Chapter 75 Revenge

Chapter 75 Revenge

Handsome young man?

Wei Mingqi was taken aback. Who?

Ji Hongyue? He said he would come to buy a tractor after the New Year.

Peng Yunna reflexively guessed it was the young man who had dinner with Wei Mingqi before the New Year and immediately snorted, "Mom, nowadays some pretty boys don't do well in their jobs but want to rely on their looks to hook up with working women. They might even be from the countryside, expecting their partners to help support their poor relatives back home."

Mother Wei: "You don’t know the situation, so you shouldn’t talk like that about others."

Wei Mingqi walked past Peng Yunna, opened the door, and saw a gossipy neighbor leading three people over. One of them was indeed Ji Hongyue.

Recalling that before the New Year, Tang Yuan wrote to thank her for modifying the straw shredder and asked her to help Ji Hongyue buy a tractor, she felt a bit embarrassed.

They came here for official business, yet she had involved them due to personal matters, causing Ji Hongyue to be scolded by her sister-in-law and Wu Jin.

She hurriedly went forward to greet them.

Peng Yunna was quicker, pulling a long face and saying to everyone in the yard, "Some men these days just have no shame, always trying to stick to others..."

Before she could finish, the street office worker, with a serious expression, said, "What are you talking about, Sister Peng? This is Cadre Ji, the director of the Binxian County Agricultural Bureau. He’s here to discuss work with Mingqi."

Ji Hongyue didn’t want to argue with Peng Yunna, so he brought along the street office worker.

He showed his work ID, and the others warmly helped him. They all came to the Wei family together to prevent Peng Yunna from saying anything unpleasant.

Ji Hongyue: "Comrade Wei Mingqi, our county has purchased several pieces of agricultural machinery that need modifications. Director Kong asked you to assist us."

Seeing how serious he was, Wei Mingqi immediately said, "Sure, I’ll go right away."

She quickly returned to her room to pack some clothes and daily necessities.

Peng Yunna stared at Ji Hongyue, feeling a bit guilty and afraid that he would confront her. She awkwardly said, "Oh, you’re a cadre from the county? I’m really sorry, I didn’t mean to. It’s just that some rural men these days have no shame, clinging onto working women in the city."

Ji Hongyue chuckled, "Comrade Peng Yunna, regardless of the situation, this is Comrade Wei Mingqi’s friend and private matter. Forced marriages are not allowed anymore. Family members shouldn’t interfere too much. If you truly care about her, you should investigate the other party’s situation and then let her decide for herself."

Peng Yunna lost her previous arrogance and kept nodding and apologizing. Although Ji Hongyue was only a county agricultural bureau cadre, he was young and might come to the provincial level someday.

Moreover, such a young cadre must have connections at home and possibly in the province as well. What if he held a grudge and retaliated against her husband and children?

No, she needed to talk to Wei Mingqi.

She rushed into the room to warn Wei Mingqi to tell Ji Hongyue not to retaliate against their family.

Wei Mingqi responded rather coldly, "Sister-in-law, you can’t project your own thoughts onto others."

If you had a little power, you would retaliate, assuming others would do the same.

Peng Yunna didn’t catch on at first. When Wei Mingqi left with her bag to say goodbye to Mother Wei, she suddenly realized Wei Mingqi was mocking her.

She immediately became upset, "Little Auntie, how can you say that?"

Wei Mingqi ignored her, "I’ve said many times that I’m busy with work, not that I don’t want to take care of Mom."

Peng Yunna used Mother Wei’s illness as an excuse to keep her at home, even though the factory hadn’t officially resumed operations.

Ji Hongyue didn’t say much to Mother Wei. Seeing Wei Mingqi come out, he bid farewell to Mother Wei, thanked the street office workers, and then left with Wei Mingqi, pushing their bicycles.

Once they were away from the Wei family, Wei Mingqi said, "Cadre Ji, thank you."

