Free Web NovelChapter 181: Chapter 181: The Mad Scholar Catches Fish
Mo Lingwei took it and examined it. It was indeed a perfect match.
His eyes narrowed in suspicion. "Consort Rong..."
Shen Ningning said in her soft, sweet voice, "Brother, since Qing He is dead, let’s investigate Consort Rong. Maybe she has a connection to my family."
Mo Lingwei fell into thought, recalling what he knew.
Consort Rong came from a Third-rank Family. Her father was a scholar-official, a member of the Pure Stream Faction.
He had heard that in her household, Consort Rong was the eldest sister with three younger brothers. Other than that, there were no other female relatives.
Mo Lingwei nodded, taking note. "I’ll keep an eye out for you. However, we also need to investigate this Ruyi pendant. A craftsman would surely remember making two identical pieces."
Shen Ningning thought so too. Her watery eyes sparkled. "Brother, are you going into the city to investigate? Take me with you, please?"
"We can go to the jewelry shops in the city tomorrow and ask around. How does that sound?"
Mo Lingwei raised an eyebrow, a faint chuckle escaping his thin lips.
"No," he refused decisively. "I’ll take you after you’ve fully recovered."
Shen Ningning pouted, a little dejected. "Okay..."
To get better quickly, for the next ten days, the little one spent every free moment soaking in the Lotus Pond.
She chugged down Spiritual Spring Water and took a warm Spiritual Spring Water bath at night.
She even used water from the Spiritual Spring to brew her medicine.
Grandma Qin made a variety of restorative meals for the little one every day to help her body recover.
One day, Grandma Qin returned from outside with an unexpected person following behind her.
"Ningning, your friend is here."
Shen Ningning was on a lounge chair, her little feet propped up, holding a scroll in her left hand and a slice of cantaloupe in her right.
Hearing this, she tilted her head, her big, curious eyes looking out into the courtyard.
"Lu Shaoyuan?" the little one said in surprise. "How did you find your way here?"
Lu Shaoyuan was carrying gift boxes in both hands. He must have climbed a long way up the mountain, as he was now out of breath.
"I happened to run into Grandma Qin and asked her to bring me here. I heard you were very sick, so I came to see you."
He had actually been waiting in Xiangyun Village for two or three days.
He heard that Shen Ningning had fallen ill after leaving the torture room, and that the Crown Prince had flown into a rage at the Emperor upon returning to the palace.
Lu Shaoyuan couldn’t sit still at home, so he simply made his way to Xiangyun Village.
However, the villagers were united and simply refused to tell him when Shen Ningning would be in the village.
He didn’t know the way up Wolf Mountain, so his only option was to wait at the entrance to Xiangyun Village for half the day, every day.
Today, his luck had finally turned; he’d run into Grandma Qin, who was going to the village to chat with Granny Chen.
Only then was he able to follow her up the mountain.
Shen Ningning shuffled over in her little slippers. "Thank you! I’m all better now. Please, have a seat."
She dragged over a small stool, and Lu Shaoyuan sat down dutifully.
When Grandma Qin brought over some delicious sweet water, he quickly stood up again and took it respectfully with both hands.
The Black Wolf King lay nearby, watching with narrowed eyes.
Wolf Three was beside him, letting out a couple of quiet yips.
’Mo Lingwei leaves, and now another one of these brats shows up?’
Over the next few days, Mo Lingwei, Xie Mingxu, and Lu Shaoyuan took turns visiting.
Even the stoic Black Wolf King couldn’t help but speak coldly after they left, "So annoying!"
Wolf Three started yapping. "Look at that! You got Wolf Father so annoyed he’s speaking human words!"
The Black Wolf King swiped a paw, pinning Wolf Three to the ground.
He let out a fierce, stern howl, scolding Wolf Three.
’Listening to those brats talk these past few days has been giving me a headache, and now Wolf Three is mimicking human speech right in my ear!’
