Just then, Zhang Qianqian suddenly remembered Xu Xinghe mentioning going to the outhouse and subconsciously glanced in her direction.
Although the glance was fleeting, it was captured by Zhang Qiang.
He immediately looked at Xu Xinghe, his tone tentative, "Li Juan, what about you? Did you leave alone during the competition?"
Xu Xinghe had expected to be asked this question, and without any panic on her face, she readily admitted, "Yes, I went to the restroom in the middle, which took about ten minutes."
"More than ten minutes?" Zhang Qiang narrowed his eyes slightly. "Who can prove you went to the toilet? Was anyone with you?"
“A herdsman can vouch for me,” Xu Xinghe said calmly, even with a hint of helplessness. “I didn’t have any toilet paper with me, so I had to borrow some from that woman. She was resting on a stone next to the outhouse. If you don’t believe me, you can go and ask her.”
As she spoke, she described the woman's features in detail: "She was probably in her fifties, with gray hair, wearing a dark blue Mongolian robe, and holding a wooden plate for milk curd. She must have been a vendor nearby."
She wasn't worried at all. The old woman wasn't wearing a watch and couldn't say the exact time. Even if Zhang Qiang went to look for her, he could only prove that she had been to the outhouse, but he couldn't prove how long she had been there, let alone the time she had been there.
“Besides going to the toilet, I’m with Qianqian all the time. She can testify to that,” Xu Xinghe added, turning to look at Zhang Qianqian.
Zhang Qianqian nodded quickly, her tone certain, "That's right, Sister Li Juan stayed with me the whole time except when she went to the toilet. We even cheered for Brother Guowei together, we were never apart!"
Zhang Qiang stared at Xu Xinghe for a while. Seeing that she looked calm and there was no evasion in her eyes, and that Zhang Qianqian's testimony was impeccable, his doubts faded a little.
He knew he wouldn't get any more information by asking, so he shouted into the tent and summoned several female villagers he knew.
"You guys, help me search them, and check their luggage too, see if they have any of my money." Zhang Qiang lowered his voice, "Be gentle, don't scare them, but don't miss any spots."
After saying that, he turned and walked out of the tent.
Since it was a female comrade searching him, it was inconvenient for him, a grown man, to be present, so he could only wait outside.
The female villagers in the tent immediately began to act.
One of the elderly women with gray hair cleared her throat. "Listen up, everyone. Captain Zhang has ordered a body search and a search of your luggage. Take off your coats and shirts, leaving only your undershirts. Then open your luggage, and we will check each one."
"Why do I have to take my clothes off?" Wang Lili was the first to object, her face flushed red. "It's broad daylight, what if someone suddenly comes in? I didn't steal anything, Xiaoyan and Li Juan can testify, why are you searching me?"
“That’s right, we didn’t steal anything, it’s so embarrassing to be searched!” Several other female educated youths chimed in with their own complaints.
But the old woman wouldn't listen, her face stern. "This is the brigade leader's order, we're just following it. If you don't take it off, we'll tell Brigade Leader Zhang, and then it'll be hard to say whether you stole it or not!"
Wang Lili gritted her teeth and watched as everyone around her hesitated to take off their clothes. She could only swallow her anger and slowly take off her coat.
The other female educated youth and female villagers had no choice but to take off their tops one by one, leaving them only in their underwear, and stand there waiting to be searched.
Xu Xinghe calmly took off her coat and shirt. She had already stuffed the paper she took from the pipe into the sponge of her vest. The paper was rolled so finely and softly that it was almost invisible; you couldn't even feel it unless you touched it carefully.
Soon it was Xu Xinghe's turn.
The old villager who searched her first went through her luggage, which contained only a few changes of clothes and a piece of milk curd, nothing special.
Then he started touching her body, from her arms to her back, then to her waist and abdomen, not even missing the hem of her clothes.
When I touched the bra, I even squeezed it, but all I felt was soft sponge, nothing hard.
She assumed the money must be substantial, at least rolled up, and that she could definitely feel it.
After confirming that he hadn't found anything unusual, the old villager moved on to the next person.
The body search and luggage check were over quickly.
The villagers came out of their tents and shook their heads at Zhang Qiang, who was waiting outside. "Captain Zhang, we've searched everywhere. Everyone only had some small personal items on them and in their luggage. We didn't find anything special, and certainly no money as you mentioned. Oh, right, some people did have some money on them, but only a few yuan or cents."
Upon hearing this, Zhang Qiang felt a sudden darkness engulf him, a chill running down his spine, and he almost lost his balance.
The item was not found, and the clues went cold. Did those rolls of paper just vanish into thin air?
He stood outside the tent, watching the women come out one by one.
He had already resorted to the most extreme method, even searching the women, but still couldn't find anything. He really couldn't think of any other way.
What made him even more anxious was that it was during the Naadam Festival, and he was surrounded by herders and cadres from other communes. If he continued to make a scene and blow up the so-called lost money, it would definitely attract more attention.
If someone were to ask him how much money he lost, he would have no way to explain it.
If the people of the commune find out that he has hidden those papers, the consequences will be unimaginable.
"Alright, everyone disperse." Zhang Qiang waved his hand, his voice full of exhaustion, no longer as forceful as before. "Those who want to watch the game should watch the game, and those who want to rest should rest. Don't all crowd around here."
The crowd exchanged bewildered glances, their hearts filled with questions, but they dared not ask any further and dispersed.
Xu Xinghe left with Zhao Xiaoyan and Wang Lili, and glanced at him as they passed by.
Zhang Qiang hung his head, his shoulders slumped, and he looked as if he had aged several years in an instant, no longer possessing the imposing presence of his former captain.
As Zhang Qiang watched the departing figures of the crowd, his despair grew stronger.
He turned and walked toward his small tent.
Once inside the tent, he closed the curtain, shutting out the noise and wind outside. Instantly, only his heavy breathing could be heard inside the tent.
"There's no way I can't find it... It must be hidden somewhere..." Zhang Qiang muttered to himself, his eyes red, and he started searching through the tent like a madman.
He turned his cloth bag upside down, and the kettle, towels, and handkerchiefs inside were scattered all over the floor, but there was no sign of the rolls of paper.
He searched through the wool felt spread on the ground, leaving no corner untouched, ignoring the stinging pain in his fingers from the wool.
They even checked the gaps in the tent, afraid that the paper might be blown into the gaps by the wind.
No matter how hard he searched, the tent only contained the same familiar things.
Those rolls of paper that determined his fate vanished as if they had disappeared into thin air, without leaving a trace.
With a crash, Zhang Qiang kicked over the wooden box in the corner, scattering its contents all over the floor.
He stared at the mess on the ground, his chest heaving, a sense of powerlessness washing over him.
He slowly squatted down, holding his head in his hands, his nails digging deep into his hair, and finally sat down on the cold ground, leaning against the tent canvas, collapsing completely.
“It’s over! It’s completely over now…” Zhang Qiang’s voice was choked with sobs, his eyes staring blankly at the top of the tent.
Cheers from the distant stadium and hearty laughter from the herders could be heard outside the tent.
Those lively sounds, however, felt like needles pricking Zhang Qiang's heart.
He curled up on the ground, feeling for the first time how cold the wind on the grassland was, so cold that it made him shiver all over.
The noise of the Naadam festival was so jarring that it hurt him to even breathe.
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