Ji Hongyue smiled, "I thought we were friends. Calling me Cadre Ji sounds like sarcasm."

Wei Mingqi quickly shook her head, "Of course not, I genuinely appreciate it."

Ji Hongyue deliberately said, "As a thank you, why don’t you treat me to dinner?"

Wei Mingqi agreed without hesitation.

Ji Hongyue was surprised, "Aren’t you afraid your boyfriend will come looking for you again?"

Wei Mingqi: "He’s not my boyfriend! I told him long ago that we weren’t suitable and broke up. It’s him causing trouble with my sister-in-law."

Ji Hongyue: "Really? What did your sister-in-law get from him that she insists on matching you two?"

Wei Mingqi: "I can guess a little."

Her sister-in-law is very calculating, wanting to control every penny of the Wei family.

Not just her parents’ salaries and pensions, even her own salary is targeted.

Since moving out, she stopped contributing to household expenses, and her parents didn’t need her money, telling her to save it.

Her sister-in-law coveted that money.

Her sister-in-law wants her to marry but not just anyone. Previously, when the unit leader introduced a match, her sister-in-law was extremely anxious, even urging Mother Wei to check the situation at the unit and telling her to refuse any introductions, claiming the family would arrange it.

Her sister-in-law wants her to marry someone easy to control, so she can bring half her salary back to the family after marriage.

Wei Mingqi found this idea ridiculous. Who gives money back to the extended family after marriage?

Even her brother, after marriage, spent his money on his own small family, not giving anything to their parents.

Of course, this was embarrassing, and she didn’t want to share it with others.

Today, she took a detour to a farther place to treat Ji Hongyue to dinner.

Ji Hongyue didn’t hesitate to ask about Wu Jin.

Family scandals aren’t meant to be publicized, but Wu Jin isn’t a family scandal; there’s nothing that can’t be said.

Wei Mingqi then told her.

Ji Hongyue listened and shrugged. "This person should just be thrown in the trash. He doesn’t deserve you, or any upright and ambitious girl for that matter."

Wei Mingqi was amused into laughter by her.

Ji Hongyue: "I’ll stay in the province for a few days. Could you help me improve the farm machinery? Or should I help you deal with this Wu Jin while I’m at it?"

Wei Mingqi asked curiously, "How would you deal with him?"

Beat him up? Or threaten him?

That wouldn’t work. Wu Jin is like a shameless person who looks decent but is actually very despicable.

She clearly told him they were not suitable and shouldn’t continue seeing each other, but he doesn’t understand. He keeps saying things like, “You only say this because you’re too young and don’t know me well enough. After we get married…”

Ji Hongyue, however, indicated she had a plan.

No one disturbed them during the meal, so they ate peacefully and chatted happily. After dinner, Ji Hongyue sent Wei Mingqi back to her workplace and went back to the guesthouse to think of a solution.

She didn’t go into detail with Wei Mingqi about how to solve the problem.

To Wei Mingqi, this issue was really troublesome. Wu Jin doesn’t understand, and he has bribed her sister-in-law, who insists on helping him. Her parents, for the sake of family harmony, think Wu Jin isn’t a big problem and advise her to give him a chance.

She finds it too troublesome to persuade her sister-in-law, who is impossible to communicate with. The key is that she’s persuading her parents.

Wei Mingqi doesn’t care about her sister-in-law but does care about her parents.

Unless she breaks ties with her sister-in-law, which would leave her parents in a difficult position, what can she do?

Ji Hongyue said solving this problem doesn’t require going through her sister-in-law but can be solved by dealing with Wu Jin. However, Wei Mingqi thinks Wu Jin is also hard to handle.

This person is arrogant and shameless, yet he can pretend to be nice, making everyone think he’s a good person.

In Ji Hongyue’s view, dealing with Wu Jin doesn’t require violence or threats; there’s a better way.

Wu Jin’s true nature is evident.

