Chapter 86

Chapter 86

Upon hearing this, Su Rong's face darkened immediately. There were still many people outside the courtyard, and Tang Zhenzhen's shouting would spread the news to everyone.

"What nonsense are you spouting! As a young lady, how can you be so rash!"

Tang Zhenzhen pouted, feeling wronged. "Mom, I'm sorry. I was just too worried. The rumors outside are rampant and very unpleasant."

Su Rong's expression grew even more grim. Tang Zhenzhen had only just returned and already knew about this, indicating how far the rumors had spread.

The people at the factory were simply too idle! Otherwise, they wouldn't have blown such a trivial matter out of proportion.

So what if she rode in a police car? She wasn't handcuffed. It shouldn't have sparked so much speculation.

"How could Qingqing do anything improper! Don't believe every rumor you hear."

Tang Zhenzhen lowered her head. "Mom, I know I was wrong. I was just too worried."

Seeing her on the verge of tears, Su Rong softened her heart and couldn't bring herself to scold her further.

"Go wash up first. You must be tired from today's rehearsal?"

Tang Zhenzhen sniffled, trying hard to suppress her sadness, and clung to Su Rong's arm, cooing,

"Mom, no matter how hard I work, it's nothing compared to your efforts."

Hearing this, Su Rong felt some of her frustration dissipate.

"Mom, what exactly is going on with those rumors outside?"

"Some people just love to stir up trouble. Your father has a hard time managing the factory, especially since he made some reforms for the opening up. This inevitably affected some people's interests, so they want us to suffer and are spreading lies."

"Is it true that my sister was taken away by the police car?"

"It seems so; many people saw it. Your sister was probably invited as an advisor. Her skills are quite impressive."

Su Rong had experienced it firsthand, though she still found it unbelievable.

When she first learned the truth, she had prepared for the worst, as she remembered the girl as somewhat dim-witted.

Especially in comparison to Tang Zhenzhen, she seemed developmentally delayed and not particularly sharp.

She always hid behind Tang Zhenzhen, rarely spoke, and was timid.

A few years later, when they returned, Tang Qingqing was no longer dirty but appeared even more dazed.

As soon as they entered the village, they saw Tang Qingqing squatting by the roadside, staring blankly at the ground, motionless, as if in a trance.

Others had to call her several times before she responded, looking dazed.

She also stared at Tang Zhenzhen's shoes, unable to look away for a long time.

At the time, Su Rong thought the child might be mentally slow. So when she learned the truth, she felt overwhelmed.

In retrospect, she realized that the child must have been observing everyone's footprints very carefully, which led to her current abilities.

This child was much smarter than she imagined, with astonishing observational skills.

Perhaps the emotions Su Rong had shown back then influenced her, making her distant from them.

Feeling powerless and frustrated, Su Rong couldn't believe that family could do such things.

They had scrimped and saved, sending money every month, hoping their daughter would be treated better.

If even a small portion of that money had gone to their daughter, life would have been decent.

Instead, it only emboldened them.

Thinking about this filled Su Rong with anger and disgust. Fortunately, their daughter hadn't been corrupted and was still well-behaved and understanding, preventing the situation from becoming entirely dire.

"Really that impressive?"

Tang Zhenzhen pursed her lips, never imagining Tang Qingqing had faced such circumstances in the countryside.

Was this the protagonist's halo? No matter how terrible the situation, she could still make a comeback.

Initially, Tang Zhenzhen thought after the switch, the protagonist would never rise again and would eventually be married off.

Her entire fate would change, leaving no chance for redemption.

Back then, she insisted her parents take her back to observe the protagonist's situation.

When she saw the protagonist wasn't allowed to go to school and was instead assigned to herd sheep, tanned and thin, unlike the description in the novel of growing up beautiful, Tang Zhenzhen felt reassured.

Especially seeing the protagonist staring blankly at one spot, she believed the protagonist had become a supporting character, while she had become the protagonist, alleviating her worries.

