Jiang Shengnan and Cen’s father had been very good to Cen Huai’an during their stay.

Despite their busy schedules, they had given him a lot of love and care.

Now that it was time to leave, Chuxia and An’an both felt reluctant.

She patted Cen Huai’an on the head and said, “It’s okay. We’ll come back to visit Grandpa and Grandma during the summer vacation.”

Cen Huai’an looked out the window and responded with a quiet “Mm.”

On the train, Chuxia quickly arranged the bedclothes she had brought and then sat with An’an on the bed.

Since both of them were feeling down and couldn’t focus on reading, they spread a layer of paper on the bed and played Go, specifically the Five in a Row game that Chuxia knew how to play.

Meanwhile, Cen Zhengnian had returned to the Tian Gong Base.

After returning the car, he carried the small tin box to the laboratory.

As he entered the lab, Yu Tian was stuck on a calculation that just wouldn’t come out right.

Seeing Cen Zhengnian, his eyes lit up, and he immediately called him over.

“Zhengnian, look where I went wrong. Why is the result not right?”

Cen Zhengnian walked over, glanced at the densely packed formulas on the paper, and within a minute pointed to one number. “You missed a decimal point here.”

Yu Tian quickly checked, added the decimal point, and indeed, the result was correct.

He smiled with delight. “You’re so meticulous. I searched for ages and couldn’t find it. By the way, did you see your sister-in-law and An’an?”

Yu Tian continued with the next step of the calculation while asking.

“Yes,” Cen Zhengnian replied, placing the tin box on the desk and preparing to work.

Yu Tian, noticing the tin box, reached out to take it. “Zhengnian, what’s this?”

Cen Zhengnian immediately grabbed his wrist. “It’s a gift from my son. Don’t touch it; it’s delicate.”

Yu Tian quickly withdrew his hand, but couldn’t help his curiosity. “What is it?”

Cen Zhengnian’s lips curved slightly. “It’s a small orange lantern made by him and Chuxia.”

Yu Tian’s eyes widened, and a pang of jealousy hit him. “Zhengnian, are you just flaunting it because my wife and daughter aren’t here?”

Cen Zhengnian had already begun his work.

He responded with a simple “Mm,” and added, “You could also have your daughter or wife make something for you.”

Yu Tian glared at Cen Zhengnian and grumbled, “Cen Zhengnian, you’re really something!”

He then decided to never be curious about Cen Zhengnian’s things again to avoid being hurt.

But he often forgot, so he would likely fall into the same trap again in the future.

On the same two-day journey, Chuxia and Cen Huai’an arrived at Liangzhou Station on the afternoon of the 18th day of the lunar new year.

When they went to Gansu, she only had a single bag, but on the way back, she had a suitcase full of things, all packed by Jiang Shengnan for her to bring back.

The suitcase was quite heavy, and Chuxia insisted she didn’t need it because it was too inconvenient to carry on and off the train.

However, she couldn’t refuse Jiang Shengnan’s insistence, and she and Xiao Liu managed to get it all onboard.

Chuxia and An’an carried the suitcase together, resting along the way, and finally got all their belongings onto the bus. Exhausted, Chuxia sat down and didn’t want to move.

An’an was also tired but recovered quickly, looking out the window at the trees rushing by, eager to get home.

Chuxia also wanted to go home.

She felt purely tired and needed to rest quickly.

Even though she was in a sleeper car, the long journey was uncomfortable.

Fortunately, Liangzhou Station wasn’t too far from the Textile Factory’s family quarters.

The bus made several stops and arrived in half an hour.

Chuxia and An’an struggled to unload their luggage and slowly made their way home.

“Auntie! An’an! You’re back!”

Having just moved a few meters away, the surprised voices of Bangzi and the others reached them from behind.

Chuxia and Cen Huai’an put down their luggage and looked over to see a few people pushing a tricycle parked by the roadside, with their goods from today’s sale on it.

Chuxia smiled at their faces and nodded, saying, “Yes, we just got off the train.”

Cen Huai’an, seeing his good friends, couldn’t help but show a happy expression and greeted each of them.

“Auntie, put your things on the tricycle. We’ll take them to the residential compound for you.”

Bangzi saw Chuxia and An’an struggling with their luggage.

Since there was still space on the tricycle, he and the others helped move the luggage onto the tricycle and pushed it towards the compound.

“Thank you,” Chuxia said, feeling a genuine sense of relief.

The residential compound was still a bit of a distance from the bus stop. Normally it would only take a few minutes to walk, but with such heavy luggage, it was quite challenging.

Bangzi and the others were very curious about An’an’s life in the northwest.

Other asked question after question.

An’an answered one by one, sharing details about his life in the northwest.

Bangzi and the others listened with astonishment, especially when they heard about the delicious foods Cen Huai’an had tasted at the big markets—foods they had never heard of before.

