But when Zhao Ya stopped walking and lifted his bamboo hat to look at her, the woman returned in disappointment.
Because whether in appearance or demeanor, Zhao Ya couldn’t possibly be her client.
At that moment, Zhao Ya suddenly said, "Where is it?"
Hearing this, the woman was initially stunned, then overjoyed, and said, "It’s in the room next to here."
"Take me there."
"Yes!"
Along this dirty, muddy street stood many crooked, dilapidated houses that looked like they could collapse at any moment.
And this woman’s room was the most run-down of them all.
Zhao Ya even suspected that if he closed the door with a little force, this shack-like room would fall apart.
The woman didn’t think much about it, she was very happy at the moment.
Because this was the only customer she had drawn in two days, meaning she hadn’t eaten for two days.
And as she grew older, this situation had become increasingly common.
The woman pushed open the door, and Zhao Ya followed her inside.
The room was very dark and filled with a musty stench.
But what surprised Zhao Ya the most was that there was another person inside, a boy about eight or nine years old.
When the boy saw Zhao Ya enter, he looked at him with a strange gaze.
There was hostility, vigilance, but also a hint of yearning in that gaze.
The woman hastily pushed the boy out.
"Bao, hurry out. I’ll buy you some noodles later, dear."
The boy stood up and staggered out, clearly so hungry he could barely walk.
Zhao Ya sighed quietly in his heart and said, "There’s no need, let him stay too."
Upon hearing this, a strong sense of vigilance appeared on the woman’s face as she quickly shielded the boy behind her.
She had heard that many wealthy people had peculiar tastes, disliking women and instead liking children. She hadn’t expected that this dignified-looking young man was the same.
"Sir, I must ask you to leave. I will not engage in this business," the woman said with a trembling voice.
Zhao Ya saw the woman’s thoughts and couldn’t help but laugh silently.
"Don’t worry, I have no ill intentions. I just want you to do something for me."
Saying this, Zhao Ya took out a piece of broken silver and placed it on the table.
The woman’s eyes were wide with surprise.
Having lived here for so many years, she had only seen silver once or twice when she was young. As she aged and her looks faded, the price gradually dropped, and she hadn’t seen it since.
And this piece of silver looked to be at least four or five taels.
Even her very first time couldn’t command such a price.
The woman’s breathing grew heavy, "What do you want me to do? As long as it doesn’t hurt my son, I’m willing to do anything else."
"Don’t misunderstand, I just want you to find someone for me."
"Find someone?"
"That’s right."
Zhao Ya then shared his suspicions from his heart.
"This person is probably around forty to fifty years old, unattractive, doesn’t talk much, the most obvious characteristic is a limp in the right foot, and he’s left-handed."
The woman looked bewildered.
She had thought finding someone meant having a specific name, but unexpectedly Zhao Ya only provided such vague guesses.
"I... I haven’t seen such a person," the woman stammered.
"I know you haven’t, but you can keep an eye out for these characteristics in your daily life, and ask your friends. If you find a clue, I’ll give you a generous reward."
The reason Zhao Ya chose this woman was mainly because she was the oldest, and her appearance was the most ordinary.
No one would pay attention to such a streetwalker, making her perfect for gathering information and observing passersby.
But the woman still seemed somewhat oblivious.
For someone who couldn’t read a word, it was perhaps too complicated.
Zhao Ya, seeing this, felt a hint of disappointment and was about to turn and leave.
At that moment, the boy who had been hiding behind her suddenly poked his head out and said, "If we see such a person and tell you, would you give us money?"
Zhao Ya stopped, looking slightly surprised at the earnest-faced boy.
"Yes!"
"Alright, I can help you get information. Where do you live?"
"You can help me gather information?" Zhao Ya asked, intrigued.
"Of course, all the kids around here who are about my age are my little followers, they all listen to me," the boy said proudly.
"What’s your name?" Zhao Ya asked.
The boy’s face showed a hint of sadness, and he shook his head, "I don’t have a name because I don’t know who my father is. People just call me Big Eye Lamp."
In fact, not only did he not know, but even the woman didn’t know who his father was.
And Zhao Ya, looking at the boy’s big eyes, couldn’t help but smile.
If what this boy said was true, then it couldn’t be better, since nobody would pay attention to a group of kids.
"Alright, little brother, I’ll leave this matter to you. As long as you can find clues, you can come to Ping’an Square to find me immediately. My name is Zhao Ya."
Zhao Ya told the boy his address in Ping’an Square.
The boy remembered it carefully and repeated it to confirm, and only then did Zhao Ya turn to leave.
After he left, the woman stared dizzily at the piece of silver on the table, half in disbelief, and asked.
"Bao, am I dreaming?"
Big Eye Lamp picked up the silver and bit it hard.
"No, mother, the silver is real."
He then cut off a small piece of the silver with scissors and handed it to the woman, telling her to buy some food, especially to buy more pancakes.
After buying the food and returning, the mother and son ate a full meal with great satisfaction. Then Big Eye Lamp packed up the remaining pancakes and went out to find his little companions.