C18 Entering the City Again

Noticing something, Zhou Hongqu suddenly whispered, "Ruonan, Dawei, get down!"

As they got closer, they saw it was Liu Mang digging at his doorstep, though it was unclear what he was up to.

The tractor was so loud that Liu Mang noticed it from afar. Under the moonlight, he finally recognized the people on it.

"Oh, it's Qian Wang! Where are you headed so early?" He naturally saw Zhou Hongqu sitting on the other side, but given the current tension between them, he wasn't about to start a conversation.

Qian Wang, unfazed, replied, "I'm heading into town for some errands. Zhou here is visiting relatives, so I offered him a ride. What treasure are you digging up so early?"

Liu Mang hesitated, glancing at what he was standing on, and replied awkwardly, "Nothing much, just felt restless and needed to work off some energy."

Qian Wang, unsure of Liu Mang's intentions, started the tractor and quickly headed toward town.

Once the sound faded into the distance, Liu Ergou and his mother emerged from the yard.

"Are they gone?" Liu Ergou asked, looking in the direction the tractor had disappeared.

Liu Mang raised his hoe and said, "They're definitely gone. Let's hurry up and dig before everyone wakes up."

On the tractor, Zhou Hongqu frowned and remarked, "I wonder what Liu Mang is digging for, treating it like some kind of treasure."

Qian Wang casually remarked, "Who cares what they're digging for? It's none of our business."

However, Zhou Ruonan sat up with a puzzled expression. She remembered that Liu Mang's family had gone to the hospital for food poisoning before, and she wondered if it was related to this incident. At the time, she was busy preparing for college and didn't pay much attention to other matters.

Around five o'clock, the three of them arrived in town. The streets of Zhongshan Avenue were pitch black, with not a soul in sight. Zhou Dawei parted ways with them since it was Monday, and he had to head to school.

When they reached the spot from the previous day, Zhou Ruonan got out of the car and said, "Let's set up the stall here!"

It was the first time for both Zhou Hongqu and Qian Wang to do something like this, and they looked quite comical, glancing around nervously. Seeing them like this, Zhou Ruonan laughed and said, "Dad, Mr. Qian, don't act like that. You're making us look like we're up to no good. I watched yesterday, and there were other vendors here too. They weren't shouting about their goods, just quietly selling."

Hearing his daughter's words and seeing her calm demeanor, Zhou Hongqu and Qian Wang felt a bit embarrassed. Imagine being outdone by a young girl; they'd be the talk of the town if word got out.

It was still early, so the two older men sat nearby, smoking and chatting, while Zhou Ruonan sat thinking about her future. She was determined to go to college; otherwise, her precious Yumu would be snatched up by someone else.

As she thought about meeting him, Ruonan couldn't help but chuckle. She had left the medicine in plain sight before leaving, yet the old man couldn't find it. It seemed like he was trying to drive her crazy, but in the end, life had its own plans, and she was gone.

Around seven, more street vendors began to set up their stalls. Ruonan went to a nearby refreshment stand and got three cups of water, as the three of them were a bit thirsty from the journey.

The middle-aged man from the pork stall they passed yesterday also came over to set up his stand. He happened to spot Ruonan and the two older gentlemen with her. "Looks like they're doing pretty well for themselves," he muttered to himself.

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