The younger sister mistakenly identified her brother when visiting relatives and was kissed by the c

These words are nine parts false and one part true.

The money did indeed belong to the Qiao family, but it was definitely not given by Qiao Mingzhu; rather, it was obtained through her own "zero-yuan purchases."

However, this excuse was perfect.

As expected, upon hearing this reasonable explanation, Bai's parents and Bai Zhengyuan finally relaxed, and the fear on their faces gradually faded.

Bai Zhengyuan loosened his grip on his sister's wrist, and a pang of heartache flashed in his eyes as he looked at the red mark on her fair wrist.

He sighed deeply, his tone complex: "You little rascal... you're incredibly bold! But..."

His gaze instantly turned sharp and protective: "You're right! This is what the Qiao family owes you! They owe you twenty years of blood debt, what's a little money? This is the compensation you deserve! This money is clean and honest, no one can find fault with it!"

Bai Zhengyuan pushed the thick wad of cash towards Qiao Xinxin, his tone softening: "Xinxin, since you brought this money with you, keep it safe. Wrap it up in some newspapers and put it at the bottom of your trunk as your dowry. When you get to your husband's family, having money in your pocket will give you more confidence!"

But Qiao Xinxin shook her head without hesitation, stretched out her hands, and forcefully pushed the pile of money in front of Bai Zhengyuan and her parents.

"No way!" she said firmly. "I want to take this money and use it as capital for our family business!"

"Oh my god!"

Upon hearing this, Bai's mother panicked and quickly reached out to push the money away, as if it were a hot potato: "Xinxin, this is your future dowry money! How can you waste it? Listen to your mother, quickly put it away! When you find a good family that will love you, you can take it with you in style..."

"mom!"

Qiao Xinxin pouted and interrupted her mother, "I'm only twenty years old, why the rush to get married? Right now, I only have one thought in my mind—to make our family's life prosperous and thriving!"

"Our family has finally reunited, and I don't want to see my parents picking up rotten vegetable leaves for a few cents anymore, nor do I want my older brother to spend his entire salary on household expenses every month, unable to even afford a new piece of clothing! Rather than letting this money sit at the bottom of a box getting moldy, I'd rather use it to do something worthwhile and make it grow! Please trust me this once, I'm really confident!"

These heartfelt words were like a warm current, striking the hearts of the Bai family of three.

Bai's mother covered her mouth, tears streaming down her face again.

Mr. Bai turned his head and secretly wiped his reddened eyes.

Bai Zhengyuan gazed deeply at his younger sister, who was both delicate and incredibly resilient, his chest heaving violently.

Finally, he gritted his teeth, pressed down on the wad of banknotes, and made his decision: "Fine! We'll listen to Xin Xin!"

"However—" he changed the subject, adopting a soldier's meticulousness, "We can't invest all this money! Two thousand dollars is too risky. Let's do it in two steps! First, we'll take out a portion to test the waters, set up a small stall, and stock up on some goods. If we make a profit, we'll expand further. If we lose money, we'll stop immediately and not linger!"

Bai Zhengyuan separated one thousand yuan and stuffed it back into Qiao Xinxin's hand, saying firmly, "You must keep the remaining one thousand yuan! There's no room for discussion!"

Qiao Xinxin felt a warm current flow through her heart as she looked at the thousand yuan that had been forcibly stuffed back into her hand.

She knew this was her older brother's responsibility as a man, and also the whole family's unconditional love and care for her.

She raised her sweet and lovely small face, her eyes crinkling as she nodded emphatically: "Okay! I'll keep this money for the family for now, and we'll do as you say, brother!"

Mr. and Mrs. Bai exchanged a glance. Although they had never seen so much money in their lives, their hearts were still pounding with anxiety. But looking at their son and daughter, one calm and calculating, the other clever and courageous, the old couple's hearts, which had been hanging in mid-air, miraculously settled back into their stomachs.

What does money matter? The most important thing is that the whole family can be together and strive for a better life!

With the important matter settled, Qiao Xinxin was so excited she was like a little rabbit, almost jumping off the sofa.

She grabbed Bai Zhengyuan's arm and shook it, her voice soft and sweet as she pleaded, "Brother, about the job handing out keys at the bathhouse..."

Seeing his younger sister's mischievous and playful expression, Bai Zhengyuan's cold and hard facial features softened completely. He smiled helplessly and reached out to ruffle her fluffy hair. "Don't worry, I won't forget! I'll go to the logistics department first thing tomorrow morning to register you and get a spot. But you better remember—"

Bai Zhengyuan's expression turned serious, his tone revealing an undeniable protectiveness: "If you're not happy with your job, or if you encounter any troublemakers who make you feel wronged, just tell me anytime! We can quit, I can support you!"

"I know! My brother is the best!"

The family sat around in the slightly cramped but cozy living room. The father puffed on his pipe, his eyes full of anticipation for the future.

Bai's mother rubbed her hands together on her apron, both expectant and nervous.

Bai Zhengyuan, with his arms crossed, leaned back on the sofa with an air of nonchalance, quietly watching his sister.

Finally, unable to contain her curiosity any longer, Bai's mother leaned forward and asked eagerly, "Xin Xin, what exactly is this business you mentioned? Is it just selling steamed buns and fried dough sticks?"

Upon hearing this, Qiao Xinxin quickly sifted through the words in her mind.

Do they only sell food?

How is that possible!

She clearly remembered the plot of the original book—in less than two years, her biased biological parents, Qiao Shouguo and Qin Fangfang, in Yuncheng would keenly sense the east wind of reform and opening up, and, with that white lotus fake heiress Qiao Mingzhu, would expand their business empire to the capital!

At that time, the Qiao family will spend a lot of money to take over a huge clothing store on the most prosperous commercial street in the capital, specializing in selling the most fashionable Hong Kong-style fashion imported from the south.

The business was so booming that it could be described as "making a fortune every day"! Qiao Mingzhu even took advantage of this opportunity to become a well-known socialite in the capital!

Qiao Xinxin sneered inwardly.

Since she now possesses the "super spoiler" cheat code of the original book's plot, she has essentially obtained a perfect score on the era's exam paper ahead of time!

If she didn't take advantage of the fact that the Qiao family hadn't reacted yet, and make plans in advance to secure those prime locations in the capital, seize the most profitable clothing business, and cut off the Qiao family's path to wealth, then she would be doing a disservice to her transmigration journey!

"No, Mom, we need a longer-term plan!"

Qiao Xinxin sat bolt upright, her fair face radiating an undeniable confidence: "My idea is that we'll start by selling food to accumulate initial capital and earn our first pot of gold. Once we've saved enough, we're going to open the biggest and most fashionable clothing store in the capital!"