I just want to sell products, but you're forcing me to perform talents.

When Ye Xian returned from his morning run the next day, he saw Qiu's mother and Qiu Qing, whom he hadn't seen in a long time.

"Auntie, are you still jet-lagged? You didn't seem to get enough rest yesterday!"

Looking at the dark circles under the mother and daughter's eyes, Ye Xian felt embarrassed: "If you haven't recovered yet, please rest for a couple of days. We're not in a hurry to go."

"That won't do! Your mother and I have been old friends for many years, and this is the only thing I've come back for."

With a wave of her hand, Qiu's mother said excitedly, "Auntie, I finally found a group of people to have some fun with last night. I've been so bored after being abroad for three years."

"To...have a go?"

Ye Xian glanced at Qiu Qing, only to find her looking rather embarrassed: "It's getting late, let's hurry up and get going."

"Let's go, let's go!"

Autumn's mother reached out and opened the passenger door of Xiao Liuling, then got in.

Ye Xian and Qiu Qing exchanged a glance and got into the car.

"Ye Xian, it's been so many years, I never expected you to write such a good song."

Sitting in the car, Qiu's mother was still excited: "I listened to your duet with Qingqing, and I feel that your solo version was also good. They each have their own merits. Over the years, your mother has laid a very solid foundation for your skills."

"Thank you for the compliment, Auntie. It's mainly because Qiuqing helped me polish it; otherwise, I wouldn't have been able to sing it so well."

As Ye Xian drove, he glanced up at the rearview mirror and saw Qiu Qing in the back seat looking out the window.

The corners of her mouth were slightly upturned, and her eyes were full of bright light.

"Have you fallen behind in your basic dance skills? I haven't seen any videos of you practicing dance for a year. How's it going?"

Back then, Qiu's mother was a dance teacher. She and Ye's mother were teachers at the same school. One of them was responsible for Qiu Qing and Ye Xian's vocal music, and the other was responsible for teaching dance.

"Fortunately, I can practice three or four days a week."

Ye Xian answered hurriedly, even though he hadn't sent his homework to the other party much in the past year, he hadn't dared to neglect his basic skills.

This is a habit I developed from childhood, just like how I practice my voice every morning now.

"Alright, I'll see if you've regressed when we get back."

Ye Xian was covered in cold sweat when the dance teacher conducted a surprise inspection.

Careless.

"I'm planning to have Qingqing come back to Haizhou after she graduates. What do you think?"

"Aunt Qiu suddenly asked."

"I feel great! The future definitely belongs to our Great Tang!"

Ye Xian noticed Qiu Qing in the rearview mirror, her eyes still looking out the window, and sat up slightly.

"Look, Ye Xian agrees with me! Your dad's stubbornness is so strong; he always wants you to develop your career in the UK! Those Americans are all the same; they all want to make money off our Tang Dynasty and don't want to cooperate with us. A country like that won't have a long future!"

"Our ancestors were right: unity brings mutual benefit, while division brings mutual harm. How can a country that only thinks about protecting itself from and harming us treat its own people well? Over there, we are treated like second-class citizens! So, Qingqing, listen to your mother, go back to China!"

Qiu Qing didn't reply, her eyes fixed on the back of the driver's seat.

Autumn's mother didn't hear a reply, nor was she angry. This matter had been debated for more than half a year, and the main issue wasn't with Autumn. She didn't care about getting an answer in a short while.

Now that Ye Xian is on her side, she feels a great sense of accomplishment: "Ye Xian, now that you're not in school anymore, what are you planning to do? Sell that kind of liquor? Do you want me to find someone to reinstate your student status? Or find you a job? I still have a lot of connections in Haizhou."

As an elder, Qiu's mother didn't care if Ye Xian recalled the pain of dropping out of school. For people of their age, this was nothing; they had experienced even greater hardships.

Solving problems is the primary element of thinking.

You don't have a school registration? I'll take care of that for you. No need to cry and whine.

If you have no other way out, I'll find you a way to make money. Don't worry.

"Thank you, Auntie, but no need for now."

Ye Xian shook his head and said, "I feel pretty good right now. I enjoy studying short videos on platforms like Kuaishou. Right now, my priority is to sell these few thousand bottles of wine. Once the account is established, I'll consider selling some other things."

"What's the deal with those liquors? They were so vague in their explanation. How's selling things on Kuaishou? Is it even working?"

Autumn's mother was very curious, so she inquired about the future trends of Haizhou Old Wine and online stores.

