Chapter 81: Chapter 81: Who Came to Their Rescue?
Deep in the night.
Shen Ningning couldn’t sleep, so she entered the Immortal Realm to do some farming.
She harvested a basketful of fruit.
Lychees, snow pears, and yellow peaches—she ate until she was full.
The watermelons would probably ripen in a few more days.
The little one took a refreshing bath with the spring water.
Then she sat in the grand kitchen hall, enjoying a delicious meal.
It was a basin of boiled beef in chili oil she had bought from the restaurant earlier.
Shen Ningning took out the vegetables her grandmother had previously cooked, skewered them, and soaked them in the red broth of the boiled beef.
A bite of tender beef, a bite of tender cauliflower—it was indescribably satisfying.
She ate until she burped, then drank a glass of iced brown sugar and osmanthus honey!
Shen Ningning patted her little round belly and swaggered out of the Immortal Realm.
Out of the corner of her eye, she glimpsed the red fruits on the table.
She had left them out there on purpose.
Although Ren Yu had a flighty personality, she wasn’t ill-mannered enough to take things without asking.
The little one had guessed that Qin Fangmei would cause trouble, so she had deliberately left something on the table.
She hadn’t expected to be right.
She had heard that stealing was the most serious offense at the private school, one that guaranteed expulsion.
"Serves her right!" Shen Ningning said in her soft voice, her watery eyes gleaming with a cold light.
She clenched her little fists, cheering herself on. "You’re not going to bully Ningning forever!"
’Qin Fangmei is only getting what she deserves.’
Shen Ningning got ready for bed. Before she lay down, she glanced down.
Near the bed, there was a crushed poisonous bug.
She took one look, and her little face instantly turned a cold, pale white.
’It must have been Qin Fangmei who brought it in.’
Back when they were still rooming together, she would often catch poisonous snakes and bugs and put them on the little one’s bed.
At this thought, Shen Ningning quickly used her small hands to flip over her pillow and quilt.
She didn’t find any other bugs or snakes.
The little one considered moving to the soft couch under the window to sleep.
But on second thought, she was now thoroughly nourished by the Spiritual Spring Water; she had no reason to fear snakes, bugs, rats, or ants.
Besides, she was too tired today. All she wanted was to fall into bed and sleep!
With that in mind, Shen Ningning stretched her little arms and legs and plopped straight onto the bed.
It wasn’t long before she fell into a deep sleep.
The next day, while she was still drowsy and hadn’t opened her eyes,
she heard Ren Yu’s voice calling from downstairs, "Ningning! Something’s happened!"
Ren Yu came pattering upstairs. The little one sat up, rubbing her eyes. "What’s wrong?"
"Qin Fangmei was bitten by a poisonous bug!"
"What?" ’How could she get bitten? The poisonous bug was clearly thrown in here with me.’
Ren Yu said, "Qin Fangmei went to apologize to Mr. Huang. The teacher ignored her, so she started helping hand out sand pears nearby. But then she suddenly cried out in pain and collapsed!"
"The teacher was startled. Everyone carried her back, and when they took off her shoes and socks, they saw a huge pustule on her foot!"
"The Mountain Villa Steward said it’s a ’Three-Day Bug.’ Its venom is extremely potent. They’re common in the forest, but the villa is out of the ointment to treat it."
"Mr. Huang feels incredibly guilty now. He thinks he brought the bug back when he was gathering wild vegetables on the mountain, and Qin Fangmei got bitten because she was standing right next to him."
As she spoke, she grew a little suspicious. "Ningning, do you think it’s really such a coincidence? The bug didn’t bite anyone else, only Qin Fangmei?"
A dark light swirled in Shen Ningning’s watery eyes. Her round, pale little face showed a calm, knowing expression.
She stood up and said, "Let’s go take a look, and we’ll find out what happened. Ren Yu, wait for me downstairs, ’kay? I’ll be there after I change my clothes."
"Okay!" Ren Yu had been itching to go see the commotion.
She and Qin Fangmei were on bad terms because of a pigeon.
Now that Qin Fangmei was injured, she couldn’t wait to go and gloat!
After Ren Yu left, Shen Ningning looked down at the corpse of the Three-Day Bug by her bed, which she hadn’t had a chance to clean up yet.
The little one’s eyes darted around. Then, she bent over and picked up the poisonous bug.
「A moment later.」
The two of them arrived outside Qin Fangmei’s room together.
Many students had already heard the commotion and gathered at the door to peek inside.
They whispered among themselves—
"Bitten by a Three-Day Bug... her foot is definitely going to rot."
"Yeah, what terrible luck. There’s no ointment and no doctor, and the bridge is still out."
Qin Fangmei’s sobs could be heard from inside the room.
Mr. Huang stood nearby with a grave expression, sighing softly.
Qin Fangmei was leaning against the bed. The pustule on her foot had just been lanced, and some ordinary sore medicine had been temporarily applied.
