The little star from the Gobi Desert, handed over to the state, is hailed as a national treasure.

Yao Guilian was stunned for a moment, then immediately retorted, "Apologize? Why should I? They slandered you first..."

"Shut up!" Tie Jieshan cut him off sharply without giving him any face. "If you don't even have this much sense, you shouldn't be working at the supply and marketing cooperative. Go home right now."

"you--"

Yao Guilian was furious that her husband didn't side with her. Just as she was about to throw a tantrum, she suddenly noticed that her husband was trying to wink at her. Although she was fierce, she wasn't stupid. She instantly understood her husband's intention and swallowed back the words that were on the tip of her tongue.

She awkwardly put down the duster in her hand, turned to Zhang Fang and Zhao Xiulan with an embarrassed smile, and said, "Sisters, please don't take it to heart. Our Director Tie criticized me, and I realize my mistake. I apologize to you both." As she spoke, she actually bowed to them in a humble manner.

Zhang Fang still wanted to argue, but Zhao Xiulan felt a little guilty and chuckled awkwardly, "Hey, don't be like that, Director Tie, you're really 'sacrificing family for the greater good'!"

Director Tie said with an upright expression, "You flatter me. This is what we should do. We should help those who are right, not those who are wrong. Whoever is wrong, I will criticize them."

"Director Tie, could you please explain why prices have risen so drastically? Ordinary families are struggling to make ends meet," Zhang Fang pressed for an answer.

"Sister-in-law, you've hit the nail on the head. Right now, foreign countries have imposed a complete blockade on us, so we can't get any food in. Production and technology are also being strangled. Plus, these past few years have been years of disasters, so the harvests in the fields have been poor. If there's any left, of course it'll be expensive."

His tone was sincere, and his expression was equally somber.

"I know it's tough for everyone, but there's nothing we can do. We're in the Northwest. At least people in the South and North can grow some food, but here, all we get is sand and strong winds. The conditions are really tough, so please bear with us."

"Director Tie, what you said is true, we understand," Zhang Fang said, glancing at Director Tie's slightly protruding belly.

Tie Jieshan coughed lightly and subtly sucked in his stomach.

"Sister-in-law, don't look at me like this. I'm sick. The doctor said my liver is not good, I have bloating, and I can't eat anything, so my stomach is bloated like this."

"As the director of the supply and marketing cooperative, how can you be like us, unable to afford anything?"

Zhang Fang was skeptical.

"You can't say that," Tie Jieshan said seriously. "This is the state's supply and marketing cooperative, the people's supply and marketing cooperative, not just mine. Every single transaction here is strictly recorded, and not a penny can be off. The organization has entrusted me with such a large operation, which is related to the food, clothing, housing, and transportation of all the people in the town. I dare not be negligent, and I dare not have the slightest selfishness."

"Oh, Director Tie, that's easy for you to say. So why did you bring your own wife in as a sales clerk?"

Someone in the crowd voiced a question.

Yao Guilian raised her eyebrows, about to retort, but Tie Jieshan glared at her fiercely, forcing her to shut her mouth.

"I don't know which comrade raised this question, but it's a good thing to dare to supervise!"

Instead of being annoyed, Tie Jieshan chuckled at the crowd and said, "My wife used to take care of my mother back in our hometown. Because I've been working in the Northwest for many years, I couldn't go back to fulfill my filial duties when my mother was sick. After my mother passed away, the organization took into consideration the hardships I've endured all these years alone, and made a special exception to transfer my wife here, arranging a job for her so we could settle down in town. Otherwise, I'd still be all alone, with no one else to worry about."

These words were spoken with heartfelt sincerity, and the onlookers nodded in agreement. It turned out that Director Tie had been separated from his family for many years for the sake of national development, making such a great sacrifice, which was truly commendable.

"Director Tie, I misunderstood you earlier, I'm so sorry." Zhao Xiulan felt even more apologetic and took the initiative to apologize to Yao Guilian, "Sister Yao, I spoke a little harshly just now, please don't take it to heart."

"Hey, what's there to apologize for?" Tie Jieshan waved his hand and said magnanimously, "We cadres are meant to be supervised by the people and can't become detached from the masses. If no one supervises us and we get spoiled, wouldn't we become parasites on the country?"

"That's right! Director Tie is truly a reasonable person!"

"That's right, that's right, we wronged Director Tie!"

With just a few words, Tie Jieshan completely turned the tide. The onlookers echoed his sentiments, and the previous doubts vanished, replaced by endless praise.

Tie Jieshan raised his hand to gesture humbly, trying to send the crowd away, when a steady voice suddenly rang out from behind him: "Director Tie, excuse me."

Tie Jieshan turned around and saw a tall, handsome young military officer standing behind him, with a resolute look characteristic of soldiers. He was holding a beautiful little girl in his arms, with a pair of cute pigtails and big, bright eyes; she was incredibly adorable.

"Comrade," he glanced at the two bars and two stars on the other man's shoulder insignia, then changed his tone, "Sir, is there something you need?"

He knew, of course, that a military unit was stationed deep in the Gobi Desert, carrying out highly secretive work, and that unauthorized personnel were strictly forbidden from approaching. These soldiers rarely came to town, and he wondered what a coincidence that a regimental-level officer had come today.

This position was much higher than his position as director of the supply and marketing cooperative, so Tie Jieshan naturally dared not neglect it.

Liang Zhe said calmly, "Director Tie, I've come to the supply and marketing cooperative to purchase supplies. I've already selected some items at the counter, but there's one more thing I urgently need that I haven't seen on the counter, so I wanted to ask you about it."

Upon hearing that it was just ordinary supplies, Tie Jieshan immediately smiled and said, "No problem, no problem. Our supply and marketing cooperative has always supported the military and their families. As long as it's available here, we'll definitely give it to you first! What does the commander need?"

"I want fruit," Liang Zhe said bluntly. "Several senior experts in our unit are in poor health and urgently need to supplement their vitamin intake from fresh fruit. If the supply and marketing cooperative still has some in stock, could they sell it to us at the planned price? I have the money and food coupons, and if I need any paperwork, I can go back to my unit to get it."

"Fruit?" Tie Jieshan's smile froze for a second, then he regained his composure. "Commander, you're joking. How could we grow fruit in our remote little town? Our supply and marketing cooperative mainly sells grain, oil, cloth, farm tools, and household goods. Fruit is a specialty of the south, and we can't transport it here, so we don't have any in stock."

"Really? So, according to you, the supply and marketing cooperative has never sold fresh fruit in all these years? And the people in our entire town have never even tasted a single piece of fruit?"

Tie Jieshan couldn't deny it outright, so he quickly laughed and said, "It's not that bad. In good years, the province would occasionally send a few truckloads over. But as you know, there's a nationwide shortage of supplies lately, and trucks can't get on. Delicate things like fruit have been out of stock for months!"