Chapter 45

Tang Xingqiang paid no attention to the awkward atmosphere. After looking around for a while, he started chatting with Xu Shengli as if nothing had happened.

"Xu Shengli, you're such a braggart. You're the king of exaggeration."

Although Xu Shengli was a bit afraid of the current atmosphere, he couldn't help but retort, "I am not!"

"Not? When you came to my house, you complained about everything, saying our food wasn't as good as yours and that your snacks were more plentiful than ours. You even said your place was more fun. Look at the situation now—aren't you feeling guilty about those words?"

Zhang Cuixiang had previously put away all the items and hadn't brought them out again.

Due to her anger over the Tang family's earlier behavior, she felt too frustrated to cook anything to entertain them.

Despite playing so well in the village and not wanting to come back,

Xu Shengli still wouldn't admit defeat. Every time he tasted something good or played an interesting game, he would say that his family had even more of these things and that there were more fun things at his home.

The ever-competitive Tang Xingqiang couldn't stand this and kept saying,

"I don't believe it. Prove it by showing me later; otherwise, you're just a braggart, the king of exaggeration."

Xu Shengli confidently promised to show Tang Xingqiang later, wanting him to see how many good things he had and how much fun he could have at his own place.

Earlier, due to the tense atmosphere in the room, Xu Shengli had completely forgotten about this. Now, being reminded, he suddenly remembered.

Children have a strong desire to win. Stimulated like this, he couldn't care less and shouted,

"Grandma, where's our candy? And those delicious treats? Why can't I find them!"

Xu Shengli searched the room thoroughly. Knowing where his grandma hid things, he quickly found a jar of sandwich cookies.

He proudly waved the cookies, "We have sandwich cookies. Do you have any?"

"So what? My uncle sent some before."

Xu Shengli, still not willing to accept defeat, began his search anew. Influenced by his sibling, Xu Qianjin also hurried into Zhang Cuixiang's chamber to conduct his own search.

Zhang Cuixiang hurriedly tried to stop them, but the two children didn't listen. They were spoiled from a young age and were the little tyrants of the family.

If she could handle them, she wouldn't have used the previous tactic to give Tang Guizhi a way out, asking her to come back quickly.

Tang Xingqiang laughed heartily, "Xu Shengli, your family is really good at hiding things. I thought only my grandma, an old country lady, did this. Turns out your cadre family has the same bad habit! How dare you look down on us country folks. Look at yourselves—you're not much better."

Xu Shengli's face turned red, feeling very embarrassed.

"Grandma, why did you hide everything?"

Tang Xingqiang bluntly replied, "Because we knew you were coming. Look, my grandma always brings out the best things when you visit."

"Grandma! How could you do this!"

"Shut up!"

Xu Taian couldn't help but scold him. His face was grim, and the anger inside him was rising, yet he couldn't let it out.

Though the town wasn't far from the village, Xu Taian had never looked favorably upon the Tang family, so they didn't interact much.

Xu Taian couldn't even recognize all of his wife's nephews, considering them just a bunch of country kids. He usually gave them a few cents during the New Year to get rid of them.

Unexpectedly, they were causing such a ruckus, especially these two who were speaking up.

Xu Shengli, after being yelled at, dared not make a sound. He was quite afraid of his father.

Xu Qianjin retreated behind his brother, occasionally peeking out to observe the adults' expressions.

The room fell silent again. Xu Guangjin and Xu Taian smoked without caring how suffocating it made the room.

With such a commotion, the neighbors must have been watching closely. They didn't dare to argue loudly and chose silence instead, seeing who could endure longer.

This was also because the Xu family saw Tang Jianjun as someone incapable of handling the situation, allowing them to act this way.

Tang Guizhi, returning to her in-laws, became even quieter, not daring to utter a word.

The Xu family adults remained silent, treating the Tang family as if they were invisible.

Tang Jianjun felt the awkwardness and wanted to speak several times, but seeing his brother-in-law's demeanor, he couldn't bring himself to open his mouth.

Tang Xingqiang clapped his hands, "Xu Shengli, your house is boring. Why don't you come to mine?"

