They didn’t go buy new fabric.

All their money went toward their studies.

During this time, Yue Yang would also trade her needlework for small items. For example, a pen holder was something Yue Yang had gotten from a classmate in a trade.

The classmate really liked Huo Xiaoqian’s dolls. When she came to visit their courtyard, she took a liking to one right away and asked where they had bought it.

Upon learning Yue Yang had made it, she traded some fabric and a pen holder with Yue Yang for the doll.

Yue Yang kept the fabric for herself and gave the pen holder to Huo Xiaoqian.

Huo Xiaoqian chattered on, telling all this to Xie Changning. Of course, she hadn’t been idle either. It wasn’t that she lacked a craft of her own; she knew how to make simple soap.

The simple soap she made was also very popular.

Their classmates would trade with them. For example, one day they’d trade for some meat ration coupons, the next day for some grain ration coupons.

The two of them supported themselves through their crafts.

As for the money Xie Changning gave them each month, they saved it all. They had heard that you needed a lot of money to go abroad.

If they saved some now, they could ask the Director for less when it was time to go abroad later.

Xie Changning was very gratified to learn how resourceful the two were. "I know you’re both doing great, but I hope you understand that since I’ve decided to sponsor your education, I am naturally prepared for the costs involved."

"Your talent is significant, and you’re worth my investment. Please don’t feel pressured because of this."

The two girls understood. They nodded.

Speaking of the simple soap, Xie Changning was very interested. "May I see your simple soap?"

"Of course!"

Huo Xiaoqian was delighted that Xie Changning was interested in her handiwork. Of course, she also understood that Xie Changning’s interest was mainly because her simple soap was related to the industry she would one day work in.

The soap the two of them were currently using was made by Huo Xiaoqian.

She had carved the molds herself out of wood, creating all sorts of shapes.

There were ovals, squares, and even shapes that girls liked, such as hearts and little bunnies...

When Xie Changning saw the molds, surprise flashed in her eyes. She looked at Huo Xiaoqian. "You two are so multitalented."

Standing before the washbasin, Xie Changning could smell the faint scent of wormwood.

It was very fresh, not at all unpleasant.

"Did you process the scent yourself?"

Xie Changning raised an eyebrow, looking at Huo Xiaoqian.

Huo Xiaoqian shook her head. "My skill with scents isn’t as good as Yangyang’s. Yangyang was the one who processed the wormwood. I was just in charge of making it into soap..." Huo Xiaoqian explained their division of labor.

She could process it a bit herself, but not with the same finesse as Yue Yang.

The two of them had made a lot of progress while working on it.

A shy smile appeared on Yue Yang’s face. She smiled bashfully. "Qianqian came up with the theory. I just put her proposal into practice."

Xie Changning picked up the soap and sniffed it.

Then she spoke to them. "Would you two be interested in licensing the formula to the factory?"

Her words surprised them.

"The fragrance you’ve developed is one the factory doesn’t currently have. I think it’s very much worth promoting. Especially in the south at this time of year, there are still mosquitoes. We could make it into a mosquito-repellent fragrance to sell..."

Xie Changning’s words made the two girls’ jaws drop in astonishment.

They had never imagined that the little thing they’d tinkered with would be adopted by the Director.

"Licensing means...?" Huo Xiaoqian asked Xie Changning, her voice trembling.

She had a faint guess, but she still couldn’t believe it.

’It feels like I’m dreaming.’ 𝕗𝐫𝐞𝕖𝕨𝐞𝗯𝚗𝕠𝘃𝐞𝚕.𝐜𝗼𝚖

Xie Changning smiled faintly. "It means that if the factory wants to sell the wormwood soap you’ve developed, it will have to pay you a licensing fee."

"!" Their eyes widened in shock.

’We can actually earn money?’

’This isn’t a dream, is it?’

The two looked at each other, then simultaneously reached out to pinch the other’s cheek. The result was—

It wasn’t a dream! It hurt!

Their antics made Xie Changning laugh out loud. She walked over to the washbasin, put her hands in the water to rinse them, then washed them with the wormwood soap and dried them.

After drying them, Xie Changning could smell the faint scent of wormwood on her hands.

The scent was very light, but not pungent.

Most people would find it acceptable.

"Our wormwood fragrance isn’t perfected yet..." Yue Yang said to Xie Changning, coming back to her senses. Her original plan had been to tell Xie Changning only after they had completely upgraded the wormwood formula, right before they went abroad.

She hadn’t expected Xie Changning to discover it first.

Xie Changning could see what she was thinking and said to her, "We can first purchase the rights to your current version. After you’ve upgraded it, we can upgrade our partnership."

The two of them were not currently factory employees.

Nor did Xie Changning have any intention of simply taking their fragrance. If they could create such a scent now, they were bound to achieve even greater things after studying abroad.

Xie Changning was very much looking forward to it.

The two were far more talented than she had anticipated!

"Director, you’re the one sponsoring us. We’ve only gotten this far thanks to your support. We can’t accept a licensing fee from you..." Yue Yang and Huo Xiaoqian exchanged a look.

Both of them understood; they didn’t want the money.

They were full of gratitude toward Xie Changning. The fact that their fragrance could be used and had the potential to make money meant the two of them had not failed to live up to the Director’s expectations!

"Business is business. I can’t use the fruits of your labor for free."

Xie Changning refused.

Huo Xiaoqian and Yue Yang looked at each other. Then she spoke to Xie Changning, "We’ll license it to you for five years for free. But after five years, you’ll have to pay us a usage fee."

Xie Changning looked at the quick-witted Huo Xiaoqian.

Then, she slowly nodded.

Hearing Xie Changning accept this proposal, Yue Yang secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

"I’ll write down the formula and the production steps right now..." Yue Yang was about to turn and write, but Xie Changning grabbed her arm as she turned.

"Do you have class today? If not, come back to the factory with me. You can demonstrate it for the technicians in the lab tomorrow, and I’ll bring you back in the evening."

The two nodded.

"We don’t have class tonight. We can go to the lab and do it this evening."

"You may not need to sleep, but the technicians do."

After Xie Changning spoke, the two girls’ faces immediately turned red.

The two quickly packed a few things, changed their clothes, and got into the car with Xie Changning to head back to Anong County.

It had been a long time since either of them had been back.

Huo Xiaoqian kept in touch with her family from time to time, but Yue Yang truly had no contact with her family at all.

Returning to Anong County, Yue Yang felt as if she had been gone for a lifetime.

When she left, she had nothing and was all alone. Now—

She was an educated woman, a reserve technician for the daily chemical factory’s laboratory.

The car stopped at the main gate of the Anong County Machinery Factory. The two got out of the car with Xie Changning.

Yue Yang stared at the gate before her, silent for a long time.

"Hehe, we’re back!"