The woman was taken aback by her question, her eyes darting away, but she still forced herself to say, "I...I saw it! Don't try to deny it!"
“Whether it’s sophistry or not, we’ll find out by testing it on the spot.” Lin Wanqiu said, looking at Director Li. “Comrade, I suggest we take samples and test them on the spot. The simplest way to prove it is that industrial salt contains nitrite, which can be detected with silver nitrate solution. As for pigments, our pickles will gradually fade in color after being soaked in water, and there will be no odor. If industrial pigments are added, the color will come off immediately, and there will be a pungent smell.”
Her words were clear, logical, and well-founded, which convinced those around her to nod in agreement. Director Li hesitated for a moment, clearly agreeing with the method, and then nodded: "Okay, we'll do it your way. If the test is fine, we'll leave immediately; if there are problems, don't blame us for being impolite!"
Lin Wanqiu breathed a sigh of relief and quickly asked a worker to bring a bowl of water. She also took out a small dish of red pickled vegetables and a small spoonful of white powder (MSG). She first put the pickled vegetables into the water and stirred gently a few times. The water slowly turned a light red, and the color of the pickled vegetables gradually lightened, but there was no strange smell. Next, she poured the white powder into another bowl of water, dissolved it, and then took a small bottle from Shen Tingzhou—this was silver nitrate solution she had taken from her spatial storage, which she had prepared specifically in case of emergency. She added a few drops of the silver nitrate solution to the water, but there was no change.
“Everyone has seen it,” Lin Wanqiu held up two bowls of water so that everyone around could see it clearly, “The water from the pickled vegetables has no strange smell, and the color is natural; the white powder dissolved and didn’t change even after adding silver nitrate solution, which proves that it’s not industrial salt at all. Madam, do you have anything else to say?”
The woman looked at the two bowls of water, her face turning deathly pale, and she couldn't utter a single word. Those around her understood immediately and accused her of malicious reporting and ruining someone's business. Director Li's face darkened further; he hadn't expected to be used as a pawn. He quickly said to Lin Wanqiu, "Comrade Lin, I'm so sorry. We sealed off the workshop without properly investigating the situation, causing you trouble. We'll leave now. If there are any further problems, you can contact our commune at any time."
Looking at his disheveled appearance, Lin Wanqiu felt no pleasure, but rather a sense of exhaustion. She nodded and said calmly, "It's alright, as long as our innocence can be proven. I hope the commune will investigate the situation thoroughly before taking any action, so that innocent people won't be implicated again."
Director Li nodded hurriedly and left with his men. The woman also tried to slip away, but was stopped by the workers. Lin Wanqiu looked at her coldly and said, "You maliciously reported us and ruined our workshop's reputation. You must apologize to us and compensate us for our losses—we had to stop work for half a day because of you. You have to pay for the workers' lost wages and the damage to our reputation!"
Knowing she was in the wrong and being watched by those around her, the woman reluctantly apologized to Lin Wanqiu and offered compensation. The matter was finally resolved, but Lin Wanqiu didn't feel relieved. Instead, she felt dizzy—she had only recently given birth, had traveled a long distance to the neighboring county, and had just been under immense stress; her body was already exhausted.
Shen Tingzhou noticed that something was wrong with her and quickly supported her, his voice full of concern: "Wanqiu, how are you? Are you feeling unwell?"
Lin Wanqiu shook her head and forced a smile: "It's nothing, I'm just a little tired. Let's find a place to rest for a while and feed Xixi some milk."
The experienced worker next to him quickly said, "Comrade Lin, there's a rest room in the workshop. Please go in and rest for a while. I'll go boil some hot water for you."
Shen Tingzhou helped Lin Wanqiu into the lounge, helped her sit down on a chair, and then took out milk powder and an enamel bowl from his cloth bag, carefully preparing the milk powder. Lin Wanqiu took the bowl and held Nianxi to feed her. The little one was starving and drank the milk powder in big gulps, smacking her lips, which softened Lin Wanqiu's heart.
Shen Tingzhou sat down beside her, gently massaging her shoulders, his voice full of concern: "It's all my fault. I didn't stop you earlier, and you're so tired. I'll handle things like this in the future. Don't push yourself so hard anymore."
Lin Wanqiu shook her head and took his hand: "We're husband and wife, we should face this together. Besides, this workshop isn't just our hard work, it's also the livelihood of a dozen workers, I can't just abandon it." She paused, then added: "But this is a lesson learned, we need to be more careful in the future, especially to guard against those who are envious. By the way, didn't you say you wanted to find an opportunity to investigate the suspicious points of the previous mission? Maybe we can find out some information while we're in the neighboring county."
Shen Tingzhou's eyes lit up, clearly not expecting that. He nodded: "You're right, the neighboring county isn't far from where I carried out my mission before. I can ask my former comrades for directions. But don't worry, I'll make sure you and Xixi are settled in first before I go about my business."
Lin Wanqiu smiled and nodded, her weariness gradually dissipating. She looked at Nianxi in her arms, then at Shen Tingzhou beside her, and suddenly realized that no matter how great the difficulties, as long as the family was together, there was no problem that couldn't be solved.
After resting for a while, Lin Wanqiu felt better, so she went with Shen Tingzhou to check on the situation at the workshop. The workers breathed a sigh of relief when they saw the problem was solved and quickly got back to work. Lin Wanqiu walked to the pickle vats, looking at the brightly colored pickles inside, her heart filled with satisfaction—these pickles not only carried her hopes but also the livelihoods of more than a dozen families. She was determined to manage the business well and not let anyone ruin it.
Just then, one of Shen Tingzhou's comrades suddenly came to his door, looking flustered, and said to Shen Tingzhou, "Tingzhou, something bad has happened. Old Wang, who used to go on missions with you, has suddenly disappeared. Some people say he's been kidnapped!"
Shen Tingzhou's expression changed instantly. He knew that Old Wang held crucial clues to the mission from back then, and his sudden disappearance must be related to what happened back then. He immediately said to Lin Wanqiu, "Wanqiu, I have to go. Old Wang can't be harmed. You wait for me here, take care of yourself and Xixi, I'll be back soon."
Lin Wanqiu's heart tightened, but she still nodded: "Go ahead, be careful, and let me know if anything happens. I'll wait for you here and take care of things at the workshop." She knew that Shen Tingzhou had always kept the mission from back then in mind, and now that there was a clue, he certainly wouldn't sit idly by.
Shen Tingzhou squeezed her hand tightly, glanced at Nianxi in his arms, and then turned to leave hurriedly with his comrades. Watching his figure disappear at the end of the street, Lin Wanqiu took a deep breath and made a silent resolution—she would wait for Shen Tingzhou to return here, and at the same time, she would take care of the workshop's affairs so that he would have no worries. She believed that as long as the couple were of one mind, there was no obstacle they couldn't overcome, and their little family would definitely get better and better.
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