Chapter 49

Chapter 49

Half an hour earlier.

Shen Zhinuo and her brothers and sisters walked out of Fengyi Palace and strolled towards the imperial garden.

Little Dumpling's chubby legs were just too short. For every step her brothers took, she had to take two or three.

Shen Weiqing looked down at the slowly moving little girl and genuinely felt sorry for her. He bent down to pick her up.

The spring sunshine was warm, and the breeze was mild. The feeling of leisurely strolling with her brothers and sisters was indescribably pleasant. Shen Zhinuo waved her little hand and brushed him off: "Nuo Er will walk by herself."

Seeing how adorably Little Dumpling toddled, Shen Weiqing deliberately stretched his arm to block her path: "Let your second brother carry you. If you walk like this, it might take until night to get there."

Hearing his teasing voice, Shen Zhinuo knew her second brother was asking for trouble again. She put her little hands on her round waist and warned in her tiny voice: "Second brother, I'll count to three."

The little girl was fierce yet amusing. Shen Weiqing burst out laughing, "Can Nuo Er count? Should your second brother help you? One, two—"

Shen Zhinuo knew that her mischievous second brother needed a lesson today. She lifted her little foot and gave him a few kicks.

"Ouch!" Shen Weiqing cried out, hopping away while clutching his leg: "Nuo Er, your strength is getting stronger. When you grow up, you might become a powerhouse. Your second brother's leg is about to be broken."

Princess Wen'an laughed: "Second brother, you had it coming."

Shen Weiyan also laughed: "You had it coming."

Shen Zhinuo ignored him, holding her eldest brother's hand in one hand and her sister's in the other, walking forward while complaining to the system in her heart: "Doggy, tell me, how come my second brother, a royal grandson, doesn't act like one? He's always looking for trouble, constantly asking for a beating."

The little black dog popped out, as usual, to cheer her on: "If he's asking for a beating, give him more."

Seeing the fluffy little black dog flitting around in front of her, Shen Zhinuo couldn't resist reaching out to poke it, but just like countless times before, her hand went through empty air. She couldn't help feeling a bit regretful: "Doggy, I wish I could touch you."

The system replied: "Sorry, Young Master, this version of me isn't touchable. But I can report to the higher-ups and see if an upgrade is possible."

Shen Zhinuo: "Then I'll wait for it."

The child and the bucket chatted away aimlessly while Shen Weiyan and his siblings listened quietly.

Soon after, the four of them arrived at the imperial garden. Before they even passed through the moon gate, they heard laughter ahead.

"Doggy, there's someone there. Let's go see who it is," Shen Zhinuo let go of her eldest brother and sister's hands and excitedly ran over.

Despite her short legs, the little girl could run surprisingly quickly. In the blink of an eye, she had already reached the front.

Princess Wen'an, having grown up with her sister, instinctively followed her and disappeared through the moon gate in a flash.

Shen Weiqing, hearing Nuo Er and A Tong's conversation, immediately knew there was some excitement to be had and darted over as well.

Shen Weiyan, as the eldest royal grandson, had always been held to high expectations and taught to be dignified and composed. Seeing his younger siblings vanish in an instant, he shook his head and muttered, "This is improper," before quickly following them.

When he entered the moon gate and walked a bit further, he saw his younger siblings hiding behind a thick phoenix tree. The three of them were peeking out from behind the trunk, their heads poking out one after another, from shortest to tallest, looking ahead.

Hearing footsteps, they all turned their heads and waved at him, signaling him to come over.

Shen Weiyan walked over, amused and helpless: "What are you all doing?"

Shen Zhinuo put a chubby finger to her lips, "Shh, brother, squat down."

Shen Weiyan squatted beside the little chubby girl, holding her small hand, and asked with a smile: "Nuo Er, what are you looking at?"

Shen Zhinuo first pulled her eldest brother behind the tree, then pointed forward and whispered mysteriously, "The princesses are whispering."

Originally, Shen Zhinuo wanted to see who was talking and then have the dog sniff their faces.

But upon running over, she discovered that it was the Eleventh Princess and the Thirteenth Princess sitting on chairs under the pavilion, whispering head to head, with their maids standing far behind.

Shen Zhinuo had intended to take advantage of her young age, pretending to be naive, run over to have the dog sniff their faces, and then leave. However, her parents had always taught them not to look at or listen to what was inappropriate, so the little girl hesitated and stood still.

