This round of testing made Jiang Zhen feel more at ease about raising children with Gu Liancheng. As Gu Liancheng walked her out, he admitted his shortcomings as a partner: “Sorry, I’ve been too busy these past few days. I’ll definitely come home tonight.”  

Jiang Zhen replied, “You’ve already found the bandit leads. What’s the point of coming home? Hurry up and go deal with them.”  

Gu Liancheng had originally intended to do just that. “But we just got married. If I don’t come home for over ten days in a row, won’t you have any thoughts about it?”  

Jiang Zhen said, “If Qi Junshan isn’t dead, then I’ll have thoughts.”  

“Thank you for understanding.” Gu Liancheng took an envelope out of his pocket. “This month’s stipend. I kept ten yuan for myself—the rest is all here.”  

Jiang Zhen smiled. “We agreed it wouldn’t be this much.”  

Gu Liancheng sincerely wanted to hand it all over to her. “In my sister and brother-in-law’s household, my sister manages the money. In our family, you’ll be in charge of the finances.”  

…  

Jiang Zhen returned with over sixty yuan and told Gu Jiaoxia, “Elder Sister, Gu Liancheng gave this to me. He said from now on, I’ll manage the household money. He only kept ten yuan for himself.”  

Gu Jiaoxia was delighted. If he handed over his entire salary to his wife, how could it be a marriage of convenience? It was clearly just something they said for outsiders’ ears. Her worries were put to rest, but new ones quickly surfaced.  

“Is Gu Liancheng going off to suppress bandits again?”  

Jiang Zhen said, “It’s not just him. Xiao Qingfeng and the soldiers who fought the bandits last time are all in training. Once the bandits are cleared out, we civilians can live in peace.”  

“That’s true. The bandits in Fancheng used to be rampant. Even in the city, plenty of ruthless people colluded with them. You wouldn’t believe it—before liberation, there were several cases of wealthy families being massacred for refusing to pay ‘protection fees.’ Later, any household with surplus grain had to pay up. It wasn’t until after liberation that such things stopped happening.”  

This time, through the memories of the corpses, Jiang Zhen had helped uncover leads for the bandit suppression. It shouldn’t be long before the bandits were eradicated.  

…  

In the afternoon, after seeing Gu Jiaoxia off, the children eagerly entered the space. They first mapped out the hundred-square-meter area. Aside from the side facing the small wooden cabin, the other three sides were open. They planned to plant a row of fruit trees on each side in the future, leaving the front unobstructed for sunlight, where they could grow climbing vegetables like string beans and luffa.  

Once enclosed, the inner land would be divided into neat, small plots of 8 to 15 square meters each, with each plot dedicated to a different vegetable. The plots would be slightly raised, separated by paths about a dozen centimeters lower for walking and drainage.  

The children had brought seeds from their aunt’s house—cabbage, tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, white radishes, and lettuce—already quite a variety. Each plot was sown with a different seed, and after planting, they fetched water from the pond to irrigate the soil. They spent the entire afternoon sowing all kinds of seeds.  

Though the seeds hadn’t sprouted yet, the neatly arranged plots looked much better than before. Once they added poultry, planted fruit trees, and the vegetables grew in, along with some grass and flowers, the space would become incredible. The children might not even want to leave.  

Due to the restrictions of the “Secret Bean,” the children couldn’t talk about it with others. Gu Pan asked, “Auntie, when can we tell Uncle? If he could come in too, our whole family could have extra meals here.”  

Jiang Tang, who already adored her new father, chimed in, “Dad gave me his salted duck egg. He’s a good dad.”  

Jiang Zhen laughed. “This is my most treasured secret. I want to keep it for myself and don’t want too many people to know. With resources so scarce right now, the space only has about a fifth of an acre for planting. Let’s keep it for our own use.”  

…

After exiting the space, the group prepared dinner and ate. Since most of their time had been spent busily planting in the space, the hours flew by. But to the neighbors, it seemed as though Jiang Zhen and the children hadn’t stepped outside all afternoon.  

This puzzled An Xiuqing next door. Just as her mother-in-law, Ji Fengmei, asked her to go and investigate, she decided to drop by.  

“Jiang Zhen, you’re eating dinner so late? Mind if I come in?” An Xiuqing stood at the doorway and asked.  

“Come on in.” Jiang Zhen had the children eat in the kitchen while she stepped out with her bowl.  

An Xiuqing was surprised to see plain white rice in Jiang Zhen’s bowl. “Rations are tight—how come you’re eating white rice every meal?”  

