After paying the money, Director Ma asked, “Comrade Lin, currently we’re making around 200 pounds of marinated snacks every day. The ingredients are sourced from different places. If we increase the production, will your side be able to handle it?”

Lin Qingqing replied, “We won’t be able to handle it, and I don’t agree with increasing production. If we make too much, it will lose its value.”

Director Ma thought for a moment and agreed: “That makes sense. Have you considered selling the recipe to our supply and marketing cooperative? That way, you could save yourself a lot of trouble.”

He had brought up this idea during their initial cooperation, but Lin Qingqing had refused.

Now that he was mentioning it again, it was clear that the cooperative was quite eager for the recipe.

Lin Qingqing firmly declined: “I haven’t thought about it yet, but if I do in the future, the supply and marketing cooperative will definitely be my first consideration.”

Director Ma was just testing the waters and knew it wouldn’t be easy to succeed. “Well, I hope we can continue our happy cooperation.”

“Happy cooperation,” Lin Qingqing responded.

She put the money away and after talking to Director Ma, Lu Haici had finished his popsicle.

Although the little rascal had ice cream all over his face, he was very tidy.

After finishing, he used his handkerchief to clean himself up.

However, when Lin Qingqing got closer, she could still smell the sweet milk scent on him.

Smelling the milk scent on Lu Haici, Lin Qingqing suddenly remembered something. “Director Ma, do you sell baby formula at the cooperative?”

Usually, baby formula was in short supply, but it was possible to reserve one or two cans for internal use.

With Lin Qingqing’s question, Director Ma understood her intention: “If you have a baby formula coupon, the next time we get some in stock, I can save two cans for you. If you don’t have a coupon, I could only save some if there are defective cans. If there aren’t any, then it’s unlikely.”

Lin Qingqing didn’t have a baby formula coupon.

When she had cleaned up Lu Cheng’s tin box earlier, she hadn’t seen any coupons.

Otherwise, she wouldn’t have just remembered to ask now. “I don’t have a baby formula coupon, but I have other coupons I could exchange. Do you know anyone who might be willing to trade baby formula coupons?”

Director Ma said, “I’ll ask around for you.”

Lin Qingqing expressed her gratitude, “Thank you so much.”

Director Ma responded politely, “Comrade Lin, you’re too kind.”

He was courteous to Lin Qingqing for two reasons: first, because of their cooperation, and second, because doing a favor for Lin Qingqing was beneficial.

She was clever and capable, and her husband was a deputy regiment leader, which indicated that she had both power and connections.

Such a comrade was someone worth getting to know, even if Director Ma didn’t need to rely on her now.

“Comrade Lin, although we don’t have baby formula at the moment, we do have some other defective goods. Would you like to take a look?”

On the first of the month, the cooperative’s new shipments had arrived, and after the sales staff had sorted the items, they were ready to sell at the beginning of the month.

Lin Qingqing replied, “Sure, what kind of defective goods do you have?”

Director Ma listed, “There’s fabric, enamel cups…”

The fabric had issues with its dye, and one enamel cup had a patch without the white enamel coating.

There were other items too.

Lin Qingqing looked through the defective goods and didn’t find anything she needed, so she bought some flawed fabric, figuring it would be useful later.

She also bought pastries, milk candy, small cookies, grass paper, soap, and other things at the counter.

After making the purchases, they bought three more popsicles and happily headed home.

Lu Cheng didn’t take a nap in the afternoon.

The house was empty, with just him inside, and he couldn’t fall asleep.

Seeing that it was almost 1:30, Lu Cheng closed the door and went to the army base next door.

However, after waiting for a while at the gate of the base, he still didn’t see Lin Qingqing or Lu Haici come back, so he had to give up.

At that moment, Lin Qingqing and Lu Haici were leaving the supply and marketing cooperative.

Lin Qingqing bought three ice creams, which Director Ma wrapped in oil paper.

Then, she wrapped them again in the flawed fabric she had bought.

It was hot outside, and if not wrapped properly, the ice cream would melt.

“Mom, can I eat one more when we get home?” Lu Haici, sitting on the bicycle, was still thinking about the ice cream.

“Sure,” Lin Qingqing replied.

She wasn’t so strict about things.

Some modern parents are extremely harsh with their children, saying “you can’t eat this, you can’t have that,” but Lin Qingqing wasn’t like that.

“Wow, great!” Lu Haici licked his lips. “Mom, we have three ice creams—one for you, one for me, and who will get the third one?” He didn’t even consider his dad.

Lin Qingqing said, “Give it to your dad.”

“Give it to Dad?… But Dad doesn’t like to eat things like that.” In Lu Haici’s mind, his dad didn’t like such treats.

He didn’t even like milk candies.