Princess Wen'an, always mindful of propriety, saw the scene under the pavilion, picked up her sister, turned around, and decided to take a detour to avoid them.

But Shen Weiqing, who loved to cause a stir, saw the two princesses and thought of finding a spot to wait for a while, waiting for them to finish their conversation so that A Tong could sniff their faces.

So, without thinking, he picked up his two sisters and took them to hide behind the tree to peek.

The three children hid behind the tree and called out to their eldest brother when they saw him approaching.

Shen Weiyan followed his sister's pointing finger and realized it was the Eleventh Princess and the Thirteenth Princess, sitting together and whispering something, too distant to hear.

Eavesdropping from the shadows, Shen Weiyan felt this was quite inappropriate.

As the eldest brother, he felt it was his duty to teach his younger siblings, so he gently took Nuo Er's small hand and softly advised, "Nuo Er, be good, come with me to play somewhere else, okay?"

Shen Zhinuo, who always liked her gentle big brother, nodded her head in agreement, reaching out to hug his neck.

Shen Weiyan picked up his chubby sister, led his older sister by the hand, and looked at Shen Weiqing, "Aren't you coming?"

Shen Weiqing, though mischievous, greatly respected his eldest brother, so he reluctantly followed, dragging his feet while glancing back, thinking he had missed two chances to sniff faces.

Shen Weiqing kept looking back and didn't notice a small branch on the ground, stepping on it, causing a crisp crack, startling the two who were whispering.

The Eleventh Princess immediately turned stern and scolded, "Who is sneaking around, eavesdropping?"

The Thirteenth Princess also said, "Show yourselves at once!"

Hearing the harsh voices of the Eleventh and Thirteenth Princesses, Shen Zhinuo clutched her big brother's neck tighter, kicked her feet, and whispered urgently, "Brother, let's go, the princesses are going to scold."

Shen Weiyan, who was never fond of dealing with these aunts, nodded and said okay, carrying one sister and leading the other by the hand, quickly walking away.

Shen Weiqing, who wasn't even afraid of the emperor, naturally wasn't afraid of two princesses. He thought since they were discovered, it was a rare opportunity and whispered to his siblings, "Big brother, the princesses have already found us, don't leave."

Without waiting for Shen Weiyan's reply, he turned around and ran back to the two princesses, smiling and greeting them, "Greetings, Eleventh Aunt; greetings, Thirteenth Aunt."

Seeing it was the mischievous boy who even gave the emperor headaches, the Eleventh Princess couldn't stay angry and softened her tone, smiling and asking, "Weiqing, why aren't you in Zhanghua Hall studying right now, hiding here?"

Shen Weiqing didn't explain much, just smiled and said, "I came out for some fun."

The Thirteenth Princess looked behind him but didn't see anyone, somewhat disappointed, "Are you by yourself?"

The Eleventh Princess also asked, "Yes, Weiqing, didn't Nuo Er come out with you?"

Shen Weiqing thought to himself that the opportunity had come, so he pointed back, "My big brother is with Hui Er and Nuo Er not far away, they were afraid of disturbing you two aunts, so they didn't come forward."

The Eleventh Princess and the Thirteenth Princess looked at each other and smiled. Indeed, fortune favors the bold.

After the palace banquet last night, neither of them left the palace but went to their respective mothers. The reason they stayed in the palace was, of course, the shocking scenes at the banquet.

The Eleventh Princess was born to Consort Su, who, besides the Eleventh Princess, also had the Sixteenth Prince. However, the Sixteenth Prince died of smallpox years ago, and since then, she had no more children.

Without a son, Consort Su didn't have to worry about her son plotting rebellion, so mother and daughter were carefree, discussing all the things A Tong had revealed at the banquet with great interest. They even speculated who the filial son who strangled the emperor was, analyzing until late at night, only falling asleep reluctantly when they could no longer keep their eyes open.

The mother and daughter both believed that A Tong was even more accurate than the most skilled fortune-teller, so they discussed finding an opportunity to meet Nuo Er, hoping that A Tong could reveal their future and give them a glimpse of what lay ahead.

Consort Su had originally planned to try her luck by paying respects to the Empress this morning, hoping to encounter the chubby little girl from the Eastern Palace. However, since the Emperor had stayed at Fengyi Palace last night, the Empress excused the concubines from their morning greetings today.

