99: Chapter 99 Tracing Hometown Roots

She didn't expect that a post from five years ago would still have comments now, but that reply was quickly deleted; Team Leader Zhang Yining had already taken a screenshot to save it.

She opened the government website and checked the marital status of County Magistrate Xuan Lingyu—married.

Her husband is a section chief at the Education and Sports Bureau.

"Born into a teacher's family, and her husband is also related to education..."

Team Leader Zhang Yining was lost in thought. "Logically speaking, she should be very conservative, yet she is so fond of being in the limelight."

Let's take a look at County Magistrate Xuan Lingyu's hometown.

The system showed that County Magistrate Xuan Lingyu was born in Qingshan Township, under the jurisdiction of Jinhe County; her father was a teacher at the township central primary school, and her mother was a nurse at the township health center.

"Qingshan Township..."

Team Leader Zhang Yining marked the location on the map; it was about thirty kilometers away from the county seat.

She checked the time; it was still quite early. If she set off now, she should be able to return before three in the afternoon.

She sent an encrypted message to Xiao Bei: [Go to Qingshan Township to investigate the background of County Magistrate Xuan, and report back.]

Xiao Bei replied quickly: [Be careful, bring recording equipment.]

Team Leader Zhang Yining packed her things, changed into casual clothes, put on a duck-billed cap and a mask, and left through the back door of the County Government.

She hailed a taxi and told the driver to go to Qingshan Township.

"Young lady, what are you going to Qingshan Township for? That place is quite poor and there's nothing to do there."

The driver was a man in his fifties with a heavy local accent.

"Visiting relatives."

Team Leader Zhang Yining answered briefly, not wanting to talk more.

The car drove out of the county seat, and the road gradually became rugged and uneven.

Team Leader Zhang Yining looked at the fields and hills flying by outside the window, her thoughts drifting back to that scene in County Magistrate Xuan Lingyu's office.

The ruthlessness and contempt in that woman's eyes were definitely not the kind of look an ordinary teacher could have.

"Sir, do you know if any big figures have come out of Qingshan Township?"

Team Leader Zhang Yining asked casually.

The driver glanced at her through the rearview mirror: "Big figures? Oh, you mean County Magistrate Xuan? She is from our Qingshan Township."

"What is County Magistrate Xuan's reputation in the township?"

The driver suddenly became vigilant: "Why are you asking about this?"

"Just curious, I heard she was promoted very quickly."

The driver was silent for a while before lowering his voice and saying:

"Young lady, I advise you not to ask blindly. County Magistrate Xuan has great influence in the township; her relatives are all officials now."

Team Leader Zhang Yining's heart stirred: "What kind of relatives does she have?"

"Her cousin is the township head, her younger cousin is at the Police Station, and there is some distant relative at the Education and Sports Bureau."

The driver shook his head, "Anyway, she's not someone you can afford to offend."

"What about her parents? Do they still live in the township?"

"They moved away a long time ago; I heard they bought a house in the provincial capital."

The driver suddenly lowered his voice, "But some people say her father was angered away."

"Why?"

The driver hesitated for a moment: "This... is hard to say. Anyway, it has to do with her daughter. It is said that Old Xuan originally opposed his daughter entering politics in such a high-profile way, and the father and daughter had a very strained relationship."

Team Leader Zhang Yining silently noted this information.

It seems that County Magistrate Xuan Lingyu's relationship with her family is not harmonious, which might be a breakthrough.

The car drove into Qingshan Township, and Team Leader Zhang Yining paid the fare and got off near the Township Government.

She looked around; this township was slightly more prosperous than she had imagined, with many newly built shops and restaurants on both sides of the street.

She walked into a small supermarket, bought a bottle of water and some snacks, and took the opportunity to chat with the landlady.

"Auntie, may I ask how to get to the Township Central Primary School?"

