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

Stepping out of the military medical department, the sun was shining warmly. Instead of heading home, Qiao Xinxin turned a corner and headed straight for the pharmaceutical factory in the west of the city.

Upon arriving at the pharmaceutical factory, one could hear the rumbling of machines operating in the workshop from afar, and a strong medicinal aroma filled the air.

Qiao Xinxin walked in familiarly. As soon as she entered the workshop, she saw the factory director, Sun Changming, squatting next to a large machine, holding a wrench and inspecting the equipment.

Sun Changming looked up and saw that it was Qiao Xinxin. He quickly put the wrench aside, patted the black ash off his hands, stood up and greeted her with a smile: "Oh, Xiao Qiao, you've come at just the right time! I was just thinking of going to find you. Come on, let's go to the office and talk."

Qiao Xinxin followed Sun Changming into the factory manager's office next door.

Without even washing his hands, Sun Changming pulled a thick, heavy kraft paper envelope from his desk drawer and shoved it into Qiao Xinxin's hand, saying with a smile, "Here! This is the first payment for medicine from the Military Region General Hospital. The purchasing department just delivered it yesterday afternoon. Quickly open it and check if the amount matches."

Qiao Xinxin took the envelope, felt its thickness, and her heart skipped a beat.

She tore open the seal and pulled out a stack of ten-yuan notes and several receipts.

She took the list and carefully checked it line by line from beginning to end.

It clearly states: how many bottles of "Qiao's Hemostatic Powder" were delivered in the previous batch, the price per bottle, and the total amount due. The accounts are crystal clear, with not a single penny off.

However, when Qiao Xinxin's gaze fell on the total amount at the bottom of the order, she couldn't help but look up in surprise, her eyes wide as she stared at Sun Changming: "Factory Director Sun, this... this is only the cost of the first batch of goods, how come it's already so much?"

The amount on the bill was much higher than she had secretly calculated. Although she already knew that the hemostatic powder she made with the herbs from her spatial storage was effective and that hospitals would definitely be eager to buy it, she still felt a little unreal when she held this real money in her hands.

Seeing her surprised expression, Sun Changming laughed heartily, picked up his teacup, took a sip, and said, "This is nothing, Xiao Qiao! Let me tell you, this is just the first batch for testing. I heard from acquaintances at the hospital that doctors in several departments have witnessed the potency of your medicine and are constantly chasing after logistics for more! They're all placing additional orders. I reckon the second batch will at least double the amount of the first!"

Hearing this, Qiao Xinxin felt a huge weight lifted from her shoulders, replaced by a surge of energy. She carefully wrapped the money in a handkerchief and tucked it into her innermost pocket. She didn't intend to squander this money; it was capital to buy a batch of medicinal herbs, expand production, and build her future. She checked the receipts several times before finally putting it away with peace of mind.

She happily did the math in her mind: the profit from this first batch of medicine was already so considerable; if the second batch could be delivered smoothly, she would soon be able to save a large sum of money. At that time, whether she bought more seeds to grow in her space or researched other new medicines, she wouldn't have to worry about working capital.

After saying goodbye to Sun Changming, Qiao Xinxin walked home. The sun seemed exceptionally bright that day, and even the bare branches of the roadside trees looked pleasing to the eye. With money in her pocket, she felt calm and her steps were much lighter than when she had come.

The next day was Friday. In the afternoon, Qiao Xinxin was busy helping her parents pick vegetables and wipe tables at their family's small restaurant when she suddenly heard someone calling her from the restaurant entrance.

"Comrade Qiao! Is Comrade Xiao Qiao there?"

Qiao Xinxin put down the rag she was holding, looked up, and saw it was Officer Wang from the military logistics management department. She quickly went out to greet him: "Officer Wang, I'm here, please come in and sit down."

Officer Wang waved his hand, stood at the door with a smile, and said, "No need to sit down, I'm busy. I'm here to tell you some good news: your resignation has been approved. And a replacement for the men's bathhouse has been found! It's a woman in her thirties who worked on women's affairs in a rural commune for several years. She's very efficient and quick. When would be a good time for you to hand over the work to her?"

Upon hearing this, Qiao Xinxin felt much more relaxed and quickly agreed with a smile, "Oh, that's great! Officer Wang, I happen to be working my last night shift at the bathhouse tonight. Could you have that lady come to the bathhouse to find me at 7 PM? I'll show her all the tasks and tickets she needs to collect each day, from beginning to end. I guarantee I can teach her in one night."

"Alright! It's settled then. I'll go back and tell her to come to the bathhouse to find you at 7 p.m. sharp!" Officer Wang nodded, turned and left.

By 7 p.m., it was completely dark. Qiao Xinxin arrived at the bathhouse early and had just lit the stove in the management office when the new female manager arrived.

The woman did indeed look as Officer Wang had described: dressed in a clean, old blue cloth outfit, her hands covered in calluses, clearly a hardworking, honest, and reliable person who had worked in the fields for years. She didn't talk much, but her eyes held a serious intensity as she looked at Qiao Xinxin.

Qiao Xinxin led her into the house and let her warm up by the stove. Then, she patiently taught her everything one by one: "Big sister, look, these are the bath tickets the soldiers give when they come to bathe. And this is the plastic tag they get, they come in different colors. We have four bathing sessions every day, each lasting forty minutes. You must remember to go to the men's bathhouse five minutes before your time is up and shout to remind them that it's almost time, so they have to clear the area so the next group can go in."

The new older sister listened very carefully, afraid of forgetting everything. She even took out an old, worn-out notebook with curled edges and a short pencil stub from her pocket. For every sentence Qiao Xinxin said, she would write it down with great effort.

Qiao Xinxin pointed to the slightly chipped tin box on the table and said, "Please put all the bath tickets and change you collect in this tin box. When you leave work tonight, remember to lock the box in this drawer next to it with a lock. Keep the key yourself, and take it out to use the next morning."

Qiao Xinxin smiled and patted her older sister's arm, comforting her: "Basically, this is all you do every day, it's actually quite simple. Just be careful when distributing the cards and keeping track of the time, and don't get the times mixed up or cause any trouble."