"I'll trade my cloth coupons! I had someone bring these coupons from the county town; surely that's enough to exchange for a block of tofu?"

Everyone started talking at once, trying to stuff what they were holding into Lin Wanqiu's hands, and the scene became a little chaotic. Lin Wanqiu's heart skipped a beat, realizing this was bad. If things continued like this, it might attract the attention of the whole village. She quickly waved her hands, "Everyone, stop arguing, listen to me! I know everyone wants to nourish their families, but I really didn't make enough this time. If you don't mind, I'll grind some soybeans and make tofu in a couple of days. We'll do it in order, so if anyone wants some, just tell me now and I'll write it down and save it for you first, okay?"

Upon hearing this, the crowd quieted down. Grandma Li was the first to nod: "Okay! Wanqiu, you're an honest person, I trust you! I'll sign up first, and I'll even exchange brown sugar for it later!"

"I'll sign up too! I'll trade my cornmeal for it!"

"I'll trade you dried sweet potatoes!"

Everyone signed up, and Lin Wanqiu took out a small notebook to write it down. She also made sure to tell each person what they would exchange and how much tofu they wanted, and repeatedly reminded them: "Let's discuss this privately, don't tell anyone. If the brigade finds out, I won't be able to make this tofu, and no one will be able to eat it, right?"

"Don't worry, Wanqiu, we're keeping our mouths shut!"

"Anyone who dares to tell anyone will be the first to face my wrath!"

The neighbors said a few more kind words before leaving one by one, making sure to arrange the next time to exchange tofu with Lin Wanqiu before departing. Lin Wanqiu had just breathed a sigh of relief after seeing off the last neighbor when she heard a deliberate cough coming from outside the courtyard wall. Her heart tightened, and she peeked through the crack in the door. She saw Zhao Jianjun, a cigarette dangling from his lips, leaning against the wall, his eyes gleaming menacingly as he glanced into the courtyard, a wicked smile playing on his lips.

Lin Wanqiu's heart leaped into her throat—the neighbors' commotion over the tofu had been quite loud, and Zhao Jianjun might have overheard it. Zhao Jianjun was the son of the brigade secretary, and he was known for his domineering ways. The last time he saw her, he tried to force her into marriage, but Shen Tingzhou secretly taught him a lesson. If he caught her "speculating and profiteering" this time, he certainly wouldn't let it go.

She quickly closed the courtyard gate and hid the tofu board from the kitchen behind the woodshed, covering it with firewood. Only then did she lean against the doorframe and catch her breath. She thought to herself: It seems that this tofu business cannot be done so openly. I need to think of a safer way, otherwise Zhao Jianjun will find a handle against me sooner or later. At that time, not only will I suffer, but Nian'an will also be implicated.

Just then, Nian'an ran out of the house, hugged Lin Wanqiu's leg, and looked up at her with her little face, asking, "Mom, a lot of uncles and aunts came to our house just now. Did they come to ask you for tofu? Sister Yadan said that our tofu is very fragrant. I want to eat another piece too."

Lin Wanqiu squatted down, patted her son's head, and said with a smile, "Okay, Mom will cut you a piece, but we have to eat it secretly and no one can see us, okay?"

Nian'an nodded, seemingly understanding, and pulled Lin Wanqiu's hand towards the kitchen. As Lin Wanqiu chopped tofu, she mentally planned: Next time, she'd have to make tofu somewhere else, preferably in her spatial dimension, and then secretly take it out. Also, she'd need to find a secluded place to exchange things, not in the noisy courtyard. And then there was Zhao Jianjun; since he'd already set his sights on her, he'd definitely come back. She had to figure out a way to deal with him, or something bad would happen eventually.

Just as she was pondering this, footsteps sounded outside the courtyard gate again. Lin Wanqiu's heart tightened, and she quickly told Nian'an to hide inside. She then picked up the wood-chopping knife beside her and pretended to chop wood, but her eyes were fixed on the courtyard gate. She knew that the days ahead would probably not be peaceful, and she would have to find a way to remove Zhao Jianjun, this stumbling block, sooner or later.