Chapter 1: Letter to My Daughter

"Surprise!"

Along with the sound came the tired yet excited figure of Qu Xiaoxiao.

She excitedly tried to push open the door, only to find her hands firmly pressed against it, her pale hands standing out starkly against the reddish-brown surface.

A moment of surprise flashed through her mind.

But her excited brain wouldn't allow for such thoughts, and she turned the doorknob again.

"Click!"

The familiar, crisp sound, and the familiar unmoving door, finally brought her brain, which hadn't been back in the country for a year, back to its usual clear.

Qu Xiaoxiao suppressed her excitement, her brow furrowed slightly, and turned to look at her father's assistant—Chu Mingheng—following behind her, her expression puzzled.

A glance from her made Chu Mingheng, who knew his boss's thoughts well, feel awkward.

As an employee, he could only obey his boss's arrangements, but he still felt the decision was a bit too harsh.

Facing Qu Xiaoxiao's gaze, he forced a smile, pointed behind her, and explained, "Xiaoxiao, you'll understand when you see what's posted on the door."

As soon as he finished speaking, Qu Xiaoxiao immediately turned to look at the door, where the four large characters "Letter to Daughter" were prominently displayed.

A gust of cold wind blew, causing the paper to rustle in the wind, carrying a desolate feeling.

This finally brought her mind, which had been clouded by the joy of returning home, back to its senses.

For some reason, looking at those four characters, she had a vague feeling that something uncontrollable was about to happen.

After reading it, she realized that this premonition wasn't unfounded; she should have known her parents' personalities better.

It said they were going to explore overseas markets, but in reality, it meant not taking her on a round-the-world trip and wanting to live their own world.

Not only that, but they also wouldn't give her living expenses, completely rejecting her promise of a full-time job before returning home, without any prior notice.

They said that the Qu family, from her grandfather's generation, wasn't the type to indulge in pleasure; if you wanted to live, you had to earn your own money.

Even though their family owned a company and wasn't short of money, they wouldn't allow their daughter, Qu Xiaoxiao, to give up.

Finally, they reassured her that they weren't heartless parents, providing her with start-up capital and a shop, encouraging her to work hard, uphold the family tradition, and strive for success!

Despite the encouraging words, Qu Xiaoxiao seemed like a deflated balloon that had been punctured; her shoulders slumped, and an aura of despondency permeated her entire being.

Even Chu Mingheng, standing at a distance, could feel it as he watched Qu Xiaoxiao's transformation from excitement to silence.

He felt a pang of sympathy, let alone that of a stranger.

His mind began to wander uncontrollably: was it because the boss was worried he'd soften upon seeing her like this, that he left early?

Giving him this somewhat difficult task.

He was terrified by his own thoughts and frantically shook his head, trying to shake them off.

He kept muttering to himself, "That's not how it is, how could the chairman..."

"That old man is just that kind of person, Brother Chu, you've been deceived by his appearance!"

The sudden interruption startled Chu Mingheng, his eyes widening in astonishment as he stared at Qu Xiaoxiao who had suddenly appeared before him.

He wanted to explain, but looking at her angry face, he didn't know what to say.

"Hmph!"

Qu Xiaoxiao snorted coldly, once again venting her dissatisfaction with her parents' lack of prior notice.

Right in front of Chu Mingheng, she called her parents, and as she expected, neither answered; both were temporarily unavailable.

Her mocking gaze swept directly at Chu Mingheng, making him tremble. He quickly explained,

"At this time, the chairman should be on a plane to Europe, unable to answer the phone is..."

He wanted to continue explaining, but stopped abruptly under Qu Xiaoxiao's icy gaze.

Okay, he knew these reasons were weak.

But if he didn't do this, how could the next leader of Yuntao Group develop?

While he pondered, Qu Xiaoxiao had already given up on asking her parents for help and instead looked at Chu Mingheng standing opposite her.

Because of her personality and previous life goals, all her close friends, both domestically and internationally, were people who asked her parents for money.

Hearing about her situation, she wondered how they would laugh at her.

Besides, those people barely had enough money for themselves each month; how could they possibly help her?

Therefore, Qu Xiaoxiao had no choice but to turn her attention to others.

She tentatively began, "Hehe! Brother Chu..."

But unexpectedly, before she could finish, Chu Mingheng immediately stopped her, his face stiff, and said,

"No! The chairman warned me beforehand that I can't do this."

"Oh dear~, people can be flexible, don't be so rigid. Besides, if you do this, only heaven, earth, you, and I know. If you don't tell Mom and Dad, how will they know?"

As she spoke, Qu Xiaoxiao blinked hard, trying to send a signal.

But Chu Mingheng simply turned his face away, his voice barely audible.

"No!"

Without waiting for Qu Xiaoxiao to elaborate, he immediately rejected the idea.

Seemingly worried that her continued discussion might sway his resolve, he hurriedly added,

"Xiaoxiao, I won't stop the chairman's decision. It's getting late, we should hurry to the Minsheng Road community to check on things; they're pressing us hard.

As for the living expenses you want, I have some start-up capital left by the boss, a total of ten thousand yuan. The password is the last six digits of your ID card."

With that, Chu Mingheng pulled a card from his pocket and handed it to Qu Xiaoxiao.

Now Qu Xiaoxiao finally understood that there was no turning back on her entrepreneurial decision.

And what could ten thousand yuan possibly buy?

