Lin Shu smiled and thought ‘You’ve borrowed things from the original owner, have you ever returned them?’

Besides, even if I return them, it’ll be for a lifetime.

Zhao Meifeng, fearing that Lin Shu would make her do more work, quickly ran off.

Fang Dihua came back with the meal and happened to see Zhao Meifeng’s retreating figure.

She asked Lin Shu what she was doing.

Lin Shu replied, “She brought me two spools of thread. I’m afraid I won’t have the right thread to make clothes.”

Fang Dihua thought, “…”

I’d be surprised if that were true.

Tiantian and Panpan, the little spies, began to complain to their grandmother.

“Auntie said she would find me a new father!”

“She’s inciting Mom and Grandma to ask for money!”

“She spoke badly about Grandma!”

Zhao Meifeng thought the two children wouldn’t understand or remember, and didn’t take them seriously.

Little did she know, they learned everything word for word and could even analyze her underlying intentions.

Fang Dihua’s brows furrowed as she listened, turning her gaze to Lin Shu who was picking up scraps.

Goodness, she’s really plotting something big.

Lin Shu wasn’t at all uneasy; she was quite pleased. “Mother, this is called ‘not wanting to let the child go, but using it to lure the wolf.’ It’s also called ‘luring the enemy deeper.’ Otherwise, how could she give me money and fabric?

When she talked about this, it was just the two of us, with no third party present. I never agreed to anything with her. If she dares to openly say she’s finding someone for me, you can slap her.”

She had already told Fang Dihua that she wouldn’t remarry.

Besides, with Lu Shaotang being fine, there was even less reason for her to remarry.

This was just her method for dealing with Zhao Meifeng.

Fang Dihua thought, “…”

The lessons from Master Ma were not in vain.

She used to be naive, but now she was as shrewd as a sieve.

At that moment, Old Chang’s wife was again crying behind the house.

The Chang family had been searching for Chang Xiaogang with the militia from the commune, but they didn’t know the exact destination and could only inquire about nearby repairmen.

Old Chang’s wife cried, “Oh, why am I so unfortunate? My daughter-in-law was beaten, my grandson was harmed. Oh, heavens, is there no justice?”

Fang Dihua just happened to be nearby.

Feeling frustrated, she didn’t bother being polite with Old Chang and directly threw a bucket of water used for washing dishes out of the back window.

“Ah—”

Old Mrs. Chang, who was emotionally engrossed in her dramatic performance, was drenched from head to toe.

She immediately cried out loudly and went home to change clothes.

Fang Dihua said, “People like that shouldn’t be indulged. If she continues like this, you can throw water on her again. I’ll take responsibility for any trouble.”

What a piece of work!

She couldn’t believe how ungrateful some people could be.

If it weren’t for the children being innocent, she would have had a serious argument with them.

However, Fang Dihua was secretly pleased that the villagers sided with the Lu family and criticized Old Mrs. Chang as being irrational.

So she didn’t take it too seriously.

Being upright means you have nothing to fear from shadows.

Lin Shu said, “Alright.”

She served extra portions of cold kelp salad and garlic eggplant, knowing that Big Brother loved them and would appreciate having more.

She also added some vegetables sent by Aunt Li, which Lin Shu blanched briefly in hot water, keeping them fresh, green, tender, and sweet.

Fang Dihua noticed that Lin Shu had even added a couple of drops of oil.

Though she thought the eldest son didn’t deserve it, she didn’t say anything, as they were all having a meal together.

When Fang Dihua went out with the food, she ran into Zhao Meifeng sneaking around at the corner.

Zhao Meifeng: “Auntie.”

Fang Dihua glanced at her and snorted, her face darkening.

Seeing Fang Dihua’s cold demeanor, Zhao Meifeng, feeling guilty, made small talk, “Auntie, you should try to be more understanding about Third Brother’s situation.”

Fang Dihua sarcastically replied, “How should I be more understanding? Are you looking for a second marriage for his wife already?”

Although she didn’t name anyone, Zhao Meifeng instinctively felt she was being criticized.

Zhao Meifeng awkwardly said, “Auntie, does Third Brother’s family have any thoughts on this? As the old saying goes, a young woman shouldn’t be kept too long, especially when…”

Fang Dihua: “I don’t know what she thinks, but I can see what you’re thinking. Listen here, you better keep your own behavior in check. If there are any rumors outside, don’t blame me for not sparing your face.”

Zhao Meifeng’s face turned red in embarrassment and anger, feeling scolded and awkward. “Auntie…”

Zhao Meifeng felt the question from Fang Dihua hinted at a possibility: Lin Shu might be considering remarriage!

Great! There’s hope!

She decided to put more effort into finding a better match, not just for Lin Shu but also as a support for herself and her son!

She thought it might be a good idea to have Lin Shu’s photo taken. Having a photo to show could make finding a match easier.

Such a beautiful face! Even a single glance at the photo can be captivating!

The days are getting longer.

After finishing dinner at 7:30 PM, it’s still light out, and it’s not completely dark until around 8:00 PM.

Fang Dihua and Old Lu were at the table washing dishes and talking about the tree cutting incident when a commotion outside caught their attention.

It sounded like the families searching for their children had returned.

Soon, Li Aunt, Qiu Aunty, and Wang Granny came in.

Wang Granny was holding a basin of eggs. As soon as she entered, she started crying and expressing her gratitude. “Thanks to you kind people, we would never have found our Huzhi otherwise!”

Li Aunt hurriedly took the basin from her to prevent it from spilling.