Unexpectedly, just as she was about to marry the male lead, the protagonist returned!

Even if it had been just a little later, after she married the male lead, it would have been fine. But it happened now!

If everything had been finalized, she would have completely replaced the protagonist as the male lead's wife.

The male lead wouldn't fall for anyone else, and she would forever enjoy the protagonist's treatment.

A handsome husband, adorable children.

Pampered by parents and brothers in childhood, by her husband in adulthood, and by her children in old age.

Living carefree, without needing to work hard, eating, drinking, and relaxing, achieving financial freedom effortlessly.

This is the life so many people yearn for, where everything comes effortlessly. This is also what Tang Zhenzhen has always pursued.

Therefore, after she transmigrated here, she began to set everything up.

Although she couldn't understand why the transmigration deity would let her transmigrate but not directly make her the protagonist, she knew that this wasn't something that couldn't be changed. After all, wasn't it popular for supporting characters to rise and become the main character?

She managed to replace the protagonist with little effort and became the most beloved princess of her parents and brothers.

Although the backward lifestyle here was difficult for her to adapt to, far less comfortable than modern times, her parents, while doting on her, were also quite strong-willed, not as indulgent as she had imagined.

Her brothers didn't seem to be as compliant as described in the book; they didn't do everything she said.

Entering the cultural troupe was even more of a torment for her. The daily training made her suffer immensely, and if it weren't for her thoughts about the male lead, she would have given up long ago.

Now, just when she was about to succeed, the protagonist returned! Not only did she not become uglier, but she became even more radiant and beautiful.

Her skin wasn't as fair as described in the book, but beauty isn't affected by skin color; she was still stunningly beautiful.

The protagonist's skin, though not particularly fair, was smooth and lustrous, giving her a vibrant and youthful aura.

Her overall demeanor wasn't as soft and pitiable as described in the book, but it was equally captivating and luminous.

Tang Zhenzhen didn't want to admit it, but she had to acknowledge that the protagonist was indeed beautiful no matter how much she tried to change things.

Not only that, she had even learned footprint identification!

Was this her way of shining in front of the male lead since she couldn't join the cultural troupe, aiming to attract his attention?

This filled Tang Zhenzhen with a sense of crisis, worrying that all her efforts might go to waste.

Even though the current trend suggested that she would appear before the male lead first, and according to the plot, the male lead wouldn't meet the protagonist, she was still worried about unexpected developments. After all, everything she had was taken from someone else.

After all, every story is composed of countless unexpected events.

Although Su Rong felt that this wasn't work suitable for a girl, she praised, "Indeed very impressive. Otherwise, you wouldn't be able to attend school with this skill."

Su Rong believed that girls didn't need to work as hard as boys, but they certainly shouldn't be illiterate.

Seeing Su Rong's proud expression, Tang Zhenzhen felt a sour taste in her heart.

Such praise used to be directed at her, but now it was given to someone else.

"Sister, you're really amazing. Are you going to become a criminal investigator? Wouldn't that be dangerous and tiring, dealing with criminals?"

At this mention, Su Rong frowned.

A pretty girl working like a man, exposed to the harsh elements and the dark side of society, was indeed inappropriate.

However, Tang Qingqing's cold attitude towards her and her constant readiness to leave made Su Rong hesitant to say anything definite.

"It's too early to talk about that."

Looking at the time, Su Rong changed the subject, "What happened today? Everyone came home late."

Seeing that Su Rong didn't want to discuss it, Tang Zhenzhen didn't push the topic further.

After Tang Jianguo and the three brothers returned, Tang Qingqing still hadn't come home.

Seeing it was getting late and Tang Jiquan needed to return to work after dinner, Su Rong decided not to wait any longer.

She set aside some food and announced it was time to eat.

Tang Zhenzhen hesitated, "Mom, should we wait a bit longer? Eldest brother is in a hurry, so he can eat the portion set aside for him. Sister just got back, and if we don't wait for her, I'm afraid she might feel left out."

