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◎Day 21 of the control group◎
Shen Xinglian's voice trembled almost imperceptibly, her fingertips clenched so tightly they turned white: "Jun Yanghong. There's also a distant relative of the Ren family, named Ren Guanglin, who just moved into the next courtyard a few days ago."
“I ran into him when I came back today. He looked at me very strangely and asked me about you and Qingyu.”
Jiang Wanzhou's smile froze instantly. Jun Yanghong's previous hostility made her heart clench.
She knew what Xingxing was worried about.
Su Xiaomei was the original female lead, so they are the control group. The fact that they haven't gotten rid of it just shows that they are still being controlled and monitored.
Just as she was about to say something, she saw Jiang Renzhou walking over.
Jiang Renzhou's brows furrowed instantly. He put Jiang Mian down from his arms, his tone turning serious: "The Ren family? How did they find their way here?"
“I don’t know.” Shen Xinglian shook her head, her eyes filled with anxiety. “I heard from Aunt Zhang that Jun Yangjian was recommended to come to Beijing to study at a military academy, just like you. They said Jun Yanghong saved the Ren family’s child. But I always feel that it’s not that simple. Wanzhou also encountered a human trafficking incident today, and I can’t help but think of the connection…”
Jiang Wanzhou coaxed Shen Xinglian: "Don't overthink it. They just arrived. They can't control everything."
Zhou Qingyu's smile faded, his expression turning serious: "In the Ren family, only the second son's family wanted to find the eldest brother. The others probably couldn't stand to see him return. Now they've sent people to Beijing; they're probably up to no good. Could Wanzhou's rescue today have been a setup by them?"
The moment those words were spoken, the atmosphere in the room instantly became oppressive.
Jiang Wanzhou recalled the scene in the alley just now. Although the three men looked like street thugs, they were ruthless and had clear targets, so it didn't seem like they were committing a random crime.
"My classmate might be being targeted," Jiang Wanzhou thought.
“Whether it was a setup by them or not, we have to be extra careful from now on.” Jiang Renzhou stood up, walked to the window and glanced at the direction of the neighboring courtyard. “Starting tomorrow, I will take you to school every day and pick you up after school. Qingyu, if you are busy at the lab, I will keep an eye on things for you.”
“No need, brother, I can manage on my own.” Zhou Qingyu held Jiang Wanzhou’s hand, his eyes firm. “From now on, I will walk with Wanzhou every day and never let her be alone. You should do the same, sister-in-law. Try to go to and from school with us as much as possible, or wait for Wanzhou and me to pick you up.”
Shen Xinglian nodded, feeling a little more at ease: "I understand. I'll tell the architecture professors tomorrow that I won't be going out for field research for a while."
Seeing Shen Xinglian's tense expression, Jiang Wanzhou reached out and patted her shoulder: "Xingxing, don't worry too much. If the Ren family really dares to play tricks, we are not afraid of them. We could deal with Jun Yanghong on the island before, and now in Beijing, with my brother and Qingyu here, we have even less to fear."
She paused, then added, "Tomorrow I'll talk to the school about what happened today and ask them to increase patrols around the campus. Also, we should try to get along better with our neighbors in the staff quarters so we can look out for each other."
"I'm just worried about the daycare center for the three little ones. There might be some unexpected issues."
Jiang Renzhou nodded in agreement, saying, "I'll ask tomorrow if I can transfer to the military academy's daycare."
The military academy is much farther away than the daycare center in the alley: "It wouldn't be convenient for my older brother to take three people there, would it?"
“I come back to pick them up after my daily morning exercises.”
“One is running around, one has just learned to walk, and the other can’t run yet. Now many people bring their children to school, so I’ll bring Mianmian with me.” Jiang Wanzhou was worried that it would be inconvenient for Jiang Renzhou to ride a bike with three children.
Shen Xinglian could tell that Jiang Wanzhou didn't want to trouble their family: "Wan..."
As they were talking, Mingyuan had already finished half a dragon fruit. He tugged at Shen Xinglian's sleeve and said, "Mom, I want to go to school with you tomorrow too. I can protect you and Auntie!"
Mingmei chimed in with her childish voice, "I'll protect them too!"
The two little ones' words eased the heavy atmosphere in the room somewhat.
Jiang Wanzhou squatted down and patted Mingyuan's head: "Mingyuan is so brave, but you and your sister still need to be good at daycare. When you grow up, you can protect us, okay?"
Mingyuan nodded as if he understood, and handed the remaining dragon fruit to Mingmei's mouth: "Sister, eat this. It will give you strength so you can protect Mom and Aunt with me in the future."
Looking at the children's innocent faces, Shen Xinglian's eyes reddened slightly.
Jiang Wanzhou emphasized again: "Brother and sister-in-law, it's decided. Protecting two is definitely more comprehensive than protecting three. It's a special time, and I'm not estranged from you."
Zhou Qingyu nodded as well: "Wanzhou isn't the type to be polite to you."
Jiang Wanzhou glanced at him: "Something about that sounds off."
Zhou Qingyu hugged Mianmian and said, "I'll bring her over tomorrow. The lab will be empty for several hours when we're doing experiments."
"I know perfectly well that kids shouldn't be allowed in the lab. What if they get poisoned?" Jiang Wanzhou thought Zhou Qingyu was unreliable.
“Then you should take her with you. Humanities students need to read a lot of books, and Mianmian will be bothering you with her constant nagging.” Zhou Qingyu was also considering Jiang Wanzhou’s feelings.
Jiang Renzhou interrupted, "I'll lead it."
