A domineering country girl flirts with her son, and Commander Huo can't resist.

A meat bun costs five cents, and the canteen can charge extra for meat coupons and grain coupons, so the canteen still makes a profit.

But... flour and meat are both rare commodities. Can Qiao An guarantee that the buns and pies will always be of this quality?

Qiao An knew what he was thinking. "Director Geng, I can solve the meat problem, but we still need your support for the flour."

"From now on, the fruits and vegetables I provide will be free; I'll pay with flour instead. How about that?"

Geng Qiusheng took out paper and pen and calculated for a while, then nodded, "Okay, starting tomorrow, one hundred steamed buns, one hundred stuffed pancakes, and three hundred dumplings every day, can you do that?"

"I can, but not tomorrow," Joanne said sincerely. "I need time to prepare. Let's start next week."

"Okay, then it's settled."

Qiao An's eyes darted around. "Director Geng, write me a certificate, a food supply certificate, so that I won't be unable to explain myself if someone asks."

The machine tool factory was the largest state-owned factory in Jinshui Town, and its status was extraordinary. Even people in the county had to accept the certificates they issued.

Geng Qiusheng appreciated Qiao An's caution. "I'll give you permission. If anyone dares to make things difficult, just tell them to come to our machine tool factory. Even if I can't protect them, we still have the Party Secretary and Chief Engineer Zhao above us."

A few minutes later, Joan put away the certificate and unloaded the mountain of vegetables and fruits from the tricycle.

Geng Qiusheng converted the price into flour and sent people to bring over four bags, each weighing ten jin.

Qiao An happily rode her bike back to Lianchi Village, but just as she was about to leave Jinshui Town, she suddenly remembered Huo Jiyun.

Oh no! I forgot about him!

She quickly rode her bike to the police station and saw a man pacing back and forth in front of the station from afar.

"I'm sorry, I went out to run some errands and came back late."

Huo Jiyun looked somewhat serious, and Qiao An thought he was angry.

It's just a little late.

As for getting angry?

What a stingy man!

"Qiao An, the machine tool factory has a very important project that they're too busy to handle. The workshop director wants me to stay at the factory for two weeks to help them catch up on the work."

Huo Jiyun looked at Qiao An's expression with some nervousness. He knew that what he was doing was wrong, but there were indeed special circumstances at the Armed Forces Department, and he had to help.

"I'm so sorry, I got busy as soon as I got home. I'm really sorry. Maybe it won't take two weeks, maybe a little over a week to resolve this. You..."

So it wasn't because I forgot about him that I was angry.

Joan's expression brightened.

She knew Huo Jiyun was a soldier, and since he said that, he must have a very important mission.

"It's okay, you go ahead and do your work, I'll take care of things at home," Qiao An patted her chest.

Huo Jiyun breathed a long sigh of relief.

That's great! Joanne wasn't angry.

"I'll make it up to you properly once I'm done with this," Huo Jiyun said righteously.

"Okay, then you'd better make it up to me properly."

After saying that, the two suddenly realized that their statement seemed somewhat ambiguous.

How do couples usually compensate each other?

In most cases, it's... sexual compensation...

Qiao An turned her head away, her eyes flickering.

Huo Jiyun coughed twice, trying to ease the awkwardness, "Well, um..."

"I'm leaving now. You should head to the machine tool factory quickly."

Joan rode off like the wind on her tricycle.

Just like Huo Jiyun in the morning.

This time, it was Huo Jiyun's turn to laugh as he watched her retreating figure.

Even after riding back to Lianchi Village, Qiao An still felt her face burning.

As she approached her home, she noticed several people lurking suspiciously at her doorstep.

Upon closer inspection, it turned out to be Huo Shoutian, Liu Huying, and Huo Jiyu.

It's obvious they've come looking for Huo Jiyun.

She has already broken ties with the Huo family, and now their only hope lies with Huo Jiyun.

When Joan arrived at her doorstep, she exclaimed, "A good dog doesn't block the way!"

The three of them turned their heads at the same time and saw that Qiao Anli ignored them and was looking for Huo Jiyun.

