“Chuxia, what are you looking at?”

After finishing her work, Chuxia quietly took out her notebook with her physics mistakes to review.

Her desk was by the window and in the corner, and she was careful to only look at it when she had finished her work and it was almost time to leave.

No one in the office paid much attention to her small actions, as others were also occupied with their own things, like reading or knitting.

“It’s nothing, just browsing,” Chuxia replied calmly, closing the notebook.

However, since the incident with borrowing clothes, Chuxia felt that Huang Tingyue had been paying extra attention to her every move.

It seemed that she should avoid looking at high school material in the office in the future.

When no one noticed, it was fine, but if someone did, she had to be cautious to avoid having her personal matters become widely known, which could affect her work.

Chuxia put away her notebook and began reviewing physics laws from outside the window; it didn’t interfere with her study.

Huang Tingyue glanced into Chuxia’s bag but saw nothing suspicious and seemed a bit persistent. “Chuxia, I noticed you often read books alone. My blind date also said girls should read more. Do you have any recommendations?”

Huang Tingyue spoke with a bit of embarrassment, her face slightly flushed.

It seemed her blind date was satisfactory, at least from her own perspective.

Chuxia smiled warmly at Huang Tingyue and sincerely said, “I think books like Red Crag, Red Flag Canal, and Selected Sayings are excellent choices. They help elevate our spiritual realm and inspire us to learn from those revolutionary predecessors, contributing our youth to the country and the factory!”

“You like these books too? I particularly enjoy Red Crag! Every time I read it, I feel both angry and touched!”

An older colleague in the office, usually quiet, brightened up when he heard Chuxia mention these books, thinking he had found a kindred spirit.

Seeing Huang Tingyue’s puzzled expression, Chuxia smiled gently and nodded, “Yes, I really enjoy reading, especially Red Crag and the character of Jiang Jie.”

She had read the required classic books for the middle school entrance exams thoroughly to score a few extra points.

Moreover, recommending such books was always safe.

“I do too!”

Seeing the older colleague discussing the book’s plot with Chuxia, Huang Tingyue thought: maybe this book is really that good. I should get a copy and check it out.

Huang Tingyue usually didn’t read much, preferring adventure stories.

Although she had heard of Red Crag being popular, she had never considered reading it.

Since her blind date was a cultured book lover, Huang Tingyue thought reading more books would give her more topics to discuss with him.

Therefore, she rushed to the Xinhua Bookstore after work and bought the three books Chuxia recommended, even bringing Red Crag to work the next day.

“Chuxia, I read a few pages of the book yesterday. It really is well-written. Thank you!” Huang Tingyue said, holding the book in front of Chuxia with a show of enthusiasm.

Chuxia could tell Huang Tingyue’s intentions and smiled, “I’m glad you like it. It’s a classic.”

Nowadays, people are serious about investigating their blind dates, and Huang Tingyue probably asked about Chuxia’s book recommendations to impress her blind date with her own reading habits.

In the office, everyone usually just said a few good words if asked.

Unless it was someone particularly close or if someone was very disapproving, they would give honest feedback.

Huang Tingyue’s initial resentment over not borrowing clothes seemed to have faded, and she was now more pleasant and chatty, no longer carrying a sarcastic tone.

Chuxia didn’t mind Huang Tingyue’s teenage mood swings but preferred a comfortable environment in the office.

Cen Huai’an’s low mood persisted until Friday of that week.

When he got home on Friday, he dropped his schoolbag and ran to Chuxia, looking as if he had something important to say and was just waiting for her to ask.

Chuxia was about to tease him but remembered how he had been moping over his father’s departure all week.

He had only been briefly happy when Cen Zhengnian called to report his safety.

Chuxia, unwilling to tease him further, directly asked, “It looks like you have something to tell me. Did something happen at school? Did your teacher praise you?”

An An glanced at Chuxia and replied, “I get praised by my teacher every day; that’s nothing new. Our teacher said we’re going on a field trip next Tuesday!”

This is definitely something students get excited about—spring and autumn outings are always the highlights of school life.

