Chapter 54: Chapter 54: How Did You Find This Place?
Uncle Qin was shocked.
’He was the family’s only son. When has Mom ever laid a hand on me or even yelled at me?!’
"Mom..."
"Don’t you dare call me Mom. I have no son like you!" Grandma Qin raged.
She pointed at Uncle Qin. "When Wang Guihong was alive, you did everything she said. You weren’t a dutiful son to me, and you even helped her bully Ningning."
"Now she’s dead, Landlord Du has taken Fang Mei, and you’ve got no one left to depend on. So now you know the way home."
"But I’m telling you, Qin Sheng, I will never forgive you for what you did to me and Ningning! Not even on my deathbed!"
"If you ever dare come back to this village to harass or bully Ningning again, don’t you think for a second I’m just a helpless old woman. I still remember how to butcher a pig. If you don’t want me to slice you up piece by piece, then get out!"
Qin Sheng was scared to death.
His father had died young, and his mother had raised him all by herself by working as a pig butcher.
’How did the soft-hearted, easygoing mother I remember turn into this?’
Seeing him stand there motionless, Grandma Qin’s eyes widened. "You’re not leaving, are you?!"
She glanced around, spotted a sickle in the corner, and went right over to grab it.
She looked ready to kill her own son.
The stunned villagers finally snapped out of it and rushed forward to stop her.
"Grandma Qin, you mustn’t!"
"That’s right! If you end up killing someone over a worthless son like him, you’ll be sent to the government. It’s not worth it!"
Shen Ningning saw this, her glistening eyes flashing with indignation.
She called out loudly, "Langlang, come and get the bad guy!"
The crowd heard a chorus of wolf howls rising and falling from Wolf Mountain.
Immediately after, they heard the roars of beasts stampeding toward them.
Moments later, a pack of wolves charged in through the village entrance!
The terrifying sight made even the villagers, who were somewhat used to them, turn pale with fright once more.
Shen Ningning pointed at the stunned Qin Sheng. "Eat him."
The Little White Wolf she had saved earlier suddenly leaped out of the pack.
Its wounds had healed nicely. After many days of good food and drink, its limbs were lean and powerful, and its fur was long, white, and glossy.
The Little White Wolf viciously opened its jaws and lunged for Uncle Qin’s throat!
Uncle Qin managed to react at the last second, scrambling to the side.
The Little White Wolf snapped at empty air, then spun around and gave chase.
Uncle Qin scrambled to his feet and took off running, screaming, "The wolves are eating people! They’re eating people!"
He fled the village without daring to look back.
Only then did Shen Ningning call out in her soft, sweet voice, "Come back now!"
Scaring him once was enough.
She didn’t actually want her Langlang to eat anyone.
But with someone like Uncle Qin, if she didn’t give him a proper scare, he’d just come back again.
The villagers were terrified, each patting their chests and muttering about how frightening it was.
Shen Ningning gave a sweet smile. "You don’t have to be scared. My Langlang are actually very gentle."
The wolves’ gazes were icy and dark. Apart from obeying Shen Ningning, they retained their absolute wild nature.
’This is gentle?’ The villagers could only force a dry laugh and nod.
Grandma Qin walked over to Shen Ningning and scooped the little girl into her arms.
"Ningning, let’s go home!"
"Okay!" Shen Ningning beamed, a cute dimple appearing on her cheek.
’I bought so many wonderful things today. I can’t wait to go home and show Grandma!’
Back at home, Shen Ningning immediately took out the items she had bought from her Immortal Realm.
Grandma Qin looked at the two large Seven-Round Fans and gasped in surprise. "Ningning, these must have cost a fortune, didn’t they?"
"Not expensive!" the little girl said.
She checked the silver in her Immortal Realm. She only had one hundred twenty taels left.
’I need to find some time to earn more money!’
Together, Shen Ningning and Grandma Qin washed out two old vats and carried them into their bedrooms.
One for her room, and one for her grandma’s.
After filling them with Spiritual Spring Water, she placed the Seven-Round Fans inside.
Grandma Qin was deft with her hands. She rigged up a contraption similar to a water clock behind the Seven-Round Fan.
As the water began to trickle slowly, a gentle push on the fan blades was enough to set them spinning, creating a refreshingly cool, misty breeze.
"Whoa~" Shen Ningning leaned against the side of the vat with her eyes closed, pure bliss written all over her flushed little face.
With a cooling mat and a cooling pillow laid out as well...
It was heaven!
Shen Ningning spent the next few days in blissful comfort.
Thanks to the self-rotating Seven-Round Fan, her room was always cool and comfortable.
