Chapter 58: Chapter 58: Someone Wants to Borrow Langlang to Show Off?
The northwest?
Shen Ningning didn’t know where that was.
But the one thing she could be sure of was that it was deeper in the dense, complex mountains.
There were definitely no houses there. Even if there were, it would be impossible for the little monkeys to have stolen so many things so easily.
The little monkey saw Shen Ningning furrowing her cute brows in thought.
It chittered ceaselessly, as if trying to explain the whole story, but the little girl couldn’t understand it.
Finally, Shen Ningning dragged out an empty chest.
She pointed at it and said, "Put everything in here. And Langlang, give each of the little monkeys a Red Fruit."
"But you can’t bring me these things next time. I can’t accept them."
She had to store these items and hand them over to Chief Wang when she saw him.
’What if the little monkeys really did steal all this?’
The little monkeys nodded happily.
They lined up to receive their Red Fruits.
This time, Shen Ningning was very generous, even sharing some peanuts she had grown in her Immortal Realm.
The monkeys’ eyes lit up. They started bowing to Shen Ningning with clasped hands, a gesture they must have learned from somewhere.
"Pfft..." The little girl was amused, and her laughter was crisp and clear.
「The next day.」
Shen Ningning used her own carriage to transport barrels of Spiritual Spring Water to Xiangyun Village.
She hadn’t forgotten about her plot of land and planned to irrigate it thoroughly with the Spiritual Spring Water first.
Uncle Liu and another man diligently unloaded the water barrels.
"Ningning, your land has been all cleared."
"Thank you for your hard work, Uncle Liu! I have two baskets of eggs here. You and the other uncle can split them and take them home to eat!"
The two men immediately thanked the little girl and accepted the eggs without refusing.
Shen Ningning had also brought something for Deng Fugui to thank him for treating her to loquat candy last time.
But she looked around and learned from the villagers that Deng Fugui had gone with his mother to visit relatives today.
The little girl had to give up on that idea. She picked up a bag of oranges, Red Fruits, peanuts, and white rice, and went to visit Granny Chen.
She had heard that Granny Chen’s son had returned, but Shen Ningning hadn’t had a chance to speak with her in person yet.
When she arrived at Granny Chen’s door, she found the courtyard gate tightly locked.
The little girl felt a flicker of suspicion.
Back when she lived across from Granny Chen, the old woman always liked to keep her gate open.
’It’s locked now. Could she not be home?’
"Granny Chen, it’s Ningning. Are you home? I brought some things to see you." The little girl tapped on the gate’s bolt.
There was no movement from inside.
But after listening for a moment, the Black Wolf King let out a howl.
He was saying someone was there.
A moment later, the sound of frantic footsteps came from behind the gate.
"Ningning is here..." Granny Chen’s voice was a little hoarse.
As the gate opened, Shen Ningning saw her. Her hair was mostly gray, and her face was much more haggard. It was as if she had aged a dozen years in an instant!
The little girl stared for a moment before snapping back to her senses and handing over the food she had brought.
"Granny Chen, here. I brought these for you to eat."
"Oh... Ningning, you’re so thoughtful. Thank you." Granny Chen reached out to take the bag.
But Shen Ningning noticed two large, ruptured blisters on the back of her hand, revealing the raw flesh underneath.
Before she could get a closer look, Granny Chen had already pulled her hand back.
"Ningning, the house is a mess, so I won’t invite you in for a drink." Granny Chen forced a smile.
The little girl didn’t mind that.
She just glanced suspiciously behind her.
It seemed as if something was hidden behind the pitch-black doorway of the house.
There was also a medicine bowl on the table.
Shen Ningning looked away and said in her soft, sweet voice, "It’s okay, Granny. Everyone in the village is clearing land to plant loquat trees right now."
"I plan to give your family four saplings. If Brother Chen is back, you can have him help you. If you need anything, just come find me!"
Granny Chen thanked her profusely, and without any more fuss, closed the gate.
’Strange. This is too strange.’
As far as Shen Ningning was concerned, Granny Chen had always been warm and enthusiastic.
Even when Aunt Qin had been so arrogant and domineering, Granny Chen would argue with her to defend Ningning.
She led the wolf pack and prepared to head home.
On her way out of the village, she ran into Deng Fugui and his mother, who had just returned on an ox-cart.
"Aiya! Ningning!" Aunt Deng quickly got off the cart.
"Little Wolf Sister!" Deng Fugui ran over and offered her a meat bun. "My maternal grandfather made it. Try it!"
His maternal grandfather’s family ran a bun shop.
Shen Ningning waved her little hand. "I just ate, I’m full. By the way, Fugui, thank you for treating me to candy last time. I brought you a gift in return."
As she spoke, she had Wolf Three bring over the bag of eggs.
Aunt Deng’s face lit up with a smile. "Oh, Ningning, you’re so sensible. In that case, we won’t be polite."
Deng Fugui, however, shot his mother a slightly angry look.
’He always tried to be generous and hospitable in front of Shen Ningning, but his mother accepted the eggs without a second thought. It made them look so stingy!’
Aunt Deng urged Deng Fugui to go check on their family’s land.
Deng Fugui didn’t want to go. "I’ll walk Little Wolf Sister out of the village."
But Aunt Deng shoved him. "I have something to talk to Ningning about. You go on. This child, you have no sense!"
Deng Fugui pouted and walked away reluctantly.
Shen Ningning blinked her big, round eyes. "Aunt Deng, is there something you need?"
Aunt Deng wrung her hands and said with a smile, "Ningning, look, we’ve helped you out so much, and we’re all fellow villagers and neighbors. Auntie has a favor to ask you."
"When I went back to my family’s home this time, I bragged all about you to my relatives. I told them that at such a young age, you can not only command a pack of wolves, but you’ve also won the favor of many influential people. And how you gave us silver and white flour to eat. They were all clicking their tongues in envy!"
"My parents and family are coming to the village for a visit tomorrow. So, I was wondering, could you bring your wolf pack over to help us make a grand show of things? And while you’re at it, let them see all the gifts the Crown Prince gave you, so they can broaden their horizons?"
The Black Wolf King was the first to show a displeased look in his eyes.
After hearing this, Shen Ningning was even more direct. "Aunt Deng, I can’t agree to that."
"Why not? It’s just a little effort for you, and it won’t cost you any money!" Aunt Deng raised her voice, expressing her confusion.
Besides, she had already done all the boasting!
She had married the village chief’s son, and compared to her sisters from her maiden family, she felt she was a cut above the rest.
She had even declared that Shen Ningning would one day be her daughter-in-law.
She had assumed the agreeable little girl would be easy to persuade, but she was refused so decisively.
How could Aunt Deng accept that?
Shen Ningning explained in her soft voice, "Langlang and the others are my family, not a monkey show."
"Besides, the things my brother gave me are already locked away. It’s not convenient to take them out; it’s too much trouble."
She was telling the truth.
The little girl really didn’t want to haul everything back and forth from the Immortal Realm again. It was exhausting.
But Aunt Deng’s expression changed.
"Ningning, it’s not a difficult thing to do. Don’t you forget, when Qin Fangmei and the others came back to cause trouble, it was my father-in-law who rallied people to help you chase them away! Are you saying you don’t remember that favor?"
A dark, ink-like color rippled in Shen Ningning’s watery eyes.
She refuted her, each word clear and distinct. "I think you’re mistaken, Auntie. The village chief and I had an agreement beforehand."
"I bought the house and signed the deed. He guaranteed he would help me drive away anyone who tried to wrongfully occupy my village house. I paid for that house; I didn’t get it for free."
’It wasn’t a favor, it was a transaction.’
