I really like your sand sculpture group friends

"Still the same old business, printing and stuff like paper products and packaging boxes." Cai Yibin picked up a lamb skewer. "Small order volumes, thin profit margins, it's tough."

Mo Xiangwen tapped the table lightly with his fingers, seemingly lost in thought. After a moment of contemplation, he asked, "Then... what if we were to make something like an acrylic sheet? Would the process be complicated?"

“Acrylic?” Cai Yibin thought for a moment. “It’s not technically difficult. Even if the production line isn’t fully compatible right now, it’s not a big problem to adjust it to make it. The key is orders. Without stable, large-volume orders, it’ll just be a waste of money to keep trying.”

Although Mo Xiangwen didn't know much about factory matters, he spoke eloquently, so it seemed he had put a lot of effort into learning.

Mo Xiangwen nodded and made a mental note of it.

However, his own project is still in its early stages, so he can't make any promises and can only keep this matter to himself for now. "I understand. If there's an opportunity, I'll discuss it with you in more detail."

"Sure!" Cai Yibin readily agreed, though he didn't seem too hopeful. "Thanks in advance! Come on, have something to eat. I've been too busy talking."

The atmosphere relaxed considerably afterward, and the two chatted as they ate, reminiscing about many fun things from high school and talking about the new experiences they had in college.

Half a bottle of beverage was drunk, and time passed quickly.

At the end, Cai Yibin insisted on paying the bill.

Before parting, he patted Mo Xiangwen on the shoulder: "Brother, I appreciate your kindness. If you need any help in the future, just let me know."

“Okay, you too. Remember to let me know if anything comes up,” Mo Xiangwen replied earnestly.

"must!"

After saying goodbye to Cai Yibin, Mo Xiangwen drove home.

The cool night breeze blew in through the car window, dispersing some of the smoky smell from the barbecue and clearing his chaotic thoughts a little.

Chapter 202 Bai Shishi's Father

The following afternoon, Mo Xiangwen, Yan Nuoya, and Bai Shishi arrived in H City on time by high-speed rail.

Upon returning to H City, the temperature immediately felt significantly lower.

Although H City is considered to be in the south, it is still relatively colder than his hometown where the temperature can reach over 20 degrees Celsius in winter.

Because they had a lot of things with them, as soon as they got off the high-speed train, Mo Xiangwen simply took a taxi and went directly to the apartment building where Bai Shishi lived.

Arriving at Bai Shishi's house, Bai Shishi hesitated for a moment upon seeing the familiar doorway.

Seeing this, Mo Xiangwen assumed she had forgotten her keys and asked, "Didn't you bring your keys? Should I call the teacher?"

"I did bring it..." Bai Shishi answered softly, clutching the hem of his shirt, her tone clearly reluctant to part, "but now that I'm home, I can't spend every day with Xiao Yi and Sister Nuoya like during the holidays. I can only go to the studio occasionally..."

Mo Xiangwen noticed her disappointment, smiled, patted her head, and gently comforted her, "It's okay. If you really want to come one day, but your teacher is too busy to take you, just call me and I'll come pick you up."

"Okay, thank you, Xiao Yi!" Bai Shishi nodded, the reluctance on her face fading slightly.

She hesitated for a moment, then looked up and asked softly, "Then... shall we meet at the studio tomorrow?"

"Okay, see you at the studio tomorrow," Mo Xiangwen replied gently. Although he said that, he still habitually stood still, intending to watch Bai Shishi safely enter her home before leaving.

Bai Shishi then took out her key and opened the unit door.

The sound of the door opening seemed to alert the people inside, as footsteps could be heard from within.

Immediately afterwards, the door was pulled open from the inside, and Ms. Fu Qianping appeared in the doorway.

Accompanying her was a middle-aged man who looked calm and capable and wore glasses.

Both men had happy expressions on their faces. Mo Xiangwen also noticed that the middle-aged man's face was shrouded in a lingering sense of fatigue, similar to that of Teacher Fu during the final exams.

This person must be Bai Shishi's father.

Mo Xiangwen thought to himself. At the same time, he also noticed that compared to the end of the semester, the fatigue on Teacher Fu's body seemed to have dissipated a lot, and he looked much more energetic, even radiant.

Teachers are great, and there's even a winter break to relax.

Unlike her husband, who looked like he had been working overtime for a long time and whose complexion looked sickly, as if he had just recovered from a serious illness.

Is this the power of winter break? Winter break, you are so powerful.

The next moment, his guess was confirmed.

"Dad, Mom, I'm back," Bai Shishi called softly.

"Shishi!" Fu Qianping's face immediately lit up with a smile. She stepped forward and gently hugged her daughter, carefully examining her complexion with eyes full of love. "Were you tired on the way? You look great. Did you have fun?"