Xu Shengli, being older, understood the implications and didn't dare agree.

But Xu Qianjin, being younger and unaware of the situation, nodded eagerly, "Sure, sure, let's go to Grandma's house."

Zhang Cuixiang, the most sensitive, immediately became wary, "What nonsense are you talking about? What are our Xu family kids doing at your Tang family's place?"

"What's wrong with that? If they take my surname, we can be together."

Zhang Cuixiang almost jumped up, glaring at Tang Guizhi.

"What are you trying to do? Don't want to live anymore?"

Tang Guizhi was startled, "Mom, I, I didn't mean that. I didn't think that way. Tang Xingqiang, stop talking nonsense!"

Tang Xingqiang shrugged, "It's boring here. Let's go somewhere else."

Seeing Zhang Cuixiang about to explode, Tang Qingqing opened the door. As soon as the door opened, she saw someone standing outside, eavesdropping.

The sudden opening of the door startled the aunt, who quickly reacted with an awkward smile:

"Everyone’s chatting? Are you ready for dinner? If there’s not enough food, you can borrow some from our place."

Tang Xingqiang greeted them with a smile: "Auntie, hello. My uncle is having trouble, do you know of any places in town where we can eat without needing tickets?"

"Who said it’s inconvenient! You naughty child, don’t talk nonsense. Now that you’re here, how could we possibly go out to eat?"

Zhang Cuixiang’s face turned red, and the anger she had felt earlier dissipated instantly.

Their family had already lost face today; they couldn’t afford another incident.

The aunt also chimed in: "That’s right. How could relatives come over and have to eat outside?"

Zhang Cuixiang tried to make a few excuses and wanted to close the door, but Tang Qingqing stopped her.

"What are you doing? Are you not afraid of getting cold by keeping the door open?"

Tang Qingqing: "The house is so small, and Uncle and the others are smoking. It’s better to let some fresh air in."

Xu Taian and Xu Guangjin paused and simultaneously put out their cigarettes.

Tang Guizhi was anxious, fearing that Tang Qingqing and Tang Xingqiang might upset the Xu family, making her own life difficult later on.

But she didn’t dare to say anything and just stood there.

Zhang Cuixiang looked at her impatiently: "Hurry up and start cooking. Your own relatives are here, and you’re not taking care of them, relying on us instead?"

Tang Guizhi’s eyes lit up, and she quickly went over, rolled up her sleeves, and started bustling around.

Once the smoke in the room had mostly cleared, the door was closed again.

The Xu family now knew that the Tangs were troublemakers. If they didn’t send them away quickly, who knows what kind of trouble they might stir up.

Xu Guangjin took the initiative to ask: "How is everything at your place? I heard that your team’s grain warehouse burned down?"

Tang Jianjun immediately seized the opportunity: "Yes, that despicable person has been sent to labor reform and sentenced to more than ten years. This wouldn’t have happened if it weren’t for our Qingqing’s efforts. Otherwise, we wouldn’t have caught that damned arsonist."

Usually, the Tang family didn’t like to mention Tang Qingqing’s achievements because she had become quite rebellious and they didn’t want to make her even prouder.

But Tang Jianjun knew when to show off. Otherwise, how could he rely on his adopted brother to be so influential in the team?

Xu Guangjin had only brought up the topic, perhaps even hinting with a touch of schadenfreude that their future would be tough.

He hadn’t expected such a story to emerge.

Xu Taian sneered: "Why does your family always claim credit for everything?"

Upon hearing this, Tang Qiaoqiao and Tang Xingsheng, who had been shrinking back, spoke up together:

"My sister is just that amazing!"

Tang Xingwang couldn’t help but chime in: "I once lost some sheep, and my sister found them for me."

Tang Xingqiang also boasted proudly: "My sister is now known at the Public Security Bureau. Do you know who solved the wife-murder case? It wasn’t anyone else, it was my sister! And the theft at the commune supply store? Yes, it was also my sister."

The Xu family father and son were surprised, their gazes all turning to Tang Qingqing.

