In spring in Guangdong, the days are always short and the nights are long. The setting sun across the Pearl River makes the sparkling waves on the entire water surface covered with a layer of gold.

But not long after, the curtain of darkness slowly fell over the world. The shouts of the market and the dinging of bicycles came and went, gradually weakening, and all kinds of vegetable leaves and garbage remained on the wet ground.

On the other side, Chui Shuihui, Niu Jingqiang, and Xiaoli went all the way under the bridge to find Jiang Hao and the others. The world under the bridge was full of alleys. It would not be an exaggeration to say that there were nine streets and twelve alleys.

From the head of the alley to the end of the alley, you can see Jiang Hao and She Zaiming from a distance, bending down and searching for something on both sides of the road. The night is dark, and the alley without street lights can only rely on the weak light of the moon to illuminate the way forward.

Chui Shuihui and the others walked up behind them, while Niu Jingqiang reached out and patted Fanshu Chang, who looked anxious and panicked.

"Who!" Fanshu Chang was frightened and yelled subconsciously. He stood up and covered his chest that was rising violently. The black spots at the corners of his eyes were cleverly covered by the night.

"It's me, what are you doing?"

Upon hearing Niu Jingqiang's voice and seeing them coming, Jiang Hao and She Zaiming also stopped searching.

Sometimes a few bicycles pass by the quiet alley, and the villagers' houses light up one after another.

Chui Shuihui saw the solemn look on Jiang Hao's face and the red scars on She Zaiming's hands. The strange atmosphere between them made people even more suspicious.

Jiang Hao took a few glances at everyone's expressions of expecting an answer. Thinking about his own negligence, he squatted on the ground holding his head in frustration for a moment.

"Hey, what happened? Tell me!"

Niu Jingqiang was impatient. Seeing that Jiang Hao remained silent, he pointed at She Zaiming and asked again and again.

"The money is gone." She Zaiming's words made others stunned, unable to believe this fact.

The total travel expenses were 100 yuan. In addition to paying the room fee and the 20 yuan hidden in Jiang Hao's shoes, the remaining 70 yuan in the bag was gone. This meant that they were trapped in the provincial capital and had no travel expenses.

Let alone looking for Xiao Yao, whether he can return to Xiaobei Village is still a question.

Jiang Hao felt ashamed to face him, lowered his head sadly, and murmured to himself: "It's my fault, I lost my bag."

"Why is the money gone? What's wrong with your injuries?" Xiao Li asked in a loud voice.

"Fighted with a gangster." Jiang Hao touched the bruise on the corner of his mouth and thought carefully about who took his bag.

Looking at their injuries and the inexplicably lost bag, the three people who didn't know the inside story instantly understood. It was common for them to be lectured and targeted by local snakes when they first arrived. Some old people in the village had been to the provincial capital and came back.

Everyone will talk about these local gangsters who occupy the Fangcun area all year round and collect fees in the name of protecting local order.

It was really bad luck. Snake Zaiming felt aggrieved. He wiped the blood on his hand and felt a slight pain in his fingertips.

Chui Shuihui suddenly lost his usual playful smile, Niu Jingqiang couldn't help the anger in his chest and squatted in the corner sulking. Fanshu Chang couldn't care less about his emotions and just continued to immerse himself in searching, for fear of missing the missing place.

Seeing such a low pressure, Xiao Li didn't dare to ask further.

The surprises and expectations of arriving in the provincial capital for the first time were all gone on this day.

The smell of food from every household and the warm scene of a family chatting in Cantonese with a local accent made them feel even more homesick.

"Cuckoo..." A few untimely hungry sounds were very loud, breaking the worried and angry atmosphere.

"Hey, I, I'm hungry." Fanshu Chang touched his stomach sheepishly and wiped his face uncomfortably.

Seeing this, Jiang Hao shook off the chaotic thoughts in his mind, stood up and said, "Let's go."

"Where to go?" Xiaoli asked.

"Have a meal."

"But where is the money?"

Jiang Hao took off his shoes, reached into his socks, and pulled out two 10 yuan bills.

"Damn! It stinks!"

Everyone pretended to cover their mouths and looked at the brand-new money, and the sound of laughter and slapstick suddenly sounded in the quiet alley...

No matter the dilemma, let’s figure it out tomorrow.
Chapter completed!