Even if he pretends to be good, his true nature will show eventually. For example, someone with a bad temper can pretend to be gentle once or twice, but not in daily life with colleagues and family.

A stingy person can’t keep pretending to be generous; it would hurt too much to maintain the act.

Wu Jin’s arrogance, narcissism, and misuse of power can’t be hidden.

Such a personality will offend people and create enemies.

All she needs to do is inquire at the soy sauce factory, the local Educated Youth Office, and the neighborhood committee to uncover Wu Jin’s dark history. She learned the term "dark history" from Tang Yuan.

Money can make ghosts push mills, but now she doesn’t even need to spend money. Just buy two packs of cigarettes, a pack of candy, or a pack of sunflower seeds, offer cigarettes to men and candy and seeds to women, and within three sentences, she can establish a rapport. As long as it’s not their own secret, they’ll tell you anything.

Ji Hongyue didn’t want to alert anyone, so she didn’t ask neighbors near Wu Jin’s home. Instead, the next morning, she directly approached a middle-aged woman in the neighborhood.

After a few pleasantries and eating some candy and sunflower seeds, they became familiar.

Ji Hongyue: "Sister, he’s been pestering my sister to date him, but she doesn’t like him. He’s relentless. I came here secretly to ask about him. Please don’t let him know, or he might say bad things about my sister."

The woman’s eyes widened, and she patted Ji Hongyue’s arm. "Oh, you’ve come to the right person."

Seeing Ji Hongyue’s good looks, she figured her sister must be even more beautiful. Wu Jin is quite good at finding partners.

Ji Hongyue immediately put on a humble and eager-to-learn expression. "Sister, please help save my sister from being deceived by him."

The woman then spilled all of Wu Jin’s secrets, recounting how mischievous and sneaky he was as a child, leading other naughty kids to pull girls’ pigtails, cutting their hair and skirts, breaking neighbors’ windows, and extorting money from other children.

By junior high school, he started flirting with girls, kissing them, and asking them to be his girlfriend.

Ji Hongyue changed expressions in sync, growing increasingly angry. "He definitely doesn’t deserve my sister."

The woman clicked her tongue. "Of course not. You’re such an outstanding young man; your sister must be exceptional too."

While munching on sunflower seeds, she remembered something. Looking around to ensure no one was nearby, she whispered, "There’s something I haven’t told anyone else."

Ji Hongyue immediately showed a rapt attention.

Encouraged, the woman whispered, "I know the Educated Youth Office received a denunciation letter from the countryside, saying he was sentenced to labor reform for poisoning oxen during his time there."

She left out the part about his inappropriate relationships.

Ji Hongyue frowned, finding it familiar. It wasn’t uncommon in the countryside for some educated youth to harm livestock to get meat, resulting in some being sentenced, while others were just criticized.

"Sister, if he was sentenced, there should be a record in his file, right?"

If that’s the case, it’s enough for Wei Mingqi to break ties with him and threaten him. Her sister-in-law should feel ashamed too.

The woman pursed her lips. "What do you mean? They suppressed it to protect their reputation. Of course, I suspect the Wu family gave something to the Educated Youth Office. They dismissed it as mostly slanderous, so no one knows."

She knew this through relatives in the Educated Youth Office.

Though she loved gossip, she wouldn’t casually offend people. Such matters could ruin job prospects, creating enemies.

"You can’t say I told you this. Even if you confront him, I won’t admit it," she emphasized.

Ji Hongyue gratefully responded, "Don’t worry, Sister. Telling us this is a good deed. We wouldn’t ask you to testify."

He would verify it himself and find another way if there was no anonymous letter.

Of course, the anonymous letter was likely non-existent. The Wu family had paid to settle the matter and would naturally have taken and destroyed the letter.

Ji Hongyue handed the sunflower seeds and candy to Auntie and then left for the Educated Youth Office that had handled Wu Jin's return from the countryside.

