Chapter 62

"Chapter 62: Can You Understand What They Say?"

"Deng Auntie looked down."

"Indeed, it was true!"

"The crevices of her gold ring, inlaid with a ruby, were filled with dark, dried blood."

"Her expression changed; she hadn't noticed in the darkness when she stole it last night!"

"'I accidentally cut my hand while chopping vegetables this morning!' she quickly fabricated an excuse, continuously rubbing the ring."

"One man, with a hawk-like nose, had a sinister look in his eyes."

"He said to Deng Auntie with a sneer, 'Then how come there’s no wound on your hand? Could it be stolen?'"

"Deng Auntie, angered, retorted, 'Are you blind? Go ask around in the nearby villages, am I, Wang Qiao'er, someone in need of money?'"

"'As if I'd steal! I have plenty of these at home, a whole box of them!'"

"After speaking, she looked the man up and down with disdain, 'Look at your poor appearance, so unrefined!'"

The two men exchanged a glance without saying a word.

Auntie Deng got off the cart as soon as she reached her maternal village to show off her jewelry.

The villager who knew Auntie Deng on the cart looked at her with envy.

She said to a relative traveling with her, "She's so lucky, her husband is the son of Xiangyun Village's village chief, and he's willing to spend money on her."

"And their Xiangyun Village, they have everything now. Last time I visited, I saw they even had loquat saplings, all planting in their fields!"

The expressions of the two men nearby changed.

For three consecutive days, the weather was too hot, and Shen Ningning didn’t come down the mountain.

That day, she planned to carry a few more buckets of spirit spring water to irrigate her land in the village.

Just as she was walking halfway up the mountain with the wolf pack, she saw Chen Ye patrolling the forest with a sword on his back.

"Brother Chen?" The little one's eyes widened in surprise, "What are you doing here?"

Chen Ye, upon seeing her, hastily bowed and said, "Miss, recently I've noticed some unfamiliar faces lingering around the village. Worried about bandits, I came here to patrol."

Hearing this, Shen Ningning instructed the Black Wolf King, "Wolfie, tell the other wolves to be on the lookout for strangers too!"

The Black Wolf King howled in agreement.

As she reached the foot of Wolf Mountain, she saw a familiar carriage, speeding through the dust.

"Eh? It's Brother's carriage!" the little one's eyes widened in surprise.

The carriage stopped in front of her.

A slender hand wearing prayer beads lifted the curtain, revealing Mo Lingwei's handsome face to the little girl.

"What a coincidence?" He smiled, "I was just about to go up the mountain to find you."

"Brother, is there something you need?"

"Get in, I'll take you to the palace for a visit," Mo Lingwei said with the carefree air of youth in his expression.

Shen Ningning blinked her large eyes.

"To the palace... Okay then!" She turned around, hugged the Black Wolf King's head, and gave it some instructions.

Telling it to go home and keep Grandma company.

Then, Shen Ningning tried to climb into the carriage herself, gripping the edge.

However, her little arms lacked strength and trembled!

Her soft body shook a couple of times, ultimately falling back to her original position.

She puffed her cheeks, determination showing in her bright, black eyes.

Today, she was determined to climb in by herself!

Her small hands grasped the edge of the carriage while lifting one leg, her little foot hooking as she attempted to roll sideways into the carriage.

Alas...

She failed again.

The carriage was simply too high for her!

The coachman could hardly bear to watch, wanting to reach out and pull her up several times, but Shen Ningning was determined to do it on her own, gritting her teeth!

The little one refused to admit defeat!

However, seeing her struggle, Mo Lingwei decisively reached out, grabbing the collar of her dress.

With a lift, Shen Ningning, with her small hands and feet dangling, was hoisted up like a little milky dumpling into the carriage.

Shen Ningning's efforts left her little face flushed, making her bright, black eyes stand out more.

Wiping the sweat from her forehead, she panted, "Phew, once I grow a bit taller, this carriage won't be a problem for me!"

Mo Lingwei, hearing this, couldn't help but laugh.

"Until you grow up, let me take the responsibility of pulling you up."

The carriage moved on.

The Black Wolf King led the wolf pack back into the mountains.

Wolf Four, following behind, howled its opinions.

"Is our Ningning getting too chubby? Why isn’t she growing taller, just rounder?"

The Black Wolf King turned its head, giving it a stern look.

Wolf Three let out a furious howl that echoed through the forest.

"Even if little Ningning gets chubby, could she ever be chubbier than you?"

Immediately, Wolf Four sheepishly tucked its tail and scampered off to Little White Wolf's side.

Inside the palace.

As soon as Shen Ningning entered Mo Lingwei's Zichen Palace, she felt a wave of cool air hit her.

The whooshing cool breeze isolated the outside heat from the palace.

The little girl's face, originally flushed from the heat, started to cool down.

After entering, it didn’t take long for her to stop feeling hot.

"Wow, it's so cool!" She observed the six huge seven-blade fans inside the palace.

Compared to the ones she bought, these were like giants next to a child!

With the rotation of the seven-blade fans, a continuous stream of cool air flowed in.

Mo Lingwei knew she would like it.

"You spend every day on the mountain, but it's still hot. If you like, you can consider moving to the palace. The side hall next to this one can be arranged for your residence."

While they talked, the court ladies dressed in thin gauze were already bringing in cut fruits and ice bowls.

Shen Ningning's eyes darted around, trying to take it all in.

She wasn't sure whether to look at the beautiful court ladies or the beautifully colored fruits!

She replied softly, "No way, if I move into the palace, what about Grandma and the wolves?"

Mo Lingwei raised his eyebrows.

It was indeed a good question.

Grandma Qin wouldn’t mind, and the wolf pack was large and numerous.

Suddenly, he had an idea, "We have a lion and tiger garden in the palace, specifically for keeping fierce animals. We could send the wolf pack there."

However, Shen Ningning shook her head, "The wolves have already sacrificed so much for me. They like living in the forest, and I want to stay with them!"

"But... a lion and tiger garden? Brother, are there really many fierce animals there?"

Mo Lingwei hummed in affirmation, watching her eat from the ice bowl, her cheeks puffed.

He explained, "Some were tributes, and others were captured during hunting expeditions. Father Emperor didn't want them killed, so they've been kept alive."

Noticing the sparkle in Shen Ningning's eyes, Mo Lingwei asked, "Would you like to visit it?"

"Yes!" The little one immediately put down her ice bowl.

Soon after, Mo Lingwei took her to the lion and tiger garden.

Court attendants fanned them and provided shade.

The lion and tiger garden, although called a garden, was actually quite hot under the sun. The Emperor had ordered the fierce animals and their cages to be moved into a large hall.

Inside the hall, seven-blade fans were also placed, making the place slightly odorous, but the animals had plenty of water and food and were fairly well-kept.

Shen Ningning immediately spotted the wolves in the cage.

Four or five thin wolves were confined together, and she hurried over to look at them.

These wolves gathered around, sniffing her scent.

Perhaps because Shen Ningning carried the scent of their kind, the wolves began to howl softly.

Shen Ningning focused her gaze, listening intently.

Mo Lingwei, finding it interesting, walked over to her side, "Can you understand what they are saying too?"