"Stop looking. Huo Jiyun has something to do and won't be returning to Lianchi Village anytime soon. You'd better not cause trouble for no reason. If you upset me, I'll punch you to death." Qiao An raised his fist menacingly.

Liu Huying shrank back as she recalled the fierce look on Jiang Heizi's face when she stabbed him with a knife.

But the younger son's work can't be delayed.

"Joan, does the machine tool factory want you to work there as a factory worker?"

Qiao An frowned. How did this news get to the village?

"What's it to you?"

Hearing Qiao An say this, Liu Huying became even more certain that the rumors were true.

"You're not allowed to go! What kind of place is a machine tool factory? It's all men! How can you, a woman, dress up so fancy every day and go to work there? Aren't you just bringing shame to the Huo family?"

Liu Huying shouted at the top of her lungs, as if afraid that others wouldn't hear her.

"Huo Jiyun didn't say anything, so who gave you the right to bark like a dog?" Qiao An sneered.

"How dare you talk to your mother-in-law like that?" Huo Shoutian took a puff of his pipe. "Isn't the police station canteen enough for you to show off? Machine tool factory work is a man's job. You've never been to school, what do you know?"

"I've made the decision. You give your job at the machine tool factory to the third brother. Tomorrow we'll go to the machine tool factory with you to explain things clearly. The third brother went to high school; isn't he more sensible than you?"

So after all that fuss, they're here to steal my job?

Qiao An laughed in exasperation. She knew Huo Jiyu's tricks; he probably couldn't even do multiplication and division within 100.

"I won't give it to you, what can you do about it?" Joan deliberately provoked them.

Huo Jiyu was anxious. Being a worker in a machine tool factory was a secure job; once you got in, you'd never have to worry about anything for the rest of your life.

"Second sister-in-law, you have to give up this job whether you want to or not, otherwise none of us will have a good time." Huo Jiyun's gloomy eyes seemed to be spitting out poison.

"Come on, let me hear it. I'm really curious about how you're going to make things difficult for me." Qiao An simply crossed her legs on the tricycle.

"At worst, we'll fight to the death. If you push me too far, I'm capable of anything."

Qiao An opened the door and pushed the tricycle into the yard without a second thought.

Liu Huying and the others wanted to come in, but Qiao An turned around and blocked the doorway.

"Come in and give it a try."

After she finished speaking, she picked up an axe from the woodpile.

When Liu Huying looked up, the axe was less than five centimeters from her forehead, and she was so frightened that she retreated repeatedly.

"You'd better think this through. Making enemies with us won't do you any good. Huo Jiyun is my second brother, my parents' son. You're just an outsider. He can protect you for a while, but not forever. Once he's gone... you'll be in big trouble."

Huo Jiyu dreamed of leaving Lianchi Village. He had long been fed up with working in the fields every day. He couldn't miss the opportunity to work in a factory.

Qiao An opened his mouth but didn't make a sound, but they could tell from his lip movements.

She said, "Idiot."

"—Bang!"

As soon as the door closed, he almost bumped into Huo Jiyu's nose.

"Third brother, what should we do?" Liu Huying was at a loss.

Huo Jiyu smiled slyly, "Isn't Second Brother not coming back these days? No matter how powerful Qiao An is, she's just a little woman. As long as we take advantage of her absence and bring Huo Chen and Huo Ning home, with the two children in our hands, will she dare to disagree?"

"Children are a mother's heart and soul. She's treating those two little rascals very well now. She'll do anything for them."

After Liu Huying finished speaking, she looked at Huo Shoutian and asked, "Old man, what do you think of this idea?"

Huo Shoutian didn't speak, but simply nodded, which was taken as his consent.

But before Huo Jiyu could take any action, Lianchi Village was thrown into an unprecedented uproar.

Just as everyone had finished dinner and was sitting at the door chatting and relaxing, the quiet countryside was suddenly filled with the roar of a car engine.

A small green jeep drove into Lianchi Village in a hurry.

The car stopped at the busiest intersection, and a middle-aged man rolled down his window. "Ma'am, could you tell me where Qiao An lives?"