Chapter 40: Chapter 40: Little Wolf Sister is Here to Pay the Wages

"Ningning, why the sudden question? That is indeed the Crown Prince’s name, but you must never say it aloud in public. To do so would be an offense against the authority of the Heavenly Family, and the consequences would be severe!"

Fu Yuansong explained gently and patiently, then asked, "Did someone at the academy say something to you?"

Shen Ningning shook her head softly. "No."

She had wanted to tell Grandpa Fu that she knew Mo Lingwei.

But then she remembered what Jiang Zhi had said and worried that he might have a secret that couldn’t be revealed.

So the little girl lowered her head and added in a soft, sweet voice, "I just heard it somewhere and got curious."

Fu Yuansong smiled kindly and patted Shen Ningning’s head.

"Ningning, if you ever run into any trouble, whether it’s with your studies at the academy or any problems in your life, you must tell me. Grandpa will help you."

The little girl looked up, her black eyes glistening, a smile blooming on her round face.

"I will! Thank you, Grandpa Fu!"

As for her studies, she didn’t find them difficult at all.

She wasn’t sure if it was because she had drunk the Spiritual Spring Water, but she seemed to have a photographic memory.

Anything she read once, she could recite flawlessly.

And since the mad scholar had taught her before, Shen Ningning grasped concepts faster than anyone.

Hearing her response, Fu Yuansong was even more delighted.

However, when Landlord Du learned that not only had Magistrate Fu Yuansong avoided punishment, but he had even been commended by the court...

...he flew into a rage and swept all the books and inkstones from his desk onto the floor.

"Bastard!" Landlord Du’s face twisted into a vicious snarl. "That old coot got off the hook so quickly."

Shen Ningning was truly his nemesis.

First, she had discovered his secret, and now, she had helped Fu Yuansong escape his predicament.

Murderous intent flared in Landlord Du’s eyes. ’This Shen Ningning must not be allowed to live!’

Just then, Qin Fangmei arrived outside the study.

"Uncle! May I come in?"

Landlord Du immediately composed himself and cleared his throat. "Come in, Fang Mei."

Qin Fangmei entered and was surprised to see the floor in disarray.

But she was in no mood to ask about it, looking at Landlord Du with only anxiety in her eyes.

"Uncle, when are you going to get my parents out? I just went to the government office to visit them, but they drove me away!"

"The Government Official on guard said my mother is being beaten with a board every day, and the flesh on her legs is nearly rotting away!"

Qin Fangmei started to cry, wiping at her tears. "Didn’t you say there’d be good news in the next couple of days?"

A flash of impatience crossed Landlord Du’s eyes.

"Fang Mei, it’s not that your uncle isn’t trying. I had a plan, but it was ruined by that Shen Ningning!"

"Magistrate Fu, the one who ordered your parents’ imprisonment, was supposed to be under investigation. I was going to use that time to bribe a few officials and get your parents released. But who could have guessed that Magistrate Fu would be set free after only two days of questioning!"

"I just found out it was all because that Shen Ningning was pulling strings for him."

The moment Qin Fangmei heard Shen Ningning’s name, she ground her teeth in fury.

"It’s Shen Ningning again!" she snarled. "That little orphan! She ruined my parents and stole our house, and now she’s making trouble again, as if that wasn’t enough."

Seeing that Qin Fangmei despised Shen Ningning to the bone...

...a cunning glint appeared in his eyes. He lowered his voice. "Fang Mei, in a few days, your uncle will enroll you in the academy."

"You need to keep a close eye on Shen Ningning. Don’t let her cause any more trouble."

He had stoked Qin Fangmei’s resentment toward Shen Ningning. As for the rest, Landlord Du was confident that Qin Fangmei would not let the girl have a moment’s peace.

After agreeing, Qin Fangmei left the study.

She had just started down the corridor when a maidservant hurried up to her.

"Young Miss, there’s a young lady at the gate who wishes to see you. Her surname is Lan, and she says she is the daughter of the Guangyang County Chief Clerk." 𝕗𝕣𝐞𝐞𝘄𝐞𝚋𝚗𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗹.𝚌𝕠𝚖

"Lan? I don’t know her. I won’t see her!" She was in no mood for visitors.

