Chapter 341: She Is Dong Sanhua
Chapter 341: Chapter 341: She Is Dong Sanhua
The door swung open, and a panicked woman rushed out.
She was so focused on looking back at the giant wolf that had suddenly leaped into the courtyard.
She didn’t notice the little one standing by the door at all.
Shen Ningning quickly dodged to the side, nearly getting knocked over!
"Don’t be afraid! This is Langlang, he’s my family. He won’t hurt you!" the little girl shouted to her.
Only then did the woman’s legs give out, and she collapsed to the ground, her eyes filled with terror.
Now, Shen Ningning could finally see her face clearly.
She was in her twenties, with a fair and delicate appearance.
She wore her jet-black hair in a thick braid, and her lips were as small and red as a cherry.
She must have been frightened by the Black Wolf King, as tears of shock welled in her eyes.
"Th-this..." She was trembling so much she couldn’t speak clearly.
The Black Wolf King padded over to Shen Ningning’s side and sat down obediently. It stared at the woman with a calm, almost human-like gaze.
Just then, the old village chief and his son hurried out of the house.
Their panicked expressions eased into relief when they saw it was Shen Ningning.
"Ningning, it’s you! Oh, you gave me quite a fright," the old village chief said, patting his chest.
Shen Ningning blinked her big, watery eyes. "Grandpa Village Chief, what’s going on? Have you been shut in for over a month just to hide someone?"
The woman quickly scrambled to her feet, brushed the snow off her clothes, squeezed back through the doorway, and hid behind Uncle Deng without another word.
Uncle Deng raised an arm as if to shield her, even glancing back at her.
Seeing their behavior, Shen Ningning scratched her little cheek.
The old village chief knew he couldn’t hide it any longer. He sighed. "Ningning, come inside. Let’s talk in the house."
「A moment later.」
Inside the warm house, the old village chief was frowning, constantly chewing on a tea stem.
Uncle Deng sat silently in a nearby chair.
Shen Ningning, meanwhile, was treated like an honored guest. She sat with the Black Wolf King on the highest spot of the heated kang bed, watching them.
The woman from before served a cup of coarse rice tea and stood silently to the side.
The old village chief finally spoke. "Ningning, her name is Ah Hua. She’s an unfortunate soul we rescued."
Then, the old village chief explained the whole story.
It turned out she had been sold by her own brother to a wealthy merchant in town to be his concubine.
That merchant enjoyed tormenting women; several concubines he had taken in had been toyed with until they died.
But he was extremely generous with his money and was willing to pay 500 taels of silver to buy Ah Hua.
For the sake of the silver, Ah Hua’s brother agreed without a second thought.
But Ah Hua didn’t want to die like that, so the day before she was to be sent to the merchant, she found a way to escape.
Afraid of being caught and dragged back by her brother, she hid outside and nearly froze to death!
The kind-hearted Uncle Deng was passing by and brought her back.
Ah Hua begged Uncle Deng to take her in and not drive her away, willing to serve the Deng Family as a servant, washing clothes and cooking for the father and son.
Uncle Deng was a good-natured man. After much hesitation, he discussed it with the old village chief and decided to let Ah Hua stay.
But they were afraid Ah Hua’s brother would report them to the authorities, so the three of them rarely even left the house.
Fortunately, they had listened to Shen Ningning’s advice earlier and had stockpiled plenty of winter clothes, bedding, and firewood.
Their home was also well-stocked with rice, flour, and cured meat.
Usually, Ah Hua lived in the woodshed where the fire was tended. She helped with cooking and laundry, only daring to come out to sweep the snow after dark.
After hearing the story, Shen Ningning looked at Ah Hua with a complicated expression.
"Is your surname Dong?"
Ah Hua immediately looked up. "You... You already know."
Seeing the look in her eyes, Shen Ningning was instantly certain—Ah Hua recognized her!
The little girl recalled that when her grandmother had fallen last time, Ah Hua had also rushed out from the courtyard to help Grandma Qin up.
Shen Ningning pursed her lips. "Dong Aniu repeatedly bothered me over your situation. If he hadn’t been thrown in jail, my grandmother and I wouldn’t have had a moment’s peace."
Uncle Deng looked at Ah Hua in surprise. "You’re actually that Dong Aniu’s sister?"
Dong Sanhua burst into tears.
She stood up and quickly knelt before Shen Ningning.
"Commandery Princess, I beg you, please don’t have me arrested and reported to the authorities! My older brother and second brother are scoundrels! They both want to trade me for silver. If I go back, I’ll be walking to my death."
The old village chief was astonished. "But you’re a relative of Grandma Qin’s. Why didn’t you ask her for help instead of having us take you in?"
Tears rolled down Dong Sanhua’s flushed cheeks. "I was afraid..."
Shen Ningning knew what she was afraid of.
"You were worried that if Grandma knew who you were, she would persuade you to go back with Dong Aniu."
Dong Sanhua nodded silently.
Understanding her past, Shen Ningning couldn’t bring herself to blame her.
So she said, "You don’t have to worry anymore. Dong Aniu was thrown in jail. He won’t be getting out for at least three months."
Dong Sanhua’s sobs paused, and she looked up with teary, hopeful eyes. "Really?"
Then, her expression clouded over with worry again. "But my home... I can’t go back there anymore."
Uncle Deng immediately said, "What’s there to be afraid of? You can keep living here. I don’t have any problem with it."
The old village chief coughed twice, his face stern as he shot a severe look at Uncle Deng.
Shen Ningning saw this, her bright eyes blinking.
It looked as though the old village chief was unwilling to continue sheltering Dong Sanhua under such unclear circumstances.
However, Dong Sanhua had nowhere else to go. If Grandma Qin found out, she would surely insist on bringing her home.
’But...’
Shen Ningning felt a pang of sympathy.
She didn’t know what Dong Sanhua’s temperament was like, or if she was the same kind of person as Dong Aniu and Dong Ermu.
Shen Ningning wasn’t home often, and if Dong Sanhua was the type to cause trouble, it would just be another burden for her grandmother.
Shen Ningning calmly handed the bowl to the old village chief.
"Grandpa Village Chief, the mad scholar asked me to return this bowl to you."
The old village chief was about to take it with a smile, but Dong Sanhua, with great perceptiveness, extended both hands and took it instead.
She then turned and went to the small kitchen, and in a moment, she had washed it completely clean.
She refilled it with a small serving of fried peanuts and placed it on the table.
Watching her movements, Shen Ningning said in her soft, sweet voice, "Grandpa Village Chief, even though you don’t go out much, your home is kept spotless. It’s so bright and tidy."
The old village chief just smiled in response.
But Uncle Deng couldn’t help but praise her. "This is all thanks to Sister Ah Hua."
"Usually, by the time my father and I wake up, she has already made breakfast. Don’t let her age fool you—she knows how to cook so many dishes, and her food is every bit as good as Sister-in-law Liu’s from our village."
Uncle Deng also pointed to the paper cuttings on the window and the winter plum blossoms that Dong Sanhua had picked when she went out at night.
"Look, this is all her thoughtful work."
Back when Wang Qiao’er was around, she was lazy and gluttonous. This was the first time Uncle Deng had met a woman as diligent and virtuous as Dong Sanhua. As he spoke of her, his eyes filled with light.
Dong Sanhua grew bashful from his praise and lowered her head, quietly smiling as she touched her braid.
The old village chief, who had been silent all this time, finally said, "Ningning, you should go get Grandma Qin. We need to discuss what to do with Dong Sanhua next. After all, she is her own niece."
Dong Sanhua’s expression stiffened, and the hand stroking her hair slowly dropped to her side.