Fortunately, everyone in the shops around the candy store came out, except for Hank, the owner of the candy store, and his family.

Because the incident was so bizarre, the sheriff at the time initially believed it to be a murder, not an accident.

But the environment was so turbulent at that time that before the sheriff could investigate everything, a new disaster struck.

War has broken out.

My parents took my brother and me and fled, hoping to escape the war. We wandered all over Europe for many years before the world finally returned to peace and stability, and I was finally able to return to my homeland with my family.

Although the city fell into enemy hands long ago, it wasn't severely damaged because we surrendered quickly. After we returned, we took over the shops in this area and started making a living running a coffee shop.

The old lady took a sip of the coffee she had brewed, sighed softly, paused for a moment as if pondering, and then continued, "Actually, it wouldn't be so bad if life continued like this."

But then, I don't know when it started, some strange people began to appear in my coffee shop.

They all came to me asking about the candy store.

Then, the legend began to spread throughout our city, and even spread further and further, attracting many tourists from other places to participate in the search for candy.

"I want to tell those people that candy stores no longer exist! And those candies that bring happiness don't even exist anymore!"

But no one is willing to believe me!

The old lady helplessly shrugged and sighed.

"So, before and after the candy store fire, did anything strange happen around here?!" Hu Da looked up and interjected, "Like, did anyone go missing?!"

"Speaking of strange things, there really is one."

The old lady frowned and thought for a while before speaking in a low voice: "However, this matter is just a baseless rumor. How could such a good person as the shop owner do such a thing!"

"What is it?!"

Yao Anna looked at the old lady with some urgency. She had a feeling that what the old lady was about to say was definitely related to the matter they were investigating.

Some say that the candy shop owner is actually a devil.

The reason his candies sold so well was because he used witchcraft! And that witchcraft involved the innocent souls of those poor children in the monastery!

However, this statement is simply absurd!

At the time, we all thought it was just a rumor made up by other candy and dessert shops out of jealousy about their business, trying to slander them!

Then, that huge fire happened!

The old lady still feels somewhat melancholy when she recalls that past event.

"Later, after our shop reopened as a coffee shop, there were some new rumors circulating in the neighborhood that the souls of the candy shop family who died in the fire had not left, but were bound to this place."

Many people came specifically to try it, which significantly increased the number of customers in our shop over a long period of time.

The old lady sighed as she recounted her past, a clear hint of sadness in her voice.

Song Mengmeng and her friends sat in the coffee shop for a while longer before getting up, paying the bill, and leaving.

After leaving the coffee shop, Song Mengmeng and her friends turned around and went to a memorial hall at the end of the street that was open to the public and used to record the history of the street.

Originally, this place was spontaneously established by the old residents of this street to commemorate the old neighbors and friends who were separated during the war. Later, with the development of tourism, it became a landmark, and the government renovated it and added more related materials.

After Song Mengmeng and her group came in, they easily found records about the fire at the candy store.

There are even photos from when the incident happened, as well as a series of related legends that arose after the candy store incident.

Song Mengmeng and her friends spent the afternoon in the memorial hall and basically investigated most of what they wanted to find out.

It is clear that the owner of this candy store has maintained connections with the monastery that previously sheltered orphans.

To outsiders, the shop owner appears to be a very enthusiastic philanthropist who donates large quantities of candy to the children at the monastery every month, simply so they can experience the sweetness of happiness.

His action was widely praised and, in a way, brought a lot of customers to his candy store.

Is this a win-win situation?

But, coincidentally, Winnie and his friends had said that they gained their freedom that Christmas, while the shop owner's family perished in a fire during that joyous holiday...

So, is this really just a coincidence?!

After returning to the sanatorium, Song Mengmeng and her group did not make any other requests. Instead, they wanted to see a series of documents about the old site of the sanatorium before its establishment.

This request isn't unreasonable, and the sanatorium itself is prepared to do so in order to attract customers.

There is a memorial hall-like structure specifically for visitors.

Here, they unearthed the predecessor of this sanatorium, which was a field hospital before that, and before that, a monastery that had worked closely with the candy store owner.

Perhaps because of the passage of time, there is not much information about that monastery, but a few precious black and white photos have been preserved.

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