Although it was hard to believe, the original owner's memories were very clear; the person in the painting was clearly his own father.
The sudden turn of events startled Qiu Zeyu, who pointed at the painting incredulously and asked, "Is that really your father? Aren't you surnamed Lan?"
Generally speaking, the child and the father share the same surname.
Lan Yamei nodded, her brows furrowed, lost in thought.
In her memory, her father was a kind and amiable man, different from the average villager. He had a love for poetry and literature, lived a simple life in poverty, and was somewhat unsociable. But no matter how she recalled it, she could not connect it with the womanizing Wen Dechang.
Whether her father knew kung fu or not, Lan Ya Mei didn't know. She had never seen her father fight since she was little, and he always endured conflicts with others. Besides, everyone in the village knew her father's name was Lan Shan Nan.
Qiu Zeyu analyzed to himself, "It took my brother and me several years to master the 'One Sword to the Throat' technique. I absolutely believe that no one else knows this unique skill except for us. Now that we brothers are out of the running, the murderer must be my uncle!"
Lan Yamei was unconvinced. She absolutely refused to believe that her father had faked his death. He had clearly died years ago and was buried in the cemetery outside the village. It was Er Gou's mother from the village who asked the village head to gather a few villagers to help with the burial. How could he suddenly reappear in the martial arts world? So she said angrily, "My father could never have come back to life. The grave is right outside the village. I'll take you to see it tomorrow if you don't believe me. By the way, if he really was killed by a sword to the throat, then the murderer could also be your mentor. He could do that too!"
Qiu Zeyu was momentarily speechless, and retorted, "My master Wu Tongling could not possibly have come back to life! Moreover, our family personally handled the funeral back then, and we witnessed the burial of my master. Everyone in the martial arts world knows this! My master could not possibly still be alive, much less kill someone."
After their exchange, both men fell into deep thought. If it were confirmed that Wen Dechang and Wu Tongling were both dead, then all the current incriminating evidence would point to Qiu Kongkong.
Qiu Kongkong went out again tonight. What did she do? It's hard not to wonder.
After a long while, Lan Yamei finally said, "Let's go back to sleep first! Tomorrow we'll go to the manor to check the wound again, so we don't make a mistake."
The two nodded, deciding they could only confirm it again tomorrow.
Everyone returned to their rooms, and Lan Yamei lay dejectedly on her bed, thinking about the day her father died.
Three years ago, she was sitting at the doorway as usual, skewering vegetables and helping her father prepare ingredients for his stall at the ghost market. A man wearing a straw hat came from the east; the brim was so low that she couldn't see his face clearly. He called her father away from a distance.
Father seemed to know that man. They exchanged a few words by the lotus pond, and then the man bowed and left.
Her father stood still for a moment before walking up to her, smiling and saying, "Little sister, we're not going out today. Dad is going out to meet a friend in a little while. Be good at home, and I'll buy you steamed cakes when I get back."
Lan Ya Mei loves sweet and soft steamed cakes the most, and nodded obediently.
But on that very day, after my father left, he returned just before dawn. He was brought back; his face was ashen, but he had no external injuries. Looking back now, I think he must have died from poisoning.
Therefore, Lan Ya Mei believes that the murderer who killed Er Gou and his wife could not possibly be her father!
Back in his room, Qiu Zeyu couldn't sleep either! From Lan Yamei's resolute gaze, he knew Wen Dechang was dead, and he was definitely not the murderer. So now it seemed his younger brother, Qiu Kongkong, was the prime suspect.
Unable to stay in bed any longer, Qiu Zeyu knocked on Qiu Kongkong's door; he was determined to get to the bottom of this.
Upon entering the house, Qiu Kongkong pretended to be asleep and was disturbed, showing some morning grumpiness, "Why are you here in the middle of the night instead of sleeping?"
Qiu Zeyu carefully observed his younger brother's every move and calmly asked, "Where did you go tonight?"
"Where did you go? You've been sleeping in the room the whole time." Qiu Kongkong yawned, sat back on the edge of the bed, and tried to lie down and sleep again.
"Really?" Qiu Zeyu asked doubtfully.
"Oh, strictly speaking, I went out for a little while and used the outhouse in the yard. Does that count?" Qiu Kongkong remained lazy and sleepy, trying to cover it up.
Qiu Zeyu looked into his younger brother's eyes and said, "You must tell me if anything happens! We brothers are always family. If there's anything you need from me, don't hide it from me."
Qiu Kongkong said without hesitation, "I'm telling the truth, brother! My biggest hobby in life is eating and drinking, and occasionally finding pretty women. I'm not hiding anything else. My good brother, let me sleep now, I'm exhausted today."
Seeing that he couldn't get any information out of him, Qiu Zeyu had no choice but to leave. However, he decided to keep an eye on his younger brother's movements starting tonight, as the kid was definitely hiding something.
After her brother left, Qiu Kongkong opened her eyes from her dozing, wondering if he had noticed something amiss. But since the matter wasn't settled yet, she couldn't say anything; she'd wait and see.
The next day, just as dawn was breaking, everyone was drawn by a fragrant aroma.
Downstairs, Lan Ya Mei had already gotten up early and cooked ramen for everyone.
The group stared intently at the bowl, their eyes gleaming.
Smooth and delicate noodles, bright red shrimp, and vibrant green garlic sprouts, all paired with a rich and fragrant broth and a sprinkle of pickled cowpeas—the aroma is so enticing it makes your mouth water!
"What are you standing there for? Hurry up and wash up and come eat. We're having ramen today. There's vinegar and chili oil on the table. Add whatever you like. One bowl per person, that's all." Lan Yamei said, then added a big spoonful of chili oil and started slurping.
Seeing this, the aroma made their mouths water, and they rushed to wash up.
In contrast, Grandpa Ouyang and the Li family father and son from Deli Massage Shop were more composed. They got up early to prepare to cook, but Lan Yamei was even earlier and had already finished cooking.
Grandpa Ouyang took a bowl, added some vinegar and chili oil, stirred it, took a bite, and couldn't help but exclaim, "These noodles are smooth and chewy. I've never eaten such delicious noodles before." He gave a thumbs-up and started eating heartily without any hesitation.
The Li father and son were a little embarrassed that the big boss had troubled them to cook for them. They kept thanking him and were somewhat reserved while eating, but their expressions couldn't hide their happiness.
When the Qiu brothers and Zhao Zhicheng arrived, the three of them had already eaten half a bowl. They quickly sat down, stirred the food, and started eating.
Qiu Kongkong was immediately awestruck after just one bite, exclaiming, "I never expected that someone as ordinary-looking as you could cook such amazing food! It smells so good! I've never eaten such delicious noodles before!" Ignoring Lan Yamei's eye-roll, he devoured the rice.
How could you say a woman is plain-looking in front of everyone? That's so hurtful!
Lan Ya Mei tried to snatch the bowl and wouldn't let him eat.
Qiu Kongkong reacted quickly, picked up the bowl, and ran away.
Zhao Zhicheng had tried it; this was Sanxian Yi Mian (Three Delicacies Yi Noodles)! It came in packets at the supermarket; you just boil it. However, wheat yields weren't high back then, so most people ate coarse grains. The noodles they occasionally ate weren't chewy enough, definitely not comparable to the noodles made with modern technology and high-quality ingredients.
Qiu Zeyu took a bite and said, "It's so delicious! If I opened another noodle shop, it would definitely be the best in the world!"
This made Lan Yamei somewhat tempted, but with so many problems already at a barbecue restaurant, could she manage and operate another one well? Besides, the person behind the trouble hadn't been found yet, and this hidden danger had to be eliminated before she could act freely.
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