Xiao Xiang′s marriage to Mo Bai had been deliberately arranged by Xu Mama to create a lively, chaotic scene, and Xiao Xiang, in turn, wanted to use the opportunity to marry and reform. Moreover, Xu Mama had provided her with a generous dowry.

  Ear Duo did not know Mo Bai, but he was familiar with Xu Mama, as he often saw Lao Fu entering and leaving Diexiang Courtyard, with Xu Mama personally greeting him every time. From this, Ear Duo inferred that their retionship was not ordinary.

  Indeed, Ear Duo was a beggar, an orphan who had been begging on the streets since he was old enough to understand.

  The pn was Ear Duo's; Xu Mama was found by Ear Duo, and the chaotic scene was also created by Ear Duo. The success of the pn was all due to him. Lao Fu suddenly realized that Ear Duo was a very formidable child. Although he had become his disciple, Lao Fu reminded himself to be cautious around Ear Duo.

  Thus, Xu Mama, Mo Bai, Xiao Xiang, and Ear Duo had orchestrated this lively and chaotic escape pn. Unfortunately for Zhang Bensan, he was a decent man, and his death was truly unjust. However, if he hadn't died, Lao Fu would have been the one to die.

  The table was filled with a variety of dishes, all prepared by Xiao Xiang. Lao Fu had never imagined that a woman from the world of red dust (brothel) could cook so well, and he found himself beginning to envy Mo Bai. Among the fshy and eye-catching dishes, a small pte of pickled vegetables sat quietly. Lao Fu recognized it as Xue Qiuqiu's, and it was this very pte of pickled vegetables that had saved him. Xue Qiuqiu had only poisoned the vegetables when selling them to Lao Fu, so when he saw the pickled vegetables in the food box, he immediately understood their purpose.

  "Go ahead and eat. This one is safe, no poison," Xu Mama said, half-joking.

  Lao Fu gave a wry smile but said nothing. He picked up his chopsticks and took a piece of pickled yellow melon, biting into it with some effort. It was a bit old, but still edible. He forced himself to swallow it. Xu Mama let out a tinkling ugh, while Mo Bai sat beside Xiao Xiang, shyly gazing at her. To be precise, his eyes hadn't left Xiao Xiang since they sat down.

  Lao Fu's ′Yin-Yang Tailor Shop' was right ahead, but he couldn't just walk in openly. The white seal on the door, although somewhat torn, still carried its authority. Lao Fu, Xu Mama, and Mo Bai had no choice but to find a dder and climb in. Their goal was to retrieve the bck ledger.

  The shop was in disarray, likely because it had been thoroughly searched by the authorities after Lao Fu's escape.

  "Do you think the ledger was taken by the officials?" Mo Bai asked with some concern.

  "I know where it is," Lao Fu suddenly replied, and with a few quick steps, he headed toward the backyard. This was his home, and he was familiar with every corner. Xu Mama and Mo Bai, after lighting the candles they had prepared in advance, carefully followed behind.

  The room was messy, with scraps of paper and cloth scattered on the bed and the floor. Lao Fu paid no attention to them. Instead, he crouched down toward a dark corner and reached out to feel around.

  "Eh?" The sound came from Lao Fu.

  "What's wrong? Could it really have been taken by the officials?" Mo Bai's face darkened, and he instinctively reached up to touch his rge fan-shaped ear.

  "I clearly tossed it here, so it looks like..." Lao Fu's face grew grim.

  "Such an important thing, how could you just throw it here!" Xu Mama finally lost her composure and screamed loudly. Mo Bai quickly reached out to stop her, remembering that they had sneaked in and needed to be cautious.

  Lao Fu slowly stood up and said quietly, "It could also be Fu Zhuo and Chu Mengjun."

  Xu Mama's eyelids twitched suddenly, a strange feeling creeping into her heart. Fu Zhuo and Chu Mengjun were dead, and their deaths had been so bizarre that even the authorities couldn't figure out the true cause. But their clothes had been sewn with remarkable craftsmanship—something only Lao Fu could do. However, Lao Fu had been locked up in prison at the time. Could it be... truly something supernatural?

  Mo Bai had stopped touching his slightly peeling ear, his body trembling faintly in the night air. He knew what Xu Mama was thinking, and he could feel the cold sweat beginning to form on his own body.

  Fu Zhuo and Chu Mengjun were Lao Fu's son and daughter-in-w. Although their retionship had never been good, when Er Duo informed Lao Fu of their deaths, he still felt a deep sadness. However, mixed with that sadness was a certain bitterness—resentment for their ck of family ties, hatred for their greed. But they were dead now, and Lao Fu's emotions weren't just sadness and resentment; there was also an indescribable fear.

  The cold, desote night, mixed with the chilling wind, gave an eerie sense of unease. After a brief pause, Lao Fu, Xu Mama, and Mo Bai decided to leave. They all understood that it would be impossible to find the bck ledger tonight.

  However... the dder was gone! A candle was suddenly lit inside the wooden house, and its flickering light spilled out through the door crack...

  Lao Fu, Xu Mama, and Mo Bai all sucked in a sharp breath.