Currently, Cen Huai’an shouldn’t have any popsicles because they are too cold for him since he’s still on medication.

However, soda would be a nice treat.

“Get one that hasn’t been chilled.”

The vendor, pleased with the business, eagerly offered: “We have orange, lychee, and pear-flavored sodas. Which one would you like?”

The colorful sodas were arranged in a wooden crate.

Cen Huai’an wanted to try them all.

“I want the orange flavor.”

“Great! Fifteen cents a bottle!”

The vendor quickly opened the cap and handed the soda to Cen Huai’an. “The bottle costs fifty cents. If you drink it here, you can return the bottle without paying extra.”

Cen Huai’an was stunned.

Fifteen cents was more than he had.

He would have bought a popsicle if he had known soda was so expensive.

The cheapest white sugar popsicle cost only two cents.

Not knowing whether he should accept it, Chu Xia handed over the money and placed the soda in his hands, saying, “Drink up, finish it here.”

She was in a good mood after getting a large sum of money earlier.

Fifteen cents for a soda was nothing to her.

The soda didn’t have a brand and was likely produced by a small factory.

Chu Xia didn’t care much for such drinks herself.

She had never liked carbonated beverages since her grandfather forbade her from drinking them, claiming they were unhealthy.

However, she understood why people enjoyed them.

For those who liked this kind of drink, it could be very refreshing.

It was fine for a child to have a taste.

When Cen Huai’an took his first sip, he found the soda’s taste strange—somewhat stimulating but with a sweet orange flavor.

The more he drank, the better it tasted, even better than sugar water.

He quickly drank half of the bottle, causing his stomach to bulge and make him burp loudly.

Cen Huai’an’s face flushed with embarrassment as he looked at Chu Xia.

She was smiling, but it wasn’t mocking, which made him feel more at ease.

“Mom, do you want to try? It’s really good.”

Chu Xia patted his head, which was getting long and covering his eyes.

“I don’t like it. You enjoy it yourself.”

After finishing the bottle, Cen Huai’an looked at the empty soda bottle longingly, wanting another one.

“Enough,” Chu Xia said, ignoring his desire. Trying one was enough; drinking more could upset his stomach.

“Soda is good but shouldn’t be consumed in excess, or your stomach will hurt.”

Since they were out, Chu Xia didn’t want to go back too soon.

She took Cen Huai’an to a department store.

At home, there wasn’t enough time to shop, so she planned to buy a wristwatch and some household items like towels and soap.

The watches came in many brands: Seagull, Shanghai, Meihua, Longines…

All were classic brands.

Cen Huai’an followed Chu Xia and looked at the watches with a different light in his eyes.

For a child, a watch seemed like an unattainable luxury.

Many workers couldn’t afford them since they cost several months’ worth of wages.

Chu Xia inquired about the prices, which ranged from tens to hundreds of yuan.

Domestic watches like Shanghai and Seagull were cheaper, while imported brands like Meihua and Rolex were more expensive.

The priciest Rolex cost as much as four or five Shanghai brand watches, priced at 450 yuan.

The most expensive Shanghai watch was a little over 100 yuan.

Chu Xia decided against the imported watches, although they were beautiful, as they were too pricey.

She ultimately chose a Seagull ladies’ watch, which was smaller, with a leather strap and a steel dial, priced at 90 yuan without a receipt.

Chuxia waved a watch in front of Cen Huai’an, asking, “Do you think it looks nice?”

Cen Huai’an saw the price of 90 and thought it was very expensive.

He only made a few cents a day collecting scrap, so he felt he would never be able to afford this watch.

But it really did look nice.

He nodded, with a tone of longing, “It’s nice.”

Looking at the watches in the display, Cen Huai’an felt something inside him stir.

---

On Monday, when Chuxia arrived at work, she noticed a crowd gathered around the factory’s bulletin board.

Curious, she went over to check it out.

She tapped an employee outside and asked, “Big Sister, what’s happening? Why is everyone crowded here?”

“It’s an internal recruitment notice.”

Chuxia’s eyes lit up with interest.

She wanted to see the notice but couldn’t get close due to the crowd.

So, she decided to head to the union office instead.

Chuxia knocked and entered. Zheng Chairwoman smiled when she saw her.

“Xiao Luo, you look good today.”

Chuxia smiled shyly, “Chairwoman, my face still looks pale. I just put on some lipstick to make it look a bit better.”

Zheng Chairwoman examined Chuxia’s lips.

The color was a bit red but subtle compared to the bold lipsticks she’d seen others wear.

“That color looks quite nice on you.”

Chuxia took out a lipstick from her bag and opened it, “Chairwoman, it’s not the color but the method. Let me show you.”

Women generally love beauty, including Zheng Chairwoman.

She was intrigued, “How do you apply it?”

Chuxia approached her and demonstrated directly on Zheng Chairwoman’s lips.

“You shouldn’t apply lipstick all over your lips at once. Start by applying some in the middle, then use your finger to blend it out.”

Zheng Chairwoman had a mirror in her drawer, which she used to check her appearance during meetings.

She took it out and saw the difference in the mirror.

