Despite his complaints, Jiang Li was still in a good mood when he got back to his room. He knocked on the door next door and said, "Bring your empty bowls over."

Upon hearing this, the professor next door immediately smiled. The two of them came over with clean bowls, and Jiang Li divided the remaining rabbit meat and vegetables into the professor and his wife's bowls: "I had someone secretly prepare this. Remember to clean it up after you finish eating."

Those living in the cowshed rarely get to eat anything good. Some villagers avoid them like the plague. If the villagers can't afford meat, why should these people eat it?

Seeing Jiang Li's painstaking explanation, the two nodded in understanding.

They live here, and even if they have money, they can't leave this place, let alone buy meat. "This meat, no one can give it to us so easily. I'll go get the meat coupons and money later."

When Dai Chang'an and his group arrived, they altered their clothes, adding many pockets to hide a considerable amount of money and tickets.

I never expected that once I got here, I wouldn't be able to spend the money I had.

But now, seeing all this meat and eggs, I'm glad I have money in my hands, enough to buy two full meals and some oil.

Jiang Li didn't refuse when he heard this. It was good that way, so he wouldn't have to make up excuses later. He was a good person now, but in such an extreme situation, he shouldn't rush to be a good person, lest he inflate people's expectations.

That would only cause trouble for yourself.

Now people will even say thank you when they give you money. This kind of relationship is good, harmonious, and friendly. If we get along like this, they won't feel obligated to give us gifts in the future.

"Sigh, it's so hard to get a bite of meat. Will there be any meat tomorrow?" Dai Chang'an asked.

Jiang Li shook his head: "I don't know. You have no idea how timid that person is. He's afraid of people like us even if he keeps coming into contact with us."

"It's only because everyone's staying home today that he dared to cook a little more."

Professor Dai sighed. He could understand the situation. "I don't know how much longer we'll have to live like this."

Jiang Li sighed as well: "Don't worry, you'll definitely be able to go back. The country can't develop without scholars. You two are both talented people, and you'll be able to go back someday."

"You all need to stay calm. If you hold on, you'll definitely get back." Jiang Li remembered what Han Qiushi had said: Lin Xiaoxiao often read books, and there were two teachers here...

No, it's not the right time yet. We must wait until things are a little better before we let Qiushi's wife have a good teacher.

......

"Ta-da..."

"Comrades... assemble at the brigade headquarters immediately!!"

"One person from each family must stay behind; the rest of the family must assemble at the brigade headquarters!!"

"Ta-da..."

From the direction of the threshing ground, the sound of gongs rang out. Lin Xiaoxiao quickly put on her clothes and soon came out with Han Qiushi. They opened the courtyard gate and went out, only to find many people also coming out. "What's going on? Why are they banging gongs in the middle of the night?"

"Could something serious have happened?"

"Something must have happened, otherwise why would they be calling us in the middle of the night?"

Lin Xiaoxiao and Han Qiushi exchanged a glance and walked towards the threshing ground.

From afar, one could see that the main force had lit many torches.

Upon closer inspection, it became clear that most of the villagers were there, with several people weeping and wailing.

What happened?

Everything was fine during the day, so how did something happen at night?

One of the aunties kept crying, and eventually fainted from crying.

"Little Tiger Mom, you have to hold on..."

Everyone who came over stared wide-eyed; it was clear something serious had happened.

Captain Wang and the remaining village cadres all had serious expressions on their faces, while a dozen or so men and women stood by, some crying and some shouting.

Some people who didn't know what was going on stood on the side, looking completely bewildered. What was happening?

"My child..."

"What did you say, you old hag? The child is missing?"

"Little Tiger's mother cried a lot too. Weren't these two children playing together in the village during the day?"

"Could the child really be lost?"

The villagers stood on the sidelines; some who were on good terms with them offered words of comfort, while others whispered amongst themselves with their heads down.

When most of the villagers and educated youth had arrived, Captain Wang tapped the gong in his hand to quiet everyone down.

"We called everyone out in the middle of the night because Xiao Hu, A Gou, and Man Cang from the village haven't come home yet."

Seeing the child's parents crying and shouting, everyone had some guesses in their hearts. Upon hearing the news, they were still shocked and their faces showed great anxiety.

"How could this be? Have you looked? Have you searched all the places you frequent?"

"I saw them chasing after Big Black during the day, playing wildly," an auntie said.

Dahei is a dog belonging to a family in the village. Many children would go to play with the dog when they were bored. The dog is familiar with people from childhood and will never hurt anyone, so everyone feels at ease with it.

So, in the village, you could often see either dogs chasing children or children chasing dogs. Nothing serious happened before, so no one paid attention to it.

Captain Wang nodded upon hearing this: "Everyone saw them chasing the dog, and some people also saw them when the sun went down."

Xiao Hu's father asked anxiously, "Did anyone see them at dinner?"

Xiao Hu's parents, along with the parents of the other two children, returned home and didn't see their child, assuming the child was being naughty and staying away from home again.

They didn't really care. Usually, the children would come home naturally when it was time to eat. But when everyone had almost finished eating in the evening, the parents would realize that their children hadn't come home yet.

Realizing something was wrong, the whole family went out to look for them, only to find that none of the three children had returned home.

The three families all searched for the child together. They asked and searched the fields, the riverbank, and the foot of the mountain, and asked all the other children who had played with the child, but there was still no trace of the child.

After discussing it, they found Captain Wang.

Everyone was lost in their memories. "Ah Gou was chasing dogs at the end of the village just as it was getting dark," an old woman said.

"I didn't see the person, but I heard the dog barking around that time," one of the women said.

...

Based on the information provided by several people, the last time they saw the child was around 5 p.m., when it was already dark.

It was already past nine o'clock at night, and the villagers couldn't help but think of the worst-case scenario of their child being lost.

"Those of you chatting at the village entrance today, did you see anyone from another village come in?"

Everyone felt a chill; Captain Wang suspected that someone had come to Wangjia Village to steal children.

The group of people who usually chatted under the big tree at the village entrance came out and responded, "No."

"I didn't see it either."

"Does the son-in-law of the Li family in the next village count?"

Captain Wang shook his head: "No, it doesn't count if you come to the village frequently."

"A stranger, a stranger who came to the village?!"