One night passed.
As dawn broke, Xu Xinghe opened her eyes.
She immediately sat up and hurriedly washed and tidied herself up.
Today she wasn't in the mood to dress up, she just wore a dark blue cotton-padded jacket and a bright red scarf, her hair simply braided into a ponytail hanging down her back, but it still made her small face look radiant and fair, clean and bright.
She put on her cotton shoes and stepped out of her house, only to bump into Zhang Cishu from next door.
He had just gotten up too, and he was also wearing a blue cotton-padded jacket and a red scarf that matched hers, making it seem like they were wearing matching outfits...
Xu Xinghe didn't notice anything amiss, but Zhang Cishu did. He calmly took off his scarf and said, "There's some dust on it. Wait a moment, I'll go change."
When he came out again, he was wearing a plain black scarf around his neck.
The two walked side by side toward the office building.
Jiang Linchuan wasn't there; he went to see Political Commissar Wang instead.
Not long after they entered the office, Lian Xiao arrived.
The four of them reunited.
Commissar Wang's face was ashen, his fingers rubbing the pen impatiently, his mood at its lowest point. "Just this morning, I received orders from my superiors."
He said in a deep voice, "The higher-ups have ordered that Lin Chuan be placed under immediate surveillance and strictly restricted, and that he be forbidden from leaving the military headquarters. In addition, his duties are temporarily suspended and Zhao Feng will act as his replacement."
Jiang Linchuan was clearly already aware of the situation, and his face remained expressionless.
Xu Xinghe took a step forward anxiously, her face flushed red. "Political Commissar, what kind of logic is this? Has the higher-ups already decided that Lin Chuan is wrong? He has risked his life for the country and the people, and done so many practical things. Why treat him like this!"
"Don't panic, the higher-ups have no choice." Political Commissar Wang slammed his pen on the table, his eyes icy. "Someone reported this, not only to higher-ups but also to several newspapers! Even if we know Lin Chuan is innocent, this news will still have a terrible impact. Besides, we can't produce any evidence to clear his name in a short time. The higher-ups are just doing this to give the outside world an explanation."
"That further proves there's a mastermind behind this!" Xu Xinghe clenched his fist until his knuckles turned white. "Er Laizi is being watched and can't read, so he definitely can't write a report!"
Jiang Linchuan had been in the military for several years without ever being reported, yet he ran into trouble at this crucial juncture; this was no coincidence.
It must be the mastermind behind this who wants to completely suppress Jiang Linchuan in one fell swoop!
Political Commissar Wang nodded in agreement, "That's what I thought too, but the whistleblower letter was anonymous and mailed. I guess the other party mailed it as soon as the incident happened, otherwise it wouldn't have reached the higher-ups so quickly."
The military headquarters was not far from the headquarters of the superiors; a day and a night would be enough for the letter to be delivered.
Xu Xinghe suddenly had an idea, and his dark eyes lit up. "Political Commissar, let's go to the post office to investigate. Maybe we can find clues about the sender! Even if it's anonymous, just knowing what he looks like would be a major breakthrough!"
"Theoretically feasible."
"I'll do it!" Xu Xinghe said firmly. "I'm determined to find the culprit myself and clear Lin Chuan's name!"
“Okay.” Political Commissar Wang agreed immediately. He had a mountain of things to deal with today, so he could only let the three of them split up first. “Comrade Xu, I’ll have someone drive you there, that will save some time. Lin Chuan, you stay at the military headquarters for now and hand over your work to Zhao Feng as soon as possible.”
Jiang Linchuan nodded in agreement. This was an order from his superiors, and he could not disobey it. Besides, resistance would only make things worse.
In the past, he would never have compromised so easily.
At that time, he was all alone and had nothing to worry about.
But now that he has Xu Xinghe, he hopes to get married and start a family with her, giving her a bright future. So now he can only suppress his anger and cooperate with the investigation.
Lian Xiao originally wanted to accompany Xu Xinghe to the post office, but he also had to go to Hongqi Village to keep an eye on Er Laizi, so he could only set off first with Zhang Cishu.
Xu Xinghe then got into a military vehicle and headed straight for the town's post office.
As soon as the car stopped in front of the post office, she jumped out and ran inside, where she bumped into the staff who had helped her during the last snowstorm.
The other person recognized her and smiled broadly, "Comrade Xu, it's been a long time!"
"Yes, it's been a long time since I've been here." Xu Xinghe said, taking out a can of yellow peaches from her bag and handing it over. "I wanted to ask you about something. This is a small token of my appreciation. Please accept it."
"Oh, don't be so polite!" The staff member immediately pushed it back, speaking sincerely, "You helped so many of us during the snowstorm, how could I accept your things? Just tell me what you need!"
Xu Xinghe didn't press the matter and asked directly, "I'd like to know if anyone mailed a letter yesterday? The destination was the military headquarters, and it was anonymous."
Anonymity is not allowed when writing letters to other places; otherwise, they won't be sent.
However, the military can do so; this is a long-standing rule, designed to allow ordinary people to raise issues without any concerns.
Many anonymous whistleblower letters did indeed help the military uncover a number of potential problems.
The staff member nodded immediately, "I remember, how could I not remember? I received an anonymous letter to the military yesterday, and I remember it very clearly."
Xu Xinghe was overjoyed and leaned half her body behind the counter, eagerly asking, "Can you tell me what the sender looks like? What is their approximate height and weight?"
The staff member looked at her delicate face, which was very close to his, and her ears turned slightly red. She said truthfully, "Comrade Xu, that person was wrapped up very tightly, with his hat pulled down low and most of his face covered. Only his eyes were visible, and they were all covered in black makeup, so you couldn't see his face at all. As for his height... I'd estimate he was a little over 1.7 meters tall, a bit taller than you. His build was just average, neither fat nor thin."
Not all men in Northeast China are tall. Many are not particularly tall because of poor nutrition in their childhood. People of average height, around 1.7 meters, are a common sight here.
That's as good as saying nothing.
Seeing Xu Xinghe's shoulders slump instantly, the staff member sighed, took out a piece of milk candy from the drawer and handed it to her, "Here, have something sweet, it'll make you feel better."
"Thank you..." Xu Xinghe took the milk candy, sat on the small stool next to her, and asked persistently, "Do you remember where he went after he mailed the letter?"
“I remember that!” the staff member said immediately. “After you leave the post office, turn right onto that road. You can go ask around there; maybe someone saw where he went.”
Xu Xinghe immediately perked up again, grabbed her bag and ran out, "You're right, I'll go first! Please accept the canned yellow peaches, they're my thank-you gift. If that person sends another letter, please contact the military immediately!"
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
