After a few seconds of silence, Ma Mingchuan, the leader of the male Educated Youths, finally stepped forward. He glanced at the surrounding youths before speaking in a taut voice:
"Jiang Hongwei and Jiang Hongjun are missing from the male Educated Youths. All the female Educated Youths are here."
Feng Qingqing had been keeping a close eye on Jiang Yun, who had come out a step ahead of her. Jiang Yun’s face was deathly pale, her eyes filled with panic, and her lips were trembling slightly. Driven by a dark premonition or perhaps something else, she didn't wait for Lü Tianhua to respond to the report. Instead, she looked at the brigade officials, her voice shaking with anxiety:
"What happened to my brothers? Did something happen to my brothers? Please, can you tell me?"
Hearing her question, the other Educated Youths began to speculate. It was obviously late, and the fact that the two brothers were the only ones not yet back at the Educated Youth Courtyard made it seem like they had indeed run into trouble. As they pondered this, they realized it likely had nothing to do with them, and their collective anxiety eased slightly; after all, if it didn't concern them, it wasn't a crisis.
Chapter 50