Chapter 436: The Witch

Upon hearing the name of the water company he was assigned to investigate, Li Ang's expression darkened slightly, then quickly recovered—he must be overthinking it; this was just a coincidence, same surname, same given name, nothing more.

The familiar company name stirred memories: the hundreds of patients still lying in hospital corridors, the agonized screams he'd heard while visiting Anna—his good mood vanished in an instant.

He could never afford the medical bills for hundreds of people; after the public water pipe incident, antidiarrheal prices in the Old Quarter had risen over fiftyfold, and the specialized antidote for this plague was even more expensive—he couldn't buy even a few vials with a year's salary.

Though Red Brick Road had only four or five hundred patients, these were severe abdominal cases; the true number of affected residents in the Old Quarter numbered at least tens of thousands, and countless others who couldn't pay were still holding on.

The only silver lining was that this illness wasn't highly contagious—so long as one avoided direct contact with feces or vomit, or stayed out of enclosed spaces where these substances had heavily evaporated, infection was unlikely; most people remained safe.

But the trouble was, this waterborne plague seemed nearly impossible to cure naturally—at minimum, a single alchemical tonic was required, yet given the Old Quarter's income levels, hardly anyone could afford such tonics.

The only solution he could currently think of was to gather evidence proving Char Water Company and the Road Bureau had been negligent, then either report it to higher authorities in the Kingdom or leak it to fearless major newspapers—either way, he had to make a scandal big enough to force them to pay for the medicine!

And if, in the end, even that failed…

"Guest?"

Seeing Li Ang suddenly fall into deep thought, his expression shifting unpredictably after hearing his name, the merchant owner raised an eyebrow in surprise and called out gently:

"Guest, your meal is ready. Total: one and a half copper wheels."

"Oh oh!"

Hearing the merchant's call, Li Ang snapped back to attention, murmured twice, then reached for his coins while shaking his head with a grim face:

"Sorry, your name brought back some memories… Also, you're older than my father—calling you by name feels wrong. I'll just call you Uncle."

"Hehe, fine. If you're willing to call a street vendor 'Uncle,' what's there not to agree to?"

After bringing over the coffee and the plate of bread, the coffee stall owner smiled warmly at Li Ang, whose slender frame seemed even younger than his own daughter, then pulled over a wobbly stool and sat beside him, asking softly:

"Since you call me Uncle, let me ask you two things—when you mentioned Char Company just now, your expression wasn't good… Did you have some unpleasant history with them?"

"Hmm… sort of…"

After a brief hesitation, Li Ang didn't mention his plan to investigate Char Water Company; instead, he told the story of Anna's injury from the "gas pipe explosion."

So that's it… you're the one who refused compensation.

"Your family must be going through a hard time."

After listening, the coffee stall owner blinked, then sighed:

"Your sister's still sick, and now this misfortune… Here's what I'll do: since you called me Uncle, anytime you come here to order anything, I'll give you half price—how's that?"

???

Wait… is my "Uncle" that powerful?

Watching the coffee stall owner suddenly overflow with sympathy, Li Ang raised an eyebrow in surprise, unsure how to respond to this unexpected kindness.

Before he could figure out how to ask, the merchant grinned warmly, returned half a copper wheel, and added:

"Of course, since you called me Uncle, remember to drop by often—help out your Uncle's business, alright?"

"…Got it. So my 'Uncle' is basically a membership card?"

Damn, if I were the type to hate saying no, I'd be locked into your stall forever—even if other vendors were cheaper, I'd feel guilty for a week if I ate breakfast anywhere else… You've gone to great lengths to keep customers—no wonder you make money!

Realizing this was just another sales tactic, Li Ang smiled and accepted without further comment.

After all, though this coffee stall was a bit pricier, it was the most comfortable on the entire street—and now it was offering discounts to turn him into a regular, so why refuse?

He finished the bread and ham in three or four bites, bid farewell to his newly acquired honorary uncle, and stepped back out into the biting autumn morning, wrapped in the scarf Anna had knitted for him, warmth spreading from within.

After he left, a regular customer lounging by the stove, coffee in hand, leaned over with a mischievous grin:

"Old Char! I've been drinking your coffee for eight years, and I've never seen you lower your prices! What's gotten into you today?"

"Did your daughter finally drive you crazy with her never marrying, and now you're scouting for a son-in-law, trying to get on this kid's good side?"

"Hehe, nonsense~

I just felt a connection with the boy. Saw he's having a rough time lately, so I gave him a little break—hope he comes back often."

Waving off the suggestion, the coffee stall owner watched Li Ang's retreating figure and chuckled:

"Though honestly, he's not a bad prospect—slightly thin, but tall, and quite clean-cut.

And look where he's headed—only government offices ahead, so he's got a real job. Plus, even to a street coffee vendor, he's always polite… Yeah, a good kid."

Recalling other details his daughter Amy had mentioned, the coffee stall owner raised an eyebrow, chatted a bit more with the regular, then sat back down, gazing up at the dark canvas roof of his stall, absently stroking his salt-and-pepper beard.

People always hide themselves around those they know and in familiar surroundings.

Only when faced with easy temptations, or strangers who are worse off and unlikely to cross paths again, do they let a little of themselves slip out.

The things this boy unconsciously revealed were rare indeed… gentle, courteous, diligent, sharp-witted—if Amy liked him, I'd have no reason to object…

But the problem is, our family only accepts sons-in-law who move in—we don't take wives. I wonder if he'd agree?

…

Unaware he'd been added to the list of potential sons-in-law, Li Ang arrived at the Clearance Bureau after braving the cold, opened his office door, and saw the new anomaly the red-haired director had mentioned—a black broom floating midair.

【Name: The Lazy Witch's Rental Broom (Corrupt, Flight, Protection)】

【Appearance: A solid black wooden broom, adorned with a few crow feathers at the top; besides an ever-present faint pine oil scent, the handle frequently bears tiny cat paw prints】

【Abilities: Magical Enhancement, Flight, Air Shield】

【Cost: Every Friday at 3: 0 p. ., a feline will knock on your door—be sure to treat it well】

【File: An old broom discarded by an unknown witch. She leaves every Friday afternoon to play flying ball and returns just before dawn, too busy to care for her cat—so she made an agreement with the Lion Division of the Clearance Bureau: in exchange for renting out her broom, the user must care for her cat one day per week】

【Evaluation: Simple, practical anomaly—and free cat petting. Favorite of Lion Division Director Beverly】

【Contamination Level: 0. 】

(End of Chapter)