Night fell like a coarse cloth soaked in ink, pressing heavily over the Hongqi Production Brigade. Crows in the old locust tree at the village entrance flapped their wings, returning to their nests, leaving behind a few hoarse cries that mingled with the distant, sporadic barking of dogs, making the late autumn night even more silent. The kerosene lamp in Lin Wanqiu's house was still lit, its dim yellow light filtering through the windowpanes, casting irregular patches of light on the ground, like scattered gold dust.
Inside, Lin Wanqiu was sitting on the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed) mending a small cotton-padded jacket for Shen Nian'an. As she threaded the needle, she deliberately licked the end of the thread with her tongue to make it smoother. Nian'an was already asleep, her little face rosy, a smile playing on her lips; she was probably dreaming of the roasted sweet potatoes she'd eaten during the day. Shen Tingzhou sat at the table, holding a rough piece of straw paper with a sketch of a house drawn on it—he'd gone to town during the day to consult with Master Zhang, the bricklayer, and was now figuring out how to design a more spacious kitchen to make it easier for Lin Wanqiu to make fermented bean curd.
"Tingzhou, do you think this will do?" Lin Wanqiu held up the cotton-padded jacket in her hand and pointed to the cuffs. "I'll sew the cuffs tighter so the wind can't get in, and Nian'an will be warmer at school." Shen Tingzhou looked up and his eyes softened. "You're good at sewing; it looks good no matter how you sew it. But don't overwork yourself; you have to get up early tomorrow to soak soybeans." He put down the sketch in his hand, went over and massaged Lin Wanqiu's shoulders. His fingertips touched the thin calluses on her shoulders, and his heart ached—these were all from grinding tofu and making fermented bean curd these past few days.
Lin Wanqiu smiled, placed the cotton-padded coat next to Nian'an, and turned to tidy up the banknotes on the table. The tin box made a soft "click" as it opened; it contained a considerable amount of banknotes, enough to build the house in two months. She carefully folded the banknotes, planning in her mind: after spring, she would lay the foundation, then buy bricks and tiles. Once the house was built, she would add more rows of pottery jars to the yard, allowing her to supply more goods to the supply and marketing cooperative and earn even more money.
Just then, a series of hurried footsteps came from outside the courtyard gate, accompanied by a hoarse shout: "Lin Wanqiu! Open the door! Open the door now!" The voice was fierce and harsh, startling Shen Nian'an, who was still asleep, and she shrank her small body under the covers.
Lin Wanqiu's heart tightened, and she almost dropped the money in her hand. Shen Tingzhou also stood up immediately, his face darkening—the voice didn't belong to the villager; it sounded more like a local thug. He quickly walked to the door, shielding Lin Wanqiu behind him, and said in a low voice, "Don't come out, I'll go check."
Lin Wanqiu grabbed his arm, her voice trembling slightly, "Could it be someone Zhao Jianjun sent?" She had been worried during the day that Old Lady Shen would complain to Zhao Jianjun, but she hadn't expected them to arrive so quickly. Shen Tingzhou nodded, his eyes full of vigilance, "Possibly. Keep an eye on Nian'an, don't let him be afraid." With that, he picked up the carrying pole behind the door and gently pulled open the latch.
The door had barely opened a crack when several dark figures burst in, reeking of alcohol and sweat. The leader was a tall man with a long scar running from his forehead to his chin, making him look particularly intimidating. He slammed a wooden stick into the ground and snarled, "So you're Lin Wanqiu? Heard you've made quite a bit of money. How about you share some with the brothers?"
Following behind Scarface were three other men, all with a sleazy air about them, their eyes fixed on the room. Their eyes lit up when they saw the iron box on the table. One of the short, fat men rubbed his hands together and said, "Scarface, I think these earthenware jars in the room are full of good stuff. Why don't we take a few jars back and try them?"
Lin Wanqiu hid behind Shen Tingzhou, clinging tightly to Shen Nian'an, feeling both afraid and angry. She knew these people were definitely hired by Zhao Jianjun, trying to rob her of her money, smash her pottery jars, and ruin her fermented bean curd business. But she couldn't be afraid; if she gave in, these people would definitely come back to harass her.
Shen Tingzhou held the carrying pole horizontally in front of him, coldly staring at the scarred man: "Who are you? Why are you causing trouble at my house?" The scarred man sneered and shoved Shen Tingzhou: "Who do you think you are? You dare to interfere in my business? Let me tell you, we're here today to collect 'protection money' from Lin Wanqiu. If you know what's good for you, hand over the money right now, or we'll smash all your pottery jars!"
Shen Tingzhou wasn't pushed by him. Instead, he took a step forward, his eyes filled with murderous intent: "I advise you to leave quickly, or don't blame me for being impolite!" He had practiced martial arts in the army and could easily deal with these thugs. He just didn't want to fight in front of Nian'an and scare the child.
But Scarface and his gang weren't afraid at all; instead, they thought Shen Tingzhou was just putting on an act. The short, fat man raised his wooden stick, ready to smash it against the iron box on the table: "You won't listen to reason, so you'll have to drink the penalty shot! Brothers, smash it!"
Just then, Lin Wanqiu suddenly shouted, "Stop! Do you know who I am? I'm acquainted with Secretary Zhou of the commune. If you dare to smash my things, I'll go to the commune right now and have the police arrest you!" She deliberately mentioned Secretary Zhou to scare these thugs—in those days, the title of commune secretary was still very effective.
Scarface paused, his hands stopping. Although he was a local thug, he knew the commune secretary was not someone to mess with; getting arrested by the police would be no laughing matter. But then he remembered Zhao Jianjun saying Lin Wanqiu was just an ordinary rural woman who didn't know the commune secretary at all; his earlier words were just a bluff. So he became arrogant again: "Stop bragging! How could Secretary Zhou know a rural woman like you? I think you're scared! Hand over the money now, or we'll really get serious!"
Lin Wanqiu's heart sank, knowing that this trick wouldn't work. She secretly touched the jade pendant hidden in her clothes, thinking that if a fight really broke out, she would take out something from her spatial storage to help—there was pepper spray in her spatial storage, which would be just right for dealing with these thugs.
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