They couldn’t help but swallow, and even Bangzi licked his lips.

Chuxia listened with a smile, enjoying how An’an talked about his experiences.

He looked like a truly adorable six-year-old.

Soon, they arrived at the residential compound.

Chuxia and a few children carried the luggage into the house.

As they placed the luggage on the floor, dust was stirred up.

After traveling for so many days, the house was covered in dust.

If they wanted to rest, they would need to clean thoroughly first. Chuxia felt even more tired at that moment.

However, she hadn’t forgotten about the children.

She caught Bangzi, who was trying to run away, and asked An’an to quickly open the suitcase to pack some food for them.

The suitcase was mostly filled with specialties from Ganzhou, including various dried fruits, jerky, and furs.

Cen Huai’an obediently opened the suitcase quickly and gathered a lot of things.

Chuxia helped pack food into each child’s bag, saying, “Don’t run away. If you do, I’ll have An’an deliver it to your home!”

This threat made Bangzi and the others stop running.

They obediently let Chuxia fill each of their bags with delicious treats and also gave each of them a red envelope with New Year’s money.

Bangzi refused, “Auntie, don’t give it to me. I have money.”

Cat and Chopstick nodded in agreement, “Yes, Auntie, the New Year is over. We don’t need the red envelope.”

Chuxia insisted, “The New Year hasn’t officially ended yet. Hurry up and take it! Otherwise, do you want me to follow you home to deliver it?”

Bangzi and the others had no choice but to accept.

However, they were very happy because no one had given them red envelopes for the New Year, including Bangzi’s grandmother.

Adults, when they don’t have money, don’t value New Year’s money.

They think giving it to children is a waste, as it’s usually spent on candy and firecrackers.

Children who receive red envelopes from relatives often have it taken away by adults who say they’ll keep it for them, but then it disappears.

Bangzi and the others had a special situation.

They didn’t have many relatives and could earn their own money.

Bangzi’s grandmother even said he had more money than she did, so he didn’t need the New Year’s money.

The children, with their red envelopes, pushed the tricycle home.

When they opened the envelopes, each one contained one yuan. Bangzi and the others looked at each other and their smiles grew even wider.

One yuan was what Chuxia had planned, more than the few cents or small amounts given by other adults, but still within what Bangzi and the others could accept.

They would have found two yuan too much.

The house was covered in dust, but Chuxia had put away the bedding and covers in the cupboard before she left. Now they just needed to take them out and air them.

She first wiped down two chairs with a cloth and then told Cen Huai’an, “Let’s take a break before we clean the house.”

Cen Huai’an was more energetic than Chuxia.

He couldn’t sit still and, after a while, stood up and said, “Mom, I’ll sweep the floor first.”

Chuxia waved her hand and sat down for a few more minutes before standing up to help Cen Huai’an clean.

By noon, most people in the residential compound were home. Seeing Chuxia and An’an back, they all greeted them.

They knew that Chuxia had handed over her job, and many people commented on how foolish she was.

“Why would you give up a stable job like that just like that?”

“Chuxia, you’re really too silly. Working in the publicity department was so easy. What were you thinking?”

“Yes, tell me, why would you give up such a good job? Will you find a better one in the future?”

Chuxia just nodded and didn’t explain much. No matter what she said, the neighbors would think she was foolish for giving up such a good job.

They meant well, but Chuxia didn’t want to argue with them.

She let them say what they wanted, knowing they would leave after a while when they saw her attitude.

As expected, seeing that Chuxia wasn’t swayed by their comments, they sighed, took their bowls of food, and went home, as they had to work in the afternoon.

Sister Li didn’t leave.

She was more sincere than the others and genuinely felt sorry for Chuxia’s job loss.

“Chuxia, I also think you made a hasty decision. Now that you’ve lost your job, what will you and An’an do in the future?”

“It’s okay, I have my own plans. You don’t need to worry about me.”

Sister Li sighed, “I know you have your own calculations. Fine, I won’t say more. You and An’an haven’t eaten yet, right? I made extra noodles, so I’ll bring some for you.”

Before Chuxia could say no, Sister Li had already taken Chuxia’s bowls to serve the noodles.

Two bowls full of homemade potato and egg noodles. Sister Li was very generous with Chuxia and Cen Zhengnian.

“Elder Sister, An’an and I have already eaten on the train, and we can’t finish all this food,” Chuxia said.

Sister Li would not take no for an answer. “It’s not much. Noodles don’t fill you up. Hurry and eat while it’s still hot, and clean up afterward. I’ll bring you a piece of coal to start the fire!”

Chuxia, eating the noodles, smiled and said, “Alright, thank you, Elder Sister.”

Sister Li waved her hand dismissively, holding the coal. “No need to thank me; we’re neighbors.”

Chuxia and An’an had eaten around eleven, and by now, they were indeed a bit hungry again.

