Tang Bei couldn't help but sigh at how incredibly smart his sister was.

Qiligou is located in northeastern China. Days are shorter in winter, and people here typically eat two meals a day. The afternoon meal usually falls around 4 PM. It gets dark soon after dinner.

Shortly after Tang Yue's family finished their meal, Qian Dazhi and Old Li were preparing to go up the mountain to check on the situation again when Chen Qingshan arrived at Qiligou on his bicycle once more.

Lin Cuicui hurriedly welcomed him into the house, "Comrade Chen, you've really worked hard. Why did you come at a time like this?"

Tang Bei brought Chen Qingshan a bowl of warm water, which Chen Qingshan took and gulped down in one go.

He wiped his mouth with his sleeve. "This matter is too important. The county just finished investigating, so I rushed over here."

Seeing that everyone's eyes were fixed on him, Chen Qingshan didn't keep them in suspense.

“Yesterday when I got back, I mentioned everyone’s concerns and worries to the leaders, and they took the issue very seriously. After that, they called several surrounding counties to inquire about the situation.”

They hadn't expected things to escalate to such a serious point, and immediately sent people to check on each household. The town leaders also personally verified the identities of all the hunters in our county.

The spies only killed the hunter's family; they didn't harm the entire village. The villagers of the hunter who escaped were also not persecuted.

In addition, the county also consulted with higher-level leaders.

After some discussion, the higher authorities unanimously agreed that since it was peacetime, the villagers would not dare to commit a large-scale massacre of the village.

If they actually do that, it will cause another breakdown in relations between the two countries, and could potentially lead to another war. We can't afford a war right now.

Therefore, the possibility of spies massacring the village is almost zero. Tell the villagers not to worry, but they should still try their best to stay safe and not go out alone.

Chen Qingshan explained the whole story and the people involved to everyone, ultimately arriving at this conclusion. Tang Yue thought he was quite meticulous in his work.

Tang Shengkai, Lin Cuicui, Qian Dazhi, Old Man Li, and the others all breathed a sigh of relief. If that was the case, then all the better. Not implicating the villagers would lessen their guilt.

"Comrade Chen probably hasn't had dinner yet. Please sit on the kang for a while, and I'll go make you some food."

Old Li looked at Chen Qingshan and said, "Comrade Chen, it's getting dark outside. Why don't you stay in the village for the night and go back tomorrow? It's not safe to walk at night."

Chen Qingshan looked at Tang Shengkai's house and remained silent for a moment.

Old Li understood Chen Qingshan's concerns; if the spies came at night, he would also be implicated.

"The old man lives alone, and I've been staying with my third brother for the past two days."

"If Comrade Chen doesn't mind, you can stay at my place tonight. It's just that the conditions are a bit basic."

Chen Qingshan nodded and thanked him repeatedly. It wasn't that he lacked backbone, but he was indeed a weak scholar, unable to carry heavy loads or lift anything, and had very little strength.

If they were to actually fight a spy, he would definitely be the one who drags them down.

After the meal, Old Li took Chen Qingshan to his house, while Qian Dazhi wandered around Tang Shengkai's yard to check.

The family sat down on the kang (a heated brick bed), but their mood didn't lighten much. The villagers were fine now, but their own lives were still hanging in the balance.

Tang Yue lowered her eyes and thought for a moment, then raised her head again and said something that shocked her family even more.

“Our family is different from other hunter families.”