As soon as the police jeep drove away from the village entrance, more than twenty villagers wrapped in thick cotton-padded coats had already gathered in Ji Yanchen's yard.

The chill of midwinter couldn't dampen people's enthusiasm for watching the spectacle; their chatter rose and fell like a flock of sparrows foraging for food in the snow.

Ji Yanchen's tall figure blocked the doorway, his face gloomy.

Zi Xi took a step closer without making a sound, and quietly squeezed his fingers, which were red from the cold. She felt the cold sweat seeping from his palms, which emitted a faint white vapor in the cold wind.

"Hey kid, what are the police doing searching your house in this freezing weather?"

"I heard it's because your family still has gold? Did those people not take everything away, or did you secretly hide it?"

Aunt Wang, wrapped in a faded red headscarf, squeezed to the front, her eyes constantly glancing into the house.

The noisy discussion stopped abruptly. Everyone held their breath, their eyes filled with suspicion and greed as they stared at Ji Yanchen, their breaths mingling in the air.

Zi Xi could feel his whole body tense up, so she stepped forward first, a polite smile on her face.

"Dear uncles and aunts, this is a deliberate rumor! The police have already investigated and found that Comrade Ji's family has no gold at all."

Her clear voice was like a ray of warm sunshine in winter, melting away the stagnant air.

Several snickers immediately rose from the crowd.

"No gold? No gold and the police have come all this way? The Ji family's ancestors were landlords... They have countless treasures..."

Wearing a cotton-padded coat, Zhang Laosan hugged his arms and stomped his feet, then spat into the snow.

Quiet whispers spread through the crowd.

Ji Yanchen's Adam's apple bobbed, and Zi Xi gently nudged his elbow.

“They dismantled the roof beams to inspect them that year, and they’re inspecting them again today, which only proves my innocence.”

"Besides, if I really had gold, I would have bought a job and moved to the city with my partner long ago. Why would I be stuck here freezing?"

Ji Yanchen's voice was deep and powerful, and his breath dissipated in the cold wind. He paused, then glanced at everyone and sneered.

Several elderly people began to nod, their ears, hidden under thick cotton hats, were red from the cold.

"Then why did they search your house specifically? Isn't there something fishy going on? You can't hide a dead child forever!"

But Zhang Laosan was still not giving up, and wrapped his cotton-padded coat tighter around himself and shouted.

"This is a receipt for the property confiscated by the government back then."

Zi Xi calmly took out the yellowed envelope from her bag, the paper rustling in the cold wind.

Ji Yanchen turned his head sharply and saw Zi Xi looking calm and composed, her eyes instantly regaining their composure despite her pale face from the cold.

The old village chief, wearing reading glasses, recognized the document with trembling fingers: "Yes, it has an official seal, from the winter of 1973..."

The note was passed from hand to hand, which were red from the cold. The writing on it had faded, but it was still undeniably genuine.

"The police confirmed it today, and they even said the person who reported it is in our village!"

Zi Xi breathed out white steam to replenish the fire, and then added more fuel to the flames.

Ji Yanchen watched Zi Xi's fluid and graceful performance, his heart filled with complex emotions.

The receipt was indeed genuine, but what was handed over was just a drop in the ocean.

More gold bars and silver coins are currently lying peacefully in a place known only to Zi Xi.

He was curious, but since Zi Xi wouldn't tell him where the item was hidden, he didn't ask.

"Hey, I knew Ji was honest!"

"Lin Qingqing, when are you getting married? Your auntie will steam some wedding buns for you!"

Aunt Wang's expression changed faster than turning the pages of a book; she warmly took Zi Xi's frozen hand.

The atmosphere immediately became lively, with everyone asking questions at once, their breaths mingling in the air.