She considered herself in the same situation as Luo Chuxia, with her husband not at home and raising a child on her own.

Both of them appeared to dress well and with care, and they read books—quite different from the other people in the residential complex.

They should have had a lot in common to talk about.

She wanted to integrate into the community more quickly, so she saw Chuxia as her entry point.

But why did Luo Chuxia treat her less warmly than she did that loud-mouthed Sister Li?

It didn’t make sense.

Luo Chuxia wasn’t like this when she first borrowed water; she was the one who reached out, so why was Chuxia being so cold now?

Could it be that her mother-in-law had spread rumors and ruined her reputation here?

Qi Ming sniffed, catching the aroma of chicken soup in the hallway, stretching her neck long, almost wishing she could follow Chuxia into her home.

“Mom, I want chicken soup too,” she said.

Guan Yan immediately came back to her senses, patted her head, and said, “I’ll make some for you tomorrow.”

Qi Ming, having learned her lesson from a spanking, knew better now.

Though he wanted to drink it right away, he knew his mom was different from his grandma—no amount of fuss would get him what he wanted, and he might get scolded instead.

He rubbed his sore bottom, hanging his head and pouting with a soft “Oh.” he missed his grandma.

…..

That afternoon, before Cen Huai’an went to find Bang Ge, Chuxia asked him, “How much do you earn in a day collecting scraps?”

Cen Huai’an replied, “Sometimes a few cents, sometimes a few dimes.”

“What about Bangzi?”

Cen Huai’an calculated the total amount they collected each day and said, “He makes a bit more than us, probably one or two yuan.”

Chuxia couldn’t help but marvel, “Then scrap collecting isn’t a bad profit. You’re still young, so you can’t compete for the best spots, like the steel mill, tractor factory, or brewery. If you could, you’d definitely earn more. Have you ever thought about doing something else to make money?”

Cen Huai’an nodded, “Yes. But that requires capital, which we don’t have.”

Chuxia had asked casually, not expecting that they had actually thought about starting a business.

In fact, if they could secure good locations for scrap collection, and with the construction industry booming later, they could indeed make good money—perhaps no less than other industries.

Chuxia was impressed by these kids.

They had a long-term vision and business acumen better than many adults; their future was boundless.

No wonder Cen Huai’an made so much money in the book.

Don’t underestimate a few dimes or a yuan—they earn that much every day, which isn’t less than what workers make.

Bangzi probably earns at least 30 yuan a month, even on the low end.

If he were older, he could secure better spots, and the scrap he collected could even be transformed into something valuable, sold at a high price.

Curious, Chuxia asked, “Since you’ve thought about it, what would you do if you had the capital?”

“Selling candy, popsicles, soda—we’ve thought of those.”

Cen Huai’an honestly replied, “But Bang Ge’s grandma is sick and needs medicine. We’re afraid that if we don’t sell enough and lose money, we won’t be able to afford the medicine.”

Chuxia took out 30 yuan and handed it to him, “Now you have the capital. You can try selling other things.”

Cen Huai’an looked at the money but didn’t take it.

Hesitantly, he asked, “What if we lose it?”

Chuxia smiled and said, “What you’re selling is all food. If you lose money, we’ll just eat it ourselves. But don’t go too far, and don’t split up. You’re still kids, and it’s not safe.”

She was curious to see just how capable these kids could be.

Thirty yuan couldn’t start a big business, but with some thought, it could still make money.

These kids had grown up in the textile factory, developing more survival skills than she had.

Cen Huai’an, clutching the money, felt his heart racing like a little rabbit inside his chest.

He quickly ran towards Bangzi’s house.

Bangzi lived not far from the residential compound, and although Chu Xia was following him, she wouldn’t let him go out alone.

Bangzi’s home was in a small, dilapidated courtyard with only two rooms, located in a narrow alley.

Chu Xia didn’t get too close but watched from a distance.

It wasn’t long before Bangzi, Cen Huai’an, and the other kids came out, including that skinny, dark-skinned boy who looked as thin as a chopstick.

The five kids were all there, pushing a broken tricycle.

Chu Xia followed them from a distance, knowing that both Bangzi and Cen Huai’an had noticed her.

They didn’t call out her clumsy attempt at following them, and she pretended not to notice that they knew.

She watched as they went into an inconspicuous house and quickly came out carrying two foam boxes.

The kids began selling their goods along the street, focusing on the residential compound and the area near the third textile factory.

Business was decent.

Finally, they stopped in front of a cinema near the textile factory, selling their goods there.

The cinema was bustling with young people coming in and out, and there was even a stall selling sunflower seeds and soda at the entrance.

The kids were bolder than adults, loudly hawking their goods and attracting a lot of customers.

Seeing that everything was fine, Chu Xia turned and left.

That evening, when Cen Huai’an came home, the excitement still hadn’t left his face.

“Mom, we sold a lot of popsicles!”

Chu Xia asked him, “Did you make back the cost?”

“We did, and Bang Ge asked me to give this to you.”

Chu Xia didn’t take it. “Keep it and use it for now. When you’ve made more money, you can share it with me.”

She didn’t ask him how much he had earned, but she had calculated that the popsicles bought with 30 yuan could be sold for at least ten yuan in profit.

If they restocked, they would earn even more, so it was no wonder Cen Huai’an was so happy.

