In Lu Nan’s hometown, there is a custom: on the first day of the Lunar New Year, people do not visit relatives or friends, wash dishes, sweep the floor, or take out the trash. It’s a day when laziness is fully justified. 

However, early in the morning, Ms. Huang still woke her two children: “You must eat longevity noodles on the first morning of the New Year! After eating, you can go back to sleep.” 

But after eating, they were already wide awake—how could they fall back asleep? 

The siblings didn’t dare to look unhappy on the first day of the year, so they put on forced smiles and finished their bowls of longevity noodles. 

Since they were already awake, there was no point going back to bed. Lu Yang happily spent the morning playing computer games, took a short nap after lunch, and then got up to do his homework. 

In this respect, Lu Nan always admired her younger brother—he had even greater self-discipline than she did. 

Inspired by her brother, Lu Nan also turned on her laptop to start writing. 

She noticed a message on her messaging app—it was from Ye Yiming. 

As she had expected, his reply was somewhat cold. 

Maybe my message really spoiled his mood. But the reality is, we’re not suitable for each other. It’s best not to stay in contact. 

Closing the chat window, Lu Nan opened her document and got to work. 

… 

On the second day of the New Year, Lu Nan went to her aunt’s house for a meal. She brought two bottles of Yuan Chuan Tequ three-year liquor, priced at 188 yuan each at the supermarket—this was her standard New Year’s gift for all elders except her grandmother, treating everyone equally. She also brought some cured meat and pastries, totalling around 500 yuan. Technically, it was a bit more generous than the gifts she received from the Huang family, but Lu Nan explained that she got an internal discount, maintaining appearances for the other families. 

She noticed her younger uncle’s wife smiling with satisfaction, probably calculating the price difference between the classic and the premium liquor. 

When the whole family gathered, chatting was inevitable. The elders shared interesting stories from work or daily life but mostly talked about the younger generation. 

Since Lu Nan had just started working, she attracted as much attention as her cousin Jingjing (eldest aunt’s daughter), who had gotten married in the first half of the previous year. 

Ms. Huang, knowing that this day was meant to celebrate her niece bringing her new husband home for a visit, restrained herself and didn’t say much. She just repeated some things she had said during New Year’s Eve dinner, still in a seemingly critical tone that was actually full of praise. 

But did her elder sister not know her by now? 

Her aunt rolled her eyes at Ms. Huang: “Your daughter is so capable of making money, and you’re still saying she’s this and that? Let me tell you all—last year, Nan Nan was so impressive, she earned enough to buy three homes and a car. Now she’s even in charge of an entire city. And she’s still not good enough for you?” The last part was directed at her younger brothers and their wives. 

This statement had so much information that the whole Huang family was stunned. 

That’s how you know these two sisters have a tacit understanding—by revealing how much Nan Nan had earned, her elder sister gave Ms. Huang a reason to feel proud again: My daughter bought a Mercedes-Benz with money she earned herself, not from her dad. She just graduated from college and already has such great abilities! 

Back then, Ms. Huang only dared tell her sister because of their close bond, and also because she understood the nuances of family relationships at her age: if her daughter’s earnings from the stock market hadn’t been spent yet, she absolutely wouldn’t have mentioned them to relatives—not even to close family. 

But now, the money had indeed been earned—and spent. 

In fact, her daughter still had mortgage and car loans, so there was no longer any fear of relatives asking to borrow money. 

The eldest uncle was most interested in the stock market: “Lu Nan invested in stocks? Which ones? Which stock made the profit?” 

Feeling a bit complicated inside, Lu Nan shared the name of a certain media company’s stock. 

The eldest uncle exclaimed: “I know that stock! It went up by over 600%! I regretted not buying it back in September, but all my stock-trading friends said it wasn’t a good idea by then… sigh, I almost bought it.” 

Considering that her unexpected windfall was somewhat thanks to her uncle’s mention of the stock, Lu Nan carefully said: “I actually don’t know much about the stock market; I was just trying it out. But now that I work in the liquor industry, I think there are a few companies worth watching.” 

She named three liquor companies. While their stocks might not skyrocket, she was confident that over the next two or three years they would rise steadily—gaining around 10% annually, a reasonable and achievable figure. 

After hearing this, her uncle curiously asked: “You work at Yuan Chuan, right? Why not recommend your own company’s stock?” 

“Well… it’s not something I can comment on. But if you really want to invest in our company’s stock, maybe wait another year or two,” Lu Nan advised. She then emphasized, “As for the three companies I mentioned earlier, you could try investing a little. But there’s always risk in the stock market, and I might not be right.” 

Ms. Huang, worried that her elder brother might lose money and cause awkwardness within the family, quickly interrupted: “Your uncle is an experienced investor; he doesn’t need advice from a kid.” 

But the eldest uncle took it seriously and even noted it down on his phone. He wasn’t betting on Lu Nan’s investment skills—he believed in her luck: “Seriously, don’t laugh. Some beginners are just lucky.” 

The younger aunt agreed enthusiastically, asking him to forward the three stock names to her so she could invest a little too. 

“You all just want to get rich overnight. I’m different—I believe in real estate,” said the elder aunt with a glance at her husband. She then asked Lu Nan about the properties she had purchased. 

At first, Ms. Huang had only seen the property ownership certificates. But later, curiosity got the best of her and she secretly took the bus to check out the neighborhood. So now, she was fairly informed: “It’s an old community on the outskirts, but the subway will reach it soon. All three units are small, easy to rent out. For now, the rent covers the mortgage.” 

