There were plump, white steamed buns, a small dish of pickles, and a small bowl of plain porridge.
"And this. I started simmering this chicken soup last night. A bowl in the morning will keep you warm all day."
The woman served each of them a small bowl. When a noise came from the inner room, she wore an apologetic expression.
"It's my husband. His leg is crippled, so he's lying in the back room. You all go ahead and eat; I'll go check on him."
Nan Yue watched her enter. Gentle words of comfort were mixed with the man's incessant grumbling; everything seemed perfectly normal.
Nan Yue's gaze returned to the food on the table. "Is it there?"
Her voice was kept very low. Gu Xiang Kai was just putting down his bowl. "Yes. Although the amount is very, very small, it definitely has the same scent as the Milk-stewed Fawn Soup from last night."
"It's a bit fishy, but it smells incredibly fragrant."
He Jiang's side had already started eating. Logically, they shouldn't have had any appetite after seeing those bloody scenes, and they only followed Nan Yue because she had gathered so many clues.
However, the moment the chicken soup was served, the nausea that had been clogging their throats vanished, replaced by a sudden craving.
Watching them take the lead in drinking the soup, Nan Yue and her two companions did not touch theirs.
After eating some porridge and a bit of steamed bun, Nan Yue even felt like asking the woman how she made the pickles, but it wasn't the right time.
While no one was paying attention, Zhu Xi Ning secretly poured out their three bowls of soup. She then checked the kitchen and whispered to Nan Yue upon her return.
"It really is a large pot of chicken soup, and she brewed it for them to eat as well."
Zhu Xi Ning felt a slight sense of relief. Since the townspeople were also eating it, it at least wasn't some kind of slow-acting poison.
It was more likely some special substance that the townspeople consumed daily and hoped they would drink as well.
Zhu Xi Ning's feelings were complicated. She was happy to know there was no immediate safety risk, but the townspeople were clearly not right.
Every single one of them.
What on earth were they drinking?
"I didn't see anything unusual in the kitchen either."
Zhu Xi Ning scratched her head. She loved food and had looked even more closely than Gu Xiang Kai, but everything was just ordinary ingredients and seasonings.
"This substance is the core of this mission and the town's greatest secret. It certainly wouldn't be left out in the kitchen like that."
Nan Yue stood up after finishing her meal and walked toward the room the woman had entered.
Knock, knock.
"Sister, we've finished eating. Is there anything we can help you with? We can't just eat your food for nothing, right?"
If Zhu Xi Ning was naturally pure and cute in a way that people liked, Nan Yue was the type whose smile had a natural warmth that made others unconsciously lower their guard.
The woman was supporting a man who was leaning half his weight on her while she fed him chicken soup. His bowl was larger than theirs, and he was taking large gulps.
"Little sister, there's no need for you to do anything. Just leave the dishes there. I can't step away for the moment, so you all go on with your business."
The smile on the woman's face was pure and simple. "You're welcome here every day. You can come for lunch and dinner too."
Nan Yue nodded obediently. As the man finished his soup, he happened to look up at her, his eyes filled with a strange, inexplicable greed.
Nan Yue walked out with Gu Xiang Kai and Zhu Xi Ning following her. As soon as they left, He Jiang and his group couldn't sit still and followed closely behind.
Their logic was simple: if Nan Yue wasn't willing to share, they would just linger around. That way, they would know whatever clues she found.
Nan Yue didn't mind this shameless behavior. In missions, everyone relied on themselves. If they lacked even this much caution and drank that soup without knowing what was in it, it was doubtful they would even make it out of this mission.
"That man's gaze was very strange."
Nan Yue recalled the feeling the man's eyes gave her and described it. Gu Xiang Kai let out a dismissive snort.
"That's normal. I know men; he was just being a lecher. A crippled leg doesn't stop a dirty mind."
Nan Yue pondered for a moment. "It didn't seem like simple lust. I feel like... he was looking through me to see something else."
But it was only a fleeting sensation, so Nan Yue kept it to herself without overthinking it. "I roughly memorized the layout of the town yesterday. Let's head back and divide the work."
The three returned to their room and closed the door, blocking out the prying eyes of the hyenas outside.
"Brother He, what should we do..."
Zhao Dekai no longer had the arrogant attitude from yesterday. He vaguely felt that He Jiang wasn't as capable as he claimed, but since he had already sided with him and completely offended Nan Yue and the other scavengers, he had no choice but to stick with He Jiang.
This was clearly what the others were thinking as well. Although they didn't say anything, their faces showed signs of impatience.
He Jiang's expression was grim as he thought for a moment. He gritted his teeth and said, "Everyone find clues on your own today. Nothing will happen during the day. Tonight, I will definitely find out what those things outside are."
Seeing He Jiang speak with such certainty, the others had no other choice and dispersed in small groups.
Only He Jiang stood alone in the courtyard, wearing a somewhat sinister smile.
Inside the room, Nan Yue drew a rough map of the town on a piece of paper, mostly focusing on the alleys while the houses were just a few strokes.
Then Nan Yue marked several spots and handed the paper to Gu Xiang Kai and Zhu Xi Ning.
"These are the places where I heard children crying yesterday... Let's split up and check them out. If possible, find a way into the nearby houses to see if there are any children."
"I'm not sure if I'm overthinking the children thing or if there's really a problem. Be careful."
Gu Xiang Kai and Zhu Xi Ning exchanged a glance and nodded seriously. They memorized the routes before using a lighter to burn the map to ashes.
After Gu Xiang Kai and Zhu Xi Ning left, Nan Yue didn't depart immediately. At this moment, she was the only one in the courtyard, as even those three cowardly scavengers had taken advantage of the bright sun to head out.
She walked into the inner residence. Gao Suqi's body had already disappeared. There wasn't even a single stain on the ground; it likely wasn't cleaned by human hands, but rather the mission itself had performed a cleanup.
The two rooms where people had stayed were locked, but Li Maocai's room had been kicked open by Gu Xiang Kai earlier. The lock wasn't very sturdy, and Nan Yue entered easily.
The rooms in the inner residence were much more refined than those in the outer residence. There was even a dressing table, suggesting it was a room for female family members.
By the bed sat a large chest with an exquisite brass lock. Picking locks was a mandatory skill for scavengers, though everyone's proficiency varied.
Nan Yue took a piece of wire from her pocket, bent it, and opened the chest in less than a minute.
The chest was filled with old clothes, emitting a musty smell of age. The styles were not modern.
Xu Defu had mentioned that this town had a very long history and had existed since the Qing Dynasty. The scholar was also a product of that era, so these clothes likely dated back to then.
Nan Yue carefully sifted through them until her movements suddenly stopped.
Tucked in the middle were two sets of exquisite children's ceremonial outfits.
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