But considering she was now penniless and had nowhere to go, what choice did she have but to obey her parents?

Reluctantly, she snatched the bank card from Chu Mingheng's hand and stuffed it into her bag.

At this moment, not only was Qu Xiaoxiao thinking about her parents, but they were also thinking about her.

On the plane, She Yunying frowned, her mind filled with images of her daughter's disappointment and pitiful expression upon returning home and seeing the letter.

Her heart felt like it was being soaked in acid, tormented beyond measure.

This was their only daughter, whom they had doted on from childhood, never experiencing hardship.

To encounter such a heartless father right after graduating from university must be incredibly painful.

Thinking of this, she glanced sideways at her husband, who was resting with his eyes closed, a smirk playing on her lips. She reached out and gave his waist a sharp twist.

"Hiss hiss hiss—"

Startled by the sudden attack, Qu Tao almost screamed, but looking at his surroundings, he managed to groan in pain, though his voice was low.

He turned to look at his wife, puzzled.

She Yunying sneered, "You sleep soundly, but who knows how much suffering our Xiaoxiao is going to endure? How can you still sleep like that!"

She became angrier and angrier, and she pinched his flesh without letting go, even tightening her grip until Qu Tao grimaced in pain.

For the sake of his future, Qu Tao quickly explained, "Xiao Xiao is also my daughter, how could I not love her? Don't worry, with Chu looking after her, nothing will happen. Besides, isn't she just trying to cook for us when she comes home? Going to the community center is the same, it's all cooking, so it's not a waste that she studied 'cooking' for four years."

Upon hearing this, She Yunying tightened her grip again, warning, "How many times have I told you? My daughter's major isn't called 'cooking,' it's called Food Science and Engineering! If you dare tarnish my daughter's reputation again, see if I don't teach you a lesson—" "

Okay, okay, I misspoke, Food Science and Engineering, Food Science and Engineering…"

Although he said this, Qu Tao didn't think so in his heart.

He mispronounced it because of his daughter Xiao Xiao, who always said her major was teaching people to cook.

Especially since she studied abroad, she even called it "New Western," perfectly aligning with the East-West relationship in China.

After so many years, it was understandable that he mispronounced it.

Thinking about this, he even felt a little pathetic.

If Qu Xiaoxiao knew about this thought, she would definitely join her mother in giving Old Qu, who was so inaccurate about his own self-perception, a lesson in loving understanding.

Unfortunately, she was now firmly bound by money and was on her way to the Minsheng Road community.

After a year's absence, she felt the city had changed considerably, becoming increasingly prosperous, with many new shops she had never seen before.

Especially the newly opened restaurants; just the aroma wafting from them onto the road made her mouth water uncontrollably. Heaven knows how different restaurants abroad are from those in China!

She could only rely on her own cooking skills each time.

While she was immersed in the city's changes and the delicious food, Chu Mingheng mistakenly thought she was in a bad mood, which was why she was silently staring out the window, looking particularly pitiful.

So, while driving, he racked his brains for words of comfort.

“Although the chairman didn’t give us much this time, his requirements aren’t high either. As long as you can support yourself, it’s fine. There’s no need to worry about making a profit, since the community canteen has a certain public welfare aspect.

Most importantly, as long as you can survive for a year, the chairman won’t stop you from doing whatever you want after that.”

“Wh…what?”

Qu Xiaoxiao suddenly realized she hadn’t truly understood how heartless she had been to her parents. What did “community canteen” mean?

Did they mean the shop they opened for her was inside the community?

Thinking this, she turned to look at Chu Mingheng, who was driving, and asked,

“Where is the shop located? It’s not some remote corner, is it?”

“Of course not!”

Chu Mingheng retorted without hesitation.

But he didn’t say another word after that. As the car drove on, the surrounding streets and alleys became increasingly gloomy, especially against the backdrop of the distant green mountains. Qu Xiaoxiao realized she had been deceived.

Could this place really be considered not a remote corner?

The two drove through many twists and turns before finally arriving at the community entrance. After getting out of the car, the feeling of confinement in the space became even more pronounced.

The surrounding buildings, all six-story structures built in the last century, stood crowded together on both sides of the road.

Occasionally, a few potted plants on balconies would peek out, absorbing the sunlight filtering through the gaps between the buildings.

Just one glance was enough to make one feel breathless, involuntarily holding their breath.

Even Qu Xiaoxiao's breathlessness made her mind hazy, as if she had seen a similar scene deep in her memory.

But no matter how hard she searched her memory, she couldn't find any trace of having been here before.

She attributed this to an optical illusion, shook her head to dispel the strange feeling in her mind, and turned to look at Chu Mingheng.

"Brother Chu, is this the location you mentioned? Not remote?"

"This is just the old town of Yuncheng. Due to urban industrial upgrading, the surrounding area relocated after the factory, and it gradually declined. You know, in the last century, it was one of the most prosperous areas in our country. Don't underestimate it.

More importantly, this place has a special meaning for the chairman's family."

Qu Xiaoxiao sensed something amiss in his words, as if he were detached from her. How could she not know the significance this place held for her family?

Thinking this, she couldn't wait to ask why.

But Chu Mingheng seemed to have guessed her thoughts and quickly changed the subject before she could speak. "Don't worry, you'll understand in a bit. Let 's go! Let's find the community leader first and explain the situation; they've been waiting for a long time."