The two of them walked for nearly an hour under the scorching sun and in the thick fog formed by flying dust. Their mouths were dry and their eyes were filled with stars. When they reached the top of the mountain, their eyes lit up and they saw a village in front of them. It must be Panling Village, so I immediately quickened my heavy pace and ran towards the village.【】

Panling Village is located on an uneven mountaintop. The surrounding terraces are all covered with white wheat stubble and not a single green leaf. There are forty or fifty households in the village, and the roads between each household are newly built cement roads, although they are winding and winding. It is curved, up and down, but very smooth and flat. This is a village with relatively good economic conditions. Most of the houses are brick flat-roofed houses, which are well-proportioned, with neat courtyard walls and bright doors. It is completely different from ordinary villages.

Wu Xiaojun said with a smile, "A village like this is very different from the one we visited yesterday. It is really rare in the local area. There are almost no dilapidated houses. If the children here can receive assistance from the Hope Project, I think 100% of the town's **Ten children all meet the rescue criteria.”

Bai Lingyan said suspiciously, "Yes, every household in this village is decent, not ordinary. What's strange is that there is indeed a child from the village named Zhang Baiyin on the list in our hands. Since he is here, we should verify it on the spot. It’s better to take a moment.”

When I found Zhang Baiyin’s house, his parents, younger brothers and sisters were having breakfast, and he directly revealed his identity and explained his purpose of visit.

Zhang Baiyin's father was particularly enthusiastic. He hurriedly pulled up a chair, asked the two of them to sit down, turned on the electric fan and TV, poured two more glasses of boiling water, and said in a strong local accent, "Two classmates, there are thirty people who came from town." It is indeed not a close journey for many miles, and I must be tired and hungry. You guys blow the fan to cool down first, drink some water, and rest, and I will ask Baiyin Niang to make you a bowl of noodles."

Wu Xiaojun stood up and said, "Master Zhang, we have already eaten in the town, so we won't bother Auntie."

Master Zhang insisted, "It's so hot. It's impossible to come all the way here without a meal. Please rest for a while. You'll be fine soon."

Going out and relying on fellow villagers, they were homeless and homeless. Along the way, the two of them did feel a little hungry. Seeing that Master Zhang was particularly hospitable and sincere, they didn't say any more kind words. Compared with the families they had already visited, The conditions of his home are indeed good. The house is clean and tidy inside and outside, with all the furniture and many household appliances. On the east wall, there are more than a dozen certificates that Zhang Baiyin has received over the years. Wu Xiaojun got up and took a closer look. Three of them were issued by Temple City Middle School, and I immediately became suspicious.

Wu Xiaojun read the certificate, turned around and sat down, picked up the cup and drank water and asked, "Master Zhang, how is the situation of your Baiyin family now?"

Master Zhang said very proudly, "To tell you the truth, this kid Baiyin is a very worry-free child in all aspects. He just finished his second year of junior high school in the town middle school and will be entering his third year of junior high school next semester. My child is not the same person you are looking for at all. We have not heard of any child in our village who has received assistance from Project Hope, let alone a second person named Zhang Baiyin."

Wu Xiaojun said hesitantly, "The list provided to us by the county and town does have Zhang Baiyin, and his address is in this village, so it should be correct."

Master Zhang said relentlessly, "The name and address are correct. We really don't know that this kind of thing happens in our family. Let's go to the school later and ask what's going on. The school should know. I remind you. In a word, this kind of inconsistency between people and things is relatively common in rural areas. Maybe the school reported Baiyin’s name and the higher-ups approved it. As for who actually received the money, it’s hard to say.”

Wu Xiaojun heard something in Master Zhang's words, so he couldn't ask further questions. He smiled and said, "Master Zhang, it's okay. We will go to the school later and have a brief understanding."

While they were talking, two full bowls of lo mein were served, and the two of them felt very embarrassed.

Seeing the enthusiasm of their family, and truly seeing the sincerity of the fellow villagers' hospitality and traditional virtues among the simple and honest rural people, this feeling cannot be expressed and described in words. I can only bury it deeply in my heart and keep it. As a permanent memory.

