Chapter 26

Chapter 26: Enduring Injustice in Obscurity Tonight, Soaring to the Dragon Platform Tomorrow

A few days passed.

Shen Ningning returned to the village to check on the repairs of the village house.

Just as she entered the village, she heard a call from behind, "Miss Shen, please wait!"

She turned around to see a guard, accompanied by two young servants on horseback.

The little girl recognized him as one of the men brought by the county magistrate.

"Guard Brother," Shen Ningning blinked her large eyes and politely greeted him, standing still.

The guard smiled, dismounted from his horse, and took a heavy package from one of the servants.

"Miss Shen, our county magistrate knows you will be attending private school in a few days, so he specially prepared some paper, pens, and books for you."

Saying this, he unwrapped the package in front of her.

Inside were high-quality brushes and an inkstone, along with two introductory books.

There was also a bag of small silver coins and a fifty-tael silver note.

At the bottom of the package were two small dresses for her to change into.

Shen Ningning felt a warmth in her heart: "Please thank the county magistrate for me!"

Grandpa Fu is so kind, thinking of so many things for her.

Afraid she couldn't afford brushes, he specially sent someone to deliver them in advance.

The guard warmly smiled, "Miss Shen, you're too polite. Our lord said that you are his lifesaver, and no amount of care for you is too much."

"Now that the items have been delivered, I shall return to report back. Miss Shen, I take my leave."

After saying this, he mounted his horse, and Shen Ningning waved her hand before he rode off.

The Black Wolf King stepped forward and took the package in his mouth.

Shen Ningning gently rubbed the Black Wolf King's ears, "Wolfie, I can't wait to go home and read!"

But first, she needed to deliver food to the uncles and aunties repairing the village house.

She trotted towards the village house with her small steps.

However, she heard crying and shouting coming from her own courtyard.

"Liu Zhun! You good-for-nothing, in all these years of marriage, when have I ever enjoyed any luxury?"

"In these years of poor harvests, I've followed you, starving along with the children! We've never complained."

"Now, just as we finally have a few bags of rice and flour, you go and give it away. The kids are crying of hunger, how can your heart be so hard!"

It was Aunt Liu, Liu Da Bo's wife's voice.

Shen Ningning pushed open the door, "What's happening?"

The villagers who were comforting the Liu couple, seeing the little girl, immediately gathered around her.

They all talked at once, explaining the situation.

Shen Ningning understood the gist of it.

The food she gave to the Liu family had been taken by Liu Da Bo and given to a mad scholar in the village.

Aunt Liu threw herself in front of the little girl, crying, "Ningning, we can't do this work anymore, we quit."

The village house was already half repaired and almost finished.

How could they just quit like that?

Shen Ningning spoke clearly, "Aunt Liu, don't worry, let's discuss this calmly."

Aunt Liu wiped her tears, "What's the use of toiling under the scorching sun? Our things are given away to others."

"Our own children don't have food to eat, he doesn't care, but he’s generous to that mad scholar who is neither kin nor friend!"

Liu Da Bo, who had been silent all this while, finally spoke up.

His voice was heavy with sorrow, "He has nothing, and if he doesn't eat, he'll die."

"What does that have to do with us!" Aunt Liu cried out in anger, "Your own son is nearly starving to death!"

Shen Ningning immediately instructed the wolves to put down the bundle they were carrying.

"My grandmother made fresh meat buns today. Here, Aunt Liu, your children are very hungry. Take ten buns home for now to fill their stomachs."

Hearing this, Aunt Liu's tears stopped.

She took ten buns, along with two bowls of millet porridge and three fruits, and hurried back home.

Liu Da Bo immediately protested, "That's too much for you and your daughter to eat, don't waste it!"

Aunt Liu replied irritably, "We'll save them for tomorrow!"

After thanking Shen Ningning, she quickly walked away.

Feeling apologetic, Liu Da Bo approached Shen Ningning and expressed his regret.

The little girl's face was round and her smile was charmingly radiant.

"Don't be formal with me, Liu Da Bo. You've been working hard to repair my house from morning till night without a single complaint. I should be thanking you."

It was time for dinner, and Shen Ningning gestured with her hand, inviting everyone to eat.

Her grandma's cooking was excellent; the meat buns had thin skins and generous fillings!

Biting into one, the juices sizzled out!

During the break, Shen Ningning inquired and understood Uncle Liu's situation.

The 'mad scholar' had suddenly appeared in Xiangyun Village six years ago.

Everyone said he was a madman who only knew how to read.

Once they saw him fall into a river, half submerged, yet still holding his book and reading.

He had no family and usually didn't interact with the villagers.

When hungry, he would go up the mountain to pick some grass roots to eat.

Uncle Liu, being a warm-hearted person and living nearby, had taken care of him a few times.

"Last time I saw him faint from hunger, so I gave him some rice and flour. I didn't expect your aunt to find out and argue with me about it," Uncle Liu sighed.

After understanding the situation, Shen Ningning blinked her long, thick eyelashes.

She said with a smile, "Then I'll go and see. I can handle one more mouth to feed. Uncle Liu, tell Aunt Liu there's no need to be upset over this."

Uncle Liu, rubbing his hands, felt guilty: "I'm sorry, Ningning, for troubling you."

Just thinking of how Uncle Liu spent every day under the sun repairing her house, his skin even cracking from the exposure.

Shen Ningning decided to resolve this conflict for the couple.

Accompanied by the Black Wolf King, she went directly to the mad scholar's house.

Pushing the door open, she found the courtyard covered in dust.

Even the Black Wolf King sneezed from the dust.

Shen Ningning walked to the house and knocked on the door, only to find it was not locked!

It opened with a push.

Looking inside, she saw nothing but books, and even more books.

Compared to the dusty courtyard, all of the mad scholar's books were well-polished and shiny.

Shen Ningning poked her head in to take a look.

She saw a thin young man, around twenty-five years old, writing furiously at a table with his back to her.

He wrote while anxiously muttering, "I can't write anymore, I just can't!"

Shen Ningning asked several times, "May I come in?"

He didn't hear her.

The little girl lifted her skirt and quietly hopped in.

She carefully avoided the books scattered on the floor.

She looked around the entire room, which was practically a sea of books.

Compared to the study in the old house in the mountains, it was just as impressive, with an equally vast collection of books.

Shen Ningning looked down.

A small bag of flour Uncle Liu had given to the mad scholar was being used to prop up a table leg, just for the purpose of practicing calligraphy!

He really was a mad scholar...

Shen Ningning tiptoed to watch him scribbling on the paper.

The brush in his hand was frayed and couldn't hold any ink.

The little girl thought for a moment, then opened the package and handed him one of the brushes the county magistrate had given her.

"Your brush is worn out; of course you can't write properly. Use mine."

Seeing the new brush, the mad scholar was overjoyed and took it immediately.

He sharpened the brush, dipped it in thick ink, and started to write vigorously.

"Tonight I bear grievances in a humble abode, tomorrow I'll wander freely upon ascending the dragon's terrace!" The mad scholar energetically wrote down this line of poetry.

Shen Ningning didn't fully grasp its meaning, but felt the grandeur and couldn't help but applaud him.

"Impressive! A masterpiece!"

The mad scholar finally snapped out of his frenzied state.

He turned his head, looking at the little figure beside him.

"Is this brush yours?"