The 1960s: The Story of a Country Girl's Journey to the City

But the more suspicious it seemed, the more suspicious it became. Feng Shuangxi only earned a little over thirty yuan a month, and he was the only one working in his family of three. Something just didn't seem right.

Li Yan's family paid for her medical expenses themselves, and she also asked them for fifty yuan in compensation.

They've already been alerted. If there really is a problem, they should have taken action in the next few days. It's a good opportunity to have the police investigate.

Xie Laidi acted quickly; she brought the police back that afternoon.

She was willing to do anything to avoid paying compensation to the Feng family.

When Bao Ya saw the police officer in front of her, she felt like she had stepped in dog poop.

On the other side, Tan Xinmin felt a lump in his throat; his life was so miserable.

"Officer Tan, this is Comrade Lin, whom I told you about. She's the one who discovered some of the things."

Everyone entered the main room with distrust towards each other. Xie Laidi, in her usual friendly manner, poured a cup of tea for each person. Afterwards, they sat quietly to one side.

Tan Xinmin observed Bao Ya, his eyes darting around, wondering if she had staged this herself.

"So Instructor Tan is in charge of this area now?"

Bao Ya pondered for a moment before speaking. If he didn't care about this area, she should tell him to leave quickly, as she felt this guy was incompetent.

"Yes, I've been transferred to the police station here. Feel free to contact us if you have any problems."

Upon hearing his words, Bao Ya's face fell. It was exactly what she feared. A not-so-bright police officer couldn't provide the people with a sense of security. Their lives were so miserable.

Tan Xinmin was also extremely unwilling. On his first day in office, he encountered a troublemaker. The most pitiful thing was that he had very little hair left, which he would probably have to give up for his career.

"Comrade Xiaolin, could you tell us what you've discovered?"

The police officer standing next to him, Cheng, sensed that the woman in front of him knew Director Tan, and that their relationship wasn't very good.

Bao Ya turned to look at this Public Security Officer Cheng. Not only was he handsome, but he also exuded righteousness, making him seem more reliable than Tan Xinmin.

"This is Officer Cheng from the Municipal Public Security Bureau, who came to inspect our area. He used to work in criminal investigation. If you find anything, you can tell him."

Tan Xinmin quickly explained to her. This was also a warning to her: don't cause trouble; criminal investigators are not to be trifled with.

Bao Ya's eyes lit up when she heard that Officer Cheng worked in criminal investigation.

It seems she's really lucky; everything she wants comes true. Being a criminal investigator is a good choice; she's a hundred times more reliable than Tan Xinmin.

"It's the family next door to us. Not only did Li Yan dress up as a ghost to scare people that night, but this family's behavior is also very strange. Do you know what they used to do? Especially Feng Shuangxi's mother."

Bao Ya spoke in a low voice and pointed towards the west courtyard.

Tan Xinmin's lips twitched. Who was asking whom? Why were they asking them questions?

"Is this important?"

Cheng Gong'an frowned, but didn't rush to refute Bao Ya.

In his experience, there's always a reason why your neighbor says you're strange.

"Yes, I think it's very important. That old lady often hides in her room and never sees anyone. I've been married into the family for almost a year, and I can count the number of times I've seen her on one hand."

"Comrade, do you think she might be a spy, or have some serious case on her record, which is why she's hiding and afraid to see anyone?"

Bao Ya said with a serious expression, her mind already wandering. She wasn't entirely sure, but based on her experience watching TV dramas and movies in her previous life, she just felt that there was something wrong with the family in the West Courtyard.

Cheng Gong'an didn't rush to refute her. Instead, he took out his notebook and wrote down everything Bao Ya said.

When Bao Ya saw him doing this, she glanced at Tan Xinmin next to her, as if to say, "Look at his work attitude."

Seeing that he was ready, Bao Ya listed all her suspicions one by one:

"First of all, this family lives like they're invisible, and they hardly interact with their neighbors in this area."

Then there's the way they look at people; it always seems a bit strange. What word can I use to describe it?

Bao Ya scratched her head and thought for a long time before finally slapping her forehead and coming up with a word.

"Be wary, yes, that's the feeling. What exactly are they wary of? Is there some secret they're hiding? Normal people wouldn't be so wary of strangers, let alone neighbors."

And then there was Li Yan. She almost never looked at people, always kept her head down, and had thick bangs covering her forehead. To this day, I can't even remember what she looked like.

Tan Xinmin listened for a long time, and all she said were her own feelings.

He suspected that Bao Ya was just bored at home and overthinking things. He'd talk to the neighborhood committee and ask them to find her something to do.

After Bao Ya brought it up, Xie Laidi realized something was amiss. Not to mention Bao Ya, even she had no recollection of the Feng family. This was strange. She added:

"Officer, I seem to have heard that Granny Feng used to be a servant in a wealthy family when she was young, and she moved to our area a few years ago."

Li Yan came later. It is said that the two were betrothed since childhood and held their wedding in their hometown. We have never seen her family members come to see her.

This family is very quiet; even during the Lunar New Year, they made very little noise.

As Officer Cheng listened, his brow furrowed deeper and deeper. All that had been said was their suspicion; there was no substantial evidence.

If there's a problem, it's that they know too little. Neighbors living together shouldn't be completely isolated from each other, so the Feng family's deliberate avoidance is the biggest issue.

Bao Ya continued to add:

"Yesterday I went to her house and asked them for fifty yuan for medical expenses, and they gave it to me without hesitation. They don't seem to be that rich."

"Moreover, Feng Shuangxi leaves early and returns late every day, and Granny Feng and Li Yan don't go out often to begin with. I've been keeping an eye on them these past two days, and now they hardly even leave the house anymore."

Cheng Gong'an frowned even more. "You're watching so closely; you're definitely alerting the enemy."

Why don't you go to the police station to report the situation yourself?

Suddenly, Officer Cheng asked Bao Ya a question, feeling that Xie Laidi had instructed her to report the incident to the police.

"I?"

Bao Ya paused for a moment, then looked at Tan Xinmin.

"I'm afraid Officer Tan won't trust me, and that would delay important matters."

One sentence she uttered almost made Tan Xinmin furious. His lips trembled, and he wanted to point his finger at her and yell at her.

Bao Ya ignored his reaction; she had heard that this man had talked about her behind her back quite a bit.

"Officer Cheng, believe me, there's definitely something wrong with his family. I've helped the military region catch spies before."

I keep a close eye on them, and you should also check their family background. When we meet up, we're sure to find out a lot of problems.

Before Officer Cheng could speak, she had already assigned the tasks. There was no harm in investigating further; she wasn't entirely at ease knowing such a suspicious family lived next door.

If they ever commit a crime, it might implicate themselves. There's no room for reason before the movement ends, especially if they're associated with spies.