Nian'an, who was inside the house, was woken up by the noise. She rubbed her eyes and sat up, asking, "Mom, who is it?" Her childish voice was still groggy from just waking up, but it made Lin Moli's eyes light up outside the door.

Lin Wanqiu quickly turned around to comfort her son, "It's alright, it's a stranger. Go to sleep, Mom's here." She pressed Nian'an's head down to make him lie down, covered him with the blanket, and her eyes were already as cold as ice when she turned around. Zhang Lan's appearance was no accident; it must have been pre-arranged by Lin Moli, who wanted to use Li's identity and Zhang Lan's instigation to force their way into the courtyard.

Shen Tingzhou had already unlatched the door, which creaked open, letting in a gust of cold wind carrying snowflakes. He stood in the doorway, his posture as sturdy as a pine tree, his eyes sharp as knives: "If Officer Li needs to work, please go to the brigade headquarters. Zhang Lan, making such a racket late at night, aren't you afraid of being penalized by the secretary for losing work points?"

Li, the clerk, was so intimidated by his imposing manner that he was speechless for a moment. Zhang Lan, however, relied on the support of an outsider and said defiantly, "Shen Tingzhou, stop trying to scare people! Jasmine is Wanqiu's cousin. It's only natural for her to visit her own relatives. What right do you, an outsider, have to interfere?" She had long been jealous of Lin Wanqiu's prosperous life, and now that she had the opportunity to suppress her, she naturally wouldn't let it go.

Lin Moli squeezed out a few tears at the opportune moment, and tugged at Officer Li's arm: "Brother Li, why don't we leave? Let's not trouble Sister Wanqiu. I just... I just wanted to see Nian'an. When he was little, he always called me 'Auntie'." As she spoke, her gaze swept past everyone into the house, landing directly on Nian'an by the kang (a heated brick bed). A sinister glint flashed in her eyes, so quick it was hard to catch.

Lin Wanqiu's heart tightened suddenly, a strong sense of unease gripping her. Lin Moli's gaze towards Nian'an was too strange, definitely not just "longing." She immediately walked to Shen Tingzhou's side, blocking that uncomfortable gaze, her tone icy: "Nian'an is already asleep, she doesn't have time to see outsiders. Lin Moli, if you really want to go back to the village to visit relatives, then follow the rules. If you want to play any tricks, I, Lin Wanqiu, will play along to the end."

"You!" Lin Moli's face flushed instantly when her thoughts were exposed. She was about to lash out when Officer Li pulled her back. Officer Li sized up Shen Tingzhou, noticing his tall stature and extraordinary bearing, which made him seem unlike an ordinary farmer. He himself felt uneasy. He had accompanied Lin Moli back this time because he had received a favor from her and wanted to use his status to help her suppress Lin Wanqiu and perhaps gain some benefits in return. But now, judging from the situation, the other party was clearly not someone to be trifled with.

"Alright, alright," Officer Li said, putting on a magnanimous air. "Since Comrade Lin is not available, we'll come again tomorrow. But Comrade Wanqiu, Jasmine is your cousin after all. It's best for relatives to keep things harmonious and not hurt each other's feelings." He glanced meaningfully at the soy sauce jars piled up in the corner of the yard, clearly eyeing the sideline group's harvest.

Lin Moli wanted to say something, but Officer Li pulled her back a few steps. Seeing this, Zhang Lan could only shut her mouth reluctantly, not forgetting to glare at Lin Wanqiu before leaving. The sound of the three footsteps gradually faded away, leaving a string of footprints of varying depths on the snow, which looked particularly conspicuous in the moonlight.

Shen Tingzhou closed the door and turned around to see Lin Wanqiu staring intently out the window, her brows furrowed. He walked over and took her hand, noticing her fingertips were icy cold: "Don't worry, I'm here."

“I’m not worried about myself,” Lin Wanqiu turned her head, her eyes filled with anxiety. “Did you see that just now? The way Lin Moli looked at Nian’an was strange. I’m afraid she came back this time for Nian’an.” Fragments of memories from her past life suddenly flooded her mind. Lin Moli was most adept at using children. Back then, she secretly added laxatives to things she delivered to Nian’an, causing Nian’an to have diarrhea for several days, and then she even accused Lin Wanqiu of not taking good care of her.

Shen Tingzhou's eyes instantly turned sharp: "I will keep a close eye on Nian'an and will not allow anyone to harm him in the slightest. As for that Li cadre, I will go to the county town tomorrow to investigate his background. There is no such person in the county revolutionary committee." He used to be in charge of intelligence work in the army, so this small matter was naturally no problem for him.

The kerosene lamp in the room flickered a few more times, illuminating the solemn expressions of the two women. Lin Wanqiu walked to the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed), looking at Nian'an's sleeping face. The little boy's brows were slightly furrowed, as if he sensed his mother's unease. She gently stroked her son's soft hair, her resolve growing stronger. Since Lin Moli dared to return, she had no intention of letting her escape unscathed. She just hadn't expected the other party to act so quickly, and even find a backer with a false identity.

“Oh, right,” Lin Wanqiu suddenly remembered something, “Today at the county supply and marketing cooperative, Director Wang said that people from other communes also wanted our goods. He also mentioned that things haven’t been peaceful in the county lately, with gangs of thugs loitering around. He told us to be extra careful when delivering goods.” She hadn’t paid much attention at the time, but now that she thought about it, could Lin Moli’s sudden return with a “Clerk Li” be related to these thugs?

Shen Tingzhou's face darkened further: "Tomorrow I won't rush to investigate Officer Li. I'll personally take Nian'an to school, and then go to the county town with the sideline business group's car. You stay in the village to keep an eye on the workshop, and while you're at it, try to find out what Zhang Lan and Lin Moli have to say."

As the two were talking, a very faint sound suddenly came from outside the courtyard wall, like someone had snapped a tree branch. Shen Tingzhou's eyes sharpened, and he instantly blew out the kerosene lamp, plunging the room into darkness. He gestured for Lin Wanqiu to stay where she was, while he quietly crept to the window, peeking out through a corner of the paper windowpane—the snowfield was deserted, with only the whistling of the wind through the branches, yet the feeling of being watched lingered for a long time.

"They're gone," Shen Tingzhou said in a low voice, relighting the kerosene lamp. In the lamplight, his face was ashen. "It seems they came tonight to scout ahead. We need to prepare as soon as possible."

Lin Wanqiu nodded, walked to the wooden box in the corner, unlocked it, and took out the dagger inside—this was given to her by Shen Tingzhou after his return, saying it was just in case. She hid the dagger under her pillow, and checked the doors and windows again to make sure they were all securely bolted. After doing all this, she sat back down on the edge of the kang (heated brick bed), looking at Shen Tingzhou's sharply defined profile, and the unease in her heart gradually dissipated. With him there, she had the strongest support.

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