The storekeeper's face turned bright red, and he stammered, unable to speak. Seeing this, Old Lady Shen quickly jumped out, pointing at Lin Wanqiu's nose and yelling, "You little bitch! Don't you know the rules? Who gave you the right to speak when the brigade distributed grain? Storekeeper Wang says how much, and that's how much. Are you trying to extort the brigade?"

"Extortion?" Lin Wanqiu's eyes turned cold. "Mom, you can't say that. I asked for grain according to the brigade's rules, how is that extortion? But you, everyone heard what you said to Wang the storekeeper just now. You were the one who asked him to give me less grain, trying to transfer my share to Daqiang and Erqiang, weren't you?"

Grandma Shen was furious that she would expose her in public, and she jumped up and down in anger: "You're talking nonsense! When did I ever say that? Don't make false accusations!"

"Whether I'm making false accusations or not, just ask Wang, the custodian." Lin Wanqiu looked at Wang, the custodian. "Wang, did Old Lady Shen just tell you that I hid some money and that I shouldn't get more grain, but that she should give more of my grain to her grandson? If you dare to say no, I'll go with you to the brigade headquarters right now and confront Secretary Zhao!"

The storekeeper, Wang, turned pale with fright. He only wanted to do Old Lady Shen a favor, not get himself involved. He quickly waved his hands, "No, no, don't go to the brigade headquarters! Comrade Wanqiu, I miscalculated, I miscalculated! I'll make it up to you, I'll make it up to you again!"

As he spoke, he reached for the wooden measuring cup to replenish Lin Wanqiu's food supply. Old Mrs. Shen panicked and grabbed his hand: "You can't! Why should she get it? She doesn't deserve it!"

"Unworthy?" Lin Wanqiu stepped forward, her aura overwhelming. "I am Shen Tingzhou's wife, a member of the Shen family. Why shouldn't I be entitled to share grain? On the contrary, you stay at home all day without doing any work, and your food and clothes are all distributed by the brigade. You are the one who is unworthy!"

Those around nodded in agreement, and the murmurs grew louder: "Wanqiu is right, the old lady went too far!" "Exactly, what kind of skill is it to bully orphans and widows?" "And Wang Baoguan too, how could he listen to the old lady and give away less grain?"

"Old sister-in-law, you're not doing this right." A loud voice came from outside the crowd, and everyone made way for him. The production team leader, Zhao Laogen, walked over carrying a hoe. His face was dark and his eyes were sharp, and he looked like he had just come back from the fields.

Zhao Laogen was a well-known upright man in the village, and he hated nothing more than people taking advantage of their age and bullying the weak. He walked to the center of the threshing ground, first looked at the grain sack in Lin Wanqiu's hand, then at the wooden measuring cup in Wang, the storekeeper, his brows furrowed so deeply they could trap a mosquito: "Storekeeper Wang, have you forgotten the brigade's grain distribution rules? A full-time worker gets twenty jin of millet and fifteen jin of dried sweet potatoes, a half-time worker gets half that. Nian'an is four years old, so he's counted as a half-time worker. Wanqiu's work points are enough for a full-time worker, so why is she only getting this much?"

The storekeeper, Wang, turned pale with fright and stammered, "Team leader, it was... I miscalculated. I'll make it up for Comrade Wanqiu right away..."

"You miscalculated?" Zhao Laogen's eyes widened. "Do you think this is child's play? Distributing grain is a major event concerning the entire team's meals. How could you miscalculate? I think you're just pretending to be ignorant!"

Seeing that Zhao Laogen was serious, Old Lady Shen quickly stepped forward to try and smooth things over: "Laogen, look at this... Wanqiu is a young girl, she doesn't know any better. I just want her to gain more experience. It's okay if she gets a little less grain..."

"Training?" Zhao Laogen gave her a cold look. "Training doesn't mean you have to go hungry! Old lady, I respect you as an elder, but you have to be reasonable. Wanqiu's husband sacrificed himself, and it's not easy for her to raise a child alone. You not only don't help her, but you also instigate Wang Baoguan to give her less grain. Is this what an elder should do?"

Old Mrs. Shen's face turned pale and then red after being rebuked. She wanted to retaliate but didn't dare to—Zhao Laogen had high prestige in the village, and even the brigade secretary had to give him some leeway. If she threw another tantrum, she might be gossiped about by the whole village.

Zhao Laogen ignored Shen Laotai and turned to Wang, the storekeeper, saying, "Replenish the grain for Wanqiu now. Make sure the millet is short by the required amount, and the dried sweet potatoes must also be given in accordance with the regulations. If there is any more mistake, you can quit being the storekeeper!"

Wang, the custodian, dared not delay any longer. He quickly picked up the wooden container and added ten catties of millet and seven catties of dried sweet potatoes to Lin Wanqiu's food. He even weighed it on a scale: "Comrade Wanqiu, look, there are twenty catties of millet and fifteen catties of dried sweet potatoes. Not a bit less. Please count it."

Lin Wanqiu weighed the grain bag in her hand, then looked at Zhao Laogen and said softly, "Thank you, Captain, thank you, Manager Wang." She knew that without Zhao Laogen's support, this matter wouldn't have been resolved so easily today.

Zhao Laogen waved his hand, his tone softening: "No need to thank me, you deserve it. Wanqiu, if anyone bullies you again, don't hold it in, come to me directly. Our brigade doesn't tolerate bullying orphans and widows."

The surrounding villagers chimed in, "That's right, Wanqiu, if you have any problems in the future, just let us know!" "If Old Lady Shen causes trouble again, we'll help you fight her off!"

Seeing that things were not going well, Old Lady Shen pulled Zhang Lan, who had rushed over after hearing the news, and slunk out of the crowd. Before leaving, she did not forget to glare at Lin Wanqiu, her eyes looking like she wanted to devour him.

Lin Wanqiu, holding Nian'an's hand, thanked Zhao Laogen and greeted the neighbors who had helped her before carrying the grain sack home. Nian'an walked beside her, her little face full of admiration: "Mom, you're amazing! Grandma didn't dare say a word just now!"

Lin Wanqiu smiled, but her heart remained uneasy. She knew that Old Madam Shen wouldn't let it go so easily and would definitely cause her trouble again in the future. But she wasn't afraid. With the supplies in her spatial storage and her own two hands, she was certain she could raise Nian'an well and make those who wanted to bully them never dare to have any more malicious thoughts.

Back home, Lin Wanqiu poured the grain into the jar. Looking at the full jar of millet and dried sweet potatoes, she felt much more at ease. She took out a few dried sweet potatoes and handed them to Nian'an: "Are you hungry? Eat some to tide you over. Mom will make you sweet potato porridge for lunch."

This chapter is not finished yet. Please click on the next page to continue reading the exciting content!