After a quick meal, the two said goodbye to Master Zhang and his family and went to Panling Primary School. Since it was summer vacation, the principal was not at school. They learned from a teacher on duty that Zhang Baiyin’s rescue quota had long been transferred to a student in Duanpo Natural Village. The specific situation of the student named Duan Xiaoming is not clear.

In order to further verify the situation, following the clues and routes guided by the teacher, the two walked for more than an hour, climbed over two mountains, and found Duan Xiaoming's home.

Duan Xiaoming's grandfather and grandmother were having lunch in the house with bowls in their hands. They looked at the two strangers with quite shocked and frightened eyes and spoke hesitantly.

Wu Xiaojun said very casually, "Uncle, we are from Pingxi. Is this Duan Xiaoming's house? I would like to know some information."

The old man stood up slowly, his ears a little hard to use, and asked loudly, "Ask Xiaoming about the situation. What do you know about it?"

Wu Xiaojun also leaned close to the old man's ear and said loudly, "I heard that Duan Xiaoming's family is in particular difficulty. I mainly want to understand the situation at home and see if I can apply for some assistance from my superiors."

The old man was no longer nervous after hearing this, and said hehe, "That's right, our family is poor. Look, there is nothing. Just these few shabby houses that leak on rainy days. Speaking of which, it's really hard to live this life." "The old man said and shed tears sadly.

Wu Xiaojun hurriedly advised, "Uncle, don't get excited. Sit down and talk slowly."

The old man squatted on the wall and choked with sobs and said, "My son works independently in the mines to crush gravel for others. Although he doesn't make much money, he can still get by. Unexpectedly, two years ago, my daughter-in-law got into a rage because of a quarrel with others. He drank pesticide and could not be saved. Xiaoming is my eldest grandson, so he has to stay at home to take care of his two brothers and sisters. It's a pity for the baby, and he can't go to school."

Suddenly, the door rang, and a dark, thin, middle-aged man came from outside. As soon as he entered the door, he shouted, "Mom, dad, have you eaten?"

The old man replied hurriedly, "I'm back from Zili and I'm eating. People from the big city came to know about our family's situation. What's wrong with your arm? Why is it still wrapped in a bandage?"

Duan Zili said with a painful expression, "Dad, something happened in the mine this morning. My arm was injured by a stone. I just came back from the health center after being bandaged. The doctor asked me to go to the county in the afternoon to take a X-ray to check the injury. No bones."

Wu Xiaojun hoped that his trip would be worthwhile. When Duan Zili came back, he saw a glimmer of hope and hurriedly stepped forward to explain his intention.

When Duan Zili heard this, he became furious and cursed, "I have never heard of any relief funds. I am sure these Guisun Bastard Village cadres secretly reported Xiaoming's name to get money for themselves. it took."

The two of them couldn't get anything real from Duan Xiaoming's family, so they went to the home of the director of the general affairs department of the school next door. The director went to the county to do some business. The director's wife was very cheerful and polite. I don't know if it was the custom of the locals or she was treating the two outsiders. Because of people's kindness, he hurried to the kitchen to open the newly closed coal fire. In a short time, he cooked the egg tea and served it in front of the two of them. This was the first time for Wu Xiaojun to see and taste this kind of tea. It was different from what he usually calls the basic tea. The difference is that the eggs are evenly distributed and cover the whole bowl, and the taste is quite good. Later I learned that this is a higher courtesy given by locals to rare guests.

The two of them tried their best to track it down to this point, but still found no results. Bai Lingyan sighed regretfully, "It was really a waste of time. I spent a whole morning and couldn't get any useful information. It was a waste of time.

"

"Things in the local area are all kinds of strange and the situation is complicated. Some village cadres are so bold that they dare to do anything immoral and unscrupulous, and they dare to be greedy for any money. As for Zhang Baiyin's case, there must be something fishy in it. Just the two of us, it's really difficult to find out.

, let alone have the time and energy to investigate, and no matter how much time is spent, there may not be actual results.”
Chapter completed!