Wolf-Raised Cub with a Space: Surviving the Disaster Years

Chapter 204: Chapter 204: Write Me a Letter

In the afternoon, Second Madam Xie returned.

Her face was stricken with panic as she rushed straight to Xie Yuanjiu’s room.

"Jiu Jiu, something terrible has happened." She ignored the fact that her daughter was practicing calligraphy and shook her by the shoulders.

Xie Yuanjiu irritably shook off her hands. "What is it now?"

’All I want is some peace and quiet,’ she thought. ’Why is that so difficult?’

Second Madam Xie’s lips trembled with fear. "Mother just went to see the Divine Woman to have our fortunes told, and the result was another ill omen."

"The Divine Woman said Cai Ying died unjustly and will become a Fierce Ghost, returning to ruin our peace."

At the mention of Cai Ying’s name, Xie Yuanjiu’s hand trembled, ruining the character she had just so carefully written.

Her face paled. She then looked up, displeased. "Mother! If the Divine Woman said it, then you should ask her to solve it. What’s the point of telling me?"

Second Madam Xie grew anxious. "Cai Ying was your maid. It’s only natural that Mother is worried she’ll come back to harm you, right?"

Xie Yuanjiu was startled, then burst out in anger, "The Prime Minister ordered her beaten to death! Why would she come for me?"

Second Madam Xie sighed. "But she died in our courtyard. Don’t worry, though. Mother has already spent 200 taels to have the Divine Woman perform a ritual to appease her resentment."

"I couldn’t sleep at all last night. The thought of Cai Ying being beaten to death right in front of me... whenever I close my eyes, I just see all the blood and flesh mixed together."

Xie Yuanjiu covered her ears. "Mother! Please leave. I don’t want to hear any more of this."

Second Madam Xie didn’t understand why she was having such a strong reaction and could only purse her lips. "Fine. You can go back to your calligraphy. And whatever you do, don’t tell your father about this."

After she left, it took Xie Yuanjiu a long while for the fear in her heart to subside.

Before Cai Ying died, her resentful eyes had been fixed on her...

Xie Yuanjiu shook her head, trying her best not to think about it.

Unfortunately, night fell.

The cold, late-autumn wind rattled against the windowpanes.

Outside, the branches swayed in the wind, looking just like menacing, clawing specters.

The dark corners of the room seemed to hide countless demons and monsters, ready to stretch out their blackened hands and drag Xie Yuanjiu away the moment she closed her eyes.

The words Second Madam Xie had spoken during the day—about the Fierce Ghost and dying with grievances—echoed in her ears, impossible to shake off.

Xie Yuanjiu was terrified at first. She had just barely managed to fall asleep when she heard two soft sounds by her ear: TAP... TAP...

It sounded as if something had fallen to the floor.

She opened her eyes and saw two small beads on the floor not far away, stained with blood.

Xie Yuanjiu slowly sat up, her gaze suspicious. She called for her maid twice, but the only reply was a chilling, sorrowful cry—

"Miss... My death was so miserable."

"Why didn’t you help me? Didn’t you say everything would be all right?"

"Miss, why did you just stand by and watch the Prime Minister have me beaten to death without saying a single word in my defense?"

Terrified, Xie Yuanjiu looked all around but couldn’t see anyone’s shadow.

"Cai Ying! Is that you? Don’t blame me. The situation was complicated; I couldn’t have saved you."

The ghostly voice shrieked, "You’re the one who got me killed, Miss! It was you who got me killed!"

Xie Yuanjiu shrank into the corner of the bed, clutching her quilt and shouting, "It wasn’t me! Go find Shen Ningning! She’s the one who killed you!"

Suddenly!

A head descended from above. It was Cai Ying’s face, beaten beyond recognition, a mass of purple and blue bruises that no longer looked human.

She reached out and wrapped her hands around Xie Yuanjiu’s neck. "I was a loyal servant, yet you let me die, Miss. I’ll make you pay with your life!"

Xie Yuanjiu screamed and shot upright.

She was gasping for air. The maid on night duty outside heard the commotion and rushed in.

"Miss, are you all right?"

Xie Yuanjiu clutched her neck, her head drenched in a cold sweat. Her face was as pale as a ghost’s.

Her eyes were fixed straight ahead, and the veins on her forehead stood out, taut with fear.

One look told the maid she had been caught in a nightmare.

"I will go brew you a bowl of Calming Soup."

Xie Yuanjiu grabbed the maid’s wrist. "Don’t go. Just stay here and let me catch my breath."