Lin Qingqing said, “If your dad doesn’t want it, then you can eat it.”

Lu Haici’s eyes brightened. “Really?”

Lin Qingqing replied, “Really, but you need to give it to your dad first.”

“Okay.” Lu Haici was overjoyed.

His dad probably wouldn’t want it, so he’d get to eat two ice creams.

How wonderful!

At around 2:00 p.m., Lin Qingqing, with Lu Haici, arrived at the family compound.

She set him down and took out the two ice creams: “One is for you, and the other is for your dad. I’m going home now.”

“I understand, don’t worry, Mom,” Lu Haici said, taking the ice creams and heading toward the army base.

Since the ice creams were wrapped well, they hadn’t melted much.

It was also possible that they had been frozen very solid in the freezer beforehand.

Lu Haici arrived at the gate of the base with the two ice creams and greeted the guard: “Hello, Uncle. I’m looking for my dad.”

The guard knew Lu Haici.

Before Lin Qingqing married Lu Cheng and joined him at the army base, Lu Haici often came to find his dad at mealtime, carrying a lunchbox.

The guard had seen him many times, so he recognized him.

Seeing Lu Haici now, the guard teased, “Haici, what’s up? What’s the matter that you’re looking for your dad?”

Lu Haici obediently answered, “Mom and I bought some ice cream at the supply and marketing cooperative, and we have three. One for mom, one for me, and the last one I was going to give to Dad.”

After receiving the popsicles, Lu Haici thought for a moment and then added, “If Daddy is too busy, then forget it. He can’t eat it, but I can eat it for him.”

The guard, of course, didn’t understand what Lu Haici meant: “Wait a moment, I’ll call and check with your dad.”

Lu Cheng was busy reviewing documents, and when the phone rang, he didn’t expect it to be Lu Haici wanting to see him: “Hello, this is Lu Cheng.”

The guard replied, “Deputy Commander Lu, Lu Haici is here. He said he bought popsicles from the supply and marketing cooperative and wants to bring them to you.”

Lu Cheng was about to say he didn’t want them, but when he thought about how the popsicles were definitely bought by Lin Qingqing, he quickly changed his mind: “I’ll be right there.”

At the gate of the military compound, Lu Haici was looking at the guard with a disappointed expression: “Is Daddy too busy?”

The guard smiled and reassured him, “Your dad has time. He said he’ll be here soon.”

“Ah?” Lu Haici’s small face fell completely.

Even so, Lu Haici didn’t have the courage to run off with the popsicles, so he just had to wait there for his dad.

Lu Cheng didn’t make Lu Haici wait long, though—he appeared within a minute.

Seeing his son’s pitiful expression, Lu Cheng, with a blank face, extended his hand: “Where’s the popsicle?”

Lu Haici handed one of the popsicles to him, saying, “I already ate one when I was at the supply and marketing cooperative.” He said this without much thought.

Lu Cheng tore open the popsicle packaging.

Although it had melted slightly, it wasn’t too bad.

He took a big bite, and the cold sensation spread throughout his body.

He couldn’t deny that eating a popsicle in the summer felt great.

Lu Haici watched him, then angrily tore open his own popsicle, as if to show his dad that he still had one left.

“So?” Lu Cheng suddenly asked.

“Huh?” Lu Haici didn’t quite understand at first.

He stuck out his small tongue, taking a tiny lick of his popsicle, in stark contrast to the large bite his dad had taken.

Lu Cheng repeated, “You said you already ate one at the cooperative. So?”

“So I ate two today, and you only ate one.” Lu Haici said, “So Mommy likes me more.”

Lu Cheng didn’t expect this little rascal to be thinking like that.

He looked down at Lu Haici, who was still shorter than his waist, and reached for the popsicle: “Give me this one too.”

Lu Haici’s eyes widened in disbelief as he stared at his dad, as if his dad had just told him a bedtime story.

He was so shocked that he forgot to lick his popsicle.

Lu Cheng’s face remained expressionless: “I’m your dad. You should honor me. Or do you not want to honor me?”

‘If Lin Qingqing were here, she would definitely say that Lu Cheng was ‘morally blackmailing’ him.’

Instantly, Lu Haici’s whole body stiffened.

He looked at the ice cream, then at his dad, his eyes turning red with grievance.

“So, you’re a little liar. All that talk about wanting to honor me was fake,” Lu Cheng continued.

“I didn’t, I’m not a liar,” Lu Haici protested loudly, his voice choking up.

“If I’m not getting enough to eat, give me the other ice cream too,” Lu Cheng said matter-of-factly.

Lu Haici quickly hid the ice cream behind his back: “This is for Mom!”

How could Dad do this?

How could he take ice cream from a little kid?

