Chapter 338: I Have to Give My Godmother a Kowtow
Chapter 338: Chapter 338: I Have to Give My Godmother a Kowtow
Jiang Zhi watched him, his lips drawn into a tight line and his expression hard to read.
She couldn’t help but frown. Cupping her fist again, she deliberately spoke in a rough voice, "Young General, I’m not afraid of hardship."
"And please, do not give me special treatment on account of the Commandery Princess."
Her words struck a chord with Chen Shaobei.
She was one of Shen Ningning’s people, so he had to show her some deference no matter what.
"Jiang Zhi, you’ve misunderstood. Transferring you to the Fire Soldier Camp isn’t a punishment or an assignment to an idle post."
"You saw just now. The Deputy General came in to report that the war with Changling is not going well. A protracted war is a fatal problem for our dynasty, which has already been devastated by natural disasters."
"Therefore, sooner or later, we will have to march out to offer support. In times of war, the Fire Soldier Camp serves as the vanguard. Sending you there is actually a much more rigorous form of training."
Jiang Zhi was taken aback. ’So that’s what he meant?’
In that case, she had misunderstood Chen Shaobei.
Chen Shaobei’s gaze was steady as he pressed, "Can you handle it?"
"I will give you three months to thoroughly figure out how to make gunpowder. But if you can’t handle the hardship or are unable to do the job, you should say so now."
Jiang Zhi hastily cupped her fist. "I will not let you down!"
With that, she turned and hurried off to report to the Fire Soldier Camp.
Chen Shaobei watched her retreating figure, a wry smile finally gracing his thin lips.
’With her, you have to take a more roundabout approach.’
...
News that the heavens had smiled upon them that day, revealing a sliver of sunlight, quickly spread throughout the Capital City.
It was as if the common people had seen a glimmer of hope in the abyss of despair.
The Emperor began to lead the civil and military officials in worshiping the gods with even greater piety.
They eagerly awaited the day Shen Ningning had spoken of—the day the cold disaster would truly be over.
The little one wasn’t idle, either.
Ever since she learned the purpose of the golden beads, she knew that to grow more of them in the Immortal Realm, she needed more jade.
But she didn’t have that much silver at the moment; all the money she earned was needed to keep her shop running.
So, after some thought, Shen Ningning decided to barter.
Thanks to the last three chests of jade, the Spirit Grass in the Immortal Realm was now growing crop after crop.
There was more than enough, even if she harvested it twice a day.
So Shen Ningning thought of discussing a partnership with the head of the merchant’s guild, Mrs. Meng.
She would provide the Spirit Grass and ask Mrs. Meng to act as an intermediary, connecting her with jade merchants from the various commanderies of Cangyun Country for trade.
One day, the little one was having dinner with Xie Suzhi.
Half a month of continuous rest had greatly improved Xie Suzhi’s health.
Shen Ningning had been making him and Second Master Xie drink Spiritual Spring Water every day. Now, both brothers had a much healthier color in their faces than before.
During the meal, Xie Suzhi asked, "Ningning, I heard from Muchun and the others that you’ve been collecting jade recently?"
Shen Ningning was in the middle of eating a large meatball.
Hearing this, she blinked her long lashes, then obediently put down her chopsticks and dabbed her lips with a handkerchief.
The movements were fluid and graceful, her etiquette just like that of a well-bred young lady.
Shen Ningning blinked her big eyes and said, "Yes, Godfather. I want to collect some nice jade."
Beside her, Xie Ming’an drank the porridge in his bowl, his expression unreadable.
Xie Suzhi smiled. "Why didn’t you tell your godfather? I have jade."
Shen Ningning hadn’t wanted the Xie family to know in the first place because the jade was going to be consumed by the Immortal Realm and would disappear.
And she knew Xie Suzhi and Second Master Xie would surely do their best to help her search for it.
The little one couldn’t bear the thought of gifts from them disappearing.
So, Shen Ningning refused sweetly, "Godfather, your jades are all top-quality. I’d be too embarrassed to take them for free."
Second Master Xie, with his sharp brows and bright eyes, flashed a radiant smile. "Ningning, now you’re being too distant."
"It’s only right that you have my older brother’s things. But now that I think about it, didn’t my sister-in-law also have a habit of collecting jade?"
Xie Suzhi’s smile was gentle. "Yes, Lady Xin was exceptionally skilled at appraising jade."