Fang Dihua signaled Lu Da to help Wang Granny and had the second sister-in-law Lu Er and Lin Shu bring out some stools for everyone to sit.

Everyone was quite relieved. “It’s great that the child is found.”

Wang Granny, overwhelmed with gratitude, was about to kneel down in front of Fang Dihua and Old Lu. “Huzhi is my only grandchild. You’ve saved this old woman’s life!”

Fang Dihua quickly grabbed her and gently pushed her onto a stool. “Sit down and talk!”

For the past two days, Wang Granny had been searching for her grandson with her son and the local security officers.

They had been slow to gather information about the repairman.

Fortunately, Lin Shu and the children provided timely information today.

The brigade secretary personally reported to the commune, which contacted Huang County.

Huang County’s police and the local militia from Hongqi Commune quickly pinpointed the repairman’s location.

It turned out that the repairman was hiding in a village in Hongqi Commune, Huang County, about a hundred miles away!

“That scoundrel was living in the mountains. When we found him, he still denied everything, claiming he had never traveled far and had been working in the commune or tending to his personal fields in the mountains.”

“The police said it was lucky that you provided the clues in time. They interviewed other villagers and gathered information about the repairman. That’s how they identified him. He couldn’t escape his guilt!”

“He’s a despicable person who kidnapped two women and three boys, locking them in a big well. They had to eat, relieve themselves, and suffer in there!”

Wang Granny said this with gritted teeth.

When they finally found her grandson, Wang Granny, though physically and mentally exhausted, mustered an unprecedented strength.

She attacked the repairman, leaving him bloodied and even bit a piece of flesh from his arm.

In those few days, she lived a nightmare.

Whenever she slept, she would dream of losing her grandson and would wake up terrified, continuing her search.

Before finding her grandson, she was haunted by the thought of him being tortured.

She couldn’t eat, couldn’t sleep, and lost so much weight in just two or three days that her cheekbones were sticking out.

The moment she found her grandson, her heart finally settled.

Old Mrs. Wang alternated between crying and laughing. “Our Huzhi is so bold. When told to call someone ‘father,’ he did. When told to call someone ‘mother,’ he did too. He even called sweetly and was given food and drink. What a little rascal!”

Huzhi looked lively and energetic when he saw his family, showing no signs of having suffered.

Old Mrs. Wang performed a ritual at home, washing with mugwort water and burning paper offerings.

She then collapsed into bed, falling fast asleep.

Lin Shu felt a pang of sadness.

In reality, Old Mrs. Wang had found her grandchild, while in the book, Tiantian was left with a lame leg.

Fang Dihua and Old Lu could not find their Panpan, turning gray-haired and emaciated.

The whole family lived in constant distress until they had no choice but to send a telegram to Lu Shaotang’s unit.

In the book, Lu Panpan had endured great suffering.

Fang Dihua said, “It’s good that you found him. Hurry back and be with your child.”

Old Mrs. Wang sniffed and smiled. “Second Mistress, tomorrow I’ll have the child come and bow to you.”

Fang Dihua: “Don’t bother. It’s a busy time. Let the child rest at home.”

Old Mrs. Wang: “Yes, yes, I forgot. I’ll bring him over when I’m done with work in the evening.”

Fang Dihua insisted on taking the eggs back.

Old Mrs. Wang absolutely refused, as if not leaving the eggs behind meant her grandson would suffer.

Moreover, since the third son of the Lu family had passed away, and her daughter-in-law had previously spoken ill of them, she felt quite ashamed and determined that the eggs must stay.

Fang Dihua said, “Fine, five eggs each. I’ll pay for them…”

“Second Mistress, aren’t you slapping my face? Since Tiger is back, I’d be willing to never eat eggs again!”

Fang Dihua: “Huzhi needs to recover from his shock too. We’ll split them, don’t argue.”

In the end, Old Mrs. Wang took most of the eggs back, wiping her tears as she bid farewell, praising Second Master and Second Mistress as kind people.

She was grateful for their guidance. If it weren’t for them, Huzhi might not have been found.

Shaotang’s children and wife were truly smart.

Tiantian and Panpan managed to perfectly imitate the mender’s accent, and Shaotang’s wife cleverly thought to use the accent to identify him and quickly inform the team leader.

Good people are truly good.

If anyone speaks ill of them in the future, Old Mrs. Wang will be the first to stand up for them.

Meanwhile, the Chang family was in turmoil, with Old Mrs. Chang’s earth-shattering cries. “My Xiaogang, you’ve suffered so much! That damned wretch, may lightning strike him dead!”

When they found the abandoned well, Chang Xiaogang was shackled with a large iron chain, one leg broken, and he was in a high fever, unconscious.

The police and militia quickly took him to the county hospital, but the doctor deemed it too late.

Although the child could be saved, his leg would definitely be disabled and he would limp for the rest of his life.

Old Mrs. Chang wept uncontrollably, cursing Song Chunfang and Chang’s second daughter-in-law, and also angrily cursing the Lu family.

“They knew where the mender was from. Why didn’t they tell us sooner? They made our child suffer so much before revealing it. They’re truly heartless!”

After cursing the Lu family, she also cursed Huzhi, “Why is he perfectly fine? He must be sweet-talking people, causing misfortune for our Xiaogang but not for himself.”

…

In the Lu family, Tiantian and Panpan were already asleep.

Lin Shu lay on the kang, gazing at her children’s serene sleeping faces by moonlight.

My dear children, I will never let you suffer the pain and torment described in the book.

I want you to be healthy and happy throughout your lives.