The autumn wind carried a hint of coolness, and before the morning mist had fully dissipated, wisps of smoke rose from the chimney of "Late Autumn Food Workshop." Old Zhao had already lit a fire in the baking room, the warm aroma of burning pine mingling with the sweet fragrance of osmanthus cake, slowly spreading through the air. Lin Wanqiu stood before the worktable in the production area, instructing the villagers on brushing a layer of honey onto the freshly made osmanthus cakes. A touch of honey on her fingertips, the sweetness spreading from her fingertips to her heart—this was a new product launched by the workshop, delivered to the county supply and marketing cooperative yesterday, and sold out in just one morning, with orders still pouring in.

"Comrade Wanqiu, something bad has happened!" Shen Laoda's urgent shout suddenly came from outside the courtyard gate. He rushed in with his feet in a hurry, his face full of anxiety. "My mother woke up this morning saying that her chest was hurting badly and she couldn't get out of bed. What should we do?"

Lin Wanqiu paused, brushing her honey, and looked up at Shen Laoda. He was wearing a faded coarse cloth jacket, his trousers were covered in mud, and fine beads of sweat glistened on his forehead; he had clearly run all the way here. She put down her work and said calmly, "Don't panic. Go to the commune clinic and get a doctor. Tingzhou and I will go take a look right away."

Shen Tingzhou had just returned from outside when he heard this. He immediately put down the account book in his hand and said, "I'll go with you." He turned around, went back into the house to get money and food coupons, and told Nian'an to wait in the workshop and not to wander off before following Lin Wanqiu and Shen Laoda to the Shen family's old house.

The Shen family's old house remained unchanged: a low, mud-brick house with piles of firewood haphazardly stacked in the yard, not even a decent stone slab. Just as one entered the main room, the painful groans of Old Mrs. Shen could be heard coming from the inner room: "Ouch... my heart hurts so much... it's killing me..."

Lin Wanqiu and Shen Tingzhou entered the inner room and saw Old Mrs. Shen lying on the bed, covered with an old cotton quilt with several patches. Her face was pale, her brows were tightly furrowed, and she kept humming. Zhang Lan stood by the bed, holding a bowl of water, looking helpless: "Mother, would you like to drink some water to calm down? The doctor will be here soon."

Old Mrs. Shen opened her eyes, saw Lin Wanqiu, and a complex emotion flashed in her eyes. She then closed her eyes again, her groans growing louder: "Wanqiu... this old woman doesn't have many days left to live... I was wrong before, I shouldn't have treated you badly... please don't hold a grudge against me..."

Lin Wanqiu didn't reply, but walked to the bedside and touched Old Mrs. Shen's forehead—it wasn't hot. She then checked her pulse, which was beating somewhat rapidly, but not weakly. She roughly understood what was going on, but didn't say anything. She just said to Old Mrs. Shen, "After the doctor comes, treat her as needed. We'll split the medical expenses with you; it's our duty as children."

When Grandma Shen heard about "sharing medical expenses," she quietly opened her eyes a crack, a barely perceptible smile curving her lips, before quickly closing her eyes again and continuing to hum.

Not long after, Dr. Wang from the commune clinic arrived. He carried his medicine kit, took Old Lady Shen's pulse, asked about her symptoms, and finally said, "There's nothing seriously wrong. She's just old and has insufficient qi and blood. Plus, the weather has turned cold recently, so she caught a bit of a chill. I'll prescribe some medicine for her to take, and she'll be fine after a few days of rest."

Old Shen breathed a sigh of relief and hurried to get the medicine. Lin Wanqiu took out five yuan from her pocket and handed it to Old Shen: "This is the medical fee we are supposed to pay. Take it first, and let us know if it's not enough." According to the village's custom, children support their elderly parents, and medical and living expenses are shared equally. Since the Shen family has two sons, she and Shen Tingzhou should naturally pay half.

Lying in bed, Old Mrs. Shen was even more pleased to hear about the five yuan, but she still pretended to be weak: "Wanqiu... I need to take good care of myself. Our family is poor, we can't even afford a bowl of hot soup... You see..."

Lin Wanqiu knew what she was thinking, but only said calmly, "Mother, don't worry, we will give you your living expenses on time. Two catties of wheat flour and one catty of brown sugar every month, this is according to the village's custom, you won't be shortchanged. You should take good care of yourself and if you need anything, let your elder brother and sister-in-law tell us."

Before Old Mrs. Shen could say anything more, Shen Tingzhou spoke up, his tone somewhat serious: "Mother, you should focus on getting better first. We will cover your medical and living expenses according to the rules and won't let you suffer any injustice. But we have a lot of things to do at our workshop and can't come over every day. With your elder brother and sister-in-law taking care of you, we feel at ease."

Old Mrs. Shen was speechless after being cornered by Shen Tingzhou, and could only nod and hum. Lin Wanqiu and Shen Tingzhou gave Zhang Lan a few more instructions, telling her to take good care of Old Mrs. Shen, before leaving the Shen family's old house.

On the way back to the workshop, Shen Tingzhou looked at Lin Wanqiu and asked, "When you checked her pulse just now, did you think she wasn't in such serious condition?"

Lin Wanqiu nodded: "Although the pulse is rapid, it is still relatively stable, not like a serious illness. But no matter what, we will not pay a penny less than what is due to us. This is the rule and our duty. But it is impossible for her to make us pay extra things like before."

Shen Tingzhou held her hand, his fingertips warm: "I know what you mean, I'll listen to you. I wasn't by your side before, and you suffered because of me. I will never let you be bullied again."

Lin Wanqiu felt a warmth in her heart and squeezed Shen Tingzhou's hand in return. Sunlight filtered through the leaves, casting dappled shadows on the ground. Looking at the man beside her, she felt a sense of peace—with him by her side, even the most difficult things seemed easier.

Over the next few days, Lin Wanqiu would have Shen Tingzhou deliver the required amount of flour and brown sugar to the Shen family's old house every day. Sometimes, she would also have Nian'an deliver a bowl of freshly made pastries to help Old Madam Shen recover. Old Madam Shen's condition gradually improved; she was able to sit up in bed and occasionally even take a few steps in the yard.

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