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Chapter 134: Chapter 128 Breaking the Case (Part 1)
Shen Yunfang felt that continuing this heated argument wouldn’t solve anything. Debating wouldn’t lead to any conclusions, and once it got late, the matter would likely be forgotten. While it might not affect others, Shen Er Gu’s words had planted the seed of belief in everyone’s hearts that she was the sheep thief.
Hadn’t there been enough cases where rumors became accepted as truth? If the situation wasn’t managed properly, not long from now the whole of Gaijiatun and even the entire Wuxing Brigade might be spreading the rumor that Shen Yunfang was the thief.
Then her reputation would be ruined.
If it were any other time, she might not care—let others say what they wish, as long as she knew the truth. But in this era, that was not an option. Background was everything, and she had plans to marry Li Hongjun. Such rumors were like a sharp blade that could strike at the most critical moment for both of them.
Besides, she had to consider other things. In a couple of years, she would be taking the college entrance exams. If such rumors circulated in the brigade, who would recommend her for the exams? Therefore, Shen Yunfang was determined not to allow this to happen.
She had been watching for quite some time. In the beginning, there wasn’t much fuss; even if they couldn’t catch the thief, the matter would probably drop without any consequences, leaving her at most with a reputation for negligence. But now, Shen Er Gu’s meddling had turned all the attention on her.
After a long thought, she wondered why her second aunt would act this way—was it truly out of moral righteousness, or was there something else?
Eventually, she attributed Shen Er Gu’s behavior to a guilty conscience, a desire to pin the blame on someone else so that the real thief could escape without suspicion.
"Uncle, arguing like this won’t get us anywhere. I think we should report it to the authorities," Shen Yunfang turned and spoke to Shen Yeqing beside her.
She wasn’t particularly quiet, so the villagers standing in front heard her too, bringing a sudden silence over the yard.
"Report it?" Shen Yeqing hesitated. Handling the matter within his own jurisdiction would allow for some consideration of relationships and easier resolution, but alarming the Revolution Committee could complicate things. No matter who had stolen the sheep, if they were from his brigade, he would bear some responsibility too.
"It’s not a good idea, uncle. I trust that you didn’t steal the sheep. We all think the thief must be from our village. If we really catch the person, punishment will be inevitable," Shen Yeqing still preferred to deal with the matter internally.
"Uncle, it’s definitely not me who stole the sheep, but having only your trust isn’t enough. You’ve seen it—because of my second aunt’s words, even if people aren’t saying it out loud, in their hearts they are all thinking I’m the thief. I may not be someone important but I still hold onto basic decency. To have my back pointed at and be labelled a sheep thief for the rest of my life without any clear reason would make life unbearable. And let’s not forget, my father was a martyr. I’m his survivor. Even if I can’t bring him glory, I mustn’t tarnish his name. This needs to be cleared up, to restore my innocence," Shen Yunfang said with finality, adamant that this matter could not just be brushed off.
She knew that if she didn’t stand her ground, the issue could very well pass over ambiguously, and then everyone would still label her as the thief in their hearts.
There was another thing: from Shen Er Gu’s unusual behavior today, Shen Yunfang felt she was starting to see the truth. If it weren’t for personal involvement, who would take the risk of offending someone at such a time? So it was quite possible that her second aunt was pointing a finger at her because she was feeling guilty. The sheep may very well have been stolen by her, or if not, the thief surely had some connection to her.
As Shen Yunfang contemplated, her eyes sought out Zhao Peng, Shen Er Gu’s only son. Just as their gazes met, Zhao Peng immediately lowered his head, hiding behind his mother.
A realization clicked in Shen Yunfang’s mind—she probably had found the sheep thief.
Shen Er Gu heard Shen Yunfang’s words and immediately turned, pulling her son into her embrace before defiantly shouting, "Report it, then, if you must! The sheep has surely been skinned and eaten by you, and who knows where you’ve hidden the bones now. Hmpf, I won’t stay here to watch you put on an act—come on, darling, let’s go home and sleep." With that, she pulled Zhao Peng along and ran out of the production team as if blown by the wind.
Shen Yunfang’s eyes lowered, and gradually things became clear to her. She believed her uncle also perceived something but preferred that she take the fall.
The next morning, Shen Yunfang rode her bicycle to the county. She felt that going to the commune’s Revolutionary Committee about this matter would achieve nothing, as they might not find any evidence and still blame her in order to close the case, leaving her with no amount of explanation able to clear her name. So, after a night of thinking, she concluded that her best option was to seek help from Jian Hui.
So, she got up early, informed her uncle, and rode her bicycle straight to Jian Hui’s home.
In the past year, her relationship with Jian Hui had been quite good; she would bring things to visit her every month and knew where Jian Hui lived. Thus, she arrived at Jian Hui’s early in the morning, catching Jian Hui and her spouse at home.
As soon as she saw them, Shen Yunfang said without reservation, "Jian sister, I’ve come to you for help."
She then recounted the entire incident of the missing sheep, the village meeting, and her suspicions.
Jian Hui’s spouse, the current commander of the Armed Forces Brigade Xing Zhonghua, was right there listening. After hearing her out, he waved his hand decisively and said, "Alright, I understand. It’s no big deal. You go back first, and I’ll follow soon."
He had seen Shen Yunfang, the young lady, on several occasions and often heard his own family speak well of her. Plus, it was a small favor to return for her past considerations, and he was willing to help.
Reassured by a definite answer, Shen Yunfang then rode her bicycle back to the village.
By ten in the morning, a jeep drove into the village. Several neatly dressed armed police officers stepped out, along with a leashed large dog.
Hearing the news, Shen Yeqing hurriedly came to greet them. After exchanging a few pleasantries, the visitors cut to the chase. They first gathered all brigade members, followed by the armed police soldiers making the final mobilization.
Four burly men stood in a row at the very front, their mere presence imposing even without words. Xing Zhonghua scanned the crowd with his sharp eyes before speaking, "See this? This is a police dog. What’s a police dog for? They’re trained to sniff out and help solve cases. Even if you bury evidence underground, it can dig three feet into the earth to find it." To demonstrate, he had his men parade the large dog around the yard for everyone to see and feel its aggressive and fierce nature.
