The village head glanced at Fu Wenwen, then at Lin An in her arms, and after a long silence, frowned. "This time, it's good that the letter only reached me. If it had gone to the town, you would definitely have been arrested and interrogated. Even if it wasn't speculation or profiteering, they would have kept you for a few days!"
"Do you have any idea who it was?" the village head asked.
Fu Wenwen thought for a moment. Besides Su Xiaoxiao, she couldn't think of anyone else who would do such a despicable thing.
"Secretary, although the handwriting on this letter was deliberately made ugly, one thing is very certain: the person can read! There are not many literate people in the village. I suspect it was written by one of the educated youths," Fu Wenwen analyzed seriously. The village head and the village chief nodded.
They had thought the same.
"As for who would do this, I can think of someone," Fu Wenwen said.
"Who?" the village chief immediately asked.
"Su Xiaoxiao," Fu Wenwen replied.
"Didn't she come with you? Why would she do such a thing?" the village chief frowned. He knew that Su Xiaoxiao and Fu Wenwen were from the same place.
"These clothes were originally mine, but over the years, they were borrowed by educated youth Su under various pretexts and never returned. Only yesterday, after I broke off relations with her, did she agree to return them. My place is small and cannot hold them all, so I wanted to sell them..." With Fu Wenwen's explanation, the village chief and the village head understood.
"I understand about this matter. Considering it's your first offense and you have a child, we'll let it go this time. But there must not be a next time!" the village head said sternly to Fu Wenwen.
"I've caused you trouble! I'm truly sorry." Fu Wenwen bowed to the village chief and the village head before picking up Lin An and leaving the brigade.
After Fu Wenwen left, the village head looked at the village chief and said earnestly, "This is an important time. Don't let the villagers do anything foolish. Don't make a big deal out of this matter, lest we lose our reputation for being advanced and united."
"I understand." The village chief nodded, stood up, and left with his hands behind his back.
On their way home, Fu Wenwen and Lin An encountered Zhang Cuihua and Xiao Hong, who looked worried. Seeing Fu Wenwen safe and sound, the two breathed a sigh of relief.
"What happened? The whole village is saying you were arrested for speculation and profiteering," Zhang Cuihua asked nervously. "Speculation and profiteering is a serious crime. The revolutionary committee members are not good people; they can make you guilty even if you're innocent."
"Someone wrote a letter to the village head, accusing me of speculation and profiteering," Fu Wenwen explained.
"Who was it? Doing such a wicked thing, have you found out who it was?" Xiao Hong was indignant. Wasn't this deliberately harming someone?
She had just exchanged some goods; it didn't even count as speculation or profiteering.
"I can roughly guess who it is. There aren't many literate people in the village who have a grudge against me." Fu Wenwen was already convinced that Su Xiaoxiao had written it. Only she would be so reckless to make things difficult for her.
"It was her?" Xiao Hong and Zhang Cuihua exchanged glances. "You wait, I'll go and sort it out for you."
"Don't! Making a fuss about this will make things worse! The village head has already said we'll let it go this time," Fu Wenwen stopped Xiao Hong. This matter couldn't be publicly blamed on Su Xiaoxiao. The best outcome was for the big to become small and the small to disappear.
If it escalated, it would be truly difficult to define.
After all, she had indeed received money.
"Sister is right, this matter really can't be brought into the open. It should just be smoothed over quietly..." Zhang Cuihua nodded.