My wife and I are both time travelers.

Chapter 111 Blossoms
"So what do you think? Is this your own idea, or do you and Fourth Sister both think this way?"

Lin Ying asked with a smile, and Lin Wen said shyly, "Actually, Fourth Sister thinks the same way as me. We both feel that we can't just stay at home and freeload like this. We have hands and feet, and we can't always rely on Second Sister and Brother-in-law, right? And... and..."

Lin Wen didn't finish her sentence, but Lin Ying knew what she wanted to say. Although they both came from small towns, they had been quite independent since childhood due to their family backgrounds. After coming to Shanghai and experiencing initial difficulties, they met Lin Ying and settled down here.

Although they have no worries about food or clothing and have Fang Manxia as an elder to teach them carefully, others might be happy with it, but for Lin Wen and the others, the more they have this, the more they want to do something.

After all, her sister's house wasn't her own. She couldn't rely on her sister and brother-in-law forever. Besides, the place they were living in now wasn't actually her sister and brother-in-law's house; Fang Manxia was the real owner.

They couldn't go on like this forever, could they? Having dropped out of school at a young age to help with chores, they had long understood one thing: people have to rely on themselves. Moreover, the stories Fang Manxia told them while teaching them illustrated women's independence and resilience, guiding them to be self-reliant. Perhaps she couldn't explain the profound truths clearly yet, but she already understood them in her heart.

Lin Wen mustered up the courage to ask Lin Ying for help today precisely because she didn't want to continue being idle. She desperately wanted to be truly independent in Shanghai, earn money like her second sister, and thus have the ability to live here.

She couldn't do all of this on her own. She was unfamiliar with the place and had barely ever been outside. At most, she would wander around the neighborhood. Even if she had these ideas, she couldn't go out on her own and could only ask Lin Ying for help.

"So what do you want to do?" Lin Ying asked with a smile.

"Anything is fine!" Lin Wen blurted out, but then lowered her head shyly. "I... I was just thinking about whether I could start a small business. The old lady told me that when you and your husband first came here, you started with a small business to stay. I can endure hardship and I'm not afraid of hardship. What you can do, I can do too!"

"I can too!"

Suddenly, Lin Xi's voice came from behind. This girl had returned to the garden at some point, and she had heard Lin Ying and the others' conversation clearly.

"Second sister, third sister and I have already discussed it. We also want to do something to earn money. Please help us, please help us, okay?" Lin Xi held Lin Ying's hand like a child, pleading incessantly. Lin Wen, standing to the side, also looked at her second sister with pleading eyes.

"Two silly girls..."

Looking at them like this, Lin Ying felt both heartache and relief. These two younger sisters had suffered so much in their hometown, and now they were so sensible. It was worth it for her to treat them so well.

But finding work isn't that easy. Lin Wen and Lin Xi are different from myself and Zhou Jiye. The reason they were able to establish themselves in Shanghai was because both Lin Ying and Zhou Jiye's souls came from the future. In addition, Lin Ying was originally from Shanghai and was determined to stay there, so she barely managed to stay by selling tea eggs.

Even so, they took a huge risk at the beginning. You have to understand that they didn't have much money left at the time. After renting the pigeon coop, they didn't have much left. Selling tea eggs at a stall was almost a gamble. If they couldn't sell the tea eggs, they would be penniless and end up on the streets.

Moreover, in the first year, the two worked hard every day from early morning to late at night to earn money, without taking a single day off. They had to deal with threats and extortion from their landlord, Aunt Wang, and her family while running their business. They worked hard to negotiate with them and finally managed to get through the tough times.

Although Lin Wen and Lin Xi were much better off than Lin Ying and the others back then, after all, when they were found, Lin Ying and Zhou Jiye's business was already doing quite well, especially the goods they brought from Lingnan in the south were selling very well, and they had a sum of money on hand. Although this sum of money was not a lot, it was enough for them to support themselves in Shanghai for many years.

However, Lin Ying never intended for her two younger sisters to follow the same path as her, starting from something like selling tea eggs at a stall, because this path suited her but not Lin Wen and Lin Xi.

Shanghai is a city where people from big cities have a sense of pride and superiority. These two girls from Northwest China can't even speak Shanghai dialect fluently now. Their thick Northwest accents immediately tell you they're from out of town. Although most people in Shanghai are kind, there are a few who look down on people from other places. If you're out in the world, you might get bullied.

Lin Wen and Lin Xi's personalities are also different from Lin Ying's. Lin Ying is good at social maneuvering and quick-witted. Moreover, she is from Shanghai and speaks fluent Shanghai dialect that is impossible to distinguish from the accent. In addition, Lin Ying has good judgment and control, as well as information about the future in her mind. Whether it is selling tea eggs, encouraging Zhou Jiye to set up a stall in the vegetable market, or now switching to selling imported goods from Lingnan, she is doing everything with ease.

But Lin Wen and Lin Xi are different. Lin Wen is a woman who is gentle on the outside but strong on the inside. She is gentle on the outside because she is soft-hearted and a little timid, and speaks in a soft voice. As for her strength on the inside, putting aside other things, you can see from her courage to run away from her hometown and marry into another family that Lin Wen can make decisive decisions at times. She is not one of those soft and weak girls who can only be bullied.

