The early winter wind swirled with snowflakes along the dirt road of the Hongqi Production Brigade. The old locust tree by the gate had lost all its leaves, its bare branches stretching towards the leaden sky like a simple ink painting. Shen Tingzhou stood in the center of the main room, holding a neatly folded telegram in his hand. The edges of the kraft paper envelope were roughened by his fingers, and the two large vermilion characters "Urgent" on it were particularly glaring in the dim light.

Lin Wanqiu was sitting at the table sewing a cotton-padded jacket for Shen Nianxi. The gleaming needle darted through the blue fabric, creating fine, dense stitches. She glanced up and saw Shen Tingzhou's tense profile, and her heart sank—since his "resurrection," he rarely had such a solemn expression, unless it concerned old matters from his mission years ago. "Tingzhou, what's wrong? Is there news from the army?" She put down her needlework. Shen Nianxi, in her arms, seemed to sense the tense atmosphere, stopping her babbling and staring at Shen Tingzhou with her round eyes.

Shen Tingzhou took a deep breath and handed the telegram to Lin Wanqiu, his voice lower than usual: "I just picked it up from the commune's post office. The army wants me to return to my unit within three days to carry out a new mission." His fingertips traced the words on the telegram, a complex emotion flashing in his eyes—a mixture of awe for the mission, reluctance to leave his family, and a barely perceptible worry. This mission only mentioned a "short-term return," without specifying the duration or content; the more vague it was, the more uncertain he felt.

Lin Wanqiu took the telegram, her fingertips touching the cold ink on the paper. Lines of text came into view: "Comrade Shen Tingzhou, return to your unit immediately to carry out a classified mission. The deadline is to be determined. You must report on time." Her hand trembled slightly. Suppressing her unease, she looked up at Shen Tingzhou: "Is the mission dangerous? Did it say how long I'll be gone?"

“They didn’t mention the level of danger, nor did they say when I would return.” Shen Tingzhou walked to the table, bent down and picked up Shen Nianxi. The little guy reached out and grabbed his collar, babbling “Daddy,” which softened his tense lips. “But don’t worry, I’ve been through much harder missions than this, and I’ll definitely come back safely this time too. It’s just… I’m afraid you’ll have to take care of things at home.” His gaze swept over Shen Nian’an’s award certificates on the wall, then fell on Lin Wanqiu’s slightly tired face, and his heart was filled with guilt—since returning home, he had wanted to help the family more, but secretly investigating old cases had already taken up a lot of time, and now he had to leave suddenly. The family workshop, the two children, and those villains who were eyeing them all had to be carried by Lin Wanqiu alone.

Lin Wanqiu stood up, walked to Shen Tingzhou's side, and reached out to straighten his wrinkled collar, her fingertips touching the warm skin of his neck. "Don't worry about home. I can take good care of Nian'an and Nianxi. With Brother Zhou and Sister Liu helping out at the workshop, nothing will go wrong. But you, you must be careful out there. Don't try to tough it out. If you can write, remember to let us know you're safe." She spoke calmly, but her eyes quietly reddened—she wasn't afraid of hardship, nor was she afraid of the villains' difficulties; she was just afraid that Shen Tingzhou would "disappear" again. She never wanted to experience those days of anxiety again.

“Yes, I will. I will definitely write as soon as conditions permit.” Shen Tingzhou held Lin Wanqiu’s hand. Her hand was a little cold, but it carried a reassuring strength. “I’ve already spoken to Brother Zhou. He will keep a close eye on the workshop’s security. If Zhao Jianjun or Lin Moli cause trouble again, don’t confront them directly. Wait for me to come back and handle it.” He paused, then took out a cloth bag from his pocket. Inside were several dozen yuan and a few grain coupons. “This is the money I’ve saved. Keep it for household expenses. If it’s not enough, take more from the workshop’s account. Don’t make yourself and the children suffer.”

Just then, crisp footsteps sounded at the courtyard gate. Shen Nian'an ran in with his schoolbag on his back, his face still flushed from playing in the snow. "Dad, Mom, school let out early today, and I even tutored Li Xiaoming in arithmetic!" He ran to Shen Tingzhou's side, looking up at him with his little face, wanting to show off, but when he saw the telegram in his father's hand and his mother's red eyes, his smile gradually faded. "Dad, Mom, what's wrong? Did something happen?"

Shen Tingzhou squatted down, looking his son in the eye, and said in an exceptionally gentle voice, "Nian'an, Daddy has to go on a mission and will be away from home for a while. You are the little man of the family, so you need to help Mommy take care of your little sister and study hard. When Daddy comes back, show him your new certificate of merit, okay?"

Shen Nian'an's eyes reddened instantly. He grabbed Shen Tingzhou's sleeve and whispered, "Dad, when are you coming back? Is it like last time, a very long time?" He remembered how he had cried for days after people said his father had "sacrificed" himself, until his father suddenly returned home, and only then did he dare to believe that his father was still alive. Now his father was leaving again, and he was afraid that his father would never come back.

"It won't be long, Dad will be back soon." Shen Tingzhou patted his son's head, looking at his son's features that were becoming more and more like his own, and felt a pang of reluctance. "Didn't you say you wanted to go to the county town with Dad to sell baby food? When Dad comes back, we'll go, and I'll take you to the department store to buy a new arithmetic book."

Shen Nian'an bit his lip and nodded vigorously, holding back his tears: "Dad, you must come back soon! I will take good care of Mom and my sister, and I will also learn to manage money better. When you come back, I will show you my account book. I made a lot of money this month!" He remembered the "responsibility" that Lin Wanqiu taught him, puffed out his chest, and tried his best to look strong—he was a little man and could not let his father worry.

Looking at her sensible son, Lin Wanqiu felt both gratified and heartbroken. She went over and hugged Shen Nian'an, whispering, "Nian'an, be good. Daddy will come back safely. Let's wait for Daddy to come home together."

Over the next two days, Shen Tingzhou busied himself packing. There wasn't much to pack, just a change of clothes and a dagger—one he used to carry in the army, for self-defense. He also made a special trip to the workshop to carefully explain the precautions to Brother Zhou and Sister Liu, especially regarding the quality and hygiene of the infant food, repeatedly emphasizing that there could be no mistakes.

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