Lin Wanqiu sneered inwardly. Old Mrs. Shen was truly shameless; she hadn't gained any advantage herself, so she tried to ruin her reputation by spreading rumors. However, she wasn't afraid. A clear conscience fears no accusation. As long as she acted uprightly, Old Mrs. Shen's rumors would eventually fall apart on their own.

"Let her talk. She can say whatever she wants, and I can't control what she says." Lin Wanqiu said calmly, still teaching Ya Dan to read. "As long as she doesn't cause trouble for me and Nian An anymore, she can say whatever she wants."

Aunt Wang sighed, "You're just too good-natured. But don't be too complacent. That old lady Shen might still be plotting how to cause you trouble. And your cousin Lin Moli, she was wandering around the village yesterday, asking all sorts of questions, as if she was trying to find out about you. You'd better watch out for her."

"Lin Moli?" Lin Wanqiu's heart skipped a beat. Why would she suddenly come to the village? Last time, she tried to set Lin Moli up but ended up losing more than she gained. Logically, Lin Moli should be avoiding her. Why would she dare to come and inquire about her affairs? Could it be that Old Lady Shen sent her?

"Yes, it's that seemingly delicate girl. She even brought some things to your house last time." Aunt Wang nodded. "Yesterday I saw her talking to Old Lady Shen at the village entrance. They seemed to be having a very intimate conversation, I wonder what they were plotting. You'd better be careful, that girl looks honest, but she might be up to no good."

Alarm bells rang in Lin Wanqiu's mind. Lin Moli and Old Lady Shen were definitely up to no good. She had to think of a solution quickly, otherwise, if they joined forces, things would get much worse.

Just then, Shen Nian'an suddenly pointed out the window and shouted, "Mother! Look, it's Brother Shen!"

Lin Wanqiu looked in the direction he pointed and saw Shen Tingzhou standing outside the courtyard gate, holding a cloth bag and looking into the house. A thought struck her: why was Shen Tingzhou here? Did he know that Lin Moli and Old Madam Shen were plotting and came specifically to warn her?

She quickly got up and opened the door: "Brother Shen, what brings you here? Come in and sit down."

Shen Tingzhou walked in and handed the cloth bag to Lin Wanqiu: "I went to the commune to run some errands and saw that they were selling exercise books, so I bought a few for Nian'an, as well as a few pencils, for him to use for writing."

Lin Wanqiu took the cloth bag, opened it, and sure enough, inside were several brand-new notebooks, a few sharpened pencils, and an eraser. Her heart warmed; she hadn't expected Shen Tingzhou to remember Nian'an's need to learn to read. "Thank you, Brother Shen, you've gone to so much trouble."

"Don't mention it, these are all for the children." Shen Tingzhou smiled, his gaze falling on the flashcards on the kang (heated brick bed). "Is Nian'an learning to read? How's it going?"

"I've already recognized all ten!" Shen Nian'an quickly ran over, picked up the cards and read them to Shen Tingzhou, "Brother Shen, listen, this one is pronounced 'jia' (家), this one is pronounced 'ri' (日), this one is pronounced 'he' (禾)..."

Shen Tingzhou listened attentively, and after Nian'an finished reading, he reached out and patted his head: "Nian'an is really smart, even smarter than Brother Shen when he was young. You should learn from your mother in the future and try to learn more characters so that you can become a cultured person in the future."

"Yes! I can do it!" Shen Nian'an nodded vigorously, her little face full of confidence.

Seeing how well Shen Tingzhou treated Nian'an, Aunt Wang nodded secretly in approval, thinking that this Brother Shen was a good person, not the "wild man" that Old Lady Shen had described. She glanced at the sky, stood up, and said, "Wanqiu, it's getting late. I'm taking Yadan back now. Yadan can come and study with Nian'an again tomorrow."

Lin Wanqiu saw them to the door. Before leaving, Aunt Wang made a point of greeting Shen Tingzhou, and her attitude was much warmer than last time.

After seeing Aunt Wang off, only Lin Wanqiu, Shen Nian'an, and Shen Tingzhou remained in the house. Shen Nian'an held her new workbook and carefully wrote the characters she had learned that day. Although her writing was crooked, it was clear that she was very serious.

As Shen Tingzhou watched Nian An's retreating figure, he suddenly said to Lin Wanqiu, "Wanqiu, you need to be careful of Lin Moli lately. She's getting very close to Old Madam Shen, and she might cause you trouble."

Lin Wanqiu's heart skipped a beat; Aunt Wang had indeed been right. She looked at Shen Tingzhou and couldn't help but ask, "Brother Shen, how do you know about Lin Moli? Do you know her?"

Shen Tingzhou's eyes flickered, and he said in a low voice, "I saw her talking to Old Lady Shen at the commune yesterday. I heard them mention your name, as if they were discussing something. Keep an eye on them. If they really come looking for trouble, blow the whistle, and I'll come over as soon as possible."

Lin Wanqiu nodded, her suspicions about Shen Tingzhou lessening somewhat. Whatever secrets he might have, at least for now, he was genuinely helping her and Nian'an.

"Thank you, Brother Shen," Lin Wanqiu said sincerely. "Without you, I really don't know how I would have handled these things."

"No need to thank me, we're friends, it's only right that we help each other out." Shen Tingzhou smiled, glanced at the sky, and said, "It's getting late, I should head back now. Take good care of Nian'an, and feel free to contact me if you need anything."

Lin Wanqiu saw him to the courtyard gate, watching his figure disappear into the night, her heart filled with mixed emotions. She knew that Lin Moli and Old Lady Shen would definitely not let it go, and a new trouble awaited her. But she was no longer as afraid as before, because she had Nian'an, neighbors like Aunt Wang, and a mysterious yet reliable friend like Shen Tingzhou.

Back inside, Shen Nian'an had finished writing the characters she learned that day. She handed her workbook to Lin Wanqiu and asked, "Mom, do you think I did a good job?"

Lin Wanqiu took the workbook and looked at the crooked yet carefully written characters, her eyes welling up with tears. She patted her son's head: "You write so well, Nian'an is such a good boy. Let's continue learning tomorrow and try to write even better, okay?"

"Okay!" Shen Nian'an nodded vigorously, carefully put away the workbook, picked up the flashcards, and began to look at them carefully under the lamp.

Lin Wanqiu sat to the side, watching her son's figure, and secretly vowed in her heart: no matter how many difficulties the future holds, she would protect Nian'an, ensuring that in this era of scarcity, he would not only have enough to eat and wear, but also learn knowledge and grow into a cultured and responsible person. As for those who wanted to bully her and her son, she would never show mercy and would make them pay the price they deserved.

As night deepened, the warmth in the kitchen gradually dissipated, but the light in the inner room remained on, illuminating the warm figures of the mother and son, and the resolute light in Lin Wanqiu's eyes. She knew that their good days were just beginning.