Sobbing… He should’ve never come.

“Did Mom ever say that I couldn’t eat two ice creams?” Lu Cheng was doing this on purpose, knowing full well that Lin Qingqing would never say something like that.

Lu Haici pressed his lips together, not speaking.

Mom never said that, but Lu Haici knew that she liked obedient children.

What should he do?

He bit his lip, tears falling rapidly.

In the end, when his dad didn’t change his mind, he handed over the ice cream that he had only licked once.

At this point, the cream from the ice cream was already starting to drip.

Lu Cheng naturally took it and took big bites.

Waaahhh…

Lu Haici couldn’t help but cry loudly, pushing Lu Cheng away and running toward the family compound.

Lu Cheng watched him run away, continuing to eat his ice cream.

Eating two ice creams at once felt even better.

The guard looked at Lu Cheng, still in a daze.

Was this really the Deputy Commander Lu he knew, the one fighting with his son for ice cream?

Lu Cheng noticed the guard’s gaze, turned his head, and said, “You can’t spoil kids.” With that, he left in large strides.

Waaahhh…

Lu Haici cried all the way home, and many people on the street heard him, but he ran so fast that no one had a chance to ask what happened.

Lin Qingqing was at home doing the accounting, and with the help of Yu Xiuyao and three other women, they were cleaning the ingredients.

She was naturally making sure to keep track of everyone’s expenses.

She had finished half the calculations when she thought she heard Lu Haici crying.

Lin Qingqing rubbed her temples, thinking she had misheard.

Wasn’t Lu Haici happily eating popsicles at this time?

How could he be crying?

“Waaahhh…”

Lu Haici, crying heavily, ran into the yard and directly into the house.

Before Lin Qingqing could even process what was happening, he had already dashed into the room and threw himself into her arms: “Mom… Waaahhh…”

Seeing his mom, all of his grievances burst out, and he cried even harder.

Lin Qingqing hurriedly put down what she was holding: “What happened? Who bullied you?”

“Daddy, it’s bad Daddy, wuwuwu…”

Lu Cheng?

Lin Qingqing touched his head, took out a handkerchief from his pocket, and wiped his tears: “What did your dad do to you? Didn’t you go to give him popsicles?”

It would have been fine if she hadn’t mentioned the popsicles, but as soon as she did, Lu Haici started crying even more uncontrollably: “Daddy… Daddy ate both… both popsicles, wuwuwu…”

He ate and licked them, wuwuwu…

Lin Qingqing: “…”

She didn’t know Lu Cheng had this side to him. .Was he deliberately bullying their son?

“Alright, stop crying, stop crying. What’s the big deal with popsicles? How about I make you some French fries instead?” Lin Qingqing helplessly comforted him. “French fries are even better than popsicles.”

Lu Haici choked a few times: “French fries? …Better… better than popsicles?”

Lin Qingqing nodded: “Yes. Alright, let’s go make some French fries. But we won’t let your daddy eat any, okay?”

“Don’t let him eat it, hide it.” Lu Haici answered without any hesitation.

Seeing that his crying had turned into intermittent sniffles, Lin Qingqing continued: “Alright then, you go wash ten big sweet potatoes, and I’ll finish this work, and then we’ll make them. How about that?”

“Mm, okay, I… I’ll go wash them.” Lu Haici bounced out of the room, grabbed the wooden basin, and went to pick out the ten biggest sweet potatoes.

Lin Qingqing shook her head.

It was true—no matter how old a woman gets, she still has a little princess inside her heart.

And no matter how old a man gets, he still has a little boy in his heart.

The accounts for the four of them were calculated quickly.

Since Lin Qingqing had already done two before Lu Haici arrived, she just checked the rest, and when everything was correct, she went out.

Outside, Lu Haici was washing the sweet potatoes, one by one, and he was being very meticulous about it.

Lin Qingqing brought a kitchen knife and came to his side to peel the sweet potatoes.

She curiously asked, “Haici, how did your dad eat both popsicles? What did he say to you?”

Lu Haici thought about the delicious French fries, and the popsicle issue had calmed down a lot.

But when it came up, he was still upset. “Daddy said that if I wanted to be filial to him, I had to give him both popsicles. If I didn’t give them to him, it meant I wasn’t being filial.”

Lin Qingqing: “…”

She couldn’t imagine that this was something Lu Cheng, the Deputy Commander, would say.

“I… I’m a good kid, I… I gave both popsicles to Daddy,” Lu Haici said, though he had calmed down, he still felt upset about it. His eyes turned red again.

Lin Qingqing quickly said, “Your daddy is too bad. The French fries we make later, we’ll let you eat them all by yourself.” But, sweetie, please don’t go showing off to your dad later.