The bowls at home were not large; the ones Chuxia bought were a bit smaller, just right for her and An’an.

Sister Li’s hand-pulled noodles were delicious, and they finished both bowls.

After washing the dishes and tidying up, Sister Li went back to work, bringing the coal to start the fire.

Chuxia set up the aluminum kettle to boil water.

By the time they had cleaned up the house inside and out, it was already late afternoon.

Chuxia wasn’t working non-stop; she took breaks when tired and then continued, so it took a while.

In the evening, Chuxia didn’t want to cook, so she took An’an out for a meal.

By the time they finished, the sun had set, though it wasn’t completely dark yet. The western sky was a bright orange.

People hurried home on the street, with many commuting workers riding bicycles.

Holding An’an’s hand, Chuxia walked slowly home, enjoying a harmonious atmosphere.

However, seeing Wang Yulan standing at the doorstep immediately dampened Chuxia’s good mood.

“Mom, you’re quite well-informed,” Chuxia said with a half-smile.

Her voice was gentle, but her words carried sarcasm.

Wang Yulan’s face was not pleasant.

She looked at Chuxia with anger in her eyes. “I’m not well-informed. I come over every day.”

She followed Chuxia inside, no longer pretending to be weak.

“Why didn’t you tell the family you were quitting your job? Don’t you know your younger brother still doesn’t have a job?”

Wang Yulan recalled her shock when she heard from her second daughter that the job was given to someone else.

She was stunned and had immediately asked if it was true.

When she confirmed it, she was heartbroken, feeling as if her heart was on fire.

She hurried to find Chuxia.

But when she arrived, Chuxia had already gone to the northwest, and the house was locked with a big padlock. Wang Yulan was even more furious.

“And you didn’t even tell the family you were going to the northwest for the New Year. Chuxia, are you really planning to ignore me and your dad?”

She sighed, her face showing the familiar vulnerability Chuxia knew, as she pretended to be weak.

Chuxia’s heart was unmoved.

She poured herself a glass of water and let it cool in two cups before speaking. “Whether I tell you or not, the result is the same. Why should I complicate things? If I told you, you and Dad would be angry and try to stop me. I’m being considerate, so you don’t get upset during the New Year.”

Wang Yulan’s expression grew even worse, and she nearly choked on her words.

Her chest heaved as she took several deep breaths, and she said sorrowfully, “Chuxia, you’re not considering me and your father at all, nor your siblings. You’re really disappointing me.”

Chuxia smiled, took a sip of the water when it was cool enough, and said, “Is that so? Then rest assured, I will disappoint you even more in the future.”

Wang Yulan looked at Chuxia in disbelief, unable to believe she could say such things. “Chuxia, how have you become so unfamiliar? Aren’t you my daughter? How can you say such things?”

Chuxia looked at her with a cold tone. “Your own daughter has been starved by you.”

Her tone was serious because she was speaking the truth.

Wang Yulan clearly didn’t understand.

She frowned. “I raised you and never let you go hungry. When you were sick as a child, I took you to the doctor in the middle of the night. Have you forgotten? Who have you been listening to that has made you say these things?”

Chuxia said no more, only stating, “I’ve already transferred my job to someone else. Luo Chuming has a job with the transport team. If he recovers, he can continue with it.”

Wang Yulan’s face showed great sadness. “Your younger brother almost lost his life because of that job, and you say such things. Your heart is too cruel now.”

Chuxia continued to drink her water leisurely. “So what do you want?”

Wang Yulan finally stated her purpose for coming. “The job at the Textile Factory is yours. Listen to Mom, you can’t let someone else take it. If you really don’t want to do it, let your brother do it first. Go tell the factory manager not to let that young woman take over.”

Chuxia laughed, looking at Wang Yulan as if she were joking. “Mom, don’t make jokes. Once the job is handed over, it can’t be taken back. The young woman’s family is capable of taking over. Do you think there will be consequences for going back on my word? It seems you only ever care about your son. To you, I’m nothing. No need to say more. I won’t agree.”

“Chuxia…” Wang Yulan said, frowning. “I’m not…”

Chuxia interrupted her. “Mom, don’t push me any further. If you don’t want me to be well, then I won’t wish you well either. I’m not afraid to go to your and my older brother’s factory and talk about what you’ve done. If you keep talking, that’s exactly what will happen.”

Wang Yulan stared at her, anger rising in her chest.

She struggled to calm down, truly fearing that Chuxia might create a scene at the factory.

Their family still had some pride.

She could only resentfully say, “Chuxia, what’s the benefit in offending your maternal family? Don’t you want any help from them? What if you’re bullied in your marital home? Aren’t you going to have your brother support you?”

Chuxia replied, “Thanks, but I’m not afraid. What I fear is you wanting my money. And I forgot to mention, I’m very happy in the northwest. My in-laws treat me very well.”