Although Consort Su was curious about her ultimate fate, as an elderly consort, it would be unbecoming for her to eagerly rush to the Eastern Palace, as it would appear too undignified.

Of course, the main reason was that this morning, she had sent her personal maid to investigate, and found that everyone was staying put, with no one heading to the Eastern Palace.

Thus, Princess Eleventh volunteered to go out and wander around, hoping to have a chance encounter with Princess Baoning.

The Thirteenth Princess, born to Consort Zhao, also had two brothers: the Fifteenth Prince and the Seventeenth Prince. The Fifteenth Prince had passed away many years ago due to smallpox.

The Seventeenth Prince had been named during last night's palace banquet and was subsequently punished with forty strokes of the cane for his mistakes.

Although her son had suffered greatly, Consort Zhao's heart was finally at ease.

After visiting her son, who was lying in bed moaning in pain last night, she returned to her own palace and slept with her daughter, chatting enthusiastically until late into the night before finally resting.

This morning, the Thirteenth Princess went out after breakfast, hoping to meet the chubby little girl from the Eastern Palace.

In fact, Consort Zhao had also wanted to come along, but thinking of her son still lying miserably in bed, she felt it would be inappropriate to eagerly chase after Princess Baoning for gossip, so she decided against it.

The Thirteenth Princess and the Eleventh Princess shared the same goal: to see if they could hear any fresh news, and also to learn about their own futures from A Tong.

The two wandered around the palace but didn't encounter Princess Baoning. Instead, they ran into each other. Seeing each other's slightly flushed faces from walking so much, they tacitly understood what the other was doing. They exchanged a knowing smile and sat down to chat.

They exchanged information and opinions about last night's events, chatting for a long time. Just when they thought they wouldn't see Princess Baoning today, they unexpectedly ran into her.

Hearing that Princess Baoning was ahead, the Eleventh Princess and the Thirteenth Princess simultaneously reached out, pushed aside their nephew who was blocking the way, and strode toward the direction of the wutong tree.

The Eleventh Princess, afraid the children might walk away, called out loudly, "Is that Wei Yan? Why don't you come over and greet your aunts when you see them?"

The Thirteenth Princess chimed in, "Yes, Nuo Er and Hui Er are here too, right? It's been a while since we've seen them. Come over and let your aunts take a look."

Always eager for some excitement, Shen Weiqing didn't mind being cast aside by his aunts and happily ran after them, "Big brother, the aunts are calling you over."

Seeing that his younger brother had already run off, Shen Weiyan slowed his pace, thinking that if Weiqing could handle it, that would be fine. If not, he might have to bring his sisters back.

In no time, he heard the two aunts approaching from behind. Shen Weiyan sighed softly in his heart, thinking, "As expected."

Now, the matter of Nuo Er and A Tong was no longer a secret among the royal relatives. Last night, his father and mother had already analyzed the situation, saying that from now on, Nuo Er's life would likely be anything but peaceful. And here it was.

If the two aunts hadn't sounded so harsh earlier, as if they were about to scold someone, Shen Zhinuo wouldn't have wanted to leave. Now, hearing that the aunts seemed happy again, she reached out her little hand, "Brother, the aunts are calling us."

At this point, Shen Weiyan had no choice but to bring his sisters back. As they rounded the wutong tree, they came face to face with the three.

Shen Weiyan set Nuo Er down and led his sisters in bowing to the two aunts.

The Eleventh Princess smiled, "No need for formalities."

As the three children stood up, the Eleventh Princess and the Thirteenth Princess surrounded them with smiles, bending down to curiously examine the chubby little girl, their voices unconsciously softening.

"Nuo Er, where are you going to play?"

"It's too hot today, Nuo Er, why don't you come with your aunts to the pavilion to see the flowers? The peonies are in full bloom, and you can see them perfectly from the pavilion."

The Eleventh Princess was twenty-one years old, and the Thirteenth Princess was twenty. Both had left the palace to establish their own households before Shen Zhinuo was born, and both had married a few years ago. After marriage, their visits to the palace became less frequent.

Shen Zhinuo spent most of her time in the Eastern Palace, and her few encounters with her aunts had been at palace banquets, where they were quite far apart, so they weren't very familiar with each other.

Shen Zhinuo didn’t understand why her two aunts suddenly became so affectionate towards her, but other imperial uncles and aunts often behaved similarly when they saw her, so although she found it a bit strange, she didn’t think too much about it.

