I Got Rich in Period Fiction-Chapter 408: What Happened?

Others were somewhat better, but the people from Xiaxi Commune felt it most profoundly.

The motorcade had just made a round and arrived at the commune after about twenty minutes.

They were all staying here tonight, and tomorrow they planned to visit the local pig farm and the satellite commune’s cattle and sheep raising areas.

Secretary Xu had no idea that Chen Tianliang had slept the entire journey in the last jeep, thankfully waking up just before reaching Xiaxi Commune.

His colleague whispered, "Xiao Chen, we’re almost at Xiaxi Commune, do you want to... go back to the county town instead?"

Chen Tianliang stared blankly ahead, then closed his eyes again. A few seconds later, he reopened them, his expression deepening, just as the motorcade came to a stop.

Chen Tianliang saw two people disembarking from the second jeep, one was Chief Engineer He from Tenghai Research Base and the other was Qiao Qingyu, the person in charge of Tenghai Agricultural Base.

He stared at He Xiuyu for a long time, then appeared to snap back to reality, his expression slightly complex. When his colleague thought he was still upset, he kindly repeated the suggestion.

Only then did Chen Tianliang seem to finally catch on, his voice hoarse as he said, "No need, I’ll stay here with everyone."

His colleague looked at him worriedly, but Chen Tianliang forced a smile, "Don’t worry about me, I’m much better now."

Then Chen Tianliang stepped out of the car and quickly walked into the crowd, Secretary Xu relieved to see him join.

Although Chen Tianliang had been present when meeting He Xiuyu and Qiao Qingyu, he was distracted, prompting Secretary Xu to reintroduce them.

Chen Tianliang seemed completely back to normal, no trace of sorrow visible on his face.

However, his eyes were too calm, betraying no hint of his thoughts.

His gaze fell on He Xiuyu, and when their eyes met, Chen Tianliang smiled after a moment, "Chief Engineer He, it’s good to meet you. I’ve always admired you."

He Xiuyu smiled back, "Secretary Chen, you flatter me."

The people from the commune eagerly tried to keep He Xiuyu and Qiao Qingyu around to share a meal with the inspection team members, especially since it was rare to have He Xiuyu around. However, both politely declined as they had a child at home who needed their attention, so they drove off first.

Mr. Qian also appeared from the health clinic, and to avoid upsetting him, Chen Tianliang chose to steer clear and headed to the dormitory arranged for him.

He didn’t want to explain too much to old Qian, but he did owe them, and staying here to try and make amends was one reason, but there was another, unspeakable, more important reason.

Chen Tianliang marked down today—the special day—in his notebook before slowly closing it.

Lu Ye, the authorities from Yushu County, and a few members of the inspection team talked about the seed breeding center, emphasizing the urgency of development in such matters.

Although the greening initiatives in Xichuan had only started partially, it had already become a region that could serve as a template for other areas. This would inevitably lead to others coming here to learn, looking to this place as an exemplar.

The direct consequence would be a shortage in supply for Barley Grass alfalfa seeds and poplar saplings—and even other crops and their seeds.

He worried that blind development might lead to inappropriate areas being cultivated, wasting a vast amount of seeds, whereas suitable areas might suffer from a lack of seeds, creating imbalance.

He was busy with many things, so much so that he didn’t even realize when Qiao Qingyu had left. Thus, Lu Ye, standing under the night sky, could not clearly define the complex emotions in his heart.

Feeling somewhat lost, he felt a certain emptiness inside.

Would feelings like this slowly fade over time?

On the road, Qiao Qingyu had said to He Xiuyu, "There must be something going on with Chen Tianliang and Mr. Qian..."

He Xiuyu frowned slightly and replied, "Mr. Qian has three daughters and two sons, his eldest daughter is married, and his second daughter committed suicide a few years ago..."

Qiao Qingyu was taken aback, turning suddenly to look at the driving He Xiuyu, her brow furrowed as she asked, "Who told you? How do you know this?"

Qiao Qingyu was quite close to Mr. Qian, but their interactions were purely professional; she didn’t really know Mr. Qian well.

Mr. Qian’s two sons, one worked in a factory, and the other was studying, and then there was his niece, Fang Xiaomei. Beyond that, she didn’t know much.

Moreover, despite knowing them for so long, Fang Xiaomei had never talked about it.

It made sense upon reflection, as this was a pain best left unspoken. Even if such a thing had happened, even if Qiao Qingyu had learned of it, she couldn’t now pull Fang Xiaomei aside to ask about it, let alone inquire about it in front of Mr. Qian.

Yet she hadn’t expected He Xiuyu to be so informed.

It seemed that while she and old Qian had been interacting, Director Lin must have already thoroughly investigated Mr. Qian’s background, just in case someone wanted to infiltrate the base through Qiao Qingyu to cause mischief.

"So, you suspect that the daughter who committed suicide had something to do with Chen Tianliang?" Qiao Qingyu asked.

He Xiuyu nodded, harboring reservations about Chen Tianliang’s character; he didn’t see him as someone capable of shouldering big responsibilities. From certain angles, he seemed rather cowardly, though it’s fair to say both individuals had issues.

If it had been him, he wouldn’t have allowed such an incident to occur.

Just like how he had married Qiao Qingyu and let her disrupt his life without ever giving up.

If he had given up easily, he and Qiao Qingyu wouldn’t have what they had today.

He smiled at Qiao Qingyu beside him, "I think Chen Tianliang is insisting on staying here because, if he indeed did something regrettable to Mr. Qian and his daughter..."

Qiao Qingyu looked at He Xiuyu, wanting to ask him what else he didn’t know, what else he couldn’t guess.

Qiao Qingyu straightened up, keeping her eyes fixed forward.

Yet, she agreed with He Xiuyu’s perspective.

But still, she said, "We don’t know the whole story, let’s not speculate."

He Xiuyu smiled without replying, he wasn’t usually talkative, but Chen Tianliang’s reactions today made him mull over and analyze.

When they first met, Chen Tianliang had just glanced at him before shifting his gaze away.

He understood this.

After all, they were strangers, and at that time, he was going through a difficult phase.

But later, during the introduction at Xiaxi Commune’s courtyard, the look in Chen Tianliang’s eyes was all wrong...