It’s not so much about where they go, but the fact that teachers can take everyone out for a whole day of fun.

“This is great news! Has your teacher said where you’ll go for the autumn outing?”

“To the People’s Park.”

Liangzhou People’s Park is well-known in Liangzhou and isn’t far from the Textile Factory No. 3.

Most importantly, it’s a safe place with no cliffs or dangerous spots, just an artificial lake that students need to be kept away from.

The rest is flowers, grass, trees, pavilions, and small gardens.

The ginkgo trees are turning yellow, and chrysanthemums are in bloom, making it a perfect spot for an autumn outing.

Chu Xia could easily understand why the teacher chose this location.

“That sounds great,” Chu Xia said, nodding. “I’ve heard the ginkgo trees at People’s Park are the most beautiful. You should collect a few leaves to make bookmarks. You can send one to your dad and give another to your good friends.”

Huai’an nodded in agreement, looking more excited.

“Mom, the teacher said we need to prepare our own lunch because we’ll be at the park until the afternoon.”

“Okay, I’ll take you shopping on Sunday.”

Chu Xia asked him to make a checklist for the outing, listing what he should bring.

She promised to reward him with a small red flower if he did a good job.

Huai’an took a pen and sat at the desk, frowning as he carefully wrote on the paper.

Chu Xia didn’t look over his shoulder; as long as his list wasn’t completely off, she was ready to give him a red flower.

She thought the teacher would provide instructions, and knowing Huai’an’s good memory, he probably remembered them all.

Chu Xia got up to check the rib soup in the clay pot, which needed a bit more simmering to become tender and delicious.

For dinner, Huai’an had two small bowls of lotus root and rib soup, finishing with a satisfied burp. Chu Xia rubbed his belly.

He wasn’t stuffed but seemed quite full, and she decided not to say anything.

It was the season for fresh lotus roots, and they were both sweet and tender.

This soup was perfect for autumn—nourishing without being excessive.

It tasted great, light, and flavorful, warming him from the inside out with every steaming bowl.

After dinner, with Cen Zhengnian not at home, the task of washing the dishes fell to Huai’an.

He was happy to do it for the chance to earn red flowers.

He had just earned enough red flowers to exchange for a set of “Journey to the West” comics.

One book wasn’t enough to cover all the stories.

“Mom, I’ve finished writing it.”

Huai’an washed the dishes, swept the floor, and exchanged his red flowers before eagerly running to Chu Xia with his completed autumn outing checklist.

Although he used a lot of pinyin, Chu Xia could understand it.

“Beef jerky, apricots, fried dough twists, egg cake, soda…”

Chu Xia read through his list. “You’ve listed mostly food.”

“There’s more,” Huai’an urged, showing her the rest.

Finally, Chu Xia saw some non-food items—water, red medicine.

“Why the red medicine?”

Chu Xia was impressed that Huai’an thought of this. “For treating injuries.”

Taking the list, Chu Xia crossed out several snacks. “You can’t bring soda; the glass bottles are heavy and unsafe. And you won’t be able to eat all these snacks. It’s good you thought of the medicine, but also add a box of cooling oil to prevent insect bites.”

Though it wasn’t hot anymore, and there was no need for heatstroke medication, insects were still a concern in the park. Cooling oil could also help prevent motion sickness.

Huai’an was unhappy to see his favorite soda crossed off along with other snacks.

He worried that he might not get any red flowers for his list now.

“However…” An An immediately looked at Chuxia, who smiled and said, “An An, except for eating too much, everything you wrote is very reasonable. Mom has decided to reward you with a little red flower.”

Cen Huai’an pressed his lips together, smiling, and quickly ran to get the notebook with the red flower stickers, feeling reassured when he saw Chuxia adding another red flower.

On Sunday morning, Cen Huai’an woke up early with great excitement, and after breakfast, he kept watching Chuxia, waiting for her to say they would go shopping.

Chuxia asked him, “Will Bangzi and the others be going on the field trip too?”

“Yes,” An An nodded. “Bangzi said they might even sell some things.”

