The October morning light, mingled with the thin mist, gently seeped into the brick and tile houses of the Hongqi Production Brigade. Lin Wanqiu sat by the window, holding her daughter Chen Nianxi, whom she had just finished feeding. Her fingertips traced her daughter's soft cheek, but her gaze fell on the yellowed childcare manual on the corner of the table—an old item she had found in her modern storage space. The cover was printed with "Scientific Feeding of Infants and Toddlers Aged 0-3," and inside were densely filled with notes on complementary food recipes and nutritional combinations. Outside the window, the old locust tree had shed a carpet of golden leaves, and a gust of wind carried the sweet scent of newly harvested corn, mingling with the aroma of rice porridge being cooked by Old Lady Shen in the kitchen, warming one's heart.
"Mommy, was my little sister good today?" Shen Nian'an ran in from outside, his little schoolbag on his back, his leather shoes clicking crisply on the blue brick floor. He went up to Lin Wanqiu and carefully touched Nianxi's little hand, his dark grape-like eyes full of curiosity. "Yesterday, Aunt Wang's little girl ate rice cereal. When can my little sister eat it?"
Lin Wanqiu smiled and patted her son's head, her fingertips brushing against the soft wisps of hair on his forehead—his hair was much darker and shinier than last year, no longer the dry, sparse, and yellowish hair it once was. She remembered when she was first reborn, Nian'an was as thin as a reed, unable to even swallow half a bowl of corn porridge, but now he could skip and hop to school and even proactively care for his younger sister. Her heart felt as if it had been warmed by water, melting completely. "Your sister can start eating solid foods in two more months. Mommy will make pumpkin puree, carrot puree, and Nian'an's favorite steamed egg custard for her, okay?"
"Okay!" Shen Nian'an nodded vigorously, then turned to help Shen Tingzhou tidy up the yard, tiptoeing like a little adult to sweep up fallen leaves. Lin Wanqiu held Nianxi, her gaze returning to the childcare manual, her fingertips tracing the chapter on "Iron Deficiency Anemia in Infants and Young Children," her brows furrowing slightly. She remembered the last time she took Nianxi to the county hospital for vaccinations, seeing many children in the pediatric ward looking pale and thin. The nurses said that supplies were scarce, and many parents could only feed their children diluted corn porridge, which couldn't meet their nutritional needs at all, resulting in many children developing anemia.
"If only I could make some nutritionally balanced complementary foods and send them to the children in the hospital," Lin Wanqiu muttered to herself. Suddenly, an idea struck her. Her workshop mainly produced pickles and pastries. If she could add complementary foods for infants and toddlers, it would not only help more children but also expand the workshop's sales channels. Wouldn't that be killing two birds with one stone?
Just then, Shen Tingzhou returned from outside, still damp from the morning dew. He saw Lin Wanqiu staring intently at the childcare manual, so he went over and sat down beside her, his gaze fixed on the manual: "What are you thinking about? Are you worried about Nianxi's complementary food?"
Lin Wanqiu looked up at him and shared her thoughts: "Tingzhou, I'm thinking of making infant formula in the workshop to supply the county hospital. Last time I went to the hospital, I saw many children who were malnourished. We have the resources in our space and can make nutritionally balanced supplementary food, which can help them and also increase the workshop's income. What do you think?"
A hint of surprise flashed in Shen Tingzhou's eyes. He grasped Lin Wanqiu's hand, his tone full of support: "This is a great idea! There is indeed a shortage of high-quality infant complementary foods in the county, and many parents are so worried that they can't sleep at night. If the complementary foods we make can be approved by the hospital, they will definitely be popular. However, the hospital's requirements for food are definitely very strict. We must first ensure that the formula and hygiene conditions are in place, and we cannot afford to make any mistakes."
Lin Wanqiu nodded: "That's what I think too. The space has modern baby food recipes, as well as high-quality rice, millet, pumpkin, and carrots. These are all natural ingredients without additives, so they will definitely meet the hospital's requirements. As for hygiene, I plan to set aside a special room in the workshop to make baby food. All tools will be disinfected with boiling water, and workers will also wear hats and masks to ensure cleanliness and hygiene."
The two chatted more and more congenially. Shen Tingzhou immediately went to the workshop to arrange the partitioned rooms, while Lin Wanqiu, holding Nianxi, began selecting ingredients in the space. The warehouse in the space was like a large supermarket, with shelves filled with all kinds of supplies—vacuum-packed rice and millet, fresh pumpkins, carrots, and spinach, as well as high-quality eggs and milk powder. Lin Wanqiu carefully selected each item, checking them meticulously to ensure there were no problems.
For the next few days, Lin Wanqiu was extremely busy. During the day, she guided the workers in separating rooms and sterilizing tools in the workshop. She also personally participated in making baby food according to modern recipes—first soaking rice for three hours, then grinding it into fine rice flour with a stone mill, then adding steamed pumpkin puree and carrot puree, mixing well, steaming again, and finally mashing it into a smooth puree with a spoon. At night, she would hold Nianxi and study childcare manuals under the lamp, adjusting the baby food recipes to ensure nutritional balance.
Shen Tingzhou wasn't idle either. He went to the workshop to help out every day and even went to the county hospital to inquire about the situation. After returning, he told Lin Wanqiu, "Director Zhang of the hospital said that as long as our complementary food meets hygiene standards and nutritional requirements, they are happy to cooperate with us. However, they need to taste the samples first, and only if there are no problems will they sign a supply contract."
Upon hearing this, Lin Wanqiu felt both excited and nervous. She immediately selected several prepared baby food items—pumpkin rice cereal puree, carrot rice cereal puree, and spinach egg custard—and placed them in clean porcelain bowls, preparing to deliver samples to the county hospital the next day.
The next morning, Lin Wanqiu changed into a clean blue shirt, carrying a basket of baby food, and went to the county hospital with Shen Tingzhou. The pediatric ward was crowded with people; many parents were surrounding the nurses, asking about their children's conditions. The air was filled with the smell of medicine and the cries of children. Lin Wanqiu saw a young mother trying to feed her child diluted corn porridge with a spoon, but the child refused to eat, his face pale and sickly, a heartbreaking sight.
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