The young man instantly widened his eyes. "Auntie, at your age, how could you be so..." Greedy?
The old woman let out a chuckle and explained, "I'm an old woman. Why would I care about this? It's just that my old man is on his last legs... The doctor said he won't make it through tonight."
Hearing this, the young man's face showed a hint of embarrassment and pity. "I'm sorry, auntie. I didn't know..."
The old woman waved her hand indifferently. "At this age, I've long since come to terms with life and death. But just when my old man was on his deathbed, he suddenly smelled the aroma of this Red Plum Wine. Strangely enough, he had a sudden burst of energy, like a flashback."
"I thought, if I bought this Red Plum Wine for my old man to drink, maybe he could stay with me for a while longer. Even if it doesn't have any effect, at least it would fulfill his last wish before he dies and repay his kindness for taking care of me all these years."
"Otherwise, I'm afraid my heart will never find peace."
The young man nodded repeatedly and said touched, "Auntie, with your mobility problem, you still came all the way to the tavern. You must have suffered a lot on the way, right?"
The old woman smiled self - deprecatingly. "It's not a big deal to suffer. It's just that my body is no match for you young people. I came too late. If I have to queue up now..."
Saying that, she looked back at the seemingly endless queue and said anxiously, "If it goes on like this, my old man probably won't be able to wait!"
Then she turned around, her cloudy eyes fixed on the young man eagerly, and pleaded pathetically, "Young man, please do me a favor and give your spot to me!"
"This..."
Seeing that the old woman had said so much, the young man looked extremely embarrassed.
It was his lucky day. He happened to be delivering goods near the tavern. The aroma of the wine had whetted his appetite. When he saw the content painted on the Kongming lantern in the sky, he immediately dropped the half - carried goods and rushed to the tavern. That's how he managed to be the first in line.
On normal days, as a kind - hearted young man from the mountains, he was always willing to help the weak. But now, he was asked to give up the spot he had fought so hard for. How could he be willing?
Seeing his embarrassment, the old woman was so anxious that she simply threw away her walking stick and knelt down in front of the young man with a thud.
This kneel startled the young man. His expression changed greatly, and he was flustered as he tried to help her up. But she just wouldn't get up. Instead, she raised her voice and kept pleading.
"You young people still have plenty of time and many opportunities to drink this wine. But my old man is at the end of his life. He won't last long... Please, just think of it as saving a life. I'll be your servant in my next life to repay you!"
The people who were resting at the back of the queue were attracted by the commotion. Just as they were about to scold, they heard the old woman's plea and stopped. Their faces showed pity.
After all, they were simple - minded mountain men. Seeing the white - haired old woman crying pitifully and pleading so earnestly, some people stepped forward to help her.
Some even waved at her and said, "Come and queue behind me. I'll give my spot to you."
Bai Zheng watched the show below with great interest. She tapped the table with her index finger, and there was a half - smile on her lips.
It was Ying, the girl behind her, who whispered, "This old woman looks a bit familiar..."
"Really?" Bai Zheng raised her eyebrows. "You've seen her before. Is she from your village?"
Ying frowned slightly. After thinking seriously for a moment, she shook her head regretfully. "No, she's not from our village... I really can't remember where I saw her."
"This is interesting," Bai Zheng's long eyelashes fluttered slightly, and her eyes were deep.
At the tavern entrance, the young man couldn't bear the public pressure and the torture of his own conscience. Finally, he gave his hard - won first spot in the queue to the old woman.
The old woman thanked him repeatedly. After seeing off the dejected young man, she suddenly seemed to remember something. As if possessed, she glanced in Bai Zheng's direction.
Bai Zheng was slightly stunned. She didn't expect that she could be discovered by this woman when she was hiding in the unlit room of the inn.
Across the broad street at the tavern entrance, the old woman's cloudy eyes met Bai Zheng's from afar. Bai Zheng squinted her eyes slightly, and a strange look also flashed in the old woman's eyes.
"Not good!" Bai Zheng suddenly shouted. At the same time, the old woman suddenly turned around and walked away from the crowd in a hurry with her walking stick.
"Catch her!" Bai Zheng immediately ordered Mo Li behind her.
The moment he heard the order, Mo Li, who was dozing off, instantly perked up. He jumped out of the window frame and chased after the old woman.
The old woman didn't walk fast. She turned into the alley next to the tavern.
Although there was a certain distance, Bai Zheng clearly saw that Mo Li paused for a moment when he reached the entrance of the alley.
Ying stared blankly at what was happening in front of her. Before she could figure out what was going on, she heard Bai Zheng sigh and say, "We lost her."
"Miss, what are you talking about? I don't understand anything," Ying asked curiously.
Hearing Ying's voice, Bai Zheng suddenly thought of something. She grabbed Ying's hand and her eyes lit up. "You're sure you've seen that old woman before?"
Hearing this question, Ying nodded instinctively. "Although I can't remember where I saw her, I'm sure I've seen her before."
Bai Zheng nodded. After pondering for a moment, she said to Lan Xun, "Take some people and check all the places Ying has been to since she was a child. You must catch that old woman."
After Lan Xun left, Bai Zheng suddenly stood up. As she said, "Take me to your village for a stroll," she pulled Ying out of the door.
The carriage galloped. It wasn't until the mountain road was too rough for the carriage to pass that Bai Zheng got off the carriage with Ying and walked towards Ying's village.
With the bright moonlight that was as bright as day and the torch given by the coachman, Bai Zheng carefully walked through the thorny forest on the way to the village under Ying's guidance.
After walking for a while, Ying, who wasn't used to riding in a carriage, gradually recovered her spirits. She looked at the torch in Bai Zheng's hand and said with a smile.
"Miss, let me hold the torch. There are many wild beasts in the mountains. We need to be more careful when walking on the mountain road at night." Ying said as she took the torch from Bai Zheng's hand, held it sideways, and waved it around from time to time before slowly moving forward.
Bai Zheng nodded and casually picked up a dry branch on the ground and held it in her hand as a support for climbing.
"By the way, miss, why did you chase that old woman just now?"