"Yes, I'm very happy." Bai Shishi nodded vigorously, hugged her mother, and replied with a big smile, "Xiao Yi cares about me a lot."

At this moment, Bai Ye also stepped forward. His gaze first fell entirely on his daughter. After carefully looking her over and confirming that she was alright, he turned to Mo Xiangwen and Yan Nuoya, a gentle smile appearing on his face: "You must be Xiangwen and Nuoya? I often hear Shishi and Qianping mention you. Thank you so much for taking care of Shishi during this holiday. I'm sorry to have troubled you."

This is the little one that Shishi talks about all the time?

Bai Ye sized up Mo Xiangwen. He looked like a fairly energetic and clean-cut young man. Apart from being a bit more handsome than Bai Ye was when he was young, he didn't seem to have anything special about him...

Why is it that his precious daughter keeps bringing it up all the time?

Although I occasionally hear my darling daughter mention other friends, the number of times she mentions the boy in front of me is clearly not on the same level.

His feelings were somewhat complicated at that moment.

On the one hand, he was genuinely grateful to the boy for taking care of and spending time with his daughter during this period.

On the other hand, seeing how dependent his daughter was on him, he inexplicably felt a subtle sense of "his own little cabbage being eyed by a pig."

Mo Xiangwen was unaware of his thoughts. Upon meeting Bai Shishi's father for the first time, he quickly bowed slightly and said, "Uncle Bai, you're too kind. It's no trouble at all. Shishi is very sensible. We are good friends, and it's only right that we take care of each other."

Yan Nuoya chimed in softly, "Hello, Uncle Bai. Shishi is very cute, we all like her very much."

Fu Qianping also let go of Bai Shishi and sincerely thanked Mo Xiangwen and Yan Nuoya: "Yes, we really owe you a lot this time. Seeing her so happy makes us feel relieved. Please come inside and sit for a while."

"No, no, teacher, uncle," Mo Xiangwen declined. "It's getting late, so we won't disturb your family reunion any longer. Nuoya and I will go back to our apartment to pack our things."

"Oh, okay then. Take care on your journey, and thank you again." Seeing this, Fu Qianping and Bai Ye didn't insist on keeping them any longer.

"Goodbye, Uncle and Aunt." Mo Xiangwen said goodbye to Yan Nuoya and turned to leave.

As Fu Qianping watched the two figures leave, she was about to call her daughter into the house when she noticed that Bai Shishi was still standing there, her gaze following Mo Xiangwen and Yan Nuoya until their figures disappeared around the corner of the community.

Just as she was about to speak, she heard her daughter suddenly say softly, "Mom."

"Hmm?" Fu Qianping looked down at her daughter.

Bai Shishi turned her head, her eyes filled with an unprecedented seriousness: "I also want to study at the school where you teach."

Fu Qianping was slightly taken aback, then realized what was happening.

Isn't the university where she teaches H University?

Her daughter, a socially anxious girl who's afraid to even meet strangers, wants to go to university? Is it true?

I've never heard her say she wanted to study or go to university before, so why does she suddenly have this idea now?

The doubt had just arisen when, looking at Bai Shishi's expression, she quickly thought of the two students who had just left, and then it dawned on her.

Are you planning to study at the school where I work? My daughter has practically become someone else's daughter after just one winter break.

Fu Qianping sighed softly in her heart, feeling both worried about her daughter's health and happy that she finally had a clear goal.

She reached out and gently stroked Bai Shishi's hair, saying softly, "Okay, of course Mom welcomes you. H University is great. But before that, Shishi has to promise Mom that you'll get healthy and strong so you'll have the energy to study well, right? Tomorrow Mom will take you to the hospital for a full check-up so the doctor can see how well Shishi is recovering, okay?"

Bai Shishi nodded vigorously, a bright smile spreading across her face: "Okay! Mom."

Chapter 203 I'm back.

Mo Xiangwen inserted the key into the lock and gently turned the doorknob to the apartment.

For some reason, he suddenly had a whim to shout like the characters in anime.

He raised his voice slightly and said into the house, "I'm back."

Yan Nuoya, who was following behind him, glanced at him with a hint of disdain and said indifferently, "Stop shouting, they haven't come back yet. Let's go inside."

However, no sooner had she finished speaking than a clear and cheerful response came from the living room.

Welcome back—!

Immediately afterwards, Su Mengyao hurriedly ran out of the living room to greet them.

She seemed to have just taken a shower, wearing fluffy loungewear, her hair casually draped over her shoulders, and a bright smile on her face, making her look exceptionally fresh and lovely.

Almost simultaneously, Su Mengli gracefully emerged from the direction of the inner room. She wore a simple yet elegant knitted sweater and long skirt, her long hair flowing smoothly, and a gentle smile on her face.