And Lin Xi? Needless to say, she's a tomboy, with a carefree and energetic personality.

The two sisters have somewhat complementary personalities, but the problem is that if they were to set up a stall, Lin Wen would probably have a hard time attracting customers, while Lin Xi, though not a problem, might explode at the slightest provocation when talking to customers, potentially leading to arguments halfway through a sale. Faced with her two younger sisters' pleas, Lin Ying didn't have a good option at the moment. She thought for a moment and said to them, "Don't rush this. Let me think about it. It's good that you want to be independent, and as your older sister, I certainly support you. But figuring out exactly how and what to do isn't so easy. Give me some time, and I'll tell you when I've thought it through, okay?"

"Really? Second Sister!" Lin Xi asked anxiously.

Without any hesitation, Lin Ying gave the girl a light tap on the forehead and rolled her eyes at her: "What? You don't believe your second sister?"

"Hehe, I believe you, of course I believe you!" Lin Xi immediately realized she had said the wrong thing, and rubbed her forehead where she had been tapped, laughing. Seeing her like this, Lin Wen, who was standing next to her, also laughed. In her opinion, her second sister was omnipotent, and since Lin Ying had promised them, she would definitely do it.

The next day, Lin Ying planned to take her two younger sisters out for a walk. They had been in Shanghai for so long and she had been so busy that she hadn't had a chance to properly show them around the metropolis.

While Zhou Jiye and the others were heading south to Lingnan, Lin Ying figured she might as well take them out for a walk since she had nothing else to do these days. Staying cooped up at home all the time wasn't good. Besides, she remembered what the two girls had told her yesterday. Lin Ying felt that no matter what arrangements she made for them or what they did, they should at least see more of the outside world and get to know Shanghai better; that would be a good thing.

He had originally planned to invite Fang Manxia out with him, but she declined with a smile.

She said she was too old and her legs weren't strong enough, so it was better for the younger generation to go out and about; she would only be a burden to them. Despite saying that, Fang Manxia was actually in good health. When she danced with Lin Ying, she was incredibly agile and didn't look her age at all.

As for why she didn't go, Lin Ying knew the answer but didn't say it out loud. She just smiled and said she would bring her some snacks from Kaisiling and Erbin Food Store when she came back.

Normally, Lin Wen and Lin Xi would just accompany Fang Manxia for walks nearby, the furthest they'd go being the vegetable market two blocks away. This time, Lin Ying was going to take them shopping in Shanghai, and the two girls were so excited they barely slept a wink all night.

Although they had been in Shanghai for quite some time, and had even spent a few days wandering around the city when they first arrived, they hadn't really been in the mood to explore it properly back then. But this time was different. Early that morning, the two of them specially changed into the new clothes that Lin Ying had bought for them, dressing themselves up neatly and beautifully. After breakfast, they greeted Fang Manxia and happily went out.

Because of the three of them, Lin Ying didn't ride a bicycle and set off on foot.

After leaving their place, Lin Ying pointed to the surrounding buildings and patiently explained to her two younger sisters the origin of Wutong District, the years in which these buildings were built, and the vicissitudes they had experienced.

Lin Wen and Lin Xi listened with great interest, occasionally asking questions. Lin Ying answered some of the questions she could, but couldn't answer the ones she didn't know. However, they could ask Fang Manxia another day, as she might know the answer.

After walking for a while, they took a bus to Nanjing Road, the most famous street in Shanghai. When the bus arrived at the stop, they got off at People's Park. Across the street was the famous International Hotel. Looking at this famous building in Shanghai, Lin Wen and Lin Xi couldn't help but look up and sigh.

"This building is so tall! It's making me dizzy..."

Lin Xi looked up and exclaimed with her mouth wide open. Her words were overheard by passersby, who couldn't help but laugh. However, the laughter was not discriminatory at all; on the contrary, it was friendly and showed pride and honor as a resident of Shanghai.

This is quite normal, though. This iconic building, constructed in 1932, has a total of 22 floors (excluding the two underground floors) and stands at a height of 83.8 meters. It remains the tallest building in Shanghai to this day, a record that stood until 1982.

Anyone who comes to Shanghai will come to see this famous building. Today, Lin Ying specially brought her two younger sisters to see it, so that they could experience the prosperity and cultural heritage of Shanghai in the most recent way.

The International Hotel is now open to the public. Last year, the restaurant on the first floor officially opened to the public, and at the beginning of this year, the East Hall Business Department opened, and a new restaurant was established in the original basement location.

Lin Ying originally wanted to take them inside for a look so they could see the interior clearly. However, when they reached the entrance, Lin Xi, who was usually quite bold, hesitated and shook her head, pulling Lin Ying's hand and saying she didn't want to go in. Lin Wen did the same. Seeing their reaction, Lin Ying smiled and didn't force them. Since they didn't want to go in, that was fine. Many things had to be done step by step. They weren't used to it yet, but there would be plenty of opportunities in the future.

(End of this chapter)