The maidservant hesitated before adding, "That Miss Lan said she wanted to ask you about a certain Miss Shen."

Qin Fangmei stopped in her tracks.

"Show her to the garden."

*

「On her first day of rest.」

Shen Ningning headed straight for Xiangyun Village.

Her house in the village was nearly finished. She was going today to inspect the work and pay Uncle Liu and the others.

The little girl had already counted out the wages at home.

As they had originally agreed, the wage was four taels per person. With Uncle Liu included, a total of fifteen people had helped.

So, Shen Ningning wrapped the sixty taels in a cloth bundle, had the Black Wolf King carry it in his mouth, and brought along two large barrels of vegetables and meat as she returned to the village with her wolf pack.

Deng Fugui, slingshot in hand, patrolled the village every morning, noon, and night with his gang of snot-nosed followers.

So, he was the first to spot Shen Ningning and immediately sprinted toward her in delight.

"Little Wolf Sister!" Deng Fugui skidded to a halt when he saw the Black Wolf King’s amber eyes, only daring to follow from a distance. "Another important person came looking for you the day before yesterday!"

Shen Ningning was getting used to this.

"Oh really? Who was it?"

"Uhm... He didn’t say his name or who he was. He just said you were his benefactor."

Shen Ningning thought for a moment.

’Is he here to thank me for catching the traffickers, just like Mrs. Meng was?’

Deng Fugui added, "He said he’d be back in a couple of days to find you, and that if we saw you, we should tell you to stay in the village and wait for him. Not to run off anywhere."

Shen Ningning giggled, her big, dewy eyes sparkling with amusement.

"I don’t even know him. Why should I listen to him!"

With that, she changed the subject. "Fugui, go get the adults. It’s time to pay everyone!"

Deng Fugui’s eyes lit up. "You got it!"

He turned and ran through the village, his little snot-nosed followers trailing behind him as they all shouted at the top of their lungs—

"Dad! Mom! Grandpa! Grandma! Come on out! Little Wolf Sister is here to hand out the wages!"

Shen Ningning walked over to her new house.

’Uncle Liu and the others did such a meticulous job!’

The entire courtyard was more than double its previous size.

They had not only renovated the main house, the kitchen, and the woodshed, but had even added a small room for Shen Ningning to live in.

Moreover, Uncle Liu had also hired two carpenters to make new stools, tables, chairs, and even wide canopy beds for the little girl and Grandma Qin.

Both sides of the courtyard were now lined with easy-to-grow bamboo.

Shen Ningning wasn’t afraid to spend money, so she had asked Uncle Liu to buy only the best materials.

Now, the white walls and black tiles looked brand new and dazzling under the bright sun.

A fence encircled the property, and the front door, a simple wooden one, was painted a bright, festive red.

Shen Ningning was extremely satisfied, a smile revealing dimples on her chubby little face.

"Langlang, Grandma will definitely love this when she sees it!"

’I’ll bring Grandma to see it next time!’

The Black Wolf King led the pack in sniffing around the courtyard, then let out a low AWOO.

He liked it here, too.

Just then, Sister-in-law Liu arrived, pulling Uncle Liu along with a large, bustling crowd of villagers.

Everyone’s face was beaming with joy.

Deng Fugui proactively brought over a wooden table for Shen Ningning to place her bundle on.

The villagers formed a line, and the little girl paid them one by one. When it was Sister-in-law Liu’s turn, she hugged the four-tael silver ingot and grinned from ear to ear.

"Oh, Ningning! You’re so generous! Four taels is what we’d make in two months working in the city!"

Shen Ningning smiled sweetly. "All you uncles and aunties worked so hard on my house. This little bit of silver is nothing compared to your effort."

Sister-in-law Liu beamed. "Ningning, you sure have a way with words!"

Once almost everyone had been paid...

...Shen Ningning looked at the villagers. "I have another job, I wonder if the aunties would be willing to help me again?"