He didn't ask about the anonymous letter; that would be reminding them, wouldn't it?

He didn't even mention Wu Jin but instead, as a local cadre, reviewed the data on educated youths returning from the countryside to determine how to formulate local policies for educated youths, such as how to arrange new arrivals or handle applications for transfer orders back to the city.

There were plenty of excuses, and these educated youth records weren't confidential, making them easy to access.

Ji Hongyue wanted to see which commune and brigade Wu Jin had been assigned to. He could directly call and ask about the poisoned ox incident; he didn't need to ask the Educated Youth Office.

When he found Wu Jin's file, he was momentarily stunned. Wu Jin had been assigned to the Qianjin Brigade in Shuangmenshan Commune, Binxian County?

Did he read that right?

Tangjia Village. He had been in Tangjia Village for so long and never heard anyone mention Wu Jin.

Didn't Uncle Tang feed the oxen every day? He was quite fond of Big Black. If Wu Jin had tried to poison an ox, wouldn't Uncle Tang be furious?

But Uncle Tang had never mentioned anything bad about Wu Jin. Neither did Tang Bingde or Rich Peasant.

The other kids did mention that Big Black was lucky to survive an attempt on its life, but he was busy at the time and didn't ask further.

He thought Tang Yuan's family was quite kind and decent. Once the incident was over, they didn't publicly spread any ill words about Wu Jin.

However... who wrote that anonymous letter?

His intuition told him it was Tang Yuan.

Ha, he needed to ask her.

In the afternoon, Ji Hongyue went to the Provincial Flour Mill to thank the secretary and the factory manager, praising their old flour mills as very useful and solving the urgent needs of the Qianjin Brigade. He conveyed the gratitude of the entire brigade.

Then he borrowed the phone.

He didn't go to the Provincial Agricultural Machinery Factory to make this call, not wanting to leave any chance of leaking information, lest someone overhear and have thoughts about Wei Mingqi or cause trouble by spreading rumors to her family.

During the first month of the lunar year, most organizations hadn't resumed work yet, so calling from the provincial capital to the commune was smoother than usual. After waiting for half an hour, the call went through.

Ji Hongyue had left a message for Tang Yuan, asking her to call back when she had the chance.

Sending a message from the commune to Tangjia Village and waiting for Tang Yuan and Feng Chen to go to the commune would take at least a day, so Ji Hongyue didn't wait.

Sure enough, the next morning, he received a call from Tang Yuan.

Tang Yuan: "Ji Hongyue, did you buy the tractor?"

Ji Hongyue: "Of course. I wouldn't have returned to Binxian if I hadn't."

They briefly discussed the tractor issue. Then Ji Hongyue asked about Grandma Feng, Dad Tang, Mother Tang, and Feng Chen during the New Year.

After some pleasantries, Tang Yuan asked what he needed, and he brought up the matter of Wu Jin's reeducation.

Tang Yuan: "Wu Jin? Why are you asking about him? Did you run into him?"

Ji Hongyue took the call in his leader's office, and the leader conveniently left, giving him space to speak freely.

He briefly recounted how Wu Jin had been harassing Wei Mingqi.

Tang Yuan's surprised voice immediately came through the line, "What? Wu Jin dating Sister Mingqi? Does he deserve her? Which blind leader introduced them?"

Ji Hongyue laughed and gestured for Tang Yuan to calm down.

Tang Yuan: "How can I not be upset? Wu Jin is like a rat in a gutter. He doesn't deserve a girlfriend! Yes, he was reeducated, and he tried to harm our Big Black with Xiao Fei and Chen Bo, and Liu Laizi. He also seduced Tong Xue, made her break up with Tang Wu, and then dumped her."

Ji Hongyue didn't ask about the anonymous letter, fearing any misunderstandings.

He indicated that he understood and could help Wei Mingqi.

