When Shen Qiqi heard the word "fire", her heart skipped a beat, as if being gripped by an invisible hand.
She didn't bother to say anything more to Lu Qing. With eyes as sharp as an eagle, she rushed out of the house.
"We must get to the bottom of the situation!" These words, with her unique boldness, left a clear trace in the air.
In the yard, the laughter and joy that were originally overflowing were instantly extinguished by the sudden news, as if the mute button had been pressed, leaving only a depressing silence.
The villagers looked at each other, their eyes filled with anxiety and fear.
"Is this true? The town next door is on fire?" a timid woman whispered, her voice trembling noticeably.
In the crowd, Li's smile, which was originally due to the warmth in the room, now froze on her face.
She held her uncle Lu Cheng's hand, her eyes full of doubt and uncertainty.
Fear spread like a plague.
Some people began to secretly restore the earthen kangs used for heating in their homes to their original state, while others simply piled firewood at the door and never dared to light it again.
Even some people passing by the Lu family yard subconsciously quickened their pace, as if this was the center of the plague and they had to avoid it.
The Lu family looked at this sudden change in the scene and felt like a huge stone was pressing on their hearts.
Old Mrs. Lu's face was ashen, her lips tightly pressed into a line; Old Man Lu kept smoking his pipe, his brows furrowed, deep wrinkles on his face like knife cuts, as if he wanted to absorb all his problems into the cigarette.
Lu Qing watched all this with a frown on his face. He wanted to say something but didn't know where to start.
Everyone was just excited about the warmth in the house, but now they are frightened because of an uncertain rumor.
He felt like he had been punched and felt very depressed.
In the Lu family courtyard, the atmosphere was extremely depressing. The joy that had just appeared was like a flash in the pan, disappearing without a trace in an instant.
The earthen kang, which was originally steaming hot, seemed to have become a hot potato, and everyone avoided it.
At this moment, Shen Qiqi came back in a hurry, with a solemn look on her face.
She glanced at the people in the yard and her eyes finally fell on Lu Qing.
There was an unquestionable light in her eyes, "Lu Qing, let's go to the village to find Uncle Zhao."
"Looking for Uncle Zhao?" Lu Qing was a little confused, but seeing Shen Qiqi's determined eyes, he chose to believe her.
"Some things can't just be heard from rumors." Shen Qiqi left this sentence and turned away.
She straightened her back and walked with a firm step, as if silently telling everyone: She, Shen Qiqi, was going to figure out everything.
Lu Qing followed closely, and the two left the Lu family courtyard one after the other.
Shen Qiqi and Lu Qing hurried all the way to Uncle Zhao's house at the entrance of the village.
The two men's feet created a gust of wind, stirring up clouds of dust, as if something was chasing them from behind.
"Qiqi, what did you think of?" Lu Qing asked while running, his breathing a little rapid, and fine beads of sweat oozing out of his forehead.
Shen Qiqi didn't answer immediately, but just pursed her lips, frowned, and stared firmly ahead.
When she reached Uncle Zhao's house, she stopped, took a deep breath, and said, "I don't think things are that simple."
Uncle Zhao was chopping wood in the yard. When he heard the noise, he looked up and saw Shen Qiqi and Lu Qing. A smile immediately filled his face.
"Hey, why are you two here? Is it warm in the house?"
"Uncle Zhao, we want to ask about the fire in the town next door." Shen Qiqi got straight to the point, her tone urgent.
The smile on Uncle Zhao's face froze instantly. He put down the axe and sighed, "Hey, this matter has caused a lot of uproar. They say that the fire was caused by the unsafe new heating method."
Shen Qiqi pressed on: "Is the news reliable? Have you seen it with your own eyes?"
Uncle Zhao shook his head. "I just heard it from others, and I don't know the specific situation."
Shen Qiqi's heart skipped a beat. This news was so incredible, but no one had ever seen it with their own eyes. There must be something fishy going on!
She turned to look at Lu Qing with a firm look in her eyes, "Lu Qing, we have to go to the next town to take a look."
Lu Qing was stunned for a moment, then nodded in agreement.
At this time, Uncle Zhao interrupted, "Going to the next town? It would take several hours to go back and forth! Besides, it's getting late..."
"Uncle Zhao, this matter concerns everyone's safety, we must figure it out!" Shen Qiqi's tone was firm and no doubt was allowed.
She paused, then added, "Uncle Zhao, would you like to come with us? You have a lot of experience, so maybe you can figure something out."
Uncle Zhao was obviously hesitant. He touched his chin and pondered for a moment, "This... isn't a good idea, is it? What if there really is any danger..."
"Uncle Zhao, don't worry, I will protect you!" Lu Qing patted his chest and promised.
Shen Qiqi also advised: "Uncle Zhao, let's go together so that we can take care of each other."
Uncle Zhao was finally convinced. He sighed and said, "Okay, I'll go with you."
The three of them set off immediately, heading towards the next town.
On the way, they met a few more villagers. After asking them, they learned that there were many different versions of the rumors about the fire. Some said it was due to improper operation, some said it was due to material problems, and some said it was a punishment from God...
The more Shen Qiqi listened, the more she felt something was wrong. How come the cause of this fire was like a menstrual patch, with a new version every month?
As the sky grew darker, the three of them finally arrived at the next town.
From a distance, they saw a group of people gathered at the entrance of the town, talking.
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