Silence.
Nothing but silence.
All eyes were fixed on the beautiful woman standing in the center of the courtyard—and the row of men kneeling before her.
Xiong Lei swallowed hard. "Boss, is this our sister-in-law?"
Zhao Qiang rubbed his eyes. "Good heavens, she took down five men single-handedly."
Chen Kai snapped out of his daze. "Sister-in-law is truly sister-in-law."
Sun Xuelin gave Pei Zhengnian a sympathetic look. "Captain, you’ve had it rough."
"You're late."
Who was Shen Nanchu speaking to?
Xiong Lei and the others quickly stepped aside, leaving Pei Zhengnian standing alone in the middle.
Pei Zhengnian straightened his posture, his tone solemn.
"My car broke down on the road today. The delay was my fault."
"In the army, being late means writing a self-criticism. The same goes at home."
"I’ll write one as soon as I get back."
After speaking, a flicker of guilt and regret flashed in his eyes.
"I’m sorry for making you go through this."
"Hmph."
Shen Nanchu snorted softly.
Thank goodness she was skilled with that fire poker!
Anyone else might not have been able to hold them off.
Pei Zhengnian inched closer to her, lowering his voice.
"What do you want?"
"I’ll bring it for you next time I’m back."
Shen Nanchu shot him a meaningful glance.
"Anything but those damn compressed biscuits."
Pei Zhengnian stiffened, as if a storm had just erupted over his head.
……
"Look up."
At Shen Nanchu’s command, Wang Jianshe trembled and immediately raised his face.
She picked up the fire poker and poked at his cheek, adding the finishing touches to the turtle’s eyes she had drawn earlier.
Satisfied, Shen Nanchu finally put the poker away.
Five turtles, all neatly lined up. Perfect.
She elegantly covered a yawn.
This hour was far too late for a mother-to-be like her.
"The rest is up to you."
"Oh, and they moved the crates from the dried-up well."
Pei Zhengnian nodded, his eyes softening with concern.
"Go home and rest. I’ll handle the rest."
"Mhm."
Her body was still weak—just a little exertion left her exhausted.
Shen Nanchu gave Xiong Lei and the others a brief nod before turning to leave.
The moment she was gone, Pei Zhengnian’s expression hardened.
"Xiong Lei, Zhao Qiang, Chen Kai—tie these five up and keep a close watch on them."
"Sun Xuelin, you’re with me. We’re checking the well."
……
The next morning,
Shen Nanchu woke to find Village Chief Wang Jianguo sitting in her courtyard, puffing on a cigarette with a troubled expression.
The moment he saw her, his face lit up as if she were his saving grace.
"Nanchu, what in the world are we supposed to do about this?"
"Last night’s incident?"
She pulled up a chair and sat across from him.
"Exactly!"
Wang Jianguo had slept like a log and had no idea what had happened until villagers came knocking at dawn.
After hearing the full story from Pei Zhengnian, he felt like the sky had fallen.
Wang Family Village had harbored a nest of spies—right under his nose!
Disaster!
The village’s century-old reputation was ruined in one night.
Wang Jianguo sighed, certain this ordeal would turn his hair white.
"Just cut ties with them. Problem solved."
Shen Nanchu thought it was no big deal.
A trivial matter, really.
"Spies are cunning. If ordinary folks could catch them, it’d take a miracle from the ancestors."
Wang Jianguo: "…"
"You’re the one who exposed them!"
"Ahem." Shen Nanchu coughed lightly, covering her mouth with a delicate hand. "I’m exceptionally smart. That’s a special case."
Wang Jianguo reluctantly accepted her explanation.
"Chief, what we need now is full cooperation with the military investigation. Use every resource Wang Family Village has."
"For example—what has Wang Jianshe done since childhood?"
"How do his parents behave in the village?"
"Who does his wife usually associate with?"
Wang Jianguo suddenly stood up.
"Nanchu, you’re absolutely right."
"I panicked and forgot the basics."
"I’ll get to work right away."
"While we’re at it, I’ll mobilize the village to help search for those gold bars."
Shen Nanchu’s ears perked up.
"Gold bars?"
"Wang Jianshe hid a stash somewhere. Your husband’s been searching all day!"
Wang Jianguo hurried off, still talking as he walked.
Watching his retreating figure, Shen Nanchu smirked.
Those gold bars were safely tucked away in her system’s storage.
Good luck finding them!
The entire day, she lounged on the second-floor balcony, savoring snacks and enjoying the breeze—utterly relaxed.
By sunset,
Voices drifted from the courtyard—Wang Jianguo and Yu Lanhua had arrived.
Wang Jianguo carried a live chicken, while Yu Lanhua held a basket of fresh eggs and vegetables.
"Uncle, Auntie, what’s all this?"
Shen Nanchu leaned over the railing, curious.
"Nanchu!" Yu Lanhua beamed at the sight of her.
"We’re hosting dinner tonight for the city officials and your husband’s comrades."
"Your uncle and I came early to start cooking."
Originally, Wang Jianguo had planned to host at his own home, but after some thought, they decided to bring the ingredients to the Pei residence instead.
Chicken for dinner?
And cooked by Auntie Lanhua?
Shen Nanchu sat up straight, quickly finishing the last bite of her ice cream before rushing downstairs.
With Auntie Lanhua in charge of the kitchen, they had to make the most of it—more dishes, the better!
"Mom, Grandma, you two help Auntie Lanhua with the cooking."
"I’ll go catch some fish to add to the meal."
Her enthusiasm was contagious.
Pei Yunxi and Pei Yunzhou perked up immediately.
"Sister-in-law, I want to come too!"
"Me too!"
Armed with makeshift fishing rods, the three of them marched toward the nearby river.
In the blink of an eye, they were gone.
Yu Lanhua didn’t even get a chance to stop them.
"The river’s been picked clean by those rascal kids!"
"I’ll go call them back."
Grandma Pei waved her off.
"Let them be. It’s good for them to have some fun."
"Besides, it’ll keep them from disturbing us."
"Alright then."
Yu Lanhua stayed put.
The three women chatted as they prepped ingredients in the kitchen.
……
By the river,
Shen Nanchu headed straight for a bend where fish tended to gather.
"Yunzhou, dig up some worms here for bait."
She pointed at a patch of thick grass beneath the bushes.
Pei Yunzhou scampered off eagerly.
Pei Yunxi stood beside Shen Nanchu, waiting.
"Sister-in-law, have you fished before?"
"Only watched others do it."
She remembered the steps clearly.
No big deal—nothing could stump her.
Pei Yunxi bit her lip nervously.
"We won’t end up empty-handed, will we?"
"Absolutely not. Don’t you trust me?"
Shen Nanchu brimmed with confidence.
Pei Yunxi nodded firmly.
Her sister-in-law was amazing.
If she said they’d catch fish, they would.
……
