Grandma Li paused, her brows furrowing. "Shen Tingzhou's friend? Wanqiu, don't be fooled! That old courtyard has been locked ever since Grandpa Shen passed away. No one but Shen Tingzhou has the key. Besides, none of us old neighbors have ever met anyone Shen Tingzhou knew in the army before his sacrifice."

Lin Wanqiu's heart sank: "You mean, only Shen Tingzhou has the key to that courtyard?"

"That's right!" Grandma Li sighed. "When Shen Tingzhou went to the army, his father specially gave him the key, saying that he would come back to live in this courtyard after he was discharged. Later, I heard that he sacrificed his life, and no one took care of the key. I thought that the courtyard would be abandoned forever."

So, that man from yesterday was very likely Shen Tingzhou himself! Lin Wanqiu's heart suddenly raced. Why was he hiding his identity? Was his "secret mission" not yet complete, and he was afraid that revealing his identity would implicate her and her child? But since he was alive, why didn't he just acknowledge her?

"Grandma, I have another question for you." Lin Wanqiu composed herself and asked, "Do you know what Shen Tingzhou does in the army? I heard from people that he seems to be an officer?"

Grandma Li shook her head: "We don't know exactly what he does. Shen Tingzhou is a tight-lipped boy. Every time he comes back from visiting his family, if we ask him about his time in the army, he only says 'I'm just a soldier,' and he won't say anything else. But I heard his grandfather say that Tingzhou has made meritorious contributions in the army and is a promising person."

Lin Wanqiu nodded, her doubts somewhat dispelled. It seemed Shen Tingzhou's mission was indeed kept secret; even his family didn't know the details. He might have been concealing his identity to protect her and her child—after all, Zhao Jianjun's father was the brigade secretary, and if he knew Shen Tingzhou was still alive, he might use his identity against them, which would cause even more trouble.

After leaving Grandma Li's house, Lin Wanqiu headed home. As she passed the old locust tree at the village entrance, she suddenly saw Shen Tingzhou standing under the tree, holding a cloth bag in his hand, as if waiting for someone. He saw Lin Wanqiu, paused for a moment, then walked over and handed her the cloth bag: "Comrade Lin, this is cornmeal I bought from the commune yesterday. Take it and make porridge for Nian'an."

Lin Wanqiu looked at the cornmeal in the cloth bag. It was golden and plump, clearly freshly ground, a rare commodity in these times of food scarcity. She didn't take it, but instead stared into his eyes and asked, "Brother Shen, how did you know my family was short of cornmeal? You seem... very knowledgeable about my family's situation."

Shen Tingzhou's eyes flickered, avoiding her gaze: "I... I heard it from Aunt Wang. She said Nian'an is growing and needs more nourishment."

This reason was somewhat plausible, but Lin Wanqiu still didn't budge: "No need, Brother Shen. I still have cornmeal at home, you can keep it for yourself." She paused, then added, "Thank you for helping me out yesterday. If you ever need my help in the future, just let me know."

She said this on purpose to see Shen Tingzhou's reaction—if he really needed her help, he would definitely make a request; if he simply wanted to help them, he wouldn't force her.

Sure enough, upon hearing this, Shen Tingzhou simply smiled and said, "No need to be so polite. It's only right for neighbors to help each other out. If you really encounter any difficulties, just blow that whistle, and I'll come over as soon as possible." He didn't mention the cornmeal again, turned around, and walked towards the west end of the village, his back looking somewhat lonely in the sunlight.

Lin Wanqiu watched his retreating figure, her heart filled with mixed emotions. Was this man friend or foe? She touched the jade pendant on her chest, suddenly remembering that she hadn't had time to check the skill panel in her spatial storage—she had unlocked the small processing plant last time, and perhaps there were still new functions she hadn't discovered. She should go back to her spatial storage first, replenish her supplies, and whatever Shen Tingzhou's purpose, having provisions and peace of mind was the most important thing.

Back home, Nian'an was still playing with Ya Dan at Aunt Wang's house. Lin Wanqiu closed the courtyard gate, went into the inner room, pressed her fingertip on the jade pendant, and silently recited "Enter the space." A flash of white light appeared before her eyes, and she found herself standing in the familiar warehouse.

The warehouse was still piled high with supplies: rice, flour, cooking oil... everything imaginable. Lin Wanqiu walked to the skill panel, tapped it, and a new notification popped up: "Congratulations, host, for completing the 'Initial Relief' mission and unlocking a new space function—Automatic Supplies Replenishment. Currently available supplies: cured meat, rice."

Lin Wanqiu's eyes lit up! Cured meat and rice were both scarce and valuable items these days, especially cured meat, which could not only provide Nian'an with nutrition but also be used to barter with neighbors. She quickly followed the instructions, and suddenly several strings of glistening cured meat and several bags of snow-white rice appeared on the warehouse shelves, emitting a faint aroma.

"Great!" Lin Wanqiu couldn't help but cheer. With these supplies, she could not only make Nian'an eat better, but also expand her tofu business—next time she made tofu, she would add some minced meat to make minced meat tofu, which would definitely be more popular!

Just then, Nian'an's voice came from outside the courtyard gate: "Mom, I'm back! Aunt Wang gave me a sweet potato, it was so sweet!"

Lin Wanqiu quickly exited the space and went to the door to open it. Shen Nian'an skipped in, holding half a sweet potato in her hand, and held it to her lips: "Mom, try it, it's so sweet!"

Lin Wanqiu took a bite; it was sweet, the sweetness spreading from her mouth to her heart. Holding her son, she secretly vowed: no matter what Shen Tingzhou's purpose was, no matter how many troubles they would encounter in the future, she would live well with Nian'an, using the resources in her space and her own hands to make their lives more and more prosperous.

At that moment, in the old courtyard at the west end of the village, Shen Tingzhou stood by the window, looking in the direction of Lin Wanqiu's house. He held a small jade pendant in his hand, exactly the same as the one Lin Wanqiu wore around her neck. "Wanqiu, I'm sorry, I can't tell you the truth yet," he murmured softly. "Once I find out what happened back then, I will stand openly before you and Nian'an, and we will never be apart again."

The sunlight outside the window grew brighter, shining on the jade pendant in his hand and reflecting a dazzling light. A story revolving around secrets, protection, and growth was just beginning.