Yun Qiao made a request: "Steam some Sichuan pepper leaf buns. I'm craving for Sichuan pepper leaf buns."

"Okay." Feng Juan smiled and said, "When Tingjun comes back, have him find someone to move a pepper tree and plant it at the base of the west wall. That way, he won't have to go to someone's house and pick some every time he wants to eat it. It won't bother them."

Yuan Jiahui, who lives next door, has a Sichuan pepper tree, but her family can't get used to the taste of the Sichuan pepper leaves, so they only keep the peppercorns to dry and use as spices, so they let Feng Juan pick the pepper leaves as she pleases.

Yun Qiao hummed, "I'll tell him when he comes back."

When it was time to go to work in the afternoon, Feng Juan sent Yun Qiaoqian to work. When she was about to reach Hutong No. 0, she saw Gao Qian waiting at the entrance of Hutong No. 0 from a distance.

Gao Qian greeted Yun Qiao with a smile: "Yun Qiao, you are finally here. I have been waiting for you for several minutes."

Yun Qiao said, "Sister Gao, are you waiting for me here?"

Gao Qian nodded. "I thought since we live close to each other, why don't we go to get off work together? That way Auntie won't have to pick you up every day. It takes 30 minutes to walk there and back. It's better to free up that time to do other things."

"That's fine." Yun Qiao looked at Feng Juan and smiled, "Mom, what do you think? I'll go to and from get off work with Xiao Gao, so you don't have to send me off specially anymore."

Feng Juan thought about it and finally agreed: "Okay, Comrade Xiao Gao is responsible. I feel relieved to have her accompany you."

After saying goodbye to Feng Juan, Yun Qiao and Gao Qian walked towards the military uniform factory together.

Gao Qian asked Yun Qiao if Liang Yin had returned the fire tongs. Yun Qiao nodded and said she had.

Gao Qian told Yun Qiao the follow-up to the farce that morning.

Basically, the people from the Women's Federation first persuaded Liang Yin to stay calm, then had someone control Liu Tingnu, dispersed the crowd, and took her to the Women's Federation office building.

As for what kind of punishment was imposed later, Gao Qian didn't know.

Yun Qiao said, "I know about this. Comrade Liang Yin told me that she was punished to undergo a month of ideological re-education."

"It's the Women's Federation's ideological education class. A month's worth of punishment isn't a light punishment," Gao Qian said. "There's a military wife in our alley who favors boys over girls. She didn't feed her daughters enough. Her eldest daughter reported her to the Women's Federation, and she was sentenced to a week of ideological re-education. When she came back, her eyes were dark blue, as if she hadn't slept all week. Liu Ting's daughter will be in class for a month, and she'll probably be ten pounds thinner when she comes back."

Yun Qiao pursed her lips. "It would be nice if she could lose ten pounds. She's not tall, but she weighs about 170 or 180 pounds. Her neck is covered in black thorns. Being fat is unhealthy."

As he was speaking, a shout suddenly came from behind him.

"Ms. Gao? Doctor Qin? Wait for me."

Yun Qiao recognized Han Rou's voice and turned around to see that it was indeed her.

She was holding Xiong Qingqing in her arms, and she looked particularly strenuous as she walked.

Gao Qian said, "Comrade Han Rou, Qingqing is almost four years old. You don't need to hold her all the time. Just let her get down and walk on her own."

Han Rou wiped the sweat from her forehead and said, "I have no choice. Qingqing has been feeling unwell these past few days and doesn't want to walk. If I don't hold her, she'll stay home all day."

Gao Qian frowned and asked her, "After the injection yesterday, Qingqing's symptoms haven't eased yet?"

"What can I say? Tian Tian seems fine, but he's sick and doesn't want to move. But every night he starts coughing again." Han Rou said worriedly, "Especially around 10 o'clock at night, he coughs non-stop and keeps crying. His father is not at home, and there's no one to talk to. I don't know what to do."