As dusk deepened, the dirt roads of the Hongqi Production Brigade gradually became deserted, with only wisps of smoke rising from the chimneys of each household, weaving a hazy net against the dark sky. The wild chrysanthemums in the Shen family's courtyard swayed gently in the evening breeze, their pale yellow petals carrying a hint of the twilight's coolness, even diluting the sweetness in the air. Lin Wanqiu sat by the kerosene lamp, her hand holding her planting notes for off-season vegetables, but her pen remained motionless—Zhao Jianjun's words were like a thorn in her heart, disrupting her concentration on organizing the data.
After coaxing Nian'an to sleep, Shen Tingzhou tiptoed into the room and saw Lin Wanqiu staring blankly at her notebook. He immediately understood what was going on. He walked over and gently took her hand from behind. The warmth of his fingertips seeped through her coarse clothes, carrying a reassuring strength: "Still thinking about Zhao Jianjun?"
Lin Wanqiu raised her head, her eyes showing some weariness, but still stubborn: "It's not that I'm afraid of him, I just find him disgusting. We do things based on our abilities, but he always tries to use underhanded tricks. If he really reports me to the commune, won't it affect the selection?"
“No.” Shen Tingzhou sat down beside her, his tone firm. “Although my identity hasn’t been made public, my old leader from the army is still working in the commune. If they really investigate, I just need to pass on a message and he will help testify. He will never let Zhao Jianjun accuse me of being a deserter. As for the soybeans in the tofu shop, we have account books and purchase records from the commune’s grain station. If he wants to spread rumors, he’ll need evidence.”
Despite this, Lin Wanqiu still felt uneasy. She knew that Zhao Jianjun, relying on Zhao Laoshi's position as the brigade secretary, had always been domineering in the village. If she got entangled with him this time, she would definitely be in a lot of trouble. She put down her pen, looked at the flickering flame of the kerosene lamp, and said in a voice as soft as the evening breeze, "I'm just afraid he'll incite the villagers. Several households have invested in the tofu shop. If he's persuaded, and someone actually reports him to the commune, even if the investigation is eventually completed, it will delay the selection process."
Shen Tingzhou was silent for a moment, then reached out and ruffled her hair, his eyes full of heartache: "Don't worry, I'll talk to the villagers at the tofu shop tomorrow. They're all honest people, they know how much the tofu shop has benefited them, and they won't be easily swayed by Zhao Jianjun. Besides, we have what Nian'an said about 'reason'—Zhao Jianjun is doing something wrong, we're upright and honest, we're not afraid of him causing trouble."
Looking into Shen Tingzhou's determined eyes, Lin Wanqiu's unease gradually subsided. She nodded and picked up her pen again: "You're right, we can't let him influence us. Tomorrow I'll organize the planting notes, and you go and communicate with the villagers. We'll prepare separately; we can't let him succeed."
As night deepened, the flame of the kerosene lamp gradually dimmed, but Lin Wanqiu remained busy under its light. She meticulously organized the planting steps, fertilization methods, and yield data for off-season vegetables, and even drew several simple diagrams to help the judges understand. Shen Tingzhou, meanwhile, helped her check the tofu workshop's accounts, clearly calculating each month's income, expenses, and villagers' dividends, marking each item precisely.
The next morning, just as dawn was breaking, Lin Wanqiu got up. She specially took out some refined flour from her spatial storage and made scallion pancakes for Shen Tingzhou and Nian'an, and also cooked a pot of millet porridge. Seeing the father and son eating with relish, she felt more confident—as long as the family was together, no matter how big the difficulties, they could overcome them.
After breakfast, Shen Tingzhou went to the tofu shop. Lin Wanqiu stayed home to continue finalizing the evaluation materials. Just as she finished organizing the materials, she heard a commotion outside the courtyard gate, accompanied by Zhao Jianjun's arrogant voice: "Lin Wanqiu! You come out here! The soybeans your tofu shop uses are from illegal speculation! How dare you participate in the 'Wealth Creation Expert' selection? Hand over your qualification now, don't embarrass our brigade!"
Lin Wanqiu's heart sank; she hadn't expected Zhao Jianjun to arrive so quickly. She took a deep breath, straightened her clothes, opened the courtyard gate, and said without a trace of fear, "Zhao Jianjun, you can't just say whatever you want. The beans for my tofu shop are all bought from the commune's grain station. I have purchase records and ledgers. You accuse me of speculation and profiteering, where's your evidence?"
Behind Zhao Jianjun were several villagers, all of whom were known for their greed and lack of self-confidence. He pointed at Lin Wanqiu, spitting as he spoke: "Evidence? The villagers' eyes are the evidence! You made so much money running a tofu shop, what is that if not speculation and profiteering? Besides, wasn't Shen Tingzhou 'sacrificed'? How come he suddenly came back? Maybe he's a deserter! You're with a deserter and you want to be a 'wealth-generating expert'? It's a joke!"
"You're talking nonsense!" Lin Wanqiu's temper flared instantly, and her voice rose several decibels. "Shen Tingzhou only left temporarily to carry out a mission; he's not a deserter! If you dare to slander him again, I'll report you for defamation to the commune!"
The surrounding villagers gradually gathered around, pointing and whispering. Some thought Zhao Jianjun was being unreasonable, while others were swayed by him and began to discuss it quietly. Lin Wanqiu saw this and knew that if things weren't clarified, some people would definitely be misled by Zhao Jianjun.
She turned and went back into the house, taking out the tofu workshop's ledgers and purchase records, as well as invoices issued by the commune's grain station. She placed them one by one on the stone table at the entrance of the courtyard, and said in a clear voice to the villagers who had gathered around, "Everyone, look carefully. This is my record of purchasing soybeans from the commune's grain station every month, and it has the grain station's official seal on it; this is the tofu workshop's ledger, with every month's income, expenses, and dividends clearly written down. Everyone can look at it freely. I opened the tofu workshop not to make money for myself, but to help everyone live a better life—the families who invested have all received a lot of money this month. You can ask them if I have treated them unfairly!"
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