She knew that Old Lady Shen was most afraid of the team leader, since the team leader held the work points, and if the team leader was unhappy, the Shen family's work points would definitely be affected. Sure enough, when Old Lady Shen heard the word "team leader," she paused and hesitated.

Seeing that Old Lady Shen hesitated, Zhang Lan quickly said, "Mother, don't listen to her! How could the team leader say we're wasting food? We're sharing meat as a family, it's only right! Besides, Lin Wanqiu is a widow, what right does she have to eat alone?"

Encouraged by Zhang Lan, Old Mrs. Shen mustered her courage again, shoved Lin Wanqiu aside, and went to lift the pot lid. Caught off guard, Lin Wanqiu stumbled and nearly fell. Shen Nian'an, startled, quickly steadied her: "Mother!"

Just as Grandma Shen's hand was about to touch the pot lid, a deep male voice suddenly came from outside the courtyard gate: "What are you doing?"

Everyone was stunned. When they turned around, they saw a tall man in a gray jacket standing at the gate of the courtyard. He had a cold and stern face. It was Shen Tingzhou. However, no one knew that he was still alive. They all thought he was a relative from a neighboring village.

Grandma Shen and Zhang Lan were both stunned when they saw the strange man. Grandma Shen frowned and said, "Who are you? What are you doing in our yard?"

The man ignored Old Madam Shen and looked at Lin Wanqiu, his eyes filled with a barely perceptible worry: "Are you alright?"

Lin Wanqiu was also stunned. She didn't know who this man was or why he had suddenly appeared here. But she could sense that he meant her no harm and seemed to be helping her. She composed herself and shook her head: "I'm fine, thank you."

When Old Mrs. Shen saw that the man was ignoring her and talking to Lin Wanqiu, she immediately became angry: "Who do you think you are? Get out of here! This is a family matter of the Shen family, it has nothing to do with you!"

The man finally looked at Old Mrs. Shen, his eyes as cold as ice: "Family matters? I heard everything at the door just now. You're bullying her. It's not easy for her, a woman raising a child alone. Not only do you not help her, but you also try to take her things. Is this what you call a family matter in the Shen family?"

Old Mrs. Shen felt uneasy under his gaze, but she still forced a smile and said, "Our Shen family's affairs are none of your business, you outsider! You'd better leave now, or I'll call for help!"

“Go ahead and shout,” the man sneered. “Let the neighbors all come and judge how you’re bullying an orphan and a widow. By then, not only will the team leader know, but the commune might know too. Your Shen family will be utterly disgraced.”

Grandma Shen and Zhang Lan panicked—if the neighbors found out, they would never be able to hold their heads high in the village again. Zhang Lan quickly tugged at Grandma Shen's sleeve and whispered, "Mom, let's just leave. Let's not bother with him."

Grandma Shen knew that making a big fuss about this wouldn't do them any good, so she glared at Lin Wanqiu, then looked at the man, and gritted her teeth, saying, "Let's go! Let's go home!" After saying that, she grabbed Zhang Lan and Shen Xiaohu and hurriedly left.

Watching them walk away, Lin Wanqiu finally breathed a sigh of relief, her heart filled with gratitude for the stranger. She turned around and bowed to him, saying, "Thank you. I don't know how I would have ended things if it weren't for you."

The man waved his hand, his gaze falling on Shen Nian'an, his eyes softening slightly: "No need to thank me, I just couldn't stand them bullying people. This child, is he your son?"

“Yes,” Lin Wanqiu nodded, and pulled Chen Nian’an over, “An’an, quickly thank your uncle.”

Shen Nian'an glanced timidly at the man and whispered, "Thank you, Uncle."

The man smiled and patted Shen Nian'an's head: "You're welcome, you're very brave." After saying that, he looked at Lin Wanqiu: "It's not easy for you, a woman raising a child alone. If you encounter something like this again, just tell me and I will help you."

Lin Wanqiu felt a warmth in her heart. Just as she was about to say something more, the man said, "I have something to do, so I'll be leaving now. Take care of yourself and the child." After saying that, he turned and left, quickly disappearing into the alley.

Lin Wanqiu watched his retreating figure, her heart filled with doubt—who was this man? Why did he suddenly appear and even offer to help her? Moreover, she felt that this man looked somewhat familiar, as if she had seen him somewhere before, but she couldn't quite place him.

"Mom, who is that uncle?" Shen Nian'an tugged at her sleeve and asked curiously.

“Mother doesn’t know either,” Lin Wanqiu shook her head, “but he’s a good man, he helped us just now.” She patted her son’s head, “Alright, let’s not talk about this anymore, let’s hurry up and finish making the jerky, otherwise someone will come and cause trouble again later.”

Shen Nian'an nodded and obediently stood aside, helping Lin Wanqiu hand over the food. Lin Wanqiu squatted down in front of the stove again, lifted the pot lid, and saw that the meat in the pot was almost cooked, emitting a fragrant aroma. She carefully took the meat out, placed it on the cutting board, cut it into thin strips with a knife, and then put it back into the pot, adding soy sauce, salt, sugar, and other seasonings, and slowly stir-frying it.

The basic cooking techniques were working in her mind, telling her when to flip the meat and when to turn off the heat. Lin Wanqiu followed the instructions, and soon the meat strips in the pot turned a deep red, glistening with oil, emitting a rich aroma that made Chen Nian'an drool.

"Mom, it smells so good! When can we eat it?" Shen Nian'an tugged at her clothes and asked softly.

"It'll be ready soon, just a little while longer," Lin Wanqiu said with a smile. "When it's done, An'an will have the first bite."

Soon, the jerky was ready. Lin Wanqiu took the jerky out, put it on a plate, let it cool for a while, then picked up a piece and held it to Chen Nian'an's lips: "An'an, try it and see if it's good."