Logically speaking, during the wheat harvest season, farmers should spend at least a month in the fields, not even wanting to waste time going home for meals.

Huichuan County is truly a strange place. You can't see anyone in the sky, but the market is bustling with people, and the various hawkers' cries create a lively atmosphere.

Here, you can even see people selling freshwater prawns!

These large, brightly colored prawns with deep blue claws are a new type of shrimp that they have only seen in Yanjing City, and they are a hot commodity that people line up to buy.

Now they are placed in an ordinary-looking large wooden tub, available for people to choose from.

Especially the various kinds of candy, which are both eye-catching and appetizing.

One of the young members of the investigation team bought half a pound of bean root candy. He carried the package in straw paper and handed out the candy to everyone.

"Wow, that's cheap! No ticket needed, only six cents!"

This bean root candy is made from soybean flour, maltose, and wheat flour. It's not very sweet, but it has a rich bean flavor and is quite chewy.

The head of the investigation team was a thin old man with sparse, gray hair. He had a bean curd candy in his mouth as he strolled from one end of the Huichuan market to the other.

Finally, he exclaimed, "Pretty good!"

They spent about a week conducting research and gained a comprehensive understanding of the situation in Huichuan County.

Next, they will reveal their identities and move into the Huichuan County Party Committee.

As it happened, Zhao Sheng's investigation team also arrived in Huichuan County at that time.

Unlike the quiet style of the research team, the investigation team entered the Huichuan County Party Committee in a grand manner, accompanied by Mayor Zhang.

They sealed up all the accounts and documents related to the Lijiapo Brigade that same day.

Furthermore, they refused to stay at the guesthouse arranged by the county committee, and the investigation team stated that they would stay at the home of an ordinary commune member in Lijiapo Brigade.

As for meals, they ate the assigned food. Each person gave a member's family four mao (0.4 yuan) and a jin (0.5 kg) of grain coupons a day, and they ate three meals a day at the member's house.

Liu Donglai and Mayor Zhang exchanged a glance. The investigation team had come with overwhelming force, showing them absolutely no leniency. However, at this point, there was no other choice but to submit to their wishes.

The investigation team consisted of seven people: a team leader, Xu Guangheng; two deputy team leaders, Wu Xiuzhu and Xie Yong; and four team members. They were all dressed in polyester trousers, white shirts, and brand-new leather sandals.

They encountered a problem as soon as they entered Lijiapo.

That is, where to eat and stay!

The provincial investigation team has a very clear understanding of what has happened in Lijiapo in recent years, including the incident where the work group led by Sun Zhiqing was collectively beaten by the commune members.

Therefore, the investigation team resolutely refused to stay at the brigade headquarters. They demanded that Li Jin arrange for them to stay with a clean family.

Even though he knew they were there to investigate him, and Li Jin was an official, he had to cooperate.

Li Jin first arranged for the work group to stay at Li Chang's house, which was relatively spacious.

When Li Jin led the work team into the house, Li Chang and his family of four were having dinner. Life in Lijiapo was better now, and with Li Chang's culinary skills, the meal smelled delicious.

Xu Guangheng was quite satisfied. Although he had suffered hardships when he was young, he could accept the coarse grain meals provided by the commune members. He was just afraid that his stomach wouldn't be able to handle it.

When Li Jin explained his purpose, Wu Xiuzhu and Xie Yong were about to call someone to bring in their luggage, but Li Chang disagreed!

Li Jin had never been rejected by Li Chang before. "What, what's wrong?"

Li Chang is an honest man; sometimes if you bully him, he'll just laugh it off. But he's never been able to stand anyone bullying Li Jin!

Who is Li Jin?

When he was little, other children would scold him, hit him, and isolate him. Only Li Jin would play with him and not let others bully him!

The two have been in love for over forty years. It's Li Jin's own business to be willing to suffer, but Li Chang can't!

"My temple is too small to accommodate these great bodhisattvas!"

Li Chang's opening remarks immediately put the investigation team to a standstill.

No matter how much Li Jin tried to persuade him, Li Chang only said one thing: "I disagree! I won't receive them!"

Helpless, Li Jin had no choice but to lead the investigation team, whose faces were dark with anger, to Guo Daming's house.

Guo Daming wasn't as blunt and rude as Li Chang. "Captain, as you know, I'm at the farm every day now. My mom is all alone at home. This isn't convenient, is it?"

Xu Guangheng is in his forties, and Guo Daming's mother is about the same age. It's indeed not appropriate for a man and a woman to be alone together.

In addition, Xu Guangheng himself was also cautious.

In the past, many traditional operas depicted this scenario: imperial envoys, ordered to investigate cases, would arrive in a new location only to have a woman thrown onto their bed, framing them for abusing respectable women.

Xu Guangheng has accumulated decades of experience and political wisdom.

So without waiting for Li Jin to say anything, he took the initiative to lead his men out.

If one place doesn't work out, you have to go to another.

The third family was Liu Changhai's family. Liu Changhai didn't have a widowed mother who was close to Xu Guangheng's age.

Liu Changhai stood in the doorway with a forced smile, saying, "Captain, they're here to investigate Lijiapo! If you, the captain, are a gangster, then I, the squad leader, am your henchman. It's not appropriate to let Xu Qingtian stay at my henchman's house—"

Li Jin was both amused and exasperated. He knew Liu Changhai was doing this to vent his anger on his behalf, but he couldn't say anything.

The fourth house is Grandma Cui's house. Grandma Cui lives alone in a house with three rooms, which are kept very clean and tidy.

"Oh dear, nephew, it's not that I'm being disrespectful to you. I'd be happy to entertain the work team members, it's just..."

Grandma Cui was a little embarrassed, "My cooking isn't very good!"

Seeing the pickled vegetable strips thicker than a little finger and the bowl of millet porridge that looked like swill on Grandma Cui's table, Xu Guangheng waved his hand and walked out first.

Wu Xiuzhu has a gentle temperament, but Xie Yong is not!

Upon seeing Team Leader Xu's dark face, he immediately turned hostile, standing firmly in place. "Captain Li! Are you deliberately resisting the organization's investigation?"

He directly pinned a crime on Li Jin. If Li Jin just accepts it, there's no need for anyone to investigate; he can just convict him outright!

Li Jin retorted firmly, "Team Leader Xie! I offered you accommodation at my house, but you refused. I offered you accommodation at the brigade headquarters, but you refused that too! Now it's inconvenient for other members to host you at their homes, so how does that make me openly defying the organization?!"

Xie Yong stepped forward, chuckling coldly, "Wasn't it you who instigated this behind the scenes?"

Li Jin retorted with a cold laugh, "Did you see me instigating this?"

"you--"

"What's wrong with me—"

A conflict between the two was about to erupt. Xu Guangheng gave Wu Xiuzhu a wink, and Wu Xiuzhu pulled Xie Yong back, then said to Li Jin with a grin, "Captain Li, you're in charge of Lijiapo after all, so don't make things difficult for us. Quickly find us a place to rest!"