Reborn in 1977, I will no longer be my brother's blood bag.

On the morning of the tenth day, people came to the warehouse to collect materials.

The list said there were twelve instruments, but there were only ten in the box.

Xiao Chen held the account book, and sweat quickly beaded on his forehead.

He turned around instinctively.

Zhou Zhiyuan was sitting by the door drinking water, his enamel mug covering half his face, and he didn't move an inch.

"Master Zhou..."

Who's in charge of the warehouse today?

Xiao Chen swallowed.

"I."

"Then why are you asking me?"

The person collecting the materials tapped the counter with their knuckles.

"Our car is still waiting outside."

Xiao Chen blushed as he was urged to check the ledger again.

He first checked the inventory, then dug out the previous batch of requisition forms, and finally found two instruments that had not been returned from the old box brought by the other party.

"These two are still with you."

The person collecting the materials flipped through the old order and chuckled dryly.

"I was too busy and forgot."

"First, submit the return order, then collect the new one."

Xiao Chen pushed the watch over. His hands were still trembling slightly, but he had made himself clear.

After everyone left, he let out a long breath, and his mouth, which had just opened, closed again.

Zhou Zhiyuan, holding up his enamel mug, asked, "Has the signature been obtained?"

"Signed."

"Have the accounts been settled?"

Xiao Chen picked up the sheet and ran to the counter.

The old director stood at the door and watched the whole scene unfold.

He turned and went back to his office, where he retrieved the already signed transfer documents.

"Take it."

Zhou Zhiyuan took it and turned to the last page.

The official seal was pressed down neatly and squarely.

The old director took off his reading glasses and tapped them on the table.

"Don't get cocky when you go to Beijing. They're keeping you here so you can work."

"I know."

"Come back and visit when you have time."

Zhou Zhiyuan packed the materials.

"I'm bringing you some Beijing snacks for the Chinese New Year."

The old director grabbed the rolled-up newspaper.

"Do you think I need your two snacks? Hurry up and get going. Don't come back and bother me if your train is late."

Xiao Chen chased after Zhou Zhiyuan to the door and stuffed a bag of steamed buns into his hand.

"My mom steamed it. We'll eat it on the way."

Zhou Zhiyuan weighed it in his hand.

"The warehouse is really in your hands now."

Xiao Chen's smile faded again.

"Can't you wait until I'm happy for a little while?"

"We'll be happy once the accounts are reconciled at the end of the month."

In Beijing, the cannery's three-day records were also sent to the research institute.

Lin Xiuhe laid out several forms side by side.

The number of boxes packed in the morning remained stable.

After the shift change at noon, the finished products started to pile up.

Twice the cardboard boxes were delivered more than forty minutes late, and another time the labels didn't arrive. The workers waited, and after the materials arrived, several processes were all stuck in one place.

The young technician felt hot as he finished reviewing the records.

"It's not that the equipment is slow."

Lin Xiuhe circled several times with a pencil.

"The loading was completed in the morning, but the traffic jam started after the shift change. The problem lies in the supply and handover of materials."

Zhao Wenbo took the form and quickly flipped to the material shortage record.

"You made the right choice asking them to memorize this last time."

Lin Xiuhe raised her eyebrows.

"Just this time?"

Zhao Wenbo put the record back on the table.

"We'll talk about it when we get there."

Engineer Zheng walked over carrying an enamel mug.

"Stop the overall renovation for now. Call the factory this afternoon and ask them to adjust the material supply and shift changes."

He tapped the date on the record.

"Lin Xiuhe, you go with me. Once we get there, go over the records from the past three days again."

"it is good."

When will the graduation procedures be completed?

"next week."

Engineer Zheng hummed in agreement.

"Come to the office as soon as you're done. This trip to the cannery is your first task after you report for duty."

At noon, Li Mingyuan returned from school with a preliminary review receipt for the joint training program in his hand.

He handed the receipt to Lin Xiuhe, his eyebrows raised, not even bothering to wipe the ink stains off his sleeve.

