20demayo Chapter 545 Missing Persons Case 2
Chapter 545 Missing Persons Case 2
Missing persons cases can range from minor to major. If only one or two people go missing, it's considered a typical case.
If a large number of people go missing, it will cause panic among the people.
People are always afraid of the unknown, especially since the missing people are all the breadwinners of their families, young and middle-aged adults.
If the child is an only child, this can be a devastating blow to the family.
By the time everyone had almost finished their second order of noodles, Liu's restaurant owner was about to close.
"Brother Liu, are you closing so early today?"
"Sigh~ We won't have any business if we close late. You guys are the last ones to come for noodles. You should hurry home after you finish eating, it's not safe outside."
Wenbin believed that listening to advice leads to a full stomach, and that it's better to believe in the unknown and potential dangers than to dismiss them.
"Okay, we'll do as Brother Liu says. We've finished eating and will head back now. The money is on the table for you!"
Thirty bowls of shredded pork noodles cost three hundred coins, a jar of the proprietress's homemade wine cost two hundred coins, and we ordered seven or eight kinds of braised dishes to go with the wine, all for less than two hundred coins in total.
Wenbin was quite satisfied with the meal, which cost less than one or two taels of silver, and he was somewhat moved.
They took out an ounce of silver and put it in the empty noodle bowl before leaving Liu's Noodle Shop.
The contrast is stark as you leave Cyclamen; it's not easy being a small business owner.
A noodle shop's daily revenue might not even equal the gross profit of a single banquet. Even compared to Liuxiang Pavilion, its daily revenue might not even equal the profit of a single bottle of regular perfume.
The common people at the bottom of society are crying, and it's also difficult for businesses that cater to them to achieve upward social mobility with their small businesses.
Wenbin earns several dozen taels of silver a month. Xiankelai is a treat for the young master as the Dong family of Liuxiang Pavilion, and Liuji Noodle Shop is a treat for everyone as the head manager.
There's no moon today.
Suddenly, someone blurted out this sentence, and everyone immediately looked up at the sky.
"Isn't that obvious? Don't you even know what day it is?"
"Oh right, today is the first day of the new year."
Most of the shops on the street had already closed, and Wenbin remembered what the owner of Liu's shop had said.
“Ah Niu, Wang Chuan, I have a feeling something is going to happen tonight. Why don’t we all stay in the dormitory on the second floor of Liu Xiang Ge instead of going home under the cover of darkness? Let’s make do for the night.”
"How about we spend some copper coins to go and let everyone know we're safe and sound after dawn tomorrow?"
Wangchuan and Aniu had no objections, so they turned to ask the other young men.
Everyone thought that traveling at night would be fine, and they would be home in about half an hour. However, seeing the head manager's serious expression, they became a little apprehensive.
"Alright, let's do as the manager says. We'll keep each other company at Liuxiang Pavilion today."
"Alright, alright, I'm a little sleepy from eating too much. I might bump into something on the way back. Let's stay at the inn tonight!"
There were no stubborn people in the team, and everyone agreed to stay in the dormitory. They returned to Liuxiang Pavilion in just the time it takes to drink a cup of tea.
Liu's Noodle Shop is only three streets away, and even closer in a straight line, which is why everyone frequents it.
When the store is busy, everyone takes turns eating quickly.
Later, the owner of Liu's restaurant also offered a delivery service. Each bowl of noodles only cost an extra penny, and the noodles were delivered perfectly dry and tasted almost the same as when eaten in the restaurant.
None of the workers were short of a penny. After all, they could save the time it would take to go out and drink a cup of tea, and the time saved could be used to sell more goods and earn more commission, so they were naturally more willing to choose Liu's.
Liu's Noodle Shop has closed down. The couple lives in the small courtyard behind the shop. The courtyard is not big and has only two rooms.
This shop with a small courtyard was bought after they had saved up for more than 20 years selling noodles at a stall. After buying the house, they could finally settle down in Beijing.
"Look, sir!"
When Sister Liu was clearing the dishes, she took out one tael of silver from an empty bowl.
"Well, just accept it. It's a token of Manager Wen's appreciation. They can just bring a couple more braised dishes next time they come."
"Alright, this Manager Wen is really rich and powerful. It seems that selling rouge and face powder makes more money than selling noodles."
The owner of Liu's shop shook his head helplessly. "I've told you so many times, they don't sell cosmetics. Alright, next time I'll buy you a box of that pearl cream stuff, you'll see when you use it."
"No way, it's just a small box. We'd have to sell dozens of bowls of noodles to make that back. I can't bear to part with it."
Sister Liu put the silver away, afraid that her husband would take it to buy some cream or ointment.
“Even the butcher buys pearl cream for his wife. What are we lacking compared to him? My wife is so beautiful, it would be a waste if we didn’t take care of her.”
"Didn't you see the butcher's wife? She's as fat as a mountain, and yet they still buy her pearl cream. With such a big face, she probably uses way more pearl cream than other people."
Aunt Liu was a little embarrassed. "What are you saying? She's just eating well and looks well-off. Why do you have to say it like that?"
"Hahaha, anyway, my wife is the prettiest. They can use this pearl cream, but my wife can use it even better!"
"By the way, sir, is what you and Manager Wen said true? Several people have really gone missing in this area?"
"Sigh, several have gone missing. Their families have probably reported it to the authorities, but there's still no news after so many days, making everyone very anxious."
Hearing this, Sister Liu quickly finished putting the last door panel in place, and only then did she feel a little relieved.
"Then tell me, didn't the Prefectural Governor's Office send anyone to search for them?"
"Sigh, this matter is strange. Where can we look? There's not a single clue. Those people seem to have vanished into thin air."
You're looking for someone, so you need a direction, right? But the city gate guards aren't just sitting around doing nothing. Every cargo cart that comes in or goes in has to be stopped and checked before it can leave or come out.
Those are still living people, several people together weighing several hundred pounds, how were they transported out of the city? If they didn't leave the city, where could they have been hidden?
Besides, it wasn't kidnapping or extortion. These people aren't from wealthy families. Even if it were kidnapping, wouldn't it be someone with some financial means?
After the couple tidied up the shop, they dared not continue the topic. The more they talked about it, the more chills ran down their spines, and they didn't want to think about it too much.
Ordinary people, busy every day just trying to make ends meet, have no time to care about what others do...
The following day, at the Prefectural Governor's residence in Jingzhao.
A dozen or so men and women, their faces filled with panic, reported to the constables of the Jingzhao Yin Prefecture that their sons had not returned home all night.
This time it wasn't inside the city, but in the suburbs.
The fact that a dozen or so young men had disappeared at the same time sent chills down the spines of the constables.
In the past, when we received cases of missing persons and human trafficking, they were mostly children and women. What happened this time?
One after another, young and strong men have gone missing. Alas, Lord Li is going to have a mouth full of blisters again.