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◎Day 24 of the control group◎

"Give up, shut the hell up." Jiang Renzhou kicked over the chair next to him.

Jiang Wanzhou stepped forward: "You're smearing our military comrades, aren't you a reactionary? You come up here without distinguishing right from wrong, turning black into white. You have no respect or trust for your wife."

"You can't hit people!" Mingyuan peeked out from behind Jiang Renzhou, his little hands clenched into fists, and shouted, "Auntie said it's wrong to bully people! You're a bad person for bullying Auntie!"

Mingmei immediately chimed in: "Not a man!"

"Bad!" Mianmian chimed in when no one was paying attention.

Taking advantage of the man's distraction, the woman next door quickly broke free and curled up in the corner, sobbing.

The commotion drew the attention of several neighbors, who all condemned the man's domestic violence.

Under the accusations of the crowd, the man's face turned red and white in turns. He lost all his previous arrogance, grunted, turned around and went into the house, slamming the door shut.

Jiang Renzhou turned to look at the woman in the corner and said softly, "If you need help, just tell us, or go directly to the police station to report it."

The woman raised her tear-reddened eyes and choked out, "Thank you."

Jiang Wanzhou walked over, pulled Mingyuan to her side, and softly asked if he was injured.

Chief Li walked over slowly, his gaze falling on Mingyuan. His eyes were full of approval and a hint of curiosity as he asked, "Little guy, you're so young, how dare you stand up and stop him? Aren't you afraid he'll hurt you in return?"

Mingyuan puffed out his small chest, his eyes exceptionally firm, and shouted back, "Mingyuan isn't afraid! Auntie said we have many, many heroes behind us, and he definitely can't beat me! Because heroes won't stand on the side of those who don't cherish peaceful life!"

These words surprised and pleased Commander Li. He nodded emphatically, squatted down, and gently patted Mingyuan's head: "Well said! So well said! You are not only brave, but also reasonable! Our heroes are those who protect and cherish peace. Remember this original aspiration, and you will definitely become a true little hero in the future!"

As he spoke, he took out a few fruit candies from his pocket, put them in Mingyuan's hand, and then gave them to Mingmei and Mianmian, who were hiding to the side.

"Take this; it's a reward for the brave little hero."

Mingyuan took the candy, nodded seriously, and handed one to Mingmei: "Here you go, little sister. We should all be brave little heroes from now on."

Mingmei took the candy, whispered "Thank you, Grandpa," and a smile appeared on her little face.

Mianmian ran over and handed it to Jiang Wanzhou, then reached out to Zhou Qingyu, picked her up, and buried her face in his chest.

Chief Li stood up and said to Jiang Wanzhou and the others with emotion, "You have raised such sensible children so well. It is because of families like yours that sacrifice their own interests for the greater good, and because of the purity and steadfastness you uphold, that our country can be so peaceful and stable."

Jiang Wanzhou felt a warmth in her heart and said softly, "You flatter me, sir. We just want the children to know that our peaceful life now is the result of the hard work of countless heroes, and we should cherish it."

Afterwards, Zhou Qingyu mentioned to Chief Li that she would contact the neighborhood committee as soon as possible to come and mediate the domestic violence issue next door.

Chief Li nodded in agreement: "Domestic violence is absolutely unacceptable, and we must do our utmost to protect the victims. You did the right thing; you should have stood up for them in time when you encountered such a situation."

Afterwards, Zhou Qingyu mentioned to Chief Li that she would contact the neighborhood committee as soon as possible to mediate the domestic violence issue next door. Chief Li nodded in agreement: "Domestic violence is absolutely unacceptable, and we must do our best to protect the victims. You did the right thing; you should stand up in time when you encounter such a situation."

Chief Li sat in the courtyard for a while longer, inquiring in detail about the progress of Zhou Qingyu's weapons development project. He also encouraged Jiang Wanzhou and Shen Xinglian to complete their studies well, saying that the country needs knowledgeable and responsible young people like them.

Before leaving, he once again reminded Jiang Renzhou and the others that they could report any difficulties to the military at any time, and that the military would always be their strong support.

The next morning, the neighborhood committee staff came to the house. They first went to the neighboring yard to talk to the man who had committed domestic violence, and then comforted the woman who had been beaten, and learned in detail about the root cause of the conflict between the two.

The staff sternly informed the man that domestic violence is not only immoral but also illegal. They warned that if he dared to lay a hand on someone again, they would work with the police to deal with the matter seriously.

They also advised the two to communicate properly if they had problems, and if they really couldn't resolve them, they could do so through legal channels.

Under the pressure from the neighborhood committee and the gossip of the neighbors, the man finally softened his attitude, apologized to the woman in front of the staff, and promised never to hit her again.

The woman looked at the staff member, hesitated for a long time, and finally chose to give the man another chance, but made it clear that if he did it again, she would divorce him immediately.

In the following days, the neighbors kept a close eye on what was happening next door, and they didn't hear any more arguments or cries.

Jiang Wanzhou would occasionally run into that woman and would greet her. The woman would smile gratefully, her eyes less timid and more reassuring.