In this season, it wasn’t unusual for kids to sell popsicles on the street.

Some parents even encouraged their children to earn some pocket money this way.

However, there weren’t many kids with that kind of initiative.

Since coming here, Chu Xia had only seen one other child, around eleven or twelve, riding a bicycle and selling popsicles.

---

On Monday, the factory’s exam started at 8 a.m.

Chu Xia didn’t go to the workshop but instead went to the classroom where the exam would be held.

Before entering, the proctor checked to ensure she wasn’t carrying any cheat sheets, and after confirming she only had two pens, they let her in.

The exam started quickly.

Chu Xia glanced at the proctor, whom she didn’t recognize, and then looked down at her test paper.

As she scanned the questions, her heart couldn’t help but race.

These were all topics that Chairman Zheng had provided in the study materials.

Chu Xia took a couple of deep breaths to calm her heart and then began answering the questions seriously.

She finished the entire exam with half an hour to spare.

After triple-checking her answers to ensure she hadn’t made any careless mistakes, she handed in her paper early and left.

Sitting around waiting wouldn’t accomplish anything.

Two days later, the results were posted, and Chu Xia found herself on the list of those accepted into the factory’s publicity department.

Seeing her name finally gave her a sense of relief.

That same day, a large package from Cen Zhengnian arrived, along with a letter.

This time, the letter was longer, filling an entire page.

In the letter, he explained why he sent beef jerky and dried fruit.

He wrote, “I was initially worried that fresh beef, lamb, and fruit would spoil before reaching you, but fortunately, a colleague suggested sending dried versions instead. Chu Xia, you and An’an should try these and let me know if you like them. If not, I’ll look for other Northwest delicacies.”

The letter also included a photograph of him. “The wind and sand are harsh here, so I might look a bit more weathered than before. I hope you still recognize me, and you can show An’an what I look like now. I would also love to see what you and An’an look like, but unfortunately, I don’t have a single photo of you two. If possible, could you send me a photo of the two of you together?”

“I can’t be with you, but I hope that you and An’an are well. Cen Zhengnian”

Chuxia felt around inside the envelope and indeed found a photograph.

When she took it out, she was taken aback.

How could Cen Zhengnian look so good?

His features were refined and handsome, yet his face still carried a masculine ruggedness.

In the photo, he wore a short-sleeved white shirt and black pants, standing in a room filled with books.

The light on his face gave it an old-fashioned feel, as if he had stepped out of a Republic of China-era movie.

It wasn’t just his appearance but his aura—an inherent scholarly and righteous demeanor, unique to the dedicated scientists of that era.

The original owner’s memory of Cen Zhengnian was quite vague; she had always kept her head down and had never looked closely at his appearance.

Chuxia hadn’t expected a scientist to look so striking.

Cen Huai’an, uninterested in the letter, was busy moving the items Cen Zhengnian had sent back into the cabinet.

“An’an, stop moving things. Come and look at your dad’s photo,” Chuxia said.

Cen Huai’an turned his head and said, “I don’t want to look.”

Chuxia pulled him over, “I know you’re upset with your dad, but you should still see what he looks like. What if he comes back one day? You need to recognize him.”

Cen Huai’an pursed his lips and looked reluctantly at the photo.

However, his eyes couldn’t help but stay glued to it.

Is this really his dad?

He didn’t look like a bad person at all, so why had he never come back to see him?

Chuxia patted Cen Huai’an’s head, “You look quite a bit like your dad.”

“I don’t want to look like him. Why doesn’t he come back?” Cen Huai’an couldn’t help but reach out and touch the photo, then quickly withdrew his hand.

“Because he’s working for the country and can’t come back. Do you want to read his letter?”

Cen Huai’an hesitated for a moment before taking the letter.

Many of the words were unfamiliar to him, so Chuxia read it aloud.

After listening, he threw the letter onto the table, looking even more upset, “The photo is useless; he can’t come back himself!”

Chuxia picked up the letter and said, “It’s still useful. Part of what you eat and drink now is money he sent.”

Cen Huai’an stopped talking and continued to move the beef jerky and dried fruits.

Since Cen Zhengnian had mentioned wanting a photo of her and Cen Huai’an in his letter, Chuxia took him to a photo studio the next day for a picture.

She used the express service and received the photos the same day.

Honestly, she was unsure whether to send the photo of her and An’an together.

She had also taken several individual photos of An’an, enlarged some at the studio, and planned to hang them on the wall at home.

The enlarged photos would take a bit more time.

In the end, Chuxia decided to include the group photo with the letter, as it would make the gesture seem more natural.

In the letter, Chuxia wrote about many things, including Cen Huai’an and Bangzi selling ice cream together, and her own work in the publicity department.

She also mentioned that she wanted to continue her studies and would soon look for a high school to see if she could transfer in.

Now that the college entrance exams had been reinstated, she needed to register with a high school in order to take the exams.

She was testing Cen Huai’an’s reaction, as she planned to resign from the factory if she went to college.

Many people were eager to become formal workers at the factory, especially since she had joined the publicity department, which offered a bright future.

If others knew she wanted to quit her job to study, they would definitely criticize her.

She just wanted to see if Cen Zhengnian thought the same way.

Finally, Chuxia asked who the helpful colleague was, and mentioned that the dried beef and fruits were quite good.

The suggestions given were excellent!