Only then did Chen Yixiao's guards find seats and sit down.
With so much business arriving all at once, the owner grinned so broadly her mouth almost reached her ears.
Before long, the wontons were brought to the table.
Song Yaoyao first took a sip of broth, then picked up her spoon, scooped up a wonton, and put it in her mouth. It was delicious.
The owner was an older woman. Song Yaoyao exclaimed:
"Ma'am, your wontons are wonderful!"
The woman replied with a smile:
"Thank you for the compliment, miss!
"Not to brag, but I've run this stall for twenty years. Many people can't forget my wontons once they've tried them, and they always come back..."
Song Yaoyao could tell that the woman was talkative and very warm.
When she spoke of her wontons, her face brimmed with pride.
The woman looked at Song Yaoyao and the others and asked:
"Miss, how come I've never seen you before?"
Song Yaoyao said, "We're from out of town. We came to Cold Pass City on some business.
"Ma'am, could you tell us a little about Cold Pass City?"
The woman thought for a moment, stepped closer to them, and asked:
"What would you like to know, miss?"
"Anything unusual. We'd love to hear it."
The woman glanced around, pointed toward a small courtyard residence, and said:
"Miss, do you see that little courtyard over there?"
Song Yaoyao nodded. "Yes. What about it?"
The woman lowered her voice:
"I heard the young man who lives there went out to get medicine for his sick mother, only to be violated by someone. They've already reported it to the authorities.
"A while ago, he couldn't bear it and nearly hanged himself.
"Fortunately, someone found him in time and saved him..."
The woman went on