"Late Autumn, look at today's ledger." Old Accountant Wang, who was in charge of keeping the books, walked over with his cane, holding a ledger with a blue cloth cover. On the open page, there were densely packed numbers written with a brush. "This is the 200 jin supplied to the hospital, at 80 cents per jin; the 50 jin to the supply and marketing cooperative, at 75 cents per jin; and the remaining 20 jin sold to the villagers, at 70 cents per jin. All told, the income for these three days is more than what we earned in a month making pickles!"

Lin Wanqiu took the ledger, her fingertips brushing against the yellowed pages. Looking at the numbers, her heart filled with excitement. She remembered when she first opened the workshop, she only had a few yuan, even having to carefully budget her money for salt. Now, thanks to baby food, the workshop had a new source of profit, and she could help so many villagers earn money too. "Uncle Wang, please keep the ledger safe. We'll settle the accounts at the end of the month and give everyone bonuses." She paused, then added, "Oh, and please tell Li Guizhi that her family is having difficulties. Give her half of this month's salary in advance so she can buy some nutritional supplements for her child."

Grandpa Wang smiled and nodded, "You're such a kind-hearted child. I'll go talk to her right now, I guarantee she'll be happy." He leaned on his cane and slowly walked towards the workshop, humming a little tune, his voice full of joy.

Not long after, Old Zhou, the driver, set off with the carriage. The carriage wheels rumbled over the bluestone road, and the baby food in the wooden box occasionally made a soft clattering sound with the bumpy ride, yet it was like the most beautiful music, echoing in the autumn sunlight. Lin Wanqiu stood at the courtyard gate, watching the carriage gradually disappear into the distance until it vanished at the end of the road, before turning back to the workshop.

In the clean room, Sister Liu was carefully wiping the stone mill with a clean cloth. When she saw Lin Wanqiu come in, she smiled and said, "Manager Lin, Li Guizhi just told me that her child ate our complementary food and actually ate by himself last night. Before, she had to feed him for half a day."

“That’s right,” Zhou’s wife chimed in. “My niece used to get sick all the time, but after eating our carrot and rice cereal puree, she hasn’t caught a cold in the last two weeks. My sister-in-law even asked someone to inquire if we could buy more to take home.”

Lin Wanqiu felt a warmth in her heart as she listened to everyone's words. She walked to the ceramic basin, picked up a spoon, scooped up a spoonful of freshly ground rice flour, and smelled it. The aroma of rice was pure, without a trace of impurity. She thought of the mountains of supplies in her spatial storage—vacuum-packed rice and millet, fresh pumpkin, carrots, and spinach, as well as high-quality eggs and milk powder. These were the foundation that allowed her to make high-quality complementary foods in this era. But more importantly, she wanted to use these complementary foods to help more malnourished children like Nian'an, so that they could grow up healthy and happy.

"Everyone, let's work harder and try to make another fifty catties of baby food today and send it to the supply and marketing cooperative." Lin Wanqiu picked up her apron and tied it back on. "Once we're done with this busy period, we'll add a new stone mill to the workshop and hire two more female workers. Then everyone won't have to work so hard."

"Alright!" the workers responded in unison, their voices full of energy. The kerosene lamp in the clean room was still lit, its warm yellow light reflecting on everyone's faces, each one filled with anticipation for the future. The sounds of the millstone turning, the wooden mallet pounding mud, and the women's laughter mingled together, creating a vibrant melody that lingered in the autumn workshop.

As evening fell, the setting sun painted the sky orange-red, its afterglow casting dappled shadows on the workshop's blue brick walls. Shen Tingzhou returned from the county town with good news—Dean Zhang said that doctors from out of town who had tasted their baby food praised it highly and asked if it could be promoted to hospitals in the city; Director Wang of the supply and marketing cooperative also said he wanted to sign a long-term supply contract with them, supplying 200 jin of baby food every month, and was willing to reserve the best spot on their counter for their baby food.

"Wanqiu, our baby food is going to be sold in the city!" Shen Tingzhou walked into the courtyard, his face full of excitement. He held Lin Wanqiu's hand, his fingertips carrying the coolness of the outside air, but making her feel especially warm. "In the future, more children will eat the baby food we make, and our workshop will get better and better."

Lin Wanqiu smiled and nodded, her gaze falling on Shen Nian'an, who was doing his homework in the yard. The setting sun cast its glow on her son's face as he held a pencil, diligently working on arithmetic problems, his little brows slightly furrowed, like a little adult. Lin Wanqiu knew that Nian'an would soon be starting elementary school, and she would strive to make the workshop even better, creating better learning conditions for her son so he could focus on his studies and become a successful person in the future.

"Mom, Dad, look at my handwriting!" Shen Nian'an skipped over, holding up her workbook. The numbers were written neatly and without a single mistake. "Teacher Li said that if I keep this up, I'll definitely be the class monitor in elementary school!"

Lin Wanqiu took the workbook, patted her son's head, and said with a smile, "Nian'an is really good. Mom believes in you. You will definitely get first place in elementary school and make your teachers and classmates like you." She paused and then added, "This weekend, Mom will take you to the county town to buy a new schoolbag and new pencils to prepare your school supplies."

Shen Nian'an nodded vigorously, his little face full of anticipation: "Thank you, Mom! I will definitely study hard and live up to your and Dad's expectations." After he finished speaking, he ran back to the yard to continue doing his homework. The afterglow of the setting sun shone on him, as if gilding him with a layer of gold.

As night fell, lanterns were lit in the courtyard, their orange-red glow enveloping the entire space in a warm and inviting atmosphere. Lin Wanqiu and Shen Tingzhou sat on the stone benches in the courtyard, watching their son diligently doing his homework, their hearts filled with happiness. The workers in the workshop had all gone home, leaving only the kerosene lamp in the washroom still lit, casting a warm yellow glow on the window paper.

"Tingzhou, do you think our baby food will be sold in more distant places in the future, such as the province or the capital?" Lin Wanqiu asked softly, her eyes full of anticipation.

Shen Tingzhou held her hand, his tone firm: "Yes, definitely. Your cooking skills are so good, and the quality of our baby food is guaranteed. As long as we persevere, we will definitely let more people know about our baby food, and let more children eat nutritious and healthy baby food." He paused, then added, "Moreover, Nian'an will be starting elementary school soon. We need to save enough tuition fees for him so that he can continue his studies, get into university, and become a pillar of the country."