Although she couldn’t pinpoint what was different, it definitely looked better than other lipsticks she’d seen.

“Wow, Xiao Luo, you have a real skill here. I’ve never seen this before.”

Chuxia smiled and handed the lipstick to Zheng Chairwoman, “Chairwoman, why don’t you try it yourself?”

After Chuxia demonstrated twice, Zheng Chairwoman quickly learned and kept admiring her reflection in the mirror, adjusting her hair.

“It looks really good. Xiao Luo, keep this lipstick.”

Chuxia declined, “Chairwoman, keep it. My husband sent me two, and I won’t use them all. It would be a waste if they go bad. You’ve treated me like a sister in the factory and helped me through so many difficulties. Even giving you a hundred lipsticks wouldn’t express my gratitude. Honestly, you’ve been better to me than my own parents.”

Chuxia’s eyes filled with touched tears as she spoke.

The lipstick was indeed Chuxia’s, but she used her husband’s name as an excuse to avoid Zheng Chairwoman refusing the gift.

Zheng Chairwoman felt warm inside and said, “Xiao Luo, you can just call me ‘Sister’ from now on! Have you seen the internal recruitment notice posted today?”

“No,” Chuxia shook her head, “I came straight to you as soon as I got here.”

“Perfect. There’s a position that might be suitable for you. Let me tell you about it…”

Chairman Zheng was referring to the work of the factory’s publicity department. Naturally, if Chu Xia got in, she would only be a junior officer.

Chu Xia felt it was a good fit for her—mainly organizing event materials and attending meetings.

“The internal transfer exam focuses mainly on knowledge about our textile factory, so study hard,” Zheng said.

After Chu Xia left, Zheng Chairman immediately went to the mirror to adjust his clothes and then headed to the factory office.

“Factory Director, I’ve spoken with Xiao Luo.”

The Factory Director stood up and poured tea for Chairman Zheng. “Thank you for your hard work.”

Zheng Chairman took the tea, sat in the director’s mahogany chair, blew on the tea, and took a sip. “Factory Director, Xiao Luo’s background—why did we change the transfer rules just for her? Her parents are both workers at Textile Factory No. 1; it must be her husband’s side.”

“Keep it quiet!” Factory Director Zhang said with a stern look. “Xiao Zheng, you need to control your curiosity. Just follow the arrangements and don’t dig into things you shouldn’t know. Don’t forget to give Xiao Luo the materials.”

Chairman Zheng nodded. “You can trust me to handle it. By the way, Xiao Luo gave me a lipstick that I really like. How about letting her join the union?”

The Factory Director waved his hand dismissively. “Keep it if you like. The union isn’t suitable for her. Xiao Luo is too shy for that.”

Chairman Zheng shook his head regretfully and left.

The Factory Director hesitated for a moment, glanced at the phone, picked it up, and then put it back down.

He decided to wait until the matter was settled before making any calls.

A few days later, Chu Xia received the exam materials from Chairman Zheng.

She thought the lipstick might have helped and studied diligently every night at home.

Even Cen Huai’an noticed, trying to study alongside her.

However, he found it hard to sit still and was like a child with ADHD.

Chu Xia didn’t scold or punish him. Instead, she said, “You’re supposed to write three pages. If you move around, I’ll add an extra page. If you don’t finish today, continue tomorrow.”

“Mom, if I finish writing, can I have an extra piece of candy?”

“No, but you can have an extra bowl of malt extract.”

Cen Huai’an smacked his lips.

That was fine; he liked malt extract.

But he really wanted more soda, which was too expensive for his mother to buy often.

He began writing carefully.

Three pages were a lot, and writing each word took him a long time.

If he didn’t meet the standard, Chu Xia would erase it and make him redo it.

He didn’t want to add an extra page.

---

Northwest Gansu Tiangong Base.

“Engineer Cen, you have mail.”

Cen Zhengnian, deep in thought about the data from the project tests, took the letter from the guard with a thank you and continued walking toward his dorm.

Once inside, he placed the letter on the desk and returned to his calculations, only remembering the letter after achieving the desired numbers.

By now, it was very late, but working through the night was common for Cen Zhengnian.

He took out the letter, noticing the familiar address.

It was from Liangzhou, sent by his wife.

Opening the letter, he saw two densely written pages.

He was surprised, as his wife’s letters usually just mentioned her safety.

This time, there was so much writing—had something happened?

Cen Zhengnian furrowed his brow and began reading from the first line.

Gradually, his expression softened, and a smile spread across his handsome face.

He imagined his wife teaching their son to read, seeing how quickly their son learned, and his wife’s mixed feelings of joy and frustration.

As he continued reading, Cen Zhengnian felt a pang of guilt. The money he sent wasn’t enough to reassure his wife and child about their needs.

He wondered if the beef and lamb in the northwest were good.

He hadn’t paid much attention, being absorbed in his work.

His colleagues, who enjoyed such foods, might know where to get them.

He planned to ask them tomorrow and buy some to send home for Chu Xia and An’an to try.

An’an could now read.

Cen Zhengnian cherished the paper with An’an’s writing, feeling an overwhelming sense of longing.