Chapter 79

"Chapter 79: Ningning has a plan!"

Not only had Qin Fangmei roasted them, but she had already eaten the legs of the pigeons.

Seeing the steward's intense reaction.

She couldn't help but feel a bit angry.

"I didn't know they were your carrier pigeons. Besides, what's done is done. If necessary, my uncle will compensate you for them!"

The steward roared, "What good is money? Don't you realize we were planning to use these pigeons to call for help from the outside?"

"Now that you've eaten them, we're going to be trapped here even longer!"

The surrounding students were shocked and astounded.

Even Qin Fangmei was stunned.

"I... I didn't know! You never told me the pigeons were off-limits!" she said, beginning to cry in frustration.

Master Huang hurried over upon hearing the commotion.

At first sight of the roasted squab on the ground, his eyes flashed with complex emotions.

With things having come to this, he could only instruct the scholars to disperse the other students, while he stayed behind to discuss strategies with the villa's steward.

Qin Fangmei was led away by two female students, crying continuously.

Shen Ningning watched her retreat with her round, black eyes, her gaze indifferent.

She felt no schadenfreude, only a sense of sadness for Qin Fangmei's foolishness that had affected everyone.

Now, everyone needed to think of a way to get through this hardship together.

Not long after Shen Ningning returned to her room, Ren Yu ran up to talk to her.

She had just stashed everything away in her fairyland.

Ren Yu came to the second floor: "Ningning, it's so cool up here in your room!"

Sitting at the table, Shen Ningning turned and sweetly smiled at her, "I've opened the windows wide. Would you like to sit for a while?"

"Yes! Actually, I just heard something that I think will make you angry."

Ren Yu sat down on the chair, and Shen Ningning handed her a red fruit, which she accepted with a smile.

Shen Ningning tilted her head, her voice soft and sweet, "What happened?"

Munching on the red fruit, Ren Yu said, "It's about Qin Fangmei! She really went too far. I just heard from Xiang Qian that she caught the carrier pigeons a day ago and kept them tied up in her room."

"The villa's steward found small message tubes from the carrier pigeons in her room."

Shen Ningning's eyes widened in surprise, "Does that mean she knew they were carrier pigeons?!"

Knowing that and still eating them?!

Ren Yu nodded emphatically, adding indignantly, "Exactly! She was so selfish, and she even lied when she got caught."

"But there's something even more infuriating. Master Huang asked her why she hid them and if she knew that was stealing."

"Guess what she said?"

Shen Ningning shook her head, indicating she didn't know.

Ren Yu put down the fruit, "She claimed she caught them for you, saying that you had given away your own food box to other students in a fit of anger and went hungry yourself!"

"She said she saw you not coming out for meals and was worried you might be starving, so she caught the pigeons for you."

Shen Ningning angrily retorted, "She's making excuses!"

"That's what I thought too! Qin Fangmei is so selfish, there's no way she did it for you. Thankfully, Master Huang didn't believe her either. He punished her by making her copy books and even smacked her palms."

Ren Yu couldn't hide her schadenfreude, "Getting punished on her first day at the academy, Qin Fangmei really set a new record for embarrassment at our private school!"

"By the way, on my way here, I saw Lu Shaoyuan and others planning to go back to where we previously foraged for wild vegetables to dig up some more. Are you coming?"

Shen Ningning shook her head, her tone soft, "It's too hot, I'd rather not go."

Ren Yu hesitated, "But... they said if we run out of food, everyone will receive food based on how much effort they put in."

Shen Ningning didn’t mind, actually finding it fair.

"It's okay, I won't take any then. I still have some fruits left here that can fill me up, so I won't compete with everyone else for food."

Hearing this, Ren Yu didn't say much, just looked enviously at the fruits before saying goodbye and leaving.

However, a serious expression suddenly appeared on Shen Ningning's small face.

"If we can't repair the bridge soon, nobody will be able to leave."

"If people really start dying of thirst, I couldn't bear it."

After thinking it over, Shen Ningning decided to check out the back mountain.

Jingshan was so named because, years ago before the drought, it was lush with greenery, verdant and picturesque.

But now, under the scorching sun, Shen Ningning saw nothing but dead trees and desolation.

Under the blazing sun, all life seemed to have lost its vitality.

The little girl climbed the dry, cracked mountain soil, step by step.

In just the time it takes to burn a stick of incense, sweat had soaked her small clothes.

"Whew, it's really hot." She wiped sweat with her small hand and poured spiritual spring water from her canteen over her head.

That brought her some temporary relief from the heat.

Jingshan is located to the west of the capital, far from the Wolf Mountain in the east.

A continuous range of mountains lies between them.

Therefore, Shen Ningning wasn't familiar with the terrain here and didn't dare to wander too far.

Just then.

She heard a squeaking sound coming from behind her.

Turning around, she saw two little monkeys!

They squatted where she had just poured the spiritual spring water, sniffing around.

They kept squeaking, as if analyzing something.

Strangely, she seemed to understand their chatter.

They were discussing whether she was the girl from Xiangyun Village.

They also mentioned that their uncle said this girl was the Monkey King, and she had all kinds of food.

Hearing this, Shen Ningning pouted, "When did I become the Monkey King?"

The two little monkeys were startled and let out a loud "squeak."

She could actually understand what they were saying!

Shen Ningning took a step closer, and the two monkeys immediately scampered up the tree in fright.

"Don't be afraid, I'm not a bad person," she said, pulling out a red fruit from her pocket.

One of the monkeys tentatively came down, snatched the fruit, and quickly returned to the tree.

Shen Ningning looked up and asked, "From what you were discussing earlier, it seems you know the group of little monkeys on Wolf Mountain, right?"

The two monkeys exchanged glances and nodded gently.

Delighted, the little girl asked, "So, did you hear about me from them?"

Wolf Mountain and Jingshan are fifty li apart!

One of the monkeys chirped an explanation.

They were of the same species, and having heard of Shen Ningning's actions on Wolf Mountain where she brought forth spiritual springs, the monkeys from Jingshan had also gone there.

They drank several mouthfuls of the spiritual spring water with the permission of the monkeys there.

That's why they recognized her by the scent of the water she brought.

Shen Ningning's face lit up with joy, "Great, do you know of any other paths to leave Jingshan?"

The monkeys pointed in different directions, one to the left and the other to the right.

The little girl was puzzled, "Two paths?"

Then, the two monkeys started to argue noisily, pushing and shoving each other, eventually breaking into a fight.

Monkey fur flew in all directions.

One insisted on going south, claiming it would take three days and nights to leave the mountain.

Another said to turn right and cross a wooden bridge to descend the mountain.

"Stop fighting!" Shen Ningning quickly extended her small hand to separate the two.

From their quarrel, the little one understood the situation.

Next to Jingshan, there were deep forests, and it would be extremely dangerous for so many people to leave on foot.

Not to mention the risk of encountering wild animals, the lack of food and water was terrifying enough.

Shen Ningning sat down on the ground, deeply worried.

"The only bridge down the mountain has broken. It seems we won't be able to leave for a while, and everyone is running out of food."

Even if the county magistrate's men find out and come to repair it, bridge repairs take time and aren't easy.

It looks like she really has to bring out the spirit spring water.

Probably seeing her dilemma,

The two little monkeys went aside to discuss for a while.

Suddenly, they came over, gently touched Shen Ningning's arm with their small paws, and chirped twice.

After understanding them, the little one joyfully said in a sweet voice, "You have a way to help us?"

The backstage counter showed the number 2222, and she suddenly laughed, "Hahaha."