She deliberately drew out her tone, her gaze sweeping over the precarious half-collapsed walls, a faint, ambiguous smile curling at the corner of her lips. “The structure is unstable. It wouldn’t be good if something unexpected happened. Safety must come first.”
“Thank you for the reminder.” Shen Qingyu’s tone was indifferent, as if she hadn’t caught the underlying meaning in Jiang Muxue’s words. Yet her sharp eyes fixed on the base of the crumbling wall, where the soil showed unusually fresh signs of loosening.
Her heart stirred slightly, but her expression remained unchanged. Instead, she followed Jiang Muxue’s lead, observing with apparent seriousness. “Comrade Jiang is right. Safety is the priority. We should take a closer look at the base of this wall.”
With that, she stepped toward the precarious wall, seemingly intent on inspecting it.
Seeing her approach the dangerous structure, Jiang Muxue felt an inexplicable flutter in her heart. She instinctively wanted to stop her but forcibly held back, her gaze complex as she stared at Shen Qingyu’s retreating figure.
Gu Huainian also paused in his work, his eyes darkening as he watched Shen Qingyu and the crumbling wall, his grip tightening on the hoe in his hand.
Shen Qingyu approached the wall but didn’t get too close. Instead, she crouched down, carefully examining the loosened soil at the base and the faint cracks that didn’t appear to be naturally formed.
The golden light of the setting sun outlined her focused and serene profile.
Her fingertips brushed over the fresh cracks.
The moisture and softness of the soil here were clearly different from the surrounding area, as if someone had deliberately pried it open with a tool.
Her heart sank, and a chill instantly crept up her spine.
This was definitely not the result of natural collapse or erosion from wind and rain. Someone had tampered with it! The target was self-evident.
Without showing any sign of alarm, she glanced subtly at Jiang Muxue’s expression from the corner of her eye.
Jiang Muxue was staring intently at her position, her face wearing a mask of feigned concern that barely concealed a trace of nervousness and… anticipation?
“So, Comrade Shen, does it look truly dangerous?”
Jiang Muxue’s voice chimed in at just the right moment, laced with a false sense of concern. “This is no joke. I think we should forget about it. Why don’t you go talk to the team leader and suggest we leave this area alone for now? Safety first, after all.”
Shen Qingyu slowly stood up, brushing the dirt from her hands. Her face betrayed no unusual emotion, and her tone was even calmer than before. “Comrade Jiang is right. Safety is indeed not something to be taken lightly. The base of this wall does look a bit loose.”
She paused, her sharp gaze locking onto Jiang Muxue. “But whether it’s natural loosening from wind and rain or caused by some other reason, a thorough investigation will reveal the truth. Don’t you agree, Comrade Jiang?”
Jiang Muxue’s heart fluttered nervously under her stare. Forcing a smile, she said, “What do you mean, Comrade Shen? What other reason could there be? It’s just old age, of course…”
“Is that so?”
Shen Qingyu cut her off, a faint yet cold smile curling at the corner of her lips. “These marks look quite ‘fresh,’ as if they were made between the time we finished work and now. Maybe some wild animal dug here just now, or…”
She deliberately drew out her words, her gaze lingering on Jiang Muxue’s slightly stiffened face for a moment. “…someone accidentally bumped into it?”
Jiang Muxue’s expression shifted, her fingers unconsciously twisting the handle of her basket. She stammered, “H-how would I know? I just got here myself!”
“Hmm, I was just speculating.”
Shen Qingyu withdrew her gaze, as if she had only spoken casually a moment ago.
She turned to look at Gu Huainian, who had been silently observing nearby. “Comrade Gu, don’t you think something is off about the base of this wall?”
Gu Huainian had already set down his hoe and walked over.
He crouched beside Shen Qingyu, extending his slender, well-defined fingers to carefully press and probe the loosened soil and cracks.
His movements were steady and professional, his gaze as sharp as an eagle’s.
After a moment, he stood up and looked at Shen Qingyu, his voice low but carrying an undeniable certainty. “The soil has been freshly turned. The edges of the cracks are neat, and there are marks from tools like crowbars. This is deliberate sabotage.”
“Deliberate sabotage?!”
Jiang Muxue gasped in shock, her face instantly draining of color, filled with disbelief and panic. “Who… who would be so malicious? If… if this wall were to collapse…”
“Exactly. If someone had been standing close by just now, or if they were inside cleaning up…”
Shen Qingyu continued, her tone devoid of any gentleness, leaving only coldness. “The consequences would have been unimaginable.”
Her gaze once again fell on Jiang Muxue, carrying a chill that seemed to see through everything.
Although there was no direct evidence to prove she had done it, who had the motive? Who had first ‘warned’ of the danger?
Who had shown unusual tension and anticipation when she approached the unstable wall? The answer was all too clear.
Jiang Muxue could barely stand under Shen Qingyu’s gaze. She flinched, avoiding eye contact, and forced herself to remain calm. “This is too terrifying! Comrade Shen, I don’t think we should stay here any longer! We must report this to the brigade leader immediately and find out who did this!”
“Of course, we must report it.”
Shen Qingyu’s tone was resolute.
“Damaging collective property and deliberately creating danger—this is no longer just a simple matter of personal misconduct.”
She deliberately emphasized the words ‘deliberately’ and ‘collective property,’ elevating the severity of the situation.
Gu Huainian frowned slightly and said in a deep voice, “I’ll go find the brigade leader and Captain Wang.”
Without hesitation, he turned and strode toward the brigade headquarters, his tall figure exuding an undeniable sense of authority.
Only Shen Qingyu and Jiang Muxue remained at the scene.
The last trace of the unusual sunset glow sank behind the mountains, and dusk enveloped everything. The atmosphere around the ruins suddenly turned cold and tense.
The wind rustled through the tall weeds, sounding like whispers from the shadows.
Shen Qingyu no longer looked at Jiang Muxue. Instead, she picked up her firewood knife again, but this time she did not approach the unstable wall. Instead, she turned to clear the weeds on the other side, her movements as steady as ever.
It was as if the dangerous incident had never happened.
Jiang Muxue stood frozen in place, her mind in turmoil.
Gu Huainian’s firm words, “deliberate sabotage,” struck her heart like a hammer.
She hadn’t expected Gu Huainian to be so observant, nor had she anticipated that he would so decisively side with Shen Qingyu and report the incident!
Her original plan had been to create a minor accident, to make Shen Qingyu back down or delay her house-building progress.
At the same time, she wanted to pin the label of “ignoring safety and disregarding warnings” on her.
Not long after Shen Qingyu left, Jiang Muxue had excused herself under the pretext of exchanging eggs with villagers.
Seizing the opportunity when no one was around, she had come here to create a small accident.
But now, everything had spiraled out of control!
Fear and regret intertwined within her.
Would the brigade leader believe Gu Huainian’s words?
Would they suspect her?
And Shen Qingyu’s icy gaze just now clearly indicated she was already under suspicion!
Looking at the two eggs in the basket in her hands, they now seemed particularly ironic and heavy.
Watching Shen Qingyu’s back as she focused on clearing the weeds, and her utterly unperturbed demeanor, truly made her grit her teeth in resentment.