Tang Yuan: "I don't fear offending Wu Jin. I'll get the brigade to write a letter and stamp it for Sister Mingqi. If Wu Jin dares to harass her, I'll plaster it all over the factory and streets. Let's see if he still dares!"

She paused, "Should I call Mingqi?"

Ji Hongyue: "No need. I'll tell her. The problem isn't her but her sister-in-law, who insists Wu Jin is good."

Tang Yuan: "This sister-in-law is either a blind do-gooder or a cunning person. What unit is she in? Should I call her and tell her Wu Jin is a bad guy? If she still forces Mingqi to date him, there's something wrong with her."

Ji Hongyue laughed heartily, feeling much better thanks to Tang Yuan, "No worries. With your call, the Wu Jin issue is resolved."

However, Peng Yunna's desire to interfere in her sister-in-law's marriage might not subside anytime soon.

After hanging up, Ji Hongyue rode his bike to the Soy Sauce Factory.

Wu Jin was planning to invite Wei Mingqi out for dinner and a movie that evening. He knew she wouldn't agree, but he didn't want her to have an easy time.

Her parents and brother and sister-in-law all agreed, leaving her no room to refuse.

After returning to the city, Wu Jin lost the advantage he had in the countryside of being able to return to the city, and his prospects for matchmaking quickly diminished.

In the countryside, he could attract young girls with the promise of returning to the city. In the city, however, he lacked this advantage. Not particularly tall or handsome, finding a high-quality woman was impossible.

Yet, he was narcissistic and arrogant, looking down on ordinary women and insisting on finding a swan—someone tall, beautiful, cultured, and with a good job. After much scheming and comparison, he decided Wei Mingqi was the best match for his aesthetic and psychological expectations.

To enhance his competitiveness, he spent considerable effort investigating and tracking Wei Mingqi, learning about her work and family situation.

Through his inquiries, he discovered that Wei Mingqi's family circumstances were special, with her sister-in-law having significant influence. Thus, he quickly determined a roundabout approach to win her heart.

Pursuing Wei Mingqi directly offered him no advantages, so he tried to win over Peng Yunna. As long as Peng Yunna agreed, it would be considered a success.

She would be responsible for persuading her in-laws to pressure Wei Mingqi together!

He hadn't put any effort into courting Wei Mingqi because he knew he couldn’t win her over.

There were plenty of excellent men who were willing to date her due to her good conditions; he couldn’t stand out, so there was no point in trying to please her.

He promised Peng Yunna that if he married Wei Mingqi, he would let her take her salary back to her family, while his money would support the household. He also promised Peng Yunna various benefits.

Of course, these were all just empty promises. Once he married Wei Mingqi, it would be a legal marriage, and how could he allow Peng Yunna, this sister-in-law, to meddle?

Yesterday, he had brought a bag of milk powder to Peng Yunna. She told him that Wei Mingqi was at work and that the pretty boy had come again, apparently some cadre from a county, urging him to act quickly.

In the afternoon, he deliberately took some time off to intercept Wei Mingqi early.

Ji Hongyue stood at the gate of the soy sauce factory, watching Wu Jin ride away on his bicycle. This guy still managed to look arrogant and superior even when riding a bike, completely unaware of where his sense of superiority came from.

Ji Hongyue didn’t even consider confronting Wu Jin directly or threatening him, as it might affect his own and Wei Mingqi’s work.

He had weighed his options and concluded that a report would only tarnish Wu Jin's reputation but wouldn’t cause substantial harm.

As long as Wu Jin spent some money and used connections, the leaders would say things like "a prodigal son has returned," "everyone makes mistakes," and "he was just hungry and made a common mistake among educated youth."

To truly strike at Wu Jin, he needed to find his competitors.

Wu Jin’s return to the city and his job at the soy sauce factory were both arranged through family connections and money.

He had an older brother and two sisters, with the sisters married into families slightly above average, providing considerable support to their parents.