Afterward, she ordered the maid to light every candle in the room. And just like that, with her eyes wide open, she endured a difficult night.

...

Autumn was growing colder.

Shen Ningning invited Mo Lingwei to her home on Wolf Mountain for lamb hot pot.

In the spacious courtyard, a square table was set up.

A steaming pot was brought out and placed over a stove, its contents bubbling away with a fragrant aroma.

The broth was a lamb stew that Grandma Qin had simmered all night long.

By now, the broth was rich and intensely fragrant. A few pieces of chopped lamb floated in the pot, along with shiitake mushrooms, scallion segments, goji berries, and two kinds of herbs.

The aroma drifted right out of the residence.

Mo Lingwei practically followed the scent to find the house.

The gate was ajar. He was carrying a pile of gifts and pushed the gate open with one hand.

Instantly, the pack of wolves lounging in the courtyard all pricked up their ears, their gazes turning icy as they looked over.

Seeing it was a familiar person, the wolves retracted their gazes.

"Brother!" Shen Ningning, dressed in a light, bean-green jacket with orange trim, was like a splash of bright color in the muted autumn.

She had just run out of the kitchen, carrying a plate of thinly sliced raw lamb.

Mo Lingwei smiled and walked over. "Why didn’t you close the gate?"

Shen Ningning blinked her big eyes. "I was waiting for you! I was helping Grandma and was afraid I wouldn’t hear you knock."

Mo Lingwei figured that made sense.

Below the mountain was only Xiangyun Village, and most people wouldn’t dare venture up Wolf Mountain without reason.

This courtyard full of wolves was all the security they needed.

Just then, Grandma Qin came out carrying two plates of green vegetables.

Seeing Mo Lingwei, she immediately said with a warm smile, "The Crown Prince is here! Please, have a seat. We’re about to eat!"

Mo Lingwei placed the gifts he had prepared for Grandma Qin in a corner.

He had brought top-grade Purple Ginseng.

It was a tribute item from Chao Country, exclusively for the use of the Imperial Family.

The table was laden with dishes. There was plenty of sliced raw lamb, followed by sliced chicken thigh, daikon radish slices, glossy green vegetables, and corn segments.

There was also red-braised pork with egg that Grandma Qin had stewed in advance.

Shen Ningning took out the lung-soothing pear drink she had made herself and offered it to Mo Lingwei.

The three of them gathered around the table, eating joyfully and letting out occasional bursts of laughter.

Lang Si lay at Grandma Qin’s feet, refusing to go anywhere else.

When Grandma Qin took out some cooled bones and discreetly dropped them on the ground, it immediately began to feast on them.

Toward the end of the meal, Mo Lingwei said to Shen Ningning, "I have to leave the Capital City for a month."

The little one was in the middle of chewing a piece of lamb. Hearing this, she silently put down her chopsticks. "Brother is leaving again?"

Mo Lingwei nodded. With age, his stern, handsome face had grown even more profound.

"Father Emperor has ordered me to inspect the four commanderies on his behalf, to show the vastness of imperial grace now that the drought is over."

"So, would you like to come with me? I’m going to Mengzhou. The scenery there is beautiful, and they have many local delicacies."

Grandma Qin looked at Shen Ningning, waiting for the little one to make up her mind.

The Black Wolf King, however, let out a dissatisfied howl.

’Go where?!’ he thought. ’This thieving brat is always trying to lure our precious little Jiaojiao away.’

Shen Ningning blinked her long lashes. "Brother, I can’t go. The National Academy just started not long ago. If I leave now, I won’t be able to keep up with my studies!"

Mo Lingwei let out a mock huff.

’The heartless little thing,’ he thought. ’So her studies are more important than me.’

Then he broke into a laugh. "Forget it. I’ll be back before the New Year. We can celebrate it together."

"I will arrange for a few light cavalry riders to handle the correspondence between us."

"Correspondence?" Shen Ningning paused, taken aback.

Mo Lingwei narrowed his eyes. "Of course. Or were you not planning on writing to me? I’ll have someone deliver my letters back to the Capital City first."

"Once you’ve written your reply, the light cavalry will bring it back to me by express post. That way, it will be much more convenient."

He would be constantly on the move and was afraid Shen Ningning’s letters might get lost.

The little one thought for a moment, then nodded in agreement. "Okay! I’ll write back to you, Brother!"

Seeing her radiant smile, Mo Lingwei’s mood brightened considerably.

His thin lips moved slightly. "There’s one more thing I want to tell you."