Just then, Shen Tingzhou returned from outside the village pushing a wheelbarrow. The cart was loaded with pine rafters, which he had asked an acquaintance in town to buy, saying they were stronger than poplar rafters and could be used as roof beams. He was wearing an old, army-green cotton-padded jacket, the collar and cuffs worn through, and his face covered in sawdust, but his eyes were bright. Seeing Lin Wanqiu, he smiled and said, "Why is it so lively today? I heard the commotion at the village entrance."
Lin Wanqiu recounted what had just happened to him, and Shen Tingzhou's expression gradually darkened. His grip on the handlebars tightened until his knuckles turned white. "I'm sorry you had to go through that. If you encounter something like this again, don't confront them head-on. Wait for me to come back and handle it." He reached out and patted Lin Wanqiu's head, the warmth of his palm seeping through her thin jacket, making her feel warm inside.
“I’m fine,” Lin Wanqiu leaned on his shoulder. “I’m just worried that Old Lady Shen will tell Zhao Jianjun about this. Zhao Jianjun was beaten up by you last time, and he’s probably still holding a grudge. If he joins forces with Old Lady Shen to cause trouble, it might be difficult to deal with.”
Shen Tingzhou frowned and nodded: "I'm worried about this too. Zhao Jianjun is petty and relies on his father being the brigade secretary, so he definitely won't let this go. Be careful when you go out in the future. I'll try to come back early. I'll talk to a few old friends in the village tonight and ask them to look after you."
At this moment, Shen Nian'an ran out of the house with a roasted sweet potato in his hand. He ran to Lin Wanqiu's side, looked up at her, and said, "Mom, did Grandma bully you again? I heard her crying. I'm not afraid of her. I'll protect you!" As he spoke, he stuffed the sweet potato in his hand into Lin Wanqiu's mouth. "Mom, eat this sweet potato. It's sweet."
Lin Wanqiu took a bite of sweet potato, the sweet warmth flowing from her mouth to her heart, and her eyes instantly reddened. She squatted down, hugged Nian'an, and said in a slightly choked voice, "Mother knows that Nian'an is the bravest. Mother is not afraid. With Nian'an and Father here, Mother is not afraid of anything."
Shen Tingzhou stood aside, watching the mother and daughter embrace, and secretly made up his mind: no matter who it is, as long as they dare to bully Wanqiu and Nian'an, he will not let them get away with it! Whether it's Zhao Jianjun or Old Lady Shen, if anyone dares to cause trouble, he will fight them to the death!
The setting sun gradually dipped below the horizon, painting the sky a vibrant orange-red. The earthenware jar in the courtyard gleamed amber in the sunlight, and steam still rose from the millstone. In the distance, the footsteps and laughter of villagers returning home drifted over. Lin Wanqiu held Nian'an in her arms, with Shen Tingzhou standing beside her. The shadows of the three of them were stretched long by the setting sun, pressed tightly together.
Lin Wanqiu knew this peace was only temporary. Old Mrs. Shen's resentment and Zhao Jianjun's grudge were like venomous snakes lurking in the shadows, ready to pounce and bite at any moment. She touched the jade pendant hidden in her clothes—it was her strength, the resources and skills within her spatial dimension, her means of survival in this era. Looking towards Zhao Jianjun's house in the distance, she clenched her fists inwardly: no matter what troubles they encountered, she and Shen Tingzhou would overcome them together. They would build a house, ensure Nian'an's peaceful life, and no one could stop them!
Meanwhile, at the village secretary's house at the west end of the village, Zhao Jianjun sat on the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed), clutching a wine bottle, his face gloomy. Old Mrs. Shen sat beside him, embellishing the story of what had just happened at Lin Wanqiu's house, and finally adding fuel to the fire: "Jianjun, look at how arrogant Lin Wanqiu is! She doesn't even respect me, let alone you! Now that she's made money and built a house, her reputation in the village will only grow. She won't care about you anymore! You can't just let this go!"
Zhao Jianjun took a sip of wine, then smashed the bottle on the ground, shards flying everywhere. "Of course I won't let this go! That bastard Shen Tingzhou beat me up last time, and I haven't even settled the score with him yet! That woman Lin Wanqiu dared to go against me, I'll teach her a lesson!" He turned to look at Old Lady Shen, a sinister glint in his eyes. "Don't worry, I'll make Lin Wanqiu hand over her house-building quota. Not only that, I'll make her apologize to me obediently, otherwise, I'll make sure her fermented bean curd doesn't sell, and she can't stay in the village!"
Upon hearing this, Old Mrs. Shen immediately smiled and said, "Jianjun, you really have a way with things! If you can handle Lin Wanqiu, the Shen family will definitely remember your kindness!"
Zhao Jianjun sneered, remaining silent, but a plan had already formed in his mind. He thought of a few local thugs who made a living by extortion and were on good terms with him. If he sent those people to Lin Wanqiu's house a few times, smashing her pottery jars and robbing her money, let's see how arrogant she'd be then! She would definitely be begging for his help, and then, whatever he wanted would be a piece of cake.
The sky outside the window grew darker, and the cold wind swirled fallen leaves, rustling against the window paper. Zhao Jianjun's lips curled into a sinister smile as he grabbed his coat from the kang (a heated brick bed) and headed outside—he was going to town to find those thugs and teach Lin Wanqiu a lesson tonight! Little did Lin Wanqiu's family know, an even bigger trouble was quietly approaching them.
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