In the Hongqi Production Brigade, where the morning mist had not yet dissipated, the withered grass on the field ridges was covered with glistening dewdrops. A few crisp crowings from afar roused the quiet village from its slumber. Lin Wanqiu had just taken the cornbread out of the steamer when she saw Shen Tingzhou walk in from outside, carrying an old canvas bag. His military uniform was faded from washing, but it was still crisp and straight. However, there was a hint of weariness hidden in his eyes, and even his usually tightly pursed lips had softened.

"You're back?" Lin Wanqiu quickly put down the cloth she was holding and took his canvas bag. Her fingertips touched the metal clasp on the bag, still carrying the coolness of the morning. She noticed that Shen Tingzhou's cuffs were stained with mud and his trousers were worn. Her heart tightened: "Was the mission successful? Are you alright?"

Shen Tingzhou held her hand, the warmth of his palm dispelling the chill from her fingertips. He smiled and shook his head, "Everything went smoothly, just some mountain paths, a bit tiring." He paused, then took out a small red notebook from his pocket and handed it to Lin Wanqiu, his voice filled with undisguised relief, "The mission is over. I don't have to sneak around anymore; I can openly be with you and Nian'an now."

Lin Wanqiu took the notebook, opened it, and saw Shen Tingzhou's identification and discharge certificate issued by the military. Her fingertips gently traced the words on the paper, and her eyes instantly reddened—she had longed for this day for so long. From learning that Shen Tingzhou had "come back to life" to worrying about the danger of his mission, she had tossed and turned countless nights without sleep. Now, she could finally put her mind at ease, and the family would never have to be separated again.

"That's great..." Lin Wanqiu choked up, unable to speak, and could only lean against Shen Tingzhou's chest, feeling his strong arms. Shen Tingzhou gently patted her back, his heart filled with guilt: "I made you suffer before, I will definitely make it up to you in the future. I will help you with the family matters and the side business."

Just then, Nian'an ran out of the inner room with his little schoolbag on his back. When he saw Shen Tingzhou, his eyes lit up immediately: "Dad! You're back!" He threw himself into Shen Tingzhou's arms, looked up at him, and asked, "Dad, have you finished your mission? Do you not have to leave anymore?"

Shen Tingzhou picked up his son, kissed him on the cheek, and said with a smile, "It's done. From now on, Dad will stay home with you every day, take you to school, and tell you stories." Nian'an was overjoyed and danced with delight, "That's great! Can Dad come to school with me today? I want to show my classmates that my dad is back!"

"Of course." Shen Tingzhou put Nian'an down and helped him straighten his backpack strap. Lin Wanqiu looked at the heartwarming scene between the father and son, wiped away her tears, and said with a smile, "Hurry up and eat breakfast. The cornbread is still warm, and I also boiled some eggs for Nian'an to nourish his body."

After breakfast, Shen Tingzhou took Nian'an's hand and headed to the school. Along the way, villagers greeted Shen Tingzhou warmly. "Tingzhou's back? Mission accomplished?" "That's great, Wanqiu and Nian'an won't have to worry about you anymore!" Shen Tingzhou responded with a smile, his face beaming more than ever before. Nian'an proudly held Shen Tingzhou's hand, showing off to her passing friends, "This is my dad! My dad's mission's done! He'll be with me every day from now on!"

After dropping Nian'an off, Shen Tingzhou returned home and saw Lin Wanqiu organizing the side business group's ledgers. He walked over, sat down beside her, and picked up the ledger to look through it: "This is the income and expenditure situation for this month?" Lin Wanqiu nodded: "Yes, we made quite a bit of money selling pastries last month. We paid the villagers their wages and dividends, and we still have some money left, which we plan to use to buy raw materials for making pastries next time. However, the cooperation with the county food factory is not yet finalized. If the cooperation is successful, we will need to expand production and find more villagers to join the side business group."

Shen Tingzhou put down the ledger and looked at Lin Wanqiu: "What are your thoughts on the cooperation with the food factory?" Lin Wanqiu thought for a moment and said: "I think cooperation is a good thing. It can expand sales channels and provide more jobs for the villagers. However, the formula is our core, and I'm worried that if we hand it over to the food factory, they will cut corners and ruin our reputation. Also, we need to negotiate the salary and working conditions with Director Zhou when the villagers go to work at the food factory. We can't let them suffer losses."

“You’ve thought this through very well.” Shen Tingzhou nodded in agreement. “I think we can schedule another time with Director Zhou to discuss these details in more detail. Also, we can’t rely entirely on the food factory. Handmade pastries taste better. We can keep a portion of the handmade ones and sell them to pastry shops or acquaintances in the county town. This way, we can ensure the quality and also have another sales channel.”

Lin Wanqiu's eyes lit up: "That's a great idea! Although handmade pastries have a low production volume, they can be sold for a better price and can also enhance our reputation. After we finish talking with Director Zhou, we'll go to the pastry shops in the county town and ask if they'd be willing to stock our products."

Just then, Aunt Li and Uncle Zhang walked in. "Wanqiu, Tingzhou, we heard that Tingzhou has completed his mission, so we came to see you," Aunt Li said with a smile. "Also, the villagers are all asking when the cooperation with the county food factory will be finalized. Everyone is looking forward to working at the food factory."

Shen Tingzhou stood up and said with a smile, "Thank you for your concern, Aunt and Uncle. I plan to go to the county town with Wanqiu tomorrow to find Director Zhou and clarify the details of the cooperation. If we reach an agreement, we will give priority to our fellow villagers to work at the food factory, and the salary and benefits will definitely be good."

Uncle Zhang said happily, "That's great! With Tingzhou here, we feel much more at ease. Wanqiu used to manage everything on her own, which was too hard for her. Now that you're back and can help out, our side business will definitely grow bigger and bigger!"

Aunt Li also said, "Yes, Wanqiu is such a capable girl. If it weren't for her, we would still be worrying about food and clothing. Now that Tingzhou is back, if you two work together, you'll definitely make our Hongqi Production Brigade the richest village in the commune!"

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