The two stood at the doorway, their hearts brimming with affection, yet afraid to linger too long. Their eyes exchanged, their affectionate gazes mingling, a fleeting moment of emotion conveyed. Then, the eldest brother-in-law mounted his bicycle and sped off toward town. The woman quickly closed the door and returned to the house.

After some consideration, Jiang Huashu decided to return to the space to seek help from Fifth Grandpa, because now was the time when he was needed.

The eldest brother-in-law must have left for work, so there was no need to follow him. However, Jiang Huashu was perplexed: who was this woman in the family? Why would someone so young willingly follow a middle-aged, greasy man—his eldest brother-in-law? Jiang Huashu's curiosity was piqued, and he was determined to get to the bottom of it today.

So, he walked back into the deserted alley he had entered the previous night and slipped into the space. Meanwhile, Fifth Grandpa had just returned from a morning run with the security team, drenched in sweat. After hearing Jiang Huashu's account of his brother-in-law, he rushed to the bathroom, took a quick "bathroom shower," changed into light clothing, and then left the space with Jiang Huashu.

The two of them arrived near the two-story Western-style building. Grandpa Wu surveyed the terrain and decided it would be easier to enter from the back. Not only was the alley empty, but the walls were also a crafted wall, with a few steps leading up to the top following the pattern. With the crowds of people coming and going in front, whether buying breakfast, going to work, or going to school, there was no way to climb over the wall.

They waited for about half an hour before the door opened and the young woman emerged, carrying a bag. She locked the door and walked briskly out. Fifth Grandpa and Jiang Huashu exchanged a glance, then each went his own way. Jiang Huashu followed the young woman, while Fifth Grandpa headed around to the alley behind the row of small Western-style buildings.

The woman went to the First Department Store. Jiang Huashu saw that she was just shopping and didn't have a tracker installed, so he followed her closely.

The county town's supply and marketing cooperative was huge, with a row of windows open to circulate air throughout the night. Even though it was just opening for business, the place was already bustling with customers. The seats in the front row were completely occupied, leaving those in the back rows standing on tiptoe and craning their necks to peer inside.

Inside the supply and marketing cooperative, the towering counters formed an unbridgeable chasm, separating salespeople from customers. Those who managed to man the counters seemed to wield supreme power. Above the counters, densely woven wires formed a tangled web.

Every time the salesperson wrote out a bill, he would cleverly clip it onto the wire. With a whoosh, the bill would slide down like an arrow and disappear without a trace.

Facing the main entrance of the supply and marketing cooperative was a wall with five striking characters prominently inscribed on it: "Serve the People." At this time, the cooperative had a clear rule: Arguing with customers was strictly prohibited. Jiang Huashu observed everything and noticed that most of the customers who came to shop were illiterate and full of questions about the products. Consequently, they peppered the salespersons with questions, requiring patient explanations at length. Furthermore, the salespersons had to raise their voices and shout loudly to avoid being drowned out by the clamor.