"We'll meet next week."

Lin Xiuhe was genuinely happy for him after reading it.

"I told you you could pass."

"Just passed the initial review."

"Then congratulations."

Li Mingyuan took the receipt and folded it neatly along the creases.

"What about you?"

"I need to go to the cannery. This is my first trip since graduation."

"Looks like none of them have been idle."

After he finished speaking, he put the receipt into a file bag.

"Zhou Zhiyuan...will he arrive today?"

"Yes. I'll be back today."

Lin Xiuhe's lips curved into a smile.

The file folder in Li Mingyuan's hand was slightly tilted.

He clipped it back together and nodded.

"That's good."

After he finished speaking, he patted the file bag.

"I'm preparing for the interview first. Zhao Wenbo said yesterday that I wouldn't even pass the initial review."

Zhao Wenbo's voice immediately came from the control room.

"I meant submitting all the materials first."

Li Mingyuan turned around.

"They're about the same."

"Very different."

Lin Xiuhe smiled and picked up the record.

"You guys take your time calculating, I'm leaving now."

Zhou Zhiyuan arrived at the training center near the end of the workday in the afternoon.

He first submitted the transfer documents, and then brought the certificate issued by his former employer to the office.

After completing the formalities, he didn't even go back to his dormitory; instead, he carried his canvas bag to the research institute.

The security guard stopped him.

"Who should I look for?"

"Lin Xiuhe".

The gatekeeper looked him up and down.

"Wait."

When Lin Xiuhe came out of the building, she was still holding the records of the cannery in her hands.

Zhou Zhiyuan stood at the door, his trouser legs covered in dust, his canvas bag beside him.

I hadn't seen him for ten days; he had lost some weight, but his features were more relaxed.

Lin Xiuhe walked up to him.

"Are you really back?"

Zhou Zhiyuan handed her the transfer documents.

"Ten days, not a day more."

She flipped to the last page, saw the official seal, and then closed the document.

"Are you really staying this time?"

"The training center is waiting for me to report for duty. As long as they don't kick me out, I'll stay in Beijing."

Lin Xiuhe took the key out of the cloth bag.

"Yours. I would have returned it to the training center a few days later."

Zhou Zhiyuan took the key, twirled it in his palm, but didn't put it in his pocket.

"I've been traveling for two days, and this is all I'm carrying?"

Lin Xiuhe is holding the record.

"What else do you want?"

"The questions I didn't finish asking last time."

The gatekeeper was still sitting by the window, his ears already tucked in this direction.

Lin Xiuhe walked towards the courtyard wall.

Zhou Zhiyuan picked up his bag and followed.

After taking a few steps, she turned around.

"Your job is settled, and the transfer is all done. Is there anything else you want to ask?"

"They asked me if I could look for you first when I come back."

"Didn't you find one this time?"

"Different identities."

Lin Xiuhe's face flushed, and she reached out to take the key from his palm.

"If you don't understand, just give it back to me, and I'll send it back to the training center."

Zhou Zhiyuan raised his hand.

"Lin Xiuhe, I've waited for ten days."

She couldn't reach the key, so she looked up and glared at him.

"How tall are you? What are you showing off for?"

Zhou Zhiyuan smiled, and the weariness he had carried all the way from his brows disappeared.

"Then give me an answer."

Someone rode by on a bicycle outside the gate, and the bicycle bell rang twice.

Lin Xiuhe looked at him.

"Object".

Zhou Zhiyuan stood still, the corners of his mouth slowly turning up.

Say it again.

"Never mind if you didn't hear it."

She turned to leave.

Zhou Zhiyuan picked up his bag and followed her.

"I heard you."

He put the keys in his pocket and patted them on the outside.

"This time it won't get lost."

Lin Xiuhe handed him the records she was holding.

"Hold this for me."

Zhou Zhiyuan took it.

"On your very first day with him, he's already bossing me around?"

"If you think it's too much, give it back to me."

Zhou Zhiyuan carefully placed the materials into his arms.

"Dream on."