Noisy and bustling.
At noon, the crowds gathered to watch the excitement on the street dispersed, everyone returning home. The notice was left without an audience.
The roadside tea stall, however, was still packed.
Although it was a tea stall,
the people there did not just drink tea. Some drank alcohol too.
A dish of peanuts.
A dish of braised food.
A pot of liquor.
Several people sat together chatting and talking nonsense. They neither went home nor ate lunch, living like immortals. A little liquor and a few snacks were enough to make a meal.
"Brother Ma, what do you think?"
A broad-faced, honest-looking man picked up his cup, took a quick sip, and savored the liquor with satisfaction.
Only then did he look at the man sitting across from him.
The man's surname was Ma, and he had a horse-like face.
He was tall and skinny.
"What do I think?"
"I'm looking with my eyes, aren't I?"
Brother Ma sneered.
"Haven't there been enough strange incidents lately? Take Wang Mazi. Just a couple of days ago, he said someone was watching him. No matter where he went, he felt like someone was following behind him."
"Sister Hong is abnormal too."
"She's just a woman who makes a living washing clothes for the dockworkers. Where did she get so much money?"
"Didn't you notice?"
"Hardly anyone goes to her house, yet she washes clothes from morning till night. She isn't the only female worker at the docks. Why is her business the best?"
"After she finishes washing the clothes, how many people have you seen come to collect them?"
"Only a sparse few."
"That doesn't match her workload at all."
Brother Ma picked up a peanut and put it in his mouth. After chewing it carefully, he raised his