Chairman Zheng didn’t look up, continuing to write something in his notebook.

The union had its own office, with a long, dark brown table in the middle and several chairs around it.

Chairman Zheng sat at the desk inside the office.

Chu Xia smiled at Chairman Zheng and said, “Thank you, Chairman.”

She didn’t need to pretend; her face was already pale and she looked very weak.

She appeared quite exhausted from the journey.

Chairman Zheng looked up and was startled: “Oh, Xiao Luo, are you ill? Your complexion looks terrible!”

Chu Xia waved her hand, forcing a smile with an air of false strength: “Chairman, I’m fine, just a bit weak. A little walking makes me feel unwell.”

Chairman Zheng was known as a tough figure at the textile factory.

Back when she was a textile worker, she was frequently recognized as a model worker at the provincial level.

After becoming the union chair, she continually worked hard to solve employees’ problems and address their difficulties.

Those who worked with her in the union had similar temperaments, and even among the factory workers, there had never been a delicate beauty like Chu Xia.

The original owner of her role had been sick but had endured like everyone else.

Seeing Chu Xia in such a state, Chairman Zheng was afraid that raising her voice might frighten her, especially since Chu Xia was a colleague who had been subtly advised to receive extra care.

Chairman Zheng spoke gently to her, using all her ability to act tender: “Xiao Luo, your health is too weak. You need to take good care of yourself. Are you encountering any difficulties in your life?”

Chu Xia almost laughed at the effort Chairman Zheng was putting into speaking softly. However, she held back her laughter, lowered her head, and remained silent, tears dripping down her face, sniffling as if deeply wronged.

Chairman Zheng became anxious, no longer able to maintain her gentle facade, and raised her voice: “Xiao Luo, don’t cry! If you have any grievances, tell me. The union exists to solve employees’ problems! If anyone dares to bully people in the factory, the union will not tolerate it!”

“Chairman, you are truly a good person. You don’t know, but last night someone bullied us—a weak mother and child! They took advantage of the fact that my husband wasn’t home.”

Chu Xia, with tear-filled eyes, took Chairman Zheng’s hand and cried as she recounted what had happened last night in detail.

Chairman Zheng, who had been looking for Chu Xia for this very issue, was even angrier after hearing the details.

“Bang!” Chairman Zheng slammed the table, “This is outrageous!”

Chu Xia was startled by the noise, and Chairman Zheng quickly reassured her: “I’m not scolding you, don’t be scared. Xiao Luo, don’t worry, I will definitely solve this problem for you. Our factory absolutely does not tolerate any bullying of the weak!”

Chu Xia looked at her with admiration, her eyes shining: “Chairman, you are so kind. Chairman, besides this, I have another matter, cough…”

Chairman Zheng, feeling like a great hero in the face of Chu Xia’s gaze, was filled with a sense of grandeur: “What is it? As long as I can handle it, I will help you solve it.”

Chu Xia’s coughing made Chairman Zheng anxious; how could Xiao Luo’s health suddenly become so poor? It was probably due to the bullying from Qin Sanfeng(Black Dog’s Mother) yesterday.

The union’s role was to alleviate workers’ troubles.

Whether it was family discord, housing issues, or job-related problems, the union was there to help.

As long as workers reached out to the union, the union would first mediate and then escalate the issue for resolution. Of course, housing issues were particularly difficult and not easily resolved.

“Chairman, I really want to contribute to the factory, but you see my health, I’m so frustrated with it being useless. It’s not that I don’t want to do the workshop work; I’m really afraid I might faint while working. If I faint, it’s one thing, but I’m worried about causing significant losses for the factory, and that would be my fault.”

Chairman Zheng was deeply moved upon hearing this.

What a good comrade! It’s a pity that her health isn’t better; otherwise, she would have been like her in the past, possibly even recognized as a model worker at the national level.

It’s such a shame.

It’s all Qin Sanfeng’s fault.

“I’ll report this issue for you,” Chairman Zheng said, firmly grasping Chuxia’s hand. “Don’t worry, our union will definitely solve your difficulties, Comrade Chuxia!”

In the spinning workshop of Textile Factory No. 3.

Cen Huaian sat on a stool, popping milk candies into his mouth continuously.

Next to him was a chubby boy, eyeing the candies with envy.

“What are you eating?”

Cen Huaian glanced warily at him, turning his body away and ignoring him, while shoving another milk candy into his mouth.

“It smells so good,” the chubby boy said, wiping his mouth and staring intently at Cen Huaian’s pocket. “Is that White Rabbit candy?”

“No,” Cen Huaian glared at him, clutching his pocket tightly.

They were all his.

“Come on, give me one,” the chubby boy begged.

