Dusk, like a piece of velvet soaked in ink, slowly enveloped the streets and alleys of the neighboring county. Lin Wanqiu, holding the sleeping Shen Nianxi, sat on a wooden chair in the workshop's rest room, her fingertips gently stroking her daughter's soft baby hair. The sounds of workers packing up their tools drifted in from outside the window, mingled with the distant, indistinct barking of dogs, adding to the desolation of this unfamiliar night. She looked up at the wall clock; the hour hand pointed to eight. Shen Tingzhou had been gone for three hours, yet not a single word had arrived.
"Comrade Lin, you haven't eaten yet, have you? I heated up some corn porridge and some leftover pickles from this morning. Please make do with this." The old master craftsman in charge of the workshop walked in carrying an enamel bowl. The corn porridge in the bowl was steaming and gave off a faint aroma of grains. Seeing Lin Wanqiu's worried expression, he couldn't help but reassure her, "Comrade Shen is skilled and has the help of his comrades. He'll definitely be alright. Don't worry too much. Take care of yourself and the baby first."
Lin Wanqiu took the bowl and forced a smile. "Thank you, Master Wang. I'm fine, just a little worried about him." She scooped up a spoonful of corn porridge, the warm rice porridge sliding into her stomach, but she had little appetite. Her gaze fell on Nianxi in her arms. The little one was sleeping soundly, his little brows slightly furrowed, as if he were having some uneasy dream. Lin Wanqiu felt a pang of sorrow—since her rebirth, she had always been struggling to make a living. Now that she finally had a stable life, she encountered this situation, and even her child had to suffer the hardships of life.
Just then, a series of hurried footsteps came from outside the door, accompanied by Shen Tingzhou's familiar voice: "Wanqiu! I'm back!"
Lin Wanqiu suddenly stood up, almost knocking over the enamel bowl in her hand. She quickly walked to the door and saw Shen Tingzhou stride in. His clothes were dusty, and there was a faint scratch on his face, clearly indicating that he had been through some trouble. But his eyes were bright, and when he saw Lin Wanqiu and Nianxi, he immediately showed a relieved smile.
"Are you alright? How did it go? Did you find Old Wang?" Lin Wanqiu rushed forward, reaching out to touch the scratches on his face, her voice full of worry.
"I'm fine, just a minor injury." Shen Tingzhou held her hand and gently shook his head. "Old Wang has been found. He was tied up in an abandoned warehouse outside the city. When we got there, he was fine, just a little frightened. However..." He paused, his face darkening, "The people who tied him up escaped, but we found something in the warehouse that might be related to the mission from back then."
As he spoke, he pulled a small metal plaque from his pocket. A strange symbol was engraved on it, and the edges showed signs of wear. Lin Wanqiu took the plaque, weighed it in her hand, and felt its icy touch. Although she didn't understand the symbol's meaning, seeing Shen Tingzhou's solemn expression, she knew this thing was no ordinary object.
"Do you recognize this symbol?" Lin Wanqiu looked up at him.
Shen Tingzhou shook his head: "I don't recognize it, but I feel like I've seen this symbol somewhere before. Old Wang said that the people who kidnapped him asked him for a document from the mission back then, and they also mentioned 'traitor'. It seems that there was indeed a problem with the mission back then, and this traitor is very likely still in the army."
Lin Wanqiu's heart tightened; she hadn't expected things to be so complicated. She grasped Shen Tingzhou's hand and said firmly, "No matter what, you must be careful. If you need any help, don't forget I'm here for you."
Looking into her resolute eyes, Shen Tingzhou felt a surge of warmth in his heart. He knew that although Lin Wanqiu was a woman, she was stronger and more decisive than many men. With her by his side, he felt confident. He nodded gently: "I know. With you here, I'm not afraid. By the way, how's the workshop going? Has that woman who reported it caused any more trouble?"
“No, she has already apologized and compensated us, the commune people have left, and the workers have already started working.” Lin Wanqiu said with a smile, “But this also served as a reminder to us that we need to be more strict in managing the workshop in the future, especially in terms of raw material procurement and production processes. We must keep receipts to prevent others from taking advantage of us again.”
Shen Tingzhou nodded: "You're right. I'll go to the city tomorrow and consult a reliable lawyer to see if we can get a proper business license for the workshop and formulate some rules and regulations. That way, even if someone reports us again, we'll have protection."
"Okay, but you just got back, so you should rest for the night and go tomorrow." Lin Wanqiu said with concern, "Look at you, you're covered in dust and injured. Go take a shower and get some rest."
Shen Tingzhou smiled and agreed, then turned and went to the workshop's bathroom. Lin Wanqiu, holding Nianxi, sat on the edge of the bed, watching his retreating figure, her heart filled with peace. She knew that no matter how many difficulties lay ahead, as long as they were of one mind, there was no problem they couldn't solve.
The next morning, just as dawn was breaking, Lin Wanqiu woke up. She got up gently, careful not to wake Nianxi in her arms. She walked to the window, opened it, and the fresh air rushed in, carrying a faint scent of grass and trees. The distant horizon was already tinged with the pale light of dawn, and the sunlight, like golden threads, pierced through the clouds and sprinkled on the bluestone pavement of the streets.
"Awake so early?" Shen Tingzhou's voice came from behind, hoarse from just waking up. He walked to Lin Wanqiu's side, gently hugged her from behind, and rested his chin on her shoulder. "Didn't you sleep well last night?"
"No, I just wanted to get up early to check on the workshop," Lin Wanqiu said with a smile. "Aren't you going to the city today? Hurry up and wash up, I'll make you breakfast."
Shen Tingzhou nodded and turned to go to the washroom. Lin Wanqiu went into the workshop's kitchen, opened the cupboard, and took out flour, eggs, and milk from her spatial storage—all of which she had specially taken from her spatial storage and hidden at the very back of the cupboard to avoid being discovered. She planned to make Shen Tingzhou a nutritious breakfast so he would have the energy to go to the city on his business.
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