Life returned to normal, and Mingyuan was praised by her teacher at the daycare for bravely stopping domestic violence, becoming a little hero in the eyes of her classmates.

He has become increasingly responsible, holding Mingmei's hand every day after school and even helping her carry her schoolbag.

Jiang Mian became increasingly clingy, especially fond of Zhou Qingyu. Whenever Zhou Qingyu was home, she would always stick to his side, following him like a little tail.

On weekends, the family still goes out for a walk to relax.

This time, they brought some old clothes and food with them to the park.

From afar, you can see the old man still sitting on that bench, the kitten still huddled at the corner of his clothes, and the birds still circling around him.

As soon as Mingyuan and Mingmei saw the old man, they ran over happily and handed him the bread they had brought: "Grandpa, here, have some!"

When the homeless man saw them, his cloudy eyes brightened. This time, he didn't refuse, took the bread, and whispered "thank you."

Mingmei placed the dried fish she had brought on the ground and whispered to the kitten, "Kitten, here you go. Remember to get along well with the birds."

Although Jiang Wanzhou had said that the cat didn't like dried fish, she still took it.

As if the kitten understood, it rubbed against her little feet, making Mingmei giggle.

That afternoon, it was time for the nursery to let out.

Jiang Renzhou had an urgent mission at the military base, so he specifically asked Zhou Qingyu to pick up the child first.

Just as Zhou Qingyu reached the entrance of the daycare center, an elderly person's cart overturned, and all the apples fell out.

He hesitated for a moment before helping to lift and pick up the things.

The old man left gratefully, and Zhou Qingyu quickened her pace. But even in those few minutes of delay, an accident still occurred.

Taking advantage of the crowd and chaos at the entrance of the nursery, three men in military uniforms pretended to be Jiang Renzhou's colleagues and carried Mingyuan, Mingmei, and Jiang Mian, who had just walked out of the gate, onto a dilapidated tricycle.

Mingyuan sensed something was wrong and cried out, "Who are you? This isn't the way home!"

Mingmei was so frightened that she cried loudly, her little body struggling incessantly.

Jiang Mian was so frightened that she couldn't even cry out; she could only clench her little fists tightly.

When Zhou Qingyu arrived, he only saw the back of the tricycle speeding away. His heart tightened, and he immediately chased after it, asking his teacher to call Jiang Renzhou.

The tricycle bumped along the way. When it passed the park where Mingyuan and his friends had met the homeless old man, the vehicle suddenly lurched because the wheels ran over a stone, and one of the men lost his grip.

Taking advantage of the opportunity, Mingyuan kicked him and shouted, "Help! Someone's kidnapping me!"

The cry for help was heard by an elderly homeless man sitting on a park bench.

The old man was feeding the kitten when he heard the cries for help. He suddenly looked up, and his eyes changed instantly.

Seeing the terrified looks on the three children's faces in the tricycle, he didn't hesitate at all and immediately got up and chased after them.

Despite his seemingly hunched back, the old man ran as fast as the wind, catching up with the tricycle in just a few steps.

One of the men noticed someone behind him and turned around, cursing, "Old man, mind your own business!"

As he spoke, he pulled a short knife from his waist and swung it at the old man.

Passersby gasped in fright, and Mingyuan shouted anxiously, "Grandpa, be careful!"

But the next second, the old man dodged the man's blade with a swift movement. Then, he stretched out his withered hand, precisely grabbed the man's wrist, and with a gentle twist, the man's wrist was dislocated with a "crack," and the short knife clattered to the ground.

Upon seeing this, the other two men immediately jumped out of the car and attacked the old man.

But in front of the elderly, they are as fragile as paper.

The old man moved with light steps and swift movements, each move precisely hitting the vital points of the two men. In no time, the two men were beaten black and blue, lying on the ground unable to move.

It turns out that this seemingly ordinary homeless old man was actually a kung fu master who kept his skills hidden.

After dealing with the three kidnappers, the old man turned around, jumped onto the tricycle, gently patted Mingyuan on the back, and softly comforted him: "Don't be afraid, child, it's alright now."

Mingyuan looked at the old man, who was still trembling, but still mustered up his courage to say, "Thank you, grandpa, for saving us!"

Mingmei stopped crying and whispered, "Thank you, Grandpa."

Jiang Mian timidly reached out her small hand and tugged at the old man's clothes.

Just then, Jiang Renzhou, along with his soldiers and Zhou Qingyu, rushed over.

Seeing the three children standing safely beside the old man, their eyes instantly welled up with tears. They rushed over and hugged the children, choking back sobs as they asked, "Mingyuan, Mingmei, Mianmian, are you alright? Are you hurt?"

Mingyuan shook his head, pointed at the old man, and said, "Grandpa saved us! Grandpa is amazing!"

Jiang Renzhou and Zhou Qingyu quickly walked up to the old man and solemnly saluted: "Grandpa, thank you for saving our child! We will never forget your great kindness!"

The old man waved his hand, his tone calm: "It was just a small act of kindness. How could I not help a child in danger? These people are obviously not good people. You should be more careful in the future and keep a closer eye on your children."