CHAPTER 588: CHAPTER 108_4

There seemed to be the sound of a lock falling inside.

Zeng Yinyin pushed open the door, and before entering, she turned around, looked down, and met Tan Wenbin’s gaze.

Then, she went in and the door closed behind her.

At this moment, Tan Wenbin really wanted to use brute force to burst into the second floor to see what was actually happening, and what the current situation of Zeng Miaomiao was.

But he was very clear that he did not have the capacity to take aggressive measures without the ability to handle consequences.

The reason why he was assigned to this particular task alone was firstly because Run Sheng’s temperament was not suitable, nor was he close enough with Fan Shulin to work together; secondly, because it was necessary for someone strong to accompany Brother Xiao Yuan.

Back in the kitchen, Tan Wenbin said, "Brother Hu, get me a thermos."

"Oh, OK."

When Hu Yiwei stood up, Tan Wenbin took out the Chasing Distance Secret Scroll Lucky Charm, tested the food, and found no issues.

Picking up his chopsticks, he first dug into the rice, then stopped abruptly, taking another bite of the vegetables, frowning.

The morning meal could be explained by having been prepared early and himself getting up late, but this evening’s meal which had just been made, why was it still only warm?

Is there anything hot in this house?

After a while, Zeng Yinyin came back empty-handed, sat down at the table, and started to eat.

Hu Yiwei asked, "Sister Yin, how about Miao Miao?"

Zeng Yinyin swallowed her food, a complex, inexplicable smile appearing on her face:

"Don’t worry, after the meal, you’ll see her."

...

Yin Meng didn’t know who the person peeking into her room last night was, but after being flashed with a torch, those prying eyes never appeared again.

She barricaded the door with a chair and returned to her bed to sleep.

She needed rest, couldn’t afford to be in poor shape, but even so, she kept one eye open while sleeping.

The next day, just as it dawned, wood-chopping sounds came from the yard.

Yin Meng nudged Zheng Jiayi awake; Zheng Jiayi yawned and said in a lazy voice, "Meng Meng, I’m so sleepy, I want to sleep a bit more."

"Your parents’ illness, have you forgotten?"

Zheng Jiayi immediately sat up.

"Let’s go down to wash up."

"Going to wash up, are you taking your bag with you?"

"I’m used to it."

Passing the other two bedrooms on the second floor, Yin Meng paused again to listen, but heard no movement inside.

When they reached the yard downstairs, the person chopping wood was a man in his thirties, wearing a tank top, shorts, and cloth shoes, tall and thin.

"Big Brother Da Qiang!"

Zheng Jiayi greeted him warmly.

"Jiayi, hehe." Da Qiang waved his hand. "My parents went into the mountains to gather goods early in the morning, breakfast is on the table."

Yin Meng drew well water, and after washing up with Zheng Jiayi, they went to the kitchen.

On the table were bowls of porridge and pickles.

Yin Meng picked up the porridge, sniffed it, no problem; her sensitivity to food now was sharp.

But this first sip revealed that the porridge was not only lukewarm but could even be described as cool.

The problem was, the weather wasn’t truly cool yet.

Trying a piece of pickle, her teeth almost felt icy.

It was as if the breakfast had been deliberately put in the well to chill.

Yin Meng’s gaze turned to the nook under the stove; the thermos was gone, including the one she noticed last night that was filled with mice.

Should she grab this Da Qiang, tie him up with the Demon Exorcism Whip from her bag, and interrogate him?

This thought had just arisen when Yin Meng dismissed it.

Better find Brother Xiao Yuan first.

"Meng Meng, let’s go out for breakfast," Zheng Jiayi obviously found this breakfast unsatisfactory.

"Okay."

When they came out, they found that Da Qiang who was just chopping wood had disappeared.

The axe was left on the spot, even the chopped firewood was not gathered.

"Huh, where did Big Brother Da Qiang go?"

Zheng Jiayi bent down to tidy up, then piled everything in a corner of the wall.

Yin Meng’s gaze swept over the firewood stack; most of the wood was mossy, and in a few places, even some mushrooms had grown.

Firewood indicates consumption; this means this family hadn’t burned wood for a long time.

Leaving the Zheng family’s house, Yin Meng first asked about Xue Liangliang’s whereabouts.

Zheng Jiayi didn’t live here and knew barely more about Min’an Town than Yin Meng, the outside.

But after asking around extensively, the constant response was: no one knew of any family with the surname Xue in the town.

As for the student Xue Liangliang who got into Haihe University, nobody had heard of him either.

Yin Meng came to the little shop in the town, first asked the aunty inside and got the same sort of response.

She picked up the phone, tried to page Xue Liangliang, no one answered.

Then she called the affordable store at school, again no response.

After repeatedly trying several more times, she asked the aunty if there was a problem with the phone, the aunty made a call ordering goods right in front of her to show there was no issue.

Yin Meng realized, the problem was serious.

Not giving up, she continued to inquire with Zheng Jiayi.

Then, they reached the riverside corridor.

This place was somewhat a cultural hub for leisure in the town.

Two tables of elderly men were drinking tea; another elder was telling stories.

After the story ended, Yin Meng approached him to inquire if anyone had come here to ask for information, the storyteller shook his head, indicating no.

Yin Meng asked him to keep an eye out, meanwhile, shared her name and the alley address of the old Zheng family with him, finally, she pulled out a banknote and placed it in the iron box in front of him.