Time Travel: Volume 1! Starting from a Small Mountain Village

Luo Yonghao moved with caution and care, as if he were holding a priceless treasure. The tattered cloth bag, weathered by wind and rain and the passage of time, seemed especially heavy.

He peeled back the canvas layer by layer, his heart racing with each revelation, until finally, the yellowed document came into view. Despite the marks of time on its surface, the name "Du Peng" pierced Luo Yonghao's inner peace like a sharp blade.

His gaze froze at that moment, as if he had traveled through time and returned to that long-forgotten past. The young man beside him noticed the bureau chief's unusual expression and was about to ask a question, but was stopped by Luo Yonghao's suddenly widened eyes and had no choice but to remain silent.

Taking a deep breath, Luo Yonghao tried to calm his inner turmoil, stuffed the documents into his pocket, and then turned to walk towards Lin Guodong. His steps were slow, but they revealed an undeniable determination. "Captain Lin, we must take this skeleton and related items back to the county for a detailed investigation." His voice was deep and powerful, every word carrying weight.

Upon hearing this, Lin Guodong quickly nodded in agreement. As for the rest, Lin Guodong wisely refrained from asking any further questions.

Luo Yonghao and his group left with the mysterious document and the remains, and the whole village seemed to have been disturbed by a stone thrown into it, with ripples spreading across the calm water.

Hu Lili and several other educated youths sat together, their curiosity driving them to speculate about the secrets hidden in the tattered cloth bag. "Sister Fan, what secret do you think is hidden in that bag?" Hu Lili's eyes gleamed with inquiry.

Long Lifan rolled her eyes helplessly, a bitter smile on her lips. "You're asking me? Who am I supposed to ask? Judging from Director Luo's expression, he clearly doesn't want us to say anything." Her words were somewhat teasing, but also revealed a degree of rationality.

As time went by, this little incident gradually faded into the busy lives of the villagers. While idle chatter was enjoyable, it ultimately couldn't fill their stomachs.

Everyone threw themselves into the intense work, exchanging their sweat for the sustenance of their families. That mystery was thus temporarily buried in everyone's hearts, waiting for the day when it might be unearthed again.

Meanwhile, in an inconspicuous bungalow in the capital, several figures silently gathered. The bungalow was low, with its doors and windows tightly shut, and guards standing watch outside to ensure no sound escaped. Inside, the group sat around a worn-out round table, the dim light casting shadows on their faces, leaving only their gleaming eyes visible.

The air seemed to freeze until the figure in the middle slowly spoke, breaking the silence: "I'm sure everyone has seen the news from G Province." His voice was deep and resonant, carrying the weight of years, clearly that of an old man.

The other figures nodded slightly upon hearing this, their expressions varying. One sighed softly, "When the news came back that Du Peng had fled, our first reaction was disbelief. But so many years have passed, and there's been no trace of him. We never imagined he would actually..."

His words were filled with emotion and shock, as if this long-buried memory had been awakened once again, bringing endless waves of emotion.

"Old Li, what should we do then..." A figure cautiously looked at the person in the middle, known as Old Li, and asked tentatively.

Old Li pondered for a moment, then slowly spoke: "Back then, very few people knew about that incident, and we've been investigating for years without success. Since that's the case, why don't we spread the word and test the waters?"

"You mean, we deliberately leaked the information to lure the person in the shadows out?" someone asked suspiciously.

"Exactly." Old Li nodded. "Only if the other side makes the first move will we have a chance to follow the clues and find out the truth."

"Old Fu, I'll have to borrow men from your army to work together." Old Li looked at the other man, his eyes gleaming with determination.

"OK…"

…………

Before you know it, it's May, and Dongwan Brigade is once again entering its annual busy farming season. But unlike last year, Long Lifan and her colleagues no longer have to work in the fields themselves. Instead, they're busy making chicken soup and egg drop soup for the villagers to encourage everyone to work with more enthusiasm.

The wheat threshing work became much easier, thanks to the assistance of the threshing machine provided by Director Xu's Machinery Factory. The Dongwan Brigade was the first to complete its production task.

That day, when Lin Guodong was on his way to collect grain from the commune, Secretary Ma stopped him. Lin Guodong was stunned by Secretary Ma's words: "What? More educated youth are coming down? Secretary Ma, didn't you say last time that our Dongwan brigade didn't get any educated youth this time?"

Lin Guodong was filled with doubts. He originally thought that Dongwan Brigade would be spared from the assignment of educated youth, but things suddenly took a turn for the worse.

He looked at Secretary Ma, waiting for an explanation. In fact, because the arrival of Long Zhiqing and his group had brought about tremendous changes to Dongwan Brigade, the villagers, including himself, were no longer so resistant to the educated youth.

But usually, educated youth are assigned after the New Year. It's almost June now, and the fact that they're assigning educated youth makes him feel that this is unusual.

Lin Guodong frowned, expressing his confusion to Ma Jianshe with a helpless expression. Ma Jianshe sighed, patted him on the shoulder, and said sympathetically, "Old Lin, I'm just as clueless as you are. But as cadres, don't we have to grit our teeth and shoulder the tasks assigned by our superiors?"

Seeing that he couldn't get any information from Ma Jianshe, Lin Guodong could only nod dejectedly. "Alright, let me ask about the specifics first." Lin Guodong changed the subject, "How many people are coming this time? When will they arrive? I'll arrange for someone to pick them up in advance."

Ma Jianshe pondered for a moment and replied, "Three, two men and one woman. The specific time hasn't been decided yet, but it's estimated to be in the next few days."

Lin Guodong nodded, his heart filled with mixed emotions. He didn't have high expectations for the new educated youth, nor did he feel the same rejection he had before. Now, he only hoped that the new educated youth would behave themselves and not cause him any trouble. Thinking of this, Lin Guodong couldn't help but sigh again.

Lin Guodong had no idea of ​​the exact time the educated youth would arrive, which left him feeling quite helpless. So, from that day on, he instructed Old Chen to drive the oxcart to the commune every day to wait, hoping to happen to pick up the new educated youth.

However, before the educated youth arrived, a middle-aged couple came first. The man was about forty years old, with a square face and an average appearance; the woman was also plain-looking, but as soon as she got off the bus, she began to complain about all sorts of things the commune did not do, as if she wanted to announce to the world that she came from a big city.

The two asked around and finally arrived at Old Chen's oxcart. "Grandpa, could you tell me how to get to Dongwan Brigade?" the man asked.

Old Chen was taken aback, wondering: Aren't they here to pick up educated youth? "You are..."

"Sir, we're looking for someone. My daughter went to Dongwan Brigade last year, and we're going to visit her," the man explained.

Old Chen suddenly realized that they were family members of educated youth sent to the countryside. He had a deep impression of the female educated youth who had gone to the countryside last year; under the leadership of Educated Youth Long, they had made many contributions to the village. So, he warmly invited the couple to ride in an oxcart back to Dongwan Village.

Old Chen waited another hour, and only after confirming that the educated youth wouldn't be coming that day did he prepare to catch the bus back. Seeing that he had waited in vain, the woman began to complain again, until the man glared at her, at which point she obediently shut her mouth.