After getting smacked, and once the Black Wolf King had left, Wolf Three pitifully covered his eyes with his paws.
"AWOO~" he wailed mournfully, his cry full of grievance.
’Wolf Father was the one who spoke human words first! I was just copying him!’
A few more days passed. Shen Ningning was finally almost fully recovered. She looked even fairer and more delicate than before her illness and seemed to have grown a little taller.
Now that she was feeling better, she decided to go visit the mad scholar.
She hadn’t gone to his place to check in for her studies for nearly half a month. The mad scholar was probably getting anxious.
However, when the little one arrived at his door, she saw the mad scholar wearing a long robe that was faded from many washings, his pants and sleeves rolled up.
He was also carrying a fish basket and a wooden fishing rod.
Shen Ningning was amazed. ’The mad scholar isn’t at home reading!’
"Teacher, are you going fishing?" the little one asked, running over.
When the mad scholar saw her, he quickly bent down and examined Shen Ningning’s face from all angles.
"Grandma Qin said you were sick. Are you all better now?" he asked.
Shen Ningning nodded, and the chubby flesh of her rosy cheeks jiggled twice.
"I’m all better! I’m stronger than a little calf now!" She raised her small fists and hopped twice with a "heave-ho!"
The mad scholar chuckled and patted her head. "Come on. Your teacher will catch a fish and make soup for you."
With that, he took the lead, carrying the fish basket as he walked ahead.
Shen Ningning’s watery eyes widened behind him, filled with disbelief.
’Doesn’t my teacher spend all his waking hours reading? He’s actually going to the river to catch fish! How strange!’
The little one said this to herself, then quickly chased after him. "Teacher, wait for me~"
She didn’t forget to hook the door with her little foot, pulling it closed.
A mile and a half south of Xiangyun Village, there was a small river called Moon River.
It was famous for its shape, which resembled a wide crescent moon.
Before the drought, Moon River was the main source of water for the nearby villagers.
Not only would people from Xiangyun Village come here to fetch water and do laundry, but villagers from the not-too-distant Xitai Village would come as well.
When Shen Ningning and the mad scholar arrived, quite a few villagers from Xitai Village had already gathered by the stream.
Xiangyun Village had many wells, making it easy to store water, whereas Xitai Village was not as well-off in comparison, so they could only come to Moon River to fetch it.
After Shen Ningning single-handedly ended the drought, the small river had returned to its former sparkling self.
The stream water rushed and flowed with a SPLASH, looking incomparably clear.
They walked past several village women who were washing clothes by a large rock downstream.
When they saw Shen Ningning, they began to discuss her in low voices—
"Look, that’s the blessed girl, Shen Ningning. The one the Wu Family wanted to claim as their daughter."
"The Wu Family? How could they have such good fortune? Didn’t you hear the government’s clarification later? Shen Ningning isn’t their daughter at all. The real Wu girl was hacked to death by bandits long ago."
"Oh, how pitiful. But in the end, Shen Ningning still set up a grave for the Wu family. She’s a sentimental child. Should we go over and say hello?"
However, when the two of them looked up, the little one had already followed the mad scholar far upstream.
The water upstream was a bit deeper. If Shen Ningning were to step in, it would come up to her calves.
The mad scholar found a cool spot to sit down under a large tree. He skillfully took out his fishing rod and baited it with some homemade dough bait.
A few men from Xitai Village were sitting across from him, not far away, also holding fishing rods.
When they saw the mad scholar, they immediately laughed. "Mad scholar, you haven’t caught a single fish for three days straight. Why are you back again?"
The mad scholar didn’t get angry with them, his handsome face remaining placid.
"Hard work pays off for those who persevere. As long as I persist, I’m sure to get something."
Even one would be enough to make soup for his student, Shen Ningning.
The little one propped her chin in her hands, gazing at the sparkling surface of the water.
"Teacher, Moon River just got its water back. I doubt there are any fish in it yet, are there?"
