Li Baojun said, "We don't know the answer, so I'll go report it to the police and let them help us find the thief and bring him to justice."

"Hurry, hurry, go quickly!" Luo Aiqing said anxiously. "We need to get the police to find out who did it and catch the thief so we can get our things back. Alas, now we don't even have anything to eat. What are we going to do?"

"Not only is there no food, but we've also run out of cooking utensils and no money to buy anything to eat. Sigh." Li Baojun's stomach growled twice.

He stood up: "You guys wait at home, I'll go right away."

"Okay, okay, we'll be waiting for your good news at home."

Li Hongying sobbed, "Mom, everything is gone. All my newly bought clothes are gone."

"Daughter, once your dad reports it to the police and they catch that wicked thief, we'll get your things back. Let's wait and see."

Li Hongying felt comforted and her mood improved somewhat.

Li Baojun immediately went to the Public Security Bureau. The police officers came to investigate but found no useful clues. However, they did find the few banned books hidden under the table, as well as two letters of treason.

Although Li Baojun vehemently denied that the items were his, the evidence was undeniable, and Li Baojun's words were baseless. He and Luo Aiqing were both to be taken away.

Before the police left, Li Hongying revealed her guess.

"Officer, my cousin doesn't get along with my family. I suspect she stole things from our house last night. Could you go to her house and check?"

If it really is Luo Jingyan, she wants her to experience what it's like to go to jail.

The police officer nodded: "Tell us her name and home address, and we will go."

After Luo Aiqing and Li Baojun were taken away, only Li Hongying was left at home. She was deeply affected by the incident and became somewhat disoriented for a time.

Not knowing what to do, she went to Zhao Wensong, but Zhao Wensong's family had no power or influence, and Gao Tieshan had already fallen from power, so Zhao Wensong took the opportunity to break up with her.

Li Hongying lost her parents and boyfriend overnight, and her family was left without even a grain of rice. She had no choice but to find a job to support herself.

Luo Jingyan hadn't been idle since early morning. She was secretly keeping an eye on the Li family's movements. If the Li family didn't do something stupid, she was even planning to report them. But this saved her the trouble.

However, there is still one problem with Li Hongying that hasn't been solved.

She thought that Li Hongying might also be sent to the countryside, and rather than giving her the opportunity to go to a better place, she would rather register her to go to the Northwest herself.

When she arrived at the educated youth settlement, she discovered that the person in charge of registration was not Liu Zheng, but a woman who looked to be in her thirties.

Unsure if things would go smoothly, she approached the woman and said, "Comrade, I'm here to register my cousin Li for the rural service program. She's sick today, so she asked me to help her register."

The woman looked at her and asked, "What's your cousin's name?"

"Li Hongying".

The woman thought for a moment and said, "Her name is already on the list. Now tell me her home address so I can see if it's the same person."

Luo Jingyan gave Li Baojun's address, and the woman said, "He has already registered, so there's no need to register again."

Luo Jingyan dared not ask any more questions, fearing that the woman would discover something.

"Look, she's already registered without even telling me, making me come all this way for nothing. Since she's already registered, that's fine, comrade, you're busy, I'm leaving."

Before she left, she glanced at a newspaper on her desk, which prominently displayed the words: "Traitor Gao Tieshan has seriously damaged national interests and was executed by firing squad yesterday. His wife, an accomplice, has been sentenced to life imprisonment."

Luo Jingyan's heart trembled slightly. She never thought that she would do such a "big thing" one day. However, it was Gao Tieshan's own fault. She could only be considered an unsung hero who acted on behalf of heaven.

Even after leaving the educated youth settlement, she was still very confused about Li Hongying's trip to the countryside.

Could it be that Li Hongying herself reported herself to be sent to the countryside? Where would she report herself to?

As she was pondering, she ran into someone. It was Zhao Wensong. When Zhao Wensong saw her, he opened his mouth as if to say something, but Luo Jingyan ignored him and walked away.

But when she turned around, she found that Zhao Wensong had also entered the educated youth settlement.

She ignored her and left.

In a simple house, the door was locked, and a disheveled couple, who had just been brought back from outside, sat on the wooden bed. The woman was weeping.

"I never imagined that after working diligently for over a decade, I would end up like this. My biggest worry now is Jingyan and Xiaotian. I wonder how they are doing out there, and whether they can take care of themselves. Will we be able to see them one last time before we are sent down to the countryside?"

The man didn't know how to comfort his wife, so he could only hold her tightly in his arms.

Not long after Luo Jingyan arrived home, two police officers came to her door.

They showed their work badges: "You must be Comrade Luo Jingyan."

"yes."

Luo Jingyan remained calm. She hadn't done anything wrong, so what was there to be afraid of?

"Here's the thing, we suspect you're involved in a burglary. Can we check your house?"

"Who did I steal from?" she asked, feigning surprise.

"Your aunt's house."

"What? My aunt's house was robbed!"

"Yes, your cousin said you don't get along with them, so she suspects you did it."

Luo Jingyan did not hide her relationship with the Li family: "Yes, my aunt's family bullied my brother and me. I hate them, but I absolutely did not steal from them. Officers, do you think I would do such a thing?"

Both police officers subconsciously shook their heads. It was impossible for one person to wipe out almost the entire Li family overnight, let alone a girl like Luo Jingyan.

Luo Jingyan stepped aside and said, "If you want to investigate, of course I will cooperate. Please."

The police conducted a cursory search inside but found nothing belonging to the Li family. They said "excuse me" to Luo Jingyan and left.

In a farmhouse courtyard on the outskirts of Beijing, eighteen-year-old Lin Shanshan knelt in the center of the yard, looking up at the sky with two lines of clear tears in her eyes.

Her lips trembled, and she dared not utter a sound.

In my heart, I silently prayed: Dad, may you rest in peace. Mom, I will definitely find a way to get you out.