After seeing that Old Mrs. Shen had left, the neighbors also dispersed. Aunt Wang walked to the door and whispered, "Wanqiu, are you alright? Old Mrs. Shen is just like that, don't take it to heart, but you'll have to be more careful in the future."

Lin Wanqiu opened the door and looked at Aunt Wang gratefully: "Aunt Wang, thank you for speaking up for me earlier. I'm fine."

"It's good that you're alright, it's good that you're alright." Aunt Wang patted Lin Wanqiu's hand. "It's not easy for you to raise a child alone. If you have any difficulties, just tell me. Don't bear it all by yourself."

After seeing Aunt Wang off, Lin Wanqiu finally breathed a sigh of relief; her back was already soaked with cold sweat. She carried Shen Nian'an back into the house, placed him on the kang (a heated brick bed), and said softly, "An'an, don't be afraid. Grandma is gone. From now on, Mom will protect you."

Shen Nian'an hugged Lin Wanqiu's neck and rubbed her little head against her chest: "Mom, An'an is not afraid. An'an will protect Mom from now on."

Lin Wanqiu felt a warmth in her heart and patted her son's head. She knew that although she had gotten rid of Old Mrs. Shen today, she certainly wouldn't let it go and would come back to cause trouble in the future. It seemed that she had to find a way to move out as soon as possible and get away from these awful relatives of the Shen family.

That night, after Lin Wanqiu coaxed Chen Nian to sleep, she quietly entered the space. As soon as she entered, she sensed something was different—before, the space only contained a warehouse, land, and a skill panel, but today, she found a door next to the warehouse with a wooden sign hanging on it that read "Small Processing Plant".

Lin Wanqiu was both surprised and delighted. She quickly went over and pushed open the door. Inside was a small room with several machines against the wall: a flour mill, an oil press, a noodle machine, and a small oven. Next to the machines was an instruction manual that read: "The small processing plant requires 100 energy points to start. Energy points can be obtained by planting crops and completing skill tasks."

Lin Wanqiu quickly checked her skill panel and discovered that she had already accumulated 50 energy points by planting vegetables and learning basic cooking skills. She calculated that if she planted more crops and completed more skill tasks, she would soon have enough energy points to start a small processing plant. Then, she could not only sell vegetables, but also flour, cooking oil, noodles, and even bake bread and cakes, opening up many more avenues for making money.

She walked to the edge of the field, looking at the lush green vegetables, and then at the newly planted spinach and cabbage, her heart filled with hope. She knew that as long as there was space, and with her own efforts, she would definitely be able to live well with An'an in this era, and even live better than others.

Just as Lin Wanqiu was planning for the future, a dark figure stood silently in the corner of the courtyard outside the space. Shen Tingzhou had been hiding in the shadows and had clearly seen the scene of Old Lady Shen coming to rob him and Lin Wanqiu threatening to call the police. Looking at the light shining from the house, he was filled with guilt and admiration. He hadn't expected Lin Wanqiu to be so strong and wise, nor had he expected his own family to be so unreasonable. He secretly vowed to find out the suspicious points of the mission from back then as soon as possible, to return to Lin Wanqiu and Nian'an's side openly and honestly, to protect them, and to never let them suffer again.

Shen Tingzhou turned and left, his steps more resolute than when he arrived. He knew he could no longer secretly watch the mother and child suffer; he had to act quickly and provide them with a safe haven.

Lin Wanqiu was unaware that Shen Tingzhou had visited; she was still busy in her spatial dimension. She watered the vegetables in the field and took out some seeds from the warehouse, planting them in the newly cultivated land. Looking at everything before her, she seemed to already see a bright future: she would run her own workshop, earn a lot of money, move into a spacious and bright new house with An'an, and never have to be subservient to others or be bullied again.

Thinking of this, Lin Wanqiu couldn't help but smile. She knew this path wouldn't be smooth sailing; there would be many difficulties and challenges, but she had the confidence and courage to face them. Because she wasn't alone; she had An'an, she had the space, and she had Shen Tingzhou, who had always been secretly protecting her.

The next morning, Lin Wanqiu woke up early. After a quick wash, she began preparing breakfast. She took out two eggs and some flour from her spatial storage and made egg pancakes for Nian'an. Watching Nian'an eat with relish, Lin Wanqiu felt a deep sense of satisfaction.

After breakfast, Lin Wanqiu entrusted Nian'an to Aunt Wang's care and then headed towards the commune canteen, carrying a basket full of vegetables. She needed to sell the vegetables as soon as possible to earn more money, and at the same time, she needed to accumulate enough energy points to start the small processing plant. She knew that only by becoming strong could she truly protect herself and An'an, and live a wonderful life of her own in this era.