They couldn’t believe that Tang Qingqing had such skills.

But these cases had spread throughout the town, and everyone knew that a young girl was involved in solving them.

They never imagined that this young girl was Tang Qingqing.

Tang Xingqiang continued: "If you don’t believe us, you can ask at the local police station. Xu Shengli, the candy you ate yesterday was a reward my sister received from the Public Security Bureau. The bureau chief even praised her. She’s able to study thanks to the support of the Public Security Bureau."

Tang Jianjun nodded: "The Public Security Bureau says Qingqing is a talent and must be nurtured properly. Otherwise, why would a girl need to study when she’s going to get married anyway?"

The Xu family father and son now believed their words, but they never expected that the Tang family, whom they looked down upon, could produce such a talented person, even a genius.

Tang Qingqing was young but so capable.

These cases were challenging even for experienced officers, and someone with such talent would likely find it easy to enter the public security system.

Though it had nothing to do with their hydrology station, if the Tang family had someone who could secure a government job, it would certainly change things.

Especially since Tang Qingqing was still so young; who knew what opportunities she might encounter in the future.

They hadn’t noticed before, but now they saw that Tang Qingqing was actually quite pretty.

Someone with both talent and beauty would surely marry well and have a promising future.

The Xu family father and son’s expressions softened, and their attitude became more cordial.

Tang Jianjun, adept at finding common ground, relaxed the atmosphere and started chatting about various topics.

As for the previous incident, everyone tacitly avoided mentioning it.

Tang Xingqiang didn’t cause any more trouble and played and ate with the Xu brothers.

The Xu family had gone all out, preparing a large pot of sour cabbage pork dumplings, using white flour for the wrappers and plenty of pork.

Although the meal was somewhat awkward, the matter was considered settled.

Before leaving, Tang Xingqiang didn’t forget to tell Xu Shengli:

"Be nicer to your mom. I’ll be coming to inspect work soon. I’ve already made an appointment with Chief Xu."

The Xu family’s faces darkened, not expecting Tang Xingqiang to bring up this matter again.

Tang Qingqing then turned to Tang Guizhi: "Auntie, if there’s anything, come home. If it’s not convenient, go find Zhang Qingxiong, the head of the local police station. He still owes me a favor."

The siblings put pressure on the Xu family, whose faces turned grim, yet they couldn't utter a single word.

Tang Guizhi's eyes welled up with tears. Who would have thought that she would rely on her brother's children for support? In comparison, she felt utterly useless.

As the saying goes, "There's no such thing as coincidence." They had just mentioned Zhang Qingxiong, and lo and behold, he arrived.

"Tang Qingqing, it's great to see you here!"

Zhang Qingxiong had arrived by bicycle and was visibly pleased to see Tang Qingqing.

Seeing his anxious expression, Tang Qingqing knew something must be wrong.

"Chief, what happened?"

"The granary in Tongshan Team has been burned down. We need you to come take a look."

Tang Xingqiang asked curiously, "Uncle Chief, how did you find us here?"

Chief Zhang glanced at the Xu family father and son, cleared his throat, and said, "With all the commotion you've caused, how could I not know?"

Xu Guangjin nearly fainted. How could there be so many nosy people, spreading everything around!

Hearing about the case, Tang Qingqing immediately agreed without hesitation. "Chief, let's go quickly."

Given the urgency, Chief Zhang didn't waste any time. He greeted Tang Jianjun, then had Tang Qingqing sit on the back of his bicycle and took off with her.

Watching Tang Qingqing ride away, the Xu family now truly believed that this girl had some real skills.

Xu Shengli looked on in admiration. "Big Cousin is amazing!"

For a child, being entrusted with such an important task was a significant affirmation.

Tang Xingqiang was secretly unhappy that Tang Qingqing hadn't taken him along, but in front of Xu Shengli, he boasted proudly:

"Of course my sister is amazing. And I won't be any less impressive when I grow up."

The Xu family now believed this too. Just looking at what Tang Xingqiang had done today, they knew he wouldn't be ordinary.