Ye Xian gave him a brief explanation, which satisfied her curiosity.

As we talked, time flew by, and we arrived at the cemetery.

This was Ye Xian's first visit to his parents' cemetery since he transmigrated here. According to Haizhou's custom, people were supposed to come to the cemetery to offer incense to his parents on the afternoon of New Year's Eve. However, since it was Ye Xian's first time transmigrating, he was unaware of the local customs and simply offered sacrifices to the memorial tablets of his parents at home.

On his first visit, Ye Xian thought he wouldn't feel much, but in fact, the moment he stepped into the cemetery, he felt his steps become heavy.

The depression he felt caused his eyes to sting.

Qiu Qing, who had been silently observing Ye Xian, hurriedly tried to step forward to offer him a tissue, but her mother grabbed her daughter.

"Qingqing, at this time, you don't need to do anything extra or say anything extra."

"I understand, Mom."

Qiu Qing immediately understood why her mother was stopping her.

In front of the tombstone where Mr. and Mrs. Ye are buried together, there is a photo of the two elders.

Somewhat strangely, there was a violet in front of the tombstone. Ye Xian remembered that it was his mother's favorite flower. Had his mother's colleague or friend come by?

Looking at the photo that was both familiar and unfamiliar, Ye Xian's eyes suddenly welled up with tears. This was the body's instinctive sadness at the passing of his parents, and also the deepest sorrow, loneliness, and helplessness Ye Xian felt deep in his memories of Blue Star.

A sense of sadness enveloped Ye Xian, and Qiu Qing, standing beside him, was also sobbing uncontrollably, her pent-up grief finally released at this moment.

"Uncle, Auntie, I'm sorry I'm late!"

"Auntie, you said you'd come to my graduation ceremony, but I haven't even graduated yet, why are you leaving?"

"Auntie, you gave me your favorite violin, and I've been practicing it. Can I play it for you later?"

"Auntie, you said you'd check my singing skills when I get back to China, how am I supposed to sing for you now?"

"Auntie, you said you'd make me seafood rice when I got back, how could you go back on your word?"

"Auntie, I'm your apprentice, and also your daughter! How can you abandon your daughter? I haven't even had a chance to show my respect to you yet!"

……

"Old Ye, Old Zhang, how could you leave before me?"

Qiu's mother leaned against the tombstone, tears streaming down her face. "You promised me you'd wait for me for three years. I'd definitely come back to Haizhou after three years. Old Ye, you said you'd quit the shop after three more years and come travel with our family. I'm back, but what about you? Where have you gone?"

"Old Zhang, we already agreed to go square dancing together when we get back. I'll be the teacher, and you'll be the group leader! How could you break your promise, Old Zhang?"

"Old Zhang, where's the music you choreographed for me? I'm back, waiting to choreograph a dance to your music. I've waited three years, why couldn't you have waited three more years for me?"

"Old Zhang, we agreed to grow old together, right? We'll go to the nursing home together, we'll visit that handsome old man together. Don't let those two old geezers, Old Qiu and Old Ye, get me when I'm old!"

"How can you just abandon Ye Xian like this? He's only 20 years old, he's still a child!"

"Do you know how hard it was for him all by himself? He ate instant noodles on New Year's Eve! He ate instant noodles for every meal! I only found out when I came back that even the school didn't want him anymore! You've made me, his sister, ashamed to face you all! I didn't take good care of him! I hate Lao Ye! Why did he have to go abroad? What's wrong with staying in China?"

"Old Ye, Old Zhang, don't worry, this time when I go back to Haizhou, I don't plan to go abroad again! I'll take care of Ye Xian from now on! Don't worry, with me here, no one can bully him! He's like my son!"

……

Ps1: Today's Recap

Haizhou aged liquor inventory: 8381 bottles.

PS2:

I wrote this chapter with tears in my eyes. I don't know why, but I was completely immersed in this relationship. I felt like I was standing in front of the tombstone with Qiu Qing and her mother, unable to stop my grief.

Maybe it's because I'm only 18 and can't bear these sad scenes.

So, in a moment of self-indulgence, I changed the plot: Qiu's mother would stay in China and not leave, and Ye Xian's career would also need someone to help him.

The original plan was to include a recruitment scene every few chapters, because tasks such as packaging, shipping, handling returns and exchanges, processing customer service messages, and serving as a live-streaming assistant all require dedicated personnel, and it's unrealistic for Ye Xian to handle them all by himself.