The landlady was a woman in her sixties who enthusiastically pointed out the way:

"Walk straight along this road, turn right after two intersections, and you'll be there. Are you here to look for someone?"

"Yes, I want to ask about an old teacher, whose surname is Xuan."

The landlady's expression changed immediately: "You mean Teacher Xuan... He retired several years ago and is no longer in the township."

"Do you know his daughter? The current County Magistrate Xuan."

The landlady looked around vigilantly and lowered her voice:

"Young lady, are you a reporter or something?"

"No, just curious."

Team Leader Zhang Yining showed an innocent smile. "I work in the county, and I heard that County Magistrate Xuan is from our township. I want to learn more about her; I want to be as impressive as her."

The landlady shook her head: "Oh, young lady, don't learn from her. I advise you not to ask about it. Teacher Xuan is a good person, but his daughter..."

She didn't finish her sentence, just sighed.

Team Leader Zhang Yining noticed a surveillance camera in the corner of the supermarket, facing the checkout counter.

She asked casually: "Auntie, is this surveillance camera newly installed?"

"Yes, it was requested by the township last year, saying it was for the 'Peaceful Village' construction."

The landlady pouted and continued, "It cost a lot of money. They say every day that the township has no money, yet they have money for this."

"Which company installed it?"

"It seems to be... Jindun Security, a company in the county."

Team Leader Zhang Yining's heart stirred. Jindun Security was one of the winning bidders for the Development Zone, and the boss was one of the two people who met with County Magistrate Xuan Lingyu at the tea house yesterday.

She thanked the landlady and went to the Township Central Primary School according to the directions.

School was already out, and only a few duty teachers were there.

Team Leader Zhang Yining lied that she was from the County TV Station and was here to research rural education. After registering, she entered the campus smoothly.

In the teachers' office, she met an old teacher who was about to retire.

"Teacher Xuan? Of course I remember him."

The old teacher pushed up his reading glasses, "He was my colleague, he taught Chinese, taught well, and was a person of integrity."

"I heard his daughter is now the County Magistrate?"

The old teacher's expression became complicated: "That child Lingyu... She was very sensible when she was young and did well in her studies. Later, I don't know how she ended up on this path."

"What path?"

"Sigh..."

The old teacher shook his head, "Some things shouldn't be said by me. But when she became the school's Communist Youth League secretary, there was a lot of gossip in the township."

"What gossip?"

The old teacher lowered his voice: "They said she and the then-Township Party Secretary... had an unusual relationship. That Party Secretary was later promoted to the county as the Organization Department Minister, and it was rumored that he had an unusual relationship with a section chief of the Education and Sports Bureau. Not long after, Lingyu was seconded to the County Communist Youth League Committee."

Team Leader Zhang Yining's heart rate accelerated: "What was the name of that Organization Department Minister?"

"Secretary Ma Wendong, who is now our County Party Secretary."

The old teacher smiled bitterly, "The people in the township all know about these things, but no one dares to talk about them."

Secretary Ma Wendong! Team Leader Zhang Yining almost exclaimed out loud.

So County Magistrate Xuan Lingyu and Secretary Ma Wendong had been colluding for a long time; no wonder she could cover the sky with one hand in the county.

"Does Teacher Xuan know about these things?"

"How could he not know? The father and daughter had a big fight, and Teacher Xuan was so angry that he wanted to sever ties with her."

The old teacher sighed, "Later, as Lingyu climbed higher and higher, Teacher Xuan felt ashamed to face people, so he moved away."

Leaving the school, Team Leader Zhang Yining walked around the township and took a few photos, including the Township Government, the Police Station, the surveillance equipment installed by Jindun Security, and the school cafeteria contracting company.

The sky gradually darkened, and she decided to return to the county seat.

While waiting for a car on the side of the road, a black car slowly stopped in front of her.

The car window rolled down, and a man wearing sunglasses asked: "Young lady, are you going back to the county seat? I'll give you a ride."