Old Mrs. Liu stepped forward and pulled Qin Luo outside.
"Luo girl, you're meddling in their affairs. They don't seem worried at all. Let them find it themselves. It's better to avoid being ungrateful for your kindness. Come on, let's go outside. Let's not put up with this nonsense here!"
The villagers dared not speak ill of Mu Feng, but they were not afraid of Granny Liu, and stepped forward to accuse her.
"Old Liu, who are you talking about? Just because your child is lost doesn't mean you can just make sarcastic remarks!"
Old Mrs. Zhou, who had been silent until now, clenched her fists, ready to rush to her senses when she heard someone turn against her best friend.
To everyone's surprise, Old Lady Liu only glanced at the person who spoke.
"If my child were lost, I would have run out to look for him long ago, instead of standing here crying and wailing, asking someone's grandfather to help you find your child while you're blaming someone else's granddaughter!"
After she finished speaking, everyone who had been wailing fell silent.
Old Mrs. Liu led Qin Luo to the inn's lobby, and Mu Feng followed them out.
The three of them found a table and sat down, then ordered some flatbread from the waiter.
He then said to Qin Luo, "Luo, don't mind them. They're all ungrateful bastards. You haven't eaten breakfast yet, have you? Come and eat some pancakes. You won't feel so bad if you're full. That's what my skinny monkey said! Eat up, eat up!"
Qin Luo looked at the pancake in her hand and tried to recall who Skinny Monkey was.
An image of a tall, thin, and tongue-tied little boy popped into my mind.
She looked at Old Lady Liu and asked, "Grandma Liu, are you missing Brother Skinny Monkey?"
Old Mrs. Liu's face was filled with longing.
"Yes! How could I not think about it? His mother died when he was born, and his father passed away when he was three. I raised him from infancy, changing his diapers and feeding him. And he's so ungrateful; he just decided to join the army!"
She choked up as she spoke.
"I have no other desires, I'll be content if he's safe and sound on the frontier!"
Seeing that Granny Liu was sad, Mu Feng offered words of comfort.
"Aunt Liu, don't worry! Your grandson is safe and sound. I was on the frontier before, where there was no war. The conscription was just to strengthen defenses. He'll be home in two years. Maybe after you arrive in Weisi County and write him a letter, he'll be discharged and come back to be with you."
"Really? You're not kidding me, are you?" Old Mrs. Liu looked at Mu Feng excitedly.
Mu Feng assured her
"It's absolutely true. I've lived in the border region for over twenty years. The climate isn't as harsh as everyone says. While there is some sandstorm, it has its own unique scenery. The beef and mutton there are especially delicious, and the girls are cheerful and outgoing. Who knows, your grandson might even bring you a granddaughter-in-law!"
Old Mrs. Liu became even more excited, as if Skinny Monkey wasn't going to join the army, but rather to get married.
"That's good, that's good! It would be even better if you could bring your granddaughter-in-law and great-grandson back with you!"
As he spoke, he picked up a flatbread from the table and began to eat it in large bites.
"I need to eat more and stay alive until they come back. You two eat too! Don't try to save money for this old woman."
Not wanting to disappoint the old man, Qin Luo and his companion each took a pancake and started eating.
After questioning the shopkeeper, Qin Ling received no clues. He could only send Qin Xing, Qin Liang, and a few other strong young men out to search, while he and the shopkeeper went to the government office to report the matter.
After entrusting Qin Yunyang and the others to Wan Yun and Tao Zhi's care, Liu Zheng went to find Qin Luo.
He panicked when he couldn't find her upstairs, and ran downstairs to find Qin Luo, Mu Feng, and Granny Liu together.
With her heart at ease, she walked to the table and asked Qin Luo...
"Luo Luo, are you starving? It's all your fault, Auntie overslept."
Qin Luo quickly waved his hand.
"No, no, Grandma Liu treated my uncle and me to some flatbread. Auntie, are you hungry? I'll have the waiter bring some upstairs for you. My brothers must be hungry too."
Liu Zheng quickly stopped her.
"You eat your food, don't worry about us. I can go by myself. You stay with your uncle and don't wander off, okay?"
Then he turned to Old Lady Liu.
"Thank you so much, Aunt Liu! If you ever need any help in the future, just come to me, and I'll definitely not refuse."
Old Mrs. Liu gave her a reproachful look.
"You're being too polite, child. It's just a pancake; there's no need for all this thanks. Go on with your work; this inn is bustling with people in broad daylight. No one will dare steal a child at this hour."
Liu Zheng nodded and greeted Mu Feng before asking the waiter for some food and going upstairs.
Qinling and the others didn't return until late morning (around 11:00 AM).
Mu Feng had been waiting for them at the door, and when they returned...
Remembering that they hadn't eaten anything since morning, he asked the waiter to bring some food.
As they ate, they discussed the results of their respective searches. Qin Xing spoke first.
"I searched all the way south of the city, but found no clues. The guards at the city gates also said they hadn't seen anyone suspicious."
Qin Liang continued from Qin Xing's words.
"I went to the west side of the city, but I couldn't find her. I asked some locals, and none of them had seen anyone with a little girl around ten years old."
Li Sheng nodded: "Me too, we haven't found anything in the east of the city!"
Qin Xian said dejectedly, "Chengbei is the same. When I asked the city guards, they said no one has left the city today."
The Qinling Mountains sighed heavily.
"The innkeeper and I went to report it to the authorities. They said they would send people to search, but they weren't sure if they could find them. There were too many refugees entering the city, and our family wasn't the only one who lost a child last night. Several inns had lost children, and they were all little girls around ten years old!"
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