She simply nodded her little head obediently: "Okay, let's go see the flowers."

The little girl spoke in a soft, sweet voice, and she was so well-behaved that Princess Eleventh and Thirteenth Princess felt their hearts melt. Both of them reached out to hug her.

But Shen Weiyan and his siblings remembered their parents’ specific instructions from the night before, telling them to be especially cautious outside and not to let strangers of unknown origins get close to Nuo Er.

Seeing their aunts about to embrace Nuo Er, the three siblings quickly reached out and pulled their sister back.

Princess Eleventh and Thirteenth Princess’s hands froze mid-air, and they stared at the children in confusion. What was happening? Why couldn’t they hug her?

The three siblings stayed silent.

For a moment, the atmosphere turned awkward.

Shen Zhinuo was standing firmly when she was suddenly lifted into the air. She looked down at the three pairs of hands her siblings had on her, tilted her little head back and looked at them, puzzled.

Shen Weiqing reacted swiftly, first retracting his hand, then pulling his older sister away.

Shen Weiyan seized the moment to pick up the little chubby girl, smiling while he explained: "Aunts, sorry, Nuo Er is a bit heavy, and you’re not accustomed to holding her. You might hurt your hands."

If her second brother had said this, Shen Zhinuo would have surely kicked and hit him, because her second brother was definitely teasing her.

But since it was her eldest brother who said it, Shen Zhinuo believed he was simply stating a fact.

So the little girl nodded, patted her chubby little legs, and said in a serious, childlike voice: "Nuo Er is chubby, it might hurt your hands."

Princess Eleventh and Thirteenth Princess weren’t fools. They had already guessed what was going on from the children’s wary and cautious looks.

Putting themselves in their shoes, if their own children had such extraordinary abilities, they would naturally be on guard against others.

Besides, their main purpose today was not to hug the child but to hear A Tong predict their future and listen to some fresh gossip from others. If they couldn’t hug the child, then so be it.

The group then walked into the pavilion and sat down. Earlier, using the excuse of looking at flowers, Shen Weiyan placed his sister on the stone bench where the peonies were in full bloom.

The spring weather was warm, and the stone bench wasn’t cold. Shen Zhinuo sat on the bench with her little feet dangling, kicking them back and forth, pretending to look at the flowers, but in her heart, she was already chatting with A Tong.

"Doggy, go scan my two aunts and see how they turn out later."

Princess Eleventh and Thirteenth Princess were sitting close together. Upon hearing the soft, sweet command, they exchanged glances, their expressions barely concealing their excitement. Under the table, their hands clenched together, thinking, "It’s coming, it’s coming."

"Coming, Young Master," the little black dog appeared out of thin air, responded, and flew towards the two princesses.

First, it circled around Princess Eleventh’s face, then around Thirteenth Princess’s face, before darting back to Shen Zhinuo’s shoulder: "Scan complete, Young Master. Whose do you want to hear first?"

Princess Eleventh and Thirteenth Princess both felt inexplicably nervous. Their hands clenched even tighter, and they patted each other’s hands, comforting one another.

Shen Zhinuo: "Then let’s start with my Eleventh Aunt."

"Alright," the little black dog responded cheerfully, pulling up the storyline related to Princess Eleventh and said: "After the Old Emperor died, the world fell into complete chaos, and Princess Eleventh later died."

The result of her death was within everyone’s expectations, and Shen Zhinuo wasn’t surprised. She asked again: "How did she die?"

The system: "After the world fell into chaos, the capital frequently changed hands. You would be emperor for a few days, he would sit on the throne for a few days. At first, it was your Imperial Uncles taking turns, but later it was others."

"When your Imperial Uncles were emperors, they showed no mercy to their brothers but were relatively kind to the princesses who posed no threat to them. They didn’t exterminate them all, after all, they still cared about their reputation."

"But later, when others ascended the throne, the Old Emperor’s children all became remnants of the previous dynasty, so naturally, they had to be slaughtered to eliminate any future threats."

Throughout history, this has always been the case, and Shen Zhinuo was not surprised: "So, my Eleventh Aunt was killed by the new emperor."

The system replied, "Pretty much."

Shen Zhinuo then asked, "What about my Thirteenth Aunt?"

The system answered, "She died the same way as the Eleventh Princess."

In the same boat, the Eleventh Princess and the Thirteenth Princess held each other's hands, leaning their shoulders together, quietly consoling each other.

