The younger sister mistakenly identified her brother when visiting relatives and was kissed by the c

Qiao Xinxin quickly calculated in her mind, feeling more and more energetic as she thought about it.

In the afternoon, Qiao Xinxin prepared to go to the hospital's inpatient department to see Bai Zhengyuan.

Bai Zhengyuan's leg injury has recovered remarkably well, and he can now stroll around the corridor with crutches. Qiao Xinxin, carrying a net bag of Fuji apples, had just passed through the somewhat noisy crowd in the inpatient lobby when she bumped into Dr. Chen, who was hurrying along.

Dr. Chen looked up, saw Qiao Xinxin, and immediately smiled, waving and greeting her.

"Hey, Comrade Qiao! What a coincidence! I was just thinking of going to your ward to look for you, and here we are!"

Qiao Xinxin stopped and smiled shyly, "Dr. Chen, is there something you need?"

Dr. Chen tucked the folder under his arm and lowered his voice, somewhat excitedly:

"I compiled the demand statistics for each department yesterday. Wow, that's quite a lot! The emergency room and surgery department alone have requested 500 bottles for next month. You can deliver in four or five days, is that alright?"

Qiao Xinxin nodded sensibly, her voice soft and sweet yet carrying a convincing seriousness:

"No problem, Dr. Chen. I'm already working hard to prepare the core medicinal materials, and I expect to be able to deliver a whole batch on time in four or five days."

"Okay! I'm relieved to hear that."

Dr. Chen patted the folder with satisfaction. "When the goods arrive, just have the pharmaceutical company's delivery truck contact our purchasing department. I've already arranged all the paperwork with them beforehand, so there won't be any issues with your accounts."

"Thank you, Dr. Chen. You can continue with your work. I'll go see my brother." Qiao Xinxin thanked him politely and walked towards the ward with the apple in her hand.

After leaving the hospital, it was already getting dark.

Qiao Xinxin didn't go home; instead, she took a bus directly to the west of the city. By the time she arrived at the pharmaceutical factory in the west of the city, it was already completely dark.

The large iron gate of the pharmaceutical factory was half open, and the workshop inside was still lit by dim yellow lights, with the faint hum of machines running.

Qiao Xinxin entered the workshop with familiarity and immediately saw the factory director, Sun Changming, with his sleeves rolled up and sweating profusely, following behind the workshop director. He was holding a wrench smeared with black oil and inspecting the equipment next to the machine.

"Director Sun!" Qiao Xinxin called out crisply from the doorway.

Sun Changming turned around and saw it was Qiao Xinxin. He quickly put the wrench on the wooden box next to him, wiped the grease off his hands haphazardly on his apron, and grinned.

"Hey, Xiao Qiao! What brings you here at this hour? Come on, come sit in my office!"

The two entered the office, and Sun Changming, without even taking off his coat, excitedly poured Qiao Xinxin a cup of hot water:

"Xiao Qiao, I was just about to call you tomorrow! Great news! We've finished shipping all the goods from our last batch to the hospital. My cousin, Dr. Chen, even talked to me this afternoon, saying the feedback from the hospital has been fantastic, and the orders are already booked for the next batch!"

Qiao Xinxin took the hot water and winked playfully:

"Director Sun, this is indeed good news. However, I'm here today to deliver the next batch of core medicinal herbs to you."

As she spoke, she took out two heavy little cloth bags from her small canvas bag and placed them on the table.

Sun Changming's eyes lit up. He reached out and touched the cloth bag, and could smell the rich, fresh scent of herbs and plants even through the fabric.

"Wow, it's ready so quickly? How much is this batch?"

"This batch is twice as much as the last one."

Qiao Xinxin's smile faded, and her expression turned serious. "Factory Manager Sun, the hospital is pressing us quite urgently. I've prepared all the medicinal materials, and we can start production at any time. Do you think the factory can schedule production in the next few days?"

Sun Changming patted his chest and loudly guaranteed:

"Xiao Qiao, don't worry! As long as your raw materials arrive, even if I have the workers working non-stop, we absolutely won't neglect the hospital's needs! Tonight, I'll have the workshop maintain the machines, and we'll start production first thing tomorrow morning. We'll work overtime to get this batch done!"

"Okay, I'm relieved to hear that." Qiao Xinxin smiled.

When I came out of the pharmaceutical factory, the wind outside was a bit chilly.

Qiao Xinxin tugged at the collar of her coat and looked up at the watch on her wrist.

It's almost 6:40.

She quickly calculated in her mind that there were still about twenty minutes before the bathhouse opened in the evening. Taking the bus back from here would give her just enough time to rush home, grab a quick bite of hot food, and change into clean clothes.

We rushed as fast as we could along the way.

When Qiao Xinxin jogged back to the public bathhouse next to the military family compound, it was exactly five minutes to seven.

She pushed open the slightly chipped wooden door of the management office. The room was cold and still, without a breath of warmth. Without even catching her breath, Qiao Xinxin quickly squatted down and lit the dark, cast-iron stove in the corner with a match.

As the red flames licked the coals, the room gradually warmed up, and the hissing sound of the large iron kettle boiling water could even be heard from the stove.

Qiao Xinxin finally breathed a sigh of relief, took off her dusty thick coat and hung it on a nail on the wall, patted her cheeks to make herself look more refreshed.

At 7:00 sharp, the thick cotton curtain of the bathhouse was lifted, and the people queuing outside immediately poured in.

In the winter in northern China, public bathhouses are the most crowded and lively places.

"Xin Xin, get a ticket for the women's pool!"

"Xin Xin, get me a locker tag!"

Qiao Xinxin sat behind the small window, her hands moving nimbly. Her small, fair hands flew across the table, counting tickets and handing out plastic tags, while she sweetly announced the times.

"Alright, ma'am, here's your ticket, please take it."

"Uncle, your locker number is 23. Remember to return the key after you're done cleaning."

Her voice was soft and pleasant, and she moved quickly. The queue, which had been somewhat anxious, soon became orderly under her guidance.

After the busiest period, the queue at the entrance gradually thinned out.

Qiao Xinxin leaned back in the slightly cold chair and let out a heavy sigh. She rubbed her aching wrists and was about to pick up her enamel mug to drink some hot water.

Just then, a steady footstep stopped in front of the window.

Qiao Xinxin subconsciously raised her head.

Standing by the window was a middle-aged man who looked to be in his early fifties. He was of medium build and wore a very respectable dark gray Zhongshan suit for that era, with the collar buttoned up tightly. His hair was meticulously styled, and he wore a pair of thin silver-rimmed glasses on his nose. He exuded an indescribable air of refinement and authority.