Chapter 1650: Chapter 1650: The Identity of the Mountain Bandit
But Meng Qi never doubted Meng Yunzhengās words. He knew this cousinās abilities; he wouldnāt speak carelessly without factual evidence.
Precisely because of this, Meng Qi felt a chill all over.
At this critical moment, if even the authorities were not trustworthy, then what could he trust?
As they spoke, the three of them arrived at a small stall. This stall sold wontons, and the stall owner was an elderly couple.
Aside from the two of them, there was no one else at the stall. The couple looked at the deserted street and sighed.
"Boss, three bowls of wontons," Shu Yu called out, then sat down at the table.
The couple was stunned for a moment but instantly became happy and quickly started preparing the wontons.
The wontons were very fresh. Meng Qi took the first bite and couldnāt help but let out a breath. He hadnāt eaten such hot food in days, though in the secret chamber, he occasionally came out cautiously for some air.
But the food was quite meager. At times like this, just filling the stomach was enough.
Especially in the past two days, with Meng Pei and Uncle Meng both absent, and the escort agency clearly under surveillance, they had no chance to even step out of the secret chamber for air.
However, he just sighed once and then quickened his pace. He couldnāt afford to delay; he had to eat quickly and then go search for his father.
Meng Qi focused entirely on eating, and in no time, a large bowl of wontons was consumed.
However, when he looked up, he found that Shu Yu had only taken a few bites and was eating leisurely, not in any hurry.
Meng Qi opened his mouth, wanting to urge him, but felt it wouldnāt be right. In the end, he could only close his mouth and obediently wait for Shu Yu to eat slowly, one bite at a time.
Meng Yunzheng, however, had finished eating. He looked up at Meng Qi, "Do you want more?"
Meng Qi immediately shook his head, "Iāve had enough."
Meng Yunzheng nodded, then directly stood up. Meng Qi was just about to say Shu Yu hadnāt finished when he heard Meng Yunzheng say, "You stay seated."
As soon as Meng Qi was about to stand up, he paused his movement and obediently sat back down.
Then, he saw Meng Yunzheng walk over to the couple, give them a few copper coins, and casually asked, "Why did you come out to sell wontons at this time, sir? Thereāre not many people on the streets; itās not very safe."
Upon hearing this, the stall owner sighed, "Isnāt that the truth? We set up the stall just at dawn, and besides the patrolling bailiffs, youāre the only ones who came to eat."
Unfortunately, some of those moody bailiffs want to buy on credit, and who knows how long they intend to delay paying?
"But thereās no other way. We earn what little we can, or else, what would we eat or drink?"
Meng Yunzheng sighed along with them, "Lifeās tough for you. In Chenggu County these days, lifeās tough for everyone. Who knows where these mountain bandits came from, suddenly appearing and troubling the common folks."
"Shh, speak more quietly, young man. There are still mountain bandits in the city who havenāt been caught, who knows where theyāre hiding, ready to cause trouble anytime." The stall owner looked around, very cautiously, ensuring the surroundings were deserted, with no one but the few of them, before breathing a sigh of relief.
Then he said to Meng Yunzheng in a low voice, "I heard from soldiers who came to the stall for breakfast yesterday, these mountain bandits were originally death row inmates or exiles. They planned to wait for a general amnesty when the new emperor ascended, but itās been almost a year without any sign, and theyāve lost hope, taking desperate measures."
Meng Yunzheng squinted his eyes, "Is that so?"