Before Su Rong could speak, Tang Jianguo interjected:

"Don't bother with her! We can't wait for her alone. If she doesn't tell us where she's going and comes back without food, she's doing it to herself!"

Tang Zhenzhen placed a piece of meat on Tang Jianguo's plate and smiled,

"Dad, don't be angry. Sister just got back and doesn't know our family rules. She didn't mean to do it intentionally."

Tang Jianguo felt relieved, glad to have a daughter who was obedient and understanding.

He turned to Su Rong, "Teach Qingqing well and help her get rid of the bad habits she picked up in the countryside."

Su Rong agreed, and the family started eating.

Tang Jianguo glanced at Tang Jixue, "What have you been busy with lately? You're never around. How old are you now? Do you plan to keep messing around like this forever!"

Tang Jixue kept shoveling food into his mouth as if he hadn't eaten in days. His mouth was full, yet he managed to speak without spitting out any food.

"I'm not messing around."

"Then what have you been doing all day? The furniture factory is hiring..."

"No, my affairs don't need your arrangement. I have my own plans."

Tang Jianguo became furious, "What plans could you possibly have! I told you to study for the college entrance exam, but you wouldn't listen! You have the ability to pass, but you're always dreaming of getting rich quick! Without studying, what future do you have!"

Seeing the father and son about to argue again, Su Rong quickly intervened, "We're eating. Why bring up these topics now?"

Tang Jixue, unusually, didn't retort but said, "Give me one year. If I haven't accomplished anything by then, I'll either find a job or study for the college entrance exam."

Hearing this, Tang Jianguo became even angrier. He thought it was just an empty promise.

Time is life; how could it be wasted so recklessly?

"Do you still think you're a child? When I was your age, your mother and I had already given birth to your eldest brother!"

Tang Zhenzhen: "Dad, don't be angry. It's good that Third Brother has goals, right? Besides, to achieve something, you need to have ideas."

Tang Jianguo shook his head and sighed, "It's not that easy."

"Anyway, it's just one year. Why don't you let Third Brother give it a try?"

Tang Jixue also said, "I know I wasn't reliable before, but this time when I went back, I met Qingqing's very impressive friend, which made me reflect a lot. I won't be as reckless as before."

Tang Jianguo had also heard from Su Rong about Wang Heizi, who was the person keeping Tang Jixue from constantly thinking about sneaking south.

Wang Heizi was indeed talented. Although he used to be with Zhai Hongyi, even after Zhai Hongyi left for so long, he not only maintained the business but also expanded it, showing that the kid was exceptional.

Although people nowadays look down on those who buy low and sell high, different situations call for different judgments.

Wang Heizi is from the countryside, and being able to achieve so much is truly commendable.

Tang Jianguo still had a stern face, but his tone softened considerably.

"Qingqing has two good friends. The one you should learn from the most is the educated youth, as his situation aligns closely with ours."

Tang Jixue knew his father was no longer forcing him and smiled, "Don't worry! I will definitely ask Qingqing more about Brother Yi and learn from him!"

The meat in Tang Zhenzhen's mouth suddenly lost its flavor. She didn't expect that Tang Jixue would become so close to Tang Qingqing after just picking her up once.

While Tang Jixue wasn't as reliable as his other two brothers and often liked to tease her, sometimes even competing with her for things, overall, he was still quite nice to her.

Now that Tang Jixue was so close to Tang Qingqing, she felt like something of hers had been taken away.

"Third Brother, you're already great. You don't need to learn from others; you're the best!"

Tang Jixue, unusually, did not let the praise go to his head and humbly replied, "Thank you, Zhenzhen, for your kind words. I still need to learn a lot. There's always someone better out there, and I must keep improving."

After finishing dinner and cleaning up, Tang Qingqing finally returned leisurely.

Seeing her, Tang Jianguo's face darkened, "Why are you so late? Didn't even tell us where you were going!"

Su Rong gently pulled Tang Jianguo and smiled at Tang Qingqing, "Qingqing, are you hungry? I'll heat up some food for you."

