Shen Tingzhou's gaze fell on the eggs, then he looked at her, remained silent for a few seconds, and shook his head: "Keep them for Nian'an, he's at the age where he's growing."
"Nian'an, there's more," Lin Wanqiu stuffed the eggs into his hand, "You've helped me so much, this little bit is nothing."
Shen Tingzhou hesitated for a moment, but still took the egg. His fingers were very careful, as if afraid of crushing it, as he gently held the egg, his eyes filled with a complex emotion: "Wanqiu, you've had a hard time these past few days."
Lin Wanqiu's heart skipped a beat. This was the first time Shen Tingzhou had said such a thing to her since his "resurrection." In her previous life, the original owner of this body never received a single word of concern from Shen Tingzhou until her death. Looking at the guilt in Shen Tingzhou's eyes, she felt a mix of emotions: "It's not hard. As long as Nian'an is well, I'm not afraid of anything."
Looking into her determined eyes, Shen Tingzhou's Adam's apple bobbed, as if he wanted to say something, but in the end he just sighed: "It's getting dark, it's not safe in the mountains, I'll take you back."
Lin Wanqiu did not refuse. The two walked down the mountain side by side without speaking a word. The mountain wind rustled through the trees, and occasionally the chirping of nightingales could be heard. Lin Wanqiu could feel that Shen Tingzhou's steps were always on her outside, protecting her on the relatively safe inside. This subtle gesture warmed her heart.
As they approached the village entrance, Shen Tingzhou suddenly stopped, took a small cloth bag from his canvas backpack, and handed it to Lin Wanqiu: "There are some herbs in here, some for treating colds and some for stopping bleeding. Keep them at home in case you need them." He paused, then added, "Grandpa Wang at the east end of the village is my old comrade-in-arms. If you encounter any problems that you can't solve, you can go to him and tell him I sent you."
Lin Wanqiu took the cloth bag, her fingertips touching the hard herbs inside, and she became even more puzzled—he had not only prepared tools to reinforce the chicken coop, but also herbs, and even arranged for someone to ask for help for her. This was hardly a "passerby"; it was clearly something that had been planned in advance.
"What exactly are you..." Lin Wanqiu wanted to ask him what mission he was on and why he couldn't show himself in public, but she swallowed the words back. She knew that Shen Tingzhou had his reasons for choosing to keep it a secret, and even if she asked, he might not tell her.
Shen Tingzhou seemed to see through her thoughts. He looked at her with a hint of apology in his eyes: "Wanqiu, there are some things I can't tell you right now. I will tell you everything when the time is right. You and Nian'an, wait for me for a while longer."
Lin Wanqiu nodded and didn't ask any further questions: "I understand. Take good care of yourself too."
Shen Tingzhou looked at her, his dark eyes filled with complex emotions. In the end, he simply hummed in agreement, turned around, and quickly walked into the nearby woods, disappearing into the night.
Lin Wanqiu stood there, holding the herbal medicine packet Shen Tingzhou had given her, her heart unable to calm down for a long time. She knew that Shen Tingzhou's appearance was no accident. He must have some important secret, and this secret was very likely related to his "fake death."
When she got home, Shen Nian'an had been waiting anxiously. When she saw Lin Wanqiu return, she immediately ran over and hugged her leg: "Mom, why did you take so long to come back? I was so worried!"
Lin Wanqiu bent down, picked up her son, kissed him on the cheek, and said with a smile, "I met an uncle who helped me reinforce the chicken coop, so I came back late. Nian'an, look, these are the herbs the uncle gave us. We won't be afraid if we get sick in the future."
Shen Nian'an looked at the herb packet curiously, then looked up at Lin Wanqiu: "Mom, who is that uncle? Why is he helping us?"
Lin Wanqiu paused, patted her son's head, and said softly, "It's an uncle who knows your father. He's a good person." She didn't tell her son that the uncle was his father. She was afraid that her son would ask questions, and even more afraid that her son would be disappointed—Shen Tingzhou couldn't appear in public yet, and couldn't be by his son's side like other fathers.
Shen Nian'an nodded as if she understood, then remembered something and said excitedly, "Mom, I chopped all the vegetables for feeding the chickens today. How about I go with you to feed the chickens in the back hill tomorrow?"
“Okay,” Lin Wanqiu nodded with a smile, “but Nian’an has to promise Mother that when we go to the back mountain, you can’t tell anyone, okay?”
“I know!” Shen Nian’an nodded vigorously. “Mother said it’s our secret!”
Lin Wanqiu carried her son into the house. She carefully placed the herbal packet Shen Tingzhou had given her in the drawer, and put the egg in a bowl, preparing to boil it for Nian'an the next morning. Looking at her son's sleeping face, she silently vowed that no matter what secrets Shen Tingzhou held, no matter what difficulties they might face in the future, she would do her best to protect this family, protect Nian'an, and wait for Shen Tingzhou to return so the family could be reunited.
Meanwhile, in the woods outside the village, Shen Tingzhou stood under a large tree, gazing in the direction of Lin Wanqiu's house, still clutching the warm egg in his hand. His face was expressionless, but his eyes held a complex emotion—he knew he owed Lin Wanqiu and Nian'an far too much. Once he uncovered the mysteries surrounding the mission from years ago and brought the mastermind to justice, he would return to their side in all his glory, making up for all the years he had wronged them.
A gentle night breeze rustled the leaves, as if whispering untold secrets. Shen Tingzhou gripped the egg in his hand, turned, and disappeared into the night. He knew the road ahead was long and arduous, but for Lin Wanqiu and Nian'an, he had to persevere.
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