Chapter 26: Chapter 26: Wronged in a Humble Abode Tonight; Unrestrained on the Dragon Platform Tomorrow

Two or three days passed.

Shen Ningning returned to the village to check on the repairs of her house.

Just as she entered the village, she heard a call from behind: "Miss Shen, please wait!"

She turned and saw a guard, accompanied by two young servants, approaching on horseback.

The little one recognized him. He was one of the men Grandpa County Magistrate had brought with him before. 𝓯𝙧𝓮𝓮𝒘𝓮𝙗𝙣𝒐𝒗𝒆𝓵.𝓬𝓸𝒎

"Brother Guard." Shen Ningning blinked her big eyes, standing in place and greeting him politely.

The guard smiled, dismounted, and took a heavy package from one of the servants.

"Miss Shen, our County Magistrate heard you’ll be starting at the private school in a few days, so he specially prepared some paper, brushes, and books for you."

As he spoke, he unwrapped the package in front of her.

Inside were high-quality writing brushes and an inkstone, as well as two primers.

There was also a bag of broken silver and a fifty-tael silver note.

At the very bottom were two small dresses for her to wear.

Shen Ningning’s heart warmed. "Please thank Grandpa County Magistrate for me!"

’Grandpa Fu is so kind, thinking of so many things for me.’

’He was afraid I couldn’t afford writing brushes, so he sent someone to deliver them in advance.’

The guard smiled warmly. "You’re too kind, Miss Shen. Our master said you are his savior. No amount of care would be too much."

"Since the items have been delivered, I will take my leave to report back. Miss Shen, farewell."

With that, he mounted his horse. Shen Ningning gave a small wave, and only then did he ride away.

The Black Wolf King came forward and dutifully took the package in its mouth.

Shen Ningning rubbed its ears with her small hand. "Langlang, I can’t wait to go home and read!"

But first, she had to deliver food to the uncles and aunts repairing the house.

She trotted toward the house on her little feet.

However, she heard sounds of crying and arguing from her own courtyard.

"Liu Zhun! You bastard, I’ve been married to you for so many years! When have I ever enjoyed a comfortable day?"

"The harvests have been poor these last few years, and I’ve starved with you and our child! We never said a word of complaint."

"Now that we finally have a few bags of rice and flour, you go and give them to someone else! Our child is crying from hunger pains, how can your heart be so cruel!"

It was the voice of Uncle Liu’s wife, Aunt Liu.

Shen Ningning pushed open the gate. "What’s wrong?"

The villagers who had been surrounding the Liu couple and trying to mediate immediately gathered around the little girl when they saw her.

They all started talking at once, explaining the situation.

Shen Ningning only understood the gist of it.

The food she had given the Liu Family had all been taken by Uncle Liu and given to a mad scholar in the village.

Sister-in-law Liu threw herself in front of the little girl, crying, "Ningning, we can’t do this work anymore! We quit!"

The house was already more than halfway repaired and would be finished soon.

’How can they just quit like that?’

Shen Ningning’s voice was crisp and clear. "Aunt Liu, don’t worry. We can talk about whatever’s wrong."

Sister-in-law Liu wiped her tears. "What’s the point of working ourselves to death under the scorching sun? He just gives our things away to others."

"He doesn’t care that his own child has nothing to eat, but he’s so generous with that mad scholar, who’s no relative of ours!"

Uncle Liu, who had been silent all this time, finally spoke up.

His voice was heavy. "He’s dirt poor. If he doesn’t eat soon, he’ll die."

"What’s that got to do with us!" Sister-in-law Liu sobbed and cursed. "Your own son is about to starve to death!"

Shen Ningning immediately had Langlang put down the bundle it was carrying.

"My grandmother made fresh meat buns today. How about this, Aunt Liu, since your child is so hungry, take ten of them home for now so you can all eat your fill."

Hearing this, Sister-in-law Liu’s crying subsided.

She took ten buns, two bowls of millet congee, and three pieces of fruit before heading back.

Uncle Liu immediately said, "That’s too much! You and the boy can’t eat all that. Don’t let it go to waste!"