Wu Jin’s return to the city and his job at the soy sauce factory were facilitated by his sisters’ connections.

Current jobs were scarce, and everyone wanted them. If one person got in, another had to be pushed out.

If he didn’t know who his competitor was, it would be fine, but knowing, how could he not resent them?

Wu Jin was now a quality inspector at the soy sauce factory, a position he obtained through backdoor connections from being a material handler.

Previously, he worked as a material handler in the workshop but found it too tiring, so he had his family pay for him to become a quality inspector. Another worker had been waiting years for the old inspector to retire so he could take over, but Wu Jin was suddenly appointed instead.

How could the other worker not feel resentment?

Ji Hongyue came to investigate Wu Jin’s competitors.

He didn’t do it himself but asked an acquaintance to help, making it easy to gather information.

Afterward, Ji Hongyue wrote an anonymous letter to Zou Jinquan, detailing Wu Jin’s situation during his time in the countryside, mentioning a letter received by the educated youth office reporting his reeducation for poisoning cattle and his improper relationships.

In the letter, he advised Zou Jinquan to apply pressure on the leadership.

After sending the letter, Ji Hongyue set the matter aside and returned to the agricultural machinery factory to focus on the technicians helping to modify the equipment.

Zou Jinquan had been having a rough time lately, especially since he didn’t get the quality inspector position.

His chronic back problems were caused by years of working as a material handler, and the leadership had promised him a lighter job as a quality inspector, which Wu Jin then took.

He learned that Wu Jin had bribed the leaders with cigarettes and alcohol.

Although furious, he had no recourse and continued to endure the pain of his job.

The leadership offered to change his position, but the wages were different, which would mean a demotion.

He refused.

With many children, a sick elder brother, and sick in-laws, his financial pressure was significant.

He absolutely couldn’t accept a wage reduction.

Today, he went to work as usual and unexpectedly received a letter with only the recipient’s name on the envelope, no sender.

His intuition suggested it might be a prank, but the handwriting was beautiful, suggesting no ill intent.

He opened it hesitantly and was stunned, followed by a surge of joy.

He planned to confront the leadership: why should someone like Wu Jin, with such poor morals, be a quality inspector?

Who knew if he had tried to poison cattle, and who knew if he might poison the soy sauce?

He immediately ran to the factory office to see the secretary, determined to speak with the top leader!

The secretary of the soy sauce factory had heard about Zou Jinquan’s visit and expected him to complain about changing positions. Instead, Zou Jinquan began to report Wu Jin.

"Secretary Huang, let’s call the village to confirm this. If true, Wu Jin’s moral character is very questionable. Who would dare let him be a quality inspector? Who would dare eat the soy sauce he inspects?"

Secretary Huang was shocked. Was this really happening?

Zou Jinquan added, "Secretary Huang, the educated youth office also received an anonymous letter from the village about Wu Jin’s misconduct before returning to the city. They kept it quiet to avoid trouble. You can verify this with the educated youth office."

Zou Jinquan didn’t want to spend time and money verifying the information himself; he wanted the leadership to do it.

Ever since the movement began, if someone was accused, the leadership’s first reaction was to verify the claims.

This was standard practice.

Secretary Huang carefully questioned Zou Jinquan about the specifics and asked where he got the information.

If Ji Hongyue had sent him an anonymous letter, he might have dismissed it, preferring not to offend a worker based on an anonymous tip.

But with Zou Jinquan, an old employee, constantly complaining about Wu Jin’s moral corruption and questioning why the factory allowed him to be a quality inspector, the leadership would face mounting pressure.

Zou Jinquan directly said that he had heard it from someone at the Educated Youth Office unintentionally. He didn't have the authority to make them testify, but the incident did happen. The leaders could confirm it if they asked.

Besides, isn't there still the brigade?

Make a phone call and you'll know!

Secretary Huang naturally wouldn't verify the report immediately upon receiving it; he needed to find someone to hold a meeting to discuss how to handle it.

