Looking at Zhang Lan, Lin Wanqiu felt no satisfaction in her revenge, but rather a sense of pity. She knew Zhang Lan wasn't inherently bad; she was just too greedy and lazy, which led her to do such a foolish thing. But a mistake is a mistake, and she had to make her understand her error, otherwise she would repeat the same mistake in the future.

“Zhang Lan,” Lin Wanqiu’s voice softened slightly, but still carried an undeniable firmness, “I’m not trying to make things difficult for you on purpose, I just want everyone to know the truth. Your rumors not only hurt me and Tingzhou, but also caused the villagers to misunderstand the soy sauce workshop, affecting everyone’s livelihood. Now that the evidence is in front of you, you should at least give me, Tingzhou, and the whole village an explanation, shouldn’t you?”

Zhang Lan's shoulders trembled slightly. After a long while, she slowly raised her head, her voice trembling with tears: "Wanqiu, Tingzhou, I was wrong... I shouldn't have lied and refused to help, and I shouldn't have spread rumors and slandered you... I made all those things up. Wanqiu didn't use any improper means to get the order, and Tingzhou didn't come back because he made a mistake..." She couldn't hold back any longer, and tears streamed down her face. "I was just jealous when I saw everyone making money from the soy sauce shop, and I felt ashamed, so I said those outrageous things... Please forgive me this time, I'll never dare to do it again..."

Seeing that Zhang Lan had admitted her mistake, the village chief's expression softened slightly. He tapped the table and said, "It's good that you know you were wrong! Wanqiu and Tingzhou are magnanimous and may forgive you, but you have to promise the whole village that you will never gossip or spread rumors again! Also, you have to work for the soy sauce shop for half a month as compensation for your previous mistake. The wages will be considered as compensation for Wanqiu and Tingzhou!"

Zhang Lan nodded quickly, wiping away her tears: "I promise! I will never spread rumors again. I will definitely work hard at the soy sauce factory to make up for my mistake!"

Seeing that Zhang Lan genuinely admitted her mistake, the villagers stopped criticizing her. Aunt Li stepped forward, took Lin Wanqiu's hand, and said apologetically, "Wanqiu, I was confused before and believed the rumors. I misunderstood you. Please don't take it to heart. From now on, I'll definitely work hard for you. If anyone dares to speak ill of you again, I'll be the first to object!"

"Yes, Wanqiu, we all believe in you!" Aunt Wang also came over, her little grandson in her arms blinking curiously, unaware of what was happening. "From now on, if there's any work at the soy sauce shop, just let us know, and we promise to do our best!"

Looking at everyone's sincere smiles, Lin Wanqiu's grievances instantly vanished, replaced by a warm feeling. She smiled and nodded, "Thank you all for your trust! What happened before is in the past. We're still family. Let's work together to run the soy sauce workshop well and make our Hongqi Production Brigade's life more and more prosperous!"

A burst of enthusiastic applause and cheers erupted from the crowd, like thunder in spring, dispelling the gloom that had hung over the village. Sunlight filtered through the leaves, casting dappled shadows on the ground, and the air was filled with a faint aroma of soy sauce mixed with the fragrance of earth, bringing a sense of peace and tranquility.

Looking at the scene before him, Shen Tingzhou felt a surge of satisfaction. He gently patted Lin Wanqiu's shoulder and whispered, "You've worked hard."

Lin Wanqiu turned her head and met his gentle gaze, then shook her head: "It's not hard work. With you here and everyone else here, I'm not afraid of anything."

Just then, the village chief's son suddenly ran over, holding a note in his hand, and handed it to the village chief: "Dad, Secretary Zhao from the commune sent this, saying he has something urgent to discuss with Brother Tingzhou."

Shen Tingzhou's heart skipped a beat, and he took the note and glanced at it. The note contained only a few words, mentioning new clues regarding some doubts about his previous mission, and instructing him to go to the commune as soon as possible. His eyes instantly deepened—he had never given up investigating the truth behind that mission, and now he finally had a lead, and judging from Secretary Zhao's tone, this lead was probably not simple.

He handed the note to Lin Wanqiu, glanced at it, and said in a low voice, "I'm going to the commune. You wait for me at home. If anything happens, have Nian'an go to Aunt Li."

Lin Wanqiu nodded, feeling somewhat worried: "Be careful, and let me know immediately if anything happens."

Shen Tingzhou hummed in response, greeted the village chief, and then turned to walk towards the commune. His steps were quick, his shadow stretching long in the morning sun, carrying an unyielding determination. Lin Wanqiu stood there, watching his retreating figure, silently praying—hoping they would find useful clues this time, and hoping he would be safe and sound.

The crowd at the threshing ground gradually dispersed, and people chatted in twos and threes, their faces showing relaxed smiles. Zhang Lan followed behind Aunt Li with her head down, preparing to go to work at the soy sauce workshop. Although she was still a little embarrassed, there was a hint of determination in her eyes—she knew that only by working hard could she make up for her previous mistakes and regain everyone's trust.

Lin Wanqiu tidied up the notebooks on the table, put them in a cloth bag, and then took Nian'an's hand, who had rushed over after hearing the news, and slowly walked home. Nian'an looked up at her with her little face and asked curiously, "Mom, does Aunt know she was wrong?"

Lin Wanqiu patted her son's head and said with a smile, "Yes, Auntie knows she was wrong and will work hard from now on. Nian'an, this little notebook you kept has been a great help to your mother. Thank you."

Nian'an smiled happily, revealing a small gap in her jaw where she was missing a front tooth: "Mom, this is what I should do! I'll help you with the records and chores from now on!"

Looking at her son's innocent smile, Lin Wanqiu felt a surge of warmth in her heart. She knew that although the recent rumors had subsided, many more challenges awaited her and Shen Tingzhou. Especially since Shen Tingzhou was going to investigate the mission from years ago, he would undoubtedly encounter danger. But she wasn't afraid; as long as the family worked together, they could overcome any difficulty.

Back home, Lin Wanqiu carefully put away her notebook and then began preparing lunch. The corn porridge in the pot bubbled and steamed, emitting an enticing aroma. Standing by the stove, she stirred the porridge while thinking about Shen Tingzhou's trip to the commune. Although she felt some worry, she was mostly filled with anticipation—she believed that Shen Tingzhou would definitely find out the truth, and that their lives, like the corn porridge in the pot, would become sweeter and sweeter.