Wen Ning headed out early the next morning.
Before leaving, he made a point of checking on Zhou Guangfu. The old man was sleeping soundly.
Wen Ning stood in the doorway for a while, then gently pulled the door shut and turned to leave.
Feng Dema and Lu Ming were up early too, sweeping out front. When they saw Wen Ning heading out, they hurried over.
"Wen Ning, are you going now?"
"Yes. The sooner we find him, the sooner Mr. Zhou can stop worrying."
Feng Dema set his broom down.
"I want to go too. Take me with you."
Wen Ning glanced back at him.
"What would you go for? You've never even met Liu Dazhu."
"What if I can help? My uncle always says there's strength in numbers."
Wen Ning thought it over. If he took both of them, no one would be left at the shop. But Dema had only just arrived, so he decided to take him this time and said to Lu Ming,
"You stay at the shop. I'll take Dema."
Lu Ming agreed without hesitation.
Then Wen Ning and Feng Dema headed straight for the Old Vegetable Market.
The whole area around the Old Vegetable Market had changed dramatically. All the low tin-roofed sheds that used to stand there had been torn down.
"Where are we supposed to ask around?"
Feng Dema looked around, then suddenly pointed across the street.
"Wen Ning, look. There's someone selling vegetables over there."
Wen Ning looked in the direction he was pointing. A small storefront stood on the corner across the street, with a sign that read Old Zhao's Vegetable Shop. After a moment's thought, he walked over.
The owner was a man in his fifties, crouching by the entrance and shelling soybeans. His apron was covered in