She paused, looked at her neighbors, and said sincerely, "Fellow villagers, I, Lin Wanqiu, am making this clear today: it's not that I want a divorce, it's that the Shen family can't tolerate my daughter and me. I've already written the divorce papers. Once I sign them and get the commune stamp, I'll have nothing to do with the Shen family anymore. At that time, I'll take Nian'an back to my parents' home, or go somewhere else to make a living, and never have anything to do with the Shen family again!"

This caused an uproar. Old Zhang stopped arguing, got up, and grabbed Old Madam Shen's arm: "Sister, we can't let her get a divorce! If she gets a divorce, Tingzhou's compensation will have nothing to do with the Shen family, and Nian'an will be gone too. Our Shen family line will end!"

Granny Wang panicked and quickly advised, "Wanqiu, let's talk this out. Divorce is no good. It'll be bad for you and the child if word gets out. Let's sit down and discuss everything. Don't keep bringing up divorce."

Lin Wanqiu chuckled inwardly at their flustered state. She had long since figured out what they were thinking—Old Mrs. Shen cared about the Shen family's reputation, and even more so about Shen Tingzhou's compensation; Old Zhang wanted to get some benefits through Old Mrs. Shen; and Granny Wang was afraid that things would escalate and she would suffer the consequences. This divorce petition had struck at their weak spot.

"Discuss?" Lin Wanqiu shoved the divorce papers into her cloth bag. "It's not that I haven't tried to discuss things with you. Last time you came to take our grain, I tried to talk to you nicely, but you wouldn't listen; this time you've come to kick us out again, and you even tried to hit my son. Now you want to talk to me about discussing things? Too late!"

She changed the subject and looked at Old Mrs. Shen: "Regarding today's matter, either you leave now and never bother my daughter and me again; or I go to the commune to sign the divorce papers now and we'll go our separate ways. You choose one."

Looking into Lin Wanqiu's determined eyes and glancing at the strange looks from the neighbors, Old Mrs. Shen felt both angry and panicked. She knew that Lin Wanqiu was serious this time. If she really got her to divorce, the Shen family would not only lose the compensation money, but they would also be gossiped about behind their backs, and she would never be able to hold her head up in the village again.

Zhang Lan also became anxious and tugged at Old Mrs. Shen's sleeve, whispering, "Mom, why don't we go first and think of something later..."

Old Mrs. Shen gritted her teeth and glared fiercely at Lin Wanqiu: "Fine! You win! Let's go! But remember, this isn't over!" With that, she shoved Zhang Laoshuan and Granny Wang hard. "What are you all standing there for? Let's go!"

The group slunk away, and before leaving, Zhang Laoshuan didn't forget to glare at Lin Wanqiu with a look that seemed to want to devour her. Lin Wanqiu, however, didn't care at all and shouted at their retreating figures, "Don't come again, or I'll just take the divorce papers to the commune next time!"

Seeing this, the neighbors gathered around to comfort Lin Wanqiu. Aunt Li held her hand and said, "Wanqiu, you did the right thing today. You have to stand up for people like that! If anyone bullies you again, just tell us, and we'll stand up for you!"

"Yes, Wanqiu, it's not easy for you to raise a child alone. Don't try to handle everything by yourself," Uncle Wang chimed in.

Lin Wanqiu smiled and nodded, "Thank you everyone, you've really gone to a lot of trouble today." She took out a few cornbread buns from the bamboo basket and distributed them to the children around her, "Come on, kids, try some of Auntie's steamed cornbread buns, they're fresh out of the steamer and still warm."

The children cheered as they took the cornbread, taking small bites and muttering, "Delicious! Much better than the dried sweet potatoes at home!"

Seeing the children's happy faces, Lin Wanqiu's anger subsided considerably. She knew that although today's matter was temporarily resolved, Old Lady Shen and her group would definitely not let it go and would come looking for trouble again in the future. But it didn't matter; she had her spatial ability and the support of so many neighbors, and no matter what difficulties she encountered, she could overcome them.

Back inside, Shen Nian'an was still a little scared, clinging tightly to her mother's legs: "Mommy, will Grandma and the others come again?"

Lin Wanqiu squatted down, hugged her son, and said gently, "He might come, but Mom will protect Nian'an. Our lives will get better and better. When the vegetables Mom planted grow, we can eat vegetables every day. Maybe we can even boil eggs for Nian'an."

Mentioning eggs, Shen Nian'an's eyes lit up, and she nodded vigorously: "Okay! I'll wait for the vegetables Mom planted to grow!"

Lin Wanqiu smiled, mentally planning her planting schedule in her spatial dimension. The vegetables she had planted there had already sprouted and would be ready for harvest in a few days. They would not only improve her and her daughter's meals, but also be sold at the market for some money to buy necessities.

She walked to the window, looking at the sunlight outside, her heart filled with hope. Although this era was marked by shortages of food and clothing, and troublesome relatives, as long as she worked hard, with the resources and skills in her spatial dimension, she was sure she could lead Nian'an to a better life.

Meanwhile, in the woods outside the village, a tall figure stood silently behind a tree. Shen Tingzhou looked in the direction of Lin Wanqiu's house, his eyes filled with complex emotions. He had witnessed the commotion at the courtyard gate earlier. When he saw Lin Wanqiu holding the divorce papers and scaring everyone away, he was both surprised and heartbroken. He hadn't expected that after his "sacrifice," she would suffer so much injustice, and he certainly hadn't expected her to become so strong and brave.

He clenched his fists, secretly vowing to find out what happened back then as soon as possible, to clear away the dangers around him, and then to return to her and his son openly and honestly, so that they would never suffer any more grievances.

Shen Tingzhou quietly turned and disappeared into the woods. He knew it wasn't the time to reveal himself, but he would always stay by their side, their strongest support.

Lin Wanqiu was unaware that Shen Tingzhou was nearby. She was busy tidying up the house, preparing to check on the vegetables' growth in her spatial dimension later that evening. She believed that as long as she worked hard step by step, she would soon usher in a better life for her and her son.