Chapter 144: Chapter 144: Spiritual Prediction
Xie Ning was gratified by Song You’ai’s newfound resolve. She plunged Heavenly Blade directly into a Mouse-man’s skull, skillfully located the Crystal Core, and pried it out.
Xie Ning’s mother watched her daughter’s movements and tried to copy them, but it took her a great deal of effort to finally extract one. "Why am I so slow?"
Xie Ning didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. "It just takes practice. Once you’ve done it a few times, it’ll get much easier."
An hour later, Xie Ning’s group of four had dealt with a total of six Mouse-men. Only after sweeping the area and finding no other threats did they stop.
Uncle Ge Liang would only accept two Crystal Cores, and Xie Ning didn’t argue with him about the remaining four.
These six Mouse-men were all First Rank. Their skulls weren’t as hard as the first one’s, making them slightly easier to kill.
As Xie Ning and her mother headed home, they saw their granduncle, Song Yufu, leading a crowd of people toward their house, Number 59.
The mother and daughter exchanged a look and couldn’t help but sigh.
’There really are meddlers in this world. It’s like he has nothing better to do. Bringing all those people back... just arranging food and shelter for them will be a nightmare.’
Just then, a woman holding a child broke away from the crowd following Song Yufu and rushed forward.
As she stumbled toward Xie Ning and her mother, the rest of the group paused and turned to watch.
"Miss Xie, is there any chance you could take my daughter and me in for a day or two?" Zhu HuiZhen asked, clutching her daughter tightly, her eyes filled with desperation as she looked at Song You’ai and Xie Ning.
"We can bring our own food and water; we won’t be any trouble. It’s just my daughter and me. Since we’re all women, it’ll be convenient, right?"
"Ah, Xiao Zhu." Song You’ai looked at her, troubled. "This is a serious matter. Have you discussed it with your husband and your mother-in-law?"
At that moment, Granny Liu, wearing a pair of tattered cloth shoes, came chasing after them in a rage.
Right in front of Xie Ning and Song You’ai, Granny Liu grabbed Zhu HuiZhen’s hair and yanked it viciously. "You shameless harlot, I’ll beat you to death! You daughter of a bitch, where do you think you’re going with that child? It’s all because of you, you jinx! A worthless whore who can’t even give me a grandson. Our family has had nothing but bad luck since the day you married into it!"
Seeing this, Song You’ai rushed to intervene. "Aunt Liu, please stop! Aunt Liu, why are you pulling Xiao Zhu’s hair? We can talk this out calmly."
Granny Liu’s eyes widened fiercely. "This is our family’s private matter! What business is it of yours, you outsider?"
"This shameless slut has been with two other men! The Old Wan family is doing her a favor by even keeping her, and she still has the gall to cause trouble!" Granny Liu spat, landing a sharp slap across her daughter-in-law’s face before continuing her tirade.
A frantic Song You’ai waved desperately toward the crowd, calling for Zhu HuiZhen’s husband. "Xiao Wan! Xiao Wan, come here! Xiao Wan, you need to talk to your mother! She can’t treat your wife this way. You’re family, can’t you talk about this calmly?"
With one arm occupied by her daughter, Zhu HuiZhen couldn’t fend off the old hag and took several blows. In her arms, her daughter Qiqi burst into loud sobs.
Song You’ai became agitated. "Fight if you must, but why are you terrifying the child? You... honestly! Aunt Liu, what you’re doing is wrong!"
Zhu HuiZhen quickly thrust Qiqi into the arms of an impassive Xie Ning, then spun around, grabbed the old woman’s hair, and landed several sharp slaps across her face.
Judging by their actions and expressions, this was clearly not the first time the two women had come to blows.
"You damned old hag, you’re just as useless as your son! You’re both scum! When those men were attacking me, where were you? You didn’t even dare to fight back! All you could do was kneel, put your hands up, and beg for mercy! Are you even human? Do you deserve to be called human?"
Zhu HuiZhen shoved the old woman to the ground, pinning her and landing several vicious punches squarely on her face, making her scream in agony.
"I do all the cooking and cleaning while you, you old witch, just lie around all day complaining about your aches and pains! Are you even human? People are dying all over, so why is it that a damned old hag like you is still alive? You’re the one who deserves to die most!"
Qiqi wailed in Xie Ning’s arms.
Xie Ning held the child like a hot potato, her expression blank as she looked down at the girl and gave her a few clumsy pats.
Song Yufu dragged Zhu HuiZhen’s husband forward, and together they frantically separated the two women, who were locked in a vicious fight.
"That damn bitch!" Zhu HuiZhen’s mother-in-law sat collapsed on the ground, trembling with rage as she felt her scalp where clumps of hair had been torn out.
"That slut... that slut," Granny Liu muttered under her breath. "He should divorce her. Divorce her."
Zhu HuiZhen’s husband knelt to help Granny Liu up. "Mom, couldn’t you just talk things out with HuiZhen?"
’How were they supposed to go on living together after this?’
Zhu HuiZhen ignored the mother and son completely. She rushed over to Xie Ning and grabbed her hands. "Miss Xie! Miss Xie, I can do any kind of work! Please, will you take us in for a few days? I’m begging you, show some mercy. Just this once, please?"
A jolt went through Xie Ning, and she stared intently at Zhu HuiZhen.
The moment they made contact, a blurry vision flashed through her mind: Zhu HuiZhen, hanging from the rafters in their house, while her mother stood by with a horrified expression, holding Qiqi in a daze.
Xie Ning shuddered and immediately snatched her hands back.
"Aunt Song! Aunt Song, please help me! Help my daughter and me, please!" Seeing Xie Ning remain unmoved, Zhu HuiZhen dissolved into tears, turned to Song You’ai, and dropped to her knees.
Her hair and clothes were already disheveled from the fight with Granny Liu. Kneeling there and weeping, she was the very picture of misery.
Unable to watch any longer, Song Yufu turned to Xie Ning and her mother. "Ningning, You’ai, why don’t you just take them in for a while? It’s not like you don’t have room, and since they’re both women, it won’t be inconvenient."
Song You’ai was conflicted. "Uncle, please don’t put us in such a difficult position. Our... our habits are different. It would be rather inconvenient to live together."
"Aunt Song, please help me. Please help Qiqi! She’s only two, and she’s very well-behaved." Zhu HuiZhen held her daughter out for Song You’ai to see.
The little girl was sobbing pitifully, her cheeks flushed bright red. Song You’ai couldn’t bear to see it.
’Why must a child suffer because of adult conflicts?’
"Sigh." Song You’ai sighed and turned to her daughter, who stood with a tense, unreadable expression. "I can’t be the one to decide this. You’ll have to ask Ningning. To be honest, you..."
"No." Xie Ning’s decisive refusal cut her mother off before she could say another word.
The crying, shouting, and cursing instantly ceased. Song Yufu looked at his grandniece’s terrifyingly stark expression and couldn’t help but shudder.
Xie Ning effortlessly pulled the kneeling Zhu HuiZhen to her feet with one hand.
"Miss Zhu." Xie Ning patted her shoulder and gave her a long, meaningful look. "A child is better off living with her mother. Times are tough, I know, but it’s not impossible to get through them if you just hold on. Don’t you agree?"
Zhu HuiZhen’s heart lurched. For a split second, she had the distinct feeling that Xie Ning had seen straight through to her very soul.
