitely.”

Qi Sheng grinned. “I brought some! Ta-da! My hard-earned savings from several months. I want to join too!”

The other two were stunned. They looked at each other. Su Ye said, “Xiao Sheng, we already counted you in. You don’t need to put up money. We can do this together.”

“No, I have to give it. Consider this money a loan to you guys. Just pay me back before I turn twenty!”

Seeing that she couldn’t be swayed, Su Ye started counting the money. Yue Chengqi asked curiously, “Why twenty?”

Qi Sheng said sincerely, “Because before my mom passed away, she told me to get married at twenty. Can you guys help me look for a good match?”

Su Ye’s hands stopped. Yue Chengqi also fell silent.

The topic was too heavy. Su Ye suddenly didn’t know how to handle the cash in her hands. She even wanted to push it back, but doing so might push the girl in front of her straight into a pit.

She didn’t notice the secretive glance the person beside her cast her way.

Su Ye thought for a moment and said, “But that’s what she said before she left. You don’t have to do it.”

“I have to!” Qi Sheng said. “If I’m not obedient, she’ll hit me. She’ll even come into my dreams to hit me.”

The two of them: “…”

Qi Sheng pleaded, “Boss, just take it. You’re definitely going to lead me, and I’ll definitely work hard!”

But Su Ye was still stuck on the previous issue. She knew she couldn’t change Qi Sheng’s mind in a single day, but she still wanted to say: “You don’t have to listen to her. Do you want to? Do you want to give up your great life?”

“Is that something I can even ‘want’?”

The two: …

Su Ye got anxious. “Of course you have to think about it! It’s not your mom living your life for you. You’re so smart—you can make several thousand in just a few months. If you keep going, you’ll be a ‘Ten-Thousand-Yuan Household’ by next year. A nineteen-year-old ten-thousand-yuan household! Why settle down so early?”

Qi Sheng looked lost. “My mom said… that way there will be someone to take care of me.”

“Who takes care of whom is still up for debate!” Su Ye scoffed. “Don’t think about this anymore. I won’t agree until you’re truly grown and sensible. Don’t forget: ‘Once a teacher, always a mother.’ Now, before you make any big life decisions, you have to ask me! I’ll take the money, but not as a loan. It’s an investment. I’ll give you a 10% stake. How’s that?”

The girl’s eyes widened suddenly. “No! This is only two thousand yuan! You can’t!”

Forgetting her confusion, she stood up to grab her money back. “No, it’s only two thousand. 10% is too much. Boss, don’t be like this.”

It was Yue Huan who stopped her. Qi Sheng turned in surprise, only to see a fleeting, bitter smile on Yue Huan’s face before it returned to a calm expression. She pressed Qi Sheng back into her seat and said softly, as if giving an instruction, “Listen to her. Otherwise, she’s going to cry.”

Qi Sheng pouted. “I’m going to cry too.”

Yue Chengqi: “…” You bunch of crybabies! You’re just bullying me because I don’t know how to cry!

She sat to the side with her arms crossed, feeling stifled.

Su Ye continued, “Just treat it as a capital-protected investment with me. Don’t think about taking it back, and definitely don’t think about getting married at twenty. Look at Sister Wanjia, look at Sister Mingfang, and look at this stinky Yue Huan. Which one of them is married? Follow me and learn well. Let’s work hard and make a good life for ourselves first. Once you’ve thought it through, then decide if you want to step into the next phase of life, okay?”

“But my mom…”

“Agh! What moms say isn’t always right! I grew up without a mom. Does that mean the path I’ve taken is wrong?”

Qi Sheng shook her head in confusion. She looked at her book for a while, then couldn’t help but look up. “Then my mom…”

She hesitated. “Was she… wrong?”

This was a very serious topic.

The predicament the young girl faced was direct. If handled poorly, her convictions could collapse, leaving her with nothing. After all, that was her mother—the person closest to a child’s heart, no matter what.

Su Ye looked at her reddening eyes, reached out, and gently pressed her hand on Qi Sheng’s head. She said warmly, “The world isn’t just black and white. Many things can’t be judged as simply right or wrong.”