The family compound was in a prime location, right at the edge of a main street.

However, this main street was very different from the bustling avenues of Chuxia’s previous life.

There were no heavy traffic jams, nor were there any hurriedly rushing city dwellers.

The street was almost devoid of cars, and even bicycles were scarce.

Since it wasn’t rush hour, the only people around were workers dressed in black or blue factory uniforms, with a few individuals wearing bright-colored clothes.

They walked leisurely down the road, chatting and laughing with their arms linked.

The buildings along the street were all brick structures, either red or grayish-white, with the tallest ones only reaching three or four stories high.

Most were just one or two stories tall.

There were, however, many trees—tall and unplanned—willows, poplars, and sycamores growing wildly and freely.

As Chuxia walked ahead, she observed the surroundings while also keeping an eye on Cen Huaian, who was following behind her. He walked with his head down, silently, lost in thought.

Suddenly, a bicycle sped towards them from behind.

The young man riding it was trying to show off, letting go of the handlebars while laughing and joking as he displayed his biking skills.

Then, the bike hit a small stone with a loud “clang,” and the handlebars spun out of control.

The young man screamed in terror, “Ah! Ah! Ah!” just as he was about to crash into them.

Reacting quickly, Chuxia grabbed Cen Huaian and pulled him toward her, just as the young man toppled over and fell headfirst into a dirt patch by the roadside, his head making a dull “thump” as it hit a tree.

For a moment, Chuxia felt a twinge of pain in her own head.

However, she didn’t feel the least bit sorry for the young man.

With a cold expression, she walked over, nudged his backside with her foot, and asked, “Are you okay?”

The young man looked up to see a very thin but still beautiful woman standing before him.

His face turned red with a mix of embarrassment and awkwardness.

Holding his head, he hurriedly shook it, saying, “N-no, I’m fine.”

Chuxia wasn’t particularly concerned about whether he was injured.

She simply said, “If you’re fine, then apologize to my son. Do you realize that if I hadn’t pulled him away quickly, you would have crashed right into him? Look at how frail my son is—imagine what could have happened if you’d hit him!”

The young man was originally just trying to show off, but after Chuxia’s words and seeing her and Cen Huaian’s appearance, his face turned even redder, filled with shame and lingering fear.

If he had really hit someone and caused an accident, he’d never forgive himself.

“I’m sorry!” He immediately stood up and bowed deeply.

Chuxia was taken aback by his reaction.

She had planned that if this young man turned out to be a troublemaker, she would simply sit on the ground and cry.

This area belonged to Textile Factory No. 3, and she was an employee there.

If he hit someone and didn’t apologize, the factory workers’ scolding alone would drown him, and they’d likely drag him to the police station afterward.

She hadn’t expected him to apologize so straightforwardly.

That made things easier for her.

Clearing her throat, she unceremoniously extended her hand and said, “Since you know you scared me and my son, you should compensate us.

Let me calculate: my son was frightened, so I’ll need to take him to see a doctor, buy some calming medicine, and provide psychological comfort afterward.

This shock won’t go away quickly. I won’t ask for much—just two yuan.”

Before leaving home, Chuxia had glanced at the calendar hanging by the door.

It was July 21, 1981, according to the lunar calendar.

Most people didn’t have much money; two yuan was quite a sum and would be enough for her and Cen Huai’an to get checked at the hospital.

She assessed the young man’s bicycle, his clothes, and his unweathered face and figured he could afford that amount.

Sure enough, the young man searched all his pockets and gathered a handful of loose change, totaling two yuan, which he handed to Chuxia.

After giving her the money, he asked worriedly, “Is two yuan enough? I have a few more coins here.”

Truth be told, Cen Huaian’s appearance was quite shocking.

The young man had never seen someone so thin in his entire life.

Chuxia waved her hand, “That’s enough. Be more careful when riding your bike next time. You’re lucky you ran into someone as reasonable as me. If you’d met someone with a bad temper, they might have beaten you up first and then demanded a ten-yuan note.”

Whether the young man was overly naive or something else, he genuinely agreed with Chuxia’s words and thanked her gratefully.

