In May 1998, the government introduced policies such as personal housing loans and encouraged citizens to take out loans to buy houses.

When Meng Suihuan saw this news, her clear, bright eyes sparkled with delight. The tide was finally turning. Some sharp-minded individuals had already noticed the government’s direction and were beginning to act on it. Meanwhile, those slower to react hadn’t given it much thought.

At Xuyu Company, most people, under Meng Suihuan’s guidance, chose to take out loans to buy houses. After all, opportunities like this were rare and precious.

Around this time, Lu Xiuhe mustered her courage to approach Meng Suihuan. Standing in front of her, she gritted her teeth and said, “Huan Meimei, I’d like to borrow some money from you.”

Meng Suihuan had already guessed Lu Xiuhe’s intentions. She looked at the older woman with satisfaction. For Lu Xiuhe, this was a huge step forward. She had bravely taken her first step, and now this was the second. She was becoming independent, dreaming of owning a house of her own.

Without hesitation, Meng Suihuan agreed and reminded her, “Xiuhe Jie, our project is about to finish soon, and your side will be getting busier.”

Lu Xiuhe smiled, her face now radiating more strength and confidence compared to before. “I’m always ready on my end.”

Looking at the young woman before her, Lu Xiuhe’s smile deepened. She felt that the best decision she’d ever made in her life was following Meng Suihuan out of Lu Village. She had experienced a different world and realized that women didn’t have to live by depending on men. There was another way!

In June of the same year, the school district housing and commercial city projects were completed.

Meng Suihuan led her team to meticulously inspect every detail of the project. Once it was confirmed that everything was perfect, everyone breathed a sigh of relief and cheered. They couldn’t help but dream about what kind of miracle they would create this time.

While the project team had wrapped up, Lu Xiuhe’s work was just beginning. Over the past six months, she had been studying diligently and even teaching herself how to draw. With Jiang Chengxuan’s extensive connections, she had plenty of opportunities to practice and gain experience. The more she learned, the more she fell in love with this industry.

She also came to realize that Meng Suihuan’s praise back then wasn’t mere flattery but genuine admiration.

Lu Xiuhe threw herself wholeheartedly into design. In just a few days, she had created several interior design plans, each in different styles, accompanied by simplified illustrations.

When Meng Suihuan reviewed the designs, she immediately approved them.

Zhao Chen selected a group of people to handle Mr. Sun’s project, while the rest were all assigned to Lu Xiuhe’s team to assist her.

As for Meng Suihuan herself, she wasn’t idle either. She took this opportunity to return to Lu Village for a visit.

This time, everyone in the village looked at her differently, their eyes filled with admiration and pride. After all, the video of Meng Suihuan accepting her award had been broadcast across every village in Shuangyang County by the county television station. Everyone had seen it clearly!

“Meng girl, it’s been so long since you last came back. You look completely different now!”

“Haha, I always knew Meng girl was capable and smart. Look at what she’s accomplished in such a short time. Last time I visited that commercial street, it was so lively!”

“…”

Of course, there was also plenty of negative gossip.

“Hah, what’s the use of having money? Character matters more. If I had a daughter who sent her own parents and siblings to prison, I’d want to strangle her myself!”
“Exactly! I can’t stand ungrateful people like that.”

Over the past few months, everyone in Lu Village had heard about the Meng family being imprisoned. When the news first broke, it was like a bombshell, causing shockwaves throughout the village. Naturally, there were those who criticized her actions.

“Sun JIe, that’s not fair to say. It was clearly Meng Weidong and his family’s fault. They even tried to steal confidential documents from their daughter’s company! In my opinion, a two-year sentence is already lenient.”
“Exactly! People like that need to face some consequences; otherwise, who knows what they’d do next time?”

Meng Suihuan dismissed such remarks with a smile, not letting the idle gossip weigh on her mind.

Meanwhile, the Lu family parents had already received word that their daughter-in-law was coming home. They hurriedly set aside their work to welcome her. Despite not seeing each other for six months, Lu Mother showed no hint of unfamiliarity; in fact, she was even more enthusiastic than before.

“Xiao Huan, why didn’t Xiuhe come back with you?”
Meng Suihuan smiled. “Mom, Xiuhe Jie is busy with a project and couldn’t leave. Once it’s done, I’ll have her come visit you.”
“Ai, I went to see Xiuhe last time. She’s so much more cheerful now. It’s all thanks to you!”

The group exchanged pleasantries for a while. Lu Mother asked about her work, and Meng Suihuan didn’t hold back, sharing some interesting stories that made her laugh heartily.

Once the conversation wound down, Meng Suihuan finally got to the point.
“Mom, I’m planning to open a large supermarket, and by then, the vegetables from our factory can be sold there directly.”

She explained her idea in detail, and the more they listened, the brighter their smiles became.

“Xiao Huan, Mom will handle this for you. By the way, our factory has been working on some new vegetable varieties…”

It turned out there was a rival vegetable retailer competing with the Lu family’s factory. Not one to back down, Lu Mother had come up with several innovative ideas, bringing a lot of vitality to the business. Over the past six months, the factory had been thriving.

Listening to this, Meng Suihuan couldn’t help but smile as well.

Later, Lu Mother brought out the family account book and a passbook.
“The money earned from the vegetable factory, Mom has saved it all for you. You and Xiuhe need more money living in the city than we do. This time, you’re not allowed to refuse.”

Meng Suihuan glanced at the balance in the passbook — about 200,000 yuan. She quickly calculated that this was probably all the factory’s earnings.

However, she didn’t take it.
“Mom, this money was earned through your and Dad’s hard work. It belongs to you both…”

The Lu parents refused to accept this, and after some back-and-forth, they finally reached a compromise: Meng Suihuan would take 30% of the factory’s profits, while the Lu parents kept 70%. Even then, the parents were reluctant.

After more persuasion, they settled on a new division: 40% for Meng Suihuan and 60% for the Lu parents.

Meng Suihuan also discussed the details of the arrangement with Meng Changsheng to ensure everything was clear.

Once all the matters were settled, Meng Suihuan returned to Shuangyang County.

Watching the latest news on the television screen, Meng Suihuan’s face lit up with a radiant smile.

The era of commercialized real estate had arrived.