All the women present—except the grandmother and the younger aunt, who was more interested in quick wealth—nodded approvingly. 

Two words summed it up: stable investment. 

When they heard Lu Nan had even mortgaged two of the fully-paid apartments to generate capital for her mother, even the eldest aunt—normally cautious in expressing opinions—gave Lu Nan genuine praise. 

Some things couldn’t be said in front of everyone, but after dinner, the eldest aunt pulled Ms. Huang aside for a heart-to-heart: “You’re in a much better state now than you were a few years ago.” 

Ms. Huang nodded: “When I think back to those years, it felt like I was sleepwalking every day.” 

“I’ve wanted to tell you this for a long time: A mother becomes stronger because of her children. Don’t let Lu Nan and Lu Yang down.” 

The eldest aunt patted her on the shoulder. 

… 

At around 9 PM, after leaving her aunt’s house, Lu Nan received a message while she was driving. She didn’t check it immediately but could already guess—it was likely from her father, confirming the time and place to meet the next morning. 

Back at her building, after parking, she glanced at the message. Sure enough, it was straight to the point: “8 AM tomorrow, at the entrance.” 

Ms. Huang casually asked, “From your dad?” 

Lu Nan nodded. “Gotta get up early tomorrow, leaving at 8.” 

“Oh,” Ms. Huang said, and left it at that. 

The next morning at 7 AM, Ms. Huang knocked on her daughter’s door: “Get up and have breakfast.” 

Lu Nan: “…” 

“Hurry up. Your dad is very punctual. If you’re even five minutes late, he’ll remember it for ten years,” Ms. Huang Li said impatiently. 

Lu Nan: …Well, Mom, to be honest, when it comes to time management, I’m not exactly bad either. Really, I could wake up at 7:30 and still be ready in time — I’m fast. 

Although her daughter didn’t say anything, Ms. Huang somehow managed to read her expression and snorted, “After breakfast, change clothes and put on a bit of makeup. You’re in your twenties now; it wouldn’t hurt to dress up a little before going out. Get up, quick!” 

Understanding that her mother was strangely particular today, Lu Nan decided it was better to go along with it on the small things. 

At 7:50, Lu Nan put on her shoes and headed out. Ms. Huang stood at the entrance, wiped her hands on her apron, then tidied her daughter’s hair a little. She hesitated as if wanting to say something but ultimately remained silent. 

“Visiting relatives never takes long. This year won’t be an exception,” Lu Nan said with a smile. “I’ll definitely make it back in time for Grandma’s late-night barbecue.” 

“You’re taking your dad’s car, right? You’ll have to drive back later.” 

“Yeah, that’s the plan,” Lu Nan nodded. 

“…Drive carefully on the way back. No need to rush.” 

Lu Nan nodded again. 

When she reached the community entrance, it was 7:55. 

Three minutes later, her father’s car pulled up at the corner. 

After the car came to a stop, Lu Nan got into the front passenger seat and fastened her seatbelt. 

Trying to make conversation, her father said, “I thought you’d say you’d drive back yourself this year. You’ve got a new car, after all.” 

“Some of the roads back home aren’t in great condition. My car has a low chassis — it could get scratched.” 

“Oh. What did you buy?” 

How laughable — only now did he think to ask what she bought. Perhaps he really didn’t care about spending a couple hundred thousand yuan. 

Lu Nan answered casually, “A Mercedes-Benz C-Class. All in, it cost a little over 400,000.” 

“Your mom gave you money? That’s rare.” Her father chuckled with an unreadable expression. 

Lu Nan glanced at him. “No, I made a bit of money from stocks.” 

Just like Ms. Huang, her father trusted what Lu Nan said — they both knew she never lied, even as a child. 

Given that she could afford a car worth over 400,000, it obviously wasn’t just a small profit. Her father didn’t press further and simply said, “The stock market is risky. Make sure you manage it well. How’s work going?” 

“It’s alright. I’m working in the liquor industry. I brought you two bottles — I’ll give them to you when we get back tonight.” 

“Oh.” 

The conversation was patchy and formal, slightly distant. 

As expected, her father was efficient: in a single day, he managed to take Lu Nan to visit seven ancestral graves and drop by four relatives’ homes. 

Dinner was at Lu Nan’s eldest aunt’s house. Upon seeing Lu Nan, her aunt remarked how grown-up she looked now and then asked, “Why didn’t your mom come?” As she asked, she gave her brother — Lu Nan’s father — a sharp glare. 

No one mentioned in front of Lu Nan that her father had another child now, but everyone clearly knew that Lu Nan must already be aware. 

“My mom’s been busy lately,” Lu Nan simply said, mentioning that Ms. Huang was running a small business now without going into details. 

The return trip was even quieter than the trip out. 

As they neared home, her father asked, “Is your mom at home?” 

“No, she went to Grandma’s place.” 

So, he dropped Lu Nan off at her apartment building and spotted her bright red Mercedes, objectively commenting, “Looks nice.” 

Lu Nan retrieved the bottles of aged liquor she had prepared from the trunk and handed them to her father. 

Her father then took two thick red envelopes from the center console and said, “One for you, one for your brother.” 

Lu Nan accepted them. As her father turned to get back in the car, she looked at his slightly hunched back and thinning hair and said, “Doing business is risky. Don’t ever casually act as a guarantor for someone.” 

The comment came a bit out of nowhere. Her father assumed she must have heard something from his ex-wife and nodded. “Mm.”