"Auntie Grace, Auntie Grace, come on! Come play with us!"

Seeing Grace Winslow and Archer Rhys at the door, Ryan Winslow and the other children ran over with smiles, grabbing her hand and pulling her outside.

Grace Winslow found herself surrounded by a gaggle of children as snowflakes began to drift down. The clock struck twelve, heralding the arrival of a new year.

Households everywhere began setting off firecrackers, welcoming the new year and new hope amidst the festive crackle.

This year, there was a Spring Festival Gala. After dinner, many people gathered in front of their televisions to watch it.

Everything was heading in the best possible direction.

Grace Winslow looked at Archer Rhys. In the lamplight, his face seemed somewhat indistinct.

She waved at him, and he waved back in response.

Fireworks burst in the distance, illuminating half the sky over the Forbidden City.

It was customary to stay up for the New Year’s vigil during the Spring Festival. The family sat together inside, warmed by the heated kang bed and a charcoal fire. Outside, a vast expanse of white covered everything; the snow had been falling for a long time.

The sound of firecrackers showed no signs of stopping and would likely continue until one or two in the morning.

The children, tired from playing, had all been taken back to bed.

Nolan Winslow and Brandon Winslow had also gone home with their wives.

Grace Winslow warmed herself by the fire. Beside her, Joanne Chase and Irene Lynch were knitting, while Gregory Winslow watched TV, bobbing his head to and fro.

Archer Rhys sat nearby, watching her with a smile.

The old man had originally planned to stay up all night with them but had been persuaded by Archer Rhys to go to bed.

The night was both long and fleeting.

Grace Winslow made it past three in the morning before she couldn’t stay awake any longer. She was yawning nonstop, her eyes watering.

Finally, Archer Rhys carried her back to bed.

Seeing that her precious daughter had finally found her safe harbor, Irene Lynch’s heart filled with joy, and she couldn’t stop herself from wiping away a tear.

Gregory Winslow put an arm around her. "What are you crying for? This is a good thing. Our daughter has finally moved on from the shadows of her past. You should be happy."

"Alright, let’s go to bed. We have to be up early tomorrow."

It was a lively night, a night of a million lights, a small step for the nation on its path to prosperity and splendor.

Grace Winslow didn’t wake up until after ten the next morning.

When she opened her eyes, sunlight was already streaming in through the window.

She could hear the sounds of children playing outside. She rubbed her eyes, threw on some clothes, and stepped out the door. It was only then she realized it had snowed all night. The entire world was a blanket of white. A thick layer of snow covered the courtyard, where Ryan Winslow and the other kids were busy building a snowman and having a snowball fight.

"Auntie Grace, come see the snowman I made! Isn’t it great?" Ryan Winslow called out as soon as he saw her.

As children from the south, it was their first time seeing so much snow, and they were having a blast.

The snow had stopped falling. The flowers, plants, and trees in the courtyard were all laden with a thick layer of white. Every so often, a gust of wind would send sheets of snow cascading down.

Grace Winslow stood under the eaves. "I’m not coming out, it’s too cold. Where’s your grandmother?"

"Grandma’s in the front hall. Uncle Archer is already up, so why were you still sleeping in, Auntie Grace?" Ryan Winslow pointed toward the front hall, then made a teasing face at her.

Grace Winslow shot him a glare. It was freezing outside.

She turned back into her room, got dressed properly, pulled on a pair of gloves, and only then headed for the front hall.

It was tradition not to cook on the first day of the New Year, so they ate leftovers from the day before.

Nolan Winslow and his family weren’t coming over, so for lunch, it was just the children and the few adults.

When Irene Lynch saw that Grace was up, she couldn’t help but let out a small, knowing laugh.

Grace’s face instantly turned bright red.

’It seems the whole family knows about my little ’thing’ with Archer Rhys.’

She threw caution to the wind, walked straight over, and sat down. "Mom, I’m hungry. What are we eating today?"

"Eat whatever you want. See? There’s food on the table. There’s still some hot congee in the pot. If you want some, go get it yourself."

"Oh, where’s Archer?" Grace Winslow asked, nodding as she reached out and popped a piece of meat into her mouth.

Irene Lynch reached out as if to swat her. "Are you crazy? It’s cold! You’ll give yourself a stomachache eating that."

"Archer just stepped out. He said he had some business to take care of and would be back soon."

Grace Winslow sullenly pulled her hand back. "I’ll go find him then."

With that, she rubbed her ears and skipped out the door.

The snow outside was thick, and a string of footprints marked the ground. Most parents were keeping their children indoors, afraid they’d catch a cold and get sick, so the streets were very quiet.

As a result, even the slightest sound was exceptionally clear.

Grace heard the sounds of a fight, and it wasn’t far off.

For some reason, her heart began to pound. She had a nagging feeling the sounds were familiar—it sounded like Archer.

She remembered his wounds hadn’t fully healed. ’If he’s fighting, what if they tear open again? It must be excruciatingly painful.’

She picked up her pace, running toward the source of the sounds.

Passing a house, she spotted a steel shovel by the door and grabbed it without breaking stride.

After rounding a few alley corners, she finally arrived.

Three men were surrounding a lone Archer Rhys, and the fight was brutal.

Blood stained the ground—it was impossible to tell whose. Archer Rhys’s jacket was already soaked crimson.

Grace’s mind went blank. With barely a moment’s hesitation, she raised the shovel and swung it directly at the man closest to her.

They were ganging up on Archer, so in her mind, they were the enemy. She didn’t hesitate. Her initial intent was to strike him with the flat of the shovel, but just as the blow was about to land, she turned the blade vertically. The edge of the shovel connected, and the man’s face was instantly covered in blood. He stared at her, his expression a mixture of terror and disbelief, before slowly crumpling to the ground.

Archer had already noticed her. "What are you doing here?" he roared in a low voice. "Go back!"

His voice was harsh and cold, devoid of its usual warmth.

But Grace paid him no mind, advancing again with the shovel raised.

This time, however, they were ready for her, and her attack failed.

"I’m not going back!" Grace stubbornly refused to leave, moving closer to Archer while frantically swinging the shovel.

"Well, well, look what we have here. A little lover," one of the men sneered. "No wonder you wanted to retire. You wanted to come back and keep her company, eh? Too bad, Archer Rhys. Today, you die. As for her... heh heh... I’d hate to see her die. So soft and delicate. I’ll humiliate her, torture her, right in front of you. Make you wish you were dead."

The man opposite them had a savage expression, and a long scar on his face made him look like a soul-reaping demon crawled up from the depths of hell.

"Pah! Good will always triumph over evil! You won’t get away with this!" Grace spat in his direction. Looking around, she began banging the shovel against a nearby door, shouting at the top of her lungs, "Help! Kidnappers! They’re trying to steal children!"

Her shouts immediately brought results. Doors on both sides of the alley flew open, and men emerged one after another, looking fierce and brandishing carrying poles and shovels.

Grace seized the opportunity to help Archer retreat to the side. "Quick!" she yelled to the neighbors. "They’re all kidnappers! They came here to steal children, and we caught them! Subdue them, quickly! The police station isn’t far! Whoever’s a fast runner, go report this! Get the police over here to arrest them!"

"Catch them and you’ll be named a Good Citizen! You could get a commendation banner, maybe even the Civilized Household award!"

Grace yelled from the sidelines.

At this, everyone’s eyes lit up.

In that era, no one could turn down such honors.

They didn’t even seem to care how menacing the men looked anymore. Waving their makeshift weapons, they charged straight ahead.