“Gu Liancheng’s sister brought it over.” Jiang Zhen asked, “Isn’t the Qi family well-off? Didn’t you have white rice tonight?”  

No matter how well-off they were, they still had to be able to buy it. With monthly rations being what they were, even the Qi family had to mix sweet potatoes and coarse grains into their rice. But Gu Liancheng’s sister really was kind. In her past life, after they moved away, she often sent money and ration coupons.  

Thinking of this, An Xiuqing felt a twinge of regret. If she hadn’t ruined those two children in her past life, she wouldn’t have to avoid Gu Liancheng now. But dwelling on it was pointless.  

Though her days were tolerable since marrying into the Qi family ten days ago, her nights were torture. Qi Junshan was inhuman, always finding ways to torment her. She truly wished he would die sooner.  

Why did his uncle’s whole family have to die instead of him?  

Shaking off her dark thoughts, An Xiuqing probed, “When you went to see Gu Liancheng today, did he say when he’d be back?”  

Jiang Zhen was blunt. “An Xiuqing, you’re not unhappy with the Qi family and thinking of going back to Gu Liancheng, are you?”  

An Xiuqing hastily waved her hands. “Of course not! We’re neighbors, and he hasn’t been back in over ten days. I was just… concerned about you.”  

Jiang Zhen scoffed. “Concerned? I don’t buy that. More like you want to see me suffer. But honestly, you don’t need to ask me where he is—you’ve probably already heard. He’s in training before heading out to suppress bandits. Wasn’t it bandits who massacred your in-laws’ uncle’s family yesterday? The sooner they’re dealt with, the sooner we can all live in peace.”  

An Xiuqing thought to herself—So that’s it. Gu Liancheng didn’t die in the last bandit suppression campaign, but he probably would in this one.  

She cast a pitying glance at Jiang Zhen and said, “Jiang Zhen, my sister is my sister, and I am me. I don’t have ill intentions. No matter what happens, as long as you raise those two Gu children well, your blessings will come later.”  

Jiang Zhen: … I really want to peek into her memories right now. But Gu Liancheng and the organization behind him had already given her an extremely tolerant living environment. She had to cherish it—she couldn’t afford to take lives.  

She returned An Xiuqing’s pitying look. “I know, I understand. The same goes for you—the Qi family is the best fit for you. Stay with them, and you’ll have endless fortune in the future.”  

An Xiuqing: *…* Even though she was planning to stay with the Qi family, Jiang Zhen’s words left her deeply unsettled.  

…

When An Xiuqing returned home, her brother-in-law Qi Junhai happened to be back to fetch a change of clothes. The sight of him made her heart ache. Ever since she married into the family, Qi Junhai had moved into the hospital dormitory. Deliberately rolling up her sleeves while washing dishes, she made sure he saw the dark bruises on her arms.  

Qi Junhai was both heartbroken and guilt-ridden. Trembling, he asked, “Did… did Big Brother hit you again?”  

An Xiuqing held back tears. “No, I just fell.”  

Soon after, she heard Qi Junhai arguing with his mother in the inner room. A bitter smile curled on her lips. Before long, Qi Junhai stormed out, and her mother-in-law, Ji Fengmei, rushed into the kitchen to scold her.  

“Why did you show off those bruises from days ago?”  

“I was washing dishes and didn’t want to dirty my sleeves.” An Xiuqing changed the subject. “I asked the neighbor—Gu Liancheng is in training. He won’t be back for at least ten days to half a month. And after training, he’ll be out suppressing bandits. Jiang Zhen might not see him for a month.”  

Or ever again, An Xiuqing thought to herself, unsure whether she felt schadenfreude or pity.  

“Fine. Lock the door and stay put. I’m going to the police station to see if we can claim your uncle’s family’s bodies.”  

An Xiuqing found it strange. Qin Junshan’s uncle’s entire family had been slaughtered by bandits. On the surface, Ji Fengmei was grieving, but those who truly mourned were inconsolable in public and private. How could she still have the energy to care whether Gu Liancheng came home or not?  

An Xiuqing wasn’t sad either. In her past life, whenever Dr. Qi took care of her, his uncle’s family had never missed a chance to make snide remarks. The only one truly grieving now was Dr. Qi himself—he really was a good man.  

An Xiuqing steeled herself. I must have Dr. Qi. Having come this far in her rebirth, there was no turning back now.  

…

Ji Fengmei found her son causing a scene at the police station, demanding the return of the bodies, and briefed him: “An Xiuqing was somewhat useful. She found out the troops are in training for at least half a month—plenty of time for you all to relocate. You should leave too this time. Just say you’re going out to ‘explore opportunities.’”  