The wolves had already split themselves into two groups—one to stand guard by Shen Ningning, the other by Grandma Qin.
Even as the heat outside grew intense enough to bake the earth dry, Shen Ningning and her grandma stayed cool at home, shielded from the sun and enjoying the refreshing misty breeze.
The little girl happily ate a large bowl of cold noodles made by Grandma Qin, stuffing big chunks of braised beef into her mouth.
When she got hungry in the afternoon, her grandma would have a chilled lotus seed soup ready for her.
At night, Shen Ningning harvested a batch of loquat saplings in her Immortal Realm. She was tired and covered in a sheen of sweat.
After bathing in Spiritual Spring Water, she lay under the grapevines in the courtyard, kicking her little feet up.
She held a red bean paste bun in her left hand, smearing it all over her little face as she ate. With her right hand, she stroked the Black Wolf King lying beside her, enjoying the feel of his thick fur.
She passed a blissful seven or eight days like this.
This went on until one day at noon, when the sun was blazing mercilessly in the sky.
Shen Ningning was trying to coax her grandma into making her some steamed egg custard with minced pork.
Suddenly, she heard fierce, threatening growls from the wolves at the gate, as if they were trying to scare off an intruder.
Shen Ningning immediately ran out.
"Langlang, who’s here?"
The Black Wolf King growled toward the bolted main gate.
The scent from beyond the gate seemed familiar.
Just then, Shen Ningning heard a series of knocks on the gate.
"Shen Ningning," a cool, pleasant voice called out.
The little girl froze for a moment before it dawned on her.
"It’s Brother!"
She threw the gate open. There stood Mo Lingwei, his handsome face flushed red from the heat, his sharp eyebrows beaded with sweat.
He was leaning against the gatepost, his thin lips slightly parted as he panted softly.
When his piercing, dark eyes landed on Shen Ningning, they held a trace of relief.
"Did you, perhaps, forget something?" he asked coldly, his voice laced with irritation.
It all came rushing back to Shen Ningning. "Ah? Oh, right! I promised Brother I’d meet him at the private school..."
But when the teacher announced the break, her promise to Mo Lingwei had completely slipped her mind.
She never imagined he would actually brave the scorching sun and cross the mountains to find her.
The little girl quickly took his hand. "Brother, come in and sit down! Cool off for a bit!"
Wolf Three peeked out from behind the little girl. Seeing Mo Lingwei, it couldn’t help but let out a low growl.
This annoying fellow was back again.
"Brother, how did you find this place?" Shen Ningning asked, looking up at him with her big, glistening eyes.
She even offered him her own little handkerchief to wipe his sweat.
Seeing this, the Black Wolf King snorted again.
Mo Lingwei’s sharp eyes, clear as unmelted snow, swept over the homestead.
’So she really did make a home for herself deep in the mountains.’
’And it seems she’s doing quite well for herself.’
’Her face even looks a little rounder.’
"It wasn’t hard. After entering the mountains, I found a lot of wolf tracks and just followed the path where they were most concentrated," Mo Lingwei said nonchalantly.
Yes, not hard at all. He had only entered the mountains before dawn and gotten lost three times.
If Mo Lingwei didn’t have a good sense of direction, he probably would have been hopelessly lost.
"Ningning, who’s here?" Grandma Qin heard the commotion and quickly came out of the kitchen.
As soon as she saw Mo Lingwei, Grandma Qin immediately recognized him. "C-Crown Prince?"
She hurriedly tried to bow.
Mo Lingwei stepped forward and held her steady.
"Mrs. Qin Sr., please, dispense with the formalities. I never had a proper chance to thank you for your wonderful care last time. I had some free time, so I came to pay you a visit."
Grandma Qin beamed and nodded. "Our home isn’t easy to find. Your Highness must be exhausted from the journey, yes?"
"Ningning, keep His Highness company. I’m going to prepare a meal. His Highness will stay for lunch!"
Shen Ningning nodded, her eyes sparkling, and pulled Mo Lingwei to sit in the shade under the eaves.
"Brother, wait here! I’ll get you a nice, cool sour plum drink!"
With that, she turned and scampered off toward the back courtyard.
Watching the little girl’s retreating figure, Mo Lingwei used her handkerchief to wipe the sweat from his brow.
Then, he lifted his gaze and saw the Black Wolf King staring coldly at him, looking for all the world like a disapproving male elder of the household.
Mo Lingwei narrowed his eyes slightly. Then, very deliberately, he tucked Shen Ningning’s handkerchief into his robes.
Just as he expected, the Black Wolf King’s expression turned to one of pure annoyance.
