On the morning of the 24th of the twelfth lunar month, a crack finally appeared in the leaden sky, and sparse sunlight pierced through the clouds, scattering across the snow-covered ground of the Hongqi Production Brigade, reflecting dappled silver light. Snow, piled high on the branches of the old locust tree by the courtyard gate, was blown away by the wind, falling in a soft rustling sound like a handful of salt. Lin Wanqiu had just wrapped Chen Nianxi in her thick cotton-padded coat when she heard the familiar sound of horses' hooves outside the courtyard—not the carriage Brother Zhou usually used, but one with a lighter, more hurried rhythm, carrying a long-lost sense of urgency.

Her heart skipped a beat, and she almost dropped the swaddled baby. That voice... sounded exactly like Shen Tingzhou's usual return on horseback. But he said the mission's deadline was undetermined when he left, so why was he back so soon? Had something happened? Lin Wanqiu, carrying Shen Nianxi, staggered towards the door, her fingers gripping the fabric of her cotton-padded coat tightly with tension, her knuckles turning white.

"Mom, what's wrong?" Shen Nian'an had just put on her schoolbag when she saw her mother looking flustered, so she ran over as well, her little face full of confusion.

The courtyard gate creaked open, and a figure in a military green overcoat appeared in the snow. The snow was above his ankles, and his trouser legs were covered with mud and ice. His features, clearly defined, peeked out from under his military cap—it was Shen Tingzhou! He had an old canvas bag slung over his shoulder and was leading a chestnut horse with a bulging burlap sack on its back. When he saw Lin Wanqiu at the gate, his eyes lit up instantly, and his previously tense lips softened.

"Late Autumn." Shen Tingzhou's voice was hoarse from the journey, yet it was like a warm current, instantly dispelling Lin Wanqiu's anxiety of the past few days. He strode into the courtyard, tied his horse to the locust tree, and rushed forward to embrace Lin Wanqiu and Shen Nianxi. His coat still carried the chill of the outside air, but it made Lin Wanqiu feel incredibly safe. She buried her face in his chest, the familiar scent of soap and a faint smell of gunpowder lingering in her nostrils. Tears welled up unexpectedly, soaking his clothes.

"Why did you only just come back..." Lin Wanqiu's voice was choked with sobs. All the grievances, worries, and exhaustion of the past few days turned into tears the moment she saw him.

Shen Tingzhou gently patted her back, his movements as tender as if he were afraid of breaking a fragile treasure: "I'm sorry you had to go through all that trouble. The mission went more smoothly than expected, so I came back ahead of schedule." He looked down at Shen Nianxi in his arms. The little one stared at him with her round eyes, reaching out her little hand to touch his military cap. He couldn't help but smile and gently touched his daughter's cheek with his fingertip, "Xixi has grown stronger again."

"Daddy!" Shen Nian'an rushed into Shen Tingzhou's other arm, hugging his leg tightly and rubbing her little head against his trouser leg. "You're finally back! I missed you so much!"

Shen Tingzhou bent down, picked up his son, and kissed him on the cheek. Feeling his son's body, which was stronger than when he last left, he felt a pang of guilt: "Dad missed you too. Nian'an, were you good and helped Mom take care of your sister?"

"I do!" Shen Nian'an nodded vigorously, his little face full of pride. "I help Mom feed the chickens, keep accounts, and even change my little sister's diapers! Mom says I'm a little man!"

Shen Tingzhou smiled and patted his son's head. His gaze fell on Lin Wanqiu's reddened eyes, and his heart tightened: "Did someone bully you? What happened at the workshop?" Before he left, he was worried that the villains would take the opportunity to cause trouble. Now, looking at Lin Wanqiu, he must have suffered a lot of grievances.

Lin Wanqiu wiped away her tears and pulled him into the house, saying, "Let's talk inside, it's cold outside." She poured Shen Tingzhou a cup of hot water, then handed Shen Nianxi to Shen Nian'an to hold before recounting everything that had happened in the past twenty-odd days—Zhao Jianjun and Lin Moli reporting the workshop for speculation, the commune auditing the accounts, the county food factory coming to demand the recipe, and her negotiations with the food factory. She explained everything clearly, one by one.

Shen Tingzhou's face grew increasingly grim as he listened, his fingers gripping the cup tightly until his knuckles turned white. When he heard Zhao Jianjun and Lin Moli frame Lin Wanqiu for "speculation and profiteering," a cold glint flashed in his eyes; when he heard the county food factory threaten to shut down the workshop, his brows furrowed even more deeply. "These people are truly audacious!" Shen Tingzhou's voice was filled with anger. "While I was away, you suffered so much all by yourself."

"I'm fine, everything's been taken care of." Lin Wanqiu held his hand, feeling the warmth of his palm, and felt much more at ease. "The commune secretary is reasonable and didn't let them succeed. We've also reached a cooperation agreement with the county food factory, so they won't cause trouble again."

“We can’t just let it go after we’ve solved it.” Shen Tingzhou’s tone was firm. “Zhao Jianjun and Lin Moli have repeatedly caused you trouble. This time, we have to teach them a lesson, otherwise they’ll take advantage of us. As for the county food factory, although we’ve reached a cooperation agreement, people in state-owned enterprises are scheming, so we have to be careful.” He took out a small notebook from his canvas bag, opened it, and handed it to Lin Wanqiu. “This is information I gathered through my comrades during the mission. Lin Moli’s distant uncle works in the county’s materials bureau. Last time, she was able to get in touch with Zhang, the commune’s cadre, because of her uncle’s connections. The director of the county food factory is an old acquaintance of her uncle. This time, when he came to force you to give him the formula, it might have been her doing behind the scenes.”

Lin Wanqiu took the notebook. The handwriting was neat, recording Lin Moli's uncle's name, job title, and his relationship with the food factory director. She was shocked—no wonder Lin Moli was so fearless; she had such a powerful backer! She had previously thought Lin Moli was just an ordinary country girl, but she never expected her to have such a deep background.

"What do we do now?" Lin Wanqiu asked with some worry. "Her uncle works at the Bureau of Materials. If he wants to cause trouble for our workshop, it will be very easy for him."

"Don't worry." Shen Tingzhou's eyes sharpened. "This time I came back not only to complete my mission, but also to uncover some things. Lin Moli's uncle, while working at the Materials Bureau, abused his position to resell scarce materials for personal gain. I've already handed over the evidence I collected to the county discipline inspection commission, and I estimate he'll be investigated soon. Without this backer, Lin Moli is like a headless fly, unable to cause any trouble."

My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!