Qi Shuli is no good!

Secretary Qi glanced at Qi Shuli and asked, "If it's not someone from the village, then who could it be? Zhou Sihai told me to my face that we were from the village. Would he have any reason to lie to us?"

"Ahem!" Qi Shuli coughed twice. "Those people were originally labor reform personnel sent down to the countryside. Perhaps someone from above is causing trouble, or maybe... they're those educated youth..."

Qi Shuli had long disliked those arrogant educated youth, and now that he had a chance to smear them, he naturally wouldn't let it pass. After all, it was just suspicion, not evidence, and he wasn't exactly making things up.

Zhao Dajiao glanced up at Qi Shuli, then looked down again, pursing her lips. That old scoundrel, probably eyeing some young girl again. Those educated youths weren't very old, and they were quite good-looking. They didn't have a chance before, but now that they do, they're showing their true colors—a complete old rogue.

Besides, those educated youth and the people who were sent down to the countryside had no contact with each other and no conflicts, so why would they report them?

Qi Shuqiang, the team leader, said, "Second Brother Shuli, what you said makes sense. People in our village shouldn't do such a thing."

Qi Shuming, the captain of the second team, looked at Qi Shuli and Qi Shuqiang, took a deep drag on his pipe, and said, "We haven't caught them in the act yet, so we can't be sure who it is. Although those educated youths are a bit spoiled, they are not blind people and shouldn't do such a thing."

Qi Shuli chuckled awkwardly and said, "It was just a few of us. I was just saying. I didn't say it was definitely done by the educated youth."

“That’s right, it’s just talk. If those educated youths can’t report it, then it’s even less likely that they would do it in our village, where everyone is from the same village.” Team leader Qi Shuqiang, who was closer to Qi Shuli, spoke up for Qi Shuli.

Secretary Qi knew that the first and second team leaders usually liked to compete, but he didn't expect them to argue about this matter as well.

Ugh, they're all such a handful. Don't they even realize what's going on in the world? They're still fighting amongst themselves!

"Since no one can say who it is, let's go back and think about it some more," Secretary Qi said, not wanting to see them argue, and told them to leave. It was better to go back and look for clues than to let them argue here.

“Yes, this matter can’t be investigated in a short time, so let’s investigate it slowly and thoroughly. We can’t wrong an innocent person, nor can we let a bad person go free.” Qi Shuli said righteously and solemnly, “Secretary Qi, you must be exhausted today, so we won’t disturb you any longer. Get some rest, so you can find the mole when you’re in good spirits.”

"Yes, yes," Qi Shuqiang echoed again, like a yes-man to Qi Shuli.

Second team leader Qi Shuming said, "Secretary Qi, this matter is suspicious. There are many people in the village, and it's unlikely that we can find any useful information here. If possible, Secretary Qi, you should ask someone from higher up to help investigate and find out who reported it. Teach him a lesson and let him know the consequences. We can't let one person bring trouble to the whole village."

The constant re-education is disrupting production and work. Who is it that's stirring up trouble and causing chaos in Qijia Village? Honestly, during Secretary Qi's tenure as village secretary, the village was very peaceful, and other villages didn't dare cause trouble. He usually took care of the villagers and managed to get tangible benefits from the commune, which was already good enough.

Some people only see what's in front of them and don't consider the long term. When they realize they've gained less than before, they start to regret it.

Seeing that everyone was talking, Zhao Dajiao, having come all this way, couldn't remain silent. After thinking for a moment, she said, "Secretary Qi, actually, this matter isn't difficult to investigate. First, Zhou Sihai said that person wrote a letter of denunciation. This eliminates many people. There aren't many literate people in our village, only about twenty or thirty in total, and with the educated youth, it's less than forty. Also, if a letter is written, it has to be sent to the commune, so we can check who went to the county town during this period. This eliminates even more people, narrowing down the remaining few and making the investigation much easier."

Several people looked at Zhao Dajiao, the director of the Women's Federation. She was quite something. If Zhao Dajiao were a man, Secretary Qi would be willing to let her be the village secretary.

Narrowing down the search is always better than finding a needle in a haystack.

“Alright, let’s do it this way. The three of you go and check which literate people have been to the county town during this period.” Secretary Qi also thought this matter was reliable. After the busy farming season was over, he would go to the county commune to ask. “Let’s prepare for both possibilities. Now is the busy farming season, and we need to harvest the corn and rice as soon as possible. That’s the most important thing.”

Secretary Qi confessed that nothing was more important than a full stomach. If the food was gone, life was gone. How could he care about re-education and other campaigns?

The group agreed wholeheartedly, exchanged a few words, assigned tasks, and then left.

After the village officials left, Liang Hongyu came out from the inner room. There were too many people around, so she couldn't be there or interrupt. Now that it was just the two of them, she slowly said, "Dajiao's method is good. I also need to find someone to help me inquire. Dazhu, since we have no grudges against the people in the village, if someone is reporting us, it's possible that someone is after your position as village secretary. I didn't dare to say anything when the village officials were here."

Secretary Qi sneered, knocked the ash from his copper pipe, and said, "The village isn't as peaceful as we imagined. I was careless before, and I can't let that happen again. No matter what's happening outside, as long as we make proper arrangements for those few staff members who have been sent down to the countryside, that's more important than anything else."

“That’s right. Those who are healthy should do the heavier work, and those who are not healthy should do the lighter work. Just make sure they’re not idle. That way, those who are into sports can’t do anything about it,” Liang Hongyu said. “My son specifically asked us to take good care of Old Man Bai. It seems that some people in the village have already noticed that we treat Old Man Bai differently. We can’t openly help Old Man Bai anymore. We have to think of a way to get others to step in.”

"Oh dear! What a mess!" Secretary Qi sighed, then suddenly his eyes lit up. Thinking of today's hero, he said, "I've got it! Sweetie is a clever girl. If it weren't for her today, I would have been in trouble too. When you have time tomorrow, ask Sweetie to secretly take care of Old Man Bai. She works in the livestock team, so it will be more convenient for her."

Liang Hongyu nodded and said, "That's a good idea. That girl is clever. We can rest assured leaving her in charge. When there are job opportunities or opportunities to go to university, we'll keep an eye out for her."

“That’s for sure,” Secretary Qi said. “I never treat people unfairly, but the world has been in turmoil lately, and there haven’t been any spots available. Fortunately, the village has enough food, and that sweet girl is still young. We can arrange it when things calm down and she turns eighteen.”

Liang Hongyu was very satisfied with her husband's arrangement and said, "Alright, I'll tell Tianya tomorrow when I see her that she's clever and will definitely complete the task."

He Tiantian is very smart and knows what's best for her. As long as they reveal the promised benefits, He Tiantian will definitely help.