He told Zou Jinquan to go back first.

Zou Jinquan: "Secretary Huang, you must take this seriously. Don't let this scoundrel off easy. He's a bad person; who knows when he might get upset and poison the soy sauce?"

Secretary Huang's face darkened as he sternly said, "Zou Jinquan, don't talk nonsense!"

If you shout here, people outside might misinterpret it and spread rumors that the soy sauce factory has been poisoned and killed people.

Secretary Huang immediately called a meeting with the factory manager and the office director, and together they called the Educated Youth Office leadership.

The Educated Youth Office tried to cover for Wu Jin, but the soy sauce factory leadership pressured them, saying that if anything happened to the soy sauce factory, the Educated Youth Office leadership would be held responsible along with Wu Jin. This made the Educated Youth Office back down.

The Educated Youth Office provided the contact information of the re-education through labor brickyard and the rural brigade where Wu Jin had worked.

Although Wu Jin had taken the original documents, the Educated Youth Office leadership wasn't foolish and had recorded the key information.

A denunciation letter isn't critical, and there are plenty more available.

The soy sauce factory also left a message for the Forward Brigade and called the brickyard to confirm.

Two days later, they received Tang Bingde's reply, confirming the matter about Wu Jin.

The soy sauce factory leadership held another meeting.

The big black ox in the Forward Brigade wasn't killed; it wasn't because Wu Jin stopped, but because the brigade was alert. If not for the timely discovery by the second deputy leader, the big black ox would have been killed.

This proved that Wu Jin was indeed vicious and malicious.

If such a person harbored resentment and caused trouble for the soy sauce factory...

The leaders shuddered together; no one could bear that responsibility.

The office director had only accepted his cigarettes and alcohol, but couldn't sink with him.

In the end, the three leaders decided to transfer Wu Jin to a less important position, making him responsible for cleaning materials.

Since this was Wu Jin's past issue, and he had completed his re-education and hadn't committed any new offenses, and was a formal employee of the factory, they couldn't fire him.

Even ex-convicts can work after serving their sentences, especially since his offense was relatively minor, though it had a bad impact.

But transferring him would be enough to punish him.

Cleaning materials is just as tiring and dirty as flipping materials, and offers no future prospects.

When Wu Jin received the transfer notice, he was stunned.

Why? Why me?

He immediately ran to the office director to inquire; he had spent a lot of money bribing the director!

But the director had already returned the cigarettes and alcohol given by the quality inspector to his mother.

The office director also hinted that he shouldn't cause trouble, as the secretary might be waiting for him to do so, considering that being in re-education wasn't exactly honorable.

Hearing this, Wu Jin felt like he had been struck by lightning.

Who? Who was so malicious, holding onto such a small matter to ruin him?

Who wrote to the Educated Youth Office to report him, and now to the soy sauce factory?

Tong Xue!

It must be her, that vicious woman, resentful of him for playing with her and abandoning her, so she wrote the letter to destroy him!

He didn't suspect Wei Mingqi, nor did he think of Ji Hongyue, as neither had mentioned his time in the countryside. Moreover, Wei Mingqi hadn't told him which brigade she visited when installing the generator, and Peng Yunna didn't know either.

As for Tang Yuan getting featured in the newspaper, it was mainly in the City News, with provincial newspapers only using a small section to mention the success of the biogas pool in a certain county, accompanied by photos of Municipal Committee and County Party Committee leaders visiting and guiding the project.

After returning to the city, Wu Jin had deliberately severed all ties with the countryside, ignoring his past mistakes and not actively recalling them. He hadn't even contacted Xiao Fei or Chen Bo to offer help, let alone pay attention to the Forward Brigade.

So he really didn't know that Wei Mingqi had visited the Forward Brigade, nor that Ji Hongyue was its patron.

His first suspicion fell on Tong Xue!