She sobbed softly, "Teacher, I’m sorry. I’ve caused you trouble."
Mr. Huang shook his head. "It was our oversight for not noticing in time. You just rest well. For the next few days, I’ll have the Attendant Student bring your meals to your room."
Qin Fangmei agreed.
She lowered her head, afraid that others would see the smugness in her eyes.
’Oh well,’ she thought. ’Since my foot won’t heal, I might as well use this injury to get some benefits for myself!’
She had to make Mr. Huang feel guilty so she wouldn’t be kicked out of the school.
Just as Qin Fangmei had expected, from that moment until now, Mr. Huang hadn’t mentioned expelling her again.
Just then, Shen Ningning entered the room with the other students to check on her.
Everyone started chattering, asking Qin Fangmei how she felt.
While giving perfunctory answers, she watched Shen Ningning out of the corner of her eye.
The little one simply stood at the back of the crowd, her clear eyes shimmering with a dark luster.
Qin Fangmei discreetly curled her lip in a smug smile at Shen Ningning.
’I’m not leaving. I won’t stop until I’ve ruined Shen Ningning!’
Suddenly!
Ren Yu shrieked, "AH! There’s a bug!"
Everyone had seen what happened to Qin Fangmei after her bite, and they scrambled back in a panic.
"Where is it?!"
Mr. Huang also moved to shield the students, while Qin Fangmei vigilantly pulled her foot back.
’How can there be another Three-Day Bug?’
The crowd looked in the direction Ren Yu was pointing.
There, next to the footstool, in an inconspicuous corner, was the corpse of a bug.
The Mountain Villa Steward, hearing the commotion, rushed over and stepped forward to identify it.
"It’s a Three-Day Bug, but it’s already been crushed to death."
Everyone gasped.
’That was close! We almost got bitten.’
Ren Yu’s face was pale with fear. "Didn’t you say Three-Day Bugs only like to hang out on the treetops in the forest? Why are there so many here!"
Suddenly, it dawned on her.
"Wait, Qin Fangmei, don’t tell me you’re the one who crushed this bug?"
"What nonsense are you talking about? After I was bitten, I didn’t see any bug at all!" Qin Fangmei snapped, her guilt showing.
Shen Ningning remembered the smear of bug guts on the floor of her own room.
The little one said calmly, "We’ll know if we just look at the bottom of her shoe."
Qin Fangmei was about to grab her shoe, but Mr. Huang was faster and snatched it up.
He flipped it over.
Sure enough, there was a dark green stain on the sole, though it had already dried.
’This is bad,’ Qin Fangmei thought, her heart sinking. ’I forgot to clean it when I got back yesterday.’
Ren Yu covered her mouth and pointed at Qin Fangmei, her eyes wide with realization. "I get it! You were bitten a while ago and just pretended it happened now!"
Qin Fangmei was furious.
’This Ren Yu! Why does she always have to stick her nose in things!’
"Don’t you dare make baseless accusations! I have no idea when I stepped on a bug! I... I really was bitten!"
Mr. Huang’s face grew stern as he began to figure something out.
He stared at Qin Fangmei and asked, "When were you bitten?"
"I..." she stammered.
Mr. Huang reminded her in a solemn voice, "Student Qin, lying is absolutely unacceptable."
After they returned, a doctor could examine the wound and determine when it had been inflicted.
Qin Fangmei squeezed out a few tears, her voice buzzing. "I... I was bitten last night."
The other students erupted in an uproar, realizing she had actually been lying!
Mr. Huang’s expression had turned very sour.
This Qin Fangmei was a new student, but since her arrival, she had trespassed in someone’s room and now had resorted to deceit to escape punishment.
Qin Fangmei raised her teary eyes. "But this bug... it shouldn’t have been in my room. It should have been in..."
As she spoke, she looked toward Shen Ningning.
The little one stood calmly in the crowd, watching her as if she were a spectator at a farce.
Her large, dark, watery eyes radiated innocence and a clarity like melted snow.
A chill ran through Qin Fangmei’s heart as she suddenly understood.
She had fallen into Shen Ningning’s trap!
’It must have been Shen Ningning who brought the bug back and threw it on the floor.’
’That’s why now, no matter how I explain where the bug came from, I can’t clear my name.’
Unless she admitted that she had wanted Shen Ningning to be the one bitten—but how could she possibly do that!
Mr. Huang frowned. "What else do you have to say?"
"I... I..." Qin Fangmei didn’t know how to answer.
Just then, the Attendant Student ran over, his face ecstatic. "Teacher, someone is here to rescue us!"
Everyone grew excited. Mr. Huang, no longer concerned with Qin Fangmei, quickly asked, "Has the County Magistrate sent someone?"
"It’s not the County Magistrate!" the Attendant Student said.
Qin Fangmei suddenly remembered that Landlord Du had said he would come to take her home.
She was overjoyed. "It must be my uncle!"
’My uncle’s arrival is perfect timing! He can stand up for me!’
