Chapter 36

Originally, the magical realm only had three large halls, each housing food, medicinal herbs, and weapons.

But!

Next to the three halls, there was now a fenced area!

Inside were cages, each holding four live chickens and ducks!

"My magical realm... is starting to keep living creatures!?" the little girl exclaimed in astonishment.

She quickly ran on her little feet to check if the jade stone was still there.

Just as expected.

The jade stone had disappeared.

Not only that, as Shen Ningning passed by the spirit spring, she found dozens of fat, tail-wagging fish in the pond!

"Grandma! We're rich! We can raise chickens and ducks now!" the little girl excitedly ran out of the magical realm.

She carried a bamboo cage in one hand and two large fish in the other.

The fish struggled fiercely, splashing water all over Shen Ningning's clothes!

Grandma Qin, hearing the commotion, rushed over and was delighted at the sight: "Is this from Ningning's fairyland? Wonderful!"

The granddaughter and grandmother hurried to the lotus pond to release the fish.

Shen Ningning took out ten fish at once, placing them in the pond to raise.

The wolf pack, curious, approached. Wolf Three tried to bite a fish but was unexpectedly slapped by a fish tail, causing it to howl in frustration.

Grandma Qin and Shen Ningning, laughing, headed to the kitchen.

Next to the kitchen, in a small courtyard, they had set up a fenced area.

They kept the chickens and ducks on opposite sides of the courtyard.

Grandma Qin inspected the eight animals, nodding repeatedly: "Very good, especially this pair of ducks."

"Once they lay eggs, I'll make salted duck eggs for you."

Just hearing these words made Shen Ningning's mouth water.

She leaned against the fence, eagerly asking, "Grandma, does this make us a wealthy family now?"

She had heard from Aunt Qin before that only the old village chief's family was considered wealthy in the village.

Because they had chickens, ducks, and even pigs!

Therefore, Shen Ningning felt that raising these animals was a sign of prosperity.

And those silver coins she earned were nowhere near as delightful as living creatures!

Grandma Qin chuckled, affectionately stroking her rosy cheeks.

"Indeed, I'll make fish soup for Ningning at noon."

"Great!" The youngster agreed enthusiastically.

Grandma Qin rolled up her sleeves and skillfully caught a plump fish from the lotus pond.

She then took it to the kitchen and swiftly knocked the fish on the head with the back of the knife.

Shen Ningning, who had been peering from the doorway, quickly covered her eyes with her hands at this sight.

"Scary~" Her voice trembled, soft and sweet.

Grandma Qin's loving laughter filled the air: "Don't be afraid, I've just stunned it, it won't feel any pain."

It took a while for Shen Ningning to dare to peek through her fingers.

By then, Grandma Qin had already expertly prepared the fish.

With a chef's knife in hand, she deftly cleaned the fish scales.

The fish's innards were removed and barely had they touched the ground when Wolf Four, knowing the routine, squeezed its plump body in and gobbled them up.

Next, Grandma Qin stood the knife upright, skillfully filleting the fish meat along the spine, carefully avoiding the bones.

"Wow!" Shen Ningning watched in awe. "Grandma, you're so skilled!"

Grandma Qin smiled modestly, not making much of it.

In her youth, her father was a butcher.

Thus, Grandma Qin had learned to butcher pigs and sheep alongside her father since her girlhood.

For her, preparing a fish was a simple task.

Shen Ningning watched as Grandma Qin stir-fried the fish bones and head with Sichuan peppercorns, spring onions, and ginger.

She then poured in boiling water from the spiritual spring.

The soup simmered on a low flame for twenty minutes until, upon lifting the lid, the broth turned milky white!

A spoonful of salt added, and the aroma wafted up enticingly.

"It smells so good!" Shen Ningning couldn't help but lean over the stove, her big, bright eyes eagerly watching.

Grandma Qin chuckled, "It's not done yet."

She used a homemade wooden ladle to skim off the residues.

The fish soup was then carefully strained through a fine mesh, used for making tofu, several times to ensure no fish bones would trouble Shen Ningning.

In the end, there was only the fragrant fish soup left.

Grandma Qin briefly scalded the fish meat in it, then added diced tofu, cleaned green vegetables, black fungus, and mushrooms.

Once cooked, she removed them and laid them at the bottom of the bowl.

After arranging the fish meat, Grandma Qin sprinkled ground pepper and poured scalding hot oil over it!

Sizzle—

The steaming tofu fish soup was ready.

The aroma instantly spread, enticing the wolf pack to crowd at the door, curious about the delicious smell.

They carried the soup to the courtyard, where the grandmother and granddaughter held their steaming bowls of rice.

Grandma Qin scooped up a spoonful of fish soup, blew on it twice, and brought it to the little girl's lips.

Shen Ningning opened her mouth wide and drank it all in one gulp!

So fresh!

It's unbelievably fresh!

"It's so delicious!" Shen Ningning eagerly picked up the spoon and drank several mouthfuls of fish soup.

Grandma Qin, unable to stop smiling, said, "Slow down, be careful, it's hot."

Wolf Four couldn't resist and sidled up next to Grandma Qin, its wolf eyes constantly glancing at the table.

The black wolf king growled fiercely, and Wolf Four reluctantly went back.

Unable to eat fish, it had to settle for gnawing on a big pork bone filled with meat.

Seeing Shen Ningning enjoying her meal so much, even though she was sweating profusely, Grandma Qin felt it was all worth it.

She smiled kindly: "Next time you come back, Grandma will bake fish for you."

Shen Ningning looked up and saw sweat beads continuously rolling down Grandma's forehead.

Feeling heartache, she put down her utensils and ran over to wipe her grandmother's sweat with her small hands.

"Grandma, don't overwork yourself! It's so hot, and always being in the kitchen can make you faint from the heat!"

As Shen Ningning said this, she suddenly thought of something and flashed into the magical realm.

After a while, she came out again, her hands now filled with several herbs.

The little girl packed the herbs into her purse and placed them in Grandma Qin's hand.

"Last time, the shopkeeper from the apothecary gave me a heat-relief sachet, it's really effective. I've kept it for Grandma."

Grandma Qin, quite touched, said: "Ningning, you're so thoughtful. With you around, I have nothing to worry about."

"Alright, Ningning dear, go eat your meal. The fish soup tastes best when it's hot."

Later, while eating, Shen Ningning pondered.

Was there a way to keep Grandma cool in this heat?

It was fully summer now, and the weather would only get hotter.

Yesterday, when she returned from Xiangyun Village to Wolf Mountain, she noticed that the earth in the fields had cracked a few more inches.

  *

On the day she was to go to school, the carriage arranged by the county magistrate was waiting as usual at the base of Wolf Mountain.

Shen Ningning, carrying a heavy food box filled with Grandma Qin's love, headed off.

"Guard Brother!" she called out joyfully as she ran down the hillside.

"Miss Shen," the guard replied, managing a faint smile.

Shen Ningning, adept at reading expressions since childhood, noticed his demeanor and asked curiously, "Guard Brother, have you encountered something unhappy?"

The guard was startled, then hurriedly bowed, "Thank you for your concern, Miss Shen. It's not me, but in a couple of days when your school ends, I might not be able to come to pick you up."

Shen Ningning blinked her round eyes, thought for a moment, and then gave a sweet smile.

"It's okay! You should attend to your important duties!"

"It's not that simple. The county magistrate has recently been impeached and accused of harming the people. The situation is serious, and he has been ordered to stay at home, awaiting investigation."