They just weren't sure if he would choose the right path or the wrong one. But now that Tang Qingqing had connections with the Public Security Bureau, it seemed unlikely that Tang Xingqiang would stray.

Their attitude towards the Tang family improved even more. When the Tangs left, the Xu family politely invited them to visit anytime.

Tang Qingqing followed Chief Zhang directly to Tongshan Team and didn't return home until three days later.

Unlike usual, Tang Jianjun took the initiative to ask Tang Qingqing if she had solved the case. His tone was gentler than usual.

Seeing his improved attitude, Tang Qingqing replied, "We've caught the arsonist."

Tang Xingqiang propped his head up with both hands. "Sis, how did you catch him? Tell us!"

"It was the same as our team's case—by tracking suspicious footprints."

"Tell us more details! Otherwise, how can I brag about it outside?"

Tang Qingqing thought there wasn't much to say. It was just careful investigation of the scene, excluding the footprints of those who had helped extinguish the fire, and analyzing the remaining suspicious ones step by step.

Similar to their team's arson case, the perpetrator was from another team. However, this time, the motive wasn't revenge; it was simply malice.

Tang Xingqiang wouldn't let her off so easily. "There must be something different, right? Wasn't there anything special?"

"There was."

"Tell us!"

Not only Tang Xingqiang, but everyone else was curious too.

Tang Jianjun also urged, "Qingqing, tell everyone what happened."

"I found a suspicious footprint that had wandered around the team, so I initially thought it was someone from our team. Then Chief Zhang gathered all the men who matched the footprint, and I checked each one."

This method was familiar to everyone.

But no one said it was the same, nothing special.

"However, after checking for a long time, I couldn't find anyone who matched. I wondered if I had made a mistake."

Tang Qiaoqiao worriedly asked, "Sis, did anyone think you were incapable?"

"Yes," Tang Qingqing nodded. There were complaints at the scene.

Villagers saw Tang Qingqing's young age and the lack of results after so much effort, which led to grumbling.

Their anger was directed at the team leader and Chief Zhang, thinking they were foolish for entrusting a girl with such an important task.

Since starting her investigations, Tang Qingqing had always faced skepticism. She was used to it now.

These voices didn't affect her, but not finding the arsonist made her doubt her own conclusions.

"I thought I might have made a mistake, so I stayed another day to investigate further, but the conclusion remained the same. Guess what happened next?"

"What happened?"

Even Zhao Dahua and Grandma Wu perked up their ears, eager to know what transpired.

"Chief Zhang suggested that if we couldn't solve it, we should call it quits and let me go home. It was so cold, and he was worried I'd freeze."

"So what happened?"

"At the time, I was particularly indignant, but I really couldn't find any clues. I thought this time I wouldn't be able to figure it out. I was hesitating whether to leave or not, hey! Unexpectedly, at that moment, there was a turn of events."

Tang Xingqiang slapped the table: "Just say it already! You're killing me!"

"In the past few days, I've been investigating the scene every day. Many people would gather around to watch the commotion. At that moment, I was feeling dizzy from looking so much, so I stood up and ate a piece of candy. Just then, I saw someone in the crowd!"

"Arsonist!"

Everyone present shouted in unison.

"That's right. That person was also mixed in with the crowd watching the commotion, even holding sunflower seeds and munching on them."

Old Lady Wu was stunned: "That's too audacious!"

"You're telling me. As soon as I saw him, I quickly asked Chief Zhang to apprehend him. Later, we found out that this person had relatives in Tongshan Brigade and was there on the day of the fire. He left the next day, so when we were conducting the search, I didn't catch him."

Zhao Dahua was puzzled: "Then why did he come back? You're still investigating, and the police are still here. Isn't he afraid of being caught?"

The others were equally puzzled. How could he dare to hang around watching the commotion? It was as if he wanted to be caught.

"He said he wanted to come back and take a look," Tang Qingqing shrugged her shoulders.

Everyone found it unbelievable; it was more absurd than a story.

Old Lady Wu, who had lived for decades, had never heard of such a strange thing: "Isn't he asking to be caught?"

