"That's the house. It burned down to a pile of ashes..."
"Oh, what a sin..."
Shen Qiqi and Lu Qing looked at each other, quickened their pace, and walked towards the crowd...
Shen Qiqi pushed through the crowd and squeezed to the front, only to see a house that had been burned to a scorched earth, with a pungent burnt smell in the air.
She carefully observed the traces around her, her brows furrowed, like a Sherlock Holmes Qiqi solving a case online.
"The fire started in the kitchen," Uncle Zhao said, pointing to the darkest area. "It looks like it was caused by the stove."
Shen Qiqi squatted down and carefully examined the remains of the stove, and found some unburned firewood and some oil stains scattered around the stove.
She had a rough guess in her mind.
"Excuse me, where is the owner of this house?" Shen Qiqi asked the villagers around.
A middle-aged man came out with a worried look on his face, "I am the owner of this house."
Shen Qiqi learned from him what had happened and learned that the owner of the house was using a new heating method while cooking with firewood in the kitchen. As a result, he accidentally ignited the flammable materials around the stove, causing the fire to spread and eventually causing this fire.
The truth is revealed!
"So that's how it is!" Shen Qiqi suddenly realized that this was not a problem with the new heating method at all, but was caused by improper operation!
She told the surrounding villagers the results of the investigation, and everyone finally understood and breathed a sigh of relief.
"I told you, this new heating method is so good, how could there be any problem?"
"Qiqi is so smart, she found the truth right away!"
"Luckily, Qiqi is here, otherwise we would have been scared to death by the rumors!"
Listening to the villagers' praise, Shen Qiqi felt a sense of accomplishment.
She turned to look at Lu Qing, only to see that he was looking at her with eyes full of trust, as if there were stars in his eyes.
The three returned to the village and told everyone the truth. The panic that had shrouded the village instantly dissipated, and was replaced by a cheerful atmosphere.
Old Lady Lu also showed a long-lost smile on her face, and kept praising Shen Qiqi for being smart and capable.
As night falls, the Lu family courtyard is brightly lit and warm like spring.
Shen Qiqi and Lu Qing snuggled together, looking at the villagers laughing and talking in the yard, their hearts filled with happiness.
"Qiqi," Lu Qing suddenly said, "Tomorrow we..."
"Tomorrow we..." Lu Qing's voice was interrupted with a hint of tenderness.
"Ahem!" Shen Qiqi cleared her throat, her eyes brightening, a sly smile curling up the corners of her mouth. "Tomorrow, of course, we're going to do something!" She clapped her hands, attracting everyone's attention. "Fellow villagers, in order to completely eliminate everyone's doubts about the new heating method, how about we hold a safety publicity campaign tomorrow?"
"Great! Great!" When the villagers heard this, they immediately applauded excitedly. Their faces, which were gloomy just now, were now filled with bright smiles.
After all, who doesn’t want to spend a comfortable and warm winter?
The next day, the Lu family courtyard was bustling with activity, as if it were New Year's Day.
Shen Qiqi stood on a high place, like a CEO giving orders on the spot, holding a homemade "flyer" and explaining the precautions of the new heating method to the villagers in her crisp and infectious voice. She was simply the "sales queen" of the 1970s.
"First of all, this chimney must be cleaned regularly, otherwise it will easily get clogged and produce carbon monoxide, which can be fatal in serious cases!" She pointed to the exaggerated skull pattern on the drawing, scaring everyone into nodding their heads.
"Secondly, it is also important to control the temperature of the fire. Don't burn it too strongly, otherwise the kang will be burned through!" She pointed to another house on fire on the drawing, which made everyone shudder with fear.
Lu Qing acted as a "safety officer" on the side, holding tools and demonstrating to the villagers how to correctly install and use the new heating equipment. He also threw out a few "safety tips" from time to time, which drew applause from everyone.
Uncle Zhao also joined the "propaganda team" and used his rich experience to tell everyone some "folk methods", such as how to judge the burning situation by the color of the smoke, etc. He was simply teaching like an "old driver".
The entire publicity activity was like a "popular science feast". Everyone listened with great interest and asked questions one after another.
Shen Qiqi patiently explained, using easy-to-understand language, so that everyone understood the safety points of the new heating method.
As the activity progressed, everyone's confidence in the new heating method increased greatly, and those who were originally worried were now completely relieved.
The yard was filled with laughter and the atmosphere reached a small climax, as if a spring breeze had blown and the ice and snow had melted.
Just when everyone was immersed in the joyful atmosphere, a sudden voice broke the silence.
"Wait, I have a question!" A strange man suddenly stepped out of the crowd, his eyes sharp and his tone slightly provocative. "You say this new heating method is safe, but I heard that when it burns, it produces a special kind of smoke that is harmful to the human body. How do you explain it?"
The man's appearance was like a sudden loophole, causing the originally smooth process to get stuck in an instant.
Shen Qiqi looked at the stranger who suddenly appeared, frowning slightly.
Lu Qing was about to say something when Shen Qiqi stopped him with a look. She took a step forward and looked at the strange man calmly, "Comrade, may I ask who you are..."
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