After dinner, Lin An went to play with the kitten, while Fu Wenwen followed Lin Feng into the kitchen. Lin Feng was washing dishes, and Fu Wenwen watched his back. "What are you thinking about?"
Lin Feng was lost in thought. Fu Wenwen called him twice without a response. It wasn't until Fu Wenwen nudged him that Lin Feng snapped back to reality and looked at her.
"It might be a bit turbulent recently. I want you and Lin An to go back to the village and stay for a while..." Lin Feng turned to look at Fu Wenwen, who raised an eyebrow. "Is it that serious?"
"Today they just searched the house. I can't guarantee what they might do later. I won't always be home." Lin Feng felt he could handle it alone, but if Lin An and Fu Wenwen were involved, he couldn't risk their safety.
"So you want to send me and Lin An back to Honghe Village?" Fu Wenwen's eyes gradually turned cold. Lin Feng immediately sensed something was wrong and quickly grabbed her hand.
Fu Wenwen shook off Lin Feng's hand and looked at him coldly. "Just tell me if you are."
"I'm worried you might get hurt, not trying to drive you away," Lin Feng quickly explained, his heart tightening. He wasn't trying to cast them aside; he just didn't want them to get hurt.
"So when danger comes, you choose not to face it together, but to abandon Lin An and me?" Fu Wenwen said coldly, a clear sense of distance in her words. If Lin Feng dared to agree, she would take Lin An back to Honghe Village and live their own lives.
"No, it's not like that!" Lin Feng quickly said. The coldness in Fu Wenwen's eyes stung him. He didn't want to fight alone; he just wanted to protect them.
"Then how is it?" Fu Wenwen asked seriously, demanding an answer from Lin Feng. "If you say to send me and Lin An back to Honghe Village, then we'll go back."
Fu Wenwen said this, but to Lin Feng, it sounded like: If you dare to send me and Lin An back to Honghe Village, we'll break off all ties.
"No, I won't send you. We're staying home." Lin Feng immediately abandoned the idea. He knew that once Fu Wenwen said something, she would do it. He wouldn't push her away for the sake of a few troublemakers.
"You're really not sending us back?" Fu Wenwen raised an eyebrow and looked at Lin Feng.
Lin Feng nodded immediately. "Never. I'll never send you back. I'd rather die with you."
"...Thank you! You won't forget to take me with you even in death." Fu Wenwen said speechlessly.
"Don't be angry, okay? You don't know, when I came home today and couldn't find you and Lin An, I almost went crazy." Lin Feng held Fu Wenwen's hand tightly. He had never experienced such a feeling before, and nothing had ever made him so panicked.
The frost in Fu Wenwen's eyes finally melted, like spring warming the earth.
"Then teach me how to fight." Fu Wenwen smiled.
Lin Feng was taken aback. "It's too late for you to learn now, and the training is very tough..." His unfinished words disappeared under Fu Wenwen's gaze.
"I'll teach you when we get back," Lin Feng quickly amended under Fu Wenwen's stare. "If we really train, I won't go easy on you... think carefully."
"I don't want you to train me into a soldier. Just teach me what moves to use to subdue enemies or give myself a chance to escape when I'm in danger," Fu Wenwen retorted, giving Lin Feng a sidelong glance. What did he intend to train her into?
"...Oh." Lin Feng finally realized. He had just assumed she wanted to be trained into a top soldier. *Cough*, he had misread the situation.
"Since we're back, why don't we go back to Honghe Village to see everyone later?" Fu Wenwen thought for a moment. There was no better time than the present, and they still had time today to prepare.
"But we haven't prepared anything?" Lin Feng looked at Fu Wenwen. It wouldn't be good to go back empty-handed, would it?
Fu Wenwen chuckled. "I know there's a black market nearby."
Speaking of the black market, Lin Feng suddenly thought of Wang Hu. Wang Hu was from the black market. Perhaps he could help him secretly get revenge on Fu Wenwen and Lin An?
"Then let's go take a look later." Lin Feng would naturally not object to Fu Wenwen's suggestion.
"Then why don't we just host a few banquets and invite everyone in the village who has helped you?" Fu Wenwen suggested.
"That would be too tiring for you," Lin Feng shook his head. "Most of the elders in the village have helped me. If we were to host, it would be at least four or five tables... It would be too much for you to do all by yourself."
"How about inviting some of the aunties in the village who are good at cooking?" Fu Wenwen asked after some thought.
"That's fine," Lin Feng thought it was feasible.
"Then let's go! We still need to buy things. Fortunately, because I went out shopping today, I brought all the ration coupons with me," Fu Wenwen said with a smile, pulling out a pile of coupons from her pocket.
"What did you buy for Lin An?" Lin Feng asked curiously. "He's been holding onto it since he got back."
"A wind-up frog and glass beads," Fu Wenwen said with a smile. "Your son chose the toys himself."
"What about me?" Lin Feng looked at Fu Wenwen, a hint of jealousy in his heart. She treated Lin An like her own son, and Lin An liked her more than him now.
"Are you jealous of your own son?" Fu Wenwen asked in surprise.
"...I'm not jealous," Lin Feng turned his face away and stood up. "Lin An, we're going out. Come here quickly."
"Dad, I'm coming." Lin An, who had been playing with the kitten in the room, heard Lin Feng's words and quickly ran out. "Dad, where are we going?"
"To buy things and go back to Honghe Village to see everyone," Fu Wenwen explained with a smile. Lin Feng picked Lin An up and put him on his shoulders, then walked out.
Fu Wenwen followed behind, locked the door, and caught up with Lin Feng. They headed to the supply store together.
A banquet would certainly require meat dishes. As Fu Wenwen and Lin Feng, with Lin An, entered the supply store, Lin Feng immediately spotted Lin Xing, who was helping the butcher serve customers.
Fu Wenwen was stunned, watching Lin Xing occasionally wipe the sweat off the butcher's brow. They seemed to have a good relationship?
"Boss, give me five jin of meat." Fu Wenwen produced the five jin meat coupons.
"Okay, you..." Hearing Fu Wenwen, Lin Xing quickly looked up to greet the customer and his eyes met Fu Wenwen's. "...Sister-in-law."
"Big brother, Lin An." Lin Xing saw Lin Feng beside Fu Wenwen. He remembered his foolish actions and lowered his head, too ashamed to meet his gaze. "I'm sorry, I..."
"Five jin of meat." Lin Feng ignored Lin Xing and did not respond. He simply looked at the butcher, urging him to cut the meat quickly.
The butcher glanced at Lin Xing, then at Lin Feng, and decisively chopped off five jin of meat, all the best fatty cuts, and handed it to Lin Feng.
Lin Feng nodded and said to Fu Wenwen, "Let's go."
Fu Wenwen nodded and followed Lin Feng out of the supply store, not giving Lin Xing a single glance the entire time.
Lin Xing, tears welling up, watched Lin Feng's retreating back, his head bowed in dejection.
The butcher patted Lin Xing comfortingly and said directly, "You hurt her badly. How can you expect to be forgiven with just a few words?"