"I heard Chief Zhang say that many criminals have the habit of returning to the scene after committing a crime. He has caught such criminals before," Tang Xingqiang added, equally shocked.

Tang Qingqing also wondered what they were thinking. When she learned that the person specifically came back to watch the commotion, she didn't know what to say.

She wouldn't forgive herself if she didn't catch this person.

Tang Xingwang: "If he hadn't been caught, he probably would have enjoyed watching the commotion more than an ordinary person."

Everyone's eyes turned to him.

Tang Xingqiang patted his older brother's shoulder: "Big Brother, when it comes to enjoying other people's misfortunes, no one in our family can beat you."

Tang Xingwang immediately slapped him, but Tang Xingqiang was prepared and quickly jumped away.

Tang Jianjun cleared his throat and solemnly praised Tang Qingqing:

"Well done, you truly live up to being a member of the Tang family. Keep it up and show everyone how capable we Tangs are."

Tang Xingqiang, filled with pride: "With my sister around, even the ancestors of thieves wouldn't be able to hide!"

Old Lady Wu and Zhao Dahua also expressed their approval. Old Lady Wu even waved her hand: "We'll have scrambled eggs tonight."

What was going on?

Tang Qingqing felt a bit uncomfortable with all the praise. This wasn't her first case, and it wasn't a big one. The loss was far less severe than Rongshan Brigade's; only a few thousand pounds of grain were burned, which was just one-tenth of their total.

After solving the case before, Tang Jianjun and the others had treated it as sheer luck and didn't think she was particularly impressive. What had changed now?

Tang Qingqing looked at Tang Xingqiang; he must know what was going on.

In private, Tang Xingqiang told Tang Qingqing: "You brought great honor to our family that day. After you left, the Xu family's attitude changed immediately, and they even asked us to bring gifts back."

Tang Qingqing suddenly understood—it was about saving face for the family.

Tang Xingqiang remembered something: "By the way, they also gave each child a red envelope. Yours is with Mom now."

This time, the red envelopes were quite generous—everyone got ten cents!

"Are they showing respect to our family now?"

"Chief Zhang personally came to pick you up, how impressive."

Before, their own words didn't carry much weight compared to the recognition from others.

"This family is really fickle."

"Otherwise, how could Aunt Guizhi marry into them?" Tang Xingqiang said nonchalantly.

Although Xu Taian initially liked Tang Guizhi for her looks, the real reason he could marry her was due to Tang Jianguo's return in glory.

Everyone thought that with such a relative, the Tang family would surely rise.

Moreover, Xu Taian was not good-looking and very short.

He wanted to find a girl from town who worked for the government, but they didn't want him.

So, he settled for Tang Guizhi.

At first, their relationship was good, but it was common for town people to look down on country folk. No one paid much attention until he started being violent.

Now that they knew someone capable had emerged from their family and that things would be different, their attitude changed immediately.

Tang Xingqiang's eyes gleamed: "I will definitely become someone capable in the future and never let anyone look down on me again!"

Their previous actions might have made the Xu family wary, but it wouldn't earn them respect. Perhaps they even mocked them behind their backs, calling them uncouth country folk.

But seeing Tang Qingqing's potential, they immediately showed respect. Tang Xingqiang noticed this and felt deeply moved.

"To be successful, you need to study hard."

"Can education really lead to success?"

"Of course. Don't look at how people despise the educated now, but if you can get into the Workers, Peasants and Soldiers University, won't things be different in the future? You haven't seen how fiercely the educated youth compete for those spots. Although it depends on your background, you still need to study well to have a better chance."

Tang Xingqiang was convinced. "Sis, don't worry. I'll study hard. I'm not like Tang Xingwang, who spends money without learning anything. That would be a huge loss!"

Tang Qingqing chuckled and handed him the canned food they had agreed upon.

Tang Xingqiang's eyes widened because this wasn't half a can—it was a whole can!

"Sis... is all of this for me?"

"You did very well this time, and the other half is an extra reward for you."

Tang Xingqiang cheered loudly. "Sis, you're so great! From now on, whatever you say, I'll do it, no questions asked!"