When Chuxia had pulled Cen Huai’an over earlier, his body hadn’t even reacted.

Once he realized what had happened, his face turned extremely pale.

After all, he was just a five-year-old child.

No matter how mature he seemed, he was still afraid of life-and-death situations; otherwise, he wouldn’t always be trying to snatch food from other kids.

He watched as Chuxia seriously demanded money from the man, not understanding a word she said, yet the man actually gave her money.

Moreover, his mother had saved him instead of standing there crying in fear.

This was something the five-year-old Cen Huai’an couldn’t comprehend no matter how hard he tried.

He felt that his mother seemed a bit different now, but he couldn’t tell exactly how.

“See that? This is the compensation for you!” Chuxia cheerfully waved the money in front of Cen Huai’an. “Next time, don’t just stand there stupidly when a bike is coming at you. Learn to dodge.”

The money!

Cen Huai’an’s eyes lit up, and Chuxia once again saw that familiar hungry wolf-like gaze.

She quickly pulled her hand back.

Cen Huai’an didn’t grab the money, but his eyes were locked on it, clearly waiting for the next opportunity to snatch it, like a predator eyeing its prey.

“This is mine to get back,” Chuxia said firmly. “Besides, I just saved you. A child shouldn’t have so much money; it could be stolen. I’ll keep it for you. I’ll give you a piece of candy a day. No, too much candy isn’t good for your teeth. How about one piece every two days?”

Cen Huai’an lowered his head in silence, his eyes empty and devoid of emotion.

He knew this was still his mother, just trying to coax him as usual.

But candy—he remembered the candy wrappers he’d found in the compound, how sweet they were when he licked them secretly.

He’d only had that once, and afterwards, when they saw him licking the wrappers, they scolded and hit him.

They even stepped on the wrappers right in front of him, refusing to give him any candy.

The state-run restaurant was not far from the family compound. Soon, Chuxia saw the distinctly red sign with (State-run Restaurant) written in large characters.

On either side of the sign were eight more characters: (Hard work and self-reliance), bold and bright.

Chuxia entered first.

Seeing that Cen Huai’an was still standing outside, she was about to go over and pull him in when he followed on his own.

Inside, there was a small blackboard listing the day’s menu.

The place was clean but very simple, with just basic tables and stools.

The walls, originally coated with white lime, had turned yellow, and a fan with a darkened color hung from the ceiling, not turned on despite the heat.

Today’s special was braised noodles.

Chuxia ordered two bowls—one large and one small—paid with money and ration tickets, and turned to see Cen Huai’an staring intently at someone eating noodles, his eyes almost glowing with hunger, and he was constantly swallowing.

She guided him to a seat.

Cen Huai’an didn’t speak, and he didn’t react much when she guided him to sit down.

“I’ve already bought it. You’ll be able to eat soon,” she reassured him.

Sitting there, Chuxia panted slightly and wiped her sweat with a handkerchief.

Seeing that Cen Huai’an’s sweat was about to drip into his eyes without any response, she stood up and wiped his face roughly with the handkerchief.

Cen Huai’an didn’t move away.

He frowned and looked at Chuxia.

Chuxia didn’t see his expression because she was already looking at the serving window, eagerly waiting for the food to arrive.

It was less than ten minutes from the compound to here, but Chuxia felt incredibly tired and even hungrier, which showed how weak her body was.

Otherwise, she wouldn’t be so eager for the hot noodles in this sweltering weather.

Both she and Cen Huai’an were in poor physical condition.

Eating the hot noodles was the best option for them.

If they had bought meat and fish, they would have suffered from stomach issues and diarrhea, unable to handle the rich food.

No, health was the most important thing.

After they ate, she would take Cen Huai’an to the hospital for a check-up and also buy various supplements and medicinal herbs to improve their health.

The noodles were ready quickly.

It was bone soup noodles, and as soon as it was placed down, Chuxia smelled the rich aroma.

The soup was as white as jade, with minimal garnishes—just a bit of meat from the bones, some wood ear mushrooms, cilantro, bean sprouts, and a few red goji berries.

But it smelled incredibly delicious, and Chuxia’s mouth started to water just looking at it.