"Welcome back. You're back so early." After so long, Su Mengli's voice was as gentle as ever.

Su Mengyao glanced at him, then looked at Yan Nuoya behind him, and said softly with a smile, "Xiang Wen, Nuoya, it's been a long time. I've missed you both quite a bit."

Mo Xiangwen looked at the two sisters in front of him with some surprise.

They had returned almost two weeks earlier than planned, but the Su sisters arrived even earlier than they had expected.

"I didn't expect you to be back so soon," he said with a smile. "Really? We missed you all too."

Upon hearing this, Su Mengyao immediately asked with a grin, "Eh? Really?"

“Really.” Mo Xiangwen nodded affirmatively.

"Okay, then you've passed." Su Mengyao nodded in satisfaction, while Su Mengli beside her simply smiled gently.

Yan Nuoya, who was behind him, turned her head slightly and said, "Mengli, Mengyao, long time no see. How was your holiday?"

"Long time no see, Nuoya!" Su Mengyao replied, then her face fell and she sighed heavily. "Ugh, don't even mention it, it's so boring. I feel like I should have gone to the Xiang Wen family with you guys."

Su Mengli chuckled and gently patted her sister's head: "Alright, let's talk later, don't all block the doorway. Let them put their luggage down first."

"Is it boring? That's really a bit pathetic." Mo Xiangwen said as he walked inside.

"It's all your fault!" Su Mengyao complained softly, "You only took Nuoya and Shishi to play and eat, but you didn't take us!"

Mo Xiangwen was both amused and exasperated: "This isn't a trip; it's a trip back to our hometown for the New Year. You all have to go home for a family reunion too."

"Oh, I know," Su Mengyao waved her hand and joked, "It's just a little complaining, can't I just vent my frustration?"

"Okay, okay, of course it's okay."

"Wait a moment, we'll come out after we put down our luggage." Mo Xiangwen said, handing several large bags to Su Mengyao: "Here, Mengyao, these are for you."

Su Mengyao took it out of curiosity, but before she knew it, the bag dragged her hand down.

"It's a bit heavy." Su Mengyao managed to hold it, and asked in surprise, "What is this?"

“You’ll know once you open it and see,” Mo Xiangwen explained. “Although I specifically asked the shop to vacuum-pack it for me, and it’s such a cold day now, and only one day has passed… I still don’t know if it will work or if it’s safe to eat.”

"Okay, okay, then we'll wait for you in the living room!" Su Mengyao hugged the bag and kept peeking inside.

Mo Xiangwen and Yan Nuoya were finally able to escape and drag their luggage back to their own rooms.

Mo Xiangwen pushed open the door to his room, and a familiar scene came into view, almost exactly the same as before he left.

He subconsciously pulled out a tissue and wiped the desk, but when he picked it up, the tissue was clean and completely free of dust.

Strange, it's been more than a month, how come there's not a speck of dust?

He placed his backpack on the table and looked around.

Not only the desk, but also the floor and balcony looked exceptionally clean and tidy, as if they had just been cleaned.

I guess Mengli or Mengyao helped with the cleaning.

It's most likely Mengli. It's not that Mengyao can't do it, but given her personality, she might not be as thorough and meticulous as Mengli.

Since he was spared the trouble of cleaning, he put down his luggage, took out his things and tidied them up a bit, and then left the room.

When I returned to the living room, I saw that Su Mengyao was already eagerly examining the bags.

She picked up one of the yellow items from a sealed transparent bag and asked curiously, "These two...are chickens?"

“Yes, it’s the beggar’s chicken you were clamoring for in the group chat.” Mo Xiangwen nodded. “I specially made two more and brought them over. But like I just said, I’m not sure how well it’s been preserved. After you open it, smell it carefully. If there’s any strange smell, don’t eat it, just throw it away.”

"Why are there two?" Su Mengli asked in surprise. "That's too much. There are too many for the four of us to finish in one meal."

“We also ate two when we were in the countryside.” Mo Xiangwen smiled and teased, “Doesn’t that make me seem fair? Everyone gets a share, so you won’t secretly scold me again.”

Su Mengyao pursed her lips and said stubbornly, "Who wants someone as impartial as you?"

She said this, but the curve of her lips turned up even more.

"What's in the other bags?" Su Mengli pointed to the other black plastic bags.

"They're just some local specialties from my hometown, like cured meat and dried bamboo shoots," Mo Xiangwen explained. "You can handle them yourselves, there's nothing special about them. Or I can cook a dish for you sometime."

"Hey, not bad, not bad, that's thoughtful." Su Mengyao looked through the other bags and chuckled, "You still have some conscience! It wasn't for nothing that my sister and I prepared this surprise for you."