Chapter 251: The Receding Figure

Chapter 251: Chapter 251: The Receding Figure

At this point, no one wanted to say another word. They just wanted to escape the scene of the drama and return to the warmth of their homes to calm down.

Most of the villagers were not particularly well-off. They didn’t have much spare cash to splurge. Because of this, almost all of them just picked out a single bar of soap, bought it, and hurried away.

Although each person only bought a little, the sheer size of the crowd meant that the sales added up quickly. Before long, the fully stocked stall was completely sold out. Not a single bar of soap was left.

Ling Qianjun and Xu Panqing silently organized their earnings and pocketed the money. They watched the villagers’ retreating backs until they disappeared into the distance. Finally, moving in unspoken unison, the mother and son bent down and gently rolled up the cloth they had used to display their wares.

"Mother, let’s head back!

"Today’s trip was incredibly fruitful. I initially thought we would have to investigate door-to-door, but I never expected that just gathering the villagers together and bringing up a topic would be enough to get them chattering away about everyone and everything in the village.

"Although there might still be some gaps, this is much more efficient. When I get home later, I’ll organize all this information and sketch out a general layout of the village. That way, we’ll know exactly whose situations we haven’t figured out yet. Then, we can focus on those specific households for a more in-depth investigation."

Ling Qianjun spoke with a gleam in his eyes, as if a clear blueprint was already unfolding in his mind.

Standing beside him, Xu Panqing finally felt her anxious heart settle down after hearing her son’s methodical plans.

Just moments ago, when she witnessed so many people arguing endlessly over trivial matters, a deep sense of guilt and unease had welled up inside her. She had even begun to blame herself. She thought that if she and her son hadn’t steered the conversation in that direction, the villagers wouldn’t have gotten into such a heated dispute.

However, Ling Qianjun’s words were like a breath of fresh air, blowing away the gloomy guilt lingering in her heart. Thinking of the steps they were about to take next, Xu Panqing felt increasingly confident and certain about the plan they had formulated.

Although she felt she owed the villagers an apology for now, in the long run, all of this would benefit them. Therefore, acting like this was absolutely worth it.

"Mhm, let’s hurry home then. Just now, a few of the older women pulled me aside and told me a lot of interesting gossip. You probably haven’t even heard some of it! Once we get home, I need to grab a pen and paper right away to jot everything down in detail. Then, we can take our time and compile it all together."

Xu Panqing eagerly added to his thoughts, recalling the various scenes she had just experienced.

Hearing this, Ling Qianjun’s eyes immediately lit up. He nodded repeatedly in agreement. "Okay!"

With that, Ling Qianjun and Xu Panqing picked up their pace, hurrying back toward their home.

Meanwhile, Ling Yunge and Ling Qianfan had watched Ling Qianjun and Xu Panqing disappear toward the other end of the village earlier that morning.