White Rabbit candy was so sweet and fragrant, and he wanted it badly.

Cen Huaian kept his pocket firmly closed. “No.”

The chubby boy sighed in disappointment, drooping his head, and his whole chubby body seemed to lose its energy.

Cen Huaian didn’t care about his tablemate’s disappointment.

After finishing the candy in his mouth, he checked his pocket and found only one piece left.

Once he ate it, there would be none left.

So, he carefully unwrapped the last piece, just about to put it in his mouth when suddenly, a head appeared beside him, and “ah” – it was snatched away with a bite, leaving his hand covered in saliva.

Cen Huaian looked at his empty hand, then slowly turned to see the chubby boy chewing the candy.

It was his candy!

The last piece!

Gone!

Cen Huaian was instantly enraged and lunged at the chubby boy.

Last night, his mother taught him not to rely solely on force and to use strategic methods, but he forgot all of that.

Now, he was just angry.

“My candy! Give me back my candy!”

The chubby boy, though plump, was weak and couldn’t fight back at all.

He was pinned to the ground by Cen Huaian, unable to resist, only able to cry loudly while still chewing the candy.

The classroom instantly became chaotic.

Having received the assurance from the union chairman and resolved a major concern, Chuxia left Textile Factory No. 3 in high spirits and headed towards the market.

She had made a list and planned to buy everything her home needed today.

However, she couldn’t buy too much since it was summer and things could spoil.

She planned to buy fresh vegetables tomorrow as well, and the family quarters were not far from the market.

There were also local farmers who frequently brought fresh vegetables for sale at reasonable prices.

The market was established as a free market after the market was opened, and later, the government unified its planning.

Buying vegetables at the market didn’t require ration coupons, but for rice, flour, and oil, one still needed coupons to purchase from grain and oil stores.

However, if you had coupons, it was cheaper than buying at the market.

Chuxia had coupons, and since the month’s supply had not yet been used up, she went to the grain and oil store with her ration book.

Because rice and flour were heavy, Chuxia went to the grain and oil store after finishing at the market.

The rice and flour supplied by the store weren’t of the best quality.

The rice was old, and the store staff said that having old rice was already quite good.

Fresh rice and high-quality flour were in high demand, and there was often a long queue for them.

Yesterday, she bought some items from a vendor at the market, and today she went to the grain and oil store to inquire about the supply of grains.

She realized that scarce products were still being snatched up, and she wished she had bought more from that vendor.

It was uncertain when she might find someone selling such good quality grains again, so it was a matter of luck.

However, with the end of the month approaching, new supplies should be available next month, so she planned to line up to buy then.

Standing outside the grain and oil store with a pile of items, Chu Xia flagged down a passenger tricycle, which helped her transport the goods to the residential complex.

She even gave an extra dime to have them carried upstairs.

Without this help, with her current physical state, she would have struggled for a long time carrying everything herself.

At this time, the residential complex wasn’t very lively; those who needed to work had gone to their jobs, and those who stayed behind had their own tasks.

Chu Xia entered her apartment and began unpacking her purchases.

The main items were grains, and she also bought enough vegetables for two days, as she didn’t want them to spoil and cause her heartache.

She bought a few earthenware pots and several packets of vegetable seeds, planning to grow some vegetables on the windowsill.

Summer was the perfect season for planting, so she intended to grow tomatoes, green beans, spinach, green peppers, scallions, and garlic sprouts—making cooking very convenient as she could just pick them fresh.

The lighting in her building was good, and the corridor functioned like a small balcony, allowing sunlight to shine directly in.

Some residential buildings had dark, narrow corridors with rooms on both sides, cluttered with coal stoves and briquettes, creating a gloomy and oppressive atmosphere.

After setting up the earthenware pots, Chu Xia planned to wait for Cen Huai’an to return and help her with the planting.

Since it was still early, it was a good time to prepare the free-range chicken she bought yesterday for a chicken soup.

As a doctor, Chu Xia wasn’t afraid of dissecting a person, let alone a chicken.

She handled the chicken with efficiency, quickly bleeding it, boiling water, and plucking feathers, her face calm though her expression was a bit stern.

Especially when cutting the meat, she used the knife along the bones like a master chef, easily separating the chicken bones from the meat.

It wasn’t until after she finished that she realized it would have been better to cook the whole chicken with the bones intact rather than separating them.

She had just gotten used to dissection.

But it didn’t matter; the chicken was still whole, and it didn’t affect the dish.

“Wow!” Grandma Chen from the same floor came back from buying vegetables and was surprised to see Chu Xia’s chicken: “Xiao Xia, how did you separate the chicken from the bones? The chicken carcass looks quite frightening.”