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墨書 Inktalez
The vendor was a middle-aged woman, exuding the characteristic warmth and straightforwardness of a Northeastern Chinese woman.
Zhou Fan was sifting through the items at her stall, merely browsing without any intention to buy, yet the middle-aged woman remained all smiles, enthusiastically introducing her "treasures."
However, the items she was selling—claimed to be white porcelain bowls and glass cups from the Qin Dynasty—were hardly commendable. The texture and craftsmanship of the white porcelain bowls did not resemble anything from that era.
"Excuse me, have you seen any suspicious individuals around here lately?" Zhou Fan asked casually, though there was a glimmer of expectation in his eyes.
The woman's stall was not far from Xiyan Pavilion, suggesting that Zhou Fan was hoping to gather some useful information from her to uncover key clues in the case.
"What do you mean by suspicious?" The woman asked, her thick Northeastern accent making her confusion evident.
"Uh... I mean people who wander around aimlessly without buying anything," Zhou Fan patiently explained, gesturing as he spoke.
Si Huan Street, where Xiyan Pavilion was located, was the largest outdoor antique market in Xicheng. Despite it being the depths of winter, it was still bustling with crowds every day.
If the thief who stole the painting was lurking among the crowd, it would undoubtedly aid his plans significantly. Zhou Fan understood this well and wasn't willing to overlook any potential leads.
The woman’s eyes darted around as she racked her brain for an answer, looking as if she were trying hard to dig something out from the depths of her memory. Suddenly, she slapped her thigh and exclaimed loudly, "I remember now!"
"You have some nice glass cups from the Qin Dynasty; wrap up a few for me."
Zhou Fan smiled as he picked up several glass cups from his truck and handed them to the woman, his expression warm and friendly.
Upon hearing this, the woman immediately brightened up and began wrapping the item, saying, "You really know your stuff! This is an authentic Qin Dynasty Glass Cup, quite rare in the market."
From the aunt's narration, we learned that every morning during this time, a woman in her thirties would pass by on Si Huan Street.
However, she never bought anything; each time she merely stood outside Xiyan Pavilion, watching from a distance. Whenever someone came out, she pretended to be browsing, her eyes darting around and her behavior quite peculiar—indeed, very strange.
But today, she did not appear. The aunt added this detail at the end, as if afraid of missing some crucial information.
"Do you remember what she was always looking at?" Zhou Fan asked eagerly.
"Well, it was a painting. There was a pretty girl in it," the aunt replied while wrapping the glass cup.
"Do you remember what that woman looked like?" Zhou Fan continued, leaning slightly forward with keen interest.
The aunt shook her head. "She always wore a scarf and a hat, even in the dead of winter she had on sunglasses, wrapping herself up tightly. You couldn't see her face at all."
"Which direction did she come from and go to each time?" A glimmer of thought crossed Zhou Fan's eyes.
"She always came from Dong Street Entrance and left through West Street Entrance. I remember that clearly because she passed by my stall every day," the aunt said confidently, a smile on her face.
Zhou Fan seemed to have found the answer he was looking for; he nodded in satisfaction. We then bid farewell to the aunt and headed towards Dong Street Entrance.
"What do you think of Wang Anyi?" Zhou Fan suddenly asked, his gaze revealing a hint of curiosity.
"Which one are you talking about?" I asked. "The mythologized businessman from the television, or the old man in real life?"
"Both," Zhou Fan replied, his hands in his pockets, tilting his head slightly as he looked at me.
"Well," I gathered my thoughts and continued, "in the news, Wang Anyi is portrayed as a strategic mastermind, with nearly every decision being remarkably forward-thinking. He has donated a significant amount of money to orphanages and Hope Primary Schools in his personal capacity. In media reports, he appears to be a flawless social hero.
However, there are rumors that his marriage life is not so great, and his family has gone through some major upheavals, though the specifics remain unknown."
"What about in reality?" Zhou Fan pressed on, slowing his pace.
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