Qi Junshan said, “I need to eliminate Jiang Zhen first. After yesterday’s bandit massacre, if another one happens tonight, no one will suspect a thing. Once Gu Liancheng returns, it’ll be harder to find an opportunity.”  

“Still using the same group? Then you’ll have to go back to the mountains tonight?”  

“Yeah. Mom, make sure An Xiuqing keeps her mouth shut. Tell her to say I was home all night.”  

….

In the middle of the night, Jiang Zhen was jolted awake by the deafening roar of heavy artillery. Such firepower—are they suppressing the bandits already? Weren’t they just in training? How did they launch the operation so soon? Instantly, worry for Gu Liancheng’s safety gripped her.  

The children woke up terrified too: “Mom, Mom! What’s that noise outside?”  

“Auntie, I’m scared!”  

Jiang Zhen quickly gathered them onto one bed, holding them close. “Don’t be afraid. It’s probably the troops fighting the bandits.”  

Before long, Ji Fengmei started pounding on their door: “Jiang Zhen! Jiang Zhen! You said they were in training! Why are they attacking the bandits tonight?!”  

Jiang Zhen had no intention of opening the door. Soon after, she heard Gu Liancheng’s sister shouting and chasing Ji Fengmei away: “Everyone’s on edge, and you come banging on the door when you know my brother’s not home? What are you plotting?”  

After shooing her off, Gu Jiaoxia softened her voice, not wanting to frighten those inside. “Jiang Zhen, it’s me, Elder Sister. I came to stay with you.”  

Jiang Zhen had already stepped into the courtyard. She opened the gate and peered out. Distant flashes of artillery still lit up the horizon, though the intensity had waned.  

“Elder Sister, come in quickly.” Once Gu Jiaoxia entered, Jiang Zhen locked the gate and helped her block it with a heavy stone.  

As they hurried inside, Gu Jiaoxia asked anxiously, “How are the children?”  

“Still shaken.”  

“On my way here, I saw so many families with crying children.”  

Jiang Zhen said, “When I saw Gu Liancheng this afternoon, he mentioned training. I didn’t expect them to move tonight—but speed is crucial in war. It’s the right call.”  

Gu Jiaoxia shuddered. “Your brother-in-law also said they were training and hadn’t even located the bandits’ hideout. Even *I* believed it.”  

If even his own wife was fooled, the bandits must have been too—letting their guard down. That’s why tonight’s well-prepared operation was so swift and successful.  

Gu Jiaoxia held Gu Pan and Jiang Tang in her arms as she and Jiang Zhen comforted all four children, enduring the tense night together.  

By dawn, people cautiously opened their doors, gathering in small groups to discuss the previous night’s bombardment:  

“Must’ve been a bandit suppression.”  

“But it was so fast! The guns fell silent before midnight.”  

“Who knows the details? If only someone with insider news could tell us…”  

…

An Xiuqing also wanted answers. When the artillery erupted last night, her mother-in-law had dragged her out of bed, slapped her twice, and cursed her as a jinx. She didn’t understand—wasn’t suppressing the bandits a good thing? Didn’t it avenge her uncle’s family?  

Unless… someone in the household was connected to the bandits. Qi Junshan, who hadn’t returned last night, was the prime suspect.  

An Xiuqing hoped Qi Junshan wouldn’t come back. She sidled up to Jiang Zhen’s door: “Jiang Zhen, let’s go wait for news at the military base.”  

Jiang Zhen frowned. “No one from your family was involved in the operation. Why the rush?”  

Gu Jiaoxia’s alarm bells rang. Warily, she said, “I know life in the Qi household is hard for you, but don’t even think about sabotaging my brother’s marriage. You chose to marry Qi Junshan—good or bad, it’s your own doing. If it’s unbearable, get a divorce. Stop eyeing other people’s husbands.”  

An Xiuqing seethed. What’s there to be smug about? If Gu Liancheng died in last night’s operation, Jiang Zhen will end up a widow like I did in my past life. Last time, Jiang Zhen remarried with two kids. Now she’ll be a widow with four. Let’s see how she manages!

Lost in her thoughts, a sudden cry of excitement cut through:  

“Look! Isn’t that Gu Liancheng? He must’ve rushed back after the battle because he was worried about his family! Quick, let’s ask him—was the operation successful? Were all the bandits wiped out? If they’re gone, Fancheng can finally celebrate a peaceful New Year!”