She had only spent less than a day with Grandma Lin, but she was already very reluctant to part with her. However, if she were lost, her family would be extremely worried.

Unexpectedly, Granny Lin stopped talking about the photos and kept muttering to herself, which Lin Qingyan couldn't understand at all.

About ten minutes later, Granny Lin was still muttering to herself. Lin Qingyan lit the oil lamp and, seeing Granny Lin's pained expression, gently patted her shoulder, trying to wake her up.

"Grandma, Grandma, wake up."

Grandma Lin opened her eyes after being patted twice. The pain on her face vanished instantly, and she looked at Lin Qingyan with a blank expression. "Girl, what's wrong?"

Lin Qingyan wanted to test whether she could remember the scene in her dream.

"Mother-in-law, what photos were you looking for?"

"Photos? What photos? I didn't look for any photos." Grandma Lin looked puzzled. She patted Lin Qingyan's shoulder and said, "Girl, what are you looking for photos for so late at night? Go to sleep, go to sleep, we'll look for them tomorrow."

Lin Qingyan: "..."

She was now looking for photos.

"Mother-in-law, I wasn't looking for photos, you were. What photos are you looking for?"

Grandma Lin was even more confused. "What is that photo? Why would I need it? Girl, stop talking nonsense. Get some sleep so you can be healthy and have a good appetite."

Lin Qingyan stopped pursuing the matter of the photos and nodded, "Okay, let's continue sleeping."

Grandma Lin's thought process is different from ordinary people; we'll get used to it gradually.

In the mountains ten miles away from here

Lu Zhengting and Gu Mingzhou, along with the other soldiers, have pinpointed the exact location of the criminals and plan to capture them all tonight.

Throughout the journey, Gu Mingzhou did not exhibit any unusual behavior, but only he knew how distracted he was.

Now that he's with Lu Zhengting, he's mostly filled with jealousy and hatred towards the man, with very little intention of cooperating.

If something were to happen to Lu Zhengting during this mission—if he were to die or be maimed—he probably wouldn't have the chance to be with Lin Qingyan anymore.

Then, he was startled by the evil thought that suddenly popped into his head.

They are on a mission right now, and what's between him and Lu Zhengting is a personal matter; they can't bring their personal feelings into their work.

It was pitch black everywhere, so Lu Zhengting couldn't see Gu Mingzhou's expression or hear his thoughts. If he knew what Gu Mingzhou was thinking at that moment, he would definitely kick Gu Mingzhou far away right then and there.

An hour later, everyone gathered at the foot of the mountain. Lu Zhengting assigned tasks to each of them. There were ten people in total, and they split up into groups of two to carry out their tasks separately.

About two hours later, Lu Zhengting and Feng Yidong captured one criminal trafficker alive and killed another. The other two groups also captured one criminal alive and killed another. In the end, the two groups came up empty-handed.

Of the seven criminals, three escaped.

However, Gu Mingzhou's team not only failed to catch anyone, but Gu Mingzhou was also shot in the leg by the criminals. Fortunately, he had a partner who temporarily covered for him; otherwise, it is unknown whether he would be alive or not.

Lu Zhengting showed him no pity, cursing him under his breath as a piece of trash. He quickly ordered someone to take him to the hospital that very night, and then they would take the captured criminals to the county public security bureau for custody.

Actually, Gu Mingzhou didn't intentionally let the criminals go. Firstly, his abilities were limited, and secondly, he was in a very bad mood that night, his mind preoccupied with his relationships with Lin Qingyan and Lu Zhengting, which affected his performance. Otherwise, he wouldn't have risked his life.

Because there are still criminals who have not been caught, this mission must continue.

As for Gu Mingzhou, he injured his thigh and needs to rest for half a month. He will not be needed for this mission afterward.

A few hours later, Gu Mingzhou, lying in the hospital, gritted his teeth, feeling utterly helpless.

Damn it, he can't continue participating in missions. Once Lu Zhengting completes this mission and returns to the army, he might get a promotion. He can't even compare to Lu Zhengting in rank.

Mopantun Brigade

The next morning, Lin Qingyan opened her eyes and found that her grandmother, Lin, was gone.

"Mother-in-law."

There was no sign of Granny Lin in the house, nor did she hear Granny Lin's voice.

"Mother-in-law."

Still not hearing a response from Granny Lin, she got up and put on her clothes, but still couldn't find Granny Lin in the yard.

Outside, Grandma Lin was carrying a bundle of firewood home.

Now her hair is no longer messy, her face is no longer dirty, and she wears proper clothes. If she doesn't talk nonsense or make strange or unusual movements, she is just like a normal old lady.

"Grandma Dog, Grandma Dog," a clueless little fellow called after her.

Grandma Lin stopped, glanced at the little guy, and said, "Don't call me Grandma Dog anymore. My surname is no longer Dog. My surname is Lin. From now on, I am Grandma Lin. Call me Grandma Lin."

"Old woman dog."

"Go to hell!"

Snap!

Grandma Lin slapped him across the face, and the little guy was sent flying.

Grandma Lin pouted and muttered in dissatisfaction, "Little brat, you're asking for a beating!"

The little guy was shoved into the mud by the roadside and couldn't be dug out. Grandma Lin ignored him, shook her head, and went home.

When he arrived at the door, he ran into Lin Qingyan and quickly showed her how he had dressed.

"Girl, gather firewood."

"Grandma, you're so diligent! You've gathered so much firewood, you're amazing!"

Grandma Lin was quite pleased to hear Lin Qingyan's praise, and nodded with a smile: "It's nothing, just a small matter."

Lin Qingyan had originally planned to get up early today, take a stroll outside, and find an excuse to take out the pot from her space. Unexpectedly, Grandma Lin got up even earlier than her.

She checked the time; it was already 6:30 in the morning. Usually, Lin Zhiheng would have already gotten up and gone to the county town by this time.

Today is their first day in the new house. I wonder if Xiao Heng will still go to work.

She called out twice outside Lin Zhiheng's door, but there was no response from inside. Xiao Heng must have gone to work again.

She walked up to Grandma Lin and said, "Grandma, I need to go out to find something. You wait for me at home and don't go anywhere, okay?"

"Okay." Grandma Lin nodded quickly, but then suddenly asked, "Girl, where are you going?"

"Don't worry about me, I'll be back in a little while. I'll cook dinner when I get back."

"All right."

Lin Qingyan was afraid that Granny Lin would secretly follow her again, so she pulled Granny Lin to sit on a stool in the yard and drew a circle around her with a twig.

"Grandma, you stay inside the enclosure. I won't let you out, so please don't come out."

"Yes, my dear, don't be afraid. I'm a very good and obedient mother-in-law. I will definitely wait for you to come back in this circle."