"What? Your father went on a mission!"
The moment the family stepped inside, Sizhe shared the news, and Nan Sheng couldn’t help repeating it in disbelief.
"Yeah, Dad said it was urgent. He didn’t even pass through town, so he only had time to tell me. I checked carefully—he wasn’t hurt at all, Mom. Don’t worry."
Nan Sheng let out a slow breath. As long as he wasn’t injured, she could sleep peacefully.
Well, life had to go on. She pulled a chicken from her bag to show the kids.
"I bought this chicken planning to make soup, but since your dad’s away, let’s just stew it. How do you want it cooked?"
Lin Han had put in tremendous effort this time, and Nan Sheng had wanted to make him nourishing chicken soup. But the mission had been too urgent—she’d have to wait till he returned.
"Stewed!"
"With potatoes!"
Clearly, Qiqi was a devoted potato enthusiast!
During dinner, Little Hou and Luo Hao showed up together. Luo Hao was too embarrassed to come alone and had dragged someone along.
"Sis, Commander Lin asked me to deliver the confiscated porcelain, calligraphy, paintings, and antiques to you. Should we send them to the town or the county?"
"How much is there? If it’s not too much, just take it to the town."
Luo Hao grinned. "Sis, it’s… a tiny bit too much!"
The black market had prioritized shipping out valuables like gold, jewelry, and bars, leaving behind bulky items they deemed too much trouble. Over the years, those had piled up into a small mountain.
But higher-ups had given the green light to use military trucks for delivery—Division Commander Yao had approved it!
"Then take it straight to the county government. I’ll call ahead to arrange reception. I stewed chicken today—stay and eat with us!"
Little Hou and Luo Hao bolted faster than rabbits. With their commander away, they couldn’t possibly dine alone with his wife.
Nan Sheng shook her head in amusement as she closed the door. If they didn’t want to eat, fine—but why run? She hadn’t even gotten to ask if any soldiers were injured on the mission so she could send gifts to check on them.
The biggest winner in this operation was Division Commander Yao.
He’d only meant to look after a military family, never expecting such a windfall. At his rank, earning military merits wasn’t easy—which was why he’d rushed to dispatch Lin Han and Commander Ye.
Once things settled, he planned to promote Lin Han to regimental commander. Anyone who dared oppose him would regret it!
The next day, Nan Sheng stopped by the military base on her way to work, leaving word for Little Hou to visit that evening.
With Lin Han unharmed, Nan Sheng’s mood had stabilized, and her interrogation work proceeded smoothly without further hiccups.
Over in the county, Cao Guoxiang took her call seriously, promising to personally oversee the reception of the goods.
Liao Xian was conducting training in Sanwei Town, and Nan Sheng had assigned Liu Song to attend to his every need—meals, snacks, tea—nothing was overlooked.
At first, Liao Xian found it awkward, but by today, he’d decided this was the life—far better than catering to superiors!
After work, Little Hou was already waiting at her doorstep. Spotting Nan Sheng laden with bags, he immediately reached to help.
Nan Sheng didn’t stand on ceremony. "You’re early. Why not go inside?"
Little Hou scratched his head, claiming he’d just arrived. When Nan Sheng unlocked the door, she realized neither child was home—odd.
With the door left open, they kept it brief.
"The commander left in a hurry. I wanted to ask how many were injured on the mission and how serious it was. I bought some things—could you deliver them as gifts?"
These were Lin Han’s men, and as his wife, she ought to show more care. Besides, this whole operation had stemmed from Lin Han defending her honor.
Seeing Nan Sheng had already prepared the gifts, Little Hou accepted on behalf of the wounded.
Noticing her tension, he downplayed the situation.
"Sis, not many were hurt. Honestly, training injuries are worse. Don’t worry—I’ll deliver these right away!"
Lin Han’s success benefited Little Hou too, and Nan Sheng’s gesture would earn goodwill. He’d never refuse.
Nan Sheng had bought seven or eight new items today. She fetched four or five more from inside, packing them all into a large bag for Little Hou.
Little Hou was stunned. "Sis, this is too much! A token would’ve been enough."
But Nan Sheng insisted. "Training’s tough, and injuries demand extra care. Pick one thing you like, but the rest must go to them."
Little Hou could only salute in gratitude.
"Mission accomplished!"
But he wouldn’t keep a single item—every gift would go to the wounded, so they’d know how kind their commander’s wife was.
Dinner was ready, but the kids still hadn’t returned. Sensing trouble, Nan Sheng hurried downstairs to search.
"Little Nan, it’s almost dark—where are you off to?"
"Auntie, my two rascals aren’t home yet. I’m looking for them."
Kindhearted Aunt Yu offered to ask her grandson, Little Tao, who’d just come back.
But when questioned, Little Tao hemmed and hawed, clearly hiding something. Aunt Yu raised a hand to smack him, but Nan Sheng intervened.
"Don’t hit him—let me talk."
Though frantic, Nan Sheng kept her voice gentle as she reasoned with Little Tao.
"Little Tao, I don’t care about boys roughhousing. But you know Qiqi’s little, and it’s getting dark—she’ll be scared. Just tell me where they are, okay?"
At the mention of Qiqi, Little Tao wavered—but fear of retaliation held him back.
Every second wasted tormented Nan Sheng. As she turned to ask Hua Fen’s kid, Little Tao finally spoke.
"The Shen brothers—Shen Wen and Shen Wu—dragged Sizhe and Qiqi into the woods and tied them up. Xu Baoliang’s with them too."
Sizhe and Xu Baoliang had been beaten, but Qiqi was unharmed—just bound to stop her from seeking help. They planned to leave them there overnight to "teach them a lesson."
"Why would they do this?"
Little Tao explained that Shen Wen and Shen Wu (Commander Shen’s sons) had been waiting to ambush Sizhe. They’d heard at home that their grandfather was arrested because of Nan Sheng and were furious.
Kids stick together and can’t tell right from wrong—they’d all taken the Shen boys’ side, convinced Nan Sheng was wicked.
Nan Sheng’s blood boiled. With snakes and insects everywhere, what if the kids got bitten while tied up?
Aunt Yu, horrified, kicked her grandson. "How could you hide this? Take your aunt to find them—now!"
Little Tao rubbed his backside, grumbling, "Granny, it wasn’t me who tied them! Why hit me?"
They didn’t usually hang out together, so avoiding mockery was already a blessing—why meddle in others’ affairs and risk being ostracized?
To save time, Nan Sheng decided to ride her bicycle and take Little Tao to search for the person. She even begged Little Tao’s grandmother to send a message to the Xu family.
As it turned out, Xu Baoliang’s mother was currently cursing up a storm in the yard, swearing she’d break his legs when he got home—always wandering around without a care for coming back!