"Forget it. You wouldn't care unless there's something in it for you."

"I'm not that mercenary!"

Tang Qingqing didn't believe him. In his eagerness to prove himself, Tang Xingqiang shoved the can back into her arms.

"Sis, I don't even need this can!"

As he spoke, he swallowed hard, his eyes involuntarily darting to the can in her arms.

Tang Qingqing chuckled again and pushed the can back into his hands. Tang Xingqiang clasped his hands behind his back and turned his head away.

"I believe you will stand by me from now on."

"Really?"

"Really."

Only then did Tang Xingqiang take the can, saying sweetly, "Sis, you're truly wonderful."

Tang Qingqing found his flattery unbearable and shooed him away to play.

This time, when Tang Qingqing returned from catching the arsonist in Tongxiang Brigade, she was given a bag of rice, flour, and cured meat as payment.

She cut some meat for her master and took the rest home.

Now, even in the Tang household, fewer people gave her trouble. Even Zhao Dahua, who liked to assign her tasks, only nagged a bit. If Tang Qingqing refused, she wouldn't face the same physical punishment as before.

In the morning, when Tang Qingqing grabbed steamed buns from home and rushed out, she wouldn't get beaten anymore. Instead, her family members even urged her to learn more skills.

On the contrary, her three brothers were scolded frequently, being called foolish for not picking up any skills even when they were right in front of them.

Tang Xingqiang retorted, "Why don't you try learning? You can't even tell if my shoes fit properly."

The Public Security Bureau quickly issued another commendation, and the brigade held a special meeting to praise Tang Qingqing, Zhai Hongyi, and Wang Heizi for their assistance in solving the case.

The brigade leader spoke with great enthusiasm, praising the trio to the skies, making Tang Qingqing feel quite embarrassed.

Zhai Hongyi remained indifferent, but Wang Heizi was incredibly excited, puffing out his chest proudly.

Although he had already brought home the prize and his family knew about his achievements, and neighbors and relatives had praised him, the formal recognition made him feel even more accomplished.

Seeing Wang Heizi's wide grin, Tang Xingqiang rolled his eyes. "Hmph, what's there to be proud of? Without my sister, you wouldn't have been involved at all."

As soon as Tang Qingqing stepped off the stage, Tang Xingqiang pestered her:

"Sis, next time, take me along too. What can Wang Heizi do? He's tall but not smart. I'm much smarter than him."

Tang Qingqing tapped his head. "Wait until you grow as big as him and know more words than he does."

The commendation for Zhai Hongyi came as a surprise to everyone at the educated youth camp.

Since Zhai Hongyi hadn't mentioned it, and the educated youth weren't as informed as the villagers, they only vaguely knew about the murder case and never imagined that Zhai Hongyi had participated in solving it.

"Zhai Hongyi, why didn't you tell us about this? Such a big deal, and you didn't share it with us. That's not treating us as revolutionary comrades," said educated youth Ma Jiande.

Others were also curious, wanting to know how they solved the case.

The educated youth in Rongshan Brigade, especially the new ones, generally had a distant relationship with the local villagers and rarely interacted with them during work.

They usually stuck together and didn't mingle with the locals. Occasionally, they might exchange a few words, but they were always thinking about returning to the city.

Therefore, many of the educated youth couldn't even recognize all the local villagers and only knew the brigade leaders.

This lack of interaction meant they weren't well-informed about the brigade's gossip and news unless the older educated youth shared it with them.

However, these new educated youth weren't interested in the brigade's affairs unless it directly affected them, such as spots in the Workers, Peasants and Soldiers University or return-to-city quotas.

Listening to local gossip seemed pointless to them, and they acted like petty citizens.

Thus, the older educated youth stopped sharing information, despite being part of the same group, they formed different cliques.

Zhai Hongyi's expression remained indifferent. "There's nothing worth mentioning."

Seeing his expression, Ma Jiande felt annoyed:

"Zhai Hongyi, you act like you don't care about anything, but it turns out you've been quietly showing off."

With these words, everyone present became tense, their attention focused on Zhai Hongyi.