Not hearing anything new, Shen Zhinuo asked again, "Did they do anything besides that? Did they harm my imperial grandmother or my parents?"

The system searched and replied, "No, they didn't. But, Young Master, their deaths were quite interesting."

Shen Zhinuo didn't understand, "How is death interesting?"

The system explained, "After your last Imperial Uncle died, the capital fell into chaos once again. Then, a self-proclaimed emperor attacked the capital. The Shen family knew they were doomed if the city fell, so they organized a desperate resistance."

"The Eleventh and Thirteenth Princesses were too delicate to fight, so they thought of escaping. They were always close, so they met and decided to flee together."

Shen Zhinuo tilted her little head and glanced at the Eleventh Princess and the Thirteenth Princess, seeing them affectionately leaning against each other. The little girl thought to herself, "My aunts are as close as me and my sister."

As she spoke, she also leaned into her sister's embrace. Princess Wen'an hugged and kissed her sister's chubby cheek.

Hearing this, the Eleventh Princess and the Thirteenth Princess were deeply moved. They looked at each other, seeing the deep sisterly affection in each other's moist eyes. They squeezed each other's hands, wishing they could hug if the kids weren't there.

True sisters stick together in tough times.

Shen Zhinuo asked again, "Doggy, then what?"

The system's voice suddenly changed: "They disguised themselves as commoners and tried to escape through a secret tunnel before the city fell. However, they were too late; the tunnel had been discovered and blocked."

"So, they had to hide in a small house in the city. They stayed indoors, afraid to go out, while their consorts went out to gather information, hoping to wait out the storm and find another chance to escape."

"Then, the new emperor ordered a city-wide search for remnants of the previous dynasty. Both consorts fled during their outings."

Shen Zhinuo spread her little hands, "When things get tough, everyone looks out for themselves."

Shen Weiyan and his sisters thought about their uncles who abandoned their wives—but not their kids, since the aunts hadn't had children yet.

The Eleventh Princess and the Thirteenth Princess were stunned by this news, looking at each other in disbelief. Were they really that bad at picking men?

Feeling even more connected by their shared misfortune, they sympathized with each other and themselves. The Eleventh Princess whispered to the Thirteenth Princess, "Don't worry, sis, I'll take care of that jerk."

The Thirteenth Princess, with tears in her eyes, whispered back, "Don't worry, sis, I'll help you kill that guy."

Shen Zhinuo, gazing at the blooming peonies in the garden, didn't notice her aunts' interaction and asked again, "What happened to my two aunts later?"

The black dog bounced around, "Young Master, the interesting part is here. Later, after they finished their food and their consorts didn't return, they guessed that their consorts might have been captured or even killed. Thinking that their consorts might have kept their secret even in death, they hugged each other and cried, believing their consorts had been truly loyal."

"Afraid of the chaotic world outside but unable to bear the hunger, they decided to go out together to find food. Accustomed to a life of luxury, this was the first time they had no one to serve them. They wandered around with money, but after half a day, they couldn't find a place to buy food. Later, because they looked suspicious, they were captured."

"Both princesses were beautiful and had a noble demeanor. Even dressed in simple clothes, it was clear they were not ordinary people. So, they were brought before the new emperor."

Hearing this, the hearts of the two princesses tightened. They suddenly thought it might have been better to join their brothers in rebellion earlier and die quickly, rather than living in fear and possibly facing humiliation.

Fortunately, A Tong quickly added, "The new emperor was ruthless and not swayed by beauty. After glancing at them, he ordered his subordinates: 'Kill the one who is a princess of the previous dynasty, and demote the one who is not a princess to slavery.'"

Shen Zhinuo was puzzled, "Why did he think only one of them was a princess?"

The system: "It’s a bit convoluted, but it's only mentioned that the emperor, in order to eradicate all remnants, carefully tallied the number of princesses and princes who had died. It was said that before that, all the princesses in the capital had been captured, all but one. So, the new emperor judged that only one of the two was a princess."

Shen Zhinuo: "How is that possible? My aunts are all accounted for, how could there be an extra one?"

The system: "Perhaps it was a case of mistaken identity."

Shen Zhinuo: "What happened to my two aunts then?"

The system: "Although Princess Eleventh and Thirteenth Princess didn't know why the emperor said that, both were desperate to survive, so they both pointed at each other and said, 'She is the princess.'"