Jiang Wanzhou and Zhou Qingyu interrupted in unison: "No."
Jiang Wanzhou compromised: "Qingyu will take her. We'll go back and pack Mianmian's things."
Jiang Wanzhou was originally considering whether to breastfeed or use formula, but because she was thin and didn't have enough milk, she didn't need to consider it anymore.
It was Zhou Qingyu who used his connections from his time in the countryside to save Mianmian from starvation.
No one had much of an appetite, so they ate a little something and then went about their own business.
At night, Jiang Wanzhou lay in bed, tossing and turning, unable to sleep. Her mind was filled with the danger in the alley during the day and what Shen Xinglian had said.
Zhou Qingyu noticed her unease, reached out and pulled her into his arms, gently comforting her, "Don't think too much, I'm here. Tomorrow I'll investigate Ren Guanglin's background and make sure he doesn't harm you and the children."
Jiang Wanzhou leaned against him, listening to his steady heartbeat, and her heart gradually calmed down: "Qingyu, I'm not afraid of something happening to myself, I'm afraid of implicating the children, implicating Xingxing and brother."
"No, I won't." Zhou Qingyu tightened her arms, her voice firm. "I will protect the children and this family."
The moonlight outside the window illuminated their tightly clasped hands.
After breakfast, Jiang Renzhou pushed a bicycle with a sidecar attached. Mingyuan and Mingmei sat in the sidecar, planning to take the child to the nursery first, and then go to the military academy nursery after completing the formalities.
Jiang Wanzhou even made a special detour to Lin Weiwei's neighborhood on the way, and only breathed a sigh of relief after confirming that she was safe and sound at home.
Upon arriving at the school, Jiang Wanzhou immediately found her counselor and explained in detail what had happened the day before, while also suggesting that the school increase patrols around the campus.
The counselor took it very seriously and immediately said she would report it to the school's security department, and also told her to communicate anytime if there was any issue.
Shen Xinglian went to the architecture department to talk to the teachers and explain that it was not suitable to go out for field trips recently. After understanding her concerns, the teachers readily agreed to adjust the course schedule.
At lunchtime, Zhou Qingyu waited for Jiang Wanzhou and Shen Xinglian at the school gate, her expression more serious than in the morning.
“We found it,” he said in a low voice. “Ren Guanglin has a criminal record for harassing women and extortion in his hometown.”
Shen Xinglian stopped in her tracks in fright: "What if he harms the children? The paperwork for the military academy's daycare center isn't even done yet."
"Don't worry, I've already spoken to my friends in the military and asked them to send people to keep an eye on things near the nursery," Zhou Qingyu reassured her. "My brother also sent word that the paperwork for the military academy's nursery will be completed today, and the child can officially start attending tomorrow. In addition, I also found out that Ren Guanglin has recently been in contact with several people who have illegally crossed the border."
Jiang Wanzhou frowned: "Someone smuggled themselves here? Smuggled themselves, abroad? Abroad!"
“That’s possible.” Zhou Qingyu nodded. “Jun Yanghong has always held a grudge against us. The second son of the Ren family tried to win over the eldest brother but failed. So they joined forces with foreign forces to retaliate.”
"But the Lin Weiwei incident shows that people abroad have other motives."
The three of them discussed how to proceed as they walked home.
Jiang Wanzhou said, "I think we can't just be passively defensive; we have to actively collect evidence. Ren Guanglin has a criminal record and is in contact with criminals. As long as we get evidence that he retaliates against us, we can report it to the military and the police station and get rid of him completely."
“Wanzhou is right,” Zhou Qingyu agreed.
Back in the family compound, as soon as they entered the alley, they saw Ren Guanglin leaning against the gate of the neighboring courtyard, staring intently in the direction of their house.
Seeing the three return, he greeted them with a forced smile: "Comrade Jiang, Comrade Zhou, Comrade Shen, school's out? I heard you're transferring your kids to a daycare? The daycare at the military academy is good, but it's too far away. It's such a hassle to pick them up and drop them off every day."
Jiang Renzhou had returned at some point and was standing at the gate of the courtyard, looking at Ren Guanglin with a cold face: "We don't need Comrade Ren to worry about our family's affairs."
He stepped forward, shielding Shen Xinglian and the other two behind him, his tone icy, "Comrade Ren, if you have nothing else to do, don't keep loitering around our doorstep. It's not a good influence."
"Why are you being so polite with me, Third Brother?"
Ren Guanglin's smile froze, a hint of ruthlessness flashing in his eyes. "What are you saying? I was just showing concern for a relative. Since my third brother doesn't appreciate it, then I won't bother you any longer."
After saying that, he turned around and went back to his own courtyard.
Once inside the courtyard, Jiang Renzhou closed the door and said in a deep voice, "The paperwork for the military academy's nursery is done. I've reported it to the military, but they said they don't have any evidence and won't send any assistance."
Zhou Qingyu nodded: "I'll go make the recording equipment this afternoon. I've already made the arrangements."
Jiang Wanzhou had no classes in the afternoon, so she made a special trip to Lin Weiwei's house.
Lin Weiwei was quite frightened and quickly said, "Wanzhou, don't worry, I will definitely go out with my classmates from now on and I will never walk alone on secluded roads again. My dad also said that he will talk to the neighborhood office and ask them to send more people to patrol this area."
Zhou Qingyu acted quickly, and by the afternoon she had installed several simple recording devices.
He approached Jiang Wanzhou: "Comrade Jiang, on behalf of the organization, I have assigned you an important task. It concerns foreign forces and peace. Do you accept it?"
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