A few months ago, there was talk of spots in the Workers, Peasants and Soldiers University, but nothing happened since then.

Now, all kinds of rumors were flying around, and no one knew what was really going on.

However, it was certain that those who would get the spots must have performed exceptionally well.

Their brigade was still okay because the brigade leader was relatively fair. People didn't dare to offend him, but in other brigades, people were secretly giving things to their brigade leaders.

These years of sending educated youth to the countryside had fattened many people.

Some took minor matters as orders and profited greatly from it.

Rongshan Brigade did not have such issues, but the lack of such behavior only made them more anxious, unsure where to direct their efforts.

Wang Ying sneered, "Ma Jiande, your words are truly laughable. Why can you show off, but others can't? If we're talking about secretly showing off, if you say you're second, no one would dare to claim first."

"Xiaoyi! What do you mean by that!" Ma Jiande said angrily.

Wang Ying rolled her eyes. "What I mean is exactly what I said. If you don't want anyone to know, don't do it in the first place."

Ma Jiande was so angry he wanted to charge over, but other educated youth quickly held him back.

Wen Xuelan spoke softly, "Everyone, let's stop arguing. We came here to be trained. Everyone trying to show off is something worth praising, isn't it?"

Group leader Li Zhiyi agreed, "Yes, yes, everyone is here for training. Let the farmers see our enthusiasm and abilities, and learn from each other. Now that Zhai Hongyi has brought honor to us educated youth, we should applaud and learn from him."

With his lead, others also clapped, but it sounded sparse and somewhat perfunctory.

Zhai Hongyi didn't mind and left with his things.

Ma Jiande scoffed, "Li Zhiyi, look at his attitude. You just got a cold shoulder for your warm face, didn't you?"

"You can't say it like that. Zhai Hongyi is just an introvert."

"Don't pretend to be nice here. He's been against us since day one, looking down on us."

Wang Ying: "Isn't that because you were rummaging through his stuff?"

"Wang Ying, don't pretend to be nice. You were the one eating the most back then."

"Stop framing me. That was all shared by Xuelan, right, Xuelan?"

Wen Xuelan smiled gently and nodded. "We are comrades, and we should share happiness and hardships together."

Ma Jiande glanced at Wen Xuelan. "You want to share, but others might not care."

Wen Xuelan disagreed, "Xiaoyi has always been like this. He's actually very warm-hearted. Please don't misunderstand him."

Ma Jiande scoffed and looked at Wen Xuelan mockingly.

Wang Ying was displeased. "Zhai Hongyi and Xuelan grew up together. Haven't you noticed that whenever Zhai Hongyi's family sends things, they always prepare a portion for Xuelan?"

"So what? After doing such a big thing outside, he didn't even mention it to her."

"That's because he's not the type to brag. Unlike some of you, who make a fuss over every little thing. You're just jealous now. If you have the ability, go and earn some credit yourself!"

Ma Jiande turned red with anger; these words hit him hard.

Wen Xuelan tugged at Wang Ying's arm. "Wang Ying, don't talk like that."

"Xuelan, you're just too nice."

"We are comrades, and we've come here from afar. We should unite."

"Fine, for your sake." Wang Ying glared at Ma Jiande.

Si Zhaowen pushed his glasses up his nose. "Zhai Hongyi has done such a great deed this time. If there's a spot at the Workers, Peasants and Soldiers University, wouldn't he be the priority choice?"

The scene fell silent again. Not only the new batch of educated youth, but the older ones also lowered their heads, lost in thought.

The brigade leader of Rongshan Brigade was still quite fair. Whenever there was a chance to return to the city or attend the university, he would give it to the best performers.

He would also announce the criteria, which usually related to performance and contributions. This left those who didn't get the spots with nothing to complain about.

Wang Ying muttered, "Xuelan, will Zhai Hongyi go to the Workers, Peasants and Soldiers University? Didn't he say he wanted to stay in the countryside?"

Her words made everyone look at her as if she were crazy.

Anyone with a sane mind would not give up such a good opportunity.

Wen Xuelan bit her lip and said nothing.

