The aroma of cooking filled the house: I sent my eldest brother to become the Grand Secretary.

At this moment, Shen Cao was having a pleasant conversation with the village chief and others, listening attentively to their words.

However, a sudden burst of noise reached her ears, shattering the previously harmonious atmosphere.

Out of curiosity, she turned around at the sound, trying to find the source of the noise.

The instant she turned her head, a rock the size of her fist hurtled toward her at an astonishing speed!

The stone shot off like an arrow, and in the blink of an eye it was almost within reach.

If such a huge rock were to hit her face directly, the consequences would be unimaginable—at best, her face would be completely disfigured, and at worst, her life could be in danger!

Faced with this sudden crisis, Shen Cao was in such a dangerous situation for the first time in his life. For a moment, he was so frightened that his legs went weak, as if he were being pressed down by heavy lead weights, and he could not move an inch.

As the stone drew ever closer, she was terrified, yet utterly powerless to stop it.

In a panic, she instinctively raised her hands and held them tightly in front of her face, trying to use her arms to shield herself from the impending blow.

At this critical moment, a miracle happened!

Shen Cao felt a powerful force suddenly lift her body up, causing her to instantly rise into the air.

The rapidly approaching stone narrowly missed her hair, creating a gust of wind that tousled her hair.

At that critical moment, Ji Lingfeng flashed and arrived at Shen Cao's side as quickly as lightning, then suddenly lifted her into his arms.

Then, with a graceful and fluid movement, he made a magnificent turn, instantly transporting Shen Cao to a relatively safe place.

Shen Cao was still immersed in the thrilling scene just now, her whole body was still in shock and her body was trembling slightly.

Ji Lingfeng held her tightly the whole time, without moving, as if he was afraid that he would lose her if he relaxed his grip even slightly.

He gently extended a hand and carefully placed it on Shen Cao's back, then began to pat it rhythmically.

That hand was broad and warm, conveying endless peace of mind and comfort to Shen Cao through the thin clothes.

At the same time, Ji Lingfeng leaned down and put his lips close to Shen Cao's ear, speaking softly in a voice as gentle as heavenly music: "It's alright... don't be afraid... everything is over."

His voice seemed to possess a magical power, like a cool spring flowing gently into Shen Cao's panicked heart, gradually calming the fear and dread deep within her.

As time went by, Shen Cao gradually recovered from her shock, and her tense body slowly relaxed. Finally, she quietly nestled in Ji Lingfeng's broad embrace.

After a long while, Shen Cao's consciousness slowly returned from the chaos.

At first, she felt as if she were in a warm and soft cloud, surrounded by a reassuring atmosphere.

Gradually, she began to feel herself being tightly enveloped by a broad, strong, and powerful chest.

His chest, like a solid fortress, gave her an unprecedented sense of security.

Just then, Shen Cao finally regained consciousness. She blinked hard, trying to see the situation before her.

However, as her vision gradually cleared, she found herself being embraced by Ji Lingfeng!

In an instant, her cheeks flushed bright red, like a ripe apple.

A mix of panic and shyness overwhelmed her, causing her to involuntarily struggle to break free from this sudden intimate contact.

Ji Lingfeng was clearly still immersed in the wonderful moment just now and did not react immediately to Shen Cao's actions.

It wasn't until he felt a sudden emptiness in his chest that he realized, as if waking from a dream, that the beauty in his arms had already left.

He looked down at his empty hands, a hint of loss and reluctance in his eyes, as if he still felt a lingering sense of regret for that brief moment of tenderness.

Suddenly, a large crowd of onlookers surged forth, gathering rapidly like a tide, curiously watching the farce unfold before them.

The guy who had just caused trouble was still relentless, desperately crowding towards Shen Cao's location as if he wanted to devour her alive.

At the critical moment, the village chief and his son stepped forward, standing firmly in front of Shen Cao, forming a solid defensive line with their own bodies. They were deeply worried, fearing that these madmen would cause Shen Cao any harm.

Ji Lingfeng, standing to the side, was also tense, clinging tightly to Shen Cao, not daring to leave her side for even a moment, lest the terrible scene just now repeat itself.

Fortunately, the rioters retained some semblance of rationality and did not throw any more objects after throwing one stone.

However, they were extremely agitated, shouting vicious words that wanted Shen Cao to die, while their bodies continued to push forward, trying to break through the village chief and his son's obstruction.

Just then, the personnel responsible for patrolling the dock noticed the unusual situation.

They acted swiftly, bringing in more reinforcements. Before long, the chaotic scene was successfully brought under control.

Although the troublemakers have been brought under control, their resentment has not subsided, and they continue to mutter, "Collecting rent is simply cutting off our livelihood! Since we can't survive anyway, we'll take Shen Cao down with us even if we die!"

The patrolmen were all members of the Axe Gang, and they recognized Shen Cao.

However, faced with such a difficult situation, even they, with their extensive experience, felt helpless and at a loss for what to do.

They all looked troubled and walked slowly toward Shen Cao's location with slightly hesitant steps.

When they arrived in front of Shen Cao, one of them forced himself to ask, "Miss Shen, what do you think is the best way to handle this situation?" As he spoke, he unconsciously scratched the back of his head, looking somewhat embarrassed and helpless.

Upon hearing the sound, Shen Cao turned her gaze away from the distance and instead looked at the group of people causing trouble in front of her.

Upon closer inspection, she noticed that these people were dressed very simply, all in rough cloth clothes with many patches on them.

Looking more closely at their faces, one can clearly see the marks left by the passage of time and the ravages of wind and frost, which must have been caused by years of exposure to the elements.

Shen Cao knew that they were all poor families and might have been instigated by others to think that she was repairing the dock in order to collect rent.

Once the docks start charging rent, it will be tantamount to cutting off their means of survival.

At this moment, the group of troublemakers were staring intently at Shen Cao with fierce expressions, their eyes revealing undisguised hostility and fear.

There was another person among them whom she knew.

Clearly, the village chief also recognized the person; it was Aunt Li who had glared at Shen Cao a couple of days ago.

As more and more people gathered around, Shen Cao thought for a moment and said, "Let's report it to the authorities."

"Go to the government office and tell them that you need the county magistrate to handle this matter personally."

Soon, the county magistrate arrived with a group of yamen runners.

The county magistrate frowned. He first walked up to Shen Cao and showed her concern.

"Miss Shen, I heard you were almost injured. Are you alright?"

Shen Cao shook his head and pointed at the troublemakers, "The county magistrate should already know the ins and outs of the matter."

"These are the people who just caused trouble."