Sister-in-law Liu snapped, "We’ll save it and eat it tomorrow!"

With that, she thanked Shen Ningning and hurried away.

Uncle Liu felt apologetic and immediately came over to say sorry to Shen Ningning.

The little girl had a round face and a sweet, lively smile.

"Please, Uncle Liu, there’s no need for apologies. You’ve worked so hard helping me repair my house from morning to night without a single complaint. I should be the one thanking you."

It was just about time for a meal, so Shen Ningning waved her small hand and told everyone to go eat.

Her grandmother was a great cook. The fresh meat buns had thin skins and were packed with a thick, juicy filling!

A single bite sent delicious juices oozing out!

During the break, Shen Ningning asked Uncle Liu for the full story.

The mad scholar had suddenly appeared in Xiangyun Village six years ago.

Everyone said he was a madman who did nothing but read.

Once, someone saw him fall into the river. Half his body was submerged, but he was still holding a book up, reading.

He had no family or friends and didn’t interact with the villagers.

When he was hungry, he’d go up the mountain to pick and eat some grass roots.

Uncle Liu was a kind-hearted man, and since their houses were close, he had helped him out a few times.

"Last time, I saw him faint from hunger, so I gave him the rice and flour. I didn’t expect your aunt to find out and argue with me over it," Uncle Liu sighed.

After understanding the situation, Shen Ningning blinked her long, thick eyelashes.

She smiled and said, "Then I’ll go have a look. It’s just one more mouth to feed; I can handle it. Uncle Liu, please tell Aunt Liu there’s no need to be angry about this."

Uncle Liu wrung his hands, feeling very guilty. "I’m sorry, Ningning. I’ve caused you trouble."

’Uncle Liu works under the blazing sun every day to repair my house, to the point his skin is chapped and cracked.’

Shen Ningning decided she would resolve this conflict for the couple.

She took the Black Wolf King and went straight to the mad scholar’s house.

She pushed open the gate to find the courtyard covered in dust.

Even the Black Wolf King was choked by it and sneezed.

Shen Ningning walked up to the house and reached out to knock, but to her surprise, the door wasn’t locked at all!

It swung open with a push.

She looked inside the room. All she could see were books, and more books.

In contrast to the dust-covered courtyard, all the mad scholar’s books were kept in pristine condition.

Shen Ningning poked her little head in to have a look.

She saw a gaunt young man, about twenty-five years old, with his back to her, furiously writing at a desk.

As he wrote, he muttered anxiously, "I can’t write anymore, I can’t write anymore!"

Shen Ningning asked several times, "May I come in?"

He didn’t hear her at all.

The little girl lifted her skirt, gave a little hop with her small feet, and silently slipped inside.

She dodged the books scattered haphazardly on the floor.

She looked around the room. It was a veritable ocean of books.

It was comparable to the study in the old mountain mansion; there were just as many books.

Shen Ningning looked down.

The small bag of flour that Uncle Liu had given the mad scholar was being used to prop up a table leg, all for the sake of practicing calligraphy!

’He really is a mad scholar...’

Shen Ningning stood on her tiptoes, watching him scribble erratically on the paper.

The brush in his hand was frayed and splayed, completely unable to hold ink.

The little girl thought for a moment, then directly opened her package and handed him the writing brush Grandpa County Magistrate had given her.

"Your brush is ruined, of course you can’t write. Here, use mine."

When the mad scholar saw the new brush, he was overjoyed and snatched it immediately.

He prepared the tip, dipped it in thick ink, and began to write with wild abandon.

"Today I hide in this humble room, wronged and obscure; tomorrow I shall ascend the Dragon Terrace, wild and free!" the mad scholar grandly wrote, leaving behind this line of poetry.

Shen Ningning didn’t understand the meaning, but she felt its immense power and couldn’t help but clap for him.

"Amazing! A masterpiece!"

Only then did the mad scholar snap out of his frenzied state.

He turned his head and looked at the little pipsqueak beside him.

"This brush... it’s yours?"