She knew that for Zhai Hongyi, returning to the city wasn't too difficult. After a period of training in the countryside, his family could arrange a job for him.

In fact, Zhai Hongyi could have stayed out of the countryside altogether. He volunteered himself and even requested to be sent to the toughest places.

But the office in charge didn't do that. Although Rongshan Brigade was remote and poor, it was still better than going to Inner Mongolia or Xinjiang.

But what if he could attend the Workers, Peasants and Soldiers University?

Would Zhai Hongyi still insist on staying here?

After the official commendation from the Public Security Bureau, Tang Qingqing's name spread throughout the entire commune.

In such a short time, she solved a theft case and a murder case, and she hadn't even turned fourteen yet. She was considered a legend.

This led to more and more people seeking her out. If any brigade was robbed or set on fire, they didn't report it to the authorities; instead, they went directly to Rongshan Brigade to find her.

Tang Qingqing didn't refuse and would go wherever needed, always accompanied by Zhai Hongyi and Wang Heizi.

Zhai Hongyi had to come along; he was assigned as her bodyguard by her master. As for Wang Heizi, initially, he was just tagging along, but later it was discovered that he easily befriended people, making him useful, so he was included as well.

They are now a famous trio, so if you want to invite Tang Qingqing, you have to let her bring these two along.

Don't think this is unimportant; it means two more pairs of chopsticks, and they are both growing boys who eat a lot.

If you invite them over, you can't serve them poor food; that would be bad manners, and no one would want to come again. This increases the expenses.

However, compared to the losses, this is nothing, so everyone is quite willing.

Some even feel that having all three together is reassuring. Many still don't fully believe that a little girl could be so capable, but with the three of them, especially with the intimidating Zhai Hongyi, they feel more confident.

Tang Qingqing feels helpless about this and can only work harder to change people's perceptions of her or, more deeply, their discrimination against women.

When people see that she is always the one working hard while the other two just assist, they naturally understand who the truly capable one is.

There are also some who say nonsensical things.

Although Tang Qingqing looks like a little girl, she is still a woman, and having two boys around her inevitably leads to gossip.

Zhai Hongyi directly took Tang Qingqing and Wang Heizi away, ready to physically confront those who were too excessive.

Wang Heizi was responsible for verbally berating them, not stopping until he had thoroughly humiliated them, and then spreading the word that this brigade was unfair.

After all, they are not the police and don't have to take every case. Why should they help and still be criticized? They are not that desperate.

Such situations are very rare. Most brigades or people treat them very well, even if there is a bit of distrust, they do not show it and still welcome them warmly.

Every time Tang Qingqing first arrives, she only asks for simple food like steamed buns or roasted sweet potatoes, not indulging in fancy meals.

Only after she finds the missing items or catches the thief will she partake in the special feast prepared for them.

When leaving, if there are gifts of gratitude, she won't refuse unless they are overly lavish, in which case she will return a portion.

After school starts, Tang Qingqing uses weekends to track down cases, and if there is an urgent situation, she takes leave to investigate.

She is currently taking classes from the principal, who is very responsible and makes his lectures much more interesting than previous teachers, allowing Tang Qingqing to learn knowledge that Zhai Hongyi cannot provide.

Whenever Tang Qingqing is absent, the principal arranges extra time to help her catch up.

With Zhai Hongyi also helping her with her studies, Tang Qingqing progresses rapidly, far ahead of ordinary students.

By early summer, the Workers, Peasants and Soldiers University quota was finally confirmed for Rongshan Brigade, with one spot specifically reserved for a volunteer youth worker.

For a moment, the volunteer youth workers of Rongshan Brigade were elated, all hoping the quota would fall on them.

Soon, however, the excited group fell into disappointment.

The brigade leader, Wang Changfu, planned to give the university quota to Zhai Hongyi because he was diligent in his work, willing to integrate with the locals, and showed good ideological awareness.

Most importantly, the trio had solved many cases recently, recovering lost property for the masses and catching thieves.

Although Tang Qingqing was the leader, Zhai Hongyi also contributed significantly.