Why did you provoke me?

"I've called a car and had the driver take you to the hotel. I still need to make some arrangements here. You can rest for the night, and I'll come find you tomorrow," Li Yiqing said to Jiang Mingfeng.

Jiang Mingfeng nodded repeatedly, assuring everyone that he would take good care of the person.

"Big sister, can we go home tomorrow? I miss my mom so much."

"Yes. We'll tell my cousin tomorrow and then we'll leave. We don't need to worry about things here."

Yu Meng was happy. "I wonder if you've missed me."

"They must miss you. It's the first time you've been away from home for so many days, I bet everyone back home misses you." Dali finished getting ready and lay down on the big bed.

"Big sister, when are we going shopping? I want to buy gifts for Dad, Mom, and my brother."

"Let's do it tomorrow morning. I heard there's a morning market in the city, so we can go there to buy things."

"Do you know where it is?"

"I don't know? Isn't there Jiang Mingfeng? He must know." Dali closed her eyes.

She was exhausted today too.

Yu Meng saw her eldest sister close her eyes, knowing she was tired, so she stopped talking.

She organized all the things she had made and put them in a small box. These things were not finished products; they were just made into bead shapes for easy carrying.

After returning home, she would do some further processing. This time, she made ordinary jewelry. Initially, the shop had no reputation; even if you had very high-end products, you weren't guaranteed to sell them.

Yu Meng had an idea in her mind. The ice in the river hadn't melted yet. She wanted to go and see if a second layer of ice could be peeled off.

I fell asleep without realizing it.

Upon returning, Li Yiqing immediately went to see Minister He, who had organized the data collection mission.

This is a former minister in charge of the Department of Energy. He had a certain relationship with his grandfather.

After exchanging greetings, Li Yiqing didn't waste any more words and simply placed the safe on the table.

"Minister He, we've acquired some good stuff this time. Would you mind taking a look and seeing if there's anything you like?"

Minister He was a tall, thin old man with squinting eyes and a very kind smile on his face.

"You little brat, you're here to curry favor with me, aren't you? You're making me make a mistake."

Li Yiqing touched his nose and didn't say anything. Since the items were already there, he wouldn't be picky about anything under twenty; he'd just go register and hand them in, calculate their value, and collect his reward.

Minister He walked over and said, "Just like your grandfather, you're a cunning little fox. If I hadn't come over, would you have made me lose a hundred million?"

"How could I? I wouldn't dare. I still want to make a living under your patronage." Li Yiqing chuckled.

Open the safe. It was packed full of boxes, big and small, leaving no space at all.

"You little rascal, you didn't bring back both the fragrant and the foul ones, did you?" Minister He said, taking a small box off the shelf.

A piece of stone, about a foot in size, is displayed before you. Its varying shades of color resemble a natural landscape painting, and through it, you can almost see the vicissitudes of time.

He gently touched it with his hand. "Don't tell me this whole box is..."

"Of course, all of them! There are some bigger ones down there too." Li Yiqing's lips curled up, and he couldn't suppress his smugness.

"You hired an external exposé expert? How much did you spend?" Minister He cut to the chase.

Li Yiqing's smile paused for a moment, "She's my aunt's daughter-in-law, so she's not an outsider."

"The one who married into the town?"

Li Yiqing nodded silently. When his aunt wanted to marry into the town, it infuriated the old man. Which family wouldn't want their daughter to marry up? But his aunt was different; she married into the town. Back then, she was ridiculed in their circle for several years.

"She's a lucky woman."

Li Yiqing didn't know who this "she" was referring to.

Stone skin isn't just for decoration; it has applications in many other areas. Because it takes a long time to form stone pillars and mountains, its molecules are very stable. This stable molecular structure means it can play a special role in certain fields.

Seeing Old He deep in thought, Li Yiqing recalled Dali's plan to teach people how to peel the outer layer of stone. A thought struck him. "I have some good news to tell you, sir. Do you have time?"

Minister He looked up at Li Yiqing. "You said it's a good thing, how could I not listen?"

"Mr. He, let's sit over there and listen to what I have to say. I guarantee that after you hear it, you'll feel as refreshed as if you'd eaten a slice of chilled watermelon on a hot summer day."

"Good lad, if it's not like you said, I'll beat you until I'm satisfied."

The two sat down, and Li Yiqing told them about Dali's willingness to give a long lecture on how to peel off the outer layer of a stone.

Minister He was puzzled. "She has no reason to do this. She gets nothing but fame."

Li Yiqing secretly admired him. No wonder he was able to be friends with his grandfather. His way of thinking and ideas were so profound that he probably wouldn't believe it unless you explained it clearly.

"Oh, it's like this, her younger sister wants to open a specialty store in the city, so she's helping her sister promote it."

"How old are your aunt's children? How old is his wife's younger sister?" Minister He gave Li Yiqing a meaningful look.

"Ambition knows no age. Her younger sister is more capable than her older sister, but she's too young and might cause trouble," Li Yiqing said thoughtfully.

"What were you originally planning to do?" Minister He asked another question.

"Sir, please, don't ask anymore. I originally planned to organize a small tea party within a small circle of people I know. But after meeting you, my horizons have broadened instantly."

"Hmph, you're smart enough to know what's good for you. I'll have someone arrange this, and I'll let you know when it's all set. As for her sister opening a specialty store, do you have any leads?"

Li Yiqing immediately understood, "They're just talking, they haven't done a single thing yet."

"Alright, leave this to me. I'll definitely find her a good shop and a good manager."

Li Yiqing quickly interrupted Minister He. "I have a candidate. The little girl agrees too."

"Fine, the shop is mine, the person is yours, and the money belongs to that little girl. But there's one condition: if I need anything, she has to lend a hand, and of course, I won't let her suffer any losses."

Li Yiqing's expression became more serious. "I need to talk to her about this before I can agree to it."

"Aren't you going to bring us along to meet you?"

Li Yiqing shook her head. "If it weren't for the long distance, she would have wanted to go home overnight. She said she misses her mother."

Minister He paused for a moment, then asked, "How old is she?"

Li Yiqing chuckled, "It'll only be twelve after the New Year."

"You're being ridiculous. She's still a child. How can you bear to let her go to the group?"

Li Yiqing's expression remained unchanged. "She deserves a lot of credit for the things here."

Minister He opened his mouth, but ultimately said nothing.