"In those stone-gambling dens, she only had to touch a piece of jade still encased in its stone rind to know if it was valuable."
Shen Ningning’s sparkling eyes widened in surprise. "Godmother was that incredible."
Xie Ming’an spoke up at the right moment, pretending to remind them casually, "I remember my mother collected several chests of fine jade. For all these years, they’ve just been gathering dust in the warehouse."
Xie Suzhi nodded and said to Shen Ningning, "Your godfather, your second uncle, and your two older brothers are all rough men. We don’t know how to appreciate jade."
"Ningning, why don’t you go take a look after dinner? If you truly like them, it would be the jade’s good fortune. Otherwise, it’s a pity for them to sleep in their chests all day."
Shen Ningning hesitated for a moment. "Then... then I’ll go take a look in a bit."
Xie Ming’an pressed his lips together, hiding a smile.
’Once the little one accepts his jade, he can justifiably ask her again: who’s better, him or his older brother!’
After dinner, Shen Ningning followed Xie Suzhi and Xie Ming’an to the Xie Mansion’s storehouse.
All the mansion’s valuable treasures were kept here.
Xie Suzhi and the others each had their own private vaults, where they kept their personal belongings.
The main storehouse, however, held items that were for communal use.
After explaining, Xie Suzhi had the housekeeper, Uncle Pang, drag out four large chests and open them one by one.
A brilliant, dazzling light immediately filled the room.
"Ningning, go on, see if there’s anything you like."
Shen Ningning toddled over to the chests and nearly froze in her tracks.
"Whoa..." Her large, jet-black eyes went wide.
The dark depths of her pupils reflected the brilliant light of the jade within the chests.
There were countless pieces of beautiful, whole jade, all of them still in their raw, uncarved state.
Shen Ningning reached out her small hands and picked up a piece of Emperor Green jade the size of a baby’s head.
She sucked in a sharp breath.
The phrase from the books, "overwhelmingly opulent," was so visceral when she saw it with her own eyes.
Xie Ming’an stepped forward. "There are several more pieces of Emperor Green over here, but there are even more valuable ones."
As he spoke, he presented a palm-sized piece of translucent pink jadeite.
It was a faint pink, as clear and translucent as ice, looking exceptionally lovely in the candlelight.
Shen Ningning was simply overwhelmed.
Emperor Green, translucent pink, vermilion jadeite, violet orchid jade...
Seeing how much the little one adored them, Xie Suzhi said, "They’re all yours."
Shen Ningning snapped back to her senses and quickly shook her head. "No, no, I can’t. These are keepsakes left by my godmother. I can’t take all of them."
For the first time, the little one felt it was a terrible waste to let the Immortal Realm consume so much beautiful jade.
Leaving them behind would also give her godfather some mementos to remember her by.
Xie Suzhi’s smile was gentle and warm. "When Lady Xin was alive, she used to say that jade is a wonderful thing. You can admire it in times of prosperity, and in times of hardship, you can exchange it for silver."
Back then, Shen Siyi had always dreamed that after Xie Suzhi grew old and retired from his post, she would take all this jade and move with him to the countryside.
They would choose a beautiful place with verdant hills and clear streams, live a life of peaceful seclusion, and dote on their grandchildren. Wouldn’t that have been wonderful?
But alas... the beautiful woman had already returned to dust.
Xie Suzhi’s gaze grew even softer, hiding a deep, underlying sorrow.
He crouched down and looked at Shen Ningning. "If you like them, your godmother would be overjoyed to give them all to you, even from the afterlife."
"Ningning, don’t worry about it being a waste, and don’t feel like you can’t part with them. You are already a daughter of the Xie family. These things should have been yours to begin with."
Hearing this from the side, Xie Ming’an frowned slightly.
’This jade was originally left to him by his mother, Shen Siyi.’
’Now he had taken the initiative to bring it out, letting Xie Suzhi come up with an excuse to give it all to Shen Ningning.’
’But why did his words sound so strange?’
’His mother was getting all the credit. How was Shen Ningning supposed to thank him, her second older brother?’
After much hesitation, Shen Ningning decided to accept only three pieces of the Emperor Green jade and one piece of Ice Soul Pink Jade.
Each piece was as big as her fist.
After taking the items, she still felt it wasn’t enough. A determined look appeared on her fair and delicate little face.
"Godfather, I must go kowtow to Godmother."