She had not spoken to anyone all this time, nor had she paid any attention to anyone who struck up a conversation, whether out of goodwill or with other intentions.
Just then, an exceptionally rich aroma of food wafted through the air once again.
The sudden rush of assorted aromas finally brought back a little of her focus. She looked up and saw that it was already noon; after a moment's thought, she strolled into a small roadside eatery.
Yes, she seemed to have stopped outside this very shop earlier.
"Miss, what would you like? Our specialty is mutton soup..."
"Mutton soup, then."
Mo Xuanyi glanced around. At a glance, she saw that the little shop covered only a few square meters and actually sold just one thing: mutton soup with baked flatbread.
Of course, customers could also order just the flatbread or the mutton soup.
The owners were a married couple who looked to be in their forties or fifties. Their honest faces were etched with exhaustion and the marks of hardship, along with a little hope and anticipation for the future.
When the mutton soup arrived, Mo Xuanyi did not start eating right away. Instead, she turned and asked, "Auntie, I'd like to ask you about something, if it's convenient?"
"Whatever you'd like to ask, just go ahead."
The proprietress wiped her hands.
"Have you heard of any families around here who lost a child? About thirty years ago..." Mo Xuanyi asked.
"Well... there are far too many families around here who've lost children..."
Sympathy appeared on the proprietress's thin face. "There are so many almost every year... children just disappear for no reason. A lot of them were taken away by some master or other. If the master told the adults in the family before leaving, some