Educated Youth in the Countryside: She is the Village's Embroidery Queen!-Chapter 268: Stolen Funds

Director Zhang was completely disheartened, and the conversation ended there.

He then said his goodbyes and prepared to leave, but was stopped by the brigade captain.

"Director Zhang, hold on."

"What’s up?"

"There’s something."

Yi Chichi and the others, who were also about to leave, exchanged glances and collectively stopped to see what was going on.

It turned out the brigade captain wasn’t talking about anything else, but wanted Director Zhang to help take Xue Jiahuan’s things to her.

Then, Yi Chichi saw Director Zhang pause, looking confused about why he should help her with her things, but for some reason, he didn’t voice it and just nodded in agreement.

The brigade captain was pleased and said to Wang Nan and the others, "You all hurry up and pack her things."

There’s a good chance more young intellectuals will arrive this year, and they need to clear the room quickly. Otherwise, the new arrivals will have to stay with local families.

This cannot happen. Having Xue Jiahuan was bad enough. He had no hope of being the outstanding production brigade this year, but he wanted to try again next year and couldn’t afford more conflicts between young intellectuals and local members.

The plan was solid, but Wang Nan and the others were unwilling.

"This can’t be done."

"Why not?"

The brigade captain was anxious, "You girls, we don’t usually need you, but now that we do, you’re giving me all sorts of excuses. Does this sound reasonable?"

"It doesn’t sound reasonable."

But even if it’s unreasonable, it won’t work.

Ge Sujuan explained, "Uncle, it’s not that we don’t want to do it, but we can’t. Xue Jiahuan lives in a room by herself and always locks it with three locks when she goes out. We don’t have the key, so even if we wanted to help pack, we couldn’t."

The brigade captain was speechless. How distrusting can you be of your fellow young intellectuals under the same roof to use three locks?

It’s good to be cautious of others, but why not do something proper?

"Where’s her key?"

"I don’t know."

Wang Nan and the others genuinely didn’t know. They barely ever talked, and any chat usually turned into an argument or worse.

There’s simply no way to communicate, let alone be friends.

So, Xue Jiahuan mostly acted like they didn’t exist, and they pretty much felt the same about her. No way would they enthusiastically interact with her.

They’d rather interact with Yi Chichi, who is genuine and generous. If you are nice to her, she returns it even more.

No one likes dealing with someone like Xue Jiahuan.

"Actually, we could ask Mr. Wen."

Right, Xue Jiahuan also has Mr. Wen, the person she pressured into marriage, although it seems he can’t keep her either.

Yi Chichi instinctively glanced at Director Zhang, whose expression indeed became quite intriguing.

The brigade captain was about to speak when Director Zhang cleared his throat and said, "Mr. Wen has also been arrested."

The amount of information was overwhelming. The brigade captain and the others took a while to digest his words.

Then—

"What was he arrested for?"

The results were out, so there was no reason not to say.

Director Zhang calmly said, "Like Xue Jiahuan, he’s arrested for stealing state assets, and he took someone’s job by breaking their leg."

Yi Chichi was stunned, so this is why Mr. Wen had to marry Xue Jiahuan?

"Also, it was him who led the investigation into Xue Jiahuan’s theft of state assets."

Yi Chichi considered, "He stayed hidden while pushing Xue Jiahuan into the open?"

Director Zhang gave her a meaningful glance and hummed in agreement.

"That’s why I say she’s stupid."

Wang Nan couldn’t hold back a comment.

The brigade captain didn’t care whether Xue Jiahuan was stupid or not. His concern was the room.

"Director Zhang, can we break the locks?"

Director Zhang was momentarily dumbfounded. Breaking locks...

"Are you determined to clear her things?"

The brigade captain sighed, "I shouldn’t be so resolute, but if I don’t, I’ll be in trouble. The new young intellectuals need a place to stay. She’s locked up and probably doesn’t have much. I can’t send her things without clearing them, and it’ll waste the new arrivals’ living space... I’m doing this for her own good."

At first, the brigade captain seemed unconvincing, but by the end, he sounded quite sure of himself, his entire demeanor changed.

Director Zhang understood that they would definitely break the lock, regardless of the sincerity of his words.

"Break it."

He said helplessly, "Xiao Huang and I will watch you break the locks. Once done, collect her things and send two people back with us to deliver them to her."

"Alright."

As long as they can clear her things and send them, going once is going once.

So, the group turned towards the Youth Corps Courtyard.

Upon breaking the locks, opening the door, and packing,

one did not realize her luxurious lifestyle until packing revealed the sheer amount. Not only were Wang Nan and the others taken aback, but even Yi Chichi found it outrageous.

Three watches, one of which was a Plum Blossom brand.

Five fountain pens, more than three pounds of red sausage, and a leg of pork.

Then there were military coats, thick cotton jackets, and other winter clothes, either brand new or in excellent condition.

Three pairs of leather shoes, two pairs of Warrior shoes, and no cloth shoes.

There weren’t many summer clothes, but there were tickets and money.

To ensure nothing was missed and they couldn’t explain it later, Wang Nan and the others, under the direction and supervision of the brigade captain and Director Zhang, found a thick wad of banknotes in the sleeping platform hole.

The total amount tallied to 1235.67, with numerous tickets.

Among them was a permanent bike ticket, twenty industrial vouchers, various tickets for grain, oil, rice, noodles, and candy.

These weren’t the main point; what was important was that all these tickets were locally issued in the city.

Xiao Huang was both surprised and delighted, "Director, we found the stolen money."

Wang Nan was so shocked she nearly dropped the tickets in her hand, wearing a look of disbelief, "This is stolen money?"

"Most likely, yes."

Yi Chichi was puzzled, "Didn’t you ask her during interrogation about the stolen money?"

"We did and confiscated some of it; what remained she insisted wasn’t settled."

Yi Chichi wanted to ask why they hadn’t come and asked around in Kao Shan Village, but remembering the people caught in the factory, she swallowed her words.

Instead—

"Now that you’ve found it, it’s good news."

In an era where a person didn’t even earn thirty, Xue Jiahuan’s money and tickets, although not astronomical, constituted genuine substantial stolen wealth.

An average worker, saving every penny for two years, might not accumulate so much.

The key was that tickets were hard to come by.

Director Zhang’s face finally broke into a smile, "It is indeed good news."

In the end, the brigade captain drove a cart laden with Xue Jiahuan’s belongings to the county town with Director Zhang and the others.

After they left, Zhou Qiuyu murmured incessantly, as if possessed.

"I always knew she wasn’t short on money, but I never thought she’d have so much."

She’d been in the countryside for over two, almost three years, and had managed to save only a little over twenty dollars by being frugal. Xue Jiahuan, on the other hand, hid such a large sum of money in her room.

"Stolen money."

Bai Chen and the others were also taken aback, their eyes reflecting complex emotions. Worried they might develop wrong intentions, Qi Yang reminded them, "She can’t use that money and those tickets."

Implying there was no need for envy.