"No need, I've already eaten outside."

To make up for wasting Tang Qingqing's day, Shi Pengfei invited her to dinner as an apology.

"Eaten already? Who did you eat with?"

"The Public Security Bureau provided meals."

Tang Jianguo sat on the sofa, his face stern, showing his displeasure.

Su Rong, however, was gentle, "What did the Public Security Bureau invite you for?"

"Comrade Shi's father is an old classmate of our commune's Chief Xu. They've heard of me and wanted to test my abilities."

"Your mother and I aren't stopping you from going out, but next time, remember to let us know. We worry when you come back so late."

Tang Zhenzhen also advised, "Mom and Dad are just concerned about you. It's chaotic outside, and they worry about your safety. Don't overthink it; they genuinely care about you, not trying to restrict you."

Tang Qingqing raised an eyebrow, sensing the underlying implications.

This subtle hinting annoyed Tang Qingqing greatly.

When Tang Zhenzhen was younger, she was clearly very smart. With such good conditions, a little effort could have led her to heights others couldn't reach.

Instead, she wasted her intelligence on petty tricks.

She already had everything, and Tang Qingqing's arrival hadn't taken anything away. Yet, she remained uneasy.

However, there was one thing Tang Qingqing hadn't considered: in the countryside, due to special circumstances, she never had the habit of informing others of her whereabouts.

Sometimes she stayed with her master, sometimes at her uncle's house, or sometimes tracking outside, never knowing when she'd return.

With bodyguards around, no one worried too much.

Now here, she got used to doing as she pleased, forgetting to inform her family.

Thinking about it, this was indeed a point worth noting.

Not only was she supposed to follow the rules here, but it was beneficial for her too.

Here, she was alone without the iron triangle. Informing her family of her whereabouts was necessary.

In case of emergencies, they could react promptly.

"I'll be more mindful next time. I'm sorry for worrying you."

Tang Qingqing sincerely apologized and then turned to Tang Zhenzhen, "The one overthinking seems to be you."

With that, Tang Qingqing turned and headed upstairs.

Tang Jixue quickly followed, excitedly asking:

"Qingqing, tell me, what tests did the Public Security Bureau give you today?!"

Seeing this, Tang Zhenzhen truly felt wronged, her eyes welling up slightly.

Tang Jidong, noticing her distress, patted her shoulder silently to comfort her.

Tang Zhenzhen looked at him, "Brother, I really meant no harm. I just hope Sister understands how much Mom and Dad care about her."

Tang Jidong smiled at her. "Don't overthink it."

These words made Tang Zhenzhen feel very uncomfortable.

The next morning, a young police officer in uniform arrived at the Machinery Plant.

The officer was not from this district and was unfamiliar with the Machinery Plant. The residential compound was large, so he asked around for directions.

"Are you looking for Tang Qingqing?"

"Yes, Grandma, do you know which way to Tang Qingqing's house?"

The old lady didn't answer immediately but instead asked, "Officer, why are you looking for her? Did she do something wrong?"

"Oh, Grandma, please don't jump to conclusions. Comrade Tang Qingqing is an expert! I'm here to deliver some materials and ask for her help in identifying evidence to assist us in solving a case."

"What?"

When the young officer mentioned that he was looking for Tang Qingqing, everyone nearby perked up their ears.

Rumors had spread all day yesterday that the daughter of the factory director had gotten into trouble and was taken away by a police car.

All sorts of speculations were flying around, and today, someone even said she had committed murder.

If it weren't for the fact that people saw her return, many would have believed those rumors.

Most people still thought Tang Qingqing had done something wrong, as the rumors sounded quite convincing.

The young officer repeated himself and then raised the documents in his hand.

"Look, these are the materials I'm delivering."

"A young girl like her can do that?"

"Since ancient times, heroes have emerged young. When she was in the countryside, she was already known far and wide as the 'Eagle-eyed Heroine'!"

The young officer was quite excited. Ever since he learned about her, he had been following Tang Qingqing's work and had read the materials on the cases she had solved.