“Will they be bringing their own food?”

Chuxia didn’t ask if they would buy food since it was clear that for Bangzi and the other kids, it was unlikely.

“Mm,” Cen Huai’an thought for a moment and said, “Bangzi will probably bring steamed buns or dumplings made by his grandmother.”

Chuxia nodded, “Then you can bring extra snacks and fruits to share with them.”

Since the focus was on buying filling foods, Chuxia first took Cen Huai’an to a grocery store in the city center that sold various groceries, including fruits, snacks, and meat, as well as some unusual and advanced foods.

For example, Chuxia saw bread there.

Although there was only one type—round, flat bread—there were two flavors: plain and coconut.

The bread was freshly baked, with a glossy surface and an enticing aroma.

“An An, would you like to buy some bread to take with us?” Chuxia asked.

Cen Huai’an nodded, having given up his favorite small fried dough twists.

He was more interested in the sweet-smelling bread.

The bread was two cents each, and Chuxia bought six: three plain and three coconut-flavored.

After getting the paper bag with the bread, Chuxia asked Cen Huai’an, “Which flavor do you want?”

“Coconut!” Huai’an quickly replied, as if it was the answer he had been waiting for.

Chuxia had a plain one.

It tasted quite good—the coconut bread had white coconut flakes sprinkled on top, while the plain one did not.

The bread was still warm from the oven, soft, and had a pleasant taste.

Chuxia decided to buy another two dollars’ worth.

“We’ll save the rest for later and leave enough for you to take on the field trip. You can share them with Bangzi and the others,” she said.

Although Cen Huai’an still wanted to eat another one, he nodded, understanding that his mother was right.

Next, Chuxia bought some egg cakes, roasted fruits, and fruit leather, as well as two pounds each of apples and grapes.

These were almost enough.

As for the soda that Cen Huai’an mentioned, she definitely wouldn’t buy it for him.

Chuxia also saw Laoshang Cola and hesitated for a moment before deciding to buy a bottle.

She hadn’t seen the more modern K-Cola or B-Soda, so she was only familiar with the kind she bought.

Back home, Chuxia poured the Laoshang Cola into a cup, which immediately caught Cen Huai’an’s attention.

“Mom, what’s this?”

“It’s cola. Try it.”

Cen Huai’an looked at the dark, bubbling liquid in the cup, cautiously took a sip, and found it sweet with a hint of herbal flavor.

He couldn’t help but take a few more sips.

He thought cola could be considered as good as soda, ranking high on his taste scale.

Chuxia, who hadn’t had cola in a long time, wasn’t particularly fond of carbonated drinks.

She decided to try it herself and found that it suited her taste better than the modern cola, with a gentler flavor and a refreshing sweetness.

The whole bottle of Laoshang Cola was shared between Chuxia and Cen Huai’an.

Cen Huai’an eagerly drank the last drop and said, “Mom, it’s finished.”

“I know. Good things shouldn’t be consumed all at once. Even if cola is delicious, it shouldn’t be drunk too often. Remember how you ate too much candy before? Cola can also damage your teeth if you drink too much.”

Cen Huai’an immediately covered his mouth and shook his head, “I won’t drink any more.”

“Go put the bottle away; we can exchange it for money later. A glass bottle is worth a dime, so we shouldn’t waste it.”

In the afternoon, Chuxia took Cen Huai’an to his chess class.

Seeing his restlessness, she said, “Don’t think about the field trip during your chess lesson.”

Whether or not it helped, Chuxia wasn’t sure.

While Cen Huai’an was at his class, she sat in the corridor of the youth palace and read.

When Cen Huai’an came out, he didn’t run up to her with the usual excitement, saying that his teacher praised him.

Instead, Chuxia knew he must have been criticized for not focusing on his chess.

Chuxia didn’t comfort him; being praised often leads to arrogance, and a criticism once in a while is beneficial.

Instead, she gently patted his head and asked, “What do you want for dinner tonight?”

“Mom, can I have a plain bread now? I’m hungry.”

Well, it seems she worried too much!