This is not some kind of love story where a glance in childhood leads to a lifelong wait.

Li Zhiyuan asked, "What are you waiting for him for?"

The woman sighed and said:

"My man left home five years ago in January and disappeared without a trace, leaving behind a son and daughter, a pair of twins. Now both kids are in school.

I'm a woman managing the shop while taking care of the two kids, it's indeed a bit tough. I can't see myself with any other man, and after pondering, it seems this half-ended marriage is all that's left—something to hold onto, a bit of a story to reminisce. If he wants to come back, maybe we could try to live together, he could pick up the kids easily and call himself their father, how convenient, haha."

As she spoke, the woman started laughing herself.

After a while, she stopped laughing and apologized, "I lost my composure, I must have amused you, Mr. Zhao."

"I will pass on the message."

"Thank you, Mr. Zhao."

...

After leaving the shop, the three of them walked straight out, as they had already obtained the next clue and there was no need to linger.

Tan Wenbin wore a thoughtful expression as he repeatedly chewed over the woman's earlier words, finding them increasingly peculiar.

Once they left the antique market, Tan Wenbin couldn't help but ask, "Brother Xiao Yuan, it seems that the Wang Family has an unusual relationship with the Jie Family."

Li Zhiyuan: "Hmm."

"What she said last felt really odd, somewhat inexplicable."

"That's because we have yet to clearly determine our stance towards the Jie family."

"Hmm?"

"Brother Binbin, try to envision that we are old acquaintances with the Jie Family and consider what she said last."

"Then that would imply there might have been a misunderstanding between the Jie Family and the Wang Family that they hope we could help resolve by passing on a message?"

"Now consider we have a feud with the Jie Family and are on a revenge mission against them?"

"Then that suggests... twenty years ago, the Wang Family's banquet might have been a Hongmen feast, and this woman's husband, who disappeared five years ago, might have died at the hands of the Jie Family?"

Li Zhiyuan nodded: "Yes, there's a big feud between these two families."

Tan Wenbin chuckled, "It seems the name 'Jiujiang Zhao' really holds some power."

Li Zhiyuan shook his head and said: "She recognized long ago that we weren't Jiujiang Zhao, but since we dared to impersonate him, it made her even more wary of our true identities, which is why her words were so distorted."

Stopping in his tracks, Li Zhiyuan closed his eyes, his ears subtly twitching.

Run Sheng immediately showed vigilance, scanning the surroundings with his eyes as he asked, "Xiao Yuan, are we being followed?"

"No, but maybe not here."

Tan Wenbin pulled out a pre-prepared map from his backpack: "Let me see how far Meiling Town is from here..."

Li Zhiyuan: "Very far and remote, we need to take a long-distance bus."

Tan Wenbin brought out a city map: "Then I'll look for where the bus station is; we can go there to hire a car."

Li Zhiyuan pointed ahead: "Right over there."

Tan Wenbin helplessly put away the map; Brother Xiao Yuan had already memorized the coordinates from having looked at it earlier.

"Should I hail a taxi?"

"It's not far; let's walk. We should give them some time to prepare as well."

Outside the state-run bus station, there was a large square with many illegal taxis parked: motorcycles, tricycles, small vans, and even old-fashioned minibuses.

You don't even need to buy tickets at the bus station's ticket window, just find a ticket scalper here, and you could get it cheaper.

However, you can't board inside; the ticket scalper will have you wait by the roadside until the state-run buses drive out, when the driver will stop and let you on.

"To Meiling Town, to Meiling Town!"

As soon as the three of them stepped onto the square, they heard two people energetically hawking while holding handwritten plastic signs.

Many of the peers nearby cast these two strange looks.

Meiling Town is so remote that even the illegal taxis are reluctant to go; sometimes, it's not about not getting passengers, but they can't drive back empty-handed after dropping someone off.

Tan Wenbin looked at the signs held by the two people, believing that if he wiped a finger across the words, it would come up covered in wet black ink.

"Brother Xiao Yuan..."

"Why wouldn't we take the special arrangement?"

"How did they know we'd be coming here?"

"Because all three of us are carrying hiking backpacks, it's obvious we didn't drive ourselves."

"Tsk, so that's the way it is. I'll go to that phone booth and contact Ah You and Meng Meng."

"Alright."

Tan Wenbin went off to the phone booth to make a call. Since they had enough time, he called and waited for a callback.

The two illegal taxi drivers remained attentive, continuing to circle around Li Zhiyuan and Run Sheng, trying to attract more customers.

In the meantime, a woman carrying a baby approached to inquire about the fare, wanting to go to Meiling Town.

The two drivers clearly froze for a moment before starting to negotiate the price with her.

Hearing the price, the woman immediately grinned happily and repeatedly said, "Go, go, go!"

After finishing the call, Tan Wenbin returned and also negotiated the fare.

The price was genuinely cheap, so cheap it might not even cover gas.

Despite this, Tan Wenbin forced a smile and bargained with them.

And they actually agreed.

This made the mother with the child, who was waiting at the side to board, anxious, stepping forward to demand the same fare.

In the end, they agreed as well.

The woman beamed with a smile.

Just as they finished negotiating, five more people arrived, bearing large and small bags, dressed like people from the countryside coming to the city for work.

However, this attire seemed overly deliberate, as the shoes on their feet—both cloth shoes and liberation rubber shoes—were intentionally dusted with dirt, and their clothes were made to look dirty.

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