He had just graduated from the police academy and had studied footprint tracking there, but compared to Tang Qingqing, he felt he was far behind.

Especially considering how young she was, it was truly impressive.

"Really?"

Some people were skeptical.

The young officer became a bit annoyed. "How could this be false? I'm in uniform; I wouldn't dare make things up."

"Then what was the police car doing here yesterday?"

"Yesterday, they brought her in to test her footprint identification skills. Unfortunately, I was on duty and couldn't go!"

The young officer was quite disappointed. Otherwise, he could have seen firsthand how capable this young girl was.

He had fought to get the job of delivering the materials, just to see the heroine in action.

Someone wanted to ask more details, but the young officer did not elaborate further. He simply said:

"I need to deliver these materials quickly. The sooner Expert Tang gets them, the sooner she can provide new clues, and we can solve the case. Otherwise, other precincts might get ahead of us."

From the chatter, the young officer sensed that some people had misunderstood Tang Qingqing.

This bothered him, so he added:

"These materials are crucial. If Tang Qingqing can provide clues to help us solve the case, more precincts will seek her help in the future."

With the increase in various crimes, especially theft, every precinct had a backlog of unsolved cases. Even he, having just graduated, had several cases on his plate.

Some kind-hearted people pointed him in the right direction, and many followed along out of curiosity.

It was still early, and the Tang family hadn't left yet. Hearing the commotion outside, they came out to see what was happening.

Seeing the door open, the young officer saluted first and then explained his purpose:

"Is Expert Tang Qingqing at home?"

Hearing someone call her name, Tang Qingqing came out holding a bun.

"I am Tang Qingqing."

The young officer was momentarily stunned upon seeing her. He knew she was young, but he hadn't expected her to be so beautiful. Shaking off his surprise, he remembered why he was there.

He respectfully handed over the materials. "Thank you for your help."

Tang Qingqing took the materials. "You're welcome. I'll give you feedback as soon as possible."

After thanking her, the young officer politely declined Su Rong's offer to stay for a meal and left.

Many people were still gathered outside, and Su Rong felt vindicated.

No matter how much she tried to explain yesterday, some people refused to believe her. Now they knew the truth!

Everyone was curious about Tang Qingqing's abilities, wondering why the Public Security Bureau would send a car specifically for her and deliver materials for her to examine.

An old lady who had spoken to Tang Qingqing during her morning exercises voiced her confusion.

"I learned a bit about footprint tracking."

"Code tracking?"

"It means tracking based on footprints."

"How did you learn this?"

Tang Qingqing explained with a smile: "I used to herd sheep. Once, I lost them, and an old man helped me find them back, which saved me from getting beaten. He was a code tracking expert and could find the sheep through their footprints. I thought it was amazing, so I became his apprentice."

"One learns all by learning one. Now, not only can I track sheep hoof prints, but I can also track people through their footprints. This skill happens to be somewhat useful for the Public Security Bureau in solving cases, which is why they sought me out."

Everyone finally understood and praised Tang Qingqing for being so skilled at such a young age.

Someone wanted to know the specifics of how tracking worked, but Su Rong interrupted.

"Qingqing still has painting lessons later, and she hasn't finished her breakfast yet. We can discuss anything else later."

Although some people rolled their eyes, the rumors about the Machinery Plant were dispelled.

Now everyone at the Machinery Plant knew that the factory director's daughter from the countryside was not just educated but had also learned many skills.

Her abilities were even recognized by the Public Security Bureau, who regarded her as an expert despite her young age.

Even if she hadn't been recognized, life wouldn't have been difficult for her.

Tang Qingqing was far from the image described in the rumors—someone who only had a face but no other talents.

Tang Qingqing studied the footprints in the photograph repeatedly. Three days later, she called Commissioner Wu to report her findings:

"The criminal is 1.7 meters tall, medium build, around thirty years old, slightly pigeon-toed, and likely works as an outdoor electrician or firefighter, with climbing abilities."