Soon the barbecue restaurant was filled with breakfast customers eating tofu pudding. Lately, everyone had gotten used to going out for some tofu pudding to fill their stomachs, and who would bother to cook at home, since it didn't cost much? Those who finished eating early went to work in the fields, opened their shops, went to school, or were on their way home, and everyone went about their own business.
Lan Yamei was having dinner with her family when she overheard some unfamiliar diners talking.
"You don't know yet, do you? The whole of Lin'an is in an uproar! Overnight, hero notices were posted all over the city, saying that a rare treasure was going to be auctioned at Hua Man Lou."
"What rare treasure?"
"I don't know, it's not mentioned on the Hero Ranking! However, it says that whoever obtains this treasure will dominate the martial arts world. Do you think anyone will believe that?"
"Of course some people will believe it! But Hua Manlou has been raided and confiscated by the government, so how can it be auctioned off?"
"That's easy. There's no one guarding it, so just let them in! Besides, it's only a temporary lockdown; they didn't say anyone couldn't come in."
"Exactly, they're all from the martial arts world, each with their own unique skills. Who do you think they'd be afraid of? They can go wherever they want."
...
Aunt Guan glanced at Lan Ya Mei secretly. Lan Ya Mei just closed her eyes, ate her food silently, and listened to everyone's chatter.
Wang Fengyang was a little nervous. He looked at Sister Lan and saw that she was relaxed and acted as if nothing had happened, which reassured him.
Menglan asked, puzzled, "Really?"
The diner said, "How could it be fake? If you don't believe me, go to Lin'an and ask around; everyone on the street knows."
While eating a flatbread and drinking tofu pudding, Tie Tou advised Meng Lan, "Don't get any crooked ideas. Those people in the martial arts world are ruthless killers. We should just take care of ourselves and not get involved in other people's business."
Lan Yamei joked, "Tie Tou, what's wrong with you?"
Tie Tou chuckled somewhat embarrassedly and said, "Before, when I was out there, I would lead a few brothers to collect protection money and thought I was the best. But after following you guys and living such a stable life for a while, I suddenly realized that being ordinary is a blessing and simplicity is true happiness! Even if you are the supreme master of the martial arts world, it is just an empty title in the martial arts world, and I don't care about it anymore."
As soon as these words were spoken, Lan Yamei led the applause, "Well said! Well said!"
Tie Tou blushed slightly, but the viciousness he had shown when they first met was gone from his eyes; now they were filled with reassurance.
The group ate breakfast amidst laughter and chatter, listening to others discussing the list of heroes without interrupting.
Menglan was lost in thought, and after a long while she spoke, "Do you think that if what they say is true, that a heroes' gathering will be held at Huamanlou in three days to auction off martial arts treasures, will a lot of people come to Longyang Town?"
"That's for sure," Tie Tou said instinctively.
Menglan excitedly put down her chopsticks and stood up, saying, "You guys eat first, I have urgent business to attend to, I'll be going now." Without even settling the bill for the day, she quickly left with her three companions.
Tie Tou was speechless for a moment, and everyone else was also puzzled.
Lan Yamei chuckled and said, "Menglan is a natural at doing business!" Then she turned to Tietou and said, "If you can win over this girl, you'll be rolling in money in the future."
Tie Tou's face turned red all the way to his ears. He hadn't expected that even though he had hidden his feelings for Meng Lan so well, Manager Lan had still seen through them at a glance. He was so embarrassed that he was speechless.
Everyone burst into laughter; it turned out he had a soft spot for a tough guy. But Er Gou's mother seemed to suddenly wake up, smiling sweetly as she said, "The tofu pudding is delicious!"
Lan Ya Mei was so surprised she almost dropped her chopsticks.
Unexpectedly, the old lady was able to speak clearly again. Looking at her, she seemed much more refreshed, her eyes were no longer unfocused, and she looked just like a normal person.
"Are you all better, Auntie?" Lan Yamei walked up to her and excitedly grabbed her hand.
"Much better," the old woman said kindly, her tone gentle.
Leaving everyone else behind, Lan Yamei hurriedly pulled the old woman upstairs; she had many things she wanted to say privately. Aunt Guan, carrying Gou Dan, followed closely behind.
In a room on the third floor, three people with a child burst into tears without saying a word.
The old woman had indeed woken up. She spoke first, saying, "You've all worked so hard these past few days! You've taken such good care of us and settled Er Gou and his wife in. It must have cost you a lot of money."
"Auntie, please don't say that. It's all my fault. I didn't take good care of them, and they lost their lives for no reason. But the murderer has been killed, so it's a form of revenge. From now on, you two are all family with us, and we'll live together." Lan Yamei said earnestly.
“That’s right, we’re all pitiful people, sticking together for warmth and living together. When Gou Dan gets a little older, we’ll send him to study with the teacher, and his future won’t be bad.” Aunt Guan also promised, “In the future, if Gou Dan is a good student, I can pass on all these medical books to him, so he can make a living in the future.”
The old woman was already in tears, and the three of them hugged each other and cried bitterly.
The old woman said, "I don't blame you at all. Really, everyone has their own destiny, and everything is predestined."
When the three of them calmed down and went downstairs, the female staff and more than a dozen doctors had already come to the shop for breakfast, and the first and second floors were packed.
The old lady couldn't stay idle and insisted on joining the work team today, not wanting to be a freeloader. Lan Ya Mei could only ask Tie Tou to arrange some easy tasks for the old lady. Gou Dan didn't cry or fuss; he was being held and played with by various people, which was quite amusing.
Lan Yamei said to Aunt Guan, "Look, there's not enough room, absolutely not enough room. We need to expand the shop as soon as possible, the sooner the better!"
Aunt Guan nodded and said, "I'll talk to Ouyang right now. Let's sell that old house and buy a bigger one, all at once. We'll move everything over there. You need to plan it out carefully."
"Don't worry!" Lan Yamei said as she left. She wanted to personally take a look around Hua Man Lou so that she could handle the auction three days later with ease.
Aunt Guan quickly pulled Ouyang aside and explained their plan.
Inside the Murong residence, Murong Feng and a group of clan leaders were all frowning.
"I don't know which bastard dared to reveal the secret to the world. Now everyone in the martial arts world knows about it. How are we supposed to get our hands on it?"
"Exactly! We've been searching for it for so many years, laying out plans everywhere, but we never expected someone to put it up for sale. It's all for nothing. We should have just waited to buy it."
"Could it be a joke? We can't even track down such a hidden treasure, how could anyone possibly know about it?"
"It should be true! It says very clearly that three jade pendants are needed to open the treasure box, so it's definitely not just a rumor."
"Could it be the Emperor...?"
Upon hearing this, everyone fell silent. Wasn't this exactly what they feared most? What if it was the Emperor himself?
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