Shen Zhinuo was stunned, "But my two aunts have always been as thick as thieves, haven't they?"

Yes, they are as thick as thieves now. The three siblings of Shen Weiyan all looked at their aunts in surprise.

What vile women! How could they be so cruel! Hearing this, the faces of Princess Eleventh and Thirteenth Princess changed, and the phrase involuntarily popped into their minds.

They glanced at each other, immediately averted their eyes, and felt how awkward their tightly held hands were, so without a word, they both let go, shook their hands, took out handkerchiefs to wipe them, feeling utterly repulsed.

Shen Zhinuo asked again, "Then what happened, who ended up dying?"

The system: "The new emperor saw that the two, in order to survive, looked so monstrous that he got angry and directly drew his sword and stabbed both to death."

Princess Eleventh and Thirteenth Princess glared at each other, resenting the other for not sacrificing themselves, so at least one could survive.

But both had done the same to each other, if you are not benevolent, she is not righteous, equally culpable, feeling uncomfortable and suffocated, but neither had the face to blame the other.

They just silently got up, each sat a bit further apart, and secretly decided in their hearts to never have anything to do with each other again.

After listening, Shen Zhinuo curiously asked, "Then why were my two aunts so close before?"

The system: "It’s even more intriguing. Originally, Consort Zhao and Consort Su were close, they often brought their children together, and the two princesses always played together as children, so their relationship was quite good."

"Later, because of a smallpox outbreak, Consort Zhao and Consort Su each lost a son, and somehow, their relationship fell apart, and they stopped visiting each other, so Princess Eleventh and Thirteenth Princess also fell out."

"Until they grew up and reached the age of marriage, the two men they were fond of were both snatched away by the 12th Princess one after another, so they had a common enemy, and became good sisters again."

Shen Zhinuo nodded her little head, "I get it, the enemy of my enemy is my friend."

The system: "Young Master is really amazing."

Hearing A Tong mention the man from the past, and the woman who stole that man, Princess Eleventh and Thirteenth Princess glanced at each other, their expressions softened slightly.

Back then, they supported each other through those sad and difficult days, no matter what happened later, that bond they shared back then was still precious.

Who would have thought that A Tong added, "But Young Master, do you know? The fact that Princess Eleventh liked that man was spread by Thirteenth Princess as gossip, and it was known by the 12th Princess, who then deliberately took him away."

Princess Eleventh stood up abruptly, glaring at Thirteenth Princess.

Thirteenth Princess guiltily lowered her head, whispering a reminder, "Sit down, Nuo Er is here."

Shen Weiyan also gestured to Princess Eleventh to calm down.

Princess Eleventh glanced at the little girl sitting on the blooming peonies, kicking her little feet, and with a flick of her handkerchief, sat back down, but her chest heaved violently, fuming.

Shen Zhinuo curiously asked, "Why did my 12th aunt take him?"

The system: "We don't know for now, Young Master, let's talk about these two princesses first. Thirteenth Princess inadvertently sabotaged Princess Eleventh’s chance, but Thirteenth Princess didn't know that her beloved was taken because Princess Eleventh, in a confrontation with the 12th Princess, said in anger, 'If you have the ability, take the one Thirteenth likes too.' So, the 12th Princess also took him."

Hearing this, Thirteenth Princess suddenly looked up, shocked, at Princess Eleventh, and saw that Princess Eleventh avoided her gaze and dared not meet her eyes, they knew each other too well, she could see immediately that it was true.

Thirteenth Princess was hot-tempered and couldn’t hold back. Thinking about how she missed her beloved and ended up marrying a scoundrel who abandoned her at a critical moment, which ultimately led to her demise, she lunged forward to attack.

Princess Eleventh, also brimming with pent-up anger, couldn’t restrain herself any longer. Seeing Thirteenth Princess take action, she didn’t hesitate to retaliate.

Both princesses, having grown up in luxury, had no clue how to throw a punch. It was just a tug-of-war over clothes and hair.

They cursed as they fought, but their mouths quickly became sore and numb, leaving them speechless.

So they kept at it, silently grappling with each other.

Shen Zhinuo, engrossed in conversation with her dog and admiring the flowers, heard the commotion behind her and turned to look.

Seeing her two aunts, disheveled and wrestling with each other, the little girl was terrified. She jumped off her chair and ran to her stunned older brother, standing